Sermon for 3/4/12--Lent II (LSB 1-year)

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When Faith is Frustrated

Matthew 15:21-28

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

The willingness with which Jesus performed miracles is one of the most comforting truths in the Gospels. We see His gracious power in all of those frustrations that enter human life. Nothing holds back His healing and restoring hand when He chooses to use it. He did not even have to be physically present. The centurion’s servant, as you may recall, was healed by a Word of Jesus spoken some distance from where the servant actually was. Jesus never went out of His way to show off His ability to perform miracles, but He was usually quite ready to answer any sincere request made of Him.

Then comes today’s Gospel reading. A mother comes to Him on behalf of her daughter and, much to our surprise, Jesus has nothing to say to her! In addition to His silence, the disciples even try to send her away. She might well have been ready to add faith to the list of her own frustrations. Certainly, in her life at this point she knew the frustration that, at times, comes with faith. What makes this text frustrating to us is that it seems out of character for Jesus. When Mary asked how it could be that she could bear a Son without a husband, the angel told her that nothing was impossible for God. The disciples were told the same thing time and again when talking about salvation: “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” And when you stop to think of it, isn’t that message of vital importance to our life of faith? What would be the basis for prayer if God were limited in His ability to answer us? If one is going to have faith in God, isn’t it because we expect God to be almighty? This woman, crying out to Jesus, was looking at just such a God. He was almighty. And yet, this God seemed to turn a deaf ear to her. Could there be a greater frustration than having the One who is able to do something not willing to even listen? It would be like knowing about a great scientist who has a cure for cancer, and then finding that he is not willing to share that cure.

What does one do in frustration? Some would be soon convinced that it is all fake. There is nothing to this thing called faith. What is the use of having a God who won’t do anything? Maybe there is another god out there who better fits what a god should be. But the real frustration is that the evidence is so overwhelming. God is God! He is an almighty God! And that is the God to which this woman makes her plea. The very title she uses to address Him makes this clear: “Lord, Son of David.” Even though she was not a descendant of Abraham, still she knew about a Savior who was to come into this world. Here was faith in the true God, the One who could take care of her problem, if He only would. But He didn’t seem to be listening.

What was the reason for the silence? Some would turn away, convinced that there was something wrong with their faith; they would find the cause of Jesus’ silence in themselves. This thought nags at the heart of many more than we may know. Whatever the problem has been, the bottom line is always this: “I deserve to get a cold shoulder, and that is why God is not listening.” And then, often, it is quietly added: “That is why I don’t pray any longer.” When that happens, we have lost sight of the example of this woman. Not only did she know who Jesus was, she knew who she was. She didn’t deserve to come to Him. His mission was not to heal every disease in the world. He had come as the Savior of the world. His death would be for the forgiveness of sins for the entire world, Jew and Gentile alike. But Jesus was sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The fact that they refused Him was quite beside the point. God’s decree was going to be accomplished; that had not changed because the Jews had rejected Jesus. This woman was not one of the chosen people. She had no claim on Jesus, either by birth or by blood. Still, she would not be silenced. She was convinced that Jesus could and would do what she asked of Him.

How does one dare to approach God? When we cannot argue on the grounds of what we have deserved, we make our plea on the mercy of God alone. That was exactly what she did. “Have mercy upon me;” those were her very words. When one comes into the presence of God, it is never from a position of strength or advantage to make demands. If we demand justice from Him, then we must be willing to submit ourselves to His completely impartial and righteous justice. Who could stand that? But, if we are willing to seek His mercy, then we find God to be a merciful God. And such was the plea of this woman: mercy—totally undeserved; mercy—asking not for riches, but only for crumbs; mercy—knowing that even crumbs from the hand of God are treasures for those who receive them. And because we know the value of God’s mercy, just as she knew it, we keep on repeating our pleas, even as the Lord waits for the right time to answer. Hearing the words of Jesus, her faith was confirmed. He indeed does what is best for His children. She was certain her case had been heard. The anxious moments of waiting were past; her request was granted.

But should we take her example and make it our own? Yes! That is what “Amen” means; “it shall be so.” That was the assurance offered by St. Paul, when he wrote: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also freely give us all things?” If we want to know whether God is merciful, then let us look at the measure of grace He offers us at Calvary. Let the blood shed there wash away any doubt you may have. A God who is willing to go to such lengths to care for the needs of your soul is not going to be unconcerned about your physical needs. He may, at first, seem silent, but continue to bring your requests to Him; bring them to Him frequently and fervently in prayer, and do not doubt. He will grant what is best for you, and at the right time, what you requested or something even better. The apostle James knew he was writing a timeless truth when he said: “You have not because you have asked not.” Far too often we are ready to say, “I have asked God, but He is silent; I’ll not bother Him again.” But that is to lose out on the treasures of His mercy. Take the example of one who knew of whom she asked—and asked again and again, and then, at the right time, she received. You, too, have a God who wants to show you His great mercy! 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 2/26/12--Lent I (LSB 1-year)

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From the Beginning

Matthew 4:1-11

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

We’re all familiar with the story of David and Goliath. David was a young man. He was no warrior. He was a shepherd who took care of sheep. His weapons were not swords and armor and the like. His “weapons” were a staff, maybe some small stones to scare away the wolves, and his voice. The way He led his sheep to follow him was not by force or power; it was by his voice. His flock knew his voice, and so would follow him wherever he went. That was what made the Philistines, with Goliath at the front, so offensive to young David. He knew that God is Israel’s true shepherd. They are to listen to his voice, and to follow him. But Saul and all of Israel had forgotten the voice of their true shepherd. They believed the voice of the liar. They believed the lie that they were weak and without strength, and that God Himself had abandoned them. For days Goliath had taunted them with his might and power, and they believed him. They had forgotten God’s promise that He would be with them, that He would fight for them, that they would win the battle by His mighty deliverance. But David remembered. David listened to the voice of the Lord, and won the battle with a stone and the promise of God to be with His children, not matter how great the adversary, no matter what the cost.

David’s son, Jesus, faced a similar battle a thousand years later. Only this time the enemy wasn’t a big Philistine; it was Satan himself. After Jesus fasted 40 days, Satan came to Him when He was weak. Satan believed that he could deceive the Son of God, just as he had deceived the people of Israel on the field with the Philistines so many years ago. He attacked by appealing to Jesus’ pride. If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. What was the temptation for Jesus? The temptation was to take up His power and might as the Son of God and use it for His own benefit and well-being. It was really a temptation to glory. But Jesus, our great champion, would have none of Satan’s lies. He responded with the Word of God: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus recognized that His nature as the Son of God led him to sacrifice, not to selfish glory. He heard the voice of His Father, who would not leave Him or forsake Him. He trusted in the promise of God when even His own eyes might tell him otherwise. 40 days is a long time to go without food. Did God know what He needed? The answer, of course, is yes. And so Jesus trusted in that Word of God.

That is the temptation that Satan seeks to put before you today and every day of your Lenten journey. We live in a world which on the one hand is much more spiritual than it was even a few years ago. This is a time of patriotism, of family, of tradition, and many other values which we as Lutherans can uphold and say with our fellow Americans, “Yes, that is what makes us who we are.” And yet these very same values which we hold dear as Americans can also be our greatest downfall. Where do we place our trust? Is it in our strength? Family? Tradition? Personal willpower? What is the source of your strength? This question is not simply one of priorities or career setting or whatever other short-term and long-term goals we may have. It goes deeper than that, for it gets to your very identity as a human being. Are we defined by what God Himself gives us by His Word and Spirit, or are we defined by what Satan, the world and our own flesh would have us believe?

Left to our own devices, surely we will fail every time. Even so early on in Jesus ministry, here at His temptation, it was the task of Jesus, day and night, to keep the Law because you cannot. As the new Adam and the greater David, Jesus held true to God’s promise, while we fail. Satan tempts us every day to give in to our passions. Do what you want! You deserve a break today! Give in to the world. And sadly, we do. We put on a good show for church, but deep down, you know that you fail in this fight against Satan. We are like the people of Israel, on the battlefield with the Philistines. In the face of so great an enemy, it is very easy to simply give in to despair, to turn over and not even engage in the battle. What’s the point? You might say in your fear and despair. I know I’m going to fail, so I might as well at least enjoy myself on the way. But this is not the way of faith; it is the way of unbelief and despair. For you see, Jesus knows the struggles you have. He knows your weaknesses and your pains. But more than that. He has lived your pain. His temptation means that He stands with you even now. Your trials are His trials. You need not fear that God doesn’t get your problems. You can hear His voice, and cry out to Him in faith. For when you cry out to God in faith, Jesus cries with you. That is why we can come boldly to the throne of grace.

So don’t be afraid. Christ our Lord goes through Satan’s temptations, and clings to the promises of God for you. You may approach God’s throne of God with confidence, knowing that God hears your prayers, because you pray with His only Son. And He gives you His very body and blood as a sure and certain sign that God’s love for you is everlasting. He will keep you from the evil one. Satan’s power over you is only in his twisted mind. We have a champion who will fight for us, and who will keep us always in God’s loving hands. 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.

SID in Convention: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Despite some evidence to the contrary, I do not like playing the political game. I've done it when I though it necessary in the young and callow days of my youth, though I am neither mentally nor emotionally equipped for a life of politics, whether it's the state or ecclesiastical kind. I've been bitten in the butt (if you'll pardon the expression) one too many times to enjoy that game, so I avoid these days it when I can. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to put your hand in the flame.

Last week, February 16-18, 2012, the Southern Illinois District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod met in its 56th triennial convention. It was our duty to elect officers, to listen to reports concerning the district’s activities and health, and to act upon or reject various resolutions which had been submitted to the district for our consideration. Some of those things were fairly agreeable—for example, it took no great deliberation to thank former District President Herb Mueller for his service to the district, service which was interrupted by his sudden drafting into Synodical service as First Vice-President. Upon his departure, Timothy Scharr, who had served as the district’s First Vice-President, was elevated to the office of President; and it was our glad duty to confirm that elevation by electing him to that office so that he could continue his faithful service in that capacity. We also, with few exceptions, elected a fairly good slate of district officials.

However, even in as solid a district as ours, there is never full agreement or cooperation when it comes to our doctrine and practice. A fairly innocuous resolution to encourage the exclusive use of doctrinally pure liturgical materials was so watered down by amendments that it was unpalatable even to some of those who originally supported it. Words like "legalism" and "lack of trust" were thrown around by those who felt their liturgical freedoms were being endangered. At the end of a convention a resolution was introduced to bring the district's differences regarding liturgical uniformity to the Synod's Koinonia Project, a program designed "to discuss and clarify how faithful teaching (doctrine) and faithful doing (practice) are intimately connected and ought be congruent." (In other words, we'll discuss our differences so we'll understand each other better and hopefully find some sort of unity. We'll talk, and then we'll talk, and then we'll talk some more, until we've talked through all the things we need to talk about.)

One of the high points of the convention for me was spending time with y wife. She served as my congregation's lay delegate to the convention and as a member of one of the floor committees. We spent more quality time together in about 48 hours than we have in a long time. Our teenage daughter watched the Terrible Trouble Twins in our hotel room. Since the hotel and convention center were connected, we could visit the kids during breaks and were available in case of emergency. While they played games in our rooms, Faith and I sat together and enjoyed just being "alone" together without the kids getting jealous of our attention--something we don't get to do very often.

Another high point was the presentation of Bishop Wilhelm Weber of the Lutheran Church in South Africa. The LCSA is a mission partner of the Southern District, and it's encouraging to see fellow Lutherans in another part of the world clinging faithfully to the Word of God. In fact, it seems as though their faithfulness is a beacon to the rest of the world, just as Africa was a beacon of early Christianity through such worthies as Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose. Perhaps they can teach us a thing or two.

The presence of LCMS President Matthew Harrison for the first evening of the convention was a tremendous blessing, especially considering the long day he had already had after testifying before Congress regarding the Obama administration's incursion into the First Amendment rights of both church bodies and individual Christians (and Jews, by the way). He received a standing ovation for his bold and faithful testimony before the princes of this world, and then he taught us boldly from the Word of God.

Something I had never seen before at a district convention was the opportunity for individual confession and absolution. Though I did not avail myself of this opportunity, the fact that it was even offered at what is, in essence, a business meeting, was an encouraging sign for our church body.

And of course, any time a group of pastors gets together, we tend to enjoy periods of relaxation around a Lutheran beverage of choice. Spending time with the brothers over a can, bottle, mug or glass of beer (couldn't find a stein anywhere) is always a pleasant way to pass a few hours time. The consolation of the brothers is a blessing not to be missed.

All was not wine and roses, however. I've already mentioned the lack of unity in doctrine and practice among the delegates. I don't want to dwell on that, lest I get frustrated and cynical (or even more so than usual).

In addition to the obvious disparity in doctrine in practice was what might have seemed a passing comment in a sermon. One of the preachers talked about birth control, saying that those who "close themselves to the possibility of children have something in common with those who are pro-choice." In other words, he taught from the pulpit that those who practice any form of contraception are sinning against the Fifth Commandment. To preach that from the pulpit, while possibly not untrue (though you'd have to have extremely clear and compelling evidence from Scripture to convince me), would require a lot of teaching on the part of a preacher before he could say such a thing without unduly binding the consciences of the sheep in his care. And to throw it in as an offhand statement? Let's just say *I* won't be preaching that from the pulpit any time soon.

For the most part, the convention was a pleasant surprise for me. Not that I'd want to do it all the time, but I suppose I can handle it every three years. I hope my pessimism will prove to be unfounded concerning the Koinonia Project, and I hope that the Lord will restore true unity in the Church. Nonetheless, I won't be surprised if our fellowship remains fractured as long as the Church awaits the return of Christ in glory.

Sermon for 2/19/12--Quinquagesima (LSB 1-year)

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Lord, Have Mercy!

Luke 18:31-43

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

Kyrie eleison! Lord, have mercy. It is perhaps the simplest prayer you could pray or sing. Yet within those simple words are packed more great stuff about God than we can hardly imagine. We pray them at least twice in our communion liturgy. We sing it this morning in the office of Matins. Lord, have mercy. The words roll off your tongue like you’ve been saying them your whole life. But what do they mean? What do they tell you about who you are as a sinner and who Jesus is as Lord?

Our text begins with Jesus taking his disciples aside to tell them what’s what. He takes them aside to tell them that he is going to be handed over to the Gentiles, spat upon and mocked, suffer as a common sinner, and die the death of a criminal. This is God’s future. The disciples had been with Jesus for over two years, but the point of His life was hidden from their understanding.

Before we go on to look at the blind man, let’s stop here for a minute. How often is it that you come to church, go to Sunday School or Bible class their whole lives, and yet miss the point? We like to think that just going through the motions is enough. But going through the motions is not the same as faith. Remember that Jesus’ disciples had been with Him every step of the way. Some had even seen Him transfigured before them. They had received a glimpse of God’s glory. Time and time again he had predicted His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. This was the point! Yet Jesus’ disciples couldn’t believe that He was going to die, even though it was right in front of their faces!

This is true in our own lives as well. Like the seed that went upon the rock or in the thorns from last week, many come week after week, but they don’t hear the simple truth of Law and Gospel: You are a sinner, and Jesus comes to save sinners just like you. It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Jesus wants you to be in His house so that He can forgive your sins and bring you to heaven. This was the message that the disciples couldn’t get, and this is the message that we as sinners forget again and again week after week after week. It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that some stop coming to church entirely.

Let’s move on. Jesus then is on the road to Jericho. While he’s on the road, a crowd of onlookers follows him around. As they are on the road, a blind man alongside the road hears the crowd and asks what’s going on. He heard from the crowd that it was Jesus who was passing by. When he heard this, he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Kyrie eleison! It is the cry of every sinner who needs Jesus. It is the cry of every soul that is weighed down by the cares of this life, by the trials that we all face as children of Adam. It is the cry that doesn’t try to manipulate God or make demands. It is the cry of faith. Kyrie eleison! Lord have mercy.

This blind man, upon hearing that Jesus was close by, cried out to the Son of David for mercy. And notice that this cry continued, even after the crowds tried to shut him up. The blind man cried out because He knew that God would give Him mercy. He knew that God loved Him with an everlasting love. He knew that God would hold him in the palm of His hand and would keep him forever.

Lord, have mercy. What does it mean? It means that the blind man recognized that Jesus is Lord. He recognized that Jesus has power over life and death. Because of this, he could cry out to this Lord for mercy. He asked that God would not give Him what He deserved. He knew that he deserved the blindness of his eyes just like we deserve the blindness that sin brings. But he prayed that God would open his eyes in sight just as He opens our eyes to see His mercy.

The blind man isn’t afraid to ask God what he wants. Are you? Are you afraid to ask God for forgiveness? Are you afraid to ask God to be with you in times of trouble? Are you afraid that God will abandon you when you need Him most? Don’t be afraid. This week’s epistle is the great love chapter--I Corinthians 13. It is perhaps the most beloved chapter in the Bible. But what some miss about this chapter is that Paul is describing God’s love, not ours. God’s love is so deep and wide that it will engulf the sinner in a flood of forgiveness. His love will put you back together when you are beaten and broken by sin and oppression. His love doesn’t look for the easy way out. God’s love goes the very hard road, the road to Calvary and death on a cross. That’s how far His love will go to save you.

This week we begin our Lenten journey to the cross. This is a time of deep reflection for the Christian. This is the time when we look at our sin with the eyes of the Law and realize the depth of our sinfulness. But this is also the time when we look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame. This is the time when we cry out with the Church of all ages: Kyrie eleison! Lord, have mercy. And hearing this prayer, even as He did for the blind man, Jesus opens your eyes to see His saving work for 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 2/12/12--Sexagesima (LSB 1-year)

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Hearing the Word

Luke 8:4-15

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

Even to us who live in the midst of agriculture, the image of the sower who sows his seed by hand is something from the distant past. At one time, of course, before the coming of mechanized farming, the figure of the lone farmer hand-casting his seed was commonplace about anywhere in the world, giving this parable an immediate appeal; it was one to which most people could instantly relate. While He spent time in the cities and towns, much of Jesus’ ministry was spent in the little villages and the countryside of Palestine. As time passed, opposition to Jesus began mounting up. The teachers of the law had turned hostile toward Him. The Pharisees were beginning to gang up on Him. He had been driven from the synagogues and even from his hometown. There had been setbacks and discouragements. And now even His disciples and close followers began to show signs of discouragement. Was that great Kingdom of God to which Jesus had called them doomed to failure from the start?

The parables of Jesus normally follow the rules of popular story-telling, which means that the emphasis falls at the end; in this case, the abundant harvest. In spite of all hazards and losses, in the end the farmer reaps a splendid crop. Likewise, in spite of all frustrations and failures, the kingdom of God makes its way, and His harvest exceeds expectation. To be sure, the kingdom of God encounters opposition. It experiences what the world considers failure. Yet it triumphs. Just as unproductive pockets of soil belong to sowing, so opposition and failure belong to history and sinful human nature. But the kingdom of God belongs to the realm of eternity, and what we have to keep always in view is the harvest—not the failures.

To begin with, then, on the lips of Jesus this parable was a ringing encouragement to His disciples to not fear, to have faith in their God. It is still a clear call to all the fearful saints of our day. We see how many enemies have ranged themselves against the Church. We see the Church’s setbacks and failures. All around us are empty pews and dwindling, even dying, congregations. Spiritual apathy seems rampant. We must learn from Christ Himself that, however gloomy the outlook for the Church may seem to be, the Holy Spirit is unceasingly at work wherever the Gospel is preached. That “little flock” which the Good Shepherd gathered on the hillsides of Galilee continues to stand under the blessing of God, and will never be permitted to fade away. Our gracious God, who has already done so much for us through Jesus Christ, will continue doing even more, and can be trusted to complete the good work He has begun in us.

But this was not the only purpose Jesus had in mind when He told this story about the sower and his seed. Make no mistake about it: the description of the various soils is by no means accidental. It is a reflection of His own experience of preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and His awareness of our need to hear it, to listen carefully and attentively to what He is saying.

How do we hear the Gospel? There are various ways of hearing. We can listen only with our ears, as often happens in polite conversation; that is a case of “in one ear and out the other.” This suggests the seed that fell on the footpath; it made no impression at all. Or we can listen with our minds only, as we might do to a great orator. As he is speaking, we may be thrilled and moved by his words and even persuaded, for the moment; but all of those responses evaporate as quickly as did the moisture from the shallow soil. Or we can be listening attentively, only to be distracted by other voices or other life concerns that take over our attention, like the thorns that choked the life out of the young shoots of grain. But, one day that same message is spoken to us in a way that we hear our own name in it; perhaps it is at a moment of sickness or weakness, or at the height of a profound temptation, or in the depths of sorrow and despair. And that is when we hear not with ears only, or with minds only, but with ear and mind and heart, and everything there is about us. Whether or not we are hearing rightly is a matter of life or death! This is the kind of hearing the Gospel calls for, and we must listen!

If we listen to this parable again with this kind of hearing, will we not ask ourselves questions like these? “What kind of soil am I? Am I hard, shallow, thorn-infested soil, or good soil?” Of course, we may brush aside these questions, and say, “I am just the way God made me and there is really nothing to be done about it." There are some who actually think that that is the Biblical view of who we are; but in fact, this sort of fatalism is really a denial of the truth of the Gospel. The grace of God changes hearts and lives! The real truth is that in each of us there is something of all four soils. Do not let the seed of God’s Word fall on hard ground. Don’t be so spiritually shallow that God’s Word cannot take root in you. Weed out those thorns. God will use His Gospel to make you His good soil, receptive to all He does, hearing well everything He says.

As you stand on the far side of the cross and resurrection, you know who the Speaker of the parable is. He is the “Word made flesh,” God’s own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. He is the one who give moisture to you in Holy Baptism, planting the seed of the Word in you and watering that seed to grow in you. He is the one who weeds out the thorny sins that would choke your faith to death with the words of Holy Absolution. He is the one who shed His blood and died to make your faith fertile, feeding that faith in the Holy Supper unto live everlasting.

What we do with Jesus and the Gospel is of everlasting importance. How we hear Him is everything. Pray to the Lord that, as He sows His Word among us, as He speaks His Gospel to us in Word and in Sacrament, our ears would be wide open to hear Him, and that our hearts would be that good and fertile soil which receives Him. He is the Lord of the harvest, and He will gather you in. 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 2/5/12--Septuagesima (LSB 1-year)

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The Unfair God

Matthew 20:1-16

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

To understand rightly the Gospel appointed for today, we need to remember two things. First, Jesus was answering His critics, the Pharisees, who were convinced that their piety entitled them to a special claim on God’s reward. Their complaint was that Jesus was opening the gates of God’s kingdom to all of the undesirable characters in Israel, perhaps even to Gentiles, which would have been unthinkable. The second thing is this: the real heart of the account comes with the settlement after sunset, and the astonishing generosity the owner showed to the late-comers to his vineyard, who, in the eyes of the Pharisees represented the tax collectors and “sinners.” And so, the point is that it is really not the story of the laborers in the vineyard. The owner is the chief character. And that gracious owner, of course, is a picture of God in his remarkable goodness.

Jesus is not talking about economics, but about theology. He is saying that reward in the kingdom of God is not measured by what men deserve, but by the pure grace and goodness of God. In the end, God treats sinners in the same way this vineyard owner treated these unemployed men. Of course, the One who told this parable knew the Father’s nature and will better than any other man born of woman, and what He tells us about God the Father is as true in the year 2012 as it was when first told. God is like that owner. When it comes to pouring out His grace and salvation, He makes no distinctions among His children. God has no red-headed step-children; all are His by creation and by recreation in Jesus Christ. In an earthly family, a good father will give to his children according to their needs and not according to their abilities or what they have deserved. So it is, and even more so, in that great Kingdom over which our heavenly Father rules. God is infinitely good to His children. As David had so wonderfully put it in the Psalms: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy…He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

And yet, some are sure to object that this story is long out of date; the Pharisees Jesus answered are long since dead and buried. But are they really? Does not every age have their counterparts? Does not every generation produce its own crop of Christians who would make a “closed shop” of God’s kingdom, and try to keep out all who do not measure up to their standards, not God’s standards, but theirs? There are always people in the church who assume that their piety gives them a special claim on God’s favor, and they look with something less than the eyes of love on those who seem to them less worthy. Truly they have their reward, for they have earned the respect of their peers. There is no higher honor in this world; but their reward is a worldly one. They have received what they deserve; and to their everlasting regret, that is all they will receive.

How blessed you are that God does not deal with you according to your sins. Where would you and I be if God exacted strict justice for every idle word or thought, for every time you have lashed out in anger at another as a means of dealing with some other problem, for every time you have lied or cheated or in some way deceived your spouse or children or friends? The mercy of God is a wondrous thing. He deals with you in ways you would never deal with each other. For the sake of His dear Son, who bore all punishment for sin, He deals with you patiently, lovingly, forgivingly.

God’s thoughts and ways are not your thoughts and ways. The love of God is broader than the measure of a man’s mind. He sees and knows things about you and what the future holds for you that you cannot know. And a large part of faith is trusting the Lord to always know and do what is right.

God is impartial when rewarding his children with eternal life, for this is not a reward they have earned, but a reward of grace. Does this shock or startle you, that God would reward equally even the poorest and least worthy of Christians with the greatest of His saints? Granted, it does not make sense; and to human ears, this does not sound at all fair. But that is the will of God, and that is what makes it wonderful! After all, it made no sense that God would deliver up His own Son for your sins. It certainly was not “fair” to the perfect and holy Son of the heavenly Father to be punished for what He had not done. But as the parable said, does not the Father have the right to do as He pleases with what is His? And what He has been pleased to do is to offer His Son as the sacrifice for your sin, and then to call you all into His kingdom, that He might pour out on you the riches of His grace in ways that sinners will never fully comprehend! 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 1/29/12--Transfiguration of Our Lord (LSB 1-year)

"Hear Him!"

Matthew 17:1-9

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

It is a constant temptation to make faith into something all about ourselves, to measure and calculate it by what we get out of it. Does it make me feel good? Am I living a good enough life? Do I really love the Lord enough? Do I have enough faith? Do I tell enough people about Jesus? Does God love me because I try hard to be a good person? When we lose interest in church because we don't seem to get something out of it—because it doesn't strike an emotional chord, or because we just think it's boring—we have made religion and faith about us instead of what it really is about: Jesus. That is why the Transfiguration is so important in our time. Today we see Jesus shining in all His glory, and it reminds us that it's all about Him: who He is and what He has done for us.

When Jesus is transfigured, He talks with Moses and Elijah. Moses is the giver of the Law; Elijah is one of the great prophets. Moses and Elijah in their ministries pointed ahead to the coming Savior. To see Jesus with Moses and Elijah means that He is the One who is to fulfill all of Scriptures. And He will fulfill them by going all the way to the Jerusalem and the cross. Here on the mountain, Jesus is strengthened in His purpose of dying to save sinners. It's all in the balance. If Jesus doesn't go to Jerusalem, we're doomed. If He doesn't go to suffer and die, we have no hope. We can't hope in ourselves. Our hope and trust must be in the Son of God. If He doesn't fulfill what He came to do, there is nothing for us but to remain in our sins. But Jesus is strengthened for His mission. He is reminded once again by the Father's voice that He has come to do the will of the Father. It will be hard. It will kill Him. But He does it because He perfectly loves and obeys the Father. And He does it to rescue you from sin and death because He perfectly loves you, as well.

The Father’s voice says, “Hear Him!” Peter, ever the example of the kind of religion we like to have, wants to stay there with the shiny, happy Jesus. “Lord, let us make some shelters.” Peter wants to be where God's glory is evident and easy to see. Peter doesn't want the God who is dead on the cross; He wants the glorious one. So it is with so many Christians who worship by trying to have some feeling and somehow touch or experience God's “glory.” In many churches, worship is designed to bring about a powerful emotional experience and response. But in doing that, we've made religion about us, about how we can praise Him just a little bit better if we just feel it. But the Father corrects all that with these words: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Hear Him, because faith isn't about our emotions but about Jesus and His saving Word that gives life. So what does Jesus say? The Father says to listen to Him; and the very next words out of Jesus' mouth to the frightened disciples are, “Do not be afraid!”

When we make religion about ourselves, we're constantly trying to find a way to make ourselves feel good, worthy. But when faith is centered in Christ, His Word says, “Don't be afraid.” There is true comfort because it is the Lord who says it. He is the One who brings true peace to us by the forgiveness of sins that He accomplished for us on Calvary. This “don't be afraid” extends to the font, where the Word and water rescue us from death and the devil. It is heard in the Absolution, which tells us not to be afraid of our sins. It is spoken with the Words of Institution so that we don't fear death, for the body and blood of Jesus overcome death. It is no longer about what we can do and how we live and how we feel. It is about the promises of God Himself to be our God and defend us from all evil, even unto eternal life. The big deal isn't that we can feel good about Jesus but that Jesus saves us from sin, the world, death, and the devil’s power.

Now, after they come down from the mountain, Jesus tells His disciples not to tell anyone what they've seen until after He's been raised from the dead. But after that, Peter tells us that, because He was an eyewitness of the glory of Christ, the Word He preaches is sure. To hear St. Peter preach is to hear Christ. To hear called and ordained pastors preach is to hear Christ. The Transfiguration of Jesus means that, now that He has been raised from the dead, the Word that is preached has all of God Himself standing behind it. Peter's words in His epistle remind us that, unlike what the world would have us think, the Word we hear preached is not made up. Jesus was seen by eyewitnesses, and they have passed down His Word faithfully. “Hear Him” means to hear Jesus. And that's what the Bible is all about. That's what the Word preached in His church delivers to us.

When Jesus speaks to them, the disciples look up and see Jesus only. What a picture of our faith! Jesus only. The Transfiguration is written down for us to rescue us from a religion that is all about ourselves, to turn our hearts in faith to “see Jesus only.” Only in Him do we have the truest comfort and the voice of God Himself telling us not to be afraid. With such a Savior who is God and man, we have the unshakable promise that now, in Christ, we too are God's beloved sons. 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.

On the Radio (whoa)

On Monday afternoon, Jeff Schwarz, the producer from Issues, Etc., sent me an e-mail to ask if I'd be interested in appearing on the show. This is not the first time he's asked, and I've been on the show before. But last time I was part of a roundtable discussion on the Fifth Commandment (right click to save and listen). This time I'd be on my own, and I'd be discussing a topic about which I'd written an article for Higher Things Magazine but am no expert: Christian stewardship concerning the environment. Neither factor was particularly encouraging, but Jeff is quite persistent. So I agreed.

Though I was quite nervous--I started shaking a half-hour before and didn't stop until about an hour after--I enjoyed myself. Pastor Todd Wilken, the host, is experienced in leading his guests fairly gently, and Jeff edits segments after the fact so that guests like me son't sound too much like an idiot. I had a bunch of resources in front of me--printed passages from the Bible and Catechism, a copy of my article, and a few other useful notes and facts--so I could fall back on notes if my mind blanked. All in all, it's one of the few things I've done outside of my comfort zone that I've really enjoyed.

If you'd like to listen, right-click this link to save the audio to your computer: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/issuesetc.org/podcast/931012312H1S1.mp3

Sermon for 1/22/12--Third Sunday After Epiphany (LSB 1-year)

Audio:




Text:

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.

When a congregation installs a new pastor, they expect certain things from him. Listen again to these vows which a pastor makes at his ordination. “Do you promise that you will perform the duties of your office in accordance with these Confessions and that all your preaching and teaching and your administration of the Sacraments will be in conformity with Holy Scripture and with these Confessions?” “Will you faithfully instruct both young and old in the chief articles of Christian doctrine, will you forgive the sins of those who repent, and will you promise never to divulge the sins confessed to you? Will you minister faithfully to the sick and dying? Will you demonstrate to the Church a constant and ready ministry centered in the Gospel? Will you admonish and encourage the people to a lively confidence in Christ and in holy living?” “Finally, will you honor and adorn the office of the holy ministry with a holy life? Will you be diligent in the study of Holy Scripture and the Confessions? And will you be constant in prayer for those under your pastoral care?” And with the help of God, the pastor answers, “I will.” These are weighty promises, and while Christians understand that their pastors are sinful men and thus will not always perfectly keep the promises they have made, they rightly expect their pastor to hold his life and his doctrine and practice to a high standard.

Like the centurion, a pastor has to understand authority. On the one hand he is called upon to speak in the stead of Christ when it comes to the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments. Your pastor speaks; and with the authority of Christ in his hands and mouth, sin and death and the power of the devil have no choice but to depart. On the other hand he is a servant of the congregation when it comes to temporal matters. When a member is sick and in the hospital, your pastor is duty-bound to visit that member and pray for him and bring him the comfort of the Word.

Whether you like it or not, your pastor is required to remain faithful to the Word. He is under the authority of the congregation, surely; but he also speaks with the authority of Christ when it comes to His Word and Sacraments. He cannot deviate from that message. He must not drift with the currents of popularity. You may roll your eyes when, for example, your pastor harps on the frequency of Holy Communion or your daily return to Holy Baptism through repentance and faith; but when he does so, he is only doing what you have Called him to do: to speak of the gifts of God to you, to teach you regarding the benefits of those gifts, and to exhort you to the frequent reception of those gifts. You don’t like to hear that you’re a sinner, do you? You don’t like to hear that you need something you cannot get on your own. You don’t like to be convicted of your sinfulness. The preaching of the law is not a popular message; but that’s precisely why Christian congregations extend the divine call to a man whom Christ has set apart as His hands and mouth: so that he may say the unpopular thing, so he may tell you that you are a sinner, so that he may tell you of your need for the gifts of God. He has no choice. But then, when you approach in repentance and faith, it is also his duty to administer to you the forgiveness of your sins.

What is true of your pastor is also true of Jesus. When he praises the faith of the centurion, Jesus is not just praising the man for understanding that He didn’t need to enter the man’s house to heal his servant. He was also praising the man for understanding that the One with the authority to heal from a distance, the One to whom will be given all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus Himself, is also under authority. The Old Testament set forth the manner in which the Messiah would act. He would preach the Word. He would make the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the leper to be cleansed, and the dead to rise. The Messiah would be recognized by His actions. Jesus had no choice but to act as He did, for He had placed himself under the authority of His own Word!

What a blessing for you! For the obedience Messiah don’t stop with the blessings of the body. Hear what the Apostle Paul said to the Philippians: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus was the One promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden, the One who would crush the head of the serpent, the One who would redeem fallen man. He allowed Himself to be bruised, to be crucified and put to death, bearing your sins to the death you deserved. And then, as the Old Testament foretold and even ordered, Jesus rose again, bearing you up with Him to new life in the waters of Holy Baptism.

This very day you approach the altar to receive the body and blood of the obedient Christ. Some of you may have learned during your catechism instruction to say this pray as you approach the altar: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” This is a salutary prayer, and it is one which Jesus delights to answer in the affirmative. And it is not only His delight to grant you that blessing; it is also His duty, for He can do nothing else but bless those who approach Him boldly in faith. Do not be afraid; ask, and He will give. And when He gives, your soul will be healed. 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 1/15/12--Second Sunday After Epiphany (LSB 1-year)

My apologies for the lousy audio. This time it's because my voice was nearly gone!

Audio:




Text:

Both Body and Soul

John 2:1-12

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

Jesus turned water into wine. Why didn’t Jesus simply make wine out of nothing? Why did He take a substance that was already there and use it to make something new and different? Though it’s not easy to know the mind of God, God certainly knows the mind of man. If Jesus had created wine out of nothing, it would be all to easy for sinners to question whether or not He really had any authority over the created realm. Some might have questioned whether or not the substance was real. Others might have doubted that anything had been done at all, that it was all an illusion, or even a scam! But the unquestioned physical character of the water from which He made the wine meant that the wine itself was real. Why does it matter? It matters because Jesus here reveals that He has authority and power not only over spiritual things but over material things as well. His work is real; it involves real people and real things.

We are now in the season of the Epiphany, the time of the revealing of Jesus as the One who was promised, that One who would come to redeem this world from sin and death, and all of their consequences. Epiphany and Christmas, just past, fit together like a hand and glove. The baby born in Bethlehem was a real, live, baby boy. He did not just “appear” to be human, as one of the ancient heresies of the Church claimed. He did not come merely in the guise of a man. Remember what John wrote: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.”

God has become a Man--a real flesh and blood Man. He has taken our poor human flesh from the womb of His virgin mother and has filled it with His glorious divinity. Just as He did with the water, so has He done with our flesh. The glory that is truly His is something we will here about again, in a few weeks, on the Sunday of the Transfiguration. But do not forget this: the body that He took to Himself, the flesh that He made His own from the womb of Mary, that same body, although purified and glorified, is still a real, human body. Our salvation is not just “spiritual.” The salvation our Lord Jesus has won for us will affect our bodies as well.

To be a human being is to be a person who exists as both soul and body. Jesus did not come merely to save “souls.” He came to save persons, those who are both soul and body. Jesus Christ took upon Himself real, live, genuine human flesh from His virgin mother. In Jesus Christ, God the Word united Himself with our flesh, becoming one flesh with us. This is very much like the union that occurs when a bridegroom unites himself with his bride and becomes one with her. For Christ Himself has a Bride, one which He has purchased with His own blood, one to whom He has given His Holy Spirit as a pledge of His faithfulness, a gift of His love. For God the Son is the Bridegroom, and we who are flesh, freed from all sin through Him, are His Bride. And both together are united in Him.

Jesus Christ has done all of this that He might take away the shame and stain of our sin, and present us to Himself as a glorious Bride, free of all spot and blemish. He has put away our sin, first, by His holy conception and birth, for the flesh of our Bridegroom, although it is fully and completely human, is also pure and unstained by any personal sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Bridegroom and Husband. He has laid down His life for the Church. And He has blessed the holy estate of marriage in this world as a sacramental picture of the mystery of the life of the world to come. Marriage is a divine institution into which God promises to pour His abundant blessing upon those who live in that state of marriage faithfully. St. Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish… For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.”

It is right and proper, therefore, that Christian weddings be times of holy joy and celebration. A Christian wedding is a picture of the marriage feast of the Lamb! The Scriptures picture heaven as an ongoing feast. As Christians we gather at the altar for a feast given by God, a feast at which the Bridegroom Himself, the Lamb of God, is both the host and the food. It is a foretaste of the feast to come. This feast is the one our Bridegroom has given for our celebration now, as we await what He will yet give us.

Jesus turned water into wine. He took ordinary means and through His Word made that everyday substance into something extraordinary. He did the same thing in Holy Baptism, where He puts His Word in the water to make it a life-giving and life-sustaining flood to drown the old, sinful Adam and wash away your sins. Thanks be to God, for in His flesh Jesus reveals that He has power over all things—the spiritual and the physical—and in His miracle at Cana, He reveals that His love guides Him to use that power for the good of His people both now and 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 1/8/12--Epiphany I/Baptism of Our Lord (LSB 1-year)

Audio (sorry about the distortion):




Text:

Christ Is in the Water

Matthew 3:13-17

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

John the Baptist had been sent from God to prepare the way of Christ. To do this, he was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John said to those who were coming out to him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance." Certainly not a very popular message, but it was one that needed to be spoken. Only through true repentance would the people be made ready to receive the Messiah. They were full of self-righteousness and worldliness and corruption. They needed to be brought to their knees through the preaching of wrath so that they might be lifted up through the preaching of the Gospel and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

John's message is also for you still today. The spiritual condition of mankind hasn't changed. At heart you are no different than those Israelites of old. You are by nature children of the evil one, filled with His poison. Now, your old Adam doesn't like to hear that sort of preaching. When your pastor speaks that way, your sinful nature says, "Come on, I'm not that bad. Sure, I'm not perfect, but who is? Compared to other people, I think I'm doing OK." Fallen man is so shrouded in deceit that God has to reveal the way things really are. And so John's message of repentance still rings out. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

And, indeed, it is at hand, for the King of the kingdom of heaven reveals Himself at the Jordan River. The Messiah shows Himself publicly. But then He asks John to baptize Him! Now why would He do that? After all, John's baptism was for sinners, and Jesus is sinless. What’s going on here? The answer to that question comes from the exchange that is recorded between John and Jesus. John tried to stop Jesus by saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to Me?" But Jesus persuaded him: "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." In other words, Jesus was saying, "This is what must be done to fulfill the righteous plan of My Father who sent Me. I must be counted among the sinners and become one with them to make them holy."

At His baptism, then, Jesus was showing forth His unity with fallen man. Not only did our Lord humble Himself to take on your flesh and be born of a Virgin, but now He takes the next step. In the water He stands with you and absorbs into Himself the curse of your sin. He goes so far as to take your place and put Himself into your bondage so that He might burst the bars of your captivity and conquer your satanic captor. As Isaiah prophesied, God's Servant Jesus will "bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house." Thus, our Lord's Baptism and His holy cross are connected. He is there as your substitute. Your sin becomes His sin; His righteousness becomes your righteousness. He trades places with you to set you free from the power of death and to give you His everlasting life.

This is why we hold baptism in such high regard. This is why it is such a powerful act of God: our Lord Jesus has put Himself into it! He who paid the penalty for our sins on the cross has sanctified the water with His real presence. Christ is in the water to make baptism a fountain of grace and forgiveness and life. There are those who hold baptism in low esteem and consider it to be a mere ceremony or human act of dedication. And so the Small Catechism poses the question, "How can water do such great things?" The answer: "Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water." The presence of Jesus in the water makes baptism a life-giving, faith creating event. He who needed no baptism put Himself into the River in order that your baptism would be a holy cleansing.

Since Jesus stood with you in the Jordan, and since you are joined to Him by water and the Word, what took place here in the Gospel is true also for you. It is recorded that when Jesus had been baptized, He came up immediately from the water and the heavens were opened to Him. So also heaven has been opened to you who entered baptismal waters with Him. The pathway that once was closed has now been cleared for you through Christ the Mediator. For He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Just as Israel crossed the Jordan to enter into the Promised Land, so now you cross the Jordan with the Lord Jesus to enter the promised land of life with God in heaven.

When the Father saw His Son humbly and willingly taking on the task of becoming the Redeemer of the world, His voice came from heaven declaring, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Meanwhile, the Spirit descended like a dove. All three persons of the Trinity were revealed at this momentous event. So also this same threefold God was present to put His name on you as you were baptized; and as you came out of the water, the Father's voice declared, "You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased." At the holy font you truly were incorporated into Christ's body, made to be the temple of His Spirit. Having been washed, you have become part of the divine family, children of the heavenly Father, with whom He is truly well-pleased. Paul wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." No longer are you the offspring of the devil. You are sons of God in Christ, forgiven and redeemed and holy children.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Jordan River is found for you in the holy font of baptism; and our Lord continues to dwell in those waters. Return daily to your baptism through repentance and faith in Christ. Do not stray far from these holy waters, for Jesus Christ is present there. And in these waters is the forgiveness of your sins and 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.

Now available in print (aka BUY MY BOOK!!!)

I participated in National Novel Writing Month for the first time in 2007. I'd always wanted to write a novel, and I'd even made a few abortive attempts in my younger days. But if I was going to actually complete a novel, I knew I couldn't just sit down and write one. So I went into NaNoWriMo with a plan. I'd spent my free time the previous three months writing character profiles, making detailed setting descriptions and sketches, and formulating chapter lists and chapter outlines. Even with all that planning, it still surprised me when, at the end of November, I emerged with over 50,000 words and an almost-complete first draft of a novel.

I spent a lot of time over the next four years looking at a pile of papers. I would take a pen to it every so often to proofread and edit, but for long stretches it just sat there. I didn't really foresee a market for it, as the novel itself is very Lutheran, and the Lutheran publishing house associated with my church body doesn't really publish much in the way of fiction; and with all the Lutheran apologetics that made its way into the novel, I just didn't see anyone else wanting to publish it. I did some vague explorations into the realm of self-publishing, but I decided at first that I didn't want to go that route. I was worried about formatting the pages. I was worried about assembling the files. I was worried about a cover picture. And, to be honest, I was worried that it just plain sucked.

But when I once again successfully navigated NaNoWriMo this past November and wrote book two, a sequel to the 2007 novel, I decided it was time to give self-publishing another look. I took some preliminary steps, asked some proofreader friends to take a look at what I had, and gave the novel another long, hard look.

Today, for the first time, my novel is in print! Love Divine, book one in the "Thy Strong Word" trilogy, has been called a "reluctant love story". It is the tale of a single Lutheran pastor and a young widow who meet when neither of them is expecting a relationship. He's content with his life as it is; she has finally found peace nearly three years after the death of her husband. How will their lives and vocations be affected when God brings them together? How will Justin's congregation react to their pastor's new social life? How will Beth overcome the guilt she feels in moving on with her life?

If you would like to learn the answers to these questions, consider purchasing a copy by clicking on this link. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Sermon for 12/25/11--The Nativity of Our Lord (LSB 1-year)

The Word Became Flesh

John 1:1-14

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

Where is the Lord? How shall we find Him? Where do we go to receive Him? Many people search for God and go from here to there, from one religion to another, from one dose of “spirituality” to another, looking for whatever they think God is. And they don't find Him because they are not going to the place He Himself has promised He will be. The Lord is always where He promises to be. In the incarnation, the conception and birth of Jesus, God has come to us, and He does so in a way that is not difficult to receive: He has come in the flesh, as one of us.

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel camped at Mt. Sinai and the Lord was upon that mountain in smoke and fire. Yet the children of Israel couldn't stay there forever. They were bound for the land promised years before to their father Abraham. And the Lord would go with them. So Moses was commanded to make a tabernacle, a great big tent that could be put up and taken down. When the cloud of the Lord's glory stopped, the tabernacle was set up and the Lord's glory filled the Tabernacle. Whenever Moses would speak to the Lord and the Lord to Moses, it happened in the Tabernacle. There He was, the Lord, right there where there was no mistaking Him. If you wanted to find the true God who made the heavens and the earth, you went to the Tabernacle, and there the priests would intercede for you. But there was no mistaking that the Lord was there, in that spot. The Lord cannot be contained in one spot, of course. He fills heaven and earth. Yet, by His Word, He promised to be where the Tabernacle was; and the people who worshiped there were His people. But the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, as it was called, was only a shadow of things to come. The fulfillment of what the Tabernacle showed came in Christ.

St. John wrote, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” But what he is literally saying is this: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” There is an important connection here. The same Lord who has come to His people in fire and smoke and cloud in the tabernacle now comes to us as one of us: in the flesh—in a specific place, a particular spot. Born of woman. “No one has seen the Father,” John wrote, “but He who was in the bosom of the Father has made Him known.” It is Jesus who reveals the heart of the Father to us. God, who pours out His judgment upon sinners, shows us in Christ that that judgment will instead fall upon His Son, so that those who are in Christ are now beloved of the Father. So the question is: Where is God? Where do we find the Lord? The answer: In Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, born of the virgin Mary. The celebration of Christmas is a celebration of the Lord Himself coming to us! And in that flesh, Jesus comes to live our life, perfectly obedient to the Father. He comes to die our death, suffering on the cross for our sins.

If all of our salvation is in Jesus, then where do I go to receive Jesus? Many will acknowledge that Jesus is God; but then, as we heard last Sunday, not all those who look for the Christ know how to find Him. So where is He? Many religions and preachers turn it back into something we must do, to figure it out for ourselves. They put Jesus in all kinds of places except the places He has said He would be. But Jesus comes to us. He is present in this place, His church; for He promises to be present where two or three are gathered in His name. He comes to you in the waters of Holy Baptism, and He continues to come to you in the Word of Holy Absolution and in His own body and blood. His own words tell you. “Go and baptize all nations.” “Whosoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven.” “Take, eat; this is my body; take, drink; this is my blood.” With these words and promises, the Lord tells us right where He'll be: in His church, where the ministry of the Gospel and Sacraments is carried out faithfully and in accord with His Word. The Word became flesh; and it does not stop being flesh. He has taken on a body for all eternity, and He gives us that very flesh and blood which was born in Bethlehem and nailed to a cross and rose from the dead—that very flesh to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins. That means when someone asks, “Well, where is God?” you can say boldly and with confidence, “God is in the flesh in Jesus, and Jesus is in the church where the font and the altar are full of Jesus and His gifts.”

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us; and He continues to dwell among us. He's physically and eternally present in His church through His Word and Baptism and Supper. No longer do you flail about in the darkness, looking for the Light. He's right where He said He would be: present as He promised in the means of grace. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us—and we know right where He is for our salvation. 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 12/18/11--Fourth Sunday in Advent (LSB 1-year)

The Season of Light

John 1:19-28

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


At the time of John the Baptist, many were in the dark. Oh, they knew that God had promised to send Light to His people. They knew that the same God who had led His people in the desert with a pillar of fire by night had also promised to bring light to those walking in darkness. And with His promise was also His admonition, as spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” The priests and Levites knew light was coming, but still they were in the dark. For one thing, they did not know when it was coming. But at the same time, they really did not understand what that Light was. And so, when it did come, they did not see it.

One of the tragic things about people walking in darkness is that many of them do not even realize their condition. It is like dressing yourself in the dark. Can you imagine what you would look like when you had no idea what clothes you were putting on? And yet, that is how we must look to God; people whose spiritual appearance reveals the darkness of our sin. Most people do not even realize this spiritually embarrassing situation. They are perfectly content to live in sin and ignorance, unaware of the will of God. They feel no need for light because they don’t know they’re in darkness.

Even you who know the Lord slip into this realm of darkness. You shun the light of God, and live for yourselves rather than for Him. You neglect Him in every day things, where too often the darkness of the world begins to overwhelm your faint reflections of the Light. You stand more like flickering candles about to be extinguished than as beacons guiding others to the Light of Christ. It is no wonder that John the Baptist, who came to bear witness to the true Light, also came with a message of repentance. The light of Christ exposes your deeds of darkness.

Of course, knowing that you need the light does not guarantee that you can find the switch that turns it on. Here is where the priests and Levites had their problem. They were looking for the Light, but could not find it. “Who are you,” they asked John? “Are you the Christ?" John humbly gave His answer: "No." He was not any of those; but he added, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.” The same ones who came looking for light missed it. And they would continue to miss it. Jesus, who gave sight to the blind, who said so clearly, “I am the Light of the world,” who would be put to death in a world and on a day noted for supernatural darkness; this Jesus was condemned by these men who were looking for the Light! How easy it is to miss the true Light by pursuing any number of false but flashy lights: the bright lights of materialism and the brilliant light of pride. And yet, how many today either miss or misunderstand the Light of God; and as a result, they miss the whole purpose of this season of light. Thank God that man’s light is completely overshadowed by the true Light of the world.

Thank God for John and the witness he gave to that Light who gives light to all men; for you cannot find it on your own. You need someone to show you the light, to turn it on for you. John’s witness comes to you once again in this Advent season. John points you directly to who that Light is: God’s true and only Son, who came to die bearing your sins, who came to redeem you from the power of darkness, who suffered the darkest depths of hell in your place, and who rose in glory to give His light and life to all the world.

When you come confessing your sin, when you admit that you are walking in darkness, then suddenly and wondrously the light comes on, and you see your Savior, Christ the Lord. You behold a baby in a manger, but you understand that this crib of Christmas will find its meaning fulfilled only in the cross of Calvary. This child has come to die for you, so that you need not suffer the darkness of death. You are led out of darkness into His marvelous light.

When the light of Christ is turned on, the world changes. You see your entire life in a new way. No longer do you need to live in a world of fear, for your sins have been forgiven and the power of Satan has been crushed. No longer do you need to grope about in the darkness, fumbling around in a futile search to find purpose amidst the confusion of life. For you have seen the true light. God has shown you the Truth. With eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, you can walk confidently in faith through your life on this earth to the everlasting light of heaven.

This is the season of light. You know the One true Light is coming; and you shall see Him in the full revelation of the glory of that Baby, a Savior who is Christ the Lord, whom we shall meet in the light of heaven, where we will live in His light forever. “Come, let us walk in the light of the 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 12/11/11--Third Sunday in Advent (LSB 1-year)

“Should We Expect Another?”

Matthew 11:2-11

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


Without a doubt, John the Baptist is the strangest figure in the New Testament. Outfitted in a suit of camel hair and living off a diet of grasshoppers dipped in honey, nothing was ordinary about John the Baptist. Even his birth was unusual. His parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were well past the age of parenting. They had prayed for a child but none had been given. Then one day, when Zechariah was taking his turn performing his priestly liturgy in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son. Like Elijah of old, the son that was to be born to this old couple would be filled with the Holy Spirit and he would turn many to the way of the Lord. In time this angelic word was fulfilled as Elizabeth gave birth to a little boy named John.

John would grow into manhood, and in time, in God's time, he would appear in the wilderness surrounding the Jordan River preaching and baptizing, calling all Israel to repentance and faith in the Messiah whose coming he announced. John the Baptist was a servant of a Christ, a faithful steward of the mysteries of God. As Paul says of preachers in today's epistle, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." John was faithful in the task that the Lord God had given him. He preached a sermon that was not popular. It can be summed up in a single sentence: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." John did not flinch in this preaching. To preach repentance is to name sin for what it. John proclaimed the law of God that calls the Pharisee, the Sadducee, even Herod—and you—to repentance. It was politically incorrect for John to expose Herod's adultery and ultimately it would cost him his life. Nevertheless, John the Baptist preached that Word to high and low alike. That was his calling, his office.

For John, as for all genuine preachers, the law was preached in service of the gospel. The law was preached to lead sinners to repentance, that is, to kill in them any thought that they could right themselves before God. John was a gospel preacher. He proclaimed the Christ, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. John's whole life was spent in the service of this Christ. Of Him, John said, "He must increase and I must decrease." So it was that as the brightness of Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, dawned on this sin-darkened world, John the Baptist faded into the shadows. He was not the light. He came only to bear witness to the light. That was fine for John. He had no need to call attention to himself, to gain any kind of personal prestige or prominence. He was willing to be spent and consumed for the sake of making Christ known. And soon he was consumed. John's faithfulness landed him in jail. Soon he would be put to death for his faithful service to Christ.

John sent his disciples to question Jesus: "Are You the Coming One, or should we expect another?" In response, our Lord points to the messianic signs. "Go and tell John the things that you hear and see: The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." John’s preaching has not been in vain. Jesus is the Messiah. There is no other.

Is this the Jesus you’ve come here to seek this morning? Are you here because this Jesus can cure your depression, your poverty, your cancer, your humiliation? Jesus can do all these things. But is that all you want from him? John sent his disciples to Jesus to calm them of their doubts and fears. They had not followed John in vain, for John led them to Jesus. But look at how Jesus builds it up for them: the blind see, the lame walk—He cures the body. The lepers are cleaned, the deaf hear—He cleanses the body of things that make it spiritually unclean. The dead are raised, and the poor hear the Gospel—He gives life. This is the Jesus who comes to you this day. Not only does He remove your physical ailments—for those are but the wages of sin. He also cures your spiritual ailments, and in the waters of Baptism He raises you to new and eternal life with Him.

Jesus says, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." Those words spoken by our Lord to John are also for you. Your blessedness comes not by way of human approval, but through faith in Jesus Christ. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to Father but by Me." The world judges that truth claim to be the highest form of intolerance. So Christians are branded as narrow-minded bigots. Those who claim to be so tolerant become very intolerant of the confession of Jesus. Jesus Christ is still the cause of offense.

"Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." You who were dead in your sin have been raised with Christ through Holy Baptism to new life, eternal life in Christ. By the faith you were given in Holy Baptism, you cling to the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. You who were silent before the Lord have been given the words to confess His holy name and to sing His praises. Your blind eyes have been opened to see your Lord, present in this holy meal. You who in sin were lame, unable to approach the Father, have been healed so that you may approach this altar. Expect no one else, for in this meal you receive the Christ who comes to you in His body and blood. 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 12/4/11--Second Sunday in Advent (LSB 1-year)

Signs

Luke 21:25-36

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

The Lord is coming back any time now. Don’t expect your pastor to speculate as to the exact date, but the Lord is coming again in glory, and He is coming soon. If you doubt it, just listen to these words: “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.” Now look around you. Look at the skies. Back in September, scientists observed two massive X-class solar flares. A total lunar eclipse occurred in June, and another is actually due to happen this weekend. Once again this past month we saw in our skies the annual Leonids meteor shower. And then look at the world around you. The world’s economy is in a nightmare state. Wars continue across the world. The tsunami in April devastated Japan, taking the lives of nearly 16,000 people, damaging or destroying 125,000 buildings, and causing explosions in at least three nuclear reactors.

So now that you’ve seen the signs, it’s time to speculate concerning the day and the hour in which the Lord will return—and that way you can know the exact moment when you should repent of your sins and make your peace with God; and in the meantime you can live exactly the way you want—right? You know better than that, of course. There are really two things that distract from Christ's return and hinder preparation. On the one hand, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the pursuits of the flesh that it seems like it doesn’t matter if Christ is coming. It’s easy to live as if there is no Last Day, no fearful judgment upon sin on that day. On the other hand, the cares of this life can be a heavy burden, and it’s hard to believe that there will be an end to all these trials when the Lord appears the final time. Either way, we live as if there is no Last Day, no Lord who is coming back to judge.

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Right there, Jesus has given you the answer. Everything around you is passing away. Some people live as if this life is it, and they decide to live as if there's no tomorrow. Some are so worried about the end of all things, they try to make themselves ready. But Christ gives us the answer: His Word never passes away. It's simple, really: heaven and earth will pass away. Christ's Word does not pass away. What about you? Brothers and sisters in Christ, you have His Word. You cannot pass away. You cannot perish. You cannot be destroyed. The Word of Christ spoken with water at the font means you will outlive the passing away of this earth and heaven. The Word of Holy Absolution spoken to you means you will not pass away with the unrepentant masses who despise Christ and His salvation. The Body and Blood of Christ Himself are your sure promise that since Christ can't pass away, neither can you.

Last Sunday we began our observation of Advent with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Advent begins with Palm Sunday to remind you that Christ came to die for you. You have Palm Sunday; and then five days later you have Good Friday. In Advent we have Palm Sunday and then a week later the end of the world. The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, put these readings together to connect in your mind that the Last Day, Judgment Day, can never be separated from Good Friday. On Good Friday, on the cross, the sins of the world were judged, and the wrath of the righteous God poured out on Jesus. On that day, the sun was darkened and the earth shook, and it probably seemed like the end of the world. That's because the End of the World, Judgment Day, happened that day at the cross. There, on Calvary, The Son of Man was there in all His glory, saving you. When you think of Judgment, the Last Day and the End of the World, think first of all of Good Friday. Think of Christ suffering the judgment against your sins. Only with this Good News that your Savior has shed His blood for you can you truly lift up your heads and rejoice on the Last Day when He does come again.

Where Christ is present in His Word, Judgment Day has no power to terrify. The Last Day cannot bring fear to those who know their Savior has already undergone Judgment Day. But apart from Christ, apart from His Word, there is nothing but fear. In Christ, Judgment Day has already come; outside of Christ, Judgment Day is still coming. In Christ, the Day is joyfully anticipated; outside of Christ, that Day comes like a thief. Jesus tells you, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” How do you watch? How do you pray? The Lord invites you to this place, where you can confess your sins and hear the Good News that the Judgment upon those sins has already been placed on Him. He invites you to come to this altar and receive His body and blood in the Holy Supper, a foretaste of the eternal heavenly wedding feast that awaits all those whom He has made worthy and who cling to Him by faith.

The signs of the Last Days are all around. The world is going to pieces. Wars, rumors of wars, plagues, famine, and all sorts of natural disasters are all around. The nations are in chaos. You are living in the last days before the Lord returns. But you do not need to fear or despair. Lift up your heads, for your redemption is near. Right before your Lord comes to you in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, you hear, “Lift up your hearts!” And now you lift up your heads, for He will soon appear on the clouds with great glory. And that will be the day of rejoicing, the day of the end of all misery and woe. Your Lord is coming, and He Himself has prepared you by giving you His Word which will never pass away. And because you have been raised with Him in Holy Baptism, you won’t pass away, either. 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.