Getting Down To The Real Issue:
By Pastor Dave Horton; Edited by Pastor Mike Kuschel
Pastor Horton serves Zion Lutheran Church Morton, MN (WELS)
In the wake of the recent tragedy in Newtown, our nation is currently flailing for answers. What’s at the heart of the real issue? Many are discussing additional gun laws. From what I’ve read, the Sandy Hook school security was a model for others to follow. The gunman shot through the locked doors. Could additional laws restricting guns have prevented this? Perhaps. Perhaps not. However, I’m reminded of the summer spent working in Israel, a nation with rigid gun laws (i.e., one must prove to the authorities why they need to possess a firearm every six months). And I remember the memorials on the side of the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where bombs had been detonated. Some of the attacks were also, sadly, directed at school children. Bombs have also targeted children here in America. One such explosion occurred in Bath, Michigan on May 18, 1927. 45 died: 38 children and 7 adults. My grandmother was 14 years old at the time, and she and her brother were in the school on that day. By the grace of God, some 500 lbs of dynamite failed to detonate under their classroom, and they survived. Are more gun laws the real issue? No, we have to go deeper.
What about the upbringing of our children? As a nation we have held to some dangerous theories as though they were facts. Our children are being fed statements like, “only the strong survive,” and “survival of the fittest.” These sayings contradict what God proclaims about human life: every soul is valuable to him – regardless of ethnicity, age, or cognitive abilities. Jesus’ cross and empty tomb are the proof that we are valuable to him. There we find out just how much God values our life. There we find the great lengths God went to so that your sins would be paid for and that your eternal well being would be kept safe.
If we as a society pretend that there is no almighty God above, no moral guidelines given to us by him, and no depth of love for us found in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus – if those are removed, then we as an individual are only accountable to our self, we quickly stop caring for our neighbors’ well being, and we lose the gospel motivation to live in ways that give God glory, honor, and praise. We cease being “one nation under God” when we teach our children that they may construct their own truth, and in a way, “play god” themselves. And certainly, turning God into a good luck charm is not the solution either. For example, setting a granite list of the 10 Commandments on every street corner will not instantaneously solve all of our problems. That’s because the real issue goes deeper yet.
In Luke 13, people back in Jesus’ day were also flailing for answers. A massacre had taken place. We don’t have a lot of details about it: Galileans were killed by Pilate while worshiping in the temple. Jesus responds, not by critiquing temple security, government policy, or society’s nurturing. He turns to the people as individuals and simply says, “repent.” The heart of this national issue is located in our very own hearts. We all have sin. We all are capable of sin. We all need help in regard to our sin. And the only one capable of helping us, just so happened to be the one asking people like you and me to take their relationship with God seriously.
And all of a sudden, when Jesus speaks to us personally, everything else melts away: both the everyday struggles and the national tragedies fade into the background as he makes our relationship with the Almighty clear. We are left with our issue…and a God given solution: a child born in a manger. Jesus was there to fulfill thousands of years of promises, to be born under the law, to shed blood for your sin, and to die so that you may live. Real help for our nation’s issues begins with Jesus.
Real peace is provided by Jesus. When tragedy happens, this world can only offer momentary condolences and fleeting tributes, but God gives our hearts so much more. Why did the shepherds bound through the streets of Jerusalem in joy? The angels spoke of peace on earth. Not of a heaven on earth, but of the peace you and I have with an almighty and holy God thanks entirely to the work of Jesus. He is the one who promises to save, to guide, to be with you to the end of the age, and to make all things work out for the eternal good of those who love him.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV’84)
The nation grieved with my grandmother, and all of Bath, Michigan, many years ago. Today we grieve with the families of Newtown, Connecticut. But let’s also grieve over the real issue of our sin, and look to the Savior in faith. This Christmas we have good reason to hug our loved ones a little tighter, and we also have good reason to keep them close to God’s love as well. While the future of the world around us may be uncertain, your future with God is not! Your future is made certain through faith in Christ Jesus, the Savior born in Bethlehem, the light and the hope of the world.