The Local Christendom Podcast with Aaron Ventura

Distinction & AdornmentSunday, September 13th, 2026Sixteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WAGenesis 1:1–19
Prayer
O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens. As we hear Your word preached now, we ask that You would teach us in the secret place of the heart, please pierce, divide, discern our spirit and our soul, so that we may be adorned with the beautiful light of Jesus. We ask for Your Holy Spirit now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Well this is our third sermon in our series entitled The Builder of All Things is God. And thus far we have established that Jesus Christ is the Creator and the Redeemer of the world. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, and it is His handiwork that is manifest in Creation and Redemption.
Jesus is the focal point, the center and consummation of human history, and as Paul says in Colossians 1:16-19, For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
So the glory of Jesus, as He reveals to us the Triune God, is what all creation and redemption is ordered towards. And yet as marvelous as these twin works of creation and redemption are, what is more marvelous still, is that Jesus invites us to participate with Him in His work.
Jesus calls to himself disciples, so that they can be taught, catechized, trained up, and sent out to gather in a harvest of souls for the Master’s use.
Jesus says to his disciples in Matthew 9:37-38, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
So if Christ Covenant Church is the Master’s House, God’s Holy Sanctuary, then what is the field we are to labor in? It is Centralia, Chehalis, Olympia, Lewis and Thurston County, or wherever it is that you may find yourself.
The whole world is God’s field, today is the day of salvation, and it is our privilege to go out and gather in sheaves for our master to sort through.
It says in Psalm 24, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.And so now is the time for people to repent and to believe, because it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
So this is the work we are called to as God’s instruments, as God’s people, as God’s witnesses. We are to testify to the perfect life of Jesus, his atoning death, and justifying resurrection. We speak outwardly and God works inwardly. We point to the cross and empty tomb, and God makes effectual in people’s hearts the reality of those events.
This is the most exciting vocation (the heavenly calling) that all the saints are called to. You are to bear witness to Jesus through living a holy life, and by demonstrating a faith that works by love. This is how God builds up, multiplies, and beautifies the church. We are His House.
Now last Sunday we began to survey this Creation account in Genesis 1. And remember that whenever you read or hear these opening chapters of Scripture,you are receiving directly from God what He wants you to know about your origin, your heritage, and your place in the world.
The Bible is the memory that God wants you to have. Of all the possible stories, images, and memories you may retain, Scripture is the inspired memory, the inspired history, that God wants you to store up and treasure to meditate upon.
This is in part because your mind and your memory needs to be purified. Your mind must be purged, cleansed, and made holy for God to dwell there.
Paul says in Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
So when God’s Word, God’s Story, becomes your memory and meditation, your soul will start to reflect more and more the image of the Trinity in whose likeness you were made.
We are told in Genesis 1:27, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And last week we said that sin shattered that image, but Christ is now picking up the pieces, Jesus is remaking us, reforging us, into something beautiful, as stained-glass windows of the saints and their heroic deeds which shine in God’s Holy Sanctuary.
You are a living and breathing icon of the Trinity, though we are all very much still works in progress. But what will forward and accelerate that progress, is you learning how to become an imitator of God as His dearly beloved son or daughter. That is what we are doing in this series as we look at how God builds things.
Recall the main principle we are drawing upon: In the Bible, buildings represent people, and people are God’s special building.
So if you are called to imitate, and reflect, and cooperate with God in how He builds up the church, there is much we can learn here from the very first work of the Divine Artist, and that is what Genesis 1 and 2 presents for us.
Outline of the Sermon
So this morning I want to highlight just three of the patterns that are embedded here in Genesis 1, and then explore in depth this week and next, one pattern in particular, which is that of God Dividing and Adorning His Creation.
What are some of the patterns you will find in Genesis 1:1-2:3?
1. First there is The Seven-Day Pattern of work and rest. God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. And that reality becomes the basis for what we now call the week.
We observe from this seven-day pattern that God is the Lord of time, the Lord of the calendar, the Lord of numbers, the Lord of mathematics, God’s work is orderly, numerical, and He likes to count things. All this we find in Genesis 1.
God especially likes this pattern of six days of work, followed by 1 day of rest. He also builds into each day a rhythm of light and darkness, and this helps define the boundaries of when most people can work (assuming they don’t have artificial light), and when most people should sleep.
Jesus says in John 9:4-5 after he works a miracle of healing a blind man on the sabbath, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
So Jesus picks up on this rhythm of work and rest, light and darkness, day and night, and he uses it teach us about who He is (the light of the world), and what He has come to do for blind sinners (namely, heal them from the effects of sin and death).
Another observation we could make about this seven-day pattern, is that whereas modern people usually talk about trying to find the right “work/life balance.” The Bible teaches a work/rest balance.
According to Genesis 1-2, work is good, God works, and man was created to work six days and rest on the seventh. And that is the ideal work/rest balance.
So work is not opposed to life, or at least should not be. Work is what we live to do on six days, and then we rest from that work on the seventh day.
In Exodus 20, when God gives the Ten Commandments, He grounds the logic of the 4th commandment, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy, in this seven-day pattern of Creation.
He says in Exodus 20:11, For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
So part of your work of imitating God, is to observe this pattern of six days of good, honest, beautiful labor, followed by 1 day of rest for corporate worship.
If we studied this topic in greater depth as Scripture develops, we would also see that all our work is to be ordered towards offering it up to God on the seventh day.
We see this reflected in the Mosaic law with regular tithes, offerings, and sacrifices on the sabbath day. It is also punctuated at various worship festivals (First fruits in Spring, Pentecost at the end of spring, Feast of Booths in Autumn).
The entire Hebrew calendar was structured around offering worship to God, according to His provision of food from the earth at certain harvest times, and also God’s works of redemption as at Passover, and the Feast of Purim.
So the point of work, is not merely to feed our mouths and clothe our bodies, and keep a roof over our heads, it is ultimately for the joy of contemplating God’s goodness, working with what He has given us, so that we can offer it back to Him more beautiful and glorified than before.
Moreover, the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath, is a miniature judgment day. It is practice for the day of final judgment. Every Sunday, we come into worship, and God examines our works from the last week, and He either approves of them, or disapproves of them. He either accepts them or rejects them, depending on the heart and spirit from which our works were done.
Recall what Hebrews 11 says about the difference between Cain’s offering and Abel’s offering. Both men offered a sacrifice to God from the works of their hands, and it says in Hebrews 11:4, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
So every Lord’s Day is a judgment day for the Christian. And you are to examine the works of your hands lest you offer to God strange fire, or a vain sacrifice, or come under the condemnation of Matthew 15:8 where Jesus says, These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Just as God judged His own work of Creation, calling it good, and then very good, so also God shall judge you. For as it says in Ecclesiastes 12:14, For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
And this leads us to a second pattern we find in Genesis 1, and that is this pattern of God…
2. Creating, Judging, and then Naming what he made. God creates something by the Word of His power, he then looks at it and renders some judgment, and then he names it.
For example, consider the work of the first day in Genesis 1:3-5, And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [Creation] And God saw the light, that it was good, [Judgment] and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night [Naming]. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Over and over again, God creates, judges, and then names what he made. And in Genesis 2 we see that this pattern is given for Adam to do as God’s image and representative.
It says in Genesis 2:18-20, And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
So the order of Creation is that God names Adam (Gen. 5:2), and then Adam names the animals. And this is part of what it means it be made in the image of God. We are meant to make things, judge them, and name them.
Whereas only God can create out of nothing, mankind can still make new things from the pre-existing materials God has given us. And indeed, God wants us to do this. He wants humanity to go out and cultivate the whole world, to overcome the thorns and the thistles, and to turn creation into a Garden City.
This is the fundamental task of Genesis 1:28, which sin has only made more difficult. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
We learn much more about this task in Genesis 2.
So God created trees so that we could build furniture. God created iron, bronze, silver, and gold in the mountains, so we could build tools, and then with those tools make jewelry, musical instruments, airplanes and computers.
We mix things together, put them in fire, and re-arrange what God created, and then we look at what we have made, judge it, and name it.
We are doing this all the time as image bearers of God, even unconsciously so.
For example, a woman goes to her garden, she picks some tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and some herbs. She separates them with a knife on her cutting board, she mixes them together, adds some salt, and then tastes to see whether what she has made is good, or bad, mild or spicy. And if what she makes is very good, she might write down that recipe and name it, “Mama’s Best Garden Salsa.”
You were made in God’s image to cultivate, steward, beautify and exercise dominion over some small sphere of creation. And when done for the glory of God, when done from a thankful heart, God delights in, accepts, and blesses your work.
And so as Christians we want to become more conscious and aware of bringing our ways into greater conformity to God’s ways. That’s what Scripture helps us do. It gives us all these Divine Patterns to imitate. It tells us what God likes and dislikes. We look out at Creation and see that God paints with a wide pallet of colors. He likes blue, He likes green, He likes dotting the fields with wildflowers.
God is neither a minimalist, nor a hoarder. He likes symmetry, harmony, and a unified diversity. He wants everything we make and do to have an intelligible order behind it. If God has so finely tuned the universe, with its seasons, and rhythms, and all for His glory, then we have work to do conform to that order.
Scripture tells us that because of sin, our tastes and judgments, our likes and dislikes, are often out of step with what God says is good.
And so we want to be growing as a church in our knowledge of what pleases God, so that we can love what God loves and hate what God hates.
Moreover, because God created the world and everything in it, that meansthere is a real and objective standard to beauty, goodness, order, proportion, and all the rest. And so are we learning to notice and see God’s artistry and wisdom, and reflect that in our own little sphere?
3. Now the third pattern I want to highlight, and which we will explore in greater detail next week, is God’s work of Dividing and Adorning His Creation.
Of dividing we see that on Days 1-4, God makes a separation, a distinction between two things.
On Day 1, God divides/separates light from darkness.
On Day 2, God divides/separates, the waters below from the waters above. He sets a firmament in between them called Heaven.
On Day 3, God gathers up the waters below so that dry land can appear, and He thereby distinguishesthe Seas from the Land. And then He adorns that land by clothing it with grass, vegetation and fruit trees.
On Day 4, God starts to adorn the firmament with chandeliers of light, and he does this by placing the Sun, Moon, and Stars in the heaven.
It says in Genesis 1:14, And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
And so now God is using these ornaments of light to divide time into days, seasons, and years.
We should also note here that if Sun, Moon, and Stars  were not created until Day 4, then some other light was shining on Days 1-3 to divide the light from the darkness, and to distinguish day from night.
What was that light? John 1 tells us it was Jesus, according to His divinity. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not… He was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:1-5, 9).
So the Sun is not the ultimate source of light for the earth, Jesus is. And we are told in Revelation 21-22, that in the New Heavens and New Earth there is no need for the light of the sun anymore because Jesus lives there.
It says in Revelation 21:23-25, And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And in Revelation 22:3-5 it says, And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Conclusion
The work of Creation in Genesis 1 is what Jesus transforms and glorifies by His death and resurrection. In between Genesis 1 and Revelation 22, is our Fall into sin, our descent into darkness, and the story of how God takes evil and works it for good. This is the gospel story. This is the greatest of all Divine Patterns. That the Creator God would come down to us, that He suffered and died in our humanity, and that because of His voluntary humiliation, He was raised up to glory above the heavens.
Jesus did this all of this to raise you from the dead, to raise you up to glory, to separate you from all that is evil and dark, and to adorn you with light as a garment. For as it says Ephesians 2:6-7, He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
And so may God seal up this word in your heart, together with His kindness, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Divine ArchitectSunday, September 6th, 2026Fifteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WAGenesis 1:1–2:3
Prayer
O Father, we thank You for the gift of life, the gift of creation, we thank You for the traces and reflections of Your beauty, wisdom, and goodness, that surrounds us every day. We praise You most of all for the gift of spiritual life, of regeneration by grace, and we ask that You would make us to praise You now more fervently, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love one another, even as we have been loved by You. We ask for Your Holy Spirit now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Last week we began a new series entitled The Builder of All Things is God. And we considered from Hebrews 3:1-6, how Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession of faith, and He is also the Twofold Creator of the people of God. Jesus is the Creator of all that is, and He is also the special Creator, the Author and Founder of the church, the saints, his mystical body, the holy brethren who are partakers of the heavenly calling.
It says in Hebrew 3:6, But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
And so as we prepare ourselves to move from our current location here on Seward Avenue, to a much larger building in Chehalis, RE Bennett, it is not enough for us to just get the building repaired, renovated, and eventually beautified, it is infinitely more important that our souls are improved in the process, that our hearts are enlarged with thanksgiving and charity, and that we are dwelling in unity and peace together.
It would be a great shame for us to inherit so large and glorious a space as REB, with its 42,000 square feet of rooms to get lost in, but to be a cranky, complaining, stingy-hearted people as a result.
It took the nation of Israel about five minutes in the promised land to forget that God brought them there out of slavery in Egypt. And it would be just as easy for us to forget, that just five years ago, we were a little church plant, meeting in the Ford’s Prairie Grange, with about 60 people. And now we are three time that. Look at what God has done to us and for us in His mercy.
It would be both easy and shameful for us to so soon forget the grace of God that brought us here. How He provided $600,000 for us to buy this Seward Avenue property from Calvary Chapel, and how gracious they were to carry the note for us. It would be easy to forget all the labors of our deacons and volunteers, and the many thankless jobs they did and still do to make Sundays happen. Not to mention all the work that went into starting Christ the King Academy.
Mary Doelman wrote a book about how the school started, and do you know what the opening lines of that book are?
“To God be the Glory! Great things He Has Done! Let us never take credit for what God has done. He is made strong in our weakness and whatever we humbly have to offer, He can use for His purposes.”
And so I exhort you people of God, do not forget the grace that brought you here. Do not forget to honor those fathers and mothers whose labors of love we now presently enjoy the fruits of. And consider now your own duty, the duty of piety, to pass on to the next generation something even better than what we have received.
Consider it your duty as Paul says in Romans 13:8, to Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. And therefore, from love and a generous heart, to freely give what you have freely received. This is the banner of love, of thanksgiving that must fly over all our works in this season and in every season. And so resolve in yourself to become this living and loving sacrifice unto God. For then we will not squander His lavish blessings.
So that is an exhortation for all of us to keep in mind.
Now the principle that undergirds this whole sermon series is this: In the Bible, buildings represent people (both individually and corporately), and the church is God’s special building.
Buildings represent people, and the people of God are God’s special building. This the principle and theme that we will return to again and again in this series, and it is one of the most important themes to understand Holy Scripture, because it ties Genesis and Revelation together.
History begins in a Garden and it ends in a Garden City. History begins with a marriage and a home for Adam and Eve in communion with God, and history ends with a marriage and a home for Christ and His Church. History begins with Mankind being given dominion over the earth, and history ends with Christ exercising dominion over heaven and earth and all that is therein, together with His saints.
And so everything in between Genesis and Revelation, is just unfolding this theme of Creation, Fall, and Redemption unto Glory.
What is the ultimate message of the Bible? It is about God’s desire to dwell with humanity in the most intimate and spiritual union. This is the logic of the Incarnation of the Son of God, and it is what all creation is ordered towards.
As it says in Romans 11:36, For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
So what is Creation? For starters, it is the beautiful stage upon which the glory of Jesus is revealed. Creation is the first work of the Divine Artist, the Triune God, and it teaches us many things about our God, ourselves, and our relationship to one another.
And so this morning as we begin to survey Genesis 1-2, I want to highlight just three truths about Creation, and all of them relate to the question: How Does God Build Things? If the world is God’s handiwork, His painting, His building, what can we learn about the Divine architect and His artistry?
Here are the three truths we will consider this morning (and we’ll have more to cover next week):
1. Creation is a work of the Trinity.
2. Creation is a gift.
3. Creation is from nothing.
Creation is a work of the Triune God, it is a gift, and it is from nothing.
So starting in verses 1-2, let us consider Creation as a work of the Trinity.
Verses 1-2 – Truth #1: Creation is a work of the Trinity
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
We heard earlier in the service from Proverbs 8, and Colossians 1, that Christ is the wisdom of God, through which all things were made. And when we put all the passages of Scripture together that speak of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are forced to conclude that all three persons are the One God, and because they share the same Divine Nature, therefore they are inseparable in their work.
Jesus will say in John 5:17, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” And then John tells us in verse 18, Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
And then in verses 19-21 it says, Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
And so this is just one of many instances where the Father and the Son are said to work in tandem, and we find the same to be said of the Holy Spirit.
For example, in Job 33:4 it says, The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
And in Psalm 104:30 it says, Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: And thou renewest the face of the earth.
And so in the Nicene Creed we confess this truth, I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And then we confess that Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God…by whom all things were made…And then we say that the Holy Spirit is, the Lord, and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
So all three persons of the Trinity are involved in creating the world, and therefore all creation bears the traces of the Trinity, even as a man leaves his footprint in the sand. The footprint tells you that a man was there, but it does not tell you who that man is, or what his name is, so also with the God.
It is not until Christ, that the mystery of the Trinity is made explicit for all to believe. However, we do find this reality implicitly contained in the words of Genesis 1, verse 26. It says there, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
So while all creation is a work of the Triune God and bears the traces of the Trinity, mankind is a very unique and special work, in that he is made in the image and likeness of the Trinity.
What is this image and likeness of the Triune God within us? It is what separates us from all the plants and the animals, the fish and the birds, namely that mankind alone has a body united to a spiritual soul.
You are an immortal being. You are going to live forever, either in communion with the Triune God, or out of fellowship with the One who created you.
As beautiful and glorious as the unfallen creation was, the sun, moon, and stars, the mountains, and oceans and rivers and trees (a world without weeds).None of it compares with the beauty of the human person, when they are in fellowship with God. However, at the same time, nothing is more ugly and devilish, than a human person who has rejected God, and is at war with Him.  
And so do not neglect what is immortal within you. Your spiritual soul, which is made in the image of the Trinity.
In Genesis 3 that image was shattered by sin. But Jesus Christ has come to remake you, as it says in Colossians 3:10, put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
So you can think of Creation as God fashioning each person to be a unique beautiful stained-glass window within His sanctuary (created to reflect His glory in a particular way). The fall shattered us, but Christ comes and picks up the pieces, places us in the fire, and forges us back together. And then one day, on the day of final judgment, the pure light of God shall radiate in our souls and overflow into our resurrected body. This life is the forge, the furnace of affliction, to make us worthy of God after our fall into sin.
Beloved you were made in the image of the Triune Creator. You were made for fellowship with God and all the saints in light. Are you living right now like that is true?
The second truth we must consider is that Creation is a gift.
Truth #2: Creation is a Gift
The Apostle Paul says to the idolatrous Athenians in Acts 17:24-25, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.
This truth of Creation as gift, means that every creature is born with an infinite debt of gratitude to the God who gave them their existence.
In order to understand just how gratuitous, gracious, the gift of creation is, we need to do a little theology to remember who God is in His very nature.
Do you remember the name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush? Moses asks God, “what shall I say to Israel when they ask me, who sent you?”
We read in Exodus 3:14, And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Isn’t this is a strange name. I AM. Some other translations go with, HE WHO IS, or I AM WHO I AM.
In the book of Revelation this special name of God is expounded upon when Jesus says, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
And in Revelation 4:8, the four beasts with six wings are found praising God day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
This is the inspired praise of the One who calls Himself, I AM THAT I AM.
Now this special name of God,I AM is a reference to God’s timeless eternity, and His fullness of being. In theology we consider this name, HE WHO IS, or I AM THAT I AM, the most proper and unique name of God that is ever given in Scripture.
And what is contained within this name is the fact that God is very fullness of being. Meaning God does not need you. God is altogether perfect, unchangeable, happy in Himself. God is all sufficient, independent, without lack, without body, parts, or passions, God is a perfect unity of pure actuality. So however great and perfect your conception of God may be, God infinitely surpasses it. This is who God is, the great I AM.
Just as a worm cannot comprehend the love and joy of human marriage, so also mankind cannot comprehend the perfect being that God is in Himself.
And so when you consider who God is, and that He has zero need for anyone or anything, we are forced to conclude that the reason God created the world, was not because He was bored or lonely, but simply because He is so Good, He wanted to express and share that Goodness with His creation.
Creation is pure gift. And that means that very fact of your existence, is a result of God’s love, wisdom, and abundant goodness.
Moreover, God tells us in His Word, why He created us.
It says in Proverbs 16:4, The Lord hath made all things for himself.
And in Isaiahs 43:7 He says, Bring my sons from far, And my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: For I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
So your existence is a gift of God, for which you ought always to give Him thanks? You could have not been, but I AM chose to make you for His glory and good pleasure, and to share that good pleasure with you.
This brings us to our third and final truth that we will consider this morning, and that is…
Truth #3: Creation is from nothing.
It says in Hebrews 11:3, By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
So unlike all the other creation myths, where the world is formed from cosmic violence, or chaos, or from some battle between rival gods, the biblical account of Creation is unique, in that One God created from nothing all that is, and everything that He created He called good.
Whereas you and I cannot make anything unless we have some materials to work with. God gives existence to matter and form, to what is physical and tangible, and to what is spiritual and intellectual. God created what is visible and invisible, all of it came from the voice of I AM.
This is what creation is: the eternal God speaking into existence that which did not exist. And this includes creating time itself.
Our time is not God’s time. God is above time. God’s eternity is without beginning, without end, and without succession or change in between. The classic definition of God’s eternity is, the simultaneously-whole and perfect possession of interminable life
And so from God’s eternity, it pleased Him to create time, motion, change, sun and moon, night and day, and all as gifts for our journey towards communion with Him.
This is the wonder and mystery of creation. The unchangeable and eternal God created the world from nothing, without any change to Himself. As He says in Malachi 3:6, I am the Lord, I change not. Creation is therefore nothing less, than a relation of absolute dependence upon God.
The Apostle Paul reflects on this truth in various places.
He says in Colossians 1:17, of Christ, according to His divine nature,  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And likewise in Hebrews 1:3, it says God is, upholding all things by the word of his power.
So everything that you can see, think, imagine, visible and invisible, from insects to the angelic hosts, if it has existence, it has existence from the God who is existence. Whose name He declares is I AM THAT I AM.
This is how Paul could say to the Athenians in Acts 17:28, For in him we live, and move, and have our being.
And so regardless of whether you are an unbeliever or a believer today, you cannot escape your dependence upon God. You are living in God’s world, as God’s creature, and it is God who is personally giving you your existence right now. And no one can cut the cord of that relationship however hard you may try.
So what should you do instead? You should worship and thank your Creator, and more than that You should askGod to be Your Redeemer and Savior as well.
Conclusion
These three truths about Creation, that it is a work of the Trinity, that it is gratuitous, and that it is from nothing, are also true about how God saves you.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
This is to say that Creation is the pattern for your New Creation in Christ.
Where sin has darkened your mind, God speaks the light of truth.
Where evil has corrupted your heart, the blood of Jesus washes you clean.
Where you are deserving of eternal punishment for your sins, Christ came down from heaven, suffered for your sins, to forgive you and give you eternal life with Him.
For as great and marvelous as Creation is, Salvation far exceeds it.
And so may you come to know Jesus today as your Creator and Redeemer, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Builder of All Things is GodSunday, August 30th, 2026Fourteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WAHebrews 3:1–6
Prayer
O Father for too long we have gone our own way, we have wandered from You like lost sheep. We have done our own will, rather than submitting to Your will. Please forgive all our evil choices, our foolish timing, our impatience and ingratitude with Your Kind and Wise Providence. As we hear Your word preached now, we ask that you would give us ears to hear, and a heart to love You as You deserve to be loved. We ask for Your Holy Spirit now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
This morning we are pressing pause on our series in the Gospel of Luke. And for the next three months or so, I am going to be preaching on the theme of God Building His People. The title of this series is also the title of this morning’s sermon and that is: The Builder of All Things is God.
As most of you know, on Novembers 1st, Lord willing, we will be moving from this building to a new building, or rather a very old building.
On Novembers 1st, we will say goodbye to this wonderful location here on Seward Avenue, and we will relocate to the building presently known as RE Bennett.
And so while there is a ton of good work being done there throughout the week, and even more work still to be done to prepare that building for us and Christ the King Academy, it would be the easiest thing in the world, to become a kind of Martha in this season, when Jesus wants us to be Mary.
What do I mean by that?
Well recall that Martha and Mary are both disciples of Jesus and close friends with him. Jesus famously raised their brother Lazarus from the dead.
And in Luke 10:38-42 we read this, Now it came to pass, as they went, that [Jesus] entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was distracted about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art worried and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Do you know the one thing needful for you? Do you know what is most important in life right now, and in every season? Because according to Jesus, the one thing needful that Mary has chosen, is to sit as Jesus’ feet, and hear His word.
What is the point of having a bigger building? Is it to give us more work and bills to be worried about? Is it just to keep us busy? Or is it so that we can have more room for more people to come in and sit at Jesus feet and hear His Word preached? Isn’t that what the church is for? Worshipping the Triune God, proclaiming the gospel, teaching Divine Truth. This is the one thing that Jesus says is most needful for us, because by it we obtain the salvation of our souls.
What does Jesus say to Peter three times in a row in John 21? If you love Me, feed My sheep.
What does the Apostle Paul say to Timothy in his final letter to him? I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
And so if my whole life as your pastor is to be taken up with this ministry of preaching the Word to you, well then your whole life is to be taken up with hearing, obeying, and applying this Word to your life and duties.
The dishes need to be done. Laundry needs to be folded. Bills need to be paid. But what good is any of that work if it is done from a grumbling heart, or a discontented spirit?
Everything we do is worthless if the grace of God is not animating us.This is the difference between Martha and Mary.
So long before any of us forms an opinion about the color of the carpet in REB, or the paint on the walls, or the missing ceiling tiles, or the holes where the birds have made their nests, we must resolve to be a church that is hungry for God, hoping in His promises, zealous to see ourselves and our neighbors converted to the adoration of Jesus Christ, regardless of where we are.
So how zealous are you for the salvation of your own soul? How much attention are you giving to knowing your own sins and growing in God? Martha was a true disciple; she really did love Jesus. But O how easy it was for her to complain to Jesus about her sister. Martha is busy. And busy-ness is good, but not when it is the busy-ness of an anxious and worried spirit.
Mary is busy too. But she is busy with the contemplation of Divine things. She is busy with trying to obtain at all costs the peace that Christ alone can give. Mary is busy learning and worshipping at Jesus’ footstool.
And Jesus says to Martha, Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
So it is this good part, the good portion, the good gospel and Word of Jesus, that I want to keep before your eyes amidst all the busy-ness and labor ahead. There is much good work to be done. There are many good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). But none of them will actually be good works, if we are not good, if we are not sanctified and walking in love together.
And so here in our text, of Hebrews 3:1-6, we have a fresh opportunity to hear about the greatness of Christ. For here the Apostle Paul extols the supremacy of Christ above Moses. Moses was a great man, even the meekest man on earth in his day. And yet Jesus far surpasses Moses in many ways. And so as we unfold this theme, that The Builder of All Things is God, let us first consider that Builder Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Outline of the Text
Our text divides into two basic sections.
In verses 1-5 we are told Why Jesus is So Great.
And then in verse 6, we are told How We Can Become and Remain a House for Jesus.
Why is Jesus so great? How can we become and remain Jesus’ house.
Verse 1 – Why is Jesus so great?
1Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
First note the audience Paul is addressing. He is writing specifically to Hebrew Christians. These are people who were familiar with the Old Testament law, but who do not yet understand how Jesus fulfills and surpasses all the types and shadows in the law.
And so Paul writes them this 13-chapter meditation on how and why Jesus is greater than everyone else, and especially why His priesthood, His Apostleship, and His person, is better than every priest, king, and prophet in the Old Testament.
And so he opens this chapter by calling them,holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.
This is another way of calling them saints and family members in the kingdom of God.
When Jesus saves a person, He saves them into a new family, a new body, a new community and household of faith. And that is what the church is here on earth.
Once you are baptized, you are now related to every other person that is also in Christ. And it does not matter if you like those people or not. You are now family, Jesus says you must now learn to live at peace with them.
Moreover, this relationship goes both ways. You have to love and tolerate them and their quirks and their sins, and they have to deal with you. And so much of the New Testament is taken up with Jesus teaching us how to live as members of one another.
God does not save individuals to leave them on their own. God saves us into a community of faith.
And so here Paul reminds the Hebrew Christians of their new identity. Who are we? Who is Christ Covenant Church? We are holy brethren, and partakers of the heavenly calling.
And that is a very high calling to live up to. How do we do this?
Well, the next thing Paul tells us to do is consider something, that is think, ponder, observe, contemplate, go on a walk and consider this: consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
This is where all wisdom and godliness finds its source, thinking about Jesus.
Who is Jesus? First, He is the capital A, Apostle, The Messenger of God. Jesus is the Eternal Word in whom all truth is found. Whereas Moses was a human messenger, delivering the law from Sinai, Jesus is the Author of all Scripture according to his divine nature, and then according to his earthly ministry, He is the Apostle of Grace and Forgiveness.
It says in John 1:17-18, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
So Jesus has more than propositional truth to reveal (He has that), but He also has a new law of love to inscribe upon the heart.
Whereas Moses could only teach the law outwardly to stony and rebellious hearts, Jesus has the power to go inside a person, cut out their heart of stone, give them a new heart, and make them want to keep the law. This is the New Covenant of which Ezekiel prophesied.
Jesus is the Apostle who is sent from the Father to indwell the saints by His Spirit. Moses could never do that. No mere human being could ever do that. But Jesus the Divine Apostle has done that for all the saints.
As Paul says in Ephesians 3:17, May God grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.
And in Hebrews 13:5 it says, Let your life be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
This is the Apostolic mission of Jesus, He is sent from the Father to be the very life of our souls.
Second, Jesus is also our High Priest. That is, Jesus is our mediator, our go-between. Jesus represents us before God, and Jesus is God for us.
St. Augustine says of Christ’s high priesthood, “Four things are to be observed in every sacrifice—to whom it is offered, by whom it is offered, what is offered, and for whom it is offered. The same one true Mediator reconciling us to God by the sacrifice of peace, was one with Him to Whom it was offered, united in Himself those for whom He offered it, at the same time offered it Himself, and was Himself that which He offered.”
In other words, Jesus is the God to whom all sacrifice is offered, He is the priest who offers it, He is the offering, and He it offers Himself up for us.
Later in Hebrews Paul will explain some of the benefits of having Jesus as our High Priest. Amongst such benefits is the assurance that no matter how much you have sinned, no matter how much evil you have done, no matter how foolishly you have acted, God is willing to forgive you, if you repent and confess your sins to Him.
It says in Hebrews 4:13-16, And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of Grace and Truth. And so whenever you fall short of the glory of God, whenever you fall short of the high and heavenly calling by which you are called, come to Jesus and come boldly to Jesus, because He already knows your sins. You cannot surprise Him with the contents of your confession. He is in heaven, just waiting for you to confess what He already knows you did. And He wants to forgive you. He wants to give you His mercy and grace to help you in time of need.
Now so often God’s mercy comes to us in the form of painful discipline. But the pain of God’s discipline is infinitely less than the pains of eternal punishment, and that’s why we call it mercy. For indeed it is to save us from eternal punishment that God treats as His sons and makes us to suffer some temporal losses and pains.
It says in Hebrews 12:6-11, For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
So as you consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of your profession, consider also all the good that He is working for you and in you. Not only by the many blessings He gives in hearing and answering your prayers, but also in disciplining you, so that you may share in His holiness.
Now in verses 2-5, we see that Jesus is the one who builds us up as His House. Paul says…
Verses 1b-5 – Jesus is the God Who Builds
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
So here we see that Jesus is the Divine builder of everything that is. If the world is a neighborhood, Jesus is the one who built that neighborhood. And if Jesus is the one who built the world, how much honor and glory does Jesus deserve?
Well Paul goes a step further here and identifies the people of God, the saints, the church, as the particular house in which Moses was a faithful servant, but in which and over which Jesus is Son and Builder.
Jesus is a Son over His own house.
All human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, all human beings have sinned and defaced that image of God in themselves, and so the church is God’s remodel project. The church is God’s special house, who Jesus is rebuilding, renovating, expanding, and recreating by His sanctifying grace. And because of this twofold creation, the church owes to Jesus a two-fold honor.
We honor Jesus as our Creator, and we honor Jesus is our Redeemer/Savior.
Now there is great comfort in knowing that Jesus is the owner and builder of the church. Because what do you take better care of? The rental car, or the car you own? What you do invest your time, energy, and resources in, your neighbor’s house, or your own?
Well, when it comes to the church, Jesus is both owner and inhabitant. He is both landlord, and resident. Jesus lives in the house, in the people He has built, and therefore He is jealous and attentive to take care of it.
We are told in Ephesians 5 that Jesus cares for the church as man cares for his own body.
It says in Ephesians 5:25-30, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
So Christ’s love for the church is manifest in how He seeks your purity, your holiness, your cleansing and glorification.
Where there are blemishes and sins, Jesus wants them removed.
Where there are spots and wrinkles, Jesus wants a white robe of justice and truth.
Where there is the ugliness of pride and perversity, Jesus wants the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
This is what it means to be the House God built, and the House in which the Holy God desires to dwell.
It says in 1 Peter 1:15-16, But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Notice it does not say be holy some of the time, in some of your conduct, when you’re in a good mood. No, be holy in all your conduct. Sunday to Sunday, Sunrise to Sunrise. Live like God in all your living.
So what is your vocation, what is your work, and have you sanctified your labor and your leisure to the Lord?
If your work is lawful, then it can become holy. Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:4-5, For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
So if you are a farmer, God says be a holy farmer. If you are a student, God says be a holy student. If you are a mother a homemaker, God says be a holy homemaker. Whatever your trade, whatever you stage in life, if you are a Christian, you are the one who has the Holy God within you, and by offering all your conduct in thanksgiving to God, that work becomes holy work. The perpetual refrain of a holy soul is thanks be to God.
Finally, in verse 6, Paul exhorts to us persevere in the faith. Life is hard, life is painful, and so perseverance is most necessary for you to remain as God’s House, to remain within the Church. He says…
Verse 6 – How do we become and remain a house for Jesus?
6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Notice that the church here is called a house, and not a tent. Tents are temporary dwelling places, they might be fun for a weekend, but a house is meant to be a permanent living space.
Well, when Christ founded the church upon His own sacrificial blood, He made us into His spiritual house. And that means, He wants to live permanently inside of us, and therefore we need to be permanent in our faith.
And so against the many fears and sorrows of this life, we must hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
This means trusting less and less in yourself, and more and more in the power of God. This means hoping less and less for mere temporal goods, and more and more for eternal goods. This means self-denial, mortification, taking up the cross and doing what is honorable even when it hurts.
We are God’s House, but we are not the foundation of the House, thanks be to God. We would have cracked and broken a long time ago. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the foundation upon which all our faith and hope and rejoicing rests. Jesus rose triumphant over the grace, and He is the living stone upon which we as living stones are built.
Conclusion
It says in 1 Peter 2:4-5, Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
And so I charge you Christ Covenant Church, consider Jesus. When you are shaken, He is firm. When you are uncertain, He is confident. When you are fearful, He is joyful. For He is the one who has suffered everything for the sake of love. Jesus is the one who died to the world to save the world. Jesus knows what death tastes like, and he swallowed it up by His glorious resurrection. Jesus knows you and loves you, and calls you to trust Him, because the builder of all things is God.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Love & ForgivenessSunday, August 23rd, 2026Thirteenth Sunday After PentecostChrist Covenant Church – Centralia, WALuke 7:36–50
Prayer
O Father, we thank You for the gift of faith that works by love. We ask that you would teach us to adore Your Son more fervently, with all the affection, sacrifice, and honor that is due to Him. For we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He has authority to forgive our sins, and that upon the cross He died to cancel our debts, and reconcile us to You and to one another. Make this work of reconciliation more abundant in our midst, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Last week we heard how Jesus divided the crowds by extolling the greatness of John the Baptist. It says in Luke 3:3 that John came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in Luke 7:29-30 it says, And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
So there is a growing divide in Israel between these two classes of people: 1) there are sinners who justify God, and 2) there are sinners who justify themselves. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but not all are convinced of this. All are sinners, but not all agree with Jesus about the extent and degree to which they have sinned.
And so here in our text, Luke narrates a story that further illustrates this great difference among sinners. For here we have a woman, whose reputation is such that she is simply called a sinner, and then we have Simon the Pharisee. And the question that hangs over this whole narrative is: Which kind of sinner are you? What kind of debtor are you in relation to God? How great is your debt to Divine Justice, and do you have sufficient funds to pay God back?
This is what Jesus wants you to consider this morning, and so let us pay heed to His Word.
Outline of the Text
Our text divides into two basic sections.
In verses 36-39, we have a contrast between Love and Contempt, The Woman and the Pharisee.
And then in verses 40-50, Jesus gives The Parable of Two Debtors, and he does this to explain the spiritual status of each of these two people.
So first a contrast between Love and Contempt, and then an explanation from Christ for why one person loves, and another does not.
Verse 36
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
First recall the context. Jesus has just criticized the Pharisees for criticizing him. He says in the verses immediately prior, verses 33-35, For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.
So lest anyone thinks that Jesus is unwilling to dine with the Pharisees, here he accepts an invitation to do so, and this is the first of three scenes in Luke where Jesus dines with a Pharisee. So Jesus goes to the Pharisee’s house, and he reclines at table to eat.
Now in the ancient world, the line between public life and private life was quite a bit different than how we live today. And we see that here in verses 37-38, where it is known in the city where Jesus is eating. And by the fact that a woman was able to just show up, come in, and then do what she does.
Verses 37-38
37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now however different our social customs might be from the 1st century,this is still an awkward moment for any dinner party. Just imagine if you are the host. You have invited this man Jesus to your house along with other guests, you have all sat down to eat, and then this woman comes in, crying, weeping, so much so that she can wash Jesus’ feet with her tears. That’s a lot of tears.
And then in case you were not uncomfortable already, she lets down her hair, and starts wiping his feet it, and then she starts kissing his feet. She takes her alabaster box of ointment and pours it on his feet.
If you were the host, what would you do? What would you say? What would you think?
Well in verse 39 we are told what Simon the Pharisee thinks.
Verse 39
39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Now it is this internal dialogue, that reveals the condition of Simon’s heart.
Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
So as pure as Simon the Pharisee thinks he is, as a religious man, the thoughts of his heart expose that he is actually defiled with sin, with evil, with pride.
Notice the two judgments Simon makes in his heart, and also notice how both of them are false.
The first judgment is about Jesus. This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Simon presumes to judge Jesus, as if Jesus were less than a prophet, because Simon thinks that Jesus does not know who this woman is. And that’s false assumption number 1. The truth is, Jesus is God. Jesus knows all things. Jesus knows who this woman is. Jesus even knows what Simon is presently thinking.
The second false judgement Simon makes is about the woman. Simon judges her are as a sinner, but as we will see later on, this woman is a forgiven sinner, a former sinner, a sinner whose debt has been canceled, and whose life has been transferred to a state of grace. This woman is actually in the eyes of God no longer a sinner but a saint.
We could also tack on a third false judgment, and that is that Simon assumes Jesus would not touch a sinner. When in reality, this is exactly what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to touch sinners so that his purity could be transferred to them. Jesus came to touch the untouchable, so he could make them lovable. Whereas man only loves what he esteems as good, God’s love is what actually make things good. And Jesus is that good God who has done this for this woman.
So Simon is only judging by outward appearances, or by the rumors he has heard. And all those false assumptions come together and blind him to the truth. Simon cannot see that God-in-the-flesh is sitting at his dining table. The one who created the stars and the galaxies, the forests and the seas, is eating in front of him.
Simon is also blind to the spiritual condition of this woman, and that if he were to see into her heart, and could behold the purity and beauty of Jesus within it, that it would put his own heart to shame.
Or as C.S. Lewis says in the Weight of Glory: “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.”
Simon has judged this woman a horror, when in fact, God has made her into an everlasting splendor.
Of course, all of these false judgments proceed from a false heart. Simon is self-deceived. Simon is dead in his sins. And worst of all, Simon has yet to admit it.
How does Jesus evangelize Simon here? How does he preach the gospel to him? Well, he does this by a parable, a question, and a loving rebuke.
First the parable.
Verses 40-43 – The Parable of Two Debtors
40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly (graciously) forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice that for all of those false judgments hidden in Simon’s heart, Jesus now gives him an opportunity to make a right judgment, and that publicly. Jesus is drawing Simon out. He describes a scenario where there is a creditor and two debtors. And in this parable the creditor represents God, and the debtors represent two sinners.
One debtor owes 500 pence/denarii, which is about 500 days’ worth of wages. Or, about a year and half salary.
And the other debtor owes 50 pence/denarii, so about 50 days’ worth of wages.
And while the difference between the two debts is significant, it hardly matters to the debtors since Jesus says, neither of them can pay. And so the creditor graciously chooses to forgive both the debts.
Both sinners could not pay the Creditor back, both sinners are forgiven, now which one do you think will love the Creditor more?
Simon knows the math, and as a Pharisee he would have known the Old Testament law fairly well, which has plenty to say about debts and slavery, lending and forgiveness. And yet the answer to the question seems so simple, so obvious, it’s as if he wonders that Jesus should even ask him. What is he getting at? With some hesitancy Simon answers, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
So notice the wisdom of Jesus in evangelism. He starts with the knowledge that Simon presently has, and he gives him a story to help him get a little distance from his own self-deceit. And then once Simon affirms a true principle, he acknowledges the proportional relationship between love and forgiveness, then Jesus cuts to the heart. And here he does that with a searching question:
Verse 44a – The Question
44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?
Think about this question. Has Simon seen this woman? In one sense, yes, and in another sense no.
Simon has seen her and judged her a sinner, when in reality what is happening before his eyes, is the parable of the two debtors. Here is a woman who loves much because she has been forgiven much. Does Simon see that?
At present he does not, and this is why Jesus then gives him a loving rebuke.
Verses 44b-47 – The Loving Rebuke
I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
So notice the comparison here. It is between the woman who has been forgiven for many sins, and Simon.
And so when we map them onto the parable, Jesus is saying, this woman is the one who owed 500 pence, and was forgiven, and now look at how much she loves me. But where are you in the parable Simon?
The person who was forgiven 50 pence should still show some amount of love towards the Creditor. But you have shown me no love, no water, no kiss, no oil. Even those common courtesies of hospitality have not been shown to Jesus. And so what does that say about you?
The are really only two answers a person can give to this question:
Either Simon thinks he has no debts to pay to God.
Or, that he has the means to pay those debts off.
In either case, Simon is sorely mistaken both about Divine Justice, and about Divine Mercy.
For as it says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no way for anyone to pay back to God the debt of sin. It is far too much, and we less than nothing to pay with. Forgiveness must be asked for, and it must be received as gift. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:9, [Salvation is] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
And then once that grace of forgiveness has been received, we become a new kind of debtor to God, we now owe Him the happy debt of infinite love, of infinite gratitude, of everlasting praise, and worship. These are all due to God according to His very nature as Goodness, and they are doubly due for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
And so the point of Jesus teaching here is that: where there is no love, there has not been forgiveness. And to the degree to which you know the debt of sin that has been canceled, in that proportion your love for God shall be.
So dear brothers, dear sisters, do you know your debts to God? Have you forgotten all the sins that Jesus died to cancel and forgive? And are you loving God and loving one another in a manner that is commensurate with that great debt you were forgiven?
Jesus says, you love in proportion to the debt forgiven. And so how much love for Jesus do you have?
Finally, Jesus vindicates the woman, and her lavish expression of love. And he does this by giving her the words of absolution, or what we call in our liturgy, the Assurance of Pardon.
Verses 48-50 – Absolution
48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
So to you who are burdened and weighed down with the debt of your sins. Put your faith in Jesus today, ask him to forgive you for everything (sins known and unknown), and to help you see everything that needs forgiving.
It says in 1 John 1:8-9, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today can be the day that Jesus says to you these most precious words, Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
This is the whole purpose for which the Son of God became incarnate. To save us from our sins.
And to you have been forgiven, that is most of you here, Don’t you feel the poverty of your love in comparison with this woman? Are you not ashamed of how little your love for Jesus is, compared with the debt He has remitted?
If so, take this woman’s example with you this week. All of us should blush at how ungrateful, blind, and unloving we have been, given the debt that God has cancelled. And so lest become like Simon the Pharisee, go home and do what this woman does.
Wash your eyes with the tears of repentance, thanksgiving, and devotion.
Wash the feet of Jesus, and kiss them, for they are the beautiful feet of which the Isaiah 52:7 speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
These are the beautiful feet, that were nailed to the cross, so that your debt might be erased. And so do what it says in Psalm 99:5, Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool; For he is holy.
Let down your hair, that is your crown of glory (whatever you most esteem about yourself), and cast it before the King of Kings.
Take what is precious to you, the alabaster box of ointment, the oil of your affections, and pour them out upon Jesus.
At it says in Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him.
And when you have given to Jesus your everything, truly, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then the words of Song of Solomon 4:10 come to pass, where the Bridegroom says to his Bride (the forgiven church), How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
May God grant you to know and experience the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.