Shattered glass and an empty 40 oz. beer bottle lying on the floor. That is what I walked into recently when I opened my office door. It’s hard to tell exactly what happened or what the intentions were. Nothing was stolen. Whoever it was left empty-handed. But you see, that is the real tragedy in all of this. This individual left our church empty-handed. Yeah, you heard me right.
How many people ever come up to Jesus in the New Testament for the right reasons? Sometimes they mean him harm. Sometimes they just want him to condone their self-justification. The Gospel accounts continually refer to the Pharisees who confront him in order to corner him, the crowds often press in on Jesus because they are amazed by his miracles alone, and even his own disciples so often just plain get him wrong. Yet, despite it all, Jesus continues to show compassion on them as He takes the time to question assumptions, grants healing to the people who will soon abuse it and call him out, and forgives his own disciples who leave him at the time of his betrayal. Jesus went to a cross where he took the very sin meant against Him and he offers forgiveness in its stead in a great exchange. It is there on the cross that Christians believe that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world in order that those who believe in Him might have life. For on the third day, he rose from the dead. Today, Jesus still speaks and acts towards sinners in such a way that no one will ever leave empty-handed unless they choose to do so.
A lot of people think that going to church is all about going to a place happy. So full of good things that you just want to praise God. As a result, so many people have begun to think, at least in America, that Christianity is about being full of happiness and living a moral life. So Sunday morning is about coming before God to show off your best and sing heartfelt songs in praise. But Martin Luther once said that we ought to think of going to church with an empty sack. That is, we don’t have anything to bring God. That is why we at Faith Lutheran start the service with confession of our sins. We come to church as poor, miserable sinners in thought, word, and deed. We are needy. We say, “Lord, my sack is empty.” And then, by the very grace of God, he fills it up! Forgiveness is proclaimed! Scriptures are read! The sermon is preached! You’re reminded of when Forgiveness and life were splashed on your head in Baptism! Forgiveness and life is placed in your mouth in the Lord’s Supper! Your empty sack is filled up. And you never leave empty-handed.
Your sack is so filled to the brim with forgiveness and life that as you go out into your vocations with family, friends, and work, you cannot help but share all of the goods that you have received. People sin against you, and you pull some forgiveness out of your bag.
When people come to Faith Lutheran, we don’t ever want them to leave with empty pockets or empty bags. Whether or not they come realizing their need or not, we preach the law which reveals our poverty in sin. But we also pile on the grace and forgiveness. We hope that we are robbed blind of the grace that Jesus gives out freely.
This is what is the real tragedy about the person who broke my office window. He left without pockets filled with the Gospel proclaimed to him of God’s forgiveness in Jesus. Since we don’t know who he was, we don’t have the opportunity to speak forgiveness directly to him. But we forgive him anyway. Not because we are any better or take the higher ground. But we forgive simply because our bags were empty, but now they have been filled and continue to be filled. And what they have been filled with is all Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness and life. I sincerely do hope that he comes back to Faith Lutheran. But if there is a next time, I also hope that he doesn’t leave empty-handed.
Pastor Rosebrock
