Sermon for 2/23/14--Sexagesima

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Christ the Seed

Luke 8:4-15

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

This farmer is unlike any earthly sower. He doesn't seem to care where the seed lands. He just sows everywhere! This is how Christ showers His Word upon us: limitless and unrestricted. He sows His Word everywhere so that all may hear and believe. And He sows His Word today to warn us, to wake us up, to call us to repentance—to save us. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord sows His Word, but so very little of it is received by the ground to bear fruit. Here the Lord lays bare for you your own heart and teaches you how easily and how often you despise His saving Word.

Some seed is snatched up by the devil. When we let the Word of God go in one ear and out the other without learning it, inwardly digesting it, we should know that it is the devil who is snatching the Word away! If you walk out of that door knowing the same or less of God's promises than when you walked in, or if you haven't learned anything else since the day you were confirmed and threw your catechism in the back of your closet, then know that it is the devil snatching away the Word.

Then there is the seed that falls on the rocky ground and withers because of the heat of temptation. What trials and temptations in your life tell you that God's Word is not true and is not worth listening to? We start with good intentions, of course, all excited to hear God's Word and grow in it. But then the suffering of this life withers us so God's Word takes no root. This too is the work of the devil who wants none of us to hear and believe God's Word! What then of the seed that falls among the thorns? The cares and pleasures and riches of this life come and choke off faith. What things in your life are better than the Word? What things keep you from the Divine Service? Such birds and shallow soil and thorns afflict every life.

There are those who hear the Word but don’t learn and grow in understanding. There are those who think the Word of God is worthless. There are those who think they have more important things to do than learn what the Word of God has to say. The Third Commandment condemns us, for we clearly despise preaching and God's Word; we don't hold it sacred; we don't gladly hear and learn it! Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear! If you recognize yourself in any of those bad soils, then cry out to the Father to break up your heart that you may hear and believe His Word. Listen to the preaching and teaching of your pastor so that you will be saved from being carried away by Satan and instead kept by the Spirit in the faith of Christ.

This salvation is a gift. We would never have hearts to receive God's Word if not for our Lord being Himself sown into the ground for our salvation. Jesus comes into the flesh and suffers the fate of the seed. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is Himself the Word of God. The Word, Jesus, is snatched away by the devil as He is grabbed and arrested, mocked and condemned and killed by the devil's own preachers and agents, the Word-despising Pharisees and clergy and Roman governor. Just as the seed falls on the rocky ground, so our Lord is planted in the rocky tomb, put in the earth as a sown seed for our salvation. He is choked with thorns and thistles as He wears a crown of thorns and suffers the curse of sin on the cross in our place. In all these ways, the seed, the Word, Christ Himself suffers the fate of sinners and unbelievers; He suffers and dies for us! But our Lord is the Son of God. Death cannot keep Him down! Where He is sown, there is life! Christ rises from the dead, sends out His preachers to sow the Word, to deliver the forgiveness of sins to the world, and thus produce fruit a hundredfold and more.

The Gospel of the forgiveness of sins drives the devil's birds away from the Word. The waters of Holy Baptism are the waters which wet the soil of our hearts and keep us from withering under temptations. The Body and Blood of Christ attach us to the True Vine who raises us above the thorns and thistles that would choke us off. It is the Word of God itself, brothers and sisters, which delivers the Word of God to us for our salvation. Never despair, dear Christian, of the salvation the Lord has for you. Don't despise His Word but believe it, for it is given to you so you may know it and be saved by it! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

   

   

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 2/16/14--Septuagesima

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A Better Way

Matthew 20:1-16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

There is a better way to live. We can be happy for our friends and our neighbors. We can rejoice in their prosperity. We can seek to serve them, to honor them. We can help them to protect and improve their property and income instead of trying to get it for ourselves. We can encourage their spouses, employees, and children to do their duty. We can refuse to think or say evil of them, refuse to tolerate gossip. We can put the best construction on all they say and do. We can treat them the way we want to be treated. The only thing that stops us sin.

Why should we be jealous of one another? Why should we begrudge a rich man? After all, his wealth does not take away from us. His work has probably helped us and our economy. How sad it is when we will not take a man at his word beyond what we ourselves can endure. We are jealous of God-given abilities, but we don’t know the weakness or crosses that are paired with them. What’s more, we aren’t prepared to do the hard work it takes to hone our own gifts. It is foolish to assume that anyone is really any happier than you. All men suffer in this life. You never know what someone is going through—at work, at home, or even in his head.

Repent. There is a better way to live. It is in accordance with the Law. It would bring great blessings upon our nation and society, churches, schools, and families. Our lives would be far happier. The only thing that stops us is sin. Sin is no small thing. But it is already defeated. It stopped us, but it did not stop God.

The fallen heart of man cries out: “unfair.” But that won’t stop God either. He is like the foolish owner of a vineyard who overpays. He is good and generous. He does not reward according to works. Even though Jesus was perfect in every way and was worthy of all good, the Father forsook Him on the cross. He left Him to die for sins He did not commit. It was not fair. It was grace. And by that awful sacrifice, He overpays in mercy to sinners. He is forgiving and loving for the sake of His Son. By the blood and death of Jesus He gives you a wage of eternal life. He treated His Son as though He were you: guilty of selfishness, guilty of a lack of self-control, guilty of overeating, of negligence, vanity, jealousy, and pettiness.  He treated His Son like He was you so that He might treat you as His Son and reward you for His work; that He might Name you as His own; that He might love you forever.

God is generous. He loves you. He does not judge you except as His own perfect beloved and well-pleasing Son. He has provided more than the bare necessities of life. He is good. Rest in His grace. For your own good, at times you may be asked to bear some of the heat or the burden of the day, but that is because He would not have you standing idly by in the devil’s marketplace, subject to the temptations that destroy men. He would keep you close to Himself. He would have you know that He is your comfort and relief, your only Help and Shield, your only Hope. Who knows what good will come of your suffering? The world may see your faith in the midst of trial and learn that forgiveness is stronger than despair and death. You may never know. But in the end, the reward promised in the Christ will be yours.

The Law shows us a better way to live. But there is an even better way to live than the Law. It is a life lived in grace, basking in forgiveness, resting in the peace that passes all understanding, dependent upon God’s goodness and mercy for all things. It is the way into which you have been Baptized, the way which is fed by the Holy Word and the Lord’s Supper. There is nothing, not even sin, to stop you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

Pastors and Grave Sin

The danger of choosing sinful men to serve in the Office of the Holy Ministry is that these are sinful men, and these men do not stop being sinners just because they have been chosen to serve. I've been involved in a discussion of what happens when (for the purposes of this post, as I don't have one particular case in mind) a hypothetical pastor is found to have committed a grave moral failing, a sin of such proportions that he is found to be no longer worthy to serve in the Office of the Holy Ministry. Now, this hypothetical man has confessed his error and has rightly resigned his position and has accepted removal from the clergy roster. Some would say that, mindful of I Timothy 3, he is no longer "above reproach" or "of good reputation with those outside the Church," and so he must be removed from the clergy roster AND he must remain silent from that point on. He must not be allowed to teach Sunday School or Bible classes; he must not be allowed to serve in any lay congregational office; he must not be chosen to write for the Synod's publishing arm or Synodical publications; he must not speak (or possibly even participate) at conferences sponsored by any body of the Church--all so that he does not exacerbate the pain of those who were affected by and continue to be suffering because of the man's grave moral failing. 

I admit that I am very sensitive, maybe overly sensitive, to such things. After having been placed on Restricted Status by a District President (who from the very start admitted that my sin was an error in judgment and not a grave moral failing), and according to the by-laws of Synod being completely unable to perform the duties of the Office of the Holy Ministry for nearly eight months while on Restricted Status for what was not a grave moral failing, I'm not altogether convinced by the idea that reputation as we view it today is a permanent bar to any sort of public participation in the life of the Church. I know how easy it is to tarnish or even destroy a man's reputation, rightly or wrongly. For a man who rightly is removed from the clergy roster, that is rightly a temporal consequence of sin. That being said, what other temporal consequences are there? Do they need to be laid out plainly, or do we make them up as we go along? Does such sin merit a life sentence without possibility of parole in the prison of the Church--allowed to live as forgiven, yet completely segregated from the daily life of the Church?

I am not insensitive to the pain of those affected by scandals caused by pastors who have been caught in a gross public sin. Such pain lingers, I know, and it affects how victims of such sin view the Church and even the Lord. However, I am also not insensitive to the thought that the man who has sinned is forgiven in the eyes of God and the Church, has accepted the temporal consequences of his actions by resigning his position, and has learned important lessons of forgiveness--especially forgiveness for sins that tend to burden the consciences of all sinners, clergy and laity--which he has the opportunity to share with the Church. Should he be a pastor again? I don't think so. Should a child molester, for example, be allowed to teach Sunday School? Certainly not. Should an embezzler be allowed to serve as congregation treasurer? Don't be silly. Should the man be gagged and kept in the closet, to be part of the Church but unable to be part of the life of the Church? No. Within reason, and certainly with sensitivity to the pain of those who have been hurt by the sin committed by this man, I believe the Church has the opportunity to utilize such men to continue to teach the Church--no longer as pastors, but as sinners with theological training who have a unique understanding of the power of forgiveness through the grace of God in their own lives.

Sermon for 2/9/14--Transfiguration of Our Lord

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A Place for the Law

Matthew 17:1-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

These beautiful words which we just sang are appropriate for both the Transfiguration of our Lord--for they show Him shining with the light of the sun--and for the Last Day, the day when Christ will return in glory to judge both the living and the dead, as we confess in the Apostles' Creed. The world looks at such a judgment as folly, and even within the Church that judgment is viewed with trepidation and fear, for it seems that we will be judged by what we have done and by what we have left undone...both the good and the evil.

But everything in the Law of Moses and the message of the prophets points to and is fulfilled in Jesus. Moses would say that you should change your heart and your ways and turn back to God. But that preaching pointed to the coming Savior. When Jesus is standing on the mount of Transfiguration, the chosen disciples see Moses and Elijah with Jesus. Then, when the disciples look again, they only see Jesus. We are to learn from that that everything Moses wrote and everything the prophets said is fulfilled and wrapped up in Jesus, who comes to fulfill the Law by keeping the commandments perfectly and dying on the cross under the Law's judgment upon sins. Everything finds its place in Jesus.

Like Peter, we want to give Moses and Elijah their own place alongside Jesus. Sure, we believe Jesus died for our sins, but what really matters is what the Law says. What matters is how you live, how you treat others. Of course you're better at keeping the Law than other people. We act as if the preaching of the prophets to turn from our evil ways is something we can do if we just try hard enough. What happens then is that Jesus is no longer the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets; He is just a better and more powerful version of them. We make Jesus into a new Moses whose job is to teach us how to live and to point out bad behavior. If we go to church and have our lives in order, other people should too. Jesus becomes the guy who leaves us in guilt that we aren't doing what we're supposed to be doing or not doing it well enough. That's what happens when you give Moses and Elijah their own place next to Jesus.

The place for Moses and Elijah is in Christ—fulfilled in Him, that is. Peter wants to make tabernacles for them. The Father interrupts and tells them to listen to Jesus. Then they look up and see only Jesus. What they are to learn from this? It’s not, "Keep an eye on bright, shining Jesus," but rather, "Hear Him." Hear His Word. What does His Word say? It says He will go to Calvary and die for sinners and the third day rise again. It says that to be washed in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is new birth from above. His Word says that when His pastors forgive your sins, they are forgiven. His Word says that true repentance isn't turning your life around; it's being forgiven for your sins. His Word says, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." His Word does not say to fix your life and do what the Commandments say. Like we really need Jesus to tell us that. We already have the Law written on our hearts. But if we listen carefully, the words of Moses and Elijah point us to Jesus who takes away our sin and gives us a place with God.

And that's where this all ends up. The Father said at Jesus' baptism, "This is my beloved Son." The Father says at Jesus' transfiguration, "This is my beloved Son." At your baptism, the Lord says, "This is my beloved son." It’s not because you did everything Moses told you. It’s not because you did what the prophet said to do. You are the beloved Son of God because you are in Christ, the One who has kept all the Law for you, fulfilled every prophecy for you, and is the Father's beloved Son for you. Stop trying to make tabernacles for Moses and Elijah! Jesus has made a place for you—a place with Him forever. That's what the transfiguration of Jesus is all about. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

2014 Reading List: January

It worked so well last year that I decided to repeat the process this year. Once again I will be keeping track of my reading list for the year. My goal is 200 books (which I didn't reach last year), but I'll be satisfied with 150. Again, a lot of this is read as research for future writing projects of my own, so some of the books on the list might seem a little odd compared to my usual choices. Anyway, here's January's list.


January

1. Willis, Sherrill R. Ruby Lake. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011.
2. Swartz, Katharine. The Other Side of the Bridge. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
3. O'Neil, Ryan. Plain Old Kirby Carson. Auriferius Books, 2011.
4. Kipling, Rudyard. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Gere Donavan Press (Public Domain), 2010.
5. Bates, Sarah. What the Heart Wants. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
6. Pless, John T. Didache. Second Edition. Emmanuel Press, 2013.
7. Roberts, Sherry. Book of Mercy. Osmyrrah Publishing, 2011. (Not impressed. Too many stereotypes. The whole "conservatives and Christians are afraid of new ideas and promote censorship" schtick was old long before the original Footloose came out in theaters.)
8. Fredrick, MJ. Bluestone Homecoming. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2011.
9. Grayson, Josh. Sia. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
10. Rollins, Nick. Tony Partly Cloudy. Muscovy House, 2013.
11. Gibson, Rachel. Simply Irresistible. Avon, 1998.
12. Kirchner, T.W. Pirates Off the Deep End. Short on Time Books, 2013.
13. Cotton, Brad. Boundless. Prinda Press, 2013.
14. Wong, Billy. Iron Bloom. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
15. Haley-McNeil, Laura. Fragments of a Melody. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
16. Underwood, Michael R. Geekomancy. Pocket Star Books, 2012.
17. Underwood, Michael R. Celebromancy. Pocket Star Books, 2013.
18. Dukey, Ker. The Broken. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
19. Winograd, Marcy and Jackie Hirtz. Lola Zola and the Lemonade Crush. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012.

Sermon for 2/2/14--Epiphany 4

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Raging Storms

Matthew 8:23-27

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus can sleep through anything. He has no fears, no guilt, no worries. Sometimes it seems as though He sleeps through our prayers. In any case, He rarely behaves the way we think He should. Why was He sleeping while the storm raged? Why was He not with His disciples? Why was He not teaching or praying or comforting them? Why wasn't He helping? And why, when they came to Him looking for salvation, did He rebuke them when He had praised Gentiles for the same request?

God is not like us. He does not submit to our ideas. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We live by faith, not by knowledge or understanding. Unlike every other man, Jesus never considers appearances. He really doesn't care what people think. He is His own man in a way no one else can be. He is not concerned with doing the proper thing. Whatever He does, whether we understand it or not, is right. Accepting that idea requires faith, because He doesn't seem to us to be doing the right thing. He seems to be sleeping, ignoring us when we are plagued with wars and disease, hatred and greed, crime and poverty, abortion, the crumbling of families, government lies, betrayal from friends, false doctrine from trusted preachers, and even nature attacks with hurricanes and tsunamis, killing frigid temperatures, ice and snow. We are powerless before these afflictions.

Our vain efforts against such woe would pull us to Jonah's oblivious sleep. Your answer doesn't lie in gadgets or flower bouquets, in a beautiful home or a beautiful meal, even in happy, healthy, well-adjusted children. And there is no such thing as Harlequin's soul-mate either. You won't find salvation in human love. Spouses and children, parents and siblings disappoint as surely as we disappoint ourselves. Repent. Stick to your prayers. Submit in faith to the goodness of God and wait for the Lord. It will be revealed in time. The storms will cease. Jesus is with you.

And what if He rebukes you for your panic, for your desire for safety, for your desperate little faith that thinks it is perishing? Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God that you still have a smoldering wick of faith and that it knows where to go, that it still prays, that it seeks salvation in Jesus' Name. Thank God you are weak, for it is in that very weakness that you are strongest in your baptism. Our Lord will not let you depend on yourself or your works. He will purify you with holy chastisement. He will not let you ride out the storm in false confidence. He will keep you dependent on Him.

And what if your conscience is plagued by guilt and regret, by doubt and fear? What if you are weary? Thank God for that as well. For it is faith, a living and vibrant faith, that stirs your heart. Faith causes you to feel sorrow and shame. The pain is proof that your faith is alive. Pray that you never lose that feeling until God relieves you of it on the last day. Pray that you are never comfortable in your sins, that you never think you've got Him figured out, that you can handle the storms on your own. Be rebuked again and again. Be broken by His Law. In this way He empties you of yourself to fill you with His love. He breaks you to mend you. He kills you to revive you. For His sake we are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. His thoughts are not our thoughts. If we stop feeling the Law, we lose the Gospel. First comes the rebuke, and only then comes the calming of the storm. First comes the cross, then comes the glory.

Are we also disciples of little faith? Indeed. We are unworthy in every way. But God has made His promise. He is our God. His Name is upon us. When we cry out, “Save us, O Lord,” we know He will. He will be our God, our Savior. He will deliver us from these present evils and from the Evil One. We have no claim upon His mercy, but we have His Word and Promise. That is enough. He will calm the sea with His sacrifice. He has gone into the belly of the earth and come forth again on the third day. When the waves crash over the sides of the boat and we are desperate and full of fear, He gives us peace according to His Word, gives us the faith we lack, sends to us His Holy Spirit to bring us home. The Lord remembers His Word and promises even while we wait for the Resurrection to come and the consummation of all our hope. Save us, O Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 1/26/14--Epiphany 3

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Jesus Under Authority

Matthew 8:1-13

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

The centurion confesses before Jesus that he is not worthy. In fact, the only hope this soldier has that Jesus will do what he asks is that he knows Jesus is under authority, that is, "under orders." My brothers and sisters in Christ, the uncomfortable truth we all must face is that you and I are not worth saving. There is nothing in us which is worth the Lord's time and attention. We are born sinful, and we die the same way. There is none who has loved God or neighbor. These things the Scripture teaches. And this is the confession of the centurion.

The centurion knows he has no claim on Jesus. He has nothing to offer Jesus. He has nothing to give Jesus. There is no bargain he can make. All he can rightly say is this: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof! Only say the word and my servant will be healed!" Dear brothers and sisters, this is true and saving faith: that we confess we have no claim on God's mercy, no right to His blessings, that we deserve nothing but eternal punishment for our sins. Most popular preachers deliver the preaching of flattery which will only tell you how precious you are to God. God just can’t resist you! He just had to come and save you because you were worth saving. Such preaching only flatters; it certainly doesn't save. Flee such preaching! Confess with the centurion that you have no claim on the Lord and His mercy, that only His Word saves us.

Why does Jesus save us? The centurion answers this. He says, "I also am a man under authority." In other words, he receives orders and he will obey, and he gives orders which will be obeyed. Likewise, our Lord Jesus is "under orders." He is under orders from the Father to save sinners. Jesus comes to save us, not because we are worthy, but because He loves His Father and obeys His Father's will. Just as the centurion orders his servants and they carry out his will, so we confess that Jesus obeys the Father's will. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus prays in the Garden: "Father, if it be possible, take this cup from Me; but not My will, but Yours be done." Our salvation hangs in the balance! Our Lord desires not to drink the cup of the damning judgment against our sins. But He did not come to do His will. He came to do the will of the Father who sent Him. That is our salvation. He saves sinners whom the Father commands Him to save, sinners who have no hope but in the Son’s obedience. He saves us by being obedient, even unto death, shedding His blood in our place to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

The centurion teaches us this also, that the salvation Jesus brings is brought to us by His Word. "Just speak the Word and my servant shall be healed." This salvation that our Lord brings does not come to us by any other means than His Word: Word spoken into our ears that proclaims that God's mercy is ours in Jesus Christ; the Word joined to the water which washes away our uncleanness; the Word which sets before us the body and blood of Jesus to eat and drink for the forgiveness of our sins.

The centurion knew that what He needed from Jesus was His Word. The ones whom the Father draws through Jesus are those who have no claim on His goodness other than the Lord’s mercy given in His holy gifts. Jesus is under holy orders, and He has fulfilled His orders from the Father and saved us. Now, from the men who are also under holy orders, we receive the same mercy of God in Jesus Christ, delivered in His holy gifts. "Speak the Word and my servant shall be healed." The Word of Jesus has been spoken: the Word of Absolution, the Word in the water, the Words of Institution which make simple bread and wine a feast of Christ’s body and blood. The Word has been spoken. May it be done for you as you have believed. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

Sermon for 1/19/14--Epiphany 2

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Do Whatever He Says

John 2:1-12

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

They didn't need more wine. Rare indeed is the man who needs more wine! Some of them would surely abuse it and get drunk. Who knows what evil would result from more wine. Whatever it was that Mary was hoping for, she was denied at first. Jesus did not offer to run to the liquor store. He did not commiserate about the sadness of a poorly planned wedding or an embarrassed couple. He did not even tell her that good Christians don’t drink. He simply told her that her concern was beneath Him; her request trivial in the face of His looming betrayal, suffering, and death.

But her response to this rebuke couldn't be better. She believed. Despite the rejection she believed that Jesus was good, that Jesus would help her and the couple in some way. That is what Jesus does. That is who Jesus is. He is always rescuing people. So despite the rejection she believes. She believes that nothing, nothing of her concern, is outside of His concern, that no request she makes is trivial, and that He hears and answers her every prayer. With perfect faith she gives the servants the best advice in the world: "Do whatever He says." And what a surprise He has in store.

He gives them wine like the world has never known. It was a huge amount, somewhere between 600 and 900 bottles. As to the quality, we can only imagine, though we know it was better than the "good" wine the bridegroom used for their "champagne toast."  He gave them good wine, and that an awful lot of it, more than they could consume in a single night. God gives His gifts in abundance for them to enjoy them, knowing that some may abuse them, some may not appreciate them. He never gives His gifts so we'll attach a plaque and send a thank you note. Jesus was not there for pleasure. He never went anywhere merely for pleasure. Wherever Jesus went, He was there to serve. He does not do these things because it makes Him feel good to help. He does them because we have need, because He would see us enjoy the blessings of creation. He was not in Cana to enjoy Himself. He was there to give His blessing, to provide wine, to supply daily bread in all its forms.

To this day we rightly pray with Mary, "They have no wine." We pray: "This life is hard. I’m sad. I’m so tired. I’m weak and frustrated. I’m angry. I wish I had a million dollars, a vacation home in the Hamptons, a Camaro, a video game room. I wish, O God, I was happier. I wish my classmates were nicer, my job was easier, the traffic less dense. I wish there was more wine." And what does God say to our selfish prayer? More often than not, it seems that He says "No," for we do not have these things. Does He ignore us? No. He never ignores His beloved for whom He laid down His life. He will do what is good and right. He will surprise you. Pray away, in boldness and confidence. And if it seems He holds out for now, do not despair. Your heart's richest desire awaits you in His eternal presence.

God is good. He knows what you want. He knows what you need. He will not fail. You will have wine. Your heart will be glad—if not now in all the fullness you desire, then in the Kingdom to come. In the meantime, while you wait, with the rebuke still in your ear, remember Mary's charge. "Do whatever He says." What He says is: "Take, eat. Drink ye all of it. Do this in remembrance of Me." Eat the Body of Jesus. Drink His Blood. Hear the Word of absolution and have the balm of His resurrection applied generously to your heart.

The servants know who turned the water into wine. The disciples believed. They know who is responsible for the joy and gladness, for the gifts enjoyed by men. It is Mary's humble Son, Jesus, who fulfilled the Scripture in their hearing. The servants know. The disciples believe. God grant us always to be numbered among them. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

Sermon for 1/12/14--The Baptism of Our Lord

Again, I'm a little behind. We didn't have worship on January 5 due to the horrible weather and road conditions, so you didn't miss anything from the previous week.

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Clean and Full of the Spirit

Matthew 3:13-17

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

After He expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, the Lord uttered the terrible sentence: "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh."  When man listened to the Serpent, the devil, rather than the voice of the Lord God, then the heavens were shut, and man could not open them. There was no one in whom the Father was completely and fully delighted, upon whom the Spirit could come to rest…until the day your Savior Jesus began His ministry in the flesh. When Jesus was baptized according to God the Father's will, He was praying, and a most unexpected and most wonderful event occurred. The heavens burst open once again! The Holy Spirit, who for so long stayed aloft, giving the Word to all those prophets back in the Old Testament that a Savior was coming, finally came down to abide in the flesh of Jesus.

That’s important, because from the moment Jesus emerges from the water of the Jordan River, the devil also went full bore at Him, trying to tempt Him into being some other kind of Jesus than He came to be. From the moment of His baptism, Jesus walked the earth as a sin-bearer, all the way to the cross. Over and over we see His own innocence ignored, and He is treated as a criminal, a blasphemer, a sinner. Ever closer He goes to the cross until finally, handed over by His own friend, He was condemned by the clergy who should know God's Word. He was put to death by an indifferent Roman governor. What begins in His Baptism ends at the cross of Calvary, where He died, covered in your sins. And then He rose, and your sins are left behind in the tomb, gone for good. That's what Jesus stepping into the Jordan today is all about.

And that brings us to your baptism. Don't do what so many “good Christian people” do. Don’t ignore your baptism like it's just something that happened long ago. Don't go looking for Christ in your feelings and rainbows and things that happen that make you happy. Christ is found nowhere else than His Word and gifts. Don't go looking anywhere other than your Baptism to find God. Repent of talking about your faith without talking about what God has given you in your baptism! Your Baptism, after all, is an event at which the whole Triune God is present! It is God at work. Your baptism is Jesus taking YOUR place because He has carried your sins. Your baptism is the Holy Spirit landing on you to make you His temple. Your baptism is the Father Himself declaring, "You are my beloved son!" You see, when you are baptized, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are washing you, forgiving you, saving you.

The Lord steps into the Jordan for you today. He does it to take your sins from you because you cannot be rid of them yourself. He takes them to Calvary and the tomb and leaves them there. And then, in your baptism, the same Father, Son and Holy Spirit that were there at the Jordan River are there at the font giving you a new birth from above, forgiving your sins, rescuing you from death and the devil, and giving you eternal salvation. There is no better proof in your life about what God has done for you than your baptism. Therefore on this day of Jesus' baptism, remember and rejoice in your own baptism, where you received the Holy Spirit, faith, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 12/29/13--The Sunday After Christmas

Fell a little behind. Sorry! 

The audio quality is a little lower, as we met this Sunday in the education building when the church had no heat.

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Depart in Peace

Luke 2:21-40

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Simeon was waiting for what St. Luke calls “the consolation of Israel.” Indeed, he was promised by the Lord that he would not die until he saw it. The Lord promised Simeon, and once he had seen and held baby Jesus, he could die in peace. You should know that when your pastor tells you to “Depart in peace” at the communion rail, he’s not telling you that you can get up and go back to your pew. He’s telling you that it’s okay to die. Depart in peace. That’s what Simeon looked forward to: the fulfillment of God’s promises.

The Old Adam doesn’t want to die. The world goes kicking and screaming into death. Admit it: you hate the thought of death—the death of another person, yes, but especially of your own death. We try to explain death away: “God wanted another angel.” “It was her time.” “Death is just a part of life.” That’s all hogwash. Death is the sting of sin, plain and simple. But Simeon teaches us that once you have Christ, death is nothing. In fact, having received Christ, we go to death in the peace of Christ.

Simeon tells Mary that a sword will pierce her soul. This little baby is going to die. All of those things neither Mary nor Joseph could anticipate when Gabriel told Joseph to give the baby the name of Jesus, Simeon now lays out before them: pain, suffering, scorn, hatred, blood and agony would be the lot of this Child. What mother would want to see that happen to her son? No mother should have to bury her own son, but this is a death that is no accident or disease. This is the hatred of sinners putting her Son to death. It is her sins and your sins and the sin of the whole world. But what Simeon knows, what Simeon confesses and sings, is that this is salvation. “My eyes have seen your salvation.” This baby in Simeon’s arms is not just some tragedy waiting to happen years later. He is the One whose death saves sinners. His is the death and resurrection by which our death is transformed. His is the death and resurrection from the dead which take the sting out of death. It is the victory over sin and death that enables Simeon to sing, “Lord, let your servant depart in peace.”

Now you haven’t held baby Jesus in your arms like Simeon, but you have Christ come to you in equally mystifying ways: in the water and Word of the holy font; in the absolution and preaching of your pastor; in the Word given in the Scriptures; in His own body and blood given in His Supper. Here in these gifts, Christ saves you, forgives you, even prepares you for death and gives you the gift of everlasting life. No one but God knows what will happen to you when you walk out that door. I hope and pray that each of you live a long and happy life and fall asleep peacefully in Jesus at a good old age. But we all know that anything can happen. And whether it’s an accident or disease, or something else, death is there. So before you get up and walk out that door, I shall tell you these words after the Sacrament: “Depart in peace.” And we shall say them with Simeon, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.” And when I say those words and when we sing them together, we are confessing, right in the face of death, that death has no more power over us. It is merely a passage to the everlasting life  which Christ has in store for us. This Child was born so that sin and death would be thrown down. Now that He has come and done His work of dying and rising, washing and feeding and forgiving, death has no power over you…ever.  Therefore, like Simeon, and like all of Christ’s lambs before you, you can depart in peace. In other words, you can die in the peace of Christ. In the name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

           

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Baseball Hall of Fame Voting: Idiocy Compounded

I've been a fan of the game of baseball all my life. One of my earliest memories is of Reggie Jackson  hitting three home runs on three pitches from three different Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers in the sixth game of the 1977 World Series. There are (rather embarrassing) pictures of me from before that time, wearing little more than a baseball glove and cap. I played baseball for ten years, and I lived for the days on the diamond, whether it was organized games, team practices, or just pick-up games with friends in the back yard. I've watched baseball with a near-religious fervor all my life. It should come as no surprise, then, that I would have and express an opinion about an aspect I hate of the sport I love.

I've watched the whole steroid issue play out in baseball with a certain amount of disgust. Most especially am I disgusted by those who use steroids to get ahead. I can understand the desire to succeed. I didn't have enough talent to play professionally at any level, and steroids wouldn't have changed that. And for those who do or did have enough talent, I can understand the desire to extend a career that allows one to play a game for a living. That does not excuse their actions, but it shows the human face of an issue that often sees the press demonize those who have fallen.

And the press should hold themselves accountable for their role in this scandal. For too long they ignored what was right before their eyes. Then, when they could ignore the issue no longer, they went on the offensive, blasting away at anyone whose name was even whispered to be connected with steroids. Evidence or no evidence, conviction or acquittal, anyone who was rumored to be connected with steroids was evil, and the press was ready with pitchforks and torches to do their due diligence to burn these hardened heretics who dared to violate the holy cathedrals of baseball. This is evident, not only in their regular work as sportswriters, but especially in the decisions made by those baseball sportswriters who have been given the privilege of voting on the ballot of players eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The crux of the matter is the criteria upon which each candidate must be judged. Here is the relevant passage: "5. Voting: Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." When it comes to the issues of integrity, sportsmanship, and character, many voting sportswriters consider anyone connected to steroids to be unworthy for consideration. One voter this year even stated that he wouldn’t vote for anyone who played during the “Steroid Era.”

Baseball is known as “America’s Pastime.” For those who star in our pastime to be held to the un-American standard of “guilty until proven innocent” is just ridiculous. It’s no better than Kenesaw Landis giving “Shoeless” Joe Jackson a lifetime ban for throwing the World Series—not based on evidence, but based on a confession coerced from an unlettered country boy who didn’t know he was being burned. Those who have been proved to be guilty of steroid use, along with those who have confessed to steroid use, might rightly be castigated for cheating. Still, when the writers allowed proven spitball users Gaylord Perry and Don Drysdale into the Hall, their righteous indignation toward other cheaters seems overdone. In fact, on the integrity and character scale, Roberto "I'm a Better Spitter than Gaylord Perry" Alomar probably doesn’t belong either, and even the cases of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, one a drunken womanizer and the other a jackass on and off the field, might be brought into question as well. And though he wasn’t a player, by the character and integrity standard, does Kenesaw “Who Needs Evidence?” Landis really belong? As for those whose names have been mentioned but for whom no compelling and exhaustive proof has been given, excluding them from serious consideration because of their era or because of mere rumor is a travesty and a miscarriage of justice, and those who engage in such a perversion are as bad as  those who use steroids--or worse because of their hypocrisy.

One writer said that this year’s elected players, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddox, became hall of famers in their living rooms yesterday, presumably when the Baseball Writers Association of America announced their selections. Such arrogance! These men became hall of famers on the baseball diamond, in the dugout, in the clubhouse, in the weight room, in little league, in the yard with their fathers. I'm thinking there needs to be a baseball sportswriters hall of fame which is voted on solely by those who play the sport professionally. But if you lived in an era where caffeine was in use as a stimulant, whether you drank it or not, you're ineligible for election.

Although most (and certainly not all) of the players (and others) enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame deserve the honor, some who deserve the honor will never be so honored. The personality cult of baseball sportswriters--and, in one case, the arrogance of a man called "Mountain"--has seen to that. Until the Hall of Fame election process is completely overhauled or the sportswriters be taught humility and basic journalistic integrity, the true Baseball Hall of Fame will reside in the only pure shrine of baseball: the hearts and minds of its fans. Pete and Joe, you'll always be welcome in mine.

2013 Reading List: December

2013 is over, so this will be my last post on the 2013 reading list. Obviously. Fifteen books this month makes 174 for the year. That averages to exactly 14.5 per month. That's a little short of my goal of 200 books, but I'm not unhappy with the total. I like knowing what I've read; look for next year's lists in the months to come. Anyway, here's the last list of the year: 

December

1. Kenyhercz, Katie. On the Fly. Crimson Romance, 2013.
2. Allen, Heather. Just Breathe. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
3. Nunez, Frank Vincent. My Last Christmas Wish. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
4. DeGiorgio, S. Yo Ho Ho and a Very Merry Christmas. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
5. Wilkinson, Dacia. For Love of Words. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013.
6. Schulz, Charles M. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Peanuts Worldwide LLC, 2011.
7. Crowne, Mackenzie. Cara O'Shea's Return. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2014 (sic).
8. Robison, Roderick J. The Christmas Tin. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012.
9. Jordon, Autumn. Perfect. Dianne Gerber, 2012.
10. Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Public Domain, 1843.
11. Carlson, Melody. Gift of Christmas Present. Revell, 2004.
12. Welch, Karen. Christmas at Valley Rise. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2012. 
13. Rogers, Martha. Christmas at Holly Hill. Realms, 2012. 
14. Reuther, Mike. Nothing Down. Self-Published Kindle Edition, 2013. 
15. Bird, Chad L. The Infant Priest. Self-Published, 2013.

Video Killed the Radio Star

I made my final appearance regarding my "Thy Strong Word" series on KFUO's BookTalk on Friday, December 20. Pastor Zwonitzer discussed two books on Friday, the first being An Advent for Religious Liberty, a Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating. He then went on to interview me about One Thing's Needful. Right-click the link below to save the audio of the interviews for both novels. 

AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY and ONE THING'S NEEDFUL INTERVIEW

To hear the interviews for Love Divine and A Great and Mighty Wonder, right-click the links below.

LOVE DIVINE INTERVIEW

A GREAT AND MIGHTY WONDER INTERVIEW


My apologies for not posting this sooner. Thank you for listening! Thank you for reading my books! Thank you for supporting an independent author!

Sermon for 12/25/13--The Nativity of Our Lord

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God in Flesh

John 1:1-14

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

People everywhere have certain ideas about what God is or what He is like. But to look anywhere other than in Jesus is to have no real or true God at all. Blessed Martin Luther once said something like this: “I know of no other God than the One in the manger, on the cross and on the altar.” St. John tells us why: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God became man. The Son was incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin's Womb. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” literally, because He is God and man in One Person. In fact, the most important thing you can say about God is that God took on flesh to save you from sin and death.

The Son comes into this world in the flesh not simply appearing and walking into town one day but by being conceived in the womb of the Virgin and born as a baby. This is so that we who are born in sin may be born anew from above. You see, ever since Adam, we have inherited the curse of sin. It is passed from one generation to another. We are conceived and born in sin. We don't like to hear it, but even when we are babies we are sinners. This curse of sin is passed from father to children. We are born with it, born under the condemnation of God. So Jesus is born in the flesh. He does not have an earthly father; therefore He has no sin. His holy and perfect and spotless flesh comes to us because ours is ruined and tainted. By His holy flesh, He gives us new birth.

The Son of God comes into this world in the flesh so that His flesh can suffer and die. Our sin has brought the curse of death. Sinners die. That's our fate. So God comes to take care of death by dying Himself. He takes our sins upon His spotless flesh and dies for them on the cross of Calvary. It is hard to think that the little baby in the manger is headed someday for the cross and death, but that is why He came. In our flesh is sin and death. Jesus' spotless flesh takes our sins so that He may die our death. And that holy flesh that is pierced and that holy blood that is poured out—these are the price of our redemption. The price paid by Jesus for our sins: “not with gold or silver but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.” That's how He redeems and saves us: Christ comes in the flesh so that His flesh and blood may pay for our sins.

Christ also comes in the flesh so that He may give His flesh to us as food. Later in St. John's same Gospel Jesus says, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood and I will raise you up on the Last Day.” Jesus gives us His flesh to eat so that our flesh will be raised from the dead. Jesus has died and risen from the dead. So will you who have eaten and drunk His flesh and blood. Death couldn't keep Jesus down. It can't keep you down either if you have His flesh and blood in you. If sin and death want you, they have to go through Jesus! He's already beaten them. When we eat regular food, it gives some life to our bodies, at least for a little while, and then we must eat again. But the flesh and blood of the Son of God give us a life that does not end.

Christmas teaches us to look for no other God than the one who is in the manger, on the cross and on the altar. Beware of a god that isn't there in the flesh. Beware of a god who's too big and powerful to be a Baby, or too big and mighty to suffer and die or to distant and far away to be in the Sacrament. Beware of a god that's found in your feelings or in the ups and downs of life or the world around us. Beware of any god who doesn't have flesh. Beware of any Jesus who isn't truly God. And let us be reminded by this Christmas flesh of Jesus to repent of looking for God anywhere other than where He is in His flesh. God is not in our ideas and our notions about Him. He's in the flesh: in the manger as a baby, on the cross as a man, on the altar with the food of His flesh and blood. No other God saves you than the One who has taken on flesh for you! You have flesh. So now does your God. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sweet Sixteen

My eldest child, Alexis, turned sixteen today. It's so odd to think of her that way, since I sometimes still think of her as the little six year-old girl I met in person the day before I asked her mother to marry me. She's grown quite a bit since then. It began with me being so scared of her that I was treating her with kid gloves--except, of course, for the time she got a scrape on her knee and I brought out a hacksaw and asked her if I could cut it off for her and make her feel better. (I swear it was funny at the time, and I wouldn't have actually done it, of course. Really.) I can't put into words...

Well, maybe I can. I gave her a gift today. It was supposed to be a song--I have a melody line and everything, but I don't have the instrumental skill to add music to it--but it works as a poem. It's only words, but it's a start. And I like to think she already knew all this, but it's good to say these things anyway. So...yeah, here it is.

The Chance to Call You Mine

 When I met your mom, I knew she had a daughter

And it scared me 'cause I didn't know what kind of dad I'd be.

But I loved her, and I knew you came together

As a package deal—a two-for-one—where one plus one makes three.

Before I asked her hand in marriage, first I asked for your permission.

Did you know how much depended on your single word that day?

But your tears of joy were for us all as we became a family—

A mom and dad and daughter. It was meant to be that way.

And I don't know how a father couldn't want you,

But I'm glad I've had the chance to call you mine.

And through the years, as you've become a woman,

I see the love between us as a sign

That God can make a family

From broken hearts and dreams.

His will is always stronger

Than our human plots and schemes.

It might not be how we would plan,

Yet still it's God's design.

So although you're not my child by blood

I'm proud to call you mine.

It may not be the way I planned,

Yet still it's His design.

So I thank God for the chance He gave—

The chance to call you mine.

© 2013, Alan Kornacki, Jr.

 

Sermon for 12/24/13--The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord

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The Gift

Luke 2:1-20

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 


Though we haven’t gotten to this point in the Kornacki house, maybe you've gotten your presents wrapped by now. Maybe you’ve used those little to/from tags so everyone knows the giver and the recipient. Sometimes those tags fall off, and there’s a mad scramble to determine who gets what. The Lord's gifts, however, are never uncertain. When Jesus is born, we know for whom He has come. He is, as the angels announced, for “all people.” His name tells us that. His name in Hebrew is Yahushua, Joshua, and that means “Yahweh, the Lord, will save His people from their sins.” The name “Jesus,” is the Greek form of that. His name tells us two things. First, it tells us who this baby is—namely, God Himself. Second, it tells us He does—that is, He saves us from our sins. It’s a name given not because it's this year's top pop singer or because it sounds cool, but because it means something; it identifies this Baby as the Savior of the world.

When the angel told Joseph that the child’s name would be Jesus, neither Joseph or Mary really understood what was to come. They could not grasp what having this name would mean for this Boy. How could they understand or accept that He would grow up and be hated more and more and finally be crucified like a common criminal? How could they accept that He would die bloody and alone but for a few people looking on? How could they believe that, to everyone's astonishment, His tomb would be empty three days later?

All that Mary and Joseph knew was that Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit and Joseph was to help to take care of him. This child came to have a birth like ours so that we might have a new birth from above. He came to be born of a woman that we might be reborn of the holy Church. He came to be under the care of an adopted father so that we would be adopted as sons of our heavenly Father. Everything Jesus did, even down to the details of His conception and birth, was wrapped up and described in that name He was given. In Hebrew, Joshua. In Greek, Jesus. “Yahweh, the Lord, saves.” That is exactly what He does. This is exactly the gift He gives: He saves you from your sins. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Charles Dickens was not a Lutheran.

It's a classic novel. The one-time English major in me loves the novel for its literary value. The story has been adapted into stage plays and movies. It is a beloved tale of Christmas redemption. In fact, it may be, outside of Luke 2 and maybe A Charlie Brown Christmas, the most popular Christmas tale of all time. Yet A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is not a Lutheran story.

Ebenezer Scrooge begins the story as an exemplary picture of the Old Adam. Dickens describes him in this way: "Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!" That is the permanent state of the unbaptized, and Dickens captures it perfectly.

You know the story. Marley, Scrooge's deceased business partner, doomed to wander the earth as a ghost in chains for his own avarice and disdain for mankind, appears to Scrooge to warn him of his similar impending doom, should Scrooge not change his ways. He then offers Scrooge the opportunity for redemption through the visits of three spirits--the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future--who will guide him along the path of personal redemption. 

By the end of the story, Scrooge has become a new man. "'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob; on my knees!'" It is a beautiful tale of redemption.

It is beautiful, except for one thing: redemption does not happen that way. The three spirits preach the Law to Scrooge. The Law does not save people. Hearing that he is a sinner, a man can either acknowledge that he is a sinner or he can deny it. He cannot fix it. Man can try to redeem himself. He can try, but he fails. He cannot perfectly live as the Law demands. He can be told to say, "Please," and, "Thank you;" he can be told to behave well toward others. It does not come naturally to him.

But that's what Christmas is all about: redeeming the sinner. It is not the Law which redeems a man. It is Jesus who redeems man. This is Jesus, Immanuel, God in flesh made manifest, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Lamb who would sacrificed as the blood-price to redeem sinners. None of the spirits tells Scrooge, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." As Linus might say, "That's what Christmas is all about, Charles Dickens."

I don't mean to be a wet blanket or dampen your Christmas joy. Enjoy the story of "A Christmas Carol." I do. But like Scrooge did after he ordered the turkey for the Cratchit family, go to church and hear the real Christmas story, the real story of redemption. Hear the word of Holy Absolution. Receive absolution on your tongue in the body and blood of Jesus. It is the first and best Christmas gift: full pardon, full redemption, given to you freely, given from and in the person of Jesus Christ. 

A blessed and merry Christmas to you and yours from me and mine! "God bless us, every one!"

Sermon for 12/22/13--Fourth Sunday in Advent

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The Same Old Message

John 1:19-28

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

You can't sidetrack John the Baptist. His job is to people to Jesus, and that’s all he does. He sounds almost other-worldly: camel-hair and locusts and living in the wilderness. But when they realize he's not some rock star mystic out there by the Jordan, the people lose interest. The Old Adam loves to play the personality game: we like this pastor; we think this pastor has the goods. This preacher makes us feel good. But all this guy talks about is Jesus. Boring! A preacher whose message is a constant flow of Jesus and His gifts will eventually lose the interest of his hearers. The most popular preachers in our age are those who preach messages about prosperity and hope, messages where Jesus is a mere footnote. If Jesus is all there is week in and week out, the Old Adam will move on to something he finds more interesting.

    

That's how the world works. We want the next model, the newest version. And we view religion the same way. What’s new? What’s exciting? What’s different? But John preaches that the Jesus he is talking about, the one who comes after John, is the same one who has been before John. This is Jesus the Savior. He was before John and He comes after John. He was before you and He will come after you. You can't go anywhere where there is no Jesus. You won’t find some new and improved version of Jesus that wasn't there before. The Jesus who shows up is the Lamb of God, the One who never changes even though we desire something new and flashy. And it is this Jesus who saves us: the Lamb who was sacrificed for you. The good news of the coming Savior is that He comes to do what He does whether you think it's interesting or flashy or anything else. He is the One who hung on the cross, the One who rose, the One who suffers and dies for the sin of the world. If that’s not exciting enough for you, you’re out of luck, because that’s the only message John, the disciples, and your pastor are called to preach.

While the Old Adam hates this broken record Jesus stuff, the New Man clings to nothing else. Jesus every week? Anytime pastor opens his mouth, it's about Jesus? Thanks be to God! What or who else is there to forgive our sins and give us everlasting life? And what about all this talk about Baptism and The Lord's Supper? Well, that's all about Jesus too. The New Man cries out, “Never mind anything else, just give me Jesus! Mark me with the sign of the cross to remind me I'm baptized into Him. Give me His body and blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of my sins. Absolve me and preach to me the Good News that there IS someone who is before and after me, whose sandals we aren't even worthy to untie but who humbles Himself to suffer and die and rise for me! Give me that Jesus always,” says the new man in Christ! And that’s exactly what you receive. Jesus is all yours. That's why He came: to save you, to give you everlasting life. That's why you hear about nothing else but Him from this pulpit.

John had one job: to point to Jesus. That is the same job your pastor has. The Lord doesn't leave you to yourselves to find Him or seek Him out. He comes to you. He never wants you to be confused or in doubt about what it's all about, so He sends the prophets and then John, the apostles, and then pastors to deliver to you the Word which saves you because it delivers nothing other than Jesus. The way is ready. You have been forgiven. The paths are straight. Jesus is coming. He will be in manger for you, on a cross for you, coming out of an empty tomb for you, and for you at the font and the altar. He is the Christ, and He is coming—indeed, He is here to save you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 12/15/13--Third Sunday in Advent

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Light in the Darkness

Matthew 11:2-10 (11)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Life is not all cherries and rainbows and pixie dust. When hard times befall our neighbors, we know all the platitudes. Well-meaning Christians are full of spiritual one-liners. “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” “Just have faith and everything will work out.” “Believe in the power of prayer!” Maybe you’ve said some of those to someone, not knowing what else to say. But what about when things go for us like they went for John the Baptist? John was sent to preach the coming of the Lord. He said, “His axe is laid at the root of the tree and he’s going to chop down everyone who has no fruit and toss them into the fire!” But then an evil king throws John in his dungeon, and it’s not long before John’s head is on a silver platter. So is it any wonder that John wonders whether Jesus is the real deal? “Are you the coming one or do we look for another?” John is stuck in prison, and Jesus isn’t freeing him. So, should he be expecting someone else? John knows Jesus is the Savior, but as he sits there in prison, he awaits with all of the Old Testament Church the day when Jesus will bring the promised consolation of Israel.

In answer, Jesus points John to His works: healing, raising the dead, preaching the Gospel. Those are the things the Scriptures promised the Savior would do. Jesus never promises John that he won’t die at the hands of an earthly king who makes stupid promises on his birthday. But He does promise John that He’s his Savior. But there will be greater stuff to come John won’t see but which is still for John: a Savior betrayed, tried, nailed to the cross and left to die. John won’t get to see all that. But you know about it. It’s the Good News that the One who heals and raises the dead and preaches Good News does so because He is the One who conquers sin and death. That is the answer Jesus gives to John. Jesus is the Savior. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He’s the Savior who chops down our self-righteousness and rescues us from sin, death, devil and hell. And that’s true whether John should be freed from the dungeon or be carried headless to his grave.

But what about you? What about when you doubt? What about when you hear that Jesus has risen from the dead, but still you see the people you love die? What about when you hear about Jesus healing people but you get sick? What about when you hear Jesus is the Savior but it feels like the axe is laid firmly on your neck? What about when you know that Jesus is the Savior and yet you wonder if He’s going to save you? What then? Is it time for happy-clappy Christian clichés? No. That, more than at any other time, is when you look to the comfort of the Word of God. Look at what Christ does. He still performs the great works today. He washes you in the waters of Holy Baptism, where you receive His righteousness which covers your sins. He speaks the word of Absolution, where everything you have ever done is forgiven. He speaks His Word to you so you too know that Jesus is the One that was promised. He feeds you with His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins, to sustain you in your own earthly trials. When you say, “Jesus, my heart is heavy!” He answers, “You are baptized. I forgive you all your sins. I have conquered sin and suffering and death.” That’s the answer…especially for those times when you doubt.

In most ways, the answer Jesus gives isn’t the answer we specifically want. “I’m sick. I’m hurt. I’m troubled.” Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” It seems so inadequate. Maybe that’s why we make up those silly sayings that don’t really mean anything. What’s true, what matters, is that Christ has conquered all things for you. Advent reminds us that we don’t need the quick, pat answer that doesn’t mean anything. We wait for the coming of Christ to fulfill all things, to make all things new, and to wipe away every tear. That’s exactly what He has in store for you. That is what sustains you in trial and persecution in this life, and it is what makes you fit for eternal life. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.