The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

 The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 11, 2022

Psalm 74; 2 Chronicles 28:8-15; Galatians 3:15-22

St. Luke 10:23-37

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

God is no respecter of persons. He does not choose to love some and hate others. He does not have one set of expectations for kings and a different set of expectations for beggars which will determine their salvation.

At the same time, God knows each of you by name. God knows each of you to be an individual with unique needs. Last week, we heard of a miraculous healing in which Christ put His fingers in a man’s ears, spat, touched the man’s tongue, looked toward heaven, groaned, and finally said, “Be opened.”[1] No other miracles are recorded as being attended with such liturgical specificity. Each healing miracle seems to be unique. There could be many reasons, but at least one reason is because each ailing person is unique. One deaf man is not identical to another.

“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”[2] The disciples are not blessed because they are humbler than the prophets. They are not blessed because they are poorer than the kings. They are not even blessed because they were in the right place at the right time.

The disciples are blessed because they hear and see the very Word of God in flesh. They are uniquely blessed because they behold the One True God in whom all other wants and desires are fulfilled. They are blessed because they receive the teachings of Christ directly into their ears and these teachings change who they are.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we see that God is no respecter of persons. Sin and temptation beset the man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and leave him half dead, that is, spiritually dead. He only lives in his flesh but his soul is given over to death. The priest and the Levite can only reveal the wounds of the man. This is the primary use of God’s Law: to reveal sin. They pass by on the other side as they cannot save the man’s soul.

It is only the Samaritan, the one who comes from a foreign place but has joined Himself to Man, that can save the man’s soul. He sooths the man’s soul with the oil of the Holy Gospel and purges the remaining sin with the antiseptic sting of the wine of the cross the man must bear. Jesus carries the man’s burden upon His own back as He brings him into the church, where he will be cared for by the servant, the under shepherd, of the Samaritan. The two coins are that by which the Church cares for the souls of man: the Word of God and the Sacraments. The Samaritan then promises to return and clear away any remnants of debt the man has incurred, bearing him at that time to eternal rest.

The Samaritan cared nothing for the history of the man on the side of the road. He cared nothing for the wealth or poverty of the man. He was no respecter of the type of person he might be, but the Samaritan cared deeply for the individual who was placed before Him.

This is the exhortation given to the young theologian. “Go and do likewise,” that is, “Go and be no respecter of persons, but care deeply for the individual placed before you.” The answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” is not “Everyone,” but rather, “He who has been placed before you.”

Jesus Christ is the Good Samaritan. He is the perfect Samaritan. It is He who has perfectly born your sin to the cross and died on your behalf. He died for the great and the small. He died for the weak and the strong. He died for the rich and the poor. He died for you.

You, beloved Christians, are called to go and do likewise. You are called to be holy as your Father is holy. You are called not to be a respecter of persons but to show genuine love for your neighbor, the one who has been placed before you.

Let us first begin in the Church. The Word of God has come for all men. No matter how someone might look, this Church exists for the salvation of man. We exist to bring the Light of Christ to individuals. That means that when someone comes through those doors, it doesn’t matter what they look like, they are to be treated the same as anyone who attends weekly and gives abundantly. Should they be dirty from having slept behind a dumpster, Jesus is for them. Should they drive a new, fully loaded pickup, Jesus is for them. If Jesus is for them, then Mount Calvary is for them. We are not a respecter of persons because God is not a respecter of persons.

It is neither Jesus nor His disciples who treat the sick, homeless, or demoniac as though they are dangerous or untouchable. Even when Jesus’ disciples do act this way, He rebukes them.

On the other hand, God nowhere commands His people to be foolish. We ought not cast pearls before swine or pretend the road between Jericho and Jerusalem is paved with roses. Yet caution is not the same as suspicion. Caution means being aware of your surroundings. Suspicion means assuming the worst-case scenario, something explicitly forbidden by the eighth commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”[3]

So, when someone comes to visit the church, do not treat him as a suspect. Do not stand 3 or 4 deep at the door, pointing and discussing the visitor. Likewise, do not sneak sideways glances to discern her mental state. This person has been placed before you just as the man in the ditch was placed before the Samaritan. Go and sit with him. Such a visitor is likely confused about how to follow the service. Do something about it. The Samaritan did not just throw money at a situation (though He did use His money to assist), but He did something for the man before Him.

If you are concerned about the safety of those around you based on the visitor’s actions, you should also go and sit with him. Engaging the individual presents you with far more opportunities to diffuse a situation without escalating to violence than standing afar off. Jesus died even for this person, who intends violence. Be no respecter of persons but engage the individual.

What is true here in the church is true also in your daily lives. Everyone in the whole world is not your neighbor, but everyone in the whole world has the potential to be your neighbor. Your neighbor is the one who is placed in front of you. This is first your family. You have a responsibility to your family that goes beyond making sure there is food on the table. Scripture says that we are all born half dead, that is spiritually dead, and must be made alive through the Word and Sacraments. You are given to foster that faith within your family.

Yes, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, fields, cattle, and all other goods are blessed gifts of God. Yes, these must be provided for. But these are never the primary concern of the Christian. The primary concern of the Christian concerns the soul. More than a full belly, the Christian mother desires her child have a love of Truth, the Word of God. More than a high-yield retirement plan, the Christian father desires his son to have the harvest of the fruits of the Spirit.

Beyond the family, it becomes difficult for a preacher to address. Why? Because you are individuals. The neighbors God has placed on your road are individuals. It is impossible for the preacher to address every situation in which you will find yourselves. You have the Scriptures. You have the Holy Spirit. You have the sanctified wisdom of the Christian to guide you in your ways.

If it is frustrating that the Pastor cannot tell you what to do in every situation, it is either because you want an answer to all things so that you don’t have to think or because you haven’t read the Scriptures, especially the Wisdom literature such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Psalms. Or possibly, it is because you wish that every person you encountered was the same, that human interaction could follow a prescribed set of rules, drawn in your favor, so that you would not have to engage the person before you. That is not human interaction. That is the internet.

No one is the Good Samaritan in the way that our Lord, Jesus Christ, is. He is the Good Samaritan who dragged your sinful body out of the ditch and has given you rest. You cannot be perfect in this lifetime, but you have been called to make a beginning. You have been called to love your neighbor, whomever has been placed in your path. God is not a respecter of persons. God loves individuals. Beloved child of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, go and do likewise.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Mark 7:33-34.

[2] St. Luke 10:23-24.

[3] The Small Catechism.

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

Psalm 31; Revelation 6:9-11; Romans 6:1-6

St. Mark 6:14-29

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

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.”[1] These are the opening words of perhaps the oldest Christian writing outside of the New Testament called The Didache or “The Teaching.” The author of The Didache is likely referencing Psalm 1, “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”[2] These two ways, the way of life and the way of death; the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly, are on clear display this morning.

King Herod was not in fact a king. He was a tetrarch, one of four men set in authority in the territory of Israel but subservient to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. So long as he kept the peace and served Rome, Herod was allowed to live as he pleased. He was rich beyond necessity and bore no real responsibility aside from pleasing the Romans. Herod associated with the rich and powerful, feasted sumptuously, wore fine clothing, and enjoyed the company of young women.

John the Baptist was an exile from birth. The father of this Herod – confusingly also named “Herod” – ordered all boys under two be murdered so that the coming Son of David would not assume the throne. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt. Zacharias, Elizabeth, and John, only six months old, fled into the wilderness. Donning the garb of a prophet, John ate locusts and wild honey, wrapped a leather belt around his camel hair shirt, and preached the Word of God, preparing the way for the Christ.

The contrast between the stations of Herod and John could not be wider. St. Mark is emphasizing that outward signs of blessing in this world do not correlate to the salvation of God. Christ came for the blind, the weak, the poor, and the lowly. The mighty he has cast down and the proud are made weak.

But before we condemn Herod for being a ruler, who showed all manner of outward blessing (in food, clothing, company, and wealth), God does not offer salvation based on outward lowliness either. The poor man is not saved by being poor nor is the rich man saved by being rich. Nor is either forgiven on account of changing his station – the poor pulling himself out of poverty through hard work or the rich man giving away his wealth to the needy. Our station in this life is given to us by God so that we would be stewards of what we’ve been given.

The contrast between Herod and John which is far more important are the words they speak. Because John was called to be the prophet who prepared the way of the Lord, his preaching was primarily that of repentance. He was to prepare the hearts of Israel so that they might receive the Christ. We are prepared for absolution through repentance. We are prepared to receive the Gospel through the condemning action of the Law.

Herod enjoyed this preaching of John. Herod, who murdered his brother so that he could marry his sister-in-law; Herod, whose hormones rages so uncontrollably that he was titillated by the dancing of his 14 year-old step daughter; Herod, who lived in excess and bowed the knee to the Romans, enjoyed hearing John preach the Law.

When John condemned the marriage of Herod and Herodias, the spiteful woman wanted to kill him, but Herod protected John. He would not allow the prophet to be murdered but he would allow him to be imprisoned – likely so he could please his now “wife” and hear John preach all the more. The sick and depraved Herod was intrigued by the Word of God spoken by the prophet. The Holy Ghost was working in the heart of Herod, seeking to destroy his stony heart with the hammer of God’s Law so that a heart of flesh might fill its place.

Then comes the fateful night of the birthday feast. Herod loses his mind to lust over the dancing of his stepdaughter, a young maiden, barely old enough to be betrothed, and offers her anything her heart desires. The girl is at a loss, so asks her mother, who demands the head of John the Baptist. Though he is exceedingly sorrowful, because of his oath and the presence of his noble guests, Herod gives the execution order. In that moment, all the preaching of John the Baptist has been rejected by Herod. Whatever Word of God had begun to work on his heart, Herod’s own lust, his pride, and his reputation were stronger.

Do not scoff at Herod. Perhaps he never had faith and perhaps he was only entertained by John, but do not scoff. For you too are like Herod. The time comes to tell your cousin it is a sin to sleep with her boyfriend and you don’t have the nerve. Especially when getting married would cause her to lose her deceased husband’s benefits. Your reputation before others if very important to you but notice that the 8^th commandment requires you to protect the reputation of your neighbor – not your own. Even then, if confessing the truth harms your reputation among your friends, they are not your friends or at least they are sorely confused about who you are.

Then there are the parts of Scripture you may not like. You do your daily bible readings and you come to church and listen to the sermons, but every time Christ says, “Rid yourself of crude jokes,”[3] your ears bristle and you think, ‘That can’t mean a dirty joke here and there…’

‘Submit to the government, not only the good but also the harsh.’[4] “I like when Jesus says, “Obey God rather than men, but submit to harsh rulers? No thank you.”

‘Wives, submit to your husbands.’[5] “That just means women can’t be pastors, it doesn’t mean anything at home.”

‘Let women be silent in the churches, not exercising authority over men.’[6] “Well, I just don’t like any version of that.” 

The point is Christ came to save the humble – those who humble themselves before God and his Word. You may not like the Word of God, you may not like the judgement of the Lord, but you are called to humble yourself before it and pray that he would reveal the joy of His Word to you. Humble yourself in repentance. We all need to repent. God already knows what you’ve done. He knows all and sees all. Repent of your sins because if you don’t, if you harbor them because of shame, they will be revealed on the Last Day, but they will be revealed to your judgement, like the sins of Herod.

Then there is John. John lived a life of humility, faithfully submitting himself to Christ. Even when Christ came to him to be baptized, John did not count himself worthy to Baptize the Son of God. Yet the Father had appointed John to be His prophet and to anoint the Savior of the World. Together, John and Jesus would fulfill all righteousness by fulfilling the Word of God and setting in motion of the ministry of Jesus – the Salvation of Man.

John continued to be faithful, to point to the Lamb of God, now anointed to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world. He preached repentance to everyone who would hear – the lowly and the great. He preached the Word of God to Herod who heard him. Then Herod betrayed him by following the way of death. Ironically, Herod’s way of death was the portal to John’s final steps on the way of life. What Herod meant for evil, God turned to the good of John. His labor was complete and now his only duty is to enjoy eternal bliss in glory.

Yes, you are as sinful as Herod. You are tempted by reputation, by threats of losing your job, by threats of losing family members to anger, by threats of losing your life or the life of your loved ones. These temptations are real, and you fail to deny them all. But right now, you are Herod listening to the preaching of God’s prophet. You are also called to be the prophet John the Baptist. You are called to believe, teach, and confess the truth of God’s Word. It is not given to every Christian to stand behind a pulpit nor distribute the Holy Sacraments, but it is given to every Christian to confess.

John never wavered in confessing the Law of God to Herod, his ruler. He also submitted himself to the authority of a very wicked man, accepting the consequences of living in a sinful world. You are called to no less. You are called to confess Christ before Kings and princes, employers and journalists, siblings, children, and friends.

The closest parallel to Herod in our day are the politicians who speak constantly against abortion. They claim to be champions of the unborn, standing for the rights of the defenseless children. But time and time again, they reveal themselves to be Herod. “It wasn’t the right time.” “We must move incrementally.” “We need to compromise.” They do this so that you will continue to vote for them. Where would Batman be without the Joker? Thus, he can never kill his archenemy. So too with the anti-abortion politicians, or at least most of them.

Far more timely are the ethics surrounding COVID-19 and vaccinations. No matter what you think or what you think you know about vaccination; whether vaccines will save the world or cause autism, assuming Christians who disagree with you desire the murder of others is sinful. Assuming that disagreement means you as a person are superior to others is sinful. Authorities at any level – federal, state, local, employers – authorities demanding vaccination while forbidding conversation about alternative treatments is sinful. They are no longer being harsh leaders but monstrous ones.

Forcing a Christian, whose conscience is plagued by the idea of participating in a drug created using tissues derived from abortion, to take said drug is a sin. So is claiming the burdened Christian is murdering those around them. Repent of these sins and treat one another with the eyes of Christ.

At the same time, do not be surprised when monstrous leaders take your job, your livelihood, your children, or throw you in prison. Do not be surprised when you cannot enter a store without proof of vaccination. Throwing a fit because you are not free to go where you please is also a sin. Deriding Christians for being afraid is a sin. Bear one another’s burdens. Encourage the faithful in the Word of God. Listen, respond, and communicate because we are all members of one body. The tongue is a poisonous member and no matter your stance is prone to vile sins against your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hear again the words of today’s hymn, the first and final stanzas: 

“If thou but trust in God to guide thee

      And hope in Him through all thy ways,

He’ll give thee strength, whate’re betide thee,

      and bear thee through the evil days.

Who trusts in God’s unchanging love

      Builds on the rock that naught can move.”

“Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,

            Perform thy duties faithfully,

And trust His Word; though undeserving,

            Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.

God never yet forsook in need

            The soul that trusted Him indeed.”[7] 

St. John the Baptist knew these words. He proclaimed the truth of Christ because he knew God would be faithful to him. What did he get in return? The Scorn of man, a stay in prison, and his head on a platter.

God has promised to bear you through these evil days, but his unchanging love may not look how you want it to look. It may look like the inside of a prison, poverty, the funeral of your loved ones, or even your own funeral. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like the Son of Man nailed to a cross. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like an empty tomb and folded burial clothes. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like water poured upon your head and the Triune Name placed upon you. God’s unchanging love definitely looks like wine and bread, and with the eyes of faith, the same Body and Blood which hung upon the cross.

God’s unchanging love will be revealed in the fulness of glory on the last day, when our eyes will be perfected and open upon the glorious face of Christ, to whom John pointed. We are one in Christ, you, me, all of us together, with angels and archangels, with John and Peter. Do not allow Satan, and his minions, Herod and Herodias tempt you away from Christ in the name of taking away bodily needs. God has and will provide for your body. God has and will provide for your soul. Do not turn away and seek good from the world.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] The Apostolic Fathers, “Didache 1:1,” 3^rd edition, translated and edited by Michael W. Holmes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2007), 345.

[2] Psalm 1:6.

[3] Ephesians 5:3-4.

[4] 1 Peter 2:18

[5] Ephesians 5:22

[6] 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

[7] “If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee,” stanzas 1 and 7.