Lent Midweek 4

Lent Midweek 4 – April 2, 2025

Psalm 122; Ezekiel 36:23a, 23c-28

St. John 9:1-38

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When the disciples as Jesus, ‘Who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind?” they are asking Him to explain the Law. It is as though they were asking, “Teacher, what does the bible say about this man’s condition? Is it the result of his sin or his parents’ sin?” Their question is understandable. In the 5^th chapter of St. John’s gospel, they saw Christ heal a paralytic who had been lying by the pool of Bethesda. When the miracle was complete, Christ said, “Go and sin no more.”[1] It was a natural conclusion for the disciples that this man’s blindness is also related to sin.

Christ’s response to the disciples tells us that the disciples are on the right track but have made a slight error. The man’s blindness is related to sin, but not to sins committed by this man nor his parents. This blindness is related to original sin, the sinful condition of man, the opposition to faith.

In fact, this miracle stands in the middle of the long-standing debate between Christ and the Pharisees over who Christ is. The miracle then stands as a testament to the work of God, namely, the recreation of man in the image and righteousness of Christ.

The Holy Spirit, working through St. John, has already set this Gospel in the context of creation when the first chapter begins with a summary of creation focused on Christ. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”[2] This Word is the light of the world, something Christ applies to Himself in our text.[3]

The theme of light and darkness, also present at creation, serves for the distinction between the absence and the presence of God. The wicked “do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness.”[4] “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”[5] “In that day, [the day of the Lord], the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”[6] “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”[7]

This light and darkness is manifest in sight and blindness. Those who see rightly, see by the light of Christ. Their eyes are open to the glory of God, manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. This Word of God is the light to our feet and the lamp to our path.[8] Darkness is blindness, a complete lack of sight, not to mention seeing rightly. It is a confusion of vision. Our first parents’ eyes were open to their nakedness and sin at the same time that they were closed to the righteousness of God. In seeing, they became blind. Christ will say the same of the Pharisees who condemn the man born blind when they refuse to acknowledge that He is the Son of God.[9]

As Christ goes to heal the man, there is no discussion of what the blind man desires nor what he would have the Christ do. Our Lord simply spits on the ground, makes clay, anoints the man’s eyes, and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. Our Lord’s conduct in this miracle is very revealing. This man was born blind, born dead in trespass and sin. Being dead in sin, he could not plea for his salvation. He could not make a decision to be relieved from sin. The Lord is the first and only actor in the man’s salvation.

And how does He do it? He mixes water and clay, the very elements of the first creation, then speaks to the man. In the beginning, God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.[10] Our Lord is signifying that He has done much more than heal this man’s malformed body. He has called this man to faith, bestowed faith upon him. He has recreated this man in the righteousness of Christ. The miracle comes to fruition when the man washes himself in the waters of Siloam. This washing signifies Holy Baptism, when the man made of dirt is washed clean of his sins.

The event which follow the miracle are also very instructive for the life of the Christian. We see that the man does not immediately comprehend everything that has happened to him. His faith is not entirely formed. His sins are forgiven but he does not understand the source of that forgiveness, not entirely. We could liken this to the faith of a child but a better comparison would be the faith of the saints of the Old Testament. They looked to God for salvation but until the time of Moses, they did not have His name. Even then, they had a title for God, “I AM,” but they did not know His personal name.

Over time, more was revealed of precisely how God would save them from their sins. They looked forward to the birth of the Christ, the very Son of God, but they did not know His personal name. He would be Immanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.[11] It was not until a lowly virgin gave birth to the Son of God that the world would know the Christ, that we would know Jesus, the name at which every knee in heaven and on earth will bow.[12] This revelation of the name of Christ is the light to lighten all the nations of the earth.[13] In the name of Christ, man is reborn through the waters of Holy Baptism, born from above, born a child of the Heavenly Father.

Just as it took time for this revelation to come to the people of God in the Old Testament, so too it took time for the man born blind to see Who it was that restored his sight. Even then, it is not until Christ reveals Himself to the man that he fully understands what has happened. And immediately, the man confesses “I believe!” and bows before Christ in worship.

The journey of the now seeing man is analogous to the life of the Christian, especially in enduring affliction. From the time of his healing to his confession of Christ, he is bombarded by interrogations, first by his neighbors and then twice by the Pharisees. Each time he speaks, his confession of the miracle he has received becomes clearer, more specific. In the history of the church, it was always times of persecution and controversy that led to a greater understanding of God’s Word. The creeds were written against heretics. The Reformation occurred to correct the errors of the medieval Roman church and under constant threat of death. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

So too, as we face physical pain, sadness at the loss or suffering of loved ones, and persecution in our jobs, communities, and families, we find opportunity for faith to grow. The affliction of this man was so that the works of God would be revealed, made manifest in him.[14] Pain and suffering are real but Christ is the greater reality, the light no darkness can comprehend, let alone overcome.

In Holy Baptism, we are not just made new creations set loose to wander in the world. We are created new in Christ. We are grafted into His Body, the Church, wherein we find our home. We are made new as the Old Adam is drowned and washed away. He is our light and our sight. Being made new in Him, we have new sight to see and receive the mighty blessings of God, even if our eyes of flesh see only the pain and suffering of this world. You have been given the new eyes of faith, that with the man born blind, you might confess, “Lord, I believe.” In that confession, you have more than anything in this world can give you. You have the Christ. You have the mercy, grace, and love of God, who is the light of the world. You have the name of Jesus, who is present with you always, to light even the darkest of places.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. John 5:14.

[2] St. John 1:1.

[3] St. John 1:4-5; 9:5.

[4] Psalm 82:5.

[5] Isaiah 5:20.

[6] Isaiah 29:18.

[7] 1 John 1:5.

[8] Psalm 119:105.

[9] St. John 9:41.

[10] Genesis 2:7.

[11] Isaiah 9:6.

[12] Philippians 2:10.

[13] St. Luke 2:32.

[14] St. John 9:3.

Laetare (Lent 4)

 Laetare (Lent 4) – March 30, 2025

Psalm 122; Exodus 16:2-21; Galatians 4:22-5:1a

St. John 6:1-15

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The doctrine of Providence refers to the fact that God not only created everything in the universe but continues to provide for it and sustain it. If God ceased providing for even a small corner of creation, it would cease to exist. St. Paul writes to the Colossians, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…and in Him all things consist.”[1] This sustaining action of God, and this alone, insures the continued existence of the world. When Scripture says that God rested on the seventh day, it means that He rested from creating new things.[2] He did not rest the way that you and I typically think of resting. He did not take a day long nap and avoid all activity. He continued to support and provide for creation even on His day of rest.

God provides for creation through means which He has established since the foundation of the world. Through the seed that falls to the earth, God provides nutrition for man and beast. In turn, the cow who is nourished by the plant provides meat for man. Through mothers, God provides milk for children. Through parents, God provides His word and instruction for children. We give thanks to God for the specific means through which He provides but we must always remember that it is God who is behind these provisions. It is God who give nutrients to the seed, the cow, and man. It is God who His Word to mothers and fathers. It is even God who gives authority to governments and rulers for the punishment of the wicked and promotion of the good.

God’s Providence is an extremely comforting doctrine. It means that you do not need to worry yourself over how you will dress, or what you will eat, or what you will drink. Consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. They do not have retirement accounts or work 9 to 5 yet the Lord provides for them. So much more will He care for His beloved children.[3]

After the children of Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and after they had been delivered from the smiting hand of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, they found themselves hungry and in the desert. Rather than turning to the One who provides in repentant prayer, they began to complain against Moses and Aaron. The people went so far as to complain against these ministers given to them by God that they wished they had never left Egypt. They longed for the meat pots and bread of slavery under the tyrannical Pharaoh.

These same people had seen the miracles of God against Pharaoh and how the Lord had preserved them from the same destruction, and yet for the sake of their bellies, they desired to return to their bondage. They preferred the convenience of life under the yoke of sin. It is easier to be a slave to sin than to be free under the Lord God. It is also easier to blame Moses and Aaron for having delivered them than to seek the Word of God, repent, and endure the oppression of the world for the sake of salvation.

And the Lord still provides. He gave word to Moses concerning the manna and the quail, the means by which the Lord would sustain His people until they came into the Land of Promise. The provision of the Lord should not be seen as excusing the sinful actions of the children of Israel. It is not as though He said, “Well, the people were just ‘hangry,’ so its not their fault if they complained against Moses and Aaron.” No. He provided the manna and quail that the people would know that He is their God, that they might look to Him to provide all good things for this body and life as well as their spiritual needs.

Even then, the people did not listen. Some became greedy, gathering more than they needed. They did not trust that what the Lord said He would provide would come to them. What was the result? The extra they had gathered rotted overnight, bred worms, and gave a horrible stench. This was a rebuke against their failure to trust that God would do just as He said He would.

Think now on the multitude that sought after Christ. This was almost certainly a mixed bag. Our text says the great multitude followed Christ because they saw the signs which He performed on those who were diseased.[4] Many of these were probably looking for a miracle of their own, or even just wanting to be entertained by this miracle-man from Nazareth. Some saw His miracles and sought His teaching that went along with the miraculous signs. It is not recorded that the multitude cried out for a miracle or that they complained against the disciples for food. You almost get the sense that the multitude was waiting patiently to see what the Christ would do.

It is He who first raises the question of feeding the multitude, already knowing what He would do about it. His disciples immediately begin planning, raising more obstacles than solutions. They, like their forefathers, did not think to petition the One through whom all things were made. They thought only of the cost, the supplies, and the difficulty of feeding so many.

Yet even for these, the Lord still provides. He provided fish and bread for 5,000 men, plus women and children, and for the disciples who did not trust the Lord to provide for the multitude. He gave in over-abundance such that twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers. From five loaves and two fish, Christ satisfied all those who had come to Him.

This morning, we take a momentary reprieve from the austerity of Lent. Today is called “Laetare” from “Laetare Jerusalem,” “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, All you who love her,” the antiphon to our Introit. We take a moment to rejoice in all that the Lord has provided for us. With the children of Israel and the multitude by the mountain, we rejoice and give thanks for our clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, animals, and all we have to support this body and life. We pause from the Lenten character of spiritual warfare to give thanks for the multiple blessings the Lord has given to us.

The rose color of the paraments is festive, removing the darker hues that form violet to give the joyous color of the Rose who bloomed in the womb of the Virgin. This Rose is the chief thing we give thanks for today. We remember and are satisfied that the Peace of Jerusalem was won for us in the death and resurrection of Christ. We remember the One who died that we might live. Liturgically, that is the point of having a day of rejoicing in the middle of Lent. We pause to rejoice in all the Lord provides us, chiefly that He provides us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, that we might be prepared for what comes next. Beginning next Sunday, we dive into the deepest portion of Lent, Passiontide, when our focus narrows to the events of that Holy Week when Christ conquered sin and death.

But for this day, for now, let us rejoice that we may nurse and be satisfied from the consoling breast of Jerusalem. How are we fed? What manna do we receive? Where are the bread and fish to be found? They come from the very breast of Christ. They come in His Holy Body and Precious Blood. The feast of the Holy Communion this day is provided for you from the breast of Christ, who nourishes His saints with His own body. He prepares us today to face death, with the knowledge that He has already conquered death. Although for our evil deeds we worthily deserve to be punished, we rejoice and are comforted that we have been mercifully relieved by Christ, our King.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Colossians 1:16-17.

[2] Genesis 2:2.

[3] St. Matthew 6:25-34.

[4] St. John 6:2.

Lent Midweek 3

 Lent Midweek 3 – March 26, 2025

Psalm 19; Exodus 20:12-24a

St. Matthew 15:1-20

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The text before us this evening presents one cohesive unit concerning what truly makes a man unclean – sin. This discourse comes in two parts: first, how the oral traditions of the elders compare with the commandments of God; and second, that sin proceeds from the heart.

We don’t know as much about the oral traditions of the elders as we would like. What we do know is that these traditions began to spring up during the time in between the testaments. We also know that the Pharisees often tried to take the Mosaic laws that applied to priests and apply them to all believers, turning specific laws into general ones. Some of these traditions took laws of Moses and amplified them. For instance, the law against work on the Sabbath was amplified to mean that you could not sit on chairs or stools on the Sabbath because you might slide one of the legs against the ground, creating a small furrow in the earth as though you were tilling the ground and that would be work.

We also know that not all of the oral traditions were the same in every place and at every time. So when these Pharisees asked Jesus about the transgression of His disciples, it could be that they were seeking to debate about conflicting traditions, wanting to prove why their tradition was better than His. But our Lord has no interest in allowing the Pharisees to set the terms of debate. In a turn that might surprise us, Christ answers their question with another question, and He phrases it in an offensive way. The Pharisees asked, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” and Christ responds, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?”

It is very important to understand precisely what Christ is condemning in this passage. He does not condemn traditions. He does not even condemn oral traditions that are used within the Church. What He is condemning is the elevation of such traditions to the same status as the Word of God. He even provides an example that has nothing to do with washing hands so that the underlying principle might be understood.

The Pharisees had another oral tradition that a man could, maybe even should, give his wealth to the Temple to receive great blessing, even if that meant his parents spent their latter years in poverty. This created a loophole wherein a man would be exempt from caring for his aged mother and father, something directly commanded by God in the Fourth Commandment. The Pharisees had elevated this oral tradition to supersede the commandments of God, allowing a loophole by which a man needed tradition but not the Word of God.

This general principle is then to be applied to the tradition of handwashing, although this one is more subtle. It doesn’t seem that the Pharisees’ handwashing tradition created a loophole to get around the commandments of God. Washing one’s hands didn’t suddenly make unclean foods clean. What it did was bind the consciences of those who did not wash their hands according to this tradition. The Pharisees had laid another layer of sanctification on top of the dietary commandments of God and treated it as equal to that of God. To transgress the tradition was the same as to transgress God.

In so doing, the Pharisees have now set themselves up as the sole authority that determines what is sin and what isn’t. They have claimed the authority of Christ for themselves. ‘Do as we say, or else God will punish you.’ What’s worse, and will be discussed in a minute, is that the Pharisees have declared that one’s relationship with God, one’s salvation, is almost entirely (if not exclusively) bound up in the outward keeping of the oral tradition. Under threat of excommunication, man must keep the outward traditions of the Pharisees.

Our Lord harshly rebukes the Pharisees, applying the words of Isaiah to them, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of Men.”[1] The worship of the Pharisees is false because they worship God with their works, trust in their works, and obey traditions of men rather than the commandments of God. They claim to worship the true God with their lips but worship themselves by setting their own traditions above God’s Word.

Having rebuked the Pharisees, Jesus calls the multitude to Himself and continues His teaching, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Again, our Lord is not commenting on dietary laws. He is teaching concerning sin and its true origins, as He makes clear when speaking to Peter, “Our of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies.”[2]

Sin is a matter of the heart long before it is an action in the hands. This is not to say that sin is simply the result of intention. One can have the best of intentions and still commit a sin. Rather, sin is the result of our sinful condition, of the sin that clings to our hearts and minds, not just our flesh. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.

A word that is very helpful in understanding this concept is “orientation.” To be oriented toward something is to be turned in its direction, even if it is not the sole focus of your attention. For example, I am currently oriented toward all of you, even if I am not looking directly at you, individually, in this moment. When considering sin, the hearts and minds of Christians are oriented toward the things of God. Yet the Christian still sins because of the sin which clings to his body. He is oriented toward God even if he fails to meet God’s standards in every way. The unbeliever is always oriented away from God even if he outwardly does something that conforms to God’s will.

In the case of the Pharisees, they have oriented themselves away from God and toward their oral tradition. Many of their traditions sought to outwardly uphold the Law of God but their hearts were turned away from Him. Thus they honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far away.

This is what it means when I say that God is more interested in the orientation of your heart than the nature of your sin. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t care what sins you commit. Quite the opposite! The sins you commit reflect the condition of your heart. But what is really important is how your heart is oriented. For the sinner whose heart is oriented toward God, sin is abhorrent. It is unclean. It is a thing to be despised. And when one whose heart is oriented toward God finds sin within himself, he desires to be relieved of that sin. He wants to flee to the One who can remove that sin. He wants to hear the words, “In the stead and by the command of My Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

And such a one as this, because his heart has been made anew and turned toward God by the action of the Holy Spirit, knows and believes this forgiveness to be true. He is confident that whatever is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven.[3] Such a one finds delight in the Law of the Lord because it is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.[4]

Thus it is not keeping the tradition of the elders that makes one clean. Nor does breaking the tradition of the elders make one unclean. That which proceeds from a sinful heart dirties the man and the Word of God alone makes him pure.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Isaiah 29:13; St. Matthew 15:8-9.

[2] St. Matthew 15:19.

[3] St. Matthew 16:19.

[4] Psalm 19:8-9.

Oculi (Lent 3)

Oculi (Lent 3) – March 23, 2025

Psalm 25; Exodus 8:26-24; Ephesians 5:1-9

St. Luke 11:14-28

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The exorcism of the mute man reveals the reality that satan rules over a kingdom. There are many nations, or kingdoms, in our temporal world but there are only two spiritual kingdoms – the kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan. These kingdoms are invisible to the eye but are as real—arguably more real—than the kingdoms of the United States, Germany, and Russia. We are accustomed to thinking about the kingdom of God but our Lord’s sermon on the occasion of this exorcism bids us to think about the kingdom of satan—it’s origin, composition, and strengths, as well as how a person is delivered from this kingdom.[1]

Satan is a created angel, one of those spiritual beings whose origin is sometime during the first six days of creation and belonging to those things we confess God created visible and invisible. He was created to be a servant and messenger of God Most High but at some point, he rebelled against the heavenly order, against God Himself. For this, he was cast out of heaven. Along with him went a third of the heavenly angels, becoming what we now call “demons.”[2] These are the evil angels. Hell itself was created as the prison for these wicked creatures. Satan and his demons know full-well who God is but because of their rebellion against Him, their sin, they have been condemned to eternal torment.[3]

But Satan was not content to just rebel against God. He wanted to bring the pinnacle of God’s creation with him into the depths of hell. This is why he took the form of a serpent and deceived our first parents, Adam and Eve. He saw the world as the perfect Kingdom of God, and he became envious. He wanted a kingdom for himself. The first human citizens of his kingdom would be the first humans. He drew them across the spiritual border and claimed them as his own.

And while the souls of our first parents had now become despoiled, God was not content to allow Satan to have his way with creation. The Lord gave a promise to Adam and Eve that He would deliver them from the sin now clinging to their flesh.[4] He would take on their flesh and redeem them from their sin.

But the damage was done. No longer is man made in original righteousness, perfectly conforming to the will of God. All his senses have been corrupted by the temptation of the devil. Satan had planted the flag of his kingdom in the world. He had declared war on the kingdom of God and sought to populate his kingdom. The corruption of our first parents is passed from father to son, down to this very day. This corruption means that everyone is born a citizen of the kingdom of the devil. By nature, he is our lord.

When it comes to those who remain in this kingdom of wickedness, we can consider them in at least three groups. First, there are those who slander the Word of God. To these belong the outspoken critics of Christianity, the “new atheists” whose goal in life is to crush destroy the name of Christ before the world. In this category also belongs those who are within the call of the Gospel but whose false teaching is contrary to the Word of God. The Pharisees of our text are among this group. They know the Word; they’ve read it and heard it proclaimed but they teach contrary to it. They refuse to believe what Scripture says and replace the plain words of Scripture with their own teachings.

Today, these would be the liberal theologians who would have you believe that the Bible is a collection of myths and fables, good for morality but not true in any historical sense. Another example is those who might say, “Yes, St. Paul says women cannot be pastors but that was then. In our context, women can do whatever a man can do. We are modern people.”

The second category are those who do not slander the Word of God but who live in manifest sin, including sins against the first table of the Law. To this category belong all unbelievers as they continually sin against the first and second commandments, worshiping false gods and refusing to make proper use of the name of God. They do not outwardly seek to destroy Christianity, but they also refuse to acknowledge the True God. These, too, might live outwardly moral lives but anything done apart from faith is sin.

The third category are those who desire a neutral way. These do not want to slander Christ or harm His Church, but they also do not want to side with Him. The “spiritual but not religious” types, or the “nones” most likely fit in this category. They think it is great that you have your religion so long as you don’t tell them to believe it. This libertine mindset is very common in our age. “There is no right and wrong, we just need to coexist.” To these, Christ explicitly says, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”[5]

You’ve heard me say many times, ‘there is no fence sitting with God.’ There is no neutral territory between the kingdoms of satan and the kingdom of God. You are a citizen in one or the other, whether a man acknowledges his citizenship or not. And these kingdoms are at war. There is no reaching across the aisle, no Switzerland, no peace accords.

The devil’s primary weapon in this war is the flesh of man, yes, even the flesh of Christians. He seeks to use the corruption of our hearts to turn us away from God. He will use your emotions, your desires, your reason, your strength, your memory, your relationships against you. He will leverage whatever means he can find to turn you away from the kingdom of God. And despite the appearance of confusion in the kingdom of satan, it is in fact united. It is united in opposition to God. The slanderers, the manifest sinners, and the libertines are united against God, no matter how they might think of themselves.

If man is born a citizen of the kingdom of satan, how then is he delivered from this kingdom? How does he become a citizen of the kingdom of God? There are three obstacles to man’s deliverance. First, he is born blind to spiritual things. When Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to see their nakedness, their eyes were simultaneously closed to spiritual things. They hid from God because they could no longer see Him clearly. Second, the heart naturally loves sin. It is naturally inclined toward sin. Being born a sinner, every intention of the imagination of the heart of man is sin and we find sin enjoyable.[6] We are not just born without faith but against faith, against God and everything God stands for. Third, man cannot forgive his own sins. He has neither the ability nor the desire to forgive his own sins.

Deliverance from the kingdom of satan is found only in Christ. A man must first perceive that he is under the power of darkness, that his king by nature is the devil. Yet because the heart is born sinful—loving sin and inclined toward it—and being spiritually blind, man cannot come to this revelation by his own reason or strength. Using reason alone, man can perceive that there is something wrong with the state of the world.[7] He may even recognize that there is something wrong with himself. But he cannot know that this imperfection is the result of a separation from God. He cannot know his sorry state is due to his sinful heart. This must be revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Just as a dead body cannot realize that it is dead and rise to life of its own accord, a man dead in sin cannot suddenly come to the realization that he is dead and remedy the situation. This requires the action of someone outside of himself. It requires the activity of the Holy Spirit.

The first activity of the holy spirit is to awaken a sense of dread in man that he is a sinner. The Holy Spirit must reveal the dangerous position a man is born into, that on his own, there is no hope of salvation. Closely connected to this, the Holy Spirit awakens a desire for salvation. First, He brings an awareness of man’s sinful position and then inculcates a desire to be relieved of this state. Finally, the Holy Spirit calls a man to faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior. This faith awakens a hatred of sin, a renunciation of the devil, and bestows a new heart, oriented toward God and loving the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Lord.

These activities of the Holy Spirit do not happen immediately through a burning in man’s bosom. The Holy Spirit works through means. When it comes to conversion, the bringing of a man out of the kingdom of the devil and into God’s holy kingdom, this means is the Word of God. This Word of God may be spoken, preached, read, and even connected to water. In these ways, the Holy Spirit enters into the heart of man and delivers him from the devil. Such was the case of the mute demoniac in our reading. Such was the case with each of you as you were called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And it was for this reason that our Lord amplified the cry of the woman who blessed St. May when He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”[8]

Beloved in the Lord, the kingdom of satan is a real and present danger. Yet the strong demon, satan, is overcome by the stronger man. No matter the armor in which satan trusts, the Word of God is greater. This Word became flesh and dwelt among us.[9] He dwells among us this day. He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to bring and maintain faith in your hearts. He has accomplished the victory over the kingdom of satan. The devil’s kingdom has already lost the war. Christ’s victory on the cross has ensured that the war between these kingdoms is a losing venture for satan and his followers. By death, Christ overcame death, casting the strong man into the dry places of no rest.

You, the citizens of the kingdom of God, have been called and gathered into Christ, into His Word, to shine as lights in this world. You have been washed, made clean in the waters of Holy Baptism that you would be made new, made glorious citizens in the kingdom of God. The stronger man, Jesus Christ, is king. He reigns for all eternity. May He remain your King, your Lord, your Beloved, now and forevermore.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] The outline of this sermon is based on the outline of C.F.W. Walther, “Third Sunday in Lent,” Gospel Sermons, Volume 1, translated by Donald E. Heck (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2013), 175-184.

[2] Jude 6.

[3] Jude 10-11.

[4] Genesis 3:15.

[5] St. Luke 11:23.

[6] Cf. Genesis 6:7.

[7] Romans 1:18-23.

[8] St. Luke 11:27-28.

[9] St. John 1:14.

Lent Midweek 2

Lent Midweek 2 – March 19, 2025

Psalm 25; Esther 13:9-11, 15-17

St. Matthew 20:17-28

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

After His third and most detailed Passion prediction, the mother of James and John approaches Christ with a request. She wants her sons to be seated at Christ’s left and right hands when He comes into His kingdom. What mother wouldn’t want such positions of honor and authority for her sons? The problem is that her question reveals that the mother of the Sons of Thunder, like the rest of the disciples, doesn’t understand what it means for Christ to come into His kingdom, what His coronation will look like. This is an even more serious problem because Christ just revealed to His disciples, for the third time, what that coronation would be – His betrayal, flagellation, and death.

Rather than sharply rebuke the woman and her sons for their lack of understanding, Christ asks if the boys are able to drink the cup that He will drink and be baptized with the baptism that He is baptized with. They boldly answer, “Yes!” Their response isn’t strictly prideful. They are making a confession of their allegiance to Christ. They are declaring their unwavering faith in His teachings and declaring they are ready for such positions of high honor.

But of course, they do not understand what they ask nor what they are saying in response to His question. To be fair to these apostles, it would be very difficult to understand our Lord’s words in their position. But standing on this side of the Resurrection, it is plain to see that Christ is speaking of two distinct cups and two distinct baptisms.

When Christ poses the question to James and John, He is referring to the cup of wrath and the baptism of death. The cup of wrath is an Old Testament image of God’s anger and punishment of sin. It appears 14 times in the Old Testament. Sometimes, the wicked can’t get enough of the cup of wrath. God pours little into their mouths and they seem to delight in their judgment.[1] They become drunk on the wrath of God and intoxicated with the punishment of their sins. This is reflected in the world when those who delight in sin want to claim their temporal punishment is a badge of honor. Think of sexually transmitted diseases and how those who endure are considered heroes, or at least their struggle is to be admired.

Other times, the image of the cup of God’s wrath focuses on the image of intoxication itself.[2] A drunk staggers, and his perception of the world is distorted. So too, the wicked stagger and stumble against God’s created order and see the world through their own wickedness. These are not just the result of biological processes but are God’s wrath beginning to be poured out on the wicked. The inability to rightly see the world around you should be a wake-up call that something about you is wrong, but the prideful heart of man seeks to convince the soul that such distortion is good, even godly.

Such is what is going on when Christ asks if James and John are able to drink the cup that He drinks. He is speaking of this cup of wrath. He is speaking of drinking to the dregs, the very bottom, of the cup of the Father’s wrath. He will drink from the cup of God’s wrath on behalf of humanity. As He bears the sins of the world, He will take onto Himself the just punishment that is due for those sins. He will not taste of the cup. He will not sip of it. He will swallow it whole, consuming every drop.

The prideful hearts of the Sons of Thunder make them think they are also able to drink this cup. Not only do they think they are able, but they also think they are ready to drink it. If Jesus can do it, so can they. They do not know what they are saying.

As for the baptism with which Christ is baptized, it is true that we confess we believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Yet we also recognize that Christ was baptized in the Jordan River. His baptism was not to forgive His sins. He doesn’t have any. Our usual way of describing Christ’s baptism was that it made our baptism efficacious. His baptism is what soaks up the sins that our baptism washes away. It was His anointing, marking Him as the acceptable sacrifice to the Father.[3]

Although these things are dogmatically true, I don’t think that is what Christ is talking about in this passage. The baptism of which He speaks here is, again, His suffering and death. He will be “baptized,” or washed, in the wrath of the Father. He will be drowned in the fiery waters of hellish torment on the cross. St. Paul speaks this way when he says we are baptized into a death like Christ’s.[4] In this sense, Christ’s death is establishing the new birth of our baptism. He is baptized into death to take the sting of death away. He descends into the death of baptism so that He would rise again the third day, establishing the pattern of our death to sin in Holy Baptism and our rising to a new life as the baptized.

Christ alone drinks the cup of wrath to the dregs and is baptized with death on the cross, but He also says that His disciples will indeed drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. We can understand this in two ways. First, we can see the pattern established by Christ’s cup and baptism. In this, we see Christ speaking of the cup of affliction and baptism into the yoke of Christ. The cup of affliction is the cross which all who would follow Christ are called to bear.

We must bear the suffering of sin and persecution. We endure affliction and pain, knowing that it is ultimately for our own good. It is chastisement for sin, not punishment for wickedness.[5] We gladly endure affliction because we look to our Lord, who suffered far more than we can imagine, and see in our suffering that we are being made in the image of Christ. We are made to conform to His holy life, suffering, and death so that we would be remade in the Resurrection, glorious even as He is glorious.[6]

The light yoke of Christ is received in Holy Baptism.[7] It is the crosshairs of Satan’s rage. Being marked as the baptized, we are also marked for pursuit by the devil. He hates the things of God and you, beloved child of God, are God’s most beloved possession. Therefore, Satan will doggedly pursue you and seek to tear you away from the Father.

The other way we should understand the disciples drinking His cup and being baptized with His baptism is exactly the way that we normally understand these phrases. His cup is the cup of blessing, the new testament in His blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.[8] His baptism is the baptism of new birth, the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit.[9] These are the Holy Sacraments by which Christ dispenses the forgiveness of sins. There is nothing left in the cup of wrath for Christ has swallowed it to the dregs. It is now filled with the blood of the living sacrifice, the lamb who takes away the sins of the world.[10]

The point to which Christ is driving throughout this pericope is that He, the Son of Man, came “to give His life as a ransom for many.”[11] A ransom is a payment made in exchange for the life of another. Because of our sin, we owe a great debt to God. Our lives are forfeit. In terms of debt, we have neither enough to cover our debt nor even the correct currency. Our righteousness will never be enough to climb out of debt. Transgress the least of God’s law and you are guilty of it all. Because of original sin, every ounce of our righteousness is tainted. It isn’t even a currency God will accept in exchange for our debt to Him. Therefore, it is necessary that God become Man, keep the Law perfectly in every jot and tittle, then offer His life in exchange for your life. God alone has righteousness that is of sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy the debt incurred by your sin.

And when Christ says “a ransom for many,” He means “all.” He is not drawing a comparison between many and all. He is drawing a comparison between many and one, Himself. “For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”[12] The sacrifice of Christ filled the ransom debt of every man, from Adam to the last child born on earth. The least of your sins, and the worst, are covered, are forgiven, in the blood of Christ.

Why then are not all saved? Because not all receive this great gift. If I paid your bill at the diner but you refused the gift and insisted on paying the bill yourself, you wouldn’t benefit from my charity. The same is true of Christ’s death. The rejection of the unbeliever doesn’t negate Christ’s sacrifice, but it does exclude him from receiving the benefit. In fact, by condemning the unbeliever, God is simply giving Him exactly what he wants. But for you, beloved in the Lord, to you it has been given to be children of the Father. You not only have been ransomed, but called and enlightened by the Holy Spirit; washed in the waters of Holy Baptism and made a new creation, the apple of God’s eye, and an heir of heaven.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] For example, see Psalm 75:8.

[2] For example, see Isaiah 51:17.

[3] St. Matthew 3:17.

[4] Romans 6:3-4.

[5] Hebrews 12:7.

[6] Hebrews 12:3-7.

[7] St. Matthew 11:28-30.

[8] St. Matthew 26:28.

[9] Titus 3:5-7.

[10] St. John 1:29.

[11] St. Matthew 20:28.

[12] Romans 5:15.