Bible Passage: 1 Peter 5:6-7
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: May 21, 2023

Bulletin May 21, 2023

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Someone has said the scariest words to pray are “Thy will be done.”  Those words, in essence, turn every situation over to God and say, “Do everything the way you want.”  That can be scary!  There is a part of us that doesn’t want to turn everything over to him.  We would rather that God run his ideas past us.  Ask for our input.  Give us the “right of first refusal” if we don’t like the direction of things.  Simply to turn all things over to him?  My flesh says, “Too scary.”  When I was a young boy and my grandmother was very sick, I consciously did not say “Thy will be done” when praying the Lord’s Prayer because I was scared God wanted to take her to heaven.

Our text today is written for people who may be having a hard time saying, “Thy will be done.”  It is written for people who may be frightened at what is happening to them, or what may happen to them.  Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, writes simply:  Humble Yourselves.  His words contain additional truth that will help make us comfortable humbling ourselves.

Peter’s exact words are these:  Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s powerful hand. (v. 6)  Peter says, “Bow your heads and step under God’s powerful hand.”  Scary?  Not only is the hand of God powerful, it is all-powerful!  God’s power is overwhelming.  This kind of power is either scary or comforting.  Overwhelming power coming against me scares me; overwhelming power used for me comforts me.  Step under God’s powerful hand, and what shall we find?

We need only look at those who came “under” the hand of God’s Son in flesh, Jesus.  What did they find?  Power!  Wonderful, merciful power!  Lepers came to Jesus and he touched them with his powerful hand, and they were healed.  Mothers brought their babies to Jesus because they wanted Jesus to touch them.  He did, and the Bible says those babies were blessed. (Mark 10:16)  Jairus pleads for his little girl.  Come, place your hands on her and she will live. (Matthew 9:18)  Jesus takes the dead girl’s hand in his:  Little girl, get up!  (Mark 5:41)  All of these people found powerful grace and mercy under God’s hand.

And of course, it’s looking at the hands of Jesus on Good Friday that clinches it for us that being under the powerful hand of God is a good thing, never a bad thing.  On the cross those powerful hands of God looked so weak, so powerless, so impotent.  They are run through with nails.  They hemorrhage blood.  They must not fight.  They must not overwhelm.  They must be overwhelmed.  They have laid aside omnipotence to pay for our sin.  And under those powerful, bloody, outstretched arms of Jesus the most powerful thing happens – we find forgiveness.  We find a gracious and kind God.  I ask you, is it scary to humble yourself under these hands?

Peter calls our attention to something else the powerful hand of God will do for us.  Humble yourselves under God’s powerful hand, so that he may lift you up at the appointed time. (v. 6) Peter speaks about being lifted up.  He says that God will do this at “the appointed time.”  We might say “at exactly the right time.”  There are times in our lives when we are going through a rough patch and we think, “I can’t do this anymore!”  God knows how much you can take!  And at exactly the right time he will lift you up.  He is not a cruel God.  Oh, he does use troubles and suffering in our lives to train and teach us, to purify our love and trust in him.  But he knows these times can not last forever.  At exactly the right time, he lifts us up!  I am reminded of the Jesus who once said to his disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31) It had been a busy stretch.  He was in tune with his disciples’ limits.  Jesus knew it was time for some rest.  Jesus still knows when his disciples need a break and rest.

Knowing this, Peter’s next words seem to flow so naturally:  Cast all your anxiety on him. (v. 7)  Peter invites you to take every single worry you have and throw it over to God!  What are you worried about?  Are you worried about going to high school, or college?  Are you worried about a job or career?  Are you worried about finding a husband or a wife?  Are you worried about the path your children are on?  Are you worried about money?  Are you worried about your health or an upcoming medical procedure?  Are you worried about politics and economics?

Sometimes we may not think anxiety and worry are all that big a deal.  But the Greek word in our text that is translated as “anxiety” is the same word Jesus uses in the parable of the Sower and the Seed.  In that parable Jesus teaches that sometimes when the Gospel is proclaimed, it begins to grow nicely, but then thorns grow up around it and choke it out.  Jesus says these “thorns” are the worries of life (Matthew 13:22).  We could say “the anxieties of life.”  Anxiety and worry are the loss of focus on Christ.  Anxiety and worry are evidence that we do not consider Christ is not our all-in-all.  Anxiety and worry say that we are not sure God can be trusted to handle things.  But there is a place for us to take our anxiety.

Cast ALL your anxiety on him. (v. 7)  All of it, whatever it is, whatever keeps you awake at night, give it to God.  Here’s why: …because he cares for you. (v. 7)  That is really humbling.  All these things keep us awake at night.  And Peter says YOU keep God awake at night!  Not in a bad way.  God does not worry.  He doesn’t care about money or cancer or politics.  But he cares about YOU.  And if something concerns you, God cares!

We are told that in the wake of the COVID pandemic, anxiety-related disorders have sky-rocketed.  I have seen estimates range from 20 percent to as high as 60 percent of people deal with some degree of anxiety.  Perhaps you are one.  Then this text is for you.  Be humble.  Don’t be afraid to pray, “Thy will be done.”  It is a good will.  And cast your anxiety on him.  He cares about, and for, you!  The one who commanded wind and wave to be quiet and still and they obeyed, still says to anxious hearts today:  Be still, and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Amen.