HYMN: O Lord, My Faith Is Weak, I Know

Sometimes an idea for a hymn text comes to me quite easily after I do my preparation. I'd been on something of a roll when I started my work for the Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity. That roll hit a brick wall and came to a dead stop. I had no idea where to go with the Propers, even after preaching a sermon for that Sunday in the Church Year. To be fair, life intervened in some less-than-appealing ways, which usually doesn't help--and it certainly didn't in this case, though this final product was surely shaped by the events in my life. Finally, late last week, a snippet popped into my head. It wasn't a first line, which is usually the most helpful way an idea comes to me, as I like to work from Alpha to Omega, if you will. And that original snippet didn't even make the cut.

Anyway, the Gospel appointed for Trinity XXI, John 4:46-54, sees a powerful man approaching Jesus. He asks Jesus to come home with him and heal his son. The man had faith in Jesus--a weak faith, but faith nonetheless. Still, he wanted a sign. Even after a rejoinder from the Lord, the man repeats his request. Finally Jesus tells the man, "Your son lives." There's no promise, just the bare-bones truth that the boy is still alive. The man heads home, and on the way his servants meet him with the news that his son has been healed at the hour Jesus spoke the Word to him. 

This hymn text focuses on faith, especially the weakness of faith in adversity. It's easy enough to believe when all is well, but what about when the news isn't good? Do we trust the Word which tells us that our Lord will work good in all things for those who are called according to His purpose? Anyway, here is the text. I've used the tune before, which is not ideal, but it was the only one in Lutheran Service Book which fit the meter and mood of the text. As always, feedback is love.

O Lord, My Faith Is Weak, I Know

1. O Lord, my faith is weak, I know.

I trust my mind and senses.

Satan, relentless, wicked foe,

Batters my frail defenses.

I seek a wonder or a sign,

Some proof to show Your love is mine.

Restless, I seek Your favor.

2. You know my poor and wretched state.

My faith is fragile, lowly.

I love Your Word but hesitate

To love and trust You solely.

When life is pleasing, I can see

How You provide all things for me.

Then I know well Your goodness.

3. Grant that, by grace, I may believe

Even in tribulation:

To trust beyond what I perceive,

Trusting You for salvation.

Let every fiery, piercing dart

Which penetrates my trembling heart

Ignite true faith from embers.

4. Grow and sustain this faith in me,

That, when I face oppression,

I cling by faith to Your decree,

Trusting You without question.

Grant me the confidence, O Lord,

To wield with faith the Spirit’s sword,

Trusting Your Word to save me.

5. O Word Incarnate, hear my plea!

Bear with me in my weakness

Until I trust more than I see:

Bold, yet in humble meekness,

Looking to You in every need,

O Christ, my Lord and God indeed.

Speak but the Word to heal me.

© 2018, Alan Kornacki, Jr.

87 87 887

DU LEBENSBROT, HERR JESU CHRIST (LSB 622)

Trinity XXI; Prayer; Faith in Affliction

Sermon for 11/25/18: Last Sunday in the Church Year

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Be Ready

Matthew 25:1-13

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

Be ready! Jesus is coming back. Though He has delayed these many years for the sake of the elect, He is coming soon. We are to expect His return at any moment. To give up hope, to live as though only this short life mattered, or as though the wait would last forever, is to throw your lot in with the devil.

The ten virgins all look the same. In weakness, they all fell asleep. This is not a parable about good works. This is a parable about faith. The foolish virgins had burned up their oil, exhausted their faith for something other than the coming Bridegroom. They figured that, if He was coming at all, they’d have time to make up for their sins. He came unexpectedly. The unprepared were shut out. They was no time for deathbed repentance. They were damned. He says, “Truly, I do not know you.” Be warned.

The wise virgins also were caught unawares. They had not kept the vigil, either. Somehow, though, they still had oil. They trimmed their lamps and were welcomed into the bridal chamber. Somehow, during the wait, they managed to never completely forget what they were waiting for, what really mattered, who was coming. They still had oil. That’s what faith is. It is not the outward appearance of good works, such as being a virgin. It is not a perfect keeping of the Law. Rather, the wisdom of faith is to remain aware that we are waiting, that this short life is not all that there is, that He who has bought us with His life is coming back.

There is danger in the waiting. Satan has his season. He has asked to sift you like wheat. Will your faith be consumed? At confirmation, full of zeal, we were bold to say with St. Peter: “Lord, I am ready to go with You, into prison and into death.” But before the night was over, we fell asleep on the watch. It was too bothersome to keep praying. When things get bleak, when the pressure mounts, we deny our Lord, hoping it will gain us the favorable opinions of men. Repent. Repent before it is too late, before the door is shut, before the night comes when no man can work. Like St. Peter before you, repent and be welcomed back by grace. Faith that lives by grace—that is, faith that does not rely on its own strength but is rather a submission to the will of God—will not be consumed in the waiting. God intervenes for His children. He wakes them, rebukes them, and forgives them. He fills the oil flask with His Word.

While we wait, He fills and prepares us by coming here and now in the Sacrament. He joins us to Himself by entering into our fallen flesh with His crucified, risen, and ascended body and blood. His innocence resides in our hearts. He is our King who rules in our lives. He died in our place, the Innocent for the guilty. And we proclaim that death every time we eat and drink His body and blood until He comes again.

Here is oil for your lamps; here is food for your soul! Here He encourages, nourishes, and strengthens you for the watch. The Bridegroom comes now with forgiveness, life, and salvation, with strength for the day. Heaven is opened, and He gently whispers into your ear, “Hang on. I have not forgotten you. I am with you always. Soon I shall return and complete what I began in you when I gave you My name in Holy Baptism!”

Be watchful. His return is not so far off as it once was. You have fallen asleep. But He loves you nonetheless. He bids you come to Him, to bask in His forgiving presence, to feast upon the very Bread of life! This is the only way to stay awake, to fend off the cold boredom of a long watch as we wait for His final coming. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. 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 11/22/18: Day of National Thanksgiving

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Wealth in Christ

Luke 12:13-21

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

It is clear that a man’s life does not consist in his possessions, but it’s difficult to believe. After all, what do you daydream about? What would it take to make you happy? Are not your thoughts and desires focused mostly on possessions? Do you not daydream of cars and houses, vacations and boats? Or do they run with more with the body? Do you daydream of not being sick or old, of not getting or staying fat, of being beautiful? But a man’s life does not consist in his health or attractiveness any more than in his possessions. And, saddest of all, sinners want honor and fame. You want to be recognized and loved.

Take heed. Beware of covetousness. There is no appeasing sin. If you get what you think you want, you will only want more. The richest men on earth are not satisfied. They all want to be richer. Those who are not the richest want to be. The poor give more to the poor than the rich do. The statistics are clear. The widow’s mite is not that unusual. Poor people are generous. Rich people are stingy. So also the poor almost never commit suicide. The rich do. That is not to say that poverty is a virtue. It is simply that being poor gives life a sense of meaning. The prisoners who survived the concentration camps of World War II were not the healthiest or strongest, but those who had something to live for. Some had pious motives such as the desire to see loved ones or finish great work. Others just lived for revenge. Poverty gives purpose to life; the rich are more likely to see the futility of human achievement and effort, to despair because possessions and opportunity, luxury and fame have all failed to bring them happiness or satisfaction. Here is wisdom: a man’s life does not consist in his possessions.

In what, then, does life consist? A man’s life consists in God. “Store up for yourself treasures in heaven.” This does not merely expose our fallen flesh and selfish desires. It also shows us the way of Christ, the way of life. Our Lord did not seek the middle way. He served God, not mammon. He loves His Father without limit. He does not question His Father’s will, but submits. He drains the cup of the Father’s wrath. He believes that His Father is good and loves Him, even when His Father condemns Him as sin. Out of love for the Father, He loves the world and lays down His life without regret. He loves those whom He created and He would have them all back again. He reconciles all humanity to His Father. He pays the ransom.

You cannot love God too much, and love covers a multitude of sins. You cannot hope or believe in Christ too much. We do not count the martyrs as fools who sold their lives too cheaply, but as heroes who loved God more than they loved themselves. We were created to believe in, hope for, and love the God who loves us. This is where our life abides.

So thank God that He has provided for our physical needs, that He sends the rain and crops and all pleasant things, though we do not deserve them. We are fed; we are dry; we are warm. But we should also thank God that His mercy has spared us the afflictions of excess. Most of all, let us thank God that He has revealed Himself to us in His Word; that Christ is known to us in His faith, hope, and love; that we are His and He is ours.

Our thanks this day is not found mainly in food, drink, and family—though we do thank God for these gifts. Our thanks is truly found in the gift of salvation. Let us give us thank to the Lord by rejoicing in our baptism; by yearning for and partaking of the body and blood of Christ; by having His forgiveness and love poured into us. Thanks be to God, for our life is provided by and consists in Christ, who loves us and gave Himself for us. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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

Sermon for 11/18/18: Second-Last Sunday of the Church Year

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Works Given and Received

Matthew 25:31-46

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

Whenever good works are praised in Holy Scripture, it is important to consider the context. Our fallen minds are easily confused. We learn in Hebrews, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” This means no good work is pleasing to God without faith in Christ. Works only please God when they are performed by those who look to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. They cannot help but produce good works, and their good works please God.

When Jesus speaks here as though eternal life is given because of good works, it is understood that eternal life is given to the righteous—that is, to those have been declared righteous for His sake. Good works are the evidence of faith. There is no faith that does not produce good works, and no work is truly good if it does not come from faith. This is why our Lord lists these acts of mercy. He would show us that hypocrisy does not save. That which saves is the righteousness that He bestows in grace. That righteousness gives new life which produces good works.

So we ought therefore to measure ourselves against this standard: How merciful have I been? How evident is my faith in my life? Do the words of Christ about feeding the poor and welcoming the stranger and visiting the sick describe my life? Woe to you if you think they do. Repent. Repent for not doing them, to be sure, but even more, repent for thinking you’ve done enough. Repent for thinking you’ve been pretty merciful. Repent for justifying yourself and appeasing your conscience by dropping a dollar in the Salvation Army bucket while you go home to feast. Those who thought they’d done pretty well, who dared Christ to point out when they failed, go to the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. “If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities”—if the Lord should see our lack of mercy—“O Lord, who could stand?”

Not one of us can stand before the Lord in our own righteousness. It is only those who repent, who throw themselves upon God’s mercy, who are washed and cleansed by Christ—these are the saved. The sheep protest just as loudly as the goats. Getting credit for good works makes the sheep nervous. They do not look to their works; they look to Christ. They don’t want to be judged by their works, but by their Lord’s righteousness. We beg God to judge us by the cross, to keep His promise and accept the demands that justice has made on the Son.

We must also consider this: our Lord does not identify Himself with those who perform good works. He locates Himself instead with those who receive good works. It is those who received the mercy of others, who were the beneficiaries, who stand in His stead. “When you did it to the least of these,” He says, “you did it to Me.” The Church is not the healthy, well-fed, well-clothed, and powerful people of this world. The Church is those who need mercy; they are His brothers. That is why the righteous are confused by His description of their works. They remember being fed, not feeding. And what honor is there is being fed? It seems backwards. But that is how it is in the Kingdom. Our primary goal is not to perform good works, but to receive the good works of Christ: to be forgiven, washed, fed, clothed, comforted.

Certainly, you perform good works. You serve your neighbors. God is pleased with this. He loves your good works, even when you are unaware of them. As you receive mercy, you respond with mercy to others. Your mercy is imperfect, but it is purified by grace, accepted for the sake of Christ. God uses your hands as His hands in this world. He provides for His brothers through you. You are the baptized, the blessed of His Father. He has redeemed you to bring you home. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

                                               

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

HYMN: Oh, Be Present, God of Mercy

I’ve been thinking a lot about Compline, that prayer office in the hymnal which is meant to be prayed right before the Christian goes to sleep. It’s one of my favorite services, though I’d never encountered it before my first weekend in seminary, when students and faculty gathered in retreat before we officially began the school year. The opening words, “The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last,” prepare us both for the night’s slumber and for the slumber of our bodies in death. If you’re not familiar with the service, I highly recommend it to you. 

Near the close of the service, the liturgist leads the gathered in a series of prayers which call upon God to be present with us as we seek our rest. These are beautiful prayers, and I commend them to your consideration. They’re found on page 257 of Lutheran Service Book. I’ve wanted to adapt them for metric singing with a suitable, contemplative tune, and I finally finished assembling such a text early this morning. The suggested tune is Picardy, which is the tune most know best for the text “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” The text is a little rough, as most of my texts usually are at this point, but I’d like to know what you think of it and how you might suggest improving it. As always, feedback is love.

Oh, Be Present, God of Mercy

1. Oh, be present, God of mercy.

Night has come. The day is done.

Watch us as we sleep, and guard us

As the hours of darkness run.

We, all wearied by life’s changes,

Rest in You, the holy One.

2. Holy Lord, the world is busy.

Oh, support us all the day.

Evening comes. The work is finished.

Guard us on our homeward way.

Then, until the night is over,

Grant us holy rest, we pray.

3. Shine, O Christ, into the darkness.

Quell the dangers of the night.

Shine into our humble dwellings.

Drive the devil from our sight.

Let Your blessing be upon us,

God of God and Light of Light.

4. Dwell with those who strive and labor

In the dark while others dream.

Safeguard all who seek our welfare

While the wicked plot and scheme.

Keep them competent and faithful

Whom we honor and esteem.

5. Stay with us, O gracious Savior:

With Your Church, Your holy Bride.

Through Your Word and gifts be present.

In Your wings Your people hide.

Face with us the night’s affliction;

Now and evermore abide.

(c) 2018 Alan Kornacki, Jr.

87 87 87 

Tune: Picardy (LSB 621)

Occasion: Compline, Night, Prayer

Sermon for 11/11/18: Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Trinity

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Bold Faith

Matthew 9:18-26

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

We are bold in making big promises. But all too often we hedge on the little things. In the Confirmation vows we don’t so much as flinch as we promise to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from the confession of this Church. But really…what would you be willing to give up for the sake of the Word? What would you give up so that you could hear the Gospel every Sunday? Yes, we are ready to suffer death; inconvenience is another matter. We imagine ourselves ready to be burned at the stake or shot for the sake of Jesus. But would you commit with your whole being? Would you sacrifice yourself—your ego and ambitions, your income and honor? Would you suffer the loss of everything your flesh clings to? After all, we need 200 channels on our TV. We need the hunting trophy. We need the stuff. But do we live as if we need the Church? We are ready to confess our faith before kings, but not in front of our friends. We are curved in on ourselves, weak with greed, lust, and ambition. Our priorities are right on paper, just not in our hearts. Repent. Cling to the Word of God.

Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, was heartbroken. His young daughter lay at the point of death. He said to Jesus: “Lay your hand on her and she will live.” He did so, and she lived. But what of us? What of our dying children, our broken families, our failing friendships and crumbling neighborhoods? What of our hurting souls? Will Jesus lay His Hand upon us? Or are we left with nothing more than the shadow of the Word in flesh? Has the Word made flesh become a ghost? Is the Jesus who walked the earth, who felt the nails bite into His hands, now nothing more substantial than a silent thought in our brains? No. He is flesh still. He is Man forever. He has forever united Himself to us in flesh.

The Hand that Jesus laid upon Jairus’s daughter to call her again to life is encased in bread this morning by the power of His Word. He lays His hand upon your tongue to bring you over from death to life, to rouse your sleepy faith, to forgive your sins, and make you well. He touches you, His Body to yours. He places Himself—the body that bore your iniquities and sits at the right hand of the Father—into your heart so that your hungry soul would be satisfied, so that you would be healed and whole.

In the same way, the woman who had suffered while searching for relief from the 12-year flow of blood thought to herself: “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” She came behind Him and touched His clothes and was healed. We also approach God from behind. In our sins, we cannot bear His holiness. So we touch the garment of bread in which our Lord hides His glory. He is our salvation. In that touching, that eating and drinking, the years of dying and the uncleanness are removed. We now belong. His Blood and His death have been substituted on our behalf.

Our Lord has bled and died in our place. Now, we don’t have to. After all, death is not natural. God did not create us to die. By grace, we won’t—not ever—for one who believes in Him, who trusts in the merits of His suffering, death, and resurrection, who rests in the mercy of the Almighty, who confesses Jesus as Lord, will never die. Believers don’t die. They fall asleep. Their souls rest with their Savior while their bodies wait in the grave for the resurrection and reunion to come.

Here is power for life. We live by grace. We lay all things upon the hem of His garment. And He calls us by name—and gives us His own name—so we have the life He came to give. His bleeding, His dying, His rising, His praying: these are the things that give us life in His name 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 10/21/18: Twent-First Sunday After Trinity

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The Word Is Enough

John 4:46-54

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

We know the nobleman’s son is healed. But the man himself doesn’t know. Jesus tells the man that his son is alive. The man does not know if his son will still be alive when he gets back to home. Jesus could have very well have meant that the nobleman was wasting his time seeking signs and wonders; he should go home while his son still lives, before it is too late. The man’s son is alive for now in Capernaum, yet the man is in Cana.

The surprise is this: Jesus says to the man, “Your son lives,” and this word causes the nobleman to believe. In this Word from Jesus, the nobleman learns to leave Capernaum for good. He stops trying to get the Lord to come to his house. He believes. It is a remarkable thing. Jesus hasn’t promised him anything, and yet the nobleman believes. Jesus merely states the reality: “Your son lives.” The nobleman gets no sign or proof; He gets the simple statement that his son is currently alive. But the Lord’s statement tells the nobleman that life is in our Lord’s hands; it tells the man that our Lord has compassion. Jesus knows the man’s son. He gave him life and He sustains it. He knows whether the son is alive or dead; He cares. It is not a sign or a wonder for the nobleman. It just a statement: Jesus is the Lord of life.

This Word Jesus speaks bestows faith and confidence in the nobleman. Jesus is good, no matter what happens. The nobleman stops looking for signs and wonders. As Job confessed, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.” The man’s son lives. That is a gift from the Lord. “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.” His son may yet die. The Lord may take him away; even so: “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.” This is faith. Now the nobleman is seeking the Kingdom and not signs and wonders. Now he knows that Jesus is the Lord of life. He goes home in faith. He accepts that the Lord will work all things for good.

The man still desires time with his son on earth, of course, but he also trusts that the Lord is good. Even if he doesn’t get time on earth, he will get time in heaven. This life is transitory, temporary—the mere wink of an eye when compared to eternity. If the nobleman must mourn, he will mourn. But he will not despair. The Messiah has come. He has laid down His life as a ransom. He pays the price in blood for the nobleman and for his son. Even if his son dies, his son lives. That is what Jesus said, and it must always be true. “Your son lives” means your son will always live.

This is important for us, too. We live on that road between Cana and Capernaum. We’ve all prayed for all sorts of stuff—most significantly the lives of our loved ones. Mostly that gift hasn’t been given. We’ve gone back home with nothing more than a statement from Jesus: “Whoever believes in Me will ever die.” We’ve all suffered; barring return of our Lord, we will continue to suffer the death of our loved ones. We beg Him to come, to bring healing our loved ones. He says, “Your loved one is My loved one, baptized into My Name. He lives. That is enough. Believe and go.”

And off we go. No proof. No miracle. Apart from Christ, there is only death. If Christ says the boy lives, he lives, even if he dies. That has to be enough—not just for the nobleman, but also for us. And it is enough. The nobleman goes back to Capernaum. He leaves Cana, where water was changed into wine. While we abide in this dying place, we come to our own Cana, where blood hides in wine, and we find not just our loved ones who have gone before us in the faith; we also find here Our Lord Himself, where He has promised to be. This is the House of the Lord. For the time being we must go back to our own Capernaum. But we go in faith, with the Word of Jesus: “Whoever believes in Me will never die.” God be praised, it is enough. 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 10/14/18: Twentieth Sunday After Trinity

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Honored Invitees

Matthew 22:1-14

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

The servants are sent out into the streets to invite as many as they find, both the good and the bad. No respect is paid to rank, class, or privilege. Everyone, apart from works or genealogy, gets the same invitation. In a world with no free lunches, the offer of an endless banquet in paradise seems too good to be true. But it is true. All things have been paid for; all things necessary have been sacrificed. The meat, the milk, the wine—the best parts are on the table. It is prepared for you with no cost to you. It is pure gift.

But many reject the invitation. They know the invitation is from the King, but they don’t care. They hate the King. They want to rule themselves. Some don’t believe the invitation is actually is from the King; some deny that a King exists. They have lived in delusion for so long that it has become comfortable. They are afraid of change, afraid to risk anything, afraid to come out of the darkness and be exposed. They don’t want to be noticed. They want to hide, keep their blemishes secret, and pretend they are better than they are. They are afraid to face the Word of God.

That is because the Word of God is a threat. The Word of God wields divine power. It changes things. It kills…and it makes alive. What they have always thought is wrong. What is comfortable, what makes sense, what they know from experience—all of it is wrong. What they think about God, what they think about man, what they expect from life—all of it is wrong. God beckons them to a position of vulnerability, of faith in things that they cannot see. But what they can see—a man hanging on a cross, His followers persecuted and martyred—that, they do not like. So they scurry back to the darkness. They think they made the wise choice. But the wisdom of men is folly, and the foolishness of the cross is the only true wisdom.

Thanks be to God: a few are so desperate, so lonely, so tired, so hurt that they come anyway, despite the foolishness. They are the meek. But they inherit a kingdom. They are brought into the wedding hall, clothed with righteousness, and embraced as long-lost children. They are home at last. The loneliness and heartbreak, the weariness and fear, the frustration and pain of their time in the kingdoms of men is removed. They have been found and restored, forgiven and cleansed, filled with joy.

Repent. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Hear His Word, and your soul shall live. Let His Word have its way with you. Let God speak for Himself. His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways. But His Word is Truth. It does not lie. It is good. It will accomplish that for which it was sent. Let it break your heart and change your mind. Let it make you vulnerable. Allow yourself to be lonely outside of this fellowship. Be weary enough, hurt enough to give up on your own strength; then you will be strong. In defeat you will find victory; in hunger, satisfaction.

You are a citizen of the Kingdom by virtue of the invitation. It doesn’t matter if you were good or bad. You are His. He has bought you. That is what matters. What you are displaces what you were. But you are still in a foreign land, and there is temptation along the way. Many beckon to you from their dark doorways, and some have been seduced into depravation. Be warned. Be vigilant in prayer. Forsake the ways of men. God has placed way stations like this along the way for you, places of His presence, of His Word and Sacrament, of His regenerating love. God is here for you.

And there is one more surprise. When at last you arrive at the wedding hall, you will find that you are not merely a guest, an honored niece or nephew, even a brother of the Bridegroom. You are the very Bride, the one for whom He did it all…the one He loves. 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 10/7/18: Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity

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Specific Grace

Matthew 9:1-8

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

What Jesus said to the paralytic caused real concern to the Scribes present in that house. They took His words at face value. This fact can seem strange to our postmodern ears. We are tempted to think that religious speech is generic, not to be taken too literally, if it would offend. When we hear pastors or teachers, we filter their words through our own understanding of how things are. It is expected that religious words should be general, all-inclusive, because we don’t want to face differences in theological thought. We don’t want to have to tell someone they’re wrong. And no one can tell us that we’re wrong.

The Scribes in the house with Jesus that day knew at once that He was being specific. He meant what He said. He called those who heard Him into question: their faith and the way they practiced that faith; and the ideas, words, and actions which flowed from their faith. What Jesus said cut through to their hearts; it made them uncomfortable and angry. With Jesus there is right and wrong, black and white, sin and forgiveness. There is no gray.

You would do well to listen to Jesus and to take Him at His Words. Our Lord said to the paralytic: “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  “You are let loose from your sins.”  What He says is what we call Absolution. Absolution is not saying that this man is excused from what he has done and been. Absolution is not saying that this man was not really guilty, or that he was somehow not responsible. And He certainly is not saying the man should simply ‘forget it’ or ‘learn to live with it.’ When you and I speak of forgiveness, we usually have one of those in mind. Just think for a minute how you responded the last time someone apologized for what they had done or said that hurt you. You probably told them to forget about it, that it was not all that serious, that the effect of their action was not that significant. You probably said, “It’s okay,” even when you knew that it wasn’t okay. Maybe you said, “No big deal,” when it was a big deal to you. That is not Absolution. Forgiveness is costly to give, because it gets to the heart of the matter. Jesus forgives. Real forgiveness is costly. Our lives are never the same when we have forgiveness. Jesus takes the sin of the sinner upon Himself and lets it do its deadly work to Him. Your sins are forgiven when they are put to death in Christ.

Jesus absolves the paralytic. He does not forgive him for being a paralytic, as if our offense against God was that our bodies are weak and our minds are not all-knowing. The paralytic is more than a paralyzed man; he is a sinner, just as we are sinners. Our greatest need is not the healing of our bodies, the mending of our marriages, or the reconciliation of our relationships with our parents or our children. Our greatest need is the forgiveness of our sins. That’s the heart of the matter, and Jesus always sees through to the heart. Those three little words—“I forgive you”—can heal family feuds, hurting marriages, damaged friendships, and broken homes. They can heal the people giving them and the people receiving them.

Jesus speaks these words to you, and then He puts those words in your mouth in His body and blood in the sacrament. And soon, in His time, He will call you to rise from your bed and to go to your heavenly home. Soon all of your physical infirmities will be taken away and you will again be whole and perfect. Here and now He speaks and invites you to receive the forgiveness He won for you. He came to give it because He loves 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 9/30/18: Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity

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Perfect Love

Matthew 22:34-46

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

The Lord does not play along with the Pharisees. He gives them a perfect summary of all the Law and prophets: Love God and neighbor perfectly. This ruins the test. They wanted to debate. They wanted to be dazzled with rhetoric and quick thinking. They wanted to think some deep thoughts. Instead they were exposed as sinners. The greatest commandment is not some clever bit of ethical advice with pros and cons on each side. It is simply the command to be holy as the Lord is holy: to love God perfectly and your neighbor as yourself. This kind of preaching is no fun. After all, we already know these things. But this kind of preaching exposes the heart. These are things we’ve utterly failed to do, even though we know better. There is nothing to learn or discover here except the damning truth that we are evil.

The problem is not just that we have sinned. The problem is that we cannot and do not keep this commandment at all. We never love God perfectly; we never love our neighbor as ourselves. Never. Sometimes we do nice things. Sometimes we don’t hurt other people. We occasionally refrain from carrying out the evil thoughts in our heads. But we never—never—love God with our whole heart. Never. We always keep a part of our heart for ourselves. We are always thinking about ourselves, whether or not we’re hungry or cold or bored or what we happens next. We are always looking around to see who is noticing. We want to be sure to get credit. The problem isn’t just the sins we’ve done; the problem is that we were conceived and born in sin. We sin because we are sinners. It is our most basic definition and identity. We are helpless against ourselves. Our very instincts are self-preserving, selfish, sinful.

Our Lord answers the lawyer with the Law because He wants to lawyer to feel the law and despair, so that He might then heal and restore him. And that is the point of Our Lord’s follow-up question: “What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He?” This isn’t a test to see how clever the lawyer is, to see if he knows the Bible, or something they can debate for fun. It is an invitation. Yes, He is David’s Son but He is also David’s Lord. Jesus invites the lawyer to contemplate the saving mystery of God becoming Man. From that contemplation comes peace and joy, encouragement and hope.

Our Lord became Man to take up sin and bear it to death on His cross. He has come to do what we could and would not, what we would never do. He has perfectly loved and obeyed the heavenly Father; He has perfectly loved His neighbor. He died in perfect love for those who did not love Him. His Kingdom—given in the holy washing and renewal of Holy Baptism, the new birth and inheritance of heaven—He bestows for free. It has already been bought and paid for, prepared for those who desire it, who dare to believe it, who hear His Voice and say, “Amen.”

How is it that David’s Lord is also David’s Son? And how is it that God comes to us in bread and wine in His Body and Blood? How is it that He joins us to Him in Holy Communion? How is it that the Creator becomes of our Food and our Bridegroom? How is it that sinners are declared saints? How is it that He loves us and remembers us in His Kingdom? These are all important questions, and all of these are answered with the word “love.” The Gospel isn’t an academic topic for debate. But it does give rise to hymns and poetry, in heaven and on earth. It saves lawyers and sinners surprised to discover they need saving. This is perfect love, and it is 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.

HYMN: You Shall Love the Lord Your God.

I’m still working on my writing project: one hymn (at least) for every Sunday in the Church year in the LSB One-Year Lectionary. Each text brings me closer to completion, when I will eventually (self-)publish a booklet containing all my hymns to that point. 

This text deals with the Propers for the Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity, which includes Matthew 22:34-46. The Gospel appointed for this Sunday (which, incidenally, really is for this coming Sunday) shares the account of a confrontation with the Pharisees, who attempted to entrap Jesus in a legal question concerning which commandment is the greatest. Jesus, of course, will not be trapped. Anyway, here is my treatment of this text. Feedback is love.

You Shall Love the Lord Your God

1. “You shall love the Lord your God”;

Love, the first and great command,

Heart and soul and mind unflawed.

Only perfect love will stand.

Only One such love has known:

Love incarnate, Christ, alone.

2. And the second great command:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love received from God’s own hand,

Free to give in boundless wealth.

Truly Christ the crucified

Loved His neighbor as He died.

3. I confess, O Christ, my Judge,

I do not love as I should.

All my service I begrudge.

I grow weary seeking good. 

You allow me no vain part,

Claiming body, mind, and heart.

4. Teach me, holy Lord, I pray,

How to love as You love me,

Living blameless in the day,

Loving neighbors selflessly.

Washed in grace, I walk the vale.

Show me mercy when I fail.

5. Two-fold love is satisfied

In Your holy, precious blood,

For in perfect love You died,

Cleansed me in Your crimson flood.

Only through Your love I can

Love and serve both God and man;

(c) 2018, Alan Kornacki, Jr.

77 77 77

Temporary Tune: Gethsemane (LSB 436)

Occasion: Trinity XVIII