January 30, 2016

Let People See Jesus Through You!

4th Sunday after Epiphany, 1/31/16
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13


Let People See Jesus Through You!
I. With the kingdom gifts he gave you
II. While displaying Christ-like love


It’s one of the first things people say when looking at a newborn. Even though that infant’s facial features will change drastically in the next 12 months, people will say things such as, “Oh, she has her mother’s eyes,” or, “He has his father’s nose,” or, “Look at that head of hair. Just like her Grandpa.”

Has anyone ever told you that you look like someone else? Has anyone ever said that you remind them of someone else? I’m sure that’s happened to almost every one of us, if not all of us. Either by nature or by chance, we have similarities to others.

But has anyone ever told you that you remind them of God? Has anyone ever said, “You look just like Jesus?” Not likely. I suppose one of the reasons for it is that we don’t have any pictures or drawings of Jesus, so how could anyone state that we look like him?

And yet that’s exactly one of the outcomes Jesus is looking for when we ponder, apply and carry out his words of encouragement to us this morning from 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. You’ve probably heard or read this section of the Bible more than once. This portion of Scripture is often read at Christian weddings. I’ve even heard it read at not-so-Christian weddings. It’s the great “love” section of the Bible. But don’t miss the context of these words. St. Paul, who wrote them, wasn’t writing about marriage; he was writing about using spiritual gifts.

On this Sunday we focus on the truth that Jesus reveals himself as the prophet sent from God. He did that visibly and personally for the people gathered in that synagogue of Nazareth as described in today’s Gospel. He would continue to do that throughout his earthly ministry. But he doesn’t do it anymore—at least not in the same way. Instead, he uses his people—you and me. He wants people to see him when they look at us.

That’s a tall order. One, no doubt, you might not feel equipped for or eager to carry out. But that’s why he shares his word with us this morning. He wants others to see him when they look at us. So, let people see Jesus through you. Jesus tells us how. Shall we get started?

Part I.

Today’s text begins with a discussion of the gifts that God gives to his people. It’s apparent to me, as I’m sure it is with you as well, that it doesn’t take long before our reaction to receiving gifts becomes tainted. Let me explain.

How long does it take before a little child is no longer happy with the gifts he receives? How long before he isn’t happy with Cheerios for a snack? Probably as soon as he’s tasted a sugar-filled chocolate chip cookie. How long before she isn’t happy with her coloring book? Probably soon after she’s seen the one that another child has. And that reaction tends to plague us throughout life.

It was happening in a devastating way among the Christians in ancient Corinth. When the Holy Spirit brought these people to faith in Jesus, he also gave them some astounding gifts. Paul lists just a few of them in our text. The ability to be a prophet or teacher of God’s word, to miraculously heal others or perform other miracles, gifts to help others and the gift of speaking in tongues, which were either known or unknown languages. The Holy Spirit bestowed these spiritual gifts for more than one reason. First, these gifts were outward manifestations that the Holy Spirit was indeed working in them. These people truly were Christians.

He also bestowed these gifts so that they could be used in kingdom work. In other words, he wanted the Christians in Corinth and elsewhere to use their gifts to spread the saving message of Jesus to as many people as possible. As these Christians used their spiritual gifts together, they could accomplish more kingdom work.

Earlier in this section, St. Paul had declared the truth that God had given at least one spiritual gift to each and every Christian. In most cases, he bestows more than one.

With a super-gifted congregation like this one at Corinth, you would think that God’s kingdom work would be humming along like a well-oiled machine. But you’d be wrong. The truth was that the Corinthians were abusing their God-given spiritual gifts. Some used their spiritual gifts to their own advantage. They were filled with sinful pride and used their gifts only so that others would admire them. They sinfully asserted that their gift was more important and more useful than other gifts.

That led other Christians to be envious, with the result that they didn’t use the gifts they had to their fullest capability. Instead, they longed for gifts they hadn’t been given.

The dysfunction in this congregation wasn’t just disheartening; it was deplorable.

The Lord Jesus spoke to them and he was also speaking to you and me when he caused Paul to write, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” That means he has not only brought us into his Church, he has also bestowed spiritual gifts on you—gifts for use in kingdom work. Please don’t think that, because you aren’t particularly gifted at teaching, that you don’t have anything to offer. One of the gifts Paul lists is helping others. The opportunities abound here at Resurrection to use your time, even in small ways, to get things done that need to be done. Maybe helping others means seeing a personal need that someone has and reaching out to that person to do what you can. At least make the offer to do so. That’s needed because Jesus doesn’t always help the people around us. He leaves much of that to you and me. And when we do, people see Jesus.

Let people see Jesus through you, with the kingdom gifts he gave you.

So, what’s keeping people from seeing Jesus through you as you use the spiritual gifts he’s given you? Perhaps the biggest reason is laziness. One of my seminary professors once told my class, “It’s easy to be lazy in the ministry.” I battle that temptation every day. Perhaps you do as well. And our laziness can be brought on by our selfishness. Our thinking goes like this: I have better things to use my time doing than to use my spiritual gifts to help others right now. And here’s another impediment to using your gifts: you did use them some time ago and things didn’t go well. In fact, it was a disaster. People of God, I have a little secret to let you in on. Are you listening? We’re all sinners here. It’s inevitable that people will sin against us as we use our gifts. That’s all the more reason to use them. We all need help! Thank God that our great helper—Jesus Christ—is always by our side. Daily he washes our sins of laziness and selfishness away and covers us in his holiness. He served us by taking on the punishment for our sins by his death on the cross. His holiness is ours by his resurrection from the dead. His death and resurrection empower our use of the spiritual gifts he has lavished on us. Let people see Jesus through you as you use them!

Part II.

When serving others, attitude is everything. For instance, when your loved one is doing something for you but is whining and complaining about it the entire time, what good is it? You’d rather he or she would do nothing at all.

Attitude is everything as we use our spiritual gifts so that people see Jesus through us. That’s what Paul meant when he wrote, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” What way is he talking about? In a word: love.

You see, a loveless use of spiritual gifts is useless. Paul sites a few examples. If I use my spiritual gifts to be noticed and commended by others, I’m just beating my own drum. If I’m charitable to the poor or even if I face martyrdom, but have no love for Jesus or love for others, it’s useless. Jesus would rather that I do nothing.

Instead, I need a Christ-like attitude. As I read these words, imagine looking into the face of Jesus: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” The love Jesus has for us is a deep affection for us even though he knows us perfectly—sins and all. He demonstrated that love when he sacrificed himself for us on the cross. He did that so that we could spend eternity in heaven with him. His love for you and me empowers us to use our spiritual gifts out of love for others instead of love for self. And when we do that, people see Jesus.

Let people see Jesus through you as you use the kingdom gifts he’s given you while displaying Christ-like love.

Display Christ-like love. That’s perfect love. Another tall order. One we can’t possibly attain because even our best efforts are often tainted with sin. But that’s where the love of Christ comes in. He wraps us in his love completely. By faith in Jesus we live in his Church where there is daily—constant—forgiveness for our sins. So Jesus takes our efforts to show his love to others and purifies them by his sinless life and his holy death, makes them pleasing in his sight, and then others see Jesus through us.

Has anyone ever told you, “You look just like Jesus”? Probably not. But they’ll see Jesus through you when you use the kingdom gifts he’s given you while displaying Christ-like love. I can’t wait to see Jesus through you! Amen.