Sermon for 3/5/25: Ash Wednesday (Salutary Gift series)

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the service video.

Heavenly Treasure
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

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

         

Jesus told His hearers in the Sermon on the Mount, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” That’s why we are here this evening: to receive heavenly treasures from our Lord Jesus Christ—to hear His Word; to receive the forgiveness of our sins; to receive life and salvation in His body and blood. And we need these treasures precisely because they are the gifts our Old Adam fears most. “Poor miserable sinners” that we are, we seek earthly treasures: money and possessions, the acclaim of our bosses and teachers—really anything other than those things that draw us near to our loving God. We turn away from the gifts that edify and nourish our souls.

That is what sin really is: a turning away from God and His gifts, relying on what we can get or do for ourselves. This means that repentance is turning away from ourselves, our self-centeredness, our wants and desires and what we think is best, and receiving in their place our Father’s gifts again. God gives and we receive.

That’s how it has been since the beginning. God made everything. He created a perfect world for His children. But they turned away from His gifts: gifts of life, of good and abundant food, of each other in marriage, of being in His image, of a right relationship with Him. They turned away from all that to the allure of getting something for themselves. And the result of turning away from God and His gifts was death.

But God would not leave it at that. Death would not have the final word. Our Father’s answer to them, His response to their turning away, was that He gave again. While the residue of the forbidden fruit was still on their breath, while they were still ashamed because of their nakedness, He gave to Adam and Eve the promise of a Savior, a Seed of the woman to crush the head of the satanic serpent. 

With all this in mind, consider the Holy Gospel we heard tonight. Consider how it speaks of taking the gifts of God and turning them into something they were never intended to be. Righteousness is a gift of God. Prayer is a gift of God. Helping others is living out the forgiveness we have received by sharing it with others. So what happened? The Pharisees, like all sinners, took these gifts and perverted them into opportunities for themselves: the chance to be seen, to be praised, to get the admiration of others. They turned the life of faith into a three-ring circus. Repentance was needed. 

So what about us today? Do we fall into the same trap? Do we turn away from the gifts of God to something else? We want to say no; we want to deny it with all the indignation we possess. But the truth? The truth is that we do. We turn away from God’s gift of Absolution: instead of repenting and confessing, we try to justify ourselves, to explain and excuse our actions, to blame others for our sin. We turn away from the gift of God’s Word: we believe what the world says, instead of clinging to what God said is true; we judge things by what seems right to me rather than by what God said. We turn away from the gift of Baptism: instead of clinging to our identity as children of God, we measure our value by the numbers in our bank accounts, by our positions on the corporate and social ladders, by what our grades are, by what the world thinks is important.

And we turn away from the gift of our Lord’s Body and Blood. Sometimes we claim that Jesus made a mistake in using bread and wine as the elements, seeing how gluten makes some people ill, seeing how addicts can be harmed by the intake of any alcohol. Sometimes we claim that it can be offered too frequently, because taking it more often might make it seem less special somehow. And sometimes, we forget that the body and blood of Jesus is our family meal, meant to bring us together in the fellowship of this Table. We refuse to live as the Communion of saints, a family.

So tonight the cry goes out once again: Repent. “Be reconciled to God.” Turn away from the decaying wealth of this world to welcome His gifts. Receive Christ again, for the Father “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ was made sin for you. He became your turning away. He cried from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Instead of turning away from us as we deserve, the Father turned away from His sinless Son. In place of forsakenness, we are given Christ’s righteousness, a true heavenly treasure.

That is our focus as we journey to our Lord’s cross again this year. Tonight—starting tonight—turn back. Turn back to Christ. Turn back to His gifts. Receive the love, the forgiveness, the life, the hope, the strength, the comfort, the promises, and the joy you need. Receive Him, for He is here: present in His Word, present in His body and blood, for you. He is your Treasure that endures forever. 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 3/2/25: Transfiguration of Our Lord (c)

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the service video.

Jesus Alone

Luke 9:28-36

 

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

 

 

Peter, James, and John would have been pleased to stay on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah. But they wanted nothing to do with the place called Calvary. Calvary was where the blood of the Son of God was to be shed; where the Lamb, provided by the Father for sacrifice, bore our sins to death; where God was revealed and seen not in glory, but in His humble, bloody, dying mercy. To their shame, they wanted none of that. And yet, Moses and Elijah came to the Mount of Transfiguration in the only way that men do: by means of death. There is no other way. In this, we are all the same: all will die. Even those still living at the return of our Lord will have either died in Holy Baptism and go on to eternal life, or they will die eternal death.

Peter did learn. It was hard. He wept bitter tears of shame and of sorrow. The muscles built up on the Sea of Galilee, the brawn and the street smarts, the plans and schemes and ways with men—they all fell away to nothing when faced with God’s glory. Peter was afraid. His strength failed again when faced with our Lord’s willingness to suffer and die for men who hated Him. In the face of that great love, Peter could see just how far he had fallen, how awful were the things he had done, how disgusting were the things he had said and thought, how terrible were the lies he had told, how false and shameful was his bravado. The eyes of the Lord fell on Him. The cock crowed, and Peter wept.

For whom does the cock crow? It crows for Peter, yes, but it also crows for you. Betrayers and cowards, self-serving, conniving, depraved—we are all heirs in this way of Peter, of James and John, of David and Adam. Look in the mirror and ask yourself how cheaply you will sell your soul. Will you at least have the decency of Peter to be afraid? Do you really think you can fool God as you have fooled men? Do you dare to challenge God and risk His wrath and anger? Is it not enough to weary men; will you weary God as well? Why should God put up with you? Aren’t you more self-willed, unpredictable, even disobedient, than any dog that ever lived? Weep bitter tears. Turn from yourself, and turn to Christ.

And then, arise and do not be afraid. Why should God put up with you? He will do so because He is good, because His mercy endures forever. He will do so because He promised to be your God and to love you; and, unlike men, God does not lie. Arise, and see Jesus only! Your own transfiguration is coming. Be focused not upon yourself but upon His unfailing love and promise. He went to that horrendous death like a Lamb to the slaughter, without complaint. But He did not go against His will. He went in perfect love, in complete obedience, with nothing more than the desire to make you His. He knew this was the cost. He knew what it took to bring Peter and James and John, Moses and Elijah, David and Nathan, even you, to Himself, and to His Father in heaven. He was always willing to pay that price. He did not hesitate. He endured all of hell’s fury to wipe away Peter’s tears and your tears. It is worth it to Him. You are worth it to Him. And He regrets none of it. His life for you is pure and undefiled. Hell cannot stop Him. Death cannot hold Him, and it will not hold you.

He has made you His once again. His atoning death, His justifying resurrection, and His life-giving ascension was His exodus from this world. It is also your exodus. He leads you out of death’s shadow and slavery and into the promised land enjoyed now by Moses and Elijah, by Peter, James, and John, and, indeed, by all the saints of God.

So, arise, and do not be afraid. Our God is more patient with you than you are with your pets, or your children, or even with yourself. His love is not stopped by your guilt. His Law does not return to power simply because you have sinned. He has provided the Lamb for the sacrifice. There is nothing more to pay, no sins left to be atoned for, nothing so bad or painful that it cannot be overcome. And He has placed His name on you. He is well-pleased with you. And he provides this day for your nourishment and strength, for your courage and your loyalty: His body and His blood. Do not be afraid. Eat and drink. Rejoice and rest. He knows what He is doing. He is loving you in Christ, and that love will never stop. 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.