​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.

​Trinity 13                                                                                                                                          September 15, 2019
Luke 10:23-37
 
The Road to Self-Justification
 
v.29   But he [the lawyer], desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this day we examine that well known parable of Jesus regarding the Good Samaritan.  Now this parable of Jesus speaks of a man who exhibits great generosity and compassion to a complete stranger (indeed, an enemy!) who is in need.  This tugs at our heart strings and moves us deeply.  Indeed, there are many assisted living centres, medical care facilities, and even laws that are named for, and in honour of, the Good Samaritan.  But if all that we learn from this text is that we Christians should be kind and compassionate to people--helping them when they are in need (which of course is absolutely true and to be encouraged among all the disciples of Christ)--yet, if this is all that we learn--then I fear that we have missed the point.
          As always, beloved, context is key.  Jesus tells this parable during the course of a conversation that He has with a lawyer--an expert in the Mosaic Law--who has come to test Jesus with the question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus, in typical rabbinical fashion, answers a question with a question, "What is written in the Law?  How do you read it?"  Basically, saying, "You're supposed to be the expert here, you tell Me."
          The man answers quickly that to gain eternal life a person must, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself."  Jesus tells him this is the correct answer and that he and anybody else who desires eternal life should simply, "do this, and you will live."
          Now this is where it gets interesting, dear friends.  For the lawyer has correctly summed up the entire Law of God in one sentence--love God and your neighbour perfectly.  Do this—and you will live.  That's it.  That's all.  But this lawyer, who obviously thinks quite highly of himself--still knows that truly keeping God's Law perfectly--fully loving God and neighbour--is something of an impossibility.  The lawyer apparently believes that he does love God fully (an incorrect assumption, but one that many make), but he does seem to instinctively know he doesn't really love his fellow man as he ought.  And so he tries to pull a fast one on Jesus--attempting to justify himself by asking Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" 
          You see, by redefining who our neighbour is--perhaps, by narrowing it down to only those whom we actually like or come in contact with--then maybe, just maybe--keeping this law might be possible--and so he could earn heaven for himself.  He thinks he could "Do this—and live."
          Dear friends, do we not fall into the same trap as the lawyer?  Do we not seek to justify our actions to ourselves, to others, and to God?  "Well, sure I was mean to that person--but they were mean to me first!"  Or, "Well…I'd like to help that fellow in need, but I'm sure there are other people much better equipped than me, who have more money than me--who can help them instead."  Or, "God, you know I would never normally do something like that, but they pushed me into it!" 
          Oh, yes, beloved, we are great at justifying our actions (and inaction) to ourselves--finding loopholes in God's Law--so that we don't really have to keep it as He demands.  We play fast and loose with His Word, unintentionally making a mockery of our Lord God in the process.  But God will not be mocked.  Those who seek to justify themselves before Him--those who seek to be judged according to God's Law, apart from Christ--WILL be judged in that fashion.  Those who desire to meet their Lord on Judgement Day and hold before Him their own works will have that opportunity—but it won't do them any good.  For we have not loved God or neighbor as we ought. Therefore, eternal life is not for you--but rather eternal damnation.
          Which is really the whole point of Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan.  It wasn't just to instruct people to be nicer to each other--to show mercy and compassion—rather, it was to teach people that apart from God's loving action toward us in Christ, we are completely doomed.
          Beloved, you have been stripped bare and beaten by sin.  The world has come after you, the devil hunts you, and your own flesh betrays you into sin--to reject and forego God's precious Word.  Our sinful inclination is not to do good to our neighbor, but rather to live selfishly—to serve ourselves as the greatest good.  And the Law is of no help to save you.  Now the Law of God is Good and wise, to be sure.  It comes from God and is for our benefit—it instructs us in the Christian life—it teaches us right from wrong—but it doesn’t save.  The Law can only confirm our situation--diagnose our problem--"Yup.  You're a miserable sinner, dying along the side of the road.  Boy, that's just awful.  Maybe if you tried harder--pulled up your socks--maybe then you could get back on your feet and the road to glory."
          But that simply is just not so.  We can't.  And so, after we finally see that we cannot justify ourselves before God--that we cannot make ourselves right with God (by running and hiding from the Law--by asking "who really is my neighbour?"), we are driven to rely on only One Person for help--the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Good Samaritan.
          Jesus is your only hope, dear friends.  He does all things for you.  He has had compassion on you by coming down to you in your lost and dying condition, pouring upon you the healing oil and wine of the Sacraments that give you Jesus and the forgiveness of your sins. 
          Jesus places you on His own shoulders as a donkey carries a load, bearing your sin and death in His body on the cross to forgive you--to justify you--to you make you right with God once more.  Your sins have been paid for--by Jesus' blood and righteousness outpoured for you on the cross—and so you have life!
          Furthermore, Jesus has brought you to the inn of His holy Church.  He gives to the innkeeper 2 denarii, so that the double portion of His love and forgiveness might continue to be ministered to you in your need all the days of your life.  You see how the Lord God, whose Law struck down your sinful flesh, has healed and restored you by His blessed Gospel and raised you up with Himself on the Third Day so that you may live in His sight in eternal glory.
          For you see, dear friends, eternal life is not earned by your works or efforts.  Rather, it is an inheritance.  Freely given by God to His beloved children.  His children are those who, like you, believe in Jesus Christ alone as their Lord and Saviour.  It is freely given by God in Christ, who is your neighbour, your Good Samaritan. 
          Jesus has done all things for you.  He has kept all of God's Law for you.  He has also shed His holy blood on the cross for you--to wipe out any debt of sin and any taint of death.  He gives to you, freely, all that is His--in His Word and Sacrament.  Bestowing upon you His own righteousness and peace that you so desperately need and crave. 
          Each time you hear of God's redeeming love for you in Christ--each time you remember your Baptismal grace and blessing--each time you humbly receive the Lord's body and blood in bread and wine--you see and hear Jesus.  "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  You are blessed--in Christ Jesus the Good Samaritan--your compassionate and loving neighbour who destroyed your sin, your death, and the power of the devil—with His own suffering and death on the cross.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 12                                                                                                                                            September 8, 2019
Romans 10:9-17
 
HEARING is Believing!
 
v.17   So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, St. Paul in our epistle reading is very clear.  "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  Not a lot of wiggle room there.  The Scriptures declare in no uncertain terms that the way of salvation—the way to life eternal with God—is through faith in Jesus Christ as God and Lord—who died on the cross for the sins of the world, but who was raised from the dead for our justification and peace with God.  And this way of salvation is not limited to any one group of people—one select ethnicity or culture or language—no, indeed—as the apostle goes on to say in v.13, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
          Everyone.  Every person—man, woman, or child—who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour—who calls upon Him in prayer and praise and thanksgiving—no matter anything else about that person—whatever sins they have committed—what they look like—what they eat—how they dress—what language they speak—no matter—they will be saved.  For there is no distinction between anyone—all are sinners in the sight of God—all are deserving of His wrath—all have fallen short of the perfect glory of God—and ALL are saved purely by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Jesus is the same Lord of all people.
          And yet, beloved, there is a problem, isn't there?  I'm sure that many of you have already spotted it.  Indeed, many of you bring up this thorny problem in Bible class or other conversations.  It goes something like this:  If, as the Scriptures declare, there is but one way to salvation—through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord—and the only way to come to faith is, as St. Paul says in our text, through the hearing of the Word of Christ—then why is it that some people hear and believe this Gospel message of Jesus and some don't?
          Now please note that you are not the first to ask this question.  Indeed, St. Paul asks this question in a similar way in our text, "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?"  People will not call on Jesus if they do not believe.  And they will not believe in Him if they've never heard of Him.  And how can they hear of Him if no one ever preaches to them about who Jesus is and what He has done on the cross to save all people from their sins?
          Let me be absolutely clear, beloved, the Scriptures never answer the questions "Why do some believe and not others?  and What happens to those who have never heard the saving Gospel of Christ?"  The closest the Bible comes to doing so is here in St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, which basically comes down to saying, "Continue to preach the Word.  For it is only through the Word of Gospel of Christ that people may hear and believe and so be saved."
          Dear friends, we all have friends and relatives who don't believe.  We all have people in our lives whom we care about very deeply—whom we love and cherish—who have fallen away from the faith—or, who have never believed in the first place.  What are we to do? 
          Well, we could be very tempted to act as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America did this past month in their general assembly—which was simply to deny Christ alone as the Saviour of the world.  They opened up their church to the false belief that faith in Christ is no longer necessary to be saved from sin, death, and hell.  While their intentions were no doubt genuine, what they have done is separating the church of Christ from the message of Christ.  A position which, if believed, leads people not to heaven, but to hell—for it leads to unbelief—a belief that calling on the name of anyone/anything can save a person: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, etc.  They have argued against John 14, which states that "no one comes to the Father except through [Jesus]."  And though it pains me to say it, this means they can no longer rightly be called a Christian church (though Christians certainly may remain in her for a time).
          Why do I bring this up, beloved?  Because it is so very tempting when we are faced with declining numbers, budget crunches, broken relationships among family and friends—to give up the heart of the Christian faith, which is so scandalous to the unbelieving world—in order to be more liked and welcomed by the unbelieving world.  Indeed, a few weeks ago an opinion piece written by a fifteen year old girl was published in USA Today, in which she talked rather candidly about what she thought the church needed to do in order to attract more young people such as herself.  Ironically, this girl only ever attended church maybe once or twice a year, which begs the question as to why anyone would consider her an authority on what the church ought to be.  This came through strongly in her article where she stated, "In other words, the Christian church experience needs to start transcending the traditional and adapting to the times."  She suggested bringing in private meditation, acceptance of other religions, a doing away with any sort of talk about sin.  So, if the church adopted this thinking, what would make the church any different from the culture and the world around it?  Nothing!
The church would cease to be the church, as we have sadly seen with the ELCA and other denominations that have fallen victim to this anti-Christ way of thinking.
          Beloved, these examples simply prove that we are all by nature sinful, filled with enmity toward God, and are deaf to His Gospel call.  We are like the deaf and mute man in our Gospel text.  We are all by nature unable to confess the faith rightly.  For "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ."  Remember that Jesus put His fingers into the man's ears, and He spat and touched His tongue.  Our Lord Jesus has come to us through the sanctifying waters of Holy Baptism, wherein the Gospel message of Christ crucified and risen for sinners is applied to us.  The Holy Spirit, working through the Gospel Word and Sacraments is One who comes to us and opens our ears to hear the Word of Jesus and to believe.  And then to respond with loosened tongues by praising Christ Jesus as Lord to all people—confessing the faith of the Scriptures in season and out of season—whether people will warmly receive it or not.
          Dear friends, it is not up to you or to me to convert anyone to the faith.  That is up to God the Holy Spirit, who acts when and where He wills.  Our great joy and privilege as Christians is to boldly proclaim the Word of the Gospel of Christ to any and all people: our children, grandchildren, friends, neighbours, coworkers, etc.  We place no trust in the effectiveness of our words to do anything, but rather look only to Christ and His Word.  For His Word is performative—it does what it says it will do.  He who created the heavens and the earth with a word—sighed a single word, "Ephphatha" (Be opened) to the deaf/mute man—and immediately he could hear and speak plainly. 
          The Lord Jesus has done this first and foremost to each of you, beloved.  When you heard the Good news of Jesus for the first time, whether it was at the Baptismal font as a tiny baby, or the words of the Bible as an older child or adult, the result was the same—an opening of your ears to hear the Word of Christ and an opening of your heart to believe—leading to an opening of your mouth—to confess Jesus as Lord.
          For the same Lord Jesus who opened the ears and mouth of the deaf/mute man with a sigh of a single word also sighed upon the cross.  He sighed and breathed His last as He gave His life up into death on the cross in payment for your sins and mine and the whole world.  For Jesus is the living Word from heaven—who came to deliver us from sin and death by His own dying on the cross.  He is the Word as we sang in our hymn of the day (LSB 545, v.2 &3):
Word eternal, throned on high,  Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav'n to die,  Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,  Speak to us, your love outpouring.
 
Word that caused blind eyes to see,  Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;  Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,  Heal the world, by sin now broken.
 
          Working through the Word of Gospel of forgiveness of sins proclaimed in Jesus' name—the world, broken by sin, is now healed.  Each week in Holy Absolution, the Lord's Supper, Holy Baptism – Jesus breaks into this world with His life-giving, forgiving, redeeming, restoring, powerful Word.  And sinners like you and me are healed.  People deaf to the Word of God are given to hear the Truth and believe and so receive life from death and light from darkness.  All through the power of the Word made flesh who died and rose again, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Trinity 9                                                                                                                                                  August 18, 2019
2 Samuel 22:26-34
 
v.31   This God—His way is perfect;  the word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.
 
Dear friends in Christ, this great song of praise, which serves as the OT text for this morning, was sung by King David following his deliverance from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.  Repeatedly David cries out to the Lord in thanks and praise—for though God had given David gifts and talents in the theatre of war—though God had made David a great and glorious warrior king—David knows and recognizes that his successes—indeed, his very life and salvation—are owed not to himself or his own prowess on the field of battle—but rather solely to God Most High. 
This is, of course, characteristic of David, whose “rags to riches” story is filled with his being miraculously saved/delivered by the hand of God.  From the encounter with Goliath when David was but a young lad, to his constant flight from the murderous King Saul—all glory, praise, and honour go to the Lord.  This is what makes David Israel’s greatest king—not his battle excellence—not the way he expanded the borders of the kingdom or routed his enemies—but purely his humble and repentant heart—his simple trust in the Lord his God to preserve him in all things.
          David even declares that God’s way is perfect.  Perfect!  Perfect?!  For years David was forced to run and hide in caves from the insanely jealous and wrathful King Saul.  For years David was plagued with enemies on all sides—even from within his own household—with his rebellious son, Absalom.  And yet, here in his song, David declares that God’s way is perfect—it is complete in its integrity. 
          How can he say such a thing?  How can he have the audacity to speak in this way?  Purely by God’s grace through faith.  David knew and trusted in the Lord.  He knew that the Word of the Lord is proven true—like gold that has been refined over and over again in the fire—so is the Word of the Lord—a pure and holy and precious treasure.  David realized that even when all seemed wrong and crazy—that God had a plan and God’s Word would prove true in the end.
          You see, God had promised David—made a covenant with Him—that David’s house and kingdom would be made sure forever—his throne established forever—one of his own offspring would be established as king for all eternity.  And David believed in the promises of the Lord.  He trusted that no matter what happened the Lord would be with him and make His Word come true.  That the Lord would be his ever-present help in trouble—his rock and his shield. 
          Isn’t that what you and I want, too, dear friends?  To be shielded/protected/sheltered from the evils of this life?  Wouldn’t that be nice?  To not have to worry about anything and to know it’s all gonna be OK in the end? 
          Thanks be to God that IS the case for you and for all who believe.  To be sure, there is always something trying to bring us down—be it problems with friends, family, work, the world, etc.  There are those things that tempt us to forsake the faith—things that seek to tear us away from Christ.  The guilt of our sin can play a major factor—as can the terrible effects of sin that we see in this life—how much hurt and pain and sorrow it causes us and our loved ones.  But God is “a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.  For who is God, but the LORD?  And who is a rock, except our God?  This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.  He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.”
          In Jesus Christ has God come to you and for you.  Christ the LORD is the Rock—the chief cornerstone of our faith—He is the One who has borne all the guilt of our sin—setting us free from the dreadful bonds that drag us down—making us like the fleet-footed deer that can run and jump with such amazing agility.  He has lifted you up from the depths of your sin and your sorrow—by the power of His cross and resurrection—you have been raised from death to life and now rest secure on the heights—free from all danger—shielded from all your enemies through faith in the Son of God who came to take away all of your sin.
          David knew to trust in the Lord God and in His Word.  That the Word of the Lord is a lamp shining in the darkness to lead and to guide His children to safety.  The darkness of the shadow of death cannot harm you when you are in the Light of Christ Jesus who is Light and Life immortal.  He promises to shield you from the consequences of your sin by shielding you with His own crucified and risen body—that you may be showered in the protection of His shed blood that was applied to you in your Baptism.
          Now sometimes God’s way doesn’t always seem perfect.  Sometimes God’s way seems ludicrous and doomed to failure—like the dishonest manager.  But the dishonest manager was shrewd enough to understand the nature of the Master.  He understood that the Master is first and foremost merciful.  Just so with God the Lord.  He has acted in mercy for you and for me. 
          Did it make sense for Him to send His only-begotten Son, Jesus, to take on our human flesh, suffer, and die in our place?  To us that seems insanity!  But that is the perfect way of the Lord to bring about the salvation of sinners like you and me.  He promises to shield us from the flaming attacks of the devil through simple water combined with His Word of promise.  Make sense?  Nope, but it’s true, because God has said so.  He uses simple elements like wheat to make bread that hosts His own body when combined with His Word of promise.  Again, does this make sense?  Heavens no.  So why do we believe it?  Because God has promised to work through these things for our good in His Word.
          It always goes back to the Word.  Because “the Word of the Lord proves true.”  The Word of the Lord is Jesus in the flesh.  He has proven the entire word of God true by His dying and rising again for sinners even as He Himself foretold.  So that you and I may rejoice and take comfort and consolation in His Word at all times.  For the Word of the Lord is always true.  And His Word declares to you in no uncertain terms that He has had mercy on you for the sake of Jesus Christ and forgiven all your sin because of the blood that was shed for you.  His Word declares you a full and freely forgiven child of God—absolved in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  For Alleluia!  Christ the Lord is risen!  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen

​Trinity 5                                                                                                                                                           July 21, 2019
Luke 5:1-11
 
The Deadliest Catch
 
v.10b          And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."
 
          Dear friends in Christ, fishing can be a dangerous business at times.  You know what it can be like to have your boat dragged across the river by a raging sturgeon!  You know what it can be like to be calmly fishing one moment on a placid lake and the next see dark storm clouds rapidly approaching with no safe harbour in sight.  But fishing around here can pale in comparison to the risks and dangers associated with fishing for crab in the Bearing Sea off the coast of Alaska.  Discovery channel produced a famous reality show known as "Deadliest Catch" to highlight the dangers, excitements, and rewards of such fishing.  Sure, you can potentially make 30k in less than a month--but at what cost!--what risk!--to life and limb.
          Indeed, fishing can be a dangerous activity at times.  After all, fish can have sharp fins and even sharper teeth--and they don't generally care who or what or where they bite.  Fish can break lines, rods, and even nets!
          Well, in our text for this morning we see Jesus calling His first disciples--professional fishermen--to give up their hard and difficult labour of fishing on the Sea of Galilee--to go after an even more dangerous and daunting catch--to be fishers of men!  They knew well the risks of fishing--the hard work, risk of drowning, capsizing boats, etc., but now they were being called to pursue the most dangerous catch of all--men--human beings.
          Indeed, we know from church history that the risks of evangelism in the ancient Roman empire would be far greater than those of fishing on the Sea of Galilee or even the Bearing Sea!  11 out of 12 apostles would be martyred for their faithful witness to Jesus Christ crucified for sinners.  And even the 12th--John--would face years of exile and imprisonment.  But the rewards far outweigh any potential risks--for the Lord Jesus promises the crown of everlasting life for all those who believe--not just for the fishers of men--but for the men and women and children who hear that call to faith and receive it with joy and thanksgiving.
          Modern day fishermen are equipped with incredible gear to help improve their chances of catching their worthy quarry: awesome boats, GPS, sonar, fish finders, massive nets and incredible rods, reels, and lines--not to mention state of the art lures and baiting systems.  Even with specialized safety gear, however, and all the technology available, fishing is still hard work--and can still be dangerous.  Off the coast of Alaska an average of one fisherman still loses their life each week during the short fishing season.
          With this in mind, what is it that Jesus promises to equip His people with for this momentous (and sometimes dangerous) task of brining people to faith in Him?  Could His disciples look forward to a sure-fire method and message that would change peoples' hearts and minds and bring them flooding into the doors of the church?  Would they at least be given special protection so that when the message of the Gospel wasn't readily received they wouldn't have to worry about the fish turning on them like a bunch of Great White sharks in a feeding frenzy?  No.
          Jesus equips His church--His people--with the simplest of fishing gear--Words, water, bread and wine.  That's it.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  What Paul calls in our epistle, "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles."  And yet, with these simple tools operated under Christ's express command and instruction, fishing-of-men miracles happen every day! 
           I know, it seems ludicrous.  It seems impossible.  I don't doubt that Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John first looked at Jesus with shock and concern.  "Really Jesus?  You want us to go out into the world with nothing more than Your Word and these simple, common, everyday elements?  No magic displays of power?  No certainty about how our message will be received--except that most of the time it will result in persecution and hardship for us?  Sounds great!  Sign me up."  But look at the hall of fish they received at trusting Jesus' word to go fishing--so much that the nets broke and the boats began to sink! 
          Beloved, we must always have an eye for the end result.  Yes, the work is hard.  Yes it is dangerous.  But oh how wonderful it is!  What a joy and a privilege it is to share Christ's redeeming work with someone and see the change in their heart take place by the working of the Holy Spirit.  A true miracle is witnessed each time someone is "caught" in the Gospel net and brought into the boat of the Holy Christian church.  Whether it happens through the Word of the Gospel that we speak, or the Word combined with the water of Baptism, the result is the same.  Sinners are washed clean of their sin and are given eternal life and salvation.  All because of the Word of Jesus.
          What a crew the boat of the holy church consists of.  People of every shape and size--every age and background.  From the rough and tumble biker dudes covered in tattoos--to the white-haired grannies with quilts--to young children zipping from place to place--the crew of the boat of the Christian church is a motley crew indeed!  But all of us--caught by God's grace are drawn together by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus.  All of us share a common goal and task--to be fishers of men--whether by a quilt made with love for a High School graduate--or a Sunday School craft made of macaroni and glue that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord--we all are in the boat together--labourers for Christ--recipients of His forgiveness and mercy by the blood He shed on the cross to save us from our sin.
          It seems folly--ridiculous--to the world--that simple words could be so effective--particularly in such a hostile sea as the world in which we live with its anti-Christian sentiments that seek to overturn the boat of the church and drown all her crew.  Indeed, at times the situations Christians face in this hazardous sea we call the world, make the Bearing Sea look like a tiny kiddie pool filled with warm water.
          Nevertheless, through these simple means of grace--Word and Sacrament--that bespeak us righteous--forgive people's sins--reconcile us to God forever--the Lord Jesus powerfully calls people to faith.  Not through fancy tricks or lures--but by a simple net--the net of the Gospel--the Good News of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, crucified for sinners like you and me.  This Gospel net catches men, women, and children of all shapes and sizes--for Jesus laid down His life for all people.  He caught our sin and crucified it on the cross so that we could be forgiven and granted life and salvation by His powerful Word.
          The catch of mankind from sin was truly the deadliest catch of all--for it cost the very God and Creator of all--the Lord of Life Himself--Jesus Christ--to suffer and die--in our place--so that we might saved--and dragged kicking and screaming into the safety of the boat of His holy church.  Though your sin be great--through the blood of Jesus it is all wiped away.  Though you be frightened and scared at the persecution you will face for confessing Christ--He promises to be with you and strengthen you with His very own body and blood so that you can give the good confession--even unto death if necessary.
          This is what the church does, beloved.  She announces God's goodness and mercy in Christ to the world--for the world.  We baptize babies with water in the name of triune God to drive off demons and to cleanse from all sin.  And the Lord feeds the crew of His church the richest of meals--the very body and blood of the Captain of the church--Jesus Christ--in simple bread and wine.  So that as you eat of this blessed food you may be strengthened in the fullness of the forgiveness of your sins and so face the grueling work ahead in the coming hours, days, weeks, and years--never losing hope--never losing the joy that is yours because of what Jesus has done for you by dying on the cross for you, personally.
          Our blessed Captain--the Lord Jesus--guides and leads His people through the dark and turbulent waters of life in this broken and sinful world.  He does so through His church and the Word she proclaims.  He reassures us of His love and faithfulness no matter what we face or what struggles and trials we may endure--be it sickness, relationship troubles, or the prospect of death itself.  Through it all Christ gives His forgiveness and life to His people whom He has drawn in to His saving church. 
          Jesus has called you and me into His church--the boat which is His body.  And we go fishing--for men, women, and children--knowing Jesus goes with us--through the storms of this life as well as through smooth sailing.  He goes with you and assures you by His Absolution, Baptism, and Supper that you are forgiven--redeemed by His shed blood--and so have received eternal life and salvation--through faith in Him who DIED to catch YOU.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.