Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60 - God Is with Us - December 26, 2021

If I were to ask you to summarize the true meaning of Christmas with just one word, what would it be? (And no, you can’t say “Jesus”). I know, because you are here again on the day after Christmas, that you wouldn’t say, “cheer,” or “gifts,” or “family.” But what would you say? How about Immanuel? Immanuel is the name the Lord gave to the baby born to Mary and Joseph through the prophet Isaiah; a name which means God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). Isn’t that the real meaning of Christmas – that in that little baby named Jesus, God is with us? Even more, isn’t that the only way we can handle day-to-day life in this world, standing on Jesus’ promise: surely I am with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). This is the truth of Christmas that comforts us all year long and the message that we proclaim to the world: God is with us.

So what does that have to do with today? Today is the day the church has chosen to remember the first person to die for confessing this truth after Jesus’ Ascension: Stephen. I know it may seem that the day after Christmas is a somewhat strange time to focus on something as gloomy as persecution and martyrdom – but Stephen’s story helps us better understand what that core truth of Christmas means, that God is with us.

Ever since God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden for their rebellion (Genesis 3:24), it’s been difficult – if not impossible – for the average believer to discern God’s presence in their daily lives. (Yes, God spoke once in a while to a patriarch or prophet – but that was a very rare occurrence.) A Romanian priest named Richard Wurmbrand tells of a Yugoslavian man who was arrested and tortured for his faith. In time, his hope and courage changed to doubt and despair. He eventually hanged himself and left the following note for his wife: “I have gone to remind God of a world he has forgotten.” [1] He’s not alone in thinking that God has abandoned this world, is he? If God is with us, why is there so much suffering and sadness in our lives and the lives of those we love? If God is in control, why did he allow tornados to take dozens of lives a few weeks ago? If God is good, why did he allow those Christian missionaries to be kidnapped in Haiti? [2] Where is God in a country where murdering your own child is legal but requiring someone to use the restroom that matches their biological gender is increasingly illegal?

The Christians in Stephen’s day must have wondered the same thing. Stephen was one of seven deacons who were chosen to assist the apostles with the daily distribution of food so that the apostles could focus on preaching and teaching (Acts 6:1-2). Scripture describes him as full of grace and power; a man who did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people (Acts 6:8). He was also a courageous man – a man who boldly confessed Christ crucified for sinners before hostile audiences and even the Sanhedrin itself (Acts 6:12).

And that’s what got him into trouble. Stephen’s opponents were unable to stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking (Acts 6:10). So they resorted to a smear campaign. They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops making threats against this holy place and the law. In fact, we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs Moses handed down to us.” Stephen was placed on trial for blasphemy – a capital crime under God’s OT Law (Leviticus 24:13-16) – but even the threat of death could not stifle his bold confession of the truth. He used Israel’s infamous history of persecuting prophets as his defense and as evidence that the men who were accusing him of blasphemy were no different than their fathers: you stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit! You are doing just what your fathers did. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? This is when things reached the breaking point: when they heard these things, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him…they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and rushed at him with one purpose in mind. They threw him out of the city and stoned him. I don’t think anyone could blame the Christians at that time for wondering: “Is God really with us?”

Stephen’s death reminds us of two important truths. First, this is a fallen, broken, sinful world and it is ruled by the devil himself (John 12:31). It is a world which will never, ever love the truth of Christ crucified for sinners, but will always despise it, try to silence it, and persecute those who confess it (John 15:18). It will never be “safe” to be a Christian in this world. Second, Stephen’s death reminds us that the same may happen to us. Now I don’t think any of us have ever been kidnapped for our confession and clearly none of us have given our lives – but how many of us have died “little deaths” for the sake of the Christ? How many of us have had a vicious argument or a falling out with a family member who views the historic Christian faith as antiquated and bigoted today? How many of us have chafed as we hear celebrities and politicians mock and ridicule Christians as ignorant and stupid? On the other hand, maybe we’ve never felt pressured or persecuted for our confession. Then the question should be: why not? Is it because we have an unwritten agreement that we won’t discuss sensitive “religious” topics at holiday gatherings? Is it because we’ve given into the pressure of our godless society and simply kept our mouths shut? I’m sure we would all have to confess that there have been times when we haven’t been bold and courageous like Stephen, when we’ve been cowardly and quiet – and for that we need to repent.

Here’s the good news, whether you’ve gotten into trouble with the world because you’ve opened your mouth or offended your holy God because you kept it shut, Stephen’s story assures us that God is with us. Listen again as Stephen’s story reached it’s climax: Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. In that dark moment, even as Stephen’s enemies were pelting the life out of him, Stephen looked up and saw Jesus. Jesus, who had given up the riches of heaven to come to earth to be born in a manger. Jesus, who had lived a perfect life in Stephen’s place. Jesus, who had suffered and died to atone for Stephen’s sins. Jesus, who did not stay dead, but rose to life. This same Jesus was now standing at God’s right hand – and seeing Jesus with all power and glory assured Stephen that God was still with him.

“Good for him, but I’ve never seen Jesus in the dark and lonely moments of my life,” you may be thinking. Oh, yes you have! You may have noticed that some churches have placed the baptismal font right at the entrance to the sanctuary – that is to be a visible reminder that while you may not have seen Jesus when you were baptized, he saw you and claimed you as his possession. You see Jesus every time you open your Bible or hear a sermon. You know how looking at a photo album (or today, scrolling through pictures on your phone) tells a story about your life and the lives of the people you love? This book is God’s love letter to you – detailing all that he did to save you through Jesus. When you receive Holy Communion Jesus is coming to you in a physical, tangible form – telling you, “I haven’t forgotten you, here I am with you, for you, to save you.” And, for all those times that we have folded under the pressure and failed to confess Christ, Jesus comes in the Absolution to assure us that he has paid for even those sins.

And when we see Jesus in these means of grace as proof that God is still with us, then we can also see one of the most difficult things it is for any Christian to see. Christians love to create and purchase art containing Romans 8:28: we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). And that’s fine. But I think a lot of Christians don’t understand what that passage means. They think it means that everything in life will be good for believers. That’s not what it means. It means that God will use everything – both good and bad things – for the eternal good of his people. But doesn’t that just beg the question: how can God use evil for our good? How can God possibly use things like sickness, sadness, depression, and persecution for our good?

Let’s go back to Stephen’s story. After Stephen was martyred, the Jews began an intense persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem, forcing them to flee to Judea and Samaria – and, eventually, throughout the entire ancient world (Acts 8:1-3). I’m pretty sure that none of these Christians thought it was “good” that they were forced to leave their homes and friends and jobs. But remember this: Jesus had promised his disciples you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) and as these Christians fled the Gospel spread with them like a virus throughout the entire ancient world. (Maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words.) Wherever these Christians went they boldly proclaimed the Gospel and established churches.

How many thousands of people were brought to faith as a result of Stephen’s death, the intense persecution and the dispersion of these Christians throughout the world? Only God knows. But think of the impact that Stephen’s courageous confession must have had on at least one man: a young man named Saul. How often do you think that the Pharisee Saul – forcibly converted by Jesus into a Christian missionary named Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-18) – thought about Stephen’s fearless confession as he faced danger and persecution and death himself in his ministry for Christ? How much do you think Stephen’s faithful confession of Christ influenced the letters Paul wrote to numerous congregations – letters which still speak to us today? Would there have ever been an Apostle Paul if it weren’t for the martyred Stephen? Would there have ever been a Martin Luther if it weren’t for Paul’s letter to the Romans – which played a huge role in opening Luther’s eyes to the foundational truths of grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone? Would we have ever heard the Gospel if the Lord hadn’t worked from Stephen to Paul to Martin Luther to a parent or grandparent or pastor or teacher in our own lives? Again, only God knows.

The point is that God can (and does) use our courageous confession in the face of hostility and suffering to make an incredible impact on others and to bring glory to his name. I don’t know when or where you will face pressure and hostility and suffering for confessing Christ. It might be with your family and friends this holiday season when you courageously call them out for their openly sinful lifestyles. It might be in the office when you refuse to abide by immoral, politically correct policies. It might be on social media when you refuse to condone homosexuality and transgenderism as acceptable lifestyles. But what I do know is that even if its hard and even if it hurts, God can and will use your bold confession for good – the greatest of which would be to lead others to repentance, faith and salvation.

It may seem strange to be considering the violent death of a Christian the day after Christmas – but I hope it helps you to see that that single word summary of the core truth of Christmas – Immanuel – is not just a cute name, but is the guarantee that in good times and bad, when faced with warmth or hostility, this fact remains true: God is with us. Amen.   

[1] Richard Wurmbrand, Reaching Toward the Heights, 1977

[2] https://people.com/human-interest/missionaries-who-were-held-captive-by-gang-in-haiti-detail-their-escape/

Luke 2:9-11 - An Angel Delivers the Real News of Christmas - December 25, 2021

Why do you think God chose an angel to deliver the news of the Savior’s birth in Bethlehem? Were there no prophets available? Were the priests and Levites all on vacation? Did the sheep and donkeys reject the task (Numbers 22:21-35)? Were all of the Bethlehem Bee reporters busy covering the aftermath of multi-camel pileup? No, I think God chose an angel to be his mouthpiece because he wanted those shepherds, the world and us to have a clear understanding of the real good news of Christmas.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that we had to rely on today’s media to cover and communicate the real news of Christmas. The one thing that no one will argue about the priorities of the media is that “if it bleeds, it leads;” – meaning that the media tends to promote and even fabricate negative aspects of any given story. For example, if the media is reporting on a hurricane – even if no one is hurt and no property is damaged, the headline might be “Experts say that recent hurricane is sure sign of future catastrophic weather events.” A story on a booming sales season for Christmas retailers will close with, “But a slow January is expected to offset those gains,” or “A good 4th quarter can’t make up for a dismal 3rd quarter.” When it comes to Covid, media alarmism is probably more responsible for the fear and panic that remains out there more than the actual facts and science do.

Given the media’s tendency toward alarmism and negativity, just imagine how they would have reported the first Christmas: “Census Forces Thousands to Crowd Little Town of Bethlehem – Experts Warn of Super Spreader Event;” “Alleged “Virgin” Gives Birth – Sexual Assault being Investigated;” “Shepherds Claim to Have Witnessed a Multitude of Angels Singing God’s Praises – Drug Use Suspected;” “Newborn Infant Found in Feed Trough – Child Protective Services has Been Notified.”

If it was the media’s job to announce the birth of Jesus, they’d make his birth bad – or at least, tainted news. Do we ever do the same? We’ve spent weeks and maybe months planning our travel schedules, buying gifts, baking and cooking and celebrating with family and friends – and how many of us are, by today – which is actually the first day of the Christmas season, not the last – feeling a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge: just ready for it all to be over with. Is Christmas tainted because we are stressed out over the gift we forgot to buy or the cookies we forgot to bake or the card we forgot to send? When people ask us how our Christmas was, don’t we tend to highlight the negatives too: the sickness, the bad weather, the rate of inflation, the wrong-sized gift? The only possible reason a Christian would have for making the news of Christmas bad or tainted news is if we begin to believe that Christmas is about us.

If today’s media were reporting on the news from Bethlehem, not only would they make the news negative, they’d get the details wrong. If we’ve learned nothing else over the past several years, it’s that the media isn’t as interested in the facts as they are in forwarding a specific narrative. I could cite dozens of examples, but here’s just one: On November 22, CNN reported, “At Least 5 Killed After SUV Plows Into Wisconsin Holiday Parade” [1] No, an SUV didn’t just drive itself into a crowd of people. And that “holiday parade” was not celebrating Hanukkah or Kwanza, it was a “Christmas Parade.” [2] And that’s just one example of how our contemporary media cares less about factual accuracy than their politically correct narrative.

If today’s media were covering the first Christmas, I imagine that they’d get most of the details wrong. Instead of being born in Bethlehem, Jesus would have been born in Bethany. Instead of Jesus being placed in a manger they’d have placed him in the manager’s office of the inn. Instead of being wrapped in swaddling clothes they’d have wrapped him in a straight jacket – or something along those lines.

Well, we don’t do anything like that, do we? We would never skip over the factual details of Christmas in the interest of forwarding a false narrative, would we? Have we dropped some change into one of those red kettles outside the grocery store thinking we were doing something good when in truth we’re aiding and abetting a false-teaching church – John says the one who wishes him well shares in his wicked works (2 John 11)? How many of us have deceived our children with the work-righteous lie of “do good, get good” that lies at the heart of the fat man in the red suit and the elf on the shelf? How many of us deep down think that Christmas is really about family and being kinder to strangers? That’s getting the actually important details of Christmas wrong just as much as if you thought or taught that Jesus was born at the North Pole, wrapped in a stocking, and hung by the chimney.

If today’s media reported the news of Christmas, they would make it bad news, they’d screw up the details, and they’d ignore or censor the real good news. The real good news of Christmas is the miracle of the incarnation – and the media doesn’t report on miracles. Well, I shouldn’t say that. They will report on “reported” miracles – meaning that the media doesn’t actually believe that a miracle happened but that someone or some group believes that a miracle happened. Today’s media may report that “Today Christians Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Whom They Believe to Be Their Savior;” or “Today Christians Believe that a Virgin Conceived and Then Gave Birth to the Son of God.” In the eyes of the media, miracles never objectively happen. The media must locate miracles in the one who believes them.  

We Christians cannot and must not base Christmas on our faith or feelings. If we do, we lose the comfort of the objective Good News. If the Good News of Christmas depends on our believing, then all of the peripheral elements of Christmas must be perfect. Then it must be a white Christmas. Then the kids have to get along and absolutely love their presents. Then, if you happen to have family, work, health, or financial struggles – it’s impossible for Christmas to be genuinely good. If the good news of Christmas depends on whether you believe that it’s a good Christmas or not, then you’ll never find the real good news of Christmas.

Today’s news media would never report Christmas as being the greatest miracle God ever performed. According to them, virgins don’t give birth (although they will lobby for women to retain the right to murder their unborn babies) and angels don’t make public announcements (this angel probably would have had his Twitter account suspended today). “This can’t be anything more than the birth of another baby. Nothing special. God in human flesh? The Creator of everything a helpless baby in the arms of one of his creatures? The sinless Son of God going through the blood, sweat and tears of a sinner’s birth? Yeah, right, follow the science – miracles don’t happen. Some people may believe they do, but that doesn’t make them real.”

Here’s the thing: that last part is true. You and I confessing our faith in the virgin birth of the Son of God who came to suffer and die for the sins of the world doesn’t make it real. Neither did the shepherd’s quick-acting faith in and response to the angel’s announcement make the good news real. It would still have been true if they had just rolled over and went back to sleep in the fields with their flocks. Mary and Joseph’s obedience to the Lord’s command didn’t make Christmas real. It would have been just as real if Joseph had quietly divorced Mary and Mary didn’t ponder all these things in her heart. If the reality of the Christmas miracle depended on faith – ours or anyone else’s – then the angel would’ve said, “If you believe, then I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people;” or “If you trust me enough to leave your flocks and go to Bethlehem, then a Savior has been born for you.”

Here's the truth: the Good News does not rely on the media’s chosen narrative or even on our feelings or our faith. The Good News is in the facts. The Good News is that Jesus was born in the town of David – just as God had promised centuries earlier (Micah 5:2). The Good News is the angel telling the world do not be afraid – because Christmas proves that God didn’t come to destroy us but to save us (1 Timothy 2:3-4). The Good News is that the great joy of Christmas is for all people no matter who they are or what they’ve done – and that means you, too! The Good News is that Jesus came to die on a cross and suffer God’s wrath to save us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Good News is that Jesus can be our Savior because he is Christ the Lord – he is the one God anointed and appointed to save the human race from sin, death and the devil, and he is nothing less than the eternal God clothed in human flesh and blood (1 Peter 1:18-20).

The real news, the best news is that the Good News of Christmas happens outside of us; outside of our hearts, our heads, our experience and our circumstances. The Good News that the baby born to the virgin Mary in a stable in Bethlehem is the Son of God in human flesh, who came to live a perfect life of obedience to God’s holy Law, to suffer and die for our sins, to endure death and hell in our place, to rise again for our salvation, to ascend to his Father’s right hand in heaven where he lives and rules over all things – that’s all true no matter what we believe or feel, and no matter what our medical or financial or family circumstances are today.

Do you see now why God chose an angel to deliver the real news of Christmas? Not only would the media have distorted and corrupted the message – but the devil and our own sinful flesh would have been able to distort and corrupt it. The Good News is that it doesn’t matter what the media says, what your friends and family say, what your own heart and conscience say – because the real news of Christmas is exactly what the angel said it is: today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. This is Christmas – and Christmas is all good news! Amen.

[1] https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/wisconsin-waukesha-christmas-parade-car-plow-11-22-21/index.html

[2] https://lakecountryfamilyfun.com/event/waukesha-christmas-parade/

Jesus Is the Light of the World - December 24, 2021

I.                    The Prophecy Candle

“Let there be light,” God said on the first day of history and there was light; a glorious, heavenly light which filled a universe that didn’t yet have a sun, moon or stars (Genesis 1:3). But the world that God had filled with light did not remain that way for very long. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they brought a darkness into the world that all but extinguished the brilliant light of God. Adam and Eve had plunged God’s perfect creation into the darkness of sin, guilt, fear and death. But even in a world filled with the deep darkness of sin, God held out hope. His promise of a Savior who would crush Satan’s head was one small glimmer of light in a big, dark world (Genesis 3:15). And God kept this flame, this promise, burning brightly even though the armies of darkness tried their best to snuff it out. God soon narrowed down the promise – that the Savior would come from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through prophets like Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah and Malachi, God revealed even more details about the Savior’s person, work, and birth. And on Christmas, God fulfilled each and every one of these promises and prophecies. And that is good news for us whose hearts and lives are still filled with darkness. We were born into darkness and belonged to darkness, but God has called us out of that darkness into his wonderful light. God kept his promise to send a Savior from sin, and he will keep every other promise he has made to you as well. Keep your eyes on God’s promises – they shine like this one flame in a big, dark room filling our hearts with joy and hope. Join me in reading several of these amazing promises.

II.                  The Bethlehem Candle

1 Corinthians 1 (Read 1st)

The second candle is called the Bethlehem candle. Many people know Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, but not so many people realize the big sermon that little village preaches. When Jesus was born, Bethlehem was so insignificant that Micah needed to add the word Ephrathah to distinguish it from another, more famous Bethlehem in northern Israel (Micah 5:2; Joshua 19:15). While God could have chosen a big, important city like Jerusalem, Rome, or Egypt as the birthplace for his Son, he chose the tiny village of Bethlehem. Why? Paul tells us: God chose foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). God chose Bethlehem because his policy has always been to raise up the humble and humble the proud. He did that by choosing Mary, by choosing Bethlehem, by coming to earth as a baby – he did that by choosing unworthy sinners like us. He still does this through the lowly means of grace – making saints using nothing more than his Word, water, bread and wine. May the little town of Bethlehem be a warning to us against thinking that we are something great in God’s eyes. Let us never come before God proud of our own goodness, rather, let us come in humility recognizing with Mary that because of our sins, we are nothing and we deserve nothing. That’s why we come here to the manger in lowly Bethlehem, because we need the Savior God sent to this earth to live and die for lowly sinners like us. Let’s join with Mary in her humble hymn of praise…

III.                The Shepherd Candle

Romans 10

The third candle, the pink candle, has traditionally been called the Shepherd candle. It might seem strange that we would focus on such minor characters in the Christmas story, but the shepherds serve as fine examples of faith and action. First, by their confident, unwavering faith. When the angel hosts filled the skies and proclaimed the Savior’s birth, the shepherds were terrified. But when the angel invited them to go to Bethlehem to see the Christ child – they didn’t hesitate. They didn’t say, let’s go see if this thing has happened. They didn’t go back to sleep or back to their jobs thinking “who cares about a baby?” They said, “Let’s go see it, we know this is important for us and we know it has happened because God told us.” May we, too, celebrate Christmas with that kind of confident faith in the Word. May we look into the manger and see a Savior born for us, a baby who has an impact on every day of our lives. May we remember that through faith in this baby our sins are forgiven, we have peace with God, heaven is our eternal home. There’s no if about it. Confident faith is the first key to a joyful Christmas. And then, may we imitate the shepherds in what they did with this good news. When they had seen the Savior lying in a manger, they couldn’t keep it to themselves – they had to go and tell everyone they met what they had heard and seen. Do you know anyone who could use a little Christmas joy? Do you know someone who needs to hear that God’s gift of his Son is for them too? Do you have a friend or relative who needs a Savior, a Friend, the source of light in this dark world? The good news of a Christmas Savior is now your possession, what are you going to do with it? May the example of the shepherds give us confident faith and a willingness to tells others everything we have heard and seen in Bethlehem.

IV.                The Angel Candle

Hebrews 2

The fourth candle is called the angel candle. It reminds us of the angel who proclaimed the Savior’s birth and was then joined by an army of angels who sang the very first Christmas carol: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind (Luke 2:14). Think about how different that song of praise is from the world’s shallow, meaningless carols about a jolly fat man and reindeer; snow and snowmen. The reason is that this angelic hymn wasn’t intended to entertain, it was to praise God for showing grace and goodwill to mankind by sending a Savior for sinners. As a result of this glorious act, we have peace with God, we have consciences free from guilt, our record of sin has been wiped clean. But what’s really remarkable that this carol came from – of all creatures – angels. The Bible tells us very clearly that Jesus did not come to save angels – for holy angels don’t need a Savior, and the wicked angels are beyond saving. And yet the angels are the first to praise God for his goodness to us. If the holy angels praise God for a Savior, don’t we have even more reason to? Jesus came to this earth for you and for me. He suffered torture and crucifixion for you and me. He endured the wrath of God and the pain of hell for you and for me. He rose again three days later for you and for me. With humble hearts, let us show our thankfulness for God’s Christmas gift of light through Jesus with joyful songs and with our lives of obedience and service, today, tomorrow and forever with the angels in heaven.

Micah 5:2-5a - Christmas Paradoxes - December 19, 2021

These days leading up to Christmas are always kind of weird, aren’t they? They’re filled with conflicting actions and emotions and attitudes? We might even call these days paradoxical. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the darkest time of year – and so we try to chase away the darkness by hanging lights on our homes. This is supposedly the happiest time of the year and yet studies shows that more people are depressed now than any other time of year. Christmas is idealized in movies as being a calm and relaxing time with family – when the reality is that for many of us it’s the most frantic and busy time of year and sometimes all we really want is to be alone. And who do we call to preach about the most important event in human history? Little children. As paradoxical as our experience of Christmas may be, it pales in comparison to the first Christmas. Micah walks us through three of these paradoxes.

The first involves the location of that first Christmas: but you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. That means exactly what you think it means: Bethlehem was a small village – a “clan” in military terms was 1000 soldiers (1 Samuel 8:12) – so the population of Bethlehem was less than 1000 families. And God’s chosen ruler is supposed to come out of this small, insignificant, backwater town? People living at the time didn’t think it possible. The wise men didn’t travel to Bethlehem to find the new king that the star told them had been born – they went to the capital, to Jerusalem, because everyone knows that important people come from important places (Matthew 2:1-12). Mary and Joseph didn’t even voluntarily travel to Bethlehem – they were compelled to by Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-5).

And yet it’s not the first time that God chose to raise up a ruler for Israel from the little town of Bethlehem. 1000 years earlier, God sent Samuel to Bethlehem, to the family of Jesse, to anoint not one of Jesse’s seven older sons, but his youngest, David, a little boy, a lowly shepherd (1 Samuel 16:1-13). And yet, by God’s grace and power, David became the greatest King Israel would ever know (1 Chronicles 18:14; Acts 13:22; 1 Chronicles 14:17). Therefore, God’s choice of this little town was no accident. That’s our first Christmas paradox: a big thing, a mighty ruler of Israel will come from the lowly town of Bethlehem.

The second paradox has to do with this ruler’s hidden identity: his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. We have a beginning; it’s called our conception. So did this baby, and yet Micah says that his origins go back far beyond Bethlehem 2000 years ago, beyond his ancestor David 3000 years ago, even before the very creation of the world. Why does this matter? It matters because the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). It matters because Psalm 49 says no one can by any means redeem himself. He cannot give God a ransom for himself – (Yes, the ransom for their souls is costly. Any payment would fall short.) (Psalm 49:7-8). Did I really have to bring sin and death and judgment up on this happy day? In front of the children? Why can’t we just ignore our sins at this happiest time of the year and deal with them later? Because unless we realize our sins we will never really understand Christmas. You might be able to convince the fat man in the red suit to take you off his naughty list – but our holy God can’t and won’t simply ignore the fact that we have placed things and people before him, misused his name, despised his Word, disrespected his authorities, hurt and hated and lusted, stolen time and defrauded people, ruined reputations, and been discontent with what God has given us. And it doesn’t matter how good you or I try to be this Christmas – we can never make up for the evil things we’ve done every day of our lives.

That’s why the eternal One, the Son of God, stepped down from his throne in heaven and humbled himself to be born of a peasant woman in a dirty stable in the lowly town of Bethlehem. He was born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). Nothing we could ever do could appease God’s righteous wrath at our disobedience and sin. Nothing less than the precious blood of Christ…a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19) could atone for our sins. And that’s our second Christmas paradox: the eternal One, the Son of God himself, became a child for us, to save us.

The third paradox involves what the eternal One, the Son of God, came to this earth to do. Micah says he will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth. This one will be their peace. Most of us have never raised sheep or goats – and therefore we tend to picture shepherds like that stained glass window over there: calm, clean and snuggling a cute little lamb. That’s not what the occupation of shepherd looked like then – or even now. A shepherd’s life was dirty and bloody, dangerous and often violent. More importantly, that is not what Jesus came here to be or do: the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). In a few moments the children will repeat the angel’s announcement to the shepherds: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind (Luke 2:14). Peace between God and mankind is the ultimate message of Christmas. But don’t ever forget what that peace – peace with God – cost. As you celebrate with your families, as you look at nativity scenes, as you sing your favorite Christmas carols – remember that the shepherd’s praises would soon become cries of crucify him (Luke 23:21); that the same Mary who cradled her newborn’s head would live to see a crown of thorns viciously pressed into his skull (John 19:2); that the tiny hands and feet that were once wrapped in swaddling clothes would be nailed to a tree; and that the one who came from heaven on Christmas would willingly suffer hell for us on Good Friday (Mark 15:34). Don’t ever forget that in the background of that peaceful manger in Bethlehem is the unimaginable violence of Calvary’s cross.

But also never forget that because Jesus endured the violence of men’s words and whips and nails and God’s wrath and hell’s fury – you now have peace. Perfect peace. Peace that nothing in the world can take away. The violence that Jesus endured means that you have peace with God. You are right with him. Heaven is open to you. Isn’t that the greatest Christmas paradox of all? That Jesus endured hell to give us heaven? That he suffered the violence of men and the judgment of God to give us peace? And this paradox is why no matter what is happening in our world, in your family, or with your health – this will be a Merry Christmas, because through the miracle of Jesus’ birth and the violence of his death, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1).

Christmas is often weird – there are so many contradictory and paradoxical things about it. The first Christmas was no different. God chooses small towns, little babies, and the hatred of evil, violent men to carry out his plan of salvation. He still does. He uses unimpressive means – an ordinary man, ordinary water, and ordinary bread and wine – to bring people to Christ, to forgive their sins and to give them everlasting life. This morning, he will use these ordinary children to proclaim the best and most important news the world has ever heard: today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Don’t let the many paradoxes of Christmas trouble you; cherish them, for God always chooses to give his best gifts in the most paradoxical ways. Merry Christmas! Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 - God Is Faithful; He Will Do It - So... - December 15, 2021

Do you think that most of our neighbors outside of those doors know that we are in the season of Advent? I don’t. And even if they do, I’d be willing to bet that they think of Advent as nothing more than a time to prepare for Christmas. And while that is probably true even in our everyday lives, in here, Advent isn’t primarily about Jesus’ coming at Christmas – his First Coming – this time is about preparing for his Second Coming in Judgment. That’s why our theme this year has been: Waiting for the Day of the Lord. Two weeks ago we defined the Day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:3-9). Last week we explored what it means to wait for the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:8-14). Tonight we will put both concepts together to see that how we live now relates to being ready for the Day of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians is a fairly short read, it’s only 5 chapters long, but Paul covers a lot of ground in these chapters. He gives thanks to God for bringing the Thessalonian Christians to faith (1 Thessalonians 1); he defends his ministry against unnamed opponents who had been slandering his reputation and undermining the Gospel and expresses his desire to once again visit Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 2); he explains his rationale for sending Timothy to Thessalonica and thanks God for his good report of their faith and love (1 Thessalonians 3); through chapter 4 and into chapter 5 he gives clear and specific instructions regarding sexual propriety and brotherly love; specifically the need to mind your own business and work with your own hands, and he corrected some misunderstandings the Thessalonians had regarding Jesus’ Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4-5:11). All of which leads to Paul’s closing words which we are considering tonight. A fair way to characterize these verses is to see them as summarizing the basic worldview, the default setting of a Christian – and it’s a somewhat paradoxical worldview: we live as God’s people here and now with our eyes, our focus, always set on the Day of the Lord to come.

Paul starts with the “living now” part. He concludes his list of brief commands with the prayer: may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. Could you answer the distinctively Lutheran question: what does this mean? What does it mean to be “sanctified?” To “sanctify” means to be set apart, to be made holy. In confirmation class I use this building as an illustration of sanctification. We don’t use this space to screen secular movies or Packer games or to host yoga classes or bake sales – it is set apart from the mundane things of this world; it is set apart for the worship of the one true God. In the same way, we, in both our private and public lives, are to be set apart from this sinful world; set apart for service to God alone.

But what does this mean, practically speaking? That’s what Paul was describing in the previous verses: rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not extinguish the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt. But test everything. Hold on to the good. Keep away from every kind of evil. Does that describe you? I often find it hard to be joyful and to find time to pray – especially in this busy and stressful time of year. I probably tend to gripe and complain as much as – and probably more than – I take time to give thanks. And even though I know that God wants me to be joyful, prayerful and thankful I often prefer my will over God’s. Extinguish the Spirit? I know that my sinful flesh would much rather sit on the couch and turn on Netflix or a football game than engage in serious Bible study – and in that way I’m snuffing out the Spirit’s fire and treating God’s Word and prophecies with contempt. I’m lazy in testing the things I see and hear and read in the media; I find that the good things of God easily slip out of my hands and that I’m magnetically drawn toward every kind of evil. I don’t think I could honestly describe myself as “sanctified,” “set apart,” and “holy,” – could you? Would you be bold enough to claim that you embody Paul’s description of what it means to live as a justified and sanctified Christian?

That’s why Paul prays…both for the Thessalonians and for us. He prays for God to do the sanctifying, the setting apart – because we are incapable of doing it ourselves. And this isn’t the first time Paul prayed this prayer. Back in chapter 3, he wrote: may the Lord increase your love and make it overflow for each other and for all people, just as ours does for you, so that he may establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). How does God do this sanctifying? Through the means of grace – and specifically through Holy Baptism. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians: Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, by cleansing her with the washing of water in connection with the Word. He did this so that he could present her to himself as a glorious church, having no stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but so that she would be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:25-27). One of the rituals that have traditionally been associated with baptism and confirmation have reflected this fact. When infants and confirmands are clothed in white gowns it is a visible illustration of the invisible truth that through Baptism Jesus’ blood has cleansed us from all sin, has washed away all of our impurities, has sanctified us and set us apart from this sinful world for God.

But God’s sanctifying work in our lives doesn’t end there. In Baptism God not only washes away our sinfulness but empowers us to live in holiness. Luther described it this way in his Small Catechism: “Baptism means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever” (SC Baptism: IV). This is the work of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you were baptized the Holy Spirit has been working in your heart, giving you a new will, new impulses, an inner desire to live for God and others – not only for yourself. Because you’ve been baptized – that is what you are. That is why I don’t have to yell and scream at you to be joyful and prayerful and thankful; to hold onto the good and avoid every kind of evil. No, even your presence here in God’s house on a dark December night is proof that the Holy Spirit is at work in your heart – setting you in thought, word, and action apart from the sinful world. You are living proof that Paul was right when he said the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

That’s the “living now” part. The other part, the “setting your sights on the Day to come,” is this: and may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s trendy these days for people to describe themselves on social media with a simple string of nouns and adjectives. For example, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers describes himself this way on his Twitter account: “Husband to Kathy, lifelong educator, Euchre and bobblehead enthusiast, and 46th Governor of the State of Wisconsin.” [1] With all due respect to Governor Evers, he’s missing one important adjective, the one adjective that will matter most on the Day of the Lord – he doesn’t describe himself as “blameless.” (In the Greek, it’s actually an adverb: “blamelessly”). Would you? Do you consider yourself blameless – that on Judgment Day no one, not even God, would be able to blame you for any evil?

You should, because that how God considers you. He considers you utterly blameless. When he sits down on his judgment seat and opens up the file folder containing the charges against you – do you know what he finds? Nothing. Not a single lie, dirty thought, or loveless action – not even a parking ticket. Of course, you and I know better. We know that an Amazon warehouse full of filing cabinets couldn’t contain all of the valid charges against us. How can God possibly find us blameless on any day, much less on the Day of the Lord?

Make no mistake, God is perfectly holy and just. He couldn’t just sweep our sins under the rug. He couldn’t just shrug and say that the awful things we’ve thought, said and done are no big deal. So what did he do? He blamed his Son our sins. He charged Jesus with committing every sin that has ever been committed and then punished him with the hell those sins deserved. Because Jesus shouldered your blame – you can feel free to describe yourself as blameless on social media, if you so choose (how’s that for an “outreach” strategy?). And the same God who didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up to take away your sins is committed to keeping you blameless until his Son returns in glory. That’s part of the mission God has given his Church; that’s what these means of grace are all about – Jesus coming here week after week to you to cleanse your sins and wipe away your guilt so that you will be found blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when you set your sights on these means of grace, then you’re also setting your sights on the Day of the Lord to come. As we remember every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper: as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).

So that’s it for our 2021 Midweek Advent series entitled “Waiting for the Day of the Lord.” If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this series it’s this: that Jesus’ First Coming – as a baby to a virgin mother in a manger in Bethlehem, who would go on to live a perfect life and die a perfectly atoning death on a cross on Calvary – is the reason that we can wait with confidence and hope for his Second Coming. Because of Jesus we know that we will be found blameless on that Day. And until then we know that he is actively enabling and empowering us to live blameless lives, set apart from this filthy world for service to God and others. I can say that with certainty because in the end it’s not really about us or our efforts, it’s about God. [He] is faithful, and he will do it! Amen.  

[1] https://twitter.com/GovEvers?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Luke 3:7-18 - The Forerunner Prepares Us for Christmas - December 12, 2021

Time is running out. Whether we like it or not, Christmas is only 13 days away. Delivery companies are warning that if you don’t have your gifts shipped by December 15, this coming Wednesday, they may not arrive by the 25th. Every year at this time, you hear people saying things like: “where has all the time gone?” “Christmas really snuck up on us this year.” “I have so much left to do and so little time to do it in.” We hear and maybe even say those things, but, really, the truth is that if we aren’t ready for Christmas, if we don’t get everything done – it’s not because this December was shorter than any other or that God took some time out of our days – if we’re not ready, the only one we can really blame is ourselves. The same is true of preparing to receive our Savior – both at Christmas and in his return in glory – if we’re not ready, we have no one but ourselves to blame. The good news this morning is that God has sent a forerunner, John the Baptist, to prepare us to receive our Savior.

Many aspects of John’s ministry strike us today as odd. He didn’t set up shop in Jerusalem, where the people were, but in the desert, where they were not. He didn’t wear the attire of a priest or a rabbi (he could have, given that he was from the priestly line of Aaron (Luke 1)), he dressed up in camel’s hair and survived on locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4). In spite of the fact that John’s appearance proclaimed desperation, not glory – the people came, hundreds and hundreds of them (Matthew 3:5). But perhaps that makes his greeting to them even odder: You offspring of vipers!

Is that any way to talk to people? I can’t imagine any evangelism book encouraging you to use this line when you’re trying to strike up a conversation about Jesus. Why did John speak with such venom? If he’s trying to bring people into God’s kingdom, why does he call them the children of Satan? It seems odd. It doesn’t make much sense. That is, until you understand John’s audience. He was preaching to people who were practically begging for God to rain down his judgment on them. For hundreds of years – it had been 400 years since Malachi’s last call to repentance – the people of Israel, and especially the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 3:7) – had made all kinds of excuses to avoid true repentance. Now, their time was up. The Lord’s arrival was imminent. And John’s mission was to expose the excuses that prevented the people from being ready to receive their Savior.

Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance. Who had told the Pharisees and and Sadducees and their followers that God’s judgment was coming? Well, God had, but they had ignored and rejected his repeated warnings. John was really asking: why are you out here for my baptism for the forgiveness of sins? He knew that they didn’t really believe that they needed forgiveness. They had accumulated all kinds of good works: circumcision, washings, fasting, tithing. But their outward actions only served to cover up rotten, selfish, greedy, idolatrous hearts. They were hypocrites (Matthew 23:13-39). They appeared godly, but it was just a façade. That’s why John greets them in such a harsh manner. And that’s why he tells them to abandon their works and instead examine their lives under God’s Word and live according to it. The excuse that they were outwardly “good” people wouldn’t hold up under the fire of judgment.

Next, John set his sights on the empty excuse of heritage: Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ Throughout its history, this was Israel’s trump card when God sent prophets to call them to repentance and faith. Like spoiled children they would cry out, “Abraham is our father! We are God’s chosen people! Salvation is ours!” Yet, even as these claims left their lips they continued to live as godless unbelievers. They used God’s grace as a license to sin. John put their false claims in perspective: I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones (these stones being non-Jewish Gentiles, like us (1 Peter 2:5)). God didn’t need them. God didn’t owe them anything. Grace alone was the reason God has picked them to be his chosen people. And if they continued to abuse his grace by their sinful behavior – they risked losing it!

And there was one final excuse that needed exposing. Essentially, the Israelites had spent the last 400 years saying, “Repentance and bearing good fruit…yeah, we’ll take care of that later.” There was always something more important to do than listen to God’s Word. But time had run out. Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. The Messiah was coming and anyone who was not ready would only have themselves to blame. Hypocritical good works, bloodlines and heritage, laziness and procrastination – all excuses, all sins, all exposed by John.

Would John have any reason to call us the offspring of vipers this advent season? In other words: do we cling to any excuses to avoid true, heartfelt repentance and produce the fruits of repentance? Would John see us as hypocrites just like the Pharisees and Sadducees – imagining that our outwardly “good” works of tossing some change into a red kettle outside of the grocery store or being a little kinder to strangers can make up for all the evil we have done? That doing good things for friends and family can replace the necessity of heartfelt contrition and repentance? Or do we ever hide behind the excuse of heritage? I don’t believe any of us have Abraham’s blood flowing through our veins, but we are Lutheran. Do we ever imagine that just because we have the pure Gospel, that because our names are written on a very official looking Lutheran membership directory – that we deserve God’s grace, that God owes us? Jesus will not stop by the church office on judgment day to read our membership list because he can read hearts (John 21:17). Or maybe it’s sheer laziness and procrastination. I can get serious about repentance, about my devotional life, prayer, raising my children to know and fear the Lord, growing in my knowledge of God’s Word later – there’s more important stuff to do now. All of those things are empty excuses. The time is now to repent and produce fruits of repentance. The ax is ready to strike the root of the trees.

It’s not a comfortable place to be, is it? When the Law has pinned us down and stripped away our excuses, then we’re forced to ask with the crowd: what should we do then? John’s response is simple. Notice, however, that the audience is different now. Now he’s speaking to those who did repent and were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. In fact, from the way the Pharisees and Sadducees responded to Jesus, it would seem that they never did submit to John’s baptism. That’s why John turned the attention away from the hypocritical, showy works of the Pharisees that only seemed good but benefited no one and encouraged the crowd put the repentance in their hearts into action in their everyday lives. “Share your blessings with those in need,” was his advice to the people in general. “Don’t be dishonest as you collect taxes,” he told the tax collectors. “Don’t use your power or authority to extort bribes,” he told the soldiers. In other words, John told the people who truly were penitent and wanted to produce fruits of repentance, be what you are: live and act like repentant children of God.

That’s his guidance to us as well; be what you are – because by virtue of your baptism, whatever else you are, you are a forgiven child of God. Confess your sinfulness and rejoice that Jesus came to save sinners like you. Give thanks that God comes to you through the means of grace to wash away your sins and strengthen your faith – make faithful use of them. And then, be who you are in the place in life he has given you. Are you a parent? Be a godly example to your children and raise them using the tools God has given you: law and gospel. Are you married? Sacrifice your own needs for your spouse’s and keep yourself free from lust. Are you an employee? Don’t steal from your employer through laziness but instead work as if the Lord was your boss – because he is (Colossians 3:23). Has God blessed you materially? Share what he has given you with your neighbors who are in need. It is that simple. If you want to produce fruit in keeping with repentance you don’t have to search for big showy works that so often wind up being empty and rotten. Compare your life to the 10 commandments. Confess those times you have failed to measure up. And then let those same commandments be your guide in how to live a life that produces fruit pleasing to God.

John’s simple yet profoundly powerful message led to some speculation among the people: the people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ. John, again with his characteristic bluntness, corrected their thinking. I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Having prepared the people’s hearts by exposing their excuses he turns to his second job: to exalt Christ. John was not the Christ. He was only the forerunner. He was sent to prepare the way. In case you’re curious about the different baptisms, John is comparing apples to oranges. He’s using the term baptism to refer to two different things. John’s baptism with water was effective as a means of grace to offer forgiveness to penitent sinners by Christ’s authority. In that sense, John’s baptism was no different than ours. But Jesus, the more powerful one, would, of his own authority, pour out the Holy Spirit on his people – a reference not to Christian baptism, but to the miracles of Pentecost.

This mightier one would demonstrate his power in what he came to do: His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. In one sentence, John summarizes the sum total of Jesus’ work in this world. There are two questions that arise, though. Is this law or gospel? Well, it’s both, isn’t it? It’s good news that when Jesus comes he will gather the wheat, the believers, into the barn of heaven. It’s the ultimate warning of the law to know that he will simultaneously burn up the chaff, the unbelievers, in the fire of hell. Second, when is this taking place? I don’t seem to recall Jesus burning anyone up during his earthly ministry. And that’s true. What John appears to be doing is combining Jesus’ first and second coming into one. Which means that this reaping and separating is taking place right now. Right now, Jesus is working through the Law and Gospel to separate the wheat from the chaff. Right now, those who are penitent are being comforted with the message of forgiveness. Right now, the impenitent are determining their own destiny in hell. This world is the threshing floor and Jesus’ judgment is ongoing.

And that’s where our hope and joy are found this Advent: the time is short, but Jesus has already come once as a baby and is coming now to us through the means of grace – and he is the only excuse that God will accept; he is the only excuse we need. His perfect life excuses our sins of spiritual indifference, laziness and hypocritical good works. His innocent death excuses us from ever having to suffer the hell our sins deserve. His glorious resurrection gives us no excuse to doubt that when he returns to clear his threshing floor we will be among the wheat that he gathers into the barn of heaven. That’s why for Christians in Advent, humility and joy go hand in hand.

There’s no question, time is running out. Christmas is 13 days away. But more importantly, our Lord is coming soon. Where do we begin? The forerunner prepares us. We start in the only place we can: with ourselves. We listen to the Law that exposes our excuses for laziness and indifference. We stop hiding behind them. We repent from our hearts. We listen to the Gospel that exalts Christ. We trust him for pardon and for peace. And then…well then, we live as the blood-bought children of God in humility and joy. Amen.

Luke 3:1-6 - Nothing Can Stop Christmas - December 5, 2021

Have you ever noticed that pretty much every Christmas movie ever made has the exact same storyline? Whether it’s Scrooge or the Grinch or some silly contrived crisis in a Hallmark movie – it always seems like Christmas is in danger of not happening. Of course, in the end, Christmas always comes – because who would ever write or watch a movie where Christmas doesn’t come? In entertainment, nothing can stop Christmas. Here’s the good news: what’s true of the artificial, worldly, Hollywood version of Christmas is true of the real Christmas, too! The real Christmas is about the Son of God being born to be our Prophet, Priest and King. And nothing can stop him!

Not that people didn’t try to stop him. In the first two verses of our text Luke lists seven men who were in power when Jesus began his mission of becoming our Prophet, Priest and King. He does this for two reasons. First, to anchor these events in history. This was not some “once upon a time” fairy tale. Secondly, to reveal the evil that Jesus was up against. These were reprehensible men. Some of what they did I can’t even describe for you from this pulpit – it would get us censored on YouTube. Tiberius was an evil, vindictive, antisemitic, murderous pervert. Herod had John the Baptist beheaded because of a foolish oath (Mark 6:14-29). The high priests, the supposed spiritual leaders of Israel, Annas and Caiaphas, arranged for perjury against Jesus (Mark 14:55-59), beat him, ridiculed him, and demanded that he be put to death for being what he came to be: the Son of God and our Savior (Mark 14:62). Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of any sin – he admitted as much publicly (Luke 23:4) – and yet he not only had Jesus illegally whipped, beaten, and ridiculed, he condemned him to be nailed hand and foot to a cross. But even with their positions and power, they couldn’t stop Christmas.

What sort of evil stands between you and Christmas this year? Does the evil of yet another variant or some other medical issue threaten your health and happiness? Does physical or emotional distance keep you from happily gathering with your loved ones? Does the evil of inflation threaten your ability to place a pile of gifts under your tree? Do you see the very real spiritual threats that materialism and false belief in a fat man in a red suit pose to faith in the one, true God and the one, true Savior?

Well, don’t worry about those evils. They can’t stop Christmas because Christmas is proof that God uses even evil for his good purposes – just as he promises (Romans 8:28). Consider the evil that stood against Jesus the first time around. Herod the Great tried to kill him while he was still a baby (Matthew 2:16-18). Annas and Caiaphas formed a lynch mob to force Pilate to execute Jesus (Matthew 27:15-26). And how did God use the evil hearts and actions of these evil men? You know. The pain that Annas and Caiaphas caused Jesus paid for your sins. The innocent blood that Pilate shed covered your sins. Even though these evil men did everything they could to prevent Jesus from serving as your Savior, they couldn’t stop him from preaching God’s grace, offering himself as the atoning sacrifice for your sins and reigning forever over all things (Matthew 28:18).

In light of what God worked through the evil surrounding Jesus’ first Coming – do you really think that he will allow the evil around you today to stop Christmas from coming to you? There’s no denying that evil may put a damper on your Christmas – but the evil you see in politics, in your personal finances, or in the spiritual evil prowling around you can’t really stop Christmas. No matter what happens, it will be a fact that Jesus was born to teach you what you need to know for eternal life, to offer himself as the sacrifice for your sins and to reign over this world – even over the evil. Nothing – not even the evil we see around us – can stop Christmas.

But what about when God seems far away; totally unconcerned with what’s going on around us. Faithful believers who lived during the days of John the Baptist must have felt that way; that God was distant and disinterested. Again, Luke lists seven powerful rulers. Everyone knew who they were. Everyone felt their authority and power in the laws they wrote and enforced and the policies they enacted. There was no question who was in control – it was printed on their money (Mark 12:16-17) and right in their face. But where was God in all of this? I think we sometimes imagine that God was constantly speaking to his OT people. The truth is that God only rarely spoke to his OT people – and for the previous 400 years he hadn’t spoken to them at all. All they had was the Old Testament Scriptures to hold onto. And then, out of the blue, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

We know what that feels like, don’t we? Doesn’t it feel like God is far away this Christmas season? We drive through our neighborhoods and see far more snowmen and reindeer than nativity scenes. Where is God when whether or not a woman has the right to kill her own unborn baby is even up for debate? Where is God when a convicted felon is set free to mow down people at a parade? Where is God in a nation that is so deeply divided politically, morally and ethically? There doesn’t seem to be much peace or good will here on earth. Where is God in this mess?

But even God’s apparent distance and disinterest cannot stop Christmas. Hebrews tells us: in the past, God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). God has always chosen to bridge the gap between heaven and earth by means of his Word. Even in the Garden of Eden God communicated to mankind with his Word (Genesis 1-2). And then, on Christmas, an incredible thing happened: the Word became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). You understand why that’s so incredible, don’t you? No one, not even John the Baptist, could bridge the gap between God and sinners – our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). We can call out to God, but we can’t make God speak to us. But when God decides to speak, nothing in heaven, on earth or even in hell can stop him. And Christmas, real Christmas – not the artificial lights and gifts and cheer – is God speaking his final Word to mankind through his one and only Son. And when God speaks, things happen.

And – unlike many of the things that we are told to believe today – the evidence of this truth is overwhelming. God spoke and the world came into existence (Genesis 1). God spoke and the world was destroyed in a flood (Genesis 7-8). God spoke and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down (Joshua 6). God spoke to a virgin’s womb and she conceived the Word of God (Luke 1:26-38). God spoke and you became his child in the waters of Baptism (Galatians 4:4-7). God speaks through his called servants and your sins are sent away forever (John 20:23). God speaks and his body and blood are united with regular bread and wine – and, as a result, you have everything that Mary had – your Savior, physically present with you and for you. And if that’s not a real Christmas gift, then what is? Yes, God may appear to be distant and disinterested out there, but in here, he’s as close as his Word, water, bread and wine.

Nothing can stop Christmas – not the evil around us, not God’s apparent distance from us, and, not even our own failed preparations. If I were to ask you, “Are you ready for Christmas?” what would you say? I’m guessing that 100% of us would say, “No, I’m not ready.” Why would you say that? Because you’re not thinking about the real Christmas – you’re thinking about the gift-giving, food-eating, family-gathering imitation of Christmas. You can be ready for that Christmas – you just need more time. But here’s the thing: you can never prepare yourself for the Real Christmas.

Consider what Isaiah said would be necessary for the first Christmas: prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways made smooth. Even with all of our technologically advanced construction techniques, we can’t fill every valley or lower every mountain – just think of how impossible this had to have sounded to John’s first listeners. The only conclusion you can come to is that if we have to fill in valleys and lower mountains in order for Jesus to come, then he’s never coming.

Here’s the reality: you can never be fully prepared to receive Jesus on Christmas. By nature your ears are deaf to the good news that Jesus came as a Prophet to proclaim, the valleys of doubt and unbelief in your heart are too deep. You can never be ready to receive a Priest who will serve as both your sacrifice and your mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), the mountain of pride in you is too high for that. You will never be ready to kneel before Jesus as King – not as long as you continue to imagine that you’re the king of your life. That’s just a taste of the Law that John came to the region around the Jordan preaching. It wasn’t a “try harder, be better”; it was a “you’re a damned sinner beyond all hope.” He didn’t come to tell people how to get themselves ready to receive Jesus; he told them to repent. And that’s exactly what I’m here to tell you today. You cannot and will never be ready to receive Jesus on your own – the valleys and mountains in your heart are too deep and too high. That’s God’s Word.

Prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight are imperatives, they are commands. Whenever God commands you to do something – that’s the Law. The primary purpose of the Law is not to show you how you can satisfy God’s demands but to show you that you can’t, to convict you of your sins and to show you that you can never save yourself (Romans 3:20). But did you notice that the rest of Isaiah’s prophecy doesn’t consist of commands but indicatives? It doesn’t tell us what we must do but what God WILL do for us! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth. And everyone will see the salvation of God. Do you know what this means? It means that God is promising to do for us what he demands from us. It means that not even our own sinfully corrupted hearts can prevent Jesus from coming to us to save us. Again, that’s not my opinion, that’s God’s promise; he says that just as the rain and snow come down and water the earth, so in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Catch this Christmas Spirit, the real Spirit of real Christmas. Rather than trying to gin up artificial joy this year, let the Holy Spirit create true joy in your heart through meditation on God’s Word and prayer. Rather than trying to find a way to God, remember that God chose, called and justified you in your Baptism. Rather than trying to do a little more good this month to make up for all the bad you’ve done, confess your sins and cherish your absolution (John 20:22-23). Rather than stress out over how much food you need to prepare and how many gifts you have to buy, savor the free gift of the body and blood of Jesus you will receive in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of your sins. That’s how God prepares you, raising your valleys of depression and doubt and cutting down your mountains of pride and self-righteousness, to receive his Son.

In the movies, it’s the artificial Christmas that nothing can stop. But what if it was stopped? What if Scrooge never got the Christmas spirit; the Grinch never gave Christmas back; the Hallmark movie didn’t end with everyone laughing and hugging around a crackling fire? What if this year your tree caught fire and your house and all the presents in it burned down and your family was left homeless on December 25? That would be tragic, but even that wouldn’t stop Christmas – because that’s not really Christmas. Christmas is about God coming to us in Jesus to save us from our sins – and nothing in heaven or on earth can stop the real Christmas. Amen.  

What Is Lutheran Worship? - November 28, 2021

Service Introduction: Have you ever wondered, “Why do we worship the way we do? Why is our worship service so different from anything else we do in life? Why is it even so different from the way other churches worship? What are we doing and why are we doing it?” Some may think that we worship the way we do because it’s what we’ve always done, and that Lutherans just don’t like to change. But doing something just because it’s what we’ve always done is not a good reason to do anything. That’s why on this first Sunday of the church year, our service is going to be a little different. Instead of assuming that we all know why we worship the way we do, we’re going to pause at each point in the service and understand what it is and where it came from. My prayer is that, as we better understand Lutheran worship, we can better appreciate Lutheran worship and worship our Savior and Lord in spirit and in truth, (John 4:23) as our Savior desires.

The Liturgy: The basic framework, or order of service, is called the liturgy. The word liturgy comes from two Greek words “people” and “work”. In the Bible this word is used for the formal, organized worship of both Christians and non-Christians (Philippians 2:17) – but also for the everyday lives of believers – lives that they live to the glory of God no matter what they are doing (2 Corinthians 9:12). We use the liturgy for three main reasons. First and most importantly, the liturgy keeps us focused on Jesus. (Both the cover of our bulletin and the cover of our hymnal contain two Greek letters – chi and rho – the first two letters in the name of Christ). Second, the liturgy allows everyone to participate with joy and confidence instead of merely being passive spectators – like we are at a football game or movie. (Part of being confident to participate in worship means that we use repetition – so that everyone, from the two-year-old to the 92-year-old – can join in.) Third, the liturgy honors the experience of the believers who have gone before us. Some parts of the liturgy have been used by believers for over 3000 years to worship the LORD. We use these ancient words and songs, not just because they are old, but because they have been time tested by generations of believers to be faithful to the truth of God’s Word and educates and edifies all people. While we use a different version of the liturgy almost every week for variety, the Divine Service most closely reflects the style of worship used by the earliest Christians. One more thing. Each worship service has a unifying theme. Our theme today, the first Sunday in Advent, is: Our Lord Comes to Save Us.

Invocation: This opening response is taken directly from Matthew 28:19, the passage in which Jesus gave his church its mission and instituted the sacrament of Baptism. We begin our worship by calling on the name of the Triune God, not only to clarify who we are worshipping but to remind ourselves that we are his baptized children. The word, “amen,” which you see at many parts of the service comes from a Hebrew word which means, “truth.” Whenever you say or sing this word, you mean, “that’s the truth. I agree with it.”

Confession of Sins: 1 John chapter 1 says, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world (1 John 1:8-9; 2:1-2). Before we can come before God to offer him our worship and praise, God must do something for us. He washes us clean of our sins and assures us that we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. You should note that the pastor always leads the confession of sins, for he too is a sinner in need of Jesus’ forgiveness. The words of our confession come from Romans 8, James 2 and Luke 18. The words of the absolution – or release from sin and guilt – are from 1 John 2 and Matthew 28. The song, Lord, Have Mercy, “Kyrie” in Latin, is one of the oldest songs of the Christian church. It is taken from the prayer of the tax collector in Luke 18. He came to the temple of the Lord, but when he prayed, he did not look up to heaven but beat his chest and said, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).  

Glory Be to God: This song of praise is taken from Luke 2, the words the angels sang to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Savior. Each and every Sunday we remember Christmas, that monumental moment in history when God became one of us to save us from our sins.

Prayer of the Day: It doesn’t take too long to notice that liturgical Lutheran pastors turn around quite a bit – sometimes facing the altar, sometimes facing the congregation. There’s a reason for this. When the pastor is speaking for the people or as one of the people: confessing sins, praying, praising – he faces the altar. When the pastor is speaking as God’s spokesman to the people: the absolution, the reading or preaching of God’s Word, he faces the people. The prayer of the day is formulated according to the theme of the service and presents God with a specific request in line with that theme.

Scripture Lessons: Almost every Sunday, we read three Scripture lessons: one from the Old Testament, one from the Gospels, and one from the New Testament Epistles. These lessons are carefully chosen both to emphasize one common theme and to cover all the main teachings of the Bible. When we sing a Psalm, we are using the oldest hymnal in the world – the hymnal God gave to his OT people. Some of these songs are over 3000 years old and connect us with believers who lived by faith in God’s promises hundreds of years before Jesus was born. The sermon text is usually taken from one of these three lessons.

The Creed: A creed is a statement of what a person or group of people teach and believe. The creeds we use most regularly, the Apostles’ and Nicene, have been and continue to be used by Christians of all denominations all over the world. The Nicene Creed dates back to 325 AD and was formulated as a defense of the Biblical teaching of the Trinity, emphasizing that Jesus is truly God. We begin by saying “we believe” to stress that we gather as people who have a common confession, which is especially significant when we come forward together to receive our Savior’ body and blood. The Apostles’ Creed is a simple statement of personal faith in the Triune God. In the early Christian church, adults would confess this faith before they were baptized in the name of the triune God. When children and adults are confirmed today, this creed serves as their public confession of their personal faith.

Hymn of the Day: The hymn of the day is specially chosen to reflect the theme of the sermon. Even though it isn’t always the most familiar or easiest to sing, the text usually corresponds well to the sermon text. Most of our hymns have words and phrases taken directly from Scripture. Many of them have also been sung by Christians for centuries. Their age doesn’t make them stale or irrelevant, instead, their age means that they have been tested and proven to clearly proclaim the truths of God’s Word. When new hymns are written that proclaim the Gospel clearly, we incorporate them as well. The Lutheran Church has been called the singing church because it encourages everyone to participate in songs, hymns, and spiritual songs – as Paul encourages in Colossians 3. You may never walk out of church reciting a line of the sermon, but you just might leave humming a line from a hymn. That is why hymns are such a great tool for preaching and teaching the Gospel.

Gospel: We stand for the reading of the Gospel to show our honor and respect for the words and works of Jesus. The word Gospel means “good news.” The hearing of the good news that Jesus has come to reveal God to us and to live and die as our substitute is one of the high points of our worship.

The sermon: In most other areas of life, if someone is “preaching” at you, it’s not a good thing. But here in God’s house, the sermon is a special opportunity to proclaim Christ crucified and to build up the faith of people for whom Christ has died. We won’t have a full sermon this morning, but rather an explanation of what makes Christians of all ages treasure preaching. Every sermon has a different emphasis, but in general the sermon has three main parts: it should contain specific law (which shows us our sins and our need for a Savior), it should contain specific gospel (which tells us what Jesus has done to save us from our sins), and it contains a specific application of how we can put the law and gospel into practice in our own lives.

How does Luke’s account of Palm Sunday provide the basis for this kind of sermon? Well, why were these crowds of people there in Jerusalem in the first place? They were there to celebrate the Passover – the annual reminder that God had freed his people from their slavery in Egypt hundreds of years before. We are also slaves – whether we care to admit it or not: slaves to sin, death and the devil. The evidence litters our lives in the sins we commit with our thoughts, words and actions. That’s specific law. But that’s why Jesus came both to Bethlehem and to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday – to free us from our enslavement. But doing so required him to die on a cross, to suffer hell, and to be buried in a tomb. That’s the specific Gospel. How does this apply to our daily lives? Well, it may seem odd to read about Palm Sunday on the first Sunday in Advent (as we’re preparing for Christmas) – but I think the Church did this intentionally. It did us to knock the Christmas spirit out of us, to disrupt our focus on worldly things this time of year. This lesson reminds us that Christmas isn’t really about lights or gifts or cookies or even family and friends. Christmas is about Christ. And Christ didn’t come to give us an excuse to exchange gifts or gather with family – but to die on a cross for our sins. And when you remember that, then not only will the stress of these weeks be lifted from your shoulders (because Christmas is not really about anything you do or buy) but you will truly be filled with joy and peace when December 25 arrives because you will know that Jesus came for you, to die for you, to save you.

Create In Me: This response is taken from Psalm 51. We ask God to purify our hearts so that we may empowered and energized to believe what he has promised and do what he has commanded in his Word.

Offering: We gather the offering at this point in the service, not merely to pay the bills (we could just send out invoices if that were the only reason), but to show our gratitude to God, to exercise our faith in his power to provide, to support the preaching of the Gospel here and around the world and to have a few quiet moments to reflect on the truths of the sermon. The offering is also a good time to turn to page 156 in the front of the hymnal to examine yourself in preparation for the reception of Holy Communion.

The Prayer of the Church: The church is not a building, not a synod, not even a printed list of people. The church is everyone, everywhere who believes in Jesus as their Savior from sin, so in the prayer of the Church we join to pray for people in various circumstances of life. We conclude with the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus himself taught the church almost 2000 years ago. The Lord’s prayer can be found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11.

Holy, Holy, Holy: The Santcus is taken from Isaiah 6. Isaiah saw a vision of angels and a glimpse of the glory of the LORD. He was terrified and felt ruined because of his sin. But an angel took a coal from the altar, touched his lips, and said look, this has touched your lips, so your guilt is taken away, and your sin is forgiven (Isaiah 6:7). Isaiah’s song is the perfect song for us to sing as we are preparing to meet our Savior face to face. We approach God as sinners, deserving only death and damnation because of our sins. But receiving Jesus’ body and blood with our lips with penitent hearts, we are cleansed so that as we depart this table the pastor assures us: “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”

The Words of Institution: You have probably noticed that this is the only time the pastor stands on the other side of the altar. This is intentional. As a called servant of Christ, the pastor humbly stands in the place of Christ at this holy meal and is able to speak the very words of Christ face to face with God’s people.

O Christ, Lamb of God: Agnus Dei is Latin for “Lamb of God.” This song comes from John 1:29, where John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In the OT, lambs and other animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Christ is our perfect lamb, sacrificed one time for the sins of the world, including yours and mine, and is now given to us, in, with, and under the bread and the wine.

Prayer and Blessing: We close with prayer to thank God for his plan and his work for our salvation. Everything that Jesus has done for us has been delivered to us personally through Word and Sacrament. We came here as broken sinners. We leave as healed, holy, and blameless saints. And as we leave, we go with God’s blessing. These words are taken from Numbers 6. They are over 3500 years old. God himself told Moses tell Aaron and his sons, ‘this is how you are to bless the [people]…so they will put my name on the [people], and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:22, 27) We sing three amens because of the three-part blessing and to remember the Triune God in whose name we began our worship.

Post Worship: This service may have felt like trying to take a drink from a fire hose with all the information that has been thrown at you. But I pray that this service helps you to see that Jesus is at the center of every part of our worship service, that you feel like an active participant when you come to worship, and that this new church year, another year of God’s grace, might be another year of blessing as you journey through this world on your way to heaven. As we begin another church year, let us remember to thank God for the blessing of Bible-based, Christ-centered, Lutheran Worship.  

Mark 13:32-37 - Because No One Knows - November 21, 2021

The Bible contains many passages that describe the end of the world. Some of them are troubling – even to Christians. One of the more troubling is before us this morning. Jesus says no one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. That’s pretty troubling, isn’t it? How can God the Son not know the time of his own return? Is he, therefore, not really equal to God the Father in regard to his knowledge of all things? (Is he not really God?) Most of all, how is Jesus’ apparent ignorance of the most important Day in human history supposed to be comforting? Didn’t he come to give comfort and peace; not fear and uncertainty? How are we to handle the known unknown of Judgment Day?

It’s called xenophobia – that is, the fear of the unknown. While you may not have known the psychological term for it, I’m sure we’ve all experienced this fear in our lives. When we’re facing a new job, a new home, a different teacher, a different schedule, a new or different anything, we justify our jitters by calling it “the fear of the unknown.” Just five words can send the heart of a person of almost any age racing. “The test results are in.” If you’re young and in school, you may think of a test you took. If you’re a bit older, you may think of a medical test and what it will reveal about the status of your health. As we get older, we gain experience, we know more things – but there will always be things that we don’t know – and what we don’t know can be scary.

In fact, there is one thing that no one, no doctor, no teacher, not even your president knows – it’s called the future. No matter how hard we try, we cannot see or know anything for certain beyond this moment in which we are living. We all live with this unknown every day of our lives. What will school be like? What college and what major will I choose? What will I wind up doing for a living? Who will I marry? What’s happening to our country? What will happen to my kids or grandkids? What will retirement be like? What will I do when my spouse dies? Will I end up living in a nursing home? Questions like these can drive people to the point of insanity. Even worse, it can drive them to the point of idolatry – sending them to psychics or horoscopes or false teachers to find insight. People will run to these idols because they imagine that if they know what the future holds, even if it’s bad, at least they can prepare for it.

The truth is that the future isn’t ours to know. This is offensive to “sophisticated” people like us who think we know so much (and that if we don’t know something, we can just Google it). We can send rockets into space and develop vaccines. We have smart calendars on our phones that we think can tell us what we are going to do tomorrow, next week, and even next summer. And yet, the reality is that we don’t really know if we will have a tomorrow at all. James issued a strong warning against anyone who thinks that they know what the future holds: come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that city, spend a year there, do business, and make a profit.” You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? Indeed, it is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears (James 4:13-14). We don’t and we cannot know what the future holds. All we know for sure is that our time on this earth is short, that our time here is running out (Psalm 90). A short life and certain death are known knowns.

Knowing that, at some point we all wind up asking: “How much time do I have?” That’s the question everyone asks sooner or later, isn’t it? Especially when sickness or disease strike. When your doctor calls to give you the test results, you might find some peace in knowing in the specific type of disease, the prognosis, the suggested treatment – but, let’s be honest, in the end only one question matters: “am I going to live or die?” The problem is that no one; not your doctor, not your pastor, not even Anthony Fauci himself can tell you how much time you have on this earth. They might be able to prescribe a certain treatment or medication that may delay death, but they can’t promise that you won’t be killed in a car accident today or that Jesus won’t return tomorrow. These are the known unknowns: I know that I will die and face judgment – but I don’t know when, where or how.

And what does my Savior say to comfort me as I face these known unknowns? He throws up his hands and says, “I don’t know either!” It’s kind of like a sad game of “Follow the Leader,” where the leader has no idea where is going. Wouldn’t it have been better for us if Jesus just kept quiet about it? If he had just continued teaching and said nothing about the end of our lives or the end of time rather than say, “Even I, the Son of God, don’t know when that will occur.”

Maybe from our perspective – but, as we know, ours is often not the best perspective…Jesus’ is. Jesus did say this and what Jesus says is always for our benefit. Let’s take one big theological step backwards. From all eternity, God the Son most certainly knows everything that the Father and Holy Spirit do. There are no secrets within the Holy Trinity. As true man, however, Jesus didn’t always make full use of his divine knowledge. These are the known knowns that God has revealed in his Word about Jesus: He gave up the full and constant use of his divine power and glory so that he could live on this earth in our place under the Law – obeying it perfectly as our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21). He did this so that he could die for our sins (Philippians 2:5-11). When Jesus says that he doesn’t know the day or hour he will return, it’s an example of the depths to which he humbled himself for us. His life was just like ours. He had known knowns and known unknowns right in front of him – just like we do. He knows what it’s like to live with fear of the future. We need look no further than the Garden of Gethsemane for proof (Luke 22:39-46).

So where’s the comfort here? While Jesus in his humility didn’t know the date of his return, he knows who does: the Father. In John 12, Jesus tells us just what type of things the Father was interested in telling him – and in telling him, telling us: I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command regarding what I am to say and what I am to speak. And I know that his command is eternal life (John 12:49-50). Jesus knows that even in the face of an unknowable future, everything he does tell us has one certain, known goal: eternal life.

Therefore, if Jesus doesn’t tell us something – like the day or hour of his return in judgment – what must we conclude? That it isn’t important for our salvation! That’s good news, isn’t it? While Jesus says that he is like a man going away on a journey, and that we are to keep watch for his return, he doesn’t tell us to know the day or time when he will return. In fact, he tells us just the opposite: that you do not know when the owner of the house is coming: whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning. This means that you don’t have to nail down the “when” of your salvation! That’s unknown. Here’s what we do know: 1) We are saved by God’s grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9); 2) Jesus purchased our salvation by his death on Calvary’s cross 2000 years ago (John 19:30); 3) this salvation is delivered to us personally through the means of Baptism, Absolution and Holy Communion here and now (Romans 10:17). This means that knowing exactly when Jesus will return has nothing to do with our salvation.

I know it’s a strange idea, but isn’t Jesus’ ignorance comforting? During his humiliation on this earth Jesus didn’t know the timing of the Last Day – but now, even in his exaltation, he doesn’t have a clue about your sins of yesterday, last week, or last year. The Bible says that he has thrown those behind his back (Isaiah 38:17) and into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), and he doesn’t know where they landed. Jesus doesn’t even know what you were like before you were baptized, absolved and communed. When he – who, incidentally, happens to be the Judge – sees you, all he sees is a new creation, created like he is in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Therefore, don’t mistake what you know for what Jesus says he doesn’t know: you may never forget the sins you’ve committed or that have been committed against you – but Jesus has; when he said it is finished (John 19:30), he forgot those sins – and so should you. Cherish Jesus’ ignorance – because what Jesus doesn’t know will save you!

So here’s what we know: the future isn’t ours to know and Jesus’ ignorance is comforting. But what about the elephant in the room: what can or should we do about the fact that we don’t know when our Lord will return to take us home – either through death or through his coming on the Last Day? Make no mistake, no one on earth knows when this will happen. You might be here next year to celebrate the Last Sunday in the Church year – or you might not. Same with me. What can we do about this final great known unknown? Well, you can do one of two things: you can either worry or watch.

It’s understandable that unbelievers would worry about the “when” of the Last Day. They should be worried. They have no “knowns” to place against this last, greatest “unknown.” By definition, unbelievers refuse to acknowledge who they are, where they came from, where they are going – more importantly, they are blind to God – who God is, what he’s done for them, and what he’s preparing to do. And because of this unbelieving blindness they haven’t a clue as to what they should be doing or believing during their brief lives on earth. And isn’t that ignorance glaringly obvious today? The only thing unbelievers appear to know today is that they are against anything and everything God has instituted. They have taken their stand against creation, against marriage, against the church, against law and order, against the family and even against gender itself. And yet, in their battle against God, in their search for comfort from their worry, what have they actually achieved? They’ve only succeeded in replacing God’s “known” institutions with their own “unknown,” undefined, and aimless lives here on earth. Don’t let the media fool you: LGBTQ individuals are not happy; divorce is always tragic; and trying your best to be “environmentally responsible” does absolutely nothing to alleviate the fear of knowing that a Day of Judgment is coming. Unbelievers can only and always worry about the Last Day because they know nothing about the One who is coming.

But that’s not you. You don’t have to be worried. You know who is coming and you know why he’s coming – to take you to heaven. That’s why instead of worrying you do something far more productive and beneficial: you watch. During his humiliation Jesus didn’t know when the Last Day would come, but he did know what his servants should be doing: it is like a man going away on a journey. When he left his home, he put his servants in charge and assigned what each one was to do. He also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Therefore, keep watch.

Don’t worry; keep watch. How? Many have severely misinterpreted (or maybe overinterpreted) what Jesus means when he tells us to keep watch. But Jesus is simply using this parable to illustrate that as we await his return we are simply to be doing what he has told us to do – thereby placing what the Lord has given us as “known” against the “unknown” of the timing of his return. What do we know? We know where God has placed us: are you a father or mother, a husband or wife, a son or daughter, an employer or employee? Then you know what God has given you to do here and now. Most importantly, you know that God has given you his Baptism, Absolution and Communion as tangible signs of his eternal love for you. So even if we don’t know the “when,” we do know the “who” and the “why.” We know that the same Jesus who was born in a manger for us, who lived a perfect life for us, who died on the cross for our sins and who rose again is coming to take us to live with him in heaven forever. And when you know the “who” and the “why” – the “when” doesn’t really matter, does it?

So what should we do in the meantime as we wait for the unknown day of Jesus’ return? Stick to what you know! Watch. Work. Live. Love God and the people around you. And trust that through the means of grace Jesus is preparing you to receive him whenever he returns. In the end, that’s all we really need to know. Amen.  

Mark 13:24-31 - See (and Understand) the Signs - November 14, 2021

When it comes to signs, it’s one thing to see them; it’s another thing to understand them. For example, traffic signs are intentionally positioned so that you can’t help but see them – that is, unless you have your head buried in your phone like many of the drivers on the road. It seems to me that even though you can’t help but see the red, upside-down triangle at each entrance to a roundabout, a good number of drivers don’t understand that the “yield” sign means that unless there is a car coming from your left, you don’t have to stop. Also, if you’ve driven on the beltline lately you’ve no doubt noticed that they’ve begun installing the signs that will regulate the left-hand shoulder for an additional lane of traffic – I’m just guessing that there’s going to be a pretty lengthy learning curve – not for people to begin seeing the signs, but for them to understand and obey them. Today our Lord points out signs of his Second Coming; signs which everyone will see, but only those his listen to his Word will understand.

The first signs Jesus describes have been seen by all people of all time. Solar and lunar eclipses are world-wide events that have been observed for at least 4500 years, according to records from Babylonia and China. [1] NASA estimates that in the 5000 years between 2000 BC and 3000 AD there will have been almost 12,000 solar and lunar eclipses. [2] It’s safe to say that every adult on earth has seen an eclipse. (Fun fact, our second child, Joel, was born on the day we in Wisconsin were able to view a solar eclipse – August 21, 2017.) The same can be said about the shooting stars and comets that streak through the vacuum of space. If you look back in history, almost every ancient people viewed these astronomical events as signs of something big.

Of course, we aren’t ancient people. We are sophisticated, intelligent, scientific people. We might find it interesting that ancient people found meaning in a solar eclipse or a shooting star – but we have computers and big, fancy telescopes in space; we know better today. We know what shooting stars really are. We know that comets don’t really just appear out of nowhere. We can predict down to the second how long an eclipse will last and where and when it will be visible. We aren’t foolish, simpleminded barbarians who think that these signs in the heavens above us actually mean something.

But who’s really the simpleminded fool in this situation? Person who sees the signs and knows they mean something or the person who sees the signs but regards them as utterly meaningless? (Which type of person would you like to meet at a roundabout?) Jesus says that after that distress in those days (that is, the period of time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Mark 13:1-23), the rest of the NT era), the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Everyone on earth sees these signs. But few, even very few Christians, really understand what they mean. We don’t have any excuse, though. In Genesis: God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night, and let them serve as markers to indicate seasons, days, and years (Genesis 1:14). From the very beginning God said that the sun, moon and stars are markers or signs of time – now Jesus gives them a deeper meaning (perhaps similar to what the Lord did with rainbows for Noah (Genesis 9:12-17)). Jesus says that when they fall out of the sky or go dark we shouldn’t just look at them as neat phenomena that can be explained away scientifically; but that we must understand that they are not only signs that he will indeed return, but as visible – yes, scientific – evidence that this world, this universe, won’t endure.

There are other signs that everyone sees, but that even many Christians do not understand. Jesus says that even as the powers of the heavens are shaken you will see the Son of Man coming on clouds with great power and glory. Have you seen this? Do you understand it? I’ll give you a hint: you’ve seen it if you’ve heard these promises from Jesus’ own lips where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them (Matthew 18:20); and, surely I am with you always until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Do those verses clarify this sign for you?

Here’s the reason so many can’t see this sign and even fewer can understand it: you can only see Jesus with great power and glory if you understand – and believe – what the Bible says about his work. Most important is what Jesus himself declared from the cross: it is finished (John 19:30). Jesus only rarely displayed his great power and glory at his First Coming. He humbled himself to be born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem (Luke 2). He went through a lifetime of humiliation so that he could take your place under God’s Law and keep it in your place (Matthew 5:17). He took the nature of a servant, humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross for our sins (Philippians 2:7-8). But as he said, that’s over and done with. Since Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, he has resumed the full and constant use of his divine power and glory. Easter Sunday introduced the last days, the end times. That’s why 50 days later, on Pentecost, Peter told the crowd that the last days which Joel had predicted were now here (Acts 2:14-41). That’s why Paul told the Corinthians that the end of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11). Right now is when Jesus can be seen coming in great power and glory.

Here's the catch: this sign can only be understood with eyes of faith. Those with eyes that remain darkened by unbelief may see this sign, but (like those roundabout drivers) drive right past it without understanding the significance. Unbelief doesn’t see Jesus coming to earth in great power and glory to raise the dead to life in the water of Baptism (Romans 6:3-4). Nope, they just see plain tap water – or, at best a sign of a person’s commitment to Jesus. Unbelief doesn’t see the Judge of mankind (John 5:22) declaring his final verdict in the words of Absolution (John 20:23). They just see some lunatic in a robe pretending to play God. Unbelief doesn’t see Holy Communion as the first course of the wedding banquet that will be served in heaven (Matthew 26:27-28; Revelation 19:6-10). Nope, that’s just a piece of stale bread and a cup of cheap wine – or, at best a symbol which makes us think about what Jesus did on Calvary 2000 years ago. Faith not only sees and receives and believes in these means of grace but also understands that Jesus is coming in great power and glory right here and now through them!

The signs are all there: in the heavens, here at this font and altar. Does that mean that we should pack our bags and cancel our Thanksgiving plans? No. These signs don’t tell us when Jesus will return but rather that his return is certain. How can I be so sure that these signs don’t indicate timing but certainty – that these aren’t signs at the end but of the end? Because an angel told me. No, really. Here we must let Scripture interpret Scripture. In Matthew 13 and Revelation 14 – sections which are undoubtedly describing the Last Day, Jesus doesn’t only send out his angels to gather the elect. He also sends out other angels to gather unbelievers for judgment (Matthew 13:47-51; Revelation 14:14-20). This isn’t the Final Judgment here. It’s something else. This is Jesus sending out human messengers (the Greek word angelos means “messenger) with the Gospel during the New Testament era to gather his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of the sky.

During his earthly ministry Jesus had restricted the scope of his disciple’s mission to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). But after his resurrection he sent them out to all nations (Mark 16:15). This is still going on today. It’s been going on worldwide for 2000 years wherever and whenever the Gospel of forgiveness, life and salvation is proclaimed to people dead in sin and they believe it. Right then and there Jesus’ messengers, his angels, are gathering his elect. This happened at some point in your life – and, by God’s grace, this happened in my life. See – an angel told me! Jesus is coming in great power and glory right here and now!

Can you see all these signs? More importantly, do you understand them? Can you not only see eclipses and shooting stars but understand that these signs indicate that this world is passing away? Can you not only see Baptism, Absolution and Communion but understand that through these means the Son of Man is coming with great power and glory to forgive and save? Can you not only see but understand that we as a Christian congregation; that Christian pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents are doing more than instilling morality or teaching Bible history – that they are actually God’s messengers gathering God’s elect?

Then listen as Jesus tells us what these signs mean: Learn this illustration of the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near – at the doors! I know that in the 21st century we tend to look to groundhogs and meteorologists to tell us when spring is coming – but they can be and are often wrong. But when certain trees – like fig or pecan trees – begin to bloom, you can be sure that summer is near. In the same way, every generation since our Lord’s first coming has seen these definite signs of his Second Coming. Every generation has seen the eclipses, the shooting stars, the passing comets and the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel gathering the elect. Every generation gets all the warning signs that eternity will soon smash the clock of time; that the created order is about to become extremely disordered; that this heaven and earth are passing away. No matter what the skeptics, the unbelievers, the scientists say about these signs – we need to understand that Jesus’ return is as sure as the changing of the seasons; and that even now he is near – right at the door!

And for that reason, we need to find a sure foundation to stand on – so that we will be ready to welcome him with joy when he comes; not cower in fear. By nature, we’ve got it all backwards. We think that this world we can see, touch and rely on will always be there. Jesus swears here that it will not. We think that we can find safety and security for ourselves and our families in things like money and real estate and insurance policies – but all of those things will pass away. Jesus swears that while the stars above your head and the earth beneath your feet will pass away, [his] words will never pass away.

Human words don’t last forever. Copyright protections only last 70 after the death of the author. [3] Pharmaceutical drug patents only last 20 years. [4] Even the vows you made on your wedding day don’t last forever – they expire upon death (Romans 7:2). But Jesus’ words – they will never pass away. The words of Baptism that were spoken over you 5 or 15 or 55 years ago are just as true today as the day you got wet; you have been joined with Christ in both his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). The Words of Absolution constitute your Judge’s unchanging verdict: you are not guilty (John 20:23). The life Jesus gives you through his body and blood from this altar doesn’t end when your heart stops beating – in fact, that’s when your true life begins. Yes, heaven and earth and everything in them are passing away. But of this you can be sure: [Jesus’] words will never pass away.

There are signs of Jesus’ Second Coming all around us. And yet it’s one thing to see the signs, it’s another to understand them. Many who see these signs see in them a reason to cling all the tighter to the things of this world. By God’s grace, we don’t just see these signs, we understand them – and instead of clinging to this fading and decaying world we cling to Jesus’ words, which will never, ever pass away. Amen.

[1] https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-history.html

[2] https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SEcatalog.html

[3] https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-duration.html#:~:text=The%20term%20of%20copyright%20for,plus%20an%20additional%2070%20years.

[4] https://hmsa.com/help-center/what-are-generic-drugs/

Mark 12:38-44 - A Widow's Faith - November 7, 2021

It’s Tuesday of Holy Week, just days before he will be arrested, beaten and nailed hand and foot to a tree – and what Jesus is up to? He’s not worrying about himself, preparing himself mentally and spiritually for the spit and the shame and the cross – but teaching his disciples. That in itself is pretty shocking, but perhaps even more shocking is what Jesus chooses for his object lesson. Today’s “teachers” – politicians, news anchors, celebrities – tend to focus on the big and notable issues of the day: What has Covid been up to lately? What do these past week’s elections mean for America? What’s going on with Aaron Rodgers? As we’ve worked our way through Mark’s Gospel this year, it’s hard not to notice that Jesus has a radically different style of teaching. Instead of choosing to focus on the big, important things of the world, he directs his disciples – and our – eyes and ears to small, unimportant things – in order to teach us big, important lessons: he uses mustard seeds (Mark 4:30-34); a young boy’s lunch (Mark 6:30-44); little children (Mark 10:13-16); and a withered fig tree (Mark 10:46-52). Small, insignificant things and people seemed to be important to Jesus – in his hands, they teach the biggest lessons.

Today he chooses a widow. Widows seem to be the theme of the day, don’t they? We had the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16). Widows serve as evidence of the Jewish leaders’ hypocrisy – in that they devour widows’ houses and then try to cover it up by offer[ing] long prayers (compare them to today’s televangelists who speak and act very piously and sanctimoniously – but what they really want is for you to buy their latest video or book). And, last but not least, Jesus draws the attention of his disciples to a poor widow who drops her last two coins into the offering box at the temple. Widows may seem insignificant to the world, but they have a special place in God’s heart – and in his Word. Think of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi – God caused an entire book of the Bible to be written about them! Or Anna, who was one of the few people in Israel to celebrate the birth of Jesus; and who was also a widow of eighty-four years – her name will forever be linked to Jesus (Luke 2:37). Paul spent a good portion of his first letter to Timothy urging him to honor widows (1 Timothy 5:3-16). And James writes: religion that is pure and undefiled in the sight of God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction (James 1:27). Clearly, our Lord has a special place in his heart for widows.

And for good reason. In Biblical times, women couldn’t normally go out and get jobs – and therefore they couldn’t support themselves. With no real social safety net, they were left with few options. If a woman was widowed at a young age, she could remarry – like Ruth did (Ruth 4:10). Ideally, older widows would be taken in by other friends or relatives – like Jesus commending his mother Mary to John at the cross (John 19:26-27). But if a widow had no one to take care of her, she was virtually helpless. She was one notch below a beggar – not only did she have nothing but she had no socially acceptable way to get anything. That was the situation in which the widow at Zarephath found herself and her son. Zarephath was a town in Sidon, located over 100 miles north of Jerusalem on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. She wasn’t an Israelite, she wasn’t one of God’s people, not one of the insiders. She was what the Israelites called the “goyim,” an outsider. And that’s what makes the Lord’s command to Elijah to go to her so noteworthy: it proves that God’s mercy knows no boundaries; that the blessings and Savior that were to come through Israel weren’t only for Israel but for all nations, even for widows…even for “goyim” like us.

She had enough for one last meal and no assurances that another could be found. Sadly, how many single mothers in our own wealthy nation have faced a similar situation? And then Elijah shows up…another mouth to feed. Her pantry is bare, where was she going to find enough food for everyone? Elijah offers her nothing more than the Word of the Lord: do not be afraid. Go and do just as you said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from the flour and bring it out to me. Then go and make another for you and your son. (1 Kings 17:13-14). She could have said no. She could have done the responsible thing and taken care of herself and her son and told this strange, foreign prophet to buzz off. But she didn’t. She did what Elijah told her. Imagine what must have been going through her mind after she gave Elijah his bread and went back inside hoping there was just a pinch of flour and a drop of oil remaining for herself and her son. And then, imagine her surprise when she reached into the jar of flour and shook the jug and felt that they were full again! More than enough for herself and her son for that day – and, not only that, but day after day, there was always enough. Every time she reached into that cupboard, there’s enough for her to bake her daily bread.

What does this teach us? We pray – at least weekly, and hopefully daily – “give us this day our daily bread.” You understand what we’re praying for, right? Just enough bread for this day, for today – and nothing more. Unfortunately, outside of the 4th petition I don’t think that we limit our prayers and petitions to God to just the necessities for today. We often pray that the Lord would give us enough bread for a month, a year, our retirement, a lifetime – enough so that we don’t have to work (or at least worry) anymore. While we may take 10 seconds to thank God for the meals we eat three (or more) times a day, we spend far more time thinking about saving for our children’s education, our own retirement, and the estate we will leave behind when we’re dead. Instead of appreciating the bread that’s on our plate we lose sleep over the volatility of the stock market and its impact on our investments. Like the rich fool in Jesus’ parable, we spend a lifetime working and saving to build barns (or bank accounts) we don’t need to store grain (or money) we will never use (Luke 12:13-21). We buy and store and hoard until we’re tripping over all our stuff and complain about having to organize so much junk (and if you doubt that, just try moving!). You know what that is, right? That’s greed. And Paul says that greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). It’s idolatry because it reveals that instead of trusting God to provide our daily bread we are placing our trust in our our wealth, our investments, our nest egg – in whatever promises to keep us safe, secure, well-fed and happy. What’s the cure for this insatiable greed, for this soul-destroying idolatry – not to mention, the cure for the stress, the anxiety, the heart-burn, the sleepless nights that come from placing your trust and hope in things that can never satisfy?

Let’s go back to Zarephath for a moment: The jar of flour did not run out, and the pitcher of oil did not become empty, just as the Lord had said through Elijah. In my mind this miracle was a lot like Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:30-44). I imagine that Jesus just kept putting his hand into that little boy’s basket and kept pulling out more bread and more fish – but his disciples never would have seen a big pile of bread and fish. All they would have ever seen was those five loaves and two fish. I imagine that all that widow ever saw was that same jar of flour and that same jug of olive oil – no Costco pallet of flour or oil – but every time she reached for them there was more – just as the Lord had said. There’s the key. There’s the solution to the idolatry of greed. The Word of God. It not only exposes our sin and leads us to repentance, but it provides the cure. The creates everything out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3). It makes enough out of too little. The Word of the Lord provides daily bread. And that poor Gentile widow, who had nothing, trusted that Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah and found that the Lord gave her enough, and more than enough, for her and her son.

Which brings us our Gospel lesson. After Jesus had warned his disciples against the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, Jesus was sitting in the temple courtyard, watching how (note that little word how!) the crowd put money into it, a nameless widow walked in to deposit her offering. Offerings were placed into these metal “trumpets” with long necks (something similar to the one you see on the bulletin cover). You can imagine, then, that when the wealthy came with their many coins it made a whole lot of noise when they dropped them into the offering box. And then this poor woman came. And there was no great clattering, nothing to draw anyone’s attention. Two little copper pennies, worth just a fraction of a day’s wages. If anyone heard anything at all, it was a quiet “plink, plink.” Nothing much to see; even less to hear.

But Jesus saw and heard something. He heard that barely audible “plink, plink.” And what he heard was a window into this widow’s heart. Now, admittedly, Jesus’ accounting standards would seem dubious to even a five-year-old: this poor widow put more into the offering box than all the others. No, she didn’t! She only put in on a fraction of a day’s wages. What’s wrong with Jesus’ ears? What Jesus heard wasn’t the clang of coins; it was faith and trust; a poor widow’s trust in the goodness and mercy of a God. For Jesus, it’s not the quantity that counts – it’s how that amount is given! It’s not about coins or cash or checks or direct deposits – it’s about faith. Sola fide – faith alone. That’s all that matters before God (Romans 3:28).

But faith is never alone. Faith, as Paul says, is always working itself out through love (Galatians 5:6). That’s what this widow was doing. Out of gratitude to God for his gifts to her, this poor widow was obeying the 1st Commandment: loving and trusting God above all things! This poor widow held those two tiny coins with the dead hands of faith. Dead hands, because that’s how easily she could let them go. She was dead to them and alive to God. Hers was a true sacrifice of love: For they all gave out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all that she had to live on. In those two plinking pennies – that had emptied this poor widow’s bank account – Jesus saw a heart filled with faith. So what’s the point? Is this about proportional giving? Is it that unless you’re giving everything, giving until your financial advisor fires you because you don’t have any more money to manage, that it doesn’t really count in God’s eyes? In working through this text over the past week one of my biggest questions was: why did the Holy Spirit even include this story in Mark’s Gospel? It seems to be a rather trivial event to record during the most important week in human history: Holy Week. And maybe that’s the point. With God, it’s never about the things the world deems to be so important. It’s about your heart. It’s about faith.

I doubt that any of us are putting every last cent into the offering plate this morning. I know I’m not. And while our offerings may amount to more than a couple of pennies – it’s definitely not enough to buy our way into heaven. You could give until the sheriff showed up at your house with a representative from the bank to repossess it – and it still wouldn’t make you right with God. God doesn’t really care about your money – he cares about your heart. But, for our sake, he recorded this story to show us that how we spend our money IS a window into our hearts; that is, that it shows us – us, not others, not the church council, not the pastor – whether our trust is in the Giver (James 1:17) or his gifts.

Two weeks ago we agreed with Martin Luther’s assessment that “we are all beggars.” Today we might say, “we are all widows.” We have nothing to give to God and we have no way to get anything to give to him. And yet God in his grace fills our empty hands with things we could never earn for ourselves. He redeemed us – bought us back from sin, death and the devil – not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). He baptizes us into an inheritance that is undying, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4). He feeds us with food we cannot purchase at any grocery store – his own body and blood – food that doesn’t just sustain your life today but forever. And he invites us to receive all of his gifts without money and without cost (Isaiah 55:1). And when you believe that, no matter your net worth, you are truly rich.

This text leaves us with many unanswered questions: How did that poor widow survive when she returned home from the temple? What did she eat? How did she pay her mortgage? I don’t know. But Jesus knows. And Jesus knows you, too. And he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Learn this big lesson from these poor, insignificant widows: God doesn’t need your offerings but he does give us the privilege of giving them as a window into our hearts – so we can see whether our hearts are set on the Giver or his gifts. Worrying about money will never put a single slice of bread on your kitchen table, but through faith created by the Word of God you already have the Bread of Life (John 6:35) forever – and your offerings allow you to put this faith into action. God grant us a widow’s faith. Amen.  

Mark 13:5-13 - Stand Firm in God's Word - October 31, 2021

Standing firm in God’s Word – and facing the consequences for it – has a long and storied history. In fact, that’s exactly what many of the best-known Bible stories are about. Think of Elijah taking his stand against the 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18-19:3). Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego choosing to be roasted alive rather than bend the knee to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol (Daniel 3:16-28). Daniel choosing to face hungry lions rather than pray to King Darius (Daniel 6). Skip ahead to the New Testament and you see Stephen taking his stand against the Sanhedrin and being stoned to death for it (Acts 6:8-7:60). Or Paul, one of the men who approved of Stephen’s death, later facing trial before numerous officials and kings and finally losing his life for his testimony. And this theme transcends even Bible history. Fast forward 1500 years and you will hear another Christian give his own testimony, not in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek – but in German: Heir stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.” [1] These were Martin Luther’s final words at his trial in the German town of Worms 500 years ago as he refused to deny or recant the three core truths of Christianity: faith alone, grace alone, Scripture alone. He said: “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”

As Lutheran Christians, its easy to take these stories of bold and fearless confession for granted. But in view of the culture in which we live, it’s kind of shocking, isn’t it? That these men would give themselves over to torture and death rather than give up their faith and confession? I’m sure we can all think of famous people – especially famous politicians – who have reversed their supposedly strongly held principles the moment their principles became unpopular or politically incorrect. But perhaps we don’t even have to look out there for example of breaking under pressure. We all know people who stood before an altar like this and swore to endure all things, even death, rather than fall away from the Gospel – and yet now have no regard for the means of grace. And yet, for all those who have denied the faith – thousands more have stood firm in spite of public and private pressure and even threats to their wealth, families and life. The question is: how will we react when we are put on the spot, when we are pressured to either deny Christ or confess him and face the consequences – whatever the consequences may be? First, we need to know what to look for and second, we need to have a firm foundation on which to stand. Jesus gives us both in the words before us this morning.   

It’s Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus has made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11). In a matter of days he would be betrayed, put on trial, tortured, and crucified. And yet, even knowing all this, Jesus’ concern was for his disciples who would very soon be questioned, put on trial, tortured and put to death themselves. It’s out of this compassionate concern for his disciples – and for us – that Jesus says: be careful that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. It may seem like detecting false teaching and false teachers is a big, complicated task – best left to trained theologians – but it’s really not complicated at all. Both Old and New Testaments identify exactly what false teachers will do: they will either add to, subtract from, or twist the Word of God (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19). If you know your Bible, then you are equipped to detect false teaching. And there always have been and always will be false teachers. In Jesus’ day, there were already false prophets trying to deceive many – in the form of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Experts in the Law – by adding their own manmade rules to God’s Law and telling people that their works could save them. In Luther’s day, the Roman Catholic church had added the purchase of indulgences and prescribed “satisfactions” to Christ’s all-atoning sacrifice. In our day, there are still false prophets trying to deceive many – in churches that proclaim a gospel other than “Christ crucified for sinners;” that give in to public pressure to support movements and morals which trample all over God’s will and natural law; in those that teach that all roads, all religions lead to heaven. Confronted by these threats, we stand firm on God’s Word – like those of the Apostle Paul: even if we or an angel from heaven would preach any gospel other than the one we preached to you – a curse on him (Galatians 1:8).

Jesus also warns that there will be signs in society which we must be on guard for: whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but the end is not yet. In fact, nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Jesus could be reading off the news ticker at the bottom of the TV screen, couldn’t he? Wars and rumors of wars? While America’s longest war in Afghanistan is over, it seems like the real wars are taking place on our own soil. The gang and drug wars of Chicago and Milwaukee have been migrating here to Madison. Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom doesn’t just mean the United States versus China or Russia or Iran – it’s school boards against parents; prolife against pro-abortion; supposed LGBTQ rights versus freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Earthquakes and famines? I’m not aware of any recent earthquakes – but famines: is there any practical difference today between having a farm on which nothing will grow or grocery stores in which shelves are empty? And yet, we stand firm in two of God’s promises: first, never will I leave you and never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5); and, second, such things must happen, but the end is not yet…these are the beginning of birth pains.

Finally, Jesus warns us that we will be persecuted and prosecuted, in public and in private, for his name. People will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand in the presence of rulers and kings for my sake as a witness to them…brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and put them to death. Elijah, Shadrak, Meshak and Abednego, Daniel, Stephen and Paul all stood trial before rulers and kings for Jesus’ sake. So did Luther. And still today Christians around the world are persecuted and prosecuted for Jesus’ sake. So be on your guard Jesus says. How? Remember that Jesus was originally speaking to Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mark 13:3-4). Was he telling them to arm themselves, to run for the hills or lock the doors and hide? No, while Jesus did tell the disciples to bring their swords to Gethsemane, he told Peter to sheathe it, not use it (John 18:11). After his resurrection, Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to hide in their homes but to take the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). He was telling them to guard the faith – to closely guard what he had taught them over the previous three years and to closely guard the suffering, death and resurrection they would soon witness.

So too today, we don’t remain on guard by arming ourselves or by hiding from the world – we remain on guard by guarding our faith – by going again and again to our Baptisms in which God has claimed us as his own, by hearing again and again that our sins are forgiven in the Absolution, by receiving our Lord’s body and blood in Holy Communion, and by becoming ever more deeply rooted in God’s Word. I don’t know where you’re going to face persecution in your life – it may be at home or at work; it may be on social media; your confession of Christ may cut you off from a friend or family member; it may be that someday your church or pastor are prosecuted for alleged “hate speech” – but whatever form the persecution takes, remember that you remain on guard not by arming yourself or hiding your faith but by carrying the saving truths of the Gospel in your heart and mind and having them always on your lips.  

“But that seems so trite, so ineffective, so weak – in the face of such strong opposition and persecution. That doesn’t seem to be standing firm; that seems to be cowering in a corner.” I know that’s the way it seems, but that’s not the way it is. Jesus arms us with several more promises which provide the foundation on which we will stand. First, in the midst of his warnings, Jesus said the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. What a promise to make knowing that in just days he will be lying in a tomb, stone-cold dead! The Gospel must, the Gospel will be preached to all nations. And yet, Jesus has kept his promise, hasn’t he? The Christian Church has survived 2000 years of persecution by the devil and his earthly minions. The Lutheran church has thrived for over 500 years. Our own Wisconsin Synod has been proclaiming the Gospel in our country and around the world for more than 170 years. The Gospel has been preached, Absolution has been proclaimed, and the Sacraments have been administered right here at Risen Savior for 22 years. Previous generations have preached the Gospel to you and now you are preaching it to the next generation. Yes, it may happen that you will be slandered or attacked as being bigoted or closeminded or intolerant for confessing the faith – but the Gospel will be preached to all nations. And when you face opposition, here is Jesus’ promise to you: whenever they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what you should say. Say whatever is given to you in that hour, because you will not be the ones speaking; instead it will be the Holy Spirit.

How could Elijah, Shadrak, Meshak and Abednego, Stephen, Paul and Luther stand so firm in the face of such fierce opposition? It wasn’t because they were especially bold or courageous – if you read through Luther’s Works, you will hear about the spiritual, mental and emotional anguish he went through as God used him to reform his church. In fact, when he stood before the imperial court at Worms, and was commanded to recant, Luther initially wavered and asked for time to think about it (not exactly the bold, fearless picture of the reformer we often have). No, these men stood firm only because the Holy Spirit held them firm in his unchanging Word and unshakeable promises and gave them the words to speak. Standing firm today – at home, at work, on social media – isn’t about us either – it’s about God and his promises to us.

Which brings us to two final promises on which we can take our stand; promises that may just have been on Luther’s mind as he wrote A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Jesus said: You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved; and Luther wrote “and do what they will – hate, steal, hurt, or kill – though all may be gone, our victory is won; the kingdom’s ours forever!” (CW 200:4) Here are the two promises on which we can stand firm in life and in death. First, everyone hates Christians. Don’t be surprised by it, expect it – even embrace it for it puts you the good company of the faithful saints who have gone before you. Second, the word endures here doesn’t mean that our salvation depends on our unfailing, fearless, bold confession of Christ – if that were true then all of the men we’ve mentioned would be lost. No, it means that even when we fail to boldly stand firm in Christ, we are forgiven and salvation is ours – because we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Scripture alone. Clinging to those truths – especially in times of weakness, even in times of denial – is what it means to endure to the end – because even if you and I waver, they never will.  

I’d like to end this Reformation sermon with one more word. Tetelestai, it is finished (John 19:30) In the end, if this is the only Word you had, you would have enough to stand firm. This word assures you that there is nothing more you need to do for your salvation. You are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, found in Scripture alone. That’s where Elijah, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, Daniel, Stephen, Paul and Martin Luther stood. That’s where we stand. God help us. Amen.

[1] Kittelson, Luther the Reformer 161

Mark 10:46-52 - We Are All Beggars - October 24, 2021

While few men in history have written more or had more written about them than Martin Luther; there is surprisingly little written about the last days of his life. One of the only noteworthy items from his last days comes from a scrap of paper his friends found near his deathbed. In this note Luther had written two short phrases, one in Latin, one in German. What was this man – who went from being the son of a copper miner in Eisleben, Germany to the 3rd most influential of the 2nd millennium AD; this German monk – through whom God had brought the mighty church of Rome to its knees; this theologian – to whom God had granted extraordinary gifts to translate, interpret, communicate and rightly divide the Word of truth – what was on his mind as his life drew to a close? “Hoc est verum. Wir sind alle Bettler.” “This is true. We are all beggars.” [1] Is he right? Are we all beggars? The beggar we find in our text will help us answer this question today.

Let’s set the stage. It was just days before Holy Week; just days before Jesus would ride into Jerusalem to shouts of “hosanna” (Mark 11:9) and be marched out to cries of “crucify him!” (Mark 15:13) Mark picks up his account as Jesus was passing through Jericho – a city roughly 15 miles from Jerusalem. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road begging. Partially due to poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions, partially due to a lack of sound medical advice [2], blindness was very common in Jesus’ day. Blindness is a terrible affliction in any age, but it was especially so in the 1st century. There were no guide dogs, no talking traffic lights, no braille, no specialized schools or homes or services. Because no one would hire them for work – they were inevitably left to beg for their daily bread. To add insult to injury, the blind also lived under the social stigma that their blindness was God’s punishment for some sin either they or their ancestors had committed (John 9:1-2). These were the conditions under which Bartimaeus lived. He may have been blind, but he was under no illusion: he knew he was completely dependent on the mercy of others for his very existence; he identified as utterly helpless.

But as blind as Bartimaeus was, there was one thing that, by God’s grace, he could see more clearly than many who had 20/20 vision. He was unable to work, unable to get to the temple by himself to present any sacrifices – but his ears worked just fine and he used them. And what he had heard was people talking about a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who had traveled throughout Israel preaching a message of God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness for sinners and performing miracles of healing that had never been seen before. And while many people saw nothing more than a mere man, the son of Joseph and Mary (Mark 6:3) – Bartimaeus saw the promised Messiah, the Son God had promised to David 1000 years earlier, who would establish God’s kingdom on earth and rescue his people from the misery of sin (2 Samuel 7:11-16). Because Bartimaeus believed that this was the one man who could help him, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

There are several lessons we can learn from this blind beggar. First, while our world demands to see before it will believe, Bartimaeus believed without having seen anything! Just think – at least some of those in that crowd in Jericho had probably seen Jesus’ miracles with their own eyes – and we know for certain that many of the Jewish leaders who crucified Jesus did – but they still did not believe that he was the Son of God, the promised Savior. That’s because faith does not come from seeing, faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17) – still today. In the absolution, I cannot show you your rap sheet that has been cleansed of all your sins by Jesus’ precious blood– you can only hear and trust Jesus’ promise in John 20: whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (John 20:23). In Baptism, to our eyes nothing more dramatic happens than someone gets wet. But Peter testifies that baptism now saves you (1 Peter 3:21). The bread and wine you receive look like normal bread and wine but don’t believe your eyes, believe Jesus’ words: this is my body…this is my blood…which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26, 28). Many are waiting and demanding to see proof before they believe in Jesus, and they will be waiting all the way until Judgment Day – and the only thing they will see is Jesus’ wrath at their unbelief. Let us learn from Bartimaeus: faith comes from hearing, not from seeing.

Second, whether we care to admit it or not, we are no different than Bartimaeus, we are all beggars before God. Scripture is crystal clear in teaching that we are all completely helpless to save ourselves (Romans 3:28; Galatians 3:10). We are conceived and born without true fear of God or true faith in God; dead in sin, blind to the Gospel, enemies of God; doomed to damnation in hell. Left to ourselves we cannot even obey the least of God’s commands, much less obey all of them to God’s standard of perfection. We are miserable beggars before God who can do nothing but cry for mercy. That’s why one of the first things we do each week is sing the Kyrie: “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.” [3] These words not only remind us that we are beggars; they also direct our focus to the only one who can and will show us saving mercy: Jesus the Son of David.

Bartimaeus believed that Jesus would be merciful to him, and so he persistently kept shouting all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” They called the blind man, saying, “Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!” You would think that Jesus would have better things to do, people to see, preparations to make as he walked the lonely road to the cross than be bothered with a miserable, blind beggar, wouldn’t you? In times of suffering and times of weakness Satan tempts us to think that Jesus has better things to do than concern himself with us and our problems. We might think that we shouldn’t bother him – that he must be too busy taking care of the great, big, important problems and people in the world. And we would be wrong. There is no problem too big and no believer too small for Jesus – because he came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10). The whole reason Jesus came was to help beggars – beggars like Bartimaeus…beggars like you and me.

Fourth, when Jesus called, Bartimaeus didn’t waste any time. He tossed aside his outer garment, jumped up, and went to Jesus. That cloak was quite possibly Bartimaeus’ only earthly possession. It was the roof over his head and the mattress under his back, it was his shade tree and his pantry. And yet, at Jesus’ invitation, he threw it all aside to run to Jesus who he believed could give him everything he needed and more. He would let nothing keep him from Jesus. We, too, have a standing invitation from Jesus: come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:30) Is there anything hindering you? Why aren’t we jumping up and running to Jesus in prayer weekly, daily, hourly? Is pride getting in the way? “I can handle this myself.” Is it embarrassment? “I shouldn’t have to beg for help.” Is an unhealthy trust in earthly helpers keeping you from Jesus? “My doctor, my financial adviser, my lawyer can figure this out for me – I don’t need Jesus.” Is it doubt or unbelief? “Jesus couldn’t possibly help me in this situation.” Or maybe, is it guilt or shame? “Jesus knows what I’ve said, done, thought, why in the world would he help a miserable sinner like me?” Whatever it is, remember this: coming to Jesus for help is not about you, your worthiness or unworthiness; it’s all about him – his mercy, his power, his promises, his love. Remember: we are all beggars with nothing to offer, and everything to ask – and Jesus welcomes beggars.

Here’s the proof: “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man replied, “Rabboni, I want to see again.” Think about the guts it took to make that request. Bartimaeus wasn’t merely asking for money for gas or beer, or for some food – he was asking for an impossible miracle. But he was convinced that this was God’s Son standing before him – the Son of David God had promised who would open eyes that are blind and…release…those who sit in darkness (Isaiah 42:7). Jesus answered Bartimaeus’ bold and impossible request. “Go. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight.

Why did Bartimaeus receive his sight? Jesus said your faith has made you well. In what way did Bartimaeus’ faith heal him? Well, not in the way that “faith-healers” claim today – that it was because Bartimaeus’ faith was so strong, so powerful that he was healed. If that were true, why didn’t Bartimaeus simply “believe” himself restored sight sooner, why did he have to wait for Jesus to come walking past him? (“Faith healing” is a dangerous false teaching that turns faith into a work and grace into something we earn from God!) Bartimaeus’ faith was nothing more (and nothing less) than a beggar’s open hand (organon leptikon – “receiving organ”) that would receive the gift Jesus would graciously give. Bartimaeus’ faith only saved him because, to put it bluntly: he asked, he begged the right person – he extended his empty hand in the right direction. Saving, healing, justifying faith doesn’t “do” anything; saving faith saves because it humbly receives what Jesus freely gives.

But Bartimaeus’ faith didn’t stop there, he began following Jesus on the road. It’s still just days before Holy Week. Jesus’ road is still leading to Jerusalem, to the hornet’s nest of Jesus’ enemies who wanted him dead – which Bartimaeus was likely aware of. Jesus’ road led directly to the cross. It would lead to suffering and pain and persecution – not only for Jesus but for all who were bold enough to follow him and confess his name. But Bartimaeus did it – because even though he would no longer have to beg for his daily bread – he still needed Jesus to suffer and die for his sins; he was still a spiritual beggar, he still needed what only Jesus could give him.

Unfortunately, that’s a lesson that so many people forget. Many people in every age behave like nine of the ten lepers in Luke 17 who, once they get what they want from Jesus, walk away from him and go their own way. Let us never forget that after we have come to Jesus in our time of need, after he has answered our cry for mercy, after he has assured us that our sins are forgiven and heaven is ours – that we are still, and will always be beggars. We never graduate beyond begging Jesus to provide everything from clothing and food to forgiveness and salvation. From the day we were brought to the font as helpless infants to the day we breathe our last – we remain beggars who must rely fully on Jesus’ mercy. The good news is that Jesus’ invitation to receive his gifts still stands! Even though we won’t see him walking by on the street, he does promise to meet us right here, where his Word is proclaimed, his Absolution is declared and his Sacraments are distributed. This is why we come to church: this is where beggars like us come to receive the gifts Jesus freely gives – and receiving those gifts gratefully and faithfully is how we joyfully follow Jesus.

Martin Luther made huge contributions to the world in many areas – even beyond religion. He protested injustice when he saw it. He was a strong advocate of law and order. Some call him the inventor of social media for his use of the printing press to spread his reforming message. But today we thank God for Luther’s help in understanding our own personal identity. “We are all beggars.” Beggars who can do nothing but cry for mercy; who must do nothing but receive what he wants to give; and beggars who joyfully want to follow Jesus to eternal life. Thank God that Jesus has time and mercy in abundance for beggars like us. Amen.  

[1] Kittleson, James A. Luther The Reformer Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 1986. (296-297) – LW 54:474

[2] “Mothers, in fact, allow [flies] to cling in half-dozens round the eyes of their babies, to ward off the ‘evil eye’…” (Wenzel, 556)

[3] CWS p. 15

Mark 10:35-45 - In God's Kingdom, What Is the Difference Between Irrelevance and Importance? - October 17, 2021

Does the name Grant Stuard mean anything to you? Probably not – unless you happen to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan – there’s no reason you should know who he is. Grant Stuard is this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. Mr. Irrelevant is the award, if you can call it that, that is given to the very last player chosen in the NFL draft each year. Occasionally, the winner of this less-than-prestigious award will enjoy some success and fame in professional football. But far more often, he will quickly fade even deeper into obscurity. Obviously, no one really wants to win the Mr. Irrelevant award – football players would much prefer to be drafted in the first round, fought over by teams, the recipient of a huge contract and signing bonus. And we understand that, don’t we? Who strives to be irrelevant? Who is ambitious to be unimportant and forgettable? In our homes, classrooms, workplaces, even in our church, we want to think that we’re doing important and glorious things, things that will be seen and praised and admired by others. By nature, we want to be Mr. or Mrs. Important, not Mr. or Mrs. Irrelevant. Today, Jesus overturns our understanding of the difference between irrelevance and importance in God’s kingdom.

It all started when two of Jesus’ inner circle – James and John, whom Jesus had labeled the Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17) – once again made waves by asking the wrong question at the wrong time. Jesus had just, for the third time, poured his heart out to his disciples, telling them that he was about to be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. (Mark 10:33-34) You would think the disciples would be shocked and humbled, offering “Lord, how can we help?” Nope. Instead, it’s Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we ask. Most parents have been in Jesus’ shoes, “so…you want me to say yes before you tell me what you want…do you think I was born yesterday?” But Jesus is not us and he patiently allows them to make their request: Promise that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.

James and John clearly had ambitious plans for themselves when Jesus began his reign in Jerusalem. If this petty power struggle among the disciples sounds familiar – that’s because it is. Just a few chapters earlier, shortly after Jesus was transfigured before their eyes, they were caught up in arguing over which of them was greatest (Mark 9:30-37). And on the very night Jesus was betrayed to his enemies, same story (Mark 22:24). And it wasn’t just James and John either. When the ten heard this, they were angry with James and John. This selfish, ambitious drive for personal glory is one of the more prevalent themes throughout the pages of Scripture. Satan was cast out of heaven and sin entered the human race through Adam and Eve because all three coveted the glory God had reserved for himself (Isaiah 14:12-15). God confused human language at Babel because the human race was determined to build a monument to their own glory (Genesis 11:1-9). God struck Moses’ sister, Miriam, with leprosy because of her desire for honor and glory (Numbers 12:10).

Is it any different today? Are we still ambitious for glory and honor for ourselves? Our sinful nature doesn’t want to serve anyone but ourselves – not even God. Maybe we don’t, like James and John, envision ourselves as kings and queens. But we do like to receive glory and praise, we like to have power, we want things done our way. We carefully protect our “downtime” or “me time” and how dare anyone ever try to take that away from us. The sinful nature rationalizes this attitude, “I have to look out for number 1, because if I don’t, who will?” Not to mention the fact that serving others is often dirty work. Serving usually means having to make a commitment and a sacrifice, serving may mean having to do something that’s unpleasant, serving may mean doing something that is beneath me, uncomfortable, unimportant or even seemingly irrelevant. Unfortunately, this selfishness, this reluctance to commit, this desire for glory often brings disharmony, conflict and even outright arguments to our marriages, families and church.

So Jesus sits us down with the Twelve and tells us, “you know those things that you feel are beneath you, uncomfortable, unworthy of your precious time, and irrelevant? Those are the things that are truly important in God’s eyes.” Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all. With the benefit of 2000 years of hindsight, we can see just how timely Jesus’ words were. Even as Jesus is telling his disciples they must plan to be servants, not lords, he was in the process of humbling himself to become their servant!

Jesus is echoing what Isaiah had prophesied about him 700 years earlier. That it was the Lord’s will to crush him and allow him to suffer…that he would [pour] out his life to death, and let himself be counted with rebellious sinners. (Isaiah 53:10-12) Whenever resentment rises in your gut, whenever you begin to think that any kind of service is “beneath you” remember how Jesus poured himself out for you. He let the soldiers strip him of his dignity and his clothing while wrapping him in a contemptuous purple robe. He let the spitters spit on him and the liars lie about him, even though he knew it would trash his reputation. He let them press a crown of thorns into his skull and drive nails through his hands and feet, even though he knew the pain would be indescribable. He let our mountain of sin be piled on his shoulders, knowing that the guilt of the world would buckle his knees and drag him down to the depths of hell. He willingly let all those things be done to him – because he knew it wasn’t about him. It wasn’t about saving himself or preserving his life or striving for glory. It was about serving and saving us.

James and John had requested seats at Jesus’ right and left – but Jesus told them that these positions had been reserved for others. Do you know whom they were reserved for? Two thieves – who weren’t sitting on thrones but were nailed to crosses (Mark 15:27). When Jesus let himself be counted with rebellious sinners (Isaiah 53:12), it wasn’t just with two thieves; it was with us. The Son of God humbled himself to be counted as one of us with all of our selfishness, arrogance and sinful ambition. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly gave up his life as a substitute for rebellious sinners like us. And this was his mission all along: even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

We generally look at serving others as a humbling experience, but often isn’t the opposite more often true: that being served can be even more humbling – especially when the one serving us is greater than us, especially when it’s Jesus. Like Peter in the Upper Room, we look with wonder at all he has done for us, all he continues to do for us, and we say, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? (John 13:6) It’s truly humbling to remember that just as Jesus once stooped to wash dirty feet, so he still stoops to wash the sin from our hearts today. In fact, he’s doing it right now. We call this a worship service. Who is serving whom here? It’s not really me, it’s not really you. It’s Jesus. It’s Jesus who stoops down out of heaven to be present with two or three or 85 who have gathered in his name (Matthew 18:20). It’s Jesus bending down through the water of Baptism and words of Absolution to wash away our sins. It’s really Jesus who is serving us with his true body and blood – that’s why we call it the Lord’s Supper. Through these humble means of grace the Son of God serves the sons and daughters of sinful men, the immortal serves the mortal, the Creator serves his creatures.

And so it’s not the demand of a tyrant, but the gentle invitation of our suffering Savior that helps us redirect our own personal ambition. The words of our closing hymn for today provide a perfect summary: I gave my life for thee; my precious blood I shed, that thou might’st ransomed be and quickened from the dead. I gave my life for thee; come, give thyself to me! (CW 454:1) To first be served by our Savior and then to leave here to serve others – that’s the heartbeat, the rhythm of Christianity. To first receive the forgiveness of sins, the promises, the sure hope of eternal life; to then respond with our confession, our offerings, our attention, our prayer and praise. And then to serve our Lord when we leave. How can we serve a Lord we can’t see? By serving the people we can see. By putting the needs of others ahead of our own. In yet another example of his abundant grace, Jesus welcomes our small, even seemingly unimportant and irrelevant service to others as service to himself (Matthew 25:40). What a glorious and honorable privilege we have: to serve the one who served us first!

Maybe now is a good time to recognize exactly how much service goes on around here on a daily and weekly basis. Every week our janitor comes here to take out the trash, mop the floors, vacuum the carpets and clean the toilets – when’s the last time we recognized or thanked him for his service? All summer long individuals have sacrificed their free time to take up the dusty and teeth-rattling job of cutting the grass. Sunday school teachers spend hours preparing and teaching our children about their Lord and Savior. Organists prepare hymns and liturgies to beautify our worship. Councils and committees meet to ensure that Risen Savior’s mission can be carried out in the best and most efficient way possible. Parents rouse themselves and their children early on their day off. Friends and family provide encouragement and support. Snacks are provided, enjoyed and cleaned up and no one leaves hungry. I could go on. But all of these things can only happen because you are willing to serve. And here’s the difference between Christian service and the world’s idea of charity: you don’t do it to be noticed or thanked or glorified, you do it because you love your Savior and because it needs to be done.

But please don’t leave here thinking that the only place you can serve your Savior is here at church. That’s not the point, and really, most of the opportunities you have to serve are not here but in the places you spend the other 167 hours of your week: your homes, classrooms, offices. I can’t enumerate all of them here. But I can encourage you to look for those opportunities. Look for chances to serve your spouse, your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, yes, even your enemies. Don’t just look for the things that are important, that will bring you glory or honor or gratitude. Look for the unimportant and irrelevant things – because those are the important things in God’s eyes, and rest assured that even if no one else knows, Jesus does and he approves.

We know that the world won’t get it. Jesus said as much: you know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But Jesus says it’s different for Christians; not that it should be or must be different, but it IS different. It’s different because we know and believe that Jesus served us first with his life, death, and resurrection. That’s why I don’t have to scream at you or shame you into serving others. You will – often without even realizing it. Yes, it will require sacrifice. Yes, some of the things you do may go unappreciated or unnoticed. But you’re not doing them to be appreciated or noticed. You’re doing them out of appreciation and imitation of your Savior. No matter how irrelevant they may seem, works of humble service done in his name – those are the things that are really, eternally important. Amen.  

Mark 10:17-27 - What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life? - October 10, 2021

The individual we meet in these verses appeared to be in possession of the three secret ingredients necessary for human happiness. Mark tells us that he was wealthy (10:22). Luke tells us that he was powerful, a ruler (Luke 18:18). Matthew tells us that he was young (Matthew 19:20). To be young, rich and powerful – that’s what the world tells us will make us happy. His wealth and powerful position were likely inherited. In Jesus’ day, you didn’t ordinarily acquire wealth and power at a young age unless you inherited it. That’s why while his question might sound strange to us, it makes sense, given his circumstances: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? It’s a good question. Actually, it’s more than that; it’s THE most important question anyone can ask.

There is something curious though: if this man already possessed everything necessary for human happiness, why was he here on his knees before Jesus? Well, why – as inhabitants of the wealthiest nation in human history – are so many Americans so terribly unhappy and depressed? Why do the wealthiest and most powerful people in our world – the Elon Musk’s, the Jeff Bezos’, the Richard Branson’s – spend billions of dollars rocketing off to space? He’s there because he still felt an emptiness, a hollowness, a lack of something that his money couldn’t buy and power couldn’t grab. Do you know what it was? An answer to his own mortality; an assurance that this life is not all there is. It’s no accident that what nagged at this young man’s heart nags at the heart of every human being. Ecclesiastes tells us that [God] has…put eternity in [our] hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We can try to deny it or ignore it, but we all sense that there’s something more, something bigger than us, something beyond our five senses.

There are a couple positive things that should be said about this rich young ruler. He’s not like the Pharisees and the experts in the Law who spent all of their time concocting ridiculous hypotheticals (Matthew 22:23-33) and trick questions to trap Jesus (Mark 10:2). He’s sincere. And he’s not messing around with foolish questions. He gets right to the heart of the human condition with the most important question that can ever be asked: What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Now, he has an idea of what it might involve: what must I do… Doing something – that’s how you get eternal life. You also see this in how he addresses Jesus: Good teacher. He recognizes that Jesus is a wise teacher who might be able to tell him what good thing he can do to guarantee that he will get eternal life. But Jesus will have none of his flattery. Why do you call me good? No one is good except one – God. Why would Jesus respond this way? Two reasons. First, because, according to Scripture, no one is good. Everyone is conceived and born in sin (Psalm 51:5). Paul states it categorically: there is no one who does what is good; there is not even one (Romans 3:12). And second, because while this rich young ruler may have recognized that Jesus was a good teacher, he didn’t yet acknowledge him as his God and Savior. Only God is inherently good. To call Jesus “good,” you must first call him God.

But let’s take a closer look at his question: what must I do to inherit eternal life? How do you inherit something? Is there something you must do? I suppose you could try. Maybe you butter up a wealthy relative to ensure that your name finds its way into their will. But really inheriting something involves two things: 1) someone to freely decide to give you their stuff; and 2) that someone to die. That’s probably how this man became so rich and powerful at such a young age: someone, presumably his father, died and left him a fortune and a position of power. But this man wants to know what [he] must do. Questions shape answers. This is a law question – and so Jesus gives him a law answer. He tells this rich young ruler exactly what he must do: you shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother. There’s plenty to do there! Enough to keep you busy for a lifetime.

Though, apparently not enough for this guy: Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child. This guy is like far too many people – even far too many Christians – today: he was sincere but inexcusably ignorant. Clearly he had never studied Luther’s Small Catechism. He seems not to have been there to hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). If he had, he’d know that murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, fraud and insubordination live in every heart. You and I are guilty of these sins, even if we’ve never been charged with them in a criminal court. Neglecting a neighbor in need, racism, prejudice and hatred are murder. Merely thinking about adultery is adultery in God’s eyes (Matthew 5:28). False testimony is not only offered in a courtroom, it’s served up at the dinner table and spread on social media. Fraud includes “forgetting” to scan an item at the self-checkout or filing a shady tax return. As much as we may disagree, honoring father and mother includes public health officials.

Jesus’ response is fascinating, isn’t it? He doesn’t argue with him; he doesn’t give an encore of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus looked at him [and] loved him. This is what love looks like. And, for someone who is blind to their sin and speeding down the highway to hell, this is what love sounds like: one thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Jesus goes right to the heart of this rich young ruler that he loves. He sees his heart the way only God can (John 2:25), he sees a heart consumed by greed, enslaved by the idol called “Money.” He sees someone who has failed to keep the 1st and most important commandment: you shall have no other gods (Exodus 20:3).

Martin Luther summarized the essence of the First Commandment like this: we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. An idol is anything and everything we fear, love or trust more than God. The scary thing is that an idol doesn’t have to be a statue or live in a temple; most idols are invisible, they live in our hearts. Probably the most prevalent idol in our society is the idol of “Happiness.” Ask almost anyone what they want most today for themselves and their families and there’s a good chance you’ll hear: “I just want to be happy.” Are there any idols lurking in your heart? A good test for idols is to assess what makes you anxious, worried – what keeps you up at night. It’s been said that anxiety is the liturgy, the service, the sacrifice we offer to idols when they (inevitably) fail to deliver on their promises. We fear the loss of our health, we love our riches, we trust our power to control not only our lives but the lives of others as well. And when they fail, we worry, we get anxious. And yet, in the backlash that always results from idolatry, the blame ends up falling on us instead of the idols. We fear death and so we worship the idols that promise life and health – whether that involves wearing a mask, getting a shot or running dozens of miles each week and meticulously watching what we eat. But no matter how devoted we are – our bodies always end up breaking down, we end up getting sick and eventually dying. And who’s to blame: you are! You didn’t serve your idol with the right procedure, the right diet, enough exercise, etc. We love Money because money seems to be able to make life easier and happier. But then we realize that the more stuff we have the more problems come with it or that we never have enough money. And whose fault is it? Money doesn’t take the blame. It’s you. You didn’t buy the right thing, save enough, invest in the right way. One of the most prevalent idols in our world is named Power. We strive for power and when we have it we think we can control our lives and the lives of those around us. But then we try it. Especially as parents and grandparents, we try to use our power to convince our families to do the right thing; for example, making worship a priority. But they ignore our pleas. They stubbornly despise the means of grace. And Power says that the problem is that you weren’t persuasive, passionate or convincing enough. It leaves us anxious and empty. It exposes the idol living in our hearts. That’s the Law. The Law doesn’t take prisoners. The Law – especially as it is expressed in the 1st Commandment – only and always kills.

Jesus loved this rich young ruler. He wanted to give him the one thing he lacked. What he lacked was not poverty or sincerity. What he lacked was an understanding that he couldn’t earn eternal life; that he needed a Savior. And what got in his way was his wealth. And so Jesus gives him a law solution: give it all away. Give it away to the poor who need it far more than you do. Tear your heart away from the riches of this world – which will eventually rust and rot anyway – and place it on the riches of heaven which will never decay (Matthew 6:19-20). Would that have worked? If he had given everything away would he have earned a ticket to heaven? No. You could easily empty your bank account, quit your job, leave your family and society behind and go to live as a hermit somewhere – and still wind up in hell. Because while the Law can – and does – kill, it cannot give eternal life (Galatians 3:21).

Did you catch the real answer? It’s easy to miss. It’s just two words: follow me. The young man missed it. All he heard was Jesus’ command to sell all his stuff and give it to the poor – another commandment, more law – this time, law he hadn’t and couldn’t keep. But because his heart was still captive to money, he missed the answer. Mark tells us that the young man went away sad. Did he hear and believe? Did he go home and do what Jesus said? Did he look at all his stuff and say, “This isn’t worth it” and give it all away? Did he eventually repent and come back to Jesus to receive the inheritance of eternal life? There’s some speculation that this rich young ruler was actually Mark, the author of this Gospel. It’s an interesting thought, but the fact is that we just don’t know the rest of this man’s story. And that’s a good thing, because it forces us to examine our own hearts; to ask “what would I do?”

To be clear, the point of this text is not that money is evil or that rich people can’t be saved. The point is that no one, not even rich, young, powerful people – can earn eternal life. That’s what had the disciples so worried. That’s the point of Jesus’ image of trying to push a camel through the eye of a needle: it’s not merely hard; it’s impossible. What that young man hopefully realized what that it wasn’t really his wealth but his determination to earn his way into heaven that was preventing him from getting there. The real good news is that while we can’t earn eternal life – Jesus can and Jesus did. Jesus calls to us, just as he did to that young man, to follow him to the cross, to the tomb, to his resurrection to receive the gift of eternal life he has earned for us. He issued that invitation first to us in his Baptism and he does it daily through his Word. And remember that to follow Jesus does not mean to keep his rules, to follow his example, to ask what would Jesus do – and then do it. To follow Jesus means to trust that he has kept all the rules for you, that he has satisfied his Father’s demand for a perfectly good life, that he has suffered the punishment for your idolatry and greed so that you never will, that he died so that you might have eternal life.

In the end, this rich young ruler was so close to eternal life. He was right: eternal life is an inheritance. Someone else has to freely decide to give you their stuff and then that same someone has to die. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. He wrote you into his will before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6). He sealed you as his heir in Baptism (Romans 6:1-5). He gives you a down-payment on your heavenly inheritance every time you eat his body and drink his blood in Holy Communion (Matthew 26:17-29). In his Word he gives promises that are infinitely better than anything any idol can promise – and the best part is that you do have to do anything to receive them. Don’t ask what you can or must do to earn eternal life, instead follow Jesus to heaven by grace through faith. And if there’s anything, any idol, anything at all that gets in between you and Jesus – well, then it just has to go. Compared to the riches of heaven Jesus has promised to you no idol is worth serving for even a minute. Don’t take my word for it, just ask that sad young man – or better yet, ask Jesus and then follow him to life. Amen.

Mark 10:2-16 - Where Does Jesus Stand on Marriage? - October 3, 2021

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? This may sound like a relatively simple question – but it wasn’t in Jesus’ day and it isn’t today. In fact, that’s precisely why the Pharisees were confident that they could use it to trip up Jesus: they knew (or thought they knew) that no matter how Jesus answered their question, he would fall into their carefully laid trap. Among the Jews of Jesus’ day – just like in any group of any day – there were people who fell on the liberal side and people who fell on the conservative side of the issue. The conservative followers of rabbi Shammai claimed that the only legal cause for divorce is adultery, marital unfaithfulness. The liberal followers of rabbi Hillel claimed that Moses allowed divorce for any and every reason, and that the important thing was that you give your wife a piece of paper certifying the divorce – to make it legal. I think this would make for a fascinating Bible class discussion question but because this is not a Bible class – and because, in the end, our personal opinions don’t matter, we’re going to ask: where does Jesus stand on marriage?

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? is the kind of question that should immediately set off alarm bells. It’s like when your teenager drives the car into the garage, walks in the door and asks: what’s the name of our insurance company again? Why are you asking? Have you been looking for an excuse to dump your wife? Do you already have a replacement picked out? Are you trying to justify your past behavior? The Pharisees were talking about wives the way we talk about cars or boats – “when is the right time to trade the old girl in?” Why would they ask such a question?

Well, besides trying to trap Jesus, they were trying to do what everyone of every age has tried to do: get Jesus on their side. Republicans think Jesus is a Republican. Democrats think Jesus is a Democrat. These days, Jesus supposedly stands on both sides of masks, both sides of vaccines, both sides of immigration – and, shockingly, both sides of abortion. The truth is: Jesus hasn’t registered with any political party. He doesn’t pick CNN over Fox News or vice versa. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36); instead, every kingdom is under his feet (Ephesians 1:22).

But back to the question: where does Jesus stand on marriage and divorce? Is Jesus conservative? You bet he is. You think Moses was strict? Moses only dealt with externals; Jesus goes right to the heart. Moses said you shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14); Jesus said “don’t even think about it!” (Matthew 5:27-30). He’s the one who said that not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). Is Jesus liberal? He is when it comes to forgiveness. He’s as liberal with forgiveness as the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). He’s so liberal that he tells Peter to forgive the same person for the same sin 77 times (Matthew 18:21-22). Jesus is a hardcore conservative when it comes to God’s commandments and a hardcore liberal when it comes to forgiveness. But Jesus’ position isn’t really the problem – the attitude of the Pharisees’ hearts was. And that’s what Jesus seeks to expose by answering their question with another question.

What did Moses command you? Moses, the author of the first five books of the Bible, said and wrote a lot about marriage. So which of Moses’ words on marriage did the Pharisees choose? Naturally, the exception, the loophole, the one that seemed to justify their ungodly desires: Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. I would read what Moses actually said in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, but it’s rather long. Moses’ civil law did not legalize divorce – it prevented frivolous divorces and protected the rights of the innocent party (in those days, usually of the wife – because if the husband sent his wife away – society would automatically assume that she had committed adultery – Moses demanded that the provide a certificate stating the real reason – thereby offering her protection from being stigmatized and allowing her to freely remarry. That’s a long way from saying, “Moses said that divorce is okay.” But that’s how the legalist always thinks. They’re always looking for loopholes in the law. The exception becomes the rule. That’s how the Old Adam in each of us thinks. In the New Testament we don’t have to worship on any particular day (Colossians 2:16-17) is turned into, “I don’t really ever have to attend worship.” Everyone must submit to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1) becomes, “Not if they’re riding roughshod over the constitution or my civil rights.”

But with Jesus, legalistic loopholes become nooses. If you try to justify yourself with the Law, you’ll wind up condemned. Jesus caught the Pharisees in their own trap. [Moses] wrote this command for you because of your hard hearts. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate. Jesus trumps Moses…with Moses. Jesus doesn’t go back to Sinai – he goes back to Creation. He doesn’t appeal to what God allowed as a concession to maintain peace among the stubborn, rebellious Israelites but to God’s original will for marriage. There’s no question that God’s original design for marriage was one man and one woman for life. Period. No loopholes. No exceptions.

Jesus was trying to show the Pharisees that they were looking at marriage all wrong. They had made two huge mistakes: 1) They had lost sight of the essence of marriage; and 2) they were viewing marriage as a burden rather than a blessing. The essence of marriage is not the ceremony, not the marriage license, not even the vows. The essence of marriage is the joining of two distinct people into “one flesh.” And that “one flesh” is more than physical, more than ceremonial, more than legal…because it’s more than human. Marriage is not man’s work but God’s. And what God joins together, man cannot separate. Sure, you can undo the physical, the ceremonial, the legal aspects of it with loveless words and actions, lawyers, and court orders – but you can’t undo the one flesh relationship God has created between husband and wife. Only death can do that. And death is God’s business, not man’s (Psalm 31:15).

The Pharisees were also ignoring the great blessings God wants to give through marriage. In confirmation class we talk about the three “C’s” of marriage: 1) that God intends to bring children into the world through marriage; 2) that God provides for chastity – that is the proper avenue for sexual desires within the bonds of marriage; and 3) that God provides loving and lifelong companionship through marriage. But as great as these blessings are, they pale in comparison to the greatest blessing of all: that the union of a man and a woman is to be a picture – although an imperfect picture – of the union between Christ and his church. Marriage, unlike any other earthly institution, is to paint a picture of the intimate, all-encompassing and indissovable union God creates between Christ and Christians through Holy Baptism (Ephesians 5:22-32). But you miss all of those blessings if all you’re looking for is loopholes and excuses and justifications to end your marriage.  

The disciples were bothered by Jesus’ answer, perhaps feeling guilty themselves, and so they ask him for further explanation behind closed doors. But Jesus doesn’t back off. Instead, he presses even harder: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. If she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. Jesus sews the last loophole shut. Getting a divorce in order to marry someone else is nothing less than adultery. The disciples were shocked at how strict Jesus was. Matthew records their response: if this is the relationship of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry (Matthew 19:10). (Ironically, this is the same logic that couples often use today to justify living together outside of marriage: “well, it’s better than getting married only to later on get divorced!”) But that’s missing the point. The point is not that you can keep the 6th commandment by avoiding marriage but that no one can justify themselves by the Law (Romans 3:20). If you try, all you’ll succeed in doing is damning yourself while, at the same time, missing out on all the blessings God wants you to have through his gift of marriage.

Here's the bottom line: Jesus didn’t come to this earth to save marriage from all of our creative attempts at screwing it up. He didn’t come to stop the United States from legalizing same-sex marriage. He certainly didn’t come to condone divorce or adultery. [He] came to seek and to save the lost (Matthew 19:10). Jesus came to save sinners. The outwardly good and the obviously bad. The conservatives and liberals. The Samaritan woman at the well who had had five husbands and was living with a sixth (John 4). The woman caught in adultery the Pharisees wanted to stone to death (Luke 8:1-11). The men and women who have crossed the line while dating as young people; those who commit adultery with images on the internet or by flirting with coworkers; the innocent and the guilty divorcee – Jesus came to save them all.

While we are all hardwired to think that we can save ourselves by our obedience to the Law; Jesus didn’t come to earth to clarify how you can obey the 6th commandment to earn your way into heaven. Whether you’re single, married, divorced, or widowed – the 6th commandment condemns us all. Jesus didn’t come to justify our sin but to justify us by becoming sin for us – to become the adulterer, the murderer, the liar, the thief that we all are – so that by being baptized into him and believing in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He came to obey the Law in order to free us from the Law so that we can be free to be who God has made us – single, married, divorced or widowed – without fear, without dread of judgment, without the shame that causes us to hide from God and throw blame at others. He came to free us from searching for loopholes and legal excuses to justify our abuse of marriage. If you think you can come to Jesus and expect him to help you justify yourself in God’s eyes – you’ve come to the wrong place. On the other hand, if you know you have nothing – no excuse, no justification, no loophole – nothing but your sins to offer to Jesus, then you’re in the right place.

And do you know how Jesus proved that? With children! People (probably mothers who picked up on Jesus’ compassion toward the cast-offs of society) were bringing their children to Jesus so that he would touch them and bless them – in many cases, probably because their children were sick or dying. And, of all people, the disciples rebuked them: “Keep those filthy, bratty children away from Jesus! He’s got better things to do, better people to see, better places to go!” Jesus was having none of his disciples’ foolishness. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. Let the little children come to me! Do not hinder them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen I tell you: Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. What a contrast! We have the Pharisees and the disciples on the one hand who are so intent on proving themselves, justifying themselves, making themselves good enough for God by their works and logic and effort. And Jesus shoos them away to take dirty, snotty, sick, useless little children into his arms. Do you want to get right with God? Do you want to be welcomed into his kingdom now and eternally? Don’t come to him with your explanations of how pure you’ve been as a single person, how faithful you’ve been to your marriage, or how justified you were in getting divorced – you, I, and – most importantly – God, knows better. Come to him as the dirty, snotty, filthy, sinful child you (and I) are and fall into his open arms for forgiveness, life and salvation.

Where does Jesus stand on marriage? Is he conservative or liberal? I guess I’d have to say both and neither. Yes, Jesus is absolutely conservative when it comes to upholding God’s original will for marriage; and he’s absolutely liberal when it comes to forgiving every sin against the 6th commandment. But Jesus refuses to allow liberals to pervert God’s will for marriage and he refuses to allow conservatives to claim righteousness based on how well they’ve defended, defined and lived marriage. Thank God that our hope for salvation is not that we have handled God’s gift of marriage properly – but that through Baptism Jesus has committed himself, his life, his death and his resurrection to us and for us (Ephesians 5:22-32). You’ve been joined to Christ – and that’s one marriage that no one can separate (Romans 8:38-39). Amen.

Mark 9:38-50 - Where's the Line? - September 26, 2021

The Word of God before us this morning contains some of the most difficult, most cryptic and enigmatic verses in Mark’s Gospel. When you first read it (or at least when I did), it just seems like a patchwork of random, unrelated pictures and phrases. There’s an anonymous exorcist driving out demons, a point where the better option is to have a millstone hung around your neck and be tossed into the sea and to cut off your hands and feet and gouge out your eyes, we have Jesus own horrifying description of what hell is like, and, perhaps strangest of all: everyone being salted with fire. Are these just random details of Jesus’ ministry that Mark somewhat sloppily pieced together? I don’t think so. I think that what ties all these random pieces together are Jesus’ final words: be at peace with one another. And where does Jesus want there to be peace? Well, given the context of the disciples bickering among themselves (Mark 9:34) and John’s criticism of an outsider – I think Jesus is talking about the visible church.

It’s no secret that one of the things that turn people off from Christianity is the fact that there are so many different denominations, so many different churches, so many different worship styles – and all of these denominations, churches and styles appear to be at war with each other. And I’m not going to argue that they’re wrong. From Luther’s day to today the Catholic church has consistently cursed the Reformation doctrine of salvation by faith alone through grace alone based on Scripture alone. [1] Lutherans, in turn, have consistently identified the Roman Catholic papacy as the Antichrist. [2] Mainline and Evangelical churches mock confessional churches for their “antiquated” and intolerant positions on marriage, gender, the inerrancy of Scripture and the Sacraments. Confessional churches criticize Evangelical and mainline churches for failing to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once and for all (Jude 3). Even within Lutheranism there are countless divisions and conflicts. It’s undeniable that the visible church is a mess. But the Bible tells us that there must be divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 11:19); Christians must be intolerant to some extent. The question is: where’s the line between sinful and biblical intolerance.

John brings up an example of sinful intolerance. John and the other apostles had tried to stop a man from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Why? He wasn’t opposing Jesus or spreading false teaching or using Jesus’ name to harm people or for personal gain – he was proclaiming Jesus’ name and driving out demons. They weren’t judging him based on what he taught but simply because of who he was – or, better, who he wasn’t: he wasn’t one of them. To borrow the title of a movie I’ve never seen, the disciples were guilty of simple pride and prejudice. Pride, because they were among Jesus’ little chosen band – this Jesus who has just revealed his divine glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration to Peter, James and John (Mark 9:2-13); and, who, in their minds, was headed to Jerusalem to inaugurate his glorious reign. The apostles were special; they were “in” – and they didn’t want anyone else stealing their glory. That’s pride. And where there’s pride, prejudice is never far behind. They had judged this man, not because he was opposing the Gospel – but simply because they assumed that because he wasn’t with them, he was against Jesus.

Here’s Jesus’ review of his disciples’ pride and prejudice: Do not try to stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil about me. Whoever is not against us is for us. Amen I tell you: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will certainly not lose his reward. Jesus makes it clear: there is a line; you can be for him or against him – there is no middle ground. But if it’s a good work to simply give a fellow Christian a glass of water, why would you want to silence someone who was doing exactly what Jesus had sent the apostles out to do earlier – to cast out demons and tear down Satan’s kingdom (Mark 6:7-13)? This man was on Jesus’ side. Two things prove it: 1) He was driving out demons in Jesus’ name; and 2) he was successful; the demons were driven out. Jesus’ name is not a magic charm; unbelievers can throw it around all they want, but God won’t hear or answer them (Isaiah 59:2). In Acts 19, the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out a demon in Jesus’ name and the demon-possessed man beat them up and sent them running away naked (Acts 19:13-16). It was nothing but pride and prejudice that led the disciples to reject and try to silence this exorcist. Opposing Christians who are preaching the Gospel simply because they aren’t one of us is sinful intolerance. It is unacceptable to Jesus.

At the same time, not all intolerance is wrong; some is Biblical. Jesus teaches about Biblical religious intolerance in these words as well. Jesus calls his followers salt. Salt is a potent spice that always has an effect. If you put it on your food, you will taste it. If you put it in water, your water will be salty. Salt both purifies and preserves. And here Jesus is saying that there are some things that his disciples must not tolerate – that they must seek to purge and purify; and other things that they must seek to preserve.

It is completely Biblical to be intolerant of anyone and everyone who causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin. It’s not wrong to refuse to tolerate those who lead others astray from the teachings of God’s Word. On the contrary, God demands it. In Romans, Paul says I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the teaching that you learned, and keep away from them (Romans 16:17). John adds if someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house. Do not even wish him well (2 John 10). God has called us to oppose anyone who leads others astray by teaching things that are not in agreement with God’s Word. The Lord has not authorized us to agree to disagree with those who defy, deny or contradict God’s Word. Rather, according to Jesus, it would be better for that person to have a millstone hung around their neck and dumped into the bottom of the sea.

That being said, there’s something we need to do before we climb onto the high horse of orthodoxy to expose and oppose false teachers. Do you know what that is? We need to look into the mirror. When God calls us to oppose everything that is contrary to his Word – that includes our own sinful thoughts, words and actions. What do you see when you look into the mirror of God’s holy Law? I see a hand that is always more eager to serve myself than others; a hand that is quick to point out when others are in the wrong; a hand that is quick to pat myself on the back for the few good things I do. I see a foot that wants to go its own way; not God’s. A foot that prefers to walk the wide, easy, pleasurable highway to hell than the narrow, treacherous, painful path to heaven. A foot that is tireless when it comes working and playing but has to be dragged to worship God for one hour. And I see an eye that loves to lust after forbidden fruit; that is blind to my own sins – but sees better than 20/20 when it comes to pointing out the sins of others.

So what are we to do with these sinful hands, feet and eyes of ours? Jesus says cut [them] off…pluck [them] out. Jesus uses this strong, vivid, gruesome language to describe how intolerant of sin we should be in our own lives. But here’s the thing: even if you did that – even if you cut off both hands, both feet and gouged out both your eyes – would that solve the problem? No. Even if you didn’t have any hands or feet or eyes with which to sin – you would still have a sin-filled heart that wanted to. Sure, it would be better to be maimed and blind than have your whole body burn in hell – but maiming yourself won’t get you into heaven. Going to heaven requires more than drastic cosmetic surgery – and more than merely changing your outward behavior. God requires perfect purity – inside and out – for admission into heaven. And this requires a heart transplant – a new heart, a repentant heart, a believing heart. How does the Lord give us one of those? By taking hands that had never hurt anyone, feet that had never wandered from the 10 Commandments, eyes that had never lusted or coveted – and submitting them to the horrors of hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. The only surgery that could save sinners like us from the hell we deserved was the one God performed on Calvary when he nailed the holy hands and feet of Jesus to a cross and shoved a Roman spear through his sinless heart.

By that surgical procedure – by the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and side – you are healed; you are forgiven. Jesus has paid for the sins you’ve committed with your heart, hands, feet and eyes. That’s why you can come here week after week and fearlessly confess your sins right out in public; you can come here and cut off those sinful thoughts, words and actions that you performed with your hands and feet and eyes and heart and lay them at Jesus’ feet. You can plead for God’s mercy – knowing that in Jesus God has had mercy on you. All those sins of the past that you can’t forget – God has forgotten them (Isaiah 43:25). All the wounds you have inflicted on others or that others have inflicted on you – Jesus bore them in his body so that you may be healed (1 Peter 2:24). The sins of habit that you can’t seem to overcome – Jesus has overcome them and he will help you to overcome them, too (Romans 6:1-4). And that starts right here and right now. Just as Jesus rose from the dead and left your sins buried in that grave – so you can leave here without your sins on your back, on your account, on your conscience.

And when that proper combination of Law and Gospel has knocked us off the high horse of religious pride and prejudice onto our knees in repentance where we belong – only then are we in the proper position to expose, oppose and be intolerant of those both inside our church and outside who lead others into sin and false belief and who refuse to repent. What’s important is why we do this; what our motivation is. We don’t expose and oppose them because, well, we’re right and they’re wrong – because in the end we’re all wrong in God’s eyes. We don’t judge others compared to our personal standards – but compared to God’s standards. We expose and oppose and are intolerant of sin and false doctrine because Jesus commands us to (Romans 16:17; 1 John 4:1) out of love: love for God’s Word, love for the souls who are being misled, and love for our own souls. He has made us salt through the power of his Word and Sacrament. Salt always has an effect. Salt always purifies and preserves. Salt – that is, true believers – must always burn off, purge out false doctrine and work to preserve true doctrine. And when we are salty, purging out sin and false doctrine and preserving true doctrine – then we will be at peace with one another.

A woman I recently visited reminded me of a joke about Christian denominations. A group of believers had died and arrived at heaven’s gate for intake. Peter was busy guiding another tour group – so Jesus himself stepped up to lead this tour. He led them down hallway after hallway, past hundreds and hundreds of doors. Above each of the doors was a sign indicating the denomination inside: “Baptist,” “Catholic,” “Evangelical,” “Orthodox,” “Non-Denominational.” And then, as he was approaching the last door at the end of the hallway – the one with the sign that said “Lutheran” above the door – Jesus turned to the group and said, “Shh, don’t make any noise…these Lutherans think they’re the only ones here.” Now that might be the stereotype – but that’s not what we believe or teach.

Although like John it can be tempting to view the situation in the visible church as “us” versus “them” – the real issue is not who is with us – that is, who is confessional Lutheran – but who is with Jesus and who is against him. We must repent of judging others based on anything other than God’s Word. And we must remain steadfastly intolerant of anyone who denies, defies or contradicts God’s Word in their teaching or life. Whoever is not against us is for us, Jesus said. Jesus and his Word are the line between sinful and Biblical intolerance – and only when we focus on him can we be at peace with one another. Amen.

[1] Council of Trent, Canon VIII, January 1547

[2] Power and Primacy of the Pope, 39-59

Mark 9:30-37 - Jesus Demonstrates Perfect Humility - September 19, 2021

If you were reading this section of Mark on your own at home what would your takeaway be? What would you think Jesus is trying to tell you? I think many people just take the bumper sticker away from this text: if anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all. Understood that way, this text is all law; it’s all about Jesus telling me that if I want to go to heaven I have to be humble. Have you ever met anyone who has taken that message to heart and tried to live it out in their lives? They’re terribly frustrating people to be around. They never go first. They refuse to be served. What if we all took it that way? No one would come into church and sit down because Jesus says that if you want to be first you should be last (and not everyone can walk into church during the last stanza of the first hymn!). No one would ever eat at our potlucks or soup suppers because everyone would insist on serving rather than being served. More to the point, is it really humility if your whole reason for going last and serving others is so that in the end you can be first? That’s a round-a-bout way of drawing us to view this text in a different way: that the main takeaway is not how we are to demonstrate our humility, but how Jesus demonstrated his.

The first place we see Jesus’ humility is in his teaching. For the second time in Mark’s Gospel Jesus spells out in crystal clear terms what lies in his future: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after he is killed, he will rise. I know we confess these truths each and every week in our creeds – but please don’t pass over them lightly. These are the things of our forgiveness, life and salvation. This is the Gospel of salvation that Jesus never tires of teaching us day after day and week after week. We might ask, then, “if these things are so important – and the disciples didn’t understand them – why were they afraid to ask him about it?” Probably two reasons. First, if this was really what the future held for Jesus, then their hopes of glory and honor as senior advisers in his administration would be dashed – and they obviously weren’t ready to give those up quite yet. Second, if the future held suffering and death for Jesus, their leader, what would it hold for them? You don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. I don’t ask my wife if she has any housework for me to do. There may be some times that you don’t ask the doctor for the results of the test. Parents of teenagers may not ask them where they were and what they were doing when they come home at 2a.  

The disciples don’t understand and they’re afraid to ask because they don’t want the answer. They were basically unteachable at this time. Have you ever tried to teach a person who didn’t want to be taught? Perhaps a child who didn’t want to learn his fractions or an older relative who didn’t want to learn a new piece of technology. And if they don’t want to learn, you just want to say, “Fine, then just stay ignorant!” I don’t know how you react to the unteachable, but I know that I don’t always react like Jesus did. Even though the disciples were just as unteachable this time as they were the first time Jesus laid out the path he would walk to win their salvation – in his humility he didn’t stop teaching them.

So what’s the lesson, the takeaway? No, it’s not that you should be more like Jesus when you’re teaching the unteachable, but that Jesus continues to humble himself to teach us even though and even when we are just as unteachable as the Twelve. Jesus speaks to us in plain language in the pages of Scripture – but we don’t understand and we’re often afraid to ask. He has laid out his will for our lives in the 10 Commandments and yet every single day we wander off on our own way, thinking that we know better than our Creator. Jesus told Eve that there would be conflict in every marriage and Adam that it wouldn’t be easy to scrape a living out of this fallen world – and yet we expect that our marriages and jobs should be trouble-free (Genesis 3:16-19). He tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and yet we’re surprised when some virus pops up and people die. Yet, Jesus continues teaching us these truths, day after day, week after week. That’s humility.

But there’s more. Here’s Jesus, heading through Galilee, to Capernaum, and from Capernaum to Jerusalem to be betrayed, arrested, tortured, and crucified – and the whole trip Jesus overhears his disciples bickering about which of them was the greatest – that is, in their minds, which of them would be elevated to vice-president when Jesus took the throne in Jerusalem. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a whole lot of patience for arguing in the back seat on a road trip. I can listen to it for maybe 10 minutes and then it’s: “Do I have to stop this car?” But Jesus listens to this petty bickering for hours, probably even days – because they didn’t get to travel 70 mph on an interstate in those days. Here again Jesus shows his humility – and again, the point isn’t that we should be more patient with our children’s petty bickering but that Jesus demonstrates his humility in putting up with our petty bickering.

“What? Fight? Us? Here at Risen Savior?” Let’s not be naïve. I do and say things you don’t like. You do and say things that I don’t like. Someone on this side has rubbed someone on that side the wrong way. And from time to time those petty arguments rise to the surface in a meeting or hallway or in a conversation in the car on the way home. If you had given up your life to redeem this room of people and saw how they treated each other – how patient would you be? And yet Jesus doesn’t slam on the brakes and say “Do I have to stop this church?” He doesn’t scream or shout (or turn up the radio) like I do. He hears all this bickering but he doesn’t think that he’s too good to be the Head of our church. He knows that it’s not the healthy, but the sick, who need a doctor (Mark 2:17). He’s the Good Shepherd who doesn’t expect his sheep not to smell. He doesn’t call the righteous but sinners.  

“But didn’t he confront them with their sin when they finally get into the house?” Did he? He said: what were you arguing about on the way? Is that really confrontational? What’s really going on here? Jesus is patiently and gently teaching his disciples two lessons that they should have learned long before this. The first is that God’s view of greatness is not man’s view. Just skim through the OT. Esau should get the birthright, but it goes to Jacob (Genesis 25:23). Joseph is sold into slavery but winds up ruling Egypt (Genesis 41:33-57). Moses was a murderous shepherd, yet God chose him to lead his people out of Egypt and to speak to him face to face (Numbers 12:8). David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons – yet God chose him, not his older brothers, to be the King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Jesus is subtly reinforcing the truth that God doesn’t view greatness the same way they do.

Second, Jesus is teaching them something about himself. Luke tells us that Jesus asked this question because he knew exactly what they were arguing about, exactly what was in their hearts (Luke 9:47). He subtly demonstrates that he’s no ordinary teacher, that he knows the thoughts and desires of their hearts; that he is God in human flesh and blood. And yet – even though he knows that even as he is on the road to Jerusalem where he will wash their feet, suffer their betrayal and desertion, be whipped and spit on and beaten and crucified for the sake of these disciples who are more worried about which of them is the greatest – Jesus is patient with their bickering and he gently leads them to repentance.

But Jesus has one more demonstration of his humility up his sleeve. Up to this point Jesus had been teaching his disciples through lecturing. Lecturing is a sophisticated method of instruction. It’s used primarily with adults. How do grade school teachers instruct children who have a hard time grasping abstract concepts? They use object lessons. So what does Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, do when his lectures cannot be understood? He changes his method. The wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) humbles himself to use an object lesson to teach his disciples what true greatness looks like.

Jesus brings a little child, possibly one of the disciples’ own children, into the center of the room and then takes the child in his arms. This doesn’t seem like a strange act to us today. After all, today it’s a children’s world and the rest of us just live in it. But in Jesus’ day children were on the same level as slaves. They were a drag on a family’s finances and couldn’t grow up and get out of the house – either by getting a job or by getting married – quickly enough. But Jesus injects incredible significance into this simple act. He says whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. The disciples thought that greatness in the kingdom of God consisted of doing great things for Jesus: trying to prevent him from being nailed to a cross (Mark 8:33); calling down fire from heaven to burn up cities that rejected him (Luke 9:54); casting out demons in his name (Luke 10:20) – doing all these great, big magnificent things – but they were wrong. Jesus says that simply picking up a child in his name accomplishes the great act of receiving him – and not just him, but also his heavenly Father. In other words, ordinary, everyday, mostly unnoticed works were significant to Jesus.

And they still are. Greatness in Jesus’ eyes – and greatness in God’s eyes – is most frequently found in those little acts that no one else (other than God) notices. Greatness in God’s eyes is found in the mother who does more for her family on a daily basis than any CEO, accountant, doctor, counselor, chef, teacher, or financial advisor. Greatness is found in the father who not only takes the time to teach his children to ride a bike and throw a baseball but to teach them the Catechism, to read them the Bible, to show them how to pray. Greatness is found in parents who forgo career advancement or a newer model car or a breathtaking vacation to give their children a Christian education. Greatness is found in grandparents who demonstrate in word and action that greatness is not defined by personal achievement but by humble service to others. Greatness is found in visiting or calling or simply sending a card to a fellow believer who is lonely, sick or suffering. Greatness is even found in taking a little child in your arms.  

Why? Why does Jesus so esteem these humble acts? Because whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes not just me but also him who sent me. Because these acts of love are motivated by childlike faith in Jesus. What does that mean? It means that while we believe and confess that Jesus will return one day in power and glory to conquer his enemies once and for all (Revelation 19:11-21) – the Jesus we receive, believe and confess today looks as “useless” as a little child to the world today. He is the Son of God who was laid in a dirty manger, as a man of sorrows and a cross, as a servant who dies for his enemies. And Jesus still comes to us in what many regard as “childish” ways today. He uses “object lessons” to bestow the riches of heaven on us. He brings adoption and new life through a handful of water. He brings forgiveness of sins through the mouth of a sinful man. He offers himself, his own body and blood, as a down payment on the life of glory he has promised through a bit of bread and a mouthful of wine. Through these “childish” methods, Jesus brings himself and the Father and all of the greatness of heaven to us.  

Now, it wouldn’t be bad if all you took away from this sermon was the bumper sticker statement: if anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all – as long as you understand that that is not primarily Law but Gospel. That it first and foremost doesn’t describe Christians but Christ. It’s a reminder that Jesus doesn’t define greatness the way the rest of the world does – either for himself or us. Jesus humbled himself to be born of a peasant girl, to live a humble, homeless life, to suffer at the hands of the people he came to save and to die under God’s wrath for thankless sinners like us. He humbles himself today to come to us in the tap water of baptism; the bread and wine of communion, the simple words of Absolution. And, he sees greatness in your humility – in you simply being the mother, father, son, daughter, grandmother and grandfather that God has called you to be. See the greatness in Jesus’ humility – and then you will understand how he sees greatness in yours. Amen.

Mark 8:27-35 - What Are The "Things of God"? - September 12, 2021

I know that we Lutherans tend to be a rather reserved, subdued kind of people – but I’m stunned that none of you stood up to silence me as I was reading our Gospel lesson; no one came up and took me aside and said, “Pastor, you really shouldn’t be saying these things.” There are a number of shocking things in our text, aren’t there? The fact that even after his baptism and his miracles – the people still didn’t know who Jesus really was; that Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he really was – he’s forbidding evangelism, really?!?; Jesus’ announcement that he must suffer many things, be killed, and after three days rise again; that Jesus would call Peter Satan; that he would teach that if anyone wants to follow him, he must also deny himself, take up his cross and follow him – through shame, suffering, and even death; and last, but not least, that Jesus commands his followers to lose their lives – is Jesus encouraging suicide? It’s all very shocking. You may not have tried to silence me – but Peter did try to silence Jesus. Why? Well, according to Jesus, Peter was acting like Satan because he had the things of men, not the things of God on his mind. The obvious question is: what are the things of God?

There’s an easy – albeit theologically lazy – answer to that question. The answer that has always been popular and is especially popular in the church today. It suggests that the things of God are denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Jesus. This theory argues that Peter rebuked Jesus for commanding his followers to do these things; that these are the things Peter refused to accept. And it sounds quite reasonable, doesn’t it? These three commands are certainly Godly. They are good, doctrinally and biblically sound advice for running your life. There have been hundreds of books and sermons and devotions that use this text to proclaim themes like “God’s Plan for Your Life,” “How to Be a Christian,” or “Christianity in Three Steps.” And in every case, you’re told that if you really want to be a Christian, if you really want to be saved, then you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus – and the more you do these things, the godlier you become.

I’m not suggesting that those things aren’t godly. They are; they come right from Jesus’ own lips. I do, however, reject the idea that these are the things that Jesus rebuked Peter for not minding. Why? Just follow the text. Jesus doesn’t issue his call to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me until after he had called Peter Satan and rebuked him for having his mind on the things of men, not the things of God. Peter’s problem was not that he didn’t want to obediently do what Jesus told him to do.

What we have here is an opportunity to refresh our understanding of the distinction between justification and sanctification; between what God has done for us and what God is doing in us. Peter was always very “mindful” of the need for sanctification, for holy living. Peter was one of the first people to follow Jesus – even when he was still a no-name rabbi (Mark 1:16-18). He was one of the first to give up his career as a fisherman, leave his home and family, and spend three years wandering around Israel. When many disciples left Jesus because he wanted to feed their souls not only their bellies, Peter didn’t leave, he said that there was nowhere else for them to go (John 6:66-69). When Jesus prophesied that all of the apostles would abandon him, Peter vowed to never leave him and later would even promise to die with him, if necessary (Mark 14:31). Peter was devoted to what we might call 3rd Article Christianity – the article that deals with us and our good works. He’d do anything for Jesus; he believed he could do a lot for Jesus.

Now that sounds good right up until you remember the rest of Peter’s story. When the shame of arrest and possible torture rose up before him in the Garden of Gethsemane, he didn’t pick up that cross, he ran away (Mark 14:50). When he was pressed to give his confession in the temple courtyard, he didn’t deny himself, he denied Jesus, three times (Mark 14:66-72). Later, when Jesus called Peter to follow him in preaching the Gospel to Gentiles, Peter initially said certainly not (Acts 10:14). Peter may have intended to live for Jesus; to lead a sanctified life, but when the rubber met the road, he failed miserably.

The things of God that Jesus accused Peter of not minding didn’t involve sanctification but justification; not the 3rd but the 2nd Article of the Creed: that Jesus must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. These are the things of God Peter didn’t want to mind, didn’t want to hear about, didn’t want to study, didn’t want to know.

Are we any different? I’ll tell you this: many of our kind neighbors out there aren’t. When we knock on their doors to invite them to our church, do you know what most of them are interested in? What kinds of programs do you offer for my children, for women, for marriage, for child-raising, for career and personal success? In other words, many people aren’t interested in the things of God but rather the things of men. What about you? Which sermon do you find more practical and relevant: the one that is filled with “how-to” instructions or the one filled with instruction on how Jesus did it all? The one that claims to have the secret to making you a “winner;” or the one that tells you that by nature you’re a “loser” and need someone else to win salvation for you? The reason that so many people, even Lutherans, are so drawn to “how-to” Christianity is because the human heart is, by nature, inclined to the law. Like the crowds on Pentecost (Acts 2:37) and the jailer in Philippi (Acts 16:30) our ears itch for someone to tell us what we must do to be saved. So it’s music to our ears when Jesus finally says, “Here’s what you can do: deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” The problem is that these three commands are not the things of God but the things of men because they are things for men, not God to do. When you believe that Christianity is all about you and what you’re supposed to do, you’re no less Satanic than Peter was.

Now, Peter does deserve a little credit, doesn’t he? After all, he had the first half of the 2nd Article down. He knew who Jesus was. He confessed: You are the Christ. Peter knew that he was the only Son of God the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He knew that he was the Christ, the Messiah, the One God had repeatedly promised to send starting already in the Garden of Eden. Peter didn’t object to who Jesus was, he was fine with that; he rejected what Jesus had come to do. He rejected the second half of the 2nd Article; the part about Jesus’ suffering under Pontius Pilate, being crucified, dying and being buried. Did Jesus really have to be so harsh with him? Did he really have to call him Satan? Well, yes. Not only because Peter didn’t want his friend [suffer] many things; be rejected…be killed; and after three days rise again but because he didn’t think they were necessary; he didn’t think he needed Jesus to do those things for him – he thought he could save himself.

How about you? Are you satisfied with “deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus, DIY” Christianity? Do you think that being a Christian is mostly about your coming to church, receiving the Sacrament, trying to be a faithful spouse and a good parent and a responsible citizen? Would you be content if we skipped over the 1st and 2nd Articles of the Apostles’ Creed right to the 3rd – the one about us? If you ever begin to believe that Christianity is about what you can and should do then you have to ask yourself: can you deny yourself enough to please God? I’m not asking if you can deny something about yourself: your pride, your greed, your lust, your fear, your addictions. I’m asking, can you deny you; the me, myself and I that dominates your thinking and speaking? Are you willing to be slapped, spit on and mocked? Are you willing to not only fail to be thanked for the good things you do but be blamed and shamed and punished for what others have done wrong? Are you willing to follow the will of God even if you know it will lead to shame, physical, mental and emotional suffering, and even death? I’ll be honest: I’m not. I complain when people don’t recognize the good things I do. I don’t want to take responsibility for the wrong-doing of others; I try to distance myself from it. I don’t stop daily to pick up crosses of suffering and self-denial – I avoid them at all costs. And the stark truth is that if my salvation depends on my sanctification – I’m doomed; I’m going to hell.

The truth is that I don’t need a life-coach to construct a better version of me; I need a God who humbled himself to become just like me – with the exception of my self-centered sinful nature. I don’t need tips on how to deny my sinful self; I need One who was willing to deny his perfect self. I don’t need self-help directions; I need a Savior. The good news is that that is exactly what Christianity is all about. The single most important thing God had in mind – going all the way back to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) – wasn’t to tell humanity how they could make themselves right in his sight – but how he would send One who would. The fact is that none of us has ever denied ourselves enough to satisfy God. But Jesus did. Jesus was the Son of God, the rightful heir of all the riches and the glory of heaven – and yet he denied himself, he humbled himself to be born to a peasant woman in a barn here on earth. Jesus did what I’ve never done, what I will never be able to do: he took up the cross of our sin and guilt and shame and carried it to Calvary where evil men nailed him to it. Jesus followed his Father’s will through excruciating mental, emotional, physical and spiritual pain – all the way through hell and back. And when he had finished burying our sin and guilt and the tattered, filthy shreds of our failed lives of sanctification in the grave – he rose again from the dead to prove that his work was finished. This thing; this work that only Jesus could do was what was and is front and center in the mind of God – and it’s what he wants front and center in our minds as well.

I know that in preaching this text this way some may accuse me of being antinomian, that is, against the Law. That I’m suggesting that because Jesus died for our sins, we can live however we want. That’s not what I’m saying. Sanctification is important. Following God’s will in our lives is important. Good works are important. It is important that we take Jesus’ command to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him seriously. But this must always, always come after the 2nd Article truths of Jesus suffering, dying and rising. The things of men must always follow the things of God. This doesn’t come naturally to us. That’s why we don’t naturally appreciate sermons about what Jesus did for us as much as sermons about what we should do for Jesus. We don’t find them to be “relevant” or “practical.” Like Peter we tend to have our minds on the things, the works, the doings of man instead of the things of God. But the truth is that no matter how hard we try, our denying, taking up and following will never be good enough. The things of men can only lead to death. We need the things of God – specifically the Son of God, Jesus Christ – his suffering, his being rejected, his dying, his rising – for life.

Jesus wants us to leave here today with a proper understanding of the difference between the things of men and the things of God. The things of men, the things that we can do to please God and others – even our own denying, taking up of crosses and following Jesus – look so noble, so wonderful, so shiny. But what we really need is not noble, wonderful or shiny – what we really need is bloody and disgusting and helpless – because we are, in the end, bloody, disgusting and helpless. We need the things of God – the bloody, gruesome, and lonely life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. Lose yourself in Jesus’ self-denial; his bloody cross; his perfect following of his Father’s will and then you will have found true life, now and forever. Amen.

Mark 7:31-37 - Ephphatha: Be Opened! - September 5, 2021

In our text, the crowd did something remarkable, something almost unheard of in 21st century America: they all agreed on something. This Jesus guy, they all agreed, he has done everything well. That’s not exactly the consensus reaction to Jesus or his teachings today, is it? More often, Jesus receives blame when things go wrong. People use natural disasters and terror attacks to justify their unbelief “I would never believe in a God who would let this happen.” Jesus’ teachings are regarded as at best flawed and dated advice, at worst doctrines of hate and discrimination from hell itself. His miracles are seen as myths and fairy tales. Those who follow his Word are slandered as bigots, sexists, racists, and hypocrites. Now, none of that should surprise us, since Jesus tells us to expect a hostile reaction from the unbelieving world (John 15:18-25). A bigger problem arises when we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness. When we and our fellow believers seem to always be suffering while the unbelieving masses always seem to be thriving, when the unwavering truth of God’s Word conflicts with our deepest reason and emotions and opinions, when we pray and pray and nothing seems to change – do we ever wonder if Jesus is working for us or against us? If you’ve ever felt that way, you’re not alone, tempting us to doubt God’s love is one of the oldest tricks in Satan’s playbook. And since we face that temptation so often, we need constant reassurance that Jesus does indeed do everything well. Only God’s Word can accomplish that. Today it says: Ephphatha: Be Opened.

The first thing we should say about this miracle may seem so obvious that it doesn’t need to be said; but it does: this healing really happened. Jesus really opened the deaf man’s ears to hear and loosened his tongue to speak. Sometimes we are so eager to “spiritualize” Jesus’ miracles and apply them to ourselves (which we will do) that we fail to treat them as real, historical accounts. The historical account alone tells us several important things about our God. First, he is not a faraway, disinterested, alien god; He cares about us as individuals, body and soul. The one who numbers the hairs of our heads (Luke 12:7) is certainly aware of our aches, pains, and illnesses. And he knows better than we do that birth into this world brings us little more than a lifetime of futility, brokenness and finally death. He cares about us in our misery. Second, it tells us that Jesus is the Messiah, just as he said. He proves with this miracle that he is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged. The crippled will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy. (Isaiah 35:5-6) Third, in line with Mark’s emphasis on the kingdom – that is, the active reign of God in this world – by this miracle Jesus brings God’s kingdom to earth; in that he restores or recreates what sin has broken: this poor man’s ears and tongue. Here is a bit of heaven on earth.

In spite of the world’s sinister accusations, witnessing to the truth that God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world but to save it (John 3:17) is the central message of Christianity. The church is not to be filled with self-righteous hypocrites spewing a message of homophobia or transphobia or sexism or hatred. But neither does Christ call his church to soften, distort or ignore his holy Law or to pursue an agenda of social, economic or political justice. Christ has commissioned his church to proclaim a simple, two-part message: there is no difference, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23). Jesus doesn’t expect his church to heal the world, but to be like that deaf man’s friends; to bring those who are suffering from sin and its effects to the feet of the one who can offer true healing. This miracle summarizes the essence of the Gospel: God does care about poor, miserable sinners and he sent Jesus to heal and to save them.

But, as we all know, it’s not always easy to remain confident of that fact. Sometimes it seems like God has forgotten about us; that he doesn’t care about our pain and sorrow. Sadly, sometimes hearing about the miracles Jesus performed during his earthly ministry even makes us cynical, “If Jesus could heal that man – a man who may not have even been a believer – why doesn’t he heal me or my loved ones?” Don’t forget: even during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, not everyone was healed. And even those he did heal, like this man, ended up dying from something else later. In the end, this miracle is not a sign that Jesus will heal every problem we will ever in this life – but a sign that when he returns he will heal us perfectly, completely, body and soul, when he returns in glory.  

And we can be sure of that because Jesus has already healed the underlying issue. Deafness and the inability to speak weren’t this man’s real problem. His real problem, the reason he couldn’t hear or speak, was the same problem we all have: he was infected with original sin. The visible side effects of that infection vary from person to person, but every physical weakness and illness we face is a result of that original sin. And only God himself can cure that deep-rooted infection.

That’s really why God’s Son came. He came to restore everything that sin had ruined. He came to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8) He came to open a path to life for a human race that was destined to die. He has done all things well the crowd declared – an understatement if there ever was one! Yes, from living a perfect, sinless life to dying an innocent, atoning death on a cross – he did it all perfectly. And he did it all for you. He lived for you, died for you, rose for you, ascended to his Father’s right hand to keep watch over you, and one day he will return to breathe eternal life into your lifeless corpse. You have this hope today – no matter which of sin’s symptoms you are facing right now – that is what the real, physical healing of the deaf, dumb man tells us today.

And grounded firmly on that historical truth, we can move on to the “spiritual;” the more practical application of this miracle. Jesus’ word Ephphatha, also opens spiritually deaf ears and dumb tongues – which are actually the more dangerous of sin’s side effects. By nature we don’t listen to God and we don’t praise him. If you’ve ever listened carefully to the words that are spoken before baptism, you’ve heard this: “All of us are born into this world with a deep need for baptism. From our parents we inherit a sinful nature; we are without true fear of God and true faith in God and are condemned to eternal death” (CW p. 12). By nature we ignore God’s voice and tune out his Word. By nature our tongues give glory to ourselves, not God. In other words, by nature we are in open rebellion against the 1st commandment. And the only treatment for that spiritual pandemic is the all-powerful Word.

The early Christian church had a unique way of recognizing this. In the early centuries, when a person was baptized, the pastor first would take his fingers and touch the person’s ears and lips and say: Ephphatha: be opened. The symbolism was to be the same that Jesus was conveying to the deaf and dumb man when his took him away from the crowd and put his fingers in his ears and spit and touched the man’s tongue, sighed and looked to heaven: in Baptism, God rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. Through water and the Word the Holy Spirit gets our ears and lips working again. He opens our ears to hear his calls to repentance and to believe that he has declared us not guilty for Jesus’ sake. He loosens our tongues to confess our darkest sins and to praise Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That real, spiritual healing is yours through water and the Word.

The obvious question is, then: given that the essential message of Christianity is one of healing and hope and reconciliation between God and sinners, why are Christianity in general and Christians in particular so often blamed for the world’s woes? (For example, last week the Supreme Court refused to file an injunction to prevent a fetal heartbeat bill from Texas from taking effect. This bill says that once a heartbeat is detected, abortion is prohibited. By the reaction of many on social media, you’d think this bill was aimed at taking life, not saving it.) Why are Christians and Christian morals so hated and reviled? Martin Luther, in a sermon on this text, explains: [They]…are a thousand times worse off than this poor deaf and dumb man, for they have ears that are really stopped up. They hear God’s Word and yet they really don’t hear it, nor do they want to…Our Lord Christ preached beautiful sermons concerning the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life, but they became mad and furious, not only refusing to listen but also reviling him on top of it. Today, yet, people who refuse to hear God’s Word are altogether deaf and dumb, worse off than this poor man here, because their tongues know only how to revile God and to speak very evilly of his Word, the most precious treasure. Those, however, who hear God’s Word gladly and to whom Christ says, as to the deaf man, “Ephphatha,” or “Be opened,” these are the ones helped against the devil” (Luther’s House Postils, 6:398).

If the symptoms of sin in our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods, and our world grieve us, then the best thing we can do is not try to heal those wounds ourselves, we can’t – but to be like this man’s friends, bringing people who are hurting and suffering to the only One who can be true healing. Bringing our babies to be baptized, our children to sit at Jesus’ feet in Sunday school, our friends and neighbors to hear the healing message of the Gospel – because Jesus continues to heal our sin-sick world only and always through His Word. Luther explains: God has shown us no other way by which we can come into heaven than through his precious Word, the Holy Gospel. Whoever gladly and diligently hears and receives it, and who loves and delights in it, will be helped. That is the one miracle that daily still takes place in Christendom, that our ears, which the devil stopped up through sin, are again opened by the Word, so that we receive it” (6:398).

The list of problems sin has caused in our world and in our own lives is long – much longer than just being deaf or dumb. Satan loves to use sin’s side-effects to tempt us to believe that God doesn’t care, that Jesus can’t do anything, much less anything well. But the truth is that God reserves his best and most important work for those who are physically and spiritually broken. When you are hurting and in need of help, remember this miracle, hear Jesus’ word: Ephphatha, be opened. Listen to the good news that Jesus preaches through that deaf and dumb man: healing has come! Your Savior has taken care of the underlying cause by wiping away your sins away with his blood. When he returns he will give you fully restored bodies with everything – from head to toe – in perfect working order. This is the message our world needs to hear. This is our faith, this is our hope, this is our certainty: in a world broken by sin and unbelief, God has opened our ears to hear and believe and loosened our tongues to confess and sing: Jesus has done everything well! Amen.