Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Lancaster PA
Pastor Seifferlein preaches a powerful sermon on Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is dedicated to the remembrance of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper. It is set off from the rest of Holy Week and Lent in that it is a day of festive joy; a time to rejoice over the gift God has given us in Holy Communion.
“What do a pregnant lady, a thief, a drunk, a soldier, and a carpenter all have in common? It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. We will get to the explanation in a moment, but first this.
As a child I read Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It tells the story of a young boy named Christian who endeavors to leave the City of Destruction to make his way to the Celestial City. The people he meets have curious names, and many are attempting to turn him from his goal. The place names he passes in his journey include the Slough of Despond, Hill Difficulty, House Beautiful, the Valley of Humiliation, Vanity Fair, and By-Path Meadow. I could see in myself both the propensity to be taken by these things, yet also the desire to make it to the destination. Some say I was a strange child. (If you said it, you wouldn’t be the first.)
Paul had just spoken to the Thessalonians about the Celestial City. We will get to that section on Easter Sunday, yet so excited about the immanent possibility of that day arriving, some of the Thessalonians were quitting their jobs. If Jesus is going to come back tomorrow, why work today? Even the disciples when Jesus had ascended into heaven had to be reminded by the angels that there were more battles left to fight. The question, “Why do you stand staring into heaven?” is a question that must be asked of us all. Paul uses a series of images, as if to say, “Don’t worry about how long until that day, worry about how you are doing right now.” And that is where the pregnant lady, the thief, the drunk, the soldier, and the carpenter all come in.
I’m not sure who of those you’d like to meet first, but Paul begins with the thief. The word in the Greek for thief is KLEPTEYS. You can hear that it is where we get the word kleptomaniac. And what do we know about thieves? They do not announce their arrival. They do not set up an appointment. They break in. They leave a path of destruction, and they kill if threatened. But also remember, treasures in the proper places cannot be stolen by them. Where is your treasure, and are you ready? Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
The sermon continues…
The bulletin can be found here.
The sermon text can be found here.
Our audio recording of this sermon can be listened to:
