​Transfiguration                                                                                                                                    February 10, 2019
Matthew 17:1-9
 
Are You Listening?
 
v.5     [Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."
 
          Dear friends in Christ, these words of the Father spoken at Jesus' transfiguration should sound familiar to us.  We have heard them before.  Indeed, at Jesus' baptism, these same words were spoken by the Father from heaven as Christ was baptized in the Jordan by his cousin, John, in order to fulfill all righteousness.  From that day forward Jesus took on humanity's sin and carried it upon His shoulders, in His flesh, in order to carry out His mission of our salvation.  A mission that would require great sacrifice from Jesus as He would suffer the wrath and fury of the Father for our sins in our place.
          Indeed, prior to His transfiguration, Jesus had been explaining to His disciples exactly what was going to happen to Him in the days to come.  Jesus said some uncomfortable things to His disciples, "that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."  You will recall that upon hearing this from Jesus Peter took Him aside to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord!  This shall never happen to you."  To which Jesus replied, "Get behind me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."  Jesus then went to explain to the disciples that "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what He has done.  Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
          It was six days after this pronouncement that some would see Jesus coming in His kingdom before tasting death, that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up a high mountain and was transfigured before them.  The whole point of the transfiguration—indeed, of the season of Epiphany—is to confirm to the disciples (and to us all) that Jesus is the One we are to listen to—for He has been revealed as the only Son of the Father.  And, that there is cross before glory—suffering and death before life and salvation.  Jesus would epitomize this in His own life—and He tells His disciples that it will be the same for us. The Father puts before our eyes and ears only Jesus.  He is the only Son of God to whom we must listen and obey, and no other. 
          It is amazing how quickly we can forget that.  How quickly we can turn away from Jesus and His Word.  You will recall that just before our text Peter, in response to the question asked by Jesus, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" gave the great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  But just moments later, when Jesus told them how He must suffer and die, Peter didn't want to hear it—He didn't want to listen to Christ when Jesus told Him something that didn't fit in with what he wanted to believe about Jesus.  How easily do we also turn from God's Word when it doesn't fit in with our picture of who we want God to be?  How we want Him to act?  This is idolatry, beloved, and must be repented of, for it is of Satan, and not from God.
          Upon ascending the mountain, Jesus is transfigured before Peter and James and John, and Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus.  Peter offers to make three shelters, one for each of them, but by doing so puts Jesus on an equal footing with Moses and Elijah.  Thus the Father comes and manifests His presence in a glorious cloud, and speaks the words, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."  This terrifying voice of God causes the disciples to cower in fear, but when Jesus comes and touches them, saying, "Rise and have no fear," they lifted up their eyes, and saw no one but Jesus only.
          Only Jesus.  The great comforting presence of Jesus.  The One to whom we are directed to listen by no less than the Father Himself.  This is He of whom Moses prophesied that One would come who was greater than Moses—and to Him the people must listen.  This is the One who upheld Elijah in the wilderness—the one to whom all the prophets point.  Jesus is here—now—listen to Him!
          Listen, dear friends, to the words of Jesus.  Listen to what He tells you.  He instructs you in His Word on how you are to live.  He gives you the comforting Word of His Gospel of forgiveness and peace when you fail to live and believe as you ought.  Jesus specifically teaches you that cross and suffering come before glory and life. 
          This is not popular in the world today.  We don't like the idea of having to deny ourselves, take up a cross, and follow Jesus.  We would much rather indulge our lusts and desires—take up the pursuit of pleasure and happiness above all others.  Jesus' words—the words of the Bible—fly in the face of conventional worldly wisdom that says if you are not happy, then do whatever it takes to make yourself happy, no matter who else it may affect.  In an unhappy marriage (or, at least one that doesn't fit the intense romantic version seen in Hollywood movies)? Then simply get a divorce.  Your children are resilient—they'll survive.  Need more money? Then feel free to stomp all over other people on your rise to the top of the corporate ladder.  Want to be well-liked by friends and family alike? Then ignore God's teaching on marriage, sexuality, life, and family—and promote the social justice causes of our day: abortion, transgenderism, and same-sex marriages. 
          Beloved, this is of the devil.  Christ teaches us to deny ourselves—take up the cross of suffering and shame in this life—and follow Him—listen to His Word of truth.  Which means for the person struggling with same sex attraction that they deny those feelings—repent of them—and lead a celibate and chaste life.  It means choosing life when having an abortion would seem so much simpler and less complicated.  It means staying and praying for your spouse, even though you have drifted apart, but in which there is no just cause for divorce.  For this is the life of faith and trust in Christ. 
          Only then shall you receive the wondrous gift of glory and eternal life in Christ Jesus.  He who has gifted you with His forgiveness and life—promises to uphold you in your hour of trial and suffering.  Christ did not eschew affliction, but willingly drove toward the cross—embraced the wrath of God—dying for your sins—so that you might be forgiven and free to carry your own cross in following Him.  Jesus was raised in glory as the firstfruit of all who believe.  You are now adopted sons and daughters of God through faith in Jesus Christ—He who bled and died for you.  How can you NOT listen to Him?  How can you NOT rejoice in His Word to you that bespeaks you righteous—that grants you everlasting life and salvation—that promises you a place by His side in eternal glory?
          Beloved, there are many competing voices in the world today—all spouting wisdom, offering advice, and counsel for daily life.  But the only One to whom we are to ultimately listen, is Jesus.  His Word of truth and life given for all people.  He alone is the beloved Son of the Father who has done all things well and worked for our salvation.  He alone is the One who bled and died to take away all our sin.  His blood alone is what grants us forgiveness for all of our sins and opens the door to the kingdom of heaven. 
          Take up the opportunities, therefore, to hear Jesus' voice speaking to you in Word and Sacrament.  You can hear Him in this very divine service each week as He declares your sins forgiven in Holy Absolution, and offers you His very own body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins in the Holy Supper.  Furthermore, He speaks to you in Bible study and daily devotion.  He says to each of you, bowed down with the weight of the guilt of your sin before a holy and righteous God, "Rise, and have no fear."  Beloved, lift up your eyes, and see no one but Jesus only.  His wounds.  His grace and favor.  His peace.  His blood.  For you.  Listen to Jesus' voice.  Hear His Word of forgiveness and peace, now and forevermore.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Epiphany 4                                                                                                                                             February 3, 2019
Jonah 1:1-17
 
In the Midst of Death, There is Life
 
v.17   And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, it isn't easy being a prophet of God—just ask Jonah.  Being a prophet of the Lord means being ready to go and preach the Word of the Lord to anyone, anywhere, at anytime.  "Now the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.'" Nineveh, seat of the Assyrian empire during the reign of Jeroboam II.  Nineveh and the Assyrians were deadly enemies of the Israelites, and were often used by God to chastise His people when they sinned against Him.  All of this to mean that an Israelite prophet, marching through the capital city of their greatest enemy, proclaiming the coming wrath of God, might not be well received by those who were there to hear it.
          Jonah, the reluctant prophet, was not so keen to go there, and so he decides to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.  He takes a ship out of Joppa and heads in the exact opposite direction from which the Lord had directed him to go.  Before we judge Jonah too harshly, we should think about how difficult it is for us to obey the Word of the Lord.  How often we fail to put Him first in our lives.  We flee from Him when His Word is inconvenient or hard to be accepted by the society around us. 
          We keep silent—not speaking up at times when serious issues are being discussed—be it the sanctity of life, holy marriage, or anything else.  We flee from the conflict that we fear more than we fear God.  We run away, loving the good opinion of others rather than the Good Word of God.  We come up with all sorts of excuses—"That's just ONE interpretation.  That's not the God I worship!"  We are so very tempted, as Christians, to dispense with God's truth when it might cause us discomfort or real harm and sorrow in our lives.  Much easier to go along with the status quo, than to be labeled a "hater" or "bigot" when standing up for Biblical truth.  It is so much easier to bow before the gods of convenience, personal pleasure, lust, etc., than to acknowledge and fear the One true God who made the earth and the heavens and all the seas.
          This, beloved, is sin.  It is a great sin and deserving of God's wrath and judgment no less than the prophet Jonah received when he fled from the Lord.  Yet, there was something that Jonah feared even more than hatred of the Ninevites—more than the wrath of God—the mercy of God!  WHAT?!  That doesn't make any sense.  God's people should always rejoice in the mercy of God—why would Jonah fear THAT? 
          Jonah feared God's mercy being given to his enemies—those he hated and believed to be unworthy of God's grace and forgiveness.  For after Jonah does eventually go to Nineveh and preach the Word of the Lord (no matter how reluctantly) the people of that great city actually repented.  They put sackcloth and ashes on every person and animal in the city—they called a fast of food and water for days.  They turned away from their great evil.  "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said would happen to them, and He did not do it.  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was in my country?  That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a generous God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.'"
          Oh the irony!  Jonah the prophet actually witnesses what most prophets never do—the good fruit of his preaching.  The people in fact repent upon hearing the Word of the Lord!  And God relents.  But Jonah would rather die than see the grace of God poured out upon people whom he thought were undeserving.  How often do we do the same?  Look upon others as unworthy of God's mercy and grace—actually secretly fearful in our sinful hearts that He might truly forgive them: the jerky boss or bully from school, the horrendously mean people on Facebook, murderers, adulterers, abusers, thieves, etc.  How could God possibly forgive THEM?  We won't stand for it.
          Beloved, for these sins WE deserve God's wrath.  We deserve to be thrown into the tempest of God's judgement—swallowed up by death and hell forever.  But as Jonah teaches us, God's mercy and grace knows no end.  Though we are sinful and rebellious toward Him, He continues to work to preserve us, and call us to repentance and faith so that we might receive His goodness and life.  The story of Jonah teaches us that in the midst of despair, there is hope.  In the midst of sin, there is forgiveness.  In the midst of death, there is life.  Jonah was at the point of despair, offering himself up to God's fury, expecting to drown in the storm, but God rescued him.  Though he was swallowed by a great fish the Lord God preserved his life, gave him an opportunity to repent, and forgave him.
          Beloved, this rescue/deliverance of Jonah is but a foreshadowing of what God has done for you in Christ Jesus.  He has suffered the full cup of God's wrath—endured the furious judgement of God for your sin on the cross.  His blood has wiped out the debt of sin that you owe to God.  His blood washes over you in cleansing flood—redeeming you from sin, death, and hell.  For this same Jesus rose from the dead three days later, granting eternal life and salvation to all who believe.  Jesus is the ultimate picture of God's mercy and grace for you and all people. 
          Jonah's swallowing up by the great fish and being vomited out three days later was a picture of Jesus' own death and resurrection.  Jesus Himself said so in Matthew's Gospel (12:38-41). "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.'  But He answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.'"
          The One who is greater than Jonah has come.  He is Jesus Christ the Lord.  He willingly was swallowed up by death on the cross so that by His resurrection three days later He might swallow up death forever.  For me.  For you.  For all.  You no longer need bear the punishment of God for your sin, for Jesus was punished for you in your stead.  His blood has paid the price for your sin.  And now, by God's grace and the Holy Spirit, you are led to repent of your sin and receive God's mercy for you in Christ Jesus.  What a happy joy!  Rejoice and be glad!  For in Jesus—though you be in the midst of death and despair—yet there is life and joy and hope.  For He has conquered the tempest of your sin with His dying and rising again.  He is greater than Jonah, preaching His forgiveness into your heart through His Word and Sacraments, so that you may be preserved in penitent faith.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Epiphany 3                                                                                                                                             January 27, 2019
2 Kings 5:1-15a
 
A Great Word for you...for me...for all!
 
v.13   But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it?  Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, the Word of God is powerful and creative.  His Word actually does what it says it will do—from the placement of the stars in the heavens—to the washing away of humanity’s sin.  This is why St. Paul speaks so adoringly about the Word of the Gospel in our epistle for today, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  Such was the case for the Gentile, Naaman, in our text for today.  By the power of God’s Word he was completely healed from leprosy, which afflicted not only his body, but also his soul.
          However, as we see in this beautiful Old Testament story, it was not smooth sailing for Naaman.  Indeed, it seems the nearer he got to his salvation, the more he doubted it.  When word came to him through one of his wife’s servant girls (an Israelite taken into slavery during one of his own raids, no doubt), he went to his master, the King of Syria to have leave to seek healing from the prophet spoken of by the little girl.  He leaves his home with a gift fit for a prince.  Naaman’s own king sent a letter to the King of Israel beseeching him to heal his servant, not realizing that the prophets in Israel were not beholden to the king in the same way the priests/magicians were in the court at Syria.  The King of Syria no doubt assumed that the King of Israel could simply snap his fingers and order the prophet to do his bidding.  However, the Syrian king as well as Naaman would soon learn that God and His prophets dance for no man—for the power is God’s and it is only by His grace that it is bestowed—wherever and however He wills.
          Yet, we can clearly see Naaman’s towering pride (he was a high official in the court of the kingdom of Syria, after all, and used to a great deal of respect and service), which would bring doubt into his mind concerning the good word of the Lord.  For, upon arriving at Elisha’s home, the great prophet for whom he had travelled so far and so long to see about so grave an illness—this lowly prophet didn’t even come out to greet him in person—how insulting!  Elisha merely sent his messenger saying, “God and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
          Ridiculous!  Naaman had come all that way for this?  “Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be clean?’  So he turned and went away in a rage.” 
          Naaman expect—demanded—something more than the simple Word and promise of God.  He wanted a show—a great sign—maybe some fancy hand waving or dance steps from Elisha.  Again, he was greatly insulted. 
          Yet before we look too harshly at Naaman, let us consider our own reaction to God’s Word at times—especially when we are undergoing trial or suffering in some way.  It is easy to look to and trust in God’s Word when everything is going splendidly, how much more difficult it becomes, however, when things go so terribly wrong in our lives.  When the deadly prognosis is delivered by the doctor to us in the waiting room—when our personal relationships flounder and fall apart—when the evil of the world seeks to overwhelm us in misery and suffering—it is very hard to hold on to those promises made by God that once seemed so rich and fulfilling, but now seem so empty and pathetic.
          We can easily become immersed in our own misery, dear friends, and fall victim to Satan’s lies as he seeks to rob us of the consolation that is truly ours in the Word of God.  We look to material things like wealth and health as signs of God’s favour toward us, so that when these things fail—and they always will, eventually—we grow depressed and feel defeated over our sin.  Satan steals those passages and words of great comfort and joy that we once knew so well.
          What to do, dear friends, when this happens?  What to do indeed?  Thanks be to God that He does not abandon us, even though we are so often ready and willing to abandon His Word of promise at the first sign of hardship.  No, indeed, the Word continues to come to us—outside of us—through others.  Remember Naaman?  First the Word came to him through his wife’s servant girl.  God’s Word then came to him again through Elisha’s messenger.  Now, in the greatest hour of Naaman’s anguish and frustration God’s Word comes to him through his own servants—who also heard the Word and believed.  They “came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it?  Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
          At last the Word of God has its way with Naaman’s heart and he goes down and dips himself seven times in the Jordan, “according to the Word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” 
          What joy!  What power and grace and mercy!  The Lord God took this prideful, unbelieving, unrepentant man and healed him—not only of his leprosy—but also of his sin—as he was brought to saving faith through the miracle of the water and the Word.
          Such joy!  Such power and grace and mercy are yours as well dear friends.  The Lord God Almighty’s Word has had its way with you and speaks to you a better word than that of Satan and his lies, which seek to rob you of God’s comfort and peace.  In Baptism Christ has spoken His forgiving, redeeming, enlivening Word over you and poured His love into your heart.
          Now, this great Word of God certainly seems too good to be true sometimes—too easy.  In our sinfulness and pride we seek to have some part of our salvation—some role in our cure—as Naaman would have been only too glad to perform some great deed in order to be healed.  In our sin, we want to have some part to play—some great deed that we did that we can look to and say with pride, “See everyone—see God—this is what I did for you—now don’t I deserve something great?” 
          Yet God and His Word puts to death such foolish thinking and pride.  For only through faith in Christ alone is there sureness of life and salvation.  His Word cuts us down and rips out the pride in our heart—laying bear every sin—every leprous stain—every spot of death and decay.  But then His Word comes and speaks to you in love and mercy and grace.  Christ’s Word comes to you and says in the midst of your grief—your anger—your depression—your suffering—your shame—your sin—that you are a beloved child of God and forgiven of all sin—not by your own works—but by the redeeming Word of Jesus who bled and died for you on Calvary’s cross.
          His Word is upon you in your Baptism—washed in the shed blood of Christ crucified—He restores your soul—drives away Satan and his demonic horde—claiming you for Himself in His Kingdom. 
          When facing doubt.  When experiencing keen affliction and sorrow.  Come to those who are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Come to this house of worship and receive the great Word of God that bespeaks you righteous on account of Jesus’ death and resurrection for you.  Come and listen to your pastor—either here in public—or alone in private—that we might meditate together upon the rich and vast promises of God’s Word that have been given to you.  Come hear from me as from Christ Himself how He has worked to earn your salvation—how He gave up His own life into tortured death and hell—so that He might save you from your own sin.  Come eat of Christ’s own body and blood that you might know with absolute certainty and conviction that Christ’s Word to you is one of grace and peace and forgiveness and love. 
          We find our Lord’s consolation and healing not in the great and wonderful things of this world and life, but precisely where Christ has promised His healing and life to be—in Word and Sacrament.  To be sure, in comparison with the other things in this world, they don’t seem like much.  They look like the muddy, dirty water of the Jordan river in comparison with the beautiful and pristine clear waters of the Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus.  Yet, there, in the Word and the Sacraments—there Christ has promised to be—there He has promised to heal and breathe life into dead and weary souls like yours.  For herein Christ has willed that you are to be forgiven—you are to be clean and healthy and whole—and so you are.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  

Epiphany 2                                                                                                                                          
John 2:1-11
 
v.1-2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with His disciples.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, what a joy this text in Holy Scripture is--our Lord's first miracle--the first of His signs wherein He manifested His glory.  And where did this momentous event take place?  A wedding.  We love weddings, don't we?  Wedding receptions have beautiful clothes, great fun and dancing, super good food, and traditionally, lots of wine. 
          Indeed, we see Jesus and His disciples and family enjoying a good time at a wedding in Cana of Galilee--until the wine runs out.  To which Jesus responds (after some gentle prodding from His mother) by saving the couple from public humiliation and turning about 100 gallons of water into the very best wine.
          I want you to take a moment, beloved, and picture a wedding in your mind.  Can you see the assembled guests?  Everyone waiting expectantly while beautiful music is played.  Suddenly, the music changes and everyone rises as the bride begins her stately procession down the aisle.  And then, after a moment's anticipation--another bride begins to walk down the aisle after her!  Shocked?  You really shouldn't be.  After all, the Biblical and traditional understanding of marriage has all but been forsaken in our society.  Same sex marriage is legal everywhere—and now—there are further pushes to expand the definition of marriage to include multiple wives and husbands at the same time.  And the true meaning of marriage will continue to get more and more blurred.
          Indeed, the institution of marriage is not only attacked by proposed same-sex marriage laws, but also by no-fault divorce (for unbiblical grounds), adultery, and fornication and pornography--all threaten marriage as the foundational building block of our entire society.
          So what?  What does this have to do with us?--our text?--with Jesus?  Well, as our epistle mentions, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church."  St. Paul is teaching us that the union of man and woman in holy matrimony is a picture of the union between Christ Jesus and His bride, the church.  An attack on marriage, therefore, any attack on marriage, is an attack on Jesus Himself and His church.  Serious stuff.
          The church exists as the recipient of the love of her husband--Jesus--who "gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word..."  Jesus bled and died on the cross to cleanse His holy bride--you and me--from all sin.  The church exists then to proclaim this Gospel--this Good News--to all people—for all sins (be they sexual or otherwise)—offering sinners forgiveness and mercy in the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.
          To get back to our text, Jesus displayed His glory first at a wedding--a miracle of plenty to bring joy and blessing to the gathered people.  When did this happen?  On the third day.  Which calls to mind that great miracle of miracles our Lord Jesus would perform on another Third Day--3 years later--rising from the dead in the resurrection to bring everlasting joy and peace to all people who believe in His name. 
          Which is why we are here dear friends.  We are here because we are sinners.  We do not judge any person guilty as a sinner based upon our own personal values or thoughts on what is right or wrong--be they thieves, murderers, or sexually immoral adulterers, fornicators, or homosexuals, or anything else.  Rather, we judge only by God's revealed Word of Truth in the Bible.  His standard is the only standard of good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood.  We don't hold that adultery is a sin simply because we don't think it's right, but rather because God says it is wrong.  Just so with every sin.
          But as Christians we also judge ourselves according to the same high standard of God's perfect Law and we discover...what?  That we are guilty!  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  We, too, are sinners just like everyone else--whether they are Christian or not--married or not—sexually immoral or not. 
          Beloved, we also struggle with sin, do we not?  Indeed, we all have secret sins, from which we would die of shame were anyone to discover them--particularly our Christian family and friends whom we look up to--and whom we want to look up to us with respect and love.  However, God knows all--He sees your sins--even your hidden sins--the ones you are afraid even to admit to yourself.
          Which is why we gather here, dear friends, to come before our holy and righteous God as sinners justly condemned--who have scorned His gifts--abused the resources and blessings He has bestowed upon us--hurt family and friend and stranger alike.  We are here, in this holy place of God, as sinners who look to God for mercy--for cleansing--for forgiveness--though we KNOW we are guilty and don't deserve anything but His wrath and condemnation.
          But, don't you see?!  This is precisely why Jesus came!  Jesus said in Mark's Gospel (2:17), "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  Christ Jesus came for you and me!  He came to all who are sinners.  Jesus truly manifested His glory on the cross wherein He gave His perfect, sinless life into suffering and death so that by His sacrifice--by the water and the blood that would pour from His side--we might be cleansed and healed.  "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."
          You see what you are!  What you've become through no effort of your own--perfect, spot-free, wrinkle free, holy and without blemish--forgiven and free by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for you.  This forgiveness Jesus dispenses through His church via the means of grace--His Word and Holy Sacraments.  Feeling extreme guilt over some secret sin?--confess it to your pastor in confidence that it won't be spread around--and in joy that you might hear and receive absolution to lift the weight off your shoulders.
          Feeling filthy and disgusting over the great evil and pain you have caused in your life?  Return to your Baptism wherein Jesus washed you clean of all sin--the ultimate stain remover is His own shed blood!  Feeling weak and on the verge of giving up?  Come to the Supper of our Lord that He might feed you with His life-giving body and blood in bread and wine--so that you might rejoice in and be strengthened by His love and mercy.
          This message of the Gospel is not just for you and me, but ALL people.  God's grace and mercy and love are a flood to bring peace and joy to all who believe.  Not to comfort people in their sin (thereby encouraging sinful behaviour), but rather to comfort people WHEN they sin—offering forgiveness to all.  We have the great privilege and honour of witnessing to others that same love and compassion of our God, how?, in our daily vocations.
          This is my primary task as your pastor--to dispense God's gifts to you in Word and Sacrament--so that, being upheld by the Lord Jesus--you may then fulfill your primary vocations as Christians and share this Good News with all sinners, whom God desires to save through faith in Jesus Christ.  Through this Gospel call we invite others to come to the Lord's house--that they may be brought into His family through faith and so one day join with us in the foretaste of the feast to come in the supper of our Lord's body and blood. 
          For God has blessed us with His means of grace in His bride the church, to uphold and strengthen us in this noble calling.  That we may ever rejoice and be glad and receive full comfort and assurance of His mercy poured out on us in the blood of Jesus that wipes away every stain--every spot--smoothes out each wrinkle of our sin and robes us in the gleaming majesty and purity and holiness of our Saviour Jesus.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
 

​Epiphany 1 – The Baptism of our Lord                                                                                                 January 13, 2019
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
 
Foolish Christians!
 
v.26-27       For considers your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…
 
          Dear friends in Christ, the world looks at us and our belief in Jesus as the Saviour of the world as though we are a bunch of fools.  In our postmodern western society, the notion that there is a singular powerful deity who created all things and to whom all people are responsible for their moral shortcomings seems to be utterly ridiculous.  This scorn is, of course, nothing new for us Christians.  Indeed the second century Greek philosopher, Celsus, was an outspoken advocate against Christians—considering them to be supremely stupid people.  He wrote of the Christians:
Their injunctions are like this: "Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near.  For these abilities are thought by us [Christians] to be evils.  But as for anyone ignorant, anyone stupid, anyone uneducated, anyone who is a child, let him come boldly."  By the fact that they themselves admit that these people are worthy of their God, they show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonourable and stupid, and only slaves, women, and children.
          Of course, dear friends, this a gross mischaracterization of the Christian Gospel.  For Paul does not say to the Corinthian Christian congregation "none of you were wise according to worldly standards, none of  you were powerful, none of you were of noble birth," but rather "not many."  To be sure, all people are welcomed by our God into His holy family, the church, including both the foolish and the wise, the weak and the powerful, the ordinary and the noble.  And the great good news is that He does so, even though we are completely unworthy.
          The fact is that many of the Corinthian Christians were either slaves or freed slaves, and so were looked down upon by most of the society around them.  We, too, today are looked upon by the world as foolish, ignorant people for believing the Scriptures' account of God working in and through Christ Jesus to save us from our sin.  Sometimes, they will say that if we were more educated then we would know better.  Sadly, you and I know that the statistics for Christians retaining their faith after entering the hostile secular realm of the university education system are rather grim.  Many young christians have had their faith shaken, and worse yet, even destroyed, by the hounding of their professors and classmates who challenge their faith.
          Does this mean that we should steer clear of university education for our children?  Of course not.  But it does mean that we need to do a better job of preparing them prior to sending them away (like our apologetics Bible study), and make sure that while they are gone (if they are far from home) that they are connected to a local church where they can hear and receive God's gifts and be strengthened in their faith.
          And when we are tested, we need to remember St. Paul's words here.  That God specifically chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.  He chose the seemingly idiotic idea of sending His own beloved Son to suffer and die on the cross in order to redeem those who are enslaved to sin and death.  God chose His Son to be the wisdom that we need.  This is why "no human being might boast in the presence of God."  For our wisdom and power and achievements earn us nothing toward our salvation.  Only clinging to the cross of Jesus grants us forgiveness for our sins and everlasting life and salvation.
          There simply is no room for boasting before God because the Christian has received their whole existence in Christ from God in the first place.  For He "became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification and redemption…"  And, as Paul says in Galatians (3:26), "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."  Beloved, what joy and comfort and peace this gives to us.  In Christ, we have received everything from God.  Through our Baptism into the body of Christ—He is our wisdom—all the treasures of divine wisdom are bound up in Christ and on display in the foolish and weak act of His crucifixion—and our preaching about it.
          Beloved, through faith, you have received the righteousness of Christ—the Passover Lamb who covers your sins with His blood.  All that you have done against God's Word and God's will—is wiped clean by this precious blood of Jesus outpoured for you on the cross.  Furthermore, you have received the sanctification (the holiness) of God in Christ.  Your guilt has been taken away and your sin atoned for—received freely in your Baptism into the triune name of God.  But none of these gifts could have been given to you without the gift of redemption.  You have been redeemed (bought back from sin and death) by the spilling of the blood of Jesus. 
          Therefore, instead of boasting of your own wisdom or intellectual achievements—the Christian is directed to the wisdom of Another—Jesus Christ.  Only by being in Christ and having that alien wisdom conferred on you as a cover for your own foolishness and sin, do you, the Christian, gain the wisdom that is actually God pleasing—the wisdom that is faith in Jesus' work on the cross to forgive your sin and grant you life.
          Nowhere is this foolish and weak act of God toward the Christian more on display than in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism—particularly for infants.  Anyone can see how Baptism is not the baby's own doing—they cannot walk, they cannot talk, they cannot move or do anything of their own will.  They are completely passive.  Yet in Baptism (of both children and adults) God works a mighty miracle: He cleanses from all sin, bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit (creating and sustaining faith in Christ), and grants the treasure of eternal life to the baptized.     Who, then, is doing the action or the work in Baptism?  It is not the one being baptized, but rather God Almighty.  He alone has the power to remove the devil from your stubborn heart.  He alone has the ability to grant you the grace to believe and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.  He alone can change your heart from an unbelieving, scorning stubborn heart of dead stone, to one of living flesh—alive with the Spirit of God through faith in Christ. 
          So thanks be to God, dear friends, that "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…"  For in so doing, God has demonstrated His great love and care for us in Christ Jesus—He who was baptized into our sin in the Jordan and carried it to the cross for us.  We sinful human beings cannot boast in the presence of God.  As Christians we would never dare to do so.  For we know and trust and believe that our salvation from start to finish rests securely in the nail-pierced hands of Jesus.  And so we who boast, boast only in the Lord.  And if the world mocks and ridicules us for our faith—so be it.  We will continue to reach out to them in Christian love and charity so that they too may hear the "foolish" wisdom of God that has so dramatically impacted our lives with the saving grace of Jesus.  For by God's grace, we ARE fools.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Christmas Day                                                                                                                                   December 25, 2018
John 1:1-18
 
The Struggle between Light and Darkness
 
v.5              The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we gather together this morning to celebrate the miracle of miracles--the very incarnation (the enfleshment) of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The same Lord God who created all things through His Word, His Son, has spoken His Word again, this time into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary.  As such, the glory of the Lord has filled the tabernacle of our human nature.  
          John, in his Gospel, writes that "All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  In the first few verses of his Gospel, John speaks of all creation as having come about through the work of the Word of God--who is Himself God.  What's more, that though He is Light and brings life to men, yet there is a struggle between the light and the darkness.
          This was vividly illustrated in the latest Hobbit installment, "The Desolation of Smaug."  At one point, Gandalf the Grey goes to seek out the growing darkness of evil in an ancient fortress.  There he discovers that Sauron, the evil one, is making a comeback.  Sauron is depicted almost like liquid darkness with a horrific fire burning in the middle.  Sauron laughs at Gandalf, and does battle against him, darkness against light--to which Gandalf loses the struggle--at least, for now.
          You see, though God created all things good through His Word, yet due to human sin and rebellion against the Word of the Lord--darkness and death have entered and ruined God's good creation.  This isn't just Adam and Eve's fault, dear friends--this fault--the blame--the punishment--lie with us as well.  We would have acted no differently in the Garden, don't kid yourself.  And that's our problem--we love darkness more than the light.  For Jesus "was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him." 
          We love the darkness more than the light.  We would prefer to wallow in our filth and sin than to bask in the glory of the divine.  For His Light that shines forth is true Light--it reveals all things--it reveals the darkness of our hearts--the depth of our sin--and in our pride and rebellion we often scurry away from the Word of the Lord like cockroaches that flee the light--running to every dark crevice--every deep hole to hide in.
          But God would not leave us like that.  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."  Jesus came to be one of us--to take on our human flesh and blood and so die on the cross in order that we might receive the right to become children of God through faith.
          The devil and the world act like Sauron in the movie--attacking the light--leading us to think that darkness is greater than the light.  But this is simply not true.  For the true Light which enlightens every man has come--"In Him was life, and the life was light of men.  The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it/seized it/forcibly put it out."  For it cannot.  For this Light is no ordinary light with which we surround ourselves, no indeed, this is TRUE light--this Light is God made flesh.
          Was this Light veiled in the person of Jesus Christ?  Yes.  For our own good.  For the true glory of God--the stupendous Light that would shine forth from His person--would burn us to cinders--as it would any sinner.  John saw a brief glimpse of this Light on the Mount of Transfiguration--and he fell down with Peter and James in great fear--burying their faces in the ground at Jesus' feet.
          But we need not fear this Light any longer.  For this light has come to bring life and joy to all people.  I know, it seems like a lot to put on the shoulders of a newborn baby.  But this is the purpose for why Jesus came.  He came to shine the Light of His truth and love into our sin-darkened hearts and souls--to cleanse us from the overwhelming sin and guilt and death that stains us.  He scoured it all away with the blood that He shed on the cross--freely giving us forgiveness and life and light in His name. 
          The Holy Spirit has worked through the Gospel message in Word and Sacrament to bring us this Light--to give us Jesus and His mercy and grace.  So that, by faith, we might receive--believe in His name--and so have the right to become children of God.  So, you see, as those who walk in the Light of Christ, we are reborn--even as Paul describes the rebirth and regeneration of Holy Baptism in Titus 3--but we "were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
          Your salvation is 100% God's work start to finish.  Now that offends our pride--it tweaks our old nature in Adam--wherein we think and believe that we must have to do something to earn God's favour--to receive His love.  Yet, that itself is a lie of the evil one--a darkness meant to cloud the minds of Christ's people.  For we know that there is nothing good in us--only in Christ Jesus is the hope of our salvation to be found--only in Christ is there rescue from the darkness of sin and death in this world.  "For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
          This is why we are so filled with joy at this time of year.  Not only do the heavens reflect this truth for us (at least in the northern hemisphere) as the days literally grow longer and longer--overcoming the darkness.  But because we know that though we are often surrounded by darkness and evil in this broken world--yet in Christ we are surrounded with a brilliant light that cannot be extinguished--that cannot be overcome. 
          As Christians we have the joyful responsibility of becoming little lights that reflect the light of Christ in word and deed.  We take this good news with us wherever we go--and no one can take it from us--not the world that seeks our life--not the devil--who seeks our soul--for "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  For the Light is Christ and in Him is the life and light of men--for He brings forgiveness and salvation to all who believe in His name.  He is Emmanuel--God with us--and He has overcome all sin, death, and evil with His own innocent suffering, death and resurrection.  That victory--that promise--that life--that Light--is yours, now and forevermore.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.