"The Temple of God: The Preciousness of Every Life"
1 Corinthians 3:9–17 St. Crucis Lutheran Church, Beacon Bay
Grace,
mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Today,
gathered in this beautiful church in Beacon Bay, with the sea so close to us, I
want to begin with a very simple question:
What
does it truly mean to be at home?
For some
of us, that word brings back very old memories. Memories of places that no
longer exist, of people who have departed, of voices we no longer hear. Perhaps
"home" makes us think of family, of childhood, of the land where we
were born, or of that place where we finally felt we belonged.
This
congregation also has a history of "home."
The
ancestors of many of you left Germany, crossed the ocean, and arrived in a
completely different land. In the Frankfort area, they began to build their
lives. And they also built a small house of worship, a Bethaus, a prayer house,
made of simple things: earth, clods of soil, and straw.
Think
about that for a moment.
They did
not have a great church. They did not have great resources. But they had
something they considered far more important: the certainty that God was with
them.
The
church might have been small. The house might have been simple. But God was
there.
And
today we are here, many of us descendants of that history, in a congregation of
German origin, in East London, worshipping in English, living in an Africa very
different from the one our ancestors knew.
Generations
have changed. Language has changed. The place has changed.
But
there is something that has not changed:
God
continues to seek a place to dwell among His people.
And Paul
reminds us today of something even deeper:
That
place is us.
You are
God's temple.
You are
precious to Him.
Paul
writes:
"You
are God's building... no one can lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Paul
uses an image we all understand: a house.
Every
house needs a foundation.
It might
be a beautiful house, large, modern. It might have a wonderful view of the sea.
It might have an excellent kitchen — and perhaps even a braai ready for the
next get-together!
But if
the foundation is not good, sooner or later, cracks will appear.
And Paul
says this also happens with our lives.
We can
build our lives on many things.
On work.
On
money.
On our
reputation.
On our
family.
On our
abilities.
On our
health.
On our
traditions.
Even on
our religious activity.
But none
of these things can be the ultimate foundation of our lives.
The only
foundation is Jesus Christ.
Not our
merits.
Not the
number of times we've gone to church.
Not how
much we contributed.
Not how
many activities we did.
Not our
German, African, Brazilian, or any other heritage.
All of
that can be important. All of that can be part of our history.
But none
of that can save us.
Only
Christ.
And that
is wonderful news.
Because
everything we usually rely on can change.
Health
changes.
The body
ages.
Friends
depart.
Family
changes.
Our
strength fades.
Some
people we loved are no longer with us.
Sometimes
it seems like the storms of life are beating against the walls of our house.
But
there is one thing that does not change:
Jesus
Christ.
He is
our Rock.
He
remains when everything else passes away.
And when
our lives are built on Him, we can say:
"Lord,
I may not be able to control what is happening around me. But I know in whom I
have placed my trust."
Paul
continues speaking about what we build:
"If
anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, or straw, their work will be shown for what it is."
It is a
very powerful image.
Paul
speaks of different materials.
Some
remain when they pass through fire.
Others
disappear quickly.
The fire
here need not be understood simply as a threat. It is also an image of testing.
Fire
reveals what truly has value.
And
perhaps that makes us think about our own lives.
What
truly remains?
Money?
The
house?
The car?
The
position we hold?
The
things we buy?
The
number of people who know us?
Or are
there things that have a much deeper value?
A prayer
offered in silence.
A word
of encouragement.
One
person caring for another.
A child
being forgiven.
A
husband or wife remaining faithful through difficult years.
A mother
caring for someone who is sick.
A
grandfather or grandmother praying for their grandchildren.
A person
who decided to forgive, even after many years.
These
things may seem small in the eyes of the world.
But God
sees them.
And they
have value.
Perhaps,
looking back, you think:
"I
didn't do anything very important."
But
perhaps you are looking at life with the wrong eyes.
Perhaps
you have forgotten all those little things that no one applauded.
Those
nights you stayed awake caring for someone.
The
prayers no one heard.
The
sacrifices no one recognized.
The
times you chose to love when it would have been easier to give up.
God saw
all of it.
That is
gold.
And
there is something very beautiful in this passage.
Paul
says that even when someone's work is burned up, that person can still be
saved.
Our
salvation does not depend on the perfection of what we build.
Our
salvation depends on Christ.
That is
grace.
That is
why, no matter what age we are.
It is
not too late to build with gold.
Today we
can still love.
Today we
can still forgive.
Today we
can still pray.
Today we
can still encourage someone.
Today we
can still say:
"I
love you."
"I
forgive you."
"Thank
you."
"God
is with you."
Small
words.
Small
gestures.
But in
God's hands, they can last forever.
3. The Temple: You Are Holy Ground
And then
we come to the heart of the text.
Paul
asks:
"Do
you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in
you?"
This is
one of the most extraordinary statements in the Bible.
In the
Old Testament, the temple in Jerusalem was a magnificent place.
It was
the place of God's presence.
It was
holy.
It was
set apart.
It was
precious.
But in
Christ, something changed.
God is
not limited to a building.
The Holy
Spirit dwells in His people.
And that
means you are not simply another person.
You are
not just a name on a list.
You are
not just a body that grows old.
You are
not just someone who has done many things or who now perhaps cannot do so many
anymore.
You are
a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Think
about that.
When you
look in the mirror and see wrinkles, God sees His temple.
When you
notice your hands are no longer as strong, God does not say, "You have
lost your value."
When
your steps grow slower, God does not turn away.
When
memory no longer works as it used to, God does not forget your name.
You are
still God's temple.
And that
means your life is sacred.
4. The
Pain That Comes with Aging
There is
a pain that often comes with age.
It does
not appear on an X-ray.
It is
not measured by blood pressure.
It is
not treated with pills.
It is
the pain of feeling forgotten.
We live
in a society that often values youth, productivity, and efficiency.
As long
as we can produce, work, drive, organize, lead, and care for others, we feel we
have a place.
But a
time comes when some of those things begin to fade.
And we
may start to ask:
"Am
I still important?"
"Do
I still have any use?"
"Does
anyone need me?"
God's
answer is:
Yes.
But not
because you can still produce something.
Your
value never depended on that.
You are
precious because you belong to Christ.
You are
precious because God placed His Spirit in you.
You are
precious because He created you, redeemed you, and called you His own.
Your
value does not diminish because your body ages.
Your
value does not diminish because you need help.
Your
value does not diminish because you can no longer do what you did twenty or
thirty years ago.
The
world may measure you by your usefulness. God looks at you with love.
You are
His house.
You are
His temple.
And that
does not change.
5.
"Ephphatha!" — Be Opened!
In
today's Gospel, in Mark 7, we find Jesus before a man who could not hear and
had difficulty speaking.
Jesus
does not treat that man as a problem.
He
approaches him.
Touches
his ears.
Touches
his tongue.
And then
speaks a word in Aramaic:
"Ephphatha!"
"Be
opened!"
It is a
simple word.
But it
contains an enormous promise.
Jesus
came to open what was closed.
To heal
what was wounded.
To
restore what was lost.
And
perhaps today Jesus wants to speak that same word to us.
To the
weary heart:
"Ephphatha
— be opened to my love."
To ears
tired of hearing bad news:
"Ephphatha
— be opened to hear my promises."
To the
heart closed by fear:
"Ephphatha
— be opened to my peace."
To the
person who feels forgotten:
"Ephphatha
— be opened to remember that I have never forgotten you."
Jesus
continues to do all things well.
6. Bach
Also Heard This Story
There is
a beautiful curiosity about this Sunday.
Johann
Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata especially for the 12th Sunday after
Trinity: Geist und Seele sind verwirret — something like
"Spirit and soul are bewildered."
And
perhaps that title is quite fitting for our lives.
Sometimes
our spirit and soul are also bewildered.
We do
not understand why certain things happen.
We do
not know why some people have to suffer.
We do
not understand why life changes so much.
Bach
begins his cantata with this feeling of confusion and fragility.
But the
music moves toward joy.
And it
ends by proclaiming:
"Gott
hat alles wohlgemacht."
"God
has made everything well."
That is
exactly what the Gospel announces to us.
Perhaps
today you still cannot see how everything will turn out well.
Perhaps
some questions remain unanswered.
Perhaps
some losses still hurt.
But we
know the One who is at the end of the story.
And we
know that He holds our lives in His hands.
7. How to Live as God's Temple
So, what
do we take with us when we leave here today?
First:
remember who you are.
When you
look in the mirror, do not see only the wrinkles, the white hair, the
limitations, and the pains.
Remember:
"I
am a temple of the Holy Spirit."
You are
precious.
You are
loved.
You
belong to God.
Second:
do not become obsessed with your usefulness.
You do
not need to prove your value.
You do
not need to be as active as you once were.
You do
not need to compete with anyone.
Your
identity is not in what you can do.
Your
identity is in Christ.
Third:
continue building with gold.
Perhaps
you cannot do great things.
But you
can do small things with great love.
A
prayer.
A phone
call.
A smile.
A kind
word.
A
request for forgiveness.
A
gesture of gratitude.
A visit.
A hug.
God does
not despise these things.
Fourth:
treat other people as temples of God.
If we
are God's temple, then we need to look at other people differently.
The
elderly person.
The
child.
The
neighbor.
The
caregiver.
The
difficult person.
The
person we disagree with.
The
person who thinks differently from us.
Every
human being carries a dignity that does not depend on age, ability, wealth, or
social position.
God
calls us to see what He sees.
Conclusion:
God Is at Home
Dear
brothers and sisters,
We began
by talking about home.
And
perhaps now we can better understand what it truly means to be at home.
Our
ancestors built a small Bethaus with earth and straw.
Then
other churches came.
Other
places.
Other
generations.
And
today we are here.
But in
the end, God's great promise is not:
"I
will dwell forever in a particular building."
The
promise is much more intimate:
"I
will dwell in you."
That is
why this church is important.
That is
why our history is important.
That is
why our traditions are important.
But none
of these things is the foundation.
Christ
is the foundation.
And we
are His house.
Perhaps
you are tired.
Perhaps
you are carrying a pain that no one knows about.
Perhaps
you have reached a stage in life where many things are changing.
But hear
this word today:
You have
not been forgotten.
You have
not lost your value.
You have
not ceased to be necessary in God's eyes.
You are
a temple of the Holy Spirit.
You are
precious.
You
belong to Christ.
And He
will not abandon His house.
Amen.
Prayer
Almighty
and everlasting God,
You are
always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and You desire to give much more
than we can ask or imagine.
Pour out
upon us the abundance of Your mercy.
Forgive
what weighs upon our conscience.
Heal
what is wounded in our heart.
Open our
ears to hear Your Word.
Open our
hearts to receive Your love.
Give us
courage to love, patience to wait, humility to forgive, and faith to trust in
You.
And when
our strength fades, remind us that we remain Your children, Your temples, and
Your dwelling place.
Through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
And now,
may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
You are
God's temple.
You are
precious.
And He
will never abandon you.
In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
