The Lutheran Hour
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"Have a Great Midlife Crisis!"
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Text: 1 Peter 1:15-21
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Prayer: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
What happens when a man has a midlife crisis? Being in my mid-fifties, I’ve been thinking about that for a few years. However, I’m not sure I would know a midlife crisis if it hit me. I’ve heard of some men casting aside the faithful wife of many years for a younger, trophy wife. I’ve heard of trading in the family car for a flashy sports car. Some middle age men start leaving the top button of their shirt open so everyone can see the flashy gold chain around their neck. I haven’t done any strange outward things like that. But I have been going through some real midlife soul-searching. Here’s what it has come down to for me. Since you’re a spiritual person, I think my experience will give you some food for thought.
It’s hit me that I have often dealt with holy things in unholy ways. Now, I hasten to say you are not about to hear a Jimmy Swaggert type confession from me. No steamy sins are about to be announced. Truth is, I’m still a Sunday school boy in a middle age body. By outward appearances I’m still a good boy and I don’t have any shocking skeletons in my closet. But God searches the heart, seeing what people can’t see. So my introspection here in my mid-fifties has made me realize that all is not well. As I said, in life and almost in three decades of ministry, I have far too often handled the holy things of God in unholy ways.
That’s part of the reason why a little known Bible story fascinates me. The story comes from 2 Samuel chapter 6 about the Ark of the Covenant. The ark was a box that contained a number of sacred objects, including the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. This ark was the place where God showed His presence among the ancient Israelites. When Saul was king, the ark was totally neglected. When David became king, he wanted to give this holy object the reverential attention it deserved. So, King David gathered a large group of soldiers to bring the ark to Jerusalem from the home of a man named Abinadab. Let’s pick up the story as it is written in 2 Samuel.
“David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men. He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah to bring God’s ark to Jerusalem. (The ark is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned over the angels). David and his men put God’s ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the new cart. They brought it from Abinadab’s home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark. David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the Lord’s presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
“But when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it. The Lord became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God” (2 Samuel 6:1-7).
That’s a strange story! What is clear is that Uzzah was struck dead because he touched the holy thing of God, something he had not been called to do. I identify somewhat with poor Uzzah. The Ark of the Covenant was a holy thing and he had not been called by God to touch it. How often have I reached out and handled holy things in unholy ways, in ways God has not called me to do. Let me shift my message to you and try to start a little midlife crisis in your thoughts, or a late life crisis or a youthful crisis-wherever you happen to be in life. How often have you handled the holy things of God in unholy ways?
What are the holy things of God today? In the Apostles’ Creed we Christians say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.” We interpret those last words, “the communion of saints” to be an explanation of “the holy Christian Church.” It’s like saying, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church. This fellowship believers have in Jesus Christ here on earth and also in heaven.” Such is the popular understanding of this part of the creed.
However, the original meaning of the phrase “communion of saints” was probably different. Its original meaning probably went something like this: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, and I believe in the sharing, the fellowship, and the communion of holy things.” Those holy things include the Gospel, Baptism, Confession and Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Communion. The original meaning of this part of the creed seems to have been that we Christians believe in the sharing of these holy things in the church.
It’s those things we have handled in unholy ways. Do you think I have been 100% pure and holy doing the work of public ministry, including preparing these messages? Do you pretend you have always heard and read the Word of God with the complete reverence and submission it deserves? Have you remembered your baptism each day, remembered you were buried with Christ and are called to newness of life, to holy living? How many times have you trivialized confession, blithely thinking, “Well, nobody’s perfect”? Such a casual approach casts aside the words of forgiveness, forgiveness won for us at such a great cost. Have you gone to church on Sunday and partaken of holy communion more because it’s a ritual than because this Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood offers you forgiveness of sins, life and salvation? Ezekiel says, “The person who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). My midlife crisis and one I’m suggesting we all should have in our life is realizing we have often dealt with holy things in unholy ways.
Uzzah died for his sin. Yet, we are alive. I’m speaking; you are listening. Has God ignored His threat that the soul that sins shall die? Is there no punishment for unholy people mishandling holy things? Oh, there’s punishment all right. God’s promises don’t change, including His promise to punish sin. The way God has worked this problem out addresses my spiritual crisis but gives me confidence to go on with my future. The way God has worked out this problem of our unholiness offers you comfort and spiritual renewal. God’s way is to punish someone else in our place. Someone stepped in to suffer God’s judgment so you and I could be forgiven. Someone holy, someone who has no sin, took the place of us unholy people. Uzzah died for his own lack of reverence. Jesus Christ has died so we can live. As the prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Carla, the woman who cuts my hair, has done an excellent job of teaching her two-year-old granddaughter Lisa about Jesus. Carla told me they were watching a Shirley Temple video a few months ago. While they were doing that, Lisa asked grandma if she could hold Jesus. So Carla went to the wall, took down the crucifix and gave it to little Lisa. Lisa looked seriously at the body of Jesus on the cross. She pointed at the nail through His feet and said, “boo-boo.” Then she looked at his hands and said, “boo-boo.” Then little Lisa kissed Jesus’ hands and feet.
Whether we are midlife, late life, or early life, it was those “boo-boos,” those wounds Jesus’ whole suffering and death that have paid for the sins of us unholy people. How does this forgiveness, how do all the other benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection come to you and me? God brings them to us. Read from Isaiah chapter six. “In the year that King Uzzah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne. The bottom of his robe filled the temple. Angels were standing above Him. Each had six wings. With two they covered their faces, they covered their feet with two, and with two they flew. They called to each other and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is filled with His glory.’
“Their voices shook the foundations of the doorposts, and the temple filled with smoke. So I said, ‘Oh, no! I’m doomed. Every word that passes through my lips is sinful. I live among people with sinful lips. I have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.’
“Then one of the angels flew to me. In his hand was a burning coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, ‘This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away, and your sin has been forgiven.'” (Isaiah 6:1-7).
Isaiah knew how unholy he was. He knew everyone else was too, just as my own spiritual crisis over holiness should resonate with you. Now in Isaiah’s vision, God sent His angel to touch his lips with a burning coal to take away his guilt. Today is Pentecost, the day when the Christian church says clearly and emphatically, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is purifying like fire, touching us sinners with forgiveness and the holiness of God. That purifying touch comes to you and me through the holy things, through the Gospel, through Baptism and Absolution and Holy Communion. Through these, God gives His Holy Spirit to work faith in those who hear and believe the Good News that Jesus Christ took our place in death so that we can have eternal life.
Martin Luther expressed it this way: “I believe I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified (that means to make holy), and kept me in the true faith. Even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers, and will at the Last Day raise me up and all the dead, and give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.”
One more thing. Remember what little two-year-old Lisa did? She kissed Jesus’ “boo-boos.” In her own young way, she was showing her response to Jesus. There is a loving response for you and me because God’s holy things have touched us with forgiveness and life. Our response is holy living. The apostle Peter was very sensitive to personal holiness. I don’t know when he went through it in his life, but Peter went through this same spiritual crisis you and I have. Peter writes, “Because the God who called you is holy, you must be holy in every aspect of your life. Scripture says, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ So if you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth in fear. He is the God who judges all people by what they have done, and He doesn’t play favorites. Realize you weren’t set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects or imperfections. He is the lamb who was known long ago before the world existed. But for your good He became publicly known in the last period of time. Through Him you believe in God who brought Christ back to life and gave Him glory. So your faith and confidence are in God” (1 Peter 1:15-21).
“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” asks the old spiritual. “Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.” As I get older it causes me to tremble more and more. I’m thankful for that. What a wonderful thing it has been for me to go through this midlife spiritual crisis and to learn anew, as the prophet Jeremiah says, ‘the Lord is my righteousness.’ Whatever your age happens to be, let me wish you the same great and blessed spiritual crisis!
These words from 1 Thessalonians 5:23 are holy: “May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May He keep your whole being — spirit, soul, and body — blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this.” Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for June 3, 2001
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the question and answer segment. I’m Mark Eischer. Joining me is Dr. Dale Meyer. These questions come to us from a listener in Saginaw, Michigan. First, how would you describe the devil?
MEYER: Mark, we’re talking about unseen beings so let’s start with the bad guy, the devil. The devil or Satan is a fallen angel. When God created the world, He created the angels, the Bible tells us. Some of these angels fell away from God. They resisted God and they’re confirmed in that way of life now. They are always trying to undo the good work God does for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In John, chapter 8, Jesus says, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” The devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies.
ANNOUNCER: How would you compare the devil’s power to that of God?
MEYER: They are not equal which is a very important thing to understand. The power of God is much greater than the power of the devil. 1Peter 5 says, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” If a lion walked into the studio right now, we’d high-tale it out of here. So, when the devil comes into a person’s life, tempting them to sin, they can get out. God is stronger than the devil.
ANNOUNCER: Now, Dr. Meyer, how would you describe the Holy Spirit to someone who is not a believer?
MEYER: It’s a great thing our listener wants to share the faith with the unbeliever. This is taking the Gospel out to the folks who desperately need it, as we all do. The Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost is the third person in the godhead. The Bible reveals that God is a triune God, a holy trinity, three persons in one. The third person is called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost. This is not just a force or power that emanates from God. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person in the trinity. The best way we can describe the Holy Spirit is by talking about the work the Holy Spirit does. I had a professor who liked to speak of the Holy Spirit as the “Holying” Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy. The old English word is to sanctify. And indeed, the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost is called the Sanctifier. He makes us holy. He brings something into our life that covers our sins over with righteousness.
ANNOUNCER: How does He do that?
MEYER: By bringing into our lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, “No one can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.” That happens when the Holy Spirit is active through the Gospel that tells us that Christ came and died for our sins and rose to give us life. That Gospel is the way the Holy Spirit works. It’s His tool by which the Holy Spirit takes our unrighteousness and covers it over with the righteousness of Jesus.
ANNOUNCER: The Spirit also works through the Sacraments?
MEYER: Yes. The great thing about the Sacraments is the Gospel. It’s not simply the water, or the bread and the wine. It’s that power of God in the Good News of Jesus Christ that makes that a saving of baptism and takes the bread and wine and makes it the body and blood of Christ for our salvation. 1 Corinthians 6 talks about baptism. “You were washed, you were Sanctified, that is made holy. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” He is indeed the Holying Spirit.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Meyer. Look for the next Lutheran Hour message titled, “An Open Mind for the Future.”