Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:25-40; Acts 15:6-21
Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, "Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; (Judges 6:25)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Not only did the Lord use Gideon to defeat Israel's enemies, He also tore down false altars by Gideon's hand. Jesus not only defeats our enemies, He rescues us from our false gods! We have lots of those--money, friends, our health, other people, even ourselves.
But the greatest false god that Jesus rescues us from is a bad Jesus. It’s easy to think of God as out to get you. Waiting to pay you back for what you've done. The kind of god whom you have to impress with your good life. The kind of god who is always watching you, just waiting for you to mess up so he can put the hurt on you. That's the kind of god that Baal was. People did all kinds of things to try and make Baal happy with them. But Gideon tore down such altars and delivered God's undeserving people by His grace and power.
Jesus came to rescue us from that evil vision of God that only thinks He's out to get us. He came to teach us that in Him, God is love. That in Jesus, God forgives our sins and doesn't condemn us. He condemns His own Son, but He will not let the punishment for sin fall upon you. No, you He has baptized and absolved and preached to and fed with His Son's body and blood. If you ever think that God is a God who is out to get you for your sins, let Jesus tear down that altar by pointing you back to His font, His preacher, His altar. There you will know that He is the true God who takes away sins and gives life.
Gideon tore down the altar of Baal. Gideon rescued God's people from their enemies. All this so that once again God's people would remember His mercy and delight in His lovingkindness and steadfast love. Jesus tears down our altars. Jesus rescues us from our enemies. All so that we will always know God's love and mercy in Him. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
By grace! None dare lay claim to merit; Our works and conduct have no worth. God in His love sent our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth; His death did for our sins atone, And we are saved by grace alone. (LSB 566:2)