​Trinity 9                                                                                                                                                    August 9, 2020
Luke 16:1-13
 
To be Shrewd or not to be Shrewd?  That is the Question![1]
 
v.10-11       One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.  If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?
 
Dear friends in Christ, this morning we have before us one of the most difficult of all our Lord’s parables—and that’s saying something!  However, if we keep to the good rule of Scriptural interpretation, which is to take passages in their context, then we find that we can make some sense of these troubling words of our Saviour.  Context, context, context makes all the difference.  You see, at this point in Jesus’ ministry He had many sinners coming to Him and there were many who were self-righteous (ie – Pharisees) who didn’t like this at all.  Therefore, Jesus tells the assembled people four parables in a row. 
Now, on the surface none of these parables make a whole lot of sense.  And in each parable told there is a kind of escalating insanity—a man leaves 99 sheep in the open wilderness to go look for one that is lost—a woman burns a bunch of expensive oil to find a single lost coin—a father is so generous as to not even rebuke a son at all despite the son’s major sins and faults, to the point that his other son thinks his dad is crazy.  And now this manager—this house overseer—this one who has the law of the house, is actually commended by his master for being shrewdly dishonest!
What has Jesus been doing in the three previous parables?  He has been confronting the Pharisees over their self-righteous behaviour.  However, just to make sure they get the point, this last parable is included to show them how truly lost they are—which is readily seen in how they view mammon or wealth.  They incorrectly saw their wealth as a sure sign of God’s favour toward them—“Look at all the stuff that I have!  God surely must love me!”  This self-righteous attitude Jesus strictly condemns.  And this condemnation hits us at home too, when we honestly examine how we use the blessings that God has given us—and how we have so often failed to act as good stewards of His gifts.
Jesus confronts us with our sin so that we may be brought to repentance by His Word and come to Him alone for salvation.  For it is only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that a person is saved. 
Now the troubling part of this parable is the fact that the Master commends the dishonest manager—the guy who essentially stole from him.  This man was bad—kept bad records—his books don’t add up and he knows he’ll be in trouble.  So what does he do?  He summons his master’s debtors and decreases their debts.  The master then commends the manager because “the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”  Note that it isn’t the dishonesty of the manager that is commended, but rather his shrewdness.  This is praiseworthy for two reasons: 1 – he knew and trusted the Master would be merciful—that he would honour the debts forgiven in the Master’s name.  2 – The steward used oil and wheat to provide for his earthly welfare. 
The Master, in all of this, though at first he seems somewhat like a fool, is actually the most clever of all.  For he recognizes that the servant he is about to fire knows how to make things right.  Because of this he is willing to save this man and put him to work rather than firing him.  For this man used mammon to make friends for himself in this life.
Beloved, we are to use the good gifts that God has given us: our time, talents, and treasures (yes, mammon) for holy purposes—to make friends for the eternal future—for the church in Christ.  We are to use these resources to grow in fellowship with believers and to proclaim the saving message of Christ crucified in the place of sinners for sinners.
The main point of this parable is, however, that the manager, though shrewd, was still dishonest with little and so was found to be dishonest with much.  Jesus is here foreshadowing what is about to happen between Him and the Pharisees.  The Pharisees have been grossly dishonest with their stewarding of the mysteries of the faith and now Jesus is calling them to account and saying that what has been given to them will be taken away and given to someone else.  They will now be so dishonest in much that they are going to overthrow the Master (Jesus Himself) and get rid of Him (by nailing Him to the cross).
Jesus, who is speaking the words of this parable to His disciples (knowing full well that the Pharisees are listening in), is calling His disciples to repentance, too.  This parable also leads us to question ourselves and the purity of our hearts.  For, “If you haven’t been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you true riches?”  These words condemn us all.  For we must take to heart that all that we have is not our own.  Yet, we take what we think is ours and use it to feed our flesh—pamper ourselves to make us feel good—we are greedy and selfish!
Think about it.  We struggle to make ends meet in the church.  We fail to reach our budget goals.  Why?  Is it because there isn’t enough money among the people here?  By no means.  It is because the people here are sinful and selfish and so misuse the mammon that God has blessed us with for our own personal gain and enjoyment, while neglecting the work of the Church—that which is truly the most important of all.  We save for vacations, we save for our retirement years, we spend, spend, spend—and reserve little, if anything, of the leftovers for God’s holy church.  At times, we pat ourselves on the back, thinking that the same $20, $40, or $100 a month that we have been giving for the past ten years is good enough, while church expenses skyrocket.  And so projects are delayed and mission opportunities are missed because we think we don’t have the money.
          The problem, dear friends, is as Jesus points out to us—you can’t serve two masters.  You can’t serve both God and mammon (material wealth and our flesh).  And this is true.  Now the normal heart hears this condemnation and responds, “OK.  I’ll start serving God now.”  But do you see what this is?  This is, once again, us trying to justify ourselves before God, yet again!  For the focus is still upon us—something that WE do. 
          The disciples, later on in this discourse, respond, “O Lord, increase our faith!”  They know that due to our sinful hearts we cannot BUT serve mammon—that we never serve God with our whole, heart, soul, body, and mind, but rather love ourselves first and foremost.  Indeed, the Christian has two distinct natures—the Old and the New.  The Old Adam always serves Mammon, while the New Adam in Christ always serves God.  But we serve God only by grace in Christ who has worked to redeem us from all sin and death.
          The apostle James writes that “Faith without works is dead.”  This is because that is not true faith.  No.  The Christian fights against sin and strives to do God’s will, but only ever accomplishes the tiniest bit by God’s full and complete grace alone—His Work.  You see, the Holy Spirit works within us to use wealth wisely for mercy (helping those in need), mission (proclaiming the saving work of Jesus Christ), and fellowship (building up of the body of Christ). 
          Jesus, beloved, has served God in place of Old humanity for the sake of everlasting New humanity, that He has redeemed with His own shed blood.  He did this so well that even though you still serve money according to your flesh, yet by the power of His Holy Spirit you are forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, and are going to receive eternal life from God!  Not because of what you have done or what you haven’t done—but purely by reason of what Jesus has done for you—taken your sins to the cross of Calvary and suffered and died for them—shedding His blood so that by believing in Him you might receive the mercy and forgiveness of God. 
          And THAT is the greatest service you can give to God—to simply receive what He gives.  He gives eternal life in the body and blood of the crucified and risen Son, Jesus.  For the Master has cancelled the whole debt—not just a percentage—but ALL of it—for the sake of His Son of Light.  God knew that you and I could never repay the debt of sin that we owe to Him.  He knew that He would have to condemn us all to hell for the sake of His justice.  But God is more shrewd than you or I or the devil.  He knew that by sending His Son into the world—into our flesh—He would redeem us from our sin—and buy us back for His heavenly kingdom. 
          Though we are sinful and selfish and deserve nothing but wrath, yet He shows love and faithfulness and mercy and generosity to His people.  Leading them to faith and life through the shrewdness of His means of grace—Word and Sacrament.  This is also foreshadowed in the parable by the earthly means by which the steward tries to provide for his earthly welfare:  oil and wheat.  So also, earthly elements are used by God to aid us when pressed into heavenly use. 
Such as in the anointing of Holy Baptism and the wheat of the Lord’s Supper.  By these sacred means that combine earthly water, bread, and wine with God’s Holy Word of mercy and promise—people are given and receive the full forgiveness of their sins and are given an eternal home when the earthly one fails.  These blessings from God provide us aid in times of temptation and serve to give us the Lord who is our fortress and shield as we are led, by His grace, to trust in Him in all situations.  For though you and I are dishonest in little (the earthly mammon the Lord God entrusts to us), yet He is honest and true in much—providing for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus His Son of Light to lead us to our heavenly home.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.


[1] Much of this sermon is indebted to Rev. Fisk of Worldview Everlasting’s Vlog, “Taming of the Shrewd.”  September 14, 2010.

​Trinity 8                                                                                                                                                    August 2, 2020
Matthew 7:15-23
 
Uncomfortable Truths
 
v.15, 21      Beware false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves…Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, don’t you just hate those awkward moments when someone speaks an uncomfortable truth?  Like a little child who passes by a person in a wheel chair and loudly declares, "Mommy, that man doesn't have a leg!"  Or, the doctor pointing out that your high blood pressure might have something to do with your being 50 pounds overweight and never exercising.  Or, when your spouse points out that your actions do not match your words.  These moments can cause us to cringe and flinch at the uncomfortable truth that another has spoken and we can react in very strong ways: from rushing past the man in the wheel chair, hoping no one heard, to frowning at our doctor, to arguing with our spouse -- even when we KNOW they are right.
          Well, here in our text Jesus gives two statements at the conclusion of His lengthy Sermon on the Mount that take us by surprise.  Throughout the sermon Jesus has been giving sound and in-depth moral instruction to His hearers.  But now, as He draws to a close, He really drives home some uncomfortable truths.  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."  What's this, Jesus?  False shepherds come among US?  Are you sure you got that right?  I mean we are Confessional Lutherans—devout Christians.  We have world renowned seminaries.  We have incredible procedures in place to vet men before they can enter the office of the holy ministry.  Are you sure you didn't mean that these false shepherds come to heathens and non-Christians?  Surely there aren't any among us!
          No.  Jesus says these false prophets--pseudo-prophets--come to YOU--you BELIEVERS.  They come into your very midst and they are very hard to recognize for they come to you in sheep's clothing.  By all appearances they are sheep.  They walk like a sheep, they look like a sheep--same white wool--same general appearance.  But, inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  They end up harming and consuming the sheep.  And they come into your midst!
          So--if they look like sheep--if they appear to be your average, ordinary Christian--or even extraordinary Christian--how are we to recognize them?  How are we to know?  Jesus says, "You will recognize them by their fruits."  OK.  What does THAT mean?  Does it mean that we will recognize them by their outward works?  No.  Again, they appear to be sheep--they walk and look like sheep--they do sheep-like things--they attend church--they do good deeds--they are kind and nice people.  OK, but then how?  How are we to know and recognize these wolves in sheep's clothing, if not by the fruit of their works? 
          Well, properly speaking, the fruit of the prophets is not their works, but what they prophesy--their preaching and teaching.  They may walk and look like sheep in how they act, but they do not sound like sheep—they do not talk like sheep--they don't "Baabaa" like God's sheep do--speaking back to God what He has said in His Word.  So, we will recognize them by whether what they preach and teach—what they say—is in keeping with God's Word or not.  These false prophets will try to hurt and maim God's sheep by their lies an deceits--their false doctrine--showing their true natures as ravenous wolves--murderers of souls.
          Some examples of prominent false prophets that may make us very uncomfortable are people like the late Billy Graham (who twisted God's Word to encourage people to make a decision for Jesus and to place their trust in that act rather than in Christ); or the Pope (who boldly declares that it is faith in Christ plus the Christian's good works that earns a place in heaven, rather than Christ's atoning death on the cross alone); or the Word faith pastor who berates a grandmother for not having enough faith after her grandchild dies, saying, "If only you had prayed harder and believed in Jesus more--then your grandchild would have lived."  Or the self-proclaimed and newly appointed "apostle" of God who declared back in March that the Lord spoke to them directly saying the Coronavirus would be over before summer—yet the virus continues to spread.  Beloved, these are ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing.  And I am not saying we make a judgement on their personal salvation, but rather that we judge the content of their preaching and teaching and see it for what it is--damnable lies of the devil that lead to despair and hell.
          This is why, dear friends, we must be about Christ and His Word and nothing else--not BLINDLY trust or follow our pastor or anyone else (now isn't THAT an uncomfortable thing for a pastor to say to his people!).  As God's people--His sheep--we are to follow only Jesus and His Word in the Bible.  All prophets--false and true--are to be judged by that standard.  True prophets--true shepherds/sheep--will remain faithful to--abide in--and direct the sheep toward the Saviour of their souls--Christ and Him crucified.  False prophets will describe and preach a Jesus different from the Bible--environmentalist Jesus--or life coach Jesus--or good teacher Jesus--any Jesus, but the One who took your place on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God for your sin.  That's ONE uncomfortable truth in our text.
          The other uncomfortable truth is that we are often faithless and follow these false prophets who speak the lies we so desperately want to hear and believe, but that come from the devil.   Our sinful hearts actually crave the rotten fruit of the false prophets.  Meaning that we, too, are false sheep--bad trees--paying lip service to God in Christ at times, but who bear no evidence in doctrine and life.  We are so very BAD at being GOOD Christians.  Our lives abound with examples of this truth--simply look in your heart and see.  You say you believe in forgiveness for all through faith in Christ, but harbour hatred and murder in your heart against your neighbour who has wronged you (even after they apologized).  You say that stealing is wrong in the Bible, but you steal music and movies from the internet.  You say Jesus is the only way to heaven, but stay silent whenever someone brings up their own personal spirituality, which is clearly in opposition to Scripture.
          So, then, where does this leave us before God?  Are we simply to wait in despair and hear the dread words from our Lord Jesus, "I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness?"  Talk about your uncomfortable truth!
          No indeed!  For Christ advocates for you and carries your sins to the cross.  He is your active shepherd--the one and only True Prophet--who defends you from false prophets and their evil teachings--who defends you even from yourself.  For the cross of Jesus is that good tree that bears good fruit--to forgive you with the body and blood of Christ and work true repentance and faith in your heart that then leads to good works and deeds.  The good fruit of Christ's cross gives you forgiveness and salvation, which in turn transforms you from a bad tree into a good tree--all by His grace and mercy.  You cannot now, as a good tree, do anything BUT produce Good Fruit.  In faith toward Christ ALL of your works are made good in the sight of God--purified by the blood of Jesus.  Again, this is not license TO sin, but rather freedom FROM sin.
          Thanks be to God that He is ever faithful toward us.  He calls us to repentance through His Word of truth by sending us true and faithful undershepherds to lead and to guide us.  The Lord God delivers us from despair and death through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.  This is what it means "to do the will of my Father who is in heaven."  Led by the Holy Spirit, you repent of your sin and believe in Christ Jesus to forgive your sin.  Our God is faithful and true--our hope of salvation is entirely outside of us--and is found only in the good fruit of the cross of Jesus.  What a blessed, comfortable, Truth--that is for you and me and all people.  You are His sheep—and He is your beloved Good Shepherd.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 7                                                                                                                                                       July 26, 2020
Mark 8:1-9
 
Fed by the Compassionate Hand of God
 
v.2 & 8       “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat...” And they ate and were satisfied.  And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
 
          Beloved in Christ, today we talk about a beautiful word—compassion.  A simple definition of this word reads as “sympathy for the suffering of others, often including a desire to help.”  Though sometimes compassion seems to be in short supply among human beings who can be so cruel to one another, yet we have been blessed to see many resounding examples of compassion in light of recent events: from global pandemics, to mass riots and protests.  While much we have seen in the news has been negative, yet there have also been beautiful stories of hope and mercy.  From a young child and his father delivering flowers to NYC police officers as a show of support and respect—to the hundreds of medical professionals who flocked to NYC at the height of the COVID outbreak—to offer their skill and support to the sick and the dying, while risking their own personal health—and so we see some good come out of awful situations. 
          And through it all, we as Christians confess that God is also loving and compassionate.  Indeed, in our text for this morning we see Jesus’ compassion displayed for the people as He multiplied the fishes and loaves to feed over 4000 hungry mouths.  We look at that miracle, as with so many of Jesus’ miracles, and wonder why we don’t see the likes of that anymore. 
          Where is Jesus’ compassion for our loved ones who are sick and dying?  Where is His compassion when millions of children and adults go hungry every single day all around the world—even here in our own community?  Where is His compassion when people continue to die from the pandemic?  Where is His compassion—His desire to help—His sympathy—when rogue police officers hurt innocent people?  Where is His compassion when protests turn violent and riots destroy innocent peoples' homes and businesses?  It seems as though this supposed love and compassion of God is a farce—a falsehood—a no-good lie!  It seems as though His hand is raised against us in judgement and condemnation rather than mercy and love.  Indeed, many natural disasters are often described by insurance companies as a result of "an act of God."  But that is not so.
          You see, dear friends, that is the lie.  It is the lie of Satan who twisted the Word of God to Adam and Eve in the Garden and led them to sin and rebellion against God—to sin—thereby bringing death and heartache and sorrow into the whole universe.  Prior to the Fall people were fed freely by the compassionate hand of God—simply receiving from the bounty of God’s garden that He had given them.  After the Fall, however, people could only eat by the hard work and sweat of their brow—and the food they ate would still only prolong the inevitable—death.  All the evil—the heartache—the sorrow—the tragedies (both of natural and human origin) are a result of mankind’s sin.  It is all OUR fault—not God’s.
          Yet, beloved, God does not desire to leave us in that state.  Indeed, Christ has come to establish a new order of creation.  The Greek word used here by Mark is only ever used of God in relation to His people—splangknitzomai—a gut feeling—the churning of the innards in reaction to the plight of another.  Christ felt the anguish of the people in His own gut and endeavoured to do something about it—and by His powerful Word He multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude—to the point that everyone ate and was completely satisfied! 
          “So what?” some may say.  “That was fine for them, but what about us?  Where is our miracle feeding—where is our healing—where is our life?”  Good questions all.  For the Lord Jesus came to establish a completely new order.  He used certain miraculous signs during His earthly ministry to point people to the truth of what He had come to do.  What was that?  To give us the bread of life in His own body. 
          That’s right!  The mercy—the compassion—the great sympathy of God for the plight of sinful people living in a broken world that is corrupted and evil—leading to suffering and pain and death—His compassion is found in Christ Jesus going innocently to the tree of the cross to suffer and die in our stead—so that we might be reconciled to God. 
Now I know that at first blush that doesn’t seem so grand and wonderful.  When faced with the loss of one’s home, one’s job, or the prospect of painful suffering and the death of a loved one, it can seem downright shallow.  But it is this Word of promise that gets us through the dark times in our lives.  It is this Word of Christ crucified and risen for me and for you that enables us to continue in faith and hope, and, when the opportunity arises—show that compassion to those in need.
          For into the savage wilderness of this broken and sin-filled world came the Lord Jesus Christ to restore creation.  Having compassion on the weary crowds He renewed the bounty of Eden—feeding the 4000 on what day?  The Third Day—freely granting an abundance of bread to those people.  So also, our Lord Jesus, having endured the burden of our sin on the cross, was raised to life on the—what day?—the Third DAY!—to bring us back to paradise which we had scorned in our rebellion and sin. 
          And that is not the end of His compassionate grace and mercy, dear friends.  For having earned forgiveness and life and salvation for sinful people like you and me with His own innocent suffering and death and resurrection, He now turns the bread of death into the Bread of Life in the Sacrament of the Altar.  For here at this very altar the Lord Jesus comes to you to give you His very body and blood for your forgiveness—under what?—bread and wine.  For though “the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.”
          With the Lord there is always a superabundance of grace and mercy.  For not only did the people eat bread and fish in the wilderness—not only did they eat until they were stuffed—completely satisfied—yet the disciples picked up seven large basketsful of leftovers!  You see, the mercy of the Lord is like a cup that runneth over.  Just when you think He is done—when His mercy has filled you up—He gives you even more! 
          The compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ touched most of us first at our Baptism, wherein through water and His Word He washed us clean of all sin and promised us the gift of life—even in the face of certain death.  But this wasn’t enough for Him—no!  He continues to shower us with His compassionate hand whenever we hear His Gospel Word proclaimed to us of all that Christ has done to earn us God’s favour.  Each time we read Scripture, each time we hear it read, each time the pastor absolves us—forgives our sin—in the stead and by the command of the Lord Jesus Himself—it is His hand at work among us.
          And of course, Christ feeds us too.  In this life we grow weary and weak.  We are assaulted by the deadly heat of the arsonist, Satan, who would seek to consume our faith and life—lead us astray with his lies.  Yet the Lord Jesus comes to us in the Holy Eucharist to give us His body and blood in bread and wine.  Body and blood that are part of the new created order, which began at the resurrection of Jesus Himself on the Third Day in the Garden of the empty tomb. 
          As you walk life’s way.  As you, at times, grow faint with hunger—the Lord exhibits compassion by preparing a table for you—a sumptuous feast—made up of His own body and blood for you to eat and to drink—that you may satisfied—filled to the brim with forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.  Given to you by His compassionate hand so that you may “taste and see that the Lord is good.” 
          You want to see the compassionate hand of God?  Look no further than the cross which held His broken, bleeding body—look no further than the font wherein He washed you and made you His own—look no further than this altar wherein He feeds you with the richness of His sacrificed body and blood.  That is where you will always see the compassionate hand of the Lord.  Exactly where He has promised to be.  So that in life—and in death—you may be confident of the Lord’s compassion for you and for all people—for He has bled and died for you.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 6                                                                                                                                                       July 19, 2020
Matthew 5:(17-19) 20-26
 
Just Relax!
 
v.20   For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
          Beloved in Christ, at first glance it may seem as though our Gospel text for this day was tailor made to respond to the societal context in which we find ourselves--with morals becoming more and more relaxed—with evil and wickedness being praised and endorsed by our society.  In a world that seems to have gone crazy in chasing after lawlessness, here we have a clear word from Jesus about the Holy Law of God that was first given to Moses in the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20. 
          As society calls on the Christian church to "relax" and to not get so bent out of shape about little things like gay marriage, transgenderism, abortion, euthanasia, etc., Christ says, "whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven."  In a world that is constantly trying to do away with God's divine law--and to have Christians disregard it too, Jesus says, "Amen.  I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota [smallest Hebrew letter, a yod], not a dot [not even the tiniest stroke of a part of a letter of God's Word], will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
          Now this text can give us all sorts of cause for righteous indignation.  The government has lost its marbles and is messing with things it doesn't understand—as it implements policies that break down traditional family units—and allow for the destruction of innocent human lives.  But really dear friends, are we to be surprised that pagans are behaving and believing like pagans?  I think not.  And Jesus' words in our text are not addressed to unbelievers or to world governmental authorities, but to pious Jews who had come to hear Him preach from the Mount. 
          We would do better to apply Christ's words to the church--that we dare not reject or even relax His laws--let them go and just go with the flow of societal pressures around us, urging us to accept so many things that are contrary to God's Word.  "You wanna engage in sex outside of marriage--boy or girl or whatever you wanna call yourself--doesn't matter--have at it and have fun!  Don't listen to that dry, grey-haired preacher man--what does he know about real life anyway?  You can't listen to a book that was written by male chauvinist pigs so long ago!  Get with the times.  This is the 21st century.  We're so much more enlightened than they were back then."
          Sadly, as you know, far too many churches have fallen in with the siren call of worldly desires and pleasures--dismissing God and His Word--especially His Law as completely irrelevant to our modern times and ideas.  Even those who bear the name "Lutheran" like the ELCA/ELCiC have fallen in line with this kind of destructive thinking, along with Anglicans [Episcopalians], and even now some Evangelical churches.  More and more are relaxing their grip on Scripture and abandoning the Word of God--not just His Law, but also His Gospel that declares faith in Christ alone as the way to salvation. 
          And before we get too high and mighty dear friends, thinking that this would never happen to us in the LCMS or LCC (because we're such stalwart and smart [perhaps stubborn would be more accurate] Lutherans who actually claim to believe what the Scriptures say), let's pause a moment and think.  Remember that the Scribes and the Pharisees were close adherents to the Law of God.  They were picture perfect at paying their tithes to the church, worshiping every Lord's Day, doing no harm to others, helping neighbours in need--they were super people and super citizens too!  And yet Jesus clearly says, "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
          So where does this leave us?  We can't abandon God's Holy Law--we can't relax even an inch--let go even one letter--of God's Word without risking losing all of it.  Nor can we trust in our own righteousness to please God.  For as Jesus proclaims in our text, and indeed the rest of Chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, the Law of God is too good and too pure for us to ever keep it.  Try as we might--and we should--we will never keep it as God demands--perfectly. 
          The Pharisees thought they were doing it!  They thought they were managing to keep all of God's 10 commandments, but it was nothing more than a slight, superficial keeping of the Law.  Jesus takes it deeper--far deeper--down to our conscience and thoughts and our very being.  "You think you never murdered someone?  Huh, well have you ever been angry, called someone a nasty name, did something to hurt someone else?  Thought something negative about them because of the color of their skin—their dress—their personal hygiene?  Then, sorry, you're guilty.  You're doomed.  You're dead."
          That's the Law speaking.  The Law of God that rightly and justly condemns you and me and everyone else for our sinfulness and arrogance and pride.  Sure, people may come across on the surface as being pretty good.  We may cut our grass, be kind to our neighbours, even love our enemies--but that won't get you into heaven.  Even the best, most noblest human being who dedicates their lives to God and neighbour for good--are still full of sin and death, be they grandma and grandpa Schmidt or Mother Theresa.  "What?  Impossible!  You mean I could work my whole life and never come close to keeping God's Law perfectly and earning heaven?"  Exactly!  That's the point.  Your righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.  Where did their righteousness come from?  Their own works.  So where must your righteousness come from to enter the kingdom of heaven?  From Someone Else--Outside of you--the Lord Jesus.
          Beloved, you don't need to be tense or worried about how the world turns in this life--what happens or doesn't happen.  You don't even need to worry about how you're going to get into heaven.  Because none of it--not the teeniest, tiniest little bit--depends upon you.  You can relax.  For Christ has set you free.
          The righteousness of Jesus far exceeds all that you or I or the Scribes or Pharisees could ever hope to achieve.  For His righteousness is that of God Almighty Himself.  He keeps the Law perfectly--every last Word--even the smallest stroke of the smallest letter--for He is the Word of God made flesh.  He has not abolished the Law, but fulfilled it.  He has, however, forever abolished the death and damnation that you deserve on account of your sin.  For Christ Jesus has taken it into His own innocent flesh and suffered and died for it on the cross.
          Jesus' love for you is not slight or superficial--but heartfelt.  A heart that felt all of your guilt, anger, shame, doubt, unbelief, and so much more.  A heart that moved Him to endure the wrath of God for your sake.  A heart, that when pierced by the cruel Roman spear, poured out blood and water--to cover your sin and make your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees and Mother Theresas of the world. 
          Beloved, by relaxing and trusting in the Word and work of Jesus Christ on the cross--you have been fully and freely forgiven.  Freed now to live according to God's Law and keep it--not to earn heaven, but because it's already yours.  Free to proclaim the truth of God's love--His Law and His Gospel--to a world mired in sin and death.  Will this be easy?  No.  Will you suffer hardship for proclaiming the clear Word of God--His moral teaching as well as His salvation through faith in Christ?  Most likely. 
          But remember, through your Baptism into Christ you have died to sin and been raised to new life through faith in Him.  By clinging to the cross of Jesus, your righteousness DOES exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees--for it is not your own--but Christ's.  Nothing you or I do could ever add or take away from His perfect work of our salvation.  And by His righteousness you have been given forgiveness for all of your sins--your own immorality as well as your failure to speak God's Word boldly as you know you should.  By Christ's death and resurrection you have been saved and given new life and courage by the Holy Spirit.
          Jesus Christ has come and paid the whole debt of your sin--every last bit--through His suffering, death, and resurrection.  He has reconciled you to God by His shed blood--and to each other.  When you doubt your righteousness--when the devil accuses you of your sin--when God's Law does its work and clearly reflects just how inadequate and unworthy and sinful you truly are--putting your sinful flesh to death--then come to your pastor--come to church--confess your sins--unburden your heart--and receive freely from the hand of Jesus the forgiveness you so desperately need.  In the words of Holy Absolution--in the strengthening of the Lord's Supper by the eating and drinking of Jesus' body and blood--and in remembering your Baptism into Christ.  With these great gifts of God--you truly can relax--and rest in Jesus' love, mercy, forgiveness, and peace.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 5                                                                                                                                                                    July 12, 2020
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 
 
v.18   For the Word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, "You are all a bunch of fools!  Fools, I tell ya, fools!"  Such is the viewpoint of the unbelieving world.  They look at us Christians, with our beliefs regarding a simple Jewish carpenter from a remote part of a tiny province of the vast empire of ancient Rome, and they regard us as simpletons.  Dolts for believing that this Jesus was anything more than an ordinary man.  Idiots for thinking that He rose again after being crucified.  Crazy for believing that His death and supposed resurrection could possibly bring forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation to all those who simply trust in Him and His Word.  Stupid for believing that this same forgiveness won on the cross is given to people today through Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper.  I mean, come on!  Really?!  That's utter foolishness!
          "It is folly to believe that God exists, period," they say," let alone that a God would work faith and salvation in tiny babies through simple water and words."  That's ridiculous!  People want to see hard proof.  They want evidence of power and glory (much like the Jews of Paul's day that he was talking about in this letter).  "Show me the signs—show me the money—the power—the health—the glory—that this supposed God gives to His people—then I'll believe."  The Jews sought signs—like a major battle won against the Romans that would drive them from Jerusalem.  Now a God who could pull that off—well He would be worth believing in. 
          At the same time the Gentiles sought to dissect all religious belief through rigorous intellectual investigation.  Through careful study and learning they sought to gain wisdom of the world around them, which would enlighten them to some sort of afterlife.  People today seek wisdom in the great god of "science."  "If science says so—then it must be true.  You can only believe in what science can prove.  If it can't be proven scientifically, then it can in no way be true"  (failing to recognize, of course, that some of the most important and real things are not verifiable via the scientific method, such as love, guilt, joy, peace, and even their own most deeply held beliefs like macro evolution and the big bang).  They think very highly of their reason and sensibility to understand the universe and everything in it—thinking that anyone who doesn't believe as they do, must be an utter fool.  Much like those silly Christians who pour water over babies' heads in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and think that anything more goes on than just wetting the child's head.  "Forgiveness of sins?  Eternal life?  Salvation from the devil?  Ha!  Ridiculous!  There's no such thing."
          Yet, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."  For God has declared, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."  God will not be dictated to on how to work salvation for His people.  To those who are perishing in unbelief, the message of salvation—the Word of the cross—is absolute folly.  It makes no sense.  "A Jewish carpenter-turned preacher from 2000 years ago, who was slaughtered by the Romans on a cross, is now risen from the dead?  And by His blood shed on that cross all of my sins—and the sins of the world—have been washed away and forgiven?  That's nuts!"  "But to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
          God's power is displayed in the perfect weakness of His Son hanging dead on the cross in your place and mine.  God's power is given through the humble means of simple water combined with His Word  of promise to wipe out the debt of sin and usher people (young and old) into His glorious kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ.  God's power is received via tiny portions of bread and wine wherein the body and blood of Jesus is really present in order to forgive sins in those who take it into their mouths with faith in Christ's Word of promise.  All of these signs connected to one particular cross upon which Jesus was crucified in a specific Jewish town on a particular afternoon in real history.
          To be sure, the "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom" just as people today, but we, the church, continue to "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 it is in the preaching of the cross of Christ that God works salvation in the hearts of all those who believe, St. Paul says.  It may seem utter foolishness to the unbelieving world around us, but we persist, for this is the manner in which God has promised to save people—through the seemingly foolish Word of Christ crucified for sinners.  But remember, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
          You, beloved, have been saved through such ridiculous preaching and action on God's part.  He has used sinful men such as myself and countless others, going all the way back to the apostles, to save those who believe.  We ought not be surprised that unbelievers act and believe like unbelievers.  Nor ought we look for gimmicks or tricks to entice people into the kingdom of heaven.  Rather, we are to trust in the sure and certain Word of God given to us in our ears, poured out in water upon our heads, and placed directly into our mouths.  This Word of God that gives us Jesus dead on the cross for the forgiveness of all of our sins.  This promise of life everlasting and salvation from the hand of the dreaded evil one.  Knowing that in Christ Jesus—through faith in Him—we are recipients of the wisdom and strength of God, which is far wiser and stronger than that of men.
          Dear friends, trust in Him.  Trust in the foolishness of God that gives you Jesus dead on the cross and risen to new life for the forgiveness of your sins.  For He is far wiser than any man and He has called you to faith and life through this weak, and seemingly foolish word.  Rejoice in your foolishness.  For it is God's greatest gift to you.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 4                                                                                                                                                                 July 5, 2020
Genesis 50:15-21
 
Payback Time!
 
v.15, 19, 21          When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”  But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?...So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.”  Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
 
Dear friends in Christ, this day we have as our text a familiar story.  For this is a story common to all families—especially those with siblings.  For where brothers and sisters are concerned—and other family too—when they get into fights or play tricks on each other—what so often happens next?  Payback!  Payback in full—or, as is often the case, payback beyond the scope of the original offense.
Such is what Joseph’s older brothers thought would happen to them.  For you see, in their anger and frustration with their younger brother—who also was their father’s favourite son—they devised a plan to sell Joseph (their overly annoying and obnoxious brother) into slavery—get rid of him and tell their father Jacob that Joseph was dead—which was exactly what they did.  Kind of makes the family squabbles we have pale in comparison, doesn’t it?
However, many years later, they discovered that Joseph, by God’s grace, had been made into a powerful figure in Egypt—indeed, the most powerful man in Egypt beside Pharaoh himself.  Initially, Joseph had taken his family in during a terrible famine—had moved his entire extended family to Egypt—but now the boys’ father, Jacob, was dead.  And the older brothers assumed that with dear old dad gone, it was now going to be time for some payback.  That their former misdeeds—their sin—was now going to be their ruin.  Uh-oh. 
Beloved, does this same situation not happen to us as well?  I know that in our youth we often do not seem too bothered by much of anything.  But as we grow older, as we mature—especially in our faith as Christians—we grow more and more aware of our sin and the terrible nature of it all.  Each of us is 100% sinner in the sight of God—each of us is deserving of God’s full and complete wrath—not just for the times we’ve fought with our siblings and family—but for all that we do—all that we are—which is in opposition to God and His perfect and holy will.  And sometimes, we can even be brought to despair over the severity of our sinfulness, as Joseph's brothers were—wondering if true forgiveness can ever be ours.
May this never be, dear friends.  For when the magnitude of our sin drives us to despair, the magnitude of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, which swallows sins—no matter how great they are—should be praised and increased all the more.  Joseph’s brothers were terrified of him after their father died because they didn’t truly and fully believe that Joseph had forgiven them.  At times, we can’t believe that God would forgive such rank and horrible sinners as ourselves. 
But you see, dear friends, when Satan has driven you to your knees with the crushing weight of your sin before your eyes—when the world would seek to grind you up and lead you away from the light of the Saviour—Jesus comes to you.  He speaks words of comfort and reconciliation to you.  Jesus is your Joseph—who consoles you with the sure and certain promises given and confirmed to you in His own body and blood that He sacrificed unto death for your sins.  Jesus is the One who does not condemn—He does not judge you harshly as you deserve—but declares you righteous and holy—as those who believe in Him and His cleansing blood.
It is through Jesus Christ that God gives life that runs over in the face of death.  It is Jesus who gives hope in the face of despair.  For through faith in Christ we are truly children of the heavenly Father—who has shown mercy to us—forgiving us and cleansing us from all evil and darkness.
Jesus speaks to you this day in the words of holy absolution.  You are a sinner?  You confess it freely?  Thanks be to God—the Lord Jesus has died to take away your sin.  He has suffered for it all in your place when He went to the cross and was pierced with cruel thorns, nails, and spear.  All for you.  All by grace.
Jesus washes you in your baptism, day by day, to remove the crushing weight of sin that perpetually hangs over your head.  He removes the stains of the guilt—the filthy refuse that clings to your sin-spattered soul.  He takes it away and covers you in His own holiness and righteousness—presenting you to the Father as one who has been redeemed by His blood.
Now this is not license to sin.  For both wrath and mercy are with God and His anger rests on sinners.  Therefore, we should look at it in this way.  The greater the goodness and mercy of God is, the less it is to be abused.  The more that we are forgiven, the more we are moved by the Holy Spirit to flee from sin and temptation.  However, as sinners we will fall.  And whoever falls should continually run for refuge to God’s grace.  For we cannot buoy ourselves up—rather we must be lifted up by the merciful arms of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  When forgiveness in Christ has been grasped, sin has already been cured.
Beloved, you will at times feel horrible—you will wrestle with God’s Law, with your own sinful nature and habits—you will fight against the world and the devil all the days of your life.  For you will be sorely tempted to disappear from church for weeks/months/perhaps even years at a time (even without a pandemic!).  Remember that faith is not obtained, nor retained, by your own strength—rather it is God’s gift given to sinners. 
Therefore, we do not despair.  Rather, we gather together in worship so that we may be lifted up and strengthened in the one true faith—fed and nourished by God’s gifts to us in His Word and Sacrament.  As you come before this altar to eat and to drink of Christ’s body and blood in bread and wine—you are strengthened in your faith through the sure and certain proclamation of the forgiveness of your sins.  Remember that each time sin bites you and hounds you—flee to the promises of God made sure and certain in the Word of Christ Jesus given unto death for you and all people.
Joseph spoke kindly to his brothers and promised to provide for them.  Just so has the Lord Jesus done for you.  He has not given you payback according to your sins, rather He has paid for your sins with the stripes on His own back.  He took the full wrath and punishment of God into His own flesh so that you and I could be spared what we deserve.  Instead, He pours out His riches and mercy upon you and me—undeserving sinners. 
The Lord God confirms His Word of salvation spoken to you in your Baptism when you are absolved of your sins by the Word of the pastor who stands in Christ’s stead.  He gives you a pledge of your salvation in bread and wine, which is also His own true body and blood—that you may not despair—but rejoice in the gift of salvation given to you this day and every day.   For there is no payback from the heavenly Father to worry about—for Jesus has paid all our debt in full with the blood of His cross.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.