Talking Points with Pastor Lucas: To whom shall we go?
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life . . .”
Dear beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
To whom do you go when you are sick? To whom do you go when you have a toothache? To whom do you go when your pet needs care? To whom do you go when you need legal advice? What about when your car breaks down? What if you house is on fire? To whom do you go?
You know the answers.
These are all familiar people to whom we go when the various needs of life come upon us.
But to whom do you go when your soul is down? To whom do you go when guilt overwhelms you? When shame overcomes you? When your sins press upon you? To whom do you go when you are buried by burdens or when someone you love is covered by a casket?
Peter asks these questions in John 6: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life . . .” (John 6:68, ESV).
These are familiar words. We often use them when we gather together for the Divine Worship service. They are the very words of Scripture. They are spoken at a point when many people were abandoning Jesus because His teachings had become difficult.
So Jesus asked the 12:
“‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’”
Believing in Jesus Christ in an unbelieving world is not always easy. We are living in a time when our culture has secularized and essentially become neopagan. Truth is relative, based upon what makes a person feel good rather than the objective and transcendent timeless truths expressed in Holy Scripture. Right and wrong are now subjective, contingent upon new group identities, definitions, and preferences for how they think life should be lived and experienced. If you disagree, you risk being labeled a “hater” and incurring the wrath of a society that expects you to conform.
Standing upon the truth of God’s Word and believing in Jesus Christ as the only way, the only truth, and the only life is risky business in a politically “woke” culture. Your reputation, your popularity, and even your job advancement can be impacted by what you believe and the way you live.
There is much unrest pressing upon us at any given time. It’s the nature of a fallen, broken world.
To whom do you go when your political candidate didn’t win the election? To whom do you go when you are ostracized by society, when you are slandered or falsely accused?
Peter reminds us whom first to go to in everything: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It means we fall to our knees and pray! We pray for mercy. We pray for wisdom. We pray for protection. We pray for healing. We pour out our hearts to the Lord as we pray for courage, for our leaders, for the church, and for our country.
Jesus has words for your daily and eternal living. His words are filled with the promise never to leave you nor forsake you. In fact, baptized into His name, you are His and He is yours. No matter what is happening in your life, at your work or in this country, Jesus Christ brings life to weary hearts, hope to burdened minds, and guidance amid the uncertainty of this world. Jesus is more than some historic figure who lived and died a long time ago.
Born of a virgin, He walked around in this broken world, felt all of its sad and tragic edges, endured its uncertainty as well as its cruelty, and then laid down His life for you and for me. Not merely as some heroic act of selflessness, but as the sinless Son of God who loves you so desperately that He was willing to suffer on the cross so that you would have forgiveness, life, and salvation right here and now, even as He is your raised-from-the-dead, living Lord, who continues to speak to you today through His Word.
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Lucas
Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford
President
Minnesota South District, LCMS
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