Sermon for 3/17/21: Midweek Lent 4 (Hymns of Lent series)

 

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the service video.

 

Glory Be to Jesus
I Peter 1:13-21

 

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

 

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!

 

In speaking about sacrifices made upon the altar, the Lord said to Moses, “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” For this reason, the Jews were not to eat any blood. Blood has always been an important matter for the people of God, even from the first murder in human history. When Cain kills his brother Abel out of jealousy, the Lord tells Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” Blood is never silent, because blood is a living thing, and living things speak to the One who made them. With perhaps some poetic license our hymn writer tells us:

 

Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies…

 

Now, Scripture doesn’t actually tell us what the blood of Abel said to God. We don’t know if Abel’s blood wanted vengeance, or if it just told God it was there. Even so, we know God heard it, and we know God punished Cain harshly for shedding his brother’s blood.

           The descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who were gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Passover knew the power of blood. The Passover they were in Jerusalem to celebrate was a celebration of the blood of the Passover lamb. The lamb’s blood marked their homes as the homes of the children of Israel; seeing that blood, the angel of death would spare the firstborn sons of Israel. They knew the power of blood, and they wanted to see it spill from the One who was sent to be their King. They wanted to spill the blood of the true Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. They should have paused before crying out, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Because blood has power; “The life of the flesh is in the blood…”

           But God hears prayers and answers them. The people wanted the blood of Jesus to spill on them, and God made sure the people got what they wanted. Fortunately, He doesn’t always answer them the way we mean them to be answered. The hymn writers tells us:

 

           ...The blood of Jesus

           For our pardon cries.

 

The blood of Jesus echoed His words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” The blood of Jesus cries out to the Father for our deliverance, because that’s what Jesus came to do: He came to die for us, bearing our sins upon the cross. Then He rose from the dead to win new life for us. And then He ascended into heaven, where He intercedes for us before the Father. For “you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” The blood of Jesus is powerful. The blood of Jesus is your life.

 

Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!

 

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream…

 

And now that the blood of Christ is upon you, that blood also speaks to you. Jesus says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Only by the holiness of Christ that pours down upon us from his cross can we ever do what God demands. Only through the blood of Christ upon us can we be sober regarding the things of this world and the things of God. Only through the blood of Christ upon us do we obey God and mortify our dying flesh. Only through the blood of Christ upon us can we rest our hope in His grace. Only through the blood of Christ upon us do we dare fear, love, or trust Him.

Through the death of Christ upon the cross, we die to ourselves and live by the holiness of Christ. As His baptized, blood-bought people, His blood continues to be powerful for us, feeding us with forgiveness and life as we receive that blood into our mouths in the Holy Supper. And so we give thanks to God for the holiness and the life He has given us, which we bear in the blood-marked crosses upon our foreheads and upon our hearts—now during Lent and throughout our earthly days.

Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious 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 3/14/21: Fourth Sunday in Lent

 

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Living Bread

John 6:1-15

 

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

 

 After God had delivered the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, they spent forty years traveling around the wilderness. They would have soon died in that barren wasteland, except that God miraculously provided food for them: bread from heaven. Each morning they awoke to find the ground covered with “manna.” And God sustained them by this bread until they entered the promised land. Here in the Gospel according to St. John, Jesus compares Himself to this manna, and He says that it was actually a sign of His coming. “I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven,” He said. “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Jesus is the Bread of God on which we feed through faith, a Bread that nourishes and sustains us in this world, a bread which gives us a portion of eternal life in the Promised Land of heaven. So when we hear of this miracle of the feeding of the 5000 in which Jesus multiplies the bread for His followers, we know that the significance of this miracle goes beyond the earthly bread. Ultimately it has to do with Jesus.

Looking out over the multitudes who had come to Him, Jesus asked His disciple Philip: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” And, with a hopeless feeling, Philip answered that two hundred days wages would not buy enough bread to feed all these people. In other words, there was no possible way to provide for such a crowd. But, as John tells us of Jesus: “This He said to test him…” Jesus asked this question as a way of driving home the point that the Bread of Life, the bread He has come to offer, cannot be bought or bargained for. No, this is Bread that God freely offers in His Word and Sacraments. It is Bread that brings forgiveness and salvation without cost to us. These things cannot be earned or merited by our goodness; they can only be received as a gift from Him. Only one who acknowledges his spiritual bankruptcy before God, who recognizes that he does not deserve God’s eternal gifts, can receive the Bread of Life. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those who would try to buy their way into heaven, so to speak, bargaining with their own works and spiritual qualifications, will not be given life from this Living Bread, for they seek a righteousness of their own. Only those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ will be satisfied.

How did Jesus meet the need before Him? One of His disciples, Andrew, said to Him: “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” On the surface it appeared that this bread and fish would be useless to feed so many people—something like the criticism one occasionally hears about the Sacrament of the Altar: “What good can a little bread and wine do?” some say. But with Jesus it was more than enough to do the job. What matters is not the impressiveness of the elements, but the Lord Himself, and what He is able to do with those elements.

 “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” Here is the great miracle: as the disciples handed out the food given to them by Christ, there was always more to give. The more they handed out, the more there was. And thousands were fed, and the food never ran out. Indeed, everyone ate their fill. Is this not also how it is with all the gifts of God? He gives them; we partake of them and use them; and their blessing is multiplied…and there is still more. In this regard, consider the Holy Sacrament that is offered to us on this Lord’s Day. In bread and wine, the Lord multiplies His body and blood, and through His ministers He distributes them to His people, that you may receive all that you want of Him who is the Living Bread from heaven, that your souls may be thoroughly satisfied. And there is always more of this Bread of Life to be given out. For His gifts of forgiveness and life are limitless and eternal. The love of our Lord is an ever-expanding love; the more that He gives, the more that He has to give.

So when you come to the Lord’s table in repentance and faith, you need never fear that the sin you bring is greater than the Lord’s ability to deal with, for His mercy is without measure. When you receive the Living Bread from heaven in the Sacrament, you receive the fullness of Christ’s life and forgiveness. And there is always more. As Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” Truly, Jesus is the Living Bread from heaven, given to you.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the feeding of the 5000 is not merely a temporary, one-time miracle. It is an eternal miracle that is still going on in the Church. God grant you faith to receive Him who is the “manna” from above, that having been fed with Living Bread, you, too, will be nourished unto 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.

Sermon for 3/10/21: Midweek Lent 3 (Hymns of Lent II)

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CLICK HERE to view the sermon video. Sorry about the blur. I must be preaching too fast. *wink*

We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died
I John 4:7-11

 

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

 

            “Beloved, let us love one another…” The word “love” is tossed about all too frequently, and with all too many meanings these days. For the worldly-minded, love is mainly about that touchy-feeling emotion which reaches its pinnacle in Hallmark movies or in the physical release experienced by any two people—and sometimes more than two people. And in the eyes of the world, anything that is called “love” cannot be a bad thing, even if it is harmful to the spiritual wellbeing of those who engage in it. It doesn’t matter if a couple lives together or participates in the act of procreation outside of marriage; after all, the individuals love each other, and love can’t be wrong. When a couple who has been having sex becomes pregnant, regardless of marital status, subsequently decides to abort their unborn child, this murder is viewed as an act of love; after all, what kind of future can there be for an unwanted child? And since “God is love,” certainly—if He exists—He must approve these acts which are performed in the name of love.

For couples who are contemplating marriage or for couples who are experiencing marital difficulties, I frequently discuss love in terms in commitment and hard work, because the touchy-feely emotions come and go in even the most loving of couples. In this, I think our forefathers had a certain wisdom in arranging marriages. When two young people are brought together under the banner of commitment, love often grows; when the emotion is what brings two people together, as Don Henley sang, “Sometimes love just ain’t enough.”

When it comes down to it, true love has to do with serving others, with putting the welfare of others above self. Suddenly, “love,” which we believed was just an emotion, becomes a verb, a “doing word.” And that’s well-nigh impossible for us, because we are not wired to be selfless. We are always looking for what we have coming to us, our fair share. If love has to do with what we do for our neighbor instead of what we feel, then suddenly it’s not okay to give in to the lusts of the flesh; suddenly it’s not okay to act only in your own best interest.

With that definition before our eyes, it makes sense when the Apostle John writes, “God is love.” The cross is the ultimate sign of love for the people of God. Nowhere in all the history of creation has love been demonstrated as clearly as in the crucifixion of Jesus. The sinless Son of God dies the death of sinners, the innocent Lamb becoming the Sacrifice to pay the price of the sins of the world.

 

Inscribed upon the cross we see
In shining letters, "God is love."
He bears our sins upon the tree;
He brings us mercy from above.

 

It is true love which brings our Lord to bear the burden of the debt of sin. He certainly didn’t hang on the cross for His own sake. He didn’t need to die. Death is the wages of sin, and someone who doesn’t earn a debt doesn’t have to pay it back. But He chooses to lay down His life anyway. He chooses to love His neighbor—He chooses to love you—even more than He loves Himself.

“God is love.” This truth is central to the Gospel. Since God is love, everything He does, He does out of love. He gives us His holy Law out of love, so that we know how to live in a manner which pleases Him. And, knowing that we would fail to keep the Law, in His great love He promised a Savior, One who would keep the Law perfectly in all its strenuous demands, One who would bear the sins of the world, One who would die the death of sin. Jesus tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” And nowhere else is this so evident than in our Lord’s suffering and death for us and for our salvation. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

In response to this great love from the God who is love, we rejoice to show love in two ways. First:

 

We sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the cross.

 

And in addition to rejoicing in this love we receive from God, as John tells us: “Beloved, let us love one another.” Yes, that love starts with His love for us. But in the love He gives to us, He also sets you free to love your neighbor. And where you fail to show that love, He also gives you the freedom to confess your sins and be forgiven time and time again.

As we continue on this journey to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us give Him thanks and praise, for He has perfectly loved His Father in perfect obedience to the Law, and He has perfectly loved His neighbor in giving the benefits of that obedience to us. No greater love has ever been given. No greater love has ever been shown.

 

To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.

 

In the name of the Father and of the (†) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

 

Sermon for 3/7/21: Third Sunday in Lent

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Demons Believe; Do We?
Luke 11:14-28

 

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

 

In our sophisticated age, we are uncomfortable discussing such things as demon-possession. But Scripture is certainly not. And while we may not wish to ascribe it to demon-possession, we have known of those whose minds and bodies were so completely controlled by Satan that all human efforts to escape that control were futile. Only the power of God can break those shackles.

In our day, we may not see the kind of possession the New Testament describes, but the power of Satan is still very much in evidence. We can see it in the violence that saturates human society—and not just in far-away, terror-ridden places, but even here, where the lyrics to popular songs encourage violence and physical abuse; where unborn children are slaughtered by the tens of thousands; where the sick and elderly are often neglected and even encouraged at times to end their lives. We see the evidence in the covetousness all around us; in all the things people seem prepared to do for a bit more money; in selfishness; in the search for a material security that will one day turn to rust. We see it in the slanderous gossip that robs the unsuspecting of their reputations. And all the while, a web is being woven from which there is no escape except through the intervention of God Himself. We would like to think that we Christians are not caught up in this, but you know we are. We hate it, and we struggle with it. But by our own reason and strength, we are as helpless as the unbelieving world around us. Perhaps there is less difference than we would like between the demon possession of the New Testament and the troubles of life with which we find ourselves intimately involved.

When Jesus drove out that demon, He did more than deliver one helpless victim from Satan’s kingdom. He demonstrated that He is stronger than all demonic influence, and that He is able to overcome evil itself. And there is but one explanation for this: in Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God has come! Even the demons knew it! A King has come whose kingdom cannot be overcome by Satan! And this same Christ is able to free those caught up in the power of the devil. Jesus Christ is the conqueror!

But even faced with clear evidence, many are reluctant to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is conqueror. Those who witnessed the casting out of the demon could not deny that they could hear this previously muted man talking. He seemed now to be perfectly normal in every way. And yet, even though they had seen with their own eyes the power of Christ, they still would not believe. In looking for an explanation other than the truth, some hit upon the idea that Jesus had some sort of working agreement with Satan.

Do we ever do anything like this? When granted some great blessing, or met with some stern warning in life, do we look for explanations other than the power of God? Are we reluctant to really acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the conqueror?

Unbelief has its roots in the unwillingness to acknowledge Jesus Christ for who He clearly is. And such unbelief is found also among those who, no doubt, consider themselves Christians, people who may well believe that what Scripture records is true, but have never really put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Let us beware of this sin of unbelief! It cannot rob Christ of His authority, of course; He is the conquering King whether anyone believes it or not. But unbelief robs the soul of eternal fellowship with God.

In light of this, the concluding words of the Savior are of particular significance: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God, and keep it!” Indifference towards the Word of God robs one of the blessings of God. But to listen attentively as God speaks in His Word is to know the treasures of His mercy and the promises of His grace; to listen attentively is to know of the holy life He gave into death for our sins and the sins of the world, and for the forgiveness and eternal life He promises and gives. To listen attentively is to find life on this earth exceedingly rich and satisfying, as we walk in fellowship with the Lord. And to listen attentively is to know that, when life has run its appointed course here, we will enter into those indescribable joys of heaven, to await the glory of the resurrection.

Jesus Christ is the conqueror! Satan’s kingdom will go down in utter defeat! May our whole confidence be in Him; may our allegiance be His without reservation. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

Sermon for 3/3/21: Midweek Lent 2 (Hymns of Lent II)

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Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing
II Corinthians 1:3-7

 

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

 

         A troubled conscience is a terrible burden to have to bear. It’s not unusual for someone who gets pulled over for a speeding ticket to have a nervous reaction, whether they start sweating, shaking, or have some other physical manifestation of anxiousness, even if they are pretty sure they have done nothing worse than exceed the speed limit. After all, just because the individual knows of nothing worse, that doesn’t mean government agencies don’t have something else in their file, or maybe the legislature has passed a new law that the individual doesn’t know about. They say that ignorance is bliss, but it also makes for a lousy umbrella. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

         How much worse it can be, then, for the sinner who is concerned about his standing before the Lord. After all, the sinner cannot claim ignorance. The Law of God is written into the hearts of all mankind, and the righteous God demands perfection. At least the police officer understands and accepts that even a car set at the speed limit on cruise control might go a mile or two above the speed limit, and usually they tend to give a little leeway anyway before they pull over a speeder. But the Law of God is absolute. Even the smallest infraction is worthy of condemnation, and the Judge is perfect in righteousness. David confesses that God is just when He speaks and blameless when He judges. And that is true because only God is without sin. As you sing this hymn, you feel the weight of your sin. Listen to these words again:

 

Should some evil thought within
Tempt my treach'rous heart to sin…

 

Should some lust or sharp temptation
Fascinate my sinful mind…

Or should Satan press me hard…

 

If the world my heart entices
With the broad and easy road,
With seductive, sinful vices…

The life of a Christian is full of these burdens. The sins we commit; the temptations we face; the enmity of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh: these weigh heavy on human hearts. And should the devil feel as if you haven’t been sufficiently swayed into sin, if you haven’t suffered enough under the awful temptations he sets before you, he will add physical and mental affliction with the load of sin and conscience.

At times like this, the Christian must cry out to the Lord:

 

Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Your holy wounds I find,
Ev'ry hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind.
 

For only in the blood of Christ, the medicine of immortality, can this spiritual affliction be put away from you. Only in His wounds can you find relief.

 

Ev'ry wound that pains or grieves me
By Your wounds, Lord, is made whole;
When I'm faint, Your Cross revives me,
Granting new life to my soul.
Yes, Your comfort renders sweet
Ev'ry bitter cup I meet;
For Your all atoning passion
Has procured my soul's salvation.

 

We who are baptized in Christ share the suffering and the comfort of Christ. No matter how bitter the cup we must drink, we cannot consume a cup any more bitter than the cup of suffering our Lord consumed in His suffering and death, bearing our sins to the cross: and He drained that cup of sorrow to the very bottom. None of God’s wrath against sin is left in that cup for you to swallow. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. …As you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.”

 

With that in mind, we pray:

 

O my God, my rock and tower,
Grant that in Your death I trust,
Knowing death has lost its power
Since You crushed it in the dust.
Savior, let Your agony
Ever help and comfort me;
When I die be my protection,
Light and life and resurrection.

 

By the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, no enemy—not the devil, nor the world, nor our own sinful flesh—can make any accusation against us. They have been stripped of their power. Death no longer has any sting; the grave wins no victory. For in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is applied to us in the bloody waters of Holy Baptism, we shall be raised, too—raised to new life: nevermore to sin, nevermore to suffer, nevermore to die. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ! In the name of the Father and of the (†) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

Post 1000 and HYMN: Your Will, My God, I Know Is Best

For blog post 1000(!), I had been hoping to do something other than just post another sermon. Since 995, I've been trying to come up with something like a list of favorite or memorable albums a la the brilliant Rick Stuckwisch, or maybe something intensely personal (because we all know I like to talk about myself). But some muse--or, preferably, the Holy Spirit--bailed me out. I'd been holding on to a hymn title for a while, but I wasn't sure where to go with it. I've been struggling to accept what God places before me, especially in the loss of people who were terribly dear to me, but in other aspects of my life as well. I was recently inspired by the readings for the Second Sunday in Lent in the 1-Year Lectionary (especially the Canaanite woman crying out, "Have mercy on me!"), and then the worship service during today's Winkel, utilizing Psalm 34 and the Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent in the 3-Year Lectionary, further inspired me. This hymn text is the result. It's a first draft, but I have to post a sermon tomorrow, so I wanted this to be post 1000. Feedback is love.

 

Your Will, My God, I Know Is Best

1. Your will, my God, I know is best.
Have mercy, Lord, I pray You.
The world has put me to the test.
I struggle to obey You.
I strive and hunger ev’ry day
To trust in You and face the fray.

2. Your will, my God, I know is best,
But still I face temptation.
The devil, fallen, evil pest,
Is seeking my damnation.
I beg You, Lord of angels, send
Your host my conscience to defend.

3. Your will, my God, I know is best.
I know, and yet I waver.
My soul, in need of holy rest,
Would seek Your gracious favor.
I pray, Lord Jesus, King of kings,
Oh, set my heart on higher things.

4. Your will, my God, I know is best,
Though for a time I sorrow.
Today I mourn, my soul distressed;
I rise with joy tomorrow.
Though death will stalk me in the vale,
The life You give me shall prevail.

5. Your will, my God, I know is best.
Your holy Gifts uphold me.
In blood-washed robes, forever blest,
You tenderly enfold me.
With flesh and blood, O Savior, feed
My soul and body: all I need.

6. Your will, my God, I know is best.
In crosses You sustain me.
Oh, come, Lord Jesus, be my guest.
From ev’ry sin restrain me
Until I rest, my labors done,
The endless Feast at last begun.


© 2021 Alan Kornacki, Jr.
87 87 88
MACHS MIT SER GOTT (LSB 688)
Tribulation

Sermon for 2/28/21: Second Sunday in Lent

CLICK HERE to hear the audio file.

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Does God Hear?

Matthew 15:21-28

 

 

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

 

 

Today’s Gospel reading tells us about a faith that would not be turned aside. It was found in the woman of Canaan whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit. She heard that Jesus was there and sought Him out. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely demon-possessed.” Jesus did not answer, but His silence did not silence her. She continued to cry out for help, so much so that the disciples became annoyed. They were tired of hearing her cries and begged Jesus, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” Jesus answered: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Knowing that she was meeting with opposition from the disciples, who probably had already told her to leave, and refusing to be discouraged by the Lord’s reply, the woman came up to Him and knelt before Him, “Lord, help me:” three words that have often been on the lips of those who sought the Lord’s help, but perhaps never have they been more earnestly spoken than by this woman. And His answer to her seems completely out of character, doesn’t it? Though she was seeking nothing for herself, only pleading desperately on behalf of her daughter, Jesus said: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” But as surprising as His answer might seem, the response of this woman was equally astounding: “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Jesus was testing this woman almost beyond the point of endurance, and yet, she comes through magnificently. And Jesus finally said to her: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

 “Have mercy on me, Lord!” “Lord, help me!” These cries are not foreign to any of us. This is the language of suffering, the language of confused and anxious humanity. These words are universal in meaning because they represent a need common to us all. What the Gentile woman said was, in essence, the plea of all the afflicted. It was the plea of Jairus for his daughter, the cry of the centurion for his servant. It is, in substance, what you and I have pleaded before God at the point of a severe need. It is what we have prayed in the face of sickness or before the threat of death. As long as there are sin-sick, frail, and suffering people, this petition for mercy will ascend to the throne of God.

But does it do any good? Does God hear? Does He care? Will He help? Are we just deceiving ourselves when we turn to God for help? If God hears anyone, does He make distinctions among those He hears? Perhaps there is help for others, but must I carry the full weight of my burden? Look at the woman in our text. She was no skeptic. Had she been, she would never have sought help from Jesus. Had she been skeptical, His way of dealing with her would have discouraged her. But she felt that she must make the Lord understand how important her need was. Of course, the Lord had mercy. He heard her plea, and her daughter was healed.

Are we as wise as this Gentile woman who brought her burden to Jesus? We may piously say: “Of course God’s children should seek His help in every trouble;” but then, do we sometimes try to carry our own burdens without a thought of the Lord? To this, Jesus answers: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” As we share our need with Him, He takes our concerns upon Himself. He who cares for us is the first one, not the last one, to whom we should bring our burdens. For us, as it was for her, our greatest concern is to bring our need, whatever it may be, to God, with the cry, “Lord, help me.”

But His answer may not always be as quick as the one given to the woman in our text. Perhaps it will be necessary to wait a while for an answer. Or it may be that the answer is different from what we expected. His answer may not seem at all miraculous, for it may be that He will lead us to a gradual solution, and in the process we grow in our reliance on Him. Perhaps the help we need is one that God will provide through one of His children on this earth whom He has uniquely equipped for just such a purpose.

As we face the problems and needs of life, we don’t always know just what the best answer may be. But we can be certain that God does. And that is why we pray, “Thy will be done...” It is always best to trust God to determine what shall be done. And if our trials must remain, He will give us the strength to endure them. If the burdens we bear cannot yet be set down, He will give us grace to carry them. Believing this, we can know the certainty of what Paul wrote: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” And so that we might know that God does care, He feeds us—not with crumbs from the master’s table, but from His own gracious hand. We receive nothing less than His body and blood for the remission of our sins. And, as we receive them in faith, we hear Him say to us and to all our needs and burdens: “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” 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 2/24/21: Midweek Lent 1 (Hymns of Lent II)

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On My Heart Imprint Your Image
Ephesians 4:17-24 

 

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

 

            “You should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk…” It is a daunting list of traits St. Paul gives in discussing the Gentiles—and rightly so, for the Gentiles act as those who do not know God. Today we would call them “unbelievers,” but when the Apostle was writing, the people who did not know God included everyone who was not born into the particular race of the descendants of Shem, the son of Noah. Of course, by the time Paul wrote this epistle, the descendants of Shem—the people of Israel—had rejected the promised Messiah, so God provided for Himself a new Israel in those who were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

           However, if you are being honest with yourself, you must admit that this was your condition, as well, for you were conceived and born into sin. And sometimes—God help you—sometimes you find yourself longing to return to that condition. There’s an old saying: “Ignorance is bliss.” And the Old Adam within you, persistent old sinner that he is, desires to return to that ignorance. Who among you has not desired to give himself over to lewdness, to work uncleanness with greediness? Who among you does not have a pet sin, one you have become comfortable with—maybe it is gossip or slander; greed or gluttony; lechery or pornography; envy or covetousness—this is not an exhaustive list, but it demonstrates how easily you can fall back into a sinful condition.

           For the rest of your life in this world, your old sinful flesh will work cunningly with the devil and the world. The Old Adam within you will use those temptations of lewdness, uncleanness and greediness—or another temptation. On the one hand, he may well try to lure you into one of these sins; on the other hand, if that fails, he will tempt you to put trust in yourself because you’re not particularly susceptible to these sins. Take lewdness, for example; once a matter of shame, provocative clothing is now the fashion of the day. Put that together with the barrage of images on television, billboards, and the internet, and it’s easy to imitate the shame; it’s easy to surrender to lustful thoughts. That’s the old man in you, trying to get you to worship the false god of lust. If you dabble in un-holiness enough, you’ll leave behind the holiness of God. On the other hand, you might not be particularly troubled by sexual temptation; in that case, your Old Adam will tempt you to believe you’re more righteous because of it. He’s trying to get you to believe in yourself because your thoughts are purer than those of your neighbor.

           The Lord bids you to examine yourself and to repent. You may remember the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. The parable tells us that the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh do not want the seed of the Word of God to take root within you. You see, you’re certainly not holy by being lewd or greedy or slanderous; but you’re also not holy by being chaste and generous and honest toward your neighbor. Chastity, generosity, and honesty may well be fruits of holiness, but they are not the cause. The new man does good works through the Holy Spirit who dwells with him, and there is no excuse for believers to indulge in old sins. You have been set free from them.

So what is the cause of holiness? What makes you holy? Rather, Who makes you holy? It is no one else but the holy Son of God, Jesus Christ. He does not make you holy by teaching you to do better, to refine yourself to make yourself pure. Instead, He declares that He has gone to the cross and died for those sins. He forgives you. He removes all the impurity and un-holiness and unrighteousness. His grace makes you holy and righteous. His grace marks you as a new man, a redeemed child of your heavenly Father. And so we pray:

 On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures
Never may Your work erase…

 

This is a wonderful prayer at any time, of course, but it is especially appropriate during the season of Lent. As we heard last week, the journey to the cross is a perilous one, and the sinner who travels that path must be prepared for the dangers of that road. No better preparation exists than to be marked with the blood of the Lamb, to bear the sign of the cross upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. At your baptism, the name of Christ was placed upon you. The image of God, in which you were created, which mankind corrupted in the sinful desire to be like God, was restored by Christ’s sacrifice and placed on you once again in those baptismal waters. Every time you confess your sins, you return to those waters. So now you can confess your Savior, for you bear this clear baptismal inscription:

 

Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my Life, my hope's foundation,
And my glory and salvation!

 

Thanks be to God, who gives you the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! In the name of the Father and of the (†) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

Sermon for 2/21/21: First Sunday in Lent

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“Lead Us Not Into Temptation…”
Matthew 4:1-11

 

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

 

In Holy Scripture, temptation has two basic meanings. The first is that inward prompting or enticement or lure to sin; in other words, it’s an attack on our conscience. It is either the work of the devil, or the world, or our human flesh and its innate tendency to sin—or a combination of any or all three. The second is some trial or affliction, something that involves those circumstances in life that test faith and courage and resolution. Its intention is to make life holy and build Christian character. Both of these can be seen in the account of the temptation of our Lord, for it was the Holy Spirit who drove Jesus into the wilderness. And it was Satan who tempted Him there.

Our Lord Jesus has taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation…” We should remember that as we consider that He had Himself been led by the Spirit to go where He would face temptation. His own temptation, stretched over a period of 40 days, was wholly concerned with the choice between right and wrong; between whether or not He would be faithful to His Father in heaven, and carry out the redemptive work that had been given to Him. Can we doubt the seriousness of those 40 days of decisive conflict? The whole issue—the hope of salvation for mankind—hung on their outcome.

We do not know all that took place during those forty days. But we do know that our Lord was very much alone during this entire time of solitude and struggle; alone, that is, except for the presence of Satan, the evil one, the slanderer and liar, the murderer of man and their immortal souls. We are probably not told of all that Jesus had to endure and suffer. His tempting was probably nearly continuous, and was deliberately designed to test His faithfulness to His Father.

The first was the temptation of the flesh. “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” It was designed to undercut our Lord’s loyalty to His Father. He was not to use His divine power merely for self-gratification. Jesus was very hungry, to be sure; this temptation was real. But He resisted by proclaiming the Word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

The second was a temptation of His spirit, and it took place at the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. Satan appealed to the holiest of books by quoting—or rather, misquoting—the Psalms. This is a most subtle temptation: surely God would not allow His Son to be harmed just as He was setting out on His work of saving mankind. But does even the Son have the right to force the Father’s hand? But, again, the response of Jesus was direct and unconditional: “Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus would not take an easy way out in the face of the looming shadows of the cross.

The third was designed as a bargain. Jesus could choose to be second-in-command to the prince of this world; all He had to do was bow down to Satan. It would certainly be easier than facing death on the cross. But the price of this bargain was open rejection of the will of the Father. To exchange the whole world for that single act of false worship might sound like a fair exchange, and many in our world seem not at all troubled about making it. But if Jesus made that bargain, He would deny His Father’s exclusive and absolute claim on Him and on the saving task He had sent Him to accomplish. Jesus sent the tempter away; He would endure the cross; He would win the victory. Jesus, the Word made flesh, overcame with the Word of God.

Anyone who would believe in Jesus Christ and desire to serve Him with their lives must prepare for these temptations. They will not necessarily come together or even in the same manner in which they came to Jesus. These are the temptations all men face. And these are, likewise, the temptations of the Church. The Church, as the people of God, must be committed to the Word of the Lord, and not just to the bread that feeds our bodies. We must, as the people of God, never test God or  seek to force His hand, but, in all things, pray, “not my will, but Thine be done.”

Of course, it is not the temptation that actually strengthens faith, but God’s grace conveyed to us in the Gospel, through His Word and the Sacraments. And their faithful use is what grants us the strength to withstand and even profit from temptation. And as we more faithfully and frequently use of these instruments of grace, we will all the more relish the forgiveness of sins and the joy of that certainty of eternal life. And it is there that temptation is answered. Christ’s victory over temptation is our victory, and the life and salvation He gained is ours, too! What the Psalmist prayed—and we echoed his words this morning—remains forever true: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’” 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.