The Real Thing

The Rev. Joseph Winston

January 27, 2008

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
All throughout the United States, the rallying cry of many different industries
is, “Beware of counterfeits.” Software companies continually ask us in advertise-
ments if we are using the genuine article. The music and movie industry continue
the same theme. They tell us to stay away from pirated products that you download
from the Internet. With all this rhetoric about forgeries, it might appear that these
manufactures are concerned about our well-being. Unfortunately, these industries
are not concerned about protecting us from defective products produced by phony
businesses. Instead, these different manufacturers are simply looking for ways to
maximize their profitability.
Counterfeits cost companies. In the United States alone, it was estimated that
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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the software industry lost 9.2 billion dollars from piracy in 2003. The music in-
dustry calculated that it lost 4.6 billion in the US during the same time frame.
Worldwide, the movie industry thinks it lost 3.3 billion dollars in 2003.
The software, music, and movie industries have attacked this rampant piracy
by education, identification, and lawsuits. These different businesses have been
reminding us that taking anything without the owner’s expressed permission is
simply theft. When one rips software, music, or movies illegally, people are hurt.
Some people will not get their royalties and others will not be paid for the efforts.
Not only do these industries have advertisements that tell consumers why they
should not make illegal copies but they also have now made it easier to distinguish
a copy from the original. Currently, CDs and DVDs have fancy artwork, which is
more difficult to copy. If these two approaches do not work, the industries will be
happy to throw the law at you.
The concern for finding counterfeits is not limited to the digital world of soft-
ware, music, and movies. People want to know what they are getting themselves
into whether it be a fashion handbag from a big name designer, a piece of fine
art by a famous artist, or even a worshipping community that they would like to
join. For some things it is relatively easy to see if an item is genuine or not. A
true fashion handbag needs to look and feel like the real thing. This information
is fairly easy to obtain. However, discerning the authenticity of fine art is more
problematic. You will have to find someone who is an authority in the field who
will tell you that the item is genuine. If you do not do this, then you run the risk of
being disappointed when the artwork is appraised by a dealer. More importantly,

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finding a true Church is even harder still. What exactly distinguishes the real thing
from a fraud?
Today’s Gospel lesson from Matthew provides us with a clear answer to this
very difficult question.
The text starts out with the rather ominous message that John the Baptizer has
been arrested by Herod and then put into jail (Matthew 4:12). The response of
Jesus to this news is a strategic retreat. He leaves His home in Nazareth (Matthew
2:23) and moves to the more isolated area of Capernaum (Matthew 4:13). It is
from this region of the world called Galilee that He begins His public ministry.
Christ’s message for the people of Galilee is simple and it exactly echoes the
words of John the Baptizer. Stop running away from God and turn around because
God’s kingdom is here (Matthew 4:13). This proclamation by Jesus is the first
indication of what constitutes a Church.
The Gospel then turns its attention to the calling of the first disciples and it
provides us with our second clue on where the Church can be found. Jesus calls
out to two brothers, Andrew and Peter (Matthew 4:18). He tells them to abandon
their business and follow Him (Matthew 4:19). They listen to Jesus and join Him
(Matthew 4:20). Next, Jesus comes upon another family business. Once again, He
asks two brothers to follow Him (Matthew 4:21). They also leave behind their nets
and their boats and become disciples (Mathew 4:22).
We are given the final indicator of the Church’s location when Jesus once again
focuses His attention on the people of Galilee (Matthew 4:23). He goes into the
Jewish synagogues and preaches to them the Good News, more commonly known

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as the Gospel to them (Matthew 4:23).2 Outside and among those who could not
attend synagogue because of their diseases, Jesus cures those who are ill.
As shown in the earlier examples of the purse and the artwork, an external au-
thority is needed to discriminate an original from a fraudulent copy. In the hand-
bag’s case, it was the designer and the manufacturer that fashioned the purse.
While a sophisticated shopper might have enough information to decide if the
handbag was a counterfeit, the final decision can only be made by those involved
in the purse’s creation. Likewise, the ultimate decision whether or not an item of
art is genuine is the artist because they are the one who produced the art. There-
fore, the only One who can determine a true Church is Jesus because He created
the Church through His life and death.
As seen in today’s lesson, the Church is not the assembly of believers because
this would mean that only the saved attend. Christ’s preaching throughout the
Gospel according to St. Matthew shows that some people will never listen no
matter who is sent. The Church is not a building either. Jesus’ work along the
coastline when He calls the disciples conclusively proves this point. Instead, the
genuine Church is where Christ is.3
This morning, we heard a large part of Christ’s work on earth. Jesus called for
2
Calling the synagogues Jewish is not redundant. The Bible speaks of the time when Jews and
followers of Jesus worshiped together. The author of Matthew knows this and one can hear the pain
of being tossed out of the synagogue. One indicator of their former life together is found in this
verse. The author tells us that Jesus went to “their synagogues.” In other words, Christ preached at
a place that remained Jewish.
3
The Lutheran definition of the Church is where the “Gospel is taught purely and the sacra-
ments administered rightly.” Augsburg Confession, VII, 2, Theodore G. Tappert et al., editors, The
Book of Concord, (Fortress Press, 1959), p. 32.

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repentance since the kingdom of heaven was at hand. He called the disciples to
follow Him. Jesus preached in the synagogue. He healed the sick.
This same work is carried on by Jesus in the Church today. He speaks the Word
that we need to change to every human that has ever lived. He still calls disciples
to follow Him. He still proclaims God’s acceptance of everyone in places that will
not hear Him. He still heals the sick.
How is all of this done today? How does Jesus continue to do the work that
He started two thousand years in Galilee?
On the one hand, we do not know how Jesus tells everyone to stop their de-
structive behavior. We really have no idea how He selects men and women to
learn from Him. We do not understand how He can stand the continual rejection
by those people who He wants to love. The healing that Jesus brings is yet one
more thing that we cannot fathom.
On the other hand, we recognize that Jesus has us participate in some way
or another in every one of His tasks. He uses individuals like you and me to tell
others to stop running away from God. He invites ordinary people to participate
in the mystery of the kingdom. He walks with us as we present His message and
stays beside us when people do not want to hear Him. He heals through miracles
and medicine.
What distinguishes an authentic Church from a forgery is that a true Church
must do what Jesus did two thousand years ago in Galilee. The real Church
preaches, teaches, and lives Christ’s message of Good News. The genuine Church
tells people that God loves you just as you are. The legitimate Church reminds oth-

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ers that this is nothing that you can do to earn this love and there is nothing that
you can do to make God stop loving you. The bona fide Church tells individuals
to stop turning their backs on Jesus.
Regrettably, counterfeiting is on the rise in the world of faith. One of the most
popular forms of forgeries in this area could be titled the “shiny trinket.” In the
world of jewelry fraud, what happens is that a cheap base material is covered with
something that looks pretty. The scam happens when the counterfeiter tells you
that this item is solid gold or silver. After wearing the jewelry for a short while,
the covering wears off and you soon realize that you have been taken.
This type of fraud is all around us. The huckster tells you that a true Christian
is a person who is financially blessed by God. “Look around,” they say, “and see
all the shiny items that God has given us.” If you want to join this successful
crowd, then all that you need to do is to send me one tenth of your money to show
your commitment to God and live the right life. After trying this for a while, you
soon realize what a scam it really is. Anyone who has not hit the big times after
a few months is told that they are doing something wrong. Perhaps you are not
trusting God enough. It could be that your life is not quite right. Maybe you kept
back something from your offering to God. You soon realize that your hard earned
money has gone into their pockets.
Today’s Gospel lesson reminds us that God not only provides us with the king-
dom of heaven but He also shows us its precise location. The kingdom is here with
us today because Jesus is here with us.
We know that Jesus is here because He promised to be with us when we have

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gathered in His name (Matthew 18:19). We are certain that He has come to this
place since the Word of God has been proclaimed to us. He are positive that Jesus
will be at His Meal because He promised us that He would always be at His Table
(Matthew 26:29).
Jesus has come to be with us and to show us the kingdom of heaven, not
because we deserve to have Him here with us or that we must know where the
kingdom is located. Rather, Jesus is here with us because He loves us and wants
to make sure that we receive the genuine article and not some counterfeit.
The identification of counterfeit articles requires some knowledge about the
original. Jesus has come to you and given you the ability to distinguish the real
deal from some poor substitute.
In our cities and towns, there are many people who have been given a forgery
instead of the genuine article. Go and show them the real thing so they are not
fooled by counterfeiters.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”4

References

Tappert, Theodore G. et al., editors, The Book of Concord, (Fortress Press, 1959).

4
Philippians 4:7.