​Last Sunday in the Church Year                                                                                                       November 22, 2020
Isaiah 65:17-25
 
Promised Forgetfulness?
 
v.17   For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, today we celebrate and rejoice in God's promise of the Last Day--and the new creation that He promises to bring forth for His faithful people.  Though today is the Last Sunday of the church year--a day which focuses our attention on the ending of this world, yet it is also a day of new beginnings, as we see reflected for us in our Old Testament reading for this morning.  For though the Last Day will certainly be a day of judgement when Christ returns in all glory and splendour to judge the living and the dead, yet it is also a day of new creation and a life that will never end for the believers.  So, for the Christian at least, this is a day of great joy and celebration, for this is the day in which the fulfillment of our redemption will be accomplished, once and for all.
          And yet, if you're anything like me, this day also presents some anxiety and distress.  Of course, we wonder what the new heavens and new earth will truly be like--will my favourite lake still be there?--what about my beloved pet?  Unfortunately, Scripture is rather vague on these sorts of details.  But what tends to cause us the most angst when we think about this day is how we will react and respond to our past.  Will we remember the hurts and the heartaches and the sorrows?  Will we be haunted by our sins and failures?  Will we despair when our loved one is NOT there among us, as we had so long hoped and prayed for?  How can we possibly be happy and glad in God's kingdom with all these things weighing on our hearts and minds?
          Some of these questions are answered in part in our text.  The Lord declares through His prophet, "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind."  What does this mean?  Isaiah was prophesying at a time when Israel and Judah, God's chosen people, were largely faithless.  In visions, Isaiah was given witness to the terrible destruction that would come upon God's people for their crass idolatry.  But God also promised to preserve a faithful remnant of His people.  And this faithful remnant, though it would suffer and endure the destruction of Jerusalem, would also be given this picture of the promised Last Day, when God would gather them to His side in everlasting glory.
          Using earthly imagery, Isaiah attempts to help his generation understand the blessings of eternal life.  These promises apply to you and me as well.  The blessings of God's new creation begin NOW for believers, though we do not see the newborn physical and spiritual (new body and heaven), yet we believe it.  The promise of everlasting salvation is absolutely certain--and so we rejoice in it.  Indeed, Salvation is already prepared, but the revelation is merely awaited.  Then we shall see what we can only hope in and receive with faith, now. 
          What are some of these great promises of God?  We see that God's people will no longer be overcome by enemies or travail.  "They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.  They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands."  The point here is that in the new heavens and the new earth there shall no longer be those who can take anything away from God's people.  We shall work under God's direction and enjoy the fruit and feasting of God's new creation for all eternity--like the days of a tree that grows and grows without end.
          Indeed, this entire text invites us to look beyond this valley of tears and sorrow to witness the promised new heavens and new earth.  For on this Day, Death, the great enemy, will at long last be destroyed.  God will remake all things new (us and His world), spiritually and physically.  The usual circumstances of life and death in a sin-broken world will be cast aside.  In the new creation, it is LIFE that triumphs over death!  For Christ's resurrection victory will break forth and encompass all of the new creation forevermore.  What great joy and bliss!  What comfort and peace!
          Still, we are left with the nagging question of how our past memories will affect us, once we are in the promised New Eden.  Well, in the New Creation, we will completely forget the weeping and futility of living in a fallen world.  In their place shall be joy and gladness, fulfillment, and satisfaction.  "But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."  Though we, like Jerusalem of old, often cause God great anger and frustration with our sin and rebellion, all of this is removed by the blood of Jesus and the New Creation that brings this old order to an end. 
          It is the Lord's desire that His people no longer remember or be troubled by their former sins.  Our place in the Lord's New Creation has been secured through faith in Christ.  Through the saving work of His hands, we have the joy of sins forgiven, and gladness of life eternal.  These great acts of salvation WILL be remembered:  the perfect life of Jesus on our behalf; His suffering on the cross in our stead; His death and burial in the tomb for three days; and His glorious resurrection!  These will be remembered with great joy and gladness, but your sins and mine will be forever forgotten.  For they have been permanently removed by the blood of Jesus outpoured, and will be cast into the "Sea of Forgetfulness" as Jeremiah prophesies. 
          But there is more.  For not only will our sinful actions be forgotten--actions carried out against both God and our neighbour--but also all apostates and unfaithful people, the pain and suffering of this world that we have endured--it will all be forgotten.  For in God's holy city, the New Jerusalem, "no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress."  Sin can no longer touch us, nor can even our painful memories of sin-caused hurt and sorrow.  All is cleansed.  All is healed.  All is wiped clean by the blood of Jesus that bought us back from sin and death and ushered us into this joyous place of peace and salvation. 
          The curses of Genesis 3 are finally broken.  No more intensive labour to put food on the table--we will feast sumptuously at the Lord's banquet Table--partaking of the feast of salvation that shall know no end.  Nor will women suffer in child bearing or there be dissension between men and women.  All relationships will be restored through the forgiveness and redemption earned by Christ on the cross.  And of course, the greatest curse of death will be completely undone.  For in the New Creation there is only life and life to the full!
          Beloved, do not be anxious or sorrowful at what the New Creation holds for you.  Do not worry that your painful memories will follow you into the life of the world to come—not even the painful memories of 2020!  God promises to bless you with heavenly memories of great joy and peace.  Memories that point you to Jesus and His salvation and love.  Indeed, this is already being worked out each time you receive the Lord's Body and Blood in the Holy Supper--for you "do this, in the remembrance of [Him]."  Let your hearts and minds be transformed by the good news of God's work on your behalf and His promised new heavens and earth that you will enjoy in His kingdom for all eternity.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 23                                                                                                                                           November 15, 2020
Proverbs 8:11-22
 
Whatever Happened to Wisdom?
 
v.12-13       I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.  The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.  Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, whatever happened to wisdom?  That great and wondrous beautiful ideal--Sophia in the Greek--wisdom--wherein people used their knowledge in good and meaningful ways to better themselves and those around them.  It seems as though wisdom--and especially those seeking wisdom--are in very short supply nowadays.  No, rather, it seems as though everyone has gone soft in the head--they have jumped on the crazy train headed for Insanity-Ville--where right is wrong and wrong is right.  Where we no longer have the sense God gave geese.  We are actively engaging in ideas that are contrary to simple reason and science:  like failing to recognize the biological reality that there are only two sexes--male and female--not seventy different gender classifications.  Where, against all logic and sound wisdom--people are embracing the delusions of their minds--not just in terms of transgenderism or even transspecies (people who identify as animals and not human beings)--and we, as a society, are encouraging this foolishness--to the harm of the individual, and society as a whole.  In a world where biological males can freely compete in sporting events against biological females, we must ask, "Whatever happened to wisdom?"
          In our text for this morning, which is taken from the Wisdom literature of Holy Scripture, the book of Proverbs, composed largely by King Solomon (the wisest man to ever walk the earth), we see wisdom personified.  It is a literary device where wisdom and foolishness are both portrayed as female figures with very different goals and strategies.  Wisdom, according to Solomon, is to be sought after and treasured above all things.  He who was wealthy beyond belief, recognized that without wisdom, jewels and gold mean nothing and cannot compare to wisdom that comes only from God.  For, in the end, trust in earthly riches leads only to everlasting death and damnation in hell.
          By wisdom "king's are to reign, and rulers decree what is just; by wisdom princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly."  Yet, in looking at our country's rulers we are left wondering, "Whatever happened to wisdom?"  When killing has become an acceptable response to human suffering, rather than love and care and compassion.  When, as is the case in Sweden, child brides are now tacitly allowed and approved of for immigrant populations, despite it being technically against Swedish law.  When, despite all scientific evidence, people insist that killing the unborn is not terminating the life of an innocent human being.  Where is the wisdom in all of this and so much more?
          Wisdom is in short supply.  Why?  Because true wisdom has its source in one place only--God Himself.  And yet, human beings are conceived and born in sin and open rebellion against God and His Word of Truth.  People, are by nature, fools.  And those who persist in unbelief are the biggest fools of all, Scripture says.  The Psalmist writes (14:1), "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good."  Sinful people love evil instead of good.  We are prideful, arrogant, and relish in perverted speech that calls good evil, and evil good.  We arrogantly imagine ourselves to be wise with our enormous capacity for "tolerance" and "thinking outside the box", for ignoring history.  We look at the works of our hands--the comfortable homes we enjoy--the lavish meals we consume--the luxurious clothes we wear--not to mention our toys and cars and electronics--and we think to ourselves, "See, what human wisdom and ingenuity has accomplished!  See what great and awesome people we are!  See how we love each other by deconstructing the family, and even life itself?  We are wise, indeed!"
          Beloved, we, too, as Christians can easily get caught up in this kind of thinking for it is so pervasive throughout our society and we consume it each and every day through all sorts of media.  We know that God calls us to repent of this foolishness, but sometimes it is so much simpler and easier just to give in, or at least be quiet and not dispute the "wisdom" of those around us.  For we enjoy our comfortable lifestyle, and we are afraid of losing the things that we have.  But we need to hearken to Jesus' words when He says (Matthew 16:26), "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"  What indeed?  Is a comfortable life now really worth forfeiting eternal life and salvation?  Is that wise?
          In the end, beloved, it is only Jesus to whom we listen.  For He is the wisdom of God made flesh.  He is true Wisdom and the source of all wisdom in the entire universe.  St. Paul says of the Christian church (1 Corinthians 1:23-25), "but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
          It is Jesus, the fount of all wisdom, whose words and atoning work on the cross call to all people from the heights and crossroads of life.  He calls each of us to repent and confess our sin--confess our folly and rejection of Him and His Word--and receive His wisdom and grace given to us in His life, death, and resurrection.  This is the great, good wisdom that is for all men to hear and believe.  Jesus calls us out of worldly foolishness, judgement and death into humble obedience, God's undeserved favour, and abundant life. 
          Beloved, Jesus is your wisdom.  Rejoice in His Word and works for you.  It sounds like ultimate folly to the world around you, but Christ is the true wisdom of God and the source of your salvation and peace.  Only in Christ may true forgiveness and joy be found.  Only in Christ, may life run to eternity.  Only in Christ, are your worst enemies of sin, death, and hell undone.  He speaks to you words of consolation and grace.  He absolves you of your sin--declaring you to be fully forgiven on account of His blood shed for you!  He, in His wisdom, calls you before His altar to feed you His true body and blood in simple bread and wine.  Foolishness?  No!  This is the wisdom and the heart of God for you.
          In Christ, your wisdom, you are truly rich beyond all measure--beyond all silver and gold and precious jewels.  For His "fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and [His] yield than choice silver.  [He] walks in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love [Him], and filling their treasuries."  Beloved, Christ has filled your treasuries with His mercy, forgiveness, and life.  There is no greater gift.  There is no deeper wisdom.  For in Christ Jesus you have the fullness of God's treasured gifts given to you and all who believe.  It is your inheritance, guaranteed by your Baptism into Christ, who wisely suffered for you on the cross.
          Whatever happened to wisdom?  He died and rose again.  To pay for your sin.  And now He calls to you through His Word and Sacraments to repent of your sin and foolishness and to trust in His wisdom and grace.  For Jesus, the wisdom of God, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life--there is no other.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 22                                                                                                                                             November 8, 2020
Micah 6:6-8
 
What is Required for Forgiveness?
 
v.7b  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
 
          Dear friends in Christ, our texts for today get to the very heart of the business of the church—of Christians—indeed, of the Christian faith itself: forgiveness.  Though we may be involved in all sorts of activities from social programs to assist the poor and needy—to opportunities to grow in our faith and understanding of God's Word—the central purpose of the church—the main activity of Christ and His people—is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name.  Indeed, after Jesus' resurrection, He appeared to His disciples in the upper room and "He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld'" (John 20:22b-23).
          As Christians, we live, move, and breathe the forgiveness of sins in our everyday lives—not just on Sunday mornings.  We daily make the sign of the cross in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, remembering our Baptism and the forgiveness we received at the font.  We daily pray the Lord's prayer, in which we pray, "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us…"  When wronged or sinned against by another human being, we are called by Christ to forgive as we have been forgiven. 
          Of course, therein lies the problem that our texts for today deal with so bluntly.  Our Gospel reading from Matthew 18 highlights the danger of our stubborn hearts.  For refusing to forgive a fellow sinner is like scorning the forgiveness we ourselves have received from our merciful God.  By failing to forgive our neighbor, we come under the curse of Jesus and the danger of eternal hell fire.  For we sinners have a big problem—we don't mind so much God's unlimited grace and mercy to be poured out upon us—but we don't like sharing it with others.  In our Fallen state, we inadvertently think that forgiveness must be earned somehow.
          "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?"  What can I bring to God to show Him how sorry I am—how much I am trying—how I have worked to earn His favor and blessing?  "Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands rivers of oil?"  How big a check do I need to write to get myself in the clear?  How much do I have to give to prove to God that I deserve His forgiveness and mercy?  If I give a bunch of money, or maybe do a bunch of good deeds—will that be enough?  "Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"  Shall I undertake child sacrifice, like the pagan religions of old, in order to procure God's favor?  Will that do it?  Will that prove to God that I'm serious about receiving His forgiveness—that I've done all that I can to earn it?
          After all, this is what we expect of those who sin against us, right?  "You want me to forgive you?  Fine.  Then you better do such and such to prove it.  Make me believe that you are truly sorry.  I want to see you give till it hurts.  I want to witness the pain and misery of your soul on your face—see the tears stream from your eyes—hear the pain in your voice—then maybe, just maybe—I might be willing to forgive you!"
          Beloved, may God preserve us from such wickedness!  This is no proper Christian attitude.  This is not grace—this is not mercy.  This is works righteousness.  And it is antithetical to the entire Christian faith.  For we know that we are saved from our multitude of sins purely by the grace and mercy of God.  We know that our sins before God is so massive a debt that we could never, ever, even in a million years, hope to pay for a tiny percentage of our debt.  Yet God, in His mercy, gave of His firstborn Son—Jesus—to pay for your transgressions and mine.  God the Son gave His body into death—that by the fruit of His cross—the sin of our souls may be wiped away—and we may be debt free. 
          In response to this incredible underserved favor and kindness of God, how can we NOT forgive our neighbor of their sins against us?  To fail to do so would make us like the wicked servant of Jesus' parable in Matthew 18—who having been forgiven his own massive debt by the Master—turned in wrath against his fellow servant over a miniscule debt. 
          "[The Lord] has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  To be sure, as Christians, we don't turn a blind eye toward sin—we don't ignore it—nor do we attempt to hide from the earthly/temporal consequences of sin—but rather we embrace true justice.  Yet we also love kindness—and exhibit this self-sacrificing love toward our neighbor in all things—particularly when they have sinned against us.  We walk humbly with God by remembering our own great sinfulness before Him—repenting of it—and trusting in the death of Jesus to forgive it.  Just so, then, we freely share this mercy and forgiveness with our neighbor—be they friend, family, or perfect stranger—recognizing that God in Christ Jesus has also died for their sins.  And because Jesus has died for MY sins—how can I NOT forgive the sins of those who have trespassed against me? 
          Beloved, this is not the way of the world.  The world sees this kind of kindness and mercy as weakness—as strange.  "How can you forgive that person for what they've done?  How can you forgive the person who has hurt you so—who has hurt your family—the person who exhibits such hatred and animosity towards you?  How can you forgive in the face of such reckless and furious hate?" 
          We can only respond, "Because I, too, am a sinner.  And I am a sinner for whom Jesus Christ has suffered and died.  I didn't deserve it.  I don't deserve it now.  But Jesus continues to shower me with His undeserved mercy and grace.  He has washed me clean in my Baptism.  He feeds me richly with His own body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.  He pronounces me forgiven.  All through faith in Jesus.  Out of love for Him and what He has done for me, I therefore forgive as I myself have been forgiven.  I therefore strive for justice—love kindness—and seek to walk humbly with my God in lowly repentance and faith."
          By God's grace the Holy Spirit works on our hearts through the Word and Sacraments to change them from hard hearts of wrath to hearts softened by His love—endowed with His gifts of peace, joy, patience, gentleness, kindness, mercy, and grace—culminating in forgiveness for our neighbor, no matter what they have done.  This may take time—a long time. But we pray for God's strength to forgive as we have been forgiven.  For by freely forgiving our neighbor—we follow in our Savior's steps.  He who bore the curse of our sins in His body on the tree of the cross—so that by His suffering and death we might be set free from the bonds of sin, death, and hell. 
          By offering up all sins to Jesus, our hearts are set free.  Not just from the sins we ourselves have committed—but also from the anger, bitterness, and wrath that poisons our souls through unforgiveness.  Knowing Jesus has taken care of it all, our hearts are free, and we are no longer controlled by our own hatred, anger, hurt, and disappointment.  Instead, we are free to love—free to forgive.  For there is nothing that can truly pay for sin—any sin—yours, mine, or our neighbor's—only the blood of Jesus.  Thankfully, Jesus' blood has been shed for that very purpose!  You are forgiven and free to live according to God's Word!  "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?"  Nothing.  Nothing, but the blood of Jesus.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​All Saints' Day                                                                                                                                      November 1, 2020
Revelation 7:9-17
 
Taking Care of the Laundry
 
v.14   And he (the elder) said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
 
          Alleluia!  Christ the Lord is risen.  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Dear friends in Christ, I don't know about you, but we do A LOT of laundry in our household.  I am pretty sure we average close to two loads a day, which makes for approximately 15 loads a week--and that's with high efficiency machines!  It doesn’t seem to matter how much laundry we do--there's always more piling up behind it.
          Sometimes our lives can feel that way, can't they?  We have a continually mounting laundry list of troubles and struggles in this life.  Anything from broken hearts and families revolving around unresolved conflict--to sickness and suffering in our bodies and those of our loved ones.  It seems that no matter which way we turn we are surrounded with--and caught up in--conflict and turmoil--with neighbours, friends, families, and even complete strangers—especially with a presidential election in a couple days, arguments abound!  And so we hunger and thirst for love and acceptance--for peace and tranquility in our troubled hearts and lives--for health and healing and life--for forgiveness for the hurts and pain that we ourselves have caused those around us, in addition to the hurts and pains we have endured and suffered at the hands of others. 
          And all of these problems—and lets call them what they are--sins of thought, word, and deed--all of the brokenness in the world and our lives--wrap around us and bring us down.  They stain us with the darkness of suffering and sin and guilt.  They drag us down into the murky depths of death itself--that which causes the greatest pain and suffering of all--that which is our greatest enemy.
          Well, beloved, this day marks the festival of All Saints' Day--the day we set aside in the church year to remember all those whom God has called from our midst to be with Him in glory--and we also think on those in our midst who may soon die and depart to be with the Lord.  It can be easy for us to become wrapped up in our own misery and despair--our grief-stricken hearts are quickly filled with melancholy sadness as we consider our many loved ones who have died and are no longer with us.  It can seem like a heavy burden hung around our necks that we just can't shake off.
          However, before we give in to sorrow and despair--before we succumb to the temptations and taunts of the devil who would have us think that death is the end--that there is no true hope or peace or joy--we must remember the promises God Almighty makes to His people.  We heard some of these promises in our Gospel reading, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied…blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God…blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Though we suffer, though we hunger and thirst for peace and righteousness, though we die, yet we shall be comforted. 
          How?  In what way can/will this be accomplished?  By doing laundry.  "What?  Pastor, you're off your rocker again!"  No, really…just look at our text.  As John in his vision looked, he saw, "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  All of these people--all of these saints of the church triumphant--these holy ones of God--are dressed the same--in white robes.  These robes are not simply a terry cloth robe you find in a cheap hotel room--they are not ratty, old, moth-eaten robes, but rather are long robes denoting a high social status (these are the heirs of the living God!) and they are participating in distinguished activity (worshiping and praising the Lamb on the throne and receiving His gifts!). 
          This day we remember the saints who have gone before us (list).  We remember all those who endured heavy hurts, aches of body and soul, frustrations and fears--tragedy upon tragedy--and yet who now stand before the throne of God in glory--arrayed in purity and righteousness--every burden lifted and removed--every stain of sin and guilt washed away--all who have received life in the face of death.  These promises are not just for them, but for you, too, dear friends.  All those things that weigh so heavily on your hearts and minds, we bring them before the Lord Jesus and He takes them from us.  He shoulders all our burdens--our sins--our hurts and suffering--and He takes them to the cross where He suffered and died for them all.  To overcome them.  To bring them to nothing.  To give us peace.
          Our hearts--our robes that were so weighted down by depression and guilt and suffering and death--have been brought to the fountain of Christ's blood that pours from His side pierced on Calvary's cross.  Amazingly, that which anyone who does laundry would think would make a garment more filthy, more stained than ever--namely blood--hereby actually has the complete opposite effect.  For the blood of Christ is a cleansing and renewing flood.  A blood that heals and redeems--that soothes and restores--a blood that alone can give life and salvation to all who believe.  As God's people--His holy ones--His saints--we wrap ourselves up from head to toe in these long robes of His forgiveness and grace and mercy--poured out upon us through the shed blood of Christ--the Lamb of God who was slain. 
          What do we, as God's people--His saints--have to look forward to then?  The same as all the saints who have gone before us.  All those people from every nation, tribe, people, and language--you and me (and "list of people" too).  He promises to come and tent among us--make His eternal dwelling with us--to shelter us with His love and forgiveness and peace. 
          That huge mountain of dirty laundry that plagues us in this life--all those sins that cause us heartache, sorrow, and distress--all those sins that seek to bring us down to death in despair--all of them--every last one of them—has been forgiven.  Broken by the power of Christ's redeeming blood and salvation.  No longer will God's people hunger or thirst after righteousness--His saints have already freely received it for Jesus' sake.  "The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
          What marvelous promises of our Lord God to us.  Though we suffer, though we mourn, though we whither and fade under the blazing rays of sin and death, yet in Christ He conquers it all.  The Lamb of God who was slain, but who lives again--from whose pierced side gushed blood and water--this same Lamb offers that blood and water to you for your forgiveness, joy, and peace.  This Lamb is your Good Shepherd.  He guides you to the life-giving springs of living water that flow from His side to you in Holy Baptism.  That even as you, or those whom you love, face death--you know that you have already received eternal life and salvation through faith in Christ given in the waters of your Baptism.  This same Lamb has washed you forever clean by His redeeming blood.  No spot--not even a wrinkle--remains upon you--for Christ has suffered and died for it ALL--for YOU--and clothed you in the freshly laundered robe of His own righteousness.  For Alleluia!  Christ the Lord is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Reformation Sunday (Observed)                                                                                                          October 25, 2020
John 8:31-36
 
v.34-36       Jesus answered them, "Amen, Amen, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free  indeed.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we put a great deal of emphasis on freedom in our country.  We have freedom to do many things.  One of the biggest, of course, being the freedom to vote for those who govern us (there is an election coming up in the US in just a couple of weeks).  We sometimes mistakenly believe that this opportunity to choose different things--from the kinds of shoes we buy--to the leader of our country--means that we are completely free in all areas of our life.  This is simply not true.
          Particularly, for the Christian.  For we know, as people called by God, that we are not free in everything--we are not free to do anything we want--we are especially not free to sin--to rejoice and revel in it.  But isn't that sometimes what we tell ourselves anyway?  "I can sin--I can do this, that or the other thing--I can lie, cheat, and steal--just a little bit--and God will forgive me.  After all, that's why Jesus came.  To forgive.  So I can do what I want then."  But, beloved, this is not so.  As Paul writes in Romans 6, "What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means!"
          You see, continuing in sin--rejoicing in it--wrapping ourselves up in it--whatever it may be--is not freedom.  Now, it may be comfortable--our sin may sometimes feel like that old sweatshirt we keep in the closet to wear on those days when we just wanna lounge around the house and relax.  It feels just right and fits oh so well.  And, depending on the person, that sin can take any form--whether it is gossiping about our neighbour behind their back--or continuing in that adulterous relationship.  Sure, it can make us feel good at times, and we may tell ourselves that we have the right to be happy and so to act in these ways, but these are deadly lies we tell ourselves.  For Jesus says this is not freedom, but slavery.  "Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin."
          When we engage in sinful activity, we become enslaved to it.  Do we have a choice not to do it?  Sure.  Just as much choice as a crack or heroin addict or alcoholic has a choice not to drink or shoot up.  But we can't help ourselves most of the time can we?  Apart from Christ and His renewing Spirit, we are addicted to our sin--we love it--and so we grow trapped by it--bound to it--no matter how much it hurts us and those around us. 
          Take a look at the evidence that is continuing to mount in our society in the wake of the sexual revolution, which began in the 1960s.  There was a tremendous push in society to "loosen up" on the sexual morals that had been so firmly set in our culture, largely based upon the Word of God.  We turned away from that and began to push the boundaries, leading to common practices like: no-fault divorce, leading to broken families; sexual promiscuity leading to children of single-parent families (usually no father), or to abortion (no children, but devastated women). 
          These things have led to further attacks on marriage and family both inside and outside the church.  People no longer want to get married, but to live together outside of the public commitment to each other.  What has been the result?  Children raised in less than ideal circumstances, if at all, as well as broken and hurting men, women, and children.  All in the name of the freedom of sexual activity.  Well, that's really turned out well, hasn't it?  Yet we just can't seem to stop ourselves, can we?  We see the writing on the wall--study after study that shows how children and families--real people--are being hurt and destroyed by these sinful activities, but we just can't seem to stop.  In fact, we want more.  We want to push the limits ever further--all in the name of "freedom."  You want to marry someone of the same sex?  Why not?  What harm can come of that?  You want to claim you are man when you are biologically a woman—why not?  Who cares about objective reality or truth?  There's no such thing!  We will all just make it up as we go along and hope for the best.
          What is the answer?  What is the solution?  Each of us have sins that we are entrapped and enslaved by.  Though they may not seem very "big" in comparison to others--anything that leads us away from God and His Word of Truth is bad for us and those around us.  These sins--like all sins--lead ultimately not to personal fulfillment and peace--but to suffering and death.  "For the wages of sin is death."
We, as slaves to sin, cannot be in God's house.  We don't deserve to be there and we can't get there on our own.  Only "the son remains forever."  We must be set free by the Son, in order to be truly free from sin, death, and the devil.
          Jesus, who is God the Son, is alone free of all sin.  He alone, as the Son, has power and authority to set you free--by the power of His Gospel Word--and His shed blood and righteousness.  His forgiving blood--poured out upon you in your Baptism makes you a new person--a new creation in Christ Jesus.  One who is not merely a pawn to sin--but one who has been freed by the Son Himself. 
          Christ Jesus has, out of love for you, shouldered the burden of your sin--the guilt of your addiction to your own pet sins and that of others--and He has taken them and borne them in His body on the tree.  Jesus has suffered and died for you so that the binding power of sin over you might forever be broken and shattered.  The chains of sorrow and guilt might be forever cast off--all because of the blood that He shed for you. 
          It is this rich and undeserved mercy of God in Christ that truly sets us free.  He frees you with His forgiveness earned by His death and resurrection.  He frees you by the power of His Word of absolution that removes all the echoes of sin that taunt and tempt you still.  He frees you by the power of the Word made flesh who gives His very body and blood for you in the Sacrament of the Altar.  So that you can come, no matter what you are facing, what trials you are being forced to endure, and you can know with absolute certainty and trust--that Christ Jesus Himself is present here, for you, right now--to forgive--to heal--to restore.  To free you of the burden and guilt of your sin--and to usher you into His house wherein you will live and abide forever by His grace and mercy.
          This message of the great freedom of the Gospel is the heart and centre of the Reformation that we celebrate this day.  Luther knew well the guilt and despair that plagues the sinner in this life.  He tried, unsuccessfully, for many years to cast off the works of the flesh by his own power and will.  He failed in epic fashion.  But upon reading in Scripture that the Gospel, "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes," he was filled with joy and happiness, as the freedom of the Gospel took hold of his heart and sin's dread curse was broken by faith in the blood of Jesus. 
          We, too, beloved, have a blessed opportunity to share this Good News with people in our own families, in our workplaces, our friends and neighbours, with our brothers and sisters in Christ beside us in the pew--with people who are broken--who are suffering and dying.  We have the joy and privilege of sharing with them that in the end, it's all about Jesus.  Jesus who is our Lord and God.  Jesus who is our Redeemer and Saviour.  Jesus who alone has set us free from bondage to sin, death and the devil--delivering us to true life and freedom in His Word and will.  Freedom that rejoices in God's Word and wants to serve our neighbor in love.  Freedom that flows ever and only from the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Trinity 19                                                                                                                                               October 18, 2020
Matthew 9:1-8
  
v.2     And behold, some people brought to Him [Jesus] a paralytic, lying on a bed.  And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this past week was Canadian Thanksgiving—always a good time to ponder again what it is that we are thankful for—the many gifts and blessings that we have received this past year—and they are many!  Too many to count.  But have you ever gotten something that you weren’t too crazy about?  Have you ever received a gift from someone, expecting one thing, and then totally surprised to discover something completely different?  Like when you get your Christmas bonus and discover not a check, but rather a coupon for the jelly-of-the-month club.  What is your typical response?  “Gee...thanks!...I think?”
Well, we have before us this day a text which deals with similar circumstances.  We have a man—a paralytic—whether born this way—or perhaps due to some injury he sustained later in life, we do not know.  But this man is brought before Jesus by his friends.  He is brought forth with the hope of healing on all their minds.  This is Jesus, after all!  This is the One who has been performing great miracles and wonders throughout the land that they have heard so much about.
Jesus sees them approach with the man lying on the bed—and let’s be honest—it’s quite obvious what they want Jesus to do for him.  So they bustle forward with smiles on their faces, grinning expectantly.  But what does Jesus do?  He surprises them all with a gift that they didn’t even realize they wanted nor desired—when He “saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart (take courage, be of good cheer), my son; your sins are forgiven.’”  You can almost see them struggle to keep the smiles on their faces at such a pronouncement.  Really Jesus?  We did all this work bringing our friend to you and this is all we get?  Some trite words!  The man is a paralytic for crying out loud!  He needs help.  He can’t work, he can’t walk, can’t care for himself, let alone his family—he needs healing.  So...gee...thanks...for nothing.
Beloved, don’t you often feel the same way?  Don’t we often feel let down by God when we pray and we pray and we pray and yet nothing seems to happen—or something completely contrary to what we had hoped and prayed for occurs.  Sometimes, we get so distracted by the earthly blessings of God—and there are many—that we forget just how important the spiritual blessings are from God.  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, pastor—heard it all before—we’re all a bunch of sinners going to hell—yada, yada, yada, yada—yes Jesus died for me—same old, same old.  But what I really need is a way to fix my relationship with my spouse, my kids—I need to get a handle on my finances—I need to know the election is going to turn out all right.”
And so, we come to worship expecting one thing—and receiving another—and we end up being disappointed.  We wind up forsaking the good gifts of God in the Divine Service wherein He descends to us to give us what we need most—the forgiveness of sins.  Yes, I know you’ve heard it all before—and you’re going to hear it again—precisely because Jesus says this is what matters most.  You and I are dead in our trespasses and sins—destined to everlasting damnation in hell apart from His grace and mercy.  We are paralysed by our sin and cannot help ourselves.  But God in Christ has come before us to give us that which we need most desperately—Jesus Himself—who came in human flesh to reach us with His mercy and forgiveness through His own shed blood on the cross.
And you see, Jesus isn’t through with the paralytic in our text yet, not by a long shot.  For in the crowd watching this drama unfold was a group of scribes—close friends of the Pharisees—and they were shocked by what they had just heard Jesus proclaim to the paralytic man!  For no one can forgive sins, but God alone—this man is blaspheming—speaking ill/falsely of God—a grave sin indeed.
To be sure, what Jesus said would have been a terrible sin, if He did not have the authority to forgive sins.  Of course, only God can forgive sins—but this is exactly who Jesus is—God in the flesh—who comes to dwell among us—who richly dispenses His gifts of forgiveness of sins, which further leads to life and everlasting salvation—in Word and Sacrament.  Think about it.  The almighty God of the universe deigns to come to you—descend to you—on the ladder of the body and blood of Christ in bread and wine.  He comes to you—in your mouth—to proclaim to you, individually, with utmost certainty—that you are a forgiven child of God despite your great sin. 
That is why this text should give us great comfort and consolation all the days of our lives—especially when we are burdened with our sins.  For herein we see Jesus act decisively to help sinners in need.  As we have seen before, Jesus neither does what is requested nor expected—at least, at first.  He forgave the sins of the paralytic man—and then to prove to the scribes and everyone else that He indeed had the authority to do so—Jesus then healed the man and commanded him to take his bed and go home. 
For sure, it is easier for men to announce that one’s sins are forgiven than to heal a broken body with a word, but Jesus is God and Lord and His Word accomplishes both.  What He speaks happens.  And what is more, is that He has given this authority to men.  This is what the purpose of the office of the holy ministry is all about—to forgive people their sins.  This is why pastors never proclaim absolution based upon their own authority—but solely on Christ’s—it is in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ—at His authority—and in His name—that you are forgiven all of your sins.  Otherwise, we would be blaspheming the holy name of God.  But because He has instructed us to do so—we give glory to Him and His name by forgiving sinners according to His Word.
Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven you in His Word of Absolution—His washing of regeneration in Holy Baptism—and His Supper of His own shed body and blood that He gave up into death on the cross to pay for your sins and mine.  He reaches you with His gifts of love and mercy over and over again—that you may be comforted and assured of His love for you, His dear children, all the days of your life. 
Do you sometimes want something more?  Do you want some miraculous sign of God’s favour—His healing of your broken soul?  Of course you do, we all do.  And that is why He comes in the tangible and concrete means of grace.  So that when you hear the pastor absolve you—you know and believe that it is the very same as if Jesus Himself stood before you to forgive you your sins.  So that when you doubt your salvation—when you question God’s love for you—you can look to that which is outside of yourself in the waters of your Baptism.  So that when the devil seeks to undermine your faith by pointing out your many grievous faults and whispers seductively in your ear that because you are such a sinner God could not possibly love you or be your Father—then you can with all confidence say, “Get behind me Satan.  For I am a baptized child of God.  He has claimed me as His own—marked me as His child with the cross of Christ—and washed me clean of all sin—Jesus is mine and I am His—so begone!”
Furthermore, as Jesus came in the flesh to heal the paralytic, so He also comes in His body and blood to forgive you all your sins in, with, and under the bread and wine of holy communion.  Know that as you come before this altar to receive this holy meal, which Christ died to procure for you, He is coming to each of you, individually, physically, tangibly, to forgive and restore your soul.  And when your sins are crushing you with their weight—when the guilt threatens to overwhelm you—then you can receive the Lord’s body and blood with joy—knowing that in this meal you are pardoned for all your iniquity.  Knowing as well, that you can come to your pastor at any time and privately confess the guilt of your sin and hear Christ’s forgiving Word for that sin preached right into your ear! 
What joy!  What blessing!  What assurance!  For God graciously gives us all good things—and particularly that which we need most.  He has descended from on high in the flesh to open heaven’s gates for us.  Taking the evil from our hearts and giving us His holiness and righteousness instead.  What a gift!  What a treasure!  And He has given this authority to men.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Trinity 18 – Canadian Thanksgiving                                                                                                     October 11, 2020
Matthew 22:34-46
  
v.36-40       “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it:  You shall love your neighbour as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we have a fascination with gold.  Indeed, it is one of the most sought after of all precious metals—we wear it as jewellery—we even put it on books—anything that we value highly.  It is for this reason that a medal fashioned from gold is awarded to those who do the very best in a competition—like at the Olympic games.  We refer to those things that are the very best as being “golden” or give them the “gold” stamp of approval to show our appreciation of their great worth.
          Such is the case in our text for today where Jesus quotes Old Testament Scripture to summarize the whole of the 10 Commandments—the Law—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself.  In fact, this perfect summary of God’s Law is so precise and without fault as to be called “golden” because it stands at the very heart of the golden rule of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Doing unto others in such a fashion is nothing more than loving them as you love yourself.   And this love for others must always first be rooted in love for God.  Without love for God there is no true love for others—only love for the self.
This command truly outshines all others.  It is one rule that all people are to follow and uphold as they live their lives.  Indeed, if everyone actually lived their lives by truly loving God and therefore by extension, each other, perfectly as our Lord commands, the world would not just be a better place—it would be perfect—and we would be too.
          Of course, therein lies the problem.  For you and I are not perfect.  Far from it.  Rather than shining brightly with the purity that God demands in His good Law—we tarnish and ruin it with our disobedience—our rebellion and sin.  We cannot keep the whole of the 10 commandments perfectly because of our sin corrupted natures—let alone even one.  We ardently fail to love God and neighbour even remotely close to how God so fully loves us.  Though it sounds so basic—so simple—love—yet we are incapable of doing it perfectly.  Sure, we may have glimpses of it now and then, but the all-pervasive, all-encompassing, never failing love that God would have us live before Him and our neighbour?  Not possible.
          Among our many sins, none is more grievous than our failure to love God above all else (the first commandment, you may recall, specifically outlines this).  If we could keep this one commandment—all others would follow suit, but we fail continually at this.  And this simple fact illustrates for us very well that “love” is NOT the Gospel.  You heard me correctly—love is not the Gospel.
          I know that we are often told and frequently come to believe that love is the answer to all of life’s problems—that love will always win the day.  But dear friends, consider our text for this morning—love is not Gospel—but Law.  Especially when it is referring to our love for others—God or neighbour.  And even God’s love for us—though indeed a part of the Gospel—the motivation behind the Gospel—is not the Gospel in and of itself.  What is the Gospel—the Evangel—the Good News we are to proclaim?  Nothing other than God dead on a cross in the person of Jesus Christ His Son—for your sins and mine—and risen victorious on the Third Day to grant us life everlasting.
          Now that is truly Good News.  For we do not love as we ought.  In our fallen state, we often hate God and neighbour—focussing only on our own selfish desires and lusts.  Indeed, we can and do turn all things into idols of convenience—trusting in them—fearing them—loving them—rather than God.  And the only solution to our vast problem of sin is one of rescue—one of salvation—not by our own hand—not by the hand of our neighbour—but only by the nail-pierced hands of Jesus of Nazareth.  He who went to the cross in your place—who suffered and died for your sin—not because He had to—but because out of love—He chose to—so that you might one day live eternally with Him in His Kingdom.
          So thanks be to God that He does not respond to our selfishness—our disobedience—our idolatry—by reciprocating.  Indeed, He does not treat us as our sins deserve, but rather pours out upon us the full measure of His grace and mercy.  He alone loves fully—completely—perfectly.  He alone has loved you as you NEED to be loved.  Indeed, He loves you better than you love yourself for He gives you not what you want—but what you need.  For He has given you His greatest gift—His only-begotten Son.  And Jesus saved you—not with precious metals such as silver and gold, but with His holy, bitter, innocent suffering and death—wherein He shed His precious and holy blood on the cross—so that you and I might be forgiven for all our sins.
          For the pure righteousness of the Son of God—He who obeyed and fulfilled not just the First Commandment—but all of God’s perfect and holy Law—even the Law of Love—has been given to you, by grace, through faith, in the same Lord Jesus Christ.  Though your sin tarnished and corrupted your soul beyond all recognition—leaving you dead and gone—yet Christ has sought you out like you are the most precious of all buried treasures—and with His redeeming power He has breathed into you new life—removing your heart of blackness and death—and giving you a heart of gold—a heart set on Him and His work for your salvation. 
          Jesus’ blood that was poured out on you in your Baptism has taken away the tarnish and taint of  your sin—and replaced it with the resplendent brilliant and pure holiness and righteousness of the sinless one of God Himself.  Jesus covers your multitude of sin with His own purity.  He has washed everything else away in the cleansing crimson tide of His blood.  And that is golden.  That is what we as Christians must always remember and keep foremost in our minds—the cross of Christ and His work that has saved us—nothing more—nothing less.  And all of it a free gift—Now that’s Good News—THAT’S the Gospel!
          Dear friends, you have won!  You have won the gold prize—that of eternal life and salvation—not by anything that you have done—but by believing in the One who has done it all for you—the One who loved you without end—fulfilling the whole Law of God perfectly in your place—and dying for the times you have failed in your keeping of the Law—Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​LWML Sunday – Rev. Krueger                                                                                                              October 4, 2020
Matthew 21:33-46
 
Kingdom People Produce Kingdom Fruit
 
          Dear friends in Christ, Georgia is well-known for the delicious peaches that the state’s people produce. Thus, it is known as the Peach State.  In the State of Washington, one would most likely think of apples. Similarly, a mention of Florida would bring oranges to mind. In fact, all 50 of the United States have an official fruit associated with their State, ranging from pears to blueberries to strawberries, even huckleberries. The point is that each State is known for the fruit that its people produce.
          Just as States are known by the fruit each produces, the kingdom of God is recognized by the fruit its people produce. Of course, this fruit is different than that which is found on common branches or vines. Kingdom people produce kingdom fruit.  
          The production of kingdom fruit is a very special task given to kingdom people by the almighty God. The importance of this task cannot be over-stressed, especially when one considers the task has been taken away from others who failed at its production. This is what is taught in the Gospel reading appointed for today from Matthew 21. Let’s take a closer look at this Word of God.
          The context of this reading is provided in Matthew 21:23, which reads as follows: When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
          Jesus addresses this immediate question by replying (as recorded in verses 24–27):  Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
          In this context, Jesus teaches the lesson of our Gospel reading, which was directed at their refusal to acknowledge and believe in Him as the promised Messiah. He teaches the parable and the wicked tenants, concluding with,  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
          Furthermore, the Gospel reading records, in Matthew 21:45, When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parable, they perceived that he was speaking about them.). Their perception was correct. The chief priests and the Pharisees had not been producing kingdom fruit. Now, they were rejecting the very Son of God and would be the ones who would be responsible for His death. They were following the pattern of their forefathers who had rejected the prophets and their message, which prophetic message was now being fulfilled in Jesus.
          The result of their actions was stated very clearly and emphatically by Jesus. He stated in no uncertain terms, Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits (Matthew 21:43). These words of rejection spoken to those who denied Jesus also carry special emphasis for those being given the kingdom of God. The emphasis of His message is just as strong to the new tenants. Simply stated, The kingdom of God will be … given to a people producing its fruits. What does this mean? Fruit production is expected of kingdom people. Or, as the theme of this message states, “Kingdom people produce kingdom fruit.”
          Through Word and Sacrament, by God’s grace in Christ Jesus, we are made the new people of the kingdom. We truly did not deserve this honored position. As the Scriptures declare, we were enemies of God. But in this state, God reconciled us to Himself. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Romans 5:10a). Through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus, we receive this reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins. In the waters of Baptism, sins are washed away and faith is given.
          By faith, then, we believe in Jesus as the Son of God. By faith, then, we are tenants of God’s kingdom. By faith, then, we bear fruit for the kingdom. This is in accord with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, where he wrote, Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God (Romans 7:4).
          Let there be no doubt. To be kingdom people is a gift. The words of Jesus are clear. The kingdom of God is “given.” At the same time, let it be equally understood. The production of kingdom fruit is the expectation of kingdom people. As Jesus taught in the parable, the master will let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons (Matthew 21:41b).
          This is not a new expectation for kingdom people. It was declared of old by the prophets, as recorded in Isaiah 5: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes (Isaiah 5:1–2). God expects good fruit from His people. The message of John the Baptist was equally clear, Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
          As people of the kingdom, we are in a new state … not a State of the Union, rather, a state of righteousness … a state of the kingdom of God. In this new state, the production of our sanctified lives is kingdom fruit recognized through fruits of righteousness, namely, repentance, faith, works of faith, and in the making of disciples. The good news is that we are not left to this task without God’s help.
          As people of the kingdom of God, God graciously nurtures us and generously gives us everything we need to produce fruit for the kingdom. The words from verse 33 of the Gospel reading remind us of what the master has done: The master … planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower. All this he did before turning over the vineyard to the tenants. The master supplied everything the tenants needed to produce fruit.
          The same is true today. The Lord supplies all we need. The Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel and enlightens us with His gifts. (ref. Luther’s Small Catechism, Meaning of the Third Article of The Creed.) We are connected to Jesus, who is our lifeline for bearing fruit. This is His message in John chapter 15. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit … I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:5a, 16b).
          God empowers us through Word and Sacrament for this very purpose. Being fully nurtured by Him, we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10).
          The question is, as stated in The Lutheran Study Bible related to Isaiah 5, “Does the fruit of your service match the generosity of His nurture?” (ref. Lutheran Study Bible, page 1096) As Jesus declared, Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more (Luke 12:48).
          God has been abundantly generous to us, His people. We lack nothing for the work of His kingdom. Yet, we all too often find ourselves making excuses instead of producing fruit. We even fall into the trap of the original tenants in the parable. We believe that what we possess is ours! Meanwhile, the psalmist reminds us, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1).
          We have the warning of what happens to those who do not respond to His generosity, those who reject His Word and His Son, and those who do not produce. The kingdom will be taken away. Therefore, with repentant hearts and forgiven lives, we do well to heed the words of Colossians 3:17: Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
          For those to whom the kingdom has been given, it is fruit production season. This is what kingdom people do. By God’s grace, this is what the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) does. It is well known for its emphasis on fruit production, as expressed in its pledge as it begins, "In fervent gratitude for the Savior's dying love and His blood-bought gift of redemption we dedicate ourselves to Him with all that we are and have; and in obedience to His call for workers in the harvest fields, we pledge Him our willing service wherever and whenever He has need of us. "(© 1955 LWML authored by Rev. Harry Fricke)
          From churches to communities to the world, these Lutheran Women in Mission are well known for gathering mites for mission grants in their home districts and global work abroad. Their hands-on labors expand from congregation to community and around the world. The LWML is a blessing to many. “Kingdom people produce kingdom fruit” fits well the description of their purpose and mission.
          In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Every healthy tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7:17). As followers of Jesus, God makes us healthy in Christ. We are in the right state, namely His kingdom. We are in the right season, the fruit-producing season. So, Kingdom People, “Produce Kingdom Fruit!” Bear forth the fruits of repentance, faith, and works of faith. Go, make disciples. May the kingdom of God be recognized by our fruit! To God alone be the glory! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
 
 

​Trinity 16                                                                                                                                          September 27, 2020
1 Kings 17:17-24 and Luke 7:11-17
 
Jesus:  Funeral Crasher
 
1 Kings 17:22-24 “And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah.  And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.  And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother.  And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’  And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is true.’”
Luke 11:13-16     “And when the LORD saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’  Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.  And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited His people!’”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, some years ago a popular movie came out called The Wedding Crashers.  In this movie two men who were good friends impersonated distant relatives at weddings in order to gain access to the reception festivities and all the pretty women.  These men rudely interrupted the planned activities of the receptions with their silly antics—partaking of food, fun, and fellowship to which they had not been invited.  They “crashed” the wedding receptions, hence the title for the film. 
          Well beloved, in a certain way our texts deal with “crashers” of a different sort—ones that in the end, however—would be most welcome.  We have in our Old Testament and Gospel readings for this day two of the most amazing accounts in all of Holy Scripture—two children—two boys—the only sons of their mothers—both die—one from some kind of illness—the other from unknown circumstances—and yet, miraculously, have their lives restored.
          Tragedy can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime.  We have witnessed a host of tragedies in recent weeks and months:  wildfires, riots, storms, hurricanes, pandemics, etc.  Some of you have felt the terrible loss and heartache and sorrow that death brings with it.  Some of you have stared death in the face like these two mothers and so you know the absolute devastation and pain the death of a loved one can and does bring into our lives. 
          Beloved in Christ, death is one of our greatest enemies.  Death is something that affects us all—that afflicts us all.  We are all—at this very moment—from the very youngest to the very oldest of us—dying.  It is not something that we can escape—try though we may with vitamins, diet and exercise, and miracle drugs. 
          How many of us don’t long for a loved one who has died to be back with us once again?  How many of us have prayed for God to have pity on us—to give us a miracle—as He gave to these two widows in our texts?  How many of us wouldn’t love to see our beloved spouse, sibling, parent, child, or friend walk through the doors of this church right now and come in and sit down next to us and join us in worship?  How many times have we prayed for this same miracle—and seemingly been turned down?
          We hate death—it hurts us very deeply—and no wonder!  It isn’t natural.  It goes against all of God’s good creation—a creation that He made for the purpose of life.  Death is the destruction and corruption of everything good that God has made.  Death is the ultimate result for our sin.  How do you know you live in a sinful and fallen world?  Look at the flowers in your garden that are dying or already dead.  How do you know that people are sinful and unclean?  Look at the obituary column in the newspaper—go take a walk through the cemetery—go talk to the doctor and ask him or her how many years you might have left to live—all these things will tell us that we, too, will one day die—and so, we too, are sinners.
          What did the widow cry out to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God?  You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”  She understood.  She got it.  She saw the deep connection between sin and death.  Can you imagine how these poor women felt?  How frustrated, angry, and hurt?  I’m sure many of you can. 
          And yet, notice how God graciously responds in both of our texts for this day.  In the first, His chosen prophet, Elijah, beseeches the Lord to restore the life of the son—and the Lord of life (the pre-incarnate Christ) listened and gave the life of the son back to him.  In the Gospel reading, Jesus (the Incarnate Christ) comes upon a funeral procession already in progress.  All the arrangements had been made—all the food had been prepared for afterward—all the family and friends had gathered as they went on their sorrowful march to bury the recently departed.  And then Jesus comes on the scene and crashes the funeral—with a few words He brings life in the face of death—brings joy in the face of sorrow.
          In each case, after suffering a terrible and heart-wrenching loss—against all hope—against all human reason and understanding—death is reversed and life is restored!  Can you imagine the joy?  Can you imagine the tears of sorrow being replaced with tears of great happiness?  The food that had once been prepared for a mournful occasion—now is celebratory food!  It’s party time!  For Jesus has entered into the picture and brought light and life for all!
          Dear friends in Christ, the Good news for you this day is that this hope—this victory over death is yours as well—it belongs to you already!  For by faith in the Son of God—who willingly embraced death—all death—yours and mine and all sinful humanity’s—into His flesh on the cross—has triumphed over the grave.  He paid the full penalty for all your sin—He suffered the just punishment of God—the full and eternal death that rightly belonged to you and me—He took upon Himself and He swallowed it whole. 
          For though death thought it had Jesus—though death thought it had won—it found it couldn’t contain Him when on the third day He rose again in victory and triumph over all our worst enemies of sin, death and hell.  “Where, O grave is thy victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  It is gone.  Removed by the shed blood of Christ and His resurrected flesh.  Body and blood that we eat and receive this day and each week we gather for the full forgiveness and pardon for all our sins—giving us life—true and eternal life—in the Son who was first raised to eternal life. 
We now share in all His blessings—His righteousness—His love and mercy.  Having been baptized into His name—we and all believers rejoice that death no longer has any hold over us.  Death is but a shadow through which we pass on the way to new and everlasting life with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. 
What did the people shout out after Jesus raised the widow’s son at Nain?  “God has visited His people!”  Dear friends, God has truly visited you in His rich grace and mercy.  Just as Elijah spread himself over the widow's son three times in the Lord's name to bring him life, so also when you were baptized into God's triune Name of Father Son and Holy Spirit, He placed His seal upon your brow with water—marking you as His own—marking you as one for life—not death.  For He took your death to the cross and nailed it there with your sin—leaving you free from all suffering, sin, death, and hell.  This gift He gives not just to you, but to all baptized believers.
He visits you again this day with His Word of absolution and with His own divine body and blood in bread and wine to strengthen this new life—this forgiveness—until life everlasting.  Indeed, Jesus is a God who is ever with us and near us.  Through all our suffering, grief, and trials.  Through all our sorrow, heartache, and pain.  Throughout our life—even into our death—He has come so that we might be safe in His loving arms forever.
And, as we look forward to gathering around His altar—His table—and receiving this food for the celebration of life and forgiveness that He has to give us through His own holy body and blood—remember that this day—and, indeed, every day—we worship not alone—but with all the saints in heaven and on earth. 
Those who have gone before us in the faith.  Those who have departed from this earthly life to the new and everlasting life the Lord Jesus promised and gave in His Baptism—those who await with us all the second coming of our Lord and the resurrection of their bodies to full and eternal life—they are here—gathered together with us—to worship the Lamb of God who has come among us to bring us life and light eternal.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus, the ultimate funeral crasher.  Amen.

​Trinity 15                                                                                                                                          September 20, 2020
Matthew 6:24-34
 
Anxious Seekers
 
v.33-34       But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
 
          Dear friends in Christ,  according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, "Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illness affecting Canadian adults.  The 12 month prevalence for any anxiety disorder is over 12% and one in four Canadians will have at least one anxiety disorder in their lifetime."[1]  And no wonder.  What with financial stresses ever increasing for families as well as retirees, we often may find ourselves wondering how we are going to make it to the end of the month after the money has all run out.  And then there's deadly and debilitating diseases that may strike anyone, anytime, anywhere—especially COVID 19 and the social isolation that has come with it; not to mention Christians facing suffering and death for their faith; plus, the everyday worries we have for our children, parents, friends, acquaintances--those who are sick--those who are dying --it's no wonder we are so stressed!
          Add to the fact that even here in North America where we have so much material wealth, but bad things--evil--still strikes--and it doesn't discriminate based upon how big your bank account may be--or how good a family life you may have.  We don't know what will happen in the future.  Cancer strikes.  Bullying happens both at school and the workplace.  Pressures mount as our relationships between family and friends are strained because we often say and do bad things to each other—or we disagree about politics or religion.  Oh sure, we may try to plan--we try to be prepared--but there's no telling when you may walk out your door and get hit by a bus!  And so we are scared.  We are scared of the unknown.  We are frightened that we will suffer and God will not be there for us.  The temptation to sin and despair grabs hold of us.
          Into this situation speaks our Lord Jesus.  During His great Sermon on the Mount He tells the assembled people, "do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?..."
          Jesus tells us to trust in the Father to mercifully provide for our every need. Unbelievers may run around like chickens with their heads cut off--searching to and fro for every good thing--but the Christian is called to patiently trust in the good promises of the Father to give us all good things.  Place your trust in God--seek first His kingdom and righteousness--and all these things will be added on to you--more will be given to what you have already received at His gracious hand.
          However, this is easier said than done.  For this goes to the heart of the First Commandment--to have no other gods before Him--but to fear, love, and trust in Him above all things—to do otherwise is to sin against God.  Those who perfectly fear, love, and trust in God have no worries--no anxiety--no stress--for they immerse themselves completely in the promises of God for them in Christ Jesus.  They trust God absolutely to provide for them in every way--even as He already has in Jesus. 
          But there's the rub, isn't it?  We are sinful and frail human beings.  We are constantly at war over ourselves--seeking to be our own God--seeking to be in control.  We have a very difficult time giving over all things to the Lord because we just can't find it within our sinful hearts to trust Him as we ought.  We would much rather trust in mammon--trust in our bank accounts--trust in our friends--trust in modern medicine—even our political leaders!—anything else than God alone.
          But Jesus' words to us are not empty and meaningless.  He does not speak to us simply to hear the sound of His own voice.  He speaks to us, those of little faith, to comfort us with the absolute love of God that has a depth beyond our human understanding.  He who so wondrously feeds the tiniest bird of the air--He who so beautifully clothes the grass of the field (which will only wither and die)--He is the same God who made you--formed you in your mother's womb--and has promised to care for you all the days of your life.
          There is sufficient evil each day that plagues us without us worrying at it--picking at it--obsessing over it--which leads us to lose sight of the mercies of God given to us Christ Jesus.  Which is precisely what the devil wants.  He wants us to focus so much on the misfortune that comes into our lives and affects our friends and families--that we lose hope in Christ--fail to trust in His promises given to us in His Word.  Satan tempts us to believe that the great evil in the world is proof that God does not love us--has abandoned us--that the misery and stress we feel so deeply is a result of God's punishment and disfavour.  "Look around you!" Satan snidely declares.  "Fires burning out of control, continuing riots in cities around the world, hurricanes, wind storms, not to mention COVID!  You're all doomed because God hates you and has deserted you!"
          But Christ tells us this is not the case.  The Father loves you.  The Father has promised to provide for you in your every need.  His love for you is deeper than the deepest ocean--higher than the tallest mountain.  If He cares so much about simple birds and grass--how much more does He personally care for you! 
          For you see the Father did not send His Son into the world to become a bird or a flower--but He came to take on your human flesh--to carry the burden of your sin upon His own flesh and blood shoulders--and to go to the cross and give up His body and life unto death--all for you.  The Father has already provided for all of your eternal needs in the person and work of Jesus Christ who alone has trusted completely in the Father and who now credits His perfect life of fear, love, and trust in the Father--to you--by faith in Him. 
          Christ Jesus comes to you in the midst of your misery and despair--your anxiety and worry (your sin and death)--and He comes to give you His peace and joy which the world cannot know apart from faith in Christ.  A peace rooted firmly and solidly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of your eternal souls. 
          Now you and I might find ourselves wrestling with this from time to time--maybe more often than not.  We may seek after God in stressful circumstances wondering, "Where are you God?  Where are all those promises and reassurances you have given me?  Cause right now I'm having a hard time finding them!"  In those times you must look to Christ and His cross.  There the love and mercy of the Father is--for you.  Poured out in the innocent and holy blood of Jesus that has bought you back from sin and death--from your unbelief and doubt and worry--from your focus on mammon. 
          The Holy Spirit, working through His established means of grace in Word and Sacrament--comes to you to build up your faith.  To lead you to trust in Him to care for you in all times and necessities.  He reminds you of the way in which He cared for the widow at Zarephath and her family--even as He also provided for Elijah His servant.  Her jar of flour did not run out--nor did her jug of oil become dry.  Miraculously, the Lord provided for them all--because of His mercy and love. 
          The same Lord continues to care for you and provide you with all that you need.  In Jesus Christ you have received the full forgiveness of all of your sins and the sure and certain promise of everlasting life and salvation.  So that now you have been freed from worry and are enabled to do good with your material resources to all those in need, particularly your brothers and sisters in Christ.  For Christ Jesus has overcome all evil--all misfortune--by His bloody cross and passion--and gives you salvation and life.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.


[1] http://anxietycanada.ca/english/pdf/kirby.pdf