Sermon – September 22, 2024
Today we’re going to talk about worms…not the kind you use for fishing. But have you ever had a tune, or a jingle, of a song that worms its way into your head and you can’t get rid of it?
Or maybe it’s a thought that gets stuck in your head. Maybe it’s a concern in your life, a problem from work, or an assignment at school about which you can’t stop thinking.
Or it can be something good– like an upcoming vacation. When you have a mind worm, you do things like forgetting to make a turn when you’re driving. Mind worms keep you up at night.
Or maybe it’s – a heart worm… a desire that worms its way into your heart. Something you want so badly that it begins to take over your life. You daydream about it, you obsess about it. Maybe it’s a person, or an accomplishment. But somehow it begins to define you; what you do and how you use your energy.
Mind worms and heart worms are not necessarily bad. It’s not bad to have goals or to try really hard for something. But they can turn bad.
When something controls you, like a heart worm, that’s idolatry—because it displaces God in your heart–it becomes what you fear, love, and trust instead of God. Something that you‘re afraid you’ll never get…something that you love more than anything else…something that gives you pleasure.
I think the disciples had a heart worm about greatness. They wanted to be the greatest. They even outrightly asked Jesus about it in Matthew 18. They argued about it in the Mark reading for today, and they were even disputing about it on the night when Jesus was betrayed, right after He gave them His Supper in Luke 22! That’s how dangerous heart worms can be. How they can take over your life and crowd everything else out.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons Jesus told the disciples in the Gospel text that He was going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they would kill him and when he was killed, after three days he would rise–but it kind of just bounced off them. It didn’t sink in. Because all they had on their minds and in their hearts was which of them was the greatest.
Jesus was nice about it; He asked them what they were discussing. Of the Gospel writers Mark is the most direct; he says they were arguing. But we do that too. We’re not fighting! We’re just having a discussion for heaven’s sake!
But we know what’s going on with the disciples, because it happens to us. Mind worms– heart worms–worms of sin and evil from satan–worms from the world so we desire what they desire and value and then of course, there are some worms we come up with because of our own sinful nature. Those things that start out innocently enough, but the deeper they go, the more control they exert, and the more dangerous they become.
In the Epistle reading from James we heard about the jealousy and selfish ambition, passions at war within us. Somehow, we think we can be friends with the world –with desires like the world. But that becomes opposition to God. I’m not sure we realize just how dangerous this can be.
So how do we get rid of these worms, these consuming ideas in our lives? What we need is a jolt like a come to Jesus moment. So our focus on what is most important can be restored.
When the 12 disciples were arguing about worldly greatness, Jesus said: Look. If you want to be first, if you want to be great, you must be a servant and have faith like a child. That was just the shock–the jolt the disciples needed. It is absolutely necessary that we have these kinds of attitude corrections in our lives.
And that’s one reason we gather here for worship each week. Because the worms of satan, the world and our sinful selves try to squirm their way back into our ears, minds and hearts. When we are away from hearing God’s word, when we occupy our minds with other ideas and so-called truths, we place our lives in danger and if left alone our souls are endangered.
So we gather here each week to worship—to reset minds, hearts and lives. To focus on Jesus and His forgiveness and life. To fill our ears and minds and hearts with the realization we are not our own. We are subjects of King Jesus. We are not great in the eyes of the world, but we are pearls of great price in the eyes of God. King Jesus became the least to serve the likes of us.
So we gather to confess our sins. We pray for God’s mercy. We gather as old and young, parents and children, workers and bosses, to praise and thank the Lord our God. We gather to hear once again all that Jesus has done for us: He was delivered into the hands of angry men. He was killed and after three days He rose from the dead…to raise you and me up from our sins, to new life with Him. The world doesn’t think any of us are worth very much . . . but your value comes from the fact that God believes you are worth the life of His n! So many of the things we think we want, aren’t really worth having.
So we gather here week after week, blessed with so many children of all ages to be reminded we are His own.
As a groom looks lovingly at his bride, so Jesus looks at us with love in His eyes.
Jesus comes to us in word and sacrament; His divine word promises all believers eternal life. What we hear aren’t the opinions of a man or the thoughts of the world, but the words of truth from the Son of God Himself.
Jesus comes and feeds us with Himself to take away our sin and give us life and salvation. It’s kind of like being de-wormed so we can focus on what is life giving and lifesaving
So we pray today for the Lord to grant us humility and childlike faith. Humility, to realize and recognize who we are and what we are to be about. To look to the cross and see just how much God loves and values us, because God believes we’re worth it.
Dear Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for coming among us in the person of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, to restore us to a right relationship with You, our Creator. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please strengthen us in faith, that we might turn from our selfish ambitions and serve You by serving others, especially those in need. Let our lives be a mirror of Your redeeming grace. This we ask, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
