1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:02,933 Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from 2 00:00:02,933 --> 00:00:05,000 God our Father and from our Lord Jesus 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:05,866 Christ. Amen. 4 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:10,300 Jesus is the greatest gift. We have been 5 00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:13,300 saying it and singing it and celebrating 6 00:00:13,300 --> 00:00:14,766 it all throughout 7 00:00:14,766 --> 00:00:17,566 the season of Christmas and of course not 8 00:00:17,566 --> 00:00:20,233 only at Christmas but that Jesus is the 9 00:00:20,233 --> 00:00:21,400 greatest gift. 10 00:00:21,933 --> 00:00:24,633 And at Epiphany, especially today as we 11 00:00:24,633 --> 00:00:27,266 celebrate Epiphany, the nature of that 12 00:00:27,266 --> 00:00:28,733 gift is magnified. 13 00:00:28,733 --> 00:00:31,433 As we see now that the gift of our Lord 14 00:00:31,433 --> 00:00:34,200 Jesus is not just for us but for all the 15 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:35,233 world to the 16 00:00:35,233 --> 00:00:37,866 very end reaches of the earth, even to 17 00:00:37,866 --> 00:00:40,666 Magi coming from the east. Oh, there they 18 00:00:40,666 --> 00:00:42,266 are right there. The 19 00:00:42,266 --> 00:00:45,466 Magi even coming to our Lord Jesus. And 20 00:00:45,466 --> 00:00:48,400 so it also adds another layer to the 21 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,366 story. Not only do we 22 00:00:50,366 --> 00:00:53,633 see how Jesus is the gift to us, how our 23 00:00:53,633 --> 00:00:56,666 Lord gives us that gift, but also the 24 00:00:56,666 --> 00:00:57,866 gifts of men 25 00:00:57,866 --> 00:01:01,233 given to Him as the Magi open their 26 00:01:01,233 --> 00:01:04,933 treasures and they give to Him gold and 27 00:01:04,933 --> 00:01:07,433 frankincense and myrrh. 28 00:01:07,833 --> 00:01:10,233 Such a familiar story. But as I'm 29 00:01:10,233 --> 00:01:13,166 reflecting upon it, it raises a question 30 00:01:13,166 --> 00:01:15,233 for me and maybe it's one 31 00:01:15,233 --> 00:01:19,266 that you've thought about as well. The 32 00:01:19,266 --> 00:01:23,500 question is simply this, what can I give 33 00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:25,533 to Him? What can 34 00:01:25,533 --> 00:01:27,966 I give to Him? And I don't mean that in 35 00:01:27,966 --> 00:01:30,500 some kind of anxious sort of sense of how 36 00:01:30,500 --> 00:01:31,700 can I repay Him, 37 00:01:31,733 --> 00:01:34,766 of course we never can. But from a spirit 38 00:01:34,766 --> 00:01:37,533 of pious devotion, what can you and I 39 00:01:37,533 --> 00:01:39,166 give in response to 40 00:01:39,166 --> 00:01:41,533 the greatest gift of all? And frankly 41 00:01:41,533 --> 00:01:43,866 when I look around in my own life, I 42 00:01:43,866 --> 00:01:45,233 don't see a ton of 43 00:01:45,233 --> 00:01:47,566 great options. When I look into the 44 00:01:47,566 --> 00:01:50,333 cluttered closet of my life, I find maybe 45 00:01:50,333 --> 00:01:51,466 some skeletons 46 00:01:51,466 --> 00:01:54,333 that are over there. Much less when I 47 00:01:54,333 --> 00:01:57,200 look into the dark recesses of my own 48 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:58,966 sin-stained heart. I 49 00:01:58,966 --> 00:02:02,100 mean I have like some of the worst white 50 00:02:02,100 --> 00:02:05,333 elephant gifts of all time to give to our 51 00:02:05,333 --> 00:02:06,666 Lord. And yet, 52 00:02:07,733 --> 00:02:10,633 still I can't help but ask that question. 53 00:02:10,633 --> 00:02:13,466 What can I give to him and what can you? 54 00:02:13,466 --> 00:02:14,233 It's the 55 00:02:14,233 --> 00:02:15,933 question I want to meditate upon this 56 00:02:15,933 --> 00:02:17,766 morning and ponder. There's all kinds of 57 00:02:17,766 --> 00:02:18,700 different answers 58 00:02:18,700 --> 00:02:21,066 that can and that are given to it, but I 59 00:02:21,066 --> 00:02:23,333 want us to think about it. Think about 60 00:02:23,333 --> 00:02:24,266 some of those 61 00:02:24,266 --> 00:02:28,133 answers so that we can think clearly 62 00:02:28,133 --> 00:02:32,433 about how we can honor our Lord well. So 63 00:02:32,433 --> 00:02:34,666 what can you and I 64 00:02:34,666 --> 00:02:37,600 give to Him? Well one answer, maybe the 65 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,666 most natural answer, is that we can do as 66 00:02:40,666 --> 00:02:41,500 the Magi 67 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:43,766 did. Give to Him your treasures. And 68 00:02:43,766 --> 00:02:46,333 you're like I'm low on gold, I don't have 69 00:02:46,333 --> 00:02:47,900 a lot of frankincense, 70 00:02:48,066 --> 00:02:49,500 maybe we had some this morning. Some 71 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:51,100 myrrh, I don't even know what myrrh looks 72 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:51,733 like. I don't 73 00:02:51,733 --> 00:02:53,666 have those kinds of treasures, but you 74 00:02:53,666 --> 00:02:55,666 can give your tithes and your offerings, 75 00:02:55,666 --> 00:02:56,633 give all of your 76 00:02:56,633 --> 00:02:58,766 possessions that you have to the Lord. 77 00:02:58,766 --> 00:03:00,766 And don't brush by this too quickly. 78 00:03:00,766 --> 00:03:02,266 Scripture is very clear, 79 00:03:02,466 --> 00:03:04,233 God's people are to give up their 80 00:03:04,233 --> 00:03:06,333 firstfruits. We're called to tithe Him, 81 00:03:06,333 --> 00:03:07,600 to give a 10% to Him. 82 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,300 I can't tell you how many times I've been 83 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:12,033 asked as a pastor over the years, you 84 00:03:12,033 --> 00:03:12,433 know, 85 00:03:12,433 --> 00:03:14,866 pastor in the Old Testament, God told 86 00:03:14,866 --> 00:03:17,366 people to give a tithe, to give 10% of 87 00:03:17,366 --> 00:03:18,800 all that they have, 88 00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:23,466 do I still have to do that? Every time my 89 00:03:23,466 --> 00:03:27,733 answer is the same, no, no, you can give 90 00:03:27,733 --> 00:03:29,733 more. We should, 91 00:03:29,966 --> 00:03:32,300 it is good for us to do so. The work of 92 00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:34,633 the kingdom of God and God's mission in 93 00:03:34,633 --> 00:03:35,433 the world, 94 00:03:35,433 --> 00:03:38,466 He's called us to give back to Him from 95 00:03:38,466 --> 00:03:41,500 what we have received. But is that what 96 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:43,033 Jesus wants most? 97 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,500 Is that what's at the top of His wish 98 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:48,433 list that you and I better give to Him 99 00:03:48,433 --> 00:03:49,700 these treasures? Well, 100 00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:51,900 no, I don't think so. I don't think so, 101 00:03:51,900 --> 00:03:54,066 not least because the fact that all of 102 00:03:54,066 --> 00:03:55,366 the earth belongs to 103 00:03:55,366 --> 00:03:57,400 Him already. You think of the words of 104 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,566 Psalm 50, the cattle on a thousand hills 105 00:03:59,566 --> 00:04:00,466 belong to Him, 106 00:04:00,466 --> 00:04:03,066 we give Him but thine own. That's what we 107 00:04:03,066 --> 00:04:05,466 give back to Him. It is good and right 108 00:04:05,466 --> 00:04:06,366 for you and 109 00:04:06,366 --> 00:04:08,500 me to give back to Him from what we have 110 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:10,600 received. But in terms of what He wants 111 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:11,733 more than anything 112 00:04:11,733 --> 00:04:16,166 else, at the top of our Lord's wish list 113 00:04:16,166 --> 00:04:20,733 is not your treasure. Okay, so then what? 114 00:04:20,733 --> 00:04:22,366 What can you 115 00:04:22,366 --> 00:04:24,633 and I give? What does He want more than 116 00:04:24,633 --> 00:04:26,833 anything else? Well, the second answer 117 00:04:26,833 --> 00:04:27,933 goes in a little 118 00:04:27,933 --> 00:04:31,333 bit of a different direction. What Jesus 119 00:04:31,333 --> 00:04:34,766 wants most from you and me is obedience, 120 00:04:34,766 --> 00:04:36,133 your obedient 121 00:04:36,133 --> 00:04:38,533 lives. I can't help thinking of a sign 122 00:04:38,533 --> 00:04:40,900 that was in the church kitchen at the 123 00:04:40,900 --> 00:04:42,233 first congregation 124 00:04:42,233 --> 00:04:44,233 where I served. Over the sink in the 125 00:04:44,233 --> 00:04:46,333 church kitchen, there was a sign that 126 00:04:46,333 --> 00:04:47,233 said, all the 127 00:04:47,233 --> 00:04:50,600 good feelings and all the well wishes 128 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,233 never replace help with the dishes. It's 129 00:04:54,233 --> 00:04:55,600 a little bit 130 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,033 passive-aggressive, but I got the point. 131 00:04:58,033 --> 00:05:00,233 So maybe that's what Jesus wants. He 132 00:05:00,233 --> 00:05:01,266 wants obedient 133 00:05:01,266 --> 00:05:03,333 disciples. He wants help with the dishes, 134 00:05:03,333 --> 00:05:05,366 right? Don't just give me your affection 135 00:05:05,366 --> 00:05:06,166 and your good 136 00:05:06,166 --> 00:05:09,000 feelings, but get out there and do what I 137 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,333 told you to do. Now once again, as 138 00:05:11,333 --> 00:05:12,666 Lutherans, maybe 139 00:05:12,666 --> 00:05:14,866 we poo-poo that a little bit too quickly. 140 00:05:14,866 --> 00:05:16,900 Jesus is very clear on this point. You 141 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:17,733 think of, for 142 00:05:17,733 --> 00:05:20,533 instance, in John 14, Jesus says, if you 143 00:05:20,533 --> 00:05:23,266 love me, you will obey my commandments. 144 00:05:23,266 --> 00:05:24,466 This is just a 145 00:05:24,466 --> 00:05:26,666 statement of this is how it goes. If you 146 00:05:26,666 --> 00:05:28,833 love me and you do, this is what you do. 147 00:05:28,833 --> 00:05:29,766 Or again, in 1 148 00:05:29,766 --> 00:05:32,566 John chapter 2, all we who abide in 149 00:05:32,566 --> 00:05:35,800 Christ Jesus, John says, ought to walk as 150 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,633 Jesus walked. If you 151 00:05:37,633 --> 00:05:39,766 follow our Lord, you ought to follow in 152 00:05:39,766 --> 00:05:42,000 his footsteps. This is just what you do. 153 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:42,733 Or I think 154 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:44,333 of in our confessions in the Book of 155 00:05:44,333 --> 00:05:46,100 Concord. I love the word that it says in 156 00:05:46,100 --> 00:05:46,900 the confessions 157 00:05:46,900 --> 00:05:49,700 when it talks about our new obedience. It 158 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:52,333 says that for those who trust in Christ 159 00:05:52,333 --> 00:05:53,500 or filled with 160 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:56,666 the Holy Spirit, they will do good works 161 00:05:56,666 --> 00:05:59,866 indubitably. Indubitably. You can't help 162 00:05:59,866 --> 00:06:00,333 but 163 00:06:00,333 --> 00:06:02,800 follow after our Lord Jesus. Do as He 164 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,433 told you to do. Follow His commandments. 165 00:06:05,433 --> 00:06:06,900 Give that obedience 166 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:09,700 unto Him. But is that what he wants most? 167 00:06:09,700 --> 00:06:12,233 Is that at the top of our Lord's wish 168 00:06:12,233 --> 00:06:13,633 list? Is that you 169 00:06:13,633 --> 00:06:15,833 and I give to Him our obedient lives? 170 00:06:15,833 --> 00:06:18,233 Well, when we frame it that way, I think 171 00:06:18,233 --> 00:06:19,366 there could be a 172 00:06:19,366 --> 00:06:21,300 problem with this, a caution that I want 173 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:23,200 to give. And to illustrate it, I want to 174 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:24,100 share with you a 175 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:26,400 poem from a guy, Billy Collins. He used 176 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,566 to be the poet laureate of the United 177 00:06:28,566 --> 00:06:29,933 States, and he has a 178 00:06:29,933 --> 00:06:32,166 poem entitled The Lanyard, which for us 179 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:34,366 in the Concordia Seminary community, we 180 00:06:34,366 --> 00:06:35,333 know very well 181 00:06:35,333 --> 00:06:36,900 what lanyards are, right? Those things 182 00:06:36,900 --> 00:06:38,600 that you wear over your neck. Many of you 183 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:39,366 are wearing them 184 00:06:39,366 --> 00:06:41,366 here this morning. So in this poem, he 185 00:06:41,366 --> 00:06:43,433 recounts how as a boy, he was at summer 186 00:06:43,433 --> 00:06:44,433 camp and he wove 187 00:06:44,433 --> 00:06:46,666 this lanyard as a gift for his mother. 188 00:06:46,666 --> 00:06:48,500 And he says this, imagining the 189 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:50,333 conversation between him and 190 00:06:50,333 --> 00:06:52,900 his mom. He says, here are thousands of 191 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:55,600 meals, she said, and here is clothing and 192 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:56,900 a good education. 193 00:06:57,833 --> 00:07:00,233 And here is your lanyard, I replied, 194 00:07:00,233 --> 00:07:02,766 which I made with a little help from a 195 00:07:02,766 --> 00:07:04,300 counselor. Here is a 196 00:07:04,300 --> 00:07:06,533 breathing body and a beating heart, 197 00:07:06,533 --> 00:07:08,966 strong legs, bones, and teeth, and two 198 00:07:08,966 --> 00:07:10,566 clear eyes to read the 199 00:07:10,666 --> 00:07:13,700 world, she whispered. And here, I said, 200 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:16,600 is the lanyard I made at camp. That's 201 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,166 kind of humorous, 202 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,566 it's meant to be, but then he lands it 203 00:07:20,566 --> 00:07:23,066 with a serious point. He says, and here, 204 00:07:23,066 --> 00:07:24,266 I wish to say to 205 00:07:24,266 --> 00:07:26,733 her now, is a smaller gift, not the 206 00:07:26,733 --> 00:07:29,400 archaic truth that you can never repay 207 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,000 your mother, but the 208 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,000 rueful admission that when she took the 209 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,133 two-toned lanyard from my hands, I was as 210 00:07:37,133 --> 00:07:38,366 sure as a boy 211 00:07:38,366 --> 00:07:41,533 could be that this useless, worthless 212 00:07:41,533 --> 00:07:44,600 thing I wove out of boredom would be 213 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,300 enough to make us 214 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:49,900 even. That it would be enough to make us 215 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:53,566 even. See, here's the caution. If you and 216 00:07:53,566 --> 00:07:54,733 I start to 217 00:07:54,733 --> 00:07:57,066 get into this mindset that what we give 218 00:07:57,066 --> 00:07:59,333 to Jesus is our lives of obedience, we 219 00:07:59,333 --> 00:08:00,566 can start to think 220 00:08:00,566 --> 00:08:03,133 that as we offer up our little lanyards 221 00:08:03,133 --> 00:08:05,833 that somehow we are even. That mindset so 222 00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:06,433 easily 223 00:08:06,433 --> 00:08:08,766 creeps into us. That kind of quid pro quo 224 00:08:08,766 --> 00:08:11,066 of scratching God's back so that he might 225 00:08:11,066 --> 00:08:11,666 scratch 226 00:08:11,666 --> 00:08:13,666 your back and mine. You think, Lord, hey 227 00:08:13,666 --> 00:08:15,466 listen, I've been doing you a solid, 228 00:08:15,466 --> 00:08:16,500 right? You saw how 229 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,100 hard I worked last semester, maybe this 230 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:19,666 one will be a little bit easier. Maybe 231 00:08:19,666 --> 00:08:20,566 you can give me the 232 00:08:20,566 --> 00:08:22,866 gift of tongues, Dr. Penhallegon, so I 233 00:08:22,866 --> 00:08:25,133 know my Hebrew supernaturally, you can 234 00:08:25,133 --> 00:08:26,300 give that to me. 235 00:08:26,733 --> 00:08:28,366 Just give me those gifts, Lord. I have 236 00:08:28,366 --> 00:08:30,066 been faithful, I have been obedient, now 237 00:08:30,066 --> 00:08:30,766 can you bless 238 00:08:30,766 --> 00:08:33,066 me? It's so easy for that attitude to 239 00:08:33,066 --> 00:08:35,633 creep in. It's an impious attitude. Think 240 00:08:35,633 --> 00:08:36,633 of what Jesus 241 00:08:36,633 --> 00:08:38,033 himself says, he says, listen, when 242 00:08:38,033 --> 00:08:39,633 you've done everything that you've been 243 00:08:39,633 --> 00:08:40,400 commanded to do, 244 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,100 simply say we're still unworthy servants. 245 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:45,466 Your obedience is your duty and I'll go 246 00:08:45,466 --> 00:08:46,400 further. Not 247 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,666 only is it your duty, but even your 248 00:08:48,666 --> 00:08:51,200 obedient lives are a gift from our Lord 249 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:52,766 Jesus. I think of the 250 00:08:52,766 --> 00:08:56,400 Psalm 119 says, this blessing has fallen 251 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,766 to me that I have kept your precepts. 252 00:08:59,766 --> 00:09:01,300 It's fallen to 253 00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:03,266 me, it's just been given to me. God has 254 00:09:03,266 --> 00:09:05,166 prepared in advance all the good works 255 00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:06,266 that you and I walk 256 00:09:06,266 --> 00:09:08,633 into. Listen, if you don't know it 257 00:09:08,633 --> 00:09:11,500 already, the whole game is rigged, y'all. 258 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:12,900 From beginning to 259 00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:15,333 end, all of it is gift. Even your 260 00:09:15,333 --> 00:09:18,133 obedience is a gift from Him, given to 261 00:09:18,133 --> 00:09:20,200 you and me. We can't ever 262 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,333 give that back to Him and think that 263 00:09:22,333 --> 00:09:24,433 somehow now He's in our debt. By no 264 00:09:24,433 --> 00:09:25,866 means, it's our duty, 265 00:09:26,566 --> 00:09:29,133 it's what we do. So no, even your 266 00:09:29,133 --> 00:09:32,233 obedient lives, it is good and right for 267 00:09:32,233 --> 00:09:34,500 you to do it. Indubitably, 268 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:36,700 you follow in the footsteps of your Lord 269 00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:38,900 Jesus, but that's not what he wants more 270 00:09:38,900 --> 00:09:39,766 than anything 271 00:09:39,766 --> 00:09:43,433 else. That's not what's at the top of His 272 00:09:43,433 --> 00:09:46,833 wish list. So what, what can you and I 273 00:09:46,833 --> 00:09:47,900 give Him? 274 00:09:50,666 --> 00:09:52,900 Well, we're not the first ones to ask 275 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:55,300 this question, of course. And I think of 276 00:09:55,300 --> 00:09:55,900 a story 277 00:09:55,900 --> 00:09:58,633 I heard about the great father of the 278 00:09:58,633 --> 00:10:01,600 church, translator of the Latin Vulgate, 279 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:02,966 Jerome. And the 280 00:10:02,966 --> 00:10:05,066 story is told about Jerome who evidently 281 00:10:05,066 --> 00:10:06,933 he moved, he relocated to Bethlehem 282 00:10:06,933 --> 00:10:08,300 because he wanted to be 283 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:10,533 even closer to the footsteps of our Lord 284 00:10:10,533 --> 00:10:12,766 Jesus. The story is told that Jerome once 285 00:10:12,766 --> 00:10:13,600 had a vision 286 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,533 of Jesus. He sees the Lord Jesus as a 287 00:10:16,533 --> 00:10:19,466 child and he sees Him and he looks so 288 00:10:19,466 --> 00:10:21,200 weak and vulnerable 289 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,166 and needy. And when he sees Him, Jerome 290 00:10:24,166 --> 00:10:27,133 asks Him just this, Jesus, you've given 291 00:10:27,133 --> 00:10:28,566 everything to me 292 00:10:28,566 --> 00:10:31,866 and I see you so much in need. What can I 293 00:10:31,866 --> 00:10:34,833 give to you? What can I give you? And 294 00:10:34,833 --> 00:10:36,500 Jesus says, do you 295 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:38,700 wish to honor me, Jerome? Jerome says, 296 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:40,800 yes, more than anything in the world, 297 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,300 I'll give you anything. 298 00:10:42,300 --> 00:10:44,000 I'll give you all my money, all my 299 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,866 riches, all of my wealth. I don't have 300 00:10:45,866 --> 00:10:47,300 much, but whatever I have, 301 00:10:47,333 --> 00:10:50,500 it's yours. And Jesus says, oh Jerome, 302 00:10:50,500 --> 00:10:53,566 you're so generous. I don't need your 303 00:10:53,566 --> 00:10:55,566 money. Give it to the 304 00:10:55,566 --> 00:10:57,966 poor and it'll be as though you gave it 305 00:10:57,966 --> 00:11:00,466 to me. And Jerome says, okay, okay, then 306 00:11:00,466 --> 00:11:01,533 all of my good 307 00:11:01,533 --> 00:11:03,566 works, Lord, I give you all of my good 308 00:11:03,566 --> 00:11:05,600 works, all of my study and my work, my 309 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,000 devotion. I'll do more. 310 00:11:07,166 --> 00:11:09,066 I'll do more than anyone else has ever 311 00:11:09,066 --> 00:11:11,133 done. More, I'll go over and above all of 312 00:11:11,133 --> 00:11:12,233 that. I will devote 313 00:11:12,233 --> 00:11:15,000 and give to you, Lord. And Jesus says, 314 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,833 thank you, Jerome, but you know I don't 315 00:11:17,833 --> 00:11:19,566 need that. Give those 316 00:11:19,566 --> 00:11:22,200 good works to your neighbor. By this 317 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,666 time, Jerome is practically beside 318 00:11:24,666 --> 00:11:26,333 himself. He wants so 319 00:11:26,333 --> 00:11:28,600 desperately to be able to give something 320 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,900 to our Lord. Please, Lord, there's got to 321 00:11:30,900 --> 00:11:31,800 be something, 322 00:11:31,966 --> 00:11:34,766 anything, just tell me. And Jesus says, 323 00:11:34,766 --> 00:11:37,733 do you know what I want? No, Jerome says, 324 00:11:37,733 --> 00:11:38,500 tell me, 325 00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:50,600 it'll be anything. And Jesus says to him, 326 00:11:50,600 --> 00:12:02,366 if you wish to honor me, Jerome, give me 327 00:12:02,366 --> 00:12:07,100 your sins. If 328 00:12:08,266 --> 00:12:10,066 you wish to honor me, Jerome, give me 329 00:12:10,066 --> 00:12:12,000 your sins. The Son of God came so far to 330 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:12,966 take on our frail 331 00:12:12,966 --> 00:12:16,466 human flesh and why? Not to be merely a 332 00:12:16,466 --> 00:12:20,033 moral guide, a scold, or a coach to tell 333 00:12:20,033 --> 00:12:21,466 you how to do 334 00:12:21,466 --> 00:12:25,366 a little bit better. He came to be your 335 00:12:25,366 --> 00:12:29,166 redeemer. Because Christ Jesus has the 336 00:12:29,166 --> 00:12:31,400 burning desire that 337 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,266 nothing, nothing would separate you and 338 00:12:34,266 --> 00:12:37,233 me from His love. That nothing in all of 339 00:12:37,233 --> 00:12:38,500 creation would 340 00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:41,600 come between him and you. What He wants 341 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,700 more than anything is for you to lay at 342 00:12:44,700 --> 00:12:45,666 His feet, 343 00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:47,666 all of those things that you think in 344 00:12:47,666 --> 00:12:49,600 your heart, in your adult conscience, 345 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:51,000 would keep you from Him. 346 00:12:51,633 --> 00:12:54,233 All of the stuff that becomes a toehold 347 00:12:54,233 --> 00:12:56,966 for the evil one, Jesus says, lay it down 348 00:12:56,966 --> 00:12:58,100 and give it to 349 00:12:58,100 --> 00:13:01,200 me. Listen, the author of Hebrews tells 350 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,200 us that at the end of the ages, Christ 351 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:05,633 Jesus appeared, 352 00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:09,833 he epiphanied, right? In order that he 353 00:13:09,833 --> 00:13:13,866 might put away sins by the sacrifice of 354 00:13:13,866 --> 00:13:15,833 Himself once and 355 00:13:15,933 --> 00:13:22,000 for all. Once and for all. That's the 356 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:27,900 greatest gift. So what can you and I 357 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:31,700 give? If you wish to 358 00:13:31,700 --> 00:13:34,633 honor Him, don't hold out coming to Him 359 00:13:34,633 --> 00:13:37,733 and until you've got that gussied up kind 360 00:13:37,733 --> 00:13:38,866 of Instagram 361 00:13:38,866 --> 00:13:41,466 version of yourself. Don't hold on to 362 00:13:41,466 --> 00:13:44,066 those things that you think are gonna 363 00:13:44,066 --> 00:13:45,900 keep you away from Him, 364 00:13:45,900 --> 00:13:50,233 but instead let it go and lay it down. If 365 00:13:50,233 --> 00:13:54,566 you wish to honor Him, bring your poor, 366 00:13:54,566 --> 00:13:57,700 wretched self and let Him make you rich 367 00:13:57,700 --> 00:14:01,166 in His kingdom. If you wish to honor Him, 368 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:03,100 bring to Him the skeletons that you've 369 00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:04,833 got hiding in your closet so that you can 370 00:14:04,833 --> 00:14:05,133 give 371 00:14:05,133 --> 00:14:07,966 them a decent burial once and for all. If 372 00:14:07,966 --> 00:14:10,533 you wish to honor Him, bring Him your 373 00:14:10,533 --> 00:14:11,066 dark, 374 00:14:12,166 --> 00:14:15,066 wretched, sin-stained heart. Give it to 375 00:14:15,066 --> 00:14:18,133 Him so that no more would the evil one be 376 00:14:18,133 --> 00:14:19,100 allowed to 377 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:20,666 to use that in order to keep those 378 00:14:20,666 --> 00:14:22,433 things, bring those things back to your 379 00:14:22,433 --> 00:14:23,500 mind of what you are 380 00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:26,766 ashamed. Give to Him your dark heart that 381 00:14:26,766 --> 00:14:30,000 He might take it and cleanse it and make 382 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:30,800 it new. 383 00:14:32,266 --> 00:14:34,800 Jesus knows no greater gift than that you 384 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,133 would let him be who he came to be for 385 00:14:37,133 --> 00:14:37,566 you, 386 00:14:39,166 --> 00:14:42,966 your Redeemer. Which brings to my mind, 387 00:14:42,966 --> 00:14:46,766 and I'll close with this, a stanza that 388 00:14:46,766 --> 00:14:48,733 has always caught 389 00:14:48,733 --> 00:14:51,200 me up short from the Christmas carol in 390 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,733 the bleak midwinter. The last stanza. If 391 00:14:53,733 --> 00:14:54,666 you know it, 392 00:14:54,800 --> 00:15:02,566 sing it along with me. What can I give 393 00:15:02,566 --> 00:15:10,766 him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, 394 00:15:10,766 --> 00:15:15,666 I would bring a lamb. 395 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:25,700 And if I were a wise man, I would do my 396 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:35,266 part. Yet what I can I give Him, give my 397 00:15:35,266 --> 00:15:38,866 heart. Amen. 398 00:15:39,966 --> 00:15:41,666 May the peace of God that surpasses all 399 00:15:41,666 --> 00:15:43,400 understanding keep your hearts and minds 400 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:43,633 in 401 00:15:43,633 --> 00:15:45,166 Christ Jesus. Amen.