Ad Te Levavi (Advent 1)

Ad Te Levavi (Advent 1) – November 27, 2022

Psalm 25; Jeremiah 23:5-8; Romans 13:[8-10] 11-14

St. Matthew 21:1-9

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

No one man, not even a group of men, sat down and created the Church Year, or the liturgy. It has developed over hundreds, even thousands of years. Because of this slow development, handed down over generations, there are some parts of the Church Year that don’t seem to make sense. This slow development has also led to many insights that one man alone could not conceive. The beginning of the Church Year occurring with Advent and the choice of the Triumphal Entry as the first Gospel reading of the year are just such magnificent insights.

The word “advent” means “coming.” Thus, in the season of Advent, we celebrate three times our Lord comes to man. First, He came in the flesh, born of a Virgin in Bethlehem. Second, He comes to us by grace, wherever His Word is spoken, and His sacraments received. Finally, He will come in power and might to judge the living and the dead.

The season of Advent is then the perfect bridge to bring us from the end of the Church Year to its beginning. We end the Church Year hearing our Lord’s teachings and warnings about His return. We heard of the division of the Sheep and the Goats, where many who believe they are Christians by their outward works will be condemned and those whose faith has taken hold in their hearts will be saved.[1] We heard also of the wise and foolish virgins, in which our Lord calls His beloved Church to vigilance, for we know not the day or the hour of His return.[2]

After this focus on Christ’s return in judgment, we hear of our Lord entering Jerusalem for the last time. He comes humbly, seated on a donkey, and rides into the city to die. He is coming to fulfill His ministry. He is coming to fulfill your salvation. He is coming to die that He would rise and conquer death. This text is heard in the context of Advent, the season immediately before Christmas, when we celebrate His coming in the flesh, the Incarnation. The Son of God must have taken on flesh so that He could die in your place. Therefore, we begin the Church Year by encompassing the two greatest feasts on our calendar: the Incarnation at Christmas, and the death and resurrection at Holy Week and Easter.

Christ’s entry into Jerusalem has another aspect that directly affects you today. The crowds that gather to hail our Lord proclaim, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”[3] You sing these words every Sunday, as you hail the coming of your Lord in and under the Bread and Wine. You sing them in the Sanctus. 

When the crowd proclaims them, they are reciting at least a portion of Psalm 118, if not the entire psalm. What is far more interesting is that they change the psalm. The twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth verses of Psalm 118 read, “Save now [or hosanna], I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.”[4] The crowd replaces the divine name, “O Lord” with “the Son of David.” This is a Messianic title. They are saying that Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty, is the Messiah, the Savior, the One who comes to save them. What’s more is that they are saying that this Jesus is that Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah who is the Lord God Almighty and has come to save them from sin, death, and the devil.

There is a problem, however. This same crowd, when asked about the identity of this man, will call Jesus nothing more than a prophet from Nazareth.[5] It is almost certain that a portion, if not the entirety, of this crowd will also be present days later when they cry out, “Crucify Him!” These subsequent actions force us to ask, “Did they know what they were saying on Palm Sunday? Did they know they were heralding the coming of the Son of God in the flesh?”

Scripture is silent as to their understanding and so we cannot answer this question. There were certainly some within the crowd who had faith and knew Jesus to be the Messiah. Even some of these likely got caught up in their own sin and joined in with the cries to crucify their Messiah.

A more fruitful answer to the question of just what the crowd understood is this, “Do you know what you are saying?” The danger of a set liturgy is it can become rote, memorized and repeated without thinking. How often do you find yourself reading from the page, responding from memory, or even forgetting to respond without thinking? How often do you look up from your morning devotion and not remember a single word you have read? How often have you not cared about what you say, chant, sing, or read?

These are truly dangers to your soul. Such sloth is dangerous because it is treating the Holy Word of God as less than common. If you can recite the stats of players from the Chiefs but not a psalm, then shame on you. If you know the words to the top 10 hits of any decade but cannot sing a hymn from memory, then shame on you. This is not from lack of access nor opportunity. It is from lack of desire.

It is true that memory is difficult and becomes far more difficult with age. The shame of which I speak does not come from the failure of your memory but from your misplaced priorities. The desire to know the Scriptures, to know what God says to you is part and parcel of faith. If only we recognized the multitude of gifts God has given us each day, we would shout with joy, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!”[6] Instead, we grumble when trouble arises. We grumble with fear when facing a situation that seems hopeless. We accuse God of being unjust because we don’t get what we want. We sound like spoiled children. 

Nothing we sing, speak, read, or pray in the Church that just fills the silence. Drawn from Scripture, the Liturgy is God’s Word coming to you in manifold and rich ways. No one can be expected to know and understand every insight of the liturgy, but all are expected to receive it. All can sit in quiet contemplation of the Word of God. All can search the Word of God for the understanding of why we sing what we sing or say what we say. You may not find the answer to your specific question, but you will be enriched by the journey.

Lest we fall into the trap of moving from slothful ignorance of God’s Word to purely satisfying intellectual curiosity, remember that it is in the Word of God and His Holy sacraments that Christ comes to you today. He comes to you in that very Word which we sing, chant, speak, and read. He comes to you humbly, seated in Bread and Wine. He comes to you in grace, not on account of your preparations or worthiness, but on account of His love and mercy. He has descended into your flesh so that you would be elevated to be with Him in eternity.

Today, and at every celebration of the Lord’s Supper, when you sing the words of the Sanctus, remember that you stand with the crowds. You stand with them both as they hail the coming of their Lord and cry out for His death. You stand with them because you are prone to fall into sin. You stand with them as you hail the coming of your Savior. You also stand with them as you await the final coming of Christ, when He will descend not upon a donkey or a paten, but upon a cloud. You stand with the crowd in the shame of your sins and cry out to the one who has come to relieve you of those sins. You stand and sing because the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 25:31-46; the Holy Gospel for Trinity 26, the Second Last Sunday in the Church Year.

[2] St. Matthew 25:1-13; the Holy Gospel for Trinity 27, the Last Sunday in the Church Year.

[3] St. Matthew 21:9.

[4] Psalm 118:25-26.

[5] St. Matthew 21:11.

[6] Psalm 118:1.

The Eve of Thanksgiving

The Eve of Thanksgiving – November 23, 2022

Psalm 104; Deuteronomy 26:1-11; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

St. Luke 12:13-21

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

Shortly before telling this parable to the crowds, Jesus prayed, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”[1] The parable before us this evening is not intended to be complicated. In fact, Jesus tells us exactly what the parable is intended to illustrate: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”[2] At the end of the parable, He even tells us the consequences for not learning this lesson: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”[3]

This parable speaks not of possessions, but of the orientation of your heart. You are warned against covetousness, not theft, pride, or gluttony. At first blush, the man in the parable seems to be making wise decisions. He is almost like the ant in Aesop’s fable, who spent all spring and summer gathering grain so that he would have food in the winter. In that fable, it is the grasshopper, who spent the spring and summer in idle leisure, who starves when the weather turns cold.

Our rich man has more grain than he knows what to do with. He considers his options and decides to tear down his barns and build bigger barns. When that is done, he will retire so that he can eat, drink, and be merry. This seems like the ideal life. In fact, it is the life many of us are living, have lived, or aspire to live. Work hard now so that I can eat, drink, and be merry later.

Yet the rich man is not our hero. He is condemned to hell for his actions in this parable. Notice first that he has no one to speak to. He must consult with himself, with his own soul. If every man is born sinful, and indeed he is, then we must know that conferring with one’s own soul will only lead to sin. Not only this, but we are given no indication that the rich man considers using his wealth for the benefit of anyone but himself. As a rich man, he almost certainly has employees, but they do not factor into his calculations. He does not even pause to thank God for the richness of his soil, the fertility of his seeds, and the yield of his crops.

While the rich man seems to be virtuous, he is in fact nothing but a fool. His own soul leads him astray. His heart is turned inward, focused only on the accumulation of wealth so that he might gain more wealth, and then satisfy the passions of his flesh with food, drink, and pleasures.

Covetousness always leads to idolatry. It leads to idolatry because covetousness involves the obsession of your heart. It is the turning of your heart toward something that God has not given to you, something that is not yours by right. If your heart is turned toward anything but God, you have committed idolatry. St. Paul speaks very harshly against the Corinthian Church, equating the aspirations of the rich man, to “eat, drink, and be merry,” to denying the resurrection:

Why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? ³¹ I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ³²If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ³³Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” [In the case of our rich man, this evil company is the council of his own soul, a soul evil from birth, turned away from God and hostile to the Almighty.] ³⁴Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.[4]

The rich man is not condemned for having great wealth. It is more difficult for a rich man to be saved than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, but temporal riches are not sinful. Idolatry is sinful. Coveting is idolatry. Therefore, coveting riches is sinful. Coveting more time is sinful. Coveting health is sinful. Coveting the admiration of man is sinful. Coveting approval of the world is sinful. Covetousness is sinful and all are guilty.

See what a covetous heart will yield. According to our Lord, it might yield great riches, enough to retire on. A covetous heart will also yield loneliness. It will drive others far from you and you won’t even notice. You won’t notice because your eyes, ears, and all your members will be singularly focused on the desire of your heart. Covetousness may yield for you the satisfaction of your passions—hunger, thirst, sexual pleasure, entertainment, and more. Covetousness will certainly yield an eternity in hell, where those same passions will be turned into torment.

Afterall, you cannot take your possessions with you when you die. And why would you want to? This heaven and earth will pass away but on the last day, God will recreate the heavens and earth. They will be remade in perfection. You will be remade in perfection. You will have everything to satisfy your every need because you will have the presence of Christ. You will be gathered together with the saints in glory. What more do you need?

With that in mind, we can understand how our earthly life is defined. Of what does one’s life consist?[5] It first consists in the abundance of God’s love. You are a creation of God, beloved by the Father, redeemed by the shed blood of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Whether your fields have produced little or more than you can handle, you have everything necessary for eternity.

Second, your life consists in Holy Baptism. Here, you received the Name of the Triune God, sealed upon your head. On that day, you were drowned. You died. Death no longer defines you because it does not have a claim to you. Thus your biological life consists in your spiritual life. You are a united being who has been washed in the flood of Jesus’ blood.

Finally, your life consists in your participation in the Body of Christ, the Church. In Holy Baptism, you were also made a member of the Body of Christ. You were grafted into His body such that you now share in the unity of the one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic church. All around you are your brothers and sisters in Christ. In this case, blood and water are the same thickness, because you are united to each other in the water of Holy Baptism, made a Sacrament in the Blood of Jesus.

Your life does not consist in the abundance, or lack, of possessions. You are not defined by these things, and you ought to flee from those possessions which draw the focus of your heart away from God. Repent of your covetousness and flee to those things God has given you. Flee toward that of which your life does consist – God’s Word of love and forgiveness, your Baptism, and the Church. With what possessions you do have, be generous. Retirement is not a sin, but miserliness is. So is prodigal living.

Do not store up an abundance of wealth because tomorrow is not certain. Christians should daily pray, “Lord, come quickly,”[6] and mean it. Should He answer our prayers and return before the next rising of the sun, there will be no use for treasures on earth. Store up instead, treasures in heaven, that is, treasures of love, charity, faithfulness, hope, courage, and humility.

Above all, give thanks to God Almighty for everything you have been given. You may be spending the next few days surrounded by friends and family. You may be spending it alone. You may have a feast. You may have whatever is in the fridge. Give thanks. Give thanks because God has called you by the Holy Gospel.

And if you are alone, call a brother in Christ. Do not be shy. In so doing, you will give him the opportunity to love you and fulfill his vocation to you. You will give him someone with whom to share the abundance of his table. Most of all, you will join together in the Body of Christ, thereby enjoying the abundance of your life.  

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 10:21.

[2] St. Luke 12:15.

[3] St. Luke 12:21.

[4] 1 Corinthians 15:30-34.

[5] St. Luke 12:15.

[6] Revelation 22:20.

The Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 20, 2022

Psalm 39; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

St. Matthew 25:1-13

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

Wisdom requires effort. The wisdom of the five virgins consists of both knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into action. We’ve all heard the platitude, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” The Book of Proverbs begins with a similar exhortation, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction;”[1] that is, the receiving of knowledge and wisdom includes effort, the willingness to bring wisdom into your heart, knowledge into your soul, and produce change. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[2]

This is the wisdom of the virgins. They do not have secret knowledge that is unavailable to the foolish virgins. The foolish virgins have simply despised wisdom and instruction. The foolish virgins believe there is nothing they must ever do to enter the wedding feast. They know who the Bridegroom is and that is enough. The rest of their lives is spent in sloth—being lazy because nothing is expected of them.

The wise virgins have received the knowledge and wisdom of the Bridegroom and put it into practice. They have allowed this knowledge and wisdom to transform their hearts such that they are now new creations. They believe that when the Bridegroom says is true and they act accordingly.

Before you begin to think that you, or the wise virgins, are brought into the wedding hall by the Bridegroom because of your actions, merits, thoughts, or worthiness, stop. That is the thinking of the foolish virgins. They want to know the lowest common denominator. They want to know the easiest way to salvation. If that means a certain type of works, fine. If that means knowing a certain formula, fine. The foolish virgins want to know the lifehack that will guarantee success; the shortest route between where they are and where they want to be.

Such foolishness can even parade as gaining knowledge. This is the pursuit of facts without any idea of how such knowledge affects the world, your neighbor, or your heart. In our world, this is the proliferation of trivia. Social media, especially forms with video, are constantly moving toward shorter and shorter clips. Things like Youtube and Tiktok want you to believe that it is important for you to know a little about a lot of things; and when they say “things,” they mean everything from current geopolitics to the origin of a viral dance. The question we ought to be asking of such platforms is, “Does this knowledge help me or my neighbor? Does it affect the world that actually exists or only the world created by this knowledge itself?”

The wisdom of the wise virgins is quite simple. The Bridegroom has said that He is coming. From these words, the wise virgins believe the Bridegroom is coming, though they don’t know when. They then draw the conclusion that if these words are true, then it would be important to bring extra oil. If the Bridegroom is delayed, we might run out of oil. Therefore, we should bring extra. When the foolish virgins ask for their oil, the wise virgins again exercise their wisdom. “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you.”[3] They are not being rude, mean, or withholding. They are exercising wisdom. If there is only so much additional oil, and the Bridegroom is near but still delayed, we could all run out of oil. Therefore, we need the extra oil for ourselves.

The thought, and action, of bringing additional oil is not what saves the wise virgins. The Word of the Bridegroom saves them. The extra oil is only a consequence, a working out of that promise. Thus, the wisdom of the virgins originates in the Word of the Bridegroom that then transforms their minds such that their actions would prove the truth of that Word.

What then of you? What consequence does this parable have for you? In one sense, it is a call to wisdom. All ten virgins are Christians in the earthly sense. They are all members of the Church on earth. They are all probably baptized. Yet some are called foolish and some wise. All have received the same promise of Christ: He is returning to gather His people into the eternal wedding feast. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. These virgins stand, somewhat mysteriously, as both the attendants to the Bride and the Bride herself, since the Church, the Bride, is the saints God gathered to hear His Word and receive His sacraments.

The foolish believe that since they have received Baptism, since they have been present when the Word of God was read aloud, they are then entitled to receive a seat at the banquet hall. Nothing more is required. They have despised wisdom and instruction.

A name recorded on the membership list of a congregation is not a “get out of hell free” card; nor are a clerical collar, vestments, a position on a church board, or a family name on the founding documents. Holy Baptism is not a “get out of hell free” card. Holy Baptism bestows the very faith which also receives this most holy sacrament. It is a beautiful gift of God, a true miracle every time it occurs. Yet wisdom is required even of the Baptized. “Those who believe and are Baptized shall be saved. Those who do not believe shall be condemned.”[4]

The faith given in Holy Baptism must be nurtured and fed by the Word of God. This Word must be received throughout the life of the Christian, not just heard. When it is received, it will enter the heart of the Christian and transform his mind. It will renew his soul such that he desires to act in accord with the Word of God. His actions will then prove the truth and beauty of the death of Jesus, which has saved the Christian from his sins and bought him a seat at the eternal wedding feast.

This transformation involves wisdom. Wisdom requires effort. God clearly states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”[5] God does not state when it is appropriate for a child to have her first cell phone. God does not state whether children should ever have a cell phone. The wise Christian must put in the effort to receive God’s Word, let it transform her mind, and then draw the appropriate consequences therefrom. The Bridegroom did not tell the virgins how long to wait. He did not tell them how long oil lasts in a lamp. He told them He was coming. Wisdom said they should bring some extra oil.

Another consequence of this parable for you is to console your heart. All ten virgins fell asleep. All ten lamps went out. Why do the virgins have lamps in the first place? They are waiting at night. There are no streetlamps. It is dark. It is so dark, should the Bridegroom arrive, He would not see their faces. If He does not see their faces, He cannot know who they are and will not bring them into the wedding hall.

And yet all ten virgins become drowsy, fall asleep, and let their lights go out. Clearly, all ten virgins fall into sin. All Christians sin. All Christians sin daily and much. Your lamp goes out every time you sin. Temptation besets all Christians and when you give in to those temptations, you are ignoring the Light of Christ, that which God Himself has placed within you. You are turning your back on your Redeemer, choosing that which is easy and provides immediate pleasure. But the pleasure of sin is fleeting. It causes you pain in the long run. Sin leads to more sin. More sin leads to greater sin and soon, you are not even able to kindle the small light of a lamp anymore.

 Consolation comes first from the idea that there is no temptation, no sin, that you experience that is not common to man. You are not the first man to cheat on his wife. You are not the first woman to reject the authority of your husband. You are not the first child to talk back to your parents or outright disobey them. This consolation only goes so far. It provides you with comradery, but it does not remove the sin plaguing your soul.

This comes when the coming of the Bridegroom is proclaimed. The virgins are forewarned of His imminent arrival. The cry goes out, “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”[6] The virgins are roused from their sleep in time to light their lamps. The Bridegroom could have arrived in silence. He could have snuck past the sleeping virgins and left all ten in the outer darkness. He did not. This cry is the proclamation of God’s Word. It is the public reading of God’s Word in the services of the Church. It is contained in the printing dies which have made the bible available to you in every imaginable medium. The cry is sounded by those sent by the Bridegroom to raise awareness.

Me, speaking to you right now, is the cry heard in the middle of the night. Jesus Christ has promised to return, and He has promised to return at a time unknown by man. He will return suddenly but not without warning. You are hearing the warning right now. Such a warning is not strictly to inform you of danger, but to call you to vigilance. The Word you have heard proclaimed, the promise of the return of the Savior in judgement is true. The Body and Blood of Christ, given and shed for your forgiveness is a sign of His coming. The very clouds of the sky are a sign of His coming for He will return on a cloud, just as He ascended into heaven.

This is a cry of consolation because our Lord does not want you to be unawares. It is the opportunity to repent. It is the opportunity to light your lamp that the Lord of all will see your face as He enters the wedding hall. This is a cry of consolation because Jesus Christ loves His Church such that He would never sneak past her while she sleeps. He would never leave her in the outer darkness. It is only the foolish, those who refuse to receive the Word of God who will be left in the darkness.

Thus, the cry is the absolution of your sins, for having fallen asleep at the watch. It is the absolution for having put your word above His. It is also the call to wisdom. The call to take the Word which has been given to you and let it transform your mind. As your mind is transformed, then take the Word of God and put it into your members, that you would not be caught unawares, or worse, running around town looking for oil when the Bridegroom returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Proverbs 1:7.

[2] Romans 12:2.

[3] St. Matthew 25:9.

[4] St. Mark 16:16.

[5] Proverbs 22:6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:6.

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 13, 2022

Psalm 54; Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Peter 3:3-14

St. Matthew 25:31-46

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

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”[1] Faith is born in you, is created in you, by the hearing of the Word of God. This is not your own doing; it is the work and the will of the Holy Spirit. The act of hearing itself is not your work. Hearing is a passive, or receptive, activity. You hear when someone else speaks. You receive their words into your ears.

The reception of faith is then always connected with another person. We might call this the incarnational aspect of faith. Faith comes by hearing when the Word of God issues forth from the mouth of another human being. In this way, the Word of God becomes wrapped in flesh. Whether it is your mother singing to you in your nursery, your father reading the Scriptures to the family at night, or the public reading of the Holy Gospel by the ministers of God in the Divine Service, your faith was brought to you in the Word of God wrapped in the lips of another person.

The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error. Yet in writing the Word of God, in its transmission, God saw fit to inspire holy men. God works through means. There is not an “Epistle of the Holy Spirit to the Church in Missouri.” Words did not miraculously appear on pages. The Son of God took on flesh, became incarnate, that He would physically die the death you deserve. After His physical resurrection but before His physical ascent into heaven, our Lord, Jesus Christ, breathed on His apostles.[2] He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them so that whoever hears them would hear Christ.[3] This is the Apostolic Doctrine once delivered to the saints.[4] This is the one faith into which we are all baptized.[5] It is the Word of God, and it is the Word of God delivered by means of fleshly mouths.

The propagation of the faith by the mouth of Christians to the ears of new Christians is how the Sheep are created. The Sheep are those who have received the Word of God in faith. Yet receiving the Word of God is not quite enough. The Word must take root. The Word must change the stony heart of the Goat into a fleshly heart of a Sheep. In fact, the Goats are surprised to be called such. They are surprised because they thought themselves to be Sheep. They thought their actions had proven the wool of their Sheep coats.

The difference between these two animals in the parable is the presence of faith. The Sheep and the Goats are separated based on what they are. One is a new creation, having received the Word of God in faith and growing into that Word accordingly. The other is the Old Creation. The Goats may have heard the Word of God, but it took no root in their hearts. The Goats may outwardly appear to be sheep but are little more than Goats in wool coats.

What does it mean, then, that faith take root in your heart? In this parable, it is presented as the works born of faith. The blossoming of faith is described as feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, housing the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Associating the hungry, thirsty, stranger, etc., with Christ, Himself, tells us that the object of these good deeds is those who have brought the faith to you. It is the way in which the Sheep have treated their brothers and sisters in Christ. In a general sense, we can say the division of the Sheep and the Goats is based on the reaction each has shown to the hearing of the Word of God.

However, the Scriptures get more specific in this parable. Christ says, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”[6] When our Lord speaks of “His brethren,” it is a reference to the Apostles. More specifically, it is a reference to the Apostles when they are acting in the stead of Christ. So, while it is true that the division of the Sheep and the Goats speaks to your reaction to and treatment of the Church, this parable speaks specifically of your reaction to and treatment of the ministers of the Church.

Some of the actions listed are necessities. It is necessary that the ministers of the Church have food, drink, and clothing. It is not necessary for this life, that he be taken in when he is a stranger. It is not necessary that he be visited when he is sick. What this tells us is that Christ is speaking of more than meeting the basic needs of His ministers. He is speaking also of hospitality shown toward them.

In this light, we can see that the Sheep recognize the Office of the Holy Ministry to be the vocation of highest honor on this side of glory. They recognize the difficulties of the Office and that a man of flesh and blood must fill this Office. The Sheep also recognize that it is the ministers of Christ who bring to them the one thing needful – Jesus. The Office is honorable, difficult, to be respected, and mentioned in this parable not because of the men who fill it. The Office is honorable, difficult, and respectable because of who instituted this Office – Jesus.

On this side of glory, men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Word would continue to work faith in the hearts of man. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Body and Blood would continue to feed and sustain His church. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that your sins would be forgiven through the Words of a human mouth—a human mouth in poor imitation of the lips of the One who died for your forgiveness.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Romans 10:17.

[2] St. John 20:21-23.

[3] St. Luke 10:16.

[4] Jude 1:3.

[5] Ephesians 4:4-6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:40. Emphasis added.

The Commemoration of All Saints

The Commemoration of All Saints (Obs.) – November 6, 2022

Psalm 31; Revelation 7:2-17; 1 John 3:1-3

St. Matthew 5:1-12

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

The “Church Triumphant” is a term referring to the saints in glory. These Christians have come out of the great tribulation, rest from their labors, are before the throne of God day and night, neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun does not strike them, nor any heat, and God has wiped away every tear from their eyes. The Church Triumphant are presently gathered with angels and archangels in the eternal worship of the Lamb seated on the throne. The Church Triumphant have shed their sin-stained rages and put on the white robes won for them by the death of Jesus.

The “Church Militant” are the Christians on this side of glory. We are the Church Militant, who are amid the great tribulation, who struggle against our own sin, who struggle against the sinful world seeking to claim ou r souls for hell, who must cling to the Word of God as a sure and certain promise of eternity, who receive the Body and Blood of Jesus with the eyes of faith but whose physical eyes see only through a mirror dimly. Our white robes were won on the cross and given to us in Holy Baptism, but we must await to don them until our own transition into the Church Triumphant.

These terms, Church Militant and Church Triumphant, are very helpful. Militant reminds us that on this side of glory we are never without a struggle. The Church is continually in battle. Individuals must daily fight against sin – your own and the sins of others against you. As the Body of Christ, the Church Militant must daily fight against false doctrine, against the sinful world, and against the temptations seeking to snatch the sheep from the flock.

Triumphant reminds us that the war is already won. Even when there are days where sin wins the battle, the war is already ours. Christ has held the battlefield and won the victory on our behalf. When Christ returns, there will only be the Church Triumphant. Suffering, temptation, and struggle will cease. War will cease. Spiritual war will cease. The Final Judgment is final and will pronounce the Church Triumphant.

Do not be confused, however. There are not two different Churches. Militant and Triumphant are two different battalions in the same Church. The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are still one Body and Christ is our head. The Church Triumphant, those Christians whose bodies have been committed to the earth and whose souls enjoy the nearer presence of Christ, are not asleep nor transfixed in a zombie-like state of staring at Jesus. They are alive and active. They are singing the praises of Jesus, praying to him, and praying for you. According to the Revelation to St. John, they are at least aware of the passing of time on earth if not aware to some extent of the events on earth.^[1]

According to St. Paul, these same saints are gathered with us. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”^[2] St. Paul does not limit this surrounding of the great cloud of witnesses only to the worship service. He seems to indicate that the saints in glory are present with the saints on earth, even if the awareness of one another is only passing.

That said, the Church Militant and Church Triumphant are closest as we worship the Lamb on the Throne together. The veil between the sides of glory is thinnest during the divine service, which is how we can say, “with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven.” What’s more, the Church Triumphant is not joining us in an earthly song. God would never be so cruel as to ask the saints in glory to condescend to a worship created in the imagination of man.

Rather, the Church Militant is exalted to join the Church Triumphant in her song. We sing the song of heaven, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabbaoth!” This is the song of the Holy Angels and the saints in glory. We are given to sing the eternal words of the heavenly worship each Sunday as we prepare to feast on the Body and Blood of the Eternal Word. Blessed are we who have inherited the Kingdom of God, we sons and daughters of the King.

The distinction of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, which are united in the Eternal Body of Christ, should help us to understand the Beatitudes. They are not a checklist for getting into heaven. They are not a menu of the rewards for specific deeds. The Beatitudes are a description of Christ and the virtues to which all Christians are called.

Each of the Beatitudes is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Christ is purely poor in spirit, descending into our mortal flesh. Christ truly mourns the sin of the world and condemnation of the wicked yet is comforted by the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Angels. Christ humbled himself to born of a virgin. Christ hungers and thirsts for your righteousness. Christ is merciful to forgive your sins by dying your death. Christ is pure in heart and has seen the Father face to face from all eternity. Christ makes eternal peace between God and man. Christ was persecuted for the sake of your righteousness and was reviled beyond any contempt shown for man. Christ ultimately fulfills each of the Beatitudes.

Jesus also spoke these words to his disciples. He spoke them to the Church Militant. He is speaking them to you today. But again, the Beatitudes are not a checklist of requirements and rewards. Our Lord is telling us who it is He considers to be blessed and what the result of such blessing is.

It is undeniable that the pace of our world has increased tremendously. Information travels instantly across the globe. Not too long ago, even this instantaneous information was slowed by the fact that you must sit at a computer or television, attached to a wall, in order to receive it. Now it is as close as your pocket. Physically, cars have gotten faster. Speed limits have risen. What used to be a day trip is now only an hour or two away.

This rapid pace has dramatically affected our language. There isn’t time to carefully consider your words because any hesitation will put you behind the current thought. Emails and text messages expect a rapid response, and it is viewed as an insult to tarry. Books are shorter. Sentences are shorter. If you only have a few seconds to respond, your vocabulary must shrink. A smaller vocabulary means you have less options of words to use to express your thoughts. Less options mean less decisions. Less decisions mean faster responses.

The problem is that as our collective vocabulary dwindles, the ability to convey meaning also dwindles. We’ve assumed that synonyms all mean exactly the same thing so there is no use in a variety of language. Small does not mean the same thing as minute, even though they might be synonyms. Each has a certain color, a slight deviation in meaning that gives the word a unique meaning and helps you to communicate with your fellow man.

What does this change in our language have to do with the Beatitudes, aside from acknowledging our difficulty with some of the vocabulary? When was the last time you heard or read the word “blessed” outside of the holy Scriptures? What did it mean? I’m willing to bet it didn’t mean anything specific. “He led such a blessed life.” Usually this means that guy got lucky.

Who does Jesus say are blessed? The poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.[3] These are the virtues extolled by Christ. These are the virtues which Christ sees in His beloved Christians. These are also the virtues to which we ought to aspire.

You hear, “poor in spirit” and likely think of someone whose faith is a faintly burning wick. You probably think of this person as struggling with his faith. Jesus says he is blessed. Why is he blessed? He is blessed because he has faith. He is struggling against his sin and struggling to understand how a just and merciful God could love a poor miserable sinner like him. He is struggling against his flesh, trying to put of the old man but always doing that which he knows he shouldn’t and failing to do that which he should. He is poor in spirit, but he is blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to him.

The Beatitudes and the entire Sermon on the Mount can be classified as “wisdom literature.” This means it is intended to be read and reread. It is intended to be pondered over. Ruminating on the Beatitudes requires time. It requires a slow, lifelong effort. As a cow chews its cud, one must continually chew on the wisdom of God, thereby slowly gaining the spiritual nutrition offered therein.

Only by such rumination can you come to understand the Word of God, let alone such wisdom as is contained in the Beatitudes. It would be easy if there was a verse in the Bible that said, “Jimmy, you are meek because it is within your nature to put the needs of others before yourself, like when you chose to continue working 60 hours a week in the factory rather than take the high paying sales job which would require you to travel 5 days a week for the sake of your children.”

This would not require wisdom of Jimmy. It would not require wisdom of you. Wisdom requires you to read the word of God, consider its meaning, place it in the context of the whole counsel of God, and slowly see the word of God blossom into the reality of your mind, body, and soul. This is wisdom and this is wrought within you by the Holy Spirit.

Stop looking for the quick answer. Do not wait for a pastor or radio preacher to tell you exactly what to do in every situation. You may think that trusting the word of your pastor is the Christian thing to do but it is trusting in man. Assuming that any man—clergy, academic, or otherwise—to be correct in every situation is trusting the traditions of man as the word of God.

Instead, go to the source, ad fontes. Search the word of God and ruminate on it. Soak it in. Take responsibility for your own salvation by going to the word of God and to the place where Christ has promised to be with His people—the Church. Receive these words not so that you can make your own decisions about what it means, but so that you can receive the meaning of these words.

As part of this rumination, the Church looks to her saints, the Church Triumphant. We look not to these saints to help us, to intercede for us, or to make the definitive interpretation of the Scriptures. Rather, we look to see how the Word of God worked in their lives, in their thoughts, and in their hearts. We give thanks that God has worked faith in Jerome, Luther, and Walther. We are comforted that if such great sinners as Peter, Paul, Mary, and Augustine can be forgiven then we too shall be forgiven. Then we see the great works of faith demonstrated by Martin of Tours, John the Steadfast, Al Viets, and so many others, and we imitate these works.

We recognize in these works the blessings Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes. We take these examples into consideration when we ruminate on the word of God as examples for how God’s wisdom may be faithfully shown forth in daily living. Thus the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are again united in the working out of the faith as well as in the forgiveness of faith.

The comfort of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant is our unity in the Body of Christ. If we abide in his word, he abides in us. If we abide in Christ, we abide together with Ron, Betty, Norm, Judith, Susan, and Al. This unity with the saints in glory cannot be taken away. Our experience of this unity can only grow as we too make our way into glory.

The Beatitudes progress from declaring those enduring temporal suffering to those demonstrating spiritual virtues, only to conclude in suffering persecution, reviling, and wicked deeds. The response to this is to “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”[4] Your reward in heaven is complete unity with all the saints and eternal worship of Christ. You will be like the glorified Christ and shall see Him as He is, face to face. You shall see him and know him. Blessed are the saints in glory, for their journey is complete. Blessed are you, for you are never alone. Blessed are we, for together we sing the praise of Christ, who has washed our robes and made them white in his blood.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Revelation 6:9-10, “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”

[2] Hebrews 12:1-2.

[3] St. Matthew 5:3-10.

[4] St. Matthew 5:12.

In Memoriam + Alan Kelvin Viets +

In Memoriam + Alan Kelvin Viets + – November 6, 2022

Psalm 23; Genesis 3:8-21; Revelation 21:1-7

St. John 11:17-27

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

It is typical of Near-Eastern, and hence Old Testament, thinking to view time as a cycle. Perhaps an image more familiar to many of us is an extended slinky. Viewed from the top down, you see only a circle. From the side, this circle becomes a continuous spiral. Having that picture in your head, it is quite easy to apply to time. Seasons come and go, always in a cycle. Months begin and then months end – another cycle. We gather every seven days to celebrate the Lord’s Day. In the smallest sense, each day is its own cycle. There is evening and there is morning, another day.

The Holy Spirit has used this cyclical nature of time throughout the Scriptures to teach us concerning salvation. Aside from the repetition of evening and morning in the days of creation, we are not given an indication of when particular events occur until we hear that the Lord came walking in the cool of the day.

The picture painted for us is of a cosmic day. Everything is created through the Word of God in the beginning, that is, the beginning of the cosmic day. It was then during the heat of the day that the serpent, the Ancient Dragon, deceived Eve. The early to mid-afternoon is a particularly vulnerable time for man. He has been tending the garden all day. It is now halfway between lunch and supper. Stomachs begin to rumble, and it is time for a snack.

It is also, as I said, the heat of the day. While the work of Adam and Eve in the garden was no toil, it was still work. They did not ache from their labors, but they certainly grew hungry. Perhaps they grew tired. Whatever they were feeling, we can be relatively certain that Satan waited until Adam and Eve were at their weakest before tempting them with the forbidden fruit.

Such is the way with Satan and temptation. It makes little sense to tempt the strong. That requires too much work. It is far more opportune to attack the weak. Yet even Satan knows not to look at strength and weakness through the eyes of man. The Pharisees would be seen by man to be strong in faith, yet Satan knew the weakness of their hearts. He knew to tempt them with power over their fellow man. The weakness of the Pharisees is the desire to be like God, commanding men and receiving their worship. Such weakness makes them vulnerable to the temptations of Satan.

Having fallen to temptation, Adam and Eve hide among the trees and bushes as they fashion clothing for themselves. The sun begins to set, and the day has become cool. It is then that God comes looking for His beloved creation. The setting of the sun indicates darkness is creeping over the land. God already knew what had happened, yet for love of man He called out that man might return to the Lord, His God.

The cosmic day continues to turn toward evening as God pronounces judgment upon Satan, promising the day when the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, and the serpent would strike His heel. He also curses woman with pain in childbearing and desire for the authority of her husband. The land is cursed because of the man, and he is cursed to labor and toil all the days of his life. He will laud his authority over woman and life in strife because of it. The day grows darker.

Yet even in this darkness, there is the light of promise. There is the lamp of the promised Seed, God’s Anointed One, who at the fullness of time would come to save the world. When Jesus is crucified, as He breathes His last, the sky goes dark. This is often seen as creation itself mourning the death of the Son of God. What’s more is that the cosmic day has reached the darkest night. For those three days of rest for Christ in the tomb, the cosmic day sat at midnight. The light of Christ had gone dark in a tomb of stone.

It is not until the first light on the third day that it is revealed that death could not hold Him. Death could not restrain the Son of God. No one lights a lamp to place it beneath a basket. A lamp is lit to be held high, giving light to all who look upon it. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and darkness cannot overcome Him. The darkest night and deepest tomb cannot hold our God because He is the Almighty Word by which creation came into being. By death, He defeated death. By submitting to the darkness of the tomb, He conquered the night. By rising the third day, He has promised everlasting light to all who receive Him, who believe in His name.

At the last, when Christ has returned to gather His faithful as a hen gathers her flock, the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire. When all has been destroyed, a new creation will arise. This new creation will have no need for sun, moon, or stars; no need for lights, lamps, and fire. The Son of God, sitting on the throne, will be all the light we need. He will shine in glory with the radiance glimpsed by Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. In that day, the faithful will rejoice and sing in the presence of Christ because we shall be like Him, sharing in His glory.

The resurrection of Christ on that first Easter morning was the beginning of a new day. This is the new day of Christ’s church. What was foretold to our fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has come to pass. A new day has dawned. But this new day is not the final dawn. It is not the final day. This new cosmic day is fast waning. We find ourselves already facing the darkening night of the new day. In this sense, we must look to Christ both as our Redeemer and as our example.

When I say example, I don’t mean that you, too, must be crucified for the sins of the world. Nor by your obedience will you merit eternal life for yourself or anyone else. What I mean is that we must take up our cross and follow Him. We must see that on this side of glory, the life of the Christian is to bear a cross. Suffering has been promised to us. Loss has been promised to us.

Being children of Adam and Eve, death will come for us all, so long as Christ waits to return. Death will come for us, and it is never pleasant. We can fool ourselves into thinking that someone died peacefully in her sleep, or that “that was the way he would’ve wanted to go,” but that is not true. No one wants to go. No one wants to die. Death is terrifying because the experience of death is the tearing apart of body and soul. Death comes for you in the darkness of night.

Death is the outcome of the crosses we bear—our own death and the death of loved ones. We ought to mourn Alan and all who have died in Christ because death is painful. It is not good. But we should never mourn without hope. We mourn with hope because we know that dawn is coming. Like the wise virgins, we are prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom. We are prepared the dawning of the final day.

Martha is prepared for the dawning of the final day. She is confident that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.[1] But Martha had also fallen asleep. Remember that in the parable of the ten virgins, both the foolish and the wise fall asleep. All ten virgins fall asleep when they are supposed to be watching for the Bridegroom.

Martha has likewise fallen asleep because in focusing on the dawning of the final day, she has forgotten that the Christ, the Son of the Living God is present with her right now. She is standing in His presence. The Resurrection and the Life is standing before her in flesh. With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.[2]

It is good, meet, and salutary to look forward to the dawning of the final day, when you will be reunited in the flesh with your father, husband, friend, and brother. That will be a glorious day. You will see Alan’s face by the glorious light of Christ, a light that will never fail nor falter. But do not forget to rejoice in the union you presently have with Alan. You are a member of the Body of Christ. In Holy Baptism, you too were made a member of the Body of Christ. You, Alan, and all the Baptized Saints of God are gathered in the One Body of Christ.

Although there is presently a separation in time and space, there is still unity in Jesus. He is the Resurrection and the Life, something both you and Alan possess. This is especially true during the Divine Service. So much of what we sing is borrowed from those portions of Scripture where visions of the worship in heaven is recorded. We are singing the songs of the heavenly host. We are singing the songs of angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. We are singing them together. We never worship God alone for we are members of His body.

Thus, we boldly confess with Martha that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God who has come into the world. We confess that He is the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overcome. We also confess that this Light is present with us now. As the world turns toward darkness, as suffering on this side of glory grips our hearts and wearies our souls, we look to the coming of the dawn.

We look to the horizon and eagerly await the coming of the Christ because we have His promise that He will come to gather us home. The promise of the return of Christ is as sure and certain as the promise that He would crush the head of the serpent. The certainty of this promise is written in stone such that it is as good as though it had already happened. We can look to the dawning of that first Easter morning to see what our own resurrection will look like.

And since we know the end of the story, since we know the dawn of the final cosmic day will come, we can bear our crosses, endure suffering, mourn with hope, and travel this world of darkening night in joy. We can go about our days in peace and joy. We can remember Alan and all the departed saints in joy because we know they are not dead but living. We are in the near presence of Christ, and they are in His nearer presence. It is now evening and there will be morning, the final, glorious day.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. John 11:27.

[2] St. Matthew 19:26.