The Seventh Sunday after Trinity

The Seventh Sunday after Trinity – July 31, 2022

Psalm 47; Genesis 2:7-17; Romans 6:19-23

St. Mark 8:1-9

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

The disciples hear of the compassion of Christ and are aghast. Rational thought denies the possibility of providing food to 4,000 men plus women and children, probably 12,000, or so, in all. So much for using reason to determine the actions of God. Reason itself is a good gift of God but when set against the clear Word of God it becomes the worst of blasphemies. Forcing the Word of God to fit into our rational mind has led to many, if not most, of the worst heresies of the Church.

It doesn’t make sense that Jesus’ has two natures, human and divine, in one person. It doesn’t make sense that a Virgin would conceive and bear the Son of God. It doesn’t make sense that the Incarnate Body and Blood of Jesus is present on altars throughout the world. It doesn’t make sense that God inspired human men to write the words of Scripture without allowing sin to corrupt the words.[1] It doesn’t even make sense that Christ has forgiven your sin and yet you still suffer the effects of sin on this side of heaven.

Thanks be to God we are not called to make sense of these things. Our rational minds react to these mysteries like the disciples, “No one could do that! That’s not possible!” The eyes of faith, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the heart of flesh which has replaced our hearts of stone—these react like the multitude, “I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.[2] I will sit at the feet of my Lord and receive all He will give me. If he should appoint me to die this day, I know it is good for me because He has promised to give me all good things.” Even those sitting in the second and third row must’ve seen the paltry loaves and fish Christ was blessing, yet they react in faith, trusting that Christ would provide for each of them.

Here you might ask, “If Christ is such a gracious provider to His beloved Church, why are there Christians who suffer lack? Why does God allow Christians throughout the world to suffer poverty and hunger?” This is a fair question, and the answer is in three parts.

First, the Kingdom of Christ to which He has called you and in which you have citizenship, is not a temporal kingdom. A temporal kingdom is composed of the things of this world: house and home, wife and children, land, animals, governments of man, and all we have. A spiritual kingdom is founded composed of that which is eternal: God and man in both body and soul.

Christ has founded a spiritual kingdom, in which we seek and find eternal and divine possessions. This Kingdom is provided for by the Word of God, the Sacraments, the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. This Kingdom lacks nothing. A Christian, baptized into the Triune Name of God, has the entire Trinity at his disposal. He may call God his Father, Jesus his Lord and brother, and the Holy Spirit his Counselor and Comforter. If you have God, you lack nothing.

Even if the building is destroyed; even if you cannot receive the Sacrament because all Pastors have been rounded up and killed by the government; even if they take your life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, you have God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As such, you lack nothing. You have everything.

Christ would have us long for the eternal gifts of His Kingdom rather than pine for the things of this world. Temporal governments, rulers, fathers, and neighbors may provide or steal temporal goods, but they can never take away the eternal provisions of God.

Secondly, Christ would have all Christians exercise faith in all matters, temporal and eternal, in seeing that all things, temporal and eternal, are provided by Him. See the hands of Christ in your paycheck; in the calloused hands of the farmer providing your food; in the hands of the workman who builds your house; and even in your own hands when you change diapers, share a cup of coffee, or clean a neighbor’s house.

It is necessary that Christ provide not only for the Spiritual Kingdom of His salvation, but also for the temporal kingdom. The world continues to exist only because God provides for her. The world and all who dwell in her, exist for the support of the Church. If all Christians suddenly died, the world would end because there would be no reason for God to sustain it. Of course, this is not a concern for us since Christ has promised to return and gather the faithful to His breast.[3]

“But since the devil rules in the world and he is the enemy of Christ and of His Church, and since [the Church does not] seek the things of this world, they must suffer [temporal possessions] to be taken out of their mouths, and [to be] robbed of [that] which belongs to them. Here now Christ must help His Church and give where she suffers need and want, that she may continue to exist, that it may be called miraculous giving; and the Christians acknowledge that it is given by Him and that He shows forth continually in His [Church] such special miracles [of daily bread], so that they will have something to eat, drink, etc., even if the world gives nothing and grants no favors; but takes from her, and is jealous and hateful because of what God gives her.”[4]

So, when Christians are lacking, they know that what they can never lose is eternal life. No matter how impoverished a Christian is, he holds the entire world in his hand because Christ is with him. And should his stomach growl for lack of food, it is to remind him of things eternal.

Thirdly, Christians suffer lack in this world so that others might show them love. The multitudes suffered lack of food and the disciples were appointed to distribute the miraculous bread to them. Sometimes the vocation of a Christian requires him to be the one who is served, to be the object of another’s affection. This is a holy calling in life: to be the one to receive the good works of others. We are called to share all good things, holding all things in common. To serve one another, even when we believe the resources to be lacking, is a blessed work of God and a loving service to our neighbor.

Finally, we must see the Feeding of the Four Thousand as a blessed picture of the life of the Church. You walk through those doors every week, after seven long days of journeying in the wilderness. You are tired from the cares of this world; from your own sin, the sins of others, and temptation to sin. If you should continue on your journey alone, you would surely faint.

Yet Christ has compassion upon you. He has called you to follow Him, to hear His voice. Each Sunday, He teaches you in His Holy Word – the Introit, the Old Testament, the Gradual, the Epistle, and especially in the Holy Gospel. He is speaking to you now in the words of this sermon, through the lips of an imperfect vessel. When the teaching for the day is done, He calls you to gather before Him. He takes bread, blesses it and gives thanks, then breaks it and calls His servant to distribute it to you. Your body and soul are then satisfied with the Living Bread from Heaven. On the strength of this bread, you return to the way, the path of life in this world, until that day when your journey on this side of heaven is complete and you enter eternal life, where the feast will never end.

‘What Jesus does for the multitude, He does today. At that time, He acted visibly while today He acts invisibly. Then, He fed the body. Today, He feeds body and soul. At that time, He gave men perishable bread. Today He gives you the Eternal, Living Bread from Heaven. We, the Baptized, need the nourishment of Christ’s own Body and Blood to support us on the journey through the wilderness of this life toward our heavenly fatherland.’[5]

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; and His mercy endureth forever.[6]

In + Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] This is a reference to the autographs of the original human authors of Scripture. I recognize there have been errors in the transmission of the written texts, however the Word of God is infallible and communicates the entire truth of Scripture, even if minor errors have been made in transmission of the text.

[2] Psalm 116:13.

[3] The section regarding the question of why Christ allows Christians to suffer lack is based on Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol 4, translated and edited by John Nicholas Lenker (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1983), 220-222.

[4] Luther, Sermons, 221-222.

[5] Pius Parsch, The Church’s Year of Grace, Vol 4 (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1964), 76-77.

[6] The Benedicamus.

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity – July 24, 2022

Psalm 28; Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 6:1-11

St. Matthew 5:17-26

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

Do not think that Christ came to destroy the Law. He came to fulfill it. Truly, I say to you, until Christ returns, not one tiny facet shall pass away from the Law. Until that time, whoever breaks even the least aspect of the Law shall be guilty of the whole Law. It is therefore necessary that your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees for you to attain salvation.[1]

No matter who you are or what you have done; no matter how much money you’ve given to international missions or how many orphans you’ve fed; your moral purity and perfection cannot exceed the Scribes and Pharisees. Your right conduct cannot attain heaven. No amount of training in ethics or morality can keep the Law, let alone fulfill it.

Thanks be to God that this is the purpose of the Incarnation. Christ became man to fulfill the Law because you sinners can’t do it. Before your day of birth, even from your conception, you and all the earth stand condemned and lost. Not only are you turned away from God, but you constantly deny Him.[2]

Jesus took on your flesh and bore your sins upon His perfect shoulders to fulfill the Law. He who knew no sin became sin on your behalf.[3] He perfectly obeyed the law, every jot and tittle, yet submitted Himself to the death of the worst sinner. By this, your sins are forgiven. The Law is fulfilled in His sacrifice because without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.[4] His death for your life. This is the fulfilling of the Law.

And yet there is a time between the fulfilling of the Law and the passing away of the heavens and the earth. At the Incarnation, Christ did not come to judge the earth, but to fulfill the Law. There will come a time when Christ will return in judgment. In those days, the heavens and the earth will pass away. So too will the need for the Law to reveal our sin. Our baptisms will be made whole on that day because with the heaven and earth, the sinful nature which still clings to us will be finally destroyed.

But until then, we must do battle against this sinful nature. You who have been washed in the Blood of Jesus at your baptism, must fight against the urges of the sinful man within you. This is the teaching of Christ our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. He speaks not of moral perfection. That is the teaching of the Pharisees. When He calls you to a righteousness greater than the morally pure Pharisees, He is calling you to His own righteousness. He is calling you to the righteousness found in no other name under heaven.

This righteousness of Christ is yours in the waters of Holy Baptism. Because it is yours, it also necessarily affects you. You cannot wash your hands and claim there is no difference afterward. Something has changed. In this case, you have become the dwelling of the Holy Ghost. You are now a holy one of God, a saint, a true child of your Heavenly Father. Christ dwells in you and you are a new creation.

What does this mean when it comes to temptation? The Pharisees would say that it means you must outwardly obey the Law. “Thou shalt not kill” means you shall not take the life of another person. The Pharisees teach in the line of Cain.

Christ, however, teaches in the line of Abel. “Thou shalt not kill” means you “should fear and love God that [you] may not hurt nor harm [your] neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need.”[5] Even if you hate your brother in your heart, you’ve already killed him. When Cain’s sacrifice was rejected by God, the Lord came to Him and said, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”[6]

Cain had already killed Abel in his heart, but the Lord is calling him to repent. This sin, if left unchecked, will boil up from Cain’s heart into his hands. If it gets that far, Satan is waiting to receive Cain into the fire of hell.

So it is with you. Are you angry with your brother, wife, mother, or neighbor? If so, you’ve killed him in your heart. Satan is sitting at your door, ready to welcome you into the fires of hell. Do not give him the advantage. Quench the fire of sin in your heart by being reconciled to your brother, wife, mother, or neighbor. Repent of your sin before God and your neighbor so that Satan would not have another companion in his torment. This is what Christ is calling you to do.

What does it mean to be reconciled? It means to repent of your sins to your neighbor. It means to restore something that you have broken. If you have hurt or harmed your neighbor in his body, reconciliation might look like not only repenting but mowing his lawn until his ankle is healed. Maybe it looks like picking up the medical bill or paying to have his fender fixed.

Reconciliation does not mean pretending that nothing has happened. If your sister has something against you, repent and offer to help. If she refuses your apology or refuses to accept your help, there is nothing you can do. You are not bound by another’s actions. You are bound by your own. A bridge cannot be built from one shore. Christ is teaching you today concerning your own sins and how to be reconciled when you are legitimately the one at fault.[7] No one is above these sins against our neighbor. Take time to examine your conscience and see where you have broken even the least of these commands. I’m certain you will find something because the Law will always accuse your conscience, even as it instructs you how to love and trust in God and keep His commands.

Jesus has died in your place to fulfill the Law. He is calling us this day not to fulfill the Law ourselves; nor even to ‘do our part after He’s done His part.’ He is calling us to believe what He has done for us and to show forth the fruits of salvation so that we do not join Cain, Saul, Ahab, Judas, and Simon in eternity.

Give thanks to God! Your baptism revives your soul and makes you whole. So use it well, because you are a new creation in Christ! Live out your vocation in faith, being reconciled to those around you. Then shall come the day when Christ will place the glorious robe of righteousness, which you have possessed since the day of your baptism, upon your shoulders forever.[8]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] This paragraph is a summary of St. Matthew 5:17-20.

[2] The preceding two sentences are a summary of stanza 2 of All Christians Who Have Been Baptized, by Paul Gerhardt, as found in Lutheran Service Book (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2006), hymn 596.

[3] 2 Corinthians 5:21.

[4] Hebrews 9:22.

[5] Small Catechism, 5^th Commandment.

[6] Genesis 4:6-7.

[7] For instruction on reconciliation when you have been sinned against, see St. Matthew 6:8-15; 18:15-20.

[8] All Christians Who Have Been Baptized, stanzas 5-6.

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity – July 17, 2022

Psalm 27; 1 Kings 19:11-21; 1 Peter 3:8-15

St. Luke 5:1-11

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

In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, the Prophet is taken to the throne room of God. Immediately, the prophet fell on his face and hid his eyes, proclaiming, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”[1]

The prophet knew that a sinful man who stands in the presence of God will be destroyed. Sprinkle pepper in a bowl of water, then let a single drop of soap into the middle. Immediately, the pepper will flee to the edges of the bowl. Such is the might of God’s holiness. At His presence, the filth of sin is not only scattered, but destroyed. The serpent, that ancient dragon, will bite His heel, but the Almighty shall crush the serpent’s head.[2]

This is the position in which St. Peter finds himself. Like Isaiah, St. Peter is in the presence of the Almighty God. He knows that he is a sinner and sin is destroyed in the presence of God. But unlike Isaiah, St. Peter bids Christ to depart from him. Isaiah bowed in reverence and awe before God Almighty. Such worship and adoration were met with the hands of an angel, touching a coal from the altar of the Lord to the Prophet’s lips, cleansing his sins. St. Peter does not bow in reverence but bids his Lord to depart.

Such is the heart of man. The good, the true, and the beautiful are always difficult for us to accept. They require a rejection of our love for this world. It is much easier to accept what is in front of us. St. Peter had just been blessed by God with a miraculous catch of fish, thousands of dollars in revenue, but this blessing also threatened his life. The boat began to sink. Rather than cry out for mercy, St. Peter wanted Jesus to leave. “In You, O Lord, is salvation, but I prefer my career and my life.”

Because of the sin humanity has brought into the world, the many blessings of God are, from our perspective, always tinged with suffering. To love someone requires suffering. To love is to submit your will and your needs to the will and needs of another. You deny yourself on behalf of another. This self-denial is a light form of suffering, but the human soul turns this self-denial into resentment.

Scripture always considers children a blessing from God. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them.”[3] Yet how easy is it to begin to resent your children? When do you get some ‘me’ time? Why can’t they just learn the first time? Why don’t they know how to behave?

Perhaps we recognize the blessings given to us but we want to choose the amount. “Blessed is the man who fills his quiver? Well, I guess I’ll shrink my quiver to 2.5.” The Word of God is profitable to forgive your sins, strengthen faith, and guide you in the way you shall go all the days of your life. “But reading the bible is boring and Netflix is only a click away.” Or, “One hour is good enough. Why do we need to have other services and events throughout the week? What are we, all pastors?”

Then we might look at the world around us. Like Peter’s sinking boat, our world is collapsing into the depths of the chaotic sea. A country blessed by God, where the freedom of conscience and the ability to worship without the oversight of pagans is a birthright, is seeing its last days. Our freedoms have become the basis for our collapse. Freedom of religion has led to the freedom from religion. It has bred a ‘live-and-let live’ mentality. It was one step into darkness when sodomy was legalized but such deviance became rooted in our nation when we said, ‘what happens in your bedroom has no effect on me, just don’t make me support it.’

We are on a sinking ship. In this same situation, St. Peter told Christ to depart and let him down with the ship. Our Lord would not let that happen. Jesus hears Peter’s confession of sins and rather than obeying the heart of man, Jesus absolves Peter’s sins and refuses to abandon him. It is as though Jesus says, “the only way for you to leave my presence is for you to throw yourself into the darkness of the deep because I will not leave you. Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Peter has no need to fear destruction because Christ has forgiven his sin. Jesus has taken the sin of Peter upon his own shoulders and called him to be his apostle.

Christ has promised never to leave you nor to forsake you. Because he loves you, because he died for you, because he paid the price for your sin, you are valuable to him. He will fight for you even if it means fighting against your own will. Our Lord, the Heavenly Fisherman, is present with you always but especially in the Heavenly meal given from this altar. Elijah was sustained forty days and forty nights on the Bread of Heaven.[4] You, who receive the Body and Blood of Christ weekly, will likewise be sustained.

You have no need to be afraid because you are forgiven. If the wrath of God has been poured out on Jesus on your behalf, then you no longer need to fear the wrath of God. If you do not need to fear the wrath of God, then you have nothing to fear. Neither height nor depth, neither death nor life, neither lost loved ones or the suffering of this world needs to cause you fear.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”[5] Why resent the blessings of God? Why allow the blessings of God to become wicked in your eyes? Never forget what the Lord has given you. He has forgiven your sins. He continues to forgive your sins. He has given you everlasting life. What could possibly be better than that? Should the Lord call you to forsake your family, your career, your home, or even your life, you still have the better portion. Jesus is gracious to you and answers your prayer. He will not forsake you because He is the God of your salvation![6]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Isaiah 6:5.

[2] Genesis 3:15.

[3] Psalm 127:3-5.

[4] 1 Kings 19:8.

[5] Psalm 27:1.

[6] Psalm 27:7, 9, 1.

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity – July 10, 2022

Psalm 27; Genesis 50:15-21; Romans 8:18-23

St. Luke 6:36-42

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

Today’s portion of the Sermon on the Plain presents the climax of the Sermon. Jesus speaks to His disciples concerning the way they are to live—that is, how they are to imitate God. Today, we will view this text as four discreet sayings of Jesus, and then unite them in a conclusion.[1]

1. “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” This word for “merciful” is very rare in the New Testament. It is not the request of the beggar when a powerful man comes riding into town. It is also not the word we repeat at the beginning of every Divine Service, “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” Rather, this word is primarily influenced by the Old Testament. It is the word used in describing God who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”[2]

This mercy is a description of God. The simplest definition of mercy is not giving someone the punishment he deserves. The mercy in today’s reading describes first the emotion of grief or sorrow at the misfortune or death of a man and then the sympathetic movement of one’s heart to help the one in need. God not only refrains from the punishment due to man in the Fall, but He is moved by love to take on the flesh of man. In this way, He can sympathize with our low estate. This sympathy moves Him to do something about our deathly condition. He joins Himself to us such that He takes on our punishment. He sees His own righteousness and delivers it to sinful man. The God who cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, sympathizes with man, and dies for him.

This is the mercy we are called to show to our fellow man and the mercy we are so terribly at showing. There is certainly generosity and kindness in the world but there is far more hatred and spite. Friendships built over decades often grow cold in an instant. Marriages that outwardly appear strong are torn apart in one night of careless anger. Human nature is not only incapable of expressing such divine mercy—it is hostile to it.

Even for the Christian, this is difficult. Think about how hard it is for someone to please you but how easily you are offended. Or how many times you expect your wife to read your mind and how quickly you are angry when she can’t. This is not mercy. It is spite, vindictiveness, and cruelty.

2. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” These commands of Jesus are among the most misunderstood words of Holy Scripture to be found. Much like being merciful, Christ is calling us to imitate our Heavenly Father in these commands, but He is not calling us to imitate Him to the same divine degree. Put another way, do not judge the eternal fate of others and your eternal fate will not be judged. Do not condemn the eternal soul of others and your eternal soul will not be condemned. Forgive others their trespasses against you, and you too will be forgiven.

These commands are against making claims to the eternal fate of others. They are not commands against judgments and condemnations of those actions and beliefs God has judged and condemned in His Word. Rather, it is a call to remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to you. Calling on your Heavenly Father to damn a man He has bled and died for just because you are angry with him is a terrible blasphemy. Such rage and spite are easy for the perverse human nature, but it will do nothing but harm your own soul. Giving in to the temptation to wish the damnation of your neighbor is giving in to Satan and slapping Jesus in the face.

But there is a strange comfort in these words as well. No matter the condition of the world; no matter the hatred shown to you and the church by the city, state, or even your relatives; no matter the harm that has come to you on account of your faith—God will have vengeance. It is not your duty to determine the eternal fate of your neighbor. It is not even your duty to determine the eternal fate of your children. That is the duty of God alone.

What is given to you is to forgive. Forgive those who persecute you and turn the other cheek such that you would imitate the God who died for you. Such forgiveness is not what grants you salvation, but it is a necessary consequence of your salvation. When you forgive, you know that you have been forgiven.

If you struggle to forgive, pray for the strength to forgive and know that even the desire to forgive is a holy thing. The struggle you feel is the struggle between the Holy Ghost and your Old Adam. This struggle will last until you draw your final breath on this side of glory. If you had no desire to forgive, Satan and your Old Adam would have already won the struggle. There would be no conflict.

3. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” There are so many temptations in our age that it is difficult to name the greatest. We live in such prosperity it is almost insufficient to call material wealth and possessions a temptation. Rather, materialism is our default position. The frustration and difficulties we experience when the electricity goes out, the internet slows to a crawl, or the AC breaks down reveal how fragile we are.

It is this fragility that leads us to trust in material things. If we know that our electricity is prone to going out once or twice a year, it is more important to have a generator or two than to learn how to live without electricity. Internet slow? Better increase the speed (and the bill) rather than use it less. I’m using somewhat frivolous examples of modern conveniences, but the Holy Ghost who dwells within you is smart enough to find the deeper temptations of your heart—those fears you hold higher than God which prevent you from giving freely.

As for the measure, you must understand that Christ is promising to give you an unfair measure. He is promising to pack it down and overflow the cup which He will give to you. He is also comparing this to the measure which you use to give to one another. This giving is not strictly financial. In fact, it could apply to everything that has come before—mercy, compassion, patience, and forgiveness, as well as material giving. There are many in need in our world, all you have to do is open your eyes to find them. It is also entirely possible to give to someone who is not impoverished but who could use a gift—a gift of sentiment, forgiveness, patience, or mercy.

4. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” This parable is clearly hyperbolic but is not difficult to understand. Before claiming to judge the faults of your brother or sister in Christ, reflect upon your own faults. Beg for the mercy and forgiveness of God before you beg the repentance of your neighbor.

Very rarely do I use personal examples in sermons, but when my Beloved and I were going through pre-marital classes with our pastor, he told us that the worst fights in marriage occur when you are thinking about how she hurt you. This is the single greatest piece of advice we have ever received, and it is rooted in this parable. Before accusing your husband of being lazy because his shoes are in the middle of the floor, remember that you left the dishes until morning because you were tired last night. Then, remind him to put his shoes away because you both desire a tidy home.

The parable does not forbid calling your brother to repentance. Rather, it teaches us to first repent of our own sins that we might see the sin of our brother clearly and call him to repentance in love and mercy. It is a loving act to call someone to repentance because it means you are concerned over his eternal soul. Such a call to repentance is not to be made in a moment of anger or frustration but should be done in love. Therefore, you must first examine your own conscience. You must recognize that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness.

5. “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” There is no mistaking that today’s text is full of God’s Holy Law, that is, God’s eternal Will for our lives. Christ is instructing all who would be His disciples. This instruction necessarily carries with it the accusation that you do not live up to this standard. You are not and will never be as merciful as your Heavenly Father on this side of glory and yet that is the standard to which you have been called.

Throughout history, many have seen this as unfair. Such a conclusion leads to either disregarding God’s Law as unimportant or unnecessary. Others have concluded that God would never command something we are incapable of doing, leading to a belief that man must work his way to salvation.

The truth of the Scriptures is neither. The truth is that you have been called to become merciful, to become holy just as your heavenly Father is merciful and holy. This is done first in recognizing that you are not merciful or holy. You cannot be merciful and holy on your own. You must recognize your inadequacy before God. This is repentance. You must first receive the mercy and holiness of God. You must first receive Jesus and the sacrifice He has made in your place.

Then, you must submit to the will of the Father. By this I mean you must recognize that God’s ways are not your own, but they are in fact better than your own. Seeing the fault in your own flesh, desire and seek the mercy and holiness that reside in the Father. By the presence of the Holy Ghost, strive to imitate your Heavenly Father not to earn salvation but because of salvation. Repent of your own sins and then call your brother to repentance so that he too might enjoy eternal life.

Claiming to be Christian in word but not deed is not enough for salvation. The heart of merciful flesh transplanted for the stony heart of your birth must change the way you think, act, and feel. This is the Christian life. It is the life of all who would be saved. It is the life of the Baptized. It is your life. It is the glorious life you have been called to live in the presence of the Holy One of Israel.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] This five-fold division is inspired by Joseph August Seiss, Lectures on the Gospels for the Sundays and Chief Festivals of the Church Year, Vol. 2, 3^rd edition (Philadelphia: Lutheran Bookstore, 1888), 743-754.

[2] Exodus 34:6; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 145:8.

The Third Sunday after Trinity

The Third Sunday after Trinity – July 3, 2022

Psalm 25; Micah 7:18-20; 1 Peter 5:6-11

St. Luke 15:1-32

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

God never acts without reason. There is a reason Jesus tells the Pharisees three parables concerning lost things. Each parable follows a similar pattern: something is lost, that thing is found, and there is great rejoicing. The significance of the repetition comes in the differences. The numbers are likely significant, but I confess that I do not have a thorough understanding of this mystery. First, one sheep in a hundred is lost. Then, one coin in ten. Finally, one of two sons—one percent, ten percent, fifty percent.

A more revealing difference is the person who lost the objects. In the first parable, a shepherd has lost one of his sheep. This is a reference to the Office of the Holy Ministry and specifically to the Pharisees. It is also a reference to anyone who has authority over the spiritual welfare of another, such as fathers who are the head of their household and responsible for handing down the faith.

Through negligence or poor instruction, one of those given into his care has gone astray. The phrasing of this parable assumes that every man would leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to seek out the lost one. This is to the shame of the Pharisees. They stand mocking Jesus for associating with tax collectors and sinners. They don’t even mock Jesus to His face, they prefer to scorn Him behind His back.

The parable is unclear if, having found the lost sheep, the shepherd returns to gather the ninety-nine. I’m inclined to say that he doesn’t. He left them in the wilderness, the place of beasts and demons. It is quite possible that the sheep who was lost recognized that the entire flock was in danger. Fleeing from the danger, the sheep found himself lost and in need of a Savior.

Somehow, the sheep became aware that he was dwelling in the house of Satan. He realized his inability to rescue himself, but he didn’t know where to flee. The Shepherd came to this lost sheep and bore him on His shoulders to the safety of the village. The Shepherd returns with the sheep who fled the beasts and demons, calling his friends and neighbors together for a feast. He rejoices that he has found what was once lost.

The Law always reveals your sin. Even as it instructs the Christian, it also reveals the ways in which you fail to meet God’s standards. The promise of salvation connected to the Law is conditional. You must always keep it perfectly to receive salvation from the Law. Since man is sinful from birth, there is no chance for you to receive salvation from the Law. This also means the Law cannot convert, that is, turn the heart of man toward God.

Just as the sheep realized the danger of dwelling in the wilderness but did not know where to flee to safety, when man sees his sin, he does not naturally know where to turn. At the depth of his sin, he knows he needs a savior but does not know where to find him. Thanks be to God the Shepherd descends from Mount Zion into your flesh that He might find you hiding beneath the bushes and carry you to the safe quarters of the Church.

The woman who loses a coin is a representation of this safe dwelling, the Church. She loses one coin, lights a lamp, and sweeps vigorously. The light is the true light of the Gospel, and the sweeping is the harsh condemnation of the Law. The Church must use both edges of the Sword of the Word of God. Sinners must be called to repentance. The Light of Christ must illumine their hearts. Like the lost sheep, if the Church only sweeps the floor but does not light the lamp, the coin can never be found. The sinner would be lost.

Rejoice that the mercy of God is for sinners only. You who have no sin, have no need for forgiveness. You who will not confess your sins, have no need to hear the Word of God. You who would remain proudly in your sins, have only the fires of hell to light your way.

In the third parable, the younger son represents everything the Pharisees hate. He is impudent, disrespectful, associates with harlots, and lives flamboyantly. When he runs out of money, he sleeps and eats with pigs. There is nothing to like about this man. Yet when he returns to his father, the father is overjoyed to see his son. He calls for a feast, new clothes, a costly ring, and new sandals.

This third parable includes a coda, or epilogue, the other two parable lack. Once the younger son is found, everyone rejoices except the older son. He stands outside the feast, indignant that his father would celebrate the son who wished his father was dead. Like the Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, the father comes seeking his older son. The father reveals that the older son already has everything he could ever want but it is the rebirth of the younger son which is the cause for joy.

Jesus does not give an ending to this parable so that the Pharisees, and those who read or hear this Gospel, would see themselves in the place of the older brother. Will you likewise repent and enter the feast? Or will you stubbornly remain outside, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? One must wonder if the older brother is the one who is lost throughout the third parable, rather than the younger.

Remember, the Pharisees complained among themselves about the actions of Jesus. “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”[1] These Pharisees are clearly speaking behind the back of Jesus. Yet of course, He hears them. This is the occasion of the parables.

The 8^th commandment requires that Christians do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.[2] It is very easy to break the 8^th commandment because we are all afraid of what others think about us. It is difficult to confront someone but much easier to tell your friend about what he’s done to you.

It is also easy to abuse the 8^th Commandment, as though there was never a place to criticize the actions of another without months of personal conversation. This is a lesson for another day but remember that the abuse of something never negates its use.

At the heart of the 8^th Commandment is the idea of explaining everything in the kindest way. In the account before us this day, this would look like the Pharisees approaching Jesus and saying, “Why is it that you associate with these sinners?” They might even ask this question with a hint of anger, feeling betrayed that this man who just shared a meal with them the chapter before, is now associating with tax collectors. To the Pharisees, it might seem like Jesus is equating them to the tax collectors and harlots.

The Pharisees might also have asked if Jesus knew who these people were and if he understood that His actions could make Him unclean, unfit to gather in the Temple. While such a statement would reveal the ignorance of the Pharisees, if asked in honesty, it would be an attempt to show a brother His sin, that He might repent.

This is the problem with gossip and hearsay. If you are too afraid to speak to someone who has sinned against you, or whose actions have bothered you in some way, and you choose to tell someone else instead, you have deprived him of the opportunity to repent. You have also deprived him of the opportunity to answer your questions. The blindness of sin affects all men, and we are barely aware of the multitude of sins we commit each day. When one of these sins cuts to the heart of another, who wouldn’t want to become aware of it, that he might repent and be reconciled to his brother or sister in Christ?

If, on the other hand, no sin has been committed, but you are displeased with something and choose not to speak to the one who has displeased you, beware. Satan stalks about like a roaring lion and sin lies at the door, both seeking an opportunity to devour you.[3] If allowed to fester, an unaddressed displeasure often becomes resentment. This resentment will provide the cover necessary for Satan to approach your camp. Should the resentment become hatred, the devil will pounce.[4] No one can hate his brother and dwell in the love Christ.[5]

Such failure to love one’s neighbors is what leads Christ to teach on the parables of the lost. In each case, when that which was lost is found, it is the occasion for rejoicing. Jesus is first calling the Pharisees to repent, then to rejoice over the repentance of any sinner whom the Savior has found. He is calling us this day to repent and rejoice as well. All sin darkens our eyes to the light of Christ.

Only sinners who see their sin and are abhorred by it have need of a Savior. Only the God of our fathers pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage.[6] Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, knowing that the Father loves you. He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy.[7]

You can know the Father loves you because He has slaughtered the fatted Calf in your place. The fatted calf is His own Son, Jesus Christ. He is fatted by taking into Himself the sins of the world. Just as His sides were about to burst from the great girth of your sin, He was slaughtered upon the cross.

This is an occasion for rejoicing. Rejoice because in the slaughter of the calf, all sinners have been given a great feast. You have been given a great feast. The royal robe, once belonging to the Son of God has been placed on your shoulders. The Father falls upon your neck in love and showers you with kisses. The ring is the wedding ring, given to the Bride of Christ.

The Word of God works through the Church, first to vigorously sweep you, scratching deep into your skin to reveal the blemishes of your sin. These sinful blemishes are then exposed to the light of Christ, disappearing in His blood. Only those who have sin need forgiveness. Only those who repent and abhor the sins of their flesh have need to feast on the fatted calf. God has called for His servants to set the table. He has invited His friends and neighbors, the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, to rejoice over you and all sinners who repent, those who were lost and now are found.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 15:2.

[2] Martin Luther, Small Catechism.

[3] 1 Peter 5:8; Genesis 4:7.

[4] 1 Peter 5:8-9.

[5] 1 John 2:9-11.

[6] Micah 7:18.

[7] Micah 7:18.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – July 2, 2022

Introit—1 Samuel 2:1-2, ant. Luke 1:46b-47; Isaiah 11:1-5; Song of Songs 2:8-14

St. Luke 1:39-56

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

The Visitation refers to that occasion after the Angel Gabriel has revealed the conception of St. John the Baptist to Zacharias and Elizabeth and after the same archangel came to both Mary and Joseph, revealing Mary was to be the mother of God, when Mary traveled to visit her relative Elizabeth. The reason for this journey is not given by God. Some speculate that it has to do with protecting the Blessed Virgin from the contempt of her neighbors and safeguarding the reputation of pious Joseph. By Mary leaving Nazareth for three months, it was less likely the Holy Family would receive severe criticism. When she returned, it may have been easier for the public to assume the conception of Mary’s Son occurred after her marriage to Joseph.

This speculation may be true. It may be false. Either way, it isn’t very helpful. What we know is that the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her relative Elizabeth was the occasion both for St. John to leap in his mother’s womb and for the Blessed Virgin to sing the Magnificat.

There are two important lessons for us today: First, that we are unworthy of the least of God or man’s attention, let alone mercy; and Second, that we rejoice at the coming of our Lord.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth out of absolutely nothing.[1] Everything that was made was made through the Word of God according to the Will of God.[2] When God called Abraham and gave him the promise of countless generations, blessings without number, and a land in which to dwell forever, God was again building a people for Himself where there had been nothing. One of the commands given to Abraham was to leave his father’s house. No longer was Abraham to identify himself as of the lineage of Terah, but of the lineage of God. A new generation had begun.

The Prophet Isaiah speaks in this way in our reading today. “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”[3] It would be more accurately rendered the “stump” of Jesse. The Davidic line was all but dead. The family tree of Jesse, the father of David, was cut down. It was little more than a dried-up stump, devoid of hope. From this dead thing, Life sprung forth. A new Rod, a Branch full of life will spring forth and endure forever. This Rod is Christ, who is born of the Virgin Mary, herself a descendant of David.

But Mary was not worthy. She belonged to the stump of Jesse. She was poor, despised, and lowly. If tradition holds true that she was quite young when she bore the Christ child and Joseph was quite old, then it is likely the marriage was arranged for financial gain by her parents and to ensure she could be supported by her established husband. There was nothing remarkable about the Blessed Virgin. She daily went about her chores. She attended the synagogue and heard the Word of God. She belonged to the faithful remnant of Israel but even this was not particularly remarkable.

We see from the history of God’s actions that He chooses that which is lowly, despised, poor, and nothing. God brings up the downtrodden, frees the prisoner, and satisfies the hungry. He also casts down the mighty, binds the strong, and sends the rich empty away. The Blessed Virgin gives thanks that God has had mercy upon her and descended to her in her low estate.

Do not, for one moment, assume that you are something great. If you do, then God is not for you. Or the most you can expect from God is to be cast down into the pit. We are poor, miserable sinners. You are a poor, miserable sinner. You are nothing of importance to God or man. Even if you have achieved great things in this world, there is always someone smarter, faster, better, and more accomplished. If you are the greatest in the world, then know that there are thousands who seek your downfall because man loves to watch the mighty fall.

If you have achieved great things in this world, even the greatness of raising a child, holding a steady job, or attending to the gathering of the church, give thanks that these things do not make you precious in the sight of the Lord. Give thanks because if even simple tasks made you precious in the sight of the Lord, then your salvation would depend on consistently achieving them. One misstep and you would be lost.

Instead, give thanks that there is nothing within you worth the love of God because this means that He has regarded your low estate. This means that you are poor, lowly, and despised, precisely the type of person for whom God became man. Magnify the Lord because He looks upon you in love, not because of what you have done or have failed to do, but because of what He has done. He has called you by name to join Him on Mount Zion. God fills with you good things, His very Body and Blood.

If you have the riches of Abraham, the poetry of David, or the wisdom of Solomon, these things are trinkets before God. They are gifts of God, bestowed upon you for the praise of Him. When the Blessed Virgin hears the words of the Angel Gabriel, she rejoices that her Lord has condescended to be with her. Jesus Christ is also with you, this day and every day.

In the Song of Solomon, the church proclaims, “The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”[4] The Bridegroom calls to the Church out of great love and from a great distance. Before we see our Lord, we hear His voice. Before the Virgin conceived, she heard the Word of the Lord from the lips of Gabriel. Before John baptized his Lord, he leaped in the womb at the sound of Mary’s voice. Thus at the sound of the Word of our God, our ears perk up and our excitement heightens. The church rejoices to see and know her Lord, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

And before we can move a muscle; before the church can take any action of her own, Christ leaps down from Mount Zion, from the side of the Father, to join His beloved bride on the plain. He descends lower than the heavenly beings that He might join us in our flesh. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked, but my God would rather be born of a lowly virgin than institute an earthly kingdom by force of man.[5]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Genesis 1:1.

[2] St. John 1:1-3.

[3] Isaiah 11:1.

[4] Song of Songs 2:8. The following draws from Bernard of Clairvaux, “Sermon 53,” On the Song of Songs, Vol 3, translated by Kilian Walsh and Irene M. Edmonds (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1979), 58-67.

[5] Psalm 84:10; St. Luke 1:42; St. Matthew 4:8-9; Acts 1:4-8.