A Good Mystery

For Trinity Sunday, I wanted to write a sermon that avoided cliche, yet said something worthwhile about our Triune God (with an empasis on Law and Gospel). How did I do?

There’s something to be said for a good mystery. When somebody says that, you know what they mean. There’s some story that has captured their imagination, with a number of twists and turns and usually, then a satisfying, if not a happy ending. Some of my favorite TV shows, movies, and novels have had a strong element of mystery to them. Maybe you’re the same way.
However, you either like mystery, or you don’t. You’re either OK with not knowing something, or it bothers you. Are you one of those people who goes to the movies and spends your time asking the person next to you, “What’s happening now?” Truthfully, it’s human nature to want to know “why;” to want to have things explained; and if something doesn’t fit into a nice, tidy box; if it doesn’t “make sense,” we have a strong tendency to reject it out of hand. This happens in every part of our lives, including the spiritual part, and that’s a problem. It’s a problem because the Bible describes a reality that, on the surface, doesn’t “make sense.” It describes a God that doesn’t fit into anybody’s box. A person who is uncomfortable with mystery is a person who is going to be uncomfortable with faith. Are you that person?
In some ways, we all are. We don’t like it too much when we hear about a God who demands things. Who is He to tell me what I can and can’t do? We don’t like too much when God doesn’t act the way we think He ought to. When He’s late on answering a prayer. When he lets some lowlife “sinner” slide. Sometimes the problem is not so much that God is a mystery--the reason why He does things is a mystery to us, and we think we know a better way. I believe a lady named Eve bought into this very temptation: It’s a mystery that God wouldn’t let us eat from that one tree; what’s He hiding from us? I’ll show Him.” Adam didn’t say a word when the fruit was tossed his way, either. In our sinful nature, we hate the fact that God doesn’t always let us in on things, we resent Him for it, we really think we know better than Him, so we take a bite. And we think we’re onto something.
Here’s the tug-of-war: we think we ought to be able to define our own reality, but we’re not able. We didn’t make this reality. Someone else did. He gets to define reality, set the rules, create the way things run. We don’t like God’s mysteries because they humble us. There are things we will never know, never understand, and never control. Part of what it means to repent is to let go of the need to figure out every last little thing, as if our figuring it out makes it true. Even better, repenting means we let God define reality and stop trying to do the job ourselves.
When we repent this way, we’re then ready for God to tell us who He is. We won’t be threatened by mystery, because we realize there’s no other way. Think for a moment—imagine you are looking down at an anthill on your driveway. You’re watching the ants go back and forth, doing their ant tasks. Now imagine that you had an overwhelming urge to explain yourself to those ants. You really want those ants to know who you are and what you’re about. How could you, a human being, possibly communicate in a meaningful way with these insects? Good question. Here’s the analogy—if that’s the gap between you and the ants, imagine the gap between God and human. There’s no comparison. Except…
…we hear in Genesis that man and woman were created in the image of God. Even in our fallen state, we bear more of a likeness to God than the ant does. More than that, God can communicate with us through language. He can tell us things. We can listen and react. And the most important thing God tells us is that He closed the gap between God and human. He did that in His Son, Jesus. Now that’s absolutely a mystery, but that’s what He says, and remember, we’re letting him define things.
He also says that He is to be known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He says that through the Son, Jesus, He reconciled the world to Himself, not counting sins against people. He says that the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to embrace the mystery of a Father who would give up His Son; the mystery of a Son, a King who would not cling in fear to his throne, but instead come down to become one of the ants—the Creator becoming one of the creatures! The same Holy Spirit gives us what we need to embrace the mystery of God and man together in one Jesus—the mystery of God and man dying as the ultimate sin sacrifice—the deepest mystery of Jesus—alive after dying. And perhaps most mysterious of all—all of it was done for your benefit; for your rescue; for your redemption; for your life after dying. The Holy Spirit works in your heart and mind to convince you that there is a terrible price to be paid for your sin. The Spirit also moves you to trust that Jesus alone is responsible for paying that price, seeing you out of hell and into heaven. He is God—knowable and lovable. This good mystery is our life and joy forever. Amen.