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As he shares insight from the Bible

Candle Power vs. Christ Power

12/23/2020

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​Advent Midweek 4 – O Dayspring                                                                                                    December 23, 2020 Luke 1:76-79
 
Candle Power vs. Christ Power
 
v. 78-79      because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
 
O Dayspring, splendour of light everlasting:  Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, have you ever been afraid of the dark?  Many are—and with good reason.  The dark is scary—it makes even the simplest of tasks incredibly difficult.  What’s worse—is that in the darkness—you can’t see—so you don’t know what’s going on around you—the unknown can be terrifying thing—especially when you are alone.  Which is why children often want someone with them at night—they find they can bear the darkness—as long as someone is beside them. 
          Well, even if you aren’t so much afraid of the unknown in the darkness anymore, we should all be even more afraid as now we KNOW what awaits us in the darkness.  For we know there is one who lays waiting for us—prowling around like a lion—looking at us as his prey.  And, just like children, the only thing that makes this dark journey of life bearable is when we have Someone with us—Someone who is Light Himself—and who shines brightly and beats the darkness back.
          This antiphon—O Dayspring—O Oriens—O Dawn—O Morningstar—falls on December 21.  What is significant about this day?  It is the day of the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year—the day in which the light is swallowed up by the darkness.  And therefore, it is appropriate that on this day the church recognizes this and cries out to He Who is the Light made manifest. 
          What is more—this day falls as we approach the high days of the holidays.  Days which for many are not so joyous—but rather are marred by the keen sorrow felt over the loss of loved ones who have been taken by the darkness of death.  Or, as we find ourselves still in the midst of a pandemic, facing the prospect of a Christmas without close family and friends gathered round—quite depressing and sad.  Again, the church recognizes this and points her people to the only true source of Light and Hope—that babe born in Bethlehem—the son of Mary—the Son of God—who is the everlasting source of true Light in the universe. 
          Jesus alone can brighten our darkest days when we are plagued by our sin and grief and despair.  Jesus alone can beat back the great enemies that seek to overwhelm us in the darkness of this life.  He alone can and has destroyed their power.  For He willingly descended into the greatest and darkest depths of human sin and death—suffering and dying for them on the cross—but then rising in glorious splendour with the dawn on the third day.  He has risen in light and with life.  And He gives this to you and me dear friends.  He gives it to you as a gift—freely given to all who believe. 
          Satan thought he had won.  Satan thought death had swallowed Jesus up and that the world was now his for the taking—a world to be sunk in darkness and fear and degradation.  But Jesus has instead consumed the darkness of death with the Light of His Life.  For darkness is the mere absence of light—therefore, wherever He who is Light reigns there can no longer be any darkness.  That is why the New Jerusalem as described by John in Revelation has no sun or any lamp—because the Lamb on the throne is the only source of light that is needed—and He shines brighter than any sun or bright light.
          The Luxor hotel in Las Vegas Nevada boasts of having the brightest light in the world—some 42 billion candle power—which can be seen from literally hundreds of miles away.  As a people, we are fascinated with bright lights—we fill our homes with light, we decorate the outside of our homes with lights—why?  In an effort to drive away and beat back the darkness.
          But there is no beating back the darkness of death and sin and hell.  On our own our very best efforts are impotent and tiny—not even a dimly flickering candle.  But with Christ the darkness is forever banished.  With Christ the night no longer frightens and terrifies.  For He is our Light and our Salvation.  For He who has come in the flesh has come to shine the Light of His love into our lives by giving Himself for us—by descending into the darkest depths of hell and death—so that you and I never have to. 
Jesus is the everlasting Light to whom we pray when our lives become gloomy and scary.  He is the One to whom we flee when the evil and sinister forces of this sin-filled world threaten to devour us.  And He comes.  He comes in His Word and in His Sacraments and He beats back our enemies—drives them away by the Light of His healing love and forgiveness.  He clothes us in His own righteousness—bathing us in the curing power of His mercy in Holy Baptism. 
What is more—He comes to us in His own body and blood—the body that entered into far more darkness that you or I will ever face—when He hung suffering on the cross—the day the sun itself hid its face from the world.  He comes to us in bread and wine to shower us with His love and blessings—to reassure us of His powerful presence in our lives.  For there is no darkness you will ever have to face alone—for Jesus has come through it all and now shines as an everlasting light—and He will walk you through the darkness as well—unto the shadow of death—into the Light of the Life to come.  May His Light give you comfort and joy this holiday season.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
 
 
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Believing the Word from Heaven

12/20/2020

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​Advent 4 – Rorate Coeli                                                                                                                         December 20, 2020
Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 1:39-56
 
Believing the Word from Heaven
 
v.45   And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.
v.7     And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
 
          Dear friends in Christ, what a turbulent year this has been.  It seems the world has exploded with violence and distress and turmoil: from riots and political unrest to the multitude of problems associated with the ever-present COVID pandemic.  So now, this time of year may be described as many things, but “peaceful” certainly doesn’t seem to be one of them.
          In the wake of such events—and we could list many, many more—what are we to think?  What are we to say?  What are we to do?  How are to carry on in the midst of such difficult trials? 
          The blessed Virgin Mary knew something about hard times.  She was probably only in her mid-teens, maybe 15 or 16 when the angel Gabriel came to her with the news that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the long-awaited Messiah.  She was an unmarried young woman who was about to become pregnant—in a time and place where she would have to endure intense public ridicule and shame—she had no idea if Joseph would even still want to marry her.  And yet, moved by the Holy Spirit, Mary responds simply, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word.”
          And in our text for this morning, when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth (also pregnant, even though she was beyond the age of child bearing), Elizabeth announces with joy, “blessed is the fruit of your womb!”  She cries that at the voice of Mary, the baby in her own womb—John the Baptizer—leaped for joy.  “And blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”  And then Mary responds with her beautiful hymn of praise—the Magnificat.
          In her song, Mary praises the Lord God as her Saviour because of the wondrous things He has done—His name is holy—His mercy is for those who believe in Him—His strength has scattered the proud and lifted up the lowly—He fills up the hungry with goodness, while sending the rich away empty-handed.  He has devoted Himself to His child, Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, just as He spoke His Word of promise to Abraham and his seed (singular) forever.
          So where does that leave us, dear friends?  Where do we look in our own times of trial and tribulation, uncertainty and doubt?  Do we look with hope and expectation of a vaccine to bring us peace?  Do we seek ultimately for assurance in having good political leaders to guide us?  No, as Christians we look to the One to whom Elizabeth and Mary looked—the Saviour—the fruit of Mary’s own womb—our Lord Jesus Christ—He who came down from heaven.
          Jesus' mercy is upon sinners for sinners.  He has spoken to us through His Word concerning all that He has done for us.  And it is His Word of promise to us that can give us peace at this time.  He has come to us veiled in His flesh to work salvation for all people.  He is the Righteous One from heaven—the very Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world by His own shed blood on the cross.  It is in Him—in Jesus—that we are delivered from all fear and anxiety.  In Him alone we find the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. 
          For the peace we have through faith in Jesus is not the kind of peace that the world seeks or gives—a mere cessation of riots or a new vaccine—nor even the warm and fuzzies, curled up before a beautiful fire on a cold winter’s night.  It is a peace that has been firmly established between God and man by the Lord Jesus who gave Himself into death to pay the penalty for your sin and mine.  It is a peace that transcends time and space—for it is a peace that is rooted in the death and resurrection of Jesus. 
          For the fruit of Mary’s womb—the babe born in Bethlehem whose birth we will joyously celebrate later this week—is the same Jesus born to die—born to sacrifice His body into suffering and death—born to be mocked, ridiculed, cruelly slain—all for you and me.  He alone is the truly Innocent One who took all our guilt upon Himself and carried it to His cross so that He could bury it in His tomb—rising in victory over it all just three days later.
          These are the things that the Mighty One has done not just for Mary, but for you and me as well.  His strength was shown in His weakness—in His suffering and humiliation.  By His death He destroyed the power of death.  By His enduring the curse of sin, so He has broken sin’s power over me and you.  He has cast down the proud, the arrogant, those who would seek His glory on their own merit.  For it is only by faith in the crucified and risen One that we receive the crown of heaven—the gift of life and joy and peace.
          All this He gives because of His mercy.  His mercy that has been fully realized in the promised seed of Abraham—the seed planted so long ago by the Word of promise given to Adam and Eve in the Garden after the Fall into sin.  This seed came to fruition at long last—planted in the blessed Virgin’s womb—from which would come forth One who would Himself be planted in the earth—watered with His own blood—and then burst forth in abundant life and glory three days later, like a flower emerging from the earth.  He is the firstfruits of all those who believe.  He is the resurrection and the life—and all those who live and believe in Him will never die. 
          This is the Word that He has spoken to me and to you and all people.  This is the Word that we cling to and believe.  For this Word of Christ gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation.  When we have these gifts—then we also receive the peace of God—so that no matter what trials come our way—we can face them boldly and with great courage, trusting not in ourselves or any strength or power of mankind, but in God our Saviour.  Rejoicing in all that He has done to save us from our sin—to conquer our death.  That is the power of the crucified Christ—the babe born of Mary—about whom she sang so beautifully. 
By God’s grace we, too, believe His Word that has been spoken to us.  We trust it.  We hold Him to it.  In remembrance of His mercy.  When all the world is darkly overwhelming.  We look to the Light of Christ our Saviour—and His peace—the eternal peace with God—gives joy and light to our battered and bruised souls.  We approach Him with tears in our eyes, hearts breaking in sadness and despair—and He holds us in nail-pierced hands—whispering words of love and peace to us as He gives us His own dear body and blood to eat and to drink.  “Take eat...my body...given for you...take drink...my blood...shed for you.” 
And we find that in God's Word to us there is peace—for by His Word He forgives, He heals, He lifts up, He restores, He fills us with all good things.  For by His Word He gives us the only Good we will ever truly need—the Lord Jesus Himself.  And where Jesus is given, no longer do fear, anger, or hatred rule, but rather the blessed peace of God, which has been given by the blood of Him who died--for me--for you.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  
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An Open and Shut Case

12/16/2020

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​Advent Midweek 3 – O Key of David                                                                                               December 16, 2020
Isaiah 22:20-23
 
An Open and Shut Case
 
v. 22  And I will place on His shoulder the Key of the House of David.  He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open.
 
O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open:  Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, I think you would all agree with me that keys are quite important—just ask anyone who has ever lost theirs!—that heart-stopping moment when you realize that your keys are no longer in your purse or pocket.  Because you know that without your keys your vehicle won’t work, your house won’t open—you’ll be left out in the cold.
          Well, we see that image given to us in this evening’s antiphon concerning the Key of David.  As we continue our chronological journey, last week having talked about the root and branch of Jesse—the new and perfect Davidic King that was promised—now we come to the Key of David.  This Key is very special.  For without this Key there is no way to enter into the Kingdom of heaven—for He opens and no one can close, He closes and no one can open.  He holds all the power—all the authority—all the keys.
          Indeed, Jesus often talked about this in His earthly ministry in His Kingdom parables, which so very often ended with a door (the door to heaven) being shut.  In His parables it was always evident that there were some on the inside—where it was warm and there was great feasting taking place—and there were some on the outside—where it was cold and there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth taking place.  Jesus was talking about what the Old Testament clearly prophesied concerning Himself—that He is the only way to enter into the Kingdom of heaven.  That He truly is the Key of David and opens and closes the portals to the heavenly realms.  There is no other way.
          What a great scandal this is to us—especially in our pluralistic society, which demands to have God in other ways—on our own terms—rather than the way in which God has revealed Himself to us in Christ Jesus.  To be sure, God desires all people to be saved.  He desires that all people be with Him forever in His kingdom, but the there is only one particular way to get there—through the One and only Key of David—the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ. 
          Indeed, God has set an open door of salvation before humanity in Christ, but people don’t want to enter through that narrow door of the crucified flesh of Jesus—they would rather enter into heaven on their own terms—in their own way—based upon their works, their pride, their arrogance.  They reject the door of Christ because He is seemingly so unremarkable—a babe born in a manger?—an itinerant preacher nailed to a wooden cross like a common criminal? 
How scandalous!  How ridiculous!  “I’d rather get to heaven by doing my own thing thank you very much!”    And so people fail to see the great gifts that God offers to all through Christ—unremarkable though He may appear—that babe born in a stable.  For though He came in lowly humility—yet in that tiny baby boy was a gift bigger than all the world—for in Him is found light and life—forgiveness and salvation.
Yet that’s just it, isn’t it?  We don’t want God on His terms—we’d rather have Him on our own—in a neat and tidy little package that we can unwrap and dust off every now and then when the mood strikes us—scorning His gifts in Christ.  But you can’t dictate the terms of your salvation to the true God.  As Luther once said, “You don’t want to meet God outside of the Man Jesus.”  For apart from that humanity, the only part of God you will find is His wrath and condemnation, and the door to eternal life will be slammed in your face—forever closed.  Apart from Christ, God is terrifying to behold.
Yet in Christ, we have complete access to God without being destroyed.  Indeed, in Him we find the fullness of the love of God dwelling among us.  For He has come to open wide the gates of heaven—not by merely turning a simple key in a lock—but rather by suffering and dying on the cross for your sins and mine.  If you recall, on Good Friday, the veil that was located in the temple that separated the Most Holy of Holies from the outer sanctuary was torn in two at Christ’s death.  This was a telling sign that the barrier that existed between God and man because of our sin—our rebellion against God, which began with Adam and Eve in Eden and continues today—has been taken care of.  Christ shut it up in His own flesh and then crucified it on the cross—rising in victory three days later—so that there is no longer any barrier between us and God.  For we can indeed enter into the Most Holy of Holies—the very presence of God—through the bloody and torn flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The door stands wide open—in Jesus.
Dear friends, at times it may seem as though the barriers are just too many—there are too many obstacles—too many locked doors before us—blocking our way to heaven and Jesus’ side.  Our own sin may seem so big and so huge—an enormous and heavy door—chained both inside and out—the deadly consequences being that we should be forever barred from heaven’s bliss. 
Our sin, our fears, Satan and the world, our pride—all these things would strive to keep us away from Christ.  But remember, no matter how great your sin, no matter how fierce Satan’s attacks, remember what happened on Easter Day evening—when the disciples were hiding behind closed doors out of fear of the Jews.  Who appeared?  Jesus!  Jesus came to bring them comfort and joy.  For He who is the Door—He who holds the Key to heaven—doesn’t need doors—and no doorway or obstacle can separate you from His love. 
Jesus has broken down those barriers with His own broken body on the cross.  And now He continues to break them down through the ministry of His church in Word and Sacrament.  For He who holds the keys to heaven has given them to His church to be used and exercised by her pastors so that those who fear sin may be released from their guilt and shame and the doorway to heaven be opened wide before them in Jesus’ name.  To be sure, He can also withhold forgiveness and bar heaven from those who refuse to repent, but that is not His proper work—that is not what He desires to do.  He desires all to believe in Him and receive His free gift of eternal life in Jesus through the forgiveness of sins. 
So, dear friends, lift your heads high, for though you were imprisoned by Satan and your own sinful flesh—the Lord Jesus—the Key of David—has come to you to release you from your bondage to sin and death—and grant you forgiveness and life.  All that He accomplished He gives freely to you.  It is an open and shut case.  The Lord Jesus has opened wide the gates of heaven to all who enter by His blood and righteousness—that blood and righteousness that has covered you since your Baptism.  The Key is in you—in your heart—for the Key of David is Christ the Lord—and He lives in you by faith sustained through His Word and Sacraments—now and for all eternity.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
 
 
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Offending Jesus

12/13/2020

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​Advent 3 – Gaudete                                                                                                                           December 13, 2020
Matthew 11:2-10 (11)
 
Offending Jesus
 
v.6     [Jesus said], “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we pray that when our King comes in His Second Advent of glory that we would be blessed by His coming and not be offended by Him in the here and now.  For those who are offended by Him reject Him as a matter of course—those who reject Him will not receive blessings and glory at His return, but punishment and eternal death.
          But come on!  I mean, who could possibly be offended by Jesus anyway?  I mean, He’s the good guy, right?  It doesn’t matter who you are—or even what religion you are—you want Jesus on your side—because Jesus was a nice guy.  He helped people, He loved people, He healed people.  What could possibly be wrong with that?  Even the Dalai Lama is fond of saying how much he likes the Christian’s Jesus—just that we’re not very good at following His example. 
          But dear friends, this “nice guy” version of Jesus that is so popular among people today—from Buddhists to atheists to many Christians—is not the real Jesus of the Bible.  For the Jesus of the Bible is quite offensive in His own right.  There is a reason why people so often wanted to kill Him—not because of His good deeds—but because of His profound Word. 
          You see this Word of Jesus—the Gospel—is offensive—a stumbling block —to Jews and Gentiles alike.  For by His Word Jesus proves that He is not just some ordinary-Joe-turned-do-gooder, but rather that He is the One and only Messiah—true God and true man—come to take away our sin.  His Word offends because it states in no uncertain terms that you and I are evil and deserving of death and hell.  His Word offends because it states that we can do nothing about that situation, either—there is no good deed good enough that we can possibly do to earn God’s favour.  But why would we want to anyway?  After all, we’re not sinful people—we don’t do anything that bad, do we—not like our neighbour down the street—now there is someone with problems.  And it’s offensive to me to hear that I am not a good person—how dare you—how dare...Jesus!
          Indeed, it is readily apparent that Jesus never took any of the popular leadership classes and seminars that we might think are imperative for any religious leader.  Rather, it seems that just as Jesus’ popularity is finally taking off and people are flocking to Him for healing and food, then He teaches something harsh and they fall away.  Don’t believe me?  Take a look at John 6.  Many thousands follow Him and He heals and feeds them, but then He begins to teach and says things like, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”  Then many of His disciples grumbled at Him saying, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”  After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.  Why?  They were offended by Him.
          To alienate His followers even further Jesus rather arrogantly asserts that He is the only way to get to heaven.  In John 14 He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.”  So, you can’t get in by your good deeds—by your being nice—at least once in a while.  What is more—He says your works—your best good deeds—don’t mean a thing—don’t count one bit toward your salvation—though He still insists that you do them—now if that isn’t downright offensive!  Indeed, after you have done all these things, you are to say, “We are unworthy servants.”  The nerve of some people!  Who wants to be treated like that?
          And so you see, dear brothers and sisters, just how offensive Christ is when you take His Word seriously.  It is scandalous.  It is offensive to our sinful selves—it’s just not nice to go around talking about people in that way—especially in our day and age, where “sin” is a bad word that you don’t want to use to describe anyone other than really BAD people—certainly not good, upright Christians like you and me.  And so, all too often, we, and those we know and love, are quick to turn away from Jesus and His Word—to ignore it—to reject it—or at the very least—to change it—to something we like better.  Take out all the offensive bits—and turn Jesus into that nice, quiet guy of our own making whom we can control and who won’t criticize anything we do.  Sadly, this has happened with the publication of various loose "translations" of the Scripture (like the TNIV 2011), which basically remove the offensive teachings in Scripture, like God as Father, homosexuality as sin, and others.
          You see our problem don’t you?  For if we do take Jesus’ Word seriously we see that those who are offended by Him—those who offend Him with their lack of faith and regard—do not have His blessing—do not enjoy His gifts of forgiveness and life—but rather will suffer death and hell for all eternity.  And that we are THOSE people.  In our hearts we cringe at much of Jesus’ teachings, thinking to ourselves, “This is a hard saying.”
          Even at this time of year as we prepare to celebrate His birth into the world of man—as we rejoice in His incarnation by which He came to save all people from their sin—we focus more on Santa Claus than on the virgin birth of the King of kings.  We don’t mind pretending to be Christians, as long as it doesn’t make us look bad in front of our friends—we don’t want to appear too harsh or judgemental.  Sometimes we go along with what our friends/family are doing—though we know it to be wrong from God’s Word—simply because it is easier to let things lie and not rock the boat.
          Dear friends, in order to be among the blessed ones of Jesus we must not be offended by Him and His Word and works.  But how can this be since every part of the world and the devil and our sinful selves screams out at us to reject Him—to depart from Him?  How are we to cast off all human cares, arguments, and counsels, which are ineffective?  How can we avoid offenses and turn ourselves over to the Word and work of God, putting aside our own thinking, when our own thinking is working against us, when our own self that is completely corrupted by sin, is the very nature of our problem?
          Simply said, we can’t.  We can’t do any of these things.  Yes, as Jesus once said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  For faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word and work, is not something that we can create from within—it is a gift bestowed from without.  Indeed, it is a miracle of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of the Gospel that we are not offended by this teaching, but eagerly embrace it and hold fast to it—it is all His work.  You do nothing.  He does it all.  From washing you clean in your Baptism to feeding you with His own body and blood in the Supper—He proclaims you to be forgiven by His blood and righteousness—and so you are.
          Just look at John the baptizer.  From prison he sat and watched and heard what the Lord was doing—people are healed—blind see—deaf hear—lepers are cleansed—even the dead are raised.  John sat in misery—awaiting his own death, yet he knew and trusted in Jesus.  That is why he sent his disciples to Jesus—for he knew that he would diminish, but that Christ would become even greater.  He points them to the words of the Word made flesh—to be their source of comfort and hope.  As the Word of Christ remains our source of hope today. 
          The Holy Spirit leads us to not be offended by Christ and His Gospel.  Indeed, it is that very thing that blesses us so very greatly.  For in His Gospel we find words of healing and love—forgiveness and peace—light and life.  Words that grant us hope in the dark times and places of our lives.  Words that we cling to in times of trial and suffering—grief and shame—as well as all joy and happiness. 
          Though at first appearances it may seem as though Christ is very distant from our problems and strife this side of heaven—yet nothing could be farther from the truth.  For He comes to you in His blessed Word of the Gospel to bless you—to forgive you—to confer upon you His love and mercy—to remind you of His steadfast connection with you through your baptism.  He has blessed you with the gift of salvation in life through water and the Word.  He comes to you in bread and wine this day to feed you with His life and love—to pour into you the body and blood that was freely given and shed for you on the cross of Calvary. 
Jesus connects with you in ways that the unbelieving world cannot and will not understand.  Yet He comes.  He comes for you and He comes to you—to bless and restore.  To give you deep spiritual sight—to clean out your ears so you may better hear His Gospel promises—to cleanse you from all sin—and bring you out of death and into new and everlasting life.  This is the Word and work of Jesus that surpasses all human reason and understanding.  This is the way in which He blesses—not for a singular moment in time—but for an eternal lifetime.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
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Jesus' Unique Family Tree

12/9/2020

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​Advent Midweek 2 – O Root of Jesse                                                                                               December 9, 2020
Isaiah 11:1-10
 
Jesus' Unique Family Tree
 
v. 1    There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
 
O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage:  Come quickly to deliver us.
 
          Dearly beloved in Christ, tonight history moves us down the line concerning the Messiah, from Moses to the greatest of all Israel's earthly kings--David, son of Jesse.  This is, perhaps, the most obscure of all the antiphons, as we come to the covenant that God made with David--that his seed would inherit and rule an everlasting kingdom.  A kingdom that would be for all people--not just Israel.
          Isaiah, in his prophecy concerning this coming Messianic King, tells us that He will be not only the branch of Jesse, but the root as well.  Which then begs us to ask the question, "How can one be simultaneously both root and branch?"  With man, of course, this would be impossible, but with the Lord all things are possible.
          The amazing thing about Jesus' family tree is that He is the One who both makes the promise and then fulfills it in His own coming and flesh.  For we know from Bible history that Isaiah prophesied of a time when the kings of Israel would be cut down--Jesse's line would be cut off from the throne.  But, he also prophesied that there would be a root that would shoot up from the stump of Jesse's fallen house who will then rule into all eternity.
          This will be no ordinary earthly king--indeed, the seven-fold Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him and He will judge all things with righteousness.  For Isaiah beholds a king from David's line, whose rule will affect human history to the end of time.  This Son of David is greater than Solomon and all kings of human origin.  He is the Promised One--the Messiah--who will fully be what God desires and fully do what God demands--He is the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ!
          Dear friends, Jesus is both the root and the branch of Jesse--He is both David's Son and Lord as Jesus mentions in the Gospels.  The One who is born of the virgin of the house and lineage of David, truly is the eternal God in the flesh.  An unbelievable miracle, right?  Something we in our limited understanding and wisdom can scarcely comprehend. 
          Yet Jesus comes.  He comes to fulfill the promise given to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, Moses, and David.  He comes as a real sign, not some abstract idea--no indeed, He is the root--a real living being--not made of wood--but come in human flesh--a real Saviour for us all.  Which is why the genealogies are so very important in Matthew and Luke and the rest of Scripture.  For they connect Jesus to the fulfillment of the promise from God made to real, historical human beings.
          And what is it that this real Messiah/King--true God and true Man--will come to do?  Jesus will come--not in glory and honour and prestige--but in lowly humility.  To take on our greatest enemies of sin, death, and the devil.  He will be cut down on the wood of the cross--for your sins and mine.  But three days later He will burst forth in new and everlasting life--the living branch of David and righteousness that can never be cut down again!  For by His bloody death and resurrection He has conquered all things and been victorious.  This victory He gives to each of you in His gracious gifts poured out through Word and Sacrament.
          The fruit that Jesus brings is forgiveness, salvation and life.  He will stand as an ensign--a visible sign--for all the people--of the great glory of the Father and all He has done for us through His Son's sacrifice.
          Which is why, as Isaiah and others prophesy concerning this coming King, all earthly kings will stand before Him mute--their pomposity and arrogance blown away.  For HERE is the KING of kings and LORD of lords, crowned with blood encrusted thorns, nailed to a tree in innocent sacrifice to bring blessing and life to all his people--even those who least deserve it--you and me.
          Historically speaking, this image of Christ as King who suffers for His people has captured the hearts of many pious earthly kings.  For, at the reading of the Gospel, monarchs would take off their crowns in mute awe of what this King has done for them and the world.  King Louis IX of France, also known as Saint Louis, who lived from 1214-1270, stated quite clearly that he thought much more of the place where he was baptized than the place where he was crowned king.  This was because when he was baptized he was given a kingdom that can never be taken away, whereas his reign as king of France would end at his death.  His deep faith in Christ and the blessings of Baptism should be a strong lesson of encouragement to us all.
          Indeed, all of our earthly ideas and power are left blowing in the wind as we witness the awesome power of the Lord Christ on the cross--and again at the empty tomb where He stands in triumphant victory over all man's greatest threats.  He has won and He gives that victory--that blessing--that life everlasting--to you--in the waters of your Baptism--in the Word of the Gospel read and proclaimed into your ears each time you receive holy absolution--and it is fed to you in the Supper of this holy King's own body and blood given in, with, and under bread and wine.
          And this is why Jesus is the One before whom all nations will do homage.  He is to be the object of worship for all nations and people.  This starts in Matthew 2:11 with the visit of the Magi or Wise Men.  Men who held great prestige in their own right--who were welcomed into kings' palaces, like Herod's in Jerusalem.  Yet, upon entering the lowly peasant home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Bethlehem, these wise and powerful men fall down prostrate before this holy King of kings--giving this tiny babe in Mary's arms more homage than any earthly king!
          For they recognized, as we do today, that Jesus is the Great and Mighty Wonder--who will be adored by all as He comes to give us His life that never ends.  This happens each week in the Sacrament of His Holy Supper, as we come before the King who comes by the hand of the pastor in bread and wine.  We stand/kneel in homage with open mouths to receive Jesus and His everlasting salvation.  Indeed, the fullness of our life is found in falling down before Him and receiving all good things from Him.
          And, dear friends, as we have been baptized into Jesus' name--we have become a blessed part of His own family--fellow inheritors of all He has been given by the eternal Father--so, we too, lowly, sinful human beings--cleansed by the blood of Christ the King on the cross--are now permanent members of God's holy family tree.  Now and forevermore.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen
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The Source of True Wisdom

11/29/2020

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​Advent 1                                                                                                                                            November 29, 2020
1 Corinthians 1:18-25                                                                                    O Antiphon for December 17 Hymn #357                                
 
The Source of True Wisdom
 
v. 22-24      “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greek, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
 
Antiphon—O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, mightily ordering all things:  Come and teach us the way of prudence.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, today marks the day of a new church year—so, Happy New Year!  As this day marks the beginning of the season of Advent, we are going to be embarking on a journey through the ancient O Antiphons of Advent as found in our hymnals in conjunction with hymn #357.  These antiphons are so old that we don’t know where they come from or who might have written them, but the church has been using them for a very, very long, time. 
          First of all, however, what exactly is an antiphon, anyway?  An antiphon is a little verse or statement that comes before a hymn of praise or canticle or psalm of Scripture, that highlights what the feast or day is all about.  They are centred on a theme.  These antiphons of Advent are paraphrases of Holy Scripture that express our desire for the Saviour as we await His coming with great expectation.  The O Antiphons come from the service of Vespers and frame Mary’s hymn of praise—the Magnificat, coming both before and after her beautiful song of the incarnation.  These verses focus us on the incarnate Lord Jesus and walk us through time as we see how God will act in history to save His people.
          One may very well say, “This is all fine and dandy, but how relevant can they be for us today?”  Well, to answer the question as to whether or not they are relevant is to ask whether or not Jesus is relevant today.  And the answer, therefore, is of course, a very big YES!!!  Each antiphon consists of a title given to Jesus in OT prophecy and then asks Him to come and fulfill this prophecy. 
          Which brings us, at last, to the O Antiphon that we’ll be looking at today—O Wisdom.  We begin in the vastness of the eternal wisdom of God.  This wisdom of God that laid down the plan of salvation from before the beginning of time all the way through to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who is the Wisdom of God incarnate in the flesh.
          You see, the Lord Jesus is the wisdom behind all creation—He is the logic behind the world.  When asking the big questions, “What is the meaning of life?  Why do bad things happen to good people?  What happens when we die?  Etc.”  Jesus is the key because He holds all things together.  Without Jesus nothing in this life truly makes any sense.  Without Jesus and His Wisdom, life would truly be “meaningless, meaningless, utterly meaningless” as the writer of Ecclesiastes states.
          In this antiphon we are instructed to find our meaning—our life—our truth—in the one who has come.  Indeed, we beg for Him to come to us so that we may find our way and our life in Him and in His prudent way.  For prudence is wisdom that is practically applied—and so we pray that we may live our lives according to His wisdom as we sojourn on our pilgrimage in this life.
          And this will not always be easy.  It may be very difficult at times for us to see the wisdom of God at work in this broken and sin-filled world.  A world in which we see our loved ones taken by death; where we see people all around us hurting and suffering; where wars, famines, pandemics, and disasters of all kinds wreak untold havoc and destruction upon the earth and her people.  Where is the wisdom of God in all of that?  Where is He when we need Him most?  What could He possibly be thinking by allowing these types of calamities and so many more to take place?
          All of these questions, dear friends, find their answers in Christ.  Do you want to see the mind of God?  Do you want to see what He is thinking?  Then look to the cross.  Look to the cross and see His only-beloved Son—the one who had no sin, but who became sin for us—hanging there on the cross.  Look to His pierced hands, His thorn-encircled brow, His bloodied and beaten body—look to His side from which flows blood and water.  Blood and water that He gave to provide us with life everlasting in His presence.  Blood and water that we receive for the forgiveness of all our sins in the blessed Sacraments of Baptism and His own Holy Supper whereby He cleanses us, makes us His own, and gives us His love and mercy, personally and individually.  Look to the cross of Calvary and there you will find your answers.
          For there our Lord God who took on flesh bore the punishment that was rightfully ours.  There on the cross our Jesus gave up His life—sacrificed it—fully and freely—so that you and I might have life eternal in His name.  There you see a God who does not simply understand your suffering in an abstract manner, but rather you see your God who fully understands your suffering and pain—for He Himself endured it all on the cross.  He is wise toward your suffering and He will give you the strength to see you through another day—and another day—until at last He comes again in glory to put an end to all suffering and death—and to usher in His kingdom of life and glory for all eternity.
          And He is with you through all things—be they your greatest joys or your greatest sorrows.  He is with you always.  For the Hand of God who orders all things is the hand of the enfleshed Lord Jesus Christ.  The One who was born, died, and rose again in glory.  It is His nail-pierced hand that holds the universe together and that holds you close to His side. 
And it is through Christ's Baptism, His Word, and His Supper that He comes to you in a very real and tangible manner to reassure you of His continual loving presence.  To be sure, this wisdom makes no sense to the world.  For how could reading a book, having water poured over you, or eating a tiny wafer and sipping some wine have any real affect on you or for you?  What foolishness this seems. 
Yet through these means, God in His wisdom, brings about the salvation of the world.  A salvation earned and delivered by an equally foolish act—a seemingly pointless and senseless death.  Yet through that death of the Son of God—all that was wrong with the universe because of our sin—has been made right once more.  Through the death of Christ—WE have been made right with God once more.  Each week we gather before this altar, we eat and receive this enfleshed wisdom of God into our mouths for the forgiveness of all our sins and are strengthened in our faith to attain to life everlasting in His holy name.  There is no greater wisdom than this humble act.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  
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Promised Forgetfulness?

11/22/2020

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

11/15/2020

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

11/8/2020

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

11/1/2020

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