Holy Innocents – Matthew 2: 13-18 – December 28, 2025

Who will comfort Rachel in her bitter weeping? She refuses to be comforted, because her children are no more. Worse than that, the Rachel here is not one, but many: Rachel was the wife of Jacob, the father of Israel, and her grave lies near Bethlehem. As a mother of Israel, the women of Bethlehem are poetically her daughters; and who will comfort them now that their children are no more?

I will tell you this right away, lest you be disappointed: This Gospel lesson is a haunting text, and this is a funeral sermon for the worst of situations. It will be hard to comfort these mothers, and they will still be mourning when we leave them. But when we are done, though they mourn, it will not be as those who have no hope.

The story is as straightforward as it is grotesque. Herod is king of Judea, a deranged tyrant consumed with keeping his throne. He was married once upon a time, and his lovely wife gave him two sons.

To make sure that they would not overthrow him, Herod has had all three put to death. The evil of this act alone has led Caesar Augustus to say, “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son. The pig has a much longer life expectancy.”

It is to Herod that the wise men come and say, “Where is He who is born King of the Jews, for we have seen His star in the East.” What is this? Is there another King of the Jews? This is what Herod dreads most; he is troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him. He interrogates the wise men, commands them to find this king and report back. When they flee the country, he is furious; and it is in that fury that he conceives his plan, makes his choice. His own life will be better if he is the only king, so any potential rival must be dealt with. If he cannot find the specific Baby around Bethlehem, then he will kill every little boy less than two years old.

The soldiers go out and do exactly that, and no one can charge that it is illegal. It is perfectly legal, because what the king says is law and Herod is the king, so he makes the law. It is also a fulfillment of prophecy, from Jeremiah 31:15: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

But Herod fails to kill Jesus, because Jesus’ time has not yet come: He has much to do and fulfill and endure before He dies. An angel warns Joseph of what Herod is up to; and by the time the soldiers arrive, the Baby Jesus is safely on His way to Egypt.

But that is little consolation the following day around Bethlehem. A voice is heard: lamentation, weeping and great mourning as these daughters of Rachel weep. They refuse to be comforted, and what shall we say? “There, there; don’t cry. Everything will be okay”? Such phrases are so futile as to be patently offensive. It is not going to be okay. They weep for their sons who are no more.

There is no comfort that will take away their mourning; but there is comfort that will give them hope even as they grieve. The “Slaughter of the Innocents” fulfills the prophecy from Jeremiah 31:15; but do not neglect the two verses that follow: “Thus says the LORD: Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border.” “Your children shall come back to their own border,” promises the Lord. But how can this be?

It can be because of the Child who is whisked to Egypt. The King of the Jews who is born in Bethlehem is chosen by God for the redemption of the world. His journey to Egypt is part of His journey to the cross so that, despite the sin and evil of the world, there is the hope of eternal life after death. The One who escaped death that night will go to the cross and suffer the eternal death of all who die.

But not all are saved, so how can these mothers be sure that God’s redemption is for their sons? The answer may surprise you: For them at that time, the answer is circumcision. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord declared that baby boys were to be circumcised on the 8th day of life; and that mark meant that they were part of Israel, part of His holy people (Gen. 17:10f). So, in the midst of that unimaginable grief, there was this hope of the mothers: “My son was circumcised, and there God promised that my son belonged to Him; and although he is not here with me, I am sure that my boy is with the Lord.”

What if, perchance, Herod’s soldiers killed a baby boy who was less than 8 days old? There was still hope: David and Bathsheba’s first son died on the seventh day, yet David said he would go to be with him (2 Sam. 12:23). You see, where the child would die before the Lord’s plan for man could go into effect, God was not helpless or uncaring. The people would commend the child to the Lord’s mercy, because God is a merciful God.

There is no way to make this text into a cheery one, for nothing can remove the horror of Herod’s slaughter; but even on that day of death, the Lord was faithful to those sons; and He was faithful to them for the sake of His only-begotten Son, carried to Egypt on His way to the cross.

So, before we turn to some application, we especially note a couple of things from this text.

First, Scripture clearly teaches that rejection of the Lord leads to death; and truly, death awaits us all.

However, the more one rejects the Lord, the less one values His gift of life; and the more one is apt to permit, even pursue, the death of others. Hideous though it be, Herod chose to kill little children to make sure that his life and throne were not jeopardized, even though Christ was never a threat to him.

Second, we note the remarkable faithfulness of God. Herod’s crime is despicable beyond words, but not at all uncommon. Anyone who pictures biblical times as the “good old days” is seriously mistaken. Wars were fierce, conquerors were brutal, and infanticide was simply a given in times both of war and peace. Sinful man put little value on human life, and this foul stench reached the Lord in heaven. Yet, true to His promise, God still sent His Son into the world, knowing full well that sinful man would crucify Him. And then, the Lord used His Son’s death not as further justification for destroying mankind, but for man’s salvation.

With that in mind, we remember this day the “Holy Innocents, Martyrs,” those little boys who were victims of Herod’s sin. They are innocent in the sense that, though conceived and born in sin, they committed no crime against Herod that deserved death. They are martyrs, ones who testify, because their innocent deaths testified to the hatred that sin has for life, and more importantly pointed to the Innocent One who would die for the sins of the world. And because of Jesus’ death, they are holy: They are redeemed by His cross, forgiveness surely given them in that Old Testament rite of circumcision.

Rachel still weeps as we leave the text, but she is not without hope. For the sake of Christ, the Word proclaimed through Jeremiah is true: There is hope in your future… that your children shall come back to their own border. Their own border is the kingdom of heaven, freely given by their faithful Savior. There, they live forever.

There is nothing worse than the death of a child. In the seventeen years in the ministry, I have done many funerals, I have said prayers for miscarriages, but I thankfully have not yet had to do a funeral for a little one, and I pray fervently that the streak continues. The grim horror of death is never more terrible or maddening than when it takes a young life, and it is something I really do not relish even talking about.

Still, it does happen; and it would be foolish of us to pretend that it does not. But even more to the point, we speak of it for a better reason: Even when death strikes such a cold blow, we have comfort and hope to offer those who grieve; a comfort and hope that will not disappoint.

It is here, dear friends in Christ, that you and I give especial thanks for Holy Baptism. Circumcision was of the Old Testament, and that mark upon baby boys pointed to the seal of Baptism for boys and girls both. By Holy Baptism, the Lord washes away the sins of even the smallest infant. He shares his death and resurrection with that child; and no matter how long or short that child’s life in this world, the Lord has already given him eternal life. There is no command to wait even eight days, and one can be baptized as soon as he is born.

No matter how hard I, or any other parent, try to protect our children, we do not know what tomorrow brings. I have an inkling of the hideous grief that would come with the death of a child, and the inkling is enough for me not to explore the thought further. This is why I give thanks for the gift of Holy Baptism. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, the Lord has given my kids forgiveness and faith and eternal life by water and the Word. I have no doubt that a tragedy of that enormity would shatter me for life; but that hope of Christ would not disappoint.

This is the comfort and hope that we gently offer to those who suffer the loss of a child: Christ was born a little baby in Bethlehem, to redeem all people and nations, little children included. He promises forgiveness and faith and life, and He gives these gifts most certainly in Holy Baptism. Are you baptized? Then He has given them to you. Do not forsake this precious gift, for there is eternal life.

This is why, as soon as possible in this unpredictable and dying world, we fervently urge parents to get their children to the baptismal font. As soon as possible.

Still, there will be parents who must grieve the death of a child who never had a chance to make it to the font. I speak of a child who is miscarried or stillborn, or one who is born but dies unexpectedly before Baptism. We make clear this news as well: There is still hope for such children as these; as we mentioned with the son of David and Bathsheba earlier, the Lord is still able to save such a one.

He binds us to His means of grace, but He does not limit Himself to them. Therefore, when a child dies before Baptism is possible, we commend such a one to the mercies of God. This is part of His unsearchable judgments (Ro. 11:33), and we have no clear Word from the Lord. However, the Lord is merciful; and while David certainly could not call in favors from the Lord because of his own righteousness, he still declared that he would go to his son, whom the Lord had saved by His mercy alone. Those who have lost a child before birth or Baptism may still look forward with hope to meeting that one in the Lord’s presence.

However, where you are able to baptize the child, then by all means baptize the child. It is far better and more sure to say, “My child is certainly forgiven by means of Baptism” than, “As far as I know, the Lord will have mercy.”

The death of unborn children leads us to one more subject that we cannot ignore, given the story in the Gospel lesson today. In our own nation, millions of innocents are robbed of life by medical procedure before they are ever born. I speak, of course, of the wickedness of abortion. Boiled down to simplest terms, the justification for abortion is much like Herod: “I do not want this child, and I choose to have my life without this child.” The “morning-after pill” is available without prescription at your local pharmacy, along with cough drops and aspirin. Infanticide is available over the counter, off the rack. If it was better to be Herod’s pig than his sons, it is apparently much safer to be a whale or spotted owl than it is to be a human being these days. Lord, have mercy.

“That’s different!”, you might hear. But really, not all that different. In both cases, the law of the land permits the taking of innocent life, and perhaps our current situation is more reprehensible, besides the sheer numbers involved: In Matthew 2, those boys died because of one tyrant’s madness. Now, it is permitted ostensibly because it is “the will of the people.” We Christians are sometimes criticized for making abortion a “litmus test” of society. That is fine with me: This issue betrays whether one sees life either as sacred or disposable, and that will have a profound effect on all that you are.

There is one other thing that makes today’s situation even worse, though you will not hear about it in the news coverage: Abortion robs its victims of the opportunity for Holy Baptism. Not only does it rob a child of life in this world, but it seeks to rob that child of eternal life. The Lord desires to share His death and resurrection at the font with each one for whom He has died on the cross; man destroys the child before he ever has such a chance.

Even then, however, we offer this comfort: Where man in his wickedness deprives unborn little ones of opportunity for Baptism, the Lord remains merciful. Once again, this is a matter of His secret things (Deut. 29:29) and unsearchable judgments (Ro. 11:33); but we commend such children to the merciful Lord who saved David’s son on the 7th day, praying that He would gather them into His loving arms forever as a hen gathers her chicks. The Lord is merciful, and the Lord is faithful. That is the hope that will not disappoint.

As this sermon draws near to an end, you may feel a bit more saddened than when you arrived here, and may thus view this preaching as a great disappointment. The sadness, however, is not the fault of the Gospel; it is a recognition of the death wish of the world. But where sadness comes, cling to the Gospel all the more, for it will not disappoint. Not now, not ever. Even should we be given to endure the grief of a child’s death, Christ’s life remains for such little ones and for us. Death will, at times, strike the cruelest of blows; but death is already defeated in Christ, who raises both young and old to everlasting life. That life is given to the people of God, to you and to your children, with such simple words as these: “I baptize you, and thus forgive you all of your sins, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advent 4 – John 1:19-28 – December 21, 2025

The people who come to John are talking about Christ but they do not know who He is. This should sound familiar. The word Christ is on everyone’s lips these days. People cannot help it. It is Christmas time. They are saying, Merry Christmas, they have the word Christ on their tongues. But most do not know the Christ of Christmas and even fewer have any idea what the mass of Christmas is (mass is just a word for Divine Service, for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper). So John said to the Pharisees and priests who are asking him whether he is the Christ, “There stands One among you whom you do not know.” That is Jesus. From the time of John the Baptizer till now, the word “Christ” has been on people’s lips, but who this Christ is, what Christmas is, that belongs to those who hear the voice of the one calling in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.

John calls himself a voice. The voice is what sends out the word. And who it is speaking does not really matter. John refuses any title. He is not the Christ, obviously, so he could not have claimed that one. But he could have claimed to be Elijah. Jesus calls him Elijah. He is not literally Elijah revisiting the earth, but he does come in the spirit of Elijah to prepare for the coming of Christ. He could have claimed that. And he is not the prophet, but he is a prophet, and the greatest of them, as Jesus says, but he will not claim that either. This is because who he is personally is irrelevant. What he says is what matters.

There are two errors that people fall into when it comes to pastors, and you see them both here clearly in these questions to John the Baptist. The first is that people think there is something special about pastors, like they have special powers. People will think that a pastor praying is somehow more effective than any other Christian praying. Or that the forgiveness spoken by a pastor is more or greater than the forgiveness spoken by any Christian. The Roman Catholics actually teach this – they call it the indelible character. The idea is that when a priest gets ordained there is a power transferred to him, so that he now has the power in himself as a priest to make the bread and wine Jesus’ body and blood, or now he has the power in himself to forgive sins. But the power is not in him. The power to make that bread and wine the body and blood of Jesus is in the word and command of Jesus. And the power to forgive sins is in the word of Christ crucified for you, not in the priest and not in the pastor. That is why John calls himself a voice.

But the opposite error is to say that pastors have no authority at all. That since it is the word that matters, we do not need some position of authority to speak that word. We only need the word. But who is going to speak the word? Why was John speaking it? Why was he out there in camel hair, eating locusts, and baptizing and preaching? Because God told him to. Because God called him to it. Because God gave him the words to speak. St. Paul says, “How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent?” Jesus sent out the apostles first and now through His Church he continues to call and send pastors to preach the word. That is what we heard last week in the epistle reading, “Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)

John obviously holds an office. He is a prophet, a pastor. But he does not appeal to himself as the authority. He appeals to the word he preaches. Because it is not his word, it is God’s, and the word is not about him, it is about Jesus. That is the pastor’s office, to be a voice for God.

So John calls himself a voice, but it is a voice crying in the wilderness. John cried in the wilderness literally. But when he says “in the wilderness” he is not talking about the wilderness of Palestine by the Jordan River. He is not talking about a certain geographical place or time. He is talking about your wilderness. This is biblical talk. Adam and Eve were cast out of paradise and into the wilderness because of their sin. The people of Israel wandered the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land, because they were disobedient. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness. The wilderness is where the devil is, where the curse is, it is the world of sin and death and temptation and pain; it is our world, the wilderness we live in.

No one is going to hear and pay attention to a voice crying in the wilderness if he thinks he is in a paradise. Where there is no recognition of our sin, no fear of God’s wrath and judgment, no realization of the curse of death upon us, people are not going to listen to the voice of John that calls men to repentance. This is why the voice crying in the wilderness is not always pleasant. God sent John and He sends every faithful preacher to speak the word that shows the wilderness for what it is. And this word is specific. It is not simply a general proclamation that you are sinners.

John ended up in prison for the specificity of his preaching: he told King Herod that he had sinned by taking his brother’s wife as his own. John said the ax is laid to the roots of the tree, and everyone who does not repent will be cut down. He told tax collectors to stop stealing, soldiers to stop bullying. So what is your lack?  What is it that makes your life a desert? Have you lusted for what is not yours, have you acted on your lust; have you envied what other people have, as if God is not taking care of you; have you nursed your pride and been angry with people for not giving you the attention you think you deserve; have you held on to grudges; have you overindulged in drink; have you gossiped about others instead of defending them and speaking well of them; have you been afraid of dying; have you doubted God and His promises; have you ignored your Creator; have you been obsessed with the trivialities of the secular Christmas season and worried about money? Whatever it is, the voice cries in the wilderness, “Repent.”

Make straight the way of the Lord. That is what John preaches, what God told him to preach and the message is for you. How can you possibly make straight the way of the Lord? Jesus is the Way. That is what Christmas is all about. You see the wilderness of your life, the sin, the pain, the death, and you need a way through it, and Jesus comes. He does not demand that you make up for your sin. He does not insist that you turn the desert into a paradise. He knows very well you cannot. He comes to sinners who know their sin and want to do better but cannot find it in themselves to be pure and holy. He comes to mortals who cannot take away the curse of death. And He comes with love and forgiveness and with life everlasting and peace with God. He makes rivers spring up in the desert, as Isaiah says.

Look who this is who comes to you. “There stands one among you who comes after me though he was before me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie.” He is God. He is our Creator. He is the Almighty. He is the everlasting Son of the Father. And He stands among us. Not to condemn us or punish us, but to save us. He became a little baby on Christmas. He came to bear our sins on the cross. The very next verse after our Gospel for this morning, is John’s words, as he points to Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

There stands One among us whom we do know. He is our Savior. He is Christ our Lord. We have His name on our lips this Christmas and we know Him, because He has come to us. He became a child for us, He was tempted in the wilderness for us, He took our curse, died our death, bore our sins, and He gives us life. We celebrate Christmas and we take the name of Christ on our lips and we rejoice always. If you are mourning death this Christmas, Christ has conquered death, if you are lonely, He is with you, if you are dealing with sickness and pain, He has borne that too and will relieve you. There is nothing that can rob you of the joy and contentment He brings: life eternal, peace with God. So keep his name on your lips and receive His body and His blood and give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Advent 3 – Matthew11: 2-11 – December 14, 2025

“How can this be?”  On June, 7 1942 as the Japanese Navy was sailing back to Japan, this is what they were asking themselves.  The unthinkable had just happened.  The Japanese had suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Midway. 

For the Japanese, World War II had begun as a string of amazing successes.  The surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a stunning victory. They had quickly conquered Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines and the supposedly impregnable British stronghold of Singapore as victory followed victory.  Japan had achieved all of its initial goals and at the beginning of 1942 the commanders began to plan the next move.

Looking back, the Japanese coined a term to describe their outlook.  The called it “victory disease.”  They had achieved so much success so quickly, that they considered victory to be inevitable.  They overestimated their power and underestimated the Americans.

The American aircraft carriers had been out to sea when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred and had escaped. They had proven to be a continuing threat.  Admiral Yamamoto’s plan was to force them to meet him in battle by attacking Midway Island.  There, his superior numbers would allow him to annihilate the American carriers.

Yamamoto believed that he would outnumber the Americans four to two in aircraft carriers since the U.S.S. Yorktown had just been severely damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea in the beginning of May.  But the Japanese were mistaken on two accounts. First, the Americans worked around the clock and were able to repair the Yorktown so that it was ready for action.

And second, the Americans knew that the Japanese were coming.  American intelligence had cracked the Japanese naval code, and they knew that Midway was the target.  When the Japanese arrived, the American aircraft carriers were already in position and ready to strike.  In the ensuing battle all four Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk – four of the six that had launched the Pearl Harbor attack.  It was what military historian John Keegan has called, “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare.” The Japanese could only ask, “How can this be?”

In our Gospel lesson this morning, John the Baptist sits in prison and is asking the same question: “How can this be?”  Nothing about his ministry was going as he expected it to – which is very troubling when you know for certain that you are a prophet sent by God.  Things were not happening as they were supposed to, and so John sent a question to Jesus by means of his disciples.  He asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

John the Baptist’s ministry had gotten off to an impressive start.  Would you expect anything less?  After all, he was the “prophesied prophet.”  He was the prophet that other prophets had foretold.  We hear one of those prophecies in our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah chapter 40.  As Matthew tells us: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

John was hard to miss – he dressed like Elijah as he wore camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waste.  He dwelt in the wilderness and lived off the land as he ate locusts and wild honey.  People were looking for God to act.  His action in the Old Testament was associated with the wilderness. And so they flocked out to hear John’s message and receive his baptism.  Matthew tells us, “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Even the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to check him out.

John’s message was clear.  He called all to repentance because God was about to act. And John left no doubt about what this action would be.  He said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”  John declared that God was sending the one who would bring the judgment of the Last Day.

This coming one had arrived.  And much to his surprise, Jesus asked to receive John’s baptism.  John wanted to prevent this.  He said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” And so John baptized him.

Now, Jesus had begun his ministry.  John was hearing reports that Jesus was doing amazing things. But he had not brought God’s judgment against sin.  He had not brought the Last Day.  And this fact pressed in on John because of where John the Baptist now found himself.  John had spoken out against King Herod Antipas because he had taken his brother’s wife to be his own.  So Herod Antipas showed John who was king.  He had John thrown in prison.

John asked himself, “How can this be?”  It did not make sense.  And so John sent a question to Jesus via his disciples.  It was the only question that mattered for John. He asked, “Are you the coming One, or should we look for another?”

John’s question is just as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.  The question he asks is the same one – if we are honest – that we wonder about.  We are getting ready to celebrate Christmas.  We will celebrate that the Son of God entered into our world in the incarnation.

But it is easy to wonder, “What difference has it made?”  Sin is still here.  It is present in our lives as we hurt others.  It is present all around us.  It still causes people to get cancer and die.  It still causes violence and murders and wars. The Gospel is not believed by so many people.  It is rejected by people we know – by people who are our friends; by people who are our own family. 

“Are you the coming One, or should we look for another?”  That is the question John asked.  Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Jesus pointed to the miracles that he was doing in his ministry.  Yet he did so in a very special way.  He used language from Isaiah chapters 35 and 61 – language that described God’s end time salvation.  Jesus’ answer is a resounding, “Yes!”  He leaves no doubt.  But then he adds, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Jesus says to you, “I am your Savior … if you are not offended by me.”  Our Lord puts us on notice that he is doing things in ways we do not expect and frankly do not want.  We will see this already at Christmas.  God’s answer to the enormity of sin and evil in the world is a baby lying in a feeding trough for animals.  But at least that scene is cute. Things only get worse because it turns out that his answer is a tortured man dying on a cross. And things do not get any better because he says the answer is now the message about this crucified One – a message that people all around you reject as dumb and stupid.  The answer is water and some words.  The answer is bread and wine on an altar.

Jesus declares that he is the answer.  And blessed is the one who is not offended by him.  Jesus is the incarnate Son of God – true God and true man.  He was present bringing the reign of God in his ministry through his message and miracles. 

Yes, the cross looked like foolishness. But that is because God chose to make the world’s wisdom foolish. St. Paul told the Corinthians: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

The confirmation of this fact occurred in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his resurrection Jesus defeated sin’s most powerful outcome – death.  By Jesus’ death, your sins have been forgiven.  By Jesus’ resurrection, your resurrection and transformation has already started.

Jesus says to you, “I am your Savior … if you are not offended by me.” Jesus was mighty in the midst of humility.  He was powerful in the midst of rejection.  His resurrection and ascension demonstrated this was true.  Now his saving work is mighty in the midst of humility.  His Gospel is powerful in the midst of rejection.

There is no doubt that Jesus’ saving work is humble.  It occurs through a word that is preached, when even people who claim to be members of his church do not bother to show up and hear it.  It occurs through water in a font, and bread and wine on an altar.  But it is mighty for through these means the death of the Son of God becomes yours. Through these means you receive the ability to be in fellowship with the Creator of the universe.

There is no doubt that his Gospel is rejected.  But it is powerful in that is it giving eternal life to all who believe and trust in Jesus.  And it is powerful because the rejection of this Gospel brings eternal damnation.

Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who not offended by me.”  This includes now the life that you live because of Jesus.  Our Lord’s might is now shown in your humility – in your willingness to help and serve others because of Jesus. You have faith in Jesus.  Martin Luther commented on our Gospel lesson that after trusting in Jesus you are to, “think nothing else then to do to your neighbor as Christ has done to you, and let all your works with all your life be directed to your neighbor.  Look for the poor, sick and all kinds of needy; help them, and let it be the practice of your life that they are benefited by you, helping whoever needs you, as much as you possibly can with your body, property and honor.”

Like faith itself, this too will look foolish to the world.  But the whole of the Christian life is founded on the crucified and risen One.   And it lives in the confidence that Jesus is still the coming One. John the Baptist was correct. Jesus is the One who will clear his threshing floor, gather his wheat into the barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.  He is the One who will come in might and irresistible power as he brings judgment upon all who have rejected him and gives resurrection life in the new creation to all who have believed and trusted in him.  Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus – blessed now, and for all eternity.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advent 2 – Romans15:4-13 – December 7, 2025

For someone who had never visited the church at Rome, the apostle Paul certainly knew it pretty well.  You see this in the last chapter of this letter, where Paul spends sixteen verses extending greetings to twenty-six different people, by name, along with others who are related to those individuals in some way.  It is really not surprising.  In the first century, Rome was the center of the Roman world.  It was a magnet that drew people in, and many people that Paul knew had made this journey. 

When scholars discuss the purpose of Paul’s letter to the Romans they often identify three things that are going on.  First, Paul was clearly asking for their support in his planned missionary activity in Spain.  Second and related to this, he knew that the church had heard about issues Paul had encountered regarding the law of Moses and Gentile Christians. Paul wanted to set forth carefully what he believed.  At this time the apostle was looking forward towards his visit to Jerusalem as he brought the offering that Gentile Christians in Greece and Asia Minor had given to help the Jewish Christians there.  He would face the same question in Jerusalem, and so Romans was probably also a “dress rehearsal” of what Paul would say there.

The third reason was related to this second reason.  Paul knew that this very subject was a source of tension in the church at Rome.  The Gentile Christians, whom Paul calls “those who are strong,” knew that the commands of the Torah about food and religious days no longer applied to Christians. However, there were Jewish Christians, whom Paul calls “those who are weak,” who did not understand this. They felt that they were still obligated to do these things and that they would be sinning if they did not. 

This had created disagreement and division between these groups.  While Paul agreed theologically with the strong ones, he also believed that the strong needed to deal with the weak in ways that showed them love and care – ways that looked out for their well being even if it meant denying oneself.  In the letter to Galatians, we see that Paul would never let someone force the views of the weak upon others as if they were necessary for salvation. But when it was a matter of the well being of the weak and how they viewed themselves, he was willing to deny himself to serve them.

Paul has made this very point in the verses just before our text.  He wrote, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’”

The reason that the Roman Christians were to act this way was Jesus Christ. He had not pleased himself.  He had served us by bearing our reproaches on the cross – the punishment and judgment that our sin deserved. And so now as those who have received this gift, we are to serve others.

In our text Paul goes on to say, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul has quoted Psalm 69 in the words, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  The apostle now refers to this and all of the Old Testament as he says that it had been written for our instruction.  It had been written so that we might be able to endure as we are encouraged by the Scriptures. 

Paul has taken a Psalm written by David and said that it was fulfilled in Jesus’ death on the cross.  He is telling us that all of the Old Testament is about Christ.  All of God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus.  They have been fulfilled in the Father’s saving act in giving the Son as the sacrifice for our sin. They have been fulfilled in the Son’s willing self-sacrifice for us.  In the instruction about how God did this working through Israel’s history, we are encouraged by the Scriptures to endure during this life.

This is an important theme of Advent.  As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ in Bethlehem, we reflect upon how this was the fulfillment of everything that God had done through Israel.  It was the fulfillment of God’s promises made in the Old Testament.  In the fulfillment of God’s word we find encouragement.  The God who has kept his word through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be counted on to keep his word about his continuing love and care for us.

But note that in our text this encouragement takes place in the setting of “endurance.”  In fact, Paul describes God as “the God of endurance and encouragement.”  The apostle Paul talks about endurance a lot in his letters.  His view is not that the Christian faith frees you for everything to be great – “your best life now” as one television preacher likes to say.  Instead, he assumes that living in the “not yet” of a world that is still fallen, and a flesh where the old Adam is still present, will be an existence that involves challenges and hardships.  It will include things that require endurance on our part.

This is certainly not what we want to hear.  When circumstances arise that require endurance our reaction is often to complain about God: Why is he doing this to me?  Why is he letting this happen to me?  Yet we can only think and say this if we ignore God’s Word. After all, God tells us clearly that life in the faith will require endurance.

The reason we can endure is because of the encouragement God provides.  God has provided encouragement in Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the Scriptures for us. The Son of God – the creator of the universe – served us.  He put us before himself in order to save us. In his loving action we have received forgiveness and eternal life.  Now that is encouragement.

And in Jesus we have the reason that we now serve others.  Paul says in our text, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”  Jesus served us to give us forgiveness and salvation.  Because of this his Spirit now leads us to serve others.

More often than not, this service is not spectacular.  It is not the kind of thing that will gain the attention of others or “go viral” on the internet.  It occurs in simple ways in the ordinary settings of our marriage and family; school and work; and here in this congregation.  It occurs as you choose to do something that helps someone else, even though that action does nothing for you; especially when that action requires something of you to help another.

In our text Paul says that Jesus served to fulfill the promises of the Old Testament.  He did this not just for Israel, but “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”  As Gentiles we glorify God for this mercy. Paul proceeds to quote a series of Old Testament passages that describe how the Gentiles will do this.  He then concludes with a passage that is very relevant for this Second Sunday in Advent.

Paul writes, “And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.’” And then he adds, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Paul quotes Isaiah chapter 11 as he speaks about the Gentiles hoping in Christ. Then he describes God as the “God of hope” and expresses the wish that by the power of the Holy Spirit the Roman Christians will abound in hope.  Isaiah 11 is the chapter that begins with the words, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.”

The prophet speaks of the Messiah – the descendant of David – upon whom the Spirit will rest.   He is the One who “will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

His reign will be one in which, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” He will bring the time when, “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

This is the hope that we have.  The Gospel lesson this morning speaks about the return of Jesus Christ on the Last Day.  It does so because as Advent prepares us to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, it also points us towards his second coming. The Lord who rose from the dead and was exalted in his ascension will return.  He will bring the resurrection of the dead.  He will bring the renewal of creation.  He will bring the the peace that the prophet Isaiah describes.

And in this, we have hope. Our God is the God of hope.  He has acted to give us hope.  He has acted in Jesus to defeat sin and death. We know that he has already done this and so as Paul says we have “all joy and peace in believing.”  Paul’s wish is that we will be filled with this.  We know that what God has done in Christ points toward a consummation – toward a completion.  And so Paul expresses the desire that “by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

On this Second Sunday in Advent, this is my desire for you as well, that the Spirit lead you to recognize the need for endurance in the present – an endurance that is encouraged by the Scriptures that have been fulfilled by Christ.  And I pray that the Spirit will support you in this endurance with hope – indeed, that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of Jesus we know what we are moving towards.  And we have barely begun to understand how good it will be.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advent01 – Matthew 21: 1-9 –  November 30, 2025

“Behold, your King is coming to you.” Today is the First Sunday in Advent and a new Church Year begins, so, Happy New Year! The old has passed, and Jesus still comes, ushering in another year of grace. Of this we are unworthy, as unworthy as the people of God were on Palm Sunday. Consider for a moment the history of the Church in the Old Testament. The Lord brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, and they praised the Lord at the Red Sea and stood in awe as they heard the Ten Commandments, and then they made a golden calf, and the people repented, and the Lord had mercy. The Lord gave them the land he had sworn to their fathers, and they built the temple in Jerusalem and they set up high places and worshiped false gods. The Lord sent to them persistently by his servants the prophets, and the people were fickle, sometimes committing themselves to the Lord in full devotion, sometimes committing horrible sins. In a word, they were inconstant, unworthy that the King of Glory should enter under their roof.

As we reflect on this past Church Year, we must examine ourselves, and what do we find but that we too have been inconstant. Now there were times, thanks be to God for them, when our souls thirsted for God as the deer pants for the water brooks (Psalm 42:1). We tasted and saw that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). There were times this past year when tribulation had us sore distressed, and though such affliction was not pleasant in itself, which of us would lament the pleasantness that we found in the Word of God and prayer? All earthly help failed and we cried to the Lord in our trouble, and he delivered us from our distress (Psalm 107:6). We sang with the psalmist, “You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:3). There were times when we recognized all the good things that we have received from God and our hearts erupted in thanksgiving for the forgiveness of sins, for life and breath and daily bread, for health and family: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! For his mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1). There were times when temptation came and by the grace of Christ we triumphed over it. We saw the truth of the words in Hebrews 2, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” There were times when we were glad for the duties God has given us to do, and we worked heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23).

But there were also times when our hearts panted for other things, earthly things, unclean things. The conscience felt its nakedness and found once again that fig leaves do not cover anything. There were times when instead of hearing the Word of God with joy, we heard it with apathy, thinking, “I have heard this before,” as if we could get enough of God’s Word. There were times when in the goodness of life we failed to give thanks to God, even though the Scripture says, “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). There were times when in the tribulation of life we neglected prayer, even though the Scripture says, “be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). Instead we looked to our own hands and schemes for deliverance. There were times when temptation came and―Lord, have mercy on us!―we went headlong into it like lambs being led to the slaughter. There were times when the good works God had given us to do seemed like nothing more than tortures and burdens, and we were lax in loving our neighbor.

“Behold, your King is coming to you,” and suddenly those words sound threatening, for we know all too well what the Lord will find. He has been so merciful and good to us, and how have we repaid him? Certainly not as he deserves, and who will help us if he deals with us as we deserve? “If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” (1 Samuel 2:25). Indeed, as the prophet Malachi preaches, “Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” Have we the strength for it? Or shall we not cast ourselves down in the dust along the highway to Zion and clothe our souls in sackcloth and ashes? Shall we not have ready on our lips the words of that holy man Elijah, who said, “O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4)?

But “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble.” He is the King of Glory, the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). And yet he comes humble. He came humbly on Palm Sunday to a people who had been inconstant. He knew the sins of his people. He was fully aware of their past. Yet he came anyway, with mercy in his hand, and he came that way for two reasons. He came first of all because he had promised to do so. The Lord’s promises are a sure foundation on which we can build. He will remain true to them always. We heard one of those promises in the Old Testament reading: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). Nothing would prevent the Lord from fulfilling his promise, as the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” (2Timothy 2:13).

And second, the Lord came humbly and graciously because he wanted to help his people. He is full of compassion, more than we can fathom. Jeremiah speaks of this compassion, “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:6). We know why Jesus was riding toward Jerusalem. He did come as king and he would reign and prosper. But his coronation involved a crown of thorns and his prosperity meant pouring out his blood to give his people life, that they might be able to say, “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Today this same Lord comes again, still in a humble way, still to his unworthy people. Jesus knows full well how inconstant we have been. He knows all our sins in full detail, just as well as he knew the sins of the people on Palm Sunday. He knows our corruption and frailty. This does not keep him away. Rather, he comes precisely to deal with sin by forgiving and to deal with corruption by renewing and to deal with frailty by strengthening. As it says in Psalm 103, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:10-11). So take heart, dear Christians. The Lord will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). You too have a promise from him, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

So this Church Year the Lord will come to us and be with us according to his promise. Of that you can be certain. And he will certainly continue to come for the second reason also: he still desires to be your help. Think about that. The Lord of glory, who could obliterate sinful man from the earth in a second and be done with the trouble of dealing with us, does not want to be done with the trouble of dealing with us. Rather he wants to make your trouble his trouble. Yes, as surely as he once made your sins his sins and was made to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), so surely does he want to make all your troubles his troubles. He has no thought of destroying you from the earth, but has every intention of keeping you steadfast through life on this earth and conducting you to himself in heaven.

This means there are certain things you can expect from Jesus this Church Year, the same things you have been able to expect from him every Church Year. To be clear, this expectation is not presumptuous, nor do we bring with it a sense of entitlement. We know what we deserve, but our expectation is based on the gracious coming of our Lord. We can say, “Lord, I am worthy of no good thing. You know my sin and inconstancy. But you came to me in my sin and inconstancy, while I was still your enemy, not because of my merit but because of your mercy. And so you have taught me to expect mercy from you, and indeed I will, because I know you want me to. Dear Jesus, you do not want me to expect wrath and condemnation from you. If you had wanted me to expect that, you would have come in a far different way than you did on Palm Sunday. But you came humbly, righteous and having salvation. You foretold it through your prophet Zechariah and then you fulfilled it, giving me double certainty of your mercy. Therefore, in honor of your gracious promise and your humble coming in the flesh, I will expect mercy from you.” That is the proper mind to have when expecting the Lord’s mercy: a humble and honest and confident and courageous mind.

Now here is what you can expect this Church Year. Simply put, you can expect that the Lord will give you cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing. Just as the crowd on Palm Sunday sang, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” so too the Lord will gladden your heart to rejoice in him.

There will be times this year when your conscience feels the weight of sin and your strength is turned into the drought of summer (Psalm 32:4) and you know your transgressions and your sin is ever before you (Psalm 51:3). And then Jesus will come and tell you through your pastor or your parents or your fellow Christians that your sin is forgiven. In this place he will pronounce his Absolution and preach to you his Gospel and provide the holy food of his body and blood. He will make the bones he has broken rejoice and restore to you the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:8, 12) so that you likewise cry out in joy, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

There will be times this year when you suffer tribulation and you will feel like one of the disciples in the storm-tossed boat on the Sea of Galilee. Our Lord knows what form your tribulation will take, whether persecution for righteousness sake, or sickness, or the death of a loved one, or strife among family or friends, whether being slandered or hated or betrayed or deprived of earthly things. But as surely as you sit here after another Church Year, as surely as the Lord has said, “No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (Psalm 91:10), as surely as the disciples did not capsize in the storm-tossed boat but made it safely through by the grace of Jesus, so surely will the Lord preserve you from all evil (Psalm 121:7). He will heed your prayers and see you through, and you will look back and confess, “I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Ps. 119:75). He will turn for you your mourning into dancing and put off your sackcloth and clothe you with gladness (Ps. 30:11), and you shall likewise say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

There will be times this year when you suffer sharp temptation, when the enemy bends his bow and shoots his flaming arrows tipped with doubt and anger and lust and bitterness and pride and despair and other things. But “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). He who overcame every temptation in the wilderness will not leave you to an enemy that he has already defeated. Jesus will come to you and stand with you. So do not give in, as if you were standing alone, as if by your own strength you had to overcome the evil one. Do not go willingly down the path of sin as if you cannot help it, but rely on him who can help you. Jesus will not forsake you, but will come to you, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20) and in him you will rejoice, saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

There will be times this year when you are weary, when in the face of the duties God has given you to do toward your various neighbors it seems you cannot go any further. You will feel your weakness. This weakness is not a sin, though it can lead to the sin of neglecting God-given duty. Nor is this weakness a temptation, though the devil does like to seize the opportunity to bring temptation. But this weakness is simply weakness, a lack of power, the inability of yourself to do what you know you must do, a taste of mortality that says, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). But Jesus, the conqueror of death, will not forsake you. He will strengthen you to live if it is his appointed time for you to live, satisfying you with his Word and grace so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:5). And he will strengthen you to die if it is his appointed time for you to die. “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8).” Whether we live or die, Jesus comes to us, as he always has, as he always will, for he is constant. And he will always gladden us with his coming so that we sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Last Sunday – Matthew 25: 1-13 – November 23, 2025

Jesus tells many parables about the Last Day, and in all of them he stresses two things. The first is that it will be unexpected. You do not know the day or the hour, we just heard. He says it will come like a thief in the night. He says two people will be working in a field and suddenly one will be taken up in the air and the other left. He compares it to a master of a house who left a servant in charge and no one knows when the master will be back. At one point, Jesus says that even He – according to His human nature, which was humbled to bear our sin – even He did not know when the day would come. And this unexpectedness, this not knowing when the day will come, Jesus constantly preaches to warn us to be ready constantly. If we knew the Lord would come on November 30th we would set our house in order before November 30th. We would forgive those who sinned against us, we would throw off all grudges, we would forget about vengeance and revenge, we would be constantly reading Jesus’ word, praying to Him, we would not really care how much money we had or how great our health was or how nice our car was – these things would become very obviously unimportant in comparison with being right with our God, with being prepared to meet Him. We would make sure to be in church at every opportunity. We would go to Bible Class and read the Bible at home. But we do not know when it will be, and so Jesus tells us to always be ready, always live life like this, as if Jesus is coming, to have our house in order always and always to think little of the concerns of this life in comparison to the concerns of meeting our Lord face to face.

That is the first thing Jesus stresses. The second is that He will come. Jesus will come to be our judge. It is a guaranteed reality. It is the end to which all time and all history of the world is heading. As surely as Jesus lived for us and died for us and rose again for us, He will come for us. And so the preparation for His coming is not a scary thing or a horrible ordeal for us who trust in Him. It is instead the goal of our lives, the one thing that really warrants our excitement and our anxious waiting – everything else we look forward to in this life, everything else we cannot wait to see, cannot wait to experience, ends up disappointing in one way or another, but this will bring everlasting contentment, to see our Lord. So in the end, all those who were actually waiting for him, expecting His coming, they are marked with joy – they enter the wedding feast, they enter into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. And those who did not actually expect Him to come are marked with distress and surprise and punishment.

What is very clear is this: since the Son of God became a man in the womb of the virgin Mary, since He lived in Nazareth some 2000 years ago, since he traveled around and performed miracles and cast out demons, since he was crucified under Pontius Pilate and raised from the dead three days later, it will most certainly happen that He will come to judge the living and the dead. It is 100% certain. If we are not playing here, practicing religious games, but instead Jesus really comes to us and gives us His body and blood, forgives us our sins, then He will return for us and this must be our greatest expectation.

The parable of the ten virgins stresses these two things very pointedly. The Bridegroom is delayed. They of not know when He will come. But He does come. It is a reality. And so it was no game the virgins were playing as they sat there waiting for Him. And the five virgins who brought the oil knew it was no game. They were prepared. They so lived their lives that they actually expected the Bridegroom to come and welcome them into the wedding feast. But the five foolish virgins – they were pretending. It was like playing at a tea party with no tea. They had lanterns with no oil. It was all a game.

This is a picture of the church, that some play at it and some actually believe the truth. Beautifully this does not mean that the Christians who actually believe the truth are perfect, that they never grow weary themselves, never doubt. No, Jesus tells us that both the wise and the foolish virgins fell asleep. Both grew tired in the watch. The disciples in Gethsemane fell asleep in exhaustion when Jesus told them to watch and pray, and Jesus spoke with pity when He said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Peter sank down into the water when he took his eyes off Jesus, and it was with compassion that Jesus said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” The life of the Christian is not without doubt, not without sin, not without growing tired of the watch.

But this life is also marked by trust in the Son of God, not by playing a game, but by faith in what is surer and more certain than heaven and earth. And so faith does not look at itself. It does not trust in itself. It trusts in Jesus. As the Easter hymn confesses, “Faith’s strong hand the Rock has found, grasped it, and shall leave it never.” (LSB 741 v3) It is the reality of Jesus crucified for us and living for us and giving us His body and blood and coming for us to be with Him forever, this reality that is the strength of faith.

The five foolish virgins did not bring any oil. Oil is faith. They sat with the wise virgins, and waited with them, they fell asleep with them, but when they woke up, they were filled with dread and terror, not joy. Why? Because He actually came and they did not expect this. The wise virgins were filled with joy. He is here! He finally came! Thank God. But the foolish seriously did not expect it. They were just playing games. That is why they had no oil, why they could not light their lamps. Totally unexpected. This they never prepared for. To look him in the face and see it was all real. Everything they heard in church, the body and blood they took into their mouths, the water that washed them, real. Not so much religious ceremony. Divine reality. And so it is with the unbelievers who pretend to be Christians, who come to church, who mouth the words, but do not believe it is all real.

The tragic thing about unbelief is that it remains so cold, even when the truth is right before its eyes. The foolish virgins ask for oil. They ask others for faith. Hey, you have seen me in church, I am like you, give me what you have. They still do not get it. They still do not get that faith is a trusting that cannot be bought or given away, it is a love and expectation for what we know will come. Instead of running to the Bridegroom and begging for his mercy, they run away in fear to purchase what they cannot buy. This is unbelief. It is like the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man is in hell and he still does not get it. He wants Lazarus to go and tell his brothers. But Abraham refuses. He says, they have Moses and the Prophets. No, the rich man says, no, but if they see someone rise from the dead, then they will believe. No. Not even if someone rises from the dead. Look at this. Someone rose from the dead. His name is Jesus. He is God almighty in human flesh. He bore our sins. He suffered their punishment. He destroyed the death that belonged to us. He conquered the devil and hell. He rose from the dead. And He will return to welcome His Christians into eternal bliss. This is reality. This is why we are here today. The foolish virgins did not believe it. The fake Christians do not hope for it. They live their lives for this world and they hope in the few years God gives them on this earth, but they never stop to consider that all of what is preached from the Bible and what Jesus gives in His Church is real, he means it, it happened and is happening, He lived and died and rose to give it.

This is what gives the Christian all our joy and our comfort and our hope, this reality. This is why the five wise virgins have oil. They actually expect him to come. Despite their sin, despite their falling asleep, as perfect as they could have been and wanted to be, they trust this, he is coming.

And this is faith. It looks to Jesus. It expects Him to come. It knows it will happen. He said He would. And He cannot lie. Yes, He has delayed. Yes, He said He will come quickly. But has he not? He has come to you. That is why you are here. He tells you that your sins are forgiven; that He has washed you in your Baptism and made you His child. He has fed you with His body and His blood. He comes to you now, He rouses you from your sleep, He tells you that His blood was shed for you and His body pierced for you, that He lives and reigns to all eternity to erase your sin and your death and give you His Spirit, He comes now to you, and so He will come, and you will see His face, your eyes and not another, as Job confessed so long ago.

Jesus tells this parable to us, His church, not so that we can look with suspicion on one another, wondering if others are fake Christians and looking at our own lives to see whether we are the real Christians. That is not the point at all. It is certainly not the case that Jesus ever wants to point you inside yourself for your certainty. No, Jesus’ point is to rouse all of us from our apathy to realize what faith is – an expectation, a trust in reality, that locks eyes on Jesus and says, He is my Savior, He has lived for me, died for me, my sins which torment me, He has removed from me as far as the east is from the west, and this has happened, and so I really eat his body and his blood, I really hear his forgiveness, because his tomb is really empty and He reigns now over heaven and earth, and He will really come and I will see His face. This is faith, and so it brings us to the feast today and every Lord’s Day, to expect what our God promises and what our eyes will see on that Last Day.

And think of that day, when He does come. With all sin and all pain and all doubt removed forever, all we cannot see now we see with our own eyes. His hands pierced for us. His side wounded. The body and blood put into our mouths, now there before our eyes in splendor. Faith turned to sight, as we join in the feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom, which has no end.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 22 – Matthew 18: 21-25 – November 16, 2025

It is heavenly when brothers dwell together in unity, as our Gradual says. It is hellish when they envy one another and hold grudges and refuse to forgive. This is what Jesus means when he speaks of hell as the weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the devil’s great aim, especially in these last days, to pit us against one another, to make us refuse reconciliation, to hold grudges, to withhold forgiveness from our brothers in the Kingdom of heaven. The world attacks us, entices us, lies to us, and we suffer this together, we must suffer it together. Only when we rely on the forgiveness won by our Lord Jesus’ blood and given to us freely here in Christ’s Church, when this forms our faith and our lives will we suffer it together, strong and united. Without this forgiveness, the wolf will scatter the sheep and there will be none to deliver. We rely on it completely. And if we are to meet the years ahead together, we need to live in forgiveness for one another. This is why Jesus tells us the parable he tells us today.

The slave in our parable racked up 10,000 talents of debt. That is millions of dollars. It is absurd. How does a slave rack up that kind of debt? It means his master has been ridiculously merciful, allowed him freedom that does not belong to a slave. And the slave knows his lord’s mercy. He says, Be patient with me. The Greek is suffer long with me. The slave knows it. Everyone in the Kingdom knows it. The master has shown that he will suffer long a million times before, that he is not eager to punish but to forgive. And you have seen this too. This is the picture of the Kingdom of heaven, of Christ’s church here on earth, here in Darmstadt. How many times have you asked for mercy and God has given it? And how could He not? He sent His Son to bear your sins. His dear Son’s blood pleads for you and preaches better things than the blood of Abel. Instead of vengeance, instead of you paying what you owe, the blood of Jesus cries out “Mercy” to your Father’s ears, and the God of all love showers it down, in love for His Son and in love for us His children.

Now this man who owes 10,000 talents is already a slave. Our translation calls him a servant. That is true, but every time you see that word “servant” in Jesus’ parables, know he is talking about a slave, a man who’s owned by his master. So when the master says, “Fine, I’m just going to sell you,” you would not think it would be such a big deal. The guy is already a slave. He is already owned. He is just going to be owned by a different master now. But no, it is a big deal, to whom he belongs means everything, and he knows it. What king, what lord, could possibly be so gracious as this master of his? Who would forgive 10,000 talents? Who would suffer long as that enormous debt was racked up? Who would be so kind to a worthless slave? The slave knows full well that outside belonging to this master, there will be pain and suffering and the gnashing of teeth.

This should not escape our notice that this slave is owned and ruled over regardless, no matter what. So are we. Freedom, if by freedom we mean complete autonomy, self-reliance, independence from any master or lord, that freedom is a pipe-dream, a utopian ideal that fades like dew in the sun when human history and human experience show their face. We are owned. Either we belong to God or we belong to the world, our own desires, and the devil. But you must be owned. You were created to depend on God, to belong to Him, and so even after the fall, you must belong to a god, either the true God or an idol. To whom do you want to belong? To this world, which cannot give you life, which promises glory and riches that it knows will fade away with the using and never delivers on the happiness it promises? To your own desires, which make you envy those around you, make you bitter because others have offended you and made your life difficult and said things they had no business saying, your own desires that dream of vengeance or sex or money or fame that will only leave you hollow inside as you finally have to face the death that puts an end to it all? To the devil, who tempts with shining cities and food and power, but only wants you to be as wretched as he? Or to God, who loves you beyond telling, to whom you rightfully belong, who has counted every hair on your head, who promises to forgive you for the sake of His Son’s blood, who will treat you like a son, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light?

The slave, this great debtor, he wanted the mercy of the good King. But he serves as probably the greatest warning to us in Christ’s church. Because Jesus speaks no harsher word than the words that end our Gospel. Listen to them and take them to heart. “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Jesus’ words are unequivocal. If you do not forgive your brother, your fellow Christian, from your heart, Jesus’ heavenly Father will cast you out of His Kingdom. Because His Kingdom is a Kingdom of mercy. Everyone in this Kingdom adores the Lamb, praises His precious blood, lives by His mercy. They do not just get mercy and then go on with their own life. No, the answer to Peter’s question, “How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him,” is answered by the blood of Jesus, which forgives you even if, as Luther once said, you whored and murdered a thousand times a day. It is a forgiveness that is unrelenting, constant, so profuse that it answers the Christian’s every doubt. Will God forgive this sin? This one, that is so shameful, this one, that I have not dared to speak aloud, this one that keeps creeping into my heart, though I have confessed it a thousand times, and Jesus’ blood answers with absolute finality, Yes, yes, yes. This is the forgiveness and mercy that forms the Christian heart and it changes our lives. Christians forgive those who sin against them. They point to the blood of Jesus and say, it has covered my sin, so let it cover yours.

There is a principle here that even the hardened heathen understand. If someone gives you 10 million dollars because he loves you, even though you do not deserve it; and then your brother, who needs the money, asks you for twenty dollars to feed his family, and you say, No, what will people say? Everyone will call you a charlatan and a scoundrel, a mean, nasty, selfish, stingy person. And so it is in the Christian Church, where we all, because we belong in this Kingdom, adore the forgiveness that our God showers upon us, treasure it, call it our life, our hope’s foundation, our glory, and our salvation, we cannot bear to see people claiming to be Christians and refusing to forgive. Christians forgive one another. This is our reality. This is what we know of our King, what we have learned from Him. Forgiveness is everything. It is what made us Christians. It is what created our faith.

We know our own weaknesses and so we know the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters who sin against us. We know the foolish words we have spoken, or when we have lost our temper, or when some lust has overcome us, and these weaknesses and sins we will see in our brothers and sisters. We do not need condemnation from each other. No, especially in these days, when we know the persecution of the Christian Church is looming, has already come, when it is more important than ever that we walk together, because, as St. Paul says, we are all partakers of grace together – we need to cover one another’s faults, pray for one another, and love each other as our Father in heaven has loved us. So that our prayers are not hindered, so that the church can remain united, so that we throw no barrier between ourselves and the forgiveness of Christ we treasure so deeply.

And so we see the fellow slaves in our parable react the way they do, “When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.” They pray to God to put this evil away from the church. And we see here what a scandal not forgiving is. What a scandal and stumbling stone if we hold grudges against one another. Jesus describes Himself as a Rock, as the Cornerstone, and we pray this Rock falls upon our pride, crushes it into powder to blow away with the wind, so that in humility and love, we seek peace and pursue it.

Luther famously said of this verse that people do not know how to approach their brothers because they do not know how to approach God. So let us all again, today and every Lord’s day and every day of our lives, learn over and over again what it means to approach God, and we will have no trouble approaching one another. We approach God with a debt, a load of sin that we cannot possibly pay, we approach Him with guilt that weighs us down, and the sin of others and the pain of this corrupt world from which we need the relief He only can give. We come with our pride crucified, desiring only that Christ live in us, we come as the prodigal knowing we are unworthy to be called our Father’s son, and He forgives us; more than this, He claims us as His own, He says you belong to Me, yes, but not as a slave but as my son, He puts His name on you in baptism and feeds you with the body and blood that proclaim His undying love for you. Even now He wipes the tears from your eyes. Even now He sets the Lamb before eyes unclouded in token of your everlasting peace.

Jesus tells us to put his yoke on us. It is the yoke of sins forgiven, and it is light, because it makes all our works easy. What have I to lose by forgiving my brother? My pride? My sense of justice? What? Have I not thrown all these at the feet of my Savior? Has He not shown me what it means to be righteous, not to have a righteousness of my own, but one that comes through faith in Jesus, so that I consider all else lost and all else rubbish compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ and being found in Him and having His righteousness? Yes, and what have we to gain by forgiveness? Our brothers and our sisters. And we need one another. We are a family. The family of God. And united we stand on this earth in the Kingdom of our Lord, so that when the devil attacks, we can comfort and strengthen one another. When we lose the favor of our government, we can take care of one another. When we sin, we can lift one another up and point one another to the cross, to the mercy of our God, who never fails to give us the fruit of our Lord’s passion. And so we triumph over the devil and sin and death, we conquer in Christ together, and He who began the good work in us will keep bringing it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity  21 – John 4: 46-54 – November 9, 2025

Unless you see signs and wonders you will by no means believe. This is simply a fact. Jesus puts it in the plural you, y’all, he is not just addressing the official, he is addressing everyone who will listen. You will not believe unless you see signs and wonders. This is the only time Jesus says something like this to believers. Other times he says it to people who are opposing him and then he refuses to give them a sign. So in Matthew 16 the Pharisees demand a sign from heaven and Jesus says No, the only sign you are going to get is the sign of Jonah, which is Jesus’ death and resurrection. He gives that sign to the entire world and He does it on His terms, not those dictated by unbelievers.

The fact is Jesus did signs and wonders in front of everyone, believers and unbelievers. But the way people react is different. Faith sees one thing. Unbelief sees another. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Mary and Martha learned that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and whoever believes in Him will live even though he dies. They saw the sign and the wonder proving just that. Lazarus was dead, now he lives. But Jesus’ enemies looked at the same thing and plotted against him to kill him. Signs and wonders drive believers to trust in Jesus, to listen to His Word, and expect good things from Him. They drive the wicked to suppress the truth.

You see this very clearly with Pharaoh and Moses. God does signs and wonders – that is actually where this phrase “signs and wonders” comes from, where Jesus gets the words, when God says, “And though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt Pharaoh will not listen to you.” The signs and wonders, the frogs and the gnats and the hail and the darkness, they only harden Pharaoh; he just gets angry and stubborn and refuses to acknowledge the Lord as the only God or to stop persecuting His people. But the same signs and wonders are what the faithful sing about, remind themselves of constantly, especially when they are hurting and bearing a cross. So Psalm 105, “Remember the wonders He has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.” This is what Luther does too in that awesome hymn, “Proclaim the wonders God has done, how His right arm the vict’ry won. Right dearly it hath cost Him.” (LSB556)

The official in our Gospel already had faith in Jesus. He came to Jesus. He expected help from Him. That is what faith does. He is asking for a wonder from Jesus because he knows Jesus can and wants to give it. So when Jesus says unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe, he is not scolding, he is saying faith, Christian faith, depends on seeing signs and wonders from God.

We do not demand signs from God, tell Him show me a sign or I will not believe, that is what unbelief does. You do not say, God cure the cancer or I will not believe. But you do say, Lord, cure the cancer out of your great mercy, which I know you are and you have, because of the blood you poured out for me. You do not say, God, show me you exist by some sign from heaven. But you do say, Lord, show me you exist by opening my eyes to your creation. You do not test God. God tests you. You do not demand wonders, but you do ask for them, expect them, and see them all around you constantly.

Look at creation. You just heard the creation account. What do you see when you look at an ultrasound? You see a baby created by God, a gift from Him who gives life because He is life. The unbeliever looks at the same thing and sees a clump of cells. And science, real science, shouts “No! From conception, this is a baby with fingerprints, a beating heart, a little mind that can already recognize the voice of his mother – absolutely beautiful, a wonder of God.” “I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” But the Pharaohs will always harden their heart and refuse to see the wonders of God. They are looking at the same thing, they just cannot see what it is. This is what Jesus says, “Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand.”

What do you see when you look at the moon and the stars? Last week was the full moon. It was out all night, lighting up the sky, you did not need a flashlight – you look at that and you see what the Psalm says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” The power and might and wisdom of the God who created this all for us. But unbelief looks at the same thing and will not give God the credit but comes up with fairytales about metaverses.

Faith looks at the fossil record and the variation of species and sees exactly what God tells us in Genesis, that He created every living being according to its kind – a dog remains a dog, a cat a cat, a lizard a lizard, according to their kind, big ones, smalls ones, sometimes weird looking ones, amazing variety. Unbelief looks at the same thing and irrationally claims missing links that stubbornly remain missing. God’s signs and wonders surround us all, but its faith that sees them.

Hebrews 11, that beautiful chapter on faith, which we should all read often, begins the talk of faith with creation. Because this is how God exercises our faith daily in making us see the signs and wonders all around us, “By faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” God spoke it and it was and we see and it is wonderful.

The doctrine of creation teaches us about the God who created life, who cares for it, preserves it, loves it. But the great problem this official has is that his son is dying. He is being robbed of life. He sees what we all see. God’s creation is filled with wonders and signs of God’s power and might, but it is also thoroughly corrupted with sin and corruption and disease and death. Death and corruption hits us all personally, those we love, ourselves, and there is nothing wondrous about it. It is a sign for sure, but not of anything good, only of God’s judgment. A sign God gives of His wrath and anger against our sin. Cursed is the ground because of us. Dust you are and to dust you shall return.

And this makes us seek a different kind of sign and wonder from our God. The official says “Lord, come down before my child dies.” Your translation says “Sir.” That is annoying. He does not call Jesus, sir, he calls Him Lord. The Greek is Kyrie, Lord, and you could translate that Sir only if you assume this guy is an unbeliever. He is not. He just came to Jesus asking for Him to give life from the dead. That is what Christian faith does. It recognizes Jesus, this Lord whom we worship, our Creator who wears our human flesh and blood because He will not have sin and death steal us away from Him. He will give us life. And so we beg Him for signs and wonders. Lord, have mercy on my child who is sick. Lord, take the pain away, the cancer, the depression, the corruption, take it all away.

And Jesus says to this man, “Your son lives.” He does not say, “Your son will get better.” He chooses His words carefully. Your son lives. Because this is a sign, and a sign points to something else. This was now the second sign that Jesus performed. And this word “life” is the entire theme, the entire point of who Jesus is and what He does. The God who spoke life into existence at creation, now comes to give life to us who were dead in our sins. So Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John, to open his Gospel, defines Jesus this way, “in Him was life and the life was the light of men.” And to sum up the entire purpose of his Gospel, John ends with these words, “Many other signs Jesus performed, but these signs were written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.”

So first of all, these words of Jesus, “your son lives” are an invitation to you to look at all your life and see how God has answered your prayers for mercy. How many times have you prayed to him and he has healed your sicknesses, relieved you of pain, cared for you in your distress, and though He makes you bear a cross and wait – like this man, who had to wait to see his son live, wait that long fourteen mile walk home to Capernaum from Cana – and though He answers in His own time and way, He has answered you, and He has given you sign after sign that He cares for you.

But these are signs. And signs point to something else. The life Jesus gives is not simply to keep answering your prayers for health, for recovery in this world. Jesus giving life to this boy was a sign of something greater, and His care for you throughout your life is a sign of greater things. You do not want to live life forever a sinner on this earth. That is not true life, still sinning against God, subject to corruption and death. The true life Jesus gives is life with God, who cannot be angry at your sin, because Jesus bore it all away, who refuses to let corruption and death take you, because His Son has already conquered it all on the cross, suffered it in great love for you. He has crushed sin and death and the devil under His feet. And you reign with Him.

When He gives you His body and blood He gives you life, not a sign of life, but life, life as sons of God. And that life is forever, as He himself is forever. You in me and I in you, Jesus says. The eternal Son of God has joined Himself to you and now joins you to Himself. He lives and so you live. He is the vine. You are the branches. Take His body, drink His blood. His life flows to you. The word of forgiveness He speaks is not a sign, it speaks your righteousness before God into existence, the word of your Baptism, is not a sign, it calls you children of God and so you are. And children live in the house of the Father forever, and in that house, in His Kingdom, we see signs and wonders our whole life through, God working everything in all creation to our good, until we see Life face to face in the Paradise He has prepared for us.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

All Saints – Matthew 5:1-12 – November 2, 2025

Today we observe the Feast of All Saints.  I say “observe” because today is not actually All Saints’ Day. That was November 1, yesterday.  And actually, the same thing can be said about the Festival of the Reformation that we observed last Sunday. We celebrated the Reformation this past Sunday, October 26, even though Reformation Day was actually October 31 last week.

The two go together – Reformation Day and All Saints.  October 31 is All Hallow’s Eve, that is, the evening on which the celebration of the Feast of All Saints begins.  And together they have taken on a unique status in the modern Lutheran church in that we always celebrate them on a Sunday, even though Sunday is rarely the day they actually occur.

Now “cheating” sounds very negative, so in the church we call this practice of celebrating a day when it is not actually that day, “observing.”  We do not do this with any other days of the church year. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are always December 24 and 25.  The Epiphany of Our Lord is January 6, and is always celebrated that day no matter what day of the week it is. Easter always falls on a Sunday and the days of Holy Week always lead up to it.  The Ascension of our Lord is always forty days after Easter, and is always celebrated that day.

However, with Reformation Day and All Saints’ Day we cheat – excuse me – we “observe them” almost every year.  Now this practice says two things about us.  The first is positive. It says that we value these days. We find it important to celebrate the Reformation in which the Gospel became clear again through its call of Scripture alone, grace alone, and faith alone.  It says that we value All Saints’ Day.  We find this day when we remember the saints who have died in the Lord to be important and meaningful.

Yet, the Church’s practice of “observing” them also admits that we do not find them to be meaningful enough to show up for a church service if they are celebrated on any day other than a Sunday morning. At least the vast majority do not.  Now be honest, how many of you would have shown up for an All Saints’ Day service last night?  And celebrating Reformation Day would have meant church two nights in a row.  And of course, that would have conflicted with the cultural high holy day of Halloween.  Fear, love and trust in God above all things…. It is not hard to identify occasions when putting God second does not require a second thought.

So today we are observing All Saints’ Day, and the very act of observing it points to the sinfulness of those in the Church – it illustrates the spiritual weakness that is so often present among us.  Saint means “holy one.”  In the struggle against sin we are not holy.  Neither were those in the Church who have died.  We are people who do not fear, love and trust in God above all things. They were not either.

But this morning, our Lord Jesus Christ has good news for us – he gives us Gospel.  He begins the Sermon on the Mount by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus says “blessed,” and when he does so he means “saved.” He says the poor in spirit are saved. 

When he refers to the poor in spirit, He is not talking about the attitude people have or display.  Instead, He is talking about the condition you are in.  He is talking about the condition that those who have died as Christians were in.  He is referring to fallen people who continually find themselves fearing, loving and trusting in things other than God.  That is what it means to be spiritually poor – to be spiritually powerless.

And then our Lord says why the spiritually poor are blessed – are saved. It is because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  In the previous chapter when Jesus began his ministry, Matthew tells us, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”  Jesus declared that the kingdom of heaven – the saving reign of God – had arrived in his person.  Just before our text, Matthew provides this summary statement of Jesus’ ministry: “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

In the incarnation, the Son of God entered into our world in order to defeat sin, death and the devil.  Jesus speaks the words of our text as he was in the midst of carrying out this ministry.  Already, he knew the task he had before him.  He knew the goal and purpose for which he had come – the way that the final victory would be won.  Just before entering Jerusalem he said:  “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Jesus Christ offered himself as the ransom for your sins.  He received God’s wrath and judgment against sin in your place – a judgment that placed him in a sealed tomb.  But God’s saving reign conquered death as he raised Jesus from the dead on the third day.

Because Jesus Christ is the risen Lord he gives his saving reign to all who believe and are baptized.  It is something you already have now. Our Lord expresses the first Beatitude in the present tense when he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And then he also states the last Beatitude in the present tense: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

Forgiveness and salvation are yours now in Christ.  You are blessed.  You are saved.  It is true for you.  And it was true for the Christians who have gone before us.  They received God’s saving reign through the water of Holy Baptism. They were sustained in faith through God’s Word, and through the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar.

It was true before they died. And it is still true now.  In the last verse of our text Jesus says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Jesus says this reward is great in heaven. In a similar way he says in the next chapter, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

When Jesus speaks of reward and treasure being “in heaven,” he means that it is secure and safe with God. And if that can be said about the reward and treasure of the Christian, how much must it be said about those who have died possessing the reign of God?  They are secure and safe with God.  Christ won forgiveness for them by his death and resurrection.  He made them saints as he washed away their sins through Holy Baptism.  He preserved them in faith through his Spirit. Though their bodies have been buried, the reign of God is theirs and they are with the Lord.

They no longer face the persecution our Lord mentions in our text.  They no longer mourn.  They no longer hunger and thirst for righteousness. They no longer struggle against sin. And for this we give thanks.

Yet our Lord’s words in the Beatitudes do not leave things there.  Better though they may be for the saints who have died in Christ, even that experience is not yet God’s full blessing.  It is not yet the complete fulfillment of what it means to receive God’s saving reign.

We see this in the third Beatitude when Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  The Son of God did not enter into this world in the incarnation in order to take us out of this creation.  He did not become flesh and live a bodily existence in order to free us from our bodies.

Instead, through his resurrection Jesus Christ has begun the renewal and restoration of our bodies and of creation itself. The risen Lord has ascended and is now exalted at God’s right hand.  But he has promised that he will return in glory on the Last Day.  On that day he will raise from the dead the bodies of all the saints who have died.  He will transform the bodies of the Christians who are alive.  And he will renew his creation so that it is once again very good.  It is as those living in bodies that can never die again that we will inherit the earth.

We pray for the coming of this day.  We pray, “Come Lord Jesus!”  But while we wait, our Lord continues to come to us. In the liturgy of the Sacrament of the Altar we sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  It is the risen Lord who comes to us in the Sacrament in his true body and blood.

In the miracle of the Sacrament he gives us his true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Yet he does more than just that.  In the Sacrament we are joined together with all Christians as the Body of Christ.  St. Paul wrote, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Through the body and blood of Jesus we are united with all the saints who have died in Christ.  We are united as the Body of Christ – all of us together enjoying the blessing of God’s reign. And in the body and blood of the risen Lord we find the future that awaits all the saints when Christ returns on the Last Day.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reformation – John 8: 31-36 – October 26, 2025

Celebrating the Reformation provides an opportunity to learn Lutheran words, even in foreign languages. It is like Pentecost. Sola Fide. Sola Gratia. Sola Christus. That is faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone. Simul iustus et peccatur – at the same time saint and sinner.  How about some German? Hauptgottesdienst – The Chief Divine Service. In English we can speak about justification and sanctification.

The Lutheran word I want to teach you today is “forensic.” The first meaning that likely comes to mind is forensic science. If you are a fan of shows like Forensic Files or CSI this is the examination of evidence around a crime scene to determine the criminal. That is the most popular definition, but the word forensic has another meaning associated with the courtroom: forensic has to do with legal argumentation and declarations. 

Confessional, Biblical Lutherans believe in forensic justification. (That is 8 syllables if you are counting and it just sounds smart). Forensic justification means that God in Christ makes a legal declaration about you. God declares that in Christ you are righteous. Because your sins were credited to Christ when He died on the cross, they have been taken away. When you hear this declaration, “Christ Jesus died for your sins” and believe that He did, then you are credited with Christ’s righteousness. He will not treat you as the sinner you are. He is no longer angry at you. You have His favor, as a gift. He declares it and it is so. Just as He said in creation, “Let there be light” and there was light.

I have heard a pastor say, “All of life is lived forensically.” What did he mean? He meant that each and every one of us wants to be declared favorable, worthy, good, loved, admired. This is what you live for, but sadly you seek it in all the wrong places. You seek it within yourself or from those around you. You seek it from the world and that will lock you up in fear, confusion, and despair.

This is what happened in the text. Jesus told the Jews who believed in Him, “If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Jesus was doing forensics. He makes a declaration alongside a diagnosis. By abiding in God’s Word, you will listen to what Jesus teaches. Through Jesus teaching you will know the truth and that truth will set you free.

But in that declaration the Jews heard a diagnosis about themselves that they did not want to hear. They were slaves. If the truth will set you free then you must be enslaved to someone or something. That is why they respond, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, “You will become free?”

The Jews were having a forensic identity crisis. They had forgotten that God chose them for the purpose of the world’s salvation and that salvation would come through a descendent of David. From the moment they were set free in Egypt they began to take Gods’ favor and grace for granted. They thought they could do as they pleased and still be, always and forever, God’s people. They grumbled in the wilderness, did not not drive out the inhabitants of the promised land, worshipped false gods, and beat and killed God’s prophets when they were called to repent.

Jesus was declaring that Israel was not about Israel, and the Jews were not about being the children of Abraham. Instead, Israel and the Jews were about the Christ. God chose them for Christ’s sake. Old Testament Israel ends with the coming of the Christ. Jesus the Christ should have been their glory, their temple, their promised land, but they were not having any of it. By the end of John 8 they are picking up stones to throw at God’s Anointed One, at Jesus.

The Jews found their identity in the blood of Abraham, instead of the blood of Jesus, hence they were still in their sins, still enslaved to death and the Devil. They thought their worth was in being Jewish instead of Jesus.

So where do you find your worth and value? Who or what declares you worthy, good, or loved? When you were little, you looked to your parents. You wanted their approval. They told you how big you were. How you were growing. How smart you were. Their declarations gave you worth, value, happiness.

As you grew up you continued to live forensically but it was harder. Your grades in school declared something about you. If you were picked first or last for sports teams. If you graduated with honors. Consider how many youth sports had changed so no one is declared a loser or a winner. Score is not kept. Runs are not counted. Why? Because children live forensically. Equity means losers get to win and winners must lose the rewards of their success.

If you get married, you live or die by the declarations of your spouse. If you are criticized, you try to justify your actions. If the criticism continues, you will feel shame and worthlessness. The words you speak to your spouse and the words you hear from your spouse have forensic power.

You may have been very successful at your work or in business. You may have gone bankrupt or lost money in a scam or bad investment. What does that earn you? Forensic blessings if you succeed. Forensic shame if you fail.

All of social media is driven by forensics – how many friends do you have? How many likes? How many comments? How many clicks? You declare the best of you and worst of others.

Even the church lives forensically. The number one question I am asked as a pastor is “how big is your church?” The second question is “Is it growing?” Trinity has fewer members than when I arrived and a lot fewer than 20 years ago. What does that declare about me? Or about my members?

Here is the forensic problem. You are a sinner living in a fallen world where the Devil drives the forensics. If your parents got divorced the devil declares that you were to blame. If you got picked last or struggled with school or were bullied by others, the Devil declares you unworthy of love or respect. The forensics do not stop in childhood. You live by the declarations of your family, your work, society, and you die by the same.

And it is not just the declarations of others, it is also your own conscience. You know your sins, the worst ones, the nagging ones, the favorite ones. God Himself has declared to you what sin is. Jesus told the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” The Devil will use that same knowledge to declare you unfit for God’s love, of no value or worth to Him.

The Reformation celebrates the one declaration that matters, the one that stands and will never let you fall: God’s forensic justification of the sinner, of you. In Christ, God reconciled the world to himself, not counting your sins against you. (2 Corinthians 5:18) He counted them against Christ. He declared Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Christ Jesus died for your sins and three days later the Father raised His Son from the dead. That is the declaration. Christ is raised from the dead and that means your sins are forgiven. It is a historical fact. It is not subject to change. It is always true. Always there. Always yours.

Here is why it stands. It is not based on what you do or do not do. It is not based on your successes and failures. It is not based on your struggles with sin and your feeble sanctification. It is not based on what other people think of you or how the world regards you or even your own opinion of yourself. This forensic justification is completely outside of you. It is God’s work. He sent His Son into the womb of Mary and into the depths of hell at the cross. The Son of God has taken away your sins. He has been raised from the dead. You are forgiven. By that declaration God has made you His child, not just acceptable, but lovely in His eyes, His delight and joy. He has written you into the will. Through your baptism and through His very body and blood given and shed for you, life and the resurrection are yours.

That is the declaration Luther restored to the Church. It is what we Lutherans stand on to this day. It is what every person needs to deal with his own sin, shame, failures, and even successes. You cannot and will not live by what others declare of you, even by your own self-declarations. The only declaration that matters is that forensic declaration God has made in Christ. Christ Jesus has taken away your sins and been raised from the dead. Believe that and you have it, all of it.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 17 – Luke 14: 1-11 – October 12, 2025

Worship according to the Law is to offer our gifts to God. Worship according to the Gospel is to receive the gifts that God gives. This separates Christianity from every other religion on the face of the earth. There is nothing that you can do to repay God for what he has done for you anyway. The debt of sin that you have racked up can never be paid back to him. It is only the work of Christ on the cross that brings about your salvation. That alone atones for your sin. And it completely atones for your sin. There is nothing left for you to do in order to be saved. You are simply the recipient of the gifts that Christ freely gives. These gifts, of course, are here again today for the taking.

The last phrase spoken by Jesus in our Gospel reading for this morning is this, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) Ever since the fall into sin, man has tried to exalt himself. Fallen man is not interested in the needs of others. He is not interested in humility. He is only concerned with exalting himself. What you are doing today, therefore, is counter-cultural. For you come to the Lord’s house today not to exalt yourselves, not to present yourselves as somehow worthy or deserving of the gifts of God, but you come saying “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” You come confessing that you have nothing in you that is worthy of the favor of God. You seek the rest that only comes through the merits of Christ Jesus.

It is no secret that the Pharisees had turned the Sabbath day into something it was never intended to be. When God finished all his work of creating the heavens and the earth, he rested. He rested because all of his work was done. The Sabbath was then meant to be a gift for man. It was, first of all, a physical gift. It was the opportunity to rest and relax after a hard week of labor. Man gets tired. His body needs a chance to recover physically. Additionally, Moses writes that God sanctified the Sabbath day. That is, he made it holy. How does one make something holy? He adds the Word of God to it. This is the second reason that God gave the Sabbath, but it is the most important reason that God set apart the Sabbath day. It was given as an opportunity to hear the Word of God. This, ultimately, is what is expressed by Luther in the Small Catechism on the Third Commandment. We are to fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. In the end, the Sabbath was intended by God as a time to rest in his Word.

The Pharisees, though, had created a whole series of laws that governed exactly how much work or other effort was permitted on the Sabbath day. The result was that the Sabbath, which was meant to be a gift for man, had turned into a burden. A person had to constantly pay attention to how much work they were doing or not doing. This included things such as how far they were walking. Some types of labor were permitted. Others were not. This is not what God intended. As Jesus says elsewhere, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) It is a gift, but it had become burdensome in its perverted form.

Because of this perversion, when Jesus asks the question, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” (Luke 14:3) the answer is not as obvious as it should have been. You know the answer is yes. The Pharisees know the answer is yes. But the Pharisees cannot answer the question. If they answer that it is lawful, they will shipwreck their own laws that they have created surrounding the Sabbath. If they answer that it is not lawful, they will come across as cold and uncaring. So they plead the fifth and say nothing at all instead.

Jesus calls them out their hypocrisy. He says, “Which of you, having a son or and ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” (Luke 14:5) There are some manuscripts of the book of Luke that have the word “donkey” instead of “son” in that verse. Whether it is donkey or son there, the answer is the same. Of course the Pharisees would say that it would be OK to get the son, the donkey, or the ox out of the well. It would be cruel to leave them there. The use of livestock in Jesus’ illustration here shows, though, that the Pharisees are more concerned with physical property than they are with the man who came to Jesus with dropsy. The fact is that from the exalted position that they have put themselves in, they do not even notice the needs of the man with dropsy. He has probably been there for quite some time, but they have never paid any attention to him. After all, he probably has dropsy, which is an ailment characterized by swelling in the body as a result of fluid retention, because he has lived an immoral lifestyle. He is a sinner. He is not worthy of their consideration.

This is what leads Jesus into the telling of the parable of the wedding feast. He sees how those who have come to the Pharisee’s home have taken all the places of honor for themselves. He sees how the man with dropsy has been treated. These Pharisees and their guests have exalted themselves. They have assumed places of honor that they don’t deserve.

In telling this parable, Jesus is not giving you advice on how to improve your seating position at a banquet. False humility is exactly that. It is false. As with all of his parables, He is illustrating what it is like in the kingdom of God. Nobody is worthy of the kingdom of God. Not the Pharisees who would trust in their own righteousness. Not you. Not me. Nobody is worthy of being seated in the position of honor in God’s kingdom.

Each week you are invited to a feast here. You are invited to feast on the body and blood of Jesus. What makes you worthy of such an honor? The Catechism actually has a question in the section on the Sacrament of the Altar that asks almost that very thing. “Who receives this Sacrament worthily? Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training, but that person is truly worthy and well-prepared who had faith in these words: ‘given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’ But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared. For the words ‘for you’ require all hearts to believe.”

Worthy reception of the Lord’s Supper is the very definition of humility. Think about those words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” In order to have faith in those words, you must humble yourself. You must confess that what God’s Word says about you is true. There is another part of the Catechism that often receives little attention, unfortunately. It is often listed as “Part 4” of the Small Catechism. It is titled “Christian Questions with Their Answers” and subtitled “Prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament.” It is on page 329 in the hymnal. There are twenty questions in all. It would be good for all of you to make use of these each week as you examine yourselves before coming to the Lord’s Table.

For our purposes this morning, though, let us consider just a couple of the questions. Question 16 says “Why should we remember and proclaim His death?” The answer has three parts: “First, so that we may learn to believe that no creature could make satisfaction for our sins. Only Christ, true God and man, could do that.” This points directly to your unworthiness. As I said earlier, you are not worthy to be seated at your Lord’s banquet table. You cannot make yourself worthy because you cannot satisfy the wrath of God through your own actions. Only the merits of Christ Jesus can accomplish that. The answer continues: “Second, so that we may learn to be horrified by our sins, and to regard them as very serious.” This is where you humble yourself and admit your unworthiness. “Third, so that we may find joy and comfort in Christ alone and through faith in him be saved.” This points to the exalting that comes your way in Christ alone. Only through faith in him are you saved. Our hymn of the day that we sang earlier pointed to this reality. “Seek where you may, to find a way, that leads to your salvation.” The way of salvation is through Christ alone. He is the way that leads to your salvation.

The second question I want you to think about today is the last of the twenty questions. “But what should you do if you are not aware of this need (that is, the need to receive the Sacrament frequently) and have no hunger thirst for the Sacrament?” To this question, Luther points to three realities: you still live in the flesh and that flesh is sinful and focused only on your own needs. Second, you live in a world that is opposed to God and his Word. And third, the devil is constantly prowling around seeking to devour you. These three realities show how necessary the Lord’s Supper is. The things that it promises — the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s body and blood truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine — are what you need to live as God’s child in this world where Satan seeks to destroy your faith.

To the one who humbles himself at the banquet, God says, “Friend, move up higher.” Humble yourselves this day before the Lord. Recognize the need that you have for the salvation he gives through Christ Jesus. Take the lowest seat at the table, so that the deeds of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, may clothe you and so that your Father in heaven, when he sees you, may say to you, “Friend, move up higher.” In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Am

Trinity 16 – Luke7: 11-17 – October 5, 2025

In last week’s Gospel, the Lord Christ taught us very patiently not to worry. In today’s Gospel, He teaches the same thing, except in a much more striking way. Last week, He taught us to look at the birds of the air and how our heavenly Father provides for them and how He clothes the lillies. This week, He teaches us to look at the dead man being carried out of the city of Nain in a casket and how He, the Lord Jesus, took care of the problem. Do not worry, He says. You are going to die. But it will be all right in the end.

You are going to die. Everyone is. For as much as people want to avoid it, deny it, or prevent it, no one can. Not for long, at least. Oh, they frantically take their precautions and treat anyone they view as a threat to their health as a villain who needs to be removed from society. But Moses says it plainly and truly: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10) Now, some make it past eighty, but many do not even make it to seventy.

Take the young man in today’s Gospel, the young man of Nain. Death came for him sooner than it does for most people. We may call it tragic. We may also call it tragic that he was his mother’s only son. And we may also call it tragic that she had already dealt with death; we are told she was a widow. Her husband had already died, so that she was now left husbandless, childless, and destitute. So much tragedy and sadness!

But you know where death came from. You know whom to blame. It is, first, the devil, who wanted to see his Creator’s creation suffer, who tempted Eve to do the one thing that God had already told them would surely bring death on the human race. But she did it anyway. And so it is also her fault. And Adam’s fault, who spurned his God-given role as head of the household and did not defend his helpmate and lead her away from the temptation. And it is the fault of every child of theirs who was born sinful and has sinned, and that is everyone—except for the One born of a virgin. Our culture hates to admit that death is what we all deserve and the wages we are all going to get, and so it will go to any lengths to pass the blame on to someone else. But no one can change the fact: Death comes for all of us. You ARE going to die.

And so it was that death came to the young man from the city of Nain. He was not the first young man to be taken too early, and he will not be the last. Death continues its nearly perfect record of victory over the human race. But on this one occasion, for the very first time (at least, the first time recorded in the Gospels), death encountered its Destroyer in the Person of Jesus.

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” (Luke 7:13) Why not weep? Because Jesus had come. And death was about to be undone.

          “Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother”. (Luke 7:14-15)

It was not the permanent ending of death’s march against our race. That young man would eventually die again. His mother would die. All the people of Nain would die. All the people of the world have died or are dying, quickly or slowly. It was not the end of death that day. But it was a foretaste of death’s ultimate defeat.

Death is defeated in two ways. Jesus describes them both in John: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:24-26)

We all begin life dead already, spiritually dead in our trespasses. But the time is coming and now is when the Gospel of Christ goes out, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved!” (Acts 16:31) And where the Spirit works faith, that person passes from death to life, to life so real and so strong that even death cannot interrupt it; as Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)

That is our first consolation when we face death. For the believer, death has already been defeated. There is no death, only the temporary sleep of the body in the grave. The soul is safe with God, and very much alive, no longer fighting, no longer wrestling with the devil, the world, or the flesh, but resting in the true peace of Paradise. That is no small comfort.

But there is more. Jesus goes on in John 5, “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29)

That is what we get a taste of in today’s Gospel, the actual raising of dead bodies when the voice of Jesus speaks over their graves. For those who died in unbelief, who rejected Jesus the Life-Giver, it will not be a resurrection to life, but to condemnation. But for those who died in faith, it will be a much better life; a life in the presence of our Savior!

This is what gives believers strength to face a hostile world and a future in the world that may often appear bleak. You are going to die, and you know it. You will die of COVID. You will die of cancer. You will die of a stroke or heart attack or heart failure or old age. You will die from cold. You will die from heat. You will die from an accident. You will die from foul play. And yet, nothing the world throws at us can interfere with the life that Jesus now gives, or with the life that He will give at the resurrection. No disease, no accident, no tyrannical oppression, no amount of hatred, no amount of persecution or murder, no amount of danger can change the fact that Jesus has conquered death by His own resurrection from the dead, after making payment for sins of the world with His own death. Nothing can change or overturn Jesus’ promise to deliver His baptized believer from every evil of body and soul. As St. Paul writes, “nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

For now, it is okay to weep when death wins yet another battle. But do not weep as the world does, without faith and without hope, without knowing that you, united with Christ in Holy Baptism, have already won the war. The same Lord who approached the grieving widow mother approaches each grieving child of God in Word and Sacrament, to comfort and to heal and to assure you that death is about to be entirely undone. Yes, you are going to die. But do not worry. You are also not going to die. You are going to live, because God has taken this horrible thing called death and has made it work together for good to those who love Him. If you daily remember that now, daily revel in your baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, and daily cling to Christ, then you truly have nothing to worry about.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Trinity15 – Matthew 6: 24-34 – September 28, 2025

It’s “do not worry” Sunday again. It almost seems a shame, does it not?, that “do not worry” Sunday only comes around once a year. You probably need it more often than that. But, of course, every Sunday, every sermon, essentially comes with the message of “do not worry,” because every Sunday, every sermon, every preaching of God’s Word points you away from the things that cause you worry toward the Lord God, urging you to trust in the Lord Jesus, to hope in Him, to have faith in Him. And faith, fully formed, drives out all worry and fear, because the One in whom we trust reigns over all the things that cause us worry.

But that does not mean that believers do not stray into worry and anxiety at times. We do! Which is why Jesus had to speak the words of today’s Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount, and which is also why the Holy Spirit, in His wisdom, saw to it that these words would be recorded for us in Holy Scripture and preached repeatedly in the Church for two thousand years, because He is well aware of our weaknesses, and of our tendency to worry about things.

Jesus begins in our Gospel with the thing that’s behind many of our worries: Mammon. Money. Earthly wealth and possessions. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). When you order your life around making money and acquiring possessions, you effectively push God to the side. You push Him out of your life. Oh, you may not mean to do that. You may think you can keep God around in the background for emergencies while you continue to make your life decisions based on pursuing wealth. You may think you can keep God tucked away in your pocket to pull Him out once in a while for an occasional prayer or request, while you spend most of your time relying mainly on yourself and on your ability to run things, or to fix things. But it does not work that way, according to Jesus. If you allow concerns about money to order your life, then you are serving it as your lord. If you insist on managing everything by yourself, running everything, trying to fix everything by your own careful planning and prudent actions, then you are serving yourself as your lord. On the other hand, if you order your life around serving God, hearing His Word and putting it into practice, living each day with the intention of worshiping the true God with your whole self, placing your life into His good and capable hands, then you will not end up serving Mammon, or trusting in Mammon, or in yourself. You will be serving God and trusting in God. Your heart can belong to Him or to something else, but not to both.

Then Jesus goes on to persuade us with gentle and friendly words to serve God instead of Mammon. And here it is important to remember who He is talking to. He is talking to church members who know God, not to atheists who deny Him or unbelievers who do not acknowledge Him. The Sermon on the Mount was preached to people who knew the true God, the God of Old Testament Israel, but who wanted, who needed to know Him better and who had come to Jesus for that very reason. That is why He can speak to them about God as their Father in heaven. They knew this God as He had revealed Himself in the Old Testament, as He had created and ordered the world, as He had guided and guarded the patriarchs and the people of Israel. You know this God, too. Most of all, you know God the Father, who sent God the Son to redeem you from sin, death, and the devil, and who still sends God the Holy Spirit to teach you and to guide you. In fact, you know Him even better than the people who originally heard these words from Jesus, because you know the Father through the suffering and death of His Son. So you know just how much He cares about you.

Since you know that, act on what you know. And that applies, first and foremost, to the attitudes of your heart. ““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) The unbelievers of the world would not agree with Jesus. They would say that our body and life has to be the first and primary concern. If your body does not have the necessary nourishment, if you have no clothes to wear, what can you accomplish in life? Therefore, it should be your first and primary concern to ensure you have food and clothing, and not just enough for today, but for tomorrow and for the future. That is where the world would have you focus your attention.

But Jesus says, no, life is more than that. That cannot be the primary focus of your life. Because, if you serve God, if He is your Lord, it does not need to be.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:26-30)

God has left a witness in nature, a witness of His care and concern for His creation, in how He cares for and provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. But Jesus takes that general truth written into nature and applies it in a special way to those whom the heavenly Father has called His children. If God cares for the birds that were never made in His image, if God provides beauty for the grass of the field that grows for a few days and then is gone forever, should you not conclude that He cares more and will provide far better things for those whom He has created to be with Him forever, for those upon whom He has placed His name—the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Yes, you should conclude that!

And you should also admit something else. “Which of you by worrying can add one foot to his stature?” (Matthew 6:27 NKJV) Or “one hour to his life”? All right. Let’s hear it. Which of you? Worrying, fretting, being anxious about providing for some need that you have—does it get you any closer to actually providing what you need? You know it does not. And so Jesus, in a loving but direct way, tells you, “Stop it. Don’t do it.”

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:31-32) Why should you quiet your anxious thoughts? Why should you stop going over and over in your head how you’re going to provide for yourself? Not only because it does not do any good, but because it is what the Gentiles do. Now, the Gentiles are literally just the non-Jewish nations, and in that sense, we are all Gentiles here. But Jesus is referring to the Gentiles as those who do not know God, who have no faith in Him. So it makes perfect sense that they spend their time thinking anxiously about how to provide for themselves for this life.

But you have a heavenly Father who knows that you have earthly needs, bodily needs. You have a heavenly Father who gave His own Son into death for your sins. Why should you be like the Gentiles who think they have to be in control of everything, and figure out everything for themselves, who think that the present and the future depend on them and their worrying and planning and executing?

No, instead, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Seek first. Before anything else, turn your thoughts to seeking God, and His kingdom, and His righteousness. You have already sought the righteousness of God by believing in Christ Jesus to blot out your sins and to make you righteous before God. Now seek the righteousness of God by being concerned with His kingdom. Seek the kingdom of God by hearing and pondering His Word. Seek the kingdom of God by going about the daily tasks He has given you in your vocations. Seek to be the light of the world that God has called you to be. Seek to lead holy lives that bring glory to the name of your heavenly Father. And do this “first,” before giving a single thought to where your food or clothing or other necessities are going to come from. When you do that, you’ll find that all those things are added to you by God, according to your needs, according to His wisdom and merciful care. You couldn’t add a single hour to your life by your worrying. But when you concern yourself first with the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He Himself will do the adding of the things that you need.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) Tomorrow is not in your hands. It is in God’s hands. So turn your attention to what He has given you to do today, not to worry about today, but to do today. Seek His kingdom. Seek His righteousness. Trust in Him. And, as Saint Peter writes in his first epistle, “[cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Trinity 14 – Luke17: 11-19 – September 21, 2025

Something rather odd has happened last Sunday and today. Last Sunday in the Gospel lesson we heard Jesus tell the parable about the good Samaritan. Today in the Gospel lesson we hear about the thankful Samaritan. Two weeks in a row the Gospel lessons have described a Samaritan in a very positive way.

Now this is odd for a couple of reasons. First, the Samaritans are only mentioned in seven places in the entire New Testament – and in these two weeks we have heard two of them. And second, both texts describe the Samaritans in very positive ways. That only happens in four places in the entire New Testament. And yet, on back to back Sundays in the Gospel lesson we have heard half of those. 

This is not what we should expect. And it certainly could skew our perception of the Samaritans and how they related to the Jews at the time of Christ. From a historical perspective we would be better served if we heard Jesus instructions to the apostles in Matthew chapter 10: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” We need to hear the Jews say to Jesus in John chapter 8: “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” We need to hear about how in Luke chapter 9 a Samaritan village refuses to receive Jesus and the disciples because they are Jews traveling to Jerusalem.

The Jews and the Samaritans despised each other. And in part this was because they shared so much in common. The Samaritans descended from the foreigners that the Assyrians had brought into northern Israel in the eighth century B.C. when they conquered the northern kingdom and took the people away into exile.

The Samaritans ended up creating a strange form of Judaism. They adopted the first five books of the Old Testament which are often called the Pentateuch – Greek for “five books.” However, they built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria and changed the text of the Scriptures in ways that focused on Mt. Gerizim. They created what is now known as the Samaritan Pentateuch.

In many ways, the Samaritans lived like Jews. Because they shared so much of the Mosaic law, their manner of life looked Jewish – and even Jews recognized this. But on the other hand they had their own temple on Mt Gerizim and did not worship at the temple in Jerusalem. And Jews knew for sure that the Samaritans were not Jewish.

In the second century B.C. when the Jews had gained freedom from the Seleucids, they conquered Samaria and destroyed the temple on Mt Gerizim. This cemented and guaranteed ongoing antagonism. Once the Romans arrived, the Jews and the Samaritans tried to play the Romans off against each other. The Samaritans never forgot what the Jews had done to the temple on Mt Gerizim. In fact on one occasion in the first century A.D. Samaritans slipped onto the temple grounds in Jerusalem and strewed human bones around the area in order to defile it!

We should not expect to hear anything good about a Samaritan. We should not expect a Samaritan to do anything good to a Jew. We should not expect Jews and Samaritans to have anything to do with each other.

When the Jews conquered Samaria in the second century B.C., they also conquered the area of Galilee which is north of Samaria. Galilee at the time was not Jewish, but the Jewish leaders forced the area to become Jewish. And ironically, by the first century A.D., Galilee was a very pious Jewish area. It was, after all, the home of Mary and Joseph. However, Samaria was south of Galilee, and this meant that in order to get to Jerusalem in the south, Jewish pilgrims from Galilee had to go around and skirt the border of Samaria instead of heading directly south.

In the Gospel lesson this morning we find Jesus and his disciples making this trip to Jerusalem for the Passover. They were making their way on the border of Galilee and Samaria when they approached a village. As they did so they were met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

This statement is remarkable for two reasons. First, you are familiar with the phrase “Lord have mercy” from the Kyrie of the liturgy. It is a cry for help. Yet this is the only time in the New Testament when this cry is addressed to Jesus by name. And second, this is the only time in the New Testament when a person who is not one of the twelve disciples calls Jesus “master.” Clearly, these men had faith in Jesus.

They were asking for help, and the help they needed was obvious. Biblical leprosy included a range of skin conditions. The important thing is that the Torah declared that such a skin condition rendered a people ritually unclean. They could not enter the temple to worship. Mere contact with others made those individuals unclean – a condition that required a lengthy and involved process to reverse. Lepers could not live in a village. They lived outside it where family and friends could provide for them.

These ten lepers cried out in faith, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Our Lord replied, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Jesus sent the lepers to the priests in Jerusalem because they were the ones who could certify that a person was clean. But the thing we cannot miss here is that Jesus’ words were spoken to men who were still lepers. The lepers set out to Jerusalem because of Jesus’ word; because of faith in Jesus’ word. And then we learn that, “as they went they were cleansed.” It was as they travelled to Jerusalem in faith that they received healing.

Jesus healed the lepers. This was an action that showed how Jesus was bringing God’s reign to uproot Satan, sin, and death. When John the Baptizer was in prison he sent words to Jesus and asked, “Are you the coming one, or should we look for another.” Jesus responded with the words of Isaiah by saying, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Luke 7:22)

Jesus came to free us from sin, and he was about to do it in an unexpected way – a way that could cause offense. Our text begins with the words, “on the way to Jerusalem.” In chapter nine Jesus says to the disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And then later in that chapter we are told, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to die for you. He goes there to win forgiveness of sins for you by dying on the cross. He goes there to defeat death by rising from the dead on the third day. Through his word and baptism Jesus has called you to faith in him and his saving work for you. Because of Jesus you are forgiven. You are a child of God. You have the assurance of eternal life.

The ten lepers who were told to go to Jerusalem and show themselves to the priest went in faith, even though they had not received healing yet. Like the lepers, you too are called to go in faith, even though you have not yet received the complete fullness of salvation – even though you still struggle against sin and all of the hardships of this world. 

But it is Jesus the crucified and risen Lord who calls you to walk in faith. Because of Jesus’ cross and resurrection you already now have forgiveness and salvation. And because of Jesus’ resurrection you have the certainty of knowing that you will receive resurrection life in the new creation.

The lepers left for Jerusalem believing in Jesus’ word, and as they went they were healed. We learn in our text that one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.

And then we get a surprise as Luke tells us, “Now he was a Samaritan.” Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17) Nine others had been cleansed. Presumably, they had been Jewish. Yet the only one who returned to give thanks was the Samaritan.

Our text reminds us that it is easy to take our status for granted. If you have lived in the Church your whole life; if you have even been a Lutheran for a long time, you can begin to over look what you have. You can fail to give thanks for the blessing of forgiveness and the Means of Grace. You can start to over look them and use them less as you focus instead on other things. You can be slow to live a life of praise and thanks – a life that responds to Christ’s love by loving and serving others.

It is not the Jews – God’s covenant people – who returned to give thanks to Jesus. It was the Samaritan. In this event we see foreshadowed the movement of the Gospel in Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts. For it is in Samaria that the Gospel will first be proclaimed and believed outside of Judaism. And then the Gospel will move on to pagan Gentiles, even as many Jews reject faith in Jesus.

A person is not saved because their parents were faithful Lutherans. A person is not saved because their name is on a church roster somewhere. A person is saved because of a living faith in Jesus Christ. Such a faith clings to the Means of Grace and regularly receives them. Such a faith responds in praise and thanksgiving to God. This happens in prayer. It happens in worship – in fact in a few moments we will do this in the Service of the Sacrament. It happens in acts of loving service directed toward others. This is the faith we see in the Samaritan this morning. We are called to live daily in this faith because as we do we have the assurance that Jesus’ words apply to us when he says, “Rise and go your way; your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:19)

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 13 – Luke10:23-37 – September 14, 2025

I pray that you never desire what the lawyer in today’s reading desired. For to desire what he desired is to desire hell. He asked a simple enough question, albeit a bit of a strange one: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” I say it is simple enough because the heart in each one of us asks that question, and does so by nature, even after the fall. Yet the fall has left its mark on the question. For it is one thing to ask, “What needs to happen in order for me to have eternal life?” and it is something else entirely to ask, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” There is an answer to this corrupted question, and Jesus gives it. He points the man to the Law of God. If you want to do something to get eternal life for yourself, you have to keep the Law: perfectly, at all times, in all ways, without exception. The lawyer knows the Law. He, in fact, sums it up the same way Jesus sums it up: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) The lawyer is right. “Do this and you will live,” Jesus says. (Luke 10:28) Just keep the entirety of the Law of God, perfectly, without exception.

But the lawyer understands how broad the Law of God is. He sees that to keep the Law would be like drinking the ocean or putting all the winds in a bag. It is too much. But instead of lamenting his fallen condition and confessing as a sinner should, saying, “that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault,” he asks Jesus to narrow the Law down for him, and he asks this because, as you heard, he was “desiring to justify himself.” (Luke 10:29) On the surface this sounds harmless, or maybe confusing, but it is downright devilish, and I will tell you why: To desire to justify yourself is to say, “My sin is not that bad. My corruption is not that bad. I can take care of it myself. I do not need the Gospel. I do not need the Sacraments. I do not need Jesus’ righteousness. I can get righteousness for myself.” The heart of unbelief desires to justify itself, and that is why I pray you never have that desire. You should desire the righteousness of Jesus because you cannot get righteousness for yourself.

To be clear, the desire to keep God’s commandments yourself is not a bad desire. The Christian laments that he does not keep God’s Law. God knows he wants to! You want to! And you will, one day, when either you put off the sinful nature in the sleep called death, or Jesus returns on the Last Day and in the twinkling of an eye those who are alive are entirely renewed. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! But we have to be honest in the meantime. Our pattern of Christian worship and prayer is honest. In Matins we sing, “Grant, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.” And in Compline at the end of the day we start with a confession of sin. In Luther’s morning prayer we say, “I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You.” And then in the evening prayer, “And I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night.” The Apostle Paul was honest about this when he wrote in Romans 7, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:22-25). And see where the honest man lands? At Jesus. Jesus will be my salvation and my righteousness, for my situation is so grave that I cannot save myself and my unrighteousness is so heinous that only the righteousness of God can cover me.

But the lawyer is not honest. He wants to justify himself, and he wants Jesus to whittle away at the Law of God to make that happen. Jesus refuses. The lawyer asks, “And who is my neighbor?” and Jesus gives him a John Doe, lying unconscious in the middle of the road with no identifying mark whatsoever, no distinctive clothing, unable to speak and show a dialect, his very skin color masked by the sheer amount of blood. Even if Jesus had said, “Love the Jews; do not worry so much about the Gentiles,” what would it have helped? The lawyer would still be at a loss in this situation, not knowing whether the man in the road were his neighbor or not. So notice that Jesus does not answer the lawyer’s question. Jesus instead shows the man that it is a bad question, that in the end, even if he got the answer he thought he was looking for, it would not help him in the slightest. The lawyer would be like the priest and the Levite, who were more concerned about the possibility of making themselves unclean by touching a dead body than they were about actually loving their neighbor.

Note that this is where every attempt at self-justification always leads: to a so-called love that weighs and reasons and makes a list of pros and cons, “Is it in my best interest to help this person, or is it not?” And that is not love! Love is for the sake of the other, not for the sake of the self! Love does not stop to weigh pros and cons, but when it sees its neighbor in need it has compassion and acts. But the self-justifying man cannot love his neighbor. He can only see his neighbor as a means to an end. He can only treat his neighbor as a tool, as an object of his so-called good works, whom he uses in a futile attempt to lift himself to heaven. But he cannot actually love, because he does not have faith in Christ. Instead he has a delusional hope in himself. In this reading we see the truth of the words in Hebrews 11, “without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6); and again in Romans 14, “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

Now if this were the only point Jesus were trying to make in His parable, He could have told a much shorter version. He could have simply said, “Even if I narrowed down a list of neighbors for you, you still wouldn’t know what to do with this unidentifiable man in the road, and you would inevitably be more concerned with yourself than with him, would do the wrong thing, and would sin against God’s Law.” Jesus could have made that point with the priest and Levite and ended at that. But this parable has not become renowned as “The Parable of the Priest and the Levite.” No, this is “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” Jesus spends more time talking about the Samaritan than He does directly refuting the lawyer. And Jesus puts the emphasis where He does because ultimately He is not telling this parable for the sake of some self-righteous lawyer who did not want to hear it. Jesus is telling this parable for the sake of His faithful Christians, to teach them how faith and love are supposed to work. And everything springs from the Good Samaritan.

Jesus is the Good Samaritan in the parable, and if we are honest with ourselves, we are not first and foremost the priest or the Levite or the Samaritan, but the man beaten and lying at the point of death in the road. Or at least that is what we were, and that “were” is past tense only because of Jesus. The priest and the Levite passed us by. The priest the Levite signify the Law. “The Law no peace can ever give, / No comfort and no blessing,” as we sing in the hymn (LSB 555:8). And in Romans 3, “Bthrough the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). The Law passes by and says, “Get up and love God. Get up and love your neighbor. And if you cannot, then lie there and die under the wrath of God; you will get no help from me.” To be clear, this is not to say that the Law of God is bad. It is just that the Law does not help you keep it. It tells you what to do, but it is on you to do it. You may want to do it. Indeed, the Christian yearns with all his heart to keep the Law of God. But there he lies, helpless to make himself righteous through the Law, helpless to keep even a single commandment of God perfectly. Death is his lot, and if he hopes in the Law and trusts to himself, death he shall have.

But Jesus came along, and drew near to you, and when He saw you, He had compassion. Jesus did not stop to weigh the pros and cons of helping you. The only thing He cared about was that you would live and be saved from death. And that whole list of cons: mocking, beating, crucifixion―while Jesus knew they would come, they did not deter Him for a second. He came to you and forgave all your sins against His Law, every self-righteous desire in your heart, every thought, word, and deed that rightly deserved wrath. He would take the wrath so that you might have compassion. Jesus healed your wounds with His wounds and played the part of the servant leading his superior on a donkey, even though He is the superior and we are nothing. Jesus has brought us to the inn of His Church. And He has given two denarii, His Word and Sacraments, for the health of His saints.

Imagine the reaction of the beaten man when he awoke in that inn. His eyes opened, and then he heard what the Samaritan had done for him, just as you have heard what your Lord has done for you. As the man lay in bed he knew: “Everything in my life that flows from this moment is thanks to the Samaritan. I owe everything to him, and I can claim nothing for myself. The only thing I had for myself was death, but this man has intervened so that I might have life.” So it is for you. From the moment Jesus enlightened the eyes of your heart in Baptism your life has been on a different course, a course not of death, but of life, a course not characterized by an empty attempt at self-justification, but a course marked through and through with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, who alone can make us righteous in God’s sight.

And if you want to see what flows from the Gospel and a life of faith, consider what the Samaritan would have found when he returned to the inn some time later to see the man. He would not have found someone at the point of death, but someone upright, moving, active, doing, serving. This is what the Gospel does: it enlivens and animates us in love. Now it would be very silly for the beaten man, once he was able to get out of bed, to say, “I shall do many good things in order to earn the favor of the Samaritan.” Only a fool would say that, for the man had the favor of the Samaritan while he was an unconscious wretch, naked and lying in his own blood on the side of the road. But the man would nevertheless have wanted to do good.

So it is for the Christian. You want to do good, but not because you need to earn the favor of Jesus, which has already been proven in His gracious suffering and death and bestowed on you through the Gospel and the Sacraments. You do not have to ask, “And who is my neighbor” and hope for some sort of checklist for getting into heaven. No, you are already set for life, set for eternal life. But you still do good, and for two reasons. First, you love the commands of God and see them as an expression of His good and gracious will. As a child of God, begotten of Him in Holy Baptism, you want to do your Father’s will. Second, you do good for the sake of your neighbor. God does not need your good works. You do not need your good works, not in the sense of having to make yourself righteous. But your neighbor needs your good works. Whereas the lawyer had no faith, and thus could only see his neighbor as a means to an end and a tool for his own purposes, the Christian has faith, and that faith assures him that he is saved apart from his works. Thus you are free to love the neighbor simply for the neighbor’s sake. You are free to arise from your sickbed and use your hands and feet, your reason and senses, your whole body and being for the good of others. It is the life into which you have been reborn, a life marked forever by the Lord’s selfless love toward you.

Yes, when the Samaritan returns, he will not find the man as he was. And you can know that when Jesus returns He will not find you as you were when you first believed. I do not say this in order to turn you back in on yourself, as if your progress in good works should be the basis of your hope. I point it out merely as a fact. The Holy Spirit, whom you have received through baptism and the hearing of God’s word, is not idle. He strengthens your faith through the Word and Sacraments. He stirs you up to love and good works through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you do not see such progress in your life, thank Christ that he is hiding it from you to keep you from pride. And if you do see such progress in your life, thank Christ that he has wrought the change. Faith and love are the chief marks of the Christian life: faith in Jesus, love for the neighbor, as we pray after receiving communion that God would strengthen us through it “in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another.” Today Jesus shows us in the lawyer that where there is no faith, there is no love. Today Jesus teaches us through His work the proper relation of faith and love. May the Lord preserve you from every desire to justify yourself, and may He evermore stir you up in faith and love until that day when faith becomes sight and we live a life of perfect love with our Savior and with our fellow Christians forever.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 12 – Mark 7: 31-37 – September 7, 2025

Tying together the Epistle and the Gospel that you heard today, I would like you to think for a moment about the Old Testament ministry of the priests, referred to in the Epistle as the “ministry of the letter.” They ministered under the “covenant” or the “testament” of the Law, which was engraved with letters in stone at the time of Moses. The “terms” of that covenant were simple, though they were not easy to carry out. God, for His part, would keep Israel as His people, bless them, prosper them, defend them from enemies and from disease, and give them the land of Canaan forever, and they, for their part, would keep His Law, which included the moral laws of right and wrong, summarized in the Ten Commandments, and also the Civil law governing their society, as well as the Ceremonial Law, which outlined the ministry of the priests, the sacrifices, the design of the tabernacle with its furnishings, the rites and rituals they were to carry out, and the rules and restrictions surrounding clean and unclean. That covenant was given glory by God, glory in the shining face of Moses after he would talk with God at Mt. Sinai, but also glory in the priestly vestments, and the beautiful sanctuary, and the reverence with which the ministry was to be treated.

But, as Paul points out in the Epistle, it was a ministry of death, or a ministry characterized by death. Constant sacrifices, thousands and thousands of them every year. A constant outpouring of animal blood. But more than that, it was a ministry of death, because it could not save anyone from death. It made wonderful promises for obedience, but terrible threats of punishment and death for disobedience. No one had the ability to keep the terms of the covenant. The terms of the covenant were, as St. Peter later once called them, “a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” (Acts 15:10)

But embedded in the Old Testament, embedded in all the death, in all the blood, in the need for the priests to keep sacrificing over and over and over, embedded in the design of the tabernacle with its inner veil separating the people from the ark of the covenant (that is, the presence of God), embedded in the special ministry of the High Priest who alone could enter God’s presence and make atonement year after year, was a message that the first Testament was, by nature, inferior, that it was temporary, that it was only a shadow of what was to come. It carried within itself a picture of its own eventual replacement by something better, by something more glorious, by something that could give life. Embedded in the Old Testament was the prophecy of the New Testament and the ministry of the New Testament, which is referred to as the “ministry of the Spirit” in today’s Epistle.

The New Testament ministry was not about letters engraved in stone. And the terms of the covenant were much different. It was a ministry of the Spirit! Of the Word! Of promise! Of faith! Christ is the High Priest who performs this ministry, the service to God, in mankind’s place, and who then sends ministers to preach the terms of the covenant and to bring people into it. And in this new covenant or Testament, our part is not obeying the Law in order to be God’s people. Our part is repentance and faith, while God’s part is forgiving sins to all who believe.

But! We cannot come up with faith by our own reason or strength. It is not in our power to believe God’s promise or to come to Christ. No, by nature, we are like deaf people who cannot hear God’s promises, like people who cannot speak straight, who cannot call out to God for salvation or speak His praises.

What ever shall we do, then? How shall we “do our part” in the new covenant when we are, by nature, unable to do our part? Well, God has seen to that, too, and we learn a lesson about it in today’s Gospel, where we see Jesus carrying out His glorious New Testament ministry, when a man is brought to Him who cannot hear and who cannot speak and who cannot do anything to change his situation. But Jesus can! Today we learn about the glorious ministry of the New Testament through which God Himself converts those who don’t push Him away.

We are told that the deaf man was brought by some people to Jesus for healing. That is how it works in spiritual matters, too. Those who are dead in sins and trespasses do not go seeking out Jesus, seeking out salvation from the true God. So the Christian invites. The Christian encourages. The Christian tells the unbeliever, “You have a serious problem, you know? Judgment is coming, and you are not right with God. But come along with me! I know Someone who can help!” Many do not accept that invitation, but sometimes God works in the lives of people to humble them, to frighten them, to make them aware that they are not all right as they are, and the invitation is accepted.

We see Jesus’ kindness and compassion toward this stranger who is brought to Him with ears and tongue that do not work right. Those infirmities, like all infirmities, should scream loudly in our ears, “This world is not right. I am not right. I am not as I should be.” Where we see physical ailments, whether in others or in ourselves, we should learn the lesson that we all suffer from a serious spiritual ailment called sin. We all need saving. We all need God’s help.

Jesus’ method of healing this deaf man is like a little sermon in itself, with a very simple message that even a deaf man could comprehend, and with a deeper meaning for all of us to learn from.

Jesus took him aside from the crowd: He does not see the man as an inconvenience, but as a person who has individual value before God.

He put His fingers in the man’s ears: I know your problem, but I am here to help you with it. And since the Holy Spirit is called in Scripture the “Finger of God,” we should understand something deeper here. The only way for a person with non-working spiritual ears to be converted is by the work of the Holy Spirit. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) The Spirit comes and works on hardened, deadened hearts through the Word about Christ that is preached. We cannot soften our own hearts or come to Jesus on our own. But the Spirit comes in the preaching of the Gospel and persuades us that, yes, we have a problem, but that Jesus is who He says He is, true God and true Man who came into the world to save sinners.

Jesus spit and touched the man’s tongue: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4) The deaf man could not hear a word Jesus spoke. But he could see well enough. He could see that spittle coming from Jesus’ mouth and understand that his salvation was coming from there. Your healing comes only from the mouth of Jesus, from the Word of Jesus, from the body of Jesus, who took on human flesh that He might bear the sins of mankind on the cross. He is the one who loosens your tongue so that you are able to confess your sins, confess your faith in Him, and to praise God for His goodness and kindness.

Jesus looked up to heaven: A sign of prayer, because every good and perfect gift comes from above. Jesus looks to His Father for all things. The deaf man should know that his healing comes from God, not from himself. So we, too, should look to God for salvation through the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus sighed: a visible sign of compassion. And a sign of prayers answered. A sign of peace.

And then He spoke the word that is so easy to lipread: Ephphatha, Be opened! Then at once the man was able to hear, understand, and speak a language he had never heard.

Now, what was the deaf man’s activity in all of this? There was no activity, no cooperation. He did not ask the Lord Jesus to come to his aid. He did not work along with Jesus. He was purely passive in this healing. The only way he would not have been healed is if he had resisted the Lord’s work, if he had pushed Jesus away as He was trying to heal him, which he did not do.

So the Lord Jesus works on all people through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit is always working through the Word of God when it is preached, working to convert unbelievers into believers, working to open man’s ears and heart to hear and believe the Word of God, to believe that the God of the Bible is the one true God, to believe that they are condemned sinners, to repent, and to believe in Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. And the heart that believes then confesses that Jesus is Lord and worships his good and merciful God, proclaiming the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

In this work of conversion, turning an unbeliever into a believer, man is purely passive. God does the work. But if a person stubbornly resists His Holy Spirit and pushes Him away, then he will not be converted.

So hear the Word of God and take care how you hear, that you do not stubbornly resist the Holy Spirit or push Him away. But receive His work. Repent and believe! And once you have been converted, then you are given new powers and new strength to work together with the Holy Spirit, still in the weakness of the flesh, but still able to do good and to want to do good things.

This is what makes the New Testament so much more glorious than the Old. The Old led to death, because no one could keep it, and there was no power in the Old Testament to enable people to keep it. But the New Testament, which was embedded in the Old, leads to life. Because it focuses not on man’s work, which is always imperfect, but on God’s work, which is always perfect. It points people to Christ Jesus for refuge, and He gives it. And it has the power to enable people to do what they could not do on their own, to believe in the Lord Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit, and then to walk in the new life that the Holy Spirit enables and empowers. Praise God for this glorious ministry of the New Testament! And as the Holy Spirit works on you through the Gospel to sanctify you in love, do not resist Him by turning back to sin, by joining together with the godless world in depravity, by living in impenitence. But let Him do His powerful work in you. Hear and believe! Speak! And pursue the will of God in things!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 11 – Ephesians 2: 1-10 – August 31, 2025

You can expect that a Lutheran sermon will include Law and Gospel.  Law, as you have heard me say many times, is what we must do.  It is a description of God’s holy will.  It describes how we are to live in thought, word, and deed in relation to God and to our neighbor.

Confronted by God’s law, we recognize the sin in our lives. This is something that we would prefer to ignore.  But God’s Spirit uses the law to reveal the sin in our lives. The Spirit does so in order to lead us to repentance. 

And of course, this is where the Gospel comes in: the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead for the forgiveness of our sins.  In the Gospel we receive the comforting news that our sins are forgiven in Christ.

Every sermon is going to include Law and Gospel.  Yet in the interaction between the two, the Gospel must predominate.  The Gospel must run the show in the sermon and be the central driving force. If it does not, then we end up with moralism.  We have the Law being used to cause and drive good behavior. And you do not need Christ for that.  You need look no further than Islam or Mormonism to see how that is done.

The Law will always be present in a sermon. Yet sometimes, in fact quite often, there is no explicit Law in a particular text. The pastor must draw upon other parts of Scripture in order to talk about how we see sin present in our lives.

However, that is definitely not the case this morning.  Instead, our text from Ephesians begins with one of the most thorough and encompassing statements of Law that you will find in Scripture.  It is a text that leaves no doubt about where we stand apart from God’s saving action in Christ.

Paul begins by saying, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:1-2)  The apostle describes our spiritual condition as being “dead.” Instead of having spiritual life with God, we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

We were dead because we were ruled by the devil, the one Paul calls the “prince of the power of the air.”  He ruled us, and the apostle tells us that he continues to rule those who do not believe in Christ.  These words teach us that we do not live in a “neutral” spiritual environment.  Instead, it is one of spiritual conflict as the devil seeks to maintain his power over those who belong to him.

Paul says that we were once in that group ruled by the devil.  They are those who live in the passions of the flesh, and carry out the desires of the body and the mind.  They are not guided by God’s will, but instead do whatever seems pleasurable and right to them. 

And the apostle adds the most condemning statement when he says that we “were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3) There are two things we want to note here.  First, Paul says that we were this “by nature.”  Since the fall of Adam we have been conceived and born as fallen sinners who are under the devil’s power.

And second, Paul says that all who are ruled by the devil and live in sin are “children of wrath.”  They will face the wrath of God’s judgment on the Last Day.  For now they seem to be doing great.  They have every Sunday morning as another Saturday.  They have the pleasure of sex while dating and living together outside of marriage.  They can look out for themselves, and not worry about the needs of others.  They can focus on their hobbies, their travel, and their sports.  But all of this blinds them to the reality that God will condemn them to eternal damnation on the Last Day.

We, too, were by nature children of wrath.  We were dead in our trespasses and sins.  Yet Paul tells us, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)  The apostle says that God acted to save us.  In doing so, he piles up the descriptions of God as he seeks to convey the incredible nature of this action.

Paul tells us that God did this because he is “rich in mercy.”  God is the merciful One who seeks to help those are in need.  The apostle adds that he acted because of the great love with which he loved us.  God’s love caused him to act, even when we were dead in our trespasses, even when we were enemies and hostile to Him.

The apostle says that God “made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6)  In this statement, Paul has compressed together several thoughts which he has already expressed in this letter.

Our text makes it clear that our trespasses and sins are what brings God’s wrath. God provided the answer to this as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross.  Paul said of Christ in the first chapter, “in Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)  Christ’s sacrificial death for us has redeemed us. It has freed us from the slavery of sin and so now we have forgiveness.

But God’s work in Christ did not end there.  In the previous chapter Paul has just referred to the “working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-23)

God exerted his great power when he raised Christ from the dead and defeated death.  The One who humbled himself to point of death on the cross for us has now been exalted by God the Father. Jesus is Lord and he reigns over all things as the One who is still true God and true man.

Paul says in our text that God “made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6)  God made us alive together with Christ through Holy Baptism.  Paul told the Colossians about how they had been “been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12-14)

Through baptism we have shared in Jesus’ saving death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit has worked in baptism to give us the washing of rebirth and renewal.  We are a new creation in Christ, and that phrase “in Christ” explains what Paul is saying in our text. 

Through the water and the word of baptism the Spirit has made us alive with Christ. We have been joined with Christ so that we receive his saving work. We have spiritual life through the work of the Spirit of Christ. And because we now live our life in Christ, Paul can even say that God “seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  Our future is defined by a present in which we already share in Christ’s victory.

This is amazing stuff!  But having already briefly said once in our text “by grace you have been saved,” Paul continues on to hammer home the point that this forgiveness and new life in Christ is entirely and completely a gift from God.  He says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Forgiveness and salvation is God’s gift.  It is a matter of his grace, his undeserved loving favor.  In no way does it involve our works or merit.  It is simply received by faith: by trusting and believing in God’s Word.

Christianity is a religion of the Gospel, and this makes it different from every other religion that has ever existed in the world. They are religions of the Law.  They say that you must do something in order to have the favor of a god. True Christianity says that there is nothing that you can do.  Instead, salvation is a gift that God gives in Christ.

Paul says that we have been made alive with Christ. This action by the Spirit has changed us.  And so Paul concludes our text by saying, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Salvation is God’s gift in Christ, and works do not earn salvation.  But God’s saving work in Christ changes us so that we became his instruments that carry out good works.

We are his workmanship, created in Christ for good works.  So speak the truth to others, and do not slant stories to your own benefit.  Speak truthfully about your neighbor in ways that seek to protect and enhance their reputation.  Defend your neighbor against those false claims that would harm them.

Husbands and wives love and honor each another as God’s gift.  Wives, recognize the spiritual headship of your husband.  Husbands, in Christ you have the model of sacrificial love. Put the needs of your wife ahead of your own. Husbands and wives seek to meet the sexual needs of your spouse in the one flesh union that defines how God sees you.

Children love, honor, and obey your parents.  Help out around the house in the things that need to be done, even when it is not your assigned chore. Parents provide for the needs and welfare of your children.  In particular, carry out your God given responsibility to raise your children in the Christian faith. Bring them to the Divine Service and Bible study and Sunday school. Lead them in prayer at meals and in family devotions.

Work in your job as unto the Lord and not unto men.  Understand that you are the instrument God uses to provide for the needs of others.  Do your best to help others as God works through you.  And employers, deal with your employees in fairness and honesty.  Treat employees in the same way you yourself would want to be treated.

These are not good works that the world thinks are special or cause for attention.  Those kind of good works are usually self-chosen.  Instead, these are the good works that God has given you to do in your vocations, your roles in life; those things that you have been called to in life. They are often humble and require us to serve others. But we are, after all, God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.  Our good works reflect the sacrifice and love that Jesus Christ has shown to us.

Today’s text leaves no doubt about what we were apart from Christ. We were dead in our trespasses and sins: by nature we are children of God’s wrath and ruled by the devil. Yet because of His mercy and love God has given us forgiveness and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptized into Christ we have been made alive with him.  In the risen and ascended Lord we have the guarantee of final victory on the Last Day.  Through the work of the Spirit, we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works where God has placed us in life.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 10 – Luke19: 41-48 – August 24, 2025

When Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, He is not simply weeping over a city as some political center. He is not interested in politics here. He had no special fondness for any political state then, and He is not particularly fond of any political state now, whether that be the modern state of Israel or the United States of America. He cared and He cares about His Church wherever she is. She is the apple of His eye. He loves her. He is devoted to her. He lays down His life for her and, when He rises again, He gives His life to her so she will live with Him forever. It was Jerusalem as Church that He wept over. She was apostate. She had abandoned the true faith. Her Savior had come to her, lowly and riding on a donkey, and she did not know the time of her visitation. She rejected her Savior. She did not know what made for her peace. That is why He weeps. That is what He cares about. He has seen a million nations fall and there is no record of God ever crying over it. Not Sodom and Gomorrah, not the Amalekites, not even the whole world deluged in Noah’s flood, no record of God weeping. But He does weep over Jerusalem.

Because she is going to be destroyed. But why? Jerusalem was no hotbed of immorality. She was not a Gomorrah, or a Sodom. She was not especially know for abortion or infanticide or sexual license. If you compared her to Rome then or San Francisco now, she would stand out as the moral exemplar, the upholder of marriage, the city that does not allow pagan displays, the nation that upholds the worship of one God. But she is going to be destroyed, Jesus says, and she is going to be destroyed for one reason and one reason only: because she rejected her Savior. And that is why Jesus weeps.

Jesus is not nearly as interested as we are in the political state of this country. He just is not. He does not weep over the fall of America. But He does weep over the unfaithfulness of His Church in America. He cares about us. He cares about His Bride. His focus is locked on us. Whether our country or any other country succeeds politically matters to Him only insofar as it matters for His Church. Everything is for her sake.

This can be hard for us to understand, but we will be filled with a joy and peace that surpasses everything worth calling good in this life when we do understand it. It matters more to Jesus whether you hear the Gospel today and believe it, than who got elected president or will be elected in a couple of years. It matters more to Jesus whether you take in faith His body and blood than the security of the southern border. It matters more to Jesus whether you are faithful to Him than who wins the war in Ukraine. The almighty God who governs all things in heaven and on earth, cares more that you just confessed the Nicene Creed than any and all decisions ever handed down by the Supreme Court.

If Jesus still sorrows in His exaltation, if He still weeps, it is when His Church abandons the truth of His Word. Look at our Gospel. He has all power in heaven and on earth and what does He do? He goes into His Temple to His people and teaches them the Word of God. He drives out the false teachers. Four days later, He institutes the Lord’s Supper. The next day, He suffers horribly and dies for His Church. Three days later, He rises again and gives her the ministry of reconciliation.

If He weeps now it is because so many churches who claimed the name of Christian are being destroyed because they abandoned His Word, because they compromised the truth that sets them free in exchange for getting along in a world that can never give them peace. And so the world is swallowing them up. If He weeps now it is for those who fall away from His Church. And if He rejoices now, and we know He does rejoice, it is over one sinner who repents, and all heaven joins Him. It is over the little children who are baptized in His name, over the old man who is dying but clinging to the body and blood of Jesus that has saved him, over the young man or young lady who cries out to Him for forgiveness and then receives it in His Church, over the parents who pray at home with their children to the Savior of mankind, over the schoolboy who laughs at evolution because it denies the Creator of heaven and earth, over His people who love His Word and will fight for it and die in it, because He is their life and their salvation.

If you know this then you know that to care about doctrine is what matters most in your life. And to compromise one bit of it is unthinkable. We live by the voice of our Shepherd. He gives us peace, reconciles us to God, teaches us what is good and precious in His sight, unites us to Himself in Baptism, promises us everlasting life, and one word from Him is more precious than heaven and earth which will pass away, but His word and His Church will never pass away.

Jesus cares about His Church. Of course He cares about the rest of the world too. He is the world’s Creator. He establishes the nations. He cares whether we have laws protecting innocent babies or not. He cares whether nations respect His institution of marriage between one man and one woman. He cares whether the poor are oppressed by inflationary policies. In that sense He is very interested in politics, in what nations do. But He cares about this because He cares about His Church. And in caring about His Church, He is not excluding anyone from His care, not because everyone belongs to the Church, that is obviously not the case, but because He calls everyone by His Gospel to His Church. Whether nations fall or rise, this is His world and He governs it solely to bring the people of this world to His Church, so they know Him and confess Him and have everlasting life in Him, and that happens not by political machinations or by the power of a military, but by the pure preaching of Christ crucified for sinners. That is what Jesus cares about and that is what we, His Church, care about.

Jesus loves the world. Every single person in it. What did Jesus do after He wept over Jerusalem? He went and cleared the Temple court of money changers. Do you know where those money changers were? They were in the court of the Gentiles, the court of the nations, where anyone could come, whether Jew or not, of all races of all the world, to pray to the true God. But they could not pray there, because the money changers were there turning the place of worship into a loud show, into a loud marketplace. So Jesus clears the money changers out with whips and shouts, because He wants everyone of every nation to hear that He is the only way, the only truth and the only Life, that He taught at that Temple. That is how He loves the world. He loves them by taking all their sins on Himself, paying for them with the suffering of God, and winning for them the right to become sons of His Father through faith in Him. And He gives this victory over sin and death and hell in His Church. He loves everyone by keeping His Church pure in spirit and doctrine and sending out the invitation to one and all to come and pray to Him.

When He says, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers,” (Luke 19:46) He is quoting from the prophet Isaiah. And Isaiah does not just call it a house of prayer. Listen to what Isaiah says, “these [that is, all nations] I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) You want to see God’s love for the world, you see it here in His Church, where He calls all nations, of every race and tribe and people, to feast on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is why Jesus fights for His Church, fights for us to remain true to His Word. Why what we do here, staying true to His Word, is the greatest event, the greatest occurrence in all the world. This is God loving the world.

We often talk in our Christian conservative circles about how the world and our country need the Christian Church. And what people usually mean by this is that without the Christian Church we would lose sanity in the world, because it is Christians insisting still on common sense, that a man is a man and a woman is a woman, that family is actually a good thing, that hard work is a virtue, all these things that make a country work, the Christian Church teaches as virtues. So the country needs us. But that is not, in the end, why the world needs the Christian Church. We are not a means to a political end. The Church is the goal, because Christ is the goal and He is found in His Church, in His word when it is rightly preached and in His sacraments when they are rightly administered. The world needs the Christian Church because it is a world full of sinners who need a Savior from sin. The world needs the Christian Church because they need Jesus, who reconciles them to God by His blood. The world needs the Christian Church because only here will they find the things that make for their peace with God and with each other, now and forever, in the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus describes His Church as the light of the world. She is a centripetal force, drawing all people to the light of the Gospel. So we let that light shine. And know that as much as you do this for yourself, because you are a sinner, and you need the uncompromised word of God to shine, because it tells you that your sins are removed from you, and your death is conquered, and your God reconciled to you, and your life precious in God’s sight; and when you insist on this for yourself, you are loving the world, because they, too, need this uncompromised word of God. The most loving thing you can do, for God and for your fellow man and for yourself, is to stay true to Christ’s Word, to cling to it, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to confess it in words and to sing it in new and old songs and depend on it, to mimic those people in the Temple long ago, who were hanging on the words of Jesus. God grant it for Jesus’ sake.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 9 – Luke16: 1-13 – August 17, 2025

When asked why He spoke in parables Jesus gave this answer, “because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”  Then He continued, “But, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:13,16)

The parables are nonsense to the world and wisdom for the Christian. One pastor said the parables are like Jesus speaking in code. Only those who have the key can decode them to hear what He is speaking and see what He is revealing.

The parables make no sense apart from faith in Jesus. Why would a farmer plant his corn on the field road? Yet, that is how the sower sowed his seed. Why would a shepherd leave 99 sheep in the open field to search for one lost one?  I would not hire that shepherd to look after my flock. If an unbeliever read the parable of the prodigal son, he might conclude “I can do whatever I want and in the end God will welcome me into heaven” because that seems to be what the parable is preaching.

That brings us to today’s parable, the toughest parable in Scripture and to the question which guides us through its difficulties: What does this parable teach me about life in the Kingdom of God? What does this teach me about faith in Jesus?

First, this parable tells you that you do not own a thing. I believe (and there are good and smart theologians who disagree with me) that the rich man is God, and the manager is you or me. God created everything and He lets you manage it. Some of you manage a lot and some of you a little, but everything you have – “clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all [you] have” – it is all a trust to you – a revocable trust. Someday it will all be taken away from you and given to another.

Such wisdom is foolishness to the world and to your sinful heart. Likely the first or second word out of your mouth was “mine.” If not the first or second, it is your favorite and most common word. You think your skills, your hard work, your smarts, allowed you to possess whatever you possess. “Not so,” says the parable because “not so” says God’s Word.  Dr. Luther teaches us this same wisdom when he says, “I believe that God has made me and all creatures, that he has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members” and that he “richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.” You are not an owner. You simply manage the Lord’s goods. The old word was steward and what you do with the Lord’s goods is stewardship. That simple lesson changes the way you look at everything from your body to your billfold.

The second point of wisdom the parable reveals is that the manager wasted the rich man’s possessions and so do you. You waste your children when you abuse or neglect them or fail to teach them God’s Word at home. You waste God’s wealth when you look after all your desires first and then, if there are leftovers, give a few dollars to the Lord. Have you ever given to the Lord to the point where it curtailed your spending on the things you wanted? Did you ever spend as much time teaching the faith to your daughter as you did requiring her to practice that clarinet?  Repent of how you have wasted the time the Lord has given you, the children he bestowed on you, the wealth he has entrusted you.

Repent. Because of his wastefulness the manager then faced judgment. He was fired. That is another revelation of this parable. If you treat the Lord’s gifts as your own possessions, if you use those gifts only to serve yourself, you are fired, and that fire burns for all eternity. It is never quenched.

Now the parable gets tricky. The manager realized his predicament. He was an older guy, probably in his 60s. He had a desk job and did not have to work too hard. Sound familiar. It does to me. Well, at that age, you become accustomed to living in a certain way. You are  too old to start a construction job and too proud to beg on the corner by Taco Bell. The manager realizes that he has no ability to secure his future and neither do you.

Of all your beliefs, this one the world considers most foolish — that you have no power to secure your future and it is your own fault. The world trusts in Trump or Biden, in Artificial Intelligence, in this investment or that one, in this discovery to treat cancer or that one to treat mental illness. The world trusts that man will save man.

This wisdom is called repentance. I am sorry I have sinned against God by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault. I deserve nothing but death and hell from Him. I cannot and do not have the ability to deliver myself from sin and judgment. I need help. I need Someone or Something outside of me to save me. Lord, have mercy.

At this point the manager thought about the help outside of himself. He still had the books. He still had access to the rich man’s list of renters and the debt they each owed. Here, some theologians speculate that the manager knew his master to be a gracious man and in fact, this practice of forgiving debts was a regular occurrence. That fits well with the rest of Scripture and it is possible, but it might push the parable too far.

Learn from the manager. You need the help of your Rich Master. If your future is going to be secure when you draw your last breath, then you need riches of Jesus. You need what God the Father has provided for you. Unlike the parable He does not cancel half your debt. God cancels out all your sin, the entire debt you owe, an eternity of torment and suffering, the agony of the Devil’s mastery over you. He took all your debt and nailed it to the cross. He cancelled all your debt from His own pocket. His own flesh and blood paid the price. You are forgiven, not some, but all. Not only the little sins, but the big one, the worst one, the nagging, bothersome one. You do not help yourself to salvation, like the manager helped himself to the books. But like him, you need to look outside yourself to secure your future life and prosperity. You need to look to Jesus.

The last point for you is that the manager was generous with his master’s goods precisely because he had his future in mind. Granted he was unrighteous and shrewdly was looking out for his own skin, but here again Jesus says there is something to imitate, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” (Luke16:8)  Dr. Luther, in a sermon on this text, encouraged his congregation to imitate thieves and crooks, not in their dishonesty, but in how hard they work not to work. You are a child of your heavenly Father. You have been forgiven all your sin. Your future is looking brighter every day. Christ is right now preparing a place for you. In the resurrection, you will be free of your selfishness. You will sin no more, cry no more, sorrow no more, suffer no more. Your body will be resurrected to the perfection of Adam and Eve before the Fall and to the Christ. God is not cheap. He does not shortchange anyone. If He has given His own Son for you, do you really need to worry about keeping enough for yourself? Be generous with your future in mind. Be generous in helping your neighbor, loving your children and grandchildren, forgiving those who sin against you. Live, work, and give with your future in mind – the certain future you have in Christ your Savior.

So those are the insider revelations for you from this parable. Everything you have is God’s. You have wasted it and deserve judgment. So, repent and look outside yourself to the abundance of your Rich Lord’s gifts – chiefly look to Jesus. Bank on His mercy and rich forgiveness. Then be generous because your future is secure. 

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 8 – Matthew 7:15-23 – August 10, 2025

Ask a random person, “What are the basic tasks Christians are to be performing?” You will hear lots of different answers: “Feeding the hungry. Helping the poor. Being kind to people.” The more religious might say, “Christians are supposed to be praying. Going to church. Reading their Bibles.” All good things. Very few, I think, even among Christians, would come up with the basic task that Jesus gives His disciples in today’s Gospel: Christians are to be judging Christian preachers. And I do not mean, judging them by how charismatic they are, or how cool, or how engaging. I mean judging them, as in, watching out for false prophets.

Now, Lutherans tend to get this, more than some other churches do, who happily and even proudly celebrate the diversity of doctrines that are tolerated in their midst. We tend to focus on doctrine and on making absolutely sure that what we believe, teach, and confess is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We have always told people that, by far, the most important factor in choosing a church is the doctrine that is taught and practiced in that church, regardless of any external trappings. Why are we so concerned about doctrine? Because of whose doctrine it is. It is Christ’s doctrine, Christ’s teaching.

Of course, if you are hearing the Word of Christ directly from the mouth of Christ, then you do not have to worry about judging the preacher, do you? But none of us has ever had that opportunity. Christ never intended to stay on earth and preach and teach until the end of time. It was always His intention, as we see already here in the Sermon on the Mount, to call His sheep, to feed His sheep, to convict and to convert sinners, through the preaching and teaching of ministers whom He would send to preach and teach in His name until He comes again. But He also knew that many, many preachers calling themselves Christians would go out into the world not having been sent by Him, or if sent by Him originally, would end up spreading lies in His name, and so He issues this stern warning to His disciples toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, as one of the most basic tasks we are to be doing: “Beware of false prophets.” (Matthew 7:15a)

Why? Because they will not come to you with a big sign on their backs saying, “False prophet.” On the contrary, they will claim that they are speaking to you in Jesus’ name, that they are telling you the truth about God and about His Son Jesus Christ. That is what it means to come in “sheep’s clothing.” But “inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15c). If they get you to believe lies about yourself, to believe lies about God, to believe lies about how anyone can be saved from death and from eternal condemnation, then they have devoured you. They have robbed you of salvation. They have led you to believe in a fake Jesus, and a fake Jesus cannot save anyone.

How do you watch out for them? You judge them. You do not judge them by the way they look, or by how educated they are by worldly standards, or by their personality, or by their sense of humor. You do not judge them by the mere fact that they claim Jesus as Lord or wave a Bible around. You judge them by examining their “fruits.” “You will recognize them By their fruits,” (Matthew 7:16) Jesus says. Two things are included in a preacher’s fruits: his doctrine, and his life. In other words, whether he “does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21) in what he teaches and in how he lives.

How do you judge a preacher’s doctrine? How do you “test the spirits,” as St. John writes in chapter 4 of his first epistle, “whether they are of God”? Well, there is only one way. You have to do as the Bereans did in Acts 17. You have to “search the Scriptures” to find out if what a preacher says is true. You have to know your Bible, study your Bible. There is no way around it. It is the only infallible source of truth, unchanging, unwavering, the inspired Word of God that remains forever.

It is a big book. We have broken down its teachings and summarized them in six chief parts, as presented in Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, which is tremendously helpful for judging a Christian preacher’s doctrine.

Does his doctrine line up with the Ten Commandments? Does he point you to the Lord God alone as the only God and Savior, to fear Him, to love Him, and to trust in Him above all things? Does he teach you to honor God’s name and God’s Word? To honor your parents and those in authority over you? To guard your neighbor’s life, including the lives of the children waiting to be born? Does he teach you to honor marriage—the lifelong union between one man and one woman—and to keep the marriage bed pure? Does he teach you not to steal, not to give false testimony against your neighbor, not to covet what your neighbor has, but to be content with what God has given you? Does he show you that all have sinned against these commandments and have earned only God’s wrath and punishment? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge.

Does his doctrine line up with the Apostles’ Creed? Does he teach that God created all things in six days by His almighty Word, or does he teach the religion of evolution? Does he teach that Christ is true God from eternity and true Man, born of the virgin Mary? Does he teach that Christ has redeemed mankind from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death? Does he teach that Christ rose bodily from the dead on the third day and lives and rules eternally at the right hand of God, and will return on the last day to raise all the dead and to give eternal life to all who have believed in Him? Does he teach that the Spirit of God is the one who, through the preaching of the Gospel, calls poor sinners from every race, tribe, language, and people, who brings people to faith through the message that is preached and justifies them by faith alone in Christ, that it is the Spirit who gathers His Church and preserves it through the means of grace—through preaching and the Sacraments? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge.

Does a preacher’s doctrine line up with the Lord’s Prayer, teaching you how to pray to our Father in heaven, to seek the glory of His name and His kingdom, and to look to Him as the Provider of all you need, from daily bread, to the forgiveness of sins, to strength to resist temptation, to deliverance from all evil? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge.

Does a preacher’s doctrine line up with the Bible’s teaching of Holy Baptism, that it is a water of life, rich in grace, and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit, and that it works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge.

Does a preacher’s doctrine line up with the Bible’s teaching about the office of the holy ministry? Does he teach that Christ calls men, through the call of the Church, to be His ministers, to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven in His name, to forgive sins to the penitent in the stead of Christ and to deny forgiveness to the impenitent in His name? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge.

Finally, does a preacher’s doctrine line up with the Bible’s teaching about the Sacrament of the Altar? (This has been a main sticking point separating Lutherans from most other non-Roman-Catholics for 500 years.) Does a preacher preach that the body and blood of Christ are truly present under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, and that Christ’s body and blood are truly received by all communicants—for the forgiveness of sins to those who believe, and for judgment to those who disbelieve? Or does he teach something else? You be the judge. If a preacher’s fruit—his doctrine—is good, if it lines up with, not just some, but all of these teachings of Scripture, then receive him and believe him. If it is bad, then “avoid him,” as Paul writes to the Romans in chapter 16.

Then you also have the preacher’s life as part of his fruit, how he behaves, what he does. It is important, but it is secondary, because it is knowing Christ rightly and trusting in Him that will save you, not the preacher’s life, and we know that every preacher is sinful, so do not waste your time looking for a preacher who never sins. You will not find one. But do look for someone who practices what he preaches, which includes repenting when he sins. Judge his life with mercy. Judge him with love. But do judge his life to see if he fulfills the requirements St. Paul set forth for preachers in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus chapter 1. For example, if he preaches that stealing is wrong, and yet regularly helps himself to a portion of the offerings, watch out! If he preaches that the doctrine of Christ is all-important, but runs away in fear when the wolf comes, watch out! Or if he practices open Communion, allowing people to commune together at the Lord’s altar, without first being a good steward of the mysteries of God, making sure that their confession of faith lines up entirely with the truth of God’s Word, watch out!

In the last part of today’s Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that none of this is a question of a preacher’s sincerity. These false prophets against whom Jesus warns think they’re serving the Lord Christ. They call Him, “Lord! Lord!” And they are surprised on the last day when He rejects them, saying, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23) They thought they knew Jesus, and they preached the Jesus they thought they knew. Some even did miracles, (supposedly) in Jesus’ name. But it turns out they did not know Him, and so the Jesus they preached was a false one. They allowed themselves to be led away and deceived by Satan and his doctrines of demons, which they then echoed in their preaching. It was Satan’s power behind their miracles, even as Scripture says that in the last days “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

So do not judge a preacher by his sincerity or even by miracles he performs. Judge him by his fruit—by his doctrine and by his life. It is one of the most basic tasks given to Christians by Christ. Because you do not want to arrive at the day of your death or at judgment day and only then find out that you did not actually know the real Jesus. He does not want that to happen, either! That is why He has given you His Word, and His warning, but also His Holy Spirit in the Word to “guide you into all truth,” as He promised His disciples, to guide you and to teach you, and to keep you from being deceived. And when you have judged that a Christian preacher is actually bringing you the Word of Christ, then hear him, believe him, and put the Word of Christ that he preaches into practice. Then you will be, as Jesus says at the end of the sermon on the mount: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 7 – Mark 8: 1-9 – August 3, 2025

The feeding of the four thousand is a greater miracle than the feeding of the five thousand. Everyone talks about the feeding of the five thousand, because it happens first and it is a bigger number, obviously. In fact, the Bible-bashers will simply dismiss the feeding of the four thousand as a “doublet,” as simply a mistaken repeat of the same story. That is silly. But the feeding of the four thousand is greater. When Jesus fed the five thousand, they had only been with him a day, and they could have just walked to the nearest town and eaten. That is what the disciples tell Jesus – send them home so they can eat. And Jesus says, “You feed them,” and they say they cannot, and then Jesus feeds them. It is a miracle, it shows Jesus’ creative almighty power, but it does not show the faith of the people. And that is where it is a lesser miracle. Because when He feeds the four thousand, they have been with Him three days. They have run out of food. They cannot go home. They will faint on the way. They have neglected everything for three days, left their jobs, their fun, their homes, run out of food, been simply irresponsible, because they are obsessed with listening to Jesus. And then, they do not even ask for food. They are not worried about it. Jesus is. Without them asking, He gives, because He is merciful and that mercy is not simply for your soul but for your body.

So there are two feedings here. God feeds us in two ways. First, a spiritual feeding, and that is what the people come for. They do not come for food. And after that, a feeding of their body. And Jesus gives both. But look at the order. First comes the spiritual, then the bodily. And this is not simply chronological, first this, then that. It is their priority, their main goal in life, that Jesus feed them with His Word. They seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things are added. You see it here. And you will see it in your life when you seek first the Kingdom of God.

I have had people tell me, Yeah, but people cannot be praying all the time or going to church all the time or reading the bible all the time, they need to work and need to relax and have fun. But is this really our problem today? Are people reading their Bibles too much and going to church too much and praying to Jesus so much that they are neglecting their jobs and their time with family and their sportsball? I do not have people coming to me with this problem. “Pastor help me, I cannot keep a job because all I ever want to do is read the Bible and go to church. Pastor, I forgot to eat and fainted and had to go to the hospital, because I just could not tear myself away from the Bible.” That is not happening. And Jesus does not warn against that as a problem either. He says beware of mammon, of worshipping money and job and leisure. Because that is your problem. Jesus never warns about hearing His Word too much. You could argue it was a problem in the ancient church and in Luther’s time, monks literally running away into the desert or into a monastery and abandoning family and productive work and just praying and going to church. But that is because they were not listening to the Word of God that tells you to take care of family and to work hard and to be a good citizen.

No, the problem today, as it was in Jesus’ time, is that people, Christians, do the opposite of the four thousand. They want all the other things and then Jesus. They do not want to go out into the desert to be with Jesus, because there are no coffee shops there, no sportsball there, no entertainment, no money there. So look at the crowd. See them leave behind home and job and everything else, because what they want above everything is Jesus, to hear Him, to get what He gives. See them spend three days listening to Him. And then without asking, without thinking about asking, they get Jesus feeding their bodies too.

God will take care of your every need. And you will know this when you seek first what He first wants to give. The Son of God did not become a man to feed you with food that your body eats and yet in the end cannot keep your body alive. From the creation of the World Jesus has been providing for people’s food. He makes the rain fall, makes the grain grow. It is easy for Him. He still does it and He did not need to become a man to do it.

He became a man to feed your soul with the food that if you eat you will never die. And that was not easy for him. The food He gives is His flesh and He gave it on the cross in bitter sufferings and death for the life of the world. And when He feeds you with the word of His cross, you know no matter what you have done or left undone, no matter your health, your cares, your worries, you know that you have a God who loves you, who cares for you, who counts every hair on your head, who created you in His image to spend eternity with Him. He speaks and you know that the sin that separates you from Him, the evil that you have done and thought and said, your lustful eye, your judging heart, He forgives it, erases it, washes it away by His blood, pours out His life unto death, to present you as pure and holy before His Father in heaven. He feeds you with His Word and you know that His death has destroyed death, so you who belong to Him do not need to fear it. The hell that your sins deserved He suffered and so it cannot touch you. You hear this, you trust in Him, and before you ask for anything else good, you know He will give it.

They did not even ask. The four thousand. And He gave it. So ask for good government. Ask for a good job. Ask for a hard work ethic. Ask for faithful friends, a faithful spouse, whatever good thing you want from Him, and leave it in the hands of the One who died for you and lives for you. Ask, and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you. (Matthew 7:7-8) He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give you all good things? (Romans 8:32)

But never, never make the secondary the primary. You do not seek first the feeding of your body and then the feeding of your soul. That was the original sin. God tells Adam, eat of every tree in the garden, but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And Adam and Eve, they lived by that word, they trusted that word, and so they ate. But when they sought first the secondary things, when they sought first the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because it looked so good, then came pain and thistles and ruin and death. And that is what the seeking of stuff first leads to today – you can take none of it with you and it will never satisfy your need, because you need God.

There is a third kind of feeding, where Jesus feeds us, that combines in a way the two feedings of your soul and your body, and brings us back to the tree of life. And that is the Lord’s Supper. There are obvious similarities between Jesus feeding the four thousand and the Lord’s Supper. When He feeds the four thousand, He gives thanks, breaks the bread, and gives it to His disciples, those are literally the words you will soon here when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, “Our Lord Jesus Christ on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to His disciples.”

And you should make the connection, because the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand is that a finite amount of bread, which could not according to the laws of nature sustain four thousand men, did. And then there was more left over. So it goes with the body of Christ and His precious blood. It is the same body that bore your sins on the cross, that defeated your death, that rose to eternal life. And He feeds you with it and it never diminishes, never takes away from Him, but only gives to you, and it gives everything He is, His life, His sonship, His righteousness. So your body and your soul will live forever. Death could not hold Him. It cannot hold you. This is what the feeding of the four thousand teaches. Jesus says so. He comes to His disciples walking on the water, and they think He is a ghost, and they are terrified. And He says, “Do you not understand about the loaves? Do you not understand that they multiplied and fed thousands? Do you think it is difficult for Me to walk on water, to defy the very rules of nature that I created, with the body that now belongs to Me, the eternal Son of God?” So we have here the greater feeding, the greater miracle, that our incarnate God gives us the body and blood that truly satisfies our souls and will give immorality to our mortal bodies.

And there will be a fourth feeding of us by God. And that is the feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom which has no end. We know life on this sinful earth is bitter, but we still cling to it. We call the days evil and yet none of us wants to leave them behind. There are simply too many joys on earth because God gives them and our flesh, no matter how strong our faith becomes, still dreads death, dreads the unknown. So it is a habit that you need to get into, daily, whether you are young or old, happy or depressed, rich or poor, enjoying life or just drudging through, think of the new heavens and the new earth and the resurrection and beholding the face of God. It is not an unknown. It is your future, secured by the almighty God who bore your sin and destroyed your death and will welcome you into everlasting homes. You all have seen love in the face of loved ones: a mother, a father, a wife or husband, friend or child, you have seen love in their face. And it is beautiful. But, it cannot compare to the love you will see on your Savior’s face, how eternal, divine love for you will radiate from every feature of your God. And you will see it. And he will feed you with immortality and eternal peace in this beatific vision. Then you will be satisfied, body and soul, forever, giving thanks to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 6 – Romans 6: 1-11 – July 27, 2025

The Word of the Lord from Romans 6: “1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

You were born as one lost—lost in sin. Since that living death is the only “life” you had known, it seemed normal; and, to the old sinful flesh that clings to you, that old way still seems normal. By nature, you believe that you are not perfect, but you are good enough. By nature, you believe that, along with the rest of the gang of humanity, life is about doing your best to get along— bending this rule and breaking that one if necessary. By nature, you like the camaraderie of the world as it slouches on its way—and those old sinful ways feel comfortable like an old shoe; they are okay if no one gets hurt. And by nature, you live in fear—the fear of death, that this life is all there is and the clock is running out.

You have been rescued from all of that—not by your work, but by the Lord’s work and mercy. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has become flesh in order to die for your sins on the cross. He is risen again—and lives forever! He has died and risen for all the world—and He has done this specifically for you. That is what Holy Baptism is about. In Baptism, you were buried with Jesus Christ into His death. In His death, He suffered God’s judgment for your sins; in Baptism, He joined you to that death. But instead of scourge and nails, you felt only a splash of water. But by that water and His holy Word, when God looks at you, He no longer sees your sin: He sees one whose sins are gone, because—with Jesus—you have already died to sin. And “the one who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:7).

In Holy Baptism, Jesus also joins you to His resurrection. While God originally created Adam and Eve to live eternally, the wage of sin is death—death of body and soul. Jesus has conquered death.  He has conquered death for you. In Baptism, He joins you to His resurrection. It is done. While your body must still suffer the wages of sin in this world, you already have eternal life in Christ Jesus.

You are alive. You have new life—eternal life. That is what it means to be baptized. That is why, as Luther says, we do not declare, “I was baptized,” but “I am baptized.” It is the difference between saying, “I was alive” and “I am alive.” You are baptized and so you are alive—forever.

But remember that you live in a dying world; and remember that, as long as your sinful flesh still clings to you, those old ways of the world will still seem perfectly natural and right and good. The world will still call you back to the living death you once had—and the world’s ways will seem so sensible and reasonable and workable. That is because your own sinful flesh still wants to do those things which are sinful, which separate you from God. It is tempting to believe that Baptism is the ultimate free ticket, that now we can commit whatever sin we wish; but that is utter foolishness. “May it never be,” says St. Paul. To continue in sin after Baptism is to say, “Since I have been released from prison, I will now go back into my cell and pretend I am free.” It is to say, “Now that I have been adopted into a splendid mansion, I will go back and live on the street and imagine I am cared for.” That is the person who should say, “I was baptized, but I have left that life behind for death once more.” That is not for you. You were born enslaved to sin. You are baptized. Shall you continue to sin? May it never be. So when you are tempted to this or that sin, as Old Adam wheedles and seeks to seduce you, make the sign of the cross— remember Jesus’ death that He has joined you to, and say, “I am baptized. Once, I was lost, but now I am alive in Christ. Shall I continue in sin? May it never be.”

And yet, you will still give into temptation all too often—all Christians sin daily and much. The devil will delight to hold these sins before you in order to tempt you to believe that you are not set free from sin—that you are  not a Christian at all. When the devil haunts you with your sin to prove that you are not worthy of God’s grace, say, “So what? I know I am not worthy of God’s grace. But I am baptized. And there, by water and the Word, God said that I am His forgiven child and that He no longer sees the sins you hold before me. I am not saved by my worthiness, but by Christ’s worthiness, for He has shared His death and resurrection with me!” You are no longer a slave of sin: that is what verse 6 says. Sin is like the robber who lurks in the alley: it can jump out and assault you, but it is not your lord. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are baptized. For Jesus’ sake, you are a child of God and an heir of heaven.

We quickly note here that all Christians are troubled by their ongoing sinfulness. If your sins do not trouble you, it does not mean that your heart is pure; rather, it is hardening. By faith, then, you trust what God’s Word says about you and how sinful you are. You trust what He says about His grace in Christ. You confess those sins and you say, “I am baptized. And while my stubborn heart for now will not let me acknowledge God’s grace as I ought, I know He forgives me for this sin, too.”

As long as you have sinful flesh, you still face the death of your body unless the Lord first returns. The specter of death is a haunting thing, and as it approaches you can be sure that the devil will use it as his final attempt to make you doubt the Lord’s promises. At such times, should you wonder whether or not God loves you, remember the answer and say, “I am baptized. Jesus joined me to His death—and He also joined me to His resurrection. Just like sin, death is not my master—for if death no longer has dominion over Jesus, then it has no dominion over me. Just like sin, death is like that would-be robber who would seek to destroy me; but it is also a conquered enemy, one that Christ will use to deliver me from this world and raise me up to eternal life.”

You are baptized. Jesus has joined you to His death and resurrection. That is what this text proclaims. Jesus was baptized so that He might take your place in death and share with you His resurrection. The same Jesus was just as present at the font, washing away your sins by water and the Word. That same Jesus is present in His Holy Supper, giving you His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

So rejoice, dear people of God. It is not that you were baptized, but you are baptized. It is not that you were alive in Christ, but that you are alive in Christ. It is not that you were forgiven for all of your sins, but that you are forgiven for all of your sins. And when the devil taunts you, you can quip with Luther, ““Tell the devil he may kiss my donkey, or better still, let him defecate in his pants and hang them around his neck.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 5 – Luke 5: 1-11 – July 20, 2025

Today’s Gospel describes the calling of Jesus’ apostles. He called specific men to a specific task. We have their names listed in all four Gospels. We have their duties spelled out by Jesus’ commands to them: here, when He first calls them, and at the end of the Gospels before His ascension. They were to preach the Gospel. They were to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They were to teach to the baptized the same doctrine that they themselves received from Jesus. They were to administer the Lord’s Supper. They were to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain the sins of the impenitent. After three years of instruction, Jesus sent them out to do the work of the Ministry, the service to His Church. This is what Jesus has continued to do for the past 2,000 years. Jesus continues to call and send pastors to do these same things today. Let us consider three things about this office: First, it is Jesus Christ Himself who acts through the Ministry He has established. Second, no one is worthy to enter the office of the Ministry except by God’s grace alone. Third, only those whom God calls may serve as Ministers, and yet every Christian has the duty to defend the faith.

First, it is Jesus Christ Himself who acts through the Ministry He has established. If Jesus were merely a man, whatever He established would be merely human and would pass away. But Jesus is not merely a man. He is God in human flesh. His miraculous catch of fish proves it. Jesus was raised the son of a carpenter, not the son of a fisherman. How did He know that if Simon did as He instructed that he would catch a literal boatload of fish? He knew because He was God and God knows everything. He knew because He was God and He put the fish there. Not a blade of grass grows, not a bird falls from the sky except by His will. Jesus is the LORD God of Israel.

Simon, later to be called Peter, did not question Jesus. He did not argue with Him, insisting that he has been a fisherman for years and knows how to catch fish better than some carpenter’s son. Peter did as Jesus commanded. Simon said, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” The Minister of Christ is just that; he is a servant of Christ. He does what Christ says to do and says what Christ says to say. In this way, it is Jesus Christ Himself who is acting and speaking through His Ministers. This is not a foreign concept to us. When you tell one of your kids to tell the other children to do something, if the other children do not listen, even after being told, “Mom or Dad says…” they are in trouble not because they did not listen to their sibling, but because they are disobeying you.

Now, if Jesus knows enough to tell Peter where to catch fish, He certainly also knows enough to tell His Ministers today how to catch sinners in the net of God’s grace. So we say and we do as He says we should. Nothing more or less will do. Ministers of the church sometimes stop saying what Jesus says to say and stop doing what Jesus says to do. They will do or say something else. Instead of casting the net of Christ’s word, the word that is enough for Peter and enough for you and me, they will think they need to change how they fish and use some kind of “bait.” Something to excite the fish, trick, and hook them into the Church.

So it often gets asked, “What will attract the youth or young families” or what will bring in this or that group of people. Churches become convinced that to grow, to be successful, they need talented performers, a whole menu of programs to meet people’s felt needs, give them what they want. Nowadays that is usually just entertainment. We are addicted to being entertained. So the task of good pastors, of faithful churches, is making the hook, that is, the church, seem nice and comfortable, enticing and entertaining, so that the fish will take a big bite and get good and snagged.

But what did Jesus do? He showed His tremendous power and how He could, if He chose, provide abundant wine or feed the hungry by controlling nature. But He gave His ministers no such authority or power. He did not give me the power to produce a fried chicken dinner or kegs of Guinness. Instead, He gave me the charge to catch men for eternal life by giving me the authority to speak His word. If Jesus had wanted to set up a political or social or economic or philanthropic institution, He could have done so. But He did not. He established His church. To the church He gave the Ministry of preaching and teaching the Gospel, baptizing, absolving those burdened by guilt, and giving His body and His blood for the forgiveness of sins. This is what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has established and bid His church to do. This is what grows and strengthens the church. Not something we dream up ourselves, our strategies and visions. Christ established His holy church in which we receive eternal treasures through the preaching of His Ministers. He delivers salvation, and makes and keeps His Christians through these things. He has given the gift of His Ministers to do these things for His Church.

That is what we confess as Lutherans. Article 4 of The Augsburg Confession states how we are saved in a simple and beautiful way: “Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight.” And immediately in the next article: “So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.” Jesus saved sinners on Calvary’s cross. He saves sinners today by speaking the words of salvation through the mouths of His ministers.

Second, no one is worthy to enter the Office of the Ministry except by God’s grace alone. Peter realizes that Jesus is God and the first thing Peter feels is his sin, his unworthiness to even be in Jesus’ presence. He says “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” The Office of the Ministry is not a job to which someone applies. God must call His Ministers. And before He calls them to preach, He first calls them to faith.

A Minister of Christ must be a forgiven sinner. That is, he must be a Christian. The gospel and the sacraments of Christ are valid even if the Minister is an unbeliever. It is Jesus Christ who is acting and speaking through the Minister. But no man who does not know his own sin and its consequences can know how to preach the gospel to sinners. The Bible does say that Ministers must be blameless, but that is a far cry from being sinless. It simply means that he is not involved in scandalous living. Such a man would have no credibility. The Minister as a man will always be a sinner, just like the folks he has been called to serve in the name of Jesus.

Jesus demonstrates His grace in choosing Peter, a sinful man, to be His servant. His words to Peter, “Do not be afraid,” are the same words He speaks to every pastor in His church. Who am I to preach God’s law to you? I am just as much of a sinner as everybody else. The prophet Isaiah lamented that he was a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips and he had just seen God in a vision. God forgave Isaiah. Then He sent him to preach His word. The very things ministers preach and serve is what they themselves live by.

Ministers are not a special class of Christians who are holier than the rest. Their prayers have no more value. Their intercession is not more effective. That is not to say that you do not need to call your pastor when you are troubled or joyful, to ask for his prayers. He is there to do that, to speak God’s Word to you and to pray for you. It is not the holiness or the talents or the gifts or the personality of the Minister that benefit anyone. It is the words of Jesus that he preaches. These are the words of eternal life that the Minister trusts in for his own salvation from hell.

Third, only those whom God calls may serve as ministers. And yet every Christian has the duty to defend the faith. God calls His ministers. Those who appoint themselves are not ministers of God. Through Jeremiah the prophet, God said, “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.” (Jeremiah 23:21) The apostle Paul teaches the necessity of the call into the ministry in Romans 10, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how shall they hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” It is not self- chosen; God sends them. Pastors do not speak the words of men, but the words of God. It is God who chooses who will speak His Words to His Church.

Since Christ has given Himself and His ministry to His whole church on earth, the call from the church to do what Christ has instituted is God’s call. God speaks to us when the ministers He has called speak the Word He gives them to speak. So also God calls His ministers through those who hear and confess and defend the Word of God. How do I know that I am a minister of Christ? I have a call to that office. How do I know that it is a call from God? It is from His church. If it were not from His church, it would not be from God. If it is not to do the things Christ has instituted, to teach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments, it is not a call. We confess in the Augsburg Confession, Article 14: “Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the sacraments, without a rightly ordered call.” Not everyone is a minister. Not everyone is called by God to serve the Gospel and the Sacraments to the church.

Yet every Christian is called to defend the faith. It is every Christian’s duty to confess the truth and to give a defense for the hope that God has given him. This is what St. Peter says in the today’s Epistle, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

When we consider the widespread apostasy throughout visible Christendom in our day, we tend to blame unfaithful preachers who do not have the courage to be genuine ministers of Christ. But that is only half of the story. It is a matter of supply and demand. The reason there are so many unfaithful preachers is that there is a demand for them. St. Paul predicted this: “the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3).

Every Christian is to defend the faith. When you defend the hope that God has given you, when you confess the faith into which you were baptized, God Himself speaks through you, because you are saying what God says. His Word is efficacious, it does what it says because it is the Word of Almighty God. That happens when you speak God’s Word to someone who is not a Christian and asks you about what you believe. It happens when you speak the truth of what Scripture teaches to a fellow Christian who has been misled by false teaching. It happens when you speak God’s Word to a fellow Christian to strengthen and uphold them, such as when parents teach their children, when children forgive their parents, husbands and wives to one another, and the conversation and consolation between believers.

Through the speaking of sinners Christ sets sinners free. He brings into our lives the freedom for which He died. He who bore our disgrace and our shame by suffering the just penalty for all our sins; He who shed His blood as the sacrifice to still God’s anger against us; He who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs; He is here. He is here, washing us clean in Holy Baptism, speaking words of forgiveness in the absolution, preaching His eternal love into our hearts, giving us to eat and to drink of His precious body and blood by which He made full satisfaction for all our sins. He is here. You see a sinful man standing before you every Sunday. But your Savior chooses to speak through poor sinful men to give to poor sinful men, women, and children the treasures of heaven. That is how He catches us in the net of His almighty grace and bears us home to heaven.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 3 – Micah 7: 18-20 – July 6, 2025

If you wanted to put something in the least accessible place on earth, you could not find a better spot than Challenger Deep.  Challenger Deep is the deepest place on our planet.  It is located in the Pacific Ocean, at the lowest point in Mariana Trench, southwest of the island of Guam.  Challenger Deep is almost 36,000 feet below sea level.  For the sake of comparison, consider the fact that the top of Mt. Everest, the highest place on earth, is only 29,000 feet above sea level.

Challenger Deep is inaccessible, not just because you have to travel so far underwater to get there.  It is inaccessible because at that depth underwater, there is a thousand times the normal atmospheric pressure.  It takes a specially designed submersible to get there and it has only been reached four times – twice by manned craft and twice by unmanned ones. Getting to Challenger Deep is a major undertaking, not unlike going to the moon.  In fact, more people have landed on the moon than have reached Challenger Deep.  Twelve men have landed on the moon, but only four have been to this spot at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

In our Old Testament lesson for today we hear the end of the book of Micah.  As Micah concludes his prophecy he speaks about God’s loving and forgiving character.  He says, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”  Micah describes sins as being removed from God’s people and cast in a place where they can never trouble us again – in a place like Challenger Deep. He speaks words of comfort that assure us of God’s continuing love.

You probably have not heard all that much about Micah – and that is really quite unfair.  Micah is rather like any great basketball player who played in the 1990’s.  No matter how good they were, they probably did not get all of the attention they could have because they happened to play at the same time that the greatest basketball player in history was playing – Michael Jordan.  Micah lived and wrote in the eighth century B.C. This means that he is from the same time period as the greatest writing prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah.  Isaiah is such a giant in his writing, that Micah has been completely overshadowed.  And that is unfortunate because in his brief seven chapters Micah has some truly amazing stuff.

Micah lived after the nation of Israel had divided into two nations – the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern one of Israel.  He is unique in that he speaks to both nations and not just one. Micah lived at the end of a time when the surrounding Near eastern powers in Egypt and Mesopotamia had been divided, weakened and distracted.  The power vacuum had allowed the northern and southern kingdoms to flourish – at least economically.

But while everything seemed to be going well – all was not well. God had rescued Israel in the exodus and entered into a covenant with them. He had taken them to be his people – his own treasured possession.  He had given them the promised land and had blessed them. And yet, the nation had been unfaithful to God.  In spite of God’s warnings, they had become involved with worshipping the false gods of the surrounding peoples.

Everything about life in the covenant with Yahweh began with fearing, loving and trusting in him above all things. When Israel turned toward false gods, everything else about life in the covenant was corrupted.  The rich took advantage of the poor and stole from them.  People cheated in business transactions.  Justice was perverted as leaders took bribes.

Now perhaps that sounds like something far removed from your own personal life.  Sure, you hear and read about things like this in the news, but it is not something that you personally encounter. Yet listen to what Micah says about those engaged in this kind of behavior: “Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.’” (Micah 3:11)

Those in Judah were doing things that broke the covenant.  Yet they were not really concerned because Yahweh’s temple was there in Jerusalem. They said, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”  The temple of God had become like a magic charm that they believed was a guarantee of safety – a guarantee that no longer involved truth faith.

How often does that describe us as we think about salvation?  Do you think, “Jesus died for my sins.  I’m saved” – and then go out and harm your neighbor’s reputation by passing on information that puts them in the worst possible light? Do you think, “Jesus died for my sins.  I’m saved” – and then go online and look at that pornography?  Do you think, “Jesus died for my sins.  I’m saved” – and then think nothing of skipping the Divine Service because you have something else you want to do on Saturday night or Sunday morning?

Micah’s prophecy leaves no doubt about the connection between the faith we profess and the life we live.  Where that life has involved sin, God’s word calls us to confess.  It tells us to admit our wrongdoing before God.  It tells us to repent with a contrite heart – one that confesses the sin and looks to God for forgiveness.

And when we do this, at the end of his prophecy Micah tells us exactly what we find.  Micah writes in our text, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” 

Micah returns us to the character of God that he has revealed about himself. God had declared to Moses, “Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

God wants us to know that this is what he is like.  He wants to be gracious and merciful.  He wants to pardon iniquity and pass over sin.  He wants to deal with us according to his steadfast love.  And this is exactly how he deals with all who confess sin before him. This is how he deals with all who return to him, recognizing their need to fear, love and trust in God above all things.

God has not only told us about this in words. He has revealed it in actions. At the end of our text Micah writes, “You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.” (Micah 7:20) God had sworn by himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that in their offspring all nations would be blessed.  He had promised King David that he would establish his throne forever. 

Through Micah in a previous chapter God said, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2)

God promised a descendant of David who would be born in Bethlehem.  Micah said of him, “And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.” (Micah 5:4)

Some seven hundred years later God kept this promise as Jesus the Christ was born in Bethlehem. He, the incarnate Son of God and the descendant of Abraham and David, came to the world to reveal God’s steadfast love and his desire to forgive.  He did this by fulfilling God the Father’s will as he died on the cross for the sins of all humanity – for your sins.  And then on the third day God raised him up as he began the resurrection of the Last Day.

Because of the sacrificial death of Christ, God forgives sin.  He gives forgiveness and he has done this for you personally in a way that leaves no doubt.  He has done it in a way that assures repentant sinners, that yes, in Christ they are forgiven.

In our text Micah writes, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19) God has removed your sins and cast them into a place even more remote than the waters of Challenger Deep.  In the waters of your baptism he cast your sins into the depths of Jesus’ death on the cross.  There in the judgment of God against sin in his own Son your sin has been removed.  And because you have been baptized – because you are baptized– it is still removed.  When you repent and turn to our gracious and loving Father he greets you with the good news that your sins have been cast into the depths of Jesus’ saving death on the cross. They are gone forever through the waters of your baptism.

Yet more happened in your baptism than the mere removal of sin.  Through baptism you shared in Jesus death. And through baptism Jesus’ resurrection life has begun to be at work in you.  This has happened through the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is the One raised Christ from the dead.  The same Spirit has given you rebirth.  The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is at work in you – leading you to live more and more in the ways of our Lord.

Yes, God has saved you from sin.  But this does not mean that he has freed you to serve yourself and do as you please.  This is not what it means to be born again of water and the Spirit.

In the previous chapter, Micah asked: “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6-7)

          Micah said that God did not need any of these things.  After all, he is the one who pardons iniquity and passes over transgression.  He is the one who has cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.  Instead, God wanted his people to walk in faith as his people.  Micah went on to say: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

God wanted his people to live in the covenant.  He wanted them to live in the ways that the Torah described.  The same thing is true for you, you people who have been made part of the new covenant.  And in fact, at its heart, this life of faith is one and the same.  When asked about the greatest commandment in the Torah, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

In the vocations of our life we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to treat our husband or wife, son or daughter, father or mother, employer or employee with love, patience, kindness, and faithfulness. We are called to place their needs ahead of our own, because that is what Jesus Christ has done for us.  We are called to forgive them because that is what God has done for us in Christ.  He has cast all our sins into the depths of the water of our baptism.  He has cast them into the death of Jesus Christ for us.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Visitation – Luke1: 39-56 – July 2, 2025

Today, July 2nd, has historically been celebrated as the Visitation of Mary, which you heard about in today’s Gospel. The birth of John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24th, six months before December 24th, because John was six months older than Jesus. Using those dates, John would have been circumcised on July 1st, and since we are told that Elizabeth was about six months pregnant when Mary first came to her, and that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, it is likely that she stayed until John was born, circumcised and named, so July 2nd marks the time when Mary would have completed her visit with Elizabeth and returned to Nazareth.

But the Gospel for today’s festival tells us, not about the end, but about the very beginning of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, about her arrival at Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s house, when Elizabeth was about six months pregnant with John. This encounter between these two God-fearing women was something the Holy Spirit chose to have recorded for us, so that through their words of blessing, we, too, might receive a blessing.

“Blessed are you among women!” Those were the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary when he informed her that God had chosen her to bear His Son by the miracle of a virgin-birth. Now Elizabeth echoes those words verbatim, as she has been “filled with the Holy Spirit.” “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” calling her the “mother of my Lord.” We can certainly go overboard in honoring Mary; we are not taught by the Christian Church to practice any kind of devotion to her, nor are we taught to pray to her, or to seek help from her. But we certainly do not deny the words of Gabriel or the Spirit-inspired words that Elizabeth spoke to Mary. Mary was blessed among women. That does not mean she was better than or superior to other women. It means that God had given her a greater gift than He had given to other women. She was the only one in history whose womb gave human life to Him who is the Life. She was the mother of Elizabeth’s Lord and ours. Her womb and her descended-from-King-David genes were the Holy Spirit’s raw material for crafting a human body and soul that was taken up into the Person of the Son of God, so that there is now one Christ who is both true God and true Man, God incarnate (that is, made flesh) as a man to save men from their sins. Mary was given a vital, intimate role in the incarnation of Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Even Elizabeth’s unborn child perceived that and leaped for joy in the presence, not of Mary, but of God-with-us. That was a confession of faith on the part of John, not just that the Lord is present, but that it is a good thing, something to jump for joy over.

Why? Not for any earthly reason. Jesus would not make anything better here on earth, especially for John the Baptist, who would one day be put to death for his faithfulness to Christ. But now the Lord was finally present, not as He is always present everywhere, but tangibly present in human flesh. Not “God-out-there-somewhere,” but God-right-here-in-the-midst, to reveal God to us, to carry our sorrows, to receive our stripes, and to die our death, to make atonement for the sins of all men, and to grant eternal life to all who believe.

That God-right-here-in-the-midst is no longer growing in Mary’s womb, or lying in a manger, or walking around the land of Israel, or hanging on a cross, or lying in a tomb. He is sitting at the right hand of God, which means He is ruling everywhere, though still right here in the midst in the preaching of the Gospel, in the waters of Baptism, and in the giving out of His true body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.

Finally, Elizabeth said to Mary, Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. What a contrast with Elizabeth’s own husband Zechariah, who had disbelieved the word of the same angel Gabriel and had been struck dumb for those nine months that John was growing in Elizabeth’s belly. Zechariah was “cursed,” in that sense, but Mary was blessed—fortunate, enviable—because, unlike Zechariah, she believed the angel’s word, even though what he had told her was humanly impossible. And in believing God’s Word about something that was humanly impossible, Mary was walking in the footsteps of her forefather Abraham, who believed the Lord, against hope, that he and Sarah would have a son in their old age. Abraham believed the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness. Mary believed the Lord, and she, too, was blessed. These examples spur us on to faith, too, to trust in God’s amazing promises, to believe in the Word of God, even if no one around us believes, because He is faithful, and through faith in His promises, we will be blessed, because faith is counted as righteousness in the sight of God.

Then we have the beautiful words of Mary, which have been sung in the Church ever since. We sing it in the canticle called the Magnificat, which means “magnifies.” My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

First, Mary gives thanks to God and rejoices in Him for what He has done specifically for her. For he has looked on the humble estate of his maidservant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

Mary knows the source of her happiness, the source of her blessedness. It is the Lord God, her Savior. Everyone born in the natural way, of man and woman, inherits the innate corruption of our nature. Mary, too. She was righteous in the eyes of God only by faith, and from that faith came a righteousness of life, obedience, and love. But still, she was only righteous by faith, because God, her Savior, had brought her to faith and pronounced her righteous through faith in Him and the promised Christ, who was now growing in her womb.

And so she magnifies the Lord. She “makes His name great” because of the “great things” He, the Mighty One, had done for her. She had not suddenly been made rich, nor would she ever be. Her life had not gotten easier with this conception; it had gotten a good deal harder. The great things were all wrapped up in Christ. God had given Mary the gift of bringing His Son into the world. Through Him, Mary’s sins were forgiven. Through Him, Mary received grace upon grace. Through Him, Mary knew her God personally, and she knew that He cared for her and would never abandon her. And because of her Son, she also knew that she would be called blessed, that is, remembered fondly by all generations, not because she deserves our honor, but because God had shown her favor, and so we recognize and give thanks for her.

Then Mary goes on to bless the Lord for how He treats the rest of His believers. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. Mercy on those who fear Him, in every generation, from Adam and Eve to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to David, to Mary, to you and me, to our children and grandchildren who fear Him. What a promise! This is the special, personal, fatherly mercy for those whom God has brought to faith and who continue now in faith and the fear of God, who fear and revere, not just any god, but the God who sent His Son into the womb of the blessed virgin.

This is why we Christians cry out in our liturgy, Lord, have mercy! Because Mary was right. His mercy is on those who fear Him, and we can count on His mercy, from generation to generation, even when we don’t understand how His mercy works.

In this sense, God treats those who fear Him differently from how He treats those who don’t fear Him. Mary goes on to show the great contrast:

He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

It is very much like Jesus often said, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. How has God “scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts”? How has He “put down the mighty and sent the rich away empty”? By telling them the truth: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You want to take pride in yourself? No human being has any reason to do that. God does not let anyone trust in their own works, in their own strength, or in their own riches. God says to the proud, You will surely die, unless mercy steps in to save you.

But mercy did step in, swaddled in clothes and lying in a manger; He who is Christ Jesus. So despair of yourselves and trust in Him. He has mercy on those who fear Him. He has exalted the lowly and the poor and the despised. He has filled the hungry with good things. As Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

And He raises up the lowly, as Mary confessed, out of faithfulness to His own promises—promises which He first made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the fathers of the Israelite people—and to their seed forever. He promised those patriarchs that, through their Seed, all nations on earth would be blessed. That seed was Christ Himself, the Rod from the stem of Jesse, as Isaiah called Him, the Branch from Jesse’s roots, from the house of David, through David’s daughter Mary.

Of course, the same Isaiah to whose prophecies Mary had been alluding in her Magnificat prophesied about how God’s kingdom would extend through the virgin’s Son far beyond the nation of Israel, how the Christ would be a light to lighten the Gentiles, for the creation of one great Church to fill the world, the New Israel that proclaims the God of the Old and New Testaments, the Church made up of sinners only, who recognize their need for mercy, and God’s merciful gift of the Savior who visited Elizabeth long ago, still in his mother’s womb, and in whose presence John the unborn child leapt for joy.

The same joy is for all the humble and lowly who look to Him for salvation. Learn that from Elizabeth’s words and from Mary’s, and receive the same blessing that those lowly women received.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 2 – Luke14: 15-24 – June 29, 2025

A few weeks ago on Pentecost Sunday, we heard that the Holy Spirit had come upon the disciples just as Jesus had promised. The Holy Spirit equipped and strengthened and gave the disciples the gifts and all things necessary to bring the saving word of Jesus to a world so desperately in need of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins, life, peace and joy that He and His work brought about. The proclamation of the apostles has gone out and continues to go out into all the world, as St. Paul testifies [Rm. 10.18]: “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But Jesus could only send out His Holy Spirit in full measure on His Church like He did on Pentecost only after He had completed the work for our salvation. When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, then, on the day of Pentecost, He was saying that the work for the salvation of the world is done: our sin has been paid for, the righteousness God demands of us in His holy Law has been done, His wrath over our sin has been appeased, our spiritual enemies have all been conquered and heaven stands open to us. When the day of Pentecost had come, then Jesus’ words of promise were fulfilled to His disciples [Ac 1.8]: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The message of the apostles and thus the message of the Church down to this very day is pictured for us by Jesus in the parable He gives in our text: “And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’” As we examine Jesus’ parable we will see that “everything is now ready,” that is, God has prepared salvation for us; and therefore we dare not reject His gracious invitation.

Jesus begins the parable: “Jesus said to him, “A man once was preparing a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’” The custom was that invitations to banquets were extended and accepted. But it was a preliminary/initial acceptance because the exact hour the banquet was to take place was not yet set—after all, how do you know how much time you will need until everything is done. When the meal and all the preparations were done, then servants would go out and announce to those who had been invited and accepted: “Come, for everything is now ready.” Many invitations had gone out and obviously many invitations were accepted to this great banquet.

As is the case in so many of Jesus’ parables the man is God. And He was preparing a great banquet. So what is that great banquet? It is the full and free salvation God has prepared for all people in Jesus. But notice carefully the words: was preparing a great banquet. Just like a great banquet is not something that is whipped up and pulled together in a short period of time, neither is God’s plan for saving the world from sin. Although God had promised Adam and Eve after their first sin that He would send a Savior from sin into the world, it was thousands of years—and one world-wide, world destroying flood—later before Jesus came. All during those years, God was preparing a great banquet. He did so as He separated the Israelites as a people from whom the Savior would come; as He sent them the prophets as His spokesmen calling them to repentance and faith; as through the prophets He gave the prophecies of the Savior so people would know and recognize Him when He would finally come. All during this time, He was also preparing the heathen world for the time of when the apostles or their successors would come to them. So, yes, all this time God was preparing a great banquet.

And because it is a great banquet, it shows God intends it for many people. In fact, what does Scripture tell us about the ones God intends it for? Through St. Paul He says [1 Timothy 2:3-4], that He, God our Savior…desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 25 He says: On this mountain [here this is a reference to the Church] the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

When it comes to this great banquet, it is the banquet of salvation that God has prepared/ intended for all people and wants to give them. When it comes to the salvation of the world, this great banquet, God is not cheap. He sent His Son to be the Savior of all; He sent His Son to suffer and die for the sins of all; He sent His Son to reconcile the whole of lost humanity to Him, as Jesus says about Himself [Matthew 20:28]: The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Yes, the banquet of salvation that God was preparing all throughout the Old Testament times and culminated in Jesus’ coming, His life, His suffering and death, is a great banquet, God has prepared for us sinners through Jesus. Now, in this life, we enjoy His grace, the righteousness of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins; after this life, in eternity, we enjoy eternal life and glory in heaven in both soul and body with all the saints, the angels and the holy Triune God. This is indeed a great banquet that God has prepared for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus has come and has carried out the work of our salvation. By Jesus’ holy life and innocent suffering and death, by His glorious resurrection and ascension, the great banquet is ready. But that great banquet of our salvation would do us no good unless the message goes out: ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ That is why in the times before Jesus’ coming, the prophets and the temple and the sacrifices would point the people forward to the day of Jesus and His saving work—so certain and sure was it! But we, dear Christian, are so blessed! We live in the time after Jesus has come, when truly it is an accomplished fact. There is no denying it or thinking that it might not happen. Come, for everything is now ready, for the feast of salvation!

What do we read in our text? And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ All people had already been invited in and through God’s promise to Adam and Eve, our first parents, and the promise of the Savior given them. Now Jesus has come. During His earthly ministry, Jesus, the very God Himself, came and announced by His preaching and confirmed by His miracles, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ On the day of Pentecost, He sent His Holy Spirit on His apostles to go out into the world to announce, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ He continues to send out faithful pastors, teachers, missionaries, and all Christians to announce: ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ So serious is God that His banquet of salvation be full that He says: ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” The meal, the banquet of salvation, is ready and God wants to serve it! To be sure, no one enters God’s kingdom, the great banquet, without an invite, but in Jesus, God made all things ready and He extends the invite to all: ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ What a great mercy and grace of God—He wants His banquet hall filled. He wants all to enjoy salvation in Jesus. That is how we compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. We take comfort in the Lord’s mercy and love to us; we need not have any doubts about our worthiness to be part of the great banquet/ Christ’s Church here and in heaven. The grace of God does not want the death of the sinner but that the sinner in faith turn to Him [Ezekiel 33:11] and receive His forgiveness, righteousness, salvation and life. In other words, we ourselves are compelled and we compel others with the attracting power of God’s grace and the cross of Christ. God has done everything and prepared our salvation for us. ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

As wonderful and gracious as our Lord’s parable is for us—that God, in grace, has done everything for our salvation and that He actually invites us, ‘Come, for everything is now ready,’ there is a warning in Jesus’ parable. And the warning is this: do not reject His gracious invitation to the great banquet of His salvation. Jesus’ parable is a warning not against gross, declared enemies of Jesus and His work, but against excuse makers: those who know they should come to the great banquet, those who know they should think more of their soul and their eternal welfare but do not, but make excuses instead!

Our text says: But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ Not all regard God’s banquet of salvation as something wonderful. In the overall scheme of things, these excuses may look ok on the surface; they may seem legitimate but it is debatable, though, really how legit they are—after all who buys a field sight unseen? Who buys oxen without trying them out to see if they even work well together as a team? Or, a more modern day example—who buys a car without a test drive? Even if these are legitimate “excuses” they are wrong if they interfere with God’s invitation to us to the great banquet of salvation in Jesus. Other interests take a priority in life instead of the things of God, instead of concern for our soul’s salvation.

How foolish this is, dear Christian! Think about it. Is it not contrary even to reason, the height of foolishness, to say, “No, I do not want the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Instead, give me 5 pairs of oxen.” But guess what? There are all kinds of unreasonable and foolish excuses people—you and me included—offer up when it comes to things of God and the salvation of our soul and because of our old sinful nature, we readily go along and believe it and so spurn God’s invitation.

Perhaps we can say, “Well I am a Christian. See I accepted the invitation and I am at the great banquet.” True enough! But what if you are like the ones in Jesus’ parable: But they all alike began to make excuses. Notice they began to make excuses. First one excuse, then another—I can skip church, I worked hard all week and need to sleep, we have a game to go to; that is not that big of a sin, it will not really matter; I do not have to pray or read my bible, I just do not have time. That is what we must be on guard against, dear Christian, accepting the notion of one “little” excuse after another because before you know it, the invitation to the great banquet of salvation will have been declined.

Learn from our Lord’s parable how foolish and unreasonable excuses are. Put things into perspective. For example, when tempted to skip church say: “No, I do not want to be where Jesus promised to meet me; no, I do not want the forgiveness of sins; no, I do not want to receive His body and blood; instead, I want a lazy morning because I worked hard all week, or just want to do something else.”

Besides showing our Lord’s faithfulness and His total work for our salvation, another point of our Lord’s parable is to take our sinful nature seriously. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. The parable is a call to each of us to examine ourselves: Have I come into the great banquet? And if I have, am I holding the course, that is am I remaining in the faith and caring for the salvation of my soul?

Dear Christian, we have been called in the word and sacrament. Let us hold firmly to and treasure that invitation, Come, for everything is now ready. Our Lord’s wonderful promise in the word and sacrament both invites us, creating faith to accept the invite, and strengthens us to treasure it and hold fast to it. Come, for everything is now ready. Keep receiving His gracious invite.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity 1 – Luke 16:19-31 – June 22, 2025

Today’s text presents us with a mystery. We do not know if this is a parable or a real story. Scripturally it does not appear to be a parable. Jesus usually begins a parable by stating “the kingdom of God is like” a man who owned a vineyard, a grain of seed, a wedding festival, and so on. The parables usually have a strong central Christ figure: the groom at the wedding banquet, the sower of the seed, the shepherd. Another hint that this might be a real story is that the poor man is named. Lazarus. No one gets named in a parable. Maybe everyone in Jesus’ congregation knew old Lazarus. No one could forget that disgusting beggar, full of sores, lying outside the mansion of the rich man, begging for a doggie bag while the dogs licked his wounds.

If it is a real story that gives us another mystery. Is it possible that those who are saved might be able to see those who are damned and vice-versa? That while dwelling with your heavenly Father you might see your earthly daughter suffering in hell? Although, Scripture does not say that Lazarus could see the rich man; just that he was there beside Abraham who could see and converse with the rich man.

But if you could see those suffering in hell, that would seem to make heaven into a form of hell. I do not have a satisfactory answer to that mystery, because we do not know. The Christian faith is full of teachings that are beyond understanding. The Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ being true God and true man. A wafer of bread and a sip of wine being the only meal that feeds you with life. The death of God’s Son for adulterers, murderers, gossips, thieves, vandals, and rebels. I cannot explain why God would give His Son for you, but I can preach with confidence that He did.

God’s Word is filled with uncomfortable Words. Husbands love your wife to death. Wives obey and submit to your husbands. Pray for your enemies. Whoever wants to save his life must lose it. Discomfort comes with the work of Christ. When you believe that Christ died for your sin, sin is going to become uncomfortable, even the sin you really enjoy. When you believe that God is merciful, your selfishness will feel like a swimsuit four sizes too small. When you confess that Jesus is the only way for a sinner to get into heaven, you have the discomfort of wanting everyone, especially your family and loved ones, to believe in Jesus. You have awkward conversations with them, you lose sleep over them, weep for them, pray for them.

Even when we do not understand, even when God speaks an unbearable Word, we can trust Him because He perfectly loves you. Perfect love casts out fear. He gave His Son that you might not suffer like the rich man but be comforted like Lazarus.

This text teaches us the mystery of faith: faith that saves and faith that damns. It also declares a paradox that you cannot see faith, and yet you can see faith.

To everyone’s eyes the rich man was blessed by God. He owned a mansion on the river. He slept on Egyptian cotton sheets. Every meal he ate was catered or delivered by grub hub. He lacked nothing. Surely a man blessed with such wealth must be one of God’s favorites.

Poor Lazarus, on the other hand appeared to be cursed by God. He must have done something horribly wrong and now God was paying him back. He was a blight on the rich man’s property. He was hanging out by the big gate, hoping someone coming or going would give him table scraps or a few bucks to go to McDonald’s.

You cannot see saving faith because it is hidden in a man’s heart. You would never know from sight that the rich man was cursed for eternity and Lazarus was heading for the riches of God’s presence.

The difference between these two men is faith in Jesus. Lazarus believed what father Abraham believed, namely that the son of God’s promise would bless the world. He believed the Law and the Prophets. He believed what Micah prophesied. This boy would be born in Bethlehem. Lazarus believed what Isaiah foretold. This Savior would proclaim good news to the poor, heal the sick, and restore sight to the blind. He would be despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows. He would be crushed for our iniquities on a cross. Three days later, like Jonah, the belly of the earth would spit Him out because death cannot hold anyone without sin. Lazarus believed what Paul would eventually write “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you (and Lazarus) through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

While faith cannot be seen it also can be seen. The rich man had faith and it was evident in everything he did. He believed in himself so he served himself. Even as he roasted away in the flames of hell he still thinks he is the rich boss, telling people what to do. “Send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” (Luke 16:24) And then he tells Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers. “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house.” (Luke 16:27) It is possible that he was concerned about his brother’s salvation, but it is more likely that he did not want them to see his failure. He even argues with Abraham about what should be done for his brothers.

The rich man wanted his brothers to see something. That is what unbelief always asks for – a sign. miracle. Abraham says no. You have Moses and the Prophets. You have the whole Old Testament that points to Jesus. If people will not believe the Word they will not believe a miracle either. Remember, it was a miracle, the raising of another Lazarus from the dead, that sealed Jesus’ rejection by the Jews.

Ironically, God did give a factual, historical sign. One man in history did rise from the dead. And as Abraham said, most still will not believe in Him. If you are worried about death or afraid of what you might suffer beforehand, or where you might end up after death, if you are troubled by the suffering of poor Lazaruses of the world – hear the Word of Moses and the Prophets, the Word of the Evangelists and Apostles. There is One who took on the evil of man and the devil behind it. There is One who died for sin and rose again so you could be forgiven and taken by the angels to Abraham. His name is Jesus of Nazareth and like Abraham – if you believe in Him you are counted as righteous.

Your faith is seen. The question is “What god does your faith reveal?” Does your day include prayer? Is your conversation sweet with Godliness and truth or poisoned with gossip, complaining, and demands? Does your contentment center on getting your way or like Lazarus do you endure suffering as discipline from your Father in heaven? When you see people different than you, do you avoid them like the Rich man avoided Lazarus or do you see them as fellow humans, created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus? When you steward your wealth are you doing it with your heavenly Father in mind or feeding your earthly appetites?

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. Thankfully, we are not saved by what others see. We are saved by what God sees in our heart, the Son of the Promise, the One whose blood cleanses us from all sins. God has given us another day to hear His Word, to be forgiven our sins, to have Moses and the Prophets, the Evangelists, and Apostles preach the full cross and the empty tomb to us. Whether we are poor and suffering or rich and feasting God is still speaking His Word that we might repent, believe, and be comforted like poor Lazarus.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Holy Trinity Sunday – John 3: 1-17 – June 15, 2025

On this festival of the Most Holy Trinity, we confess what every true Christian confesses: that the God who reveals Himself in the Holy Bible is the only true God and the only true Savior. He is the God of both the Old and the New Testaments, the one God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God who is three Persons—three distinct Persons, not one Person. One God, not three separate Gods. And, as the Athanasian and the Nicene Creed emphasize, one of those Persons also became Man for us and for salvation. He was already God, and still is God, but He took on a human nature in order to suffer and die in the place of sinful human beings, so that now we have a blood relative in one of the Three Persons of God, so that His Father has become our Father, not just because He created us, but because He has also adopted us through faith in the Son, in the Holy Spirit’s ceremony of adoption called Holy Baptism.

It is not about understanding God or comprehending God. It is about knowing God as He has revealed Himself in the Person of His Son. Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) To know this God is to have eternal life. To not know Him is to remain in the darkness of sin and death.

So we do well to keep it simple. Trinitarian Theology is not hard, as long as we do not try to cram the Trinity into our human reason. It is simply knowing who God is, what He has done to save us, and how we receive that salvation from Him, all of which is treated in our Gospel from John chapter 3.

Nicodemus—a Pharisee, a ruler in Israel—came to Jesus at night. He was intrigued by Jesus, but still did not believe in Jesus as the Christ. He was still stuck in his Pharisee’s mentality: salvation by obeying the Law, salvation by good works, salvation by birthright. He rightly saw the signs and miracles Jesus did as a testimony from God that Jesus had come from God. But he still did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and so he still did not know God the Father, either.

Jesus told him the truth: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) He explained it further: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)

The Pharisees were so proud of their birth, so proud of their heritage as Abraham’s children. They were so proud of the decent, religious, law-abiding citizens they had worked so hard to become. And Jesus tells Nicodemus, it is all worthless. It is all for nothing. You will never be good enough to see the kingdom of God, to escape death, to enter heaven. Unless you are given a new birth and become a new person, you will perish.

You see, it is important to know who God is, but it is really just as important to know who man is, to know who you are. Everyone, every person on earth has the same problem, the same incurable, natural, hereditary disease. One name for it is Original Sin. It has corrupted our flesh and the soul within beyond remedy. It is the root cause of all unbelief and every false religion in the world. It is at the heart of every homicide, every angry outburst, every lazy attitude, every feeling of jealousy, every act of self-service, every thought that the rest of the world really exists to serve “me.” You cannot fight it, you cannot correct it, you cannot beat it, you cannot get rid of it.

Your only hope, Jesus says, for seeing, for entering the kingdom of God, is a new birth.

How does that new birth take place? God’s Spirit has to do it: the Spirit of the Father. Who, through the word of God, drives sinners to see how hopeless their condition is, how lost they are, how needy of salvation. He drives them to fear, to contrition, to mourn over their sins and over their ruin.

And then the same Spirit holds up before their eyes the image of a serpent on a pole. You remember that account from the book of Numbers. The Israelites were wandering through the wilderness, complaining again about God’s providence. So He sent venomous snakes into their camp. Many of them were bitten. So they were driven to fear, driven to contrition, driven to mourn over their sins and their ruin. And then God provided the miraculous cure: Moses was to take bronze, melt it and shape it into the form of a serpent, then put it up on a pole, so that all who were bitten could look up at it and be saved.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) And so God the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of Christ, drives fearful, guilty sinners to look up and see God on the cross. God, the Son of God, given by God the Father as the sacrifice that atones for the world’s sins. By looking up at Him in faith, you are born again. You are recreated. You are forgiven. You have eternal life.

And to that rebirth and remission of sins, Jesus ties the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Through Word and water, water and the Spirit, you have a tangible seal of the promised rebirth and eternal life, something visible to put your faith in, because Baptism has God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation attached to it.

It is no wonder, then, that, when Jesus instituted Holy Baptism after His resurrection, He tied it directly to the Holy Trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Because it is this Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who brings about the salvation of sinners.

To confess the Holy Trinity as the only saving God and to confess faith in Him as the only way to be justified and saved from eternal condemnation comes with its own set of dangers, too. In 2017, there is an example of the world’s hatred for this Christian confession when Bernie Sanders attacked a White House nominee because the nominee had once written that Muslims stand under God’s condemnation because they have rejected Jesus as Christ. “Do you believe people in the Muslim religion stand condemned?…What about Jews?” he asked. “Do they stand condemned too?… In your judgment, do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?” The nominee in question never directly answered the question, at least, not in his public testimony.

But you answered it today in the Athanasian Creed, and we must all continue to answer it, gladly and boldly, for ourselves and for the benefit of the world, both because it is the truth, and because it is only by hearing the truth that the sinners of this world can be brought to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus: “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.” That catholic faith, very simply, is that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, and, specifically, that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, who suffered, died, and rose again from the dead, that all who believe in Him, and only those who believe in Him, will be eternally saved. May that confession be always found in our hearts and on our lips!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pentecost – Acts 2: 1-21 – June 8, 2025

Pentecost was originally a sacred harvest festival, one of the mandated feasts of the Old Testament. Seven weeks after the firstfruits of the harvest were gathered, after the first sheaf of a farmer’s wheat crop was offered to the Lord, the Feast of Weeks was to take place, a feast for giving thanks to the Lord for the full harvest that had been brought in—a harvest that had been guaranteed 50 days earlier by the appearance of the firstfruits in the field.

You all know what happened on Easter Sunday. This is what St. Paul says about it in 1 Corinthians 15: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Christ, the firstfruits from the dead, rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. And seven weeks later, it was time to celebrate the harvest of what He had accomplished, the harvest of the rest of the Church through the work of the Holy Spirit, a harvest of life that goes on and on until the end of the age.

Jesus had told His apostles to stay in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so they did. They waited, not knowing exactly how or when the Spirit would come. The events of today’s Epistle reading explain how it happened. There were three signs of His coming.

The first was the sound of a mighty, rushing wind. Unlike Jesus, who came as a man, whom everyone could see with their eyes and touch with their hands and hear with their ears, the Spirit is different. “Spirit,” pnew-MA-tos, or RUach in Hebrew, means “breath” or “wind.” Jesus had once said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Since the Spirit does not interact with us as a human being does, His presence cannot be recognized except through outward signs, much like the wind itself cannot be recognized except by the sound it makes and by the things it blows around. So the Holy Spirit used the sound of a mighty, rushing wind to signal His mighty presence among the believers in Jesus.

The second sign was the appearance of tongues as of fire, resting upon each of Jesus’ disciples. Years earlier, John the Baptist had promised that the Christ would baptize His disciples “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” This was it. Not the kind of fire that burns or devours. But the kind of fire that spreads. And that fire would spread through tongues, that is, through the speaking, the preaching of the Word of God. As God had said through the prophet Jeremiah, “Is not My word like a fire?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

The third sign was the sudden ability of the disciples to speak in other tongues, in other languages, in the very languages of the Jews and Jewish converts who were born in other countries, but who were living in or visiting Jerusalem at that time. This was probably not an ability to actually communicate in those languages, like when you learn a new language. It was, instead, the outpouring of God’s praises in someone else’s language. The speakers may not even understand what they were saying. And the point of this sign, though, is obvious: God, in the Old Testament, had focused His attention on the Hebrew-speaking Israelites. He had given them His Word, His covenant, and His promises. The Gentiles were ignored, largely, and allowed to go on living in their wickedness and false beliefs, outside of God’s kingdom. But that would be the case no longer. No longer was God’s attention focused on the Hebrew-speaking Jews living in Jerusalem. Now God was turning to all nations, to bring everyone everywhere into the New Testament in Jesus’ blood, the covenant of the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ crucified and risen from the dead. This marked the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ parable of the Great Supper, where, after the invited guests, representing the unbelieving Jews, had refused the master’s invitation, He sent out His messengers to gather people “from the highways and the hedges,” Jews and Gentiles, with no respect to anyone’s nationality, or skin color, or bloodline, or language.

The purpose of the signs was very simple: First, to notify the believers themselves that Jesus was, right at that moment, keeping His promise to send them the gift of the Holy Spirit. Second, to attract the crowds in Jerusalem to this gathering of the Christians in Jerusalem, to make them curious and desirous of an explanation. And, third, to confirm that God was indeed with these Christians, that the Gospel they preached was from God.

And so, aided by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter preached his Pentecost sermon:

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words… But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Acts 2:14,16-21)

This, Peter says, is the fulfillment of that prophecy from the Book of Joel, that in these “last days,” God would pour out His Holy Spirit on His servants, indicating that these Christians, these believers in Jesus, were the servants of God. And you notice the references in Joel’s prophecy to Jesus’ own prophecies regarding the last days, that there would be “wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth, the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood,” which Jesus explains as signs of His imminent return. In other words, the whole New Testament period is being prophesied by Joel, beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and lasting until Jesus comes again. This whole age is the age of the Holy Spirit, the age of the harvest of life, when the gift of salvation is being offered to all.

The next verse from Joel’s prophecy, which Peter did not need to add at that time but which I think the world today needs to take into account, goes on: “For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.” In Mount Zion, in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, Joel prophesied. But how? What is the connection to Zion and Jerusalem? It is not what modern Evangelicals teach, that the city of Jerusalem is and will always remain significant in God’s plan of salvation. No, the connection is clearly to that very outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, where deliverance from sin, death, and the devil was indeed proclaimed, through faith in Jesus Christ. From there the Gospel went forth into the rest of the world. So, again, it is not about the city of Jerusalem. It is all about the Gospel. It is all about Jesus.

All Israel was invited, but not all Israel was to receive the Lord’s Spirit or participate in the kingdom of God from that point forward. Only those who believed the apostles’ preaching, who repented and believed in the Lord Jesus, and were baptized in His name for the forgiveness of sins. Listen carefully to how Peter preached to the people of Israel that day

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it… This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing… Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:22-24, 32-33, 36-39)

And that is the summary of the whole Gospel. Whoever you are, whatever you have done, repent! Repent of all your rebellions against God, of all your failings, of all your breaking of His commandments, and of the prideful trust in your own works to save you, and believe instead in the Lord Jesus who was crucified as the atoning sacrifice for the world’s sins but has now been raised from the dead and reigns at the Father’s right hand. Be baptized in the name of Jesus, the Christ whom God the Father sent, and believe that that baptism in Jesus’ name is for the forgiveness of sins, that God, whom you have offended with your sins, has punished His Son for them, and is now offering to wash them all away and to claim you as His child and to bring you into His kingdom. And know that, as a baptized child of God, you will never again be alone. But, as Jesus promised in today’s Gospel, ““If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23) The Father, the Son, and, as Peter promises, also the Holy Spirit will make a home with you. God will give you the gift of His Holy Spirit.

That is not a promise that you will speak in tongues. It is a promise that the Holy Spirit will dwell side by side with your spirit, to preserve you in the faith, to guide you in understanding God’s Word and in applying it to your life, to urge you constantly to live a life of obedience and love, to fill you will courage, comfort, joy, and peace. Not the world’s idea of peace, where you do not have any problems or conflicts in your life. But Jesus’ version of peace, where you can face any problem and any conflict because you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and you are on good terms with the One who is in charge of the universe and of the future.

So praise God today for the Day of Pentecost. Praise and thank Him for including you in His great harvest of life. And make every effort to walk each day in the peace that Jesus has given you, and in the faith and love that the Holy Spirit has worked in you and will continue to work in you.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 7 Exaudi – John 15: 26-16: 4 – June 1, 2025

This past Thursday we celebrated again Jesus’ Ascension and His sitting down at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Our Lord, our Savior, our King, our Brother now rules over all things for the benefit of His Holy Christian Church. And one of the first and most important acts of King Jesus sitting on His throne was the sending of the Holy Spirit, which we will celebrate next Sunday on the day of Pentecost. But, once again, we turn back today to Maundy Thursday evening and the final instructions Jesus gave to His apostles, much of which centered around the coming of the Holy Spirit, “whom I will send to you from the Father.”

He calls the Holy Spirit by two names in this Gospel: The “Helper” and the “Spirit of truth.” In Greek, the word is parakletos or sometimes Paraclete. He is the “Encourager”, the advocate, the One summoned for support. The One who comforts. The one who helps. The one who encourages Christians and urges them on toward faith and toward love. He is called the Spirit of truth, because everything He reveals and teaches and testifies is true and trustworthy and dependable.

“He will bear witness about Me,” Jesus says. He is referring, first of all, to the testimony the Spirit would give on the Day of Pentecost in the hearts and minds of the faithful. He would testify in their hearts about Jesus, confirming them in their faith in Christ Jesus, teaching them about Christ Jesus, helping them to know Him rightly and to follow Him steadfastly.

He is also referring to the testimony the Spirit would give in the many miraculous signs He would perform among the believers, including that sign they would exhibit on the Day of Pentecost of speaking in foreign languages. That would be the Spirit’s testimony to the world that the apostles’ preaching was truly from God and not from man. It would be the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus that He was the Christ, as the apostles said, and that all should repent and believe in Him. It would also be the Spirit’s testimony that the Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation, as the infant Church wrestled with the issue of how the Gentiles fit it. Those who had doubts about the Gentiles had it confirmed to them by the Holy Spirit that the Gentiles were to be given equal status with the Jews in the Christian Church when the Spirit enabled the Gentile Cornelius and his household to speak in tongues after hearing Peter’s preaching.

“And you also will bear witness,” Jesus tells His apostles, “because you have been with me from the beginning.” Notice, Jesus is not talking to all Christians here. He is talking to those apostles who were with Him from the beginning. It is eyewitness testimony He is expecting them to give, eyewitness testimony about Him, about all that Jesus said and did from His Baptism to His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. “This is who Jesus is. This is what He did. This is what He taught. And this is what it means.” That was to be their testimony.

That does not mean they were to forget about the Old Testament. Far from it! They were to expound the Old Testament as Jesus Himself expounded it, as the true Word and teaching of God, as the true history of the world, and as the true history of the people of Israel, all of which was pointing to Him as the Savior of the world and as the great King who would reign forever.

In fact, the apostles were to start with the Jews, with the people of Israel, as they bore witness to Jesus and proclaimed to the Old Testament people of God that their Messiah had come. That Jesus was the Heir of the Old Testament and that He had fulfilled it. That Christ had instituted a New Testament in His blood, and that it was time to repent and believe in Him. The apostles had to be prepared to testify to all these things.

But how would it go for the apostles among the Jews? “They will put you out of the synagogues.” (John 16:2)

Imagine, having grown up your whole life faithfully attending the synagogue, hearing the Word of God pointing to the coming Christ, then finding the Christ, being sent by the Christ to preach to your brothers and sisters in the synagogue, and then being cast out of the synagogue. Excommunicated. We see it happening to the apostle Paul time and time again, from city to city, from synagogue to synagogue. This is what the apostles had to look forward to.

But it would get worse. “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:2) The Jews were, for the most part, sincere in their persecution of the apostles and of Christians in general. They really thought they were doing the right thing, thought they were serving God by arresting and executing Christians.

How could they do those things to God’s own chosen preachers? Jesus states it bluntly. “And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:3) Knowledge of religion is worthless; sincerity in one’s religion is worthless; faith itself is worthless, if it is not placed in the true God, if it is not exercised in service of the true God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the One who is revealed both in the Old and in the New Testament. Sadly, tragically, the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ demonstrated that they never really knew God the Father, either, and the apostles had to be prepared to die at their hands.

Now, if that was true of the Jews, it would also be true of the Gentiles. We read in the book of Acts how the Gentiles, too, would seek to kill the preachers who preached Jesus as the only true God and who exposed their pagan idols as false gods.

So, again, imagine that you are one of the apostles. And you are being told ahead of time that the great mission on which you are being sent will end in your rejection and your death. How on earth did they ever agree to it?

They agreed to it, because they actually believed their own testimony. They were convinced that this Jesus whom they would preach in the world was the true God. What is more, after seeing Him risen the dead, they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that, no matter how poorly they were treated in the world, Jesus would raise their dead bodies, too. And, of course, they were also persuaded that to deny Jesus before men, to fail to testify when called upon to testify, would be a terrible betrayal of their Lord, for which they would have to answer.

But there was yet another reason why they were prepared to die for their testimony. Because Jesus had promised that it would not all be in vain. They would be rejected by most, but not by all. Through their preaching and even through their martyrdom, the Lord Christ would gather a little flock to Himself, a little flock of believers who would be saved from eternal condemnation and who would join them, the apostles, at the great Supper of the Lamb.

Here you are today, Christians who have been baptized and have confessed Jesus as the Christ. You are the joy that was set before Jesus, making Him willing to endure the cross and its shame. You are what motivated the apostles to testify and to face rejection and death for their testimony.

Now the question confronts you and me. What am I prepared to do? What are you prepared to do?

Are you prepared to devote yourself to reading and studying the apostles’ testimony: weekly in Bible study and daily in your homes? Or will you be satisfied with a cursory knowledge of Scripture? Are you prepared to keep gathering around the Word and Sacrament of Christ, no matter what  else may try to get in the way? Are you prepared to confess Christ in your daily life with your words and with your actions? And if so, are you prepared to suffer for it, to lose friends for it, to lose money for it, to lose your life for it? To put it a different way, to put it the way that you were asked many years ago and some will be asked next year: do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully? Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death? Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?

You must be. No servant is above His master. No student is above His teacher. If you would be disciples of Christ, then you, too, must be ready to confess Him and to die for your confession. And if you are willing to die for it, then you will certainly also be willing to lose lesser things than your life for it; to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

You will be able to make the good confession and to present your life as a living sacrifice—or as a dead one—because you know that Jesus is the Son of God, because you know that Jesus became our Brother in order to die for our sins, because you know that He took up His life again and now reigns at the right hand of the Father. You will be prepared to confess Him and prepared to die for Him, because you know that He has conquered death, that He has overcome the world, and that your confession of Christ, in what you say and in what you do, is the very light that shines in the world through which the Lord Christ will build His Church and make His kingdom come.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ascension – Luke 24: 44-53 – May 29, 2025

Welcome to the Forgotten Festival! Today is Ascension Day, or, as it is more properly called, the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. But there is reason to call it the “Forgotten” Festival. Because even though Ascension Day is classed in the church year as a major festival, which means it is a day for all churches to hold the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, the sad fact is that in recent decades many congregations and many Christians have forgotten all about celebrating this important festival.

It used to be that you could go to any Lutheran church, or any liturgical church, for that matter, and they would have Ascension service on this day. But with the decline of Christian culture in our country, it is not as easy to find churches that are having service today. And where you do, it is usually only the hardy few who turn out. You see, by definition the Ascension of Our Lord always comes forty days after Easter, which means it always falls on a Thursday. And it can be hard enough to get people to come to church on a Sunday, let alone on a Thursday.

By the way, there is another major festival in the church year that likewise has fallen on hard times, and that is the Epiphany of Our Lord. Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas, thus it always falls on January 6, which means it almost always falls on a day other than Sunday. Besides which, early January is cold and dark, and that cuts down even further on attendance. So I guess we could say that Epiphany and Ascension are the two Forgotten Festivals.

But happily, we get to celebrate this feast tonight. The Ascension of Our Lord is a wonderful, marvelous event, deserving of a day all its own. The fact that Christ “ascended into heaven” even rates a line in all three of the ecumenical creeds! Tonight, then, I want to tell you why we remember and rejoice in the Ascension of Our Lord.

And the reason, or one of the reasons at least since there are several, one reason we remember and rejoice in this festival is this: The Ascension of Our Lord tells us that Christ is working in and through his church by the ministry of the gospel. The accounts of the Ascension that St. Luke gives us, both at the end of his gospel and at the beginning of Acts, show Christ preparing his disciples for the mighty ministry that the church will undertake once he ascends.

The risen Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples a number of times during those forty days from Easter to Ascension, and it says he was “speaking about the kingdom of God.” Jesus had been training his disciples over the past three years, but now he takes them to the next level. They had a lot to learn. They had not really “gotten it” up to this point. Oh, they had heard and seen a lot from their master during those years, but it had not really clicked yet–especially the part about him having to suffer and die. But now the light bulb comes on. “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” it says. Now they will understand how it all fits together.

Jesus tells them: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.” All of the Bible, all of God’s plan for humanity, is focused on the suffering Christ. Not a glory Christ, but a suffering Christ. Because that is what it would take to accomplish God’s plan of salvation. It takes the suffering and death of God’s only Son to atone for our sins and achieve our salvation. Nothing less would do.

You could not pay for your sins. You could die on a cross a thousand times over, and you would not even pay for your own sins, let alone the sins of the world. But Christ could, and he did. His holy blood shed on the cross, his perfect righteousness credited to your account, makes the perfect sacrifice to atone for all your sins in God’s court of justice. And with sins paid for, peace with God is made, death is overcome and conquered. And so on the third day, that is, on Easter, Christ rose from the dead, in victory. The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the very heart of the gospel. This is what Jesus wants his disciples to be preaching, and so, before he ascends, he impresses the centrality of this upon them.

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name.” You see, it is not just the bare events themselves. It is what they mean for us, how they are applied to us. The death and resurrection of Jesus are preached for the purpose of repentance and forgiveness, so that we would repent and believe and receive.

First, repentance. The proclamation of God’s word of Law accuses us and condemns us as sinners. God is calling us to repentance, to mourn our sinful state, to turn from our sins, and to give up on our empty self-justification. But the proclamation of God’s Word at that point is not yet complete. The Gospel then needs to come and raise us to life. We hear the life-giving word of what God has done for us in Christ. The Holy Spirit works faith in our heart, and we receive the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. This is the Gospel, this is the good news, and it is for you!

“Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name,” Jesus says, “to all nations.” Note that, “to all nations.” Not just to Israel, but to the Gentile nations also. That is something that the apostles, all of whom were Jews, would need to get used to. So Jesus is preparing them for that here before he ascends.

Jesus is teaching his disciples, his “learners,” so they can be his apostles, his “sent ones.” He will be sending them out on a worldwide mission when he ascends, and he wants them to be ready. The teaching goes on right up until the moment he ascends. There is still some “not getting it” in their heads. “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” “Well, no, boys, it is not like that. Do not worry about the exact time. It will happen when it happens. And the kingdom is not just for Israel. It is bigger than that, a whole lot bigger.”

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” “Yes, you who have been with me all this time, you who have seen and heard so many things, now I will be sending you out to more than just the house of Israel. This gospel I have entrusted you with is for the whole earth, every nation. God will be saving people from every nation through your apostolic ministry. That has been his plan all along. That is how his kingdom will come.”

Now this might seem a daunting task. It is. The disciples might want to shrink back in fear, especially with their master now “going away.” What will they do without him? But they will not be “without” him, really. He will be with them, all the days, to the close of the age, even though they will see him no longer.

And before he ascends, Jesus assures them that he will give them the help that they need: “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” And again he says: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Ascension Day is forty days after Easter, but it is also ten days before Pentecost. And here Jesus is promising his disciples that he will pour out upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit, which he would do ten days later on Pentecost. Ascension points us to Pentecost and the Spirit’s empowering of the church’s ministry.

The Spirit will work through the apostolic preaching to deliver God’s forgiveness to people, to bring people to faith in Christ, and to keep them in that faith. It is still happening today. You yourselves are being given forgiveness, you yourselves are being strengthened in your faith, even here tonight, as this life-giving gospel preaching comes into your ears and Christ’s very body and blood come into your mouth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, your ascended Lord has left nothing out. He has arranged everything in the church to deliver to you the forgiveness of sins and to keep you strong in the saving faith. Not only has he won your forgiveness and salvation by his death and resurrection, but his ascension shows that he has not left you on your own in these latter days before he returns. Jesus has not gone away and forgotten his disciples. Rather, he has ascended into heaven for the very purpose of being with his people all around the world, in all times, and at all places. And he does this in and through the church’s ministry.

Ascension Day tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ is working in and through his church by the ministry of the gospel. For this reason, the Ascension of Our Lord really is a most wonderful festival.

So should we call Ascension Day the “Forgotten” Festival? Well, even though much of the church may have forgotten this festival, the good news is that Christ our ascended Lord has not forgotten his church! Remember and rejoice in that!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 6 Rogate – John 16: 23-33 – May 25, 2025

Jesus uses two different words for asking in our Gospel lesson. They get translated the same in English, as “ask,” but the two words are worlds apart. “In that day you will ask nothing of me,” Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give to you.” So Jesus says it is only when you have nothing to ask from Jesus, that you can ask anything and everything from the Father. The first word for ask there, ero-TAH-o, where Jesus says, “In that day you will ask nothing of me”, means asking for information, not knowing something and asking to find out. So Jesus is telling his disciples, “In that day, you will not have any reason to question Me, to enquire more about who I am, who the Father is, what my Kingdom consists in, you will not need to ask me, because you will already know.” And Jesus says, “In that day,” referring to the day He would show them His hands and His side, because it is His cross that answers all questions. The cross makes everything clear, there is no speaking in parables there. You will not need to ask if God loves you. The Father has sent His Son into death for you. There is love, unmistakable. You will not need to ask who this God is. He is your Father, because His Son has become your brother and given you His Spirit. You will not need to ask if your sins separate you from God, because there is God on the cross paying with His blood for your sins. Everything, Jesus says, will become clear when I die and I rise again. You will have no need to ask me anything else.

But then Jesus uses another word for ask and says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.” And here the word ask, ai-TAY-oh, means to beg, it means to ask not for knowledge, but for help. Because this is what you ask from God when you have no reason to question Him. You know He loves you. You know He has made you and cares for you. He has sent His precious Son to suffer for you. He tells you to call on Him as Father, this great divine invitation of your Baptism, where God owns you as His own child. The intensity of the love of the Father for His Son is infinite. And here you now belong to the Son, He becomes your brother, He gives up His life for you, you are joined to Him. And so Jesus says the Father loves you, you have direct access to the Father, because you love His Son and you love His Son because He has loved you to His death.

So this is what it means that only when you have nothing to ask from Jesus can you then ask anything from the Father in Jesus’ name. Only Christians can pray to God because only Christians know who God is. Because we know Jesus. And when you know who God is, there is nothing that can keep you from asking anything from Him. But my sins rise too high, over my head, and I am ashamed to ask, you say. No, the Father you pray to has sacrificed His dear Son for those sins, and that blood was not shed in vain. So confess your sins and know Jesus does not lie, it is finished, and so long as He is your Savior then His Father is your Father, and you can ask anything of Him without fear and without shame. And if you are doubting, remember the God to whom you pray, look at the cross, remember the words of Paul, He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with him freely give us all things? So ask, that your joy may be full.

We need to pray. Praying is talking to God through faith in Jesus. And we need to talk to God. I am going to give you three reasons, besides the fact that Jesus commanded you to pray, so you should do what Jesus tells you to do, and besides the fact that God has promised to hear you, and that is an unbelievable blessing, that you have the ear of God almighty, He has bound Himself to hear you and answer you in your Baptism when He named you His child.

But let me give you three other reasons. First, you should pray because you have needs. You have fears, you have pain, you have anxieties, and it is a great comfort to speak them to your God and know that He has promised to hear you and actually cares. This world is not just. Bad things happen. And bad things happen to Christians. Job’s wife told him to curse God and die, because there was nothing but misery and God was clearly responsible. That is the heathen way. When things go bad, they complain, they riot, they blame God, they turn to whatever self-pitying pleasures will give them some temporary relief. But the Christian knows that God directs all things, the bad things too, to your benefit, and He teaches you to see this. Your life and your salvation are more precious to him than all the heathen with all their power and all their trappings. So tell Him your needs and wait His good time and He will work it for your good.

Second, you should pray because it forces you to live like a Christian. This is what I mean: prayer makes no sense, it is a mania, a species of insanity, if God does not exist and if you do not know who this God is. You would be talking to yourself, to your imaginary friend, to cope with your problems. So every time you pray, you are reminding yourself that God exists, and not just some generic god, but the God of the Bible, the God Jesus reveals. And you live your life in His presence – your interactions with others, your use of your time, your work, your words, your actions in private, everything is done before the One to whom you pray every morning and evening and in the time between. And you know His will. So pray that He keep you in the true religion, which is to keep you undefiled from the world, as St. James says, to live and think like a Christian, at church, at home, at work, when you lie down, and when you wake up.

Third, you should pray because this is how you practice faith and Christian love. St. Paul prayed constantly for the churches he planted, for the individual people in these churches; and because he prayed, he acted, he wrote, he encouraged them, he taught them, he visited them, his love for them increased. Christ Himself gives us His example, that He prays for his disciples and all who will believe through their Word, and then He acts, He goes to the cross, He suffers for the very people He prayed for. Prayer urged Him on to action, and it urges us to action. So every pastor, if he is praying for the people of his congregation, will find himself also acting for them, preaching to them specifically, calling on them, speaking to them. Praying will help me to think of the needs you all have, that some of you are suffering from cancer, some dealing with disease, some struggling as mothers and fathers, some anxious and depressed, some have not been to church in way too long, some are going through underserved injustice and pain, some mourning death, some rejoicing in the blessings of children, some lonely, and not only does this make me think of you and commend you to the Lord, it spurs me to action, to talk to you, to help you concretely if it is possible.

And so it goes with you. Pray for people, and you will learn to love them in action also. Pray for your godchildren, that they remain in the faith, that their parents have the resolve to bring them up Christians in the church. Teachers, pray for your students. Parents, for your children. Husbands, pray for your wives and wives for your husbands. Children, pray for your mothers and fathers. Members, pray for your pastor and for your church and your school. Pray for your enemies too, for everyone who angers you or hurts you or offends you, pray for their repentance that they may know the joy and freedom of knowing Christ and being found in Him. When you pray for people, sincerely, from the heart, trusting that because Christ has shed His blood for you and God has named you His child, your Father in heaven will never fail to answer you, then you will not fail to act in love toward those around you. This is why James can say that religion pure and undefiled before God the Father is to visit widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Because true religion is faith in Jesus, who shows you a Father who adores you and to whom you can pray. And this faith does pray and in praying it loves, and in loving it acts. And so Jesus’ words are fulfilled, by this they will know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another. You pray for the widow, the widower, the sufferer, the one in need, the sick, the church, your brothers and sisters in Christ, and not only does God hear your prayer, but He gives you this added blessing, to spur you on to action.

Jesus says ask, that your joy may be full. We pray and God answers, and our joy is full. First, because we ask for our greatest need, for forgiveness and communion with God, to know Him and be known by Him, and He answers, He calls us His children, He feeds us with the body and blood of Jesus, He promises us everlasting life with Him, He points us to the cross of our Lord and His resurrection as proof beyond doubt of His commitment to us, and this is joy and contentment. And then from this flows the Christian life, which is a joyful life, even if sometimes it is not so happy and we have to suffer through pain. So long as that pain drives us to our God in prayer, then we can continue to ask, that our joy may be full. Here is a life where God is constantly in view. When I pray for my enemies, for those who hate me, I pray to the God who orders me not to hate, but to have God’s mind, which is to bless those who curse me and to want all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Here is the joy Jesus gives. It is the joy of God Himself. It is the joy of becoming and being and living as His children. How could we not want everyone to share in this joy and in this life? It is the life of God, where all our questions are answers, so we do not have to ask who God is or whether He loves us, but because we know, we ask for all things from our Father through faith in Jesus by the power of His Spirit.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 5 Cantate – John16: 5-15 – May 18, 2025

It has been 29 days since we celebrated Easter Sunday. In just 11 days we will celebrate Jesus’ Ascension to the right hand of God, since He spent 40 days appearing on and off to His disciples and then ascended into heaven. And 10 days after that, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the 50th day after Jesus rose from the dead. Today’s Gospel gets us thinking about those two events and why they are so vitally important.

On the night before He died, Jesus told His disciples that He was going away. And the very thought of that made His eleven disciples very sad. Why did Jesus have to go away? They did not even know what He meant by “going away.” We do. He was going away, first, to judgment and death. He would see them again when He rose from the dead, but then He would go away in a more permanent way by ascending into heaven. Why did He have to ascend into heaven? Was it so that we cannot see Him here anymore? Was it so that we cannot ask Him questions and hear His responses? Was it so that we cannot see His miracles or see His face? The simple answer is, He went away, because He was no longer needed here. “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away.” (John 16:7)

The Son of God was needed here on earth, in human flesh, to live a righteous human life, to die an innocent human death. He was needed here to reveal God to us, to reveal the depth of the Father’s love for poor sinners by becoming the sacrifice for sins, the Substitute who paid the penalty for all people’s sins with His own blood, with His own death. He was needed here to earn a righteous verdict and the forgiveness of sins for all sinners. He was needed here to rise from the dead and to show His disciples the proof of His victory over sin, death, and the devil in His risen and glorified body, to show us the life that awaits all who believe when He comes again in glory.

All of that is done. All of that was accomplished nearly 2,000 years ago. What is needed now, during this entire New Testament period, is for the blood of Christ and all that He earned by it to be applied to sinners for their justification. What is needed now is for sinners around the world to hear the Gospel call to repent and believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, for sinners to be baptized and brought into the household of God’s Holy Church, adopted into His family for the sake of Christ, and made coheirs together with Christ of an eternal heavenly inheritance. That is what needs to happen for the rest of this earthly age.

All of that, all that is needed until the end of the age, is the work of the Holy Spirit of God. “It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

The Holy Spirit’s proper work is explained in this name that Jesus gives Him: Comforter, also translated as Helper or Encourager, sometimes just transliterated from the Greek word, Paraclete. The proper work of the Holy Spirit is to help sinners by bringing them to faith in Christ Jesus, encouraging them, convincing them to flee in faith to Christ and there to receive the forgiveness of sins. His proper work is to comfort sinners with the knowledge of God’s love in Christ Jesus and with the assurance that all who trust in Him are safe from the guilt of sin, from the accusations of the devil, and from the fate of eternal death.

But before He can get to that work for which He is named, He has other important work to do. Sometimes we call it His “foreign work,” or His “alien work” (from the Latin), because His proper work and His ultimate goal is to help and comfort. But before He can comfort, He first has to convict.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11)

How does the Spirit convict or rebuke the world? He does it through the preaching of the Law. The apostles were sent out by Jesus and empowered by His Spirit to expose sin, to tell the world what sin is and to accuse the world of it. The only way to escape the guilt and condemnation of sin is to flee in faith to Christ Jesus; where there is faith in Christ, there is Christ, and where Christ is, all guilt and condemnation are gone. But where sinners remain in unbelief, there they remain guilty of every misdeed, every harsh word, every wicked thought. They are rebuked, convicted regarding sin.

And regarding righteousness, because Jesus, the only Righteous One, has gone to the Father. And yet men, in unbelief, will still claim to be righteous without him. They hate the Word of God. They despise the commandments of God. They reject Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, but they still pretend that they are righteous, that they are good.

Do not those who defend and promote abortion claim to be the righteous ones, advocating for women’s health and women’s rights? DO not those who promote the LGBT agenda claim to be the righteous ones, who care about people’s feelings and stand up to the bullies who believe that marriage is only between a man and a woman? For that matter, though, do not people in general claim to be good, claim to be righteous, claim to deserve to go to heaven, at least, more than certain other people do? But as the prophet Isaiah says, “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” All our righteousness is worthless before God, because there is no one righteous—truly righteous and deserving of eternal life—except for The Righteous One, Jesus Christ, who has gone to the Father. But the world still refuses to embrace Him by faith, and so the Holy Spirit convicts the world regarding righteousness.

And the Spirit rebukes the world and convicts it regarding judgment, because the unbelieving world refuses to believe that Christ is the Judge and that Christ will come for judgment. They are more afraid of meteorites and climate change than they are of the imminent judgment of God. But there is the Holy Spirit, wherever Christian preachers preach the Law, announcing the already-pronounced judgment against Satan, the ruler of this world, and the impending judgment that the inhabitants of this world, too, will surely face, unless they are rescued from Satan’s kingdom through faith in Christ Jesus. For this, the Spirit is needed here.

So Christians can take great comfort in the fact that the Holy Spirit is constantly at work rebuking sin, wherever the Word of God is preached. We can also take comfort that the Holy Spirit brings some of those sinners in the world—like you and me—to repent of our sins and to believe in Christ Jesus. He washes away sins in Holy Baptism and there He clothes us with the true righteousness, with the righteousness of Christ. Now we are safe, as long as we remain in Christ.

And it is the Holy Spirit’s work to see to it that we do. Jesus told His apostles: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth … He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-14)

For the apostles, that meant that the Holy Spirit would guide them to understand the truth of Christ, to preach it in the world, and to record it for us in the inspired books and letters of the New Testament. For us, it means that we have the testimony of the Holy Spirit preserved for us in the Scriptures, together with His continual working through the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, to keep convicting, to keep helping and comforting, to keep teaching and guiding His beloved Christian Church all the way up to the end of the age. This is exactly the help we need.

I think we sometimes get the idea that, if only Jesus were here in person, making appearances around the world, then people would listen. Then we would have real and lasting comfort. But it is not true. We do not need Jesus sitting down in one home at a time, in one church at a time, preaching and teaching in one place at a time around the world, as He did long ago. What we need is His Holy Spirit, filling the world all at once and working through the powerful preaching of Law and Gospel, convicting sinners everywhere regarding sin and righteousness and judgment, comforting Christians everywhere with the peace of Christ and the forgiveness of sins, teaching the truth from Christian pulpits, washing away sins through Holy Baptism, and bringing the body and blood of Christ to Christian altars. This is why we will celebrate the Ascension of Christ and the Day of Pentecost in the coming weeks, because the Spirit is needed here, and the ascended Christ has given us exactly what we need.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 4 – Jubilate – John 16: 16-22 – May 11, 2025

The interplay between sorrow and joy pretty much characterizes the Christian life. I say “the Christian life.” Obviously non-Christians also have times of sorrow and times of joy. But never the kind of joy that Christians have: the joy of knowing, knowing for certain, where we came from, why we are here, why things are so messed up in the world and in ourselves, and what God has done about it, is doing about it, and will do about it; the joy of knowing the true God, knowing how to be accepted by Him and that, by faith in Christ, we have been accepted by Him; knowing the love of an everlasting Father and of His Son who gave Himself for us; knowing the peace of sins forgiven, death defeated, guilt erased, and eternal life to look forward to, where there will be no more sorrow at all, but only perfect joy, no longer as something to look forward to, but as something we will fully experience.

For now, there is still sorrow mingled with that Christian joy. A little while of sorrow, followed by joy that no one will take away from you, as Jesus promised His apostles in today’s Gospel. Ponder the words of Jesus again this morning and listen to what He says about the momentary sorrow and the everlasting joy.

“‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?’… Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.“ (John 16:17, 20). It was Maundy Thursday evening in the upper room. In a little while Jesus would be hauled away, tried, crucified, and buried. The disciples would not see him for a little while. They would weep and mourn, and the world would rejoice. But then they would see Him, because He would rise from the dead and appear to them on Easter Sunday and over the next forty days, until He went to the Father on the day of His ascension.

They did not understand that at the time, though, on Maundy Thursday, before the events took place. They had to go through the sorrow that accompanied not seeing Jesus, even though Jesus told them that joy would surely follow.

It is the same for us. We know the joy is coming. We have a foretaste of it even now, in all the ways I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon, and in hearing the Gospel and celebrating the Lord’s Supper with one another, and with Christ. But until we see Jesus, which will not be until the end of this world, or the end of our time in it, the joy of Christians is constantly mingled with sorrow. And I do not just mean the same sorrows that all people face, and there are plenty of those in this sin-stricken world. No, Jesus says that we Christians will mourn as the world rejoices, as the world gets it way in so many ways, even as it got its way in putting Jesus to death.

We mourn, as the world rejoices, over the sad state of the Christian Church on earth. On the one hand, false doctrine and indifference toward the Word of Christ plague the visible Church, and Christians are willing to compromise on God’s Word in order to hold onto less important things. On the other hand, pride and lovelessness also abound among those who are called Christians, even if their doctrine is technically correct. Believers in Christ rightly mourn over that, while the world is happy to see the Church so divided and distorted.

We also mourn as the world rejoices over society’s demonic attack on all that is good and right, on the family as God created it, on the very language we use, on reality itself. We mourn as the world celebrates and normalizes depravity and wickedness, sexual immorality and murder in all their forms. We mourn over people’s apathy or outright hatred toward children growing in their mother’s womb, and toward marriage, and toward decency. Meanwhile, the world rejoices, because the world belongs to the devil, whose highest goal is to pervert and destroy God’s good creation, and to make the Word of God appear foolish to those who are perishing.

Yes, we mourn over our own sins, too, or at least, we had better. The good we want to do, we do not do, not fully. And the evil we do not want to do, that is what we often do, as St. Paul says to the Romans in chapter 7. God’s children want to be perfect and holy, like our Father, like Jesus. We want to work together with His Holy Spirit, who is always tugging us toward what is right. And yet, try as we might, we cannot reach the goal. That does not mean we stop trying. If you stop trying, if you stop struggling against the flesh, you stop being a Christian. But the more we try, the more we realize how far we have to go to grow into the perfectly loving image of our perfectly loving God. And so we mourn over our sin, while the world rejoices to see Christians not behaving as Christians should.

How do we live with the sorrow? Jesus tells us how. We learn a lesson from mothers—a fitting lesson for Mothers’ Day. “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:21-22) Why do women willingly go through childbirth, knowing the sorrow and pain that accompany it? Because they know that the joy of bringing a little boy or a little girl into the world is worth far more than the sorrow. The sorrow is gone in a moment. But that life that a mom brings into the world, that human life usually lasts a lot longer than a moment. It has the potential to be around for 70 or 80 years, or longer. It has the potential to do much good in the world. And if that child that is born into the world is brought to Jesus for cleansing and is brought into His kingdom through Baptism and faith, then he or she has the potential to live, not just 70 or 80 years, but forever! What honor God has given to women, in spite of the sorrow and pain that is inevitably involved!

The joy God has in store for His people is even greater, because it is more certain. A mom does not know if her child will live a long life on the earth, or if that child will believe in Jesus for eternal life. But the mere hope of it, the hope of that joy, gets her through the sorrow of childbirth. The people of God, on the other hand, will most certainly see Jesus again. And until then, He will most certainly continue to provide His Means of Grace, namely His Word and Sacraments, through which His Holy Spirit will most certainly guard and keep you steadfast in the faith, if you use these Means of Grace and pray and resolve to walk with His Spirit in love. You believers will most certainly see Jesus again, not to be judged and condemned by Him, with the rest of the world, but to join Him at the eternal marriage feast, in everlasting joy.

So embrace the sorrow now, because it’s the only path to that joy. And meanwhile, remember the joy that is already yours: the joy of knowing where you came from, why you’re here, why things are so messed up in the world and in yourself, and what God has done about it, is doing about it, and will do about it. Remember the joy of knowing the true God, knowing how to be accepted by Him and that, by faith in Christ, you have been accepted by Him. Remember the joy of knowing the love of an everlasting Father and of His Son who gave Himself for you; the joy of knowing the peace of sins forgiven, death defeated, and guilt erased. May God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—preserve you in that joy through all the sorrows of this life.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 3 – Misericordias Domini – John10:11-16 – May 4, 2025

It is dangerous to be a Christian. The Apostle Peter writes, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). The Apostle John writes, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you” (1 John 3:13). And the Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 44, which has to do with life as a Christian, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36, Psalm 44:22). It is dangerous to be a Christian.

But what is the greatest danger for us as Christians? Is it the devil? Jesus describes the devil as a wolf who attacks the sheep. He lurks and sneaks and lies and seeks to pervert the Word of Christ. The devil sets up hirelings, that is, pastors who do not bother themselves with preaching God’s Word, who teach whatever they think will make people like them, who forsake sound teaching whenever it would bring unpleasant results – in short, hirelings fleece the sheep and take advantage of them rather than taking care of them. The devil sets up false prophets who teach lies in God’s name. The devil himself seeks to murder you in your sleep, drive you to insanity or despair, and strip you of faith. And you have spit in his face, saying when you were baptized, and saying those words again at the Easter Vigil, that you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways. He is an angry wolf, and you have him for your worst enemy.

But the devil is not the greatest danger for us Christians. What is the greatest danger? Is it the world? As sheep we live in a world full of brambles. There are branches everywhere that look appetizing, that have nice leaves and ripe berries, and are full of thorns and will entangle you in the thicket and kill you. To put it plainly, you face temptation on every side in this world: temptation to rebellion, temptation to anger, temptation to bitterness, temptation to lust, temptation to covet, temptation to all manner of sin. And besides temptation, the world is simply hostile toward you as Christians. The world demands that you conform to its wickedness, and threatens various punishments if you do not comply. The world is a very dangerous place.

Yet the world is not the greatest danger for us Christians. What, then, is the greatest danger? What about the sinful nature? The devil and the world are outside of you, but your sinful nature is a corruption within your flesh. Thus you lament with Paul in Romans 7, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Yet this does not excuse our sin. As far as the outcome is concerned, it does not matter that sheep go astray by nature. The thorny ditch does not care that the sheep has fallen into it by nature. The wild beast does not care that the sheep wandered near its den by nature. The simple fact is, there lies the sheep: bloody, gasping, and barely alive. So what if the sheep ended up there by nature? All that means is that it has no one to blame but itself. Your sinful nature is thus a very great danger.

But the sinful nature is not the greatest danger for us Christians. And how is it that we poor, little sheep can brush off such great enemies as the wolfish devil and the wild world and the straying flesh? How is it that these things do not strike terror in our hearts? There is one simple reason why we can rest secure in the face of the devil, world, and flesh, and that is, we have a Good Shepherd. On our own, we are nothing, and are doomed, and would have already been murdered physically and be suffering eternally. But we have a Good Shepherd. We have Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.

What can the wolf do when our shepherd is near? Jesus is no hireling. When he sees the wolf coming he does not run away. Quite the opposite. The Good Shepherd became the Lamb of God. He assumed our human nature, a sinless human nature, and he sought out the devil. Jesus knew how this meeting with the wolf was going to go. Jesus plainly says, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The Good Shepherd was going to die in his conflict with the wolf. Yet Jesus knew that the devil was going to have the worst of it. And Jesus knew that he himself would return to life, as he says just after today’s reading, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

And that is how it went. The Good Shepherd took up the staff of his cross and bashed in the devil’s head with it. In the process Jesus became the slain Lamb, who was the sacrifice for us, his sheep. Now Jesus has risen from the dead to be our shepherd forevermore, and as he says of his sheep in John 10, “no one will snatch them out of my hand.” The devil still lurks about, mortally wounded. He still lies and deceives, but he cannot snatch us. He cannot steal us away from Jesus. He can tempt us to hate the Word of Christ. He can entice us to leave our Good Shepherd. He can bombard us with hirelings and false prophets, but he has no actual power over us. All his force is nothing against Christ’s little flock, not because we are made of such stern stuff, but because Christ stands at the head of his flock, and the devil cannot contend with him.

So you see that the devil is no danger at all, so long as Jesus is your Shepherd. The world likewise is no longer a scary place. Jesus guides you by his Word, as he says in John 10, “the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” The world would be an incredibly hazardous place in which to live if we were left to our own devices. There are dead end paths, snares and briars, temptations and threats, thieves and beasts. Who knows in what rocky abyss our bones would be scattered if we sheep had to journey through this world by ourselves. We would quickly lose sight of the right path, fail to distinguish right and wrong, follow temptation, fall to sin, and end in death.

But Jesus goes before you and guides you by his Word. He points out the right path, the path of his commandments, the path of faith and love. Jesus alerts you to the dangers on the right hand and on the left. Jesus speaks in his Scriptures and in sermons to conduct you through this world. And you will never know in this life how many times some danger was about to take you unaware and your Lord intervened, stood in the breach, and fended it off with his staff. We catch glimpses here and there of how dangerous a place this world is, and those are terrifying times. It seems life itself hangs by a thread or calamity like a thunderhead is about to rain fire and sulphur on us. Jesus occasionally lets us see the dangers that loom about us, not to terrify us, but to demonstrate his loving care and protection. If he allowed us to see everything that stood against us, we would die of fright. But a glimpse here and there is sufficient for him to prove that he is with you still. In such times he gives you confidence to say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

So the world has lost its danger as well, so long as Christ is your Shepherd. And the sinful flesh likewise in Christ holds no peril. We do still by nature have a tendency to go astray. But with our Good Shepherd we have the forgiveness of sins. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” it says in Isaiah 53; “we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” For his little lambs your Shepherd became a Lamb, and was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as the Lamb of God he took away the sin of the world. The Shepherd seeks the sheep that has gone astray and when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Your Shepherd bears your sins and he bears you on his shoulders, and he rejoices to do it, because it means your salvation.

Certainly the forgiveness of sins is not a license to sin. Some crass people say, “I love to sin, and Jesus loves to forgive.” In truth, such people do not care that they are sinning at all, and deceive themselves with false comfort. The forgiveness of sins is a comfort for those who recognize their sins. If we claim we are sinless, we lead ourselves astray, and that is the truly dangerous sort of straying. But if we recognize and confess our sins, then our straying is easily mended. Jesus has shed his blood once for all and covers over all iniquity and transgression and sin. You confess with the psalmist in Psalm 119, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” And Jesus says, “Yes, I do seek you. I seek you with my Word, with my Absolution to take away your sins. I seek you through my ministers and comfort you with my Gospel. Your sins are forgiven, and I have called you by name, and you are mine.”

Therefore, the sinful nature is not your greatest danger, neither is the devil nor the world. With Jesus as your Good Shepherd these things are no dangers at all. So what is the greatest danger for us Christians? The greatest danger for us Christians is to be without our Shepherd. And since Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, our greatest danger is to forsake him. If we depart from him, if we stop listening to his Word, if we learn to despise his Sacraments and shut the doors of our ears against the mouths of Christ’s ministers, then the devil, the world, and the sinful flesh regain their danger, and we get death and hell along with them.

So keep listening to the voice of your Good Shepherd. Keep hearing the Word of Christ. Flock to the green pastures and still waters. Graze at the table that Jesus has prepared for you, where your cup runneth over. The devil would love it if you thought of listening to the Word of Jesus as a bore or a chore. The devil would love it if you only thought of the Word as that thing that cuts you to the heart. The devil would love it if you learned to scorn the Word simply because it seems despicable and unpopular in the eyes of the world. Yes, the devil wants to make Christ seem like a dull professor, or a cruel taskmaster, or a has-been, instead of your Good Shepherd.

But consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus is a pleasant Shepherd for his sheep. He brings you into the fold of his Church and nurtures you kindly and guides you by the Word of his cross and feeds you with his own body and blood. Jesus is not a bore, and he is not cruel, and his honor never passes away. He is your Savior, who has redeemed you from every evil. Remember, all other dangers are no danger at all, so long as you have Christ as your Shepherd.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit . Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter 2 – Quasimodo Geniti – John 20:19-31 – April 27, 2025

If you are named Thomas this is your least favorite Sunday of the Church year. On this Second Sunday of Easter we always hear about Thomas. Thomas was not in church. Thomas missed Jesus. Thomas doubted.

As a pastor I have thoroughly enjoyed throwing Thomas under the bus. Where was Thomas? Was he out fishing one last time, nailing those big bass?  Was he watching his daughter play travel basketball? Was it just too cold or too wet to go?

But as I prepared for this sermon I came upon a quote that said, “The Lord arranged for Thomas not to be there.”  Wait? What? The Lord was responsible for Thomas not being there. Does that mean when you are not here, it is the Lord’s doing?  Absolutely not. If you can be in the Lord’s house and you are not – that is on you, that is third commandment sin, that is not God’s doing.  What that quoter meant was Thomas was not there so that the Lord might do something through Thomas; might do something with Thomas for us. The Lord worked it so Thomas was not there on Easter 1 so he would be there on Easter 2 and we might learn from it. 

Why would the Lord arrange for Thomas to miss Jesus appearing to the twelve?  For us. Have you ever faced doubts about the faith you confess or the God in whom you believe? Have you ever begged God to do something real about your very real troubles? Have you ever been afraid of the enemies of God in the world, but also ashamed at your own cowardice to confess the truth of God’s Word?

Well, now you fit in perfectly with Thomas and the 12.

St. John calls that group in the upper room the 12, even though there are only 10 of them. Saint John’s use of twelve reminds us of that Old Testament family of Joseph – 12 brothers. They too thought one of them was dead – Joseph, whom they sold into slavery.  When the brothers saw Joseph alive, they begged for mercy. Their consciences had troubled them for years. They had plotted to kill him. Reuben saved his life, but could not save him from being sold into slavery which was Judah’s idea. They lied to their father year after year after year. The twelve sons of Jacob are like the twelve in the upper room. They had all fled. Peter had lied about knowing Jesus. They doubted the women’s words. They were afraid to face the Jews and Jesus. Joseph showed his brothers mercy because God had worked good through their evil. Jesus called the twelve His brothers and the first word He spoke to them was “peace.”

Peace is the forgiveness for their denying Him, doubting His Word, fearing the Jews. Peace is the declaration that the debt of their sin, and yours, is paid. Death has lost its grip and the Devil has been beaten. Jesus’ Word, His presence, His orders to forgive and not forgive, brought them to life. They were newborn in their faith and just like any newborns they cried out. They cried out to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.”

Most people see Thomas’ response as unChristian. Unless I see His wounds and touch Him I will never believe. In Greek you can use double negatives so Thomas says, “I will not never believe.” The threat of not never believing is not Godly, but Thomas’ desire for a real, risen, flesh and blood Savior is. Thomas has real sins, and he needs real forgiveness. He has real doubts, and he needs real proof. At one time he had a faith that was ready to die with Jesus and now his faith is almost dead because he thinks Jesus is dead.

Some people think that to be a Christian you need to set aside common sense and reason. If you are Christian, you are just buying into another new life myth created because in the Springtime everything comes to life again. Thomas used his reason. If Jesus had really risen from the dead than a guy ought to be able to put his finger in the nail holes and put his hand in Jesus’ side. If the resurrection is a myth cooked up by the 12 to take over the world and make lots of money for themselves then you would see evidence of that.  If Jesus really rose you would see evidence of that. Thomas says, “Show me what is real.” And for his real doubts, and our real doubts, Thomas gets a real Jesus. A myth does not have nail holes in his hands, does not speak and stand in front of you, inviting you to touch and feel and probe.

The Gospel accounts are full of abundant reasonable evidence that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. The Jews and the Soldiers had control of the body, but they never produced the dead body after the tomb was found empty. The cowardly disciples, including doubting Thomas, became bold confessors of the truth. They went from fearing death to facing death for their confession. Tradition states that Thomas was killed by a spear for his work of spreading the Gospel in India.  A catalog of witnesses was ready and willing to be questioned about seeing Jesus alive. 

Faith can be reasonable, to a point. Faith can be reasonable about facts and knowledge, but faith is beyond reason when it comes to trust. Jesus did this for those cowardly disciples, and Thomas who did not believe, and for you in your sin and doubt. Faith must silence reason when reason says your problems can be solved by living long enough or getting rich enough or being popular enough. Faith must silence reason when it says God wants you to be happy. God is not interested in your happiness. He wants to give you joy that you are alive again. Peace that your sins are forgiven, and your conscience is clean and that the better days of your resurrection are coming.

Jesus wants to give you real hope when you really sin, or get real test results that you have cancer, or get the news that a loved one really died.  That is what happens day in and day out in the real world and there is only one real answer. Jesus appeared to the 12 and then He appeared to Thomas. He breathed on the disciples. He invited Thomas to touch His nail scarred hands and spear scarred side. Jesus is not some hopeful myth that evaporated into history. Week after week He still comes into the little room of our fears and sins and He breathes on us His forgiveness and invites us to eat His very real body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Thank God Thomas was not there that first Easter service so Jesus could show him and us His hands and side and we could be confident that our Savior, our peace and our life is real.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Easter – WitnessToChrist – John20: 1-18 – April 20, 2025

When I say the word orchestra, you probably picture woodwinds, brass, and strings. But one orchestra is made up of kids who play instruments made out of trash. It is called the “Recycled Orchestra of Cateura” (in Paraguay). Cateura is not really a town. It is actually a slum built on a huge landfill.

Every day, about three million pounds of waste is dumped in Cateura. Many families eke out their existence by scavenging trash from the landfill to resell, and kids get pulled out of school to help. “To be honest,” violinist Noelia, age 16, said, “there was nothing in Cateura. What there was most was drugs.” Her violin, like many in the orchestra, is made out of cans, wooden spoons, and bent forks. One of the ensemble’s cellos uses an oil drum. Another teenager plays a saxophone made out of a drainpipe, melted copper, coins, spoon handles, cans, and bottle caps.

Several years ago, a short video was made. The hope was to raise $175,000 to make a full-length documentary. Not only did they raise the money, but also the video went viral. Since then, the Recycled Orchestra has performed all over the world. The group plays Mozart, Paraguayan folk music, even Frank Sinatra.

God makes music with misfits. That is what Easter is all about! God loves to make music with misfits! I am a misfit. You are a misfit. We are all misfits! We all fall short of God’s will and ways. But fellow misfits, it is time to make music!

What do I mean? The biblical orchestra is made up of the most unlikely musicians. Peter is a first-chair trumpeter. He denied Christ three times! Paul plays the violin. But there was a time when Paul played a religious thug and persecuted Christians. And the guy on the harp? That would be David. Womanizing, bloodthirsty, yet repentant, David. Today, on this Resurrection Day, we add another person to the misfits who make music. Her name is Mary—Mary Magdalene.

Mary begins as a mess. “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out” (Luke 8:2). There are five Marys in the New Testament, which is why this one is identified with “Magdalene.” Magdalene is not her last name. Magdalene refers to her hometown. It is a little fishing village on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee called Magdala.

Luke tells us that Mary had been demon possessed. She was possessed with seven demons, the biblical number for a complete set. Can you imagine being that messed up?

Here is how it happens. We have this compulsion to prove. We begin a job or a task or a class with high hopes and high endeavor. “I will show them! I will be the best!” We do it with intensity. We arrive early. We stay late. We give it all we have got. Then there are the subtle deprivations. To keep going, we begin to deprive ourselves. Maybe we stop exercising, stop getting enough sleep, or stop reading our Bible and attending church. We pick up bad eating habits. “More donuts will do the trick!” We have distorted thinking. We tell ourselves, “Things will get better after I finish this project.” “I will get back on track with my family after tax season or after this business trip.” Then comes the heightened denial. People close to us begin to see what we cannot see. We have less joy in a hobby, in a sport, or in life in general. We are often tired. We begin watching too much TV.

Then comes the disengagement. Life becomes a checklist of things to do. One thing after another. We live for vacation, and then vacation never lasts long enough. Observable behavior changes. People who do not know us see that something is wrong. Our survival strategies become unhealthy: too much internet, too much eating, too much sleeping, too much shopping, too much caffeine. There is depersonalization. We become robotic. We just go through the motions. We play the part, we put on a face, but we have nothing left in the tank. We hit rock bottom. We internalize everything. We talk to no one. And we feel as though we have at least seven demons.

We can all get in a mess like Mary. We can all get down, depressed, and hit rock bottom. Mary was down, but her Messiah had lifted her up! Jesus lifted Mary up from her pit of seven demons. That is why Mary Magdalene follows Jesus all the way to the cross to watch her Savior bleed and die.

Mary’s Messiah is your Messiah too. His face is caked with spit and blood. His throat is so dry He cannot swallow. His voice is so hoarse He can scarcely speak. To find the last time moisture touched His lips, we need to rewind the clock twelve hours to the meal in the Upper Room. Since drinking from the Passover cup, Jesus has been betrayed, condemned, mocked, beaten, and crucified. No liquid has quenched His thirst. The Savior has no song to sing!

That is how things stand just before dawn on Sunday. There had been so much hope, so much promise. But now, it had all come to what? Nothing! Nothing! The famous Rabbi? Dead. His disciples? In hiding. Other followers? Scattered. One of them, Judas Iscariot, has even killed himself.

Mary Magdalene gets up early on Sunday to anoint Christ’s dead body. But the body is not in the tomb! Mary breaks out crying. She tells her story, first to Peter and John, and then to the angels, and now, for a third time, to a man she thinks is the gardener. “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20:15).

 “Mary.” The voice is unmistakable. “Mary.” No one ever said her name with such tenderness. “Mary.” She looks up and, in sudden recognition, cries out, “Rabboni!” It is Jesus. He is not dead. He is risen from the grave. He is alive. Christ is alive!

Emotions flood Mary’s heart as she transitions from the depths of grief and sorrow to the heights of ecstasy and joy. Just when it appeared as though it was all over, to the shock and surprise of everyone, the Father raised Jesus bodily from the dead. Mary’s song—better, her symphony of celebration—commences with great joy!

Mary’s music is a five-word song: “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). “Lord” is not just a polite way of talking about Jesus, like “Sir” or “Mister.” With “Lord,” Mary is saying, “I have seen God, the King of the universe.” “I have seen the One through whom and for whom all things were made.” “I have seen the One who is coming again, riding on the clouds, as King of kings and Lord of lords!” That is why Thomas’s parallel confession, in John 20:28 that we will talk about next week, has these words: “My Lord and my God!”

What does it all mean? It means that there is more to our lives than what we think. It means that there is more to our story than what we see. It means that there is more than just death and taxes. Christ’s resurrection means that, just like Mary Magdalene, we have a song to sing!

Remember? God loves to make music with misfits! It is time, it is high time, for all of us misfits to make some music! What instrument will you play today? And one thing is for sure. We have a song to sing! And we sing it with our lips and with our lives. What is the song called? Alleluia, Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia and Amen.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EasterVigil – WitnessesToChrist – John19: 38-42 – April 19, 2025

Bounce-back toys are popular with small children. Whether it is a clown, a punching bag, or a big plastic bear, these toys do not do a lot. But they can sure bounce back. Knock them down, and they pop back up. Hit them with a bat, punch them in the nose, or give them a karate kick. They will fall down, but not for long. They will always, always bounce back.

Tonight, we meet Nicodemus, who is assisting Joseph of Arimathea with the task of burying Jesus. “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight” (John 19:39).

By including the phrase “who earlier had come to Jesus by night,” John reminds us of the first encounter Nicodemus had with Jesus. It is recorded in John 3.

Nicodemus in John 3 did not believe that people could bounce back. Ever. Why is that? Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and Pharisees kept the Law. Pharisees followed the Ten Commandments. Pharisees paid tithes, guarded the Sabbath, and strictly kept Old Testament regulations and requirements. And they wore long robes.

Nicodemus was also a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, the seventy-member Jewish Senate. The Sanhedrin judged people according to a book called the Mishnah. The Mishnah contains 613 commandments. There is no room for error in the Mishnah. Once you are out, you stay out. Once you are down, you stay down. You can never bounce back.

As a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus believed that there are no second chances. There is no grace. There is no forgiveness. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Never!

So you had better be careful. And look over your shoulder. And second-guess yourself. You had better watch what you wear, how you act, the length of your prayers, and the amount of money you give. Because there is no bouncing back.

Nicodemus first came to Jesus at night (John 3:2). More, however, is going on than just the time of day. Darkness describes people who rebel against Jesus. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness” (John 3:19). Remember Judas? He betrayed Jesus. When? John 13:30 says, “It was night.” Coming to Jesus at night describes Nicodemus. He is in the dark, just like Judas. Nicodemus is lost in the spiritual darkness of legalism.

The same darkness engulfs us when we do not believe in second chances, when we will not forgive, when we refuse to embrace grace, when we will not turn the other cheek or walk the extra mile. It gets dark, very, very dark.

That is why Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). There is no chitchat here. No idle talk. Jesus goes straight to the point. Jesus says our best will not do, our works will not work. We must be born again. In John 3:1–8, Jesus uses the term “born” eight times. Eight times in eight verses! Do you think Jesus is trying to make a point?

How active were you when you were born? Were you talking on a cellphone with your mother, telling her when to push? Did the doctor ask you to measure the contractions and report from inside the womb? Did you place your hands against the top of the womb and push yourself out? Postpartum celebrations applaud the work of the mother, not the child. Mom gets a medal. The child gets a hat and a blanket!

Here is the point. We were all passive when we were born. We did not do a thing. We were not born because of what we did. Our mother did all the work. The same is true for our spiritual birth. God does all the work.

Do you know the most quoted Bible verse in America? “God helps those who help themselves.” But do you know the problem with that verse? It is not in the Bible! God does not help those who help themselves, because God knows we cannot help ourselves. God knows that He has to do 100 percent of the work! That is why Jesus uses “born” eight times in eight verses!       

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’ ” (John 3:5). We are born again of water and the Spirit! And what is that called? Holy Baptism! The Holy Spirit is really present in, with, and under the water, creating new life!

Martin Luther writes in his Small Catechism that Baptism “works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare” (SC, Baptism, Second Part). The reformer writes in his Large Catechism, “There is no work done here by us, but a treasure, which God gives us and faith grasps” (LC IV 37). Also from his Large Catechism: “Here in Baptism there is freely brought to everyone’s door such a treasure and medicine that it utterly destroys death and preserves all people alive” (LC IV 43).

If you have been baptized, you have new eyes to see God’s beauty, a new mind to understand God’s Word, a new voice to sing God’s praises, new hands for service, and new feet to run the race of faith.

Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). How can you start all over? How can you bounce back because you are baptized? Nonsense! Nicodemus is still living in the darkness of rules and regulations. And do not forget his long robes! Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (John 3:10). As Israel’s teacher, Nicodemus should have understood that the Old Testament is all about bouncing back.

Abraham worshiped the moon. God called him to bless the world. Moses killed a man. God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. Aaron built a golden calf. God called him to be Israel’s first high priest. Jeremiah 31:31 promises a new covenant. Ezekiel 36:26 promises a new heart. And Lamentations 3:22–23 says that God’s mercies are new every morning.

God is the Giver. Grace is His idea. Forgiveness comes from Him. Can God really be that generous? that loving? that giving? Yes. Yes. And yes! In John 3:16, Jesus does not say, “whoever achieves” or “whoever succeeds.” Jesus says, “whoever believes.”

Did Nicodemus believe? Did Nicodemus leave the darkness of legalism? Did Nicodemus embrace grace? Recall these words: “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight” (John 19:39).

If you have ever wanted to live in a castle, here is your chance. Ireland has castles for sale, each priced at about $1. There is a catch, however. According to a New York Times article, the historic structures are in advanced stages of disrepair, and buyers must restore each property “consistent with its historical architecture.” Estimates for restoration run from $7 million to $60 million per castle.

Buying a fixer-upper gives us a picture of what God did for each of us when we were baptized. We were dead, disobedient, depraved, and doomed. But when we were born again through water and the Spirit, we were delivered! God could have said, “I will make all new things. The old will not do.” But instead, God said, “I’ll make all things new, even and especially you!”

Imagine that! Nicodemus, the one who came in the dark, now lives in the light. The one who crept through the shadows now comes to the cross. And the one who was caught in the clutches of legalism is now living in the splendor of God’s grace. Nicodemus? He bounced back. And so shall we! Every single time! In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Friday – WitnessesToChrist – John19:25-37 – April 18, 2025

John 19:34 states, “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” Blood. It is a major theme in John’s Gospel. Already in John 1:29, the evangelist writes, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Lamb, Jesus, will shed His blood. John 1:36 reiterates this central idea in the Fourth Gospel, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” In John 6:54, Jesus says, “Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” In John’s Gospel, blood serves one purpose: to wash away sin.

Sin is always at the door, standing at the door of our lives. That is because we never measure up. We never do enough. We all fall short of the glory of God. But just because sin keeps knocking at the door, it does not mean we have to let him in.

Yet we do! We let him in! And when we do, sin trashes our living room and basement. He makes a mess out of our kitchen and bathrooms. Then, after making a terrible mess, sin wants to stay with us for the rest of our lives. And what do we say? “Sure! Great idea, sin! Come on in!” And so we spend the rest of our lives trying to get rid of sin and all of its ugly consequences.

Projection. That is one way we try to kick sin out of the house. Project sin onto someone else. Blame someone. Blame anyone. Blame your husband. Blame your wife. Blame your parents. Blame your teachers. And while you are at it, blame the government and the system.

Rationalization is another way we try to conquer sin. “What I did is no big deal!” “It did not really hurt anybody.” “It is just this once. Besides, no one will ever know.”

When projection and rationalization do not work, we try comparison. “If you think I am bad, you should see my boss!” “At least I am not as bad as my sister!” “Well, remember what he did?” “Ha! I am a saint compared to that sinner!”

Another way to get rid of sin is repression. Stuff it down. Stuff it way down. Live in denial. “I know it was wrong, but I am just not going to think about it!”

Another way to say adios to sin is through distraction. Rush around from one event to the next so that at night you collapse. Run yourself ragged so that when you hit the pillow, sin does not haunt your heart and muddle your mind.

Another strategy is evasion. Pop a pill, have a drink, smoke a joint. Get addicted to TV, sports, money…you name it. Anything to evade the all-consuming consequences of sin!

Do you see the problem with all of this? It does not work! None of this works! We wake up the next day, and sin is still there, trashing our house, making life miserable and sometimes absolutely unbearable!

There is only one solution to sin. Stand with John under Christ’s cross. “He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe” (John 19:35). John was there, at the cross. He saw it all happen. John gives his testimony. And his testimony is true. What testimony would that be? Christ’s blood alone washes away sin. All sin. Everyone’s sin. Yours. Mine. His. Hers. Theirs. For everyone who believes, all sin is forgiven!

            Sin is forgiven, that is free for us. Good Friday, though, calls us to remember what it cost Jesus. His crucifixion at Golgotha was an act of utter brutality and barbarism. Jesus is first stripped before Herod’s soldiers. He is stripped again at the command of Pilate. And then He is stripped once more at the cross when the soldiers divide His garments by casting lots.

When Jesus was flogged by the Romans the next day, lacerations tore into His underlying skeletal muscles and produced quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.

Roman soldiers used a whip of braided leather thongs with spikes woven into them. When the whip would strike the flesh, spikes would cause deep bruises and lacerations. The whipping would have gone all the way from the shoulders down the back and the back of the legs. The Romans threw Jesus on the wood and drove tapered spikes through His wrists and feet and all the while mocking Him and spitting on Him.

On the cross, Christ’s arms were stretched six inches upward so His shoulders were dislocated. The stress of His diaphragm forced His chest into an inhaling position. In order to exhale, Christ had to push up, using His feet to relieve pressure on His diaphragm, and temporarily exhale. In doing so, the nail would tear through His feet, eventually locking up against his tarsal bones.

For six hours, this breathing motion went on and on and on, with Christ scraping His shredded back against the coarse wood until He became completely exhausted and unable to push up and breathe.

As Jesus slowed down His breathing, He went into respiratory acidosis. This lead to an irregular heartbeat. In fact, with His heart beating erratically, Jesus would have known that death was near. He died of cardiac arrest.

            “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe” (John 19:34–35). Peter Paul Rubens, a famous artist in the seventeenth century, depicts these events in John’s Gospel. Rubens’s masterpiece is called The Descent from the Cross.

In the background of the painting, billows of black clouds linger after the three hours of darkness. In the foreground is Jesus. Rubens paints a sweeping diagonal line made by Christ’s shining white shroud. Christ’s head dangles to one side, and His body hangs limp. Sections of His skin bear the greenish-yellow color of death.

In the left corner of the painting is Mary, Christ’s mother, who appears in blue. Mary is reaching up to her Son. Her grieving face is lit by the whiteness of the cloth and reflects her broken heart. Mary’s skin matches the ashen pastiness of Christ’s, and we remember Simeon’s prophecy that a sword would pierce her heart. We can scarcely imagine Mary’s profound sense of loss and grief.

Another woman supports Christ’s foot as it rests on her shoulder. Christ’s foot is an important clue to her identity. It is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. As a disciple, she once sat at Christ’s feet. And, shortly before His death, she took expensive perfume and anointed Christ’s feet.

Next to her is another woman. The tears help identify her. It is Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene is crushed—utterly. So much so that on Easter morning she runs frantically, searching for Jesus. We will learn more about that, and her, on Easter.

We know that the man standing on the ladder to the left is Joseph of Arimathea. His rich clothing comports with the fact that Joseph of Arimathea had enough money to buy burial spices, and he had a new tomb—all for Jesus. Joseph is looking at the man in black. It is Nicodemus, painted in black, because, as you recall, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. We will learn more about him tomorrow night at the Easter Vigil.

The person under Nicodemus is dressed in red. It is John, the Gospel writer. It is John, the beloved disciple. It is John, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. John’s eyes are fixed on Mary, Jesus’ mother. From the cross, Jesus said to Mary and John. “Woman, behold, your son!
. . . Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26–27). John is already caring for Mary in her deep sorrow.

But why is John dressed in red? That is the driving question Peter Paul Rubens wants us to ask. Why is John dressed in red? Christ’s blood drips from His head, His hands, and His side. Christ’s blood continues downward until it pours directly onto John.

John is dressed in red because John is covered in blood. John is saturated in blood. John is washed in Christ’s blood! And John says that same blood is for you! This is John’s testimony, and John’s testimony is true!

At the bottom-right corner of the painting is a piece of paper with the Latin inscription INRI with a rock on top of it. These letters stand for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum—Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Next to the inscription and rock lies an offering plate that holds the crown of thorns and more blood. Blood is in the offering plate. Why? It is Christ’s offering. It is Christ’s gift, for you. More cleansing blood.

Peter Paul Rubens invites us to stand at the cross, like John. To hold on to Jesus, like John. To allow the Savior’s blood to wash us, like John. Why? Because Christ’s blood is the only solution for all of our sin.

So we stand at the foot of the cross, like John, clothed in red, forever forgiven! In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MAUNDY THURSDAY – APRIL 17, 2025 – John13: 21-30

It took three years to complete. It is one of the most recognized paintings in the world—with its image found on items such as carpets, carvings, and canvases. With lifelike facial expressions unable to be captured by anyone else at the time, the 15 x 29-foot painting became an instant masterpiece. I am talking about The Last Supper by the great master Leonardo da Vinci.

When Leonardo da Vinci was forty-three years old, the Duke of Milan asked him to paint this dramatic scene. Da Vinci worked for three years (1495–98, though not constantly) on the assignment, grouping the disciples into threes—two groups on either side of the central figure of Jesus.

When the masterpiece was finished, da Vinci said to a friend, “Look at it and give me your honest opinion.” “It’s wonderful!” exclaimed the friend. “Christ’s chalice is so real I can’t take my eyes off it!” Immediately, da Vinci took a brush and painted over the chalice, exclaiming, “Nothing shall detract from Jesus!”

Nothing shall detract from Jesus! And why is that? Because Jesus was betrayed. Let that soak in. Jesus was betrayed. The Words of Institution for the Holy Supper begin, “On the night when He was betrayed.” We hear these words so often that we do not really hear them.

We are in a series called Witnesses to Christ. Tonight, we meet Judas—Judas Iscariot. And we meet him in the Upper Room the night Jesus was betrayed. “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me” (John 13:21).

Betrayed by Judas, one of His twelve disciples. Betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. Betrayed by Judas with a kiss—image that, a kiss! Betrayed by Judas in a garden east of Jerusalem called Gethsemane. Betrayed! That is why da Vinci exclaimed, “Nothing shall detract from Jesus!” Jesus was betrayed for us.

According to Matthew 26:25, Judas was seated close to Jesus—close enough for the two of them to carry on a private conversation. It may be that the Savior singles out Judas as an important guest. Then Jesus gives Judas a morsel of bread, even while still holding on to his plan to betray Jesus. “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him” (John 13:27). The term Satan is only used to tell this story in John’s Gospel. This accents the absolute seriousness of the situation. John 6:70 calls Judas a devil, while Mark 5:13 and Luke 8:30 employ the same vocabulary to describe evil spirits entering the Gerasene demoniac.

Da Vinci paints the spilled saltshaker next to the elbow of Judas Iscariot. What for? In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth.” Judas lost his salt because of greed. We lose our salt because of our greed—our constant lust for more.

The painting depicts the disciples eating herring. In da Vinci’s northern Italian dialect, the word for herring is renga. Renga—in that dialect—also describes someone who denies religion. Whoa! Judas is not the only sinner present at the Supper. Peter denied Jesus in the high priest’s courtyard. The disciples denied Jesus in Gethsemane. Renga! All of them! Renga! All of us!

John writes, “After receiving the morsel of bread, he [Judas] immediately went out. And it was night” (John 13:30). It is dark. The whole scene is dark. Jesus warned that night is coming (John 9:4). Night and darkness now come with a vengeance.

Why did Jesus allow all of this to happen? It was for you. “For you” are powerful Gospel words! For. God is not against you or in opposition to you. God is not your enemy. God is for you. Not just for her and him, for those and them. God’s love is intensely personal. It is for you!

Martin Luther writes, “This is something more than the sermon; for although the same thing is present in the sermon as in the sacrament, here there is the advantage that it is directed at definite individuals.” That is because Jesus never gives up on you. You may give up on you, but Jesus will never give up on you. When soldiers spit in His face, Jesus did not give up. When a whip ripped open His back, Jesus did not give up. When nails crushed His nerves, Jesus did not give up. Come what may, even when we betray and deny Him, Jesus does not give up. Jesus will never give up on you.

Did you know that since its completion in 1498, The Last Supper has been falling apart? Leonardo da Vinci—always the inventor—tried using new materials for this painting. Instead of using the customary wet plaster, he used dry plaster. The dry plaster worked well artistically, but not well for sustainability. Experts have been working on restoring the original ever since.

How fitting! The Lord’s Supper is for people whose lives, like the painting, are always falling apart. In this life, we never get it right! Thank God we have the Gospel words “for you”!

In the Lord’s Supper, God acts for you—right now. God delivers Christ’s true body and true blood here and now. Holy Communion is the opposite of remembering a dead man. Holy Communion is a meal with a man who lives!

How so? The Is in “Take, eat; this is My body” and “Take, drink; this is My blood” means “is.” Is does not mean “signifies,” “represents,” or “symbolizes.” This view did not arise until the eleventh century. It was promoted by a French theologian named Berengar of Tours, whose watchwords were “flee to reason.” No. Flee to Scripture! “This is for you!”

A middle-age and slightly overweight Scottish woman walked out from behind a theater curtain. Her hair was going in all different directions, and she was wearing a dress that was not very flattering. People in the audience rolled their eyes and let out a collective sigh of disappointment. No one expected anything from this woman. That was the way it was on April 11, 2009, when Susan Boyle began to sing.

          After her song, though, people exploded with applause! The video clip of Susan Boyle became the most-watched YouTube video at the time. Her first recording broke all sales records. Susan Boyle wasn’t what people expected. Susan Boyle was much more!

Here is my point. What may look ordinary can be completely extraordinary. The Lord’s Supper is like that. When Christ’s words—“Take, eat; this is My body;” and “take, drink; this is My blood”—are spoken over bread and wine, it is not what we expect. It is so much more! The bread participates with Christ’s body! The wine participates with Christ’s blood! What may look ordinary is completely extraordinary.

But there is more! There is always more in the Gospel. Da Vinci’s The Last Supper includes a view of heaven. The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the feast to come. Jesus is coming to restore all things. At the heavenly banquet, we will no longer have to look at our sin. We will be perfect, wearing white robes washed in the blood of Jesus. At the heavenly banquet, we will no longer be sad because of broken hearts and broken lives. In heaven, we will be gathered together with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. At the heavenly banquet, we will no longer need Jesus to come to us in the Sacrament. We will see Jesus face-to-face, and He will fill us with unspeakable joy that will never end!

People use a lot of words when they speak about Holy Communion. Words such as Sacrament and Eucharist. But some of the most important words about Communion are two short words, with three letters each—“for you.”

For you—in the past, Christ died. For you—right now, Christ is present. For you—in the future, you will partake of the marriage feast of the Lamb that will have no end!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Palm Sunday – Matthew21: 1-9 – April 13, 2025

It is the great privilege of us Christians to think on the Passion of our Lord Jesus. We do not deserve it. And we need to know this. Oftentimes it seems that the pastor’s job or the Christian’s job is to convince people to give God the favor of thinking about him. Nonsense. It is our honor to think on the Lord Jesus. We should prize it above riches and honor and fame, above every pleasure we have on this earth, this highest of all glory, to behold the God-Man crucified for us. To signify how unworthy we are to view God suffering for us, we put a veil over the crucifixes. Who are we that the Son of God would not only join our human race, would not only suffer for us and die for us, but then would have it written down for us in all its gory detail, to picture before us our Maker spit on and beaten and mocked and stripped naked and nailed to a tree. That we should get to see what is so terribly intimate, that the Father abandons His Son and the Son cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” What does this mean that God allows us to see this and hear it! It means that it is for us: every gasping breath, all the pain, every drop of blood, every cry of agony. Here our God bares his holy heart, as the Son is stripped and his naked flesh is bared to the eyes of all. Here the Father’s heart is revealed to us, that He would forsake His Son and the Son would be forsaken, so that we can live by their Spirit. And to contemplate this today, on Thursday, on Good Friday, here at this church, and always in our lives, this is a privilege the Christian would change the world for, with all its gold and all its honor and pleasure, because all of it can’t compare to a drop of the blood of God shed for us and put into our mouths here.

So we celebrate Palm Sunday today. It is a Sunday of Preparation. And we need it. To make sure we understand what a privilege it is to celebrate Holy Week, to peer into the mystery of the suffering of God for us, so that we never take it for granted.

The history of Jesus riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey five days before He was slaughtered for our salvation teaches us exactly this. And so today we are going to go through the characters in this history one by one, to answer that beautiful question, “O Lord, how shall I meet Thee, How welcome Thee aright?”

First, Jesus. He comes humbly on a donkey. He does not force His way in, He does not come with violence, He does not come to punish sinners. He comes humbly. And He comes determined. He knows exactly what is ahead of Him. We sing today and again on Maundy Thursday the words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” When He rode into Jerusalem that day, Jesus knew those words, they were on His mind, He knew He would utter them five days later on the cross, He knew He was riding not only to His death, but to suffering no man has known, abandonment by God, this awful mystery that God forsakes God for us sinners. And Jesus comes in love that surpasses our understanding, with pity for each and every one of us, willing to suffer the unthinkable, to dirty Himself not only with spit and mockery of others, but with our sins, as He bears their punishment in His holy body and guiltless soul. So see here your Savior’s determination. See him riding boldly to His death. See him do it because He loves you. And know that this determination and this boldness and this love has not stopped, it has not decreased; no, He comes now with the same boldness and the same insistence, that since He has died for you and reconciled you to God, He will have you as His own, to live by His Spirit, to confess your sin to Him, to throw your cares and your anxieties and your most intimate secrets at His feet, so that He can forgive you and comfort you and unite you to your God by feeding on His most precious body and blood.

Second, we have Jesus’ disciples. He sends two to grab a donkey. They are His pastors. They do what He says. They do and say exactly as He commands, you notice that. They do not question Him. They do not tell Him no that is too risky, going and taking a donkey that does not belong to us. They just do it. And this is what pastors are to do. We do not get to preach whatever comes out of our sinful hearts or what we think people’s itching ears want to hear. Jesus says it. It is His Word, the Bible, and as He Himself says, the Scripture cannot be broken, then we preach it. Period. Because Jesus knows what is best for us; He laid down His life for us; He rescues us from sin and death; He made us for eternity with Him and when we soiled ourselves and separated ourselves from His love, He did not abandon us or cast us out of His presence, but joined our race and shed His blood and gave His Spirit so that we would live eternal life with Him. So we listen to Him. And His pastors preach what He commands. Not the current expert, who will just be replaced by the next supposed expert. Not the government, not the media, not the prevailing winds of popular culture. None of them has died for me, none of them has made me, given me everything I have, none has given me my reason and my senses, none but my Lord Jesus. So anything that does not agree with the Lord Jesus I can only see as utter nonsense and silliness and vanity. You do not get to contradict Jesus! He rose from the dead!

The disciples brought Jesus to the people on a very easily despisable donkey. Pastors bring Jesus to people through a Word that people like to despise. But as that donkey brought eternal happiness to Christ’s Church, so now the Word of God brings us everlasting perfection. And so far from being ashamed of it, we make our boast in it. A donkey once spoke and put to shame the wisdom of Balaam. The Word of our Lord speaks and puts to shame the wisdom of this world.

Third, we have the people who met Jesus with songs of Hosanna. Hosanna means, “Save!” And it is this that marks our constant preparation for receiving Jesus. He is our Savior. And we know we need this Savior. Because we know the pride of our hearts, the desire to make ourselves look good and gossip and judge our neighbor, the obsession with this life, our laziness and our putting earthly pleasures over heavenly riches. But more than this, we know the pain and corruption all around us, in our own families, in our own bodies. The Lord Jesus says on Palm Sunday that if we did not cry out the rocks would have to, because creation itself groans for release. And our cry of groaning of release is Hosanna! Save, to the Son of David, our dear God and Brother who came to make us a new creation released from all sin and pain and death and corruption forever. He has said it. He has done it. He will surely bring it to completion.

And so the people not only say, “Save,” they not only speak, but they show with their actions, that Jesus is their everything. We call it Palm Sunday, but in fact most of them throw their clothes on the road for Jesus to trample. And this is the confession we Christians all make. Everything I have Jesus gave me. Everything. If I think I have earned it, I am fooling myself. The strength of my arm comes from Him. The desire to do any good comes from Him. My children. My house. My job. My wife. My health. Every godly pleasure I enjoy, every sip of wine, every laugh, every pleasant walk, every point of knowledge I gain, every good conversation I experience, all of it He has given me and all of it He has redeemed me to use for His glory. And so the confession we make today in view of our Lord giving us the blood He shed for us is that we gladly commit everything to Him, and we would gladly lose everything, the whole world, than lose the God who created this world and redeemed it with His blood. He has lived and died for us. So we live and die with him and give Him not only our stuff, our money, our clothes and our palms, but our children, our hearts, and our lives.

There is one character left in the history of Palm Sunday. The donkey. Very early on the mockers of Christianity called Christians donkeys. People still insult people by calling them donkeys. The church father Tertullian talks about how the pagans would mock Christians and draw pictures of Jesus on the cross with donkey ears. And so the Christians pointed to our reading for today to show why they did not mind being called donkeys. First, Jesus is on a donkey. And we are happy to bear our Lord Jesus. We bear His name. We wear His righteousness. And as He Himself says, we bear His yoke upon us. When we stray from walking the narrow way, he pulls on the reigns and tugs us back. When we fall, he lifts us up again. When we do wrong, he uses the whip and shows us the painful consequence of sin, so that we do not do it again. And the donkey is the lowly and humble creature, and so we Christians remain. Our glory is not in ourselves. The donkey’s glory is only in his rider. Our glory is only in Christ. And beautifully, He gives it to us. We share in it all. We suffer with Him. We live with Him. We become sons of our Father because we belong to Him, the eternal Son of the Father. The angels who serve Him serve us for His sake. The Father who loves Him loves us for His sake. The Spirit who lives from Him gives us His life.

Holy Week is here. We are given the greatest privilege imaginable this week, to spend our days meditating on the death of our God for us, so that we can celebrate with everlasting joy His glorious resurrection. God grant it for Jesus’ sake.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 5 Midweek – WitnessesToChrist – John19:1-16 – April 9, 2025

“I saw a woman today who finally became hard as wood all over.” A French doctor named Guy Patin wrote these words in 1692. This is the first clinical description of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP, a disease that slowly and irreversibly turns people into solid bone. The disease imprisons the entire body; back to front, top to bottom. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles solidify as the body becomes as hard as cement. The rogue gene of FOP has one goal: slowly harden the body until it is dead.

We are in a sermon series called Witnesses to Christ. Today, we meet Pontus Pilate. Pontius Pilate is one of the most notorious people in history. He is right up there with Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Osama bin Laden. If Pilate’s name was announced at a baseball game, the crowd would begin booing and throwing beer cans. The Apostles’ Creed includes these words: “born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate.”

Pontius Pilate had an acute case of spiritual FOP. Only in Pilate’s case, the gene went straight to his heart: back to front, top to bottom. Spiritual FOP has one goal, to slowly harden our hearts until we are spiritually dead.

But we do not notice it at first, do we? At first, our priorities are just a little mixed up. But then, very slowly, and before we know it, we stop praying, we stop repenting, and we stop trusting Jesus. Then the day comes when words such as Jesus, Holy Communion, Bible study, Baptism, worship, Easter, and salvation have no impact upon us whatsoever. That is because spiritual FOP has one goal: to slowly harden our hearts until we are spiritually dead. Pilate knows.

According to a Latin inscription found in 1961 on the Mediterranean coast, Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea for ten years, from AD 26 to 36. Pilate was from a middle-class family. Do not forget that point, it is huge. Pilate was from a middle-class family. Pontius Pilate served the Roman army in Germany. One year, while on leave in Rome, he married an upper-class Roman woman named Claudia Procula. Claudia was the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor. The granddaughter of Caesar Augustus the Roman emperor? Pilate was in! Because of this connection, Pontius Pilate got a position he would never have gotten in any other way. And that position was as governor of Judea. That is Pilate’s past.

The posse, which is led by Judas Iscariot, arrests Jesus on Thursday night. Jesus then stands trial before Annas, Caiaphas, and finally before the Sanhedrin, which is the Jewish Supreme Court. They accuse Jesus of blasphemy because blasphemy was punishable by death. There is only one problem, though. The Jews can condemn a man to death, but they cannot carry it out. Before Jesus can be executed, the Jews must get the consent of Rome. Who is here in Judea representing Rome? Pilot. They need his consent.That is his part. Famously and for the ages, that is Pilate’s part!

That is what John says. “Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning” (John 18:28). They brought Jesus to the Roman fortress Antonia. It is about 6:00 a.m. And they are all there. The chief priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, all of them. And they have Jesus right where they want Him. Soon they will have Pilate right where they want him.

Pilate asks a few routine questions, such as “What has this man done wrong?” The Jews do not answer directly. Why? Because there is no Roman law against blasphemy. The Jews cannot say, “This man claims to be the Messiah,” because Pilate would just wave his hand and that would be that. After all, Roman history tells us that Pilate did not like the Jews. Pilate did not understand the Jews. And Pilate did not waste his time in religious debates with the Jews! Pilate’s heart was becoming harder by the minute.

Pilate questions Jesus. He asks, “Are You the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). The all-important word here is king. King means one thing to the Jews: Messiah. It means something else to the Romans: military ruler. Jesus answers Pilate, “You say that I am a king” (John 18:37). This means “Yes, I am a king, but not the kind of king you are thinking of.”

The chief priests want to confuse Pilate into thinking that Jesus is a revolutionary leader, and thus a threat to Rome. It does not work, because Jesus tells Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Then He tells Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice” (John 18:37). Pilate cynically says, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Pilate’s heart is becoming as hard as cement.

Pilate has Jesus scourged, just short of death. But the crowd wants more. They want Christ killed. And so the Jews play their trump card.

They say to Pilate, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend” (John 19:12). Pilate knows exactly what they mean. The Caesar, the king, named Tiberius at the time, was sick. He was always suspicious and often violent. A Roman historian by the name of Suetonius tells us that Tiberius could turn on his underlings and be a savage. Tiberius would not like getting news about a riot in Judea, especially when Judea’s governor was appointed only because of family connections. And Pilate was, after all, just middle class.

The Jews blackmail Pilate, pure and simple. And it works. If the choice had been between Jesus and the Jews, Pilate would let Jesus go. But that is not how the Jewish leaders frame the issue. Their blackmail makes it a choice between Jesus and Rome. This is Pilate’s predicament. The Jewish blackmail makes it a choice between Jesus and Rome. Peoplewill do many things to save their job, their status, their reputation. People will do many things to save their skin. They will even crucify an innocent man.

Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your King?” (John 19:15). This King is not the military type, one looking for a battle. No. This King is the suffering and bleeding type, one looking for you. He is the King who cleanses sin-stained hearts. The King who heals deep brokenness. The King who calls you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. The King who triumphs over death. The King who knows the exact place and time of His execution and still goes there anyway and it is all. for. you.

The chief priests answer Pilate, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). Things are getting out of hand. A Jewish riot would end Pilate’s political career. So he caves in. Pilate has Jesus executed. Nailed to a cross by His hands and feet, lifted up to hang, suspended between heaven and earth. Why did Pilate do it? His heart had become as hard as Mount Rushmore.

Do you see Pilate’s pattern? “What is in it for me?” That is what we see throughout John 18–19. “What is in it for me?” That is Pilate’s pattern. Pilate is climbing the ladder of success. Pilate cares only for himself and is trashing everyone who gets in his way.

That is a pattern we follow more often than we care to admit. We are all, finally, not that much different from Pilate. “What is in it for me?” It s a recipe for a hard heart. And a hard heart is like a wrecking ball. It mangles marriages, it kills kids, and it finishes off families and friends. Spiritual FOP is killing us.

Is your heart hard? Is it callous? insensitive? indifferent? dead? It is not too late! Your heavenly Father will create in you a clean heart, a new heart, a heart that is spiritually alive. He will mold your stony heart back into life. This is His promise for you in Christ Jesus. Ezekiel 11:19: “I will give them one heart. . . . I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” God will take away your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. What does it mean? It means your heart will beat again with new life given to you through your baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent  5 – Judica – John 8:42-59 – April 5, 2025

The last two weeks of Lent are called Passiontide, which means suffering-time. This little two-week season begins today. From now until Good Friday our meditation on the Word of God is largely a meditation on the sufferings of Christ. In the Gospel reading for today we heard Jesus suffering slander. We picked up partway through John 8. You might wonder, “What did Jesus say that got the people so upset?” He had told them, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus preached to them the power of His Word. He preached to them His desire and ability to free them from sin and death. And how did they respond? They were offended that anyone would consider them slaves. They were offended that anyone would say, “You must be something other than what you are now. You must change your ways.”

Jesus speaks the truth, and He speaks it for the good of man. Therefore Jesus says elsewhere, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (Mt. 11:6, Lk. 7:23). Jesus will tell you the truth about yourself, and it might hurt, but it is the truth, and the truth ultimately does not hurt, but saves. Jesus called the Canaanite woman a dog, just like Jesus calls us poor, miserable sinners. The best course is that which the woman took: to agree with Jesus and understand that he calls us those things so that He might save us. The woman said, “True, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Mt. 15:27). Likewise the Jews in the reading should have said, “True, Lord; we are household slaves and You are the Son. Yet if the Son makes us free, we will be free indeed.” But instead they stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts and took offense at the truth.

We see such hardness of heart all around us, and it should lead us to pray, “Dear Lord, let this never happen to me. May I never harden myself against Your Word. Soften my heart with the hammer of Your Law. Show me for what I am, that I may not become delusional and suppose that I do not need You. Make me to know the truth of these words, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us’ (1 Jn. 1:8). And that I may not become despondent or be tempted to stiffen my neck against You, make me to know also the truth of the words that follow, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Be faithful and just, and forgive, O Lord, and give me always more satisfaction in Your righteousness than in my own.”

Yet many are offended at the truth. When Jesus tells them what they are, it hurts, but instead of seeking a remedy, they prefer to turn a blind eye to the problem. It would be like if a doctor brought someone a cancer diagnosis and proposed a course of treatment, and instead of heeding the doctor’s words, the patient killed the doctor and tried to forget he had ever heard the word “cancer.” It is similarly foolish when men treat Jesus with contempt.

Jesus tries to reason with them. He shows His kindness. He shows that He has not sinned against them, but instead seeks their welfare. The reading began with the question: “Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?” Yet the Jews respond by saying, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” They attack Jesus’ character and they attack Jesus’ doctrine. First they claim that He Himself is a God-forsaken half-breed, for that’s how the Jews regarded the Samaritans. Significantly, Jesus does not respond to this personal attack, and this teaches us both what to expect from the world because we’re Christians and how we should regard the world’s insults.

The truth of Jesus’ words seems obvious to us, and it should seem obvious to the world as well. Yet you have probably met at least one person, if not many people, who scoff at Christianity and think it is stupid and think you are stupid for believing it. Through such attacks the devil seeks to shake our faith and make us doubt the truth. But instead of being shaken, we should simply recognize that what happened to Jesus is happening to us. People feel threatened by the truth of God’s Word, and they react fiercely against it. That reaction might say something about the foolishness of man, but it does not negate the truthfulness of God. And therefore we can brush off personal attacks that come to us because of the Word. Jesus teaches us to see things rightly. He Himself is God and is always right and true, and yet men treated Him with contempt. But their insult to His character did not change who He was, and so also men’s insults do not change what we are either. Such insults are powerless. Indeed, we should see such insults as a confirmation of the Word of Jesus, not a challenge to it, for Jesus has said, “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt. 5:11-12).

When it comes to personal attacks, we can simply ignore them, for we know the truth. What the world thinks we are and what we actually are is not even close to being the same thing, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6, “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:8-10).

So when the Jews call Jesus a Samaritan, He pays them no regard. He knows it is not true, and as He says, He does not seek His own glory. But when they say that Jesus has a demon and thus call His doctrine devilish, Jesus does respond to that: “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.” Jesus will suffer personal attack, but He will not ignore an attack on the Word of God. People can think little of Him. If they will heed sound doctrine, they will be saved and will learn to think of Him rightly. But if they will not heed sound doctrine, it does not matter whether they think of Him as a righteous man or a scoundrel: without sound doctrine, they will never be saved and will never come to the knowledge of the truth. So Jesus digs in His heels. He acts stubbornly, not to defend His own honor, but to defend sound doctrine. And He gives the reason by showing what’s at stake: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” That is why sound doctrine is so important. The pure Word of Jesus saves us from death. Jesus so tenaciously defends sound doctrine because He wants his hearers to live and not die.

Just as we overlook personal insults like Jesus did, so also we uphold sound doctrine like Jesus did. The world might hate us all the more for it, as the Jews in the reading only became more angry at Jesus and sought to stone Him to death. But how else will hearts turn and believe if not by the Word of Jesus? My reputation is not going to save someone from death such that I should forcefully defend it. Let men think what they want about me. Who I am in their eyes will not determine whether they live or die. But Jesus says, “If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” The Word is worth defending. The world expects that we will defend ourselves against insult and keep silent about the Word, but it is exactly the opposite. We will keep silent about ourselves and defend the Word, not because we are opinionated or annoying, like the world thinks we are, but because we actually desire the world to be saved, and that is only going to happen through the Word of Jesus.

Think about the significance of what Jesus says about His Word. “If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” Jesus says the same thing in John chapter 5: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” Again in chapter 6, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” And again in chapter 11, “Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” And those are just verses from John’s Gospel. The Bible is full of many other passages teaching that faith in Jesus’ Word grants eternal life, not merely as a future gift, but as a present reality.

The Word of Jesus says very clearly that we who keep His Word will not taste death. Instead we hear in Hebrews that Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9). What a good and gracious Lord! John 13:1 says, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” He loved us unto death, taking sin and its wages, tasting death for us that we might never taste it.

But pastor, do we not die? It is true that earthly life comes to an end. Yet Jesus teaches us how to speak about Christian death rightly. When He looks at the corpse of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus says, “The girl is not dead but sleeping” (Mt. 9:24, Mk. 5:29, Lk. 8:52). When Lazarus died, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (Jn. 11:11). When we are in the process of dying it seems that we are going to see death. It seems that we are going down, down, down; we speak of someone’s life or health declining. Yet at that very moment when lungs stop breathing and heart stops beating, we do not find ourselves crashing down, but soaring up. Right when we thought we were going to taste and see death we instead taste and see that the Lord is good. The Lord’s angels bear us up to heaven and we see the Lord. If even in that very moment when the taste of death appears inescapable we do not taste death, how much less shall we taste death throughout the rest of our lives? This is the power of Jesus’ Word: it gives complete security, removes all fear, grants peace of heart and mind, imparts boldness against all adversity, makes us steadfast to bear all things with gladness, and kindles in us an unquenchable joy. “If anyone keeps My word he will never taste death.”

So you see why Jesus teaches us to shrug off insults and yet uphold His Word. His Word makes all the difference between children of God and children of the devil. The children of the devil might seem strong and daunting, but they do not listen to the Word of Jesus, and therefore even now they are seeing and tasting and teaching nothing but death, just as even now the children of God enjoy eternal life. This stirs us up to two things.

First, we pray against the children of the devil. We pray not just against public false teachers, but against everyone who teaches others to devalue the Word of Jesus and pursue other things. We pray against those who seek to make laws that are contrary to the Law of God, we pray against false prophets in the Church who teach a righteousness that is not from Jesus, we pray against parents who raise their children to seek money and pleasure and scoff at the Gospel. We pray that God would break and hinder their evil plans and purposes. We pray from the psalms, “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!” (Ps. 58:6). We pray this first of all because what the wicked say is not right. God gave man his tongue, and everything man’s tongue says should be in conformity with the Word of the Maker of tongues. The fact that man speaks wrongly is reason enough to pray that such wrong speech stop. But we also pray this because of the harm it does. Scoffers and wicked men lead others astray, put stumbling blocks in their way, and are a temptation even to the saints. Make it cease, O Lord! David writes, “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things” (Ps. 12:3).

But the wickedness of the devil’s children stirs us up to something else as well, especially as we reflect on what we have in Christ. When we see the world raging and groping along in the dark, we are stirred to pity. Why would we fear such people? They are pitiable. The world is a blind man who thinks he can see: he stumbles along and talks like he is aware of everything around him, and yet as we watch, he keeps hurting himself. He announces some grand plan based on what he perceives, and we know he perceives all wrong and that his plan will harm him. He goes on in confidence, walking into walls and tripping over rocks until he’s cut and bruised and bloody. And then he claims that he meant to do that and enjoys it, and we know he is lying to himself and we pity him, and we pity him even more when he seems to actually believe that he enjoys his blindness and pain. What is life like to ask and not receive, to seek and not to find, to knock and the door never to open? Most of us have long forgotten that sort of life, if we ever knew it. It is a miserable life!

So not only do we pray against the devil’s children, that God would keep them from blaspheming Christ and hurting their fellow men. We also pray for them, as Jesus Himself teaches, “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). We pray for them, and we are also not afraid to speak. Whom would you trust to tell you what the world looks like: the man who can see, or the man who is blind? Dear saints, you are those who can see. You know the truth and the truth has set you free. You need not fear the world. What did the world accomplish in its rage against Jesus? It only accomplished His will. He came to Jerusalem for one purpose, and that was to die on the cross for the redemption of the world, and the Jews in the reading were unwitting helpers toward that goal. They could not even see that they were aiding Christ, not hindering Him.

It is Passiontide. Let us be glad, for Christ Jesus has come into the world to save sinners and to speak the Word of life.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 4 Midweek – WitnessesToChrist –

John18: 33-40 – April 2, 2025

     William Jefferson was a congressman from the state of Louisiana. In 2002, he used the resources of an organization designed to encourage people to vote to ensure that his daughter would win an election to the Louisiana State House of Representatives. In 1998, 2002, and 2006, Jefferson used this same organization to make sure that his sister would win elections as a city official for New Orleans.

A few days after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Jefferson used a National Guard detachment to recover personal belongings from his home. When the truck they were in got stuck in mud, Jefferson called in a National Guard helicopter to help them out. All this happened while rescue operations were still going on in other parts of the state.

In March 2005, a company named iGate sent William Jefferson $400,000 to ensure that he would help its business by persuading the army to purchase iGate technology. The final straw came in August 2005, when the FBI raided Jefferson’s home and found $90,000 in cash… in his freezer.

Is William Jefferson innocent? No way! William Jefferson is guilty, beyond guilty! In 2009, Jefferson was sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison. This was the longest sentence ever given to a congressman for bribery. William Jefferson was supposed to go free on August 30, 2023, but was released in 2017 with time served.

We are in a series called Witnesses to Christ. Today, we meet Barabbas. There is a trial going on and, as in any trial, there are three key ideas: innocent, guilty, and free. Innocent, guilty, and free. Here we go!

Innocent. That is Jesus. Pilate tells the crowd, “I find no guilt in Him” (John 18:38). Pontius Pilate did not think Jesus deserved the cross. A lecture and a lashing, but not the cross.

Two times in John 18:28, the Gospel writer calls Pontius Pilate “the governor.” As Judea’s governor, Pilate sits on the judgment seat. That is because Pilate has imperium, supreme power or absolute dominion. In Judea, Pilate decides formal death-penalty cases. You live or die according to Pilate.

And Pilate declares that Jesus is innocent. He does so again in John 19:4 and 6. The rest of the New Testament takes this further, a whole lot further. The New Testament says Jesus is absolutely and perfectly innocent. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was “without sin”; 2 Corinthians 5:21 says of Jesus, “[He] knew no sin.” When it came to sin, Jesus never did it. Innocent. That is Jesus.

Guilty. Now that is Barabbas. Barabbas was as guilty as William Jefferson, and then some!

Pontius Pilate poses this question to the people: “‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ They cried out again, ‘Not this man, but  Barabbas!’” (John 18:39–40). John 18:40 concludes with these words: “Now Barabbas was a robber [lestes].”

A lestes is not a plain robber. A lestes is a marauding, violent outlaw who finances his lawlessness through what he plunders and steals. How do we know that? Lestes is the same word used in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30, where Jesus says, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers [lestais  which is the plural of lestes], who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.” Put John 18:40 and Luke 10:30 together, and what do we learn? We learn that a lestes is the worst kind of outlaw. A lestes will not just rob you. A lestes will rob you and kill you!

Mark 15:7 tells us more: “Among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.” Barabbas was probably the leading lestes among the insurrectionists. Insurrectionists were anti-Roman rioters who belonged to a political group called Zealots. Zealots had one agenda: get the Romans out of Judea. And Zealots were ready to slit throats to make it happen.

So do not think that Barabbas was a petty thief or a secondhand scoundrel. Rome would not condemn a small-time crook to crucifixion. But they would lynch a lestes. Barabbas was judged guilty and condemned to die. He would be crucified by noon. Dead by sundown. His only future was a cross, three nails, and an awful death.

Innocent, that is Jesus. Guilty, that is Barabbas for sure. Guilty, that is also us most assuredly. We are all born “dead in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). We are blinded by the god of this world (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4) and hopeless (cf. Ephesians 2:12). Our finest deeds are unclean rags (cf. Isaiah 64:6). Just call us “Barabbas.”

Paul says as much in Romans 7:24: “Wretched man that I am!” Not “I was a wretch.” No. “I am a wretch!” Present tense! Right now, today, as a believer, truth be told—I am still a wretch.

The Bible calls it sin. Sin is not a regrettable lapse or an occasional stumble. Sin stages a rebellion against God’s rule. Sin storms the heavens. Sin lays claim to God’s throne. Sin defies God’s authority. Sin sneers, “Get out, God. Get lost, God. I am in charge here, God!”

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). You have your way. I have my way. Your way may be accumulation. Her way may be intoxication. His way may be flirtation. We all have turned to our own way. Just like sheep.

I do not like to confess it. In fact, I would just as soon avoid it. But I am Barabbas. I am a prisoner to my past—my low-road choices and my high-minded pride. And God has declared me guilty. What is His sentence? “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Death.

Innocent—that is Jesus. Guilty—that is Barabbas. Guilty—that is us. Free—that is Barabbas. Listen! Can you hear this? It is the Roman guard with the key! He unlocks the prison door, swings it open, and shouts, “Barabbas! You are free. They chose you to go free!” Barabbas stumbles into the light of day—shackles gone, crimes pardoned. Free!

Free—that is Barabbas for sure. Free—that is us most assuredly. How so? Christ endured not just the Roman nails, the mockery, and the spear, but also the gears of God’s grinding justice. “The gears of God’s grinding justice?” Really? Yes, really. God does not overlook sin. God does not say, “Hey, no big deal.” That is not how it works. God is holy, righteous, sovereign, and perfect. God cannot overlook sin. God must punish sin.

That is why God placed all our sin on Jesus. It is accurate, therefore, to say, “Christ substituted Himself for the world.” It is life-changing, however, to say, “Christ substituted Himself for me. My sins? They are many. God’s mercy? Is more. I am free!”

Psalm 146:7 says, “The Lord sets the prisoners free.” Romans 8:2 says, “The law of the Spirit of life has set you free.” Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Revelation 1:5 says, Jesus “has freed us from our sins by His blood.” There are a million ways to become a prisoner. There is only one way to be free. Jesus.

The Savior’s liberating power sets us free from the condemnation of our sin, free from the pain of our past, free from worry about our future. No one can take this freedom from us. No law can stop it. And no power on earth or hell can destroy it.

Innocent, guilty, and free. These are the most important words in any trial. What would you say is the most life-changing of the three? Innocent? Guilty? Free?

That is easy! Free! “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). That is you! Like Barabbas! By faith, forever free!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 4 – Laetare – John 6:1-15 – March 30, 2025

You all remember the story from the Old Testament when Moses handed down God’s Law from Mount Sinai and sealed with the people of Israel the covenant under which they would live for the next 1,500 years, the covenant of the Law. Do you remember what happened not long before the children of Israel reached Mount Sinai? Well, about two months earlier, they had celebrated the first Passover, when God spared the Israelite children from the plague of death that struck the firstborn of Egypt. The Lord led them miraculously through the Red Sea. And then, when they grew hungry on their journey to Mount Sinai, the Lord rained down that special bread from heaven that they called “manna.” A sign of His goodness, a token of His care, an incentive for Israel to embrace the covenant He was about to make with them, because He is a good God who cares for us poor sinners. And that bread was also a daily reminder that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

When did we hear those words last? Well, it was just three weeks ago on the first Sunday in Lent, when Jesus was forced by His dear heavenly Father to spend forty days in the wilderness without eating any bread at all. And the devil tried to take advantage and tempt Him. Forty years God provided bread for the children of Israel, while His beloved Son was allowed to suffer hunger.

Then, in today’s Gospel, we see Jesus not allowing His followers to go even one day without bread. Instead, He provides for them miraculously. Once again, Jesus suffers what He does not deserve to suffer, but freely gives gifts to those who do not deserve the gifts.

It is a simple account. John tells us that the Passover was near. So the people of Galilee already had to be thinking about their plans to make the annual journey to Jerusalem, to commemorate the God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt, and the wilderness wanderings, and the manna, and the covenant established through Moses at Mount Sinai. With those things at least in the back of their minds, the people had spent the day with Jesus, listening to Him and being healed of their diseases. He had compassion on them, because it was growing late and there was nowhere to get food in the place where they were. So before they could even notice their hunger, Jesus had His disciples search for some food for the people, and they only came up with five loaves of bread and two fish—not nearly enough to satisfy 5,000 men, plus women, plus children. But Jesus blessed the bread and started handing it out to His disciples, who then handed it out to the people. And the bread and the fish just kept being handed out in that fashion until everyone had enough. And more than enough! They collected twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

And so, again, we see the kindness and goodness of Jesus, His desire and His ability to provide for those who follow Him. We see His divine power. We see the same God who provided bread from heaven to Israel now here in the flesh, still providing free gifts to His people. Who would not believe in this Man who is God? Who would not want Him for a Savior?

But John’s Gospel ends this account on a sour note. “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (John 6:14-15)

What happened? How did the people go from thankful and amazed to the conclusion that they should grab Jesus and force Him to be their King?

Well, this highlights one of the two errors that Israel fell into over the centuries. Throughout much of the Old Testament, they rejected the God who made the covenant with them through open idolatry, turning away from His covenant openly, openly worshiping idols, outwardly disobeying His commandments, not fulfilling their end of the covenant while still expecting God to fulfill His end.

There were still some in Israel who lived like that at the time of Jesus, but for the most part, Israel had fallen into a different error. While outwardly showing great zeal for the covenant God made with them on Mount Sinai, they inwardly put their trust in themselves and their works, in their circumcision, in their obedience to the Law, in their descent from Abraham. They thought, we have kept our end of the bargain. We have done our part in the covenant. We have kept the Law. Now God has to do His part. They still looked for the Christ to come, but not to save them from sin, death, and the power of the devil. They wanted a Christ who would be an earthly King, someone who would make all sorrow and sickness vanish for them, someone who would conquer their earthly oppressors, someone who would satisfy their bellies and make their lives comfortable and make their nation glorious. Is that not what the covenant of Mount Sinai was all about?

No. It never was. What few realized at the time of Christ was that the Law given on Mount Siani was pointing them away from the Law, to the salvation that the coming Christ would bring because of their disobedience to the Law. Everyone’s disobedience, from the open idolaters to those who simply trusted in themselves. The Law pointed ahead to its own fulfillment and to its own replacement, to a new covenant of grace and forgiveness of sins. The Law was there to guide them to Christ.

And so, about a year before fulfilling the Law and instituting that New Covenant in His blood, Jesus performed a miracle similar to the miraculous feeding of Israel in the wilderness. He fed the hungry people of Israel with bread, a sign of who He was, namely the same God who provided manna in the wilderness. A sign of His care and compassion, of His goodness and love, a sign that a New Covenant would soon be instituted, a sign that they should put their trust in Him, not only for their bodies, but also for their souls. That was the intended message behind the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus is the Prophet, the promised Messiah, who will save you from your sins.

But because the people were still in love with the Old Covenant, the message they received was: We should take Jesus and force Him to be our King, to provide earthly peace and comfort and security. We do not need a Savior from sin. We do not need a new covenant.

And the result? Jesus left those people behind. “Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (John 6:15)

This is what St. Paul was referring to in today’s Epistle. The people of Israel who rejected Jesus as the Christ who would offer Himself as an atoning sacrifice to save them from their sins—those people were actually enslaved under the Old Covenant. They pretended that they were keeping the Law, but they did not really read the Law or listen to it, because if they had, they would have recognized that their thoughts, words, and deeds were impure, that they had broken God’s Law and deserved only His wrath and punishment.

But Christians know and believe that Christ Jesus has freed us from the condemnation we deserve by suffering, not what He deserved to suffer, but what we deserved to suffer. We believe that Christ Jesus has freed us from having to “keep our end of the bargain,” because we cannot keep the Law as it must be kept in order to earn our salvation by it. We believe that we are saved by faith alone in this good and gracious Savior, who provided the sacrifice for our sins. And we do not look to Him to take away all our problems and struggles in this world. We look to Him to help us through them, to provide the relief that we need, when we need it, even as He once provided bread in the wilderness to His followers. And we look to Him to bring us safely into His heavenly kingdom, and to the resurrection of the dead, when He will take away all our problems and struggles.

Until then, hold onto the freedom that comes from faith. Hold onto Christ as your Redeemer who loves you. Hold onto the Sacraments, where Christ gives you both forgiveness and strength to live a new life. Live in the freedom of the children of promise. Not free to sin, not free to treat people badly or free to ignore the Word of God. But free to serve your neighbor in love. This freedom from the Law, this freedom from salvation by works, this freedom through faith in Christ, is also the freedom to serve God without fear and to love freely, even as you have been freely loved. May Christ, the true Bread from heaven, keep you firm and steadfast in this faith and in this freedom, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

           Lent 3 Midweek – WitnessesToChrist – John18:12-27- March 26, 2025

He was a professional thief. His name evoked fear throughout the Wild West. He terrorized the Wells Fargo stagecoach line—roaring like a tornado and spooking the most rugged cowboys. During his reign of terror, from 1875 to 1883, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. No victim ever saw him. No artist ever sketched him. No sheriff could ever track his trail. His name? Black Bart.

John introduces another Black Bart. If you have ever felt shame and disgrace, it was his whisper that crushed your heart. If you have ever felt alone and abandoned, it was all according to his plan. If you have ever felt useless and no good, it was his accusing finger in your face. He does not just want your money. This Black Bart comes to kill, steal, and destroy everything.

What is his name? Guilt! Maybe there is someone on the planet who has not known guilt, a quagmire of remorse, an ongoing note to self, “You are worthless.” But I have never met that person. What sucked you under? A one-night stand? A backstreet brawl? Did you take something that was not yours? Or maybe your guilt is not the result of a moment but of a season in life. You failed as a parent. You blew it in your career. You squandered your youth or your money—or both. The result? Guilt!

We are in a series called Witnesses to Christ. Today, we meet Peter. Peter is in the courtyard of a high priest named Caiaphas. In that courtyard, we see guilt, both Peter’s guilt and our own. Beyond the courtyard, we see grace; and that is grace for Peter and grace for us!

To get some context, we rewind the tape and go back to Gethsemane, where we hear the claim. “Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You’ ” (John 13:37). Jesus and Peter had been through so much together. Three years earlier, Jesus was walking on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sees Peter fishing with his brother Andrew and calls them to follow: “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). One day, about a year later, Peter follows Jesus out onto the Sea of Galilee during a huge storm. Peter walks on the water, but then he begins to sink. Jesus immediately reaches out His hand, takes hold of Peter, and saves him.

At one point, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). At another point, Jesus takes Peter, along with James and John, to see His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. Then Jesus invites this same trio to witness His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. No wonder Peter makes the claim, “I will lay down my life for You.”

We have all made that claim. When we got confirmed, “Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed remain true to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?” And we said, “I do, by the grace of God!” “Will you have this man to be your wedded husband?” And you women said, “I will!” “Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife?” And we men said, “I will!” The claim. That is the easy part!

As the events in the courtyard unfold, it is like watching cracks in a house’s foundation slowly spread. A servant girl comes up to Peter and says, “‘You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not’” (John 18:17). The first crack.

Peter then stands by a fire to keep warm. Some bystanders say to him, “You also are not one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, ‘I am not’” (John 18:25). The second crack. When there are enough cracks, there will always be a collapse! Always!

Here it is. “One of Malchus’s relatives spots Peter and asks, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with Him?’ ” (John 18:26). “Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed” (John 18:27). Peter hears this sound. Usually a sound that welcomes the morning sun, but now the result is guilt.

For us, the collapse happens when we say, “Just one more drink,” “just one more lie,” “just one more fling, ” or “just one more look.” Crack. Crack. Crack. But one more leads to one more, and then just one more. When there are enough cracks, there will always be a collapse! Always! Then what? The collapse leads to guilt.

          Peter, after the rooster crowed, felt like a leftover. He felt like a has-been, marginalized, left out, rejected. Forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. That is what guilt does to us. Guilt turns us into miserable, weary, angry, duplicitous, stressed-out people. But God gives grace.

Grace? How does that happen? Fast-forward to John 21, where Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves Him. Jesus asks the question three times: once for every time Peter had denied his Lord. And each time Peter confesses, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” Peter confessed his guilt. What gave him the faith to do that? While Peter was denying Jesus, Jesus was suffering for Peter.

Jesus does not wait until we get it all together. Jesus does not wait until we overcome our temptations and fight our demons and conquer our sin. “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In our courtyard, we see guilt. Beyond the courtyard, on that hill, at the cross, we see grace. And grace means what?

The comeback! Who will preach the sermon on Pentecost? Peter. Whose sermon converts three thousand people? Peter’s. Who writes two books in the New Testament? Peter. Listen closely. Comebacks do not depend on how much we love Jesus. Comebacks depend on how much Jesus loves us. Comebacks do not depend on what we do for Jesus. Comebacks depend on what Jesus does for us. Comebacks do not depend on us giving our life for Jesus. Comebacks depend on Jesus giving His life for us.

Remember Black Bart? He was finally nothing to be afraid of. When the authorities tracked him down, they did not find a bloodthirsty bandit. They found a mild-tempered businessman from Decatur, Illinois. The man pictured storming through the Wild West on his horse was so afraid of riding horses that he rode around in a horse-drawn buggy. Black Bart was Charles Boles. The bandit who never once fired a bullet, because he never once loaded his gun!

See guilt for who he really is. A deadly monster? You bet. A painful feeling that can do great harm? No doubt. The tormentor of our souls? Count on it. But also count on this: guilt is a defeated enemy who has no bullets left in his gun.

What does that mean for us? Our story is not over when Jesus is in it. How great is that? We can all come back from guilt. How? The best G-word of all. Grace.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 3 – Oculi – Luke11: 14-28 – March 23, 2025

In the opening address of our Rite of Holy Baptism, the pastor says: “The Word of God teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as his own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation.” Those are strong words. They are strong words that teach us about the reality of living in this evil world. It is an evil world where everything is backwards and upside down. Things that are good are called evil and things that are evil are esteemed as good. We saw exactly this with the way that Jeremiah’s words were received. Jeremiah spoke the truth. He prophesied that Jerusalem was headed for destruction. Rather than listen to the Word of the Lord that Jeremiah proclaimed, those that heard him declared that he deserved to die. In Jerusalem before the exile, good was declared evil.

It happens in our Gospel reading from Luke, too. Good is declared evil. Jesus is good. In fact, he is the only one who is good. Remember, when Jesus is addressed by the rich young ruler he calls Jesus “Good Teacher.” He was right in calling Jesus good, for as Jesus responds to him, “No one is good but God alone.” Jesus who is both true God and true man is good, yet these people call him evil. “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” they say.

This is not just a simple, harmless insult. This is evil. These people are not just calling Jesus names, they are outright rejecting him. They have heard the truth of God’s Word. They know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. The proof is everywhere. The words that Jesus speaks are true. The miracles that he has performed bear witness to who he is. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus is the only thing that is good in the evil world into which he comes. They know that Jesus comes to save them. But they reject him anyway. They have hardened their hearts.

The sin against the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be forgiven. When a person rejects the Holy Spirit, their fate is sealed. This is what happened with Pharaoh in Exodus. He hardened his heart. He saw the wonders that God was doing right before his eyes. He knew that the Lord was the one, true God, and he did not care. He rejected him anyway. After that, the Lord turned Pharaoh over to his own sin. He would save his people Israel, but there would be no redemption for Pharaoh just as there was no redemption for these people who say that Jesus is in league with Satan.

Sometimes we may feel as if we have no faith. We may fear that we really are not God’s children. We look all around us and see the really “good” Christians doing all kinds of wonderful things and think that we have failed. They are out there giving to charity and volunteering to feed and clothe the homeless. And what do we see when we look inwardly at ourselves? We see sin. We see all the things that we could be doing and we are not doing. Our sins are so many that maybe we think it is not possible for God to forgive them. “Yes,” we say, “Christ has claimed me as his own in Holy Baptism, but that was so long ago. Perhaps it is not any good anymore.”

Christ has claimed you as his own in Holy Baptism. May we never think this is a small matter! Satan, the strong man who guards his palace, has been disarmed by Jesus at the cross. You were once part of the “goods” that Satan guarded and kept in his palace, but not anymore. The stronger man has come and disarmed Satan. Jesus is the stronger man who overcomes sin, death, and the devil for you. This victory of Christ is credited to your account in your baptism. There at the font your sins were covered by Jesus.

But the problem is that even though Christ claimed you as his own in your baptism, even though it says you were once dead in your sins and trespasses and you were under the power of Satan, the devil does not give up very easily. The devil continues to send temptations your way, trying to do whatever he can to destroy your faith. He tries to convince you that good is evil and evil is good. He comes back with reinforcements. These reinforcements will point to your sin and say you are not good enough. They will come to you in the form of false prophets who try and tell you that your baptism does not count because it was not a “believer’s baptism,” or it was not a baptism done by immersion, so it did not count. They will scoff at the idea that Christ’s actual body and blood are given to you to eat and to drink here in the Divine Service. These reinforcements from Satan will entice you with the things of this world. They will tell you that you deserve so much more than what God has given you. They will tell you that if you want to succeed in this world you will have to forsake the things of God. You will need to blend in with the culture and give up on Biblical morality because you cannot get ahead in life that way. Yes, in your baptism the house that is your soul was all swept and in order, but the father of lies returned and he brought friends with him to make it an even bigger mess than it was before.

Luther addresses this problem in the Small Catechism where he gives the answer to the fourth question on Holy Baptism: “What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die along with all sins and evil desires and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six, we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

How many times must a person be baptized? Once. But how many times must a person be converted? Every day. Your baptism was good and valid. It was not valid because you believed it was valid. It was not valid because of who baptized you. It was valid because God in his Word granted you all the benefits of Holy Baptism. You do not need to be baptized again. But your Old Adam keeps trying to push his head back above the water. You have to keep drowning him. You have to drown him every day. At one time you were in darkness, but now you live the light of Christ.

So how do you go about daily drowning the old Adam? How do you keep fighting off the reinforcements that Satan sends your way? You trust in the stronger man to disarm the evil that attacks you and protect you from the assaults of the evil one. You do this by hearing the Word of Christ where he says, “I have done it all for you. I forgive you.” Daily you cling to God’s Word. This Word convicts you of your sin, but it also points you again to the cross where that sin was paid for and to your baptism where that was covered and to the Lord’s Supper where forgiveness is placed into your mouth. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” This is the life of the Christian: a daily dying and rising again that is always pointing forward to the Last Day when we will rise from the dead once and for all.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 2 Midweek – WitnessesToChrist – John18: 1-11 – March 19, 2025

On January 17, 2004, a sixty-six ton sperm whale died and was beached on the southwestern coast of Taiwan. Two weeks later, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory, where they could do an autopsy. It took fifty men and three lifting cranes thirteen hours to hoist the whale onto a flatbed trailer. People poured into the streets of a local city to watch the spectacle of a whale carcass being driven through their downtown.

And then it happened! As the truck crawled through the city, with crowds looking on, the whale exploded. That is right, the whale exploded! The insides of the whale splattered cars, people, and local shops. Traffic stopped for hours. The smell was almost unbearable. I bet no one saw that coming!

Is that not just like life sometimes? We are going about our business, and a whale explodes, hopefully figuratively! We are left hurt and confused, with lots of questions that begin with this word: Why? Why did she leave me? Why did he have to die so young? Why did we lose so much money? Why does our child continue to cause us so much pain? Why? Why? Why?

We continue our sermon series called Witnesses to Christ. Today, we come to John 18 and meet Malchus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Malchus was going about his business, and before he knows it, it was as though a whale exploded. Suddenly, his right ear was cut off by a fisherman from Galilee. No one saw that coming!

The crowd collects. “Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons” (John 18:2–3). The “band” or cohort were Roman soldiers.

Roman soldiers will also come into the picture on the next day. That is when they will mock Jesus, flog Him, and then crucify Him. The crowd that collects here is a crowd of Romans (who controlled the country), chief priests (who controlled the temple), and Pharisees (who controlled the religion). This is like the Supreme Court and Congress sending the FBI to arrest Jesus!

Who is leading this Jewish posse with so much firepower and muscle? Judas! And what is Judas up to? Betrayal. Every time we celebrate Holy Communion, we hear the words, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed.” This is that night!

            Then the chaos commences. “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus)” (John 18:10). Peter cuts off Malchus’s right ear. The crowd collects, and the chaos commences. For Malchus, that is when the whale exploded!

Has a mess suddenly appeared in your life? Are you doing everything you can to survive? Have you consulted the bank? Changed your diet? Called an attorney? Tightened your budget? Gone into counseling or rehab or therapy? Do not give up! Do not ever give up! Why?

The control is clear. Whose control? Christ’s control! It is very clear! Judas, the Jews, and the Romans appear to be running things. Let me accent the word appear. Christ is really the one in control! How so?

 “Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward” (John 18:4). The control is clear! When His enemies come, Christ goes out to meet them. When Judas approaches, Christ does not run. When Peter strikes Malchus, Christ commands Peter to put away his sword.

Listen to what Jesus says, “No one takes [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord” (John 10:18). Though the powers of darkness rise against Him, and the rise full throttle, Christ is in control. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that at this point Jesus could ask His Father for more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). Twelve legions of angels? There were 6,000 men in one Roman legion. So let us do the math on that: 12 x 6,000 = 72,000 angels! Christ does not need 72,000 angels because Christ is in absolute control!

During World War II, psychologists compared ground troops with fighter pilots. They determined that after sixty days of continuous combat, the anxiety of ground troops was off the charts. After sixty days, though, an astounding 93 percent of fighter pilots were happy and at peace. Why is that? The fighter pilots had control. They had their hands on the throttle! Ground troops, on the other hand, felt

forlorn and helpless. They could just as easily be killed standing still or running away. What is the point? Popular wisdom tells us, “Always seek control!”

We do not need a war to prove it. All we need is a backup on the interstate highway! A team of German researchers recently found that a traffic jam triples our chances of a heart attack. Makes sense. That is why popular wisdom tells us, “Always seek control!”

So what is the plan when a whale explodes? Follow the popular wisdom. “Always seek control!” Never board a plane without a parachute. Never leave the house without a gas mask. Never step on a crack lest you break your mother’s back. That is it. Face every exploding whale by taking control.

There is only one problem with this popular wisdom. It does not work! Would you like something that does work? Rather than seek control, relinquish control. Yes, give it all up! Let go! Resign as CEO of the universe! Give your entire mess to Jesus. Christ’s control is clear!

And His calm is contagious. John writes, “This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken: ‘Of those whom You gave Me I have lost not one’ ” (John 18:9). Christ is calm because He trusts the Scriptures. Christ’s calm is contagious!

In a Peanuts comic strip, Lucy is struggling with her Sunday School memory verse. Finally, she suggests that maybe it is a verse from the “Book of Re-evaluations.” The Book of Re-evaluations!

The Scriptures are a book of re-evaluations! They help us re-evaluate who really is in control. John 1:29 says: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Christ is in control of sin and He takes it all away. John 4:14 says: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” Christ is in control of our aching thirst; He quenches it with His unconditional love. John 8:12 says: “I am the light of the world.” Christ is in control of darkness. He is the light of the world.

When parents send their children to camp, they have to sign a form that asks this important question: Who is the responsible party? If your child breaks their arm or they break out with measles, who is the responsible party? So a parent signs his or her name.

Christ signed His name for us and He wrote it in His own blood! When you were baptized, Jesus took full responsibility for you. When the whale explodes, Jesus is the responsible party! Not you! It is His job to see you through. Christ is the Shepherd; you are the sheep. Christ is the Bridegroom; you are the Bride. Christ is the Rabbi; you are the disciples. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!”

One of three things is happening in our lives right now. We are either heading for a mess or we are in a mess or we just went through a mess. No matter what, we do not have to become hopeless or anxious or faithless. We can stay calm. Why? Because, when whales explode, Jesus delivers perfect peace. He reaches out His hand and heals you. If that is hard to believe, then just ask a man named Malchus. In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 2 – Reminiscere – Matthew 15: 21-28 – March 16, 2025

We prayed in the Introit today, ”Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Let not my enemies exult over me. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles!” Now, think about it for a moment. Why do we ask God to remember anything? Can He forget anything? He is not like us. We easily forget, and not just the little things in our daily lives. We forget the big things, too. Like the infinite power of God’s Word. Like God’s commandments. Like God’s promises. Like the Lord’s mercy and goodness. Like the real spiritual battle that is going on between the Church and her members on the one side and the demons on the other.

We may forget. But the Lord does not forget. And yet, we ask Him to remember, to remember His mercies and His steadfast love. What we are really asking, then, is that the Lord would help us to remember those things, and that the Lord would help us now against our enemies, as He has so faithfully helped His people in the past. And He will! Because, you can be sure, the Lord does remember.

You remember, from last week, how God the Father sent help to His Son in the wilderness, after forty days of fasting and facing the devil’s temptations. He will send help to you, too, against the devil’s temptations, whenever you ask. But as we see in today’s Gospel, the devil does not stop at tempting. He and his demons are active in the world in other ways, too, including tormenting people physically. He has been given room both to tempt and to torment mankind since the fall into sin. He is restrained by God’s power; he is not all-powerful. He cannot take hold of believers, as long as they continue to take refuge in Christ by faith, because where the Holy Spirit dwells, there Satan cannot dwell, even though he can still tempt. We will hear more about that in next week’s Gospel.

For today, we see how Satan, or one or more of his fellow demons, had taken hold of the daughter of a Canaanite woman and was tormenting her. And it “just so happened” that Jesus was visiting her country. The Gentile woman heard that He was nearby, so she hurried off to find Him. And when she did, she prayed, “O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is dreadfully tormented by a demon.” It is as if she had prayed, “Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Let not my enemies exult over me. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles!”

This Gentile woman was very different from other Gentiles. If we were to list all the people in Israel up to this point (who were all supposed to know God) who called Jesus by this title, “Son of David,” that is, who openly confessed Him as the Christ, who was to be descended from King David, it would be a very short list. Two men, to be specific. Two blind men. That is it. After this, there would be two more blind men in Israel who confessed Jesus to be the Son of David, and then, finally, the crowds on Palm Sunday outside Jerusalem who sang, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But outside of Israel? This woman is the only one in history, until after the Day of Pentecost. So it was a remarkable confession of faith, showing that she must have heard enough about the God of Israel, enough of the Old Testament Scriptures, and enough about Jesus to put together that He was not only the Christ promised to Israel, but the Christ who would also be a Light to the Gentiles and their Savior, too.

With a confession of faith like that, and with a plea for help against the devil, you might think Jesus would have given her what she asked for immediately. But He had other plans, for her, for His disciples, and for us. “He did not say a word in reply.” Seems like the Lord does not remember His mercies nor his steadfast love. In fact, it often looks that way, as the Lord often does not send help right away, as soon as we ask for it. It looks like the Lord is not listening. It looks like He has forgotten.

But, that is impossible, because the Lord does not change. He is not fickle. In Him there are no “shifting shadows” as James puts it. So there must be another explanation for His momentary silence.

The woman kept crying out. We know that, because the disciples complained to Jesus about it. “They came and begged him, ‘Send her away! She is crying out after us!’” They might better have prayed for the woman, “Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” Even so, Jesus ignored their request. He simply said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Again, it seems like a rather shocking statement to our modern ears, where everything has become about race and racial sensitivity. How do the Holy Scriptures help us to understand why Jesus would say this?

Well, remember, in the history of the world, there has been only one privileged race, and that was the race descended from Israel, and only until the coming of Christ to Israel. Of all the nations, God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants to be His, and He made some very specific promises to Israel in the Old Testament. Listen to just this one from Ezekiel 34: “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel,… And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people,’” That was part of God’s covenant faithfulness to the people of Israel, whom He chose out of all the nations to be brought into a covenant with Him, to receive His Word, to receive His prophets, to bear His name in the world, and, finally, to receive His Christ and to be sought by the Christ, as a shepherd searches for his lost sheep. The fact is, at His first coming, Christ was not sent to evangelize the world or to help the world with its problems. He was only sent to Israel, in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel.

But that does not mean His coming only had significance for Israel, or that the help of Christ would exclude the Gentiles in the future. On the contrary, He commanded His apostles after His ascension to preach the Gospel to all nations. And right here, in this encounter with the Gentile woman, He provides a solid justification for that plan, an undeniable example of genuine faith, which shines in this encounter more brightly than it shined anywhere in Israel.

“She came and fell down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord. But the dogs do eat from the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” It is as if she had said, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed!”

Lest anybody take offense at Jesus’ comparison of this woman and her daughter to a dog, He would have made the exact same comparison to you and me and to any non-Israelite. For as much as people affectionately refer to pets as part of the family, a dog has no real place in the family, no relation to the father of the family, no inheritance in the family, and certainly far less worth than the children. In that sense, all men since the fall into sin are like dogs begging at God’s table, with no real place in His family, no relation to the Father of the family, no inheritance in the family, and worth far, far less than the holy Child of God named Jesus. But God’s love for the human race caused Him to send His Son into human flesh, to bear our sins on the cross, and to reconcile sinners to God through faith in Him. “To those who believed in His name,” John writes, “He gave the right to become children of God.” And just as God gave the status of children to Old Testament Israel, so He now gives the status of children to all who believe in Christ Jesus, which now included the Gentile woman who knelt at His feet.

“Oh, woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.” The demon has no power to hold the one whom Christ sets free. But why is Jesus so moved by the woman’s faith, to praise it as “great”? Because she does not claim anything before God, as if it were her right or her privilege. Her faith is sincere. It is humble. It is persistent. It is unabashedly hopeful, even when it looks like God will not do anything to help. In fact, that is when faith shines the brightest, when we do not see God’s friendly face, when it looks like we have been forgotten by Him, and yet still trust that the Lord does remember.

And He does. The Lord remembers. Every word He has spoken. Every promise He has made. Even if you were still just dogs begging at the Master’s table, He would remember you with the crumbs of His mercy and love, which are more than enough. But now, through Baptism into Christ Jesus and through faith in Christ Jesus, He has joined you to His beloved Church and has made you His dear children. And He certainly remembers His children. As He says through the prophet Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands!”

The devil will hold onto this world for a while longer, and it will look like he has won. Scripture makes that plain enough. It will look like God has forgotten us, like He is not listening, like truth is lost, like joy is gone, like hope is dead. But then the Holy Spirit holds up this Gospel again of a Canaanite woman and of the Lord Jesus urging us through her example to keep the faith, to hope in Him, because in spite of all the world’s bluster and all the devil’s schemes, the Lord does remember. And when the moment comes for Him to step in against the devil and in support of His beloved Christians, no power in the universe will be able to stand in His way.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent 1 Midweek – Witnesses To Christ – John12: 1-11 – March 12, 2025

Marie Kondo has written four books on organizing, which collectively have sold over thirty million copies. They have been translated from Japanese into Korean, Chinese, French, German, English, and more. Marie Kondo’s 2011 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing has been published in more than thirty countries. It was a best seller in Japan, Europe, and the United States. And get this: in 2015, Marie Kondo was listed as one of Time’s “100 most influential people” in the world.

Marie Kondo has struck gold because she realizes that people are surrounded by so much complexity and clutter! I like the story of the father who was teaching his three-year-old daughter the Lord’s Prayer. She would repeat the lines after him. Finally, she decided to go solo. He listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer. “Lead us not into temptation,” she prayed, “and deliver us from email!”  Deliver us from email! Complexity and clutter!

Marie Kondo’s method of organizing is known as the KonMari method. It consists of gathering all your belongings, one category at a time, and then keeping only those things that bring sparks of joy. The word in Japanese is tokimeku. Tokimeku means “flutter, throb, palpitate,” in other words: sparks of joy!

Who does not need to simplify? Who does not need to declutter? Who does not want tokimeku, these sparks of joy?

This Lent, we are meeting witnesses to Christ’s Passion in John’s Gospel. Today, John introduces us to the Marie Kondo of the Bible. And who would that be? Mary! Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary, who helps us simplify and declutter. Mary, who helps us experience tokimeku, sparks of joy!

How does Mary do it? Mary replaces get with give. That is it. Replace get with give. Pretty simple! “Get” only clutters things. “Get” only confuses things. “Get” only makes us miserable! Get ahead. Get back. Get even. Get more. And whatever you do: get revenge. Mary replaces get with give. Mary gives freely. Mary gives extravagantly. Mary gives joyfully.

Are you stuck in an emotional rut? Have you lost your zest and zeal? Do you want to be alive again? Do you want sparks of joy? Replace get with give.

Here is the context. In John 11, Lazarus dies; after four days, he stinks to high holy heaven. Jesus stands in front of the tomb and weeps. But then He shouts, “Lazarus, come out.” Lazarus comes stumbling out of his tomb, alive, with his shroud still around him like a used cocoon.

As for the Jewish leaders? This was the last straw. By raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus moves from the category of “manageable nuisance” to the category of “serious threat.” “So from that day on they made plans to put Him to death” (John 11:53). Christ’s days are numbered!

As we come to John 12, Jesus has a price on His head. So does Lazarus. “The chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:10–11). “We must destroy Jesus. And we must destroy all the evidence. That means we must also destroy Lazarus!”

That is the context. Here is the cost. “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair” (John 12:3). How much did the ointment cost? We are told in John 12:5 that it is worth a year’s income. Wow! A year’s income! Imagine dropping a year’s income just like that? BAM! What is going on here? Get is being replaced with give. Is it ever!

The context? Death for Jesus and death for Lazarus. The cost? Everything. The comparison? It is between Mary and Judas. Mary is extravagant. Mary is excessive. Mary’s gone way over the top. And Judas? “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (he who was about to betray Him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:4–6). Judas is threatened; his entire world comes crashing down. All because Mary lives by one word: give.

The comparison could not be more black and white. Mary is a generous disciple. Judas is a greedy disciple. Mary gives with abandon. Judas is miserly to a tee. Mary sacrifices financially. Judas will not give a nickel. Mary shows her faith with actions. Judas talks a good game, giving money to the poor, but we know he does not mean it. Mary loves the word give. But all Judas can do is get. Get more. Get ahead. And get on top. And it will kill him.

It all leads to the cross. “ ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied, ‘so that she may keep it for the day of My burial’ ” (John 12:7). “The day of My burial.” Mary understands the cross. Mary believes these words from John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” And John 2:13: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And John 3:14: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Mary gives Jesus everything she has. In doing so, she prepares Jesus to give everything He has. And the room is filled with the smell of costly perfume.

Smells are powerful, are they not? The smell of a rose catches your nose. Suddenly, you remember your first date in high school when he brought you a dozen roses. Or maybe it is the scent of your grandmother’s perfume, and memories of her come flooding back.

While words go to the thinking part of our brain, smells go to the emotional part. That is why a whiff of Grandma’s perfume brings back our emotions for Grandma. Smells can stir in us some powerful emotions.

And that is also true for Jesus. Mary’s strong perfume lingers with Jesus throughout Holy Week as He makes His way to the cross. Even on Good Friday, the fragrance of Mary’s perfume still lingers. And then, perhaps, just perhaps, when Jesus gives Himself completely, when He gives all of His love and mercy and grace, holding nothing back for us, maybe He might have still faintly smelled the sweet fragrance. A reminder that Mary had marked Him with one word: give.

Both Matthew 26:13 and Mark 14:9 state, “Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” And why is that? Because the kingdom of God is not about hoarding and stockpiling. The kingdom of God is not about being chintzy and cheap. The kingdom of God is not about “get”. “Get” will kill us. Always and forevermore, God’s kingdom is about one word: give. Give? Then what? Tokimeku—sparks of joy! Luke writes in the 20th chapter of Acts, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, shows us that the kingdom of God is about giving lavishly, giving generously, giving joyfully, and giving completely. “Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Jesus never says this about anyone else!

Thanks to Mary, we can boil down life as a child of God to one simple word, one powerful and life-changing word. It changes everything. It creates so much joy. Give. In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lent01 – Invocabit – Matthew 4:1-11 – March 9, 2025

Today’s Gospel is about temptation. What is “temptation”? Temptation is the act of trying to get someone to sin against God, as the devil did with Jesus in the wilderness. Think for a moment about the very first temptation in human history: when the devil, speaking through the serpent, tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The devil deceived her, that is, he convinced her that his lies were true. He misled her into false belief, to believe that God was evil, that He was trying to deprive them of something good, and to believe that disobeying God would lead to their happiness and not to their death. And he led her into the great shame and vice of willfully rebelling against God, doing the very thing God had forbidden. And there stood Adam, shamefully choosing to go along with his wife instead of obeying God.

Knowing how cunning the devil is, knowing that the unbelievers in the world will not stop trying to get believers to join them in their shame, and knowing that we still carry around this sinful flesh that yearns to do the very things God forbids, the Lord Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation.” What does that mean? We learn in the Catechism: God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

Did God lead Adam and Eve into temptation? No, He gave them every needed warning and every opportunity to not eat from the tree in the middle of the Garden. But He did put that tree there to test them, to give them the opportunity either to put Him first or to put themselves first, and Adam failed and ruined things for our human race. And so the Son of Adam (which is the same as Son of Man in Hebrew), our Lord Jesus, came to succeed where Adam had failed, to restore what Adam had ruined, to save our race as the perfect Substitute for our race. And so, in some ways, Jesus’ life had to mimic Adam’s life and therefore Israel’s life, which we will get to in a moment. Just as Adam was given the opportunity to either serve God or serve Himself, so the Son of Adam was also given the same opportunity, to serve God, or to serve Himself. The Father tested Him, even as the devil tempted Him. And the Son of Adam passed the test for us and overcame temptation for us.

Let us take a closer look at the Gospel account. Matthew tells us plainly that it was not Jesus’ decision to go out into the wilderness and to fast for forty days after He was baptized by John. The Spirit of God, who had descended on Him at His Baptism like a dove and remained on Him afterward, the Spirit led Him up into the wilderness. This was His Father’s will, His Father’s plan. And as a dutiful Son, committed to doing His Father’s will at all times, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much He had to suffer, Jesus went. He went out into the wilderness to fast for forty days, just as Israel was led by God out into the wilderness for forty years, just as Moses was led by God up onto Mt. Sinai, where he also fasted for forty days.

At the end of the forty days, Jesus was hungry. He had dutifully fasted and prayed for forty days, but His Father in heaven, who, forty days earlier, had pronounced Him His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased, had still provided no food, nor given His Son permission to return to civilization. And He certainly had not given Him permission to step outside of His state of humiliation in order to provide for Himself. Jesus humbled Himself when He came into the world, emptied Himself, set aside the use of His divine power so that He could live as one of us as our Substitute, so that He could rely on His heavenly Father to provide for Him, just like the rest of us human beings have to do. It would have been “cheating” for Him to provide for Himself miraculously. It would also have shown a lack of trust in His Father, if He had taken matters into His own hands to provide for Himself in a way that His Father had not authorized.

So the Father was testing His Son, giving Him the opportunity to trust and to wait for His Father, even though it hurt, or to doubt His Father’s goodness and take matters into His own hands, as Adam and Eve had done.

But the Father’s test was, at the same time, the devil’s temptation. The Father wanted to see His Son standing, but the devil wanted Him to sin against God. “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread!” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Jesus did not allow Himself to be deceived, or misled into false belief or into shame and vice. Instead, as a mighty Champion, He overcame and stood victorious in the end.

So it is with us. The Father sends various trials and tests our way, giving us the opportunity either to worship Him or to serve ourselves. Meanwhile, the devil tries to take advantage to tempt us to sin, and who can count how many times he has been successful? But for every time you have doubted the Father’s goodness, for every time you have stepped outside of His will to avoid suffering or to satisfy your desires, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

It is the same pattern in the second and third temptations recorded in the Gospel. The Father has not yet sent His holy angels to attend to His Son’s needs. (He will, as soon as the time of testing is over!) The Father is still making the Son of Adam wait for a visible sign of His favor. So the devil tries to take advantage. “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down! For it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you,’ and, ‘In their hands they will lift you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Make God prove His love for you! Sure, He has told You that He loves You. Sure, He has shown you countless times in the past that He cares for You. But it has been forty days, after all! Make Him prove it again! Does He not say in His Word that He will?

That is called putting God to the test. You see, He is God; we are the creatures. He is allowed to test us as His creatures. We are not allowed to test Him, just as it is the teacher’s job to test their students, not the other way around. But that is not how the sinful flesh thinks. By nature, we think exactly what our mother Eve was deceived into thinking: that we should be like God. People think they get to judge God, they get to test Him, they get to approve of Him or disapprove of Him, or dictate to Him what He must do in order for us to consider Him a good God. Such is the arrogance of fallen man. By nature, we worship ourselves as God.

But the Son of Man, who is far superior to all other men, did not fall into that trap. The uncreated Son of God had taken on our flesh as the Son of Adam, as a creature like us. And so He humbled Himself before God, as all creatures are supposed to do: “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’”

You shall not test the Lord your God. You can pray to Him. You can ask Him for mercy and wisdom and patience. You can ask Him to show you His favor again, as He has already shown it so many times in the past. But then, you are supposed to wait. You are supposed to trust. You are not supposed to question His word or His goodness. For all the times you have given into that temptation, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

And finally, the devil came at Jesus directly. “I will give you the world if you just worship me.” At first glance, that may not sound that tempting to you. Worship Satan? Come on! Would it sound more tempting if your mother or father, your husband or wife or child or grandchild were dying, and you could save them with a whisper: “I worship you, Satan”? Well, the devil was giving Jesus the chance to save everyone, and to have earthly wealth and glory and happiness, without having to suffer, without having to go to the cross. Of course, it was a lie. The devil could not actually give those things. But it is always a lie when the devil tells you that you will be happier if you just turn away from God and follow your dreams. And it is astonishing how many people believe him and worship him, usually not by bowing down to him, usually by simply ignoring God’s Word and pursuing happiness apart from God. To do that is to worship Satan.

But the Son of Adam would have none of it. Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” And for all the times you have given into that temptation, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

The Son of Adam now invites you to share in His victory. By repenting of your sins and trusting in Him to stand in your place before our Father in heaven, by seeking to be judged, not by your obedience, but by His. Behold, now is the favorable time!, as Paul said in today’s Epistle. Now is the day of salvation! To all who repent, to all who believe, God promises the forgiveness of sins. And the Lord Jesus then urges you to pray, among the other petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” so that, when the devil, or the world, or your own flesh, tries to convince you that you will be happier ignoring God and His Word, you turn toward God instead of away from Him, and seek His help against those grueling temptations, that He “would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.” With God’s help, you will overcome. You will stand victorious in the end, even as the Son of Adam did. Seek His help. Seek His strength. Seek His Word. And you will be able stand against all the assaults of the devil.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASH WEDNESDAY         WITNESSES TO CHRIST           MARCH 5, 2025

Tattoo parlors need a sign over their entrance that announces, “Think Before You Ink.” They should place a recording in the background that says, “Do you really want to carry your girlfriend’s name on your shoulder for the rest of your life?”

Tattoo removal has become big business. More and more tattoo-bearing people experience what is called “tattoo regret syndrome.” According to a 2018 Harris Poll survey, the number of Americans with tattoos and those considering tattoo removal is on the rise. In 2023 almost 23 million Americans had their tattoos removed. And it is not cheap. To remove a single tattoo can take up to twelve sessions spaced out over the course of two years, and each treatment can cost between $100 and $400.

If our regrets showed up as tattoos, how marked up would we be? What pictures would we see in the mirror? The face of someone we hurt? The amount of money we wasted? All the couldas and shouldas? “I coulda been a better dad.” “I shoulda paid closer attention.” “I coulda been a better student.”

Dig around in the basement of your life, and what do you find? Wasted years. Obsessive greed. Destructive diversions. Anger. Arrogance. Selfishness. Racial slurs. What can we do with all of our unwanted marks?

We can be defensive. When we are defensive, we do not admit anything. We tell no one. We keep the skeleton safely locked up in the closet. We seek innocence, not forgiveness. When we are defensive, we reduce life to one goal—hide the secret. Cover it up. Do not address it. Do not admit it. And whatever we do, never, ever, confess it.

When we see marks of regret, another option is to be defeated. When we are defeated, we feel as though we do not make mistakes—we are a mistake. We did not foul up—we are a foul-up. We beat ourselves up repeatedly with blame and shame. We take the role of judge, jury, and accusing attorney. The verdict? Guilty—forever!

Defensive people hide marks. Defeated people replay marks. Is there a better way? You bet there is! We can be delivered from all of our ugly marks.

As we begin Lent on this Ash Wednesday, we also begin a sermon series called Witnesses to Christ. And the first person who helps us follow Christ to the cross in John’s Gospel is John the Baptist. What does John the Baptist say when we are defensive about sin or defeated by sin? “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). When it comes to all of our ugly marks of sin, we can be delivered!   

“Behold.” Behold literally means “see.” The verb can be translated “Look! Gaze! Stare! Take note!” Behold means “Here is the whole point of what I am saying!” John the Baptist says it again in John 1:36: “Behold!”

In both John 1:29 and 1:36, John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” This is not an ordinary Lamb of God. This is the Passover Lamb of God. John uses the word Passover eleven times in his Gospel—eleven times! The entire Gospel is structured to help us behold, see, gaze, and take note of Christ, the One who is the Passover Lamb of God.

Exodus 12:5 says that the Passover lamb is a male lamb—perfect, spotless, and without defect. Exodus 12:7 says that Israelites are to place the Passover lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of their doorframes. This blood would set the Israelites free—free from bricks, free from whips, and free from Pharaoh’s countless bag of tricks!

            “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away.” The verb takes away is in present tense. Meaning what? Meaning that Christ still takes away. Today, He takes away. Tomorrow, He takes away. Next week, He takes away.

What does He take away? He takes away the sin of the world. And that includes your sin. Your ugly sin. Your shameful sin. Your haunting sin. Your every single sin. He takes it all away. Christ not only takes away your guilt—that is sin done by you. Christ also takes away our shame—that is sin done to you. Guilt is what you feel when you have done wrong. Shame is what you feel when someone has wronged you.

We all know what public shame feels like. Branded by a divorce. Marked by a handicap. Saddled with alcoholic parents. Crushed because of a child’s arrest. Or we feel stigmatized because we lost our job, we lost our spouse, we lost our house, we lost our life’s savings. And now everyone knows.

There is also private shame. We have all felt that too. Maybe you have been pushed to the edge by an abusive spouse, molested by a perverted parent, seduced by a sneaky superior, or teased without mercy by other kids. No one else knows. But we know. And that is enough to bury us in shame.

We put our hands over our ears. We splash water on our face. We go for a long drive. Nothing takes away our shame. Nothing takes away our guilt. Sin has marked us, and that’s that. End of story.

No, it is not.

We do not have to drink our sin away. Work our sin away. Explain our sin away, eat our sin away, cry our sin away, or bury our sin away. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

I know this may be hard to believe. Most of us have carried our ugly marks for so long that we cannot imagine life without them. Maybe we cannot imagine it, but God can. God does. And God does more than just imagine it. He sends John the Baptist, who says, “Behold. Look. See. Gaze. Here is the whole point of what I’m saying! The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world!” The Passover Lamb of God does it all, for the whole world. The Passover Lamb of God does it all for you!

And so we pray this prayer: “Jesus, please take it all away.” Tell Jesus what you did. Tell Jesus what you said, what you saw, what you took, how you feel. Tell Jesus what you thought. Pray this prayer as often as needed. One time, two times, ten times a day. Hold nothing back. No guilt is too ancient or too recent. No shame is too evil or too insignificant. No marks are so malicious that they cannot be completely removed. “Jesus, please take it all away.”

We are tempted to say, “Jesus, take it all away. I am such a louse.” But that does not work. For one thing, you are not a louse. You are God’s baptized children, and He loves you. For another, marks are removed only when they are exposed to grace.

What do you need grace for? For being a bad person? That is too general. For losing your patience at a meeting and calling your co-worker a creep? There, you can confess that. Confession is not punishment for sin. Confession names sin so it can be exposed to God’s amazing grace.

Be firm in this prayer. Satan traffics in guilt and shame. He will not give up without a fight. Say to Satan, “I left my sin with the Passover Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

It is time for a clean start, a fresh slate, a new beginning. That is what Lent is all about. You do not need to be defensive or defeated. Today, you can be delivered.

And we do that by looking at God’s marks. Yes, God has marks on His hands. Behold. Behold! Look, see, gaze! Here is the whole point of what I’m saying. “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:16). Jesus has your name written where He can see it. Your name is on His bloodstained hands. Yes, Jesus loves you that much!

If you have ever wondered how God reacts when guilt and shame have you cornered and are ready to swallow you whole. If you have ever wondered how God feels when you are lost, abandoned, and helpless. If you have ever wondered what God would do if He ever found out about it all—then frame these words and hang them on your wall. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Trust these words. Believe these words. Stand below these words, and trust Jesus to take it all away.

Jesus took the nails. On a cross. On a God-forsaken cross, Jesus took the nails. And taking the nails, Jesus takes away all of your sin and shame. He hung there, for you. Jesus still says, “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” In the end, in the end, these are the only marks that matter! These marks on Christ’s hands will never be erased! Ever! In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quinquagesima – Luke18: 31-43 – March 2, 2025

Why was blind Bartimaeus begging outside Jericho? He should not have been, he should not have needed to. The Lord says in Deuteronomy 15: “there shall not be a beggar among you,” and God laid down laws to make sure of this in ancient Israel. In Leviticus, God gave the law that if you are gathering your grain from your field, you may not cut all the way down to the ground and you may not pick up the grain that drops to the ground, you are to leave it for the poor to pick up. You see this in the book of Ruth, where Ruth, instead of begging, goes to the fields of Boaz and gathers grain behind his reapers, because what they drop or leave behind she gets to take for herself. In Deuteronomy, the people are ordered to take a special tithe in the third year, ten percent of all they produce, and give it to the Levites and the poor and the widow and the orphan. In Deuteronomy again, God commanded his people always to lend to those in need, never to refuse. These were the laws that God set down for them to make sure there would be no beggar, but Bartimaeus is still begging.

It did not work. The leaders do not do their job, the people do not obey the laws, the poor would rather beg than work, whatever the reason, it did not work and it never will. The poor, Jesus says, you will have with you always. There have always been those who dream, if only we have the right laws, if only we have the right system of government, if only we educate the people correctly, if only we implement this or that plan, we can get rid of poverty, we can bring equity, equal results for everyone, no people too rich, no people too poor, no one oppressed. But it remains a dream and when people try to accomplish it by force of law it turns quickly into a nightmare, as Soviet Russia and communist China proved in the twentieth century. God gave perfect laws to His people Israel, and they did not keep them. The system failed, the government was imperfect, the covenant was broken, and the poor and the beggar remained, because the people were sinners, all of them. And as long as people are sinners, their countries and their societies will not last. Those who dream of building a heaven on earth always run into the stubborn problem of original sin. It is like gravity. You can choose to ignore it; you can decide it does not exist, but it will bring you back to reality soon enough.

We will not have a perfect society, perfect city, perfect state, perfect country. This does not mean we should not work for justice and for prosperity. We should. The mayor and city council of Jericho should have made laws that helped poor Bartimaeus. And our government should make laws to protect the unborn from slaughter, preserve marriage between one man and one woman, laws that reward and encourage hard work, that favor institutions like the Christian church so that we can help the poor among us. We should work for these things. But it will not lead to a perfect country, there never was such a thing and there never will be. And we Christians may not obsess over these things, may not spend all our time watching Fox News or looking up stories of corruption in the government and staking our hopes on the America of our dreams. This simply is not our obsession. Jesus is.

And Jesus is no earthly king. His disciples thought He was. They had this political obsession. It was on the way to Jerusalem that John and James asked whether they could sit one at his right and one at his left in his kingdom. And they were not thinking of the kingdom of heaven. They were thinking of Jesus marching into Jerusalem and taking it, restoring the Kingdom to Israel, and then they could be his chief advisers. It was all politics. And the other disciples were angry at James and John only because they wanted the same thing. They thought the Bible promised political stability. The Bible does say amazing things about the Christ, that He will rule as king, that of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, and He will sit on the throne of His father David and will reign over the house of Jacob forever. We know these are all prophecies of the resurrection and of the Christian church where Jesus does reign as king, but they took them as prophecies of an earthly kingdom and an earthly Christ. So they dreamed and so they obsessed over politics.

And Jesus tells them to stop. And when He tells them to stop He is telling us to stop, too. Stop it. America is God’s gift to us, but it will fall like every other nation. And if we should work to maintain it among ourselves, to preserve it for our children, and God knows we should, we should work ten times, a hundred times harder, to preserve the Word of God and Christ’s Church among us, because He is our treasure and we care about the kingdoms of this world only insofar as they provide the place where we can worship our Lord Jesus in peace and serve Him in His Kingdom.

So Jesus corrects them and says what all the Scriptures, all the Bible talks about, Him, the Christ, no political Messiah, but the One who is heading now to Jerusalem to suffer many things, who will be a horrible politician and get himself handed over to the Gentiles, and they will mock him and spit on him, treat him shamefully, flog him, kill him, and then the third day he will rise again.

This is the great revelation of God to us. When God speaks He speaks of this. It is His obsession. It is constant in the Old Testament. We do not have time to give the examples, we would end up reading the whole Old Testament, but just look at the promise of the Seed of Eve, the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of David, just look at all the sacrifices of the Temple, the blood of lambs spilt to picture the spilling of Christ’s blood, look at how much God’s people suffered and how God delivered them from their suffering, all a picture of what was to come, that the Christ would suffer and rise again.

But this, what should be so clear to them, this is hidden from the apostles’ eyes. Jesus’ closest disciples, they do not understand. The Holy Spirit stresses it. He repeats it three times. They did not understand, the thing was hidden from them. This is to tell us how impossible it is for us to understand Christ’s suffering without the Holy Spirit. Left to ourselves we will be blinder than Bartimaeus. We call this the bondage of the will. It is a humbling thing, but it is a lesson we need to learn and relearn. You cannot believe in Jesus as your Lord by your own reason or strength. The fact that you can look at that cross and rejoice that God suffers and dies for you, that you can put your hope of everlasting life in this Man suffering for you, in His body and blood given to you, in being joined to His death and resurrection in your Baptism, this is completely the work of the Spirit, of God working in you, and convincing you of what you would think pure stupidity and nonsense if left in the ignorance of your sinful and blind nature.

So we need to give all glory to God. Look at what He has to work with – sinners all of us. Look at the uneducated, clueless, cowardly disciples and see what God made of them, men who spread the Gospel to all nations, who bravely died for the faith, who spoke a divine wisdom that put to shame the intellectuals of our age. God did all that, that is what He and He alone can make sinners into. Jesus shows us the cluelessness, the blindness of the apostles, not so that we can copy them, excuse our own lack of knowledge, our own blindness, but so that we can recognize that we have many weaknesses ourselves, many sins, many shortcomings and that it is certainly not because of our great wisdom or our great virtue that we stand here Christians, that we can look at that cross and see reality, see our glory and God’s glory, and pledge to live our life for Him as He gave His life for us. By grace I am saved, grace free and boundless.

Jesus makes an example of this with blind Bartimaeus. Whom does Jesus visit in Jericho? Does he go to the mayor and give him political advice, is that his priority? Does he go to the rich and powerful and highly educated, because maybe they will get what his dumb disciples cannot get? He visits none of them. He goes to the blind man, a despised man, a man people are telling to shut up because he is not important enough to talk to Jesus, and Jesus turns His gaze, His attention to him. And He gives to him something far greater than all the wisdom and riches and power of all the world. His sight. This is an allegory. It is a picture of what Jesus does for us.

He visits the despised, the lowly, the sufferers, who do not seem worth anything. But we are worth something to Him, everything to Him, because He pays with His life for us. And He gives us something so far greater than political victory, so far better than an earthly kingdom, earthly riches, and peace. He gives us the sight to see His Kingdom, bought and won by His own blood, and then to live in it. When John and James ask to sit, one at His right and one at His left when He enters His glory, Jesus tells them they do not know what they are asking, that this is not for them. It was given instead to two thieves, nameless men who were crucified one on the right and one on the left of Jesus, as Jesus entered into His glory. This is what we are given to see. And it is a beautiful sight.

It is a sight that those obsessed with political victory and earthly comfort cannot see. The disciples ran away from it, denied him and ran away, when they saw it. And we will do the same thing if our goals in life all focus around politics and money and pleasures. It was the law in the Old Testament that the newly inaugurated king had to copy down by hand the first five books of the Bible. Because even the king, whose job it was to rule and practice politics, was to be obsessed with God’s Kingdom, with the promise of the Savior, and not with the affairs of this world. David, the great king of Israel, is known not for his political savvy but for his praises of God’s mercy and his songs of the coming Savior. So you, even if you are engaged day by day with the affairs of this world, and you have to be, you have jobs to do, money to make, children to feed, yet these cannot be your obsession.

It is an ancient practice to give up something, to fast, for Lent. And it is a good practice, if you see something now in your life that pulls you away from looking at Christ and seeing in Him your greatest treasure, to give it up for Lent. We are no better than the disciples. By the grace of God we are what we are. If you rely on alcohol, on food binges, on Netflix, on social media, on Fox News, and you see they are the obsession of your mind, give them up for a time, turn them off for a time, and spend time obsessing over your true treasure, looking to His cross, reading His Word, praying to Him and laying all your cares before Him.

All the Bible, Jesus says, is about this: His suffering and His death and His resurrection. So all your life is about this, too. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and every word speaks of Christ and His suffering and His death and His resurrection. Look there and see your God’s great love for you, look there and see that though your sins were as scarlet here they are white as snow, they are removed from you as far as the east is from the west, the chastisement that gives you peace with God is on Him. The Kingdom He wins for you is not one that can be taken away by corrupt politicians or insane dictators. It is not a kingdom that gives you constant anxiety and worry as you stress about the future, what could be lost and what could be gained. It is a Kingdom that realigns all your thoughts and dreams and focuses them on pure certainty. It is a Kingdom that sets before you the God-Man Jesus Christ suffering for you, and there you see what you really need. Not all the wealth and glory and good government of this world could give it. You need peace with God your Maker, now, a mind at rest, knowing that God so loves you that He Himself suffers your death and bears your corruption and takes your guilt on Himself, and reconciles you to Himself and makes His Father your Father and gives you to live by His Spirit and feeds you with His own body and blood.

Tongues will pass away, prophecies will fail, knowledge will come to an end, and so will every kingdom of this world. They are not worthy of our obsession. We are children of God. His love in Christ remains forever, ever patient with us, always kind, greater than our highest hopes, the object of our faith, and we see it in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus points us to His cross and we thank and praise Him for His kindness, and we pray, On my heart imprint thine image, blessed Jesus King of grace, that life’s riches, cares, and pleasures, have no pow’r thee to efface. This the superscription be, Jesus crucified for me, is my life, my hope’s foundation, and my glory and salvation.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sexagesima – Luke 8: 4-15      February 23, 2025

Does God’s Word accomplish all that He purposes?  Does God ever “whiff”?  Does He ever “swing and miss”?  The answer, of course, is a resounding “NO!” God Himself makes this clear.  Speaking already seven centuries before the birth of our Lord, God declares to Isaiah (and to all the Israelites through Isaiah).  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” God never whiffs. 

I do not know about you, but that is a whole lot easier to believe when I am actually seeing results.  But, you know as well as I do that there are plenty of times when it certainly seems like a big old “swing and a miss.” Even the Gospel lesson seems to reinforce this.  All that seed that was sown, only to be devoured and choked out and scorched and withered.  Yes, the seed that fell on the good soil did produce a hundredfold.  Praise God, yes?  But what about all that other seed that did not fall on the good soil? 

And let us face it: Looking to “real life” only serves to reinforce the belief that there are plenty of times that God seems to swing and miss.  We do not see the fruitful results we are looking for.  We only see failure.  No matter how much we call upon God; no matter how much we pray and read our Scriptures and come out to church; no matter how much “Jesus” we throw at the situation, we still only wind up facing emptiness and void.  We see a great big gaping hole in the midst of our hopes and expectations, and God does not seem to be filling it (like He said He would).

Just think of all the times you have prayed to God, and you were left feeling like you struck out.  The results you prayed for never came to fruition.  It hurts, does it not?  Talk about feelings of void and emptiness.  God’s Word accomplishes all that He wills?  His Word and Will always succeeds?  There are times that we are left thinking that either that is a lie and God does not always succeed, or maybe God is just a capricious jerk whose is apparently okay with crushing us once in a while.  If that is the case, well, then He is certainly succeeding!

But maybe that is the whole problem.  We are not looking for the right things.  Maybe we are looking for the wrong things.  Maybe we are not seeing what God is showing us.  In all those apparent failures; in all those times of apparent void and emptiness, we are looking for results, and by that I mean our desired results.  And when those desired results are not witnessed or experienced, we are quick to draw conclusions of failure (or worse).  But is that what God would have us to see?

Back to the parable.  It was not just the good soil that produced results.  All those other soils and circumstances produced results too.  No, they were not the results that anyone would anticipate or hope for, but they were results nonetheless.  The birds are snatching the seed away before it can take root.  The rocks provide no moisture or nourishment for the seed to take root and grow.  The thorns and weeds are choking out the young growth.  And your Lord makes clear what all these different things represent.  The devil is snatching away the Word from the heart.  The rocky soil represents those who hear the Word and rejoice, but since there is no root, they spring up in belief and then just as quickly fall away when the heat gets turned up.  They have no nourishment; no moisture.  It is no wonder they wilt and die.  And as for the thorns and weeds, the cares and riches and pleasures and worries of life rise up and choke out the faith.  Bottom line: The result is no growth; no harvest.

Now, before we go too far and turn this into a “how to” lesson on successful mission and evangelism (which often happens), consider the fact that our forefathers appointed this text to be heard in the weeks leading up to Lent.  Yes, there is no denying that this text speaks to the realities of mission and evangelism.  No one disagrees.  This is the reality of sowing the seed of God’s Word.  It will, and does, take root in good soil and produce good fruits.  It also will not, and often does not, take root and produce the growth and fruits we hope for.  That is reality.  However, this lesson is NOT a “how to tutorial,” as in, “Sow the seed only in ‘good’ soil, and do not waste your time sowing the seed in all those other places because it will not produce the intended results.” We do not know that!  God can plant a tree in the middle of the sea.  Nothing is impossible for God.  The very fact that prostitutes and tax collectors and condemned thieves repent and believe and are saved is proof of this.  The very fact that the “good soil” of the Pharisees only proved to be hard as a rock and full of devilish birds and weeds is proof of this.  All of this is absolutely true.  But, that is not why this text is appointed for our hearing on this particular day. 

Before I go any further, I want to take you back to the words of our God and Father; words that He spoke at the baptism of Christ; words that He again spoke at the Transfiguration of Christ.  “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.  Listen to Him.” Listen to Him.  God has never said that our will and our desires will always succeed (or succeed at all).  Never!  What God has so clearly said is that His Word and His Will ALWAYS succeeds.  What is God endeavoring to show YOU by means of this parable?  What is God revealing to you ABOUT YOURSELF by means of this parable?

Do you sometimes allow the seed of His Word to immediately be snatched away?  Do you sometimes immediately dismiss what you hear because you do not like it or because it does not sit well with you?  “Things have changed.  Times are different now.  It is different in this case.” Is it, though?  God’s Word is eternal and unchanging.  Sin is sin.  Murder, adultery, promiscuity, gossip, divorce: they are all just as sinful in God’s eyes today as they were from the very beginning.  But rather than repent of the sin, we dismiss it.  We condone it.  We justify it.  And then we wonder why we feel so empty and disconnected from God.  Are you sometimes not rooted in the life-giving good soil of Christ’s Word and Sacraments?  When life hits the fan and you are feeling parched and wilted and empty, is it because God has failed, or is it because you are not rooted in Him?  The same goes for the weeds and thorns of this life that rise up and choke you out.  How many times have you had “more important” things to do than to sit in God’s house and hear from Him?  Have the pleasures of life kept you from Christ and His good gifts?  Have the worries of life kept you from the good gifts of true life and nourishment in His word and Sacraments?  And yet, we lament about how God seems so distant; how God does not seem to be coming through and fixing the problems and the hurts and the sorrows.  In all these instances the results are plain to see: You are not the squeaky-clean Christians and “perfect” soil you think you are. 

Dear children of God: Listen to the words that He Himself has taught you to pray.  “Thy will be done.” There is nothing in there about “my will be done.” “Thy will be done.” What does this mean? “The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. How is God’s will done? God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.”

            What is the will of the Father?  Thinking in terms of “results,” look to the cross.  The cross of Christ is the will of the Father from before time began!  Does His crucifix look like anything you would ever anticipate or hope for in terms of witnessing the love of God?  But that is exactly what it is!  The cross is the incomprehensible love of God for you. Christ was nailed to the cross for your forgiveness; for your life; for your salvation.  The will of God is that no one dies in their sin.  The will of God is that all turn from their sin and hold fast to Him and His undeserved grace, mercy, and peace that surpasses all human understanding.  The results of His love for you are plain to see, not just on the cross, but here in your very presence and hearing.  “Take and eat.  Take and drink, for the forgiveness of all your sin.” This love for you will NEVER fail!  Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient.” And it is, for here is the proof.  Here are the results.

May this seed of His Law and Gospel take root in your heart and spring up to bear abundant, repentant, God-pleasing fruit.  May you ever, by His grace, be the good and receptive soil He desires for all men. May this gracious Divine reality give you the very results He intends—His peace, which surpasses all understanding.  And may this same peace guard and keep your hearts and minds in Him, from now unto that time when the Lord of the harvest mercifully calls you home and plants you firmly before His heavenly throne with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven for all eternity.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Septuagesima                                February 16, 2025

Today we leave the joy and the glory of the Christmas and Epiphany seasons in which we heard once again of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that God became man for us and for our salvation; in which we heard the confirmation by His miracles that that Baby born of the virgin is indeed the true God who became also true man. We leave that joy and glory and begin turning our attention to Jesus’ work and how it was precisely that He became our Savior from sin, death, devil and hell—by His suffering and death; we will soon enter the season of Lent. But before we do, we have the short three week season of pre-Lent. In this season we do indeed notice our worship becoming more somber; but it is not the somberness of Lent. There is still joy, but a subdued joy. And the peculiar Latin names for these Sundays give us a glimpse into what this season is all about. Today, for example, is called “Septuagesima”; it tells us that there are about 70 days until Easter. Next week is “Sexagesima”; it tells us that there are about 60 days until Easter. So do you see the pattern? The third one is “Quinquagesima” and is about 50 days until Easter.  So the pattern of these Sundays is: that our eyes are being directed toward Easter. So now, looking forward to Easter, we are strengthened to face the rigors of Lent. This is the time in which we especially examine heart and life in the light of God’s holy Law to recognize our sin, to repent of it and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, strive to root it out of our lives.

In Matthew 19, a chapter before today’s Gospel reading, Jesus spoke with a rich young man. The young man asked, “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Well, if it is a question of good deeds then the answer is God’s Law. Jesus referred him to the Ten Commandments. The young man supposed that he had kept all of them, so Jesus said, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Jesus went after the young man’s idol: his mammon. “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Jesus then speaks to his disciples, and in the course of conversation Peter says, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Peter asks this innocently enough. He did not follow Jesus so that he could have an eternal yacht in heaven to replace the fishing boat he walked away from on earth. He followed Jesus because by his grace Jesus said, “Follow me.” But Peter understands that there is a certain compensation for everything we lose for Christ’s sake. There are rewards for faithfulness.

And he is right. “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’” That is a word specifically for the twelve apostles. But Jesus continues with a word for all of us, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my names’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” But this word comes with a warning, lest we become too focused on earning eternal rewards: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

After speaking those words Jesus immediately tells today’s parable to explain what they mean. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” With this opening line Jesus turns our eyes from ourselves and our work to him and his work. Jesus is the master of the house who went out from his holy habitation, became man, and founded the vineyard of his Church. He removed the devil’s stones and cast out demons. He ripped up the world’s weeds and exposed their vain roots. He tilled the soil, fertilizing the earth with the sweat of his brow and with drops of his blood. He planted himself as the choice vine and bore the fruit we so desperately needed. On the winepress of the cross, the life-juice was squeezed out of him and he provided his very blood to drink for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus lives, and the true vine is also the Lord of the vineyard. He has gone out into the marketplace of the world and by the call of the Gospel he brings people into the vineyard of his Church. All of this is included in the first line of the parable. Everything that follows was begun by the grace of Jesus and can only continue by his continued grace.

Through the first half of the parable the master of the house hires laborers into his vineyard at various hours of the day. The hours of the day correspond to various points in human life. Those who are hired early are those who were baptized as infants and have known no other life than life in the Church. Those hired at the eleventh hour are those who lived many years in unbelief and in whom the Gospel took root late in life. The most extreme eleventh-hour hire is the death-bed convert.

Now we can ask the question: Is there any advantage to being hired early in life? Should we prefer to be the baptized infant instead of the death-bed convert? After all, life in the vineyard sounds like a great deal of work. It is. We strain to keep God’s commandments, exerting ourselves in a way the world does not. Our backs ache from resisting temptation. Our arms are sore from wrestling with our sinful flesh. Our knees are bruised from constant prayer. Our hands are calloused from loving and serving our neighbors. Our skin is tanned from the scorching heat of persecution and tribulation. We exercise patient endurance and mingle our sweat and blood with that of our Lord. We bear the fruit of the Spirit, and the world hates us for it.

But we should not want to be eleventh-hour workers. Life in the vineyard is not all drudgery. Life in the vineyard is life that revolves around the vine, that is, Jesus. He is not idle in his vineyard. He constantly washes the dirt from us and feeds us from his table. He speaks his Word, by which he forgives our sins and strengthens us with his Spirit. His commandments provide much-needed order to life, and are good for us. The work is good work, too. We could compare much of it with the work Adam was given to do in the Garden of Eden, work that is not a result of sin, but a natural part of life with God and fellow man.

The benefits of the vineyard are especially clear when we compare the vineyard to the marketplace. The marketplace in the parable is the unbelieving world. The marketplace is characterized by one thing: “he saw others standing idle in the marketplace.” This word “idle” does not mean motionless. There might be much activity. But the activity is useless and futile and confused and chaotic and destructive and self-defeating. Think of the world’s riots and insubordinate rallies or the world of internet influencers if you would like examples of people standing idle in the marketplace. Life in the market is not a life of receiving gracious care or earning rewards. Life in the market is life under the devil’s whip, life being blown about by the passions of the flesh. Life in the market is life for sale, the life of a slave. It is a life marked by the emptiness of cheap thrills and the use and abuse of others for the sake of pleasure, power, and fame. It is a life of false gods chewing on their worshipers. The eleventh-hour workers will wish they had belonged to the Church their entire earthly lives. At whatever hour they are called, we are simply glad to have them with us.

So there is no particular advantage to a death-bed conversion, other than the fact that it is better than no conversion. On the other hand, there is much benefit in being a lifelong Christian. But there is a certain temptation that belongs to those who have been in the vineyard for a long time. Peter’s question, “What then will we have?” prompted Jesus to speak about it. Indeed, the main point of the parable is to address this temptation; we will call it the Temptation of the Early Hires.

This temptation has two parts. The first part of the temptation is to let thanksgiving for grace give way to a sense of entitlement. Grumbling inevitably follows, as it did with the Israelites in the wilderness. They forgot about the grace of God, the exodus, the salvation through the Red Sea, and they could do nothing but murmur and whine. In their eyes God became an enemy who was not treating them the way he should. Now if we want to talk about “should,” then we “should” have all drowned with the Egyptians. It was only by God’s grace that we did not. But the mind that forgets grace overlooks this fact.

That is the first part of the Temptation of the Early Hires: to let thanksgiving give way to entitlement. The second part of the temptation is the desire that God would deal with us according to how we compare with others, instead of dealing with us according to his Word. We see this quite clearly in the parable. Jesus pays the eleventh-hour hires the wage for a whole day. “When those hired first came, they thought they would receive more,” but no. Jesus gave them exactly what he said he would. And “they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’”

Again this second part of the temptation has to do with a loss of memory. The early hires have forgotten the Lord who called them. They have forgotten that Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, though he is God. They have forgotten that Jesus emptied himself for their sake and made himself equal to the lowest slave. They have forgotten that if Jesus were perfectly fair they would have died as slaves in the marketplace and gone down to their fiery graves with weeping and the gnashing of teeth. They have forgotten that life in the vineyard is given by grace.

And so, although they spent their whole lives in the vineyard, some of the first end in unbelief. Jesus says to them, “Take what is yours and depart.” “If you’ve received some benefit from life in the vineyard, great. You can savor those memories while you burn in hell. But you can’t stay here.” Thus some of those baptized as infants will go to eternal death, while the death-bed converts go to eternal life. “So the last will be first, and the first last.”

“What then will we have?” That was the question that prompted the parable. We will have a hundredfold compensation for anything lost for Christ’s sake. That does mean varying rewards in the vineyard, both earthly rewards and eternal rewards. What those rewards will look like, I cannot really say, especially not concerning eternal rewards in heaven. The best practice is not to speculate about the rewards or seek to determine some sort of pecking order in the Church. We act toward each other in humility, not in pride. There is the head and there is the body. There is Christ and there are us sinners. We need no more distinction than that. The best course is to follow Christ’s words in Luke 17:10, “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have only done our duty.’” We deserve neither the vineyard, nor any reward for working in it.

And so by this parable Jesus keeps us in our place, which is not oppressive on his part, but is for our good. By nature we want to take the place of earning something from him. That is a harmful place to be, because there is but one thing man can earn from God, and that is a dismissal. So Jesus keeps us in our place, and that place is the place of receiving from him. He is the Lord of the vineyard, he is the vine, and he nourishes us, his branches. What then will we have? His eternal life. To him be the honor and the glory forever. Amen.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Transfiguration of Our Lord                   February 9, 2025

St. Peter says “we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:16). Here he is making a point not just about truth, but about time. A myth can be true, for instance the Greeks really did sack Troy. What marks a myth is not necessarily that it is false, but that it is a story handed down from one generation to another until you do not know who came up with the story in the first place. So, for example, who came up with Odysseus’s escape from the Cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey? Not Homer. He heard it from others and they heard it from still others, the story goes so far back, no one knows when it began. But Peter can be no peddler of a myth, precisely because not enough time has passed. That is the point. Peter was there. He did not hear the story from anyone. His grandma did not tell it to him. He saw the story unfold. He was an eyewitness of the transfiguration, He saw Jesus’ face shine like the sun, he heard the voice of the Father from heaven. Peter will not allow anyone to get away with calling this a myth. If you want to say it never happened, then you will have to call Peter, John, and James liars. But you cannot call them mythographers or story tellers. So it goes with the resurrection and with all the history of the New Testament. These are not stories handed down from generation to generation for so long that everyone has forgotten who started the story. No, they saw it and they wrote down what they saw, and they knew exactly who started the story, namely Jesus of Nazareth. Because He lived it and they saw it. We call that history. We call it reality.

And this is in fact what Peter and James and John saw when they witnessed the transfiguration. Reality. Things as they really were. Jesus was transfigured before them. He shone like the sun. Elijah and Moses stood there talking to him. This is a unique event, a special occasion, only for Peter and James and John. From Jesus’ perspective, nothing had changed. He is always glorious. He only hid it from men for a time on earth. He talks with Elijah and Moses anytime He wishes, because even when He walked the hills of Galilee He was with His Father in heaven and so He was with them, too. What changed was what Peter and John and James could see. They could see what was already there but had been hidden from them. The scales were removed from their eyes. But what they saw had always been in reality.

Scripture speaks to this all the time. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Because Christ is with us and we are with Him and He is with the saints who came before us. And we are surrounded also by angels. This is what Elisha tells his servant  in 2 Kings chapter 6 as the Syrian army envelops their city: There are more on our side than on theirs, and then Elisha prays to Yahweh to open his servant’s eyes and the servant sees reality; he sees things as they really are, that there are angels all around them and there’s no reason to be afraid. The angels were there before the servant saw them. The difference was only that the man could not see them before and now he could. If God so chooses, he could open our eyes now and we would see our angels, and he could open our ears and we could hear them sing the Hosanna with us. It is happening. It is reality.

Reality is reality whether we see it or not. A boy is a boy whether or not he sees it differently. Marriage is for a lifetime between one man and one woman, whether we recognize it or not. It is what it is. And Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh, all-glorious, shining like the sun by nature of the union of God with human flesh. That is reality, even if it is hidden to mortal eyes for a time.

But what Peter learned that day was not just what he could see with his eyes. It was what he heard with his ears. This is why he says that we have something more sure, more sure than what Peter’s eyes saw. We have the prophetic word, which shines like a lamp in a dark place. Because Peter learned more from what He heard that day than from what He saw. It does no good to believe that Jesus is the Son of God unless you also believe that He has come to die to wash away your sin and conquer your death and face your hell. And Peter learned that, not from seeing the brightness of Jesus’ face, but by listening to Jesus’ words, as the Father directed from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)

Six days previous, Peter had given the great confession, the confession on which Jesus would build His Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. “[Jesus] said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” (Matthew 16:16-17) But then Jesus went on and he told Peter and he told them all, for the first time clearly without any parable, without any figure of speech, what He had come to do. This was the great turning point, the day he turned his face and set it like flint toward Jerusalem. He told them that he would go to the holy city and suffer many things from the chief priests and be handed over to the gentiles and be mocked and tortured and killed and on the third day rise again. And when Jesus told them this, Peter took him aside and rebuked him, said, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) And then came the famously shocking words of Jesus to the man whom he had just seconds before called blessed, “Get behind me Satan,” he said, “You are a stumbling block to me. For you are not mindful of the things of God but of the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23)

So six days later Jesus shows Peter his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. And Peter is not supposed to simply look at this glory, but to listen. Jesus is talking. He is not just shining, He is talking. He is talking to Moses and Elijah. And they are talking about His exodus, St. Luke tells us, they are talking about his death. So here Peter and James and John see reality, Jesus as He really is, and Jesus as He really is talks with His saints about His death, about the shedding of His blood. This is reality. It is what God talks about, what the angels desire to peer into, what the saints discuss in heaven, what the prophets, including Moses and Elijah, longed to see. There is no God except the God who dies for sinners in human flesh. There is no glory of God except in the death and resurrection of Christ our Lord. There is no worship of God except the worship directed to the Lamb who was slain. That is what it means that Jesus shines with the glory of God and yet speaks of His own death.

But Peter, poor Peter, instead of listening, or maybe because he is listening and he still does not want to hear this talk of Jesus suffering and dying, Peter seemingly interrupts the Son of God as he speaks with Moses and Elijah, and says exactly the wrong thing, “How about we stay here. I will build a few tents.” Jesus had just been telling Moses and Elijah how he has to go to Jerusalem, has to be handed over to the Jews and then to Pilate, has to suffer and die, and then rise again, that this is His glory and the salvation of the world, the plan of God from eternity, and Peter contradicts it all, “Let us stay here.” And this is when the Father comes in and says, “Hush up, stop talking, you confess that He is the Son of God and now you see it with your eyes. Then listen to Him.”

So we are here today to listen to Him. He is the Son of God. He is the first from the dead, the Man who fulfilled every single promise of God. The Servant of Isaiah 53, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who has no form or comeliness, no beauty that we should desire Him, He for a brief time shows His beauty to the eyes of the three apostles, the light of God’s glory radiating from His face, His clothes whiter than any bleacher could make them, brighter than any Indiana sun in the summer, so that they can know that the Creator of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the One whom the sea and winds obey, the great I AM who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, the Son of God, He will suffer for them, He will meet death in their place, He will face God’s righteous anger against them, and He will conquer death for them and the whole world.

Listen to Him. He is your Savior. The light of His Law shines on your sin and reveals its darkness, its death, its misery. Then He takes this sin on Himself, and the whole earth is covered with darkness as He faces your death and bears the misery of being forsaken by God. And from this cross shines the love of God that surpasses all understanding and removes all your darkness, all your sin, all your ignorance and hatred of God. It is consumed with a greater light than Peter saw, as God’s eyes are turned to you in pure love and pity and mercy. The glory of His resurrection is that it is a resurrection, it is life from death, it is the conquering of death. And this is no cleverly devised myth. What the light of the transfiguration showed Peter and James and John, the light of the resurrection shows the whole world. It was not done in secret on some unnamed mountain. It was a public act, an act that compels us too to listen to Him. You see sin and you feel guilt, but Jesus says your sins are forgiven. You see bread and wine, but Jesus says Take eat this is my body, Take and drink, this is my blood for the forgiveness of your sins. You see death, but Jesus says, whoever believes in me, even though he die, yet shall he live. You look around and see no spiritual world, but Jesus says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” and, “I will send my Spirit to you,” and, “their angels are constantly looking at the face of my Father.” This is reality.

The transfiguration prepares us to see it. Yes, you will see it on the Last and Glorious Day. “And then from death awaken me that these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, thy glorious face, my Savior and my Fount of grace.” (LSB 708) But learn to see it now. To remind yourself day after day what reality is. It is the Holy Spirit who moves in the Word of Jesus. It is God Himself who joins Himself to the words you believe, which you do well to pay attention to, to inwardly digest them, make them the way you think. Until, St. Peter says, the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Day after day, the light of Christ dispels the darkness. If it is your own sin, Jesus forgives it. If it is doubt, Jesus’ death and resurrection are certain. If it is temptation, Jesus is your strength. If it is suffering, Jesus is your comfort. If it is cowardice, Jesus is your courage. If it is death, Jesus is your life. If it is loneliness, Jesus is with you always. If it is the lies and confusion of this world, Jesus is reality and He shows you the truth, and the truth will set you free, not to serve yourself, but to serve God and your neighbor, until that day when you join all the saints and discuss with them the Lamb who was slain, as we sing His glory forever and ever.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOURTH SUNDAY after EPIPHANY                   FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Jesus’ disciples witnessed His divine power over nature at the wedding at Cana, changing water into wine. They witnessed His divine power over nature as He performed the healing miracles on the sick. But those miracles were “quiet,” so to speak. There is something more impressive in today’s miracle, something more spectacular, more awesome. It is an epiphany at sea, if you will. This Man Jesus controls the earth, the weather, and the environment itself. Everything that is going on around you at every moment is within the power of His will and His word. There are some powerful implications of that that we are going to explore this morning.

All three Evangelists record this “fateful trip” out to sea, and they all start out with the same important piece of information: It was Jesus who initiated this trip. He got into the boat, and His disciples followed Him. As Mark’s Gospel adds, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side,” (Mark 4:35). This journey out onto the water, this journey that became so perilous, was not done at the whim of the disciples against their better judgment. It was undertaken at the guidance of Jesus. That is the first point to remember.

The second point to remember is that Jesus had already told them some very important things. He had told them of the work He had to do as the Christ. And He had told them that He would make them “fishers of men,” with an apostleship and a ministry that they would have to carry out in the world. So, with Jesus’ guidance in setting sail and with Jesus’ word that both He and they had lots of work to do in the world, could they possibly perish at sea in any storm? No. The only way they could perish at sea is if Jesus is a liar, or if Jesus has no power to fulfill His word.

But then the storm arose. Winds started howling and whipping up the sea. Waves began crashing over the boat and water began spilling into it. It is not like Jesus’ disciples were novices at this. These were experienced fishermen, most of them, who had grown up around this very Sea of Galilee and earned their living on this very lake. They knew how to navigate the lake and how to weather a storm. So it must have been quite a storm for them to be so desperate, so worried.

All the while, Jesus slept. Such perfect trust in His Father! Such a contrast with the disciples, who were panicking, even though they had Jesus’ own guidance to be where they were and they had Jesus’ own assurance that they would go on to become His ministers in the world. They either forgot about what Jesus had said, or they stopped relying on it because of the danger they could see and hear and feel all around them. So in near despair, they cried out, “Lord, save us! We’re perishing!”

They turned to Him for help, which was good, but there was a tinge of scolding in their words. Mark records them more sharply: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) Not unlike the prayers that are often uttered by people: God, do you not care about us? Why are you not doing anything to save us? Can you not see that we are dying here?

But Jesus scolds them, albeit mildly, for their scolding of Him: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26) If He had left them time to answer that question, they might have started pointing at the sky and the waves and the water that was filling the boat. But mercifully, He simply spoke a word to the storm, and we have that word from Mark, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:40) And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

The disciples marveled at Jesus’ power as He revealed it to them in this epiphany at sea. We marvel at it, too, as we hear about it. But marveling at Jesus’ power will not do us any good, if we forget about it or stop relying on it when we are the ones in trouble.

Now, sometimes, the troubles we face are troubles of our own making, troubles that result from bad decisions you have made. There is no divine guarantee you will get out of those situations unscathed or even alive. I think of choosing a job that you know will force you to abandon God’s Word and Sacrament, or habitual smoking, or overeating, or drug abuse, or adultery, or marrying someone who does not confess the Christian faith together with you, or drinking and driving, or simply choosing to treat people badly. You have no right to expect that God will intervene to save you from the troubles that result from such things. What you do have at those times is God’s promise to be faithful to His baptismal promises, to keep seeking out the baptized, to forgive you when you repent of your sins, to heal your standing with Him, and to help you deal with the earthly consequences of your sins.

At other times, you may simply be going about your daily life, having no word from God guiding you to do one thing over another thing. You simply make decisions that you are free to make, going about your business. And then some tragedy occurs, or some illness strikes out of the blue. And still, you have no divine promise that God will make a certain job or a certain move turn out “well,” in an earthly sense. You have no divine promise that you will not die in a storm or that you will be cured of an illness. And so you have no right to have faith that a certain job will work out or that a certain illness will be healed. You cannot have faith in something God has not said. You cannot trust in a promise God has never made. What you can trust in are the promises God has made, to make you His own beloved child and heir through Holy Baptism, to forgive you your sins through the absolution and through His holy Sacrament, and to somehow make all things work together for good to those who love Him, understanding “good” according to your heavenly Father’s vision, not necessarily according to yours.

At still other times, you do have divine guidance and direction to do certain things: as a Church, to preach the Word in season and out of season, to support the ministry of the Word with your prayers and offerings, and to pray for all in their needs. As individual Christians, to live as Christians in the world, obeying God’s commandments, hearing His Word and receiving His Sacraments, serving diligently in your vocations, confessing the Word of God in your daily life, and doing good to your neighbor, especially to your fellow Christians. Even in the midst of doing such good things that have God’s direct command, you will have troubles. Jesus calls them “crosses” that you have to bear in this world.

But guess what? The One who was powerful to control the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee is also powerful to deliver you from all evil and to bring you safely into His heavenly kingdom. We confess as much every time we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: Deliver us from evil. What does this mean? Our Catechism answers: We ask in this prayer, in summary, that the Father in heaven would deliver us from every sort of evil of body and soul, of property and honor; and finally, when our last hour comes, grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven. And to that, you say, Amen, amen. Yes, yes, it shall be so!

So, if you believe in Jesus as the Christ, as true God who became true Man to atone for your sins with His life, then believe in Him also as the Ruler of the things going on around you in your life, and trust in His promises of deliverance and divine help in every need. There is no room here for distrust. No room for despair. No reason to panic. No reason to imagine that God will allow you to perish. Your flesh is weak and fragile, and you will be tempted to panic, tempted to rely on yourself. But Christ Jesus is strong, and His word and power cannot fail. Remember that, and rely on Him, even in the midst of the storm. As the hymn 750 says: If thou but trust in God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee, And bear thee through the evil days. Who trusts in God’s unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Third Sunday after Epiphany                             January 26, 2025

When I was studying Biblical Hebrew back in college and seminary, I had a class devoted to Psalms. As we worked through them, there was a word that came up again and again as one of God’s chief traits or attributes. The word is chesed. It is often translated as “mercy.” Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Mercy is a fine translation, but it does not capture the whole thought of the word. No English word really does. Some translate it with the word love. Others with the phrase steadfast love. Luther chose a word in German that means goodness or kindness. “His goodness endures forever.” Mercy. Love. Goodness. These are characteristics of God. And in today’s Gospel, we see Jesus revealing those characteristics in Himself as the Man who is God, yet another epiphany, a revelation of His divinity and of what that divinity is like. He is a God of goodness, mercy, and love.

Jesus had just finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. Now, coming down from the mountain, Jesus would put into practice the things He had preached, first in His encounter with the man with leprosy, and then in His encounter with the centurion.

As he was coming down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Somehow, somewhere, this man whose skin was mottled with sores had heard of Jesus, had heard of His goodness, mercy, and love, and also of His power and authority over sickness and disease. And what he had heard had already sparked faith in his heart, faith so confident in Jesus’ goodness, that he simply lays his case before Jesus. Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. A much better way of approaching Jesus than we heard from St. Mary in last week’s Gospel. “They have no more wine,” with the implication, “You’re going to do something about it, right?” Whereas this leper starts with the perfectly submissive, “If you are willing,” leaving everything to Jesus to decide in His perfect goodness, mercy, and love.

And goodness, mercy, and love are exactly what we see from Jesus in His response. He touched the leprous man, which in itself was an act of great compassion, because the Jews were not to touch anything unclean unnecessarily, and lepers were ceremonially unclean. But as a caring physician touches his patient in order to diagnose and heal him, so Jesus was not ashamed to come into contact with this man. He touched him and said, I am willing. Be cleansed!

Notice, He demanded nothing of the man. The man had already been humbled before God by his disease and the ceremonial restrictions that went along with it. If he had been clinging to sin or exalting himself before, then Jesus would have rebuked him. But since he came in humility and faith, Jesus was quick to comfort him and heal him, for free! Such is the goodness, mercy, and love of God for us poor sinners. And by that healing, so simple, so authoritative, Jesus revealed His divinity: to those who witnessed it, and to us who have read about it.

Jesus did give the man one instruction after healing him, though. See that you tell no one; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. Here is Jesus, again, practicing what He had just gotten done preaching in the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, He had said this: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. The Law of Moses commanded lepers who had been healed to show themselves to the priest, who would examine him and declare him to be clean. This man’s miraculous cleansing would be a testimony to the whole priesthood that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Then, the Law of Moses also required the cleansed leper to offer a special offering. Jesus’ instruction to the man to do what the Law commanded would also be a testimony to the whole priesthood, that Jesus was not some rogue preacher, trying to start a new religion. No, He was the very Christ whom the Law and the Prophets had been pointing to all along. His ministry would not be in opposition to the Law. He would fulfill it, to the letter. And only after everything was fulfilled, after everything was “finished,” only then would the ceremonial commands of the Law give way to the freedom of the New Testament, and the office of the Old Testament priests would be replaced with the High Priesthood of Jesus the Christ, sitting at the right hand of God.

Then we come to the second part of today’s Gospel as Jesus dealt with the centurion. This Roman centurion, as we are informed by St. Luke, was a friend of the Jews. He had even built them a synagogue for their worship. So he had been paying attention to the word about Jesus that was going around Capernaum. He came to Jesus and presented his case before Him. Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly. Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” Again, we see the Lord’s readiness to help, even to help this Gentile soldier. And we see how Jesus dealt differently with each one, giving him exactly what he needed. He offers right away to go with the centurion to his house, to heal the man’s servant. At around the same time in Jesus’ ministry, in roughly the same place in Galilee, a Jewish nobleman had come to Jesus begging Him to come and heal his son. Come! Come quickly! You have to come with me to my house! And in that case, Jesus refused to go with the man, teaching him the importance of believing in Jesus’ word alone, without having to see anything.

But in this case, Jesus was the one offering to go to the centurion’s house, and the centurion was the one telling Jesus it was not necessary. Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. And then he compared his authority over other soldiers with Jesus’ authority over—over what? Over the bodily functions of everyone on earth. He confessed Jesus’ power to speak a word, commanding a body to be healed, and the body would simply obey, as a soldier obeys his commanding officer.

It is astonishing faith, and Jesus was astonished. The Jews had been hounding Him for signs to prove His authority to them. They were slow to believe His word, and most never did. But here is a Gentile, a Roman soldier, who has simply believed the report about Jesus, that He was full of goodness, mercy, and love, that He was both willing and able to help in any need.

When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, “Truly I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not even in Israel. And I tell you that many will come from the East and the West and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go now. And as you have believed, so let it be done to you.”

St. Matthew is especially the writer to the Hebrews, to the Jews. And the Holy Spirit used Matthew to reach out to them more than any other Evangelist did. Look, people of Israel! You were slow to believe in Jesus as the Christ, and the Gentiles were quick! God’s judgment against the Jews is just, and so is His inclusion of the Gentiles in His kingdom. So wake up! You are the original children of the kingdom! Repent before you are cast out for your unbelief, even as the Gentiles are welcomed at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! You were the original recipients of God’s goodness, mercy, and love! Do not forfeit all that you have been given! If you do, it will not be God’s goodness, mercy, and love that fail. It will be your impenitence and unbelief that get you thrown out into the darkness.

And so today’s Gospel is yet another appeal on God’s part to all who hear. Our God is a God of goodness, mercy, and love. He has proven it time and time again, most notably in giving His Son into death on the cross for the sins of the world. We are sinners who do not deserve to be in His kingdom at all, and the moment you start thinking you deserve a place in God’s kingdom, that your sins are not that bad, or that Jesus is not good, merciful, and loving enough to help, that is when you are on the brink of perishing eternally.

So you who have come into God’s kingdom from the West, just as others have come into His kingdom from the East, through Baptism and faith in Christ Jesus, see again Jesus’ goodness, mercy, and love in today’s Gospel. See how He helps those who come to Him in humility and faith, who trust in His will, who trust in His word. And be one of those who approach Him in such humility and faith. Trust in His goodness, mercy, and love toward you, and then show that same goodness, mercy, and love toward everyone you encounter today and throughout the week. May God grant it by His Holy Spirit! In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second Sunday after Epiphany                                       January 19, 2025

Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding. This was not an accident. God does not do things on accident. This is what we prayed in our collect this morning, ‘Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth.’ That is our God. He is in control. He is not like us, we do things on accident all the time, He has a purpose for everything He does. In my house, “It was an accident” gets said quite a bit. It is the default excuse of someone who just broke something or just hurt someone else. “It was an accident.” And it is never really a comfort: a TV screen is still smashed by the light saber that was thrown, regardless of whether you tried to hit it, and the eye is still black regardless of whether you meant to elbow them in the face. The point here is that God never says that. When bad things happen to you, God does not say, “Woops, it was an accident.” And this is very comforting for us, if, that is, we know and trust His promises. It means that even when bad things happen in our lives, our God is still in control and will, as He promises, use the bad things, even sin and the devil himself, for our good. And we see this at the wedding in Cana. The couple ran out of wine. That is a bad thing. And then Mary asks Jesus to help, and he responds, seemingly, with a No. Again, a bad thing. But Jesus works it all for good. He turns water into wine, and not only saves the wedding, but makes it better than it had been, He gives better wine. And more than this, He shows his disciples who He is and causes them to believe in Him. It is a beautiful thing. Jesus takes the bad, the painful, and turns it for good.

Now, we are in the season of Epiphany. That means we are concentrating on Jesus revealing Himself as God. And this miracle obviously does this. Only God can turn water into wine. But as with Jesus’ other miracles, this one does not just show that He is God, that He is powerful, that He is some Supreme Being out there. It shows what kind of God He is.

First, and unmistakably, He is the God who loves and blesses marriage. That is because He is the God who created marriage. Not only is it not an accident that He performed His first miracle at a wedding. It is not an accident that He turned water into wine at this wedding. Turning water into wine is a creative act. What was not there before is there now. Just as God spoke in the beginning, “Let there be” and there was, so God speaks here, and there is. So Jesus is asserting Himself not simply as God here, but as the Creator. And what else did God create in the beginning? He created marriage. He made man and woman in his own image and joined them as one flesh. God did that. And God still cares for His creation, he still cares for marriage. That is what Jesus is showing here.

And it is absolutely essential for us to remember this in our day. Marriage is no social construct. People did not make it up. They did not just say, “You know what, it would be a good idea if a man and a woman promised to remain faithful to one another until they die, so they can have some children and the children can grow up with a mom and a dad and become good members of the community.” That is not what happened. God made marriage. And that means marriage does not change. What we hear, or what we should hear, at every wedding, “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man put asunder,” this is unalterably true. And this means that since man, since government, did not come up with marriage, it has no right to change it. If we had created marriage, we could make our own rules, we could change the rules. Just like in football or baseball or any of the professional sports. Every year they come out with new rules. They can do that. We made the games, we can change them. And this is how our government and our society has treated marriage. As if it is ours. We made it, so we can change it. Now, marriage can mean a man and a man promising to remain with each other. Or a woman and a woman. People can put an end to marriage for any reason whatsoever. “We’re just not getting along anymore, the old thrill is gone, she’s mean, he’s a jerk,” and the list goes on, what our society has nonsensically called “no fault” divorce, when in fact there is always fault and a whole lot of it to go around. And look at the results! We thought we could act like marriage belonged to us, play with it and change the rules, and no one has benefitted, children are robbed of stability, wives and husbands are robbed of trust, homosexuals are lied to and confirmed in their sin, young people are terrified of marriage and just live together instead. This is what happens when you mess with marriage.

So Jesus comes on the scene and He asserts, as His very first public act on this earth, that He is the Creator and Blesser of marriage. There is no picking and choosing here. You want Jesus as God, as Savior, as Friend, then you have Him also as the Creator and protector of marriage. And that means marriage is not ours to mess with. It belongs to Jesus. He is still in control. Jesus created marriage for our good. And what we have messed up, He is here to fix. And make no mistake about it, He is the only one who can fix marriage.

Now He does this in two ways.

First, He teaches us what it is. And this is a relief. A clear definition! Thank God! In our age of uncertainty, where everyone chooses what is right or wrong for himself, where our society has decided and our government has decreed that a man can become a woman and a woman a man, where the basics of common sense are in total confusion, just to hear God say, “This is the way it is,” is such a relief. It is what we need. We need to know that water is wet, fire is hot, a man is a man, a woman is a woman. And we need to know what marriage is. It is God joining one man and one woman for life. And it is beautiful. When God created man in the beginning, he made them male and female. He joined the two together until death parted them. The two shall become one flesh, God said. And what God joins together, let no man put asunder.

He did it for our happiness. He made man to be the head of his wife and the wife to be the husband’s helper, to be companions one to the other, as the husband loves his wife and serves her, and the wife submits to her husband and respects him. And then beautifully, God creates life through the union of man and woman. God allows a married couple to participate in creation, as new life comes through a husband’s love for his wife and a wife’s giving herself to her husband. This blessing of fertility the Bible stresses constantly. God gives children. Children are not choices. They are gifts from God. When Christians talk about choosing how many children they are going to have, I do not think they quite know what they are saying. Who says children are a choice? The people who advocate killing them in the womb. We should never talk the way they talk. God gives children. And since it is a child, we accept children from God as His blessings, and we raise our children for God, give them Jesus’ word, bring them to church, pray with them. Fathers should not be obsessed with their careers or their sports, but with raising their children as Christians. Mothers should know there is nothing greater God can give to them than children. And husband and wife need to embrace the great and beautiful responsibility of raising children for eternal life.

But of course, we mess it up. Even when we get it right. Even when we say, yes, only a man and a woman. Yes, for life, until death parts us. Yes, so that we can have children and raise them up together in the fear of the Lord. Still, husband sins against wife and wife against husband and our marriages face problem after problem, and our children are sinners just like us. And this is the second reason we need Jesus to insert Himself into marriage. Not simply to tell us what marriage is, but to care for our marriages in the here and now. We see him do that at Cana. He cares for that marriage. And this sign, the Holy Spirit caused to be recorded so that you know today that Jesus cares for our marriages too.

Jesus cared for the marriage in Cana by giving them wine. He ruined the stone water jugs. They were meant for ritual purification of the body, meant only to carry water, but now they were stained red with wine. Instead of water to cleanse the outside, he gave them wine which entered into them and gave them joy. And this is how Jesus helps our marriages and our lives now. Not with an outward fix. Not with a simple outward cleaning up of our lives. But by changing our hearts. By making us glad in our souls.

And Jesus changes us by loving us, by marrying Himself to us. He makes us His bride. He commits Himself to us. He lays down His life for us, presents us to Himself His beloved without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. He makes Himself one flesh with us, by taking our human nature on Himself. He makes us one flesh with Him, by giving us His own body and blood to eat and to drink. And whatever sins we have committed against Him, whatever lack of love or failure of respect, He covers it up with His own righteousness. The Song of Solomon in chapter 8 describes His love for us perfectly, “Love is as strong as death.” Yes, herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. He has vowed by this death that He loves you, that you are His, that He will not hold you guilty for your sins; He has promised you in your Baptism that He has cleansed you and presented you pure before Him as His precious bride.

And our marriages are to be a picture of this. How do you husbands act toward your wives? You act as Christ acts toward his church. You cover up her faults as your Lord has covered up yours. You love her by serving her, because that is how Christ loves you. He does not demean you. He does not pick at your faults. He does not lord it over you and demand things from you. He forgives your faults and passes over them and teaches you patiently. And wives, learn to respect your husbands, let them lead, encourage them to be men, not because they have deserved this, but because whatever faults they have have been borne away by the Lord to whom you and your husband owe everything. This is what the Church does to Christ, we respect Him, we submit to Him,  we would not dare to talk bad about Him, we learn instead to expect everything good from Him and be patient as we wait for Him to serve us.

And this is the second thing Jesus reveals about what kind of a God He is. He is the God who answers our prayers in his own time. He is the God who lets us suffer our crosses, within marriage, outside of marriage, praying for marriage. He waited, on purpose, to turn that water into wine. He let the groom and bride sweat. He told his own mother, his hour had not yet come. But He did answer. In his own time. And so it goes still. Learn from Mary to ask and then wait your God’s good pleasure. He is in control. He loves you. Do not doubt this. His hour came. The hour of His death. The hour when He prayed that this cup be taken away, but His Father told Him instead to drink it down to the bitter dregs. The hour of His suffering, of his pain and his death, as He bore your sin and paid its punishment to the throne of God’s justice. He did it for you. And He has claimed you as His own. He has washed and cleansed you in your Baptism. He has given you His Spirit. He sees and loves you as His own bride, as His own body, and no man fails to care for his own body. He disciplines his body, he allows it to suffer for its own good, for a time, but he cares for it. So Jesus will work your suffering for good when you suffer it as a Christian. Jesus cannot and will not fail to care for you and answer your prayers.

And finally, Jesus brings pure joy. That is the kind of God He is. He is in control, he cares, he answers you, and He gives you joy beyond all gladness. He gives wine at a wedding. Wine is not necessary for life. Not at all. It is not like bread, nor like water. It is there only to give pleasure, to heighten it. That is why it exists. God does everything on purpose. And in this His Supper, He gives His blood to you in the wine on purpose, because the blood of Jesus gives pure pleasure, more than what you need, not only forgiveness of all your sins, but a union with one another and with God himself, to become partakers of the divine nature, to be exalted with Christ to the joys of heaven, to have the undying affection of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Baptism of Our Lord                                                                                 January 12, 2025

The Baptism of Jesus has so many teachings and implications for the kingdom of God, I do not think we could rightly cover them all in a Sunday Sermon.  In his baptism, Jesus is revealed to be the Son of God by the Father, and through Baptism he becomes our Father.  Jesus’ Baptism sanctifies, it purifies all water for our Baptisms, and the washing away of our sin.  Jesus receives the Holy Spirit in Baptism, who sends him forth to begin his ministry of miracles and healing and teaching the kingdom of heaven, and of suffering, as in our baptism, we too receive the Spirit who prepares us for every Good Work.

Today, however, we are going to focus on how Jesus’ own baptism shows how baptism is the great equalizer.  Baptism is no respecter of persons.  Even the lowliest servant, when he is baptized, becomes worthy as a king.  And even the highest king, in baptism becomes lowly as a servant.  In Baptism, all are equal before God through faith.  On account of Baptism, all works done in faith are holy and God-pleasing.  Through Baptism, no one is lacking any good thing.

In baptism, all are equal before God through faith.  This is shown in the righteousness of Jesus’ own baptism.  Getting baptized is the right thing for the messiah to do.  Getting baptized by someone who is lesser than him, is just.  You might not think so.   John the Baptists did not think so.  When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John would have prevented him saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” In other words, “You are greater than me, Jesus…This is not right”.  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

The reason Jesus’ baptism seems so unrighteous to John is because he knows Jesus is the Christ, the rightful king of all.  And this king is going to submit to my baptism?  Who am I to crown the king of the universe?  This was the great scandal of Jesus, ministry.  “Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant.”  Jesus, the messiah, came not in power and glory, but in servanthood and submission.

Jesus came in submission to the will of his Father.  Everything he did in his life was in obedience to God.  He submitted to be born of a woman; he submitted to the normal growth of being a child, and at his baptism, Jesus submitted to the ministry his father appointed him for.  He was to be the suffering servant who was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Though he was and is Lord of all, he washed his disciples feet, giving them an example, that a servant is not greater than his master, nor a messenger than the one who sent him.

Jesus came, not only in submission to the father, but as a servant to men.  Jesus is greater than John, and so according to human understanding, it makes no sense for John, a sinner, to baptize Jesus, the perfect, holy Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  But Jesus shows that there is neither slave nor free, servant nor master, king or subject now that he is come.  Both servant and master are equal in their service to God and their worthiness before God by faith.  

So, really these roles are irrelevant.  Are you a servant? You are of no less value than your master.  Are you a worker, your good work done in faith is just as pleasing to God as your boss’s.  Are you a layman, yes you are, God does not bless pastors more than you.  Wives, your heavenly Father knows your service to the family in the household. 

Jesus came and revealed that his salvation extends to all nations, and to all peoples, regardless of social standing or vocation.  The world—(and by the world I mean everything that is understood not to be under the Lordship of the Triune God)–the world assumes that if you are in a position of submission or servanthood, you have less dignity, less worth than someone in authority.  The world assumes it is better to be obeyed than to obey.  That makes rulers greater than servants. But before God’s eyes, your greatness is not measured in social standing, or worldly indicators.  

Your true worth before God has nothing to do with how influential or successful or wealthy you are.  All are either worthy by faith, or not at all.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor”; that does not mean if you have a lot of money you are not blessed by God.  It means that the faithful poor are the ones who need the reminder, because the world teaches them otherwise all day every day.  And it means that the rich are tempted to take their blessedness for granted.  Their blessedness is not in their riches; their blessedness is the same as the poor.  Their ground for boasting is in Jesus Christ and their having received Him.  And the richest person in the world, without baptism, is poor in heaven and has nothing to boast of before God.

We need this gospel today more than ever, because a different gospel has taken its place, a gospel of entitlement, often called a social gospel.  Here is what I mean.  Jesus came to free the captives, to bind up the broken-hearted, to heal the sick and lame.  And he did these things for some.  But notice, when his ministry ended, and he ascended into heaven, there were still prisoners in the world, still sick people.  This is because he did not come to heal every infirmity and solve every earthly problem.  He will do that on the last day, but he did not do that when he came the first time.  He came to preach that rich or poor, male or female, slave or free, are all equally loved, and equally blessed by God in baptism, the great equalizer.  Because we have been equally united with him in his death and resurrection through baptism, and all have the same inheritance of eternal life.

But this different Gospel in some of its emphases, such as liberation theology, also teaches that Jesus came to establish his church in order to abolish all distinctions.  And so Jesus becomes a revolutionary, a feminist, a liberator.  Jesus came to overthrow the government and to teach democracy and individual rights.  He came to tell wives they do not need to submit to their husbands.  He came to tell you that if your boss asks you to do more than is reasonable, you can tell him off, or refuse to work.  After all, everyone is equal, and no one is any better than anyone else.

Jesus did not abolish roles and responsibilities in the world.  He still calls some to give orders and others to take them; just as he submits to the Father and just as he submitted to John’s Baptism.  Rather, Jesus has come and said to all nations:  “There is no ‘better’ or ‘worse’ situation to be in in the world, for all are equal by faith in Me.”  

The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many, and he was no less a savior or Son of God on account of his service.  Rather, because he humbled himself, that is why God exalted him.  And yet freely, because his salvation is so needed and so undeserved, people did serve him.  Wise men from the east brought him gifts.  A woman who was a sinner in need of forgiveness washed His feet with her tears.  Simon of Cyrene carried his cross.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took his dead body and respectfully buried it in the tomb, out of nothing but love and kindness.  And the women came to the tomb on the third day to anoint his body with spices.  Their service seems right, and it is.  But their service is not the good news, and it is not why Jesus came.  In fact, in service to Christ, one can end up neglecting that the reason Jesus came was to serve them, not the other way around.

The good news, the gospel, is that the Son of Man came to serve and give his life as a ransom for us.  “Tis better to give than to receive,” this is why Jesus is better than us.  And John knew it, and that is why he faltered for a moment.  But even though Jesus is our king, his Father, is our Father, who loves us no less than him.  In fact, God gave up his only begotten son for us all, how much more will he give us all things when his glory is revealed to us.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD               JANUARY 5, 2025

In the midst of chaos, in the midst of a world gone mad, in the face of great evil that threatens to snuff out all that is true and all who are righteous, in a time when wickedness flourishes and the wicked seem to be unstoppable, the Holy Spirit would draw our eyes away from the darkness and toward the light.

Epiphany is a season of light. An epiphany is a bringing to light of something that is hidden from sight. And what could be more hidden from sight than the divinity of the One who was born in Bethlehem, than the fact that Christ Jesus, even now, is victorious over sin and death and reigns over this world’s darkness for the good of His beloved Church?

For now, turn your thoughts to the visit of the wise men as they were guided by the light to the One who is the light, which is the Epiphany after which this whole season of the church year is named.

We are told that “there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him.’” Where were they from in the East? Who were they and how many? Scripture does not say any more than what Matthew tells us right here. That is because the important thing in this account is not who they were, where they were from, or how many there were. The important thing about them is that they were Gentiles, that is non-Jews, from a foreign land, non-Jews who evidently had access to at least some of the Jewish Scriptures and the understanding to perceive that a special light they had seen in the sky over Judea was the fulfillment of a prophecy about the birth of the King of the Jews. Not just “a” king, but “the” King of the Jews, whose dominion would extend over the Gentiles, too, and whose kingdom would reach to the ends of the earth.

Maybe it was Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24 that they had seen: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel…Out of Jacob One shall have dominion.” Or maybe it was Isaiah’s prophecy that you heard just a little while ago about the glory of the Lord rising upon the land of Israel, and how Gentiles and kings would walk in their light, bringing treasures of gold and incense and declaring the praises of the Lord.

In any case, the wise men revealed themselves to be men who believed that God is real and that He acts in the world. They were men who believed the Old Testament was reliable, so reliable that they were willing to make the long journey to the foreign land of Israel, convinced that a special child had been born there. They were men who believed that that child was worthy of their treasures and of their worship, acknowledging Him as God in the flesh. And they were men who believed that that child had come to bring light to this dark world and a place in His kingdom, for any and all who believed in Him, that He would combine Jews and Gentiles into one great kingdom, made up of all who kneel before Him in faith.

The star they followed was no ordinary star. It appeared for a while, whether at or before the birth of Jesus, we do not know. And then it disappeared as they journeyed. So they headed toward Jerusalem, the royal city of the Jews, thinking that the King had to be found there, surely expecting that all Israel would be celebrating the birth of the King. But all they found was a city going about their business as usual, and wicked King Herod, who had no idea that the prophesied King had been born. From their description, he knew they must be talking about THE King, the Christ. So he called in the priests to find out where the Christ was to be born, and they quickly cited the passage in Micah chapter 5 identifying His birthplace as Bethlehem. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah…Out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

Instead of celebrating the birth of the King, instead of giving thanks to God for revealing His birth to them through these Gentiles, Herod and all Jerusalem were “troubled” at the news. They had grown too accustomed to a world without obvious divine intervention. They had made peace, to some degree, with their political situation under the Romans. They had begun to view life on earth from a purely humanistic, secular perspective, even as they outwardly practiced their religion. Their faith in the God of Israel had become an empty shell.

And so their reaction to the wise men’s visit and the revelation of the birth of Christ ranged from apathy, to fear, to hostility. Neither the scribes nor the people of Jerusalem nor King Herod felt like accompanying the wise men to find or to worship the newborn King of the Jews. Some apparently did not care; others were surely frightened of their own government, afraid to be found worshiping the King of the Jews because of what they already suspected King Herod would do to them if they did; and we know from the verses we considered last Sunday how hostile Herod actually was to this child. This is how the Jews reacted to news of the birth of their own King.

Such a contrast with the reaction of the Gentile wise men! As soon as they learned where the child was to be born, they headed straight for Bethlehem. It did not matter to them that Bethlehem was an insignificant little town. Nor did it matter how uninterested everyone else seemed to be in worshiping this child. They were convinced that He was worthy of their worship, and so they went.

And suddenly the star reappeared and led them straight to the house where Jesus was. Again, no ordinary star or planet, but a miraculous light, an epiphany from God which only these men perceived. They arrived. They found Jesus, and Mary. They fell down and worshiped Him. And they presented him with their treasures of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Because He was worthy of their worship, worthy to receive their treasures, worthy to be praised, because of who He is: true God and true Man; and because of what He would do: make atonement for the sins of the world and welcome all sinners, of every race, into His kingdom of grace, by calling them, through the Gospel, to repentance and to faith in Him.

That light of Christ, that light of the Gospel about Christ still shines in the darkness of this world, a darkness that has always been there and is only getting darker. And people react to the light now the same way they did 2,000 years ago. Some, including many Christians who should know better, have become apathetic, indifferent toward it. Others are too governed by fear to seek it. Others are hostile toward it. But a few are like the wise men, who know that the Scriptures are reliable, who know that Jesus is the Christ, who believe in His promise to unite all who seek Him into a Church that may well appear ravaged in this world, and unsophisticated, and backward, but a Church that, in reality, is the beautiful, brilliantly shining Bride of Christ, a Church that even now holds out the light of Christ to the world, and that will one day have its own epiphany, when the sons of God are revealed in glory.

The marks of the Church are the star and the light that Christians must now follow to Christ: the Gospel rightly preached and the Sacraments rightly administered. Where those marks are seen, that is where Christians should go, for there they can be sure that Christ and His Church will be found. And when they find Him, they will find a Savior who is worthy of their worship, both because of who He is, and because of the grace He has given and promises to give.

So whom will you imitate when confronted by that light? The apathetic? The fearful? Those who are hostile toward Christ? Or the wise men? May God grant you to imitate those wise men: their faith, their joy in being guided by God to Christ, and to God through Christ, and their humble worship of Him who was born to be King of the Jews and of all who put their trust in Him.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS          DECEMBER 29, 2024

When St. Paul says that God sent His Son in the fullness of time, he is not simply saying that it was the perfect time in human history to send Jesus. It was that you really could not pick a better time. St. Paul’s missionary journeys prove this: the whole known world was under Roman control; the Greek language was spoken everywhere; Paul could go through all Turkey, through Thrace, through Macedonia, through Greece, all the way to Rome and he could even have gone to Spain, and speak the same language the entire time with no need for an interpreter or a passport. You cannot do that today and you could not do that at any other time in history. It was the perfect time for the spread of the Good News to the nations. But that, again, is not all St. Paul is saying. Nor is it simply that all the prophecies are now fulfilled. Though again, this is true, hundreds of prophecies, detailing Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem, his virgin birth, the kind of death he would die, are all fulfilled in this fullness of time. Israel itself is fulfilled, all its laws, all its ceremonies, its temple, its sacrifices, its reason for existing, all of it. But not even this fully explains these beautiful words, “the fullness of time.” It is not that God had to wait for the fullness of time to become a man, it is that God becoming a man makes the fullness of time. It is why time exists, why the world exists, why you exist. God becoming a man is why human history took the course it did up to Jesus’ birth and why it has taken the course it has since his birth. Time may be linear, that is, you can map it from the beginning when God created all things, through to the flood and then on to Abraham and then on to Moses and then on to Jesus and then on to us in the modern day, and finally to the last day. But God, the Creator of time, God who lives outside of time, marks time’s fullness from His entering into it, and becoming subject to it, this is part of what it means that He is born under the law, the God who is outside the laws of nature, because He created nature, subjects Himself to these laws too, including time and space and growth, as he lies a little baby in Bethlehem. All time before this fullness feeds into it, and all time after it flows from it.

Simeon knows this. It is why you find him singing to a baby in the Temple. Most of us have sung to a baby. But instead of a lullaby or a hymn sung to comfort a crying child, Simeon addresses this six-week old in his arms as Lord. He calls himself this baby’s servant. Simeon is not looking into heaven when he says, Lord. He is looking at that baby. His prayer is not directed to God up there, it is directed to God in his arms. That is what the fullness of time means. It is when the fullness of God dwells in the little body of Jesus that the fullness of time has come. And though this is so cosmic, so far-reaching that Simeon has to sing about the Light of the Gentiles, that this baby is Savior of the whole world, it is also very personally directed to Simeon. The Holy Spirit led him there, he holds that baby in his arms, his eyes see his salvation.

You are to see yourself in Simeon. You should not think of Simeon as someone so saintly that you cannot compare. He is the picture of the Christian. He is not a prophet. The Gospel says nothing of that. He is not a priest either. He is a pious man waiting for Jesus to come. What is so extraordinary about that? This is the definition of faithful, of devout, of Christian, to wait for the coming of Jesus. And Simeon’s waiting is not like Anna’s, where she is day and night in the Temple. There is nothing like that said about Simeon. There is nothing in the Bible about how old Simeon was. Simeon could very well have been young, married, with children, with a job, and all the regular tasks and concerns of life that you have. Most pictures, though, depict him as old and towards the end of his life; hanging on to this mortal coil only by the promise from Yahweh that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. There are some scholars that say he was around 200 years old!  But above everything, he is a Christian, waiting to see the promise of God fulfilled before his eyes, waiting to see salvation and hold it in his hands, looking forward to going to the Temple and seeing his salvation.

And that is you, that is the Christian. You are not monks, you are not nuns, and you are certainly not unaffected by cares at work, worries at home, sin in your conscience, death in your body, and neither was Simeon. But when Simeon held that baby he saw life, so that he was ready to die, and he saw salvation, so that no sin could oppress his conscience and no fear of hell and God’s punishment could torment his soul. Because that baby in his arms had not come to threaten him or punish him. He had come as He said, weak and lowly, to bear away Simeon’s death and sin and open the way to everlasting life. And this is how He comes to you. He comes in his body and his blood not to condemn or threaten, but to forgive and give life and salvation.

This is why Simeon applies his experience universally, to you. He says, “This child will be for the fall and the rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign that is spoken against. He will reveal the thoughts of hearts.” When faced with this Jesus, the world faces a crisis. You can either do as Simeon did, welcome Him into your arms, humble yourself, and admit you need this little baby, that He is your salvation and your peace before God, or this little baby will be a sign of offense. There is no middle way. He who is not with me is against me, Jesus says. And he who does not gather with me, scatters. This is the universal relevance of Christmas. This is the fullness of time.

And it must be this way. Because God became a baby. God walked on this earth. The eternal Creator. He breathed this air in His lungs. Simeon held his little body in his arms. He grew up in Nazareth. He preached and taught and performed miracles and then suffered torture and death on a cross. He rose again the third day. What do you think of Him? He cannot be ignored. He says He comes to bear your sin. He says you need Him. That He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one goes to the Father except through Him. He offers eternal life to all who trust in Him. He gives peace to the pained conscience, He gives meaning to lives that seem useless and futile. He reveals the thoughts of the Christian heart: yes, I am a sinner; yes, I have wasted so much time; yes, I have obsessed over the most useless things, and I confess it all, vanity, vanity, all is vanity, except this baby in Simeon’s arms, there is no vanity there, except the body and the blood placed into your mouth. Here is life. There is no wasted time here. Here is to know God, to know His love, to know you are a son and an heir of your Father through His Son Jesus Christ your Lord, that you have access to the ear of God, that He hears your prayers, that you do not have to slave and work like a servant to win his favor, because your Lord Jesus has won His favor for you, He has given you His Spirit, made you a child of His Father in your Baptism. This is what Simeon means when he says that Jesus will be the rising, the resurrection, of many.

But he will also be the ruin of many. Jesus did not come to ruin. He came to save. But those who reject Him ruin themselves. And again, the thoughts of hearts are revealed. What do you think of this Jesus? That you do not need Him? That you never asked God to become a man and bear your sin? That you don’t believe it? That your sin does not require that kind of sacrifice? The unbelief of man does not determine reality. The truth is the truth regardless of the judgment of sinners against their Creator. Let God be true and every man a liar. In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.

We were all, as St. Paul says, under the law. That means under the law’s condemnation. The law requires perfection of you. To love God above all things and to love each other as yourselves. Countless religions tried to come out from under the law. The Jews tried, the pagans tried. They obeyed rules upon rules. They sacrificed and they worked. But none of it could stop the law’s accusation, you are not good enough for God, you cannot call Him your Father, you have not behaved like a son. The law always throws the slave out of the house. He cannot inherit with the children. But then the true Son steps in. The Son of the Father. He comes in the fullness of time. Born of a woman. Born under the law. He takes all the law’s accusations on Himself. He cries out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” He bears it all for us, to redeem us, to make us sons. Because if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The time after Christmas is known as the most depressing time of the year. Did you know that? More suicides, more depression than any other time. It has something to do with being the middle of winter. But it has more to do with the obvious vanity of it all. The good times pass so quick. Christmas is gone. The gifts you looked forward to once again did not give you the lasting pleasure you thought they might. The family came, but it was not like old times. And once again the age old proverb proves itself – vanity, vanity, all is vanity. What is this life about anyway?

And that is why you need to remember that Christmas has ushered in the fullness of time. Let Jesus expose the thoughts of your hearts. All the sin, all the unfulfilled hopes, all the feelings of emptiness, all the continued expectations for the future in this sinful world, all the vanity. And let Jesus fill you with thoughts of Himself. There is no vanity with Jesus. No emptiness. Only fullness. Pure love for You from God Himself. Adoption into the family of heaven. Sins erased. Enmity and bitterness broken down. An eternal future, fullness of time that has no end. Perfect peace and contentment. The Spirit of God living in you. His angels watching over you. That is what Christmas means.

Simeon, by the way, did not believe because he saw. It is not like Jesus was shining in his arms as He does 30-ish years late when He was transfigured on that mountain. There was nothing special about this baby on the outside. His parents were poor. They offer a couple pigeons for Mary’s purification, because they could not afford a lamb. The baby was only a baby to the eyes. Simeon confesses, “My eyes have seen your salvation” not because his eyes see some wonder, but because he believes God’s Word, that this baby, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, is Immanuel, God-with-us. And the same holds true for you. When you sing Simeon’s song after partaking of the very body and blood of your savior, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word,” you are making the same confession, that you have seen and you have tasted common things, but your eyes have seen salvation; and God in the flesh has touched your lips. Therefore you have peace, you have salvation, for you to live is Christ and to die is gain, because then you will be with Him. And so you are ready for anything time brings, anything the New Year brings, for death, for life, because you are God’s children, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and this is His world, His time, and He is yours and you are His.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHRISTMAS DAY                          DECEMBER 25, 2024

Think back to when it was time to begin planning for the church’s annual children’s Christmas program. You know how the events unfolded. Several boys will be conscripted to wear bathrobes and pretend that they know something about shepherds. A dozen girls will gleefully volunteer to be angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. Crepe paper and glitter will be combined to create colorful crowns for the magi who will undoubtedly sing off-key. Others will be drafted to join the ranks of choirs who through the ages have memorized the lyrics to O Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Joy to the World. Then, to unleash the church’s greatest controversy since the outdoor picnic was rained out, a boy and a girl will be chosen to play Joseph and Mary. Add to this cast a newborn baby, an innkeeper, a few straggly sheep and presto! The program will be just about ready to launch!

But one important component is still missing. Who will the church get to direct the pageant? After a thorough search, a director is “specially selected” and then given this mandate, “Keep the bathrobes one color, make sure everyone remembers their lines, and please, no angels with crooked halos this year!” Six weeks of rehearsals and costume making will lead up to the night of nights. Anticipation will fill the air! The unstated goal is that after everyone reverently sings Silent Night they will return home saying, “This year’s program was the best yet!”

Should we expect anything less from Matthew’s Christmas pageant? Why, if anyone can pull this off without a hitch it will be an organized and efficient tax accountant like Matthew!

Looking at his genealogy, we are amazed! Matthew begins by impressively organizing his presentation of Jesus by employing three groups of fourteen (Matthew 1:17). In all likelihood, Matthew’s three by fourteen pattern is a play on the name of David, whose Hebrew consonants daleth waw daleth add up to fourteen (daleth = four, waw = six). This indicates that Jesus is the Davidic son, three times over! Quite impressive theology!

Studying his gospel more broadly, we see that Matthew plans to perfectly structure his narrative to highlight our Lord’s five teaching blocks which are 5:1–7:29; 8:1–11:1; 11:2–13:58; 14:1–19:1; and 19:2–26:1. “The old timers will love it,” we exclaim with great joy. “They will be reminded of Moses’s five-part book that we affectionately call the Pentateuch.” With great anticipation the church meeting concludes on this high note. “If anyone is going to direct a ‘lights out’ Christmas presentation it is going to be Matthew!”

But at the next meeting we look at Matthew’s genealogy with greater scrutiny. Within moments the committee is shell-shocked. Matthew has placed four huge eyesores into the program! Their names are Tamar in verse 3, Rahab and Ruth in verse 5, and a certain “wife of Uriah” of will not be named in verse 6. How dare Matthew go against the conventional wisdom of the day by letting women into his genealogy! One committee member sighs in frustration, “Well! If he has to include women, why not invoke the names of our three lovely matriarchs—Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel?” Another person adds this caustic critique, “Does Matthew not remember that lineage is traced through men, not women? And that the function of a genealogy is to give solemn honor to the final descendant, Jesus? Matthew breaks both of these time-honored rules!” A vote is taken and it is unanimous. Stop the presses!

The chairman then asks the inevitable question, “Who picked Matthew to direct this program in the first place?”

Someone grabs a Bible and reads from Matthew 9:9, “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” The room becomes quiet enough to hear a pin drop! The reading continues with these words of Jesus, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba demonstrate how God chooses “what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” and how he chooses “what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Their presence in Christ’s lineage foreshadows Jesus’s love for other outcasts like a Roman centurion’s servant in chapter 8 and a Canaanite woman’s daughter in chapter 15.

At the heart of Matthew’s genealogy is this grand gospel. Jesus loves people who are victims as well as perpetrators of family dysfunction and deceit (Tamar); who feel used and worthless (Rahab); who bury loved ones and endure the pain of leaving their homeland (Ruth); and who are used by others for pleasure only to witness the death of so many dreams (Bathsheba). In the end, these four women’s lives are amazing testimonies to what Joseph told his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

So Matthew knew what he was doing all along! Could this be the reason he includes this saying of Jesus, twice? “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30; 20:16). Matthew adds a fifth woman to his genealogy—Mary.

Mary also knew about this good news that turns everything upside down. In Luke 1:52 she sings of her God, “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.” Just like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, Mary’s life began with extreme disgrace and angst. “She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:18–19). But Mary’s life was vindicated. She became the very Mother of Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14).

Matthew’s Christmas genealogy prepares us to follow his gospel and revel in the multitude of his messages of grace. Jesus chooses fishermen instead of Pharisees, sinners instead of Sadducees, and whores instead of Herodians. Climactically, Jesus chooses thorns for his crown instead of silver and gold, and spit and blood instead of sweetness, incense, and light. His choices lead to torment and torture and darkness and death.

This led to the greatest shock of all. “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:5–6). Jesus is Life overriding death and making all things new. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Matthew 21:42; cf. Psalm 118:22–23).

Let’s face it. Try as we might, our Christmas pageants at church are never exactly perfect. Isaiah 9:2 may be misquoted, the babe’s swaddling clothes may slip off at the most inopportune moment, the Christmas tree may remind us of Charlie Brown’s sorry-looking stick, and the inn keeper may forget his lines, again! That is okay.

Let it remind you of how Matthew introduces Jesus. It is not with glitter and Hollywood glitz. There are no fireworks or fine pedigrees. Matthew des not incorporate the kind of people who are finalists on American Idol. Instead, Matthew selects four broken and outcast women, who in so many ways, are just like us. No wonder he records this stunning promise just after his genealogy; “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Thank God for annual Christmas pageants. Thank God all the more for the one inspired by the Holy Spirit and penned by a man named Matthew. Merry Christmas! Amen.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHRISTMAS EVE DECEMBER 24, 2024

Who is Jesus? That is the question we are asking this Advent, using Matthew 1 to guide us. Who is Jesus? It is the most important question that we can ever ask. Who is Jesus? Some say Jesus is a therapist. He helps us cope with life’s problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves. Some say Jesus is a coffee lover. He drinks fair-trade coffee at Starbucks, loves spiritual conversations, drives a hybrid, and goes to film festivals. Some say Jesus is a coach. He helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of Super Bowls. Some say Jesus is a hippie. He teaches everyone to give peace a chance, imagines a world without religion, and helps us remember that “all you need is love.” Some say Jesus is a spiritual guru. He hates religion, churches, pastors, priests, and doctrine, and would rather have people out in nature, finding “the god within.” Some say Jesus is a revolutionary. He teaches us to rebel against the status quo, stick it to the man, and blame things on “the system.” Some say Jesus is a good example. He shows us how to help people and change the planet.

And then there is the real Jesus, the biblical Jesus, the Jesus of Matthew 1. Matthew 1 announces that Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Son of Solomon. Tonight we see that Jesus is the Son of Mary.

Matthew 1:17, “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.” Matthew summarizes biblical history in three sets of fourteens, or six sevens. Now, if you are a Hebrew reader, a story cannot end with six sevens. That is not a complete story. There must be another scene, another part. You need a seventh seven. This is a genealogy, and a story, that lacks an ending. That is Matthew’s point.

Who is Jesus? Jesus ushers in the final act in God’s plan of salvation. Jesus brings our story to completion. How does He do this? His two names connected to Mary complete everything that is lacking in our lives. Jesus is our Seventh Seven!

Matthew 1:18, “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Mary conceives Jesus through the Holy Spirit. You remember. At first Joseph is hesitant to believe it. We cannot blame him! So God sends an angel who speaks to Joseph in a dream. Joseph is convinced. His anxiety is gone. Joseph believes the unbelievable.

Joseph chooses to trust God and love Mary. The two now live together and share a home. This will most certainly raise some eyebrows in their hometown of Nazareth. Busybodies standing on the street corner will assume that Joseph and Mary conceived the child during their engagement instead of waiting to be married. “The nerve of those two!” Nazareth was a very small town, it had only about 2,000 people living there, so gossip of this sort would travel quickly.

Matthew continues, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). “Jesus” is the English form of the Hebrew name, “Joshua.” It means “Yahweh (the LORD) saves.” The child’s name is Joshua, or Jesus, because this Son will save his people from their sins. Jesus will forgive all sin: lock, stock, and barrel!

And we need it! Oh God, do we need it! We are so incomplete without it! We have economic problems. Yet, if all our economic problems vanished today, our lives still would not be perfect. If all our political problems vanished today, our lives still would not be perfect. If all our psychological problems vanished today or all our family problems or all our health problems were solved, our lives would still be empty and lack completion.

Who are we? We are people who need to be saved from our sins. That is because, contrary to what most of us think most of the time, we are not Superman or Superwoman. We cannot save ourselves. There is an old Pogo cartoon from 1971 that hits the nail on the head. “I have met the enemy and he is me!” Every political, social, or psychological problem is the result of our fallen condition. That is why Jesus did not come as an economist, a sociologist, or as a family therapist. His name is Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins.”

I experience joy and peace when I recognize that I cannot bring my life to a successful conclusion. I just can’t. And I have tried. My biggest problem is me, and so I need a Savior to rescue me from my sins. If we come to Jesus for any other reason, maybe we hope he will make us popular or successful, we will be disappointed. Jesus has more important problems to solve than our unpopularity or our failures. Those are just symptoms. Jesus lays down his life to save us from the sin alienating us from God and from each other and threatening to destroy us.

Jesus, the Son of Mary, is our Savior. Jesus is not another prophet; another rabbi; another wonder-worker. Jesus was the one they had been waiting for. The one to complete God’s story of salvation; to deliver his people from exile; to establish God’s reign and rule; to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, freedom to the prisoners, and proclaim Good News to the poor; to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is our Seventh Seven!

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22–23). “God with us” is what Matthew’s Gospel is all about. It appears here, in the beginning. Then in the middle, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). And then in Matthew’s last verse. Jesus says in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus, the Son of Mary, is not only our Savior from sin. Jesus, the Son of Mary, is Immanuel God with us, up close and personal. Immanuel is also God in us and God behind us and Immanuel is God going before us. Jesus is God, up close and personal, entering our muck and mire, our chaos and our deep confusion.

We see it most profoundly on the day of deepest darkness. On that day we all grabbed hold of Immanuel, nailed him to a cross and cried out, “Leave us alone!” To this day, our every sin demands just that: for us to be left alone by God, forever. On the other side of Good Friday, though, Immanuel lives! There was the cradle and there was the cross. But, conquering death, Immanuel now wears the crown.

Jesus, God with us, completes our story! Jesus fulfilled the commandments, and Jesus reversed the curse. Jesus has come to crush the serpent’s head; be our Great High Priest; be Isaiah’s Suffering Servant; Jeremiah’s Righteous Branch; Daniel’s Son of Man; Amos’s Roaring Lion; Haggai’s Desire of all the nations; Zechariah’s King riding on a donkey; and Malachi’s Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings. Jesus is God predicted through the prophets and prepared for through John the Baptist.

Jesus, the Son of Mary, our Savior and our Immanuel is not a figment of our imagination or the projection of our own desires. Jesus is the Lord our God. Jesus is the Savior of the world, and the substitute for all our sin. Jesus is more loving, more holy, and more wonderfully merciful than we ever thought possible.

Every last bit of God’s forgiveness, grace and love are packaged and delivered to us in two marvelous Hebrew names: Jesus and Immanuel. He is our Seventh Seven. He completes your life, your story, and these names are his Christmas gifts for you, forevermore! Amen.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT           DECEMBER 22, 2024

Our task on this Sunday before Christmas, which is our final preparation to celebrate the birth of Christ and to receive the coming Christ rightly, is to meditate on the words of St. John the Baptist, the prophet sent by God to prepare the people of Israel for the arrival of His Son.  God sends his voice to us today, to prepare us, too, not just for the coming Christ, but for the Christ who is among us even now.

Of course, John did not prepare anyone for Jesus’ birth, except maybe his mother Elizabeth as he leaped for joy in her womb when the newly-pregnant Virgin Mary came to visit her.  But fast-forward about thirty years, and there was John, doing the work God gave him to do, on the banks of the Jordan River: preparing people for the public revealing of Jesus as the Christ.  By this time, the events in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth had been all but forgotten, and the baby who was born there had disappeared from the scene for a while.  The disturbance in Jerusalem over the coming of the Wise Men and the birth of the Christ had long since faded from the minds of the Jews.  And that was by design, for the time of the Messiah’s public revelation had not yet come.

But that was all about to change.  Enter this prophet named John.  He is wearing clothes made of camel’s hair, he wears a leather belt around his waist, and his food consists of locusts and wild honey.  He does not fit in; but he is not trying to fit in.  He has been given a direct call from God to preach repentance, to preach baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and to proclaim the arrival of the Christ.

Repentance is neatly described for us in our Lutheran confessions, based on Biblical usage.  “This is what true repentance means.  Here a person needs to hear something like this, “You are all of no account, whether you are obvious sinners or saints in your own opinions.  You have to become different from what you are now.  You have to act differently than you are now acting, whether you are as great, wise, powerful, and holy as you can be.  Here no one is godly…” (Smalcald Articles Part III, Article III:3)   John was to accuse all people and convict them of being sinners.  This is so they could know what they are before God and acknowledge that they are lost.  It was so they could be prepared for the Lord; to be prepared to receive grace and to expect from Him the forgiveness of sins.

This is the true preparation for the coming of Christ: to recognize that we are not good enough to win heaven or to avoid hell, no matter who we are or how good and decent a person we think we may be.  We need a Savior, and not a 50% or a 90% Savior, but a 100% Savior who will bear all our sins by Himself and who will provide 100% of the goodness and decency we need to stand before God.

That Savior is coming!, declared John.  And then finally, one day, that Savior came.  He walked right up to John at the banks of the Jordan River and asked to be baptized.  Then He went off by Himself again for 40 days to be tempted in the wilderness.  That is when our Gospel account takes place, right at the end of those 40 days.  During those 40 days, John’s message had shifted.  He was still preaching repentance, and he was still preaching baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  But his message had changed from, “Christ is coming!,” to “Christ is here!”

And that finally got the attention of the Jewish leaders.  They sent a delegation to John, which we heard about in today’s Gospel, to ask him just who he was claiming to be.  Apparently their first question to him was, “Are you the Christ?”  The Gospel writer tells us that John the Baptist denied that claim in no uncertain terms.  

“Are you Elijah?”  In other words, “Are you literally the prophet Elijah who has come back from the dead?”  John denied being that Elijah, even though he was the figurative Elijah that Malachi had prophesied about and who would come to prepare the way for the Christ – the one who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, as the angel Gabriel had foretold to John’s father Zechariah in Luke 1:17.

“Are you the Prophet?”  With this question the Jewish delegation may have been referring to the Prophet Moses had spoken about in Deuteronomy 18:15, when he said, “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.”  John denied being that Prophet, even though Jesus would later declare that John was, indeed, a prophet, “and more than a prophet.” (Matt. 11:9).          

“Who are you, then?”, they asked.  He answered, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”  In other words, John claimed to be no one special in and of himself.  He, like all true prophets of God, knew that and freely confessed it.  “I am no one.  I do not matter.  And yet you should listen to me, because when you hear my voice, it is really the voice of God you are hearing, for He sent me.  I am not just any voice, but the voice of the Lord crying out to you.  He wants you to hear me when I call you to repentance, so that you do acknowledge and turn from your sins.  He wants you to hear me announcing the grace of the coming Christ, so that you do let yourself be baptized, so that you do trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  And He wants you to recognize me, John, as the very one whom the prophet Isaiah said would come ahead of the Lord.”

And that is how it is with all the prophets and apostles and pastors who point to Christ.  We are no one special, and we know it better than anyone, at least, we should.  People should not follow us or join or stay at or leave a church because of us.  But people should listen to us, not because we are anything special, but because God has sent us so that you may hear His voice through our voice as we point you to Christ.  And that, by the way, is the only thing any pastor should be doing: pointing people to Christ and His holy gifts.  Nothing else.

That is exactly what John did.  The delegation sent from the Pharisees wanted to write John off.  “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”  But John just kept pointing his finger away from himself, even away from his divinely appointed task to baptize penitent believers.  He pointed only to the One who made his baptism valid.  He pointed to the One from whose name baptism derives its power.  He pointed no longer to the coming Christ; he was now pointing to the Christ who has come.  “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

A better translation might be this: “It is He who, coming after me, is ahead of me.”  Now that Jesus has been revealed in His baptism, His teaching and His ministry have overtaken that of John.  From now on, John will decrease, and Jesus will increase.  From now on, John will be sending his disciples away to follow Jesus.

That is the faithful prophet that John was given to be. Always pointing away from himself, and always and only directing the people to Christ.  He is the reason why we should repent.  He is the One in whom we believe.  He stood in the midst of the Jewish people for a time, but most of them did not know Him.

And this same Jesus now stands in our midst. He stands there in a different but equally significant way.  He stands here in His Church, in His Word, in His Sacrament.  He will not deal with you directly, as He did when He walked the earth at the time of John, at least not until He comes again in glory.  Instead, He has instituted this office of the holy ministry to deal with you through the voice of His called servants.

This is where you find Him until He comes again.  Not in your heart.  Not under your Christmas tree.  Not sitting at the table with your family.  Here.  Here He gives Himself to you.  Here He speaks to you with His voice.  Here He is, the one whose sandals even the great prophet John was unworthy to untie.  Here He is, lavishing His forgiveness on you and into you, as the benefits of His death for your sin are delivered in His Word and Sacraments.

Hear His voice today and every Lord’s Day.  And come to the Christ-Mass and spend it with Him this Tuesday and Wednesday.  Here you will find Him, lying in the manger of His Word, offering to you again His body and blood, born of the Virgin Mary, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.  This is where Jesus will be on Christmas, and every time we gather here, to help and to save you, and to hear and accept your songs of praise and worship.

Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Third Sunday in Advent                             December 15, 2024

Who is John the Baptist? Well, two prophets in the Old Testament prophesied of him hundreds of years before he was born! Isaiah the prophet calls him a voice crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40). Malachi calls John, Elijah the prophet, who will prepare for the day of the Lord by turning hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). The angel Gabriel, the very same angel, who announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary, also announced the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah. The angel said that John will be great before the Lord; that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb; that he would turn the hearts of fathers to their children and make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:14-16) 

And then, John’s father Zechariah, being filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesies to his son John at his circumcision saying, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sun shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:67, 76-79). And Jesus Christ himself calls John more than a prophet (Matthew 11:9) and even the greatest of those born of women. This is how the Holy Spirit, prophets, angels, priests, and our Lord Jesus himself speak of John, the greatest of all prophets and men!  

And what about John? Did he do these great things which God, angels, and the greatest of men proclaimed him to do? He certainly did. The Spirit of God drove John into the wilderness and the Word of God came out of John’s mouth. John spoke with fire and brimstone without fear. He told everyone, whether they were hated tax-collectors and sinners or feared and honored Pharisees and scribes to repent for the kingdom of God was coming. He called them brood of vipers and told them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Yet, John also preached the Gospel. In full confidence, he proclaimed that Jesus who came after him was before him. He confessed him to be his God and Redeemer. John willingly lost disciples by pointing to Jesus and proclaiming, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) And his disciples left him for Jesus (John 1:35-37).  

John was the greatest preacher who ever lived. He was the greatest prophet too! While Isaiah and Malachi announced the coming of the Christ and longed to see it, John saw Jesus with his own eyes and correctly identified him as the Christ and Savior of the world!

John was the greatest man ever born. Jesus himself says so. John had a stronger faith and more confidence in Christ than anyone. He is the best. He is better than you and me; do not even try to deny it. Yet, John sits in prison. And hearing of the wonderful works of Christ, he sends a couple disciples to ask Jesus an important question. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  

How can this be? How can such a question come from John’s mouth? Prophets proclaimed that John would be the one to identify Christ. An angel of the Lord declared that John would prepare the way for Christ. John spoke by the Holy Spirit. He had already many times proclaimed Jesus to be the one to come, without wavering, without fear, without doubt. John is not a reed shaking in the wind. He is the greatest prophet of all time. The strongest Christian. How could he ask such a question! 

This is indeed a controversy among those who study the Bible. Some say, that although John is the greatest, he was still only a man, and every man doubts. No faith is perfect. No faith never wavers. And John, in his final hour, as his faith was put through its greatest test, as he saw death itself close in on him, needed to hear from Christ’s own mouth whether what he had been preaching was true. Is Jesus really the Christ?  

The other side, which includes some of the greatest teachers of the Bible, say that John did not doubt. Martin Luther preached that John did nothing else than what he had done his entire ministry. He pointed the way to Jesus. As John sat in prison, he said to his disciples, “Why are you still following me. I have pointed the way to Christ. Go and ask Him yourself if he is the Christ. Hear with your own ears, and follow Him!”  

Now, it certainly is true that John is pointing his disciples to Christ Jesus, as he had done his entire ministry. He wants his disciples to follow Jesus. And soon they will. Soon they will bury John’s decapitated body in a tomb, and follow the one to whom John pointed, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.  

Yet, it is also important to note, that Jesus does not just preach to John’s disciples. Rather, he says to them, “Go, tell John.” Go, tell John. Go, preach to John this message, Jesus is saying. Jesus wants John, the greatest preacher, the greatest prophet, the greatest man, to hear a sermon from his own disciples. A sermon about Jesus.  

And this goes to show, that there is no Christian, no preacher, not even a prophet or one greater, who does not need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John, who is better than you or I, whose faith was stronger than ours, needed to hear the message of Jesus. Yes, indeed, John sent his disciples for their own sake; so that they would hear Jesus and follow him. Yet, John too needed to hear Jesus. He needed to be comforted in his darkest hour.  

And listen to the sermon Jesus sends these disciples of John to preach. Jesus does not say, “Yes, I am the Christ.” although, he certainly could have said that! Instead, he says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” What is the meaning of this sermon? Jesus is telling John to look and see how he himself has fulfilled the scriptures. In Isaiah 61, the prophet prophesies of Christ, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,” and again in chapter 35, “Then  the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”  

Jesus does not simply tell John that he is the Christ. He points to what he is doing, and says, “What do the Scriptures say? What did the prophets prophesy? How did they say you would know that the Christ had arrived? The blind will see. The mute will speak. The crippled will walk. Look at what I am doing. Look at what Scripture promises. See that I am fulfilling it!” 

Here, Jesus teaches us that the household of God is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone, as Ephesians 4 declares. The holy Scriptures, teach us who Christ is. This gives us Christians assurance even today. Read the Old Testament and read the New Testament. See how everything prophesied in the Old is fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the New. See how everything Jesus does in the New was prophesied in the Old. The scriptures remain the guide to all preachers and all Christians. If we reject the authority and certainty of the Scriptures, then we lose our confidence in Christ. But Jesus uses the authority and reliability of the Scripture to comfort John in his darkest hour.  

Why did Jesus tell John’s disciples to go tell John this message? Because John needed it. Yes, John preached the gospel without wavering. Yes, John’s faith was strong. But John still needed to hear the Gospel. He still needed to be comforted by him, who comforts the world. And this teaches us an important message about pastors. The message pastors preach to their people is also meant for them. When a pastor preaches the law and calls sinners to repentance, he preaches the law to himself. Pastors need to repent of their sins and try to love others as they do themselves. And when a pastor preaches the Gospel, the free forgiveness of sins won by Christ Jesus and given to all through faith, the pastor preaches to himself. He needs to hear this message. He needs to believe that Jesus forgives him, that God will not remember his sins, but declares him righteous for Christ’s sake.  

This also teaches us that every one of us needs to continue to be instructed in the word of God. We all have a lot to learn. John the Baptist knew more than any of you or me. He was the greatest, the best preacher, the best theologian. Yet, he needed to be instructed in the words of Scripture. He needed to be taught that Jesus fulfills the Scripture and comes to save. Even after he baptized his hundreds and thousands and preached so confidently the coming of Christ, John still needed to sit at Jesus’ knee, so to say, and listen to Jesus’ words even from the mouths of those whom he taught.  

You are not better than John the Baptist. Nor am I. John had a stronger faith than any of us. He preached better than me. He understood who Christ was. Yet, he needed Christ to preach to him. And so do you. John sat in prison waiting for his death. He had faith in Jesus, as is evident by him sending his disciples to Jesus. Yet, he also needed his faith strengthened. He needed to be comforted. Do you need your faith to be strengthened? Do you need to be comforted? You certainly do. Do you not have trials you must face? Do you not have sins for which you are ashamed? Does life not drag you down? Is your body not failing? Do doubts not arise in your mind? Have you not suffered loss? Are you better than John that you do not need this comfort, this teaching?  

No. We all need to be taught. We all need to be comforted. We need to hear what Jesus has done. That he caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear; the mute to speak and the lame to walk; that he speaks good news to us; news of forgiveness; news of salvation. We need to hear again how Jesus died for us and has risen to the Father to plead for our salvation. We need to hear that the Father accepts Jesus’ sacrifice and that he has covered our sins in his blood.  

And this is the most comforting message of all. This is the message that brought St. Paul to declare, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice.” even as he sat in prison. And so, this message can give you comfort no matter what temporary trial you must endure on this earth.  

John is the greatest of those born of women. Do not call Jesus a liar. Yet, the least in the kingdom is greater than he. The least in the kingdom of heaven is Jesus, who made himself a servant, so that he could save us from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. And John, the greatest born of women, needed the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven. And so do we. We need to be comforted by the same Christ who comforted John. We need to be taught by him, who strengthened John to die in the faith. There is no such thing as a faith too strong. There is no one, who does not need to hear what Jesus has done. You do not know enough. Rather, like John, the greatest preacher ever, we need to continue to hear Jesus preached. Only Jesus could comfort John in his death. And only Jesus can give us comfort today and forever.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second Mid-Week Advent Service          December 11, 2024

More attention has been given to Jesus; more devotion has been given to Jesus; more adoration has been given to Jesus; more opposition has been given to Jesus than any other person—ever. Every recorded word that Jesus said has been sifted, analyzed, scrutinized, debated—every word. More than all of the kings and queens, philosophers and scientists put together. After 2,000 years, there is never one minute on earth that millions are not studying what Jesus said. Think about it—really think about it. Here is a person who lived in a tiny land two millennia ago, yet his birth divides the centuries—AD, BC—before Christ and Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. Even CE and BCE that are used to try to erase Christ still use that moment in time to make the change between to the two labels.

Just who is this person? Just who is Jesus? That is the question we are asking during this Advent Season. Who is Jesus? Matthew is our guide. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). Question. Who is Abraham’s famous son? Answer. That would be Isaac—the son of sacrifice. That would also be Jesus—Jesus is the Son of sacrifice.

You know Isaac’s story—it is one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible. Abraham and Sarah had been trying to have children all their adult lives. Then at the ripe old age of one-hundred for Abraham and ninety for Sarah, the son is born, the miracle son. His name is Isaac. Isaac! His name in Hebrew means “laughter.” Isaac brought Abraham and Sarah great joy!

After Isaac had grown up God speaks these haunting words to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Genesis 22:2).

We know something of what Abraham felt. We have had our heart leap into our throat. We have been filled with panic. We have buried our head in tears and anguish. We know what it is like to see a cloudless day suddenly change into dark clouds, storms, lightning, and tempest!

A child is born with spina bifida. A grandmother just died. A career is not in gear. A father has dementia and he does not know anyone anymore. A childhood was ripped apart by an alcoholic parent. A constant state of depression refuses to lessen its grip. A miscarriage still hurts after all these years.

At such points in life, it is easy to get lost in despair. We lose ourselves in our jobs, or in the internet or TV or alcohol. We express our pain in anger and hatred and revenge. Jesus comes. Jesus helps. Jesus provides. And why is that? Jesus is the Son of Abraham. Jesus is the Son of sacrifice. Let us take a look.

We have, first, the preparation for the test. “After these things God tested Abraham” (Genesis 22:1). The key words are “after these things.” What things? Abraham had seen the LORD faithfully guide him from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran and then to Canaan. Abraham had heard the LORD say, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens” (Genesis 15:5). Abraham had witnessed the miraculous birth of Isaac. What does it all mean? It means that God prepared Abraham for his test.

God has prepared us, too! Holy Baptism, the Holy Gospel, and the Holy Supper deliver the Holy Spirit and with him we have forgiveness, joy, and power! Through the means of grace, God pours out upon us courage and confidence, insight and wisdom. The test we are going through is not random, it is not an accident. Every test is Father-filtered. Whatever it is, God has prepared us for the test!

Now, the purpose for the test. “God tested Abraham …” (Genesis 22:1). When a storm hits an eagle it initially appears as though the storm’s fury is going to crush the eagle against a rocky cliff. But the eagle faces the storm, tilts his wings at the proper angle, and slowly the fury that might have crushed him begins to drive him upward until he rises above the storm. What is true of eagles can be true for us. The power that looks to destroy us is the same power by which we rise to new heights. God sends tests to bring us to greater heights of conviction and courage and Christian character. There is a purpose for the test.

That is what Peter says. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be tested genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7).

I once heard a story about a young man who was taking a philosophy course. He had studied, and studied, and studied some more! When he came to the final exam, the philosophy professor wanted to see how much philosophy these young people knew, how well they could think. The final examination was one word: “Why?” The young man thought for a while, wrote one word down, and walked out: “Because!”

Why? Do you ever ask that question when you are going through a test? Why? Why me? Why me now? Why this? God says, “Because.” But he adds these words, “Because I love you right where you are, but I love you too much to leave you right where you are!” Our tests refine us. They mature us. They season us. They humble us.

God tests us to strengthen us. Satan tests us to destroy us. Satan attacks at the weakest points of our life, to bring us down, to bring us defeat. Do you remember when you were in high school or college and you would have a teacher or professor that would say this on the first day of class, “Half of this class is going to fail this course!” Did any of who have to deal with that? Would  that not just make your day? And the way that it was said often showed that they were going to take great joy in the failure. That is not the God of Abraham and Isaac. God’s tests are not intended to destroy us. God’s tests are intended to develop us.

Finally, there is the provision for the test. “He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place, ‘Yahweh Will Provide.’ And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of Yahweh it will be provided” (Genesis 22:13-14). Hallelujah! This is our God! Our God sees the need of Noah and provides an ark. He sees Israel in Egyptian bondage and provides a way through the Red Sea. He sees David out-muscled by Goliath and provides a rock to hit that uncircumcised Philistine right between the eyes. He sees Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in a fiery furnace and provides a fourth Man. With every test, God provides a way out. “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The God of Abraham and Isaac is also the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have the ultimate provision. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). God spared Isaac. He finally did not spare Jesus.

Jesus willingly took the wood and marched up the mount—not Moriah—but Golgotha. There would be no substitute ram this time. Arrested abruptly. Tried unjustly. Sentenced callously. Mocked repeatedly. Abandoned ruthlessly. Beaten brutally. Crucified barbarously. But he is risen triumphantly! God reversed the curse. Christ is alive, never to die again. Death has no more dominion over him!

Jesus lives to provide what we need when faced with life’s tests. “And my God will provide for all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Notice the joy of Abraham. He does not call his mountain Mount Sacrifice, or Mount Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Abraham calls the Mountain “Yahweh Provides!” Where God guides, God provides! How do we know? We know Jesus. Jesus is the son of Abraham, the Son of sacrifice!

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECOND SUNDAY in ADVENT                       DECEMBER 8, 2024

When the end of the world comes, is it a good thing or is it a bad thing? That all depends on who you are. Or, perhaps more accurately put, it all depends on whose you are. It is helpful when thinking about the end times to compare the Second Coming of Jesus and the events that surround it with other acts of redemption that God did for his people.

Take the worldwide flood, for example. Was the flood good or was it bad? Well, for those who were on the ark, it was a good. It may have been fearful at the time, but they were not destroyed by the flood. On top of that, they were delivered from the sinful world which they had lived in and given a fresh start of sorts. For those who perished, obviously the flood was not good. It was, to them, a source of death and destruction.

Perhaps an even greater comparison can be made, though, to the plagues that God brought upon the Egyptians. The Egyptians were filled with fear and dread as God brought each of the plagues upon them. Their water supply was destroyed as the Nile was turned to blood. The stench of death filled their land after the plague of frogs. Gnats and flies came upon them. They saw crops and livestock ruined. They dealt with painful boils that came upon their skin. People and animals died in the worst hailstorm to ever strike Egypt. Any plant that was left alive after the hailstorm was eaten by the locusts that came after that. Finally, the Lord brought about the death of the firstborn of all of Egypt. The plagues were dreadful, terrible thing to the Egyptians. They brought nothing but death and destruction.

The reaction of God’s people Israel to the plagues is completely different, though. For them, though, the plagues are a source of redemption. Finally, the death of the firstborn, the Passover, marks their escape from under the heavy thumb of Pharaoh. With a mighty hand and a strong arm, God delivers his people Israel from Pharaoh and sets them on a course for the Promised Land – the land flowing with milk and honey.

Christ is our Passover Lamb. No, we do not take his blood and smear it on doorposts so that the angel of death may pass over us. But we do Eat his flesh and drink his blood in the Lord’s Supper. His blood shed on the cross covers over our sin. Because the blood of Jesus Christ covers us, the end of the world takes on a whole different character for us. The prophet Malachi highlights the difference between how the world looks at the end of the world and how Christians approach the end: “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”

To the world, there is fear and dread at the end of the world. It is easy to see why. Look at what Jesus prophesied in our Gospel reading from Luke for today. First of all, Luke says that there will be external signs above us, in the sky, that everyone can see, that the end is nigh. There is no doubt that we already see many of these signs. Yes, we have scientific ways of explaining things like eclipses and comets and asteroids and meteors, but the fact is that God is in control of every one of these things. With the eclipses of the moon and the sun, God shows that just as easily as he created these two lights to provide light for us during the day and night, he can just as easily take them away. Comets, meteors, and asteroids all provide us with some form of wonder and amazement, but we forget their destructive power. These things, too, are not simply phenomena that happen by chance. The Lord has control of these as well, and could most certainly use them as tools of destruction if he chose to do so.

The roaring of the sea and the waves also show the destructive force of nature. Each year, people’s lives and property are devastated by hurricanes, tornados, and other storms. The very things that are there to help provide for our well-being – the changing seasons, the rain, and so forth – are the things that bring such destruction upon us and those we love.

Finally, Jesus speaks of the reaction within people to all of these things. There will be “people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Those who have no faith do not know what to think when they see this stuff happen. Yes, they may try to explain it away with scientific explanations that simply chalk it up to random chance, but those explanations are not satisfying and will not quell anyone’s fears. If anything, they will only enhance their fears as they come to realize that they are completely powerless against the forces of nature.

But while the people of this world are filled with fear and foreboding, Jesus tells us to straighten up and raise our heads because our redemption is drawing near. Noah and his family could face the flood without fear because they knew that God was providing for their deliverance on the ark. The Israelites could observe the plagues that God brought upon the Israelites without fear because they knew that the Lord was using these things to bring them deliverance from their slavery. We can look upon the signs of the end without fear because we know that with the end comes our salvation.

Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree to provide further comfort for us. When the trees start to get their leaves, you know that it is springtime and summer is near. Do the changing seasons bring fear and dread? Of course not! On the contrary, we see God’s continued providence in the changing seasons. We see that he provides seasonal weather that is ideal for the growing of food, for our health, and for the well-being of his creation as a whole. We are not shocked by the changing of the seasons. It is expected. In the same way, we should not be surprised by the signs of the end. Rather, we should rejoice that God us bringing about the redemption for us that he promised in Christ Jesus. We should see it as perfectly normal and expected because it is perfectly normal and expected.

Just because we have nothing to fear when Christ returns on the Last Day, though, does not give us an excuse to be lazy. This Christ warns us against. He says, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life.” There is great risk in getting too comfortable. That is, we figure that we have nothing to fear when it comes to the return of Christ, therefore, let us eat, drink, and be merry. This is the attitude of the ancient epicureans that believed that the goal of life was to be as comfortable as possible and to enjoy as many of the pleasures of life as possible. While the Lord does give us many good things in life for which we are thankful, these good things are not the substance of our lives. When the things of this world become the substance of our lives, we become lazy when it comes to being ready for Jesus’ return. All of our time and energy is spent in the pursuit of worldly things rather than in the hearing of the Word of God and in the receiving of the gifts he gives in the Divine Service. This, ultimately, is the only thing that will prepare us for Christ’s coming. Indeed, we have nothing to fear, Christ has defeated sin and death for us. We need not shake in our boots at the thought of his appearing. But let us be in constant prayer that we may stay awake and be ready for his appearing!

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIRST MID-WEEK ADVENT SERVICE             DECEMBER 4, 2024

Since the dawn of time, about 60 billion people have walked on Planet Earth. Of those 60 billion people, only a handful have made any real, lasting impression. In that handful of people, one stands far above all of the others. His name is Jesus.

Jesus never wrote a book, and yet millions of books have been written about him. Jesus never painted a picture, and yet the world’s greatest art has Jesus as its source for inspiration. Jesus never raised an army, and yet millions of his followers have fought and died for him. Jesus never traveled very far from his birthplace, and yet his testimony has gone around the world. Jesus only had a handful of followers, and yet today about 30 percent of the world’s population follows him.

To ignore Jesus is disastrous. To reject Jesus is fatal. But to know Jesus is to love him; to love him is to trust him; to trust Jesus is to be radically, dramatically, and eternally changed by him. The most important question, then, that we can ever ask is this: Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? That is the name of our sermon series for Advent and Christmas. Who is Jesus? Matthew wants us to know! That is what Matthew’s genealogy is all about. He writes it so that we can know Jesus.

Today we begin with this truth: Jesus is the Son of David. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David … and Jesse the father of King David … Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ” as recorded in the first chapter of Matthew (Mt 1:1, 6, 17). Jesus is the Son of David and David is a king. That makes Jesus the King. When we confess that Jesus is the King we dare not confuse him with American politicians. While both are rulers, both are very different!

American politicians make big, crazy promises—don’t they? Here are some of the more recent ones. In 2004 John Edwards said, “We will stop Diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s!” In 2012 Newt Gingrich said, “We will put a colony on the moon by 2020!” In 2012, Michelle Bachman said, “I will pull American troops out of Libya and Africa!”

Politicians will say almost anything to get elected. I did not even mention anything from this last election cycle! In America we are accustomed to leaders who say what the public wants them to say. No one’s campaign slogan is, “Slow, arduous change” or “Realistic compromises.” No. We want leaders who promise the moon; or at least a colony on the moon!

However, when we look at Jesus, we see a completely different kind of leader—a different kind of king. Jesus is the promised King. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Mt 1:1). When we hear the term “Jesus Christ,” we sometimes misunderstand it. I am fairly sure that most of you know that “Christ” is not Jesus’s last name. When Jesus went in for a physical, the doctor did not say, “Ok, let’s see here. Last Name: Christ. First Name: Jesus.” No. “Christ,” is a title. It’s the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” which means “anointed one.”

The Old Testament foretells of a coming Messiah. A King who would be anointed with the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s mission. The Messiah would come from the line of David. He would be born in David’s city and sit on David’s throne. Matthew labors to demonstrate that Jesus is this king, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David!

When Matthew writes his gospel, Israel had been without a legitimate king for hundreds of years. Now, Matthew declares, “a king has finally come to sit on David’s throne. It is Jesus!” Matthew hammers this truth home by citing ten specific Old Testament promises writing, “that what was spoken might be fulfilled.” Matthew cites the Old Testament ten times, and alludes to it over 250 times!

Jesus is, indeed, the promised King. Jesus is also the compassionate King. Jesus does not come to drive out Israel’s enemies. Jesus comes to bring in outcasts. That is evident in Matthew’s genealogy. In the ancient world, people traced their ancestry through the father. It comes as no surprise, then, that Matthew’s genealogy is predominantly male. However, it is not exclusively male. Did you notice that Matthew also mentions four women? There is Tamar in verse 3, Rahab and Ruth in verse 5, and then Bathsheba in verse 6. Matthew does not highlight Jesus’ connection to any of Israel’s matriarchs: Sarah, or Rebekah, or Rachel.

All four of the women in Matthew’s genealogy are outsiders to Israel. Tamar was a Canaanite. So was Rahab. Ruth was a Moabite. And Bathsheba was a Hittite like her murdered husband, Uriah the Hittite. Each of these women were outsiders to Israel. Moreover, each of these women had a stigma attached to her. Tamar was dishonored by her brother-in-law. Later, she deceived her father-in-law into sleeping with her so she could conceive children. Rahab was a prostitute. Bathsheba committed adultery with King David. Ruth once worshiped Chemosh.

The Jews expected a Messiah who would come, drive out their Roman oppressors, and crush the nations to establish God’s rule. But at his first coming, Jesus does not come to judge the nations. He comes to save the nations. Jesus brings outcasts home to God, and he removes the shame of marginalized people, like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.

This is a preview of the rest of Matthew’s Gospel. Who does Jesus spend his time with? Outcasts. Jesus gets close to the diseased, to people who were quarantined from society. And Jesus touches them. He gets close enough to contract their diseases.

Did you notice that three of the four women in Matthew’s genealogy were sexually exploited? According to research, one in four women, and one in six men will be sexually abused or exploited at some point in their lives. These wounds can cut deep and often, those wounds are deepened by the shame others inflict. Jesus welcomes and heals people who carry these wounds, even the unnecessary wounds of shame.

And that finally includes all of us. The ugly shame. The haunting shame. Jesus not only takes away our guilt, that is sin done by us. Jesus also takes away the shame, that is sin done to us. We do not have to drink our shame away. Work our shame away. Explain our shame away, eat our shame away, cry our shame away, or bury our shame away.

Jesus is not a King who sits on his throne and says, “Try harder.” No, Jesus is a King who descends from his throne, filled with compassion. Jesus identifies with you in the pit of shame. At your darkest point, when you feel the ugliest and most despairing, Jesus says, “I love you!”

What other people said and thought and did to you does not define you. You do not have to live in shame. You are not worthless. You are not damaged goods. You are clean. You are whole. You are his. There is outside help. Jesus is the compassionate King.

Jesus is also the rejected King. To the Jewish elites of his day, Jesus was the wrong kind of king. He lived in the wrong place, associated with the wrong people, preached the wrong message, appointed the wrong leaders, carried out the wrong mission, and offered the wrong redemption.

The whole thing came to a head on Good Friday. Matthew writes about it. “Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Mt 27:37). But risen on the third day Jesus says this in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

That is what we would expect of a King: to have all authority, as our King Jesus makes demands of us. After all, Jesus, the King, has all authority in heaven and on earth. But before Jesus makes any demands of you, first Jesus comes for you. Jesus lives for you. Jesus dies for you. Jesus rises for you. Jesus gives everything for you. That is a king worth following all the days of your lives!

Matthew 9:9, “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Who is Jesus? Jesus is your King that you follow all the days of your lives. Just ask Matthew! Amen.

In the name of the Father, and the Son +, and the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT                  DECEMBER 1, 2024

Happy New Year! Once again, our good and gracious God has brought us to the beginning of Advent, the beginning of a new Church Year.  The Season of Advent is the season in which the Church prepares herself, liturgically speaking, for the coming of Christ.  Of course, we are living in the end times, that time between Christ’s ascension and His second coming, and hence we should always prepare ourselves for His arrival.  

Advent, like the liturgy and themes of the end of the Church Year, is meant to bring this need for preparation to the forefront of our minds again.  Advent is a time during which we are encouraged not to be lulled to sleep while waiting, not to have our faith dulled by the world around us, and not to be tempted to be carried away and distracted by the cares of our day-to-day lives.  Advent again sounds the message in our ears, as St. Paul does in today’s Epistle reading: “it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

Nowadays, people generally treat Advent as an extended pre-Christmas time, sort of a month-long celebration that culminates on the big day, December 25th.  In ancient times, however, the season of Advent was commemorated in much the same way that Lent is kept.  The main focus was on repentance.  And as a sign of repentance, the people did not feast, they fasted.  In fact, Advent was, in certain places, just as long as Lent: 7 weeks of preparation. Which is why we still have to this day three weeks at the end of the Church year that focus on Christ’s return to judge, in addition to the four weeks we keep as Advent.

I bring all of this up not just because it is interesting history, but to show that the Church throughout her long existence has thought that preparing for Christ’s arrival is pretty darn important and needs to be impressed upon the hearts and minds of her children.  Advent, therefore, is primarily NOT a preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth. It is intended to prepare us for Christ’s presence among us now in the Sacrament, and especially for His return at the last day.

Preparing for Christ’s advent does not involve many of the things people busy themselves with at this time of year.  It has nothing to do with Black Friday or any of the post-Thanksgiving Day sales; it has nothing to do with buying presents; it has nothing to do with office parties; it has nothing to do with decorating the house; it has nothing to do with bells or even with snow!  While Christians can, and certainly do, find meaning and importance in all those things, they have little if anything to do with preparing for Christ to come to us.  Rather than decorating our houses, our Lord would have us prepare our hearts for Him.  Rather than going into debt buying presents, our Lord would have us remember in thankfulness the debt He paid for us, and to remember that we are debtors to Him.

In our Epistle reading, St. Paul speaks about the whole Christian life as being one that is lived in freedom from the Law, but in debt to Christ.  He says that we are to “owe no one anything, except to love one another.”  Christ has paid the debt that our sins had brought upon us.  He has reconciled us to God and given us perfect freedom from the Law.

So why does Paul speak about owing our neighbor love?  Well, Martin Luther answers this question in His work “On The Freedom of the Christian”.  He writes this of the Christian faith:

“A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.  A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.  These two theses seem to contradict each other.  If, however, they should be found to fit together they would serve our purpose beautifully.  Both are Paul’s own statements, who says in I Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all,” and in Rom. 13:8, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.”  Love, by its very nature, is ready to serve and be subject to him who is loved.  So Christ, although he was Lord of all, was “born of woman, born under the law” Galatians 4:4, and therefore was at the same time a free man and a servant, “in the form of God” and “of a servant” Philippians 2:6-7” (Luther’s Works Vol. 31, p. 344).

Luther goes on then to explain that the seeming contradiction between freedom and servanthood is not really a contradiction at all; rather, it refers to the spiritual state of the Christian as opposed to the physical state of the Christian.  According to the new, or spiritual man, every Christian is perfectly free and has no need to do any good works at all, but not according to the flesh.

Again Luther writes: “In this life [the Christian] must control his own body and have dealings with men.  Here the works begin; here a man cannot enjoy leisure; here he must indeed take care to discipline his body by fastings, watchings, labors, and other reasonable disciplines and to subject it to the Spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inner man and faith and not revolt against faith and hinder the inner man, as it is the nature of the body to do if it is not held in check.  The inner man, who by faith is created in the image of God, is both joyful and happy because of Christ in whom so many benefits are conferred upon him; and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully and without thought of gain, in love that is not constrained.  While he is doing this, behold, he meets a contrary will in his own flesh which strives to serve the world and seeks its own advantage.  This the spirit of faith cannot tolerate, but with joyful zeal it attempts to put the body under control and hold it in check…” (p. 359).

St. Paul agrees with Luther on this point; rather, Luther agrees with St. Paul.  It is important to understand that the Apostle is not speaking about fulfilling the Law through love in order to be saved.  He is speaking about how the faithful who have been saved live, and how the faithful must fight their own flesh in order to bring it in line with the new spirit they have been given.  Here the Law is an instrument that reminds us of how we ought to live; and that is, quite simply, in love toward our neighbors.

Of course, that instrument seems to us to be rather blunt.  It is like a great sledge hammer that pounds to dust everything it strikes.  For we are told that we should love our neighbors, yet we see very quickly how we have not loved them.  St. Paul says we should not sin like the unbelievers do, and yet we see how we have at times sinned just like they do, maybe even worse!  So, what is the answer?  Just how is it that this Law can help us?

Well, I am glad you asked.  The Law helps us by doing what it has been given to do; it drives us to repentance by showing us our sin and our need for a Savior from sin.  In the words of our Lutheran Confessions, the Law “kills, condemns, and destroys” the sinful nature by showing us our utter helplessness and inability to save ourselves.  The Law, therefore, is the “set-up man” to the preaching of the Gospel and how Christ Himself has fulfilled the Law for us and in our place.

Listen again to what Paul says. He does not say that loving your neighbor as yourself will be easy or even attainable in this life.  Rather He speaks of repentance: “let us cast off the works of darkness.”  And then, He speaks of the grace of Christ: “and let us put on the armor of light.”  

This armor of light is the armor of the Word and grace of Jesus.  It is the armor of Baptism, which enables you to say to yourself, to the devil and to the world: “I am God’s Child.  I am a Christian.  God has called Me to Himself and washed away My sins.  I will not be condemned, but will live with Christ.”  It is the armor of the Word of the Gospel, whereby you hear repeatedly that God loves you, that Christ has died for you, and that your sins are removed and have been cast away by God Himself.  Just a few phrases later, Paul says that it is quite simply putting on Jesus: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ”; and having put Him on, and living in His grace, fight against the sin that is within you, “and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

You see, then, that it is Christ Who is our strength at all times.  He has to be, and He is, because we have no strength of ourselves.  Jesus is not just the entry point into the Christian life; He IS the Christian life; He lives in and through you.  Sure, you may try to fulfill the law of love on your own even after coming to faith, but those efforts are bound to fail.  Though you are saved, your righteousness is still not your own; it is the righteousness of Christ.  The Spirit of God has given new life to your spirit; but detached from the source of its life, it eventually fades and dies.  So, in order to live a Christian life, in order to prepare for the return of Christ, we must continue abiding in Him.  As Jeremiah reminds us this morning, “Yahweh is our Righteousness.”

It is in Christ alone that we find the strength to love our neighbor, for from Him we have received real, powerful, and lasting love.  All the things that Paul commands us to do as Christians are just reflections of the love Jesus has already given to us.  He fulfilled the whole law of God by loving all men more than Himself.  And so we see Him again today in the Gospel reading, entering into Jerusalem as a humble King in order to die a traitor’s death.  He loved so greatly that He subdued within Himself His divine power in order to suffer divine wrath.  He became lower than the lowest criminal in order that all those who have broken His Father’s Law – that’s us – would be saved.  In Jesus, whether it be in His coming to Bethlehem’s manger, or in His riding into Jerusalem to be raised up on the cross, we see what it means to love.

And when you abide in His love, His love begins to have its way in you.  His love received gives birth to your love for Him, as I John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.”  And that love is expressed not just upward, but outward.

St. John Chrysostom, a late 4th century Church Father, explained that this is the response that God desires: that we love our neighbors out of love for Him.  He wrote, “God’s love is free from all passion, for which reason He also seeks for those to share His love.  For He says, love with Me, and then I will also love you the more.  You see the words of a vehement lover! If you love My beloved, then I will also reckon Myself to be greatly loved by you.”  In other words, in loving our neighbor we are really loving Christ, for He has made that neighbor, and our Creator loves him or her just as He loves you.  And if that neighbor is also a Christian, then the bond is even greater and Christ is in that neighbor as He is also in you.

The whole point, then, for this Advent season, and in fact every day of our lives, is that we are to put off the selfish ways of the flesh, and seek constantly to live in and by Christ. “And do this”, Paul says, “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”  

And indeed, the day of Christ is at hand.  He comes to you now in Holy Communion, and you are, day by day, drawing nearer to the day when either you will go to Him through death or when He will come again to you. And then, having your flesh raised up anew in the likeness of your spirit, without sin and completely holy, you will at last love purely as you have been loved. May your Lord keep you in His grace until that day, and may He bring that day quickly.  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE           NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ten were cleansed, but only one returned to the feet of Jesus. “Were not 10 cleansed?” He said “Where are the 9? Was no one found to return and give praise to god except this foreigner?”

You know, often times these other 9 who did not return to Jesus are put into a bad light for incorrect reasons. The misconception of these 9 lepers is that they were faithless and thankless because they did not return. Consider, though, that when the 10 lepers saw Jesus as He passed by, they cried out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” They did not cry for cleansing, although it is probably what they most desired. Jesus could have passed right by them, but he stopped, looked at them, and replied, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” All of the lepers did display faith as they listened to Christ’s words and responded. They went with no complaints and as they were going, they were healed. The 9 continued on to fulfill the Law of sacrifices in the temple, as if their going to the priests brought about their cleansing. One returned in humble thanks and worship of Jesus, the bringer and giver of mercy.

A cry for mercy is a cry for salvation. When the lepers cried out for mercy, they were asking for nothing else than that! Lepers were forced to live in their own little colony, outcasts from society due to their disease. They were separated from family and friends. They could not work, they could not go to the marketplace, they could not be a part of regular society! In advanced cases of leprosy, their appearance was hideous: their skin patchy and decaying, fingers and toes falling off. Their bodies died around them! “Have mercy” is right!

When the 10 lepers were cleansed, they had salvation. They could go back to their homes, their jobs, their families! They could be workers in society again! They were restored in body and in life!

Yet the 9 who continued on to show themselves to the priests (surely with thanksgivings) completely missed the mercy that was given them in Christ. Instead they continued on in the joy of their newfound prosperity, looking past the one who freely provided their salvation. They looked toward their future deeds of Law, as if their works of following the command of Jesus to “go and show” brought about their cleansing. Oh, these 9 had faith alright; faith misplaced in what they did in this merciful cleansing of leprosy.

This is often the misunderstood impression of God’s mercy. Now let us not forget that our Father in heaven certainly does show mercy to us in many ways: He has provided us with advancements in medical technology to conquer our sufferings, medicines to ease our pain, skilled physicians who can perform surgery, auto mechanics to work on our cars, government provision and protection, friends, factory workers, lawyers, judges, police officers and so many more provisions of God to help in times of our various needs. And let us not forget to mention that He also gives us our clothing and shoes, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, all that we have, our reason and all our senses, and still takes care of them, all out of His fatherly divine goodness and mercy. And it will always hold true that when we are faithless, He is faithful. Yes, God shows mercy.

But this popular and misleading teaching is to understand His mercy merely as Him giving us what we ask for because we have asked for it, as if we deserve it by our own worthiness or merit. According to this false teaching, the proof in our lives of God’s mercy, then, is shown by how prosperous and successful we are. As the 9 lepers joyed in their prosperity, so today is Jesus regarded as merely a spiritual helper who can do great things to help and prosper us as He teaches us how to live a better life. He is treated as if He merely wants all Christians to prosper on this earth, and will provide every opportunity for success, so long as we cry out to Him and be good people. If we just claim God’s goodness for ourselves, God is forced to perform in our favor simply by our crying out, “have mercy” in every situation! How wonderful does that sound!

But such false teachings that joy in prosperity leave no room for the cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” and the conscience is left troubled wallowing in doubt of God’s goodness when reality hits.

Try it! Tell that prosperity mercy stuff to those who are not so prosperous and see how long it lasts. Tell the mercy of God in prosperity to those whose lives are not all rose colored, to those who are persecuted, to those who are poor, to those who have lost loved ones! Tell it to those who are depressed and downhearted, those who suffer arthritis, those who are the outcasts, friendless, sick, and diseased. Where is the Lord’s mercy for those who cry out and no prosperous help occurs? Tell it to those who question, “where is God’s mercy in my time of sickness? Where is God’s mercy in a school shooting? Where is God’s mercy in our government mess? Where is God’s mercy in national tragedies? Where is God’s mercy when I am suffering? Is this really how a loving merciful God wants us to live?”

Certainly we suffer, and we do cry out for mercy! But healing and help do not always come as we desire. This does not mean that God has forgotten you, or withdrawn His favor from resting upon you. Just the opposite! The times of suffering, discipline, and testing are meant to draw you to the Father through the Son where the true mercy of God is shared with all the world. Drawn to Him who displayed God’s mercy in an unthinkable way, suspended high upon the earth on a wooden cross. To your cries of “mercy!”, God has mercifully answered in Jesus.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). See what love the Father has poured out upon you in mercy! He pours out His wrath against your sin on His own Son on the cross that would never be separated from Him! Jesus was put to death as an outcast from society, separated from family and friends, even from His Father in heaven as the Holy One was infected with your leprous sin. His perfect earthly works all led not to His own prosperity, but to His crucifixion. The skin on his hands, feet, and side was pierced through, at the place of the skull. On that hill outside the city wall, God showed the world His ultimate show of love and mercy as His Son atoned for the sin of the whole world, suffering and dying for you. And this is the will of the Father in His Son that all who see Him would believe in Him and have eternal life, forever cleansed from the leprosy of sin. Life restored and purified in the forgiveness of sins on account of Christ, the mediator of God’s mercy.

So you may know that God always has mercy upon you, the sinner you still are, He has claimed you as His own Holy child in the waters of Holy Baptism. He feeds you, His new restored creation, with His own body and blood given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Through suffering and trial, He promises that in Christ Jesus, all things work together for good of those who love Him, for He has promised, and He who calls you is faithful.

As God has given you mercy and life in Christ, now what is left for you to do? Suffering will come, and is even already upon you. Never did God promise perpetual earthly prosperity, never did He promise to show mercy in bending to your will. But Considering God’s mercy in Christ Jesus, say in your times of anxiety, “I will go to the gates of hell,” so that now you may take courage in no other way of salvation than in God’s mercy alone! He has given life to all things, even mercifully restored your life to Him in Christ Jesus! This is pure mercy; salvation granted solely for the sake of Christ, crucified and risen.

Lift up your drooping head, strengthen your weak knees. Your Redeemer has conquered sin and death for you! Return to His presence, lift up the cup of blessing, and here, as the Kingdom of God comes to you, receive grace upon grace from God in His mercy in Christ Jesus in grateful thanks and worship. And surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

            In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LAST SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR   NOVEMBER 24, 2024

The Word of the Lord from the epistle of Jude, “²⁴Now to Him who is able to keep you and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” This is the Word of the Lord.

Our sermon on Jude begins in the third chapter of Zechariah. There the prophet saw a vision of Joshua, the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord. Next to Joshua stood Satan to oppose him, to accuse him before God and show his unworthiness. As for the high priest himself, he was hardly faultless as he stood in the presence of God. He was clothed in filthy garments—not just tinged with grime, but downright filthy, a violation of the Law for the high priest before the Lord, and a proclamation of his sinfulness. But this was about more than one man, for it was about all the city of Jerusalem. If this was the condition of the man who stood between God and His people, what did this say about the condition of God’s people? Surely, they were all filthy with sin. Surely, they were all unworthy of the Lord’s grace. When Satan stood there to accuse Joshua, the high priest, he was there to accuse all of God’s people. The filth of Joshua’s robe was his exhibit A.

But the Lord would have none of it. He spoke, and His powerful, living Word crushed the accuser’s hopes. To Satan, He said, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Then the Lord commanded those who stood before Him to remove Joshua’s filthy clothes, and declared to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

So the Lord spoke, and Joshua’s filthy garments and filthier sin were removed from him. Instead, he was clothed in rich robes and righteousness, able to be in the presence of the Lord. Satan’s case thus went down in flames, because the Lord spoke His Word and plucked His people like a brand from the fire.

Now, as the short, 25-verse epistle of Jude concludes, it speaks of you being faultless before the glorious presence of God. It is a beautiful, blessed image; but the first 19 verses of the epistle declare how unlikely it is. In fact, Jude warns the people of God of the variety of sins that the devil, your own sinful flesh, and false teachers of the world use to seduce you away from your salvation. In those 19 verses, he rattles off nearly as many sins, some of which will seek to drill directly into your own soul.

He warns of turning God’s grace into lewdness, using forgiveness as an excuse to indulge in whatever sins you find pleasurable. How easy it is to abuse forgiveness as a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card. But to misuse God’s grace in this manner will harden your heart until you just go ahead and sin without bothering to ask for forgiveness, and assume you are just forgiven anyway, when you are not.

He warns of the sin of the Israelites in the wilderness, who followed the Lord out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, but then began to complain about His Word and ways along the way. How tempting it will always be for you to believe you follow God in principle, but that there are certain changes and improvements you must make on His will, since He does not quite understand your special needs. Remember, and take it seriously: when the people complained against God’s will in the wilderness, He struck them down for their unbelief.

Jude warns against the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, of homosexuality and all sorts of sexual immorality, as God’s gifts of intimacy and procreation are twisted to deny His grace and goodness altogether. Given the bombardment of images and words and temptations today, sexual purity is rare.

Jude further warns against those who, in defiling their flesh, reject authority and speak evil of it. In other words, those who warn against immorality will be rejected and slandered by those who glorify it. Few today have the courage to stand and denounce such sin.

The list of sins continue. You will be tempted to follow your own natural inclinations and believe that to be God’s will, thinking “It feels natural and right, so it must be right.” You will thus be tempted to believe that what feels natural to your sinful nature is purer than what God demands.

You will be tempted to the sins of Cain, who envied Abel for his faithful sacrifice; and while you may not become a murderer, you may well mock those whom you consider better Christians than yourself, whatever that may mean. You will be tempted to the error of Balaam, selling out your faith and your integrity in order to gain what you covet, since it is easy to take coveting more seriously than faith. You will be tempted to the sins of Korah, who rejected God’s appointment of Moses as His spokesman and wanted to call himself as the prophet to the people.

You will be tempted to dissatisfaction and discontent, to grumble and complain in order to get what you desire. You will be tempted to flatter people and enlist them on your side, using them to gain advantage and get your way. Tempted by desire and a mockery of God’s will, you will also be tempted to cause divisions because you believe your way is right.

All of this is in those first nineteen verses of Jude. Furthermore, this is not a portrayal of the world out there, while Christians remain safe inside the church’s walls. These are sins that the devil will use to rip apart the people of God and to wrench you from the faith if he can, consigning you to the fires of hell.

It is a fitting text on this Last Sunday of the church year as we ponder our Lord’s Judgment at the end of the world, because the world will only grow worse before the end, and Christians only lonelier in the faith. It is difficult for me to imagine that the world could depart from God’s Word a whole lot more than it has; but then again, perhaps I am blessed with a limited imagination.

In any event, this short epistle lists all sorts of sins that seek your death today.

Examine yourself by all these sins, and remember that to sin once is to break the whole law (James 2:10). There is only one conclusion: left to yourself, you stand before God in a filthy robe like Joshua, for all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Left apart from Christ and His righteousness, the devil’s accusations about you and your sin are correct: you are far too filthy, too sinful, to be in God’s presence forever.

The Good News, of course, is that you are not left apart from Christ, because Christ has joined you to Himself. He who has redeemed you by His own blood and death on the cross has joined you to Himself, to His death and resurrection, in Holy Baptism. There, He removed your filthy robe of sin. There, He clothed you with His own righteousness.

That is what St. Paul declares in Galatians: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Therefore, were the devil still able to stand before God’s throne and accuse you of your sin, Jesus Christ would readily say, “I rebuke you, Satan. The one whom you accuse is one for whom I have died, one whom I have cleansed with my own righteousness. Depart from Me, you and your lies.”

As the devil has no chance before God, he speaks his accusations to you. One of his ploys is to drive you to despair, accuse you of your sin by saying, “Look at all your sin. Look at how defiled you are. Your robe is filthy, and you surely cannot stand before God!” At which point, you can respond, “So what? I do not plan to impress God with my righteousness, for I have none. I stand clothed with Jesus and His righteousness, and for His sake God has given me eternal life.” When that is your confession of faith, the devil has no accusations left. Like God’s people in Zechariah 3, Jesus has plucked you like a brand from the fire, refined and tempered by His work. Like the high priest Joshua, He has removed your filthy robes and clothed you in His perfect righteousness.

All of this finally leads us to our text proper for this day. Knowing now the many sins with which the devil will try to seduce and destroy you, and assured that Christ has won your salvation by His death and made you His, how shall you then live? As to yourself, the text declares:

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

How shall you live? Build yourselves up on your most holy faith, says the text, the faith that God has declared to you. Continue to confess your sins and rejoice that Christ has redeemed you. That is saving faith. Remain in the love of God and the mercy of Jesus Christ: continue to receive the grace that your loving Father sent His Son to give. Continue to receive the mercy that Jesus offers, because He has already suffered the judgment for your sin. It is His love and mercy, not yours, that leads unto eternal life.

How shall you live? Keep your robe on-your robe of Christ’s righteousness. Continually examine yourself; and confess the truth that you cannot stand in God’s presence on your own merit, but that for Jesus’ sake you surely will.

As to the work of the Church, the text says this: ²²And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Christians, as God’s Church on earth, are to have compassion. They are to pull others out of the fire. And how is this done? By proclaiming to them God’s Word. The Law which shows them how filthy their robes, and the Gospel that declares to them Jesus as their Savior. By this Word, the Holy Spirit does the work of salvation. That is how Joshua was plucked from the fire and made clean; that is still the only way that people are saved unto eternal life. To proclaim God’s Word is Christian compassion; we do so with joy.

We therefore compassionately proclaim God’s Word, and we do so with this distinction: we hate the garment defiled by the flesh. We hate that filthy robe of sin that is naturally ours. Therefore, we do not make room for all those sins that would lead us away: while so many churches sadly declare that immorality is no longer a sin, the Lord gives us no permission to do so. We therefore maintain the distinction between truth and error, right and wrong; because to make allowances for sin is to lie, to tell people that they can wear filthy robes into God’s presence. That is a false teaching that leaves them in the fire.

So, rather than giving permission to sinfully stumble, we gladly proclaim Jesus Christ, who is able to keep you from stumbling; but should you fall, He has grace to clothe you with His righteousness once more.

We proclaim Christ crucified, who has rebuked the devil and clothed you with His righteousness in your Baptism. We proclaim Christ crucified, present with you also in His Word and Supper, to forgive your sins. And because He forgives your sins, you are prepared for the day when He will present you faultless before Him in glory, with exceeding joy.

To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever; because only by His Word and work, you are forgiven for all of your sins.

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost           November 17, 2024

The Word of the Lord from Daniel 12:1: “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”

The end of the world is coming; and before it comes, it is going to get worse. That is the announcement of our text for today: “there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.”

“A time of trouble, such as never has been.” That is a remarkable statement. Just consider the book of Daniel by itself. The prophet Daniel was an Israelite in Babylon. This was not by choice, but by force. He was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, who conquered Jerusalem. That was hardly an overnight victory. Nebuchadnezzar had besieged the city for nearly a year and a half before it fell. The people inside were dying of starvation and flirting with cannibalism. Whatever ancient warfare lacked in killing efficiency, it more than made up for in gruesome brutality.

Daniel’s life was far from an easy one in Babylon. Though elevated as an advisor to Nebuchadnezzar, he was sentenced to death for refusing to bow down to false gods. The execution was planned for cruelty. You have all heard the account of when he was lowered into a den of hungry lions.

He was also not the only one to suffer in this short, 12-chapter book of the Bible. There were also the three young men: Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. They also were condemned to death for refusing to bow down to false gods; and once again, the death was designed to send a message. They were thrown into a burning in a fiery furnace.

Those are just a few examples from the book of Daniel. Throw in the defeat and captivity of the northern ten tribes by Assyria, and the picture becomes far worse yet. Then consider the barbarity of the Romans when they destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the persecution of Christians in the first few centuries after the Ascension, the long list of genocide of all sorts of groups throughout history, and you have a very unpleasant picture of history and humanity.

And it is going to get worse, says our text, such as never has been.

Of course, all that we have described so far does not mean the end. Hear our Lord from the Gospel lesson for this day, from Mark 13:

“And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be  earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

In other words, the wars and examples of brutality that history records, and which we see in our present time, are not guarantees that the end is near at hand. They are simply the sorts of things that are going to keep happening in a world where sinners reject Christ and life, instead worshiping self and death. In the meantime, our text says it is going to get worse just before the end. This is also confirmed in Revelation 20. But what does “worse” mean?

Could it be in the form of worldwide violence, bloodshed, and death? Could it be mass starvation, viral pandemics, or swathes of humanity cut down by nuclear weapons? Could it be a worldwide campaign to exterminate Christians? All of these are possibilities. The continued growth of fanatical Islam should give us pause, though as Christians we address Islam with the Word of God, not prejudice or violence. Where militants draw the sword, we give thanks that God entrusts Caesar to punish the evildoer. But it is given to the Church to proclaim salvation in Christ from false gods and religions.

Could all that is going on in the world indicate the end? Maybe. Maybe not. There will always be wars and rumors of wars until the end. We very well could be still in the early church.

There is another possibility about what “worse” means. It may not be a growing loss of human life, but of life in Christ. In other words, “worse” could very much indicate a time where the world continues much as it does today, but more and more people simply reject the Good News that Christ has died for their salvation. It could conceivably point to a time where wars are few, the world is largely at peace, but there is little Christianity left to be found. There are few believers left who put their trust in the Lord.

After all, when the Lord warns about the end of the world, He especially warns of the “abomination of desolation.” This is not a prophecy of a nuclear wasteland, desolate so that none can live. The Lord is speaking of the desolation caused when His grace is absent, when His Word is no longer preached in its purity, and His sacraments no longer rightly administered. The Lutheran Confessions, in fact, declare that the “abomination of desolation” is “ignorance of the Gospel,” and this makes a lot of sense. As Christians, despite the threatening things in our world that our eyes see, we acknowledge this to be far worse: the Christians who were kidnapped and beheaded in Libya in 2015 were in far less danger than the unbeliever sipping a mocha at Starbucks. This might sound off, but think of the big picture: those who were beheaded confessed Christ and trusted in Jesus for their salvation until the end and have eternal life.

So what can you conclude about “worse,” this “time of trouble, such as never has been”?

You can conclude that this world is a dangerous place. You can confess with the Lord’s Word that sin leads people to all sorts of evil, both physical and spiritual. You can be absolutely sure that the end could be near at hand. Or not.

If you are not careful, you will also draw conclusions that the devil whispers in your ear. Satan will, most of all, try to convince you that all the trouble you see is proof that the Lord is unfaithful and His Word is wrong; and it is tragic when people fall prey to this temptation and see it as reason to leave the faith, because such tribulation only confirms what God says about the sinfulness of man. But Satan is usually far more subtle along the way. He will plant such thoughts in your mind when you suffer deep, personal tragedy. When you suffer a personal time of trouble such as never has been. When someone suffers far away, it can be easy for us to accept the tragedy as how the world works; but when it is given to us to grieve a personal loss, it is then that we start to wonder if God is still up the task.

In the meantime, the devil settles for fear. If the devil cannot get you outright to think that the Lord is unfaithful, he will fill your mind with such anxiety, fear and depression so that you find it very easy to forget about God’s promises to you. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus tells the disciples, “Do not be anxious.” In trouble, you will hear that as Law. You will hear it like a grouchy parent yelling at an upset child, “Stop crying!” You will start to think that the Lord will not help you until you do the work of being less afraid, until you do the work of trusting more.

But the defeat of fear does not start with you and what you can overcome. The defeat of fear is accomplished by your Lord Jesus Christ, and He shares that victory with you through your baptism. We spoke before of Daniel in the lion’s den, just one of many of man’s calculated cruelties. But we have not yet noted in this sermon that Daniel was delivered. He emerged from that pit the next morning with the proclamation, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me” (Daniel 6:22).

We mentioned the three men sentenced to die in the fiery furnace, but we have not yet mentioned the end of the story. They survived. They were delivered, and when King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace to observe their fate, he said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

Though those three men were condemned to death, the Son of God was present with them to deliver them. Though Daniel was supposed to die, God sent His angel to deliver him. That angel could have been the pre-incarnate Christ.

The Good News of our Old Testament lesson is this: in the midst of the “only getting worse” troubles of this world, the Lord remains present with His people. He is present to forgive, present to save, present to bring life everlasting. Remember again our Gospel lesson, where the Lord warned of

all sorts of trouble and apostasy and sin. All of this is rebellion against Him, His Word, and His holiness. And yet, there He was. He became flesh like you, to go to the cross for you, to die for your sins, and to rise. After He rose, the Savior who warned of all that trouble also said to His disciples, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Risen and ascended, your Savior says to you, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He says to you, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.”

Your Savior is with you. Your great prince has charge of you, for you are numbered among His people. He joined you to Himself in Baptism and wrote your name in His Book of Life. He feeds you His own body and blood in His Supper, to strengthen and preserve you far past this violent world to life everlasting. And while headlines still blare the wickedness and atrocities of this world, He keeps on saying, “Take heart, My baptized and forgiven child, for I have overcome the world.”

Our Old Testament lesson is certainly not without this hope. It tells of growing trouble, yes. But it also promises that in that “time of trouble, such as never has been,” the Lord will deliver His people, “everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” It promises that He will raise those who have died in the faith to everlasting life. It promises that those who hold fast to the faith will “shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Whether or not the end of the world is near, this is of comfort, because if the world continues, our end is near. Whether today, tomorrow, next year, or longer. Should the Lord tarry, your end will come and it is quite likely that it will be preceded by a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a you. But while you must still face death one day, you are not alone. Your Savior says to you: “I am with you always, even to the end of your age.” He says, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.” He says, “I will deliver you, for I have written your name in the book, and I will raise you up to everlasting life.” He says you will shine with holiness and righteousness forever. Of this, you can be most sure, because the One who has overcome the world for you declares to you that you have been washed clean and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and forgiven all of yours sins.

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost   November 10, 2024

It happened year after year, goat after goat, commanded by the Lord.

A couple of weeks ago, the language of Romans 3 took us back to the Day of Atonement, and we must return there again today. Once a year, the people of Israel gathered outside of the tabernacle in the wilderness. After proper washing, vestments, and other preparations, the high priest would appear before them at the sacrificial altar. He would sacrifice a goat and collect the blood. He would take a portion of that blood and sprinkle it on the people, marking them as the one for whom the sacrifice was made. Then he would take the rest of the blood in a basin and enter into the Holy Place of the tabernacle; and on this one day of the year, he would push through the curtain into the Holy of Holies.

He would enter into the presence of God on earth. The steps were rehearsed for months before, because inside that curtain there was only darkness; and rabbinic literature tells us that he entered with a scarlet cord tied around one ankle, trailing out behind him past the curtain, just in case he made a mistake, died in the presence of God and had to be pulled back out. Once inside the Holy of Holies, he poured out the blood of the sacrifice before the Lord at the sins were forgiven.

Note the three appearings: the high priest appeared to make the sacrifice before the people. He then appeared before God in the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people. Then he appeared a second time before the people so that they could see with their eyes that the high priest lived, that the sacrifice for their sin was acceptable to God.

It happened year after year, goat after goat. Time went on. High priests died and were succeeded by the next. Vestments grew old and needed to be replaced. More goats were required. The purpose of this annual feast, however, was not to teach that blood had to be shed again and again in order for sins to be forgiven. No, all of this pointed to the truth yet to be revealed: all those sacrifices pointed to the one Sacrifice that would atone for the sins of the world. All of those high priests through the centuries pointed to the High Priest who would make that sacrifice and present the blood to the Lord. And that tabernacle on earth pointed to the throne of God on high. In other words, all of this was given by God to point to Jesus, who would make and be the Sacrifice for the sins of the world.

This is what our epistle is about on this 25th Sunday after Pentecost, just three weeks away from the end of the church year. Hebrews 9 speaks of Jesus, and note the three appearings that it mentions.

In verse 26, our text proclaims that Jesus “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” This is about the cross, where Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world, and note a couple of phrases in this verse.

First, Jesus appeared “once for all…to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Unlike those goats of old which only did the job for a while, Jesus’ one death on the cross has paid for the sins of the world once for all. There is no sacrifice to be made. You do not live your life in fear, wondering if the good works that you do are enough of an offering to add to His sacrifice in order to earn forgiveness. The sacrifice has been made, once for all. Your sins are atoned for. Rather than living in fear, you rejoice to do good works in thanksgiving because your sins are already forgiven. With that “once for all,” we also note this: Jesus does not need to return in order to be sacrificed for sin again. In some corners of Christendom, part of the reason for His presence in the Supper is so that we can offer His body and blood back up to God again; but there is no need for such a sacrifice. At the cross, Christ made the sacrifice for your sin, once for all. It is finished.

The other interesting phrase is that Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages.” His death on Calvary took place at the end of the ages, about two thousand years ago. The cross, though, is not just a marker of one era of history before we move into a whole different epoch: the cross is the culmination of history. It is why the Lord let this sinful world continue. The past twenty centuries have been permitted by the Lord to allow more to hear His Gospel and be saved; but there is nothing left to be done before the Lord returns. We are living in the “end of the ages.” If the Lord returns today, then blessed be the name of the Lord. If the Lord tarries another millennium or two, then blessed be the name of the Lord.

His sacrifice when He first appeared, His death on the cross, was enough to pay for all the sins of the world, no matter how long the earth continues its laps around the sun. So, like the high priest on the Day of Atonement, Jesus appeared, incarnate, before the people and among the people, to make the sacrifice for sin. Risen from the dead, He ascended into heaven. Why? Verse 24 tells you: “to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” Here is another appearing. In the Old Testament, the high priest entered into the presence of God to demonstrate that the sacrifice had been made. This pointed to Jesus: He has appeared in the presence of God on our behalf, to declare that He has made the sacrifice for our sin. He retains the wounds in His hands and side, and He sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. What of the right hand? He is His Father’s “right hand man,” to be sure, executing His Father’s will for us. But there is more: in ancient courts, the criminal’s advocate, his defense lawyer, sat to the right of the judge, defending his client’s innocence. That is what the Lord does for you now: sitting at the right hand of God the Father, He intercedes for you. He shows Himself to be the Lamb of God, who was slain, and declaring that He has died for your sins, He therefore declares you innocent before His Father.

This is important, because judgment is coming. This world will end. The Last Day will come and the final judgment take place. But you have nothing to fear: Jesus already declares that He has made the Sacrifice for your sin, that you are justified, declared not guilty, before God. Therefore, the Last Day holds no terror for you, but only deliverance to heaven.

Thus our text speaks of another appearing: He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” On the Last Day, Jesus will not deal with your sin because He has already taken it away. Rather, He comes to take you home.

So, way back on the Day of Atonement, the high priest’s three appearances pointed to Jesus. His actions were “copies of the true things,” in that they pointed to the Truth. They pointed Jesus. Because of Jesus’ first appearance on the cross, you know that the Sacrifice has been made for your sin. By His second appearance before His Father in heaven, you know that God no longer holds your sins against you. And by His third appearance on the Last Day, you know that you are not forsaken. The Lord will come to deliver you to eternal life in heaven.

In  the meantime, as you await the Lord’s return, you have your appearings, too, and they are all accomplished in Christ.

You do not appear to make a sacrifice for your sin, because the sacrifice has already been made by your Savior. However, you are joined to that sacrifice in Holy Baptism. As St. Paul says in Romans 6,

“We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His” (Romans 6:4-5). That is a remarkable truth. Jesus “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” on the cross. At your Baptism, He joined you to His death and resurrection. His cross became your cross, His death your death. His appearance at the end of the ages became yours.

Because Christ appeared at the cross and died for you, you make your appearance before God. This is what I mean: the evil, the wicked, cannot stand before the face of God; He does not shine His face upon them. But He looks upon you, the Lord sees you, and He sees you as one who is washed clean by His holy, precious blood. The Lord shines His face upon you, He looks upon you with favor; He is gracious to you and gives you His peace. That is the reason why that benediction at the end of the service is for you: because you are His baptized child, the Lord gives His grace and mercy to you. You are at peace with Him. And because you are at peace with Him, the Last Day and final judgment hold no terror for you. The Lord has already declared that you are innocent for the sake of Jesus, who already bore your guilt and suffered your sentence.

So, by reason of your Baptism, the Lord looks upon you. You have appeared in His sight. Because the Sacrifice has been made for your sin and given to you by water and the Word, you are numbered among His holy people, His royal priesthood. As His priesthood, you appear in His presence at the altar. We do not have a Holy of Holies like the tabernacle, a dark room behind the curtain where the Lord dwells; that is of the Old Testament. Now, the Lord is present in other means. He is present here in His body and blood in the Holy Communion. You do often what the high priest did only once a year: you come into the presence of God. You commune with Him. You receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. You depart in peace. But while you are with Christ in that Sacrament, do not forget that this is your Savior who now appears “in the presence of God on your behalf.” Jesus, who is with you in the Supper, is also at God’s right hand interceding for you. He bears the scars of the cross and declares to His Father, “that one is Your beloved child, because I have taken his sins away.” There is never a moment where the Father ceases to shine His face on you, because the Son ceaselessly intercedes on your behalf.

Thus, as the royal priesthood, you engage in another priestly act: you pray. You offer prayers of thanksgiving and praise, petitions of intercession for others and pleas for mercy for yourself. As you do so, you are confident that God the Father hears your prayers: they appear before Him because Jesus is before Him, and they are pleasing to Him because the Holy Spirit crafts them into acceptable prayers for His hearing. For Jesus’ sake, your prayers are heard.

You have a third appearing to mirror those of your Savior: it is yet to come. It is when Jesus appears again, this time in glory, “not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Should He return this day, you will stand before Him as one redeemed and innocent and not as one who has held onto his sin and now awaits condemnation. Should He tarry for a while and it is given to you to die, you know that your death is just a sleep. And when He returns in glory, He will raise you up in glory, that you might appear before Him in righteousness and purity forever.

Those are your appearings. You appeared before God in Baptism, when Jesus joined you to His death and resurrection. You appear before God at His Supper, where Jesus visits you, really present to give you His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. And because you are His, you will appear before His throne in eternity, alive in Him forever.

That is the message of our epistle from Hebrews 9. You may be quite certain that with such a message of forgiveness, life and grace in Christ, the devil will do his best to leave you thinking that this proclamation was a waste of time. I would urge you to reconsider and examine yourself: for the reasons why you would not rejoice in this good news are dangerous ones to your faith. It may well be that you underestimate your sinfulness and, in fact, you and I cannot comprehend how sinful we truly are. But by the grace of God, we confess our sin; by examination, we see how we indeed have offended God by thought, word and deed, and that we cannot save ourselves. It is then that this passage is such good news. If it does not strike us so, it means that we do not see the need for it. But whether or not you see the need, it is there: repent and confess your sins, most notably the callousness that leaves you believing you have little need for grace.

It may be that you do not think you are ever going to die, in which case a resurrection from the dead is not that important. This is especially a temptation for those who are young or who idolize their health a little too much. But the wages of sin is death and it comes to all. Confess your sins, give thanks to God for youth and health, and use them in service to Him.

There is another reason why this is not good news: you are enslaved to sins that you like very much. When you hear that you can and should be delivered from them, you do not want to be. If that is the case, repent while there is still time. The pleasures, comfort and convenience of sin last only until the Last Day; then there is hell and judgment. The life and salvation of Christ last for eternity. Your sin enslaves you. Otherwise, you could easily give it up. Christ gives you forgiveness freely, that you might be set free.

He is coming back. He will return and appear in glory. That is the ongoing message of these last weeks of the church year. But before He appears in glory, He has already appeared in shame on the cross, in your place, for your sin. Now, He appears before God in heaven, pleading and interceding for you. Therefore, when He appears in glory, there is no fear for the penitent child of God. Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ is coming again, for you, because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY                                 NOVEMBER 3, 2024

The Word of the Lord from Revelation 7: “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” This is the Word of the Lord.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Who are these? We have the description throughout our text, and it is all good. They make up a great multitude that no one can number. They are from all nations, the same words that Jesus used when He said to His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19); and indeed, they are from all tribes and peoples and languages, because the Lord declared that His Word would go forth to all the world.

It is not a small number. It is a great multitude. The Church always seems to look like the scattered few near extinction in this world, but God will have His people too numerous to count!

They are standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are clothed with white robes and they are holding palm branches in their hands. Waving palm branches only pops up twice in Scripture: Palm Sunday and here, in Revelation 7. On Palm Sunday, the people waved palm branches as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey. They were shouting, “Hosanna” which means “save us now!”, and

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus was riding into Jerusalem with purpose, to save. In a few short days, He would be raised up on a cross for His throne as He died for the sins of the world. But now, while the palm branches are the same, everything is differenta: it is fulfilled. Instead of the cross, there is a real throne. Instead of the Savior preparing to sacrifice, He is now present as the resurrected Lamb who had been slain. Rather than throwing down their garments in service to Him, they are wearing white robes that He has given to them. And instead of crying out, “Save us now!,” they declare that He has. “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” It is done. The cross is over. The victory belongs to the Lord.

Who are these? They are in pretty special company: they are standing with angels around the throne. The elders are there, too—the twenty-four elders, perhaps the twelve apostles and the twelve patriarchs, who have thrones and crowns of their own. So are the four living creatures. This rather elite choir continues the song from Revelation 5: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” All of this belongs to Him. Amen. Let it be so.

Who are these? One of the elders asks John, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” When John does not really answer, the elder explains, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence.”

So, they have come out of the great tribulation. Some will tell you that this refers to a special seven-year time period just before the end of the world, but that is a fanciful interpretation. There is no denying that things will be worse before the end. The way that Revelation describes it, there will be a huge church that claims to be Christianity but has actually denied the Gospel, as well as a world that has pretty well completely rejected Christ, and neither will favor those who hold fast to the Gospel very much at all. Kind of like today. Or not. However, a more sound interpretation of “great tribulation” is simply this: life. Life in this world is always a time of great tribulation for the people of God, ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin. The multitude in heaven is a gathering of those who are no longer on earth, but stand before the throne of God in heaven.

And why are they there? Because they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Blood and white robes do not normally go together. In fact, bloodstains are often the worst to remove. In this case, though, the Blood of the Lamb has removed every stain and spot of sin from the robes of this crowd. Not just from one or two, but from the entire multitude. They are holy and clean before God, their robes white, because Christ has paid for every last one of their sins.

Where are they? They are “before the throne of God,” but the throne is not empty. They are in the presence of God, with “He who sits on the throne” and “who will shelter them with His presence.” The word for “shelter” there is an important one. It literally means to dwell, live, or take up residence. It is also the word for tent or tabernacle. Back in the Old Testament, the tabernacle was God’s temple in the wilderness as the people of Israel journeyed to the Promised Land. God dwelt with His people in the Holy of Holies, the inner room of the tent. He concealed Himself there because they could not see His glory and live. Stained and unholy with sin, they could not be that close to Him. He had to hide for their good. Now, in Revelation 7, He shelters them with His presence. In other words, they are inside the tent, inside the Most Holy Place, with Him. That is what heaven is. It is life in the glorious presence of God forever. They can be in His presence because the Lamb has made them clean with His own blood, because He became flesh and tabernacled among them in order to save them from sin.

They are in the presence of God (and can be!) because they are holy, and only holy things can be in the presence of God. That explains what is not in the vision: hunger, thirst, scorching heat, sadness.

Our text concludes, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

So, who are these? Who makes up this great multitude from all nations, gathered around God’s throne with the elders and the living creatures? Who has the honor of being that close in white robes, waving palm branches and singing praises to the Lamb? Who are these, delivered from the great tribulation, never to suffer sin, pain or affliction again?

Who are these? They are you. Along with the rest of God’s people who live and die in Christ. You are among those whom God has gathered in from all nations. You are cleansed with the blood of Christ, and you wear the white robe of His righteousness, because all who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ. What you see in the text is your future. This is not a possibility or one of several endings. This is what Christ has redeemed you for.

Christ has redeemed you for eternal life in the presence of God. That sounds a bit abstract, but consider it this way. It is like life in the Garden of Eden before the fall into sin. There, man could stand in God’s presence and God came to walk with man. There, because there was no sin, there were no wages of sin, no hunger, no thirst, no pain, no tears. Sin brought all of this as part of its curse. Christ came and defeated sin, suffering the hunger, the thirst, the pain, the tears and all of God’s judgment for sin. In doing so, He reversed the curse. Because He has won salvation for you, your sins are forgiven. Heaven is yours! And heaven means being in the presence of God, the Giver of all good things, for eternity. That is how God designed things to be in the first place.

In contrast, hell would be where God is not. Or, at least where God is not present with grace and mercy. For those who want nothing to do with God, they receive what they want. Although they will find an existence completely without God to be a terrible thing indeed. If God provides food, health, protection, order, and deliverance out of His grace and mercy, will these things be found if God is not present with His grace and mercy? No.

But hell is not for you. You have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. Your future, your eternity, is life in His presence, with every good thing. That is what God offers to all people through His Son Jesus Christ, so that all who believe in Him might be saved from hell and delivered to heaven.

For now, you are neither in heaven or hell. You are in this world, sort of in between. There is a bit of hell here, because you still witness the wages of sin with the sickness, the troubles, the anxiety, and everything else that contributes to great tribulation. But this world is not hell, because God is still present in this world. There is a bit of heaven here, too, for precisely that reason: God is present with you, as near as His means of grace. He has clothed you in that white robe of righteousness in your baptism, He keeps speaking you clean with His absolution, and He gives you a foretaste of the feast to come in the body and blood of His Supper.

But this world is not heaven, either: God is present, but God must still conceal Himself in words and water, bread and wine. He must do so because sinners cannot abide His glorious presence and live. So for now, you are between heaven and hell, enduring in a world that features both hellish tribulation and heavenly grace.

The point of Revelation 7 is to remind you of your future. This world is not the end or your final destination. Your place in that multitude around God’s throne is already secure because the Lamb has already shed His blood for you and forgiven you for all of your sins. Like an heir of a fortune in the car on the way to the reading of the will, it is only a matter of when, not if. The inheritance is yours. You just do not see it yet.

The only thing that would keep the heir from the inheritance would be if he jumped out of the car and ran away. That is the only ploy the devil has left for you. He will try to get you to run away from God’s gifts of forgiveness and heaven, and to choose sin, and therefore eventually hell. The Deceiver will try to make sin look attractive, and your sinful flesh will want to cooperate and choose the sin over grace and the Promised Land. Satan will try to make you doubt God’s presence and believe you are God-forsaken and already in hell, though this world is still so visited by God that we cannot have a true idea of what hell is really like. But Revelation 7 is written to Christians who are being ground into a fine powder by suffering, by trial, by tribulation and compared to you and your strength and your abilities, the tribulation you face is great.

But Christ is greater, and here is the proof: all of the tribulation you face is a result of sin and designed to lead you to death. But Christ has already conquered death. He has emerged from the tomb, never to die again; and if Christ has conquered the greater enemy of death itself, He is certainly greater than the tribulation that afflicts you.

So once again, by the grace of God, hold fast in Him. This time of tribulation will cease, because it is already defeated. Everything that has power to separate you from God has been gutted at the cross.

Eternal life in His glorious presence is already yours through your baptism, where there will be no hunger, thirst, scorching heat or any other suffering anymore. Those things cannot be there, because they are the result of sin. You will be there, because Christ has taken away your sins. For His sake, God will wipe away every tear from your eyes.

One of the great hymns that is song on All Saints’ Day is “The Church’s One Foundation” and among my favorite verses:

Though with a scornful wonder, men see her sore oppressed

By schism rent asunder, by heresy distressed

Yet saints their watch are keeping: their cry goes up, “How long?”

And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.

Those saints who cry “How long?” are in heaven, their souls under the altar in Revelation 6. But that is your prayer, too, and certainly a good one. We pray that the Lord would come quickly and deliver us from tribulation. But however long the Lord tarries in His wisdom and mercy, you have the vision of Revelation 7. You know the end of the story. Eternal life, delivered from every sin and every consequence of sin, is yours, because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REFORMATION SUNDAY                                                                                        OCTOBER 27, 2024

Truth is a powerful thing.  The truth of Scripture – particularly the truth that Jesus is the only way to the Father and that He is the only Savior from sin – that truth is the very thing that liberates you from the slavery of sin.  The truth of Christ crucified for sinners releases you from the ignorance of unbelief.  It also protects you from the traps and the schemes of the devil, who is the father of lies.

Truth, however, is also very dangerous.  Since truth is so powerful, evil cannot tolerate it.  Evil wars against the truth; evil is always trying to corrupt the truth.  Darkness hates the light; darkness cannot exist where light shines brightly, and so it does everything in its power to snuff out the light.  Wherever the truth is spoken, evil is right there to stir up trouble; wherever truth is spoken, evil is right there to fuss and fume and make it seem as if the truth-tellers are the problem.  The more clearly the truth is spoken, the louder evil will shriek.

Just consider how things are today.  If you speak the truth and say that unborn children are fully human persons from the moment of conception who deserve to be protected by law, then the pro-abortionists, the pro-choicers will scream and yell and rant and rave, “My body, my choice” and promote “safe” abortions at every stage of pregnancy, even up to the moment of and after birth.  But tell me, how safe is abortion for the baby?

If you speak the truth and say that there are only two genders, male and female, and that those who insist on anything other than two genders are mentally ill and that you cannot change how you were created and go from one to the other, then you are hated and despised for not recognizing these people’s freedom to choose their own gender and affirm their humanity.

If you speak the common-sense truth that marriage can only rightly exist between one man and one woman, then you are vilified for being hateful to the many people who insist that men can marry men and woman can marry women, and you are accused of being the one who is mentally ill and a hater.

            And above all, if you say that the only way to enter eternal life is through faith in the crucified and risen Jesus, well then you are attacked as being hateful or unloving or bigoted; those who insist that there are many different ways to heaven cannot stand the fact that you even exist and are allowed to breathe air.  In his seemingly prophetic book 1984, the famous author George Orwell remarked, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”  This is more intensely true now than it was when he wrote that book.  Truth is powerful and good, but there is always warfare against it in this fallen world.

And that includes not only the evil that is outside of us in our truth-denying society, but also the evil that is within us, in our old Adam.  We may nod our head in agreement when we hear “the truth will make you free,” but the closer someone gets to the truth of our own sin, the louder we protest and deflect blame.  The Psalmist puts it rather clearly when he says, “All men are liars” (Ps 116:11).  And as the former teacher and theologian in the Lutheran Church, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Korby once said, “The only truth a man can tell is, ‘I am a liar.’” 

Our sinful nature is quite skilled at the art of shading and spinning the truth to our advantage.  We excel at trying to make our sin seem respectable.  We are good at distorting and twisting the truth to justify ourselves and rationalize the way we are.  And that is precisely why an essential element of being a Christian is repentance; we must come to terms with the truth and honestly admit that we are by nature enslaved to the Lie, and that we are focused on what we want to hear, not what we need to hear.  And what we need so desperately is to be released from the power of sin and death and the devil.

The truth which sets you free is more than just information that is factually correct; it is more than some bit of information that you download into your brain in Catechesis.  Truth is a person; truth is Jesus Christ Himself.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6).  Our Lord Jesus is the embodiment of Truth; He is eternal and ultimate reality, the One in whom this whole universe holds together.  Jesus has come into the world to destroy the father of lies forever and to rescue you from the deadly power of sin.  When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, He said, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice” (Jn 18:37).  All Pilate could do was to respond cynically, “What is truth?”  Truth incarnate – truth in the flesh – was standing before him, but the Lie was controlling Pilate who loved his power and position.  

On that very first Good Friday it appeared that the Truth was overwhelmed by the Lie; it appeared that the darkness had snuffed out the Light.  But as He died, Jesus spoke the truth that neither death nor the devil could conquer.  Jesus said simply and clearly, “It is finished.”  By His suffering and death, everything that needed to be done to pay for man’s sin had been fulfilled and completed and accomplished.  Everything necessary to undo the curse and defeat the Lie had been done.  Even though it did not seem like it, the Truth had won the day and victory was certain.  Jesus had crushed the serpent’s head and had paid for your deadly sin in full.  That is the truth that liberates you; that is the truth which makes you free.  It is finished; it is all accomplished for you in Jesus.

Most certainly, mortal combat between the truth of Christ and the lies of the evil one still continues.  And for long periods of time, it may seem as if the Lie is winning.  In the 1400’s there was a man named Jan Hus who lived in Bohemia, in the modern-day Czech Republic.  Jan Hus spoke the truth of God’s Word against the false teaching in the church of his day.  At the Council of Constance he was condemned by the church as a heretic and burned at the stake.  The truth seemed to have lost.  

However, before he died, Hus made a very prophetic statement.  The name “Hus” means “goose” in the Bohemian language; and he said, “You are now going to burn a goose, but in a century you will have a swan to whom you will be forced to listen.”  And almost exactly 100 years later, Martin Luther, the trumpeter swan, posted his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg.

What is of special note is that one of Jan Hus’s fiercest opponents, a man named Johannes Zacharias, was buried in front of the altar in the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, Germany.  And it was on that very spot that Martin Luther laid face down when he made his vows to become a monk.  How wonderfully and deliciously ironic that it was on the grave of Jan Hus’s mortal enemy that Luther would begin his journey that led to the Reformation of the church, including some of the very truths that Hus had preached.

Let us be encouraged by this, that the Truth of Christ will always win out.  In spiritually dark times like we are living in now, we may not see or experience that victory.  But that victory is certain, for the crucified Christ is risen!  Let that embolden us to confess the truth of our Christian faith regardless of the cost, knowing that it will never be in vain.  The Truth of Christ will always have the last word.

Martin Luther had no way of knowing whether or not he would end up being executed like Hus.  In 1517 he set forth 95 his theses for debate which told the truth about the corruption in the Church of his day.  And like any whistleblower working for powerful bosses, his life would be turned upside down after that point.  In 1521 Luther was called before the Emperor to recant and take back his teaching or else face not only excommunication from the church, but death.  

After faltering on the first day of his questioning, Luther returned to make his famous speech in reply, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by sound reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and have contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted.  My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.  May God help me.”  And then as the room erupted into noisy jeers and cheers by the gathered crowd, including some shouting “To the fire with him!”  Luther spoke these words, “Here I stand. I can do no other.  God help me.  Amen.”  It was only by the grace of God and the skillful maneuvering of Luther’s prince, Frederick of Saxony, that he was able to escape with his life.

The matters in dispute during the Reformation were of the utmost importance, for they had to do with the very Gospel of Christ and God’s grace.  Can the forgiveness of sins be sold as a commodity based on the authority of a pope rather than the Word of God?  Can forgiveness and eternal life be earned by good works?  How does faith fit into the picture?  What is grace?

Martin Luther and the other reformers returned simply to telling these truths of Scripture: The Law of God is good, and we must obey God’s commandments.  But we dare never place our faith in how well we are keeping the Law, since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).  “Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20).  Therefore, our faith is entirely in Jesus and what He has done for us.  We cannot justify ourselves; rather we are justified, declared righteous, “freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24).  We are saved through faith in Him alone, apart from the deeds of the Law.  Salvation cannot be bought, either with money, or even with good works or good intentions.  “For by grace you are saved through faith – and this is not your own, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8-9).

In teaching these truths, the Lutheran reformers were not teaching anything new; it was all there in Holy Scripture.  And it had been taught by the fathers of the Church throughout the Church’s history.  One of the things Lutherans emphasized over and over again was the fact that they were being the true catholics, for they were simply restoring the teaching of the truth of Christ and of Christians everywhere, truths that had been corrupted and suppressed through the centuries.  They were not inventing any new doctrines; they were not making stuff up.  That is why they kept the liturgy and everything else that belonged to the Church that did not contradict the Word of God.  The Reformation was about a return to the eternal truth of Holy Scripture.  The truth can be denied and suppressed, but in the end truth is unconquerable.

The beautiful thing about the truth is that, unlike a lie, you do not have to invent it, and you do not have to “manage” it.  It just is.  Once you know the truth, you simply repeat it and proclaim it and say “Amen” to it.  By contrast, the lie requires a good memory to recall what you made up.  And it requires an army of lies to back up the original lie.  And eventually, that tangled web ensnares the liar, and the liar is caught.  So it is that Satan was trapped in his own deceit and ensnared by the death he brought into the world.  For through the death of Jesus, the deceiver was undone and his work destroyed.  The lie cannot suppress the truth forever.  For Truth in the flesh is risen from the dead.

This is why Reformation Day is a great celebration for us because it is centered in this unconquerable and everlasting truth of Jesus.  Our Lutheran ancestors in the faith courageously spoke the truth to power; and as a result, many things changed.  The authority of God’s Word was restored to its rightful place, being heard in the language of the people, and the preaching of the pure Gospel rang out again as the delivery of God’s free grace in Christ.

Though some things have changed for the better in Roman Catholicism, sadly the same underlying poison of false teaching remains – things like indulgences, rewards for good works, praying to saints, Mariolatry, transubstantiation, forbidding priests to marry, and ungodly superstition.  Today’s Pope is still engaging in his shenanigans, even bowing to the world with his endorsement of same sex civil unions.

As much as there is for us to celebrate this day, the Reformation must continue if it is to mean anything.  So the best and greatest thing that Lutherans can do still to this day is to stubbornly cling to the truth, to preach the fullness of God’s Law that exposes our fallen condition, to announce with gladness that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), to proclaim without fear that He is the exclusive Truth, the only way to the Father and to eternal life, that by His wounds we are healed (Is. 53:5).  

We have no new truths to offer; for the truth of Christ is both ancient and eternal.  We cling to the promise of God that the Church, in her confession of this truth, will withstand even the gates of hell.  It is as we sang regarding the devil, “One little Word can fell him,” namely the Word of Jesus.

So hear again what Jesus says, and take it to heart this Reformation day: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost                          October 20, 2024

Today’s Gospel Reading follows the account of a rich young man who left Jesus sorrowful. But how can anyone leave Jesus with a heavy heart? In this case, that young man was carrying something very heavy in his heart. The weight of all his earthly possessions was competing with God’s kingdom, which is filled with heavenly treasures. And so, out of love for him, Jesus tells him to sell everything he owned and give the proceeds to the poor, and to then follow Him.

Instead, however, he departs from Jesus. He wants to be able to work his way into internal life. The idols of wealth and possessions came out of hiding. The gods he had kept in secret were now out in the open.

What can compare to the Lordship of Christ and receiving eternal life from Him? As it is better for anyone to be without a hand, an eye or a foot and still go to heaven; so it is better to be poor by selling everything than to lose eternal life. But does Jesus ask you to go ‘all in’ and sell all you have to gain heaven?

While it would be good for those who love their things more than Him, to be jolted by the sobering thought of losing eternal life, He is speaking directly to this young rich man with this specific command. He tailor-makes the choice for him while at the same time reminding all of us of the temptation to chase after wealth. But wait a minute! Does not everyone want to be rich? Who does not have the goal of becoming financially independent? Is that not why we work so hard? Is it not to have a comfortable living, retire early, and then do whatever we want?

This is your wake-up call. For God’s view of riches is far different than ours. At the creation of the world, God put all the precious metals into the ground for our use and benefit; but never, however, were they meant to be loved more than Him.

The heart becomes heavy from carrying the love of gold and silver instead of the Holy Spirit. So the church father, Clement of Alexandria, preached in his “Who is the rich man that shall be saved?” sermon. He warns of the trap of carrying the love of precious metal in your heart because it leads back to the place from whence it came. The inspired words of Solomon state in Ecclesiastes, “All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.” Or from the direct mouth of God as He curses Adam, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The pursuit of wealth acts like fuel poured on the fire of our lusts and desires of the things of this world. It never leads to contentment. It can never satisfy the soul. Only Jesus can give a Sabbath rest for our soul that truly satisfies. And so, He quenches the soul’s raging fire far more by giving us perfect peace and contentment with His heavenly Father. By His living water of life, He puts out every fire of lust.

Now, our lust and constant desire for more, seeks gratification but will never find it. It never rests. What was once held to be a luxury quickly becomes a need, and needs quickly control us, demanding more and more attention and will never leave us alone. Deceived into trusting in wealth for happiness. Programmed to be consumers. And for that addiction we need money. Fueling, thereby, the first of selfish appetites more efficiently; fashioning idols in the heart that rob God of His glory.

Now, when Jesus asked the young man to liquidate his assets and give it all to the poor; He is teaching him (and also us) the better use of wealth. Can there, after all, be anything more liberating to a slave of money than to give it away? Can there be any better use of our money than to unleash the Gospel on hopeless slaves bound for death that springs them loose from that prison?

Listen again to how Clement of Alexandria puts it: “For he who holds possessions and gold and silver and houses as gifts of God… and knows that he possesses them more for the sake of the brethren than his own; and is superior to the possession of them, not the slave of the things he possesses; and does not carry them about in his soul … even should he be necessarily some time or other deprived of them, is able with cheerful mind to bear their removal equally with the abundance. This is he who is blessed by the Lord, and called poor in spirit, a meet heir of the kingdom of heaven, and not one who could not live rich.”

Now, Jesus warns the rich with that famous statement that it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Do not, however, try this stunt at home. The Lord does not want any camel pushed through the eye of a needle. Rather, He is taking the largest animal around at that time and pictures it passing through the smallest opening that was known at that time in order to teach us how impossible it is for us to do anything to get into heaven.

The Kingdom of God, after all, cannot be bought. It is impossible for the rich or any of us to do anything to get into heaven. Rather, it can only be given, just as little children can only receive that which their parents give them. Yes, receiving and not earning, not buying. Given, not bought. So it is for all who trust in Christ for forgiveness and life, whether they be young or old, rich or poor.

The rich man left Jesus sorrowful because he had no room in his heart for Jesus, for heavenly treasures. He was not looking for mercy, but a reward for being good.

If he only knew how merciful the Savior is! Unlike idols that whip, drive and enslave; Jesus rules by serving, He loves by dying, and He even forgives all your lusts and chasing after the riches of this world, and never stops praying for you.

What idol does that? Compare that to the Kingdom of God that is freely given in Christ Jesus! God freely gives His kingdom to every sinner who has nothing to offer God, who does not try in vain to bribe Him with good works. And do you know what? Receiving God’s kingdom frees us from harboring and nurturing our secret idols that drive us deeper into ourselves and death. We have been freed by Christ to cut them loose once and for all.

Now, Peter was quick to remind Jesus that he and his fellow disciples had left their nets, their fishing boats and their livelihoods to follow Him. Unlike that rich young man, they remained with Jesus and were given the kingdom. And how does Jesus reply? He keeps giving more to those who already have been given to. He says that everyone who leaves their family for His sake will receive many more family members than could ever be seen or counted. Abraham’s children, after all, are more numerous than sand on the seashore and stars in the sky. Jesus said that everyone who hears His Word and believes in Him are His brothers and sisters and mothers. In receiving the kingdom of God, we also receive a very large family. And those family ties are eternal, for death has been vanquished by Christ.

The next gift given by Jesus in addition to entering his kingdom is persecution. That sounds like a strange gift indeed; yet it shows how the values and virtues of God’s kingdom are so very different and opposite to the kingdoms of this world. “Membership has its privileges.” We hear that all the time. And so it is when it comes to membership in God’s kingdom. What privilege? Just this: persecution of those who belong to Christ.

But why should this be all that surprising? After all, as it goes with Jesus, so it goes with His brothers and sisters. Enmity and hostility from the world, and a cross to bear from our heavenly Father. But this, too, is a gift of grace. Cross-bearing drives us to our knees in prayer, keeps us humble, serves to keep us from thinking that we deserve only good things from God, enlarges our hearts and enlightens our minds that we see and take to heart the truth that Christ died for the ungodly. Even while we were still sinners and His enemies.

Given, not bought. Given eternal life in Jesus. Given a new family and a new way at looking at and using the riches of this world. Given a new way of regarding the world’s opposition to Jesus and those who bear His name and follow Him as His disciples. This is what comes to us by God’s most gracious favor. And what earthly riches can compare to having been given such a heavenly, eternal kingdom?

                                                                              Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST    OCTOBER 13, 2024

“Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

The words come from a slightly breathless man who obviously has it all together. He is young and vastly wealthy, so the text tells us. The fact that he is concerned about his salvation tells us he is wise.

The fact that he has come running to Jesus to ask the question tells us that this is a zealous man who wants to follow the Lord. To the disciples and others gathered around, this is an excellent prospect for a follower. I mean, they wish that everyone would follow Jesus, of course; but this is the kind of guy who has his act together. He is the kind of guy who would volunteer to serve on committees and get a lot of work done. He is the kind of guy who would be an asset for whatever sort of plan or strategy needs to be launched. And it looks like he is already in; despite his cool confidence, he has actually run to where Jesus is at and knelt before him. The disciples must be breathing a sigh of relief, for it has been a rough several weeks. First there was the fiasco after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, when many disciples left. Then there have been these strange, discomforting predictions by Jesus that He is going to be crucified. But here is a nice change: A young, rich, intelligent guy has appeared, who wants to be a disciple. This man is a slam dunk for adult confirmation.

But the conversation does not go the way it was supposed to. At least, it does not go the way the disciples think it is supposed to… Who would ever imagine that this slam-dunk disciple would walk away sorrowful a few minutes later? What happens? Let us examine the exchange:

“Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” asks the rich young man. The problem has already begun, because the question he asks is flawed. Listen again: “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” The question tells us that this man assumes that he can work his way into heaven by the things that he does. What he is asking Jesus is this: “How much more of God’s Law do I have to keep in order to earn my way into eternal life? What do I have to do?” Although the man is sincere, he is far from faith: He does not want Jesus to save him from sin, but to approve of who he is and the good that he has done.

Since the man asks a question about keeping the commandments, Jesus gives him an answer about keeping the commandments: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness, ‘Do not defraud, ‘Honor your father and mother.” In other words, since the man asks, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”, Jesus says, “You shall keep God’s commandments,” and the Lord proceeds to give him a sampling of the Ten.

But this preaching of the Law only leaves the man smug: Is this all there is to it? He is nearly home free already! What good news! And so he exults, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth!” Yup. This guy is the slam-dunk disciple, is he not?

But then the bomb drops. Jesus, who loves this man, preaches one more bit of Law: “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” This time, the man sees how the Law accuses him, and it crushes him. Jesus has just pointed out to him his sin. But what sin is that, exactly?

T          he sin our Lord condemns here is not wealth; Jesus is not preaching a sermon against the evils of being rich. We must make this clear so that we can understand the true sin and the marvelous Gospel of this text. Bible stories like this one have been used to declare that wealth is innately sinful; therefore, for instance, in Luther’s time it was considered a great work to sell all and make a vow of poverty, for poverty was considered to be more pleasing to God. But this is not what the Lord is saying. Granted, wealth has its dangers, as the Lord will go on to say: Those who have riches are tempted to trust in those riches instead of the Lord.

So, is the sin greed? There is greed here, yes. The man has much in the way of riches, and he would rather keep them than love his neighbor and give them to the poor. So, yes, there is greed at play here, but the greed is not the big problem here. There is a far more dangerous sin at work.

The greater sin is this: The man thinks that he can save himself by how well he works at keeping God’s commands. He believes that he can work his way into heaven by being good enough. When Jesus lists several commands, the man is delighted because he can tick them off and say, “I have kept them! I am on track!” But then the Lord says, “If you are so virtuous that you can keep all of God’s commandments, then you will not be in love with your money; you will be able to give it all away. If you are going to save yourself by your work, then prove it.”

Thus the Lord shows to the man that he suffers from greed, though he did not know it until that moment; and because he suffers the sin of greed, he is not keeping all of God’s commands and he cannot earn eternal life. For greed, the man can be forgiven as he trusts in Jesus, the Savior. But as long as the man believes that he can save himself, he does not trust in Jesus to save him; thus there is no forgiveness. The Lord shoots down this man’s whole plan of salvation.

But listen carefully to the Lord’s words again: He preaches the Law, yes, in order to show the man that he cannot save himself; so Jesus tells the man to sell all that he has. But the Lord does so in order that the man might be saved; therefore Jesus preaches the Gospel, saying “Come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

In other words, Jesus says to the man: “You cannot save yourself. But I can. I will save you by going to the cross and dying for your sin. Do not trust in your own efforts, but in mine. I will share my cross with you, so that you do not have to suffer and die for your sin.”

Thus the Lord declares to this man the Gospel, telling him that He will bear the cross for him. But it is too much for the man and his preconceived notions. He arrived expecting the Lord’s blessing for his keeping of the law-and perhaps for his well-run life and wealth; instead, he is told to throw it all away and trust in the cross instead. This is not the way he wants salvation, and this is not the way he wants the Savior to be. Therefore, he walks away. The would-be disciple, the one who was supposed to be a slam-dunk, the guy who had everything going his way, walks away.

Jesus lets him go. One can even imagine the frowns of disapproval by some gathered around, that Jesus would drive away such a prospect with His teaching. But Jesus lets him go. He loves the man, but in love He will not force the man to be repentant. He will, however, go to the cross and die for the sins of the rich young man; if, later on, the man repents of his sin, the benefits of the cross will be there for him.

The man walks away, and the disciples now demonstrate their distinctive ability to completely miss the point. Jesus begins to explain: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Not because riches are inherently sinful, but because those who have wealth see little need for a Savior. Wealth is an easy thing to trust in, and those who trust in wealth are not trusting in Christ.

And so Jesus says, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples are astonished. The would-be slam-dunk disciple had everything going for him. If he cannot get into heaven, who can?

Jesus expands: “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And once again the disciples are astonished: If those who have so much going for them cannot get into heaven, “Who then can be saved?”

And so to the disciples the Lord preaches a one-sentence sermon of Law and Gospel once again: “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” The Law: You cannot. You cannot save yourself. God can. can. He can save you because His Son is going to the cross.

The message remains the same: You cannot save you. Christ has saved you. Unfortunately, because we sinful human beings keep asking the wrong question, we keep coming up with the wrong answer. Sometimes the question is as crystal clear as that of the rich young man in the text: “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Right away, we are saying that there must be something we can do. But sadly, even though the question is wrong, there are plenty who will be happy to give you an answer. A wrong answer.

In more than one church, the answer is that you must do good works in order to inherit eternal life. Keep all the commandments, at least as well as you can, and the Lord will graciously open the gates of heaven. This is a popular doctrine, a popular teaching, among individuals: As long as I belong to and/or attend church at least x number of times per year, I have done enough and eternal life is mine. As long as I do my best each day, what more can God ask for? But this is hardly confined to the church; this is the theology of the world: Do your best, do right by other people, and heaven is yours. (When one prominent baseball announcer died, a tearful fan announced on national radio that God had to let him into heaven because he had called the Cubs’ games so well.) The answer is appealing to our sinful nature; it means that we can do this on our own. But if thought through, it is not a good answer at all.

How much is enough? How many good works must you do in order to inherit eternal life? Can you do enough good works? The answer: No. You cannot.

Sometimes the question is more subtle: “Now that Jesus has saved me, what must I do to keep that salvation?” This starts out well. It credits Jesus with our salvation. But it goes on to assume that we build our faith and keep our salvation by the works that we do. Hence, many a church will teach, “Now that you are saved, you can be sure you have maintained your salvation if you help others.” Or, “Now that you are a Christian, you can be sure you are saved as long as you are improving.” Or, “Now that you are a Christian, you can be sure you are saved as long as you feel better than you did before.” Now, let us be clear: Is it wrong to help others? Is it wrong to improve on some behaviors and habits? Is it wrong to feel better? The answer to all of these questions is: No. But nor do any of these things cause God to love us or save us.

If we believe that God loves us now because of these things, then we are saying God loves us for these things instead of Christ. Is this right? No. Can you build your faith and maintain your salvation by your works? No. You cannot.

Whenever we ask, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”, the answer from the Lord is this: “You cannot. ‘With men it is impossible…’ “…But not with God; for with God all things are possible.” There is an answer and there is salvation, but it is an answer to a different question. The question is not “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” The question is, “What has the Lord done to give me eternal life?” And to such a question there is Good News in abundance.

What has the Lord done? The Good Teacher taught and He did. All those commandments that He listed for the rich young man, He kept. Perfectly. He kept all of God’s Law, perfectly, without a single sin. Did He give all that He had to the poor? Yes! He gave all that He had. Not just for the poor, but for all people. He offered His back to those who scourged Him, His scalp to those who crowned Him with thorns. He allowed His hands, His feet, and His side to be pierced for this sinful world. Did He give all? Yes, in a depth that we cannot even begin to contemplate. Unlike the rich young man, did He take up the cross? Yes. He took up the cross. And on that cross He died for the sins of the world. That is what the Lord has done. You cannot. So He has.

But He is not finished. The Good Teacher now offers that cross to you. By His holy Law preached to you this day, He still warns and accuses of sin. Not so that you walk away sorrowful, but so that you might repent and turn away from that which would destroy you. And by His holy Gospel, He gives you His cross. He takes away your sins, you need not suffer and die for them because He already has.

The Christ gives you His righteousness, giving you the credit and benefits of His perfect keeping of God’s Law. He makes you His family, members of His household. He marks you with His cross in Holy Baptism, that He might join you to His death. He gives you His body and blood in Holy Communion, that He might join you to His life.

You cannot. He can and He does. Faithfully, again and again granting you forgiveness for your sins.

This is the Good News that God has for you: that Jesus has won salvation for you and gives it to you freely. And this is the message that you are called to proclaim as a Church continually and faithfully. At times, people will hear and walk away, even some as attractive and “with-it” as the rich young ruler. We watch such go with sorrow, praying that they will return to the grace of God. And we continue to preach the same life-giving Gospel which our Lord proclaimed and fulfilled: You are sure of your salvation: Not because you can earn it, but because He has won it for you by His death and resurrection.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TWENTIETH SUNDAY after PENTECOST    OCTOBER 6, 2024

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here this day to witness, and even be a part of, the union of a bridegroom and a bride to one another. Marriage is an honorable estate that was instituted and blessed by God in paradise before humanities fall into sin. The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is meant for many purposes as God joins bride and bridegroom together. Marriage is not to be divorced, but it is meant to last a lifetime, until our Lord Himself ends it according to His will, when He chooses to take unto himself in Paradise our dearly beloved.

Marriage is meant for husband and wife to have a person they can completely trust and be themselves with. Marriage is meant for companionship and support through every joy and sorrow shared. And marriage is meant for the pro-creation of children, when God ordains it, for every single child brought about by the miracle of conception is a blessing from God, who welcomes all children.

As Jesus says, from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Then he quotes from Genesis, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Marriage began in the Garden of Eden, when all things were yet perfect.

On the 6th day of the holy week of creation, on the first Friday, Adam, the first man born of God, was formed out of the dirt of the earth. Into this perfectly formed clay, God breathed the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

So, out of the ground, God formed every animal, and brought them to the Man. The man was tasked with naming all of the wondrous animals which God had made only a short time before.

But after naming all the animals, it was evident that there was no helper found that was fit for Adam. But Adam did not know any better. Nowhere are we told Adam was sad he did not have a helper, someone that was like him. It was God who was looking for a helper for Adam. “Now I will make a helper fit for Him,” God said.

So God caused Adam to fall into a sleep. A sleep so deep he could have passed for dead. But such a deep sleep was necessary, for God opened Adam’s side, took out a rib, and using the rib, formed a woman. Then God brought the woman to the man, walking His first daughter down the aisle of the Garden of Eden to give her to the man He had made for her. When Adam saw the woman, he knew, this was the woman for him. God made them for each other.

When God brings a man and a woman together, it is time to get married. As is the case with most couples, and like Adam and Eve, when you know you know, right? When the intentions are on the table, when the plans are being made, when the commitment is already made, why do we see such lengthy delays? Why wait to be united by God in heart, mind, and body in the state of holy matrimony? I know many married couples who look back on their time of engagement and remark, “why did we wait so long to get married? God would have made it work for us no matter what!” Then there are others, likely a little older, who look back and think “We didn’t wait long at all, and look at us! God made it work!” Surely it is God who brings man to woman and woman to man.

So as God walked His newly created daughter down the aisle of the garden to her waiting husband, the man gazed upon her. When he saw her, he knew. He needed no introductions, no courtship, no living together playing house. His eyes were not wandering around lustfully for other options. He desired no sexual experimentation with other women, there was not even an engagement. After looking at animals all day, the man finally saw the reflection of himself in the mirror of this woman’s flesh. “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” This man and woman were rooted one into the other, as a head to a body, the two became one flesh. God made them for each other, and God brought them together. And it is He who promised to bless, direct, protect, and keep them from the beginning to the end.

God loves marriage. Not, of course, as our government currently understands it and our society encourages it to be. Marriage is currently considered to be akin to “two people who love each other and are committed to each other.” But you may have caught the bait-and-switch.

This definition is not actually “marriage.” It cannot be. Marriage, as God defines it, is what God made it to be in the Garden of Eden, when all things were perfect. One man, one woman united until death do them part. Even this is spoken by the mouth of Jesus, in our time after Eden.

Many centuries after Eden, on the 6th day of Holy Week, another Friday, the events of Eden were replayed. This time, however, God was not so much creating, but he was re-creating. Putting broken humanity back together again. 33 years earlier, in the virgin womb of a girl named Mary, God formed a human body for his eternal Son. By a Word from the angel, He plunged his hands into the dirty, earthly flesh. This new and better and perfect Adam, God in the flesh, had come to create for Himself a Bride, a helper who would be suitable for Him. His search took Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was again among people of His creation. But those he knew, those he named, even Peter, James, and John, all of His friends left Him in fear. Even divorced themselves from him in denial. None were there to stand up for what was right. None gave a voice for He who remained silent. No helper fit for him could be found.

Yet, this was the will of God: to make a helper fit for Him. Jesus was taken by the hands of violent men, mocked and ridiculed, beaten and tortured, had nails pierce His flesh as He was crucified on a cross, and he died for the sin of the world. For the sin which tore away the perfection of creation; sins which leads men and women astray from God’s intentions for marriage, sins which break up marriages and discards children. God’s perfect firstborn Son from eternity was found in mortal flesh, and was crucified for you.

As He hung there, arms outstretched, nailed to another tree, a deep sleep fell upon this God-man. It was not a sleep as if the Christ had just passed out. It was not a swoon. The Romans were good at their jobs of execution. It was the deep sleep of death from which he would not awaken until the first day of the week. As His body hung limp on that cross, uplifted between heaven and earth, a spear was thrust into His side, it pierced Him and traveled through His body right into his heart.

Out from the side of Jesus, who is the Second Adam, flowed blood and water. Like the first Friday when God built from Adam’s side the one who was his bride, so on this Good Friday, God built from the side of Christ His bride: the one, holy, Christian, and apostolic Church. As Eve was to Adam, so the Church is to Christ. And as through Adam’s rib Eve received life, so through the blood and water of Christ, the Church receives life. The water which streamed through the ribs of Jesus pools in the Baptismal fonts, the blood streams into the chalice of Holy Communion. In that blood, Jesus and His bride embrace as the whole company of heaven looks on in heavenly joy and wonder. As the baptized bride of Jesus walks down the aisle of this churchly paradise, held by the hand of her Father, who art in heaven, Jesus the groom, stands at this earthly altar and proclaims to God and to the whole world, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.; she shall be called Christians, because she was taken out of Christ.”

The marriage of Jesus to the Church makes you who you are: pure, forgiven, treasured and prized men and women, united to the body of Jesus Christ. As the perfect bridegroom, your perfect head, He has had you and will hold you throughout all your days; for better and worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, He loves and cherishes you so much that He died on the cross for you to make you His. He will never leave you, never forsake you. He has pledged to you His faithfulness, and sealed His pledge in blood. And though we fail one another, His perfection covers your failures. You are one flesh with Christ. Washed clean in the blood of the Lamb through your baptism.

You, Christ’s holy bride, were meant to be with Him. As He has joined himself to you, He has formed you to lead holy and pure lives in faithfulness to Him. And when we fail, He will never divorce Himself from you, but will remain faithful to His promises and will bless all the more with forgiveness. For such is His promise to cherish you, uphold you, and support and protect until the eternal sun finally dawns. Then the Eden Paradise as God always intended for us to live in will be revealed. It is a place where you and all to whom He gives life, will live with Him forever. Until that day, He himself will bless, restore, protect, and keep you, for you are His most prized possession, His holy bride. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST  SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

Our text for consideration is the Holy Gospel recorded in the ninth chapter of Mark. Hear again these words of our Lord: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

There are certain things that you observe around you that let you know that you are in an election season. Campaign signs, mailers, televised debates, and endless commercials. And whether it is a candidate or a proposition, one way they attempt to influence the voter is by making an appeal on behalf of the children. Candidates for office are pictured with children around them. Initiatives are promoted through children smiling and waving, perhaps even speaking words of their own scripted endorsement so that you, too, will support it. Either the person or the idea is presented as good because it is good for the children.

While some of this material is a shameless emotional appeal to mothers and fathers who want the best for their own children, such campaigning is also based on a premise that cannot be denied. Children are our future. The children of today are the grownups of tomorrow. And it is the same for the church on earth.

Our Lord stresses heavily the upbringing of children, for the church itself is always but one generation away from extinction. God does not mass-produce Christians. He makes them individually through the Holy Spirit creating faith in their hearts by means of his Word and Sacrament. This faith must be fed and sustained, just as the body must be continually nourished with food and water. And like the body, faith also can fall victim to disease, but not to the flu or a cold. Faith suffers the illness of being scandalized. A literal translation of Jesus’ words is whoever scandalizes one of these little ones who believe in me.

To scandalize someone is to cause them to stumble; to shake the faith that they have in something or someone. We may have come to know the word scandal in our culture to be nothing more than juicy gossip that gives newspapers their cover story day after day, usually about a famous person’s private life. But in the biblical sense, the concept of a scandal is much more sinister. Jesus does not leave any room for his people to be flippant about their behavior toward others, the little ones in particular.

Our text this morning follows the events of the reading from last Sunday, in which Jesus took up a child in his arms and declared that whoever receives such a little one in his name receives him. This child is still in their midst today when Jesus warns against causing such a little one to sin.

Throughout the New Testament, little children are lifted up as the example of faith to the church. Jesus said explicitly that the Kingdom of God belongs to them. Why is this? We know from Scripture that children are not sinless. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death, and we know that children, too, are subject to death. We know that they are conceived and born in sin, and that, like adults, they would be eternally lost without God’s saving grace. So what makes little children the examples of faith? Why is childlike faith revered above all?

We begin to understand the danger of scandalizing a little one when we come to realize the nature of a child’s faith. The faith of a little child is a faith that has been given through her baptism and is fed through hearing about her Savior Jesus. It is a faith that has not yet been subjected to the temptations of the world. A child is sinful by nature, but she does not yet receive reinforcement of sinful behavior from others. She also has not yet been subjected to schoolteachers and college professors who will ridicule her because of her faith in Jesus.

A little child receives God’s Word, Christ Jesus, and trusts in him without being attacked on all sides. A little child is not afraid of talking about her Savior because of what others will think! Hers is a complete faith and trust in her Redeemer Jesus. She may not be able to articulate it. A little child may not yet be able to understand the full meaning of all the words of the Lord’s Prayer or the Creed, but the faith of her heart is not contingent on the ability of her mind to process it. This is another important aspect to remember, that faith is of the heart and not of the mind. Faith is not a mental exercise or a deliberate action of the will. Faith is not a decision that is entered upon and then never subject to second thoughts. Faith is God’s instrument for receiving his salvation by grace. It is God’s work, and it is his gift to us. And the faith of a little child is one that has been received and has not yet been polluted by the world. It is focused on Jesus and is not divided between him and other things. The little child believes and has not yet been taught to doubt. Thus, the faith of a little child is the strongest and purest of all.

Woe, therefore, to anyone who would damage the faith of these little ones! Jesus is not being dramatic when he speaks of a millstone being hung around one’s neck, mob-style, and being thrown into the sea. It truly would be better for such a scandalous person to have that happen, because at least in the bottom of the sea one would not be able to scandalize any more children.

At this point, your thoughts might be focusing on a couple of more obvious scandals to children that receive such prominence in our day: child abusers and child predators. But as dastardly as such crimes as these may be, we need not go so far as physical abuse to truly scandalize a little one and cause them to sin. We need only consider what is needed to sustain a child’s faith and realize our own failings in our responsibility as Christians to nurture that faith.

At the end of our text, Jesus speaks of the saltiness of salt, and tells you to have salt in yourselves and be a peace with one another. Now, our Lord is not speaking of the level of sodium in one’s diet. Rather, he speaks about salt as it has always been used by man, as a preservative and seasoning. All of our conduct as Christians is to be seasoned with salt. Our lives are not to be lived according to our sinful nature, but seasoned with God’s gifts of grace, which strengthen us against the temptation to sin and also enable us to give a faithful Christian witness to everyone. St. Paul calls us ambassadors of Christ, and we therefore are to be Christ’s representatives to everyone with whom we have contact. Your conduct, therefore, in every situation, must speak well of your Lord, and this includes your conduct toward little ones.

Children do not need any help being sinners, but woe to him who provides such help. This includes not just teaching one’s children sinful behavior by means of bad example, but also failing to bring up one’s children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Teaching them to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” Jesus does warn against outward sin against little children, but he speaks here more broadly against anything that damages a child’s faith. And there are plenty of ways that remain rampant among Christians.

Parents who bring their child to the waters of Holy Baptism promise to teach their children the ways of the Lord, and when they fail to do so, they not only break their promise, but they also cause their little one who believes in Jesus to stumble, because they starve their faith. A parent who does not properly nourish their child with food, clothing, and shelter is charged by the state with neglect and child endangerment. A parent who does not nourish a child’s faith neglects and endangers the child’s soul. It would be better if a millstone dragged such a teacher to the bottom of the sea, where they could not harm others.

The Christian congregation in general also has the responsibility to its young people to provide an example to them. Christians are to show love for the children of their parish and rejoice that they are there on the Lord’s Day to hear of Jesus and know that he died to forgive them of all their sins. Christian adults should be ready and willing to tell the little ones about Jesus in Sunday school. Pastors have the honor and privilege of assisting parents in the instruction of their children by meeting with the children during the week, to help them to examine themselves for worthy and prepared reception of their Lord’s body and blood in the Sacrament.

All Christians have the duty before God to nurture and encourage the Christians of tomorrow. We all have the responsibility to let our light shine before men and provide an example to those who are most impressionable. This applies not just to little ones, but even to adults who are still little ones in the faith. No one should conduct oneself in such a way that others are surprised to learn that one is a Christian. Your Christian faith should be known to others by the fruits you bear. Just as a good tree bears good fruit, so also does a true faith show itself through good works and example. Your children are watching you, and so is the world. The world is waiting for you to slip up and provide them with the dirt of scandal. The world rejoices when the Christian causes the little ones to sin, for it confirms itself in its own rejection of Christ Jesus and basks in your failures.

Do not give the world what it desires in finding excuse to reject the Gospel! As James said in our Epistle reading, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Be humble, and speak evil of no one. Be imitators of Christ, who returned no evil for evil, who endured the cursings and revilings of the world, but who did not apologize for the truth and went to the cross for it.

Christ Jesus went to the cross for you. He went to the cross and died to atone for all of your weaknesses and all of your failings. He took all of your poor behavioral examples, all of your indifference, all of your lacking, and nailed it to that cross. He hung a great millstone around all the things you do as a sinner to cause his little ones to sin, and has cast them into the deep.

Your Lord Jesus has blessed you, his people of this particular time and place, with the gift of his Word that makes you wise unto salvation. And he has entrusted it to you for the instruction of the little ones. He gives to you his Word and faith to keep and preserve you, to equip you in your responsibility to future generations. And he invites you to receive from him the strength to remain in that faith that trusts in the crucified and risen Lord.

This same faith he provides to the little ones that they would believe in him unto life everlasting. His promises are as much to them as to you who have confessed your God-given faith. Therefore go, and in service to him, render God-pleasing service to his little ones. Encourage them in the faith, teach them in the way they should go, so that when they are old, they do not depart from it.

Our Lord bless and keep you strong and steadfast in his Word, and sustain you according to his faithful promise, that you would be an example to the little ones who will carry the faith to the end, in the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost                September 22, 2024

I have decided to make a change in my life.  I have really been working hard at it too.  Already this morning I have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort into this pivotal change.  You see, I have determined to become more humble in my life.  I have been working very hard at this, and I must say, I have been nothing short of awesome in my pursuit of humility.  I am the best, most humble person I have ever met!  No one can hold a candle to my humility.  I just wanted all of you to know and to share in my joy, to share in my awesomeness, and to celebrate my humility with me.

Now, I would hope that by now you have picked up on the fact that this is a purely satirical introduction.  Just think about how oxymoronic and ludicrous it sounds to boast about your humility; to trumpet and parade how awesome you are at being humble.  “I really killed it today!” Clearly, such posturing and peacocking would no doubt indicate that this “humble” individual does not have a clue as to what goes into being truly humble.  Instead of portraying true humility, such boastful posturing would only put that person’s foolish arrogance on full display for everyone to see.  Such boastful posturing would only reveal the sad fact that they really are clueless.  They just do not get it.  They just do not see or understand. 

As we turn our ears to the Gospel lesson for today, we discover, once again, that the apostles fall into this sad and foolish category.  Jesus is teaching, again, that He is going to be betrayed and arrested and killed and resurrected.  He is teaching them, again, about His great and glorious mission of redemption.  He is teaching them about what His greatness and their greatness is going to look like in the eyes of God and the eyes of man.  He is not hiding anything from them.  He is telling it exactly like it is.  His greatness, that is, the fullness of God’s just and righteous wrath and unconditional, limitless love, will be witnessed in all its glory right here on the cross.  Here in the utter lowliness and depravity of slander, persecution, suffering, death, and forsakenness our Lord and Savior, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, will be exalted and lifted up for all the world to see; for all the world to see and behold the full wrath and love of God.  In Him, in His utter lowliness and despair and agony and humility, it is finished once for all.  Here is God at His lowest and His highest.  Here is the ultimate display of God’s wrath against sin and God’s love for you. 

And yet, after hearing this teaching again and again and again, these same disciples do what they do best and waste no time in elbowing and arguing and posturing over who is the greatest in the kingdom of God.  “Look at all that I do.  I’m better than you!  I deserve a better seat in glory than you do!” How sad!  They truly do not get it.  Their idea of greatness had nothing to do with God’s idea of greatness. 

And before we look too far down our noses at such foolishness, we need to take an honest look in the mirror of our own daily reality.  How often we behave the same exact way, posturing and elbowing and peacocking and boasting about all of our “faithful, humble service done in the name of Jesus.” How often we measure faithfulness and greatness using Old Adam’s measuring sticks.  We measure ourselves and others; we measure our deeds and the deeds of others in terms of financial gain or friendship numbers or attendance stats or Facebook likes.  Who was more successful?  Who made more money?  Whose clique is bigger?  Who got more people to attend their little function?  Whose Facebook post gets more “thumbs up” likes?  Like insecure high schoolers, we measure ourselves in terms of popularity, as if being more popular or more liked by the rest of the world somehow translates into being more right with God. 

We even measure matters of faith, matters of doctrine and practice, in terms of popularity.  If the majority does not like it, then it is bad for business to keep doing it.  If the majority of people like something and are in favor of something, then it must be good and God-pleasing, right?  If the majority likes it, then it is something we have to do.  Worse yet is when might makes right.  Maybe the majority are not for it, but a very powerful and persuasive minority faction is for it.  Guess what?  It is the same sad result.  Everyone else is doing it.  We need to keep up and stay competitive, right?  We know what is best.  That is the same mentality the Israelites were using when it came to deciding whether or not they should manufacture a golden calf.

We all confess with our lips that such things, such works, do not count for anything in terms of salvation and mercy and forgiveness, and yet when things are not shaking out the way we want or planned; when life takes an unexpected and unwelcome turn south, we are the first ones to cry out as if we have been wronged or cheated or short-changed.  We cry out against our fellow Christians.  We even cry out against God.  “I do all this, and this is the thanks I get?  I do all this, and this is how I am repaid?  Doesn’t any of this at least count for something?  That other guy doesn’t do nearly as much as I do, and some do nothing at all, and yet they prosper.  It’s not fair!  If this is how it is, then why bother?!”

And make no mistakes: We all do it, all of it.  In fact, the devil wants nothing more than for us to posture and elbow and peacock about.  He rejoices when we start boasting and bragging about all that we do, holding up our works and deeds as things that merit, or at least ought to merit, God’s favor and blessing and peace. Well, at least more than the other guy who does not do nearly as much as we do.  He rejoices when we show just how little we truly understand about the cross. 

Now, I know that some of you are already thinking ahead, already anticipating the part in the Gospel lesson where Jesus introduces a small child into the midst of these adults, taking this little one into His arms and saying, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” There it is, right?  There is the moral of the story; the aim and goal of every Christian: to be the little child in Christ’s arms; the humble little child, who brings nothing to the table but faith; the one who can do nothing to compete against and outdo all those around him; the one who can do nothing of value or importance that would impress anyone, especially God, and yet the same one whom Christ says is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

But, is that what Jesus was saying here?  Look at the text.  There is no command recorded here for us to be childlike.  How often we superimpose one Gospel over another, importing Christ’s words from one lesson into another.  Yes, it is true, as St. Matthew records, that Christ did place a small child in the midst of His disciples and instruct them that unless they turned and repented and became like little children in their humility, they would never enter into the kingdom of heaven.  But even in Matthew’s account, Christ was stressing the humility aspect; the completely helpless and passive aspect of childhood which can offer nothing in exchange for all the undeserved love and mercy and care shown to them.  All the child can do is receive and give thanks. 

But that is not what St. Mark records for us in this text.  I am not saying that this element is not part of the understood message, but there is nothing explicit here about having to become like little children.  Truth be told, that is probably a good thing.  After all, we would probably just take it as another box to check off or command to try and fulfill in an attempt to merit some praise, honor, and blessing.  “Look at how much of a child I am!  Look at how childlike I am!  You should step up your game and try and be as humble and childlike as me!”

No, if you pay attention to what our Lord is saying here, He is teaching His apostles about true humility.  Here in these words our Lord is teaching His apostles, not to be like the child, but rather to lower themselves even more and receive this child just as they would receive Him.  In a very real and no-nonsense way, our Lord Christ is calling His apostles to become lower than the smallest child; to be the lowest of the low, truly last of all, and servant to everyone, even the smallest little child. 

Now, I want you to think about what this means for you.  First off, it does not mean that we go the way that the majority of our culture has gone and let the littlest kids have all the say and drive the proverbial bus.  “Should we go to church today?  What do you want to do?  Where do you want to go?” So often adults kowtow to the kids in an attempt to be liked by them; to be perceived and received by them as “cool.” So many adults are so busy trying to be their kids’ and grandkids’ buddies that they have completely abdicated and forsaken their vocational responsibilities to be the heads of the household.  This is NOT what Christ was getting at with these words of receiving and serving the littlest of children.

Rather, your Lord was pointing to the ultimate faithful posture; the ultimate humility that is willing to bow down and serve all, even the tiniest ones, in recognition that they are serving Christ in the process.  But even here, I do want to shy away from the concept of “service,” not because it is wrong, but because we tend to superimpose our own definition of the word over Christ’s thrust and meaning of the word in this particular context.  Contrary to what is often believed, your Lord is not teaching here about doing all kinds of deeds and works.  This is precisely what got the apostles in trouble in the first place. 

Rather, this is a lesson about faithfully serving God by ultimately lowering oneself and submitting to His way and His will, no matter how crazy or unassuming or lowly or unsuccessful it may seem to you.  What does Christ look like in action?  What does His way and His will look like and sound like?  Sometimes it looks like and sounds like the least popular, least influential, least spectacular and powerful thing.  It is as simple as the spoken Word.  Faith does come through hearing.  It is as simple as ordinary water, ordinary bread, and ordinary wine.  How often we think we know better, though.  How often we dare to elbow Jesus out of the ministry, almost like we are lording over our Lord because we think we know better.  “You don’t understand Lord.  It’s different nowadays.  Things have changed.  If you want to stay competitive and relevant with the kids today you need to think outside the box.  You don’t understand Lord.  What you’re saying doesn’t make sense.  Here’s what you really mean.”

This is why I will not stand here today and instruct you on what you need to do in your service to God and neighbor.  Our Old Adam will always take that as a dare or a challenge.  It will always end up devolving into a quest to outdo others and receive the most kudos.  Instead, I am going to do exactly what my Lord teaches, and I am going to simply point to Him.  I am going to point you to His all-redeeming victory and His all-atoning, life-saving, life-giving gifts and means of grace.  Trust me: I would love to be able to give you “get rich quick” formulas and methods for becoming more successful and happier in your individual lives and the corporate life of this congregation.  However, I have to trust that my Lord and Savior knows what He is doing.  “Preach the Word, in season and out of season.” That is it.  I point you to Him and His means of grace. 

This is the service your Lord speaks of today.  In fact, this is the highest form of God-pleasing service there is: to simply receive and give thanks for His undeserved grace, mercy, and peace; to share and make this Gospel Good News known to everyone He died for.  The cross is what saves and gives life.  Talk about the lowest of the low, and yet the most powerful and glorious!  Here is Almighty God at His lowest, and at the same time, at His very best.  Here is the lowest of the low for us, and here, at the same time, is God’s ultimate, highest expression of unconditional love for us.  This is what it is all about.  This is what saves you.  This Word of the cross, scandal to some and folly to others, is the sole source of life and deliverance and hope to all who hear and believe. 

May God bless you with the humility of faith to do just that; to hear and believe repent and turn and rejoice over all that He has done for you and for all mankind in His all-redeeming death and resurrection.  May the lowliness and greatness of Christ—His suffering, death, and resurrection—be your boast.  May this Good News be in your hearts and on your lips all your remaining days.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost                                              September 15, 2024

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” As Lutherans, we proudly believe, teach, and confess this doctrinal reality that gives all the glory to God when it comes to our faith and our salvation.  We take no credit for our faith.  It is not something we found or discovered.  It is not something we did or do in order to keep up our end of the salvation bargain.  Salvation is not a matter of quid pro quo, as in God does His part and we do ours, and together we work salvation.  We reject such false doctrine in matters of works, and we reject such works-righteous synergism when it is wrongly applied to faith.  Instead, we recognize faith for what it is—an absolutely free and unmerited gift from God Almighty to us.  Through the working of His Holy Spirit in His Word He breathes life into our lifeless, unbelieving corpse, creating, sustaining, strengthening, and delivering us in His gift of saving faith.  The faith that God creates in us does not work or create salvation.  Instead, this faith, like a hug, is the wisdom and trust to simply hold fast to and cling to what Almighty God Himself has already done for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

And yet, how often we still turn around and try and take credit for the wisdom and working of God in our lives.  Worse yet, how often we completely flip the tables around and instead treat God as nothing more than a genie in a lamp or a lowly waiter in a restaurant who is there to provide the best service possible to us, at least if he wants a decent tip in return.  Case in point: Just think about how we view and treat prayer.  Now, I know I just got your attention, because prayer is a very good thing, commanded by God Himself.  “When you pray, pray this….” “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer is obviously a very good thing, and yet here stands your pastor knocking you and your prayer life.

Let me be clear: I am not knocking anyone for praying.  In fact, I highly encourage you to pray, and pray regularly.  What I am driving at though; what I want you to examine and consider is how you pray.  What do you pray for?  How do you pray for it?  Why do you pray?  As I just said, we are very good at taking credit for the wisdom and workings of God, and we are equally adept and frequent in our barking out demands and wishes to God as if He is our personal waiter or genie or bail bondsman or defense attorney.  “I’m in a jam, and I need some help!” Just think about how often we boast about the “power of prayer” when something goes right in life; something that we prayed for, as if we had a hand in making it happen.  Our prayer is what made the cancer go into remission.  Our prayer is what made the medical miracle happen and save that person’s life.  Behold!  The power of our prayer!

What about when those things do not happen?  If you are like me, I am sure you have prayed for many good and right things that did not happen.  I am not talking about not winning the lottery.  What about when you prayed feverishly and the cancer still did not go into remission.  The loved one died.  The job was lost.  The family went hungry.  The family became homeless.  The marriage failed and the couple divorced.  The child never did get the help they needed, and instead ran away and fell into calamity.  What about when the ugly side of life wins out, despite the fact that you prayed without ceasing?  Does it mean that all your prayer was not powerful enough?  Were you only praying with a level-4 prayer when you obviously needed a level-10 prayer to overcome the adversity? 

It is sad, but this horrendous doubt and unbelief arises all the time in the lives of Christians, and worse yet, it is often taught and promoted as truth.  This is when you hear things like, “You just gotta have more faith.  You just gotta pray more.  We will get together a prayer circle and we will all put our prayers together into one big super-prayer, and then God will hear us.  I just bought a book with some very powerful prayers in it.  We will pray those.  Then God will be moved to action.”

It is this same exact mentality that had Jesus so worked up and exasperated.  The apostles are creating a huge ruckus because they are trying to cast an evil spirit out of a terrorized boy, and they cannot seem to do it.  This has the father of the boy all worked up.  He finally turns to Jesus as a last resort.  “Teacher, I tried everything, including your disciples, and none of it worked.  If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus responds with an irritated incredulity that is so often overlooked or dismissed.  “If you can!  All things are possible for one who believes.” And this is after Jesus refers to the entire crowd—apostles included—as a faithless generation. 

Why the harsh words?  You see, this guy is putting the same conditional test before Jesus that Satan did in the wilderness temptations, and it’s the same conditional testing that the mockers and slanderers around the cross will hurl at Him as He hangs in agony.  “If you are the Son of God, do this….  If you really are who you claim to be, do this.  Prove it.  Prove your ability, your power, your authority.  Change the stones into bread.  Jump off the temple mount and let the angels catch you.  Come down off that cross and save yourself.  Heal my son and have compassion on us and help us…if you can do anything.” O waiter….  O Genie, grant me my wish.

And the apostles were not any better.  This little incident shows how quickly they let the God-given power and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick and raise the dead go to their heads.  They go out on one small mission and experience a bit of success, returning with great joy to tell their Lord all that they were able to do in His name, and Jesus responds by telling them that they should not rejoice over these powers—do not let it go to your head—but instead rejoice that your name is written in heaven. 

Well, apparently that went in one ear and right out the other!  Here they are a short time later, and much to no one’s surprise, the old formula was not working anymore.  They were saying the right things, and doing the right things.  They were saying and doing exactly what they had done before, going through all the motions perfectly, and yet now it was ineffective.  Maybe they needed that level-10 faith.  Maybe their prayers and cries to God were just not powerful enough.  “Jesus, what did we do wrong?  Why could we not cast that demon out?” Jesus responds with words that still vex and trouble people today: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

What does this mean?  Well, I will tell you. First off, it does not mean that you need a level-10 prayer to do certain things, as if some prayers are adequate enough for the day-to-day minutia, but really big problems require really big and powerful prayers.  

What Jesus is getting at here with these words about prayer can be best summed up in the simple words you all learned in catechism class.  “You shall have no other gods.  What does this mean?  We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” That is where the true power of prayer lies.  It is not in us or in anything we bring to the table.  We are not co-gods, contrary to what we so often would like to believe.  ALL the power lies in the one being prayed to, not the pray-er.  One prominent theologian has remarked that prayer is really nothing more than humbly asking God to faithfully participate in His wisdom and His will and His doings.  Think about that for a moment.  Let that sink in.  How often we treat prayer as a tool or instrument that we wield in an attempt to manipulate God into doing what we want.  Scripture NEVER presents or portrays prayer in such a manner!  Instead, Scripture shows us time and time again that prayer is that humble, blessed poverty of faith (“blessed are the poor in spirit…”) that cries out to and takes hold of God, trusting that He knows what He is doing.  “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Your Lord Jesus Christ prayed this very petition Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, mere hours before He would willingly suffer all His Father’s just and righteous wrath against sin.  “Father, if there is any other way, take this cup of suffering from Me, but not my will, but Thy will be done.” And His Father did answer that prayer.  Jesus went willingly to that cross.  He went willingly, knowing and trusting that His Father’s plan of salvation for all mankind was the one and only right way.  He prayed that He would faithfully participate in His Father’s will.  His Father answered that prayer.  Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away all the sin of the world! 

This right here is proof positive that all things are possible with God.  Look in the mirror!  God loved you so much that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for you.  God loved you so much that He sent His Son to fight and conquer and put to death sin, hell, and the devil all so that you would never have to experience a single moment of forsakenness.  Christ Jesus was forsaken in your place.  He was forsaken and forgotten by His Father so that you never have to be.  In Christ, and because of Christ, the Gospel proclamation first spoken from the cross on Good Friday rings throughout eternity: It is finished!  It is finished, once and for all! 

This is what you cling to.  Through your baptism, in faith, humble, repentant, selfless faith, you hold fast to the life-giving, life-sustaining cross of Jesus Christ.  You hold fast to Him who overcame and vanquished sin, death, and the devil.  You hold fast to Him who gave Himself as sacrifice for you.  You hold fast to God Almighty in the flesh, who comes to you this very day to give Himself to you; to feed you and nourish you with His life-giving, life-sustaining holy body and blood.  Neither your faith nor your prayers make this sacrament efficacious.  Neither your faith nor your prayers put Jesus in these elements, nor does your doubt and unbelief prevent Him from being present.  “This is My body, and this is My blood.” It is so because He says so.  It is possible, it is reality, because He says so.  Faith simply believes, simply clings to Christ at His Word.  You trust Him.  He is God.  He knows what He is doing. 

My prayer for you this day, and every day, is that you simply hold fast to your baptismal promise in Christ and cling to all that He has done and continues to do, not only for you, but in you and through you. May you pray without ceasing, ever praying and trusting and cleaving to God, knowing that He is working all things for the good of those who love Him, and humbly asking Him that His will is done through you and not in spite of you.  “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. How is God’s will done? God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.” May this be your humble, faithful, blessed reality now and into all eternity.  Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST      SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

I don’t know about you, but when I hear a person sigh, it generally means that something is wrong.  It is just a natural part of our makeup.  We let out a sigh when we are down or depressed or when we are faced with something that saddens us or bothers us.  We let out a sigh when we are tired and worn out.  Now, of course I do understand that not all sighs are problematic.  Sometimes we sigh a sigh of relief, after something difficult has been accomplished and completed.  We are glad that it is finally over.  Sometimes we sigh a sigh of romance or love when the old heart strings get tugged and we get sentimental.  I get it.  However, life has a way of showing us that the vast majority of all sighs that we sigh in a day are sighs of the first sort; sighs of sadness, stress, depression, and exhaustion.  That is just the world we live in. 

It is this very reality that leads us to our Gospel lesson this morning, particularly verse 34, where we hear that before working the miracle of healing for the deaf man with the speech impediment, Jesus sighed.  Why?  Why would Jesus sigh?  I think it is safe to say that Jesus was not sighing because He was relieved that some great and difficult task was over.  He has not performed that task yet, and we certainly know that far greater and more stressful things lay ahead for Him; things that would cause Him to not only sigh, but sweat drops of blood in His stressful agony and suffering.  I am pretty sure we can also rule out Jesus sighing a lovesick sigh.  This only leaves the sigh of the first sort; the sigh of sadness, stress, depression, and exhaustion.

Something about that just does not sound right though, does it?  Why would Jesus sigh if He is going to be working such a great and wonderful miracle?  Is that not reason to rejoice?  Does this mean that maybe Jesus was reluctant to do such a thing?  I am sure we can all relate to that.  Who here has not let out a big sigh of reluctant despair when you really do not want to do something, but you kind of have to do it?  “S-i-i-i-i-gh…what now?  I was just minding my own business.  All I want to do is eat my lunch in peace.  S-i-i-i-gh…fine.  Let’s get this over with.” And then you do the job that is expected of you, albeit reluctantly.  We understand this reality, don’t we?  But is this why Jesus sighed?

In a nutshell: No.  Such an understanding basically makes Jesus no different than any of us.  It makes Jesus just as foul and sinful and moody as any one of us.  But…That is not entirely a false premise.  As I said, the nutshell answer is “no.” That does not mean that there i snot more to it.  For now, let us come at this from a perspective we can all relate to.  Have you ever known that something bad is going to result from a very good thing you do?  You are going to do something good, but you also know that someone else is going to come along and miss the entire point and misconstrue what it is that you did and basically make a big mess of everything?  It is not a matter of reluctance on your part.  You are going to do the task set before you, and you are going to do it well because it needs doing.  However, there will be some who simply do not get it.  They are going to mess it all up.  You know what is coming.  Such a foreknowledge; such a reality will, without fail, produce a sigh.

This is why Jesus sighed!  It is not that He was reluctant to work this great reversal in the life of this lowly man.  In fact, Jesus took this man aside in private so that the man would know and understand precisely what was going on.  Jesus touched his ears and touched his tongue, letting him know beforehand that Jesus not only knew and understood what ailed him, but that He was going to personally do something about it.  The sigh had nothing to do with the sickly man, but with the rest of the crowd.  Jesus knew how they would respond, and it was not going to be good. 

On the surface, that may sound strange, perhaps even wrong.  After all, Mark tells us that the crowd was zealously proclaiming how awesome Jesus was in His miraculous workings, even making deaf people hear and mute people speak.  In fact, the more Jesus told them to be quiet, the more zealous they were in their proclamation.  What could possibly be wrong with that?!  Basically, it comes down to what was in their hearts.  It comes down to their motivation and understanding of who Christ was and what He was all about.  This crowd looked at Jesus as nothing more than a magic man; a guy who could simply cure whatever ails you.  “Got a problem?  Jesus can fix that!  Out of work, out of money, out of food?  Jesus can fix that.  Feeling low or depressed?  Down on your luck?  Just sprinkle on a little Jesus and all your problems will disappear.” They did not understand who Jesus really was.  They did not understand that His kingdom was not and is not of this world; that He was not some sort of genie in a lamp that could or would grant you your every wish and desire and give you the ultimate warm and fuzzy feeling you so selfishly crave. 

This is precisely why Jesus was so adamant in telling them to be quiet.  He was not using reverse psychology to coax some evangelism out of them.  NO!  He was serious.  He wanted them to be quiet.  He did not want a wrong, false understanding of Him and His messianic mission to be put forth.  Such misinformation could, would, and does only lead to rejection of the truth of Christ and His Gospel.  This is why Christ sighed before working such a wonderful miracle.  He knew what was coming.  He knew how others would wrongly perceive it and misrepresent it.

And yet…He still did it.  Think about that.  Think about all that Christ foreknew; all of our sin, all of our disobedience, all of our refusal to listen and obey…He knew it all, and yet He still did it.  His incomprehensible love for us is what led Him to persevere and push on all the way to the cross; all the way to the very depths of hellish wrath and torment.  Just think of all the times Christ has sighed for you.  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

And here is the thing that is often overlooked.  People often think of Jesus only suffering our sins on His cross.  That is simply not true.  Jesus suffered for us in our place from beginning to end.  At the very beginning of His life He shed His bled for us in circumcision, already beginning to fulfill the Law perfectly.  We hear many times of how He felt such tremendous compassionate sorrow and turmoil in his inner-most being whenever He encountered people who were like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless.  The original Greek tells us that He felt splagnidzomai; that is, His guts were torn up.  He felt that pain and sorrow in His belly.  It tore Him up. 

Even here today with the deaf man, Jesus is taking this man’s sinful suffering and maladies into Himself.  This sinfulness did not just disappear into thin air!  It was swallowed up by Christ, taken into Him.  You may not think that hurts!  Again, Jesus knew what was coming.  He knew what needed to be done.  And He did it.  It pained Him, to be sure.  He sighed because sin hurts.  Sin kills.  Jesus was willingly taking this man’s deadly condition into Himself.  And such a miracle of life was treated by everyone else as a mere parlor trick or get-rich-quick opportunity; something to be selfishly turned into a profit.  This is why Jesus sighed.  He knew what was coming.

And Christ did not stop there.  He persevered.  He pushed on, all the way to Calvary; all the way into the bonds of hellish death, willingly enduring all the just and righteous wrath of His heavenly Father; wrath that was rightly reserved for and earned by us.  Jesus took our place.  He willingly stepped in and laid down His life as an all-redeeming sacrifice for ours.  This is why I said earlier that it is not entirely a false premise to say that Jesus became no different than any of us.  That does not mean that Jesus was every bit as foul and moody and sinful as we are.  Rather, it means that Jesus, the holy and righteous One of God, the sinless One, took on our sin, becoming our punishment.  As St. Paul states in his letter to the Corinthians, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

That is what all of this is about, from beginning to end.  It is all about you.  It is all about your forgiveness, your salvation, your eternal redemption and adoption into God’s holy family.  God knew all along how fallen and sinful and corrupt His creation would be, and yet He still sent His Son to die for it.  Jesus Christ fully knew what awaited Him before He ever gave up all of heaven’s majesty for a virgin’s womb, a feed trough bed, a bloody cross, and newly-dug tomb.  He knew it, and He did not hesitate, not for a single moment.  And when the high point of God’s plan came to fruition on that cross, Jesus did not let out a sigh of despair or defeat.  Instead, He proclaimed victoriously, “It is finished!” He let everyone know about it.  And only then did He sigh a sigh of loving, grateful relief.  He proclaimed His victory, and then He breathed out His last and surrendered His spirit, going home to heaven.  The sad reality is that no one else got it.  The rest of creation understood.  The earth shook.  Boulders split.  Tombs were literally burst open and the dead came back to life. “It is finished!” This was no sigh left open to interpretation.  God Himself made it clear.  The empty tomb on Sunday morning provided further proof; the veritable receipt that the transaction of Christ for all was accepted and complete.  It really was and is finished, in Christ and because of Christ.

This is your reality, right now.  You have been baptized into this earth-shaking, tomb-rending, life-giving reality.  You have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.  That is nothing to sigh about!  That is reason to rejoice!  And make no mistake: You know the truth.  You know the full truth of God’s Law and Gospel.  You know the full truth of Christ Jesus and His means of grace.  There is no prohibition on you to go and proclaim the joy within you.  You have been made alive and set free in the blood of Jesus Christ.  Go and tell all that Christ has done for you and for all the world in His all-redeeming life, death, and resurrection. 

Is there a chance you might suffer for such faithfulness?  Absolutely!  In fact, given how things have been shaking out recently, there is a strong probability that you will suffer greatly, be it financially, emotionally, and/or physically.  You may very well wind up broke and in prison.  It is enough to make you want to sigh a huge sigh of despair and defeat.  But fret not!  Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters.  Count it all joy to have the opportunity to suffer for Christ.  Count it all joy, for God is in charge.  You have His promise that the gates of hell will not prevail, and neither will a few activist judges or spineless politicians or radical activists set on being lords of this fallen and sinful world.  God knows what is going on, and He has already told us how it will all end.  You know the rest of the story.  Christ wins.  You win.  You are in Christ.  You have already won.  Sin, devil, and the grave have no sway and no power over you.  There is nothing to fear.  You know that your redeemer lives, and you know that you will see Him face to face, with your own eyes.  Whether you live or die or anything in between, you belong to Christ; because of Christ. In His name, Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST   SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

What do you think of when you hear the word “defiled”?  I am willing to bet that nothing good comes to mind.  To speak of defilement or being defiled means that something is pretty nasty and not right.  If something has been defiled, we understand that is has been thoroughly polluted and corrupted, perhaps diseased and infected…utterly unclean, unsanitary, and unhealthy.  This is the term that Jesus used in response to the scribes and Pharisees chiding Him and His disciples for not following all the ritualistic purity laws perfectly.  They ask why the disciples dare to eat with impure, unclean, defiled hands, and Jesus responds by teaching that it is not what goes into you that defiles you, but what comes out of you—out of your heart—that makes you defiled and impure and unholy. 

Now, we hear this fact and it does not really phase us.  Of course Jesus is going to say this to the scribes and Pharisees, right?  They were the bad guys.  They were the jerks who thought they could earn their way into heaven by following all the rules.  They trusted in their works, and they truly believed that they were the cream of the crop; a pious and holy group that did not really need saving like all the rest of the sinners. 

But here is the thing that we often fail to recognize: Everyone else thought this too.  You see, the scribes and Pharisees really were the best of the best.  They were the very brightest and best that society had to offer.  Everyone wanted their kids to grow up and be a scribe or a Pharisee.  It was the highest and holiest honor.  These guys were revered and honored by everyone.  They were not seen to be the bad guys.  They were the best of the good guys.  

It is to this group that Jesus says, “You do not get it.  You have it all wrong.  Just because you did not wash your hands the right way at the right fountain before you ate does not make you defiled and unholy.  Just because you eat a BLT or have a beer does not mean that you’re barred from heaven.  What you are thinking, saying, and doing is what makes you unclean and wrought with the filth of sin.  What proceeds from your heart is what makes you defiled in the eyes of God.  What comes out is the problem; not what goes in.”

Just take a look at that list of evil that Jesus cites—evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  If you are honest with yourself, you will confess that you are not just guilty of one or two of these things, but guilty of all of them.  So am I.  So is every child of Adam.  That is the thing when we get to talking about defilement and unrighteousness.  It is very easy to recognize this evil in the scribes and Pharisees.  It is very easy to recognize all this evil in the guy across the aisle that we do not like.  It is very easy to recognize sinful defilement in every other person…except the fellow staring back at us from the mirror.  And even then we “humble, faithful, lowly Christians” dare to argue that it is different with us.  Unlike the other children of Adam, we do recognize our sinful defilement in the mirror.  Okay…but do you see the chief of sinners staring back at you?  Do you see the chief defiled one staring back at you, or do you comfort yourself with the fact that—yes, you are defiled and sinful and unclean, but at least you are not as defiled and sinful and unclean as that other fool?  It is precisely that kind of Pharisaical thinking that shows just how utterly defiled you really are!

And here’s the thing: We don’t need to go on and on about this.  There is no need to start listing and enumerating all the many different ways we routinely defile ourselves in sin and show the world just how utterly defiled and sinful we really are.  For one, Jesus already provided a more than adequate list in showing just how utterly and fully defiled we really are.  There is also no reason for a long laundry list because the fact of the matter is that we routinely put all of our defilement on display for all the world to see and behold.  It is not like we have to drag the defiled skeletons out of the closet.  Sometimes we are even proud of our defilement, putting it on full display like a proud peacock.  Sometimes we even dare to justify and defend our defilement, deeming it righteous and God-pleasing and God-serving, despite the fact that all we are really doing is serving ourselves and our own selfish, sinful desires.  The defiled proof is in the defiled pudding.

Examine yourself in the purity of God’s Word—His holy Law—and you discover very quickly that you are utterly defiled; the chief of chief sinners.  Think about that for a moment.  At least the scribes and Pharisees had civic righteousness on their side.  They really were keeping all the rules.  They really were leading good lives in the eyes of their fellow man.  They dotted all the “I’s” and crossed all the “T’s.” In terms of civic righteousness, they really were blameless.  And yet, they were still utterly defiled in the eyes of God.  How do you match up against them and their righteousness?  If they had no hope, despite the fact that they were blameless and perfect in the eyes of their fellow man because of all the good deeds they did and all the ways they followed the rules perfectly, how do you expect to have any hope or any chance?

The answer is so simple that even the littlest of children are able to shout it out.  The answer is not found in your righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  It really is that simple.  It is not a matter of you having to do more or get “more right” or making yourself “less defiled.” It cannot be done.  If it could be done, then Jesus did not have to take on our flesh and die on the cross.  All you would have to do is try harder.  That makes as much sense as the corpse deciding to make themselves less dead and more alive.  It cannot be done.  But that is not how this works.  That is not how this has ever worked, from Adam and Eve and their fall into death and defilement, right up to today and lasting until Judgment Day.  By virtue of your baptism into Christ’s all-redeeming death and resurrection, you have the sure and certain hope of complete forgiveness and everlasting righteousness and salvation, which is credited to you by God’s free and unmerited grace and mercy.  Christ declares from His cross, “It is finished,” and it is so.  The work of your redemption and purification and vivification; that is, the re-enlivening of your sinful, defiled corpse to the new and pure life found only in the blood of Christ, is finished and complete.  There is nothing to add to it.  There is nothing to improve upon.  There is nothing lacking.  It is finished, once and for all! 

And it is this righteous victory that God imputes to you.  He justifies you; that is, He declares you pure and undefiled and holy in His sight, not because of you, but because of Christ and because of the fact that you cling to Christ’s righteousness alone.  I want you to think about what this means.  More importantly, I want you to understand what this does NOT mean.  God Himself declares you innocent and holy and undefiled.  Do you still wear the defiled flesh of Adam?  Do you still witness and feel the defiled corruptions and deadly symptoms of sin in your daily life?  Yes!  Being baptized into Christ, receiving His pure and holy Body and Blood into your body and being, does not make you perfect and without blemish or fault or pain or sorrow in your earthly life.  Christ’s pure righteousness does not remove the sin from your day-to-day life.  Instead, it removes the condemnation of sin.  “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You are not sinless, but you are declared innocent and forgiven and holy and pure.  The defilement of your sin; the filth of your deadly sin is not held against you or counted to you.  God Himself declares it, and it is so. 

And the same goes for all your justified brothers and sisters who faithfully hold to the grace and mercy of God alone because of the all-redeeming work and person of Christ alone.  Are their works and deeds going to be perfect and blameless and without sin?  No.  And neither are yours.  Our works will always be defiled and tainted with sin.  Why?  Because we are sinful beings.  What makes our words, thoughts, and deeds good and pure and right in God’s eyes is not the fact that they are done perfectly, but rather that they are done faithfully.  They are works that flow, not from a prideful desire to be noticed or appreciated, not from a self-righteous desire to earn merit or favor with God or anyone else, not from a selfish desire to get ahead or get the coveted “atta boy” from our fellow man, but works that flow forth from the pure and simple joy of justification; from the joy of knowing that you have been declared righteous and holy and pure in God’s sight solely because of His unconditional grace and mercy.

It is not about you or your good deeds or pious desires.  It is about Christ.  This is what needs to be made known.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is what purifies and enlivens and saves.  If people are not hearing Christ crucified and resurrected for their sins, then they remain in their deadly defilement.  It is that simple.  What hope do they have? 

This is why I point you to Him and what He has already done for you and your salvation.  I point you to what He does for you this very day, in your presence and in your hearing.  Today He speaks His Word of Law and Gospel in your ear and your heart.  He calls you to repentance.  He calls you to turn around and turn away from your deadly defilement and instead cling to Him.  Drop the dead and defiled weights that pull you into the grave, and turn and take hold of your life-giving Lord and Savior.  He comes to you this very day to feed you and nourish you with His life-giving, life-saving righteousness and purity, which we receive in, with, and under the forms of ordinary bread and wine.  “Take and eat.  Take and drink.  This is My Body, this is My Blood, for the complete forgiveness of all your sin; for the complete redemption and forgiveness of all your deadly defilement.” He enters into you, through your ears, your mind, your eyes, your nose, and your mouth, bringing His life-giving, purifying gifts of mercy, redemption, and salvation.  His alien righteousness; that is, the righteousness that comes from outside of us and enters into us—the righteousness of God Himself in the flesh—is our only source of true hope, peace, and blessed assurance. 

My defiled, yet baptized and redeemed brothers and sisters: You are completely forgiven in the blood of Christ.  You have been declared right and holy and pure by Him and because of Him.  By virtue of your baptism into Him, He dwells within you.  By virtue of your reception of His life-giving body and blood, He truly dwells and lives within you.  My hope and prayer is that when people behold you they behold Christ.  May the joy of your justification; the joy of your inheritance and adoption into God’s family; the joy of your great reversal from death to life; from defilement to righteousness, be on full display in all you say, think, and do, now and into all of eternity.

To Christ alone be all the glory, praise, and honor.  AMEN.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST           AUGUST 25, 2024

Something very strange has happened to our culture over the past few years.  People can gain power by portraying themselves as victims.  One of the easiest ways to portray yourself as a victim is to take offense at something.  If someone offends you, then you can claim that you are a victim and acquire the power of the victim.  As a result, people are finding new and more creative ways to take offense.

Nowhere is this more obvious than on the college campuses of our nation.  College administrations have amassed extensive lists of micro-aggressions … ways in which a person can offend someone.

According to the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point a few years ago, it is a micro-aggression to say, “I believe the most qualified person should get the job.” Supposedly, a member of a minority will assume that you really mean that minorities are not qualified.  If the best student in your math or science class has Asian ancestors, it is insulting to ask him or her for help with your studies.  After all, you do not want to give the impression that you believe that Asians are naturally good in technical subjects.  You dare not say, “There is only one race, the human race.” This denies the individual as a racial or cultural being.

A paper came out at the University of New Hampshire that states that a person should be insulted if they are referred to as a senior citizen.  Apparently, the proper term is person of advanced age.  This same paper states that it is insulting to refer to someone as a poor person.  Instead, they are experiencing poverty.  In a similar manner you dare not refer to someone as a homeless person.  Instead, they are experiencing homelessness or they are unhoused.

There are people who express offense at the Confederate Flag … the P-O-W / M-I-A flag … the word Dixie … and more.  It is getting ridiculous.  We are almost at the point that we are afraid to move or speak for fear that someone might get offended and you might become the target of a law suit.

Jesus encountered a similar problem in the reading we just heard.  “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”” (Mark 7:1–5)

Notice that the problem is not that the disciples did not wash their hands.  The problem is that they did not wash their hands according to the tradition of the elders, a special kind of ceremonial washing.  The scribes and Pharisees take offense because the disciples do not wash their hands the right way.

Now the phrase “Tradition of the Elders” has a certain ring to it.  It sounds very official and very noble.  It sounds like a good thing.  The problem is that the hypocrites among the scribes and Pharisees studied Holy Scripture and the “Tradition of the Elders” in order to determine what they could get away with and still consider themselves righteous according to the law.  They were interpreting the law in the way they wanted to interpret it and condemning everyone who did not agree with them.  Does that sound familiar?  It should because our culture still does that today.

Jesus had very little patience with hypocrites.  He very quickly showed that these scribes and Pharisees valued their tradition above the Word of God.  He even showed how their traditions allowed them to violate the Word of God as given to Moses.  The scribes and Pharisees were teaching and practicing a man-made religion instead of the faith given by God.  “And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6–8)

Notice that it is Jesus who quotes the Old Testament.  It is Jesus who calls for faithfulness to God and not just an outward hypocrisy.  We often ignore the fact that Jesus is the “old-fashioned” ultra-conservative doctrinal purist who was always taking His hearers back to the Word of God.

Jesus pointed out that while the scribes and Pharisees were offended that the disciples did not wash their hands the right way, they also broke the actual commandments of God.  For example, they used their tradition to avoid caring for their parents. “9 And [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) — 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:9–13)

These words from Jesus invite us to ask some very uncomfortable questions.  “Do I worship God with my lips, but reject Him in my heart?” Do I express my own ideas as true doctrine?” “Do I have any traditions that reject the commandment of God?” How often do I behave exactly like the scribes and Pharisees … offended by every little thing while I myself ignore the Word of God?

Ultimately, acquiring power by taking offense does no good and makes life miserable.  It is just another way to be a bully.  It is as King Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12) He also said, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) By the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter also wrote, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Instead of taking offense, we ought to seek ways to build one another up.

Although the scribes and Pharisees were indeed foolish with their washing rituals, there is a kind of washing that God did give for all people.  Jesus said, “18All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) This Baptism is not a “Tradition of the Elders.” Instead, it is the Word of the Christ who is both God and Lord.

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “3Do you not know that “All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:3–6) These words teach us that the washing of Holy Baptism joins us to the cross of Christ.  Therefore, the washing of Holy Baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins that He earned with His suffering and death on the cross.  This Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.

The Greek word for wash in the reading we just heard is βαπτίζω.  This is the root of the word for baptize.  If we used this word in the reading we just heard, we would hear, “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they baptize their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they baptize. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the baptizing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.”

The scribes and Pharisees were right in thinking that washing was important.  They were wrong in thinking that it was the washing of the “Tradition of the Elders.” The important washing is the washing away of sin for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness of sins through the washing of Holy Baptism.  This washing even delivers forgiveness for the sin of taking offense on our own terms rather than obeying the Word of God.  Amen

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                      THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – AUGUST 18, 2024

The Bible has two basic, primary doctrines – the teaching of the Law and the teaching of the Gospel. The Law is the LORD God Almighty’s holy will. The Ten Commandments are Law. The Law demands what we do and not do, what we say and not say, and what we think and not think. The Law is directed to the activities of man. The Law always accuses our old sinful self. Even one violation of one commandment condemns to everlasting separation from God and Paradise. James writes in his epistle “for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10). Each of us has broken God’s Law. You know it. I know it. You and I deserve nothing less than God’s punishment and banishment, both now in time and also later in eternity. That is God’s good, perfect, holy, and just Law, and the Law kills.

The other doctrine of the Holy Scriptures is the Gospel. This is the Good News of God in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of all sins. This is God’s gracious gift of salvation because of what Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, did when He suffered and died for the sins of the whole world and when He rose again from the dead. The Gospel makes no threats, issues no demands, twists no arms, and forces no obedience. It is God’s sweet, comforting, soothing message of complete pardon, full forgiveness of sin, giving of eternal life and bestowing of salvation by and through His Word. Given through Baptism, the forgiving Word, and the Lord’s Supper it bestows grace, mercy and peace. That is God’s good, perfect, benevolent, and gracious Gospel, and the Gospel gives life.

The Gospel Reading for this Sunday begins just after Jesus finished teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. His teachings were about those two eternal truths. He taught the truth about the Law and the truth about the Gospel. He taught about the consequences of sin and about salvation and the way to be with God in heaven. These doctrines, though simple to know in terms of what He said, were not at all easy to understand and acknowledge as being true. They were hard to take and many were offended by what Jesus said about Himself and why He had come into this world. So what causes people to be offended at Jesus: the Law or the Gospel? Please listen to the John 6:60-66 and hear the scandal of Christianity. “60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” Thus far the Word.

The scandal of Christianity – is it the Law or the Gospel? The offense is not the Law for we find forms of the Law outside of Christianity. Human nature, as it relates to God, seeks to earn God’s favor by doing something and by being “good.” Cain sought God’s favor by making an offering. It did not get the job done and he utterly failed. Judas sought to undo his sin by an offering in the Temple. It seemed like the right thing to do but the faithless act only condemned him further and led the betrayer to die in sin and suffer eternal death.

Even for those within the pale of Christendom it is the natural inclination to try to earn one’s salvation, to merit heaven – indeed many are the attempts to turn the tables on God by putting Him into such a position where God owes eternal life to the individual. Entire religious systems are built around a form of the Law, a form of manageable law. Many demand that a God-pleasing decision be made. There are those who connect and condition one’s faith to a faith-offering. Adherents of one religious group are obligated to do penance in life in order to earn absolution and to suffer after death in order to earn paradise. Others must conform their wills, words and actions to the merciful one’s unmerciful justice. Still others slave under the ladder-climbing litany of reincarnations and progressions. In the midst of all this, the individual soul – people just like you – one whose days of this life are ticking off, ponders what eternal place will be your abode when the last day is at hand and checked off.

The natural questions surface: How much does God’s gift “cost me?” What must “I do to earn” God’s grace? In other words, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). Just tell me what I must do to be right with God. What are the hoops I must jump through? You see, people are not offended by a system of laws. What astonishes them is that they cannot do it. They cannot earn it. They cannot get the job done. Why? Because if eternal life and salvation are to be earned then God demands perfection from day one to the last breath in this world. Man’s reply is swift, “No one is perfect.” God’s reply is sure, “Not one of you is perfect.” Paul wrote, “If a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law” (Galatians 3:21), but “no human being will be justified in His sight by works of the Law, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

No, the scandal of Christianity is the Gospel. In the sermon text for today, this truth is demonstrated. Jesus proclaimed the Gospel and “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?'” Consider what had scandalized these people who had followed Jesus and were His disciples.

First is the Scandal of Who Jesus is. This is the offense of the Incarnation of the Son of God; namely, that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life Who is come down from heaven (John 6:38). Jesus declares the Good News that He is the Messiah … the eternal Son of God “incarnate by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary” (Apostles’ Creed). Here is the one and only perfect man, the only one not born with original sin, Jesus the Christ it is, of Sabbaoth Lord and there’s none other god. This is Jesus; that is, this is the Savior, “God of God, Light of Light, Begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father” (Nicene Creed), “Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.” Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” This is the Gospel and it is offensive to many in this fallen world. “Hearing this, many of His disciples said, ‘This Word is difficult. Who is able to listen to it?'”

Second is the scandal of the Work of Jesus. This is the offense of what Jesus has come into this world to do. Many want Jesus to be a new Moses handing out more commandments and showing us how to accomplish our own salvation. But that is not what the Messiah was born to do. The Son of God came, not to be a Law-Giver, but to be the Sin-Bearer. The Good News is that Jesus kept His own Law perfectly, never once sinning. He was always doing, ever saying, and continually thinking what was, is, and will be absolutely perfect. In other words, Jesus kept the Law perfectly. In addition, Jesus paid the eternal price under the wrath of God for every sin and therefore, for all your sins. He shed His Blood for all and therefore, for you. He died for the Life of the world and therefore, for you. His death is your Life. On the altar of the cross, God gave His Body for you in order that you might believe in and feed on Him Who is the Bread of Life. On the cross Jesus gave His Spirit for you in order that you might be refreshed and not thirst in your soul. The Son of God satisfied the wrath of God on account of sin so that you would be satisfied now and forever. The Son of God suffered hell that you might not spend one second in that God-forsaken place. This is the Gospel and it is offensive to many in this fallen world. “Hearing this, many of His disciples said, ‘This Word is difficult. Who is able to listen to it?'”

Third is the scandal of the Resurrection. This is the offense that many take at Jesus being raised from the dead. Jesus experienced death at the separation of His Body and Soul – when His Spirit was received by the Father and His lifeless Body was suspended from the accursed tree. His Body was placed in a tomb but, three days later, Jesus physically rose from the dead and He told those who heard Him that day that, on the last day, He would raise up the dead. This is the Gospel and it is offensive to many in this fallen world. While the Crucifixion and the Resurrection were still ahead of Him on the day Jesus spoke the words of the sermon text, He did speak of giving His Flesh and Blood for the world and of His return to heaven, for “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?”

Fourth is the scandal of the Word of God. This is the offense that God works through His Word to bestow faith and grant His blessings of forgiveness of all sins, eternal life and salvation. He does this by the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace. Jesus said it this way, “63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

The Gospel – the Good News – is that salvation is not by, nor because of, our works, but only by the grace of God alone through faith alone in Christ alone – in His Person, in His Work and in His Resurrection and in His Ascension – given to us and coming to us by means of His words that the Holy Spirit uses to give Life. There is the Word of Christ in the water that is a Christian Baptism, for “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

There is the Word of Christ in the announcement of forgiveness, whether of one Christian forgiving another, or of the pastor announcing forgiveness during private confession, or of the called servant of the Word publicly standing in the stead and speaking the words of Jesus to His congregation by absolving the penitent in the Name of the Triune God.

There is the Word of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. For, on the night when Jesus was betrayed by the one whom He knew would betray Him, “Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My Body.’ And He took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

This is the Gospel and it is offensive to many in this fallen world, and sadly, this occurs within the congregation of those who are called disciples. How they leave the Lord when they depart from Baptism by changing it from a Gospel Gift given from God above to a law fulfillment by man below! How they howl at the forgiveness of sins announced and utter the words of the unbelieving scribes who asked, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7)! How they neglect the true, clear Word of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, departing from the Presence of the Lord and denying Christ’s Body and Blood that grants forgiveness, bestows salvation and gives eternal life, hope, peace, and joy!

This is really no different with many today as it was when Jesus said that His words are Spirit and are Life, as well as when He told them the truth that “no one is able to come to” Christ “except it is given him by the Father.” We behold the reality today of what the Bible states, namely, that “after this many of His disciples withdrew and no longer went with Him.” Look at the Church today and you see the reality of this taking place because people are scandalized by the Gospel. Lonely pews in the Sanctuary bear witness to many who have gone away. Places at the Table are empty.

And what of those who have not left but still believe in the Lord Jesus and follow Him? What of you? Listen, for Jesus is speaking. He asks a question to be asked even of the faithful as they behold so many others leaving the Presence of the Lord and abandoning the Body of Christ. It is a question for you, dear faithful, for “Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also desire to go away?'” Are you going to be offended by the Gospel and go away? Are you going to be scandalized because Christ’s Word is proclaimed to you that you are baptized in and you are forgiven of all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost? Do you desire to depart because of the hard saying, “This is My Body; this is My Blood” ?

Listen, for Simon Peter is answering. He replies to Jesus’ question and he speaks the confession of the faithful in response to the hearing of the words of Jesus that are Spirit and Life. Indeed, the confession is worthy of being sung by the faithful who anticipate hearing the Gospel Reading for the day. “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go; You have the words of eternal Life, and we have come to believe and we know that you are the Holy One of God.'” Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST AUGUST 4, 2024

It has been a long time without any rest for Jesus and His disciples.  Jesus spent the previous day ministering to people in the wilderness.  He even multiplied a boy’s lunch of bread and fish and used it to feed 5,000 men and their families.  Then the disciples spent all night trying to get across the sea against a strong wind and were not able to cross until Jesus walked to them on the sea.  As the day dawned they arrived at the other side of the sea and the people ran all over the countryside to bring the sick and injured to Jesus for healing.  There was no stop … no letup.

The crowd that Jesus left on the far side of the sea showed up for breakfast, but quickly figured out that Jesus was no longer there.  When some more boats came along, they also came across the water and found Jesus.  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (John 6:25) They were trying to figure out how Jesus got across the water and back to Capernaum.  This seems like a fairly innocent question.

Never the less, Jesus can look at the heart.  He understood that the motive of the crowd was not as innocent as it might seem.  Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27) Jesus understood that they were just interested in another free meal.  They did not understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just a free breakfast or lunch.

The question and answer session they have with Jesus demonstrates that they do not understand.  Eventually the crowd asked a question that clearly demonstrated their unbelief.  “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” (John 6:30–31) Jesus has been healing the sick, curing the lame, causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see.  He has been casting out demons and raising people from the dead.  This very crowd had eaten bread and fish multiplied from His hand and they asked for a sign.  The stubborn, unbelieving heart is never satisfied.  It will always ask for more signs.

Not much has changed down through the centuries.  We might not believe in Jesus for free food, but how many T.V. preachers do you hear that will promise you monetary wealth if you will simply send a seed offering their way?  How many preachers will tell you that a life with Jesus means prosperity, success, victory, and so forth?  Some preachers will tell you that if you get your life right, you will get a better job with more pay and fewer responsibilities … your children will start to get better grades in school … your spouse will find you more attractive … and on and on and on.

Here are just a few of the quotes I found on the Internet: God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you’re able to pay off your house. That’s God shifting things in your favor. (Joel Osteen) Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live. (Joyce Meyer) Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous. (Benny Hinn) Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the word of god. (John Hagee) These are just a few of the popular T.V. preachers who teach that worldly wealth and success is the reward for those who obey God.

These very popular people teach about a god who is like a great big vending machine in the sky.  You do your part and then God will give you what you want.  The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we can do nothing, but God, in His grace, freely gives us, not what we want, but what we need.  These teachers make promises for life here and now, and, when their promises fail, they teach that you just have not done it right.  God, on the other hand, makes eternal promises, and His promises never fail.

If these teachers are such liars, and their promises fail so often, why are they all so wealthy?  Why do they fly in their own private jets and ride in limousines?  Why do they live in mansions?

These scam artists are wealthy because the sinful nature is never satisfied with the simplicity of God’s perfect gifts.  Adam and Eve were not satisfied in Eden.  The Israelites in today’s Old Testament reading were not satisfied even though God fed them every day.  The crowds in today’s Gospel wanted just one more sign.  The Bible is full of people who were not satisfied by God’s promise to them.  Our sinful human nature has not changed and many scam artists make their fortune from those who are not satisfied with the gifts God gives in His promises.

What about you?  God has promised to care for you and provide all you need.  He has promised eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.  He has opened up rivers of forgiveness in word, water, bread and wine.  Is God’s forgiveness not enough for you?

Think about it.  Each and every one of us deserves to suffer in eternal hell.  Never the less, God sent His Son to take up your humanity and take that eternal hell into Himself as He hung on a cross.  He has poured out His righteousness upon you.  You have eternal life for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, and death of the Son of God!  Furthermore, you have the assurance of all of this by virtue of the immortal, bodily resurrection of that very same Son!

The devil is more than happy to provide a wide variety of con-artists to give you exactly what you want.  He is happy to do this because when he gives you what you want, it will draw you away from what you need.  It will draw you away from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and poison your soul instead.  So it is that those who preach lies rake in billions.  It is exactly as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to Timothy.  The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)

In spite of the fact that the crowds resisted His message Jesus continued teaching them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32) Here Jesus corrected them.  The manna from heaven came from God.  Moses was merely God’s servant at the time.  In fact, all of the signs that Moses did began with God.  Moses was a great prophet of God, not because he was anything great, but because God chose him and called him.

Jesus continued, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) Here Jesus taught that He Himself is the bread who comes down from heaven.  Just as God sent manna to give temporary life to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, so also He sent His Son to give eternal life to all people by His perfect life and sacrificial death on a cross.  This is how Jesus is the bread of God who gives life to the world.

The poor crowds are still thinking of their stomachs when they respond, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34) Martin Luther preached about these people and said, “This announcement that the Gospel would fill their bellies, that it would provide plentifully for this life and afford a good living, pleases them. They say, as it were: ‘This would be the man for us. Who would not like him?’ We, too, would like such a preacher. They pay no attention to Christ’s words to learn where He wants to lead them, but they are happy over the prospect that He will fill their bellies and give them only earthly goods and money. But that is not the point. The Gospel does not fill the belly; it has something different to do. Times have not changed. When the Gospel is preached, everyone is eager to reap a sufficient store of earthly goods from it.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John)

But then Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) With these words Jesus made it clear that He is speaking of a different kind of bread for a different kind of life.  When it comes to the things of this world Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Never the less, when it comes to the things of eternity, He said, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

These are words that you can never truly understand, but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you can believe in them.  Through the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit, you can believe in them and in the Christ who said them.  By that gift of faith, you can believe that Jesus is eternal food and drink who will keep you alive with Him in eternity.  Just as is said in the explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed: In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

God, in His infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom, will give us, not what we want, but exactly what He knows we need … both here in time and forever in eternity.  If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32) Amen

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST July 28, 2024

Today’s Gospel picks up from the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand that was in last week’s Gospel.  You may remember that Jesus and the disciples attempted to go to a deserted spot on the other side of the Sea of Galilee for a little bit of R&R, but the crowds figured out where they were going.  So when Jesus and the disciples showed up, there were 5000 men plus women and children waiting for them.  Jesus taught these people all day and then when it came time to eat, He used a few dinner rolls and some sardines to feed the whole group.  Last week’s Gospel informed us that the entire group ate and was satisfied.

In our world of wealth, we cannot even begin to understand that, at the time of today’s Gospel, only the very wealthiest of people got up from a meal totally satisfied.  The average person never had enough food to be satisfied at every meal.  Most of the time, people were still just a little bit hungry at the end of a meal.  So when Jesus fed them all until they were all satisfied, that was unusual.  It was so unusual that John’s account of the Gospel informs us that the people wanted to make Jesus their king.  After all, who would not want a king who fed you free food for the rest of your life?

Jesus wanted to get the disciples out of there before they got swept up into the frenzy as well.  That is how the disciples ended up back in the boat and back on the Sea of Galilee.

While the disciples set out across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus returned to the crowds and dismissed them.  After He dismissed the crowds, He spent several hours up on a mountain in prayer.

Since our Gospel tells us that Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, it is not unreasonable to assume that when He got finished, He could stand on the mountain and look down on the Sea.  There He saw the disciples struggling against the wind.  One gets the impression that it took all the rowing they could do just to keep the boat steady.

Mark then tells us that it was the fourth watch of the night by the time Jesus came down from the mountain and walked out onto – not into, but onto – the Sea of Galilee.  The fourth watch is the last three hours before sunrise.  I do not care how much experience you have on the water, these fishermen had to be exhausted.  They had been struggling hopelessly against this wind for half the night.

Now, here comes Jesus, taking a stroll on the lake.  All the disciples could see was this dim figure walking on the water.  Imagination is a wonderful thing at the right time and place, but after a night battling the wind on a lake about 150 feet deep – when you are sleep deprived and exhausted, the imagination can be very terrifying.  The disciples thought that the specter of death was coming for them.  They were terrified.  This is one of those times where nobody could blame them.  Most people would admit that under these extreme circumstances, they too would be seeing ghosts because what else could be out on the top of the water in this type of weather?

Jesus calmed their fears as He called out to them.  “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”  Then Jesus got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.  This is now the second time in Mark’s Gospel account where Jesus demonstrated control over the weather.

Then the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to tell us something that is surprising.  By now, the apostles have seen that Jesus has control over diseases, injuries, demons, the weather, and even death.  Then Jesus delegated His power to the apostles and they had authority to cast out demons and heal the sick.  Last week, we learned that the disciples witnessed Jesus feed a crowd of more than 5000 with a 5 loaves and 2 fish.  After all this, the Holy Spirit still inspired Mark to write that their hearts were hardened.  That means that they still did not have an accurate idea of who Jesus was.  In reality, all four Gospel accounts tell us that nobody fully understood who Jesus was until He died on the cross and rose from the dead.  It was only then that the disciples really understood that Jesus is true God who has taken on human flesh for us.

So what can we learn from this event in the life of Jesus and His disciples?

Today’s Old Testament lesson reminds us of one thing we can learn.  It is the account of the aftermath of the Great Flood.  Ever since Noah took his little congregation of seven people aboard the ark, watercraft have been a metaphor for the church.  Ships, boats, even floating planks have been used to represent the church at one time or another.  Today’s Gospel quite literally places Jesus’ congregation, once again, out on the water.  One thing we can learn is that the church works a lot better when Jesus is in the boat.

Unfortunately, there are many people who try to do church without Christ.  In fact, Dr. Michael Horton has written a book entitled “Christless Christianity.”  Within this book Dr. Horton documents and laments the lack of Christ in America’s churches today.  He laments the fact that so many churches teach a Christ that cannot be found in the Bible.  Jesus gave us the definition of the Christ when He said, in Luke chapter 24 “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.”  Never the less, many churches teach the Jesus who is a great moral teacher, a fine example of living, a life coach, or merely a noble martyr.  They forget to teach the Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead.

Many churches teach Christ crucified in order to bring people into the church, but once people join, they abandon that topic.  Instead, they teach that Christ crucified is just the starting point.  After a person becomes a Christian, it is time to grow spiritually by means of self-improvement.  The topic switches from Christ on the cross to your Christian walk, your obedience, your spiritual gifts, your ministry, your efforts, your moral improvement, your choices, your example, your lifestyle, your perfection.  It is as if they believe that Christ crucified gets a person into the church, but after that, a person no longer needs Christ.  To return to our boat metaphor, Christ puts us in the boat, but then we leave Him on the shore.  When the disciples did that, all they got was a strong head wind.  They were unable to get anywhere.

If we try to do church without Christ, then the law is all that is left.  The law’s main job is to show us our need for Christ.  If we insist on continuing without Christ then all that is left of the law is its condemnation.

Many people have become experts at hiding the condemnation of the law.  Since it is the nature of the law to judge, and nobody likes to be judged, other phrases for the law have become popular.  People say they are “living the victorious Christian life,” or “living a life of purpose,” or “living the sanctified life,” or any number of other catchy euphemisms for “living by the law.”  All of these phrases sound so righteous – so holy, but whatever people call it, if it is all about what you do – your testimony, your choices, your example, your lifestyle.  If it is about what you do, it is the law.

Jesus had a simple teaching about how well we must keep the law. He says in Matthew chapter 5, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Are you as perfect as God the Father in Heaven?  If Christ is not in your boat – if you are trying to live by the law – perfection is all that counts.  Adam and Eve only had to commit one sin to let death into the world.  If you are to live by the law, you cannot even commit one sin. 

Have you ever lied to your mother even once?  Then you are a liar.  Have you taken even a pencil home from the office without permission?  Then you are a thief.  Have you ever hated anyone … ever?  Then you are a murderer.  Have you ever had a fantasy about someone other than your spouse?  Then you are an adulterer.  Have you ever failed to protect someone’s reputation when you heard a story about them?  Then you are a gossip.  The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Isaiah to write in chapter 64 “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”  If even our righteous deeds condemn us, what chance do we have?

That is why it is so important that Christ is in the church.  When Jesus walked out onto the water and got into the boat, the headwind went away.  When Jesus is in the church, He takes away the headwind of our sins.  Jesus is the one who is the perfect husband to His bride, the church.  Jesus is the perfect Son who does the will of his Father.  Jesus is the one who is perfect just as His heavenly Father is perfect.  Jesus is the one who gives us His perfection in baptism.  Jesus is the one who takes away the sin of the world with His suffering and death on the cross.  Jesus is the one who opens up heaven for us with His resurrection.  Jesus is the one who is always with us in His ascension.  Without Jesus, the church is dead.  With Jesus, the church is eternal.  The church only works if Jesus is in the boat.

The law is good.  In fact, the law is perfect.  But the law is incomplete without the Gospel.  Without the Gospel, the law can only accuse and condemn.  It can show us that we are sinners.  It can show us that we need a savior.  But without the Gospel, we do not know who that savior is.  Without the Gospel, we are condemned to try to save ourselves.  It is only when Jesus is in the boat – it is only when the church proclaims not only the law, but also the Gospel that we know we have salvation in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.

Ever since the days of Noah, people have compared the Holy Christian Church to a ship.  How do we know that we are on the right ship?  When the Word of God, both law and gospel, are taught in their truth and purity and the Gospel is also delivered in the administration of the sacraments according to Christ’s command.  This is the Holy Christian Church – the ship that sails in the forgiveness of Christ crucified.  Whenever you find this, Christ is in the boat.  Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – JULY 21, 2024

The desolate arctic tundra is home to millions of wild caribou. Each year they migrate over 2000 miles through the cold desert-like tundra, searching of vegetation to fill their bellies. The lengthy travel demand all newly born caribou to quickly learn how to run, because these vast herds do not travel alone. Wolves- packs of them 8 to 10 strong, shadow the migration and they are hungry. It is the newly born calves that they are after, the weakest of the herd, though any piece of meat left behind they will sink their teeth into. When they attack, they run directly at the herd, generating widespread panic and confusion. The caribou quickly sprint away from the wolves, scattering every which way in hopes to preserve their lives. But as the herd scatters into smaller groups, it is easier for a wolf to find a target. From a million to a thousand to 100, to 10, to 3 to, 1; the wolf sets his eyes on the weakest caribou left behind, and gives chase. While the rest of the herd continues unwavering on the migration path, with visions of liverworts, grasses, and reindeer mosses dancing in their heads, the wolf feasts on his kill.

The way of the wild is harsh. It has been that way since man’s Fall into sin. In the predator and prey relationship of nature, animal instincts rule. There is no compassion. Animal instincts are to stay alive at any cost and scatter from danger, even though this tactic means leaving behind the youngest and the weakest as a sacrifice to the wolves so the rest of the herd can go on to their happy life filling their bellies, unstirred.

Even we humans are not far removed from nature’s antics of tragedy. Though God created man in His own image, giving him cognitive thought, reason and the ability to display compassion, we instead often act like single-minded caribou who just want to fill their bellies and avoid unhappiness at any cost.

Here is an example that has come to the surface just how much human beings are willing to give up so their lives will not be inconvenienced. As the Center for Medical Progress has revealed, the depths of the horrific practices at Planned Parenthood continue to plunge deeper. It is worse than we want to believe. It is worse than most media companies will tell you. As in the arctic tundra so it is happening in the Planned Parenthood organization. Not only are the weakest, voiceless, and most vulnerable “caribou” being freely offered by the herd to be taken by wolves, but their antlers, their hearts, their lungs, their livers are being sold. Way back in October of 2012 during the Vice President Debate, Trevin Wax of The Gospel Project briefly opined on Twitter, “In the U.S., abortion is the blood sacrifice we make on the altar to the goddess of unfettered sexual behavior.”

Though God’s Law outlines His good purposes for the best of mankind, it also reveals our sin. But what has become the gravest sins in the eyes of the herd of mankind today? Not fornication, not homosexuality, not pornography, not abortion, these are not sins, says sinful man. Today’s society believes compassion is letting anyone do for themselves what they think best, even if they break God’s Law and endanger their survival. Mankind’s Compassion has become the idea that no one should be offended, no one should feel uncomfortable with who they are or what they do, and everyone should be allowed to do what is best in their own eyes. So watch out, says the sinful world, if you commit the sins of saying anything is about women having a subordinate position to men, or if you accidentally slander a person of another race, or especially if you believe that truth is absolute!

People are scattering everywhere, each to his own brand of truth, each to her own idea of happiness and pleasure. In doing so, the weak, the young, the helpless and the voiceless are often the ones left behind. As the herd scatters, we watch it go, and we even scatter with it. Our sinful nature wants only to fill our bellies with forbidden fruits believing we will attain happiness and survival. Like Adam and Eve we are led to believe that God is not compassionate as He keeps us from what is evil and detestable, though we see it as pleasing to the eye. Compassion for our neighbor is replaced with anger and indifference. Charity and care are exchanged for apathy and annoyance. We do not want to be bothered, not by another global issue, or a another charity asking for donations, or even the problems of our friends and neighbors, so we scatter. And where do we scatter to? Pastures made desolate by sin, death, and the devil. Wastelands which offer nothing to sustain both our body & soul. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, we have scattered—every one—to his own way…”

But in the Gospel, we have the compassion of God. “When [Jesus] went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had  compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Scattered every which way in the wilderness, Jesus knew they had no one to gather them together and guide them, no one to teach them and protect them, no one to show them the way and feed them, and save them.

Jesus turns His face of compassion to the crowds and looking out over the enormous crowd of people, Jesus has compassion for each and every one of them. He has compassion on the doctors and murders, the thieves and bankers, the tax collectors and salesmen, the men who are lazy and women who are ashamed. His compassion is not withheld from teenaged mothers, adulterous fathers, the proud and haughty, the humble and needy. Jesus sees us all striving for survival in the desolation of this sinful world, and His compassion is overwhelming. When He sees the crowds, He sacrifices his moments of rest from traveling, teaching, and healing, turns his face towards the scattered sheep, and speaks to us all.

In that desolate place, as the scattered sheep are drawn near, Jesus teaches what He has been proclaiming from the start of His ministry. He speaks about the Kingdom of heaven. He teaches about forgiveness, about the Father, and about the resurrection and the life. He teaches about the living waters, the bread of life, and the meal of his body and blood. After hours of listening to such heavenly words, the sheep begin to realize their bellies are hungry.

The disciples, tired from all their traveling, think they have the answer, “Jesus, send them away so they buy get their own food to eat.”

But Jesus would have nothing of sending these sheep to be scattered in the wilderness again. He responded to His disciples, “You give them something to eat.”

The ensuing conversation is well known, “We don’t have enough money.” “Well, what do you have?” “Just this, 5 loaves and 2 fish.” “Bring them to me.” After seating all the sheep in the green grass, Jesus takes the food, looks up to heaven, blesses it, breaks the loaves, and gives the food to the disciples. With this, they feed the people. Not a crumb here, and a scale there, no, a whole meal so that everyone was given more than enough to eat. When all was said and done, there were enough leftovers to fill 12 baskets. The lives of these sheep were preserved for another day by The Compassionate Good Shepherd.

But as Jesus knows, and as we daily experience, one days’ food is not going to last more than, well, one day. The lives of all sheep are still in danger from our enemies of sin, death, and the devil.

So for the sake of the sheep, the Good Shepherd became a sheep. Compassion drove Jesus to become the weakest of the herd, that He would be left to die to save the herd. Like a sheep before the shearer is silent, so Jesus did not open his mouth in protest. Hung on a cross, He was clothed in my sins, in your sins, and the sins of the entire world. There Jesus declared for all people to hear, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Christ died for you. He is the final blood sacrifice for sin. He was crucified, and behold, you live. He was sacrificed, and behold yours is life clothed in the white garment of wool washed in the blood of the Lamb. Your sins are forgiven. All of them, no guilt remains. Your Compassionate God asks no questions, judges no one’s actions, nor kicks out of the herd any sinner, but offers you His Son, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, that all who believe in Him will have eternal life. Christ gave himself for you to redeem you from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14).

The desolate wasteland of the valley of the shadow of death is turned into flourishing vegetation where the living Christ is proclaimed in word and Sacrament. Jesus lives to lead you into green pastures, to restore your soul, and to even feed you His holy meal at His table. Here Christ actively draws you and His sheep scattered throughout the world to Himself, to His Body and Blood. If He can fill the hungry bellies of more than 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish, how much more can He feed you eternal food with a wafer that is His body, and a swallow of wine that is His blood? You who hunger and thirst for righteousness?

And the desolation of your sinful hearts He fills with His Holy Spirit. By His power, indifference for our neighbor is exchanged with the compassion of Christ for the scattered sheep. Apathy and annoyance are replaced with true charity and lovingkindness. And though we are bothered not only with our own trials, but also those of our friends and neighbors, the weak, the helpless, the voiceless, Christ Calls to us all, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Though the wolves may threaten, Christ has conquered them. Though we are scattered, the Gospel calls you home. For in these pastures flow living water and food to last… and in this sheepfold of Christ in the house of the Lord, you will dwell forever in life. Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost July 14, 2024

Party Crashing is the act of attending an invitation-only event when not invited. The person doing the party crashing is known as a party crasher. Reasons for crashing parties are numerous, but it is generally agreed upon that party crashers can mess up the whole party by their presence and their antics.

John the Baptist appears after a long line of party crashers known as the Old Testament prophets. They were persecuted for prophesying the Word of the Lord. The prophets walked among the people, through cities and towns, even into palaces and the throne rooms of Kings. Most of the time, their message was one of rebuke, effectively crashing the parties of the lawless and rebellious people of God. We have in our OT reading an example this. Amos was sent to the people of the Lord to show them they were not straight. While they were faithlessly reveling and making merry, doing what was right in their own eyes, Amos held before them a plumb line. This simple piece of twine with a weight at the bottom demonstrated how off-kilter they were from God’s way of life according to the Law.

When King Jeroboam heard that Amos was deflating the energy of the party scene by prophesying the destruction of Israel, he called his bouncers to tell Amos to hush up and ship-out of town so that the people can continue to eat, drink, and be merry without feeling bad about themselves.

But Amos, not to be deterred, prophesied everything the Lord gave him to speak, even such harsh words of Law as “…behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’”

Along with all the true prophets before him, John the Baptist continues to tear up the party scene. With harsh words and fiery tongue, he called out from the wilderness and the river banks of the Jordan. No one was exempt from his command to repent: not the people, not the scribes and Pharisees, not even King Herod. While it takes a large amount of courage to inform anyone of their sin, how much more is needed to call out the King! Kings can do whatever they want, right, because they are the king! Who’s to tell a king that they cannot enact an unfair tax, or put innocent children to death, or commit adultery? Who would dare to tell a king that he is in the wrong?

Only a prophet of the Lord would dare to do so. Only someone who knows the way of the Lord. Only someone who such a plumb line in his hand as the holy Law of God to demonstrate that no one is straight… no one is righteous.

“It is not lawful for you, Herod, to have your brother’s wife.” Now, no one likes being told what they are committing sin. We would rather all be applauded for our deeds, join in a party of making merry and feel good about ourselves. The attitude of and practice of, “Nobody can tell me what I can and cannot do. Who are you to tell me that I am wrong,” is more extensive today than ever in our lifetimes. Woe to anyone who dares to take away our fun by telling us that what we are doing is not right by the Law of God! That is the attitude of Herod and his brother’s wife Herodias. That is the attitude of the Old Adam that we all share. We want to be our own judge of what is good and evil, yet often we end up calling evil good and good evil.

Herodias cannot stand the words of John, even while he is in prison. While Herod actually enjoyed listening to John, Herodias wanted the convicting voice to cease. An opportune time arose when Herod threw himself a birthday party. Invited as guests were all of his “yes” men- his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. These people certainly would never dream of informing the king he was wrong about anything.

The alcohol flowed freely at King Herod’s party, which mightily impairs his judgments when the daughter of his brother’s wife walked in to dance. History names this girl as Salome, though not the same Salome that was present at the tomb of Jesus. So pleasing was her dance to the king and his party guests that he made an extraordinary vow to her. “Whatever you ask me, I will give you. Whatever you wish, it will be given to you, up to half my kingdom.”

Such a bold promise! While most all of us would jump on the offer of half of the kingdom, Salome had a different idea. She went to her mother. Now if it is true that “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned,” than how much more a woman like Herodias. She has not only been scorned, but had been subjected to repeated and public humiliation by John. Now was the perfect opportunity for her to have her vengeance, quickly, before Herod sobered up, before he could hesitate!

“For what should I ask, mother?”                  

“The head of John the Baptist” Herodias coldly answered her daughter.

Salome walked back into the party,  

            knelt before King Herod, and said, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” Talk about crashing a party. The mood quickly turned sour as Herod realized his mistake. Maybe had the girl requested half of his kingdom, his guests would have let him slide on the oath. As it was, the request was only the head of John, a man who was loved by the people even while he often brought to an end the “eat, drink, and be merry” joviality with but a word, “Repent.”

So Herod, feeling sick to the stomach and sorry for his oath, sent the executioner. He quickly goes to the prison, and there he does what he does, and John is dead… his head is laid on a silver platter and served up to Salome, who brings it to her mother. No one in the court would have batted an eye at this gruesome sight. Many of them probably welcomed the death of John, they too having been stung by his fiery words that they did not want to hear.

And that is the law that Amos spoke, and John spoke, The Law of God that stings us even when it reveals our wrongs. It makes us feel uncomfortable. It brings us to guilt and shame. Who enjoys being told they are acting improperly? Who enjoys being told they are wrong and need to correct their ways? When the sins of others are out on parade, it is then that we are all for the Law. But when our sins are brought to light, we turn away in shame, humiliation, embarrassment, hopelessness, even anger. That straight line of God’s Law hangs before us, threatening to cut us off from God. But we would rather cut ourselves off from the Law, the ultimate party killer, if only to feel better about ourselves, but that will get us nowhere.

It is true that the message of the prophets and the message of John is God’s message, but God’s message does not end with the Law. All the prophets preached to lead the people back to God. John preached in order to lead the king to the King of Kings. John preached in order to prepare all people to receive Him. His tongue may have been silenced by the sword, but his finger still points to the Lamb. His mouth may have been stopped, but his words still ring out, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” There is your king, the one whose coming the prophets foretold!

The Law calls for death, the conscience feels guilty, the heart is ashamed but there is Christ, the Holy One of God! He was despised and rejected and men closed their ears at his words and hid their faces from Him. Yet the Holy one of God dies in your place. The Righteous one suffers your guilt, and Jesus bears your shame. He who was straight as a plumb line was served up on a cross to the scorn and wrath of God for you. His blood and righteousness offered to God in your place.

Though the devil danced for a time as Christ hung on the tree, his party was quickly crashed hours later. Death could not hold Jesus. He descended into hell and there, in a parade of triumph, He proclaimed His victory over sin, guilt, suffering, and death. Risen on the first day of the week, He then went to greet the other Salome and the women at the tomb and Himself delivered the Gospel of God, “Peace be to you.” Peace with God is yours through Christ!

This peace is yours through the Word, the Word given to you at Baptism. In those holy waters your sin is washed away. Your guilt and shame are covered over. The old man of sin is drowned and dies, and the new man emerges cleansed and holy in righteousness and purity as you are joined with Christ Jesus in victory over death and the grave.

And Christ still gives you more. He gives you a feast! In the Holy Supper you share in His victory over sin, death, and the devil. This is no ordinary meal. Here the King gives you Himself, His own body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. Here you may handle and touch the Holy One of God that you may have the favor of God. This to strengthen your faith and show and grant you such favor that surpasses the offerings of all earthly kings and princes and peoples. For here sins are forgiven and the resurrected Christ works His resurrection in you, and for you, that you may have life in Him. And none of this He does so that you can merely feel good about yourselves, but so that you may know that you are set right with God!

In many and various way God spoke to His people of old by the prophets. But now in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son. Take heart, my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Law has been fulfilled for you. Its threats of eternal punishment and death are powerless to you, for Jesus now has the final word. And His is the promise of giving all believers the whole kingdom of heaven on the Day of Resurrection. There we will forever be in the presence of the Triune God, the King in His heavenly palace, celebrating for eternity His Victory in making all things perfect and straight. In Jesus name. Amen.

__________________________________________________________

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – JULY 7, 2024

The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.

One of Christianity’s most basic confessions about God is the fact that He is omnipotent.  This is just a fancy word that means that God is all-powerful.  Now, as I said, this is one of the most basic, elementary confessions of the faith.  Every Christians knows and believes this about God.  If you do not believe that God is almighty and all-powerful, then you do not believe in the one true God and you cannot rightly call yourself a Christian!  Even the littlest of children make this confession when they sing, “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.” Basic stuff that no faithful Christian would ever question or doubt.

And yet…as we turn our attention to the Gospel lesson this morning, we are faced with a rather glaring contradiction.  “[Jesus] could do no mighty work” among his hometown people, except maybe lay His hands on a couple of sick people and heal them.  Jesus could do no mighty work…that is a problem!  According to St. Mark the omnipotent was essentially rendered impotent.  The almighty and all-powerful was not.  What does this mean?! 

Let us think about this for a minute.  The Word of God is very clear in stating that Jesus could do no mighty work in the presence of His hometown folks who doubted Him.  In fact, the original Greek tells us that “… He did not have the power to make anything powerful happen.” Does this mean that Jesus truly did not possess the skills, the abilities, the resources—the power—to work powerful things in their midst, or could it mean that Jesus was not allowed to work these powerful things in their midst?  You see, there is a difference—a HUGE difference!  You can have all the skills, abilities, and resources in the world, but if you are not permitted to use them; if you are prevented from working, all those skills, abilities, and resources do not do anybody any good.  Basically, you can be rendered truly powerless despite all the power you truly possess and are so willing to share.

Yes—Jesus could do no mighty works in His hometown…because the people there doubted and rejected Him.  “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the POWER of God for salvation to all who believe.” These are the mighty, resurrecting, life-saving, life-giving works Jesus was unable to perform.  The people heard His Word; His Law and His Gospel, proclaimed with His authority, and they rejected it.  They were offended by it.  “Who does this guy think He is?  This is the carpenter’s son.  Here are His mom, His brothers, and His sisters.  He has no right to say these things to me!” They prevented Jesus from working His powerful life-saving, life-giving gifts of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. 

Now, could Jesus, as almighty and all-powerful God, have simply snapped a finger or spoken a mere word and over-rode their decision by doing His work against their will, making them submit?  Absolutely!  However, if He would do this then He would no longer be a loving and gracious God.  He would no longer be the God of Scripture; the God He has revealed Himself to us to be.  He would instead be a forceful, tyrannical God.  “You will serve, honor, love, and obey Me, whether you like it or not!”

You know, it truly saddens me that this same faithless prevention exhibited by the hometown crowd still goes on today.  People still deny and prevent Christ from working all the time.  Scores of people this day will lament about how much trial and tribulation and fear and sorrow they have in their lives, and yet they will, in the same breath, denounce Christ’s means of grace, which He gives out through His Church, denouncing all of this as a big waste of time; a burden that trespasses into their sleep time, their leisure time, their “me” time.  Countless parents keep their children from Christ’s life-giving power of baptism because all they see is simple water or a man-made rite of administrative membership. 

Thousands of people in our own community this very day will partake in mere crackers and juice, calling it communion, and yet openly denying that Jesus could be present with His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, even though He says so quite clearly that this IS His body and His blood for the forgiveness of sins.  Apparently they are smarter than God’s Word.  It tears my guts out to know that good Christian people are only receiving crackers and grape juice simply because they are preventing Christ from giving them His life-giving gifts of Body and Blood.  It tears my guts out to know that people are content with an empty, powerless counterfeit and I marvel at such indifference and unbelief. 

Of course, this is just looking at all this from the perspective of “Word and Sacrament Lutherans” looking out at everyone else.  Whether you want to admit it or not, we do the same sinful preventative sorts of things in our daily lives too!  I say this for good reason because, while there are many times that we would NEVER voice this doubt concerning God’s omnipotence, there are those same times that we are certainly thinking it.  There are those times when life bottoms out and hits the skids, and being the good Christians that we are, we turn to God in prayer.  Unfortunately, the bad situation only gets worse, in spite of our prayers, in spite of our noticeable uptick in religiosity, in spite of the fact that we call on God to fix and heal the situation.  Things do not change.  Nothing powerful happens… and that is when the doubt gets a foot in the door of our faith.  Perhaps there truly are some things that Jesus just cannot handle. 

But it is worse than that even.  We may not like to admit it, but we routinely deny and prevent Christ from working His gifts of life and salvation for a wide variety of reasons.  We stay away from church because of the weather, our emotions, our feelings, the other people at church…whatever.  There is never a shortage of self-justifications and excuses.  How many times have we failed to open our mouths and speak up, proclaiming the truth of Christ’s Word when it is needed most?  I know that you all know somebody who is not here today and needed to hear this message.  Why do you not share it with them?  What is stopping you?  What is preventing you from speaking and teaching the truth of Christ and His Word?

You know, when all this prevention happens in our lives, I understand why Christ marveled at the people’s unbelief.  It really is sad because in all these instances here is almighty and all-powerful God calling us and reaching down from heaven to us to be in our very midst; to work and speak to us and through us; to teach us and to teach through us; to feed and nourish us and our fellow brothers and sisters with His gifts.  And what do we so often do?  We muzzle Him.  We slap His hand away, preventing Him from working the very gift that is so desperately needed; the very powerful, life-giving, life-saving gift He so desperately wants to give to you and to all His people—His free and unmerited gift of Gospel grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness, and everlasting salvation.

My simple prayer for you this day and every day is that nothing prevents the receiving and sharing of these life-giving, life-saving gifts in your life—not me, not you, not anyone or anything.  My prayer is that through the eyes and ears of saving faith, which God has freely given you as His gift; a gift which enables you to recognize and repent and receive and give thanks for the mighty and powerful workings of God in His Word and His Sacraments, you behold not the mere broken vessels and earthly means God chooses to use, but the true giver of these powerful, life-saving gifts—Jesus Christ; the same Jesus Christ who is your loving and gracious, almighty and all-powerful Lord and Savior; the same Jesus Christ who willingly laid down His life for you on His cross for the complete forgiveness of all your sins; for your life and salvation, all so that nothing would prevent you from receiving the eternal love and life that your heavenly Father has for you and is already yours because of Jesus Christ alone. 

It is finished, in Christ alone and because of Christ alone.  The powers of sin, death, and the grave have been crushed and put to death by the omnipotent power of Christ and His all-redeeming life, death, and resurrection.  The omnipotent Savior—Jesus Christ, full God and full man—has effectively and eternally rendered sin, death, and the devil impotent.  There is nothing to fear; nothing to doubt or despair over, no matter how dark the world and current events may seem.  “It is finished!” Our omnipotent God and Lord has declared it.  It is so.  This is your Good News.  This is your Gospel, Baptismal reality. 

Almighty God has worked truly powerful things in His life, death, and resurrection, and He did it all for you.  Think about that for a moment.  If you were the only person to ever live in all of history, Jesus still would have died for you.  That is how precious you are to almighty God.  You are His precious child; a child He willingly laid down His life for on a criminal’s cross, suffering all of His Father’s righteous, hellish wrath for you in your stead.  As I just finished saying, He did all of this all so that nothing would ever prevent you from receiving the eternal love and life that your heavenly Father has for you and is already yours because of your baptismal in-grafting into Jesus Christ alone.

May this Gospel Good News of God’s omnipotent and immeasurable love for you take root in your heart and work His mighty works in you and all those He brings you into contact with.  To Him alone be all the glory, for it is He alone who works His miraculous works of repentance and salvation!  Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIXTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST – JUNE 30, 2024

The Gospel we just heard is a record of one miracle nested inside another.  Jairus came to Jesus on behalf of his daughter who was very seriously ill.  Then, while Jesus was on His way to heal the daughter, He encountered a woman who suffered from a bleeding disorder.  Although this woman only wanted physical healing, Jesus knew she needed much more.

From a human standpoint, this causes a dilemma.  Should Jesus stick around and deal with the woman or continue onward with Jairus?  If He sticks around, Jairus’ daughter may die before Jesus can get to her.  On the other hand, the woman has needs beyond mere physical healing, and Jesus may not be able to find her again later.

Fortunately, Jesus is not limited to the human viewpoint.  He took time to deal with the woman even though it meant that the daughter would die.  But then, He dealt with the daughter not just by bringing her back to life, but by bringing her back to perfect health.

When Jesus stopped and turned around in the middle of the crowd, no one was more surprised than the woman who had touched His garment for healing.  The account makes it fairly clear that she wanted her healing to go unnoticed.  She did not want to be any trouble.  She would just sneak in, touch His garment, and be gone.  No one needed to know.  No one was more shocked when Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” (Mark 5:30) Never the less, the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. (Mark 5:33) She was terrified that she was about to be punished for her actions.

You see, the nature of her bleeding condition had rendered her just as unclean as any leper.  The law concerning a woman with her condition was fairly clear.  From Leviticus chapter 15: “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.” Not only was she unclean, but she had also exposed the entire crowd to her uncleanness.  Strictly speaking, this woman had sinned against every member of the crowd.  Her mere presence should have forced them to go to the priests for the purification ritual.  She rightly expected punishment for violating the ritual cleanliness of every member of that crowd.

Of course the account tells us that Jesus had nothing but Gospel for the woman.  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:34)  Jesus understood that the bleeding condition was the least of this woman’s troubles.  If Jesus would have let her go on her way, she would still carry the guilt of her sins.  Not just the guilt of sneaking through the crowd and stealing some of Jesus’ power, but the guilt for all the other sins in her life.  Physically, she would be fine, but eternally, she would still be condemned.  Jesus’ words comforted her and gave her His peace.

Every one of us enters life with the same fear that this woman had.  Deep down inside, we know we don’t measure up.  Deep down inside, we know that we need help.  Deep down inside, we know that help can only come from God.  At the same time we know that God has every right to punish us for our sin.  We find ourselves in the painful situation of needing help from a source that terrifies us.  We find ourselves in the situation where we want God to help us when we get in a jam, but we want Him to stay far, far away the rest of the time.  This is fear.

Of course, this fear began in Eden.  They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8–10) Adam and Eve sinned, and ever since, the presence of God has terrified people.

Ever since that day, humanity has labored under the false notion that we must somehow earn our way back into God’s favor.  Somehow we must fix what went wrong in Eden.  That is the reason that most people believe that religion is all about becoming a better person.  It is all about getting right with God.  Of course, anyone who is half-way honest will readily admit that they cannot pull it off.  Therefore God terrifies them.  They know that they will not meet God’s standards on the day they must go to meet their maker.              The best that the false religions can do is promise a painless non-existence after death.  Otherwise, death is full of terror because no false religion can assure you that you have been good enough.

The sad thing about all these terrified people is that they have the idea of religion all wrong.  True religion is not about you living a righteous life for God.  It is about God taking on human flesh and living a righteous life for you.  It is not about you getting right with God.  It is about God dying on a cross so that He can give His righteousness to you.  It is not about you paying the penalty for your sin.  It is about God paying that penalty for you as He hangs on a cross and endures the punishment you deserve.  It is not about a God who demands and takes.  It is about a God who offers and gives.  God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Since we live in a sinful world and our own sinful nature fills us with the false religions of terror, then how can we receive the true religion of forgiveness, life, and salvation?

In the Gospel we just heard, Jesus did not allow the woman to sneak off with mere physical healing.  He wanted to heal her in body, mind, and spirit.  So He turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” (Mark 5:30)

He asked this question for the same reason He asked Adam where he was in Eden.  Just as He knew exactly where Adam was, so He also knew all about the woman who had touched Him.  In Eden, He asked in order to call Adam to Himself.  In the same way, He asked, “Who touched my garments,” in order to call the woman to Himself.  He knew exactly who had touched His garments and He gave her nowhere to hide.  She had to come forward.

It was then that Jesus gently and lovingly laid the Gospel on her.  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:34) Jesus did not just heal her disease, but He also gave her His peace.

The woman did not seek out Jesus for healing in mind and spirit, but only for physical healing.  Indeed, once her body was healed, she wanted to sneak off never to be heard from again.  Never the less, the woman received mental and spiritual healing because Jesus called her to Himself and gave her His peace.

The other sign in today’s Gospel demonstrates this even more, for Jairus’ daughter did indeed die.  As a dead person, she could do nothing to help herself.  Never the less, Jesus called her and she woke up from death.  It is easier for Jesus to wake a person from death than it is for one of us to waken someone from simple slumber.

Jesus still gives His words of peace and healing today.  We have His words given to His prophets before he was born.  We have His words given to His Apostles out of His very human mouth … Words that the Apostles did not immediately understand, but that the Holy Spirit brought to their memory after Jesus ascended into heaven.  We hear His words when we hear the reading of the Holy Scriptures as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul.  You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:19–20) So it is that the Holy Spirit works faith in us through the Word of God.  It is the Holy Spirit at work through the Gospel that converts us from the false religions of fear and death to the true religion of forgiveness, life, and salvation … to the religion that looks to Jesus on the cross as the source of all the gifts God gives to us.

The Gospel we just heard told us of a woman who was afraid when Jesus exposed her deed.  In a similar way, the Old Adam, your sinful nature is afraid when the Holy Spirit calls you by the Gospel.  Just as the woman had no reason to fear, you have no reason to fear.  Just as Jesus gave peace and healing to her, He wants to give eternal peace to you.

Jesus has died on the cross to take away all your sins.  He has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven.  He has earned your salvation and gives it to you freely.  Do not be afraid, but believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31).  Amen