Sermon 31st December 2023
Text: Luke 2:22-40 – what’s
in a name?
As we journey through life
we gain many possessions. As children it might be things we collect – things
like coins, stamps or certain toys that are collectable. As we grow older the
possessions become more expensive and more permanent. Cars, houses, boats and
other possessions. But there is a possession that we attain from birth and
retain till death that is invaluable. In fact it goes beyond death. And that is
your name.
Your name is precious. When
someone mispronounces it or spells it incorrectly you can feel a little
offended and the need to correct them. People sue in court for slander because
their name has been defamed. When God sent Moses to free his children Israel
from slavery in Egypt he gave Moses his name as his defense. When Jacob was
wrestling with God at the Jabbok and neither could overpower the other Jacob
tried to get the upperhand by asking for is assailant’s name because the
understanding was that you had power over the other person if you had their
name. In the Old Testament God changed certain people’s names to reflect the
new relationship they had with him – Abram became Abraham – Sarai became Sarah
– and Jacob after his wrestling match became Israel – one who has strived with
God. Similarly in the New Testament we see Saul become Paul after his
conversion to Christianity. We see Simon, become Peter become the Rock and
Cephas. And when Jesus humbled himself in obedience to God even to death on a
cross, St Paul says he was given the name that is above all names – and that at
the name of Jesus every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord.
Our relationship with God is
based on his name. When you were baptized you were baptized “in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. The same name in which we gather
in worship. The same name by which we receive the forgiveness of sins. God’s
name is his gift to you. And that’s so comforting because in the Old Testament
people feared using God’s name because of the 2nd Commandment – you shall not
take the name of the Lord your God in vain. And so Jewish people when referring
to God avoided using the name God gave to Moses – Yahweh – and used Adonai –
both meaning Lord in the Old Testament. But you’ll notice in the Old Testament
that whenever Yahweh is written it appears as LORD- all capitals.
We also respect God’s name
but we also accept that God has given it to us as a gift to use. In the Small
Catechism Luther shows us the right way and the wrong ways to use God’s name
when he explains the 2nd Commandment: Luther’s explanation was: We are to fear
and love God so that we do not use his name superstitiously, or use it to
curse, swear, lie or deceive but call on him in prayer, praise and
thanksgiving. We hear so often God’s name being misused that we have become so
used to it that we don’t realise that others are doing it – or even ourselves. We
hear “Oh my God” or OMG used so frequently and even quite common in text
messaging. We hear Jesus or Jesus Christ used in damning or swearing –
You may have heard someone
say something like – Christ it’s hot today. Or one that I saw recently in a
movie when someone was angry crying out – Jesus H Christ. Did you know that the
word Crikey – a word made famous by the late Steve ‘crocodile hunter’ Erwin was
an attempt to replace Christ as a swear word. As was Oh my Gosh.
Whilst these my seem trivial
we don’t see the names of other religious deities used in such a way. In fact I
was watching a TV talkback show where regularly Jesus and Christ were used in
inappropriate ways but when the presenter referred to Muhammad he immediately
followed it with the phrase “peace be upon him” so he didn’t offend the
religion of Islam. Satan knows how precious the name of God, the name of Jesus
is and it’s no wonder that people who have no idea about Jesus seem to
instinctively misuse his name.
So this is the challenge for
us to reflect on how we use God’s name in our everyday practice. And the best
way to do that is to practice what Luther said in his small catechism of using
God’s name to call on him in prayer, praise and thanksgiving – but not just on
Sundays in church. By doing that we become more alert to when we are using
God’s name inappropriately.
As James writes in Chapter 3
of his letter: With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we
curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth
come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both
fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters,
can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring
produce fresh water. We might think it’s such a little thing – what harm can it
do. Well, Satan knows that it harms God, which is why God enshrined his name in
the 10 Commandments. And that’s because the name of God has power. It has power
to heal, to save and to bless. And that means it does actually have power to
harm and curse.
We see how precious the name
of God is in the early church who certain knew the power of God’s name: In Acts
chapter 3 we read: A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the
temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those
going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he
asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter
said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get
something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I
do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him
up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
We have a very special and
powerful gift that God has given to us. When God gave his name to Moses he
became vulnerable to it being misused. Treasure God’s name – treasure the name
of Jesus – use them to bless your children, your loved ones, your friends. At
the closing of our worship today, as we do every Sunday, I do so with what is
called the Aaronic blessing – the blessing God gave to Moses to give to Aaron. Listen
to the words but particularly now listen to the promise God makes in the book
of Numbers chapter 6 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is
how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep
you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn
his face toward you and give you peace. “So they will put my name on the
Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Satan wants you to misuse
God’s name not only because it offends God but because it prevents God’s
blessing upon you.
God gave to Jesus the name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And Jesus has promised – ask
for anything in my name and I will do it.
The Lord bless you and keep
you and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard and watch
over you now and always. Amen.
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