HYMN: Why Do the Nations Rage

During today’s stint as a substitute teacher, where I had no Internet access and no cell coverage, I went back to Psalm 2. I had started a text a few weeks ago, but I’d hit a dead end. But sometimes all it takes are some fresh eyes. I would not say this is my best work, but I have done much worse. 

Here is a Psalm 2 text. It’s written in an unusual meter for me, and there is only one him in Lutheran Service Book which uses that meter. I have an idea for an original tune, but I would say that there are others who could do a better job with it. For now, I will include the LEB tune, And maybe I can convince someone to write a new one.

As always, feedback is love.

Why Do the Nations Rage

1. Why do the nations rage

And people plot in vain?

The princes of this age

And rulers strive and strain

Against the Lord's Anointed One,

Against the Christ upon His throne.

They claim, "God's power now is done."

2. The Lord enthroned on high,

He laughs with haughty scorn.

His wrath does terrify,

His voice an angry thorn:

"My King shall reign from Zion's height:

My Son in whom I take delight

Shall conquer You with valiant might."

3. To Christ He says, "Their lands

Your legacy shall be.

I give them to Your hands,

A heritage from Me.

Your mighty pow'r their souls shall shake.

Your iron Word the lands shall quake.

Like pottery Your foes will break."

4. O earthly kings, be wise.

You judges, hear and learn,

Lest you face your demise

From Him whose rule you spurn.

Your King is Christ, God's only Son.

Oh, trust in Him, whose reign begun 

Shall show His grace to everyone. 

66 66 888

Temporary Tune: RHOSYMEDRE (LSB 863)

Psalm 2

Sermon for 10/11/26: Proper 23a

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

“Few Are Chosen”
Matthew 22:1-14

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

The king was a gracious host; his table was rich, filled with His lavish love. No expense was spared in preparing this feast for his son’s wedding day. There were the finest marbled meats and rare, vintage wines. Before we became obsessed with fat grams and calories and cholesterol, we might have thought of premium prime rib with all the trimmings, accompanied by a priceless bottle of wine. Who could say “no” to such a meal as that? Who would say “no” to eating and drinking such a meal in the presence of the king and His son?

Incredibly, many of the first invited guests in the parable did say “no.” Some were indifferent to the invitation. Others were too busy. They were too preoccupied with their own cares and concerns to take the time off. One went to work on his farm. The fields needed tending; chores had to be done. Another went off to take care of his business. Their cares were too great to take the time to relax at the king’s table. Maybe another time. Still others were more hostile in their rejection. They killed the king’s servants for bothering them with such invitations.

Incredibly, many still say “no” to God’s feast today, filling the time for worship with work or play. We have our excuses, but they ring hollow compared with the richness of God. Think of the excitement there is when a new food fad hits, especially one that promises health benefits. Once the word gets out, they can’t keep it on the shelves. Think of the commotion that would happen if there was a food that promised to cure death.

But there is such a food and drink, and it’s here. Jesus said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Think of the clamoring there would be for that food and drink, if people truly believed that. I’ve served Christians who thought they could get too much forgiveness, too much life, too much salvation—too much Jesus. They refused to even let the meal be offered.

The king is persistent, driven to fill his banquet hall. He sends his servants into the town to invite everyone. When the respectable refuse, he invites the disreputable, the despised. When religious Israel rejected Christ, God went to the Gentiles. The king sent his servants into the highways and byways, into the alleyways and darkened doorways, the boarded up tenement buildings and crack houses. He invites those who had never been invited to his house before, and what a party that will be!

Notice that by the end of the parable, there is no one who is not invited to the son’s wedding feast. And that’s the point of the parable. When God throws a party, there isn’t a single person left off the invitation list. When Jesus died on the cross and was made sin for us, no one was left out of His death. Only our own indifference to that death, only our own stubborn refusal to be fed, only our hard-hearted rejection of God’s gifts leaves us out of the feast, and then it’s entirely our own fault. God’s will is to fill his banquet hall with guests. If they wind up weeping and gnashing their teeth in hell, it’s entirely against God’s will to save them. God wants to throw a party, and he’s invited the world.

When the king entered the hall packed with guests, he spied a man who was not properly dressed for the occasion. Remember that the king had been pulling people off the streets to come to this party. Imagine what all these street urchins looked like. There are restaurants that require a coat and tie. And if you didn’t have that, the restaurant supplies something from the lost and found.

Maybe that sounds foolish, but it is no more foolish than appearing before God in the resurrection clothed in the filthy rags of your own righteousness, boasting of your “good works” which are never quite good enough, bragging about all the good you’ve done for God. And the result is the same. Those who show God their contempt by clothing themselves in their own works will be left out. Not a happy thought, but the outcome is totally avoidable.

God supplies the clothing. He covers us with the perfection of His Son. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” God clothes us with Christ in Baptism. He wraps us in His righteousness. He covers us with His perfection. Christ is our wedding garment; His seamless and spotless righteousness is our covering. God gives it all for free. Better than an Armani suit or Vera Wang dress, we wear Christ. And we dare not come to the Lord’s party dressed in anything less than Christ.

This is a parable of God’s kingly love that keeps His promises; His lavish love that prepares a rich feast of salvation; His seeking love that goes even into the worst alleys, inviting the good and the bad to come and be fed; His ruthlessly holy love that does not look upon our sin but covers it with Jesus. By the end, everyone was invited to the party, but only a bunch of riffraff from the streets end up in the King’s banquet hall wearing the best suits and dresses, eating prime rib and sipping an expensive wine. Salvation was won for all by our Lord’s dying and rising, but only broken hearted beggars take Him up on the invitation to be clothed and fed by Christ. “Many are called but few are chosen.” That isn’t an explanation; it’s an observation. Why? It wasn’t the king’s fault. And it certainly isn’t God’s fault if you refuse to be fed. His feast of salvation is for all, but He forces no one to eat and drink. If you miss out on the party, you have only yourself to blame.

Jesus died for you. He rose for you. He reigns for you. He clothes you in Baptism. He forgives you in His Word of pardon. He feeds you with His body and blood in His Supper. The banquet hall is here, and you are the chosen guests. Welcome to the wedding banquet of the Son of 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 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner and the Tenants

I posted this on my Facebook page, but I wanted it in a more permanent place with appropriate tags.

I had a new experience this past Sunday, as I preached on Matthew 21:33-46 for the first time in 26 years as a pastor. This text is not in the 1-year lectionary, and in my limited time in the 3-year lectionary, apparently my senior pastor at the time, be it in Ohio or Iowa, was the preacher for this one. 

This was not the easiest text for me to preach. This text is about how the messengers God has sent to His people have at times been abused and even put to death by those to whom the messengers were sent, ultimately putting to death even the Son of the Vineyard Owner, the Son of God. Too many of my brothers in the Ministry have been wounded, abused, and driven out by those to whom the Lord sent them. At times it feels like I'm standing with Elijah, who cried out to the Lord, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

God does not work the way man does. What earthly businessman would send repeated messengers when those messengers are abused and even put to death? But God is merciful and loving. Just this past Sunday He welcomed a new messenger into a congregation whose leaders drove out a faithful shepherd of my acquaintance. That flock, and even those leaders, still needs to hear the Word. And maybe they will treat this shepherd with more dignity and respect.

And for the shepherds, those messengers who stand in the stead of Christ by His command, they receive the same comfort Elijah received: rest beneath the tree of the cross, sustenance for the journey in the body and blood of the Savior, and renewed purpose and strength to continue on.

This is Pastor Appreciation Month. Dear friends, beloved of God, please welcome and love your pastors as the gift they are from God. Treat them well. Pray for them. Keep the promises you made to them at their Installation, just as they will endeavor to keep the promises they made. Love them with Christ's love (and maybe even some of your own). They are doing the work God sent them to do, and if you have a problem with that, take it up with God, with whom your real issue resides.

HYMN: The Blood of Christ Has Paid the Price

I was at the Professional Church Workers Conference of the Southern District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. If it weren't wrong to swear about frivolous things, I would swear that, if I were to attend a theological conference or convention more frequently, I would be among the most copious hymn writers ever to take pen to paper. Something about this environment just works for me. Maybe it's the theological environment that gets me thinking Scripturally and hymnologically (which I'm pretty sure is not a word), though I've written through some real stinker presentations in my time--not the case this time, especially with Pastor Cwirla presenting. Maybe it's just that I'm out of my daily routine. Whatever it is, I've done it again.

When I was at a Winkel last year, we prayed a prayer after receiving the Sacrament that was attributed to Johann Gerhard, and that Winkel's host tells me that the prayer is found in Gerhard's Meditations on Divine Mercy, pages 86-87. It begins with these words: "O God the Father, from now on, I cannot doubt the forgiveness of my sins because it is affirmed by my partaking of the price that was offered for my sins, the very blood of Christ." I kept the bulletin in my Everbook, thinking the text of the prayer might be good fodder for a hymn text. I have a bunch of these things in various folders, and I pull them out every so often to see if something springs forth. Lo and behold, yesterday, it did. 

Here's my latest Lord's Supper text. For now, the suggested tunes include CONSOLATION (LSB 348, which is "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns") and DETROIT (LSB 843, which is "Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive"). As always, feedback is love.

The Blood of Christ Has Paid the Price

1. The blood of Christ has paid the price,

The off'ring for my sin.

No doubt can grieve, for I receive

The life He died to win.

2. He dwells in me--my Savior, He!

In body and in blood

He lifts the meek, makes strong the weak

Through this angelic food.

3. I fear no foe nor Satan's woe,

For I with Christ am fed.

And He will keep His pastured sheep

From wolves the flock would dread.

4. I shall not shrink. I eat and drink,

And now I am refreshed.

The Spirit's aid in Christ has stayed

The weakness of my flesh.

5. All thanks and praise for all my days

I raise and raise again

To Jesus Christ the sacrificed

Forevermore. Amen.

CM (86 86)

CONSOLATION (LSB 348) or DETROIT (LSB 843)

Lord's Supper

Sermon for 10/4/26: Proper 22a

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

The Vineyard
Matthew 21:33-46

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

You know the drill. The owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard is the Church. This vineyard lacks nothing, for God has given it everything it needs. He has given the Church His Word and Sacraments. As the Owner of the vineyard, the Lord has sent out pastors, His called and ordained servants, to preach the Word and to administer His Sacraments, so that the vineyard, the Church and her members, would bear good fruit, fruits in keeping with repentance, evidence that faith is present in the hearts of the people. God has sent His servants to the vineyard to gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown when the vineyard was planted.

But according to the Lord’s parable, the servants saw nothing of the sort, as the vinedressers assaulted the servants, even killing some of them. Each time the vinedressers beat up or killed one of the owner’s servants, the owner would send another one. Such a succession of servants sounds silly to us because none of us would keep sending servants out, just so they could be assaulted or even murdered; that’s bad business practice. But the story is about the patience and mercy of the heavenly Father.

The Lord of the Church has, over the centuries, sent men into His vineyard to bring forth a harvest through the preaching of the Word. This is a difficult text to preach in light of October being “Pastor Appreciation Month,” as some of these servants have been abused by their hearers for doing what God called them to do, driven from the vineyard by the very sheep they were sent to shepherd. Before He sent pastors, He sent the prophets, and they were roughed up, too. You see, Satan has done some of his finest work in the Church, causing divisions within her and leading men to despise her. The Lord spoke against them and speaks against all who seek to destroy His servants and His Means of Grace. He says in the chapters following our text: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

The Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, knew that these Jewish leaders would be seething in their hatred for Him. The Word of the Lord has this effect on some people, as if the verse from Scripture really said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you furious.” The Word makes us mad, too, for God says things about us that we do not want to hear. We do not like to hear that we are poor, miserable sinners. We do not like to hear that we have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We do not like to hear that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We do not like to hear that we have ever offended God and deserve His temporal and eternal punishment. We have demonstrated to God that we do not like to hear His Law. What is worse is that, as these same cold, hardened sinners, we hold equal disdain for His Gospel and those who deliver it.

This desolation is a disease that has spread throughout Christendom, as many churches, claiming to be on fire for the Gospel, have cast it aside in favor of programs and pizzazz. Even many thought to be leaders in the Church have sold themselves and their denominations out, exchanging the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments for gimmicks with the sole goals of filling the pews and paying the bills. Congregations and even synods come and go, but “the Word of the Lord endures forever.”

These words offer great comfort to us, for the Lord continues to plant within His vineyard. He plants new congregations. He sends His Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith in hearers new and old. He has given the Word and the promise to the Gentiles, and we are blessed to receive His gifts today, for these are the true marks of the Church: His Word is faithfully read and preached, and His Sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel. We are the Church, and Christ is our Cornerstone; on Him alone we build. To be sure, He builds us, even as He was being crucified for our sake. For this reason, we preach a Christ who was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, bloodied, battered, and spit upon, pierced with a crown of thorns, nailed to a cross by the very people He was sent to save. We preach Christ crucified, for He willingly endured the cross for you. To us who believe, the Crucifixion is the most beautiful event in all of history, for “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

It is indeed marvelous in our eyes, for Christ, the crucified and risen One, is marvelous in our eyes. He is marvelous in your ears, as you hear the preaching of the forgiveness of sins in His Name. He is marvelous on your lips, as you will soon taste and see that the Lord is good, coming to you in His body and blood. Truly this is marvelous, for God will never cease to send His servants to us with His gifts until He brings His harvest home. 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 guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

Sermon for 9/27/26: Proper 21a

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

Yes and No
Matthew 21:23-32 

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

Today’s Gospel reading is a parable about a vineyard owner and his two sons. But more than that, it is about the battle of man’s will versus God’s will. Two sons are asked by their father to work in his vineyard. One said, “Yes,” the other said “No.” One volunteered, and the other refused. But what they said had nothing to do with what they actually did. The one who expressed enthusiasm for the task never did it, and the one who grumbled when asked actually went and worked. Jesus concluded the parable by asking the Jews which of the sons pleased his father. The answer was, obviously, the one who first said, “No,” but then went and did as his father wished. The one who first said, “Yes,” but did nothing, had no place in God’s kingdom.

Even if this parable did not have a divine message, it might still be used as a story of typical human existence. Most of the time, our lives are a battle between conflicting wills. People—and this includes all of us—people say one thing and do another. We all know this kind of behavior. And yet it is true, even in the Christian faith, that right words by themselves are never enough. Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven,”

What parent has not heard a child give a loud “No” to a request to perform the simplest chore? Name one child who willingly picks up the toys, who comes inside from playing, who is happy to go to bed. It seems as if “No” is the first word children learn. But despite that “No,” the child may eventually do what he is supposed to do. This could almost be a parable of the Christian life. There is no one who does not at first say “No” to God, only to be convinced by the sweetness of the Gospel to say “Yes.” And then, there is the reverse of this. We have all known those who can be very pleasant in saying just the right things, especially about the things God teaches in His Word, but are hardly ever serious in putting their words into action.

But to discover the truth of this parable, you don’t have to look at other people. Look in the mirror and see who you really are. This parable describes our own lives; it shows our own behavior, our struggle between that part of us which belongs to God and that part of us which remains unconverted—what we call the “Old Adam.” It may sound strange, but more than a little bit of unbeliever resides in all of us, and unbelievers are those who say “No” to God. This is the tension of the life of a Christian: we are at the same time sinner and saint. The truth is, we are like both sons in the parable; sometimes we don’t live up to our word, and other times, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we change our “No” to “Yes.”

When Jesus first told this parable, it was not so much a general parable of life, but a profound judgment against the Jews who had seen the evidence of His miracles and who knew with their minds that He was the Christ, the promised One of God, but who obstinately and stubbornly refused to believe what they knew to be the truth. And today this parable has lost none of its directness.

Without faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son and the Savior of all, there is no salvation. Our wills must be made captive to God’s will. Saying “Yes” to God at some time in our lives cannot overcome the thousand times we have said “No.” The good news this parable brings us is that God can and does change the hearts and minds of those who have said “No” to Him. If God’s Old Testament people rejected Him, it was so that He might have mercy on those who did not know Him, those who worshiped pagan idols, those who worshipped the god they see when they look in the mirror. We who did not deserve salvation have been made fellow heirs with Christ in the waters of Holy Baptism, along with the prophets, apostles, and all the saints.

But the parable of the two sons is incomplete. There is another Son who came from God and not only said He would do God’s will, but actually did it perfectly. This other Son is the Speaker of the parable, Jesus Christ, the true Son of God. This Son of God prayed that only God’s will would be done in His life: “Father, not My will, but Yours be done.” Jesus did God’s will by dying for us. We do God’s will by believing in Him and, by baptism, dying to sin with Him and rising to a new life. We pray faithfully the prayer of Jesus: “Our Father who art in heaven…Thy will be done.” We do not do what we want, but what God wants done. With Luther we know that God’s will is done without our prayers, but we pray that it may be done in us, by us, and through us. And what is God’s will? It is that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ should be preached in all the world and that people everywhere should believe on His name and be saved. As long as we live, we pray that we may do God’s will and that His will for us may always be done. 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 guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

HYMN: Oppressors Rise to Trouble Me

Two hymn texts in a week doesn't make for a deluge, but it's an encouraging development. When I posted my metrical version of Psalm 1 last week, I said something about going in order. And I have started Psalm 2, for what it's worth. But I've hit a bit of a brick wall. I think I need to check out how others have handled their Psalm paraphrases. (Robin Fish Jr. comes to mind.)

So I moved on to Psalm 3. I had a free period during my substitute teaching assignment today, and I got a decent start on a text before I had to push myself to keep going. It's the first draft, but maybe you can help me tighten it up. It's set to the tune NUN FREUT EUCH, which we know best from the hymn "Dear Christians One and All, Rejoice." As always, feedback is love.

By the way, as I look at the Psalms, I'm endeavoring to find those places where they most clearly find their fulfillment in Christ. I hope to include that in my texts, much like Luther made Christ's presence abundantly clear in his great Psalm 46 hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It's one thing to faithfully paraphrase the source text; I'm endeavoring to interpret the source text while paraphrasing. Sometimes I'll do it fairly well; I hope you'll tell me when I've missed.

Oppressors Rise to Trouble Me

1. Oppressors rise to trouble me.

Their numbers are increasing.

They lift their godless mockery

With cruelty unceasing.

Yet You, Lord, are my mighty shield,

My glory and my help revealed.

My soul from fear is rescued.

2. They say from You I have no aid.

Their foolish claims incensed me.

By You their mindless wrath is stayed

Who set themselves against me.

So to the Lord I raised my voice.

He gave me reason to rejoice,

For from His hill He heard me.

3. In peace I lay me down to sleep.

I rise, for You sustained me.

My body, mind, and soul You keep;

In Christ have You obtained me.

I will not fear the evil horde,

For I belong to You, O Lord.

I rest in Your protection.

4. Arise, O Lord, and hear my cry!

Arise, my God, to save me!

Salvation comes from God on high.

No more may foes enslave me,

For You have struck my enemies

And drove the godless to their knees.

You bless Your chosen people.

87 87 887

NUN FREUT EUCH (LSB 556)

Psalm 3; oppression