Ignore It

TITLE: Ignore It
DATE: June 1, 2019
TEXT: 1 John 2 : 1-2 – ESV -  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 
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Every once in a while I get a letter from a person who is not satisfied with our devotions. That usually takes me back to the first time I spoke on The Lutheran Hour. On Monday I came i n and said, “Is there any reaction?”

I was told, “Pastor, we have had 15 phone calls and 17 emails saying you prayed The Lord’s Prayer the wrong way. And 30 people don’t like the way you say, “Jesus.’“

“How do you pray The Lord’s Prayer the wrong way?”, I asked. “

I was told:

• “The liturgists want you to know “Ah-men” is for singing, “Ay-men” is for speaking.”
• Others were put off when you said, “Hallow-ed. It’s not ‘hallow-ed be Thy Name”, it’s one word: hallowed.”
• Someone said you shouldn’t say “daily bread, it ought be “daily bread.”
• A few said I prayed too fast.
• A minister in Bah-ston wanted to know what is “da kingdom and da power and da glory.” He added my Chicago accent was painful and (he was sure) I was the one responsible for his migraine.

Thus began my career as speaker. For a long time I wondered just how I should respond.

I found my answer the day Ossie Hoffmann came into the office. I asked him what he had done with those painful reactions. He summed  up his response this way, “Klaus”, he said, “If there is merit to what they have said, I try to change it in the future. If their criticism is off the mark, I write to them and say, “Thank you for your insightful observation. I shall give it all the attention it deserves.” And then I ignore it.”

It was good advice and in following Ossie’s suggestion I learned to try and ignore what had been unfairly said. Trying to ignore things was the best I could do.

But Jesus didn't just ignore the sins we have committed against the Trinity. He didn't just pretend our transgressions didn't hurt.

Centuries before, Isaiah had promised: “he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah was right.

 Jesus invested His entire life in winning our complete and total forgiveness. He lived, suffered and died so we might be declared innocent of any and all wrong doing.

Now it’s our privilege to tell others of Jesus’ love… a love which doesn’t ignore sin, it erases it.

PRAYER: Father, help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. This I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html