The Lutheran Hour
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"What God Has Done"
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Text: Jeremiah 9:23-24
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! The Lutheran Hour, with those words from Lexington, Kentucky, begins its 76th broadcast season. God grant His blessing to us all. Amen.
If you travel about 105 miles south of where I stand now in Lexington, you will find yourself in Kentucky’s Green County. In 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell was called to that beautiful county. Dr. McDowell, who had been educated well, and had married equally well to the daughter of Kentucky’s first governor, didn’t think that making a house call was unusual – even if that house call took him 60 miles away from home. There, on that house call, Mrs. Jane Todd Crawford, the cultured wife of a prosperous planter, was having complications with her pregnancy – a pregnancy that her size indicated was going to result in twins.
Dr. McDowell, observing the strict rules of privacy which governed male physicians attending female patients, concluded that Mrs. Crawford was not going to have twins. Mrs. Crawford was not going to have twins because Mrs. Crawford wasn’t pregnant. Rather than a baby growing within her, Mrs. Crawford was host to a large and fatal ovarian tumor.
That Mrs. Crawford was going to die was a given, or at least it should have been a given. Mrs. Crawford was surprised – shocked – when, hesitatingly, almost reluctantly, Dr. McDowell threw out a thin lifeline of hope to her. He proposed surgery. He said if she were wiling to travel to his home, he would try to remove that tumor. He offered no promise to her other than this: the odds were she was going to die on his operating table. The surgery would take place on Christmas Day.
At Dr. McDowell’s house there was precious little celebration. His kitchen had been converted into an operating room and strong men were brought in to hold Mrs. Crawford down during the procedure. As for Mrs. Crawford, I can’t say what went on in her mind that day as she lay down on the makeshift operating table. I can’t tell you what she thought; I can tell you what she did. During the surgery Mrs. Crawford sang hymns. She sang hymns! She sang of the Savior’s love, the salvation that He had won for her by His perfect life, His sacrificial suffering, His innocent death upon the cross, she sang of His resurrection from the dead.
And Dr. McDowell – he prepared himself the best he could. Over and over again his hands practiced how they might, in as short a time as possible, maximize the success of that surgery and minimize the pain. A most strange scene of singer and surgeon was made even stranger by what was happening outside the doctor’s home. Having heard what the surgeon was doing, a mob – a mob which did not share Mrs. Crawford’s faith – threw a hangman’s noose over a tree limb and impatiently waited to lynch the doctor if Mrs. Crawford died.
Dr. McDowell’s skilled hands quickly removed a 221/2-pound tumor from Mrs. Crawford’s abdomen. She didn’t die, and in a month she returned to her home and husband in Green Country. There she lived for another 32 years. The operation changed people’s concept of Kentucky. Yes, Kentucky remained the place where Jim Bowie was born and Dan’l Boone killed his “bars,” but it was also the state where doctors performed impossible operations. Kentucky may have given birth to mountain men like Kit Carson, but it was also the place that gave birth to abdominal surgery.
Dr. McDowell, great man of medicine, was also a man of great faith. The morning of the surgery, he put a piece of paper into his pocket, a piece of paper on which he had written a prayer. A prayer which reads in part this way:
Almighty God be with me, I humbly beseech Thee. Give me Thy presence and grant me Thy direction and aid. Direct me, O God, in the performance of this operation, for I am but an instrument in Thy hands and am but Thy servant. If it is Thy will, oh, spare this poor afflicted woman. Give me true faith in the atonement of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that worshiping Thee in spirit and in truth my services may be accepted through His all-sufficient merit. Amen.
A great man of science, a great man of faith. Dr. McDowell understood the declaration of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Those words were not wasted on Dr. Ephraim McDowell, nor were they forgotten years later by James Simpson. Simpson’s discovery of chloroform would have made Mrs. Crawford’s surgery far more bearable. Yet, when Simpson was asked to name his greatest finding, he replied, “The greatest discovery I ever made is that I am a sinner and that Jesus is Savior.”
Sadly, it is no longer customary for great men to courageously confess their accomplishments were begun and been done under the guidance of a gracious God. Ours is an age where men boast of their wisdom, might, and money, of anything and everything other than the governance of God. Humanity has come far in these years, but the distance it has covered spiritually cannot necessarily be called progress.
In what accomplishments can humanity boast? Even now, high school professors, college educators, are gladly, gleefully, taking giant erasers to their textbooks and removing all references to God, His grace, His guidance. In this unchristian crusade they are being joined by numerous political leaders who push God’s providence to the side with one hand and, with the other hand they proudly point to themselves and say, “All you have is a bounty from me, from my guidance, from my wisdom and foresight.” “Look at what we have done,” is the cry of these blind-guided shapers of society. Yes, let’s look at what they have done. For decades schools have been teaching our children that they were human animals and life was survival of the fittest. They are stunned when gangs take control of city streets; when date rape becomes a common occurrence; when high-schoolers seek satisfaction in the wholesale slaughter of their classmates. Look at what they have done. It is a unique young person who believes his future – if he has a future – will be bright.
Look at what they have done. Look at what they have done on a global scale. Look at how one nation after another banishes minister and missionary, silences pastor and preaching, shuts down printing press and broadcast lest their people stand before the Savior’s cross, and gaze into His empty tomb, and be brought to faith in Him who gave His life for their salvation.
Look at what they have done and then, and then, and then listen to the Lord who says, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he knows and understands Me.” In a world where security must ride the slippery slide of oil; where banks foreclose on loans that they once begged their patrons to take; where a politician is idolized one day and vilified the next; where today’s scientific truth falls before tomorrow’s facts; this reality remains: the Lord shows the steadfast love to humanity in the person of His Son. This truth is certain: Jesus is the Savior who guarantees freedom from the power of sin, of death, of devil; to believe on Him is to have a Lord who offers counsel and aid, strength and support, love and direction – no matter what tomorrow may bring, or the next day.
I know, I know that when doubters and deniers, skeptics and cynics, hear such words, they scornfully spit back, “How can anyone know the Lord, or be sure there is a Lord?” When the lost and the lonely, the doomed and the damned, hear God’s promises, their hearts and their minds, and their very souls call out, “How can I be sure? How wonderful it would be if I could be sure.” To all who deal with doubt, the Lord, through His prophet Jeremiah, offers this patient promise: “When you seek Me with all your heart, I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:13).
A hollow boast? Look at the Lord and see what His hands have done. Look at the universe which surrounds us. Try to observe the spinning, whirling galaxies too numerous to count, too distant to see. Look at the power of the storm, the hurricane, earthquake, and volcano. Do this and you will stand in awe of the Lord’s power and presence. Look at the Lord and see what He has done. Hold a baby’s hand; admire an athlete’s skill; observe the wonderful mechanics and workings of the human body as a surgeon might. Do this and you will see a caring God who has fearfully and wonderfully made each and every one of us to be unique and to be most special in His eyes.
Look at the Lord and see what He has done. Look at the Bible and see how, in spite of humanity’s disregard, disrespect, and disobedience, God still loves us. Stand with the shepherds in a stable and gaze in wonder upon the Christ Child. Do this and you will see Jesus, God’s Son, who was, according to eternal plan and ancient prophecy, born to seek and save the lost, to bring light to those who are in darkness, to save us from our sins. Walk with Jesus. Walk with Jesus during His years of ministry and watch what He did. If this day you are lonely and feel unloved, then notice how He had time for those whom society had cast aside; and know that He has time for you. Are you plagued by illness, infirmity of body, of mind, and soul? Then watch how Jesus brought peace and hope, how He helped and raised up those who had given up on life and thought life had given up on them. Are you plagued by guilt from dark deeds done; hatred and horror that lives in your heart; from cruel words and callous cursings? If so, be turned to the Savior who says: Believe on Me. Go and sin no more.
Look at the Christ and see what He has done. Go to Gethsemane’s Garden and see the Savior, His face down in the dirt, crushed there by the weight of our wrongdoing. Look at Him; listen to Him. He remains committed to the cross even though three times He prays that the cup of suffering might be taken away from Him. Look at Him; when the disciples fled into the darkness of the night, He remained to be arrested. Look at the Christ; when false witnesses spewed forth slanders against Him, He offered no defense. When He was struck, He did not return the blow; when His back was ripped by a whip, He stood and took the pain; when He was crowned with thorns, He did not transform that painful wreath into a diamond-studded diadem; when the crowd called for His crucifixion, He let them speak. Such sad things He let them speak.
Look at Him. Stand before the cross; watch the Son of God die for sinners like us. Look at Him; listen to Him. “Father forgive them,” He pleads, and because of His suffering and His sacrifice all who believe on Him are forgiven. Look at what He has done. Stand at the empty tomb; listen to the resurrection angel. Listen and you will know this truth remains: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! And because the Savior has risen from the dead, we are saved. That is God’s gracious guarantee to you who gather here today. To those who listen at home or on the road, it is the Savior’s story of salvation to those who are listening. Look at what He has done and know that by grace we are saved through faith, and not by anything that we do that we proudly wish to point to. By grace we are saved, and upon Jesus’ life, suffering, death, and resurrection we can boast.
Earlier in this message I spoke of the explorer and pioneer Dan’l Boone. Depending on who you believe, and it’s really not certain, you know, Boone is buried in Kentucky or in Missouri close to where I live. Where, I can’t say; it’s not important. Here or there, Dan’l and Rebecca await the resurrection. What I can say is this: Boone was once asked if he had ever been lost. Boone’s reply has a taste of the truth to it: “Lost? No I was never lost, but I was once mighty confused for three days.” My friends, my friends, the Lord doesn’t want you lost; and He most certainly does not want you confused. He wants you to be saved. To that end, I encourage you: look at the world and see what it has to offer and then look in the manger, look at the cross of Calvary, look into Christ’s borrowed and empty tomb. Look, believe, and boast in your Savior who steadfastly loves sinners like you and I. And, if you need help in looking, believing, or boasting in Him, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for September 14, 2008
GossipANNOUNCER: What’s the difference between Christian concern and gossip? I’m Mark Eischer, here with Pastor Ken Klaus, speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
KLAUS: Hello, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: Has it ever happened to you that you walk into a room where some people are gathered and all of a sudden the conversation stops when they see you. You wonder, “Were you all talking about me?” and they say, “Oh, certainly not – but did you hear about so-and-so?”
KLAUS: In other words, would you like to hear the latest gossip about so-and-so?
ANNOUNCER: “Oh, we’re not gossiping – we’re just sharing our Christian concern!”
KLAUS: Right. I think if a conversation suddenly gets quiet when somebody comes in, the conversation shouldn’t be happening. At least not that way.
ANNOUNCER: Well, what else can you say about it? Is there a difference between gossip and concern?
KLAUS: Luther did a real good job of covering this when he wrote his explanation to the 8th commandment.
ANNOUNCER: Which goes, “You should not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
KLAUS: Right. Luther said this means we shouldn’t “deceitfully belie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor.”
ANNOUNCER: For our listeners, what does that mean?
KLAUS: It’s a lot of great words that mean we shouldn’t do anything which is going to ruin an individual’s good name.
ANNOUNCER: But suppose the people are talking because they are genuinely motivated by Christian concern and care for their neighbor and they felt they first needed to bring everybody up to speed on what was going on?
KLAUS: OK. Well, is it really what’s going on – or is it what they’ve heard third-hand about what’s going on? We shouldn’t do anything that’s going to ruin an individual’s good name.
ANNOUNCER: But how about if that individual is doing something wrong?
KLAUS: Oh, in that case I’d say: We shouldn’t do anything that’s going to ruin an individual’s good name.
ANNOUNCER: Yes, but how about if somebody asks us for advice on what to do?
KLAUS: We shouldn’t do anything that’s going…
ANNOUNCER: OK… that’s going to ruin somebody’s good name.
KLAUS: Well, I was going to say more. Before we listen to such things, we ought to ask whether the person talking to us has first visited with the individual who is the subject of discussion. Mark, here’s the thing. A person’s reputation is a fragile thing. It’s the kind of thing that can be tarnished in a moment with a careless word. Now, if you steal “stuff” – something – from someone, you can try to pay back what you have stolen. But if you steal a person’s reputation – his good name – how can you pay that back and restore things to the way they were before? It can’t be done. It’s an impossibility. The damage is done; those words can never be called back and made harmless.
ANNOUNCER: But, does it matter if our intentions are good; if we’re motivated by Christian concern? Doesn’t that count?
KLAUS: Oh, absolutely. It counts for a great deal. Christian concern is a wonderful quality. If a person, or a group of persons, is concerned, then they need to show that concern. Give that concern an outlet – a good outlet – the right outlet. Go privately, confidentially, to the individual concerned and talk to them.
ANNOUNCER: Even if everybody knows what’s being talked about is the truth?
KLAUS: Mark, the Savior was crucified for being disloyal to the emperor; He was accused of being a rouser of rabble, a liar, an insurrectionist. At least some of the people who called for His crucifixion believed those charges to be true. How many of them were true?
ANNOUNCER: Not a one.
KLAUS: The truth is, many times the things we believe about others aren’t true. The Romans believed the Christians were cannibals; the modern world thinks Christians are self-righteous, legalists with their noses out of joint. Is it true? I don’t think so, but people believe it.
ANNOUNCER: I suppose people do have a tendency to expect and believe the worst about each other.
KLAUS: Yes, it makes us feel good about ourselves to think somebody is worse than we are. Like the Pharisee in the temple we say, “Lord, I thank Thee that I am not like… Curly, Moe, Larry – You know, the really big major sinners in my church.”
ANNOUNCER: Finally today, how do you tell the difference between gossip and concern?
KLAUS: If a person wonders whether a conversation might be gossipy, it probably is.
ANNOUNCER: And if you had any final advice for us?
KLAUS: That’s easy. Don’t say anything that is going to ruin an individual’s good name.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage” arranged by Henry Gerike. From Jubilee by the Concordia Seminary Lutheran Hour Chorus (© 2000 International Lutheran Laymen’s League)
“Holy God, We Praise Your Name” From Every Voice a Song (© 1995 Concordia Publishing House)
“Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices (Fantasia)” arranged by David Cherwien. From Hymn Interpretations, vol. 2 by David Cherwien (© 1997 Summa Productions)