Laetare (Lent 4)

 Laetare (Lent 4) – March 30, 2025

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

St. John 6:1-15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Colossians 1:16-17.

[2] Genesis 2:2.

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

[4] St. John 6:2.

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus

 The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus – February 2, 2023

Psalm 48; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

St. Luke 2:22-32

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

At the culmination of the Plagues in Egypt, God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and use its blood to paint the doorposts and lintels as a sign that the Angel of Death should pass them over. This Angel was sent by God to collect the lives of all the firstborn in Egypt—the firstborn of both man and beast. The firstborn of the Sons of Israel were spared this fate. They were spared by the blood of the lamb. However, once God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt and met with Moses on Mount Sinai, He made a new covenant with them. This covenant declared that all the firstborn of the Israelites belonged to the Lord.[1] The firstborn beasts were given to the priests to be sacrificed. The firstborn sons would be given to serve the priests.

In the case of some beasts, the firstborn could be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb in its place. In the case of the firstborn child, God commanded they should always be redeemed. The redemption price of a son or daughter was a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and either a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering.[2] If a lamb was too expensive, two pigeons or two turtledoves would suffice.

First, what does it mean to be redeemed? It is quite simple. To be redeemed means to be substituted. It means to give one thing in place of another so that you might receive back the first possession. Redemption is not quite the same as making a purchase. Giving the checker money in exchange for groceries isn’t the same as redemption because the groceries did not belong to you in the first place. Rather, if you’ve ever been to a wedding reception or banquet with a coat check, you have experienced redemption. You gave the clerk your coat in exchange for a ticket. At the end of the night, you redeemed your coat by giving the clerk your ticket. The coat is your property, and you willfully gave it to the clerk. You then “bought back” your coat at the price of the ticket. This is redemption.

Second, it is important to note who is commanded by God to perform this redemption for the firstborn child. It is always the mother. The redemption of the child is tied up with the purification of the mother after giving birth. In this, we see the beauty of the office given to women. The curse of pain in childbearing is balanced with the joy of a new life brought into the world.[3] Under the Law of Moses, a woman must then spend 40 days alone if she bore a son. If she bore a daughter, the time was doubled.[4] She must spend this time alone because everything she touches becomes unclean. It is tainted by the uncleanness of her giving birth.

But on the final day of her solitude, the mother brings her firstborn to the temple and make the offering both for her purification and the redemption of her child. Such an arduous task is born by the woman and testifies to her fortitude and willingness to love and protect the child God has given to her.

Returning to the Gospel at hand, we must note that the laws I’ve described in no way apply either to Mary or Jesus. The Holy Spirit spoke clearly through Moses, that purification was required of all who had given birth on account of conception by a man. Mary did not know a man. The child she held so dear was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And, according to the pious opinions of some, was born in such a miraculous way as to spare Mary of the unclean flow of blood.

So too, the redemption of the child was required on behalf of sin, just as the blood of the lamb at the Passover was on account of the sinfulness of man. Certainly, Mary received the inheritance of original sin, but the Christ Child did not. And yet, Mary submitted herself and her child to both tenants of the law. Why?

It is first an act of love. Mary would be free to ignore this Law of Moses but she submits herself to it out of love for her neighbor and to give glory to God alone. The events of the Book of Exodus are initiated when a Pharaoh, who had forgotten Joseph, was afraid of the prosperous Hebrews. The Israelites were great in number and posed a legitimate military threat. With the right leadership and foresight, the Israelites could’ve mounted a coup against the Pharaoh and stolen the land of Egypt.

If they had, it would’ve been to their own glory. The cunning of generals and the might of valiant soldiers would’ve won the day. As history would have it, God acted to deliver the Israelites. They were His people to redeem, and their deliverance brought glory to the name of the Lord.

In the same way, Mary and Jesus submit to the Law of Moses that all glory would be given to God alone, lest anyone think that Mary herself was without sin or without need for purification.

The more difficult question is why did Jesus submit to redemption? He is, after all, the one to redeem all mankind. He is our Redeemer. Why then, does He submit to redemption by two pigeons? In one sense, the redemption of Jesus is like His baptism. Where our Baptism washes our sins away, Jesus’ baptism draws our sins upon Himself. His baptism institutes our own. In like manner, Jesus’ redemption institutes our own. Rather than the pigeons dying for Jesus’ sins, they are a foretaste of His own death.

In another sense, Jesus submits to redemption because He is truly the Firstborn of all creation.[5] Submitting to this law in love and without compulsion is the sign that He is the Firstborn among many brethren. He is indicating that we shall all follow in His likeness, that is, when His blood is shed, we shall be redeemed. We shall be purchased from the mouth of hell and returned to the holy habitation of the house of God.

What then of this idea that it is the mother who redeems the child? Where else do we receive the redemption of the blood of Christ than in Holy Mother Church? The Church is our loving mother, who brings us to the sanctuary—the Temple—to receive the redemption at the cost of the blood of the Lamb.

Which brings us to a final comment on the godly Simeon. When our Lord is presented at the Temple, after the purification and redemption according to the Law of Moses, Simeon takes up the Christ child in his arms and praises the Lord for fulfilling His word. Tonight’s feast is sometimes called “Candlemas,” a reference to the historic practice of blessing the candles for use in the Church and the distribution of candles to the congregation for use at two important parts of the service. Such candles would be lit during the reading of the Holy Gospel and during the consecration. They signify the “Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”[6]

This Light, the Light of Christ, comes to you in the proclamation of God’s Word and in the Holy Eucharist. As Simeon reached out his arms to behold his Lord, so too you will come forward to hold the Lord. Just as God’s word was fulfilled for Simeon, so too God’s word is fulfilled for you this evening. Tonight is the culmination of everything that has happened since Christmas Eve: the Incarnation of our Lord, the Adoration of the Magi on the Epiphany, the miracles of Jesus, His glorious Transfiguration, and finally the entering of Christ into the Temple. Tonight, He is entering the sanctuary of this Church precisely so that you might take and eat; take and drink. With this Body and Blood, your redemption price was paid and your glory awaits.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Exodus 34:19ff.

[2] Leviticus 12:6-8.

[3] St. John 16:21.

[4] “If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. ³ And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. ⁴ She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. ⁵ ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.” Leviticus 12:2-5

 [5] Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5.

[6] St. Luke 2:32.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 22, 2023

Psalm 97; 2 Kings 5:1-15b; Romans 12:16b-21

St. Matthew 8:1-13

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

Just as our Lord finishes preaching the Sermon on the Mount and walks down the mountain, a leper approaches Jesus and worships Him. Lepers were commanded to stand afar off, calling out “Unclean! Unclean!” lest anyone contract the disease by passing too closely. Yet this leper bolds walks up to Jesus, falls upon his knees, perhaps even falling prostrate—flat on the ground—in worship of the Incarnate Lord. After such a provocative approach, the leper humbly says, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”^[2]

Here we see the boldness of faith. Faith makes you more powerful than the US President and more wealthy than Jeff Bezos. Christ says faith the size of a mustard seed is capable of moving mountains.^[3] It is by faith that in Psalm 82, God says to Christians, “You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.”^[4] Faith makes you a god among men, a lord over lords, and a mighty conqueror of this world.

It takes such faith to ask anything from God. The centurion knows that he is not worthy to have Christ stand under his roof. The centurion knows that he is not worthy even to be speaking to Christ. Yet faith, given to him by God, has made the leper and the centurion worthy to stand before the Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, Judge, and Lord of the Universe and dare to ask for something as trifling as a healthy body.

Yet even such faith as can move mountains is worthless if misplaced. The leper is able to approach Jesus with such bold faith because he trusts that Christ is not only powerful but merciful, gracious, and loving. Faith is not only knowledge in the power of God but trust in His goodness. The bold faith of the leper is not without humility.

The humility of faith trusts that God is good and will deliver to you that which is best. You do not have all of the information. You cannot see through God’s eyes. We are bidden by the Lord’s Prayer to form all of our prayers according to the Will of God.

When you pray that God would sustain you in right doctrine, the teaching of the Scriptures, and that he will not cast you away, you can be certain that the answer to your prayer will be a resounding yes. God has promised to do these things for you in His word.

But when you pray for something that is good and necessary for this body and life, but which God has not specifically promised to you in His word, then the humility of your faith ought to always cause you to ask according to the Will of God. “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” The leper is not questioning the ability of Christ nor Christ’s love for him. The caveat of “if You are willing” refers to the uncertainty within the leper if being cleansed is really the best thing for him. Jesus knows what is best and so the leper humbles himself to the Will of Jesus.

The humility of the centurion’s faith is expressed somewhat differently. Jesus is ready to come straight to the centurion’s home to heal his servant, but the centurion stops Him. “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come to my home. Your Word is enough for me. I know you are the Lord of heaven and earth. Just as my soldiers obey my commands, I know that all of creation will obey Yours. Please, just speak a word and I know—I trust—that my servant will be healed.”

No one is worthy to have Jesus come under his roof. Historically, the words of the centurion are the words prayed before received the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof, but only say the word and Your servant shall be healed.” We are not worthy to receive forgiveness, let alone to feed on the Body of God. Yet in our unworthiness, the Son of God descended into our flesh to die for us. He took on our humility and shame so that we would be given the faith which makes us kings and lords.

The humility of the centurion is in his request only for a word because he believes the Word of God will do precisely what it says. He believes the Word of Jesus will be good for whomever it is spoken. So too should you humbly believe that the words which I speak are not my forgiveness, but the forgiveness of God, your Father. You should humbly believe that what I give to you in the cup is the Blood of Jesus, not doubting because it doesn’t taste like blood. You should also humbly believe the Word of God is true simply because God has said it. If you disagree with it, submit your own will to the Will of God.

St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”^[5] We see the love personified in Christ while healing the leper. Leprosy is always a symbol of our sinful condition because it deadens our senses toward God. We are not only numb toward God but dead. This necrosis creeps throughout our souls, poisoning us against God and man until we are finally laid in the grave of our own choosing, fated to spend eternity in darkness, weeping and gnashing our teeth in anger against a God we refused to know.

In this deadened state of leprous sin, the Word of God comes to us. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.^[6] Having heard the Word of God, faith is kindled in our dead hearts. Our flesh begins to move and having faith, we are bold to pray, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”^[7]

We, like the leper, already have faith. He is not praying to be converted. If that were the case, his actions would lead to salvation. No, he has already heard the Word of God and now prays that this forgiving Word would act upon his body. He prays that Christ would give to him that which is best for him. So too, we pray for food and drink, house and home, health, money, possessions, a pious spouse, pious children, good government, good friends, peace, discipline, honor, and the like.^[8]

In so doing, we also pray to be made holy. We pray that Christ would relieve us of the temptation to sin. It ought to be the desire of every Christian to live without sin. No sin should please us who would be like Christ. Praying to be cleansed with the leper is to pray that sin would cease its clinging to our conscience. While the temptations of the flesh will never cease on this side of glory, prayer for relief from sin is certainly biblical, practical, necessary, and pleasing to our Father in heaven.

The centurion himself is an example of love. He comes to Jesus not for his own healing, but the healing of his young servant. He pleads to God on behalf of another. This is love. The centurion must have traveled some distance, though not necessarily a long distance. This takes time and resources and for what? A slave? A young slave? He does this out of love. At some point, perhaps during the Sermon on the Mount, the centurion heard the preaching of Christ. The Word of God replaced his heathen heart of stone with a heart of flesh and now the centurion desires to live in service to his neighbor. Faith makes you a lord of all, but love makes you a servant of all. Faith without love is dead.^[9]

So too, should we follow the centurion’s example of faith working out in love, the greater being a blessing to the lesser. No one can provide for every need of everyone they meet. But you can provide for the needs of those God has given into your care. You can sacrifice your own comfort for the sake of another. You can humble yourself so that your children, your less fortunate friend, your sister, or even your destitute mother may have more than the bare minimum in life. To sacrifice yourself for the needs and wants of another is the definition of love.

Such faith and love will be rewarded. Both the Jewish leper and the Gentile centurion will be seated at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. They shall dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for all eternity. This feast has also been prepared for you, beloved in Christ. The blood of the Jewish leper and the works of the Gentile centurion did not secure their invitation to eternal bliss. The Word of God, which delivered the very faith by which it is apprehended, moved their souls to repent of their sins and trust in Christ for salvation. This faith is then shown forth in love for their fellow man.

Your faith too is shown forth in love, even when you don’t realize it. You cannot help but show love toward your neighbor so long as you have faith. The act of changing a diaper is not worthy of salvation but the act of changing a diaper is the showing forth of love born by faith. It is the blessing of the helpless child by the capable mother.

So too are your prayers heard and answered no matter how it may seem to you. Faith means trusting that Christ knows what is good for you and will deliver that which is good. If your prayer is not answered the way you wanted it to be, then realize that you do not know what is best. God does. It would be worthwhile to practice praying like the leper and the centurion.

“Lord, if You are willing, You can deliver me from pain. But I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. Only say the Word, and Your servant shall be healed.”

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[2] St. Matthew 8:2.

[3] St. Matthew 17:20.

[4] Psalm 82:6.

[5] 1 Corinthians 13:2.

[6] Romans 10:17.

[7] St. Matthew 8:2.

[8] A summary of the Small Catechism on the 4^th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

[9] James 2:17; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Galatians 5:6; Colossians 1:4; 1 Timothy 1:5, 14; 1 John 4:20.