The Lutheran Hour
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"Mirror, Mirror"
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Text: Matthew 21:43
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! The Law of God shows us our sin and God’s displeasure; the Gospel shows the love of God in the life, death, and resurrection of the Christ. By God’s grace may we see ourselves for the sinners we are, and Jesus as the risen Savior He is. God grant such insight – and faith -to us all. Amen.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Over the years I’ve found almost anyone who has ever seen Disney’s 1937 cartoon remembers those lines. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The queen, who was used to receiving unconditional affirmation of her beauty, was shocked and enraged when she found out she had been demoted to second place. The rest of the movie traces the queen’s plots to get rid of Snow White and reclaim her first-place position of beauty.
Somehow, someway, those words seem to hit home, seem to reflect a little bit – a dark little bit – of the pride which lurks within all of us. You see, most of us would like to think we are the fairest or the smartest, or the gentlest, or the kindest of them all. Most of us would love to have our mirror converse with us and give us some kind of confirmation that we are the best at something. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who makes the best oatmeal-raisin cookies of all?” Please don’t deny it: we are, in a humble sort of way, proud as peacocks. If nobody were around eavesdropping, we’d be pleasantly pleased to have the mirror reply, “You have the most beautiful eyes – the firmest abs – the best head of hair – the nicest Halloween decorations of anyone in your neighborhood.” In something – anything – we’d like to be the fairest of them all.
Now I know humble people like you and me would never publicly admit to such desires, but I think I’m right. Observe a young child; I don’t care which young child you choose, it won’t make any difference. Any infant, any youngster, is convinced, beyond any shadow of a doubt that the world revolves around him. Even more, he believes that is the way it should be. If one of these infant dictators sees something he wants, he can think of absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t have it. He may not know what to do with mom’s butcher knife, or dad’s 12-gauge shotgun, or his grandpa’s medication. His ability to use these things properly is inconsequential to him. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t care if what he wants is terribly dangerous, and he isn’t remotely concerned about the fact that what he wants is being played with, or is being used by, or belongs to, someone else. All such arguments are trivial, trifling, insignificant, and unimportant to him. That beautiful baby, that charming child wants what he wants, when he wants it; and no excuse is going to placate him, no explanation is going to pacify him. That’s the way we all start out.
Now, I know you’re going to say, “Yes, but we grow up. We change. We’re not like that anymore.” Maybe. But I’ve talked to a lot of pre-school and kindergarten teachers. They tell me when graduation time comes, they find it is best to give every one of their children an award for being best at something. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s have a round of applause for Bobby who is the most improved at not using his scissors to cut the hair of the girl who sits in front of him.” “Let’s give it up for Amanda who has gone an entire month without socking somebody in the nose.”
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Exactly when do we grow out of our pride? In grade school? Then watch the face of a child who sits on the bench for an entire basketball season. He is ready to play; eager to get out there, but the time never comes. Even though his parents say differently, the coach showed he wasn’t good enough. Try to comfort a girl who doesn’t make the cut for cheerleader, or dance squad, or first chair in band. She is ready, willing, able. She knows she could do the job, but the job was never given to her. When do we stop hoping we will be the fairest of them all? Is it in college? Students who apply for college give themselves points for being accepted at the right school and they lose points if they have to go to their second tier of choices. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The businessman knows he, not the other fellow, should have been picked for promotion. The businesswoman is convinced she would have achieved her goals if it hadn’t been for the good-old-boy network.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall.” The World Series, Wimbledon, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup, the Indy 500, the Super Bowl, the Masters, and a host of other competitions are designed to tell us who is the fairest athlete in any given sport. “Mirror, mirror on the wall”… who holds the record for longest continuous somersaulting, or pogo stick jumping, or sack racing over a 10-kilometer course, or underwater jump rope jumping? The Guinness Book of World Records will tell you who is the fairest. (By the way, those records I just mentioned, along with more than 190 others, are held by the same guy: Ashrita Furman.
“Mirror, Mirror”… Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss Tourism Queen International, American Junior Miss, Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Miss Asian America, Miss Black America, Miss Chinatown USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss United States, Miss USA, and a host of other contests tell us who is the fairest of them all. And if it sounds as if the search for ultimate beauty is directed at women alone, remember every year People magazine publishes its list of “fairest men of them all.” I don’t know when we grow out of our desire to be “best of all;” I don’t know if we ever do. Goodness, some of the humblest people I know are pretty proud of their humility.
As you read through the Bible, you will be given a litany of humanity’s desire and attraction toward sin. Just about any transgression you can think of, and some you would never dream of, are listed in these Divinely-inspired pages. Stories of people’s lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, and envy are there in disobedient abundance. Still, the doting father, the sire of almost all these sins has to be the wrongdoing God has labeled “pride.” Every century of humanity’s history shows men and women looking in the mirror hoping they will see that they, not God, are the fairest and wisest and most discerning of all. As a race, and as individuals, we desire, we prefer, we demand, to follow our way as the best way, our goals, not God’s will, as the more desirable path. We want to choose our future and be in control of our fate.
Pride – that was the motivation which had Adam and Eve chomp down on the forbidden fruit; pride fired the brick and erected the scaffold to build the tower of Babel; pride is the sin which brought about the destruction of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel; pride is what caused God’s people to discount and disregard God’s prophets. Pride brought about Samson’s haircut and King Saul’s suicide. Pride became the pattern for Peter as he boasted of his faithfulness and then fell asleep in Gethsemane’s Garden; as he boasted of his bravery before he ran away; as he boasted of his loyalty before he denied Jesus three times. Pride is the subject of Jesus’ parables about the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican, the story of the Good Samaritan, and the unfinished story of the prodigal son.
If there is any sin which made Jesus’ blood boil, it was pride. Yes, He condemned all sin, but He reserved His fury for folks who were convinced the mirror had told them they were the fairest of them all. Men who appointed themselves to be judges over others; who made up new laws, strange laws, impossible to understand laws, and claimed their laws had the same validity as the Commandments of God – those men made Jesus’ blood boil. During my life, I have heard thousands of sermons, but never have I heard a minister speak to his congregation the way Jesus spoke to the over-proud Pharisees. Listen to just some of what Jesus said to them as it’s recorded in Matthew 23:
“The scribes and the Pharisees…preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, (which are) hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them (those burdens) … Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness… You are sons of those who murdered the prophets… You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”
Jesus was, in no uncertain terms, saying, “Guys, forget the mirror on the wall. I’ll tell you who is the fairest of them all: it isn’t you.” The Pharisees weren’t the fairest when Jesus spoke those words earlier in His ministry, and they weren’t the fairest during the last week of the Savior’s life. On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus had entered the temple, seeing the shopkeepers ripping off the pilgrims and desecrating God’s holy house, He had driven the merchants out and overturned their tables. His exclamation, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it into a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13), didn’t make Him any friends among the powers which were. In spite of the animosity He had provoked, the next day Jesus came back. Shortly after His arrival, He was questioned by the chief priests, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the elders of the people. They asked, “Tell us, by what authority, by whose authority are You doing the things You’re doing and saying the things You’re saying?”(Matthew 21:23).
Jesus answered their question with a story. Using a situation which was familiar to His listeners, Jesus told of a landowner and some farmers to whom he rented his holdings. Now this landowner, a man of some vision, started out working alone. Not only did he own the property, he also made some major investments, improvements in the land. He planted the vines, built a winepress and a guard tower to protect his fields from vandals and thieves. Then, with a harvest coming, the landowner leased his property to some tenants. The agreement was simple: the landowner would supply the raw materials, the farmers would offer their labor; the profits would be split between them. It was a good deal for everyone.
It would have been a good deal except for the fact the farmers got greedy. They forgot the fellow who had supplied everything, who had made the harvest possible. They thought only of themselves and how they were being put upon. Pride. That was the problem. If they had had a magic mirror they would have asked, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the one that should run the show?” Pride told them they should be the bosses, not sharecroppers. Pride told them they had the right to take everything for themselves. That’s why, when the owner sent some servants to collect what was coming to him, the renters said, “No way.” Actually they did more than say, “No way.” They beat up the master’s messengers, even managed to murder some of them. Then, when the landowner sent his son, the renters plotted against him, as well. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the one who should own it all?” According to Jesus’ story, the renters got rid of the son so they could be in charge (Matthew 21:33-39).
When Jesus first told that story, it hit the mark. The religious big-shots who were listening realized He was speaking about them. In truth, He was speaking to anyone who feels they can ignore the Lord who is the Creator and Preserver of everything. Jesus was talking to every individual who thinks he or she has the right to substitute their will for God’s wishes. To do so is ungrateful, it is prideful, it is egotistical, and it is absolutely wrong. Everything we have comes from the Lord above; everything we will ever receive is ours because He has given it.
In ancient days, in Old Testament times, God had always wanted what was best for His people. When they sinned, He promised a plan of salvation. When they rebelled, He gently tried to bring them back. If they refused to be brought back, He dealt with them in ways they could understand. Prophets were sent who continuously called out, “Thus saith the Lord.” And when God’s Word was pronounced clearly and concisely, what did God’s chosen people do? They disregarded most of those heaven-sent messengers; they banished some, beat up and murdered others. Like the tenants in the story, throughout history, God’s people had rebelled and tried to take control of their destinies. That was the point Jesus was making about Israel’s sinful past.
But that day Jesus’ story did more than take the religious leaders on a sad and sorry walk down memory lane. Jesus was also making some predictions about His immediate future. In His story, when the tenants beat up and killed some of the servants, the landowner sent his son. Jesus was letting his audience know that He, the only-begotten Son of God, had been sent to reach and redeem the rebellious. That’s right; Jesus was telling these men a story about Himself and His death… His death which would come at their hands. Divine Jesus knew what these men had been keeping secret; He knew a contract had been placed on His head; He knew these men before Him, in a few short days, would pay one of His own disciples to betray Him.
Jesus knew how, at night, when His supporters were not around, He would be arrested. Then, before anyone could say anything in His support or do anything in His defense, He would be run through a series of sham trials and summarily sentenced to death. In reality, the tenants would kill the Master’s Son; humanity would murder the Christ who had come to save them. In the fiction of Jesus’ telling, or the reality of His life, it was a terrible story. A story which was fulfilled just as Jesus predicted. He was condemned, and on a cross outside the city walls of Jerusalem, He was murdered.
Still, this terrible story does not end with the death of God’s Son. Because Jesus was the Son of God; because He had, through His entire life, resisted the temptation put before Him by the forces of evil; because He had fulfilled all the prophecies made about the Messiah; because He had successfully carried every sin we have committed; Jesus’ sacrifice and substitution for us was accepted. That’s why, three days after He was pronounced dead, the Savior returned to life. Sin, death, and devil had been defeated and the risen Savior showed a prideful world the success of His mission. Because Jesus has risen, all who believe on Him as their Savior, who acknowledge Him as their Lord, are forgiven of their sinful past and promised blessings eternal and undeserved.
Dear friends, it is my prayer that you already know and believe in Jesus as your Savior; that you understand the Lord is owner of your life, that you have put away all thoughts of rebellion and gladly submitted to His authority. This is my heartfelt prayer and if it has already been answered in your life, I, along with the angels in heaven, are most thankful. These things I pray, but reality forces me to fear there are many of you listening to this Lutheran Hour broadcast who are still looking in the mirror and asking, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, shouldn’t I be the lord of all?” I fear there are many who are still grasping for control, clutching for ownership, and refusing to acknowledge their need of a Savior. If you are among those, I am sorry for you. I am sorry because when Jesus told that story, He also regretfully, reluctantly, predicted a most miserable death – an eternal death which awaited those who refused the salvation His life, suffering, death, and resurrection had won. Does that seem harsh? To some it does. Let me assure you, it is not.
This message started out talking about Snow White. Do you remember, at the end of that movie, what happened to the queen, the wicked witch who had wanted to be the “fairest in the land;” who had tried to take control of her life? Guilty of pride, jealousy, and attempted murder, she was chased up a cliff, the cliff was stuck by lightning, she fell, and she died. When you saw that movie for the first time, did you think her punishment unfair? I didn’t either. We thought she got what she deserved. She wanted control, she had taken control, and she ended up… well, she ended up dead.
Of course the story of Snow White was made up. Excuse me if I say, “Yours is not.” If you want control, you can take it. And having lived your life without God, as you wished, you will die without Him, too. And you will pay the price for unbelief and disobedience. Far better, my friends, to let God have control and let the Holy Spirit place you into the hands of Jesus. After all, He is the fairest and only Redeemer in the land. If that is the desire of your heart; if you need some assistance to that end, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 5, 2008
Topic: Scars in HeavenANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today we have a question from a listener who was inspired by the great art museums of Europe. In fact, I’m looking here right now at a picture of a famous painting by the great Italian artist, Caravaggio.
KLAUS: Ah, Caravaggio. It’s real good radio, Mark, discussing a painting. What’s next? Showing them fly-tying?
ANNOUNCER: I wish. Well, we’ll stick with paintings for now. This is called The Incredulity of Thomas. After Christ’s resurrection, he appeared to the disciples and Thomas is shown putting his finger right into the spear wound in Jesus’ side.
KLAUS: And Thomas realizes that this really is Jesus, the same Jesus who had been dead on the cross about ten days earlier and is now risen. Thomas is convinced, but Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
ANNOUNCER: Well, like I said, our listener went to Europe with her husband and they saw a lot of famous artwork like this in all the various cathedrals and museums.
KLAUS: Yes, those are the kinds of things you have to do as a tourist in Europe. It’s part of the job description.
ANNOUNCER: Well they realized that many of these paintings show the risen Christ with nail holes in His hands.
KLAUS: Yes, as far as I can remember, that’s the way artists have always shown the risen Christ.
ANNOUNCER: OK, well, why does Jesus still have these nail holes? Wouldn’t He have had a glorified body after His resurrection, and shouldn’t those nail holes then have been gone? Granted, these are just artists’ renditions, nobody knows exactly what the Savior looked like either before or after His resurrection, but it kind of makes you wonder…
KLAUS: We’re going to get to the listener’s question now, aren’t we?
ANNOUNCER: Yes, and that question is this: Will we still have to wear glasses in heaven? Or, what if you have a stainless steel hip joint? Will that carry over into the resurrection and the glorified bodies we’ll be given in heaven?
KLAUS: OK, let’s see how we can answer this. We know that after the resurrection, those who are in heaven will have none of the problems that are the result of sin in a fallen world.
ANNOUNCER: OK. So that would mean there will be no more sadness, no more tears, no more illness… what else?
KLAUS: No more aging; no more infirmities. All those will be gone. That’s a good start. It also, I think, answers the question about the glasses and the hip replacement. People won’t need those things.
ANNOUNCER: What else can we say about this?
KLAUS: Well, we can look at Adam and Eve in the Garden before sin messed things up. They were able to work without failure and sadness. They could fully enjoy everything God had given them. They could accomplish more than we ever could have.
ANNOUNCER: How would you summarize this for us?
KLAUS: In heaven, we will be as God intended us to be before sin came into the world.
ANNOUNCER: OK. Then what about the risen Christ as depicted in these paintings? Why does He still have the scars?
KLAUS: First, being the all-powerful Son of God, He didn’t have to have the scars. He who healed the blind, the leper, and the crippled, could have easily made those wounds simply disappear.
ANNOUNCER: But He still has them.
KLAUS: He still had them. And because He did, we can assume there was a reason.
ANNOUNCER: What do you think that reason is?
KLAUS: Well, let me ask… what was the most important thing which happened on resurrection Sunday?
ANNOUNCER: The most important thing is that Jesus rose from the dead.
KLAUS: Absolutely. And the second most important thing?
ANNOUNCER: The second most important thing is that He showed Himself to the disciples so they would believe.
KLAUS: A-a-a-a-a-h! If He hadn’t had those wounds, what might people have said?
ANNOUNCER: I suppose they could have said it was only someone who looked like Jesus; it was a case of mistaken identity.
KLAUS: Very good. Even with Thomas taking a close look at Jesus’ wounds, there are people today who say that Jesus never rose.
ANNOUNCER: But those wounds prove this wasn’t a stand-in.
KLAUS: Yes, sort of a Hollywood body double.
ANNOUNCER: One final question: will Jesus still have those wounds when we see Him in heaven some day?
KLAUS: Mark, I don’t know. The Bible doesn’t say – although Revelation 5:6 suggests He will. If He does, I think those would be the only scars in heaven. They would serve as glorious reminders of all that Christ endured for us in order to redeem us and make it possible for us to be with Him there in heaven.
ANNOUNCER: 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
“Beautiful Savior” From Hymns for All Saints (© Concordia Publishing House)
“Beautiful Savior” arranged by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John Behnke)
“Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” by Robert A. Hobby. From Hymns for All Saints: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (© Concordia Publishing House)