Heaping Burning Coals

Matthew 16:21-28 and the Call to Take Up the Cross

Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone.

And now here's a message.

From Pastor Chris Roseberg. The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 16th chapter. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying far be it from you Lord this shall never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter get behind me Satan you are a hindrance to me for you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.

Then Jesus told his disciples if anyone would come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me. Whoever would save his life will lose it whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give and return for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Truly I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. This is the gospel of the Lord in the name of Jesus. All right so in the military we've heard of these things that happen and it's a terrible thing when it happens it's called a friendly fire incident.

Don't you like the way the government talks about it? Our troops shot at each other and soldiers died. How does this happen? How do soldiers on the same team wearing the same uniform for the same country end up killing each other?

Well it's actually quite easy to do. I know that when it comes to military hardware they have that many military systems have something called an IFF. Okay in government talk they always have to reduce things down to like you know these little words these little letters right an IFF.

An IFF is designed to identify friend or foe so if your IFF system is wrong and yet maybe you're out there flying it an F -22 Raptor and the IFF isn't working right and you see a target on your radar system you might fire off a missile at that target and when the IFF finally starts to work correct if you just knocked it a few times you'd recognize oof-da I just shot down one of our F -15s right.

You'll know an IFF is an important thing to have because you don't want friendly fire incidences they're not a good thing but our epistle text challenges us in ways that I don't think we're ready to be challenged but yet we are challenged nonetheless by what it says here.

Living Peaceably With All and Refusing Personal Vengeance

When we think about how we treat each other as Christians we got a very long and extensive list of third use of the law commands from Christ to give us the good works that we are to do with each other but you're going to note there's talk in here about what to do with enemies and you're going to note something if you read this carefully you're going to note that we as Christians are not allowed to pick enemies.

Every target on our IFF must be seen as friendly if it's human if it's demonic that's a different story altogether clearly you're dealing with an enemy but listen to what the scripture says if possible so far as it depends on you who's the you there you me this is applying to each of us as long as it depends on you live peaceably with some.

You guys accusing me of twisting up the scriptures I cannot believe what is happening here you holding me accountable good it says live peaceably with all. All. Everybody. Beloved never avenge yourselves leave it to the wrath of God for it is written vengeance is mine.

I will repay says the Lord. To the contrary here's our standing orders and this appears twice in the scriptures once here and the second time is in Proverbs 25. And boy I had a hard time understanding this text earlier but let me let me explain what it says.

If your enemy is hungry punch him in the face knock him out knock him to the ground and tell him how dare you treat me like that. Let this be a lesson to you. I'm twisting the scriptures again James you're just not buying it.

What is going on here man. Good you shouldn't buy it. If your enemy is hungry feed him. If he's thirsty you give him something to drink. And note here you haven't chosen this enemy. This is an enemy who's chosen you to be your enemy but we are not allowed to have enemies for so by doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

What is that supposed to mean. What kind of idiom is that. I know I'm gonna get vengeance on you you my enemy. And I'm going to treat you kindly in order to punish you and cause coals of fire to fall on your head.

Right. It doesn't make any sense when you kind of put it together right. But then you got this last admonition do not be overcome by evil. Overcome evil with good. So what's with the burning coals bit.

How are we to understand that. And so I did some digging and did some poking around this week reading some of the church fathers doing looking at some pastoral helps just trying to figure out what am I supposed to do with this pouring burning coals.

But because ever since I was a kid and every time I heard this text it never made any sense because it sounded like I'm gonna really get vengeance on you by doing good to you. Haha. I will get my revenge.

And revenge is a dish best served warm. You know it doesn't make any sense right. So let's work this out. When I work this out looking at just several of the cross-references I realize that this burning coals bit is far more than meets the eye.

Isaiah's Burning Coal and the Atonement of Sin

First cross-reference is found in the prophet Isaiah. In the prophet Isaiah this is a text I go to with some frequency. Isaiah is commissioned. He sees the Lord high and lifted up in Isaiah 6. And here's what it says.

The year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple. Hmm. We're working our way through the book of Ezekiel. You'll note that Ezekiel saw the same throne.

This is what we see in chapter 1 of Ezekiel. We'll also see it again in chapter 10. So here Isaiah sees the throne of Christ and the robe of his. The train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim.

Each had six wings. With two. He covered his face with two. He covered his feet with two he flew and one called to another congregational singing if you would hear holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts.

Kadosh kadosh kadosh. Yahweh sabaoth in the Hebrew. And the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called. And the house was filled with smoke.

This is the type of vision that undoes sinner. And rightly so we sinners have no right to stand in the presence of our Holy God. We have sinned and transgressed against him so greatly that what we deserve is to never see his face.

What we deserve is to have our scrawny carcasses thrown into the lake of fire and for God to wipe his hands and say I'm done with you. That's what we all deserve. And here Isaiah gets that very profound sense of that as well.

And he realizes just how awkward the situation is because he's a sinner in the presence of the Holy God. This is woe. Is me. I'm lost. I'm a man of unclean lips. I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

My eyes have seen the king Yahweh sabaoth. So then one of the seraphim flew to me having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. Got to tell you here pay attention. We've got a burning coal about to touch Isaiah's head.

So he touched my mouth and he said behold this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away your sin is atoned. For now. Wait a second if I'm reading this correct and I think I am I'm a good company with people throughout the ages that the church has been on the planet.

Pouring a burning coal on somebody's head is a reference to the sacrifice that's on the altar. The coals from the altar were the place where these animals were sacrificed for our sins. And if you were to think of Christ's death on the cross the cross was in fact Jesus's altar the place where he was consumed in the fires of the wrath of God and suffered for your place.

It's for your sins and mine in our place. And so pouring a burning coal on somebody's head who is an enemy is not about getting vengeance. It's about them recognizing their sin and them like you being pardoned and forgiven.

Think of it this way. What did the text say. It said overcome evil by doing good. Isn't that exactly what Christ did for us on the cross. I've been working my way through a wonderful book written by a fellow by the name of Chad Bird.

The name of the book is called limping with God. It's a fantastic study of the life of Jacob. And in one of his chapters he says these words regarding Christ. There was a man who was more than a man and we killed him.

He was the greatest man who ever lived and we killed him. He was the kindest most gentle most truthful and upright and compassionate man who ever lived and we killed him. Hands that healed we wounded the face that glowed with the glory of God we spit upon the heart that beat with love we pierced.

There was a man who was more than a man. He was God and we you and I and all of us and all of us lost and hopeless humanity. We killed him. But what we meant for evil God worked for our salvation. You'll note that God practices what he preaches.

I wish I did consistently. I pray that we all do. But Christ overcame evil by doing good by laying down his life. He did not get vengeance on his enemies. Instead he bled and died so that they can be forgiven and pardoned.

Peter, the Charcoal Fire, and Christ’s Restoration

There's another set of texts I would like us to consider in this regard when it comes to pouring burning coals on somebody's head it's the account of Peter. Yeah y 'all remember Peter. Man do. I like Peter because Peter is an idiot.

Just like I am. Right. Peter just completely screws up constantly. And yet he rather than getting what he deserves he also gets grace and mercy from Christ. If you remember on the night that Jesus was betrayed Christ said to Peter this very evening you're going to deny me three times.

And of course Peter you know does his great impersonation of the rock. You know Sylvester Stallone you know it puts us out that stupid masculine thing. I'm never gonna forsake you Lord even if it means that I have to die.

And it's like come on seriously right. And so when push comes to shove the way John tells the details of the story are important because you'll note that God the Holy Spirit is the greatest storyteller of all.

And when he sets a scene when he puts a prop into the scene it's not there just to kind of make the scene look better. He's not about making it work with the right color theory and making sure everything's balanced in the composition.

Details are there for a reason because it has to do with a particular theme that we're talking about burning coals if you would. And so John records in his gospel Simon Peter followed Jesus after he had been arrested.

And so did the other disciple. And since that disciple was known to the high priest he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and then brought Peter in.

The servant girl at the door said to Peter you also are not one of this man's disciples. Are you. He said I am NOT liar. Liar pants on fire. Right. Denial number one. I think Jesus knew what he was talking about.

Now the servants and the officers had made. And here's the detail. A charcoal fire because it was cold and they were standing warming themselves. Peter also was with him standing warming himself over a charcoal fire burning coals.

If you know what I mean. And then you'll note that Peter goes on to deny Christ. So Simon Peter was standing warming himself. So they said to him you also are not one of his disciples. Are you. He denied it and said I am NOT one of the servants of the high priest a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off that happened just moments ago.

Did I not see you in the garden with Jesus. And Peter again denied it. At once the rooster crowed and we learned from the other cross-references. At this point he went and wept bit wept bitterly. Here these charcoal coals that were now warming his hands referenced the pouring out of the charcoal the coals upon someone's head convicting him of his sin.

But this isn't where Christ leaves him. The story continues after Jesus's resurrection. After Jesus's resurrection in the Gospel of John it talks about Jesus appearing to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee.

It's called the Sea of Tiberias in John's Gospel because John wrote his Gospel much later and wrote it for a Gentile audience. But here's what it says in chapter 21. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias and he revealed himself in this way.

Simon Peter Thomas called the twin Nathanael of Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together. Some Simon Peter said to them I'm going fishing. And they said to him we'll go with you.

So they went out and got into the boat. That night they caught nothing. Hmm. This sounds very familiar right. Isn't this how Peter was originally commissioned by Christ to be a disciple. He was on. Jesus was on Peter's boat preaching a sermon.

And then afterwards he said you know let your let your nets down for a catch. And all. That night he had not caught anything. He said come on Jesus. Yes. Seriously dude I'm the fisherman. You're the you're the preacher man.

But fine if you say so I'll do it. He catches this large catch of fish so big he can't even haul it in. Right. And he says to Jesus at that point you can find this in the Gospel of Luke. Depart from me.

I'm a wicked man. Jesus says to him do not fear. From now on you'll be catching men. And so I'm detecting a repeat here the similar details. They went out fishing caught nothing all night. The setup is perfect.

The Holy Spirit knows how to tell a good story. And so Jesus was on the shore and they didn't recognize him. They were still about a hundred yards out. So they didn't recognize it. Was Jesus and said to them children do you have any fish.

And then he's in. They answered him no. And you can hear the despondency in their voice. Right. So he said to them well cast the net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some kind of advice. Is that right.

Apparently from Jesus. It's good advice. So they cast it. And now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter it is the Lord.

And when Simon Peter heard it was the Lord. He put on his outer garment for he was stripped for work and he threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish for they were not far from the land but about a hundred yards off.

When they got out of the land out on the land they saw a charcoal fire in place. There it is again Peter denied Christ over a charcoal fire. And now the question is what's Jesus gonna do. You're gonna note here the way the world thinks the way this is supposed to happen.

Have you know it's like so I follow baseball. Right. And every single year during spring training you have athletes. You have baseball players who are doing their best to make the team. Right. And always when you get towards the end of the spring season and right before opening day there's got to be cuts.

Some guys are gonna make it to the big leagues. Other guys are gonna be kicked back down to the minors maybe next year. Right. And you would note that as far as I'm concerned if Peter were playing for the Dodgers Jesus should have kicked him all the way back down to single A if not washed him out altogether.

Is that not right. Because there we are. We're right at game day here Jesus is about to be crucified. And Peter flat out denies that he's gonna deny Christ then denies him three times and he's just completely bifted.

How is he supposed to be the great apostle Peter. And what should happen at this point is that Jesus is warming his hands over the charcoal fire says to Peter dude I gotta cut you. You're not. You didn't make the team.

Okay. We're gonna we're gonna bring up some other guy and he's gonna take your place. But it's been nice knowing you. We have some lovely consolation prizes to give to you. And here's a bus ticket you know back to your house.

That's the way this is supposed to go the way the world thinks. But you remember this in our gospel text. Peter did not understand what Jesus was about Jesus after after he had made that great confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Jesus then began at that point to tell his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem that he was going to suffer many things and that he was going to be killed. But on the third day be raised Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him.

Who rebukes the Son of God. Good grief. I always like to point out at this point text should say. Thus perished Peter. Okay this is like an eternity limiting move. Right. He rebuked Jesus far be it from you Lord you.

This shall never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter get behind me Satan. You are a hindrance to me. For you were not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man. You'll note that it is the glory of God to pardon sinners is the glory of God to forgive those who are ungodly rebels who have transgressed his holy law to pardon them reconcile them to himself and to adopt them back into the family of God and give them hope of the resurrection to eternal life.

All is a gift because Christ has paid the cost. Peter was thinking in worldly terms. Christ was thinking in terms that only God can think. Take up your cross. Then Jesus says. But back to our story here.

Do you have any fish. No. So Peter now recognizes it's the Lord after the big quantity of fish that they had caught and he put out his armor garment and then he threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish for they were not far off.

There's a charcoal fire now in place with the fish laid out on it and bread. And Jesus said to them bring some of the fish that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish 153 of them.

And although there were so many the net was not torn. And Jesus said to them come and have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared. Ask him who are you. They knew it was the Lord and Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them.

And so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And when they had finished breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of John do you agape me more than these.

Now agape is a big word when it comes to love. Now when we think about love kind of three main ways we think about it. And unfortunately in English we only have like one word that's supposed to catch all of this.

Right. When we think about love we could start with the the city of Philadelphia. Phileo is one of the terms for love and it has to do with brotherly love and brotherly affection. Indeed you know that's that's.

That's a thing you'll note that men who fought in battles together who've been trench buddies or you know shared a foxhole together and been shot at by the enemy. They have a bond that's super hard to break.

They are a band of brothers. This is what brotherly love is talking about here. Then there's the one that everybody knows about because it's everywhere and that's Eros. Okay. And let's just say that has to do with human sexuality and everybody everywhere is always having them their sexual appetites scintillated and tempted by all this kind of stuff.

And they everybody claims that that's the most important love belogna. Right. Okay now granted Eros is truly a gift from God but it's to be used in only a one context and that is marriage between a man and a woman.

But agape love holy smokes. That's like this unconditional sacrificial love God so agape the world. Right. That's what we're talking about. So Jesus asked Simon Peter do you agape me more than these. Do you think Peter can answer that question in the affirmative.

No. I just denied you three times. Jesus of course I can't say that I agape you. So he said to him yes Lord you know that I phileo you huh. And then Jesus said to the said to him feed my lambs. Wait. What he made.

The team. Oh no way not Peter. Now this charcoal stuff is important. Feed my lambs. So he said to him a second time Simon son of John do you agape me. He said to him yes Lord you know that I phileo you tend my sheep huh.

I'm beginning to catch something here. How many times did Peter deny Christ. Three times. He's now had this question asked of him twice and been told to feed Christ's sheep twice. So he said to him a third time Simon John of son of John do you phileo me.

Now Jesus matches the word that he keeps using. Right. Do you phileo me. Now Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you phileo me. So he said to him Lord you know everything. And you know that I love you.

And Jesus said to him feed my sheep. And truly I say to you when you were young you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted. But when you are old he will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you to where you do not want to go.

And this he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. Not only did he forgive him because Christ has bled and died for him he was the sacrifice in the altar for Peter's sins and yours and mine.

He restores him to his disciple ministry and makes him one of his disciples and assures him all you remember all that bragging and bravado that you gave saying I'll never deny you. And even if they have to kill me.

Guess what. Peter you're right. Because when he was old he was arrested by Nero the Roman Emperor. He and his wife his wife was crucified the day before him. And then he was crucified the next day upside down because he didn't see himself worthy of dying the same death as Christ burning coals.

Overcoming Evil With Good and the Shape of Christian Life

Indeed. Let's come back to our epistle text. Repay no one evil for evil. No one give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. And if it is possible so far as it depends on you live peaceably with all.

Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to the wrath of God. And God's wrath isn't for now. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of God's mercy. The day of wrath is coming when Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead.

But today is the day we get to preach the gospel. We get to call sinners to repentance. Tell them the good news that Christ has bled and died for their sins. Forget the vengeance bit. That's not your responsibility.

The vengeance bit belongs to God. So mind your own business. Stay in your own lane. To the contrary if your enemy is hungry you feed him. He's thirsty. Give him something to drink. For by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

And now we know what that means. By so doing will convict him of his sin. And maybe like you and I and like Isaiah and Peter our enemy will be forgiven. And we no longer have to call him enemy but instead can call him brother or call her sister.

Do not overcome evil but overcome evil but with evil but overcome evil with good indeed. And so brothers and sisters that's exactly what has happened for us as evil and wicked as we are and have been and continue to be.

Christ has bled and died for our sins and he wills for us to forgive as he has forgiven us. Is that not what we pray in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Yeah. People are going to hurt your feelings. People are gonna punch you in the face. People are going to annoy you. They're going to do things that you don't like that you don't approve of. And they're going to do things against you.

So what are you gonna do about it. Let your love be genuine. You're agape abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Have you ever stopped to think that every single church conflict is a friendly fire incident.

Tragically so sinfully. So we are admonished by virtue of the fact that we are the forgiven to excel in forgiving and loving the way we have been loved and forgiven by Christ. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not be slothful and zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice and hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer and contribute to the needs of the Saints. And seek to show hospitality.

And bless those who persecute you. Bless them. Do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Isn't that exactly what Christ did there. He's nailed to the cross. He's being murdered.

And as soon as they hoist his corpse up so that everybody can see it. Jesus praise father. Forgive them. They know not what they're doing. Notice he didn't rally the armies of heaven and send fire and brimstone from outer space to burn up Jerusalem.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty. Associate with the lowly. Never be conceited rape. Repay no one evil for evil. Give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If we had no other list than this list of the good works that Christ has called us to as baptized penitent forgiven.

Pardon sinners. If we had no other list than this list and you applied yourself to it every day of your life with all of your heart he would still not succeed in sucking the marrow out of every bit of it and truly obeying it.

And it's a beautiful picture. Imagine what a wonderful church a world this would be if only we heeded the voice of our Lord. May he grant us forgiveness for every single infraction of this text. Where we have sought our own way.

Where we have pushed back with gruff against those who have annoyed us or done something that slided or upset us. May God have mercy on us and forgive us. And take our heart of stone and give us a warm heart of flesh not only for God but for each other.

May he grant us true repentance. And may this be exemplified in us to the glory of his name in the name of Jesus. Amen. If you.

Would like to support the teaching ministry of kungsvinger lutheran church. You can do so by sending a tax-free donation to kungsvinger lutheran church 15950 470th Avenue Northwest Oslo Minnesota 56744 and again that address is kungsvinger lutheran church 15950 470th Avenue Northwest Oslo Minnesota 56744.

We thank you for your support. All of our teaching messages may be freely distributed as long as you do not edit or change the content of the message. And again thank you for listening.