Richard Davenport

April 24, 2024 – Third Sunday of Easter

1 John 3:1-7

                I’m not one of those people who really thinks of himself as part of a legacy.  Maybe if I spent any length of time around people my dad associates with it might be more of a part of who I am.  Even at the seminary, where I might expect people to make some association, there just weren’t any of the professors around who still remembered him and could connect us.  So, even though I followed his footsteps in terms of our professions, there isn’t much of a sense of continuity.  That’s even more true if I go back another generation to his father, who I only got to meet a handful of times.

                Some of you have lived in the same place for a long time.  Perhaps your parents have lived here too and perhaps your kids live nearby.  When you have those family friends who have gotten to know you over a long time, who know your parents and have seen you grow up, they start to see how much you resemble your parents in all sorts of different ways.  “You have your mother’s eyes.”  “You write just like your dad.”  “Your mom was good at math, just like you are.” 

                When people see you after getting to know your parents, there are certain assumptions that are just bound to happen. Your mom and dad have no doubt passed along certain things to you, looks, mannerisms, aptitudes, and so forth. When you do something that resembles your dad or your mom, no one is surprised by it.  It’s just natural that you would.  That’s just how the relationship works.

                For better or for worse though, the relationship works both ways.  As a child, the things you do are generally assumed to be things you’ve picked up from your parents.  Sometimes those are good things.  If you are polite, then that probably means your parents are too.  Sometimes those are bad things.  If you act like a brat, well, where else would you pick that sort of thing up?  Your parents probably don’t teach you to be respectful.  They didn’t show you how to treat other people.  That’s one of the reasons why, if you are parents who care about such things, you are mortified when your kid starts throwing a tantrum in public.  You know, as you watch your kid shrieking like a banshee, that even though you value things like respect and politeness, that everyone will see your child and think otherwise.

                When looking at the various ways God describes the relationship between he and his people, a Father and his children is one of the most frequent.  St. Paul spends quite a bit of time explaining how we have been adopted into his family.  In the New Testament era, this adoption is tied to baptism, the place where his promise comes to you, where he puts his own name on you. 

                When we start looking around at what we do as God’s children, I’m sure the effect is similar.  The snide remarks we make about others, the contempt with which we treat people we don’t like, the petty bickering over things that don’t make any real difference in anyone’s life, the cowardly way we hide to avoid the dangers that stalk the defenseless, the cold refusal to do even little things to help those in need, the callous and selfish ways we treat others through greed, adultery, envy, and jealousy, acting in so many ways as if what we wanted was more important than anything else.

                Like a child at the store, we pitch a fit if we don’t get our way, or we simply do what we want and we have no concern over what it might mean for anyone else.  It all ends up being about me, what I want, how I feel, what I should be allowed to do. It’s so much about me that I’m going to inflict myself on you and try to make you miserable so you’ll give me what I’m after.

                The consequences of our actions rarely come to mind.  I don’t mean what might happen if were to actually get what I want, though that is an issue.  Rather, what does it say about me that I act this way?  What’s more, what does it say about those who are supposed to teach me that this is not how I should act?  Perhaps my parents don’t care.  Perhaps they act the very same way.  Perhaps my parents are abusive and this is how I learn to deal with it.  All in all, none of it speaks well about those who are, at least nominally, in charge of me. 

                What kind of children are we?  Is this how we were raised?  Is this the kind of behavior we were taught is acceptable? Aren’t we supposed to know better? No, this isn’t how God taught us to behave.  This isn’t the kind of thing he considers acceptable.  We do know better.  But, that doesn’t stop us.  Many times we aren’t thinking about how we were taught to behave and, sometimes even when we are, we simply don’t care.  We want what we want and we’ll act terribly to get it. 

                Some Christians act this way because they aren’t really Christian at all.  They go through some of the motions and care little about things like sin, repentance, forgiveness, and grace.  Whatever their motives for being associated with the church might be, they aren’t truly a part of the faith.  Sure, their actions reflect badly on the rest of the church, but they are a different problem and our Heavenly Father will sort them out. 

                Here I’m talking about those who profess to be faithful Christian, brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus.  Whether here as we gather for church or whether out in the world, at some point the greed, the cowardice, the jealousy and all of the rest will come spilling out for the world to see.  It isn’t how we’ve been taught to act, but we let it loose anywhere. How others might see what we’re doing, what they might think about us or about God, that’s not important.  The only thing that matters is getting our way. Anyone who sees our bad behavior now has an impression of just what sort of people we are.  We’re people who tear each other down, who think others around us are less important, and we make a point of demonstrating exactly what we think. 

                When we talk about repentance, there must also be a discussion of reconciliation.  If I have harmed you in some way, then there is a division between us because of that hurt. That injury doesn’t simply go away over time, though its sting may lessen.  In order for the division to truly be healed, I need to seek your forgiveness.  Only that will finally seal the breach. 

Oddly though, when we talk about the damage done to others through our actions, we rarely talk about the damage done to God.  It’s not as though we can actually hurt God, but we most certainly can tarnish his name and reputation.  We can make him look like he’s no better than any of the other gods, no better than any other ideology, or plan for better living.  In short, we make him look like he’s no God at all. 

We ask for forgiveness for those we have harmed.  Most of the time that involves some other person here in the world with us.  But every time, it involves God.  He who has taught us, provided for us, and cared for us, is always the one we disregard as we go about our selfish ways.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”  …that we should be called children of God.  The love of a parent for a child.  Even in the midst of our tantrums, there may be hurt, there may be disappointment, but the love never wavers.  He may not approve of our behavior.  He may be grieved at the hurt we inflict on others and on ourselves, but he never casts us out as a result.  When we ask for forgiveness, he always grants it.  When we ask to come home, his door is always open. 

The relationship works both ways.  What kind of Father would turn his back on a child who earnestly sought his help? What kind of Father would close the door on a child he claims to love more than life itself?  This is not who he is.  This is not what he promised.  Full and free forgiveness, always.

Our Father knows what his name means.  That’s why he guards it so jealously.  It is only with him that salvation can be found.  It is only under his protection that the devastation will pass by.  He is Almighty God who brings wrath and judgment to all who seek their own way and make him out to be an enemy.  He will defend his own from those who would threaten them.  He is also the merciful Father who calls his wayward children home when they realize there is only one shelter from Satan and the ravages of death. 

He has passed his name to you.  He has adopted you through baptism.  It is your assurance that every promise he makes to his children is yours.  That’s why Luther explains that baptism grants you forgiveness, life, and salvation.  This is what you have as a child of God and nothing can take that away from you.  It is your inheritance, your legacy.  For God to go back on his promise would be to make his name meaningless

Even in those times you aren’t thinking about him, you aren’t thinking about how your actions might reflect on him or what others might say about him, he’s always thinking about you.  Never fear to come to him.  Never fear to talk to him.  Never fear to seek him out and ask for his forgiveness.  He gave the life of his own Son to ensure that forgiveness was yours. He will never fail to give it to you.