Advent Lutheran Church

"For the Joy of the Lord is Our Strength "

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have you ever forgotten to pack your medicine while you were traveling? Or, have you ever participated in a wedding where the wedding ring has been forgotten?  Or have you planned to discuss with someone an issue that bothered you, then started talking about another issue and forgotten the main one?  I think we could all share such an experience of forgetting something important, on some occasions in our life.

The story we read in the book of Nehemiah chapter 8 is about finding the most important part in the life of the Jewish people. The story is rooted in the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile and the process of reconstructing of the city of Jerusalem.

The first half of the book of Nehemiah is about the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem. In other words, it is about the reconstruction of the physical or external needs of the community.  The second half of the book is about the re-instruction and renewal of God's people. In other words, it is about the re-instruction of the spiritual or internal needs of the community.

By the beginning of chapter seven, they have now rebuilt the city, and built up those protective walls. Nehemiah had set up the doors and the gatekeepers, and the Levites had been appointed.  Everything seems to be in order. When Nehemiah talks about the work of the re-construction in chapter 4:19 he says, “The work is great….”  Yes, it is great to complete part of what the community needs. It is great to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and all the protective walls.

Yes, it is great for one nation to have sustainable infrastructures and all kinds of technology.

Yes, it is great for a family or individuals to live in a beautiful house, to drive a dependable car, to have a sustainable income.

Yes, it is great for a congregation to have a great building like this, to have a beautiful sanctuary, comfortable pews, music and all that is needed for the congregation.

However, all these are external needs of nations, communities, families and individuals. Especially as people of God, and as a church, we cannot be complete without the Word of the Lord.  That is what this story is teaching us. There was something missing in that community. The Word of the Lord was part of their identity. That is why we hear the people requesting the priest Ezra to bring the word of the Lord, read, and interpret for them so that they could understand and respond accordingly.

Notice, that it was not the leaders of the community who told the people to hear the Word but it was rather the congregation who asked the leaders to proclaim the Word and interpret.  Since the people were so hungry for the Word of the Lord, they spent hours, and days in hearing and studying the Word.

Before I go further, I want to you think about how so many things are taken for granted in United States. One of them is the access to the written word of God, or the Bible. Here in United States it is not that difficult for someone to have a Bible. In fact, there are ton of versions from which one can choose. The Irony is, we do not carry our Bibles when we come to worship, we don’t read our Bibles at home.  And so many of us do not come to the Bible studies in church.

Dr. Stjerna is associate Professor of Reformation Church History and Director of the Institute for Luther Studies at Gettysburg Seminary.  She is from Finland.  In one of her lectures, she shared to the class her personal experience about smuggling a Bible into Russia. She told us that she had been caught by the Russian police while she was smuggling Bibles from Finland to Russia.

By the way, this is a present experience for most Christians who reside in Muslim nations and even in some parts of China.  In the third world, countries like Ethiopia, people cannot afford to purchase a Bible. It is not so long that I had my own personal Bible. Usually, one Bible is for the whole family. When I was confirmed, the Church did not give me a Bible. It might surprise you that at that time, a Bible cost less than One US dollar.  

I grew up while the communist government was in power. Churches had been closed. Christians were persecuted. All the church activities were held underground. In our high school, we had a Christian fellowship network that worked underground.  During our 15 minutes of break, we would gather as group of two or three and study the Word of God. Since we could not carry a Bible, we were supposed to memorize the assigned texts before we met for the Bible study.

Brothers and sisters, reading and studying the Bible is the beginning of a process to understand the Word of God.  Today’s’ gospel reading tells us that it was Jesus’ custom to go to the Synagogue to study the scriptures.  When Martin Luther comments about the Christ in the manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, he said, “Christ lies in the crib of the Scripture wrapped in swaddling clothes." He emphasized the importance of reading and understanding the scriptures.

The people of Israel in Nehemiah knew that their life would not be complete without the Word of the Lord. They knew that life is more than the external need, that their gathering as a congregation is incomplete without the Word of the Lord.  When the Law was proclaimed and interpreted among the people, the people understood the message. Since the Word of the Lord has the power to affect the lives of the people, people responded in weeping.  The law is always a reminder that our works cannot save us. It reminds us who we are without the Grace of God.

While the people were studying the word they found out one great reminder that has been given by the Lord. That was about the feast of the tabernacles or “Sukot,” a reminder of their lives in the wilderness. The people celebrate by making a tent, or temporary shelter outside their homes. They will be homeless for a week to remember their live in the wilderness and to bless the Lord for what he has done for his people and to share with others who don’t have shelters. There are so many stories in the Bible that remind us what the Lord has done to us so that we may be able to do for others.

However, it is not God’s intensions for us to get stuck and contemplate only what we cannot do. Immediately, the gospel would follow to declare what the Lord can do.  Yes, we all are justified by the grace alone through faith.  That is why Ezra told the people not to cry. In fact, he told them that this is holy day. It is a day to rejoice. He confirmed the promise of God in v. 10 by saying, “do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  

Yes, brothers and sisters, for all of us who are tired of what is going on in our life, here is the good news. There is a promise of strength for us. It is not the strength that we can produce, but it is the strength that comes from the joy of the Lord. The strength that comes from above.

If our strength is the joy if the Lord, what is the joy of the lord?  God expressed his joy at least two places in the gospels.  It is during Jesus’ baptism in the river of Jordan, and the transfiguration on the mountain. I like the transfiguration one, “This is my son the beloved, with him I am well pleased, listen to him.”  Christ is the joy of God. The joy is our strength. Christ is our strength.  If you agree with me please say, “Amen.”

We are told to listen to him in the spoken Word. We are told to eat and drink him in the visible Word. That is where our strength comes from.  This morning I encourage you to come to the table with faith and expectation to receive strength, grace and hope as you are taking the body and blood of our Lord. The joy of the Lord is our strength. For those of us who feel tired with life’s circumstances, here the promise of the Christ.  Listen:  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28.)

Once again, let us listen to Christ in today’s gospel reading:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,   to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”  

The joy of the lord is our strength. Amen.