The Lutheran Hour
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"Not That Clever"
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Text: 2 Peter 1:16
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! God’s great act of grace is the greatest story ever told – His story is a message which needs to be told and retold; for that story is the way by which God gives sinful humankind forgiveness and salvation.
If you have ever gone grocery shopping; if you have ever stood in line at a neighborhood department store, or waited for a prescription to be filled at a pharmacy, you have seen the tabloids. The story titles of these magazine/ newspapers scream at you; they shout out your name; they demand that you pick them up and read them. You resist because you know these magazines are filled with cleverly invented stories. Still, the temptation can be almost unbearable. Even we who are, for the most part, normal and sensible and logical, must ashamedly confess to those times when we took a quick look around to see if anyone we knew was watching, and then, ever so stealthily we turned to page two, or eight, or wherever, to find the rest of the story.
For example, in December of 2004, the top stories of these tabloids were entitled, “Blues Singer Sues His Shrink for Making Him Feel Better.” I’d like to know more about that one. With my grandson starting school this year, I would have read the entire story which was labeled, “Tough Algebra Problem Causes Student’s Head To Explode.”
Every day we are bombarded with so many cleverly invented stories that we become almost used to them. Too often in recent years, I’ve heard people make the blanket statement, “You can’t trust the promise of any politician.” It was easier for those persons to lump all public servants, good and bad, into the category of “people who tell cleverly invented stories.” I’ve overheard young women and teenage girls say, “I don’t believe the line of any man when he comes up to me.” Those are ladies who have been stung too many times by some guy’s cleverly invented story. How many times haven’t you sat watching television, seen a commercial, and commented to the others in the room, “No product is ever gonna do what the advertisers promise when you buy it and get it into your house.”
Unfortunately, many people don’t practice discernment. They don’t try to separate truth from falsehood. They find it easier to lump things together, to generalize. The end result is, the good politician, the man or woman who tries to be upstanding and worthy of the public trust, finds himself battling the electorate’s distrust and disbelief. Eventually, both politician and people lose.
When it comes to the public’s fear of being fooled by cleverly invented stories, no area of society has suffered more than has the religious world. A trusted priest commits a criminal act and all of the priesthood, including those who strive and struggle to be faithful, are looked upon with doubt and distrust. A powerful pastor breaks his marriage vows or steals from the offering plate, and all who wear the collar find themselves surveyed and scrutinized by the people that they are trying to serve and shepherd. Even worse, some people, judging the Master by the lifestyle of His servants, reject God’s Gospel of hope and His blood-bought promise of heaven.
Some pseudo-Bible scholar goes public and declares Jesus never did this miracle, or never told that parable, and all of the Bible is distrusted or discarded. Some TV preacher goes on the air and makes preposterous promises and deluded declarations which can be found nowhere in the Bible, and people are turned off not just to him, but to the Lord as well. Some skeptic or cynic calls a press conference and reveals that he believes the Savior never lived, never was arrested, never was tried, never was sentenced, never was crucified and, therefore, never died or rose– and thousands slam the door on salvation. Some malcontented mischief-maker, wishing to create trouble and desiring to remake God in an image which he personally finds to be more comfortable, claims he has had a vision or a dream, or found some new revelation, and millions are led away from salvation and astray into hell. It is the curse of this age that people wishing to reject what they incorrectly believe are the cleverly invented stories of Scripture, end up walking away from God’s truth and end up following the cleverly invented stories of Satan’s spokesmen.
I am not surprised. Years ago I heard about a farmer who decided to cut down the homestead’s old, non-producing fruit tree. That piece of news caused concern to the man’s son who had in that tree, found a wonderful and secret spot to be a boy. In that tree, the lad could dream dreams and imagine the impossible. He could captain a steamship up the Amazon; escape marauding man-eating lions in the Congo and be master of all he surveyed. But what could the little boy do? If he talked to his father, his secret spot was no longer be a secret. If he left things as they were, he would be without a secret spot to keep secret. Then came a revelation, a wondrous solution. That night the boy snuck out, visited the neighbors and filled up a bushel basket of apples. These he patiently tied on the limbs of the farm’s non-producing fruit tree. The next day, Dad went out for chores. Upon his return, he commented to his wife and son, “Family, you may find this hard to believe, but our farm has become the site of a miracle. The tree is full of apples.” The boy’s mother smiled and said, “That’s nice dear, and you find that remarkable?” “I do,” said Dad. “Remarkable because those apples weren’t there yesterday. Doubly remarkable because that’s not an apple tree, it’s a pear tree.”
Now I’m not going to comment on how the boy got out of that one; nor am I going to say whether the tree was cut down or remained standing. The end of the story I leave to your own imaginings. What I will do is point out that every time a man, like the boy in the story, tries to improve on what he perceives to be God’s shortcomings, he fails. Every time humankind tries to correct what it wrongly feels are God’s cleverly invented stories, it ends up substituting a weak and wrong story of its own. In the Garden of Eden, Satan convinced Adam and Eve that God had told them a cleverly invented story when He had said they should not eat from the forbidden tree. They believed Satan’s cleverly invented story. That mistake brought sin, along with death and damnation into this world. When Moses was up on Sinai receiving God’s commandments, deceivers told the children of Israel a cleverly invented story and God’s people fell into idolatry. Many died because of that deception. My friends, read the Old Testament. It is filled with one account after another where people rejected God’s truth, and believed some preposterous and cleverly invented story.
Read the New Testament. Look at the life of the Christ. At Jesus’ birth, the angels said a Savior had been born to the world, God’s Son, Christ the Lord. Only a short time later, King Herod set aside the truth of God’s angel’s, and substituted his own cleverly invented story. Herod’s story showed Jesus as a Usurper who needed to be eliminated. As an adult, when Jesus healed a man who was possessed; who was both deaf and dumb; the Pharisees substituted a cleverly invented story and said the miracle had been successful because Jesus was a devil (Matthew 12:22ff). When Jesus healed a man who was born blind, critics in the crowd, rather than thanking the Lord for His kindness, substituted a cleverly invented story and said, “Jesus is not of God because He heals on the Sabbath day” (John 9). When Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead, many people rejoiced at having seen God’s great deed. Still, there were those who found their own cleverly invented story. They decided Jesus’ miracles were dangerous, and He ought to die rather than messing up the status quo (John 11:43ff). That cleverly invented story ended up with Jesus hanging on a cross.
But Satan’s cleverly invented stories didn’t stop with Jesus’ crucifixion. On Resurrection Sunday when Jesus had risen from the dead, the men who had been entrusted with the keeping of His dead body reported the miraculous rising of the Savior. Scripture records the creation of their cleverly invented stories this way from Matthew 28: “Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, you are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were sleeping.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” Yes, Satan’s cleverly invented stories are still turning some of the people that Jesus died to save, from dedication to doubt; from truth to distrust; from salvation to damnation.
Satan’s cleverly invented stories about Jesus continue on, even to this very day. It is quite possible that the manuscript of this message, the tape, the CD is being given to you by someone who is concerned about you, who loves you, who is worried that you, like so many others, have bought into one of the world’s cleverly invented stories about Jesus. Your friend, your family member, your spouse, your child, may be sharing this message with you because they want you to see that Jesus is the Way to heaven; the Truth of God, the only way you can have eternal life. They don’t want you to get angry. They don’t want you to think they’re butting in where they’re not wanted. But you know, if they saw you standing in the path of an oncoming truck, they would try to save you. If they see you on a path that is going to take you to hell, they’re going to try to help. Giving you this message calls for a great deal of love and courage on their part.
Of course, they might be wrong. It is possible that you have a discernment which has allowed you to see the world’s, the devil’s, cleverly invented stories for the lies that they are – sad and sorry attempts to separate you from the love of God which is yours in Jesus Christ. If that is the case, won’t you please put their hearts at rest and tell them.
On the other hand, if they are right; if you have been questioning, or you have bought into Satan’s cleverly invented stories, won’t you give me a minute or two of your time to speak to the worst of his deceptions? For example, do you believe the cleverly invented story that says, “Jesus never rose; that His body was mislaid, misplaced, forgotten, stolen, or revived?” Can I tell you that in the history of the ancient world, of the hundreds of thousands of people that the Romans crucified, there is not a single case of someone escaping alive? It didn’t happen. If it were to happen, the Roman execution squad would be executed.
But that’s not all. Not even Jesus’ worst enemies suggested that He had only fainted or gone into a coma. But could His body have been stolen? Who would steal it? For what purpose? A practical joke? The disciples didn’t do it. All but one of them were martyred, most of them in horrible ways, rather than deny that Jesus had risen from the dead. Even more, all of the original disciples, along with hundreds more, said they had seen Jesus. But not just seen Him in the form of a vapor, there one minute and gone the next. They saw Him. Even more they talked with Him. Even more they ate with Him. Even more, they were invited to touch His hands and feet. Jesus’ resurrection is not a figment of imagination, a flight of fancy, a cleverly invented story. Jesus rose from the dead, and thereby showed to all who believe that the sacrifice for their sins had been paid. Jesus rose from the dead, physically not figuratively, and with His resurrection, all who believe on Him as Savior have the assurance that they too shall rise, and death will not be their end. Jesus rose from the dead, and since He did, you can believe everything else He has said and promised.
It is possible that you believe the cleverly invented story that says all religions are interchangeable. Do you believe that all gods are the same? All faiths teach the same? All beliefs will take you to heaven? That cleverly invented story is so American, so non-judgmental, so accepting, so wrong. First, none of these other religions would agree to such foolishness. They know better. Second, you cannot have a religion like Christianity which says God came down to save sinners, and at the same time a religion like Islam, which says you have to work your way up to God. They cannot both be true. They are mutually and completely exclusive. No, either Christianity is right in its claims and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, or He is not. Either Mohammed, or Buddha, or Zoroaster or others are right in their claims, or they aren’t. You can’t have it both ways.
But if there is a right religion, how can you know which one it is? Another one of the world’s cleverly invented stories says, “You can’t know. You can’t be sure of the way to heaven.” My friends, reject that story. It is also not true. You can be sure. Take a look at the hundreds of prophecies made about the Savior in the Old Testament– unusual things, normally impossible things. But with God, the impossible becomes reality. See the truth: according to prophecy, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a virgin. According to prophecy, He fled to Egypt. According to prophecy, He healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead. According to prophecy, He was beaten, spit upon, rejected and crucified. According to prophecy, He rose from the dead on the third day. If these prophecies hadn’t been fulfilled, Jesus would not be our Savior, Christianity would not be true. But Jesus did do those things, and He is our Redeemer.
Look, if I told you that you were going to have a flat tire on the way to work tomorrow and it happened, you might be intrigued by the coincidence. If I said it would be the right front tire, you might be impressed. If I told you that the tire was going to be punctured by a ten-penny nail, you might start to believe in me. But you might really begin to believe if I accurately gave you the license number of the wrecker and the name, birthday, and the social security number of the driver who came out to help you fix your tire. Would you, after so many prophecies had been fulfilled, begin to believe me when I spoke of other things? How about if I made successful prophecies 10 more times? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? The Bible has done exactly that and more in the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus kept. There is no doubt, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who came to save you. There is no doubt here. There are no cleverly invented stories in Christianity.
In finishing let me tell you a story. Not a cleverly invented story, but a kind of “ah-ha” kind of story. A few years ago, I heard about an international company that was looking for a new director of marketing. Two finalists were being interviewed. The first entered the room, and was asked a simple question: “What is 2+2?” The man thought, debated about whether he was being tricked, and then answered, “4, or it could statistically be a number between 3 and 5.” The man was thanked for his time and escorted out. The second man was invited in for his interview. The same question was asked of him: “What is 2+2?” Without hesitation, the man replied, “What do you want it to be?” He was hired on the spot.
Well, if you’re looking for a salvation message that is tailored for whatever you want it to be, I can’t help you. But if you’re looking for truth, Christ is your Savior, Christianity your faith. Call us at the number we will give. We can help you know Jesus. We’re not asking you for money or anything else. We’re just offering you a message of life without cleverly invented stories. We’re sharing with you, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for February 6, 2005
Topic: Problems With the PastorANNOUNCER: And it’s time once again for questions and answers with Pastor Ken Klaus. I’m Mark Eischer. Now, I realize this might be hard to believe, but apparently things aren’t going so well in one of our congregations. A listener writes, “I’m having problems with my new pastor; so are a lot of people. I’ve been told he said nasty things to some of the other members, and I don’t think that’s the way a minister of the Lord should talk. So I’m wondering, should I leave my church or should I try to get him, the pastor, to leave?” Pastor Klaus, what do you think?
KLAUS: Kinda takes one’s breath away, doesn’t it? I have to admit, there are a number of things about those few lines that bother me.
ANNOUNCER: Well, where would you like to start?
KLAUS: How about the first line: “I’m having problems with my new pastor.” You know, Mark, most pastors, when they first come to a church, have what you could call a honeymoon time, a get acquainted period, when things run smoothly. It surprises me that this person and a new pastor are already on the outs with each other.
ANNOUNCER: What could that mean?
KLAUS: Could mean a number of things. First, it could mean that the pastor might be a slow starter. Some people are naturally outgoing and dynamic; with others it takes a little time for them to open up and let their personalities come out. We might have a situation here where the new pastor is following the footsteps of a beloved predecessor, and he can’t possibly measure up in the minds of the members. Maybe there’s a personality conflict. It could mean a lot of things, including the pastor really has already done some major things wrong.
ANNOUNCER: What else did you hear that caused some problems?
KLAUS: When I hear the expression, “and so are a lot of people,” it just makes me cringe.
ANNOUNCER: Why?
KLAUS: It is possible for a lot of people to feel this way, but more often than not, a lot of people can be just a few people, or a single person who has a crusade. Rates right up there with lines like, “Everybody in the congregation’s upset.”
ANNOUNCER: And what’s wrong with that?
KLAUS: Have you ever seen a congregation where everybody was even in church on any given Sunday, even on Christmas or Easter?
ANNOUNCER: Well, maybe once, in a mission congregation that only had 10 members; but outside of that, probably not.
KLAUS: If we can’t get everybody to church, we can’t get everybody to contribute or go to communion, or go to a voter’s meeting, why would we think everybody would be upset by something that pastor has done or said? It is, to a greater or lesser extent, an exaggeration.
ANNOUNCER: And I think it was meant more as a figure of speech.
KLAUS: I do, too—a figure of speech that can really devastate a minister and a congregation’s witness to the Savior. Those things happen when somebody says, “everybody’s upset.” Most of the time, everybody’s upset usually means, “I and a small group of my friends are upset,” or “I’m really angry but I don’t want this to be a personal grudge.”
ANNOUNCER: Anything else about the letter that bothers you?
KLAUS: There is. How about the line, “I’ve been told he said nasty things to some of the members.” It might have happened; might not. One thing for sure, this is hearsay, and that’s not permitted in a court of law and shouldn’t be permitted in the judgment of a pastor or anybody else for that matter.
ANNOUNCER: It seems you’ve really gone off on this person’s statements. Is that about it now?
KLAUS: No. I don’t like the conclusion, “Should I leave or try to get the pastor to leave?” They’re leaving out a lot of steps there.
ANNOUNCER: What kinds of steps?
KLAUS: Should we listen to rumors? If we’re offended by something, someone has done wrong to us, shouldn’t we visit with them first, and second, and third? How about, is there another side to the story? Or, isn’t it possible that the pastor is saying some nasty things, but was actually speaking for the Lord? You know, some things ministers have to say, like calls to repentance, aren’t always easy for people to hear. But if we’re not confronted with our sins, we don’t realize how much we all need a Savior who has taken those sins away with His death on the cross.
ANNOUNCER: Do you have any advice for the person who wrote this letter?
KLAUS: I do. I’d say, “Sir or ma’am, first be sure of your facts. If you’re offended with a Christian’s actions or words, visit with them, not with me or anybody else.” I’d also say, “This pastor is a man, a sinful man, but God’s man – called to lead your congregation. Give him every chance you can. Go to the Lord in prayer. Try to spend as much time looking at your motives and your words as you spend examining his.” I’d say take a look at John 8:7.
ANNOUNCER: But I notice you really didn’t answer the question, should the person leave or should the pastor leave.
KLAUS: You’re right Mark, I didn’t.
ANNOUNCER: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.