Septuagesima

Septuagesima – February 5, 2023

Psalm 18; Daniel 9:2-10; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:4

St. Matthew 20:1-16

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

Our Lord compares the Kingdom of God to a man, a vineyard owner, who calls laborers to work in his vineyard. This landowner negotiates with the earliest workers for a settled wage and sends them into the vineyard. Every few hours, he returns to the market and finds more workers who are standing idle. He commands them to work in the vineyard and he promises to pay them whatever is right. In the last hour of the day, he finds more workers who have spent the day standing in the market. These lazy ones are also commanded to come into the vineyard and promised a right wage.

At the end of the day, the landowner commands his steward to line up the workers, from last to first, and pay their wages. Everyone receives the same wage—a denarius, one full day’s wage. Those who worked the longest, endured the most labor, the harshest heat, and put in the most effort—those who were called at the first hour—are indignant. They are angry because those the lazy bums who barely worked got paid the same as them. The landowner reminds these ungrateful laborers that they were paid precisely according to their agreement and then he casts them out of the vineyard.

The call of the laborers is the call into the church purely by grace. From the first to the last, not a single worker presented a resumé or portfolio. They were called by the master into the vineyard and given duties to attend to. They are set to work caring for all that belongs to the master.

The landowner in the parable is our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is compared to a man and all that is spoken of in the parable belongs to him. Jesus is the only man who is also God. He holds all of creation in His hands.

The laborers who are called into the vineyard are Christians. They have been called by the Gospel to dwell in the vineyard of Christ. In the vineyard, they are set to caring for God’s creation and are sustained by the same. Each is given duties and not all have the same responsibilities. At the same time, none is given possession of the vineyard. The vineyard belongs to the Master, to Christ, to God.

The steward in the parable is the pastor of Christ’s church. He is set in authority over the people of God to guide them, teach them, rebuke them, exhort them, warn them of danger, and console them with the gifts of God.[1] The vineyard does not belong to the steward any more than it belongs to the laborers. However, the steward has been set in authority over the laborers for the sake of good order and as the steward of God’s word and watchmen of God’s people.[2]

In plain language, the church as an abstract concept, that is, the body of believers, does not belong to Christians. The local church also does not belong to Christians. The abstract church and the local church do not belong to pastors. In every sense, the Church belongs to God alone. Christians are called to dwell in the Church; to serve in the Church; to gather in the Church; and to be sustained by the Church. Pastors are called to the same but we are also called to steward the Church of God; to manage the affairs of the Church; to lead the flock on behalf of the Good Shepherd; to be a watchman concerning the dangers of the world and the sins of the congregation.

Whether clergy or laity, we do not enter the vineyard by our own reason or strength. No one can think his way into the church nor work his way in. Only the call of the Holy Gospel, that is, the death of Jesus Christ as delivered in the Word of God and His Holy Sacraments, can draw us into the Church. Christ our Lord calls you through His word, by the working of the Holy Spirit. You are called to dwell in the vineyard forever yet you are not idle in this dwelling. You are called to serve.

Some are called early in the morning, those who were born into Christian households. These have the longest service in the vineyard. They can work the longest, do the most work, and also endure the most suffering on behalf of Christ.

There are those who are called at midday. They are called by the Gospel in the middle of life. They are given the same work as those called in the morning and set about their task in the same way.

Then there are those who are called at the end of life. They have little time left in the Church Militant, but they receive the same reward as those called in the morning. They are the first to see Christ in glory, that is, they are the first to die, but their reward of eternal life is just as wonderful.

This reward of eternal life is the same whether you are called into the church in the wee hours of the morning or at the eleventh hour. There is no privilege in the Kingdom of God given to those who have spent 70 years in the Lutheran Church over those who are new converts. At the end of the day, all receive the same reward. The teachings and practices of the Church are governed not by experience or longevity, but by the Word of God.

And this is exactly what angers the laborers called in the morning. They’ve been here longer, worked harder, and endured more. In exchange for this, they believe they are due more reward, more clout, more power.

This is a temptation for Christians, especially those who have grown up in the Church. It is tempting to believe that more work, more time, more history means more reward, more influence, or more merit. This is the way of the world. The way of the Church is to follow the Word of God. The grace of God is not fairly distributed to all laborers. “Fairness” has little or nothing to do with God. God deals in equity. Grace is distributed equally. All have fallen short and all are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That is not fair, but it is equal. God shows no partiality, meaning He does not account for prestige, fame, history, or power. He accounts only for faith, that is, trust in Him according to His word.

We in the church, those who have been in the vineyard since at least midday, tend to become too familiar with certain passages of Scripture. We forget how surprising they can be. We forget to sympathize with those called in the first hour. Of course, they expect to be paid more. In any business situation, it would only make sense to pay your best workers the best wages so they will continue to work for you. Yet God is not running an earthly business. He deals in grace, a free and undeserved gift.

Jesus asks those who were called in the first hour if their eye is evil because He is good.[3] What He means is, “Do you see evil in what I am doing? I AM Good. There is nothing Good outside of Me. By calling Me evil, you reveal the evil within your own heart. Take what is yours and get out of the vineyard.” You have already been called to stand in the church. Eternal glory is already yours, do not call the grace of God evil in your eyes. God is Good. God is The Good and His goodness has called sinners to repentance and faith.

Thanks be to God He has called us to faith and forgiven our sins. Thanks be to God He goes out again and again to call sinners to repentance. Thanks be to God that He has not given the vineyard to either the laborers or the stewards because we cannot see with His eternal eyes. He has given us responsibilities within His Church to serve God and neighbor within our various vocations. He has also given stewardship of His Church to pastors not on the basis of merit or worthiness. He has given this stewardship for the sake of good order and in service to His Church.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4.

[2] Ezekiel 33.

[3] St. Matthew 20:15.

The Commemoration of the Reformation

The Commemoration of the Reformation – October 30, 2022

Psalm 34; Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28

St. Matthew 11:12-19

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

The term “antichrist” is used in the Scriptures in both a broad and narrow sense. The broad sense can be found in 1 John 2, in which all false teachers are called “antichrists.”[1] This broad sense is the plain understanding of the word. False teachers stand opposed to Christ, making them “anti-Christ,” “against the Christ.”

The narrow sense of the term “antichrist” is most clearly described in St. Paul’s second letter to the Church in Thessalonica, where he writes as follows:

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.[2]

With St. Paul, we can identify 5 marks of this narrow use of the term “Antichrist.”[3] First, the position taken by the Antichrist is called the “falling away,” or apostacy. This means that the Antichrist will lead Christians away from the true doctrine of the Christ, especially the central doctrine of the Scriptures—that “man cannot be justified before God by his own strength, merits, or works, but is freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when he believes that he is received into favor, and that his sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for your sins.”[4]

The second mark of the Antichrist is that he will sit in the temple of God, that is, he will arise from within the Church itself. While it is tempting to claim any number of evil political leaders as “the Antichrist,” this would be contrary to Scripture. The Antichrist shall sit himself within the Church of God and attempt to deceive God’s children from such a position within the Church.

Third, the Antichrist will conduct himself in accord with this seat within the church, namely, he will act as if he was God, Himself. The Antichrist will claim supreme authority over man, refusing to submit to any other authority. He will claim to be above the authority of all creation and to be the soul source of God’s interaction with man.

The fourth mark of the Antichrist is that although he is not Satan himself, his coming and his reign will be built and backed by all manner of lying powers, signs, and wonders. Christ warns us that many will come in His name and even perform miracles, claiming to be from God.[5] All those claiming to be from God must be judged by their doctrine, and that according to the Word of God.

The final mark of the Antichrist is that he will remain until the return of Christ. The Lord will destroy the Antichrist at His visible return and yet, as St. John writes, “As we have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists.”[6] It is this final mark that tells us the term “Antichrist,” when used in this narrow sense, refers not to an individual person, but to an office. An office endures longer than the lifetime of one man and yet remains unchanged until God destroys it.

These five marks are all fulfilled in the office of the Papacy, or the Roman Pope. At the Council of Trent, the Papacy officially declared the biblical doctrine of justification to be accursed, saying that anyone who teaches that man is declared righteous freely through the merits of Christ and cannot add to his own salvation according to his own works is anathema, that is, condemned to hell. Thus, in the Papacy, we can see the greatest and most pronounced “falling away” from the most fundamental article of faith by which man is saved.

Certainly, there are many others in the world who deny the doctrine of Justification, but the Papacy promotes such false doctrine from within the Christian Church. What I mean is that there are Christians in the Roman Catholic Church. There are Christians because they still receive Holy Baptism in the Name of the Triune God. The Holy Scriptures are still read and proclaimed. It is through these means that the Holy Spirit works faith in the hearts of man. It is a miracle of God that there are Christians who, despite the false teachings of the Pope and the seductive nature of the Church body to which they belong, still cling to faith in Christ, trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus alone for their salvation.

In 1302, Pope Boniface VIII issued Unam Sanctum, declaring that it is necessary for salvation that man be subject to the Roman Pope above all others. This is a matter of official doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church. It is necessary for salvation that man be subject to the Pope above all other authorities on earth. This means that the Pope is above any criticism. It means the Pope alone is supreme in the Church and the world. He submits to no one.

Perhaps the most seductive to the eyes of man are the numerous reports of miracles, visions, and wonders related to the Roman Pontiff. Marian apparitions, miracles of healing, and statues that weep, bleed, or heal are all said to point to the validity of the papacy. In fact, these signs point to the contrary. Since they do not point to Christ, but instead to a man who claims greater authority than the Word of God, they are demonic in origin. I do not deny that some of these signs and wonders have occurred. In fact, I’m certain they have. However, they are signs fulfilling precisely the words of our Lord: “We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.”[7]

Finally, in the papacy, we see an office that for a time after the apostles, remained beneath a veil. The early bishops of Rome were pious Christians who sought to lead the flocks God placed under their authority according to the Word of God. But after a time, and certainly by the 14^th century, the nature of the Papacy was revealed to be the very seat of the Antichrist. It is an office which will endure until the return of Christ, when He will destroy the Papacy, along with all who fight against Christ and His reign in the Church.

Why is it worth studying the office of the Antichrist? St. Paul told us that he wrote concerning the man of lawlessness that you would not be “soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter.”[8] A proper understanding of the Antichrist is not necessary for salvation. Salvation is only gained by faith in Christ, a true understanding of the Son of God who took on human flesh to die on behalf of the sin of man, making atonement to the Father and sending His Holy Spirit to bestow such faith on man.

An understanding of the Antichrist serves as both a warning and a comfort. It is a warning in that it draws your attention to the one thing most needful—faith in Jesus Christ. It is a warning against fascination with the mysteries of God which He has chosen not to reveal to man. It is a warning against the seductive signs, wonders, and claims to history of the Roman Catholic Church.

It is a warning against seeing different churches as simply different social clubs. There are doctrinal differences between church bodies and doctrine is important. It is important whether you confess the biblical teaching that the Body and Blood of Jesus is truly present in the Holy Communion. It is important if you confess against the clear teaching of Scripture that one man is given all authority in heaven and earth to bestow salvation on whomever he chooses. These differences matter because given time, false doctrine will destroy faith. Even though there are Christians within the Roman Catholic Church, these Christians are in danger. They are in danger of falling into the trap of the Papacy and placing their faith in the salvation of the Pope, rather than the salvation of Jesus Christ.

The doctrine of the Antichrist is also a comfort, a consolation for your conscience because it forces you to examine the true doctrine of the Scriptures. Here you will find that it is not by your works that you are saved. You will find that there is nothing you can do to save yourself. There is no work you can perform, no amount you can pay, no decision you can make to escape the punishment of hell.

Only the perfect life of Jesus, who willingly kept the Law of God perfect from the moment of His conception to His death on the cross, merits salvation. Only the sacrifice of Jesus on Mount Calvary, willingly offered to the Father on your behalf, can atone for you sin. Only the work of the Holy Spirit, who has called you by the Word of God, the Holy Gospel, can draw you to salvation.

This is a comfort because it does not rely on you. It does not rely on how you feel or how much you understand. Your salvation relies on the Blood of Jesus, shed for you, and the faith bestowed upon you by God to cling to this Word of promise. The Pope in Rome would have you kneel before him in submission to his claim to authority. Jesus Christ submitted to death, even death on a cross for you. We now kneel before Jesus Christ alone, as He alone has called you by the Holy Gospel to join Him in eternity.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 John 2:18.

[2] 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, quoted from the New King James Version (Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982).

[3] Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Volume 3 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1953), 462-469.

[4] AC IV.

[5] St. Matthew 24:24.

[6] 1 John 2:18.

[7] St. Matthew 11:17.

[8] 2 Thessalonians 2:2.

The Commemoration of All Saints (Observed)

 The Commemoration of All Saints (Obs.) – November 7, 2021

Psalm 31; Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3

St. Matthew 5:1-12

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

The “Church Triumphant” is a term which refers to the saints in glory. They are the Christians who have come out of the great tribulation, who rest from their labors, who are before the throne of God day and night, who 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. At this moment, the Church Triumphant are the Christians who are 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” refers to 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 our 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 Christian whose body’s 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 simultaneously united in the Eternal Body of Christ, should help us to understand the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. This is not a checklist for getting into heaven. It is not a menu of the rewards for specific deeds. The Beatitudes are a description of Christ and the life of Christians.

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 truly 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, they are not a list of deeds you must do. Even though they seem conditional, each of the Beatitudes is a statement of fact. If I said, “If you have a beard, you shall be a man,” I am not saying you must grow a beard to become a man. I’m also not saying everyone without a beard is not a man. What I am saying is that if you have a beard, you are certainly a man.

The Beatitudes work the same way. Those who mourn are certainly blessed, because they are certainly comforted. Only Christians can mourn in this way. Only Christians know the eternal consequences of sin and death. Only Christians know the finality of this world and the eternity of the next. A pagan can console themselves that grandpa has become food for a tree and sitting under that tree somehow brings you closer to his spirit. A Christian knows this is a lie. A Christian knows that grandpa’s body has returned to dust, as God promised it would, and his soul is residing in his eternal home – the righteous in bliss and the unrighteous in torment. Therefore, a Christian mourns that sin has caused this separation between him and his grandpa at least until the Resurrection.

Only Christians can truly be comforted. Only Christians know that this world is not eternal. Only Christians know with certainty that there is life after this world, and it is without pain, suffering, tears, and sadness for all who believe. The complete bliss of heaven is unimaginable and yet the Christian is comforted by the knowledge of the truth. This knowledge only comes from the presence of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. Christ promised to send his Spirit, the Comforter, to be with the Church throughout her time on earth. The Church Militant finds life in the Holy Ghost, who sustains, blesses, and sanctifies the whole Church on earth.

The pagan must endure doubt. The pagan cannot be certain of what he will face after death. The atheist believes there is no life after death but cannot answer what will become of his consciousness. The “spiritual” pagan creates an afterlife of his own imagination, but this is always corrupted by the sin of his flesh. It cannot be compared to the bliss which God has in store for the faithful. The torment of hell is a surprise to both the “spiritual” and atheist pagan because they also cannot imagine its horrors.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. This is a statement of fact for all Christians who mourn the death of loved ones. You are comforted and you shall continue to be comforted, even when it doesn’t feel comfortable. Your faithful departed are with you now because we are joining them in their worship of Christ, even if you are not aware of their presence.

Do not turn away the comfort of the Holy Ghost by refusing to mourn. Do not allow your mourning to turn into despair or uncontrollable weeping. These are a sign of mourning without hope. Do not blame God for you pain or suffering. Rather, mourn for you loss. Mourn for the sin of the world which has caused that loss. Then pray that God would comfort you. Pray that the Holy Ghost would console your conscience. Pray that God would strengthen your faith through the Word of God and the presence of his saints, both on this side of glory and the other.

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 Franklin, Wilbur, Doug, Barry, and Nancy. 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 are listed in a progression from worldly suffering to spiritual virtues, 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. 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 T 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.

The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Psalm 34; Isaiah 61:7-11; Galatians 4:4-7

St. Luke 1:39-55

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

            The Blessed Virgin Mary has been the subject of many artistic depictions throughout history. Many are quite beautiful. Unfortunately, many others contain false teachings associated with the Marian cult of the Roman Catholic Church. However, there is one that I would like to describe for you, which is worth your contemplation.

            The Blessed Virgin sits upon a marble chair, holding her Divine Son in her arms. There are bright white lilies at her feet and the wall behind them is covered in a floral wallpaper. The wall is a mixture of gold, red, white, green, pink and yellow, though all the tones of the wall are muted. Both Mary and her Son are adorned with nimbuses, the golden halo looking ornaments, typical of depictions of any Christian. Of course, the Christ child’s nimbus has a cross within it, while the Virgin Mother’s is rather plain.

The Christ child is naked, however his legs are drawn up so as to cover any indignity that might be displayed. His feet are slightly overlapping, reminiscent of how they will eventually be nailed to the cross. His arms are outstretched to the sides, the right hand formed into the sign of blessing – two fingers curled, the thumb and other two fingers extended. Both hands have their palms exposed, again, suggesting the posture in which he will atone for the sin of the world.

Mary is clothed in a dark velvet cloak. The color is difficult to discern, perhaps a dark shade of purple, perhaps a faded black. The cloak has gold trim and is clasped with a diamond shaped broach. She wears a red shirt, barely visible beneath the cloak. A thin white garment is placed upon her head and the hood of the cloak covers it. The Blessed Mother appears young, certainly under 20, as she was when she bore the Savior of the world. She holds the Christ child in both arms, simultaneously expressing tender care and somehow clutching him to herself.

The most striking features of the painting are the eyes of Christ and Mary. Christ stares directly at you, the viewer. He is painted face on, with vivid eyes, a serious but compassionate expression upon his young face. The Blessed Mother is looking down, her eyes barely visible. She is looking at her Son. Although the figure of Mary occupies three-quarters of the image, her gaze directs us to the Christ, particularly his hand raised in blessing. While Jesus’ lips are shown in a serious but compassionate expression, Mary shows slight concern in her understated face. She looks somewhat uncomfortable seated upon the marble seat.

What have we to learn from such an image? The purpose of celebrating the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is to follow her gaze – to focus on Christ, her Son. Her eyes are focused ever on Christ, not her own station as the Mother of God. She is uncomfortable on the seat because she knows it is Christ’s throne, not her own. She is no more the Queen of Heaven than any other Christian. She deserves nothing. It is precisely because of her low estate that she was chosen by God to bear the Christ.

She clutches at the Christ child because only by clinging to her Savior does she have hope of salvation. She must hold him tightly, fervently, knowing that only in His salvation will she receive eternal life.

At the same time, she, as a mother, must not restrict him. A sword will pierce her heart as her own Son is beaten and nailed to a tree. She must endure a lifetime of sorrow for not only did her Savior die on her account, but her Son sacrificed Himself for her. She must not prevent Him from the death for which He was sent into the world. Mary was a smart woman, she knew that one day the Savior, her Son, must die to atone for her sin and she could not stop it.

Aside from being the Mother of God, as though that title were a trifle, Mary is also the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant and the image of the Church. The Ark of the Covenant was given to the Hebrews as they wandered the desert for forty years. It contained the Word of God and was the physical manifestation of the location of God. It was God’s throne and place of judgement. The lid was called the Mercy Seat, or more accurately, the Atonement Seat. Likewise, Mary was given to carry the Christ child within her womb for forty weeks. In her was the physical Word of God, come to dwell with his people. God would soon take his place upon the Atonement Seat, now fashioned into a cross.

The church is now the bearer of Christ. Inside these walls, inside the walls of your heart, dwells the Son of God. Here He comes to be with His people, physically in His Holy Body and Precious Blood. He dispenses that same atonement, made once and for all on Mount Calvary and now distributed to you in His Word, His Supper, and His Baptism, every Sunday. “His mercy is on those who fear him, from generation to generation”[1] of those who receive his Word of absolution in faith. From whence comes this faith? The very same Word. “He has helped His servant Israel, [the Church,] in remembrance of His mercy, as He promised to our fathers, [to your fathers,] Abraham and to his seed forever.”[2]

Because of the terrible abuses of our Mother in the faith, we are tempted to denigrate Mary. “She was nothing special, she was a sinner, too. We shouldn’t exalt her any more than any other Christian. Giving her special attention is too Roman Catholic.” Mary was a sinner. She is no greater than any other Christian in regard to her salvation. She was conceived in iniquity and born in sin. She needed the blood of Christ to wash away her sins every bit as much as you do.

But we should also heed the words the angel Gabriel, “Rejoice, highly favred one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”[3] Then there are the words of Elizabeth, spoken to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”[4] Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Mary herself sang, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED.”[5]

Lest we become the very prideful ones scattered in the imaginations of our hearts, we should humble ourselves before the Blessed Virgin Mary, not out of worship. We never worship a Christian. The temptation to hold the Blessed Virgin down so as to elevate ourselves is blatant hypocrisy, sinful pride, and biblical ignorance. The mighty, in worldly power and in sinful pride, are cast down from their throne. But the lowly, the humble, are exalted. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled with good things while the rich are sent away empty. We should humble ourselves to the mercy shown to Mary by God; humble ourselves before the faith shown by a teenager told she would bear God in her womb; humble ourselves to imitate this faith, begging our Father in Heaven to endow us with such humility, grace, and endurance.

She cast her gaze upon the Christ child in whom is her salvation. In her deepest suffering, as her beloved Son hung upon a cross, she did not curse God and beg for death. She stood silently weeping and received the blessing of Christ. In His moment of greatest suffering, Christ Himself looked down from the cross and regarded his beloved mother. Despite enduring the pain of ten thousand generations of sin and evil, he took a moment to entrust his beloved mother to his beloved disciple. In the depth of sorrow, God looked up upon his blessed saints. Everything God does, everything Christ does is for the benefit of the Church and His saints. Everything is done for you.

On this account, we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate her as our mother in the faith as the first Christian to receive the Body of Christ into herself. We celebrate her as our sister, praising the manifold gifts of God. We celebrate Mary as the image of the Church, ‘the glorious princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In these many-colored robes she is led to the king, her own Son seated upon His eternal throne, with all her virgin companions, the Church, all those cleansed from their sins and made pure as virgins, following behind.’[6]

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] The Magnificat, Luke 1:50.

[2] The Magnificat, Luke 1:54-55.

[3] Luke 1:28.

[4] Luke 1:42.

[5] The Magnificat, Luke 1:47-48. Emphasis added.

[6] Psalm 45:13-14, the Gradual for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 2 Corinthians 10:6-13

St. Luke 16:1-13

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

            It is tempting to read the parable of the unjust steward as referring to the character of the steward himself. Afterall, he is the primary character, and it is his actions which move the parable along. Even the master commends the steward at the end of the parable.

            A little cultural knowledge will go a long way in helping to understand this parable. The master is a landowner. He lends out his land for farmers to work it. They are sharecroppers. Each year, they owe the master a certain percentage of their harvest. Their debt to the master is the cost of working his land. The master has also hired a steward to manage his financial accounts. The steward is responsible for collecting and recording the debts and offerings in the name of the master. The activities of the steward toward the farmers are considered the same as if the master himself were dealing with them.

Certainly, the steward is important to the parable but so is the master. A closer reading of the parable reveals much about the character of the master. When the master hears the accusation that the steward has been wasting his goods, the master is fully within his rights to immediately have the steward cast into prison until the debt is paid. The master does not exercise this right. Instead, he shows mercy by allowing the steward to depart, collect the books, and return them to the master before he is released from his duties.

The master knows this gives the steward the opportunity to cook the books. He has already shown himself to be capable of lying, cheating, and stealing, but the master is willing to be merciful to the steward.  At the same time, the master has declared that for his transgression, the steward will be cast out of the master’s house. This shows the master to be just, that is, to practice justice.

When the steward reduces the debts of the farmers, they do not act suspicious. They do not question the actions of the steward. Their reaction reveals the master to be gracious. The farmers see this act of generosity as being perfectly in line with the character of the master. It is something he himself would do for them and likely has done in the past. In fact, the reaction of the farmers probably indicates that the steward’s crime was not being gracious to the farmers. Rather than reducing their debts, according to the Word of the master, he charged the farmers higher rates and kept the difference for himself. This is the wastefulness of which the master accuses the steward. He wasted the grace and mercy of the master.

Finally, the master commends the steward for his shrewdness. This commendation reveals the master to be forgiving. He desires forgiveness and not punishment. He is just, willing to punish transgression, but he desires mercy and reconciliation. 

The master is just, righteous, merciful, gracious, forgiving, and loving. His gifts are abundant and he freely bestows them. The master of the parable points us to God. In fact, you could read the steward as a picture of mankind. The pinnacle of creation, God gave man stewardship over all creation. When he was found wasteful, abusing that which was given into his care, God cast him out of the garden, from the near presence of the Trinity. When God called man to give an account of his life, he must reflect the person of the Master, he must turn to the person of Christ. By speaking forth the Word of God, by showing forth his union with Christ, man is commended on the Last Day for his service.[1]

I admit, such an interpretation seems to leave out the atonement of Christ on behalf of the steward. That is a fair criticism. King David shows in our Old Testament lesson how our Heavenly Father reveals himself to man: “with the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure…For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.”[2]

God Himself enlightens the darkness of the steward’s heart, even as he enlightens the darkest places of your heart. This enlightenment is accomplished by the Light of the World rising on the third day. The Light of Christ returns to the Church as he is raised from the dead, a death which conquered death on your behalf. His blood has watered the soil which you farmers now work. He has planted the faith in the hearts of man to be illumined by the Word of God, spoken by the Holy Spirit through the lips of the faithful.

Our Master, God the Father, has given all authority in heaven and on earth to the Son, who now delivers the bountiful harvest to you his people, that you might steward it on his behalf. “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”[3]

I believe this to be a parable about the church, those who have already been called to faith. The steward already lives in the house of the master and is threatened to be cast out for abandoning the Word of the master. Only by repenting of his waste and showing the fruits of repentance is he restored and commended by the master.

This is true of all Christians. We are called to repent of our sins and show forth the fruit of such repentance. What does that look like? It looks like conforming yourself to the Word of God. Your sin ought to disgust you because it disgusts God. You ought to love righteousness because God loves righteousness. You cannot do this on your own. The Holy Spirit must sustain you and strengthen your spirit to hold firm to the certain Word of God.

Where do you turn for such strength? To the Word of God. Read the Word in the morning and before you go to bed. Pray fervently for the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Then come and receive the Word of God bound to physical elements. Return to your Holy Baptism every day by crossing yourself and drowning your sinful Adam. Receive the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Christ into your mouth, drawing you ever closer to Christ your Lord.

Perhaps the most confusing sentence in all of Scripture is verse 9 of today’s text. “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”[4] Christ out Lord is not commanding us to seek money so that we can make friends. He is not encouraging us to flaunt the wealth we’ve been given by wasteful spending in attempts to garner the attention of man. This would be prodigal living. Prodigal, by the way, is the same word we hear today as “wasteful.”

Such living not only endangers our own salvation (by trusting in mammon) but it endangers the salvation of our neighbors, those who would be called “friends” in the name of money. By purchasing such friendship with money, we are encouraging our neighbor to fear, love, and trust in money above God.

Jesus is warning us against such living. He is warning us against wasteful living. By calling it “unrighteous mammon,” our Lord is telling us that all mammon is dangerous. The heart of man is easily tempted by temporal wealth and is therefore ripe for becoming an idol. Therefore, it is unrighteous mammon.

But how shall we make friends with it? The other side of Christ’s warning is against miserliness. Do not store up treasures on earth.[5] Our Lord’s command is to use the wealth we are given to serve our neighbor. Rather than storing your wealth, use it in service to your neighbor. Wasteful spending and selfish saving are equally damaging to your soul. Both place your greed above God. Hence, you cannot serve God and mammon, these two masters.[6]

Be a good steward of the gifts of God by serving your neighbors. Then, when your body fails in death, you will be received by the whole company of heaven into your everlasting home. This stewardship is not done according to the latest financial models nor whatever financial gurus might say, even if they are Christians. This stewardship is modeled after Christ our Lord, who gave everything of himself to save you. He is the perfect steward who could even be called wasteful. He showed no concern to withhold even his blood from being given to you. He gave you everything, so that you would lack nothing in eternity.

Christ our Lord is just, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. We have been called to be the same. Thanks be to God our actions do not merit eternal life. Thanks be to God our stewardship does not merit eternal life. Thanks be to God that he has set his glory above the heavens. Thanks be to God he has prepared a mansion for you in our eternal home. Finally, thanks be to God that we have been set free from sin, that we would desire to imitate our Savior, Jesus Christ, in serving God and neighbor with everything we have been given to steward.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] Matthew 25:31-46 – The sheep and the goats.

[2] 2 Samuel 22:26-27, 29.

[3] Genesis 1:28.

[4] Luke 16:9.

[5] Matthew 6:19-21 - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

[6] Luke 16:13 - “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”