Sermon: Remembering

Last Sunday of the Church Year, 2010

Malachi 3:13-18

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

In the name of Jesus. Amen.
 

On this day, we celebrate the gift that God gives to all of us in Holy Baptism. Through this sacrament the LORD sanctifies us and purifies us by the washing of water with the word as St. Paul teaches us in Ephesians chapter five. St. Paul also states that Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14, ESV) The LORD Jesus makes us His disciples by baptizing and teaching us. The LORD promises that the one who walks in His ways is blessed.

However, as we continue to walk in the Spirit, we must come to terms with the reality that at times the zeal for doing good works grows weak. As we move forward in our lives we become lazy and slack off. It doesn’t help that when we look around it appears as if the wicked are blessed and happy. They do not walk in the LORD’s way. They do not delight in the LORD’s instruction. They do not meditate upon God’s word day and night. But, they seem to have all the luck. They seem to get all the breaks. They seem to have an easier lot in life. In fact, those who do not fear God put God to the test and nothing happens to them. They openly defy God and there is no punishment. They challenge His power claiming that God is impotent and not omnipotent. They grumble and even seem to be rewarded.

People have been making such observations since the beginning of time. Even God’s own people have called in to question the validity of serving the LORD. In today’s Old Testament text from Malachi chapter three, the prophet takes up this issue. Through the mouth of the prophet Malachi, God teaches His own people not to speak harshly against Him and question His wisdom. In verses thirteen through fifteen, the LORD reveals the blasphemous thoughts of His people. Then the LORD teaches us to hear His word, meditate upon it, and cling to it in our hearts. 

In verse sixteen of today’s text, we are taught how to take the harsh words of the LORD against us. Malachi writes, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.” (Malachi 3:16, ESV) When the LORD points out our impurities, we acknowledge them before Him.

Take note that the distinction is made between those who despise and dishonor the LORD’s name and those who stand in awe and fear of His name. The ones who take the LORD’s name in vain claim that they serve the LORD in vain. They refuse to listen to His word. The ones who take God’s word to heart are those who fear the LORD and esteem His name. They heard the LORD and they meditated upon His word. 

Although the people of Israel took the name of the LORD their God in vain, the LORD declared in Malachi chapter one,"For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 1:11, ESV) After Jesus was resurrected, He sent out the Apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the LORD causing His name to be great among the nations. Those who have been baptized have been marked by their Maker. 

Have you ever seen one of those big yellow bulldozers with the bold black letters C…A…T…on it? Now putting the word, “CAT” on a bulldozer does not make it a cat. Or even if you put the name “Caterpillar” on it does not make it a caterpillar it remains a yellow bulldozer. However, the name imprinted upon the metal marks it as one that was made by the Caterpillar tractor Company. It tags the vehicle with a unique identity and sets it apart from the rest. 

On this day we have done far more than put the name of a tractor company upon Madison, oh no, we put the name of the Blessed Holy Trinity upon her. She is marked as one who belongs to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She has been set apart from the rest. She has been given a unique identity as God’s treasured possession. In time, she will be taught to pray that the LORD’s name would be kept holy in her own life when she petitions the LORD saying, “Hallowed by Thy name.” Likewise, she will be taught to confess her own impurities. She will petition the LORD praying, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

As we remember the promises of the LORD given to us in our own baptism, we confess with the thief on the cross that we have deserved the death that Jesus died for us. We are impure. We join in one voice with the thief on the cross saying, “Jesus remember me, when You come into Your kingdom.” When the LORD remembers us, He remembers us according to His promises and not according to our sins. 

The prophet Malachi uses the image of a book of remembrance in which the names of those who esteem the name of the LORD are written. In a similar way, St. John uses the image of the Lamb’s book of life in which the names of all the saints are recorded. These names are written in the LORD’s presence. He will not forget. The LORD assures us that for the sake of Christ we belong to Him.

In verse seventeen of today’s Old Testament text, Malachi writes,“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.  Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Malachi 4:17, ESV) Now at first, you may hear these words and think, “I thought that the Father did  NOT spare His Son who served Him?” That is true. God did not spare His only begotten Son so that He would spare us. Jesus was declared an evildoer so that we would be declared perfectly obedient. Jesus was forsaken as one who did not serve God so that we would be adopted as sons and heirs of the kingdom. God turns everything upside down in order to purify us and make us His own treasured possession. In our baptism, we have the promise that we are sons of God. When we remember our baptism, we remember what the LORD has done for us. Amen.