Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord that engages us this morning's message comes from our Epistle lesson (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24).
Bible trivia: What is the shortest verse in the Bible? Most people think of John 11: 35, "Jesus wept." When Jesus had gone to the tomb of his friend Lazarus and seen the grief of Mary and Martha and all those present, and "Jesus wept" in response. Most people think of that as the shortest verse in the Bible. In that short verse we learn of the compassion and love Christ had for Lazarus and for all He came to save.
I learned this week that other verses in Scripture are as short, perhaps even shorter, depending on your perspective. Two of them lead off our Epistle text: (v. 16) "Always rejoice!" (vs. 17) "Continually pray!" I didn't check to see how many other verses in the Bible were only two words long, but you've just heard me quote three of them. If we wanted to debate the shortest, you could argue that "Jesus wept" has fewer letters than either "Always rejoice" or "Continually pray". But that's in English. In the original New Testament Greek, the verse "Jesus wept" actually has a third untranslated word and one extra letter than does the "Always rejoice!"
Now all of this discussion is actually quite academic and "trivia" since the numbering system we use in Scripture, while very helpful, is not part of the original. The chapter and verse numbers are not in themselves "inspired." The chapters and verses help us when we Christians study the Bible together, help us to help each other find these incredibly important gems that are the Word of God. But the bishop who did the numbering system could have divided this part of Thessalonians into 3 verses instead of 9. Yet the short, emphatic aspect of Paul's writing here is captured in these compact verses: (16) Always rejoice! (17) Continuously pray. (18) Give thanks in all circumstances!
This is a time of year that we hear much about being merry and happy and thankful and joyful. For some the season does bring out joy. But for others, the empty busy-ness of the season or the change in weather bring a shortage of joy. For some the memories of past disappointments, or missed loved ones brings even a sense of loneliness and sorrow. We can feel guilty if we hear Paul's encouragement to be joyful, but yet don't sense it in our self. We can see all the trappings of the season and think "I should be more joyful" and then feel pressure to be happy. Pressure to be happy will often lead to disappointment.
A young man once took his girlfriend out for dinner on her birthday. He gave her a beautifully wrapped gift with a note: "A little nothing for Linda." When she unwrapped it, there was nothing in the box. At first, she started to get angry with her boyfriend, thinking this was a bad joke, until he gave her another box that was wrapped not quite so nice. Inside it was a carefully chosen gift, one she had no idea that he knew she wanted. She learned that from this gift-giver, the wrapping paper was less important than the gift itself. (modified from Rev. Warren Messman, Concordia Pulpit Resource, 2000, p. 19)
If we hear Paul's encouragement as Law, as a command to be joyful, as a "pull yourself up by your emotional bootstraps" rule, then it will fall on deaf ears and will seem like an order to enjoy an empty box. But if we constantly remember the greatest gift ever given us, our Lord Jesus Christ, we can and will be joyful even when life's wrapping paper seems rather wrinkled and torn. When we consistently remember Him and his love and compassion for us shown on the cross, we will turn to Him in prayer, joy and thanksgiving.
A pastor was counseling with a man whose wife had died several years before. Her last weeks of her earthly life were stricken with strong physical pain. Despite her pain, she exhibited an extraordinary sense of faith, hope and joy to her last earthly day. Her husband was still struggling with her pain, wondering how God could have allowed such a thing to happen to his beloved, struggling to understand how he could possibly trust God in the way his wife did. Finally the pastor asked him "Joe, imagine God had miraculously healed your wife 3 years ago, and she was right here telling you 'Joe, I'm healed, the pain is gone and I've forgotten about it.' Do you think you would still be questioning God's mercy and love for your wife and for you?" "No!" "Do you think you could be more joyful then?" Joe said "Sure, I sure think so." The pastor responded with "Joe, our merciful God did wondrously heal your wife 3 years ago and remove her from all of her pain. It's just that He didn't do it here in this earthly life. Because of this sinful world, we all have to travel through the valley of the shadow of death, but we need not fear any evil, because our shepherd, our Good Shepherd Jesus has given himself for us and has gone to prepare a place for us." It was at that point that Joe and the pastor were able to get past his issue with her pain and begin to deal with how much Joe simply missed his wife and how he could joyfully look forward to being with her -- and especially with Jesus -- in heaven. (personal correspondence)
Paul here invites and encourages us to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. The next set of Paul's short, emphatic encouragements tell us the "how"; how to have the fire, the spirit to be joyful, pray continually and give thanks according to God's will. The energy for joy, prayer and thanksgiving doesn't come from within ourselves, not from our own power and will. That energy comes from the Spirit's fire, the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts and lives. We're simply told not to be misguided firemen, looking to extinguish or suppress the wondrous fire of faith that He has built in us.
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil." Do not suppress the Spirit's working in your life by disregarding or ignoring the holy and inspired words that He has given you to hear. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God, the prophecy given to the Apostles and other New Testament writers, to stir us up, to inspire and keep us trusting in Jesus. Many of you know how much I like Luther's Catechism meaning to the 3rd Article of the Creed "I believe that I cannot believe by my own reason or strength in my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith � just as he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth�.
It is a great privilege and burden and joy to know that Holy Spirit uses the words I speak here from this pulpit to further that calling, gathering, enlightening miracle. It is why I endeavor so much to be sure that they are words based on His Word, not my own. It is why I strive so hard to teach based on His Word in Bible Studies, or when I get a phone call from you about some Bible verse or teaching, or when I teach of God's Word in the monthly newsletter. It is why I pray so earnestly and I make every effort to ensure that our congregation's public presentation is formed by the Word of God. In Catechism class the students and I explore the Old Testament rules against false prophecy, false teaching. They read Deuteronomy 13: 15 these words about false prophets, men who would lead God's people away from their True God and toward false Gods: "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God." I tell the Catechism students that I'm glad the New Testament doesn't have the same requirements, that if I ever inadvertently mis-spoke God's Word in a sermon or Bible Study, that the people should take me out and stone me. I'm glad that's not to happen. But the New Testament does take false teaching very seriously and God's people are instructed to avoid false teachings about Christ. Paul says here "Test everything." John expands on that (1 John 4: 1-3) "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."
How do we keep the Spirit's fire? How do we hold on to the joy and thanksgiving Paul wants here for the Thessalonians? By gladly hearing and learning and reading God's Word and holding on to every wondrous teaching and promise of his. I hope that sharing His Word with others is as much a joy, burden and privilege for you as it is for me. We hold on to His joy by gladly and persistently hearing the good teaching of Jesus Christ come in the flesh for us, wept for us, gave Himself for us on the cross, rose again in the flesh for us. When we hold fast to His cross and resurrection, then God continues to keep us holy and blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In that we can rejoice always.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24). Amen.