A Kingdom of Priests

3rd Sunday after Pentecost – A (Proper 6)                                              LSB #’s 835:1-4, 826, 660
Text – Exodus 19:6a
 
And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests & a holy nation. 
 
A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS
 
 
The current power struggles going on across our world are in the news almost constantly.  Russia vs. Ukraine,  Iran vs. the United States & Israel,  China trying to intimidate Taiwan,  & North Korea threatening South Korea, not to mention the constant, lower-level conflicts across Africa.  Our world,  & our own people,  reflect an insatiable desire for power  & control.  
Our denomination is currently electing a president  as forces,  even in the church, struggle to be in charge.  God has an entirely different plan for His people.  Rather than wrestling to be in charge,  you & I should be wrestling to serve: “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests  & a holy nation.”  (Exodus 19:6a ESV) 
What are priests meant to do?   They are to serve,  not to rule.   Clearly,  not all priests understand  that very important distinction, however,  it is God’s design.   And  as with anything God designed for this life,  sinful creatures twist & corrupt it  to serve their own wants & desires.  You & I are completely enslaved  to the effects of sin.  No rotten apple  can make itself whole. 
Just three months earlier, the people who crossed the Red Sea had never known freedom.  Saved by God’s grace & brought into new life as His chosen people,  they arrive at Mt. Sinai.    Other than Moses & his family, everyone who was rescued from Egypt  had been enslaved their entire lives.  It was the only existence they knew. 
Because of that,  just three days after crossing the Red Sea, the people wondered if being enslaved in Egypt wasn’t so bad after all.   There were well over a million people following Moses, along with their cattle.  They needed a lot of water,  & there in the desert  they were finding none.  The land of Egypt  had the Nile River.   So, God gave them water to drink.  A month later, they were complaining that in Egypt they sat around pots of meat & ate bread to full.  So, God gave them manna & quail to eat.  Then the Amalekites attacked  but as long as Moses held up his arms the Israelites would win that battle.  God gave them many opportunities to place their trust  in His provision of all they needed.  Would they ever learn? 
Every step of the way, from Egypt to Sinai,  Yahweh was teaching & serving His chosen people.  Now, He calls to Moses out of the mountain, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, & tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, & how I bore you on eagles’ wings & brought you to myself.’”  (Exodus 19:3b-4 ESV) 
When you look back,  over your life,  what do you see?   Do you dwell upon the failures & the broken dreams?    Or,  do you recognize & give thanks for the times God carried you through those heartbreaks  to bring you to Himself  on this very morning?  In a sense,  right now,  you & I are gathered at base of Mt. Sinai,  & our Lord has carried us here on eagles’ wings.
In many ways  we are weary, broken & tattered,  yet,  our Savior has carried us here.   In that, He says, “Come to me, all who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28 ESV)   We confess that we are by nature sinful & unclean.  We have sinned against our Creator in thought, word & deed, by what we have done & by what we have left undone. 
And still, He invites us to come to Him for rest from those sins  & from all the brokenness resulting from them.  Yahweh forgives our sins & heals our wounds  of heart, mind & soul.  As king David experienced that he wrote, “O LORD, I love the habitation of your house & the place where your glory dwells.”  (Psalm 26:8 ESV) 
At Mt. Sinai, Yahweh gave Moses plans for the tabernacle where His glory would dwell with them as they wandered through the wilderness.  And as they received healing there,  God called them to carry that healing out into His creation: “Now therefore, if you will indeed hear my voice & keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;  & you shall be to me a kingdom of priests & a holy nation.”   (Exodus 19:5-6a ESV)   Israel was not meant to rule God’s creation  but to serve it.  Israel was meant to tell the nations around them  about the glory of Yahweh & the healing He brings to a broken world. 
As they recognized & gave thanks for the times God carried them through their wilderness struggles, they’d bring hope to the people around them.  Those nations were worshipping gods that they had made in their own image, gods that were false & powerless to bring peace or healing to anyone. 
Once God had conquered Canaan & given them the land of milk & honey, His people grew satisfied & believed they deserved everything they had.  Then they wandered away to the very false gods the nations around them were worshipping.  They completely failed in their role as a kingdom of priests & a holy nation.  Eventually, God took the land away from them. 
They were no longer using it,  or any of their blessings, to the glory of the only true God.  They were leaving Him in the dust  in their rush to be like the pagan nations around them.  Israel failed as Yahweh’s kingdom of priests so He sent His Son to be the ultimate priest.  Jesus would serve His people to the death as He worked to re-create the true Israel of Yahweh. 
How comfortable are you with your role in God’s kingdom of priests?  Is there a lot of good that you’ve left undone in that regard?  Your heavenly Father has forgiven you on account of Jesus’ death on the cross.  Our hope for today & eternity lies in that fact.  Still,  the season of Pentecost is marked by a focus on how our life in Christ grows by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
When you are here, Yahweh is working in your hearts through His Word, through your Baptism & through the body & blood of His Son.  Though we can’t see the effects with our eyes, those means of grace are true & real,  unlike the false gods from whom we often seek fulfillment.  Our careers are all temporary.  Our homes & reputation will one day disappear  no matter how solid & real they may seem.  The people we love will leave us behind,  as many already have.  Meanwhile, Jesus is working to create the permanent & eternal reality of paradise.  Our saintly natures are already part of that reality,  but our sinful nature still weighs us down. 
The season of Pentecost marks the growth of our saintly nature as the Holy Spirit daily draws us closer to the final & perfect reality that awaits us.  We are privileged to serve in God’s kingdom as priests to the people around us,  even though that service never earns eternal life.  We serve others because our saintly nature is already part  of that eternal reality. 
Jesus did not come to earth simply to be our example.  He came to serve us  so that we could fulfill our calling as priests.  Yahweh called His people at Mt. Sinai & Jesus calls us at Mt. Calvary.  He calls us to take up our cross & follow Him,  but His yoke is easy & His burden is light (Matthew 11:30 ESV) because Jesus is doing God’s work  through us. 
St. Peter picks up the sermon text: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  (2:9-10) 
No matter who wins the power struggles here on earth, their victories are only temporary.  Then the grave will claim them as well.  Knowing Jesus lasts forever & ever,  & He has conquered the grave for all who trust in Him.  Amen. 
 
 
Stand up, stand up for Jesus;  stand in His strength alone.   The arm of flesh will fail you,  ye dare not trust your own.   Put on the Gospel armor;  each piece put on with prayer.   Where duty calls or danger,  be never wanting there.     Stand up, stand up for Jesus;  the strife will not be long;  this day the din of battle,  the next the victor’s song.   The soldiers overcoming,  their crown of life shall see  & with the King of Glory  shall reign eternally.  Amen.  LSB 660:3-4.