​All Saint's Sunday                                                                                                                               November 3, 2019
Revelation 7:(2-8) 9-17
 
Before and After
 
v.4 and 9    And I heard the number of the sealed, 144, 000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel…After this I looked, and behold, 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, with palm branches in their hands…
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this section of the Revelation to St. John that serves as our text takes place during the vision of the opening of the seven seals.  John has witnessed horrifying scenes introduced by the first six seals—scenes of destruction that would have melted John's heart like wax with awe and terror.  Before the opening of the seventh seal, however, he is given this vision to uplift and strengthen him.  For here he sees the church of Christ in two ways: the church militant, which struggles while on earth—and the church triumphant, which glories before God's throne in heaven.  This serves to give us a kind of "before and after" picture of the church of Christ—to comfort the church amidst its trials and tribulations—to comfort you and me.
          Let's begin by examining the first image.  After witnessing the vision of the four horsemen of the apocalypse who are charged by God with bringing destruction upon the earth, an angel comes and commands them, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the tree, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."  Then John hears the number of the sealed, 144000, from the twelve tribes of Israel.  These 144000 represent the church on earth—the church militant—drawn up in battle order as they make their way through the world. 
          They are sealed by God, which means that even though God's people will suffer as they fulfill the mission of their Lord—proclaiming the risen Christ to all people—yet He will protect them in their faith.  They are marked—identified and signed with God's own signature as belonging to Him—they are His personal property and are under His authority, care and protection.  Though they may suffer—yet they will be preserved by their loving Savior.
          You and I, beloved, have been sealed unto the Lord our God—marked on our foreheads in Holy Baptism with the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit.  We know that we belong to God and that He has promised to protect us in our faith in the midst of all the tribulations we endure.  We have been prepared by the Spirit to meet the onslaughts of the world as we carry out Christ's mission on earth.  By God's grace, we advance in battle against the spiritual forces of this world, a complete and perfect army, fully equipped and ready to do God's work—having been prepared by the Lord's own Word and Sacraments for the task ahead of bringing the Word of Christ to a hostile world, bent on our destruction. 
          Of course, you and I know that to the human eye the church looks anything but perfectly ordered.  The church is torn asunder by schisms, tribulations, scandals, and persecutions.  One not need look very far to see much evidence of this as the church faces violence at the hands of hateful men around the world.  We see it in the abuse scandals that have become so regular and dominant in the church across all denominations.  We see it as congregations fight amongst each other over false doctrine and poor practice.  And we could go on and on. 
          But in God's eyes, the church on earth is in perfect position for the purpose of the mission of Christ—to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them into His holy name and teaching them His blessed Word.  For the church on earth—the church militant—the church that struggles here and now—is also the church ordered under the kingdom of God's grace—upheld and sanctified by His Word and Sacraments that give us the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.  You, beloved, have been redeemed by Jesus' blood—and by faith have received His righteousness.  You are at peace with God—and so no matter what you are called to endure in this life—yet you are confident in God's love and mercy for you—on account of Christ's death and resurrection.
          This leads us to the second part of John's vision in this text, which describes the church triumphant.  As the elder points out to John, "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."  Note that this host that John actually sees is beyond number.  Rather than being arrayed in battle formation, as was the church militant, these saints of God appear to be at rest and peace around the throne of God, celebrating the results of the mission of the church on earth.  All they are waiting for now is the final act of God's judgement and the resurrection on the Last Day.  They will never again experience tribulation and persecution on earth. 
          What a beautiful picture this is for us to meditate upon.  People "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…" surround the throne of God and the Lamb, singing praises to the heavenly Father, worshiping Him with the Word that Salvation belongs to Him alone—for He has won our salvation through the blood of the Lamb—the Lord Jesus Christ—who poured out His life's blood on the cross of Calvary to pay for all sin.
          This picture of the church triumphant—this declaration that the saints in heaven are sheltered by the presence of God—no longer affected by hunger or thirst or scorching heat—for the Lamb of God is their Shepherd, guiding them to the springs of living water that flow from His spear pierced side—that He wipes every tear from their eyes, meaning they no longer experience hardship or toil or pain or suffering or sorrow of any kind—this is a picture of YOUR future, dear friends in Christ.  This is the promise of God to you who, though you endure much suffering of all kinds on earth—yet in heaven this will all be removed.  Your loved ones who have died in the faith already enjoy this perfect peace with God and all the heavenly host—and your place with them is assured—by the blood of Jesus shed for you.
          The church militant will be the church victorious.  We will all be clothed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness, washed in His blood; we will wave palm branches of victory in our hands—for the Lord Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil—for us!  He has conquered them with His own suffering and death—and has ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us by His side. 
          Though now you feebly struggle, yet you will in glory shine.  For the victory is yours through faith in Christ Jesus.  His Word has absolved you of all your sin—His body and blood has nourished and strengthened your faith—and His Baptism has washed you clean of all guilt and shame.  You belong to Jesus Christ.  You have been sealed with the Holy Triune Name of God at your Baptism.  What can the world do to you?  What can the devil do to you?  What can your own sinful flesh hope to accomplish?  You have been set apart by Christ—and He has declared you to be His own.  So do not fear, whatever may come, for your final hope and reward is secure in Christ Jesus.  And He has promised to wipe away every tear from your eyes.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Reformation Sunday (Observed)                                                                                                           October 27, 2019
John 8:31-36
 
The Ugly Truth
 
v.31-32       [Jesus said], “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
 
Dear friends in Christ, today we celebrate a pivotal moment in the life of the church—the Reformation.  One of my favourite movie quotes is from the 1992 Tom Cruise/Jack Nicholson blockbuster hit, “A Few Good Men,” in which Tom Cruise’s character is cross-examining Jack Nicholson’s character (an army colonel).  Cruise states, “I want the truth!”  To which Nicholson simply and arrogantly retorts, “You can’t handle the truth.”
Such is the case today, dear friends.  We claim to want to hear the truth—we as a nation spend millions of dollars every day in the pursuit of “truth” in the justice system.  We hire private investigators, buy expensive spy equipment to keep tabs on our neighbours—all so that we can know the truth about what’s going on around us.  But when it comes right down to it.  When we must turn the powerful microscope upon our own lives and examine our personal motivations behind the things that we think, say, and do—we can’t handle the truth either.
For the truth—the cold hard reality of who we really are—and where we stand before a holy and righteous God—is pretty ugly—and we can’t bear it. 
Take for example, the Christian church—we are supposed to be about the truth, right?  We are supposed to be upfront and adamant about doing all things openly and in accordance with God’s Word—for we are followers of Him who is Truth incarnate—the Lord Jesus who said of Himself—“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
But when it comes right down to it—when we must face the stark reality of who we are as human beings before a holy and righteous God—the truth...hurts.  The truth is...our sin is much, much worse than we want to admit to ourselves—or anyone else for that matter.  We come up with clever little mind games to try and trick us into thinking that “we’re not so bad...I’m a good person...After all, nobody’s perfect, right?  It’s Ok, God doesn’t mind the bad things we do...as long as we try our best...etc., etc., etc.”  Lies all.
The ugly truth is as St. Paul described in our epistle reading, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  And our sin is no light matter.  It’s not as though sin were no more serious than a common cold—a bad case of the sniffles—no big deal—you’ll feel right as rain in no time!  No, the truth is... “the wages of sin is death.”  That’s the serious nature of our sin.  That’s what we deserve from God for each and every sin we commit—in addition to the fact that we are by very nature fully corrupt and contaminated by sin—with no way to cure or heal ourselves.
This truth is what the Reformers sought to proclaim—the total depravity of the human nature—the total deadly estate of human beings before God Almighty.  Did people want to hear it back then?  No more than they do today.  People flock every which way to hear what their “itching ears want to hear” rather than what they need to hear—the bold-faced truth of God’s clear Word—that we are by nature, sinful and unclean—deserving of nothing but death and eternal damnation. 
Of course, you and I know that that isn’t the whole story.  There is so much more.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  That is the Gospel.  For though “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
You see, dear friends, as awful and ugly as the truth is about our sin, there is yet an even greater truth to bring us comfort and hope and peace.  For justification—being made right with God—having our sins forgiven and being restored to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father—is all free gift!  Now that sounds too good to be true!  That sounds as if it were just a fairy tale.  But it is the Truth!
For God’s love knows no bounds.  His love moved Him to send Jesus His Son to suffer and die in our place—to shed His blood—die the death that God’s judgement requires for each and every sin—this is what Christ Jesus did for you, for me, for all.  Not because He had to—but because He chose to—for such is His love for you that He desired to be lifted up on the cross in weakness—in shame—in humility and suffering—even death—so that you and I might live forever.
The truth is...beloved, as great as your sin may be—as heavy as it is to bear—as large as it looms in your mind—Jesus has taken care of it all.  He has borne your guilt in His flesh on the cross—He has removed the crushing burden of your sin from your shoulders and borne it Himself.  No matter the size of your sin—Jesus’ blood and redemption is bigger still.
There is no sin too great that the blood of Christ does not wash it away.  There is no sinner too far gone that Christ Jesus cannot call them back to repentance and faith through His Word and Sacraments.  For He has loved each of you so much—that were you the only person on earth—He still would have come to pay the deadly price for your sin so that He could give you the gift of His life and salvation. 
Now, some people today don’t like to hear such talk.  They feel like talking about sin is a “downer” and a “dirty” word, even in the church.  But if we fail to talk about sin—fail to grasp how serious and deadly our condition truly is—then the Gospel loses all meaning.  For what does it matter if Jesus came to save sinners if you and I aren’t really sinners?
But Jesus did come to save sinners—of whom I am foremost.  But chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me.  And the truth is...there are many lost and hurting people out there in the world—in our community—in our own homes/families perhaps—who need to hear this Good News.  Just like we do each and every day. 
For the Christian life is one of constant repentance, dear friends.  A life lived in constant confession before God and each other that we are poor, miserable sinners.  But also a life lived trusting in the promises and mercies of God poured out for us through faith in Jesus Christ.  He comes to you this day in bread and wine to give you His very body and blood so that your sins may be forgiven, once again—so that you may be strengthened and upheld by His glorious Word of absolution and healing. 
The truth is...you and I are in bondage to our sin and cannot free ourselves.  But by God’s grace we have come to hear and know of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen One, who has died that you and I might live on high.  Trusting and believing in Him who is truth—you are set free from all sin, from all death, from all damnation—now and forevermore.  And that’s the beautiful Gospel truth!  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 18                                                                                                                                               October 20, 2019
Matthew 22:34-46
 
A Question of Interpretation
 
v.35 & 41   And one of them [Pharisees], a lawyer, asked Him [Jesus] a question to test Him…Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question…
 
          Dear friends in Christ, if you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you have no doubt run across this situation.  During the course of a conversation, a question has been raised regarding some teaching in the Bible.  Upon giving a clear and reasonable response to this question, the other person (who no doubt disagrees with what you just stated) remarks, "But that's just your interpretation.  There are many different ways of looking at this issue—so your view is probably wrong."  This is a sleight of hand approach designed to end all discussion or, at least, discredit the Biblical truth claim you are making by saying that that understanding of Scripture is just one among many—and who is to say what the true and proper interpretation ought to be?
          Beloved, if you have ever been on the receiving end of such an approach to theological discussion, you can understand just a little bit about what had been happening to Jesus.  Throughout Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is engaging with His opponents (both Pharisees and Sadducees) about the proper way to interpret the Scriptures.  This happened in regard to healing on the Sabbath, eating and drinking with "sinners," and a host of other issues.  Jesus is operating with a very different set of principles to interpret the Scriptures than the leaders of the day were used to.  He kept on talking to them about God desiring mercy, not sacrifice.  He indicated that God was gracious and able to forgive any sinner any sin.  This was completely contrary to the way they were reading the Scriptures, however, and it frustrated them greatly.
          So much so, that they sought to destroy Jesus.  Hence this question during Holy Week.  Both Pharisees and Sadducees had been attacking Jesus relentlessly, but Jesus continued to prove that His interpretation of Scripture was superior to theirs—for He taught as One who had Authority.  He had just disgraced the Sadducees for the last time, and so the Pharisees take up the cause in a last ditch effort to publicly discredit Jesus.  A lawyer is chosen to test Jesus with the question, "Which is the greatest commandment in the law?" 
          Jesus gives a twofold answer: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."  At first glance, this isn't very controversial.  Jesus gives the standard answer from Deuteronomy that loving the Lord God above all else is indeed the "great and first commandment."  But then He goes on to explain that this commandment is never alone.  Secondarily, those who love God rightly will also love their neighbor in all things.  This, of course, wouldn't sit too well with the religious leaders who generally loved themselves above all others.  Their failure to love their neighbor, however, shows their hypocrisy about their stated love for God.  For you cannot perfectly love God while failing to show love to your neighbor.  As John puts it in his first epistle (1 John 4:20), "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."
          Yet these words of Jesus strike us to the heart as well, don't they, beloved?  For we know that in our sinful state we do not love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—and neither do we love our neighbor as ourselves.  Our selfishness is evident when we examine the inner workings of our own hearts.  We seek our own good above all others—we strive to put ourselves first as number one—rather than looking to the needs and welfare of others.  We fail to look at our neighbor in love—see their need—and act to fill it as best we can.  Our love continually falls short.
          And if this is our interpretation of the Bible—if we think that the entire heart and center of the Bible's teachings is about loving God and neighbor—then where does that leave us?  For when we are brought face-to-face with our sinfulness—we would have nowhere left to turn—but to crumple in despair. 
          However, note that this is NOT where Jesus leaves us.  Finally having all the Pharisees gathered together in one place to hear His words, "Jesus asked them a question, saying, 'What do you think about the Christ?  Whose son is he?'  They said to Him, 'The son of David.'  He said to them, 'How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord?...'"
          Jesus here is seeking to reset their Biblical interpretation.  Rather than interpret the Scriptures from a perspective of the Law (of which every sinful human falls short), Jesus wants them to see Who is truly at the heart of the Bible and all theology—Himself.  He quotes Psalm 110:1 in which King David calls his own future son, "Lord."  This would never normally be done because the Father/King would have more dignity and honor than any future son.  How could David call him Lord, if he is his son?  The answer is found in the person and nature of this Son of David—the Lord Jesus—who is not only man—but also true God in the flesh. 
          So, in answering the question of how to properly interpret the Scripture—to answer the question of "What's the Bible all about?"—we discover that it is Jesus.  He points people to Himself.  He is the greater Son of David—who is David's Lord—because is the Lord God of all come in human flesh. 
          Because of our failure to love as we ought, God sent His only-begotten Son to save us from our sin.  He did so out of love for us.  The love of God the Father moved Him to send the Son to take up our sin and be crucified for it on the cross.  Jesus is the One who has come to put all your enemies under your feet.  He has paid for your sin with His own precious blood.  He has defeated death with His own death in your place, and then was raised to life for your salvation.  Because He now lives and reigns at the Father's right hand for all eternity, not even the devil himself can accuse you and bring you down.  For you live and breathe in the love of God for you in Christ Jesus.
          Dear friends, Jesus is the heart and center of the Sacred Scriptures.  Jesus, and no other.  It all about Him.  As Jesus says in John's Gospel (5:39), "You search the Scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…"  The Scriptures proclaim the true nature of the Messiah—He is both God and Man—and He has come to save us.  You could not—and you do not—keep God's Law perfectly.  Neither the first and greatest commandment—nor the second that is like it—nor any other commandment found in all the Law and the Prophets.  There is but One who has—and His name is Jesus of Nazareth.
          This same Jesus who is David's Son and David's Lord is your Lord too!  Jesus is the Saviour of the world—come to fulfill God's Law for you—and to suffer the punishment you deserve for failing to keep God's commandments, great and small.  He suffered your death on the cross in your place.  He shed His blood to give you forgiveness and life.  This same Jesus is here each week in Word and Sacrament to offer you the great mercy of His sacrifice.  Jesus declares you to be forgiven and righteous and holy—and so you are—by the blood that He shed—moved by the love of God Himself.   Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 17 – Canadian Thanksgiving                                                                                                     October 13, 2019
Ephesians 4:1-6
 
A Worthy Walk
 
v.1     I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…
 
          Dear friends in Christ, Paul's letter to the congregation at Ephesus was a letter designed to urge the church there to come together in the unity that they had been given through faith in Jesus Christ.  You see, Ephesus was a free city in the Roman Empire, well situated as a major trade center, with a thriving Jewish population, which enjoyed considerable privilege.  Paul had spent a great deal of time there on his third missionary journey—the most time he spent at any congregation.  Because of his deep relationship to the church there, he writes this letter in response to division that had been occurring between the congregation's Jewish and Gentile members.  Throughout this letter, Paul returns to the themes of unity, Baptism, and prayer.  He would later instruct young Timothy to travel to Ephesus to serve as Bishop there because of the false doctrine that was afflicting the church.  Ephesus would eventually become a leading church in Asia Minor, and the apostle John would ultimately settle in Ephesus for the final years of his ministry, along with the aged Mother of our Lord.
          But at the time Paul writes this letter, he is in prison at Rome, awaiting trial before the Emperor.  He had begun this letter instructing the Ephesian Christians, once again, in the blessed good news of the Gospel—the call to faith they had received through the Word of the death and resurrection of Jesus for them—both Jews and Gentiles.  He has been reminding them that they are one in Christ Jesus—who shed His blood for them, sinners all. 
          As Christians, therefore, who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, it is important that "you walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  We are called to repentance and faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word and the Sacraments.  We are called to forgiveness and life in the shed blood of Jesus that is given to us in our Baptism into the Triune Name of God: Father Son and Holy Spirit. 
          This faith in Christ as our Saviour is what sets us apart from all other confessions of faith, and unites us, one to another, even as we are united in faith to Christ our Head.  This common confession of the doctrine/teaching of the church—founded on God's Word of Truth—is what forms us into the body of Christ as the church.  Therefore, what God has formed and joined together, we should be eager to maintain and guard and treasure by serving one another in humility and gentleness and peace, bearing with one another in love.
          Indeed, we who have been forgiven much—we who have had all of our sins washed away by the cleansing tide of Christ's blood that flowed from the cross—now long to walk (live our lives) in accordance with this divine calling.  We love God and our neighbor—especially our brothers and sisters in Christ by serving each other in humble-mindedness—looking to the needs of others before our own.  We do so with mildness—an attitude of behavior that is not harsh when dealing with others.  We patiently serve those around us in a state of emotional calm, even in the face of provocation or misfortune, without complaint or irritation.  We do so enduring all possible difficulty and affliction with patience, so that we can exhibit God's love toward our neighbor. 
          We do so because we recognize what a great treasure and gift this unity of the Spirit is that we have been given as Christians.  To know that we can look at each other sitting in these pews and know that we are looking at our true brothers and sisters in the faith—our true family—a family created not by our own doing, but by the working of God the Father through the suffering and death of the Son.  By God's grace, we all confess the same Lord, trust in His mercy, and have received His Baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of all our sins.  And all this is doing of God our Father.
          Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, our walk of faith does not often resemble what Paul describes here, does it?  So often we are not gentle or patient when dealing with our neighbors—even our church family!  Too often we grow angry or annoyed or frustrated by the words and deeds of those around us. We focus on those things that irritate us, failing to bear with one another in love.  In our sinful pride, we often seek our own good as the highest, rather than our fellow members of Christ's body.  We demand our way.  We want our desires to be prioritized.  Truly, our sin has a way of disrupting the unity we are to have in the church.
          We are even tempted to blow off the clear Word of God—our joint confession of faith—when and where it suits us.  We know the Scriptures teach us that the Holy Supper is a gift reserved for, and to be shared with, only those who are of the same confession of faith.  For this Supper is for the unifying of all believers around the body and blood of the One Lord Jesus Christ, given in the Supper for the forgiveness of the sins of God's people.  When we partake of the Supper at a church that holds to a different confession of faith (even Lutheran, like the ELCA/ELCiC) we inadvertently break fellowship with everyone here.  Furthermore, we give the people in the other congregation the impression that we are truly united with them in all that THEY teach and confess—even when we are not.  When we look upon the Lord's Supper as something that is no big deal to be messed around with—that it is to be considered a "free for all" with no understanding of God's Word, sin, repentance, and faith—then we sin against each other, and inadvertently break the bond of peace and unity that we are called to share and rejoice in here in this place.
          Sadly, our celebration of the Lord's Supper can sometimes look like a family Thanksgiving dinner—with all of the bickering and fighting that sometimes entails.  Beloved, what are we to do, when we fall victim to such temptations and sin?  Repent.  Repent of it. Turn away from it—and focus our attention once more on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Cast your sin and stubborn pride away—hold firmly to the unity we have in Christ by holding on to Jesus—treasuring His life-giving Word and Sacraments—even when it is difficult to do so. 
          Remember that the description of how we are to walk as Christians with all humility, gentleness, patience, and love has been fulfilled for each of us by the Lord Jesus Himself.  He walked in that manner His whole life—perfectly serving God and neighbor alike.  Loving people perfectly, even when it was difficult.  Loving us perfectly—even unto death on the cross.  He walked the long road to Calvary, humbly bearing the burden of your sin, patiently enduring the scorn and the shame, suffering the penalty for your sin and mine.  Why?  For the joy that was set before Him.  The joy of knowing that by His own shed blood—you and I might receive His righteousness and mercy.  By His blood you and I are united not only to God through faith in Christ who died and rose again, but also to each other.  His body died and was buried in the ground, like a seed, so that by His resurrection the body of the church might spring forth to life everlasting.  You and I are members of that One body—by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone. 
          So walk, dear friends.  Walk to the Lord's Table that has been prepared with His own body and blood to strengthen and serve you and me—the body of Christ.  That by sharing this holy meal for the remission of our sins—we may be united as one body—to sing praises to the One Holy God—to have our faith strengthened and sustained—to nurture the unity we have with one another as the body of Christ—and to love and serve our neighbor in joy and gladness.  We do so with thanksgiving for the mercy we ourselves have received.  For He has borne our sin in His flesh to the tree of the cross—that you and I might forever be united to Him and each other—through faith granted by the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 16 – LWML Sunday – Rev. Dr. Nadasdy                                                                                   October 6, 2019
Luke 17:1-10
 
“Moving Mulberry Trees”
 
v.6     And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you."
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we hear a lot of talk these days about how difficult it is to be a Christian. The world has changed. The nation has changed. Increasingly, people are walking away from the church or choosing never to affiliate because we are seen as irrelevant, judgmental, or hypocritical. The more secularized we become as a nation, we’re told, the less impact we Christians seem to have.
          All this talk about the challenges of living in “a post-Christian world” can lead to timid, fearful, even doubtful disciples of Jesus Christ. Truthfully, our world is not that different from the world of Jesus’ first disciples. Their world has been described as a pre-Christian world in which people did not know Jesus or His teachings or His mission.
          That phrase “pre-Christian” may be a better description for our world today—better than “post-Christian.” It says that Christians are not participants in a dying institution but a movement. It says that people are watching us, wondering what makes us tick. To call our world “pre-Christian” is to say we can still have an impact by the way we live. It says that our stories and songs matter and that our everyday life means everything to the way the world sees Jesus Christ.
          This is exactly what was happening with Jesus and His first disciples in Luke 17. Jesus was constantly teaching about everyday values and practices. Here He tells His disciples that they would need to forgive others, even if they had been wronged seven times in a single day. He wasn’t talking about some institutional health here but a way of life. He was referring to the simple but challenging act of confronting another with their sin and voicing forgiveness. This is the stuff of everyday relationships.
          It is hard to confront, though, isn’t it? And it is hard to forgive. The roots of bitterness run deep and last long, like tree roots — like mulberry tree roots, stubborn and strong. No wonder the disciples responded to Jesus’ challenge to forgive with the words, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). They could have said, “Good Lord! You expect us to forgive like that and that often? Now that’s challenging! We need greater faith for that! Give us greater faith, Lord!”                                                                                                           
          It was one of those teaching moments. So when His disciples said, “Increase our faith!” Jesus did not say, “Sure, presto! May you have greater faith!” What He did say was, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
          Jesus doesn’t explain his response. Luke, who records Jesus’ words, doesn’t interpret them either. You have to admit, it’s quite an image though. With just a little faith, Jesus is saying —  faith as small as a mustard seed, the faith you have right now — you can uproot a thirty-foot mulberry tree and plant it at the bottom of the sea. I can imagine a Christian saying to a mulberry tree, “Pull up your roots and head for the ocean, tree! You will be the first mulberry tree successfully transplanted to the ocean floor!” Then we see, of all things, this mulberry tree flying off to its new surroundings, 4000 feet below sea level!
          So what is Jesus saying here? For one thing He is saying that it is not helpful to quantify our faith. Jesus’ disciples were doing that with their request, “Increase our faith!” In other words, “Jesus, give us more faith, heroic faith, enough faith to do the hard thing in hard times.” Jesus’ response says that it is not helpful to make faith a quantifiable possession. We say that, don’t we? “If only I had enough faith!” “If I could just believe enough!” Or, negatively, we say, “I guess I just don’t have enough faith!” Notice how the weight of those statements is on us. Can we believe enough? Can we trust enough? Do we have enough faith to make things happen?
          So if faith is not to be quantified, how do we understand Jesus’ words, “faith like a grain of mustard seed”? How can faith send mulberry trees flying into the sea? I believe that Jesus’ concept of faith puts the whole matter of faith into our relationship with Him. “Faith like a grain of mustard seed” is simply trust in Him, a trust that abides in Him, depends on Him, and lives every day in Him. It is only in Christ that we move mulberry trees, even the deep ones like bitterness or a lack of forgiveness. That is possible only as Christ lives in us.
          In Latin there are two words for faith. The first is fides, which might be said to be quantifiable. It is faith that certain things are true. Fides says, “I believe that … that God created the world … that Jesus was born of a virgin … that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead … that the Spirit brings life.” Our creeds are examples of fides. The other word for faith in Latin is fiducia. This is relational faith. It is trust in the Lord, being rooted in the power of God. Fiducia was Martin Luther’s preferred word for faith. You can hear fiducia at work in Paul’s familiar words in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me. 
          So “faith like a grain of mustard seed” says that I can forgive not so much because I have enough faith to do it but rather because I live and make decisions inside a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. “Faith like a grain of mustard seed” says I already have what I need to live my Christian life and witness: I have Christ, or better yet, Christ has me! The One who came and died for me, the One who broke through death and came to life for me, the One who called me in Baptism and made me His own — He makes seemingly impossible things possible.
          So, in Christ, I confront the person who has wronged me, and I offer forgiveness. I do the hard thing and share my faith with my neighbor. I make time to pack food for the hungry when I thought I was too busy. I drop a quarter in an LWML mite box, believing it will make a difference. I hold the hand of a neighbor in the hospital, maybe not even my favorite neighbor. I phone a friend who has become distant.
          So, in Christ, our church takes on a new ministry, knowing that it will be a stretch, simply because it is what Christ would have us do. So we see our community not as the enemy, but as our mission field. And underneath it all, you hear mulberry trees moving — hard things, seemingly impossible things, happening because Christ lives within me, because Christ lives within us!
          The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League has always lived by mustard seed faith. Little gifts, mites, combined across our synod, make big things happen in mission across the world. Christ has been moving mulberry trees through the LWML since 1942. What a model they are for Christian discipleship! If our congregations are the soul of the LCMS; if our pastors, workers, and missionaries are the beautiful feet of the LCMS; if our seminaries and universities are the mind of the LCMS; if Lutheran Hour Ministries is the voice of the LCMS; then the LWML is the heart of the LCMS. The women of our church have taught us what it means to move mulberry trees with just a little faith. 
          In another gospel Jesus talks about moving mountains with mustard seed faith. Here it is the mulberry tree that gets moved. Either way, the message is the same. In our relationship with Jesus, we have what is necessary to do difficult, even seemingly impossible, things. And why should that be so hard to believe? He has moved us from death to life, from being orphans to being His, from guilt to cleansing, from conflict to reconciliation.
          A painting by Vincent van Gogh is titled “The Mulberry Tree.” He painted it in 1889 while in voluntary confinement at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. The mulberry tree van Gogh gives us is impressive. It is strong, gnarly, abundant with bushy foliage, and, in his painting, rich with tones of yellow and gold. It is formidable, rooted in rock and set against a deep blue sky. For van Gogh, an ordinary tree took on the character of beauty, strength, and even joy. Yellow was his color for joy.
          May that be our attitude the next time we say that it is difficult to follow Christ. What appears to be hard, and even impossible, may be just the thing we need to do as we live with Christ day-in-day-out. And because Christ abides with us in mercy and forgiveness—granting us peace in His shed blood—the difficult thing can be done with joy. It may not be easy, but it is possible in Christ. May it be said of us, “Those were the days when Christians moved mulberry trees!” Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  

​Trinity 14                                                                                                                                          September 22, 2019
Galatians 5:16-24
 
But I WANT To!
 
v.17   For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we've all been there.  We've all been in that position.  As Christians, we have all been faced with a situation in which we knew clearly what God's Word says we are to do (or not do)—but from deep within us comes that voice—that voice that declares, "I know I shouldn't, but I reaallly WANT to."  Small children often provide us with great examples of this kind of behaviour.  We try, as adults—as loving parents and grandparents—to guide our children in the right path—to do what is right, no matter how difficult.  We try to prevent them from doing things that we know will only hurt them in the end—like eating too much candy.  Yet what is often their response?  "But I WANT to!"
          In our text from St. Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul has been arguing to the Galatians that Christians must always cling to the grace of God poured out upon us in Christ alone for our salvation.  This congregation had been rocked with false teaching that led some in the church to believe that they had to keep all of the Mosaic ceremonial laws (like avoiding certain foods, or being circumcised) in order to be considered a true Christian.  Paul warns them that those who want to go back to their own fulfilling of the law in order to be righteous before God are making a huge error.  For the Gospel—the Good News of Christian faith—is that Jesus has fulfilled the law for us—and has even paid for our sins with His substitutionary death on the cross.  The kingdom of heaven is not earned through our works, but rather purely as a gift through faith in the One who died and rose again for us.
          However, Paul is not arguing that we are then free, as Christians, to live our lives any way that we want.  For in this life the Christian remains in their sinful flesh.  In this life the Christian is attacked by the devil and the world, which seek to draw us away from Christ at every turn.  One way this occurs is by tempting us to give in to the desires of the flesh.  And Paul urges us here not to give in—do not gratify the desires of the flesh.  What are those works of the flesh that seek to undo us?  Well, there is quite a list: "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.  I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." 
          We are told, in no uncertain terms, the terrible price of giving in to sin—of turning away from God's Word—of indulging our sinful flesh—of doing what we WANT— rather than fighting against it.  The end result is a loss of faith and a failure to inherit God's kingdom.  And yet, how very tempting it is for us! 
          The world encourages us to be free—not to be shackled with God's Word or commands.  But to live as we want to live.  To do what we want to do.  This is true for all things sexual as we see in the media and culture around us.  Practically anything goes!  "Sex outside of marriage between two consenting adults?  I mean, is that even a question anymore!? How old fashioned!"  "Sex between two people of the same sex?  Of course that's Ok!  To think otherwise is to be a hateful bigot and homophobe."  "Born a man, but yearn to be a woman, or vice versa?  Why not!  Who cares the way God made you?  Who cares about biology or reality?  What matters most is what you FEEL.  And if it feels right, then it must BE right.  Just do it!  Just do what you WANT!"
          Of course, such diabolical encouragement comes in many more areas in our lives, too.  We look to set up idols of money and power and health in our lives, thinking that if only we have enough, then we will be content.  We place our hope and trust in ourselves and our retirement funds, savings accounts, and medicine to ensure we have a truly happy life.  When crossed by someone, especially on social media, we give in to fits of anger, while at the same time find ourselves envying those who appear to have it all together on the Facebook page.  And we could go on and on.  But note that each of these things breaks down God's good gifts, makes mockery of them (be it money, sex, family, health, or anything else), and leads to division between us and God, and dissension between each other.
          These, beloved, are the works of the flesh, and they lead not to joy and fulfillment in a happily ever after, but rather are fleeting, and lead only to death and damnation in hell.
          Contrast this with the Fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."  This fruit is not an outgrowth of our own work, but the inevitable result of the Spirit of Christ living and active within us.  He who was given to us in our Baptism as we first heard the Word of Gospel, has come and made His home in our hearts.  And He is directly opposed to the works of the flesh. 
          The Spirit opposes the works of our flesh by pointing us ever and again to Christ Jesus crucified for us on the cross.  Each time we hear God's Word and receive His sacraments, we are directed to the Lord who has had mercy on us.  Jesus went to the cross to pay for your sins—the works of your flesh.  Though sinless Himself, He carried your unholy works in His body to the tree of the cross, and there He put them to death by dying for them in your place.  By His holy blood you have been granted full forgiveness for all of your sins.  By His suffering and death He has destroyed the power of sin, death, and the devil over you.  The passions and desires of your flesh have been undone by the merciful Lord who took on your flesh and lived the way you and I ought to.  His perfect life has now become yours—by faith.
          So, what does this mean?  Well, it means that we are free to live our lives in keeping with God's Word.  Yes, our sinful flesh is still a part of us in this life.  Yet, this flesh is not so powerful that it can overcome the Spirit of God at work within us.  When tempted to sin and vice, you call upon the Lord your God—your Maker—your Redeemer.  You call upon Him as the ten lepers did in Luke's Gospel: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  And He who came to break and hinder every evil plan of the devil by His death and resurrection will uphold and sustain us by the power of His Word.  We flee to Him in prayer.  We seek His comfort and grace in Holy Absolution and His strength and peace in the blessed Supper.  He comforts us in our Baptism—reminding us of His goodness and mercy that follow us all the days of our lives.
          Having been made new creations by the power of His Spirit, we no longer seek to gratify the desires of the flesh, but rather rejoice in the fruit of the Spirit.  His all encompassing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—for you and for me.  When faced with sin and temptation, empowered by the Spirit, we can now joyfully confess, "I WANT to do what God would have me do.  For I have been renewed by God's grace."  And when we stumble and fall, we run to Christ Jesus—looking to Him for mercy and peace.  And He who gave up His own life into death for us says, "Go, your faith has made you well."  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.