Lent 1—Invocavit
Dear friends in Christ. If you ever watch those nature programs on TV, you will inevitably see some sort of life and death struggle— like the lioness hunting to bring back food for her young and the wildebeest or zebra using all their strengths and abilities trying to avoid being eaten. If the lioness wins the lioness and her young survive to live and hunt another day; if the zebra or wildebeest wins that struggle, the lioness and young will face the potential of starving and the zebra lives another day. Truly a life and death struggle—winner take all!
That’s what we have in today’s readings—a life and death struggle, a true battle. In today’s Gospel, we have Christ in battle with the devil. Jesus goes out into the wilderness precisely to be tempted by the devil. St. Matthew records: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. St. Mark puts it a little more strongly: Immediately [that is, right after Jesus’ baptism] the Spirit drove [literally: cast out] [Jesus] into the wilderness. In this battle Jesus goes out against the devil to face the temptations that the devil would throw His way. This was part and parcel of Jesus’ work for us—to face and overcome all the temptations that we fall prey to, to face the worst the devil could throw at Him and still remain without sin. This is why Jesus came—to engage in this life and death struggle for us and for our salvation. St. John [1 John 3:8] teaches us: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Our text this morning is also a life and death struggle: that famous battle between David and Goliath.
1. The first thing we notice in this battle is the weapons David used: Then [David] took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?".
Five stones and a sling—hardly weapons of serious warfare! And even well-armed Goliath, coming with a guy carrying his shield, notices the lack of proper weapons of war; he notices the lack of a real / proper soldier: a youth coming at him with no real weaponry or even any armor that might protect him a bit. What made this battle so vital was that David was the representative of the Israelites and that the giant, Goliath, over 9 feet tall was the representative of the Philistines. The stakes were high, as Goliath set the terms earlier: Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. Every day for 40 days Goliath would present himself before the Israelite army this way.
Why did David, a shepherd, get involved in this winner take all battle? He only went to the army encampment of the Israelites to bring food from his father to his 3 older brothers who were in the army. But when he was there giving his brothers the “care package” from home he heard Goliath’s challenge. What moved David into battle was his love of the Lord and the Lord’s honor! He asked the Israelite soldiers too afraid to fight Goliath, Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? In our text we then hear David’s words to Goliath: "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied”. How beautifully the faith of David shines through. He doesn’t look at the strength and might and weaponry of Goliath; he doesn’t look at his own weakness and lack of “proper” weapons. Instead he looks to the Lord and His power and might to grant him the victory. Goliath’s trust was in a sword… a spear, and… a javelin, all human things, all things people build and can see and touch, all things that “make sense” to use. These things, together with his size and strength, he thought would easily give him the victory: And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
David’s courage is based on the almighty power of God. It was a courage that flowed from faith. David told Goliath:
I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give you into our hands.
The account of David and Goliath is not just a “David vs. Goliath” story—the small guy winning the battle against the big/powerful guy. Instead it is a story of faith, a faith in and reliance on the Lord and his almighty power. This Scriptural account teaches us what faith is and does—it holds to the Lord’s word and promise even when all our senses—and our thoughts and feelings—would tell us otherwise; it holds to the Lord’s word and promise and knows that the Lord is mighty to act and He will act in the way He knows is best and will work in such a way that it serves our spiritual good; faith, this reliance on the Lord, makes us bold to fight and to strive to live our lives to the glory of God. That is the lesson all of us Christians need to hear this first Sunday in Lent. We are all engaged in a spiritual battle against the devil, the world and our own sinful nature. They are all at work to lead us into doubt and despair; they are all at work to lead us into more and more sin and to give up the struggle against sin; they are all at work to drive us from/ to extinguish from our heart the holy Christian faith. All around us on every side, we hear things like David heard: So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
Yes, the unbelieving world despises Christians; unbelievers scold and ridicule God and all that is sacred; yes, we often even feel the most crass thoughts of unbelief arising in our own hearts. But we do not despair because we know in the glorious certainty of faith that the battle is Lord’s. And that’s precisely what this account of David and Goliath teaches us. After all, look at the weapons. Humanly speaking, there was no way David should have won—but he did. The battle is the Lord’s. The one true God—the Lord, the holy Triune God—is the One who rescues His people—us. Because David was so despised and no soldier, because his weapons were no match against the well-armed mighty warrior, how much more clearly can the Lord show us here that He is almighty and the battle is His?
When we feel sin and godlessness within us rearing its ugly head, when we feel the taunts and ridicule of the unbelieving world, when we feel the guilt and shame for long past sins, when we think that our faith is so weakened that it is like a dimly burning wick, that is so powerful! It is a true Goliath that we are facing. But here is where faith comes in to the fore. Left to ourselves and our own devices, we would only continue on the path of sin and unbelief; we would soon be decimated but let us not fear but by faith take the weapons the Lord has given us—His holy word and Sacraments and by these—like the Lord granted David the victory by that one sling thrown stone—the Lord grants us the victory over our spiritual enemies of the devil, the world, our own sinful self. Like David’s stone seemed so weak, often these weapons of word and sacrament seem so weak. But remember—the battle is the Lord’s, all battles, but also certainly especially the battles for our souls and our eternal destiny. By faith what do we do? We don’t put our trust in ourselves and our ability, strength, goodness, virtue, decision, etc. Like David we put our faith/ trust in the Lord to bring us through the battle for our soul and grant us the victory.
2. And the Lord be praised—He did just that! That’s what we read in today’s Gospel. The account of our Lord’s temptation teaches us that part of Jesus’ work as our Savior was that He should keep God’s Law holy and pure for us; it teaches us that Jesus went out to endure the worst that the devil could throw His way, endure the worst temptations—and He did. He overcame every temptation that the devil tempted Him with, not only here but throughout His earthly life so that the holy Law of God that He demands be kept holy and perfect if a person is to enter heaven has been kept—by Jesus for us.
So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
David in our text is a wonderful picture and foreshadowing of Jesus and His work for us. Just like David in our text, one man, fought in place of the whole Israelite army, so Jesus came, entered the battle and He, the One Man, fought and won the battle for all people against sin, death, devil and hell. Just as David did not fight this battle against Goliath with sword and spear, without the regular weapons of war, so also Jesus did not overcome the devil, the prince of this world, by sword or spear but in a very special way, in a humble way, namely by His suffering and death. Precisely by His suffering and death, Jesus paid the price / penalty for our sin as the sins committed by all people ever to live were placed on Jesus and in His suffering and death God’s wrath was poured out on Him instead of us. Now, in Christ, we are reconciled to God and at peace with Him. As the Representative / Substitute for the entire human race Jesus both kept God’s holy Law, rendering that holiness we cannot and suffered the punishment for our sin. Like David did for the Israelites, Jesus fought the battle against sin, death, devil and hell and won! When we heard of David’s victory in our text, let’s not just think of how wonderful and gracious the Lord was to the Israelites that day about 3000 years ago, that the battle was His and He decided the Israelites should win; instead let’s see it also as the battle of Christ Jesus for us against our spiritual enemies; let’s see it as a foreshadow of today’s account of our Lord’s temptation; let’s see it as Christ’s victory for us over sin, death, devil and hell on the cross, and proclaimed by His resurrection and ascension.
David’s victory was the Israelites’ victory; Christ’s victory is our victory. All our spiritual enemies have been put to flight. And what’s even better is that in His holy word and precious sacraments Jesus is actually giving us the fruits of His victory. He, in His word, in the absolution, gives us the forgiveness of sin; in baptism He gives us / covers us with His holiness and righteousness; in the Holy Supper He gives us His body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sin and so faith is strengthened! Dear Christian, we are now enjoying and receiving the victory—Jesus’ victory. Let no one take it from you—it is yours; faith receives it. In times of spiritual trial/ struggle, when, like David you seem weakest, the victory is still yours; the battle is the Lord’s and He won it for you. By making faithful and diligent use of the fruits of Jesus’ victory in word and sacrament, you are putting your spiritual enemies to flight.
What a glorious message to us this first Sunday in Lent. May it be in our hearts in Lent and throughout the year: Jesus is the true David who fought and conquered sin, death and devil. By His victory He redeemed, justified, brought us spiritual life, saved and restored us to peace with God. Praise to Christ: the battle is His and He won it for us!
In the Name Jesus, Amen.