Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Ezekiel 17:22-24
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  June 16, 2024

It made me ashamed. It made me feel guilty. It took me to the font seeking God’s forgiveness. This lesson from God’s Word did all of those things. I notice a few puzzled looks out there, and I’m not surprised. A quick glance at Ezekiel 17:22-24 and we don’t find much of what we would call “specific law” in this portion of God’s Word. In fact, most of it is gospel. You wonder then, rightly so, why this section would do all those things to your pastor? Perhaps you’re even thinking, “I don’t even remember reading this before.” Neither did I. How could I not have known about these verses? How could I have not been intimately familiar with such a precious portion of God’s Word, as a pastor? It made me ashamed, it made me feel guilty; it took me to the font seeking God’s forgiveness. Isn’t that often the case for us all? God offers us this marvelous gift of his Word and even though we have uninhibited access to it, even though we have resources helping to explain it right at our fingertips, –still, we ignore it. We ignore it for the idols of sleep and social media and free time and relaxation–all of which are fine in and of themselves–but abused by us when they become more important than God and his Word. How I, you, we could even think of doing such a thing after seeing daily evidence of God’s blessings  when we are in contact with his Word–it’s mind boggling–yet, we do. If God dealt with us in the same way he did with the children of Israel, where would we be today?

This blessed portion of God’s Word that we have before us today is from the prophet Ezekiel. As we heard a few weeks ago, Ezekiel served during the Babylonian captivity. God promised that this would happen if Israel persisted in her rebellion and sin. And God kept that promise and sent in King Nebuchadnezzar who carried off the best and the brightest of Israel to Babylon, including Ezekiel. His audience was a broken down and despondent people who had long since turned away from God and his Word. And because of this, the main thrust of Ezekiel’s message was a harsh call to repentance. But like a few weeks ago, there are a few portions of Ezekiel’s message that are gospel oases. This portion from chapter 17 is one of them. May it refresh us, who like the children of Israel have often ignored God’s warnings about straying from his Word! May it be a drenching draught of cool gospel water that our sin parched souls so desperately long for!

“This is what the Lord God says. I myself will take part of the tip of the cedar and plant it. From the topmost of its shoots I will pluck off a tender sprig, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it. It will produce branches, bear fruit, and become a magnificent cedar. Flying birds of every kind will live under it. In the shelter of its branches they will nest. Then all the trees in the countryside will know that I, the Lord, bring down the high tree and raise up the low tree, that I make the green tree dry up, and I make the dried-up tree blossom. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will carry it out.” 

There’s nothing impressive about a tender sprig from the top of a tree. In fact, if you were to plant one of those in your yard, you’d have to be extremely careful not to mow over it–so small and insignificant. Even though this sprig is planted on a high and lofty mountain, even though it’s planted on the important mountain heights of Israel, it would still seem small, insignificant, and unimportant. It appears to be nothing–nearly impossible for it to become much of anything. And people were supposed to find comfort in this? Promises of a sprig, a shoot from a cedar becoming a great and powerful tree? “A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.” 

There’s nothing to that baby in Bethlehem–so small, insignificant, unimportant–born in a stable after all. There was nothing about his appearance as he grew up that would have drawn us to him, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root from dry ground. He had no attractiveness and no majesty. When we saw him, nothing about his appearance made us desire him.” There on the mountains of Israel, there was that cedar sprig ready to be trampled under foot. There was nothing to that dying criminal on the cross–the cedar on cedar–in fact, he was less than nothing in the eyes of most. “Then all the trees in the countryside will know that I, the Lord, bring down the high tree and raise up the low tree, that I make the green tree dry up, and I make the dried-up tree blossom. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will carry it out.” And yet, God made him who was nothing to be everything. God made that cedar sprig a towering tree with branches outstretched to shelter the birds and bear much fruit. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to do away with the things that are, so that no one may boast before God.” 

Who among Israel, captive in Babylon, would have dreamed a dead tree would flourish? Who would have dreamed Hannah could have a son, the virgin could be with child, God would humble himself  to become man only to die for the world? Who would have dreamed it? Only the LORD! “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it. It will produce branches, bear fruit, and become a magnificent cedar. Flying birds of every kind will live under it. In the shelter of its branches they will nest.” On the mountain heights of Israel, on a height called Calvary, God planted a tree, the tree of the cross. And on that tree he placed his cedar sprig, his shoot of Jesse, who spread his arms, his branches to die, to earn the salvation of the world. And ever since that time, the birds of the air–the Church–have found shelter and refuge and shade under those arms, those branches. Ever since that time, that magnificent cedar has become the refuge of the weary, the friend of the needy, the source of life for the dying. That magnificent cedar has continued to bear the fruits of forgiveness, new life, and salvation. It has met every spiritual need of the new, spiritual Israel through its Word and Sacraments. Under the shade of that magnificent cedar, the Church has grown and flourished. Indeed, God has made the high trees of this world low and has raised up from the stump of Jesse, from the lowly cedar sprig, the mighty Cedar of Jesus and his Church!

I believe that Jesus had this prophecy in mind when he spoke the parables from our gospel today. In both cases, the invisible work of the smallest seeds works without man’s knowledge or ingenuity–in secret. Yet, the fruits of that seed are remarkable–for all to see. The splendid Cedar of our Savior has planted his seeds in each of our hearts. He’s given us the gift of faith. He works through the plain and the ordinary–the insignificant and unimportant in the eyes of the world. Much of his work cannot be seen. But the fruits that flow from his work can be seen. They can be seen in the way we live our lives worthy of the faith we’ve been given. They can be seen as we are regularly in God’s house, in our Bibles, as we grow in Jesus and tell of his love, as we do the glory of God  whatever he has given us to do. They can be seen in people who take God at his Word, who trust his promises wholeheartedly, and who are singularly focused on doing his will. 

“I make the dried-up tree blossom. I , the LORD have spoken, and I will carry it out.” That is God’s promise to you as you stay connected to his Word, no matter who is privileged to share it with you. May God make you blossom! May he lead you into his Word again and again to find all of the oases of hope and comfort that only his Word and Sacraments can provide. Who could have known that God would do such a thing? It is my parting prayer for you, that through the work God enabled me to do among you, by his grace and only through his power, you will always be able to say, “I do.” Amen.