Sermon for 7/20/25: Fifth Sunday After Trinity

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“On the Mountain Before the Lord…”

I Kings 19:11-21

 

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

 

To use the language of modern psychology, Elijah was a victim of spiritual burnout. With the help of God, he had just won a great victory over the prophets of Baal. After such a contest, you might think that everyone would end up confessing that the Lord is God. But that didn’t happen, and Elijah saw that as just one more piece of evidence that he was a failure as a prophet. And on top of that, Queen Jezebel, infuriated by Elijah’s victory over her prophets, issued a death warrant against Elijah. Understandably, Elijah ran for his life.

It’s important to understand why Elijah ran. His flight was not really prompted by fear. Far from Jezebel and her agents, out in the wilderness all by himself, Elijah plunked down in the dirt and asked the Lord to take his life; he wanted to die. His courage and determination had melted away—not so much because of the threats of his enemies, but because his spirit had been broken by their impenitence. Elijah had faithfully done the work the Lord had given him to do. But in spite of much good that had been done, the people still rejected the Lord and His way. They had taken away the joy of Elijah’s work, and so he grew severely disillusioned and depressed. In response, God’s angel told Elijah to rest, and he provided the prophet with food and drink in the wilderness; then he told the burned-out Elijah to keep going. The Lord was not yet finished with Elijah. The Lord spoke to Elijah in a whisper—“a still small voice”—and Elijah heard and recognized the Word of the Lord.

You and I have experienced times and situations in which we have extended ourselves greatly, above and beyond the call of duty, only to end up bitterly disappointed and disillusioned. Whether here at the church or at home or work or school, we’ve made great plans. We executed those plans with near-flawless precision. We did everything we thought we could, but it seemed as though we found little or no success. The people whom we thought would faithfully receive our work and even God’s Word wouldn’t listen or act as we desired. After a while, we had the opportunity to step back and analyze. And what did we see? While aspects of that situation stood outside the realm of our control, we also had to admit that our own sins and flaws helped to mess things up. We did not completely trust the Lord to take care of the matter, instead focusing on our work and effort. We can be left, sort of like Elijah, stewing in our own juices, indignant with God, even as guilt comes crashing down upon us for faithlessly presuming that God must dance to the tunes we choose.

          We are told in Epistle to the Hebrews, “In many and various ways, God spoke to the people of old by the prophets; but now in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.” The Apostle John called Jesus “the Word.” In Him we have the Word from God that we need most of all: the word of forgiveness that comes from His cross. “It is finished,” Jesus said there. After He rose from death, He breathed on His disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.” It may be a comparatively quiet voice that speaks the word of forgiveness to us today; it may seem almost inaudible due to the noise of this evil and dying world and our own selfish thoughts and words; yet this is the very Word we need to hear. The Lord is in this Word with all His saving power.

          God’s Word works! To Elijah’s surprise, there were still seven thousand faithful people in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. By God’s grace, these people had kept the faith. All of them were going about their business quietly, like a low whisper, staying under the radar. And they could do this because they had heard the Lord’s voice in His Word, and His Word worked the way God meant it to work.

          God’s Word works today, too, when God’s people make the good confession. This is true even in times of adversity—and sometimes especially when they confess God’s Word in times of adversity. When our way seems difficult; when there isn’t that calm and quiet that really should characterize life in the Church; when there seems to be so little, if any, tranquility; we can still be comforted to know that the Lord is at hand in the midst of our difficulties. Like Elijah, we may not like where we find ourselves after some especially bitter experience. But do not underestimate God’s power in this. If we are driven back to His Word and the comfort it gives, then the bitterness becomes a blessing, however well disguised.

You will never go wrong clinging to the Lord and His Word. Even though He does not seem to bring decisive victories in this world, the fact remains that, in Jesus Christ, He has overcome this world. God’s Word yields the victory for all eternity. As St. Paul said: “Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” So keep your ears open. Listen for His Word. God isn’t finished with you yet. 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 7/13/25: Fourth Sunday After Trinity

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Mercy: Christ in You and for You

Luke 6:36-42

 

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

 

 

Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” You know how it is, and you know how it should be. When you hear these words of Jesus as accusation, your first instinct should be to confess, to repent, and to amend your ways. But when you are accused, your first instinct is not to repent; you want to defend and excuse yourself. And your second instinct is to pick at every fault of your neighbors, to point at someone else and say, “Those words were meant for you. Take care of your own faults before you go pointing out my flaws.” And you do that because the accusation has hit home; it has convicted you, and you want to deflect it as quickly as possible.

The Lord did not make us that way, but that is how we have become. That is how far we’ve fallen. We hear a charge spoken against us and, instead of owning up to it, we quickly turn on someone else and use it against them. Then we don’t look so bad. Then we can stand a little taller, knowing that we’re not as bad as someone else. And it looks all so righteous and fair.

But when we do that, we miss the good that our Lord wishes to do in us. We prove that the accusation has rightly been spoken. You might actually be right about the charge you make against someone else. But pointing to others; criticizing them not only for their unrighteousness and unfairness, but even for simple mistakes that everyone makes; and charging them when we, too, bear fault—this does nothing more than reveal that our sin is deeply rooted within us. Turning on others when the Law has been turned on us reveals how little we truly fear the Lord’s Word, how little we truly love what He says. For if we had true fear, love, and trust in God, then we would truly love everything He says, even when it hurts. We would not worry about what others might say about us, because our concern would be for what God says. We would welcome His judgment and discipline, knowing He speaks to enliven our faith. And we would believe that He accuses so that He might pardon, that He judges so that He might have mercy—for His mercy quickly follows His judgment. That is what the First Commandment is all about, after all: taking God at His Word; confessing our sins, knowing full well that we deserve whatever direction His wrath chooses to take; and at the same time straining to hear His pardon, His word of release, His comforting and soothing absolution.

The key is not to latch on to the accusation so you can accuse others, but to latch on to the mercy and forgiveness that come to you in His Word, in water, in bread and wine, so that you might be the Lord’s mercy to another. The key is to listen for what Jesus has done to you and for you, the Life He has immersed you in, so that He can now live through you. That’s what having the mind of Christ is all about: having His Gospel, His unfair mercy, His love, His compassion, His absolution. This will shape and form how you think and speak and act toward your neighbor. To have the mind of Christ is to have Christ within you, and to be in Christ, so that He is now your breath, your word, you doing, your attitude, your living, your Life.

But having Christ within you means sacrificing the urges and desires to accuse others and lash out again them. Having Christ within you means sacrificing your anger and your need to control. Having Christ within you means sacrificing all that you are and all that you have for the benefit of someone else—even someone who has sinned against you. Having Christ within you means sacrificing your self: your vanity, your pride, your self-righteousness; it means disciplining your thoughts, your tongue, and your actions.

Jesus tells us, “Your Father is merciful.” Concentrate on those words. They are directed squarely at you: not to indict or condemn, but to encourage, to comfort, to give hope, to enliven, to strengthen and to settle you. Those words mean precisely what they say: God our Father, through His Son Jesus, by the Holy Spirit has mercy on you. In His holy Sacraments, our heavenly Father gives you a measure of His loving-kindness: a good measure, packed down, even overflowing. He restores you to be what you can never be on your own. He creates a clean heart within you, renews His right Spirit within you, replaces your stony heart with His beating, loving heart. He gives you the mind of Christ and grants you the right, the privilege, and the joy of being a son of God, no different in inheritance than the very Son of God Himself. He has raised you up in your human nature to sit on His heavenly throne—not to condemn, but to be compassionate. His Life now lives in you so that it might also live through you.

Your Father is merciful to you through His Son. And by His Holy Spirit, He extends that mercy to you and grants you to live His mercy for the sake of all men. God grant that we would love our neighbors as He has loved us. 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.

 

HYMN: We Praise Your Holy Name, O Lord

The Te Deum Laudamus is one of the oldest Christian hymns, written in the third or fourth century. Luther considered the Te Deum to be on the same level as the three ecumenical creeds as a creedal statement. As for me, I've wanted to write a metrical text for the Te Deum for as long as I've been writing hymn texts. One of my favorite hymns ever is "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," and the Te Duem from the Matins service is heavenly. It's hard to mess up the Te Deum, and I hope I, too, have done it justice. I don't think this will ever overtake Starke's Te Deum text for popularity (though I still wish it had a different tune than Thaxted--but let us not argue about that here). Anyway, here is my text in draft form, set to the tune for the hymn "Dear Christians One and All, Rejoice." Feedback is love.

 

We Praise Your Holy Name, O Lord

1. We praise Your holy name, O Lord,

With songs of adoration.

O Father, by the world adored,

We shout in acclamation.

Lo, all the pow'rs of heav'n on high

And angel choirs aloud do cry

In exultation ringing.

2. The cherubim and seraphim

Sing "Holy, holy, holy!

The heav'ns and earth and all therein

Are full of Your great glory!"

Apostles, prophets praise Your name.

The martyr throng with great acclaim

With all the Church is singing.

3. O Father of all majesty;

Your only Son, our Savior;

O Holy Ghost: all praises be

To you, O God, forever.

Hail, glorious Christ! You are the King!

Your everlasting praise we sing,

O Son of God the Father.

4. You did not spurn the virgin's womb,

But bore humiliation.

You overcame the death and tomb

And won for us salvation.

By bearing sin's enormous weight

You opened wide the Kingdom's gate;

The faithful there will gather.

5. You sit alone at God's right hand,

The Father's glory sharing.

Before You, Christ, we all will stand,

Our sins and errors baring.

Oh holy Judge, to You we pray.

Preserve Your saints upon that Day

In glory everlasting.

6. We pray you, save Your people, Lord.

Preserve Your heirs and lead them.

Oh, keep Your people in Your Word

And with salvation feed them.

Keep us this day without offense.

Your mercy, gracious Lord, dispense.

Let us not be confounded.

87 87 887

NUN FREUT EUCH (LSB 556)

Te Deum Laudamus

Sermon for 7/6/25: Third Sunday After Trinity

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Angels Rejoice

Luke 15:1-10

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

 

Have you ever noticed that there are those who take great delight in pointing out that Christians are sinners? Some of those same folks are shocked to find that we are not especially bothered by that revelation, as if we didn’t know that already. I am not shocked. I’ve known since the day this congregation Installed me that you are all sinners, and you have known that about me, too. But sometimes that charge is phrased in such a way that it reveals something other than someone who is just naive. It comes out as an accusation: “These people may be Christians on Sunday, but look out the rest of the week.” Now we see what is really meant, what they really believe. They think Christianity is about good works, that being a Christian is about being nice and behaving.

And they are wrong! Indeed, the devil is pleased that they have believed his lie. In truth, to be a Christian is not to be good all of the time, or never to sin. There is a former LCMS member who is now a teleheretic—I don’t remember if it’s Joyce Meyer or Beth Moore or someone else—who insists, “I am not poor. I am not miserable. I am not a sinner.” Such a false idea of Christianity leads either to despair or hypocrisy. Christianity is not centered on good works. Jesus received and ate with sinners. The Pharisees stood off at a distance. They were shocked by the terrible sinners that made up our Lord’s entourage. Of course, this was the same crowd that thought they did not need a physician. But that was only because they did not know how sick they really were. It is impossible for any of us on this side of glory to not need God, or to ever have too much of His Word, His forgiveness, His life. So it is that these Pharisees, despite their many acts of charity, caused no rejoicing in heaven. The angels of God do not rejoice over children’s hospitals or universal health care or social justice causes or even peace treaties among the nations, as good as those things may be. The angels of God rejoice over the repentance of sinners! They rejoice over conversion and salvation!

To be a Christian is to be the cause of the angels rejoicing. It is to be gathered by our Lord to Himself, to bask in His forgiving presence in His gracious Word and Holy Sacrament. It is to listen as He speaks, to eat and drink as He gives nourishment and peace in His body and blood. To be a Christian does not mean that you have to be a pillar of the community whose kids never get in trouble, or that you must write rousing editorials in the local paper, or belt out the national anthem at ball games, or that there has never been a time when you have had a little too much to drink. To be a Christian is to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice, to be forgiven by Him and drawn to Him. It is to listen to and eat with Jesus.

That being said, hearing Jesus always brings shame with it, for His hearers always suffer the attacks of the Pharisees or their spiritual heirs. Hearing Jesus also brings shame by association. We are in the company of shameful people. Have you noticed that, in the New Testament, the worst sorts of people were always gathered about the Lord: tax collectors, prostitutes, murderers, thieves and liars? The Pharisees rightly call us sinners. We must acknowledge that truth. God’s Law cuts into our hearts and exposes us for who we really are. It leaves us vulnerable, helpless. But rejoice in that shame, for Jesus also says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Under that shame there is the honor that Jesus receives sinners.

God is not like you. He does not worry about His offended honor. He is moved, instead, by a completely undeserved love. God behaves foolishly. He dies for sinners. He honors the shamed. He confounds the wisdom of men. He is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. He gives His life for us. And He will not be thwarted by some tongue wagging about “sinners.” He came to seek and to save sinners—even you; even me.

Every time you feel sorrow over your sins; every time you confess your sincere desire to not do it again, and place all your hope and trust in His grace and mercy; every time you repent, the angels in heaven rejoice. They rejoice because you are a forgiven sinner. The Law left you helpless and vulnerable and led you to know that only Jesus could rescue you and fill you with His righteousness; that He is the One who is willing to risk all to retrieve you again and to draw you back into the safety of His love. And so He finds you and bears you upon His shoulders rejoicing; and the angels rejoice with Him, for you are precious in His sight.

Jesus receives and eats with sinners at this table, where satisfies your hunger pangs for righteousness. He has found you by His Word. He has cut you down, but then He has raised you up again. And His angels rejoice in your forgiveness and life. So come; join with outcasts and sinners, with those of ill repute and shaky dealings, with terrible and the notorious. Come, be united in confession and faith. Be filled with His body and blood, given and shed for the remission of sins. God has sent His Son to be your Redeemer and Rescuer. He has sought and found you. You belong to Him. He has restored you to His house. You are the cause of angelic choir anthems of praise and rejoicing. You were dead and lost, but now you are found and alive. You belong. 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 6/29/25: Second Sunday After Trinity

 

No audio recording at this time. Sorry. Stupid technology.

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“The Feast Is Ready”

Luke 14:15-24

 

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

         

The Kingdom of God is not just some far away event in the distant future. The Kingdom is present now. “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” now. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven” now. “Blessed is he who eats bread in the Kingdom of God” now. The Kingdom of God is already here; God is already present with His grace and mercy.

So Jesus tells this parable about urgency and invitation. Everything is ready…everything, that is, but the invited guests. They have lingering commitments. They have other wants and desires for themselves. The master of the feast is ready, but they are not. And so come the excuses. They don’t come right out and say that they don’t want to come. They just don’t want to come now. Of course, we can clearly see the foolishness of such behavior. We are pleased that the host invites the outcasts of society—the poor, the lame, the maimed, the blind—and still there is room. We are glad because that means there is still room for us.

This is a parable about urgency, about a desperate, current need we have. We might even mock these men in the parable who thought themselves too busy to attend. But what about us? Are we ready for the final summons? Are we eager? I suspect that we’re not quite there yet. You young people, teenagers, and young adults: how do you feel about the Lord possibly returning very soon? You have plans and dreams. You want to grow up and have families and careers. You want to have kids and watch then grow. There are things you want to experience. And you are not alone in that desire. Your parents and grandparents would probably feel just as cheated for the same reasons. The truth is, if it were up to us, many of us would prolong the Lord’s return permanently. We have more important things we want to do and more significant goals we want to accomplish. And we don’t want to be disappointed.

Please forgive my bluntness, but you must understand that this is pure nonsense. No believer will be disappointed on that Day of glory. You will not look back grudgingly on this vale of tears. No matter what your plans or dreams are, no matter what you come to possess, no matter who you leave behind for a time, it is far greater joy to leave behind this life of suffering and frustration and disappointment and be joined to the saints in that perfect and eternal heavenly communion!

It is true, of course, that there are those who are near the end of life—those of great age, perhaps those experiencing great sorrow, illness, or suffering. Their frustration is a different one. They wonder why God keeps them here. They are ready to go; they cannot see any further purpose they can serve here. They don’t know why they go on living. Sometimes I have to tell them I don’t know the reason either. But as St. Paul reminded the Romans, for all who love God and are called according to His purposes, all things work for good—all things without exception. He will take them home soon. And God’s time is perfect. But that plaintive cry, that desire for the end, should be in all of us, regardless of age or health or occupation. What do any of us—husband, wife, farmer, laborer, banker, teacher, or pastor—what do any of us add to this world? God does not need us here. This is not even our home. Eternal life is our destination. “Come, Lord Jesus” should be more than a thoughtless table prayer.

And yet, the sad fact is that, sometimes, we have behaved and thought about eternity as though we might actually be bored in heaven, as though we might have nothing to do there that we enjoy doing. Yes, heaven may not be a utopia of golf courses, or ponds stocked with fish, or limitless perfect games of Bunco or Call of Duty. The truth is, it is far better than any of that. Heaven is the most interesting, the most delightful, the most wonderful place, beyond our ability to imagine. At the Resurrection, we will be free from sin. We will no longer have to deal with affliction, suffering, or the destructive forces of this world. We will stop hurting ourselves and those we love with shameful, selfish behavior. We will bask in the presence of our loving Father as His children perfected in grace. We will have no regrets. Nothing will be lost. Everything will be gained.

But that joy to come, the glory to be revealed, is already here. For those with eyes of faith, we are already God’s beloved children, forgiven by grace, in whom He eternally abides. Already now, already here, He gathers us around Himself in the waters of Holy Baptism, the very center of our lives! He feeds us with food that money cannot buy, with bread that will not waste—with crucified flesh and blood that is not dead but forever alive, with a righteousness that forever satisfies.

Everything is ready. It is all finished. All debts are paid, all sins removed. All shame is forgotten in the death He died once for all, in the resurrection that delivers us to our eternal home. There is nothing left but to receive. The Feast is ready. So come; be filled with Him. As the Psalmist invites: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” 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.

 

HYMN: O Israel, Bless God the Lord

I hadn't written a hymn text in 2025. It's been a long six months, a busy six months. We've had big changes in the congregation where I serve, especially with the Senior Pastor leaving at the end of January, so I'm doing most of the work of two pastors right now. Whether or not she wants to see me, Faith doesn't get to see me until late in the evening for much of the week. And then the Kornackis moved to a house closer to the church (which has been a great blessing) when our former landlord decided to get out of the landlord business. It's been a crazy time in the life of the Kornacki family, and none of that lent itself to the time or inspiration it takes to write a hymn text.

As always seems to be the case, a church conference or convention afforded me both the opportunity and inspiration to write. I am at the triennial Convention of Iowa District East. So I've wanted to write a text based on the song of Zechariah: the Benedictus found in Luke 1:68-79. I love the Benedictus from the service Morning Prayer (sorry, can't seem to find a video of just the Benedictus from Morning Prayer) in Lutheran Service Book, and. I've spoken the words Zechariah sang directly to John over every the newly-made pastor at every Ordination I've been privileged to participate in through the years. Anyway, I've had probably a dozen aborted starts over the past 15 years. But something this morning popped into my head, and it didn't immediately lead me to a dead end. So here it is: the Benedictus in metric form. The selected tune is familiar from the text "O God of God, O Light of Light." As always, feedback is love.

By the way, I'm pretty sure I've used the name "Israel" as a two-syllable word in other places. In the first line of this text, it is a three-syllable word. I tend to pronounce it "IS-rye-el." (Yes, "rye" like the bread.) Your mileage may vary.

O Israel, Bless God the Lord

1. O Israel, bless God the Lord

Who visits us with saving grace. 

For Christ has come! In flesh, the Word

Reveals the Father’s loving face. 

King David’s Son, the long-foretold

From prophets’ lips in ancient days,

Has broken Satan’s mighty hold;

His murd'rous wrath our Savior stays. 

2. With mercy sweet He visits us

As vowed to all who went before:

His covenant, a gracious trust,

To save us now and evermore. 

Delivered from our fearsome foe,

We serve our Father fearlessly.

In righteousness our days shall go

Before His face eternally. 

3. Now you shall go before the Lord,

And as you go, prepare His way:

To preach His great, forgiving Word

To vessels formed of living clay.

Proclaim the mercy of our God

Who visits us with endless grace:

Not darkened 'neath death's dreadful rod

But guided in the way of peace.

LMD 

O GROSSER GOTT (LSB 810)

Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)

Sermon for 6/22/25; First Sunday After Trinity

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Temptation and Faith

Genesis 15:1-6

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

 

Several times, St. Paul uses the story of Abraham, his faith, and the promises God made to him, as a proof that we are justified, put right with God, through faith in Jesus Christ. But more than that, these words unpack an important chapter in the spiritual history of the patriarch Abraham, the “father of many nations.” Even after his call from God to leave his homeland and go to the land that would be his inheritance, his life was full of severe temptation. Unfortunately Abraham, failed often before those temptations. But by the help of God, he was eventually able to overcome them. And now, even as Abraham’s call to faith is a picture of our own call into the kingdom of God, so we also find here great truths which still hold firm in the life of those whom God has called by faith into His kingdom.

Abraham faced temptation. We, too, face temptation. Facing temptation is not sin. We can’t avoid facing it in a world that is so corrupt and evil. The question is, what do we do? How do we respond in the face of temptation? The Church is the free-born daughter of heaven; the New Testament makes that abundantly clear. And yet, she was hated and abused in those early days, and she still is, though, perhaps, less overtly so. She is a source of blessing for the whole world, but, to this day, she must submit to oppression and persecution. Just consider the attempts being made to curtail the religious freedom of Christians to live their faith in their daily lives. Consider the many ways, and how rapidly, the societal norms of morality have changed, and how “in your face” many of the practitioners of such evil are. Oppression and persecution, and the temptations that follow, don’t have to be physically violent to be effective. Mental and emotional persecution, the oppression of the mind and heart, can be equally devastating.

And what is true of the Church as a body is also true of Christians individually. The Christian and the cross belong together. Jesus said it: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Whatever form temptation takes, ultimately it is an attack on our faith. Luther called this “anfechtung,” being attacked by the devil! When blinded by temptation, our confidence in the truthfulness of God begins to waver. God’s promises do not harmonize with our present condition—at least, not as we see it. And that is where sin breaks in to steal away our hope and our joy.

There is a pastor’s prayer in which the pastor prays, “Lord, You know that I am not the strong man of God my people think I am...” Every honest pastor must admit this is true. I deal daily with demons which I hope you know nothing about. They try to lead me to give in to doubt and despair; and, more than I care to admit, these demonic temptations are successful. You, too, are afflicted by temptations that lead you into sin. You, too, have sinful thoughts and desires that eat away at your soul, whether or not they have become sins of action. And Satan keeps throwing it in your face, trying to convince you that God will forsake you. What do you do? Abraham appealed to God. “As the father of an ill child once said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”  

As contrary to reason as it may seem, temptations come so that we might see the loving purposes of God that are hidden within them, and that we might overcome them by the grace of God. Temptation comes so that we might learn of the comfort God promises in the midst of trial. So it was with Abraham. The Lord took Abraham outside and pointed to the stars and promised that Abraham’s descendants would be like those unnumbered stars.

And so it is with us. When we are surrounded by our own doubts and fears, the Lord comes to us in His Word and says, “Fear not, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” He opens our eyes of faith so that we may see the great things He has already given us: countless spiritual blessings as well as daily bread. And then the Lord admonishes us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

It is written: “[Abraham] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” What is the nature of faith? Faith is not something we do; faith is a gift, something that comes from outside ourselves. It is a gift of God which allows us cling solely to the almighty and gracious God who offers Himself to us in His Word. This is just what Abraham did. All he had was the promise of God. But Abraham believed that promise and, by faith, he had the consolation and comfort of God and the strength to overcome temptation. And, more importantly, He had the promise of the forgiveness of God when he was defeated by temptation. And so it is for us. Faith expects all help to come from God alone. Faith relies only on His Word. And in this way, your heart is filled with comfort; rest returns to your soul; temptation is overcome. You can joyfully say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” 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.