Fathers Hand

Sermon Script

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and redeemer. Amen.

My Father’s Hands

I spent a lot of time with my dad as I was growing up. I remember wearing a white t-shirt, baseball cap, pliers on my belt, and wolverine boots, just like he did. Of all those years being his shadow, what I marveled about the most… was his hands. He wasn’t a big man, and his fingers were short just like mine… but his hands were strong. I remember stories he told of himself and his dad picking up a blacksmith’s anvil by the cone end with one hand. Powerful, callused and worn, there wasn’t anything those hands could not grip or fix.

But those hands were also gentle enough to lead my mom through dance maneuvers. Soft enough to turn thin pages of his Bible. Working hands that supported, comforted, taught, and loved. Nothing is quite as strong as the gentle strength of a father’s hands.

Our readings speak today about the gentle strength of our loving fathers’ hands… 

Let’s start with a quick look at the Old Testament lesson in Deuteronomy. Moses tells how God brought His people out of the grasp of Egypt with a mighty hand. These Israelites were not special, large in number on a worldly scale, or great. But they were the chosen ones by God through the promise made to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God used his gentle strong hand to protect, guide, teach… and all this because of His great love for them. This reading in chapter 7 tells us starting at verse 6 and then jumping to verse 9, “The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession… who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”

Like the Israelites, we are people God has chosen as His treasured possession. Not that we are special in any way, but because God loves us like a father. A Father that uses a strong hand, as well as a gentle, soft, loving hand.

Jesus’ Hand 

Not only is this Old Testament reading a great Segway into the Gospel lesson for today, but it also speaks much about the entire book of Matthew. The last few weeks and several more to come, we will learn from Matthew what was done by the loving hands of Jesus. 

He laid his hands on feverish heads and on twisted crippled hurting legs. He mixed mud with his hands so the blind could see. Peter was lifted from the raging sea with the loving hand of Jesus. He handed a small girl back to her parents who He raised back to life. He touches the bread that feeds the 5000. He even knew when to draw a line in the sand. If that wasn’t enough, he even got on his knees and used those hands to wash the disciples’ feet. All these things were done with the loving hands of Jesus. 

Through parables, Jesus tells us things a loving father would say. Plant good seeds, watch out for the weeds, produce good fruit, and many more eternal lessons including the ones we heard today. All this Jesus reveals to us and to a thousand generations to come… the secrets to the kingdom of heaven.

Great Treasures 

In the Gospel reading today, we learn secrets of great value. In Matthew 13 starting at verse 44 Jesus gives us two short parables, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” In these parables, we are reminded of what, or who, is truly priceless, and how.

Do you remember the “priceless” Mastercard commercials of the late 90’s? That slogan was a hit as they presented various, often humorous commercials. They would list off the price of several things, like… gas for the car, $40… airline tickets, $400… a tropical drink $10… Spending a week in the Bahamas with the family, priceless. For the most part, these adds were quite catchy as it made you think about what was truly worth treasuring in life. 

So, what are the treasures? Jesus tells us in this first parable about a hidden treasure in the field. Is it something like Pirate Pete’s treasure? An old artifact? The jewel of the Nile? It doesn’t matter, this is a parable.

The point being, is that it was so valuable that he sold everything he had… everything… and bought the field that contained the treasure.

Likewise, there is a merchant looking for pearls. He knows value when he sees it. The right shape, color, and size. Maybe it was like a diamond in the rough. At any rate, he knew its value and sold all that he had to get his hands on that jewel.

Now Jesus doesn’t explain these parables like he did with the parable of the Sower and the parable of the weeds. Therefore, one way to look at this is we can surmise that the kingdom of God is priceless… And it is… Being baptized, priceless… Having faith in Him, priceless… receiving the sacrament, and hearing His Word… priceless. Redemption in the saving grace of our Lord and Savior is our greatest treasure. That is most certainly true.

Am I Taking My Treasure For Granted?

But think about this for a moment. If God’s kingdom is worth more than anything we have… all our possessions… our time, our family, everything…. Why don’t we act like it is?

I’m sure we all will agree, the kingdom of God is worth more than anything we have, but in our sinfulness these questions arise; Do I pray enough? Am I giving willingly of my time and money? Do I really love my neighbor as myself? I would venture to say the answer to these questions are “NO.” A harder question to answer becomes, “Am I taking this treasure for granted?” 

Does our sin ultimately disqualify us for this treasure? Does our unwillingness to give up everything we have make us ineligible as we stand before the strong hand of judgement? NO.

But where are we spending or time? … In today’s hustle and bustle world, it is easy to put God in a box. Sure, we might pray, do a Bible study, go to church, and give Him thanks at mealtimes. We pull God out of the box for a few minutes at a time, maybe an hour on Sunday’s, and then put Him back. Jesus wants us to give everything we have. The rest of our day, the week…

Do you think Jesus wants my jeep my fishing pole or many other things I keep in other boxes? How many boxes do we open besides the one God is in? Jesus wants everything. All we have… Even our pain.

We can do that by letting Jesus be a part of everything we do. At the lake, at work, the ball game, or picnic. And we can do that with joy. When you fully give Jesus your life, your heart, your kingdom in which you live, then you will have found that treasure by reigning with Him in His kingdom.

I Am God’s Treasure

With that in mind, let’s look at a second interpretation of these parables. Instead of the treasure hunter being YOU and I, think of him as God. Instead of you being the merchant, think of God going through the marketplace. Now the story is filled with greater joy. Now the treasure hidden in the field is YOU and ME. Is the pearl of great price the sinner who becomes the child of God? 

And what does God “sell” to make His purchase? I think you already know. He sent His one and only Son to dwell as a human on earth. Not only to teach us these things, but to suffer and die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His greatest treasure… to make us His treasured possession. 

Jesus was delivered into the strong hands of men. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted as He paid the price to make us His own. Martin Luther put it this way in the Small Catechism; “He has purchased and won me from all sin death and the power of the devil, not with silver or gold, but with his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death… that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness.” 

Jesus’ own hands carried the cross, His loving innocent hands were nailed to the tree. Now His hands hold us in the comfort of our faith. Even though we might feel buried under the challenges and dangers presented by our own sinful flesh, the hostile world, and the evil one… but we must not fear as there is no doubt that we belong to Jesus.

We have been bought. Christ has purchased us at the price of everything that He had. In the breathtaking reckoning of grace, we are as a treasure to him. Secure in that confidence, we can continue to follow Him.

Putting My Trust In My Fathers Hand

So, what are you worth to God? Everything. And to Him we must give everything… Jesus gives us one more parable to explain what happens to those who do not give anything.

The parable of the net, verse 47, “The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.” A lesson of consequences. 

That same gentle caring hand, our Fathers hand, as you know is also strong. To sort out those who will never open the box with God in it. This parable somewhat parallels the lesson from last week about the weeds. I can relate to weeds and wheat. On the other hand, I don’t know anything about fish. 

However, I am told that some are good, and some are not. What Jesus is telling us here is that as the net is drawn, it gathers the carp with the bass. You anglers out there would know the difference.

The point being, we all will be gathered when Jesus comes again. It will be the hand of Jesus that sorts the good fish for eternal life and throws the bad ones into eternal fire. I ask once again…. What is the cost of our treasured possessions?   

Vacation in the Bahamas, a lot… New pickup, a lot more… Eternal life, Priceless.

The promise of this priceless gift was given to us by the hands of our Savior, Jesus Christ. From the cross as recorded in the 23^rd chapter of Luke, “He cried out with a loud voice; Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” … After He rose on the third day, the scars on His hands showed the world that He died and rose again for all people. The evidence that we are His treasured possession are revealed by these scared loving hands. This is where we can shout “Yes” when asked if we understand these things.

Through God’s Word we are told by Moses the treasures of God’s love for us from the beginning of time is genuine. His love for us is very clear through the gentle strength of our Fathers hands.

That my friends is worth everything we have as we are His treasured possession. As we place our trust in our Fathers hand, we will willingly commit our hands to His service. Raise our hands in praise and worship. Reach for His hand in time of need. And when our time comes, we will be able to shout with joy, “Father, I am in your hands… I am yours.”

And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Amen