Exaudi (The Sunday after the Ascension)

 Exaudi (Sunday after the Ascension) – June 1, 2025

Psalm 27; Ezekiel 36:23-28; 1 Peter 4:7b-11

St. John 15:26-16:4a

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

Christ our Lord has much to say about the trials, tribulations, and crosses Christians must bear on this side of glory. We can sort these afflictions into two broad categories. First, there are those afflictions that are the result of sin but are common to all mankind. Disease, financial difficulty, depression, anxiety, emotional instability, uncertainty about the future; these are the result of sin but they are the results of sin that all mankind experiences. Although these afflictions are real and serious, one does not need to be a Christian to suffer them. God may use these afflictions to punish sin, chastise His beloved children, and draw Christians closer to Himself, but they remain forms of suffering related to the sinful nature born into man.

The crosses which Christ has called all Christians to bear are of a different category. These are the result of being a Christian. They are the reaction of sin against faith. This is the unjust suffering of the Christian, patterned after the unjust suffering and death of Christ. To this category belongs all forms of persecution, resentment, abuse, and hatred endured by Christians for the sake of the name we bear.

Being still afflicted by the sin of our flesh, we know just how easy it is to avoid these crosses. Deny the name of Christ and you will be relieved. A little compromise here and a little deception there, and maybe your persecutors won’t even realize you are a Christian. Keep your mouth quiet and they will leave you alone. Each betrayal of the name of Christ makes life a little easier on this side of glory, but I can tell you it will make eternal life that much worse because it would have been better for the betrayer of Christ not to have been born.

Our reading from the Prophet Ezekiel is set in the context of the Babylonian captivity. The people of God had betrayed the Lord by allowing for the worship of false gods in their land and worshiping those false gods themselves. They had profaned the name of the Lord. God punished them by delivering them into the hands of the Babylonians and scattering the people among the nations. Our text includes the Lord’s promise to restore His people by taking them out from the nations and returning them to the land of their fathers.

In the verse just prior to our text, the Lord tells the people that He will deliver them not for their sakes, but for the sake of His holy name. That is, He will deliver them not on account of their righteous deeds or their piety before God, but so that His name would be made known among the nations. He would deliver them so that the nations would know that He is the true God who upholds His word and saves His people.

This promise still holds true for you today. In Adam’s fall, we were all cast out of the land of our promised inheritance, the land of our fathers. We dwell in a foreign land because of our sin and our willingness to profane the name of God, the name of Christ. Yet while we were still in our sin, the Father sent His Son to die for us, to redeem His name among the nations.

And what did God promise, through Ezekiel, to do when He had gathered His people from the foreign nations? Sprinkle them with clean water. It is no accident that in Holy Baptism, the name of God is placed upon you. We do not just invoke the name of the Triune God in Holy Baptism but in fact place that name upon your head. You are sealed with the very name of God in the waters of Holy Baptism. What did God say He was doing when He delivered the people from Babylon? He was sanctifying His great name. Who bears the name of God? The Baptized! Having been delivered from the nations, you now stand with citizenship in the land of your promised inheritance, the land owned by your Father who stands to give it to you. Washed clean from your filthiness and all your idols, a new heart and a new spirit has been placed within you.

And so, as Christ says, ‘You also will bear witness.’ You will bear witness to the name of Christ and the world will hate you for it. The world is at enmity with God and you, baptized children of God, bear the name of Christ.

Now the task of bearing witness to Christ is too much to bear for man alone. Your justification and your sanctification are not for your sakes but for the sake of God’s holy name. That is, neither justification nor sanctification is on account of your merits or piety. They require the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom Christ has promised to pour out on His people. This too, happens in your Holy Baptism. You are not baptized into the name of the Father and the Son only to receive the Holy Spirit 14 years later at your Confirmation. The name of the Triune God is placed upon you in the waters of Holy Baptism that from your very first breath out of the waters, you begin to bear witness of Christ.

And this is a lifelong task. It is the life to which you have received new birth. It is not a burden to bear. In most of our hearts, we imagine ourselves to be sinners striving to become holy through our manner of living. Even as Lutherans, for whom salvation by grace through faith is so important, we tend to think of our life of sanctification as something we are trying to attain. This is utterly backwards. As the baptized, you ought to imagine yourself as a holy saint who is striving to ward off sin. You don’t need new skills, new habits, better time management to achieve a life of holiness. You don’t need better people skills to convert the masses. You already have the Holy Spirit. God is already on your side. Because Christ is yours and you are His, you have everything you could possibly need.

What is left is to ward off the wickedness. How? By being a witness of Christ in thought, word, and deed. Be serious and watchful in your prayers, not as another thing you must do but as making use of what is already yours. Have fervent love for one another not because “it’s the right thing to do” but because you have the love of the Father, more than enough to share with the entire world. You have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, make use of it to minister to those around you, being a good steward of the gifts you’ve been given.

And then, when those within the Church on earth put you out of the church or murder you thinking they are offering service to God, you will not be made to stumble. You can bear your cross because it has already been borne for you. As you are conformed to Christ, the name of Christ you bear will shine ever more brightly. It is not for your sakes, but for the sake of God’s Holy Name.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

Septuagesima

Septuagesima – February 16, 2025

Psalm 18; Exodus 17:1-7; 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.

Christ calls you into the vineyard of His Church purely by grace. Notice that in the parable, none of the workers presents a resume or shows he is physically prepared to work in the vineyard. Likewise, the landowner does not evaluate the workers based on their skill or ability to work in the vineyard. He goes out early in the morning and calls workers into His vineyard. This is a call by grace; grace that is undeserved and unmerited. The call is the activity of the Lord alone. Even the acceptance of the workers is by grace. He does not invite them or open the door so that the workers can choose to pass through. He calls them and tells them to go into the vineyard. This is most apparent in the calling of the final group of workers. The landowner literally commands them to work in the vineyard rather than offering a job contract.

The calling of the workers is the calling of people into the Church. It is how Christians are made. They hear the Word of the Lord and are called, gathered, enlightened, sanctified, and kept in the Holy Christian Church by that Word. The Holy Spirit works on the heart of man to turn it from a stony heart, set against God, to a heart of flesh, warmed by the love of God. This call is not deserved by anyone. The greatest philanthropist in the world is not called into the vineyard by his works of love toward his fellow man. He isn’t even prepared to receive the love of God by his acts of charity toward man. The heart of man is set against God by his conception. It is the miraculous call of God alone that brings man into the Church.

This call comes at different times and in different circumstances to different men. The landowner goes out five times to call workers into His vineyard. Each time, He finds different workers who, for one reason or another, did not receive the earlier calls. Perhaps they were standing there from the wee hours of the morning, heard the earlier calls and rejected them. Perhaps they slept in.

From this, we see that Christians receive the call of faith at different stages in life. Some are born into Christian families and raised in the faith. Their entire life is one spent working in the vineyard. Others come at midday, perhaps being converted to the faith as teenagers or young adults. Then there are those who are called near life’s end. They have spent the days of their lives idly standing in the marketplace, consumed by the cares of this life. But in the eleventh hour, the Lord called them by His Word to join the workers in the vineyard.

We can also see these different stages of life simultaneously. There are those of you who have labored in the vineyard seventy, eighty, ninety or more years. You are among the first called to work the vineyard and have born the burden and the heat of the day. There are those of you in middle age, who were called at the third, sixth, or ninth hour. And then there are the little ones, the children, who by comparison were called late in the day. You, little ones, have been called at the eleventh hour and are the newest workers called into the vineyard. No matter the time spent in the vineyard or the circumstances, the call was by grace and received through faith.

Those called into the vineyard are called to work in the vineyard. They are laborers. What then, is the work that you have been called to do as one called into the vineyard of Christ’s Church? The first work is to hear and receive the Word of God. This is not a work given only to the “professional” theologians but to every Christian. Every Christian is called to give a defense for the hope that resides in him.[1] As such, it is necessary that Christians not only force their eyes to glide over words on a page of the bible but to ponder those words in your heart. As you read or hear the words of Scripture, you need to consider their meaning. Think about what the words mean in their immediate context and how they interact with the rest of the Scriptures.[2]

Don’t just sit and passively listen to sermons. Hear the words and consider them in your heart. Perhaps you didn’t understand something. Ask your pastor for clarification later on. Perhaps your pastor misspoke. Gently show him where he was wrong from the Scriptures or give him the chance to correct a poor choice of words. Maybe he needs to repent.[3] Perhaps he has given an example within the sermon that doesn’t exactly fit your circumstance. Think about how what he said might apply to you and if you are struggling to see how it fits, talk to him. Ask him.

Attend bible study and do not focus on the warmth of your coffee or the taste of the sugary treat. Consider the words, the topic at hand. What do these words mean? What do they mean for you? How do they impact your faith and life? This type of active listening is, in fact, an encounter and interaction with God through His Word. It takes practice and it takes effort. But in this effort, you will be greatly rewarded. You will be rewarded with the wage promised at the beginning of the day, the day of your call to faith wherein eternal life was promised to you.

The second work in the vineyard is to attend to your vocations. Are you a father, mother, son, daughter, employer, or employee? A neighbor, citizen, or leader? Attend to those vocations according to the Word of God. Being a Christian certainly means you have duties to your congregation. These duties begin with regularly attending the Divine Service and devoting yourself to the Word of God and prayer but also include supporting the work of the congregation through your time, talents, and treasure. This Wednesday, weather permitting, is an excellent opportunity to serve the congregation as we gather to clean the interior of the building. Serving the congregation might mean volunteering for leadership positions or being ready to take a meal to a brother or sister in need. It might also mean simply talking to them, showing interest in them as people.

Such work in the congregation might mean submitting to those already in leadership positions or even just those who have more experience in whatever need you are helping to meet. Sometimes it means venturing into something in which no one has experience. In any situation, setting about the work of the congregation requires communication and humility. Asserting your own way by right is not love, nor is assuming everyone thinks the same way as you. Communication is key. Humility is key.

Sometimes this humility means raising up and preparing others for the works that you once did. Each time workers were added to the vineyard, the amount of work for each worker was divided among a larger labor force. One worker took what he was doing and gave a portion of it to another. On the one hand, that meant less work for each individual. On the other hand, in giving some of that work to another, it means giving up a portion of control. The former cannot control every work of the latter. The foundation laid by the first is important and essential, but the efforts of the last are just as important. There comes a time when the work must be divided among the laborers and this requires communication and humility. It requires the first to be prepared to give authority to others and the last to humbly learn from his forebearers.

The third work of the vineyard is evangelism. In the parable, it is the landowner directly calling the workers into the vineyard. However, we also see that the landowner employs stewards, that is, He works through means. The Word of God is delivered to the world through the lips of Christians. It is the work of every Christian to be the light of the world, shining the love of God in the dark world, both in deed and in word.[4]

Experience shows that while pastors have been given to the public proclamation of the word, it is the lips of the laity that most often reaches the ears of the unbelieving world and draws men to the Church. How do you best accomplish this? Most important is to build relationships with people. Listen to them. Ask questions. When someone makes a comment like, “I have a relationship with God, I just don’t go to church,” ask them, “What do you mean by that?” or “Tell me more about that.” Give them the opportunity to clarify what they mean. Most often, they are simply repeating words or phrases they’ve heard without giving it much thought. Giving them the chance to really consider what they mean will often give you the opportunity to say, “This is what I believe about God and the Church.”

However you go about establishing such a relationship, it should always lead to a conversation about faith and where Christ has promised to be (in His Word and Sacraments). Someone might enjoy walking through those doors because you are a nice bunch of people but that should never be why they are here. If it is, then they are set up to be hypocrites – those who act like the faithful but will find themselves locked out of the wedding feast when Christ returns.[5] The reason to be here is because Christ has promised to be here, giving you His word of forgiveness and especially giving you Himself in the Holy Supper. To hear the Word of God and receive His Sacraments is and always will be the primary purpose of the Church because it is the definition of the Church.

When it comes time to distribute the wages, they are given out from last to first. If we understand the last to be those called into the church late in life, they truly have spent the least time working in the vineyard and likely have suffered the least for the name of Christ. Yet these are rewarded the same as the rest of the workers – eternal life with Christ. If we understand the last to be the children, who have also spent the least time working in the Church and likely suffered the least for the name of Christ, they too are rewarded with eternal life in Christ.

In fact, there are many things we can learn from the faith of those called at the eleventh hour, whoever they may be. Christ commends the faith of little children, saying, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.”[6] Children trust that what you say is true. They are also curious, always asking, “Why?” This is to be commended. How shall they learn without someone to teach them?[7]

With age and experience, we tend to keep the questions but lose the trust. We assume that we always know better or even that every source of knowledge is questionable. We question the motives of everyone around us. Are there charlatans? Of course. We shouldn’t be naive. But we should put the best construction on everything, especially when dealing with brothers and sisters in the faith. If something sounds off, ask questions. “What do you mean by that?” “Tell me more about that.” Loves suffers long and is kind, not insisting on its own way but rejoicing in truth.[8]

This is doubly true when confronted with God’s Word. A child wants to know why something happens in Scripture because they are not as familiar with the whole bible. An adult often doesn’t like what they hear and wants to find a loophole. An adult asks ‘why’ hoping to find a way that it doesn’t apply to him.

And this is why those called first are indignant with the landowner. They are offended that those called late in the day would be paid the same wage when they haven’t put in the same work. They resent the landowner’s call and the landowner Himself. They are not concerned with the Word of God but their own interpretation of it. If God acts contrary to what they think is right, it is God’s fault, not theirs. He is unfair for not conforming to their idea of fairness.

By man’s standards, God isn’t fair. And thank God He isn’t. If God was fair, then we would all be doomed. If God was fair, He would give us what we deserve – His wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation.[9] Yet God is merciful by not giving us what we deserve. He is gracious to give us something we don’t deserve. His call into the Church is by grace. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us. From those called in the early morning to those called at the last hour, we are saved by God’s grace, completely undeserved and unmerited.

For those who insist on being recognized for their long hours, days, weeks, or years of service to the Church, the Landowner gives them their denarius and sends them out of the vineyard. He gives them their earthly due – the praises and respect of man. But He casts them into the outer darkness. They have no home with Him now or in eternity. Their great works toward man are but filthy rags before God because they were done without faith, without thanks for the gracious call into the vineyard.[10] Despising the Church is despising God.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] 1 Peter 3:15.

[2] Acts 17:11.

[3] St. Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 5:1-2.

[4] St. Matthew 5:14.

[5] St. Matthew 25:10-13.

[6] St. Matthew 18:3-5.

[7] Romans 10:14.

[8] 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

[9] Romans 6:21, 23.

[10] Isaiah 64:6.

The Feast of St. Stephen

 The Feast of St. Stephen – December 26, 2023

Psalm 119; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:8-7:60

St. Matthew 23:34-39

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

The word “martyr” means someone who tells others what they have seen. A martyr is a witness, one who testifies to what they have seen. The Bible and the Church have taken this word and given it a special meaning. It is reserved for those who tell others about Jesus and are killed for it. St. Stephen was the first martyr because he was the first Christian who was killed because he told people about Jesus. He told them that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, who called Abraham out of the land of the Chaldeans and promised to give his children an eternal home.

He told them that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament who was with Isaac and Jacob. Jesus is the same God who was with Joseph when his brothers tried to murder him. Jesus was with Joseph when he was sold into slavery in Egypt and when Joseph rose to be Pharaoh’s right-hand man.

Stephen told people that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament who called Moses to be His prophet. Jesus is the same God who led His people out of Egypt and stayed with them for forty years as they wandered in the desert. Stephen also told people that it was Jesus who came to dwell in the temple built by Solomon at God’s direction. In all those times and at all those places, God was with His people and this God was Jesus.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees, the Jewish leaders of Stephen’s day, didn’t like what Stephen was saying. They didn’t believe that Jesus was God. They didn’t believe that He was the Savior who came to take away their sins. But that wasn’t the only reason they killed Stephen. They also killed him because Stephen told people what Jesus had said, “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will rebuild it.” Now, Jesus was speaking of the Temple of His body, that when they crucified Him, three days later He would rise from the grave.

The Jews believed that the Temple was the only place where God would come to them. They believed that it was the single place that united them as a nation and as a religion. Without the Temple, they would not be a people and they would not be the people of God. But Jesus very clearly taught them that the Temple was only a sign that God was with them. God had promised to be with His people, most especially in the Temple, but He never promised that the Temple would last forever, nor that it was the only place where He would be with His people. To make sure people understood this, when Jesus was crucified, He tore the Temple curtain from top to bottom, showing that He would no longer be found in the Temple. He was now with His people in His Word.

When Jesus was born of Mary, He came to be with His people in a new way. He walked and talked with His people. After His death and resurrection, He promised to be with His people always, even to the end of the Age. He is still with us. He is with us in His Word and in His Holy Sacraments. He is with us most especially in the Holy Communion, but He is also with us each and every day.

These things made the Jews of Stephen’s day angry. They were angry because of what Stephen was saying. They were angry because of what Jesus had said. They were angry because what Stephen and Jesus had said meant they were wrong. They were wrong about the Bible, and they were wrong about God. They could have listened to Stephen and Jesus. When they realized they were wrong, they could have repented, told God they were sorry, and listened to God’s Word instead of believing what they wanted to believe. Instead, they chose to kill Jesus and then to kill Stephen.

The same things happen today. People think it is weird to go to Church the day after Christmas, let alone three days after Christmas. Friends, neighbors, coworkers might make fun of you for being a Christian, for being a Lutheran. They might think you are wrong to believe that Jesus died for your sins. They might think you are wrong to believe that the most important thing in the whole world is your faith, that you trust in Jesus for your salvation. Some people might not stop with just laughing at you. They might choose not to be your friend, to take you job away from you, and yes, maybe even kill you. There are places in the world where Christians still have to meet in secret for fear that the government or others who hate Jesus will find them and kill them.

Don’t be scared by this. I’m telling you this because it is true. But even if they take away your friends, your job, or even your life, you still have the victory. You have the victory because like Stephen, you have Jesus on your side. When the Jews and the crowd picked up rocks to throw at Stephen to kill him, he looked up to heaven and saw Jesus. He saw Jesus with open arms, ready to receive Stephen into heaven. You might not be given such a blessed vision, to get to see Jesus just before death, but the truth is the same. Jesus will receive you and all the faithful into heaven with open arms. Because of that, because of the promise of Jesus to receive you and all the faithful in heaven, you have nothing to fear in this world.

And because you have nothing to fear, you can tell others about Jesus. Stephen tells the Jews and the crowds about Jesus because he wants them to believe in Jesus, too. He wants them to meet Jesus in heaven and to be with Him forever. So, he tells them about what Jesus has done, that He is the Savior who came to earth to take away our sins. He tells them to believe what Jesus has done and trust in Him to save them. You get to do that too! You get to tell people about Jesus so that they would be with you and Jesus for all time. Isn’t that wonderful?

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr

The Feast of St. Stephen – December 26, 2022

Psalm 119; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:8-7:60

St. Matthew 23:34-39

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

The Lord has blessed us today, though maybe not in the way you had hoped. A storm descended upon our region, and much of our nation, during the last days leading to Christmas. The days were dark and dreary. When the sun did shine, it was dimmed by clouds and the dust of snow in the air, not to mention the bitter cold.

Although Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were likewise cold, they presented a certain calm in the weather. God gave us a physical picture of what we sang together on Christmas Eve, “When all was still and it was midnight, your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.”[1] He has continued with His gifts as we heard proclaimed on Christmas Day, “In [the Son of God become the Son of Man] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”[2]

After celebrating the coming of the True Light into the world, the main body of the storm has passed. The temperatures, although still cold, are slowly rising. The sun has a new glimmer to it. The light seems brighter. In the ordering of the universe, God set the seasons such that the days would begin to lengthen at the same time that His Son descended into the world. The True Light has come, and we can now expect longer days of light.

This evening, we celebrate the faith of St. Stephen. Stephen was one of seven to be ordained deacons in the Acts of the Apostles. He, like the other deacons, set about caring for the sick and the poor, but also preaching, teaching, baptizing, and performing miracles. It is because of his bold preaching and great miracles in the Name of Jesus that the Jews from the Synagogue of the Freedmen seek to have Stephen killed.

In imitation of our Lord, Stephen is dragged before the High Priest and accused of falsehoods with no proof. When his preaching cuts to the hearts of those listening, they grind their teeth in wrath, carry Stephen outside the city, and stone him to death. It is the death of Stephen and the ensuing persecution that led the Church to grow rapidly outside the walls of Jerusalem. In this case, the blood of the martyr is clearly the seed of the church.

The false accusations against Stephen should be no surprise. He is accused of blaspheming against the Temple and against the Law of Moses. He is accused of blaspheming God and proclaiming that Jesus would change the traditions of Moses.[3] These accusations aren’t particularly clever or original. In our times, they rank right up there with “If abortion is murder so is the death penalty. You stupid Christians, you don’t even know your own beliefs.”

While the accusations may be unfounded, St. Stephen takes the time to explain his beliefs. He recounts the history of Israel but more specifically, he recounts the places in which God has been with His people—all prior to the Tabernacle or the Temple. He specifically mentions that God came to Abraham before he dwelt in Haran, while he was yet in Mesopotamia. Father Abraham, although he received great promises from God, did not receive the promised land in his lifetime. He did not see children numbered to rival the stars. He did not see sons as kings. The only land given to him was a tomb in which to bury Sarah.

Then, rather than telling the stories of Isaac or Jacob, Stephen speaks next of the Patriarchs and how they came to dwell in Egypt. What the brothers meant for evil, God meant for good in sending Joseph into Egypt. Israel came to dwell in Egypt and greatly prospered, until the coming of a Pharaoh who did not remember the Patriarchs.

Despite dwelling in Egypt, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt with His people. He struck Egypt with the plagues and drew His people out of that foreign land. Before He could draw them into the land promised to their fathers, however, the children of Israel rebelled against God. They rebelled against Moses. They desired gods of their own making, worshiping the creations of their hands rather than the hand of the True God who had delivered them.

So you see, the Tabernacle and the Temple are not the exclusive dwelling place of God. It is a true statement to say that God is on the golf course just as much as He is in the Church, or the home, or the restaurant, or the prison cell, or the death bed. Heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool. How could the Almighty God, who places His feet upon the whole earth, be confined to one Temple, Tabernacle, Church, or Cathedral? He cannot.

At the same time, God is the one who commanded the building of the Tabernacle. When David desired to build a home for God, the Lord refused to allow it. It wasn’t until God had given this task to Solomon that the Temple was built. These places were given to man so that man could be confident in the presence of God. Prayers said in the Church building are not more readily heard by God than those said at home. However, as man is a fleshly creature, the Church building is a space that has been set apart for prayer. It has been set apart for the worship of the Triune God. It has been set apart for the receiving of God’s Word and Holy Sacraments.

Thus, the Church building is different from all other buildings. It has its own furniture, features, sights, smells, textures, and sounds. It is different for the sake of man. The Church is built for man, not man for the Church.

As such, it is to be a physical embodiment of God’s Word. This physicality is something objective, brought to you rather than supplied by your desire. To look in any direction ought to direct one’s mind toward the Word of God. The sounds that emanate from the Church should recall nothing but the Word of God, His glory, His grace, and His Sacraments. Even the smells of the Church are to be unique. Scientists will tell us that smell is the sense most closely related to memory. Whether that is true or not, all our sense should be active when we worship God. The totality of our mortal flesh is engaged in this worship. Thanks be to God that He has not forgotten any of our senses when bringing to us His Word and Sacraments.

What, then, is the result of this physical training in the things of God? Why is it beneficial to engage your entire self in receiving God’s Word? There may come a day, and it grows more likely every day, that you are called upon to make a confession like that of Stephen. Perhaps it won’t be so grand. Perhaps it will be while you are ordering a new sofa and the salesman asks what the difference between Lutherans and Catholics is.

In such a situation, you ought to be ready to confess your faith. Every service we confess our faith in the words of either the Nicene or Apostles’ creeds. These are an outstanding place to begin but if you are only practiced at reciting them as part of a large group, it will be difficult to remember in a private conversation. Even if you can remember it at the opportune time, there will inevitably be questions to follow.

Therefore, we must be practiced in our faith. We must spend time reading, hearing, and speaking God’s Word. Begin by having conversations concerning Godly topics with your husband, wife, parents, friends, or neighbors. Having lunch with another member of this church and discussing the sermon or the readings from the previous Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to exercise the faith of your tongue in a safe environment.

 The Word of God and holy conversation are habits. The more you attend to them, the easier they become. The less you attend to them, the easier they become to ignore. We are not given the topics of St. Stephen’s lunch conversations, but we do know that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit.[4] We know that when called to confess what he believed concerning the Law and the Temple, he was able not only to proclaim the truth of God’s dwelling and righteousness, but also to call the false teachers of the Jews to repentance.

The zeal of the Lord consumed him and for this, the reproaches of those who hate God fell upon him.[5] The wrath of the High Priest and the Jews is directed toward God, not Stephen. He is simply the mouthpiece proclaiming the divine truth. Yes, this hatred fell upon Stephen but not because of his person. This is the reason he can pray for his murderers, even as they bend to pick up the instruments of his death, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”[6]

We have the holy privilege of the same. We have the holy calling to proclaim God’s Word to all. If they hear and receive that Word, thanks be to God! The angels in heaven will rejoice as one sinner repents. But if they reject the words of our mouths, if they spit upon you and shame you, if they cast you into prison, it is not because of you. It is because they hate God. They hate the Word you speak. They have hardened their own hearts against you and against God. For these, there is no hope.

But for you there is. There is certainty. As the mob is grinding their teeth, Stephen looks up and sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.[7] After reciting the many and various places God has dwelt with His people, St. Stephen now sees the Incarnate Lord dwelling with him. He sees the heavens opened and the Son of God welcoming Stephen to his eternal home.

Whether visible to your eyes or not, the same Son of God is near to you. He is with you at home, in the Church, at prayer, and at the hospital bed. He is with you wherever His Word and the Holy Spirit are present. You, beloved of the Lord, are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God has entered your heart and filled you with faith. Treasure up this Word and hold it dear, for it is the certainty that Jesus is with you always, prepared to receive you into glory.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-15.

[2] St. John 1:4-5.

[3] Acts 6:11-14.

[4] Acts 6:5.

[5] Psalm 69:5-10.

[6] Acts 7:60.

[7] Acts 7:55-56.

The Feast of St. Andrew

The Feast of St. Andrew – November 30, 2022

Psalm 89; Ezekiel 3:16-21; Romans 10:10-18

St. Matthew 4:18-22

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

Whenever we celebrate the feast of an Apostle, or read a portion of Scripture about one of the Twelve, our minds immediately turn toward the Office of the Holy Ministry. This is a good thought, and it is the final destination of tonight’s Gospel text. However, there is another, very important lesson to learn first. Before any of the Twelve were sent out as Apostles, they were first called to be Christians.

St. Andrew is one of the first disciples to be called by our Lord, let alone one of the first of the Apostles. He is the brother of St. Peter and these brothers are from Bethsaida.[1] They were fishermen by trade.[2] Prior to being called by Jesus, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. When John pointed to Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” Andrew and another disciple of John followed Jesus. They spent the day with Him and sought where He would be staying that night.[3]

Sometime later, Andrew returned home to tell his brother that they had found the Messiah.[4] We are not told Peter’s reaction, but we do know that both brothers returned to fishing. It was fulfilling their vocations as workers that Jesus next found Andrew and Peter. He called to them and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”[5]

This call can be viewed in two ways. First, there is the general call to follow Jesus. This is the call to faith, the call common to all Christians. Here, Jesus is calling these men to abandon house and home, financial security, mother and father, wife and children. Jesus is calling them to abandon these worldly blessings in favor of His eternal blessing.

As I said, this is the call to faith given to all Christians. We are called out of this world. We are called to abandon all things that would hinder us from following Jesus. This is much easier said than done. The idea that Jesus would ask you to abandon your family for Him seems counter-intuitive. It is counter to the Will of God if you misunderstand.

If you understand this call as the Medieval monks did, then it is against the Will of God. They believed that God called them to abandon father and mother in a temporal sense and that by locking themselves behind the walls of a monastery, they would be more holy than all other Christians. They even fooled themselves into believing that by separating themselves from their loved ones, they could save father and mother, wife and children, through their own prayers and merits. This is not the call of our Lord. It is the call of Satan.

  Notice how St. Andrew first understands the call. He goes home and tells his beloved brother that he has found the Messiah. While I doubt this is true, it is possible that Peter’s response was a scoff. It is possible that Peter made fun of Andrew for such silly ideas. It is possible that Peter told Andrew he was seeing things and that the Messiah was a fantasy.

I doubt this to be true because Peter likewise follows Jesus at His Word. But we, who are gathered in this room, know what it is like to be rejected for our faith. You know what it is like to be scorned for confessing Christ. If you don’t know, then perhaps you have spent your life in fear of such a response. Perhaps your fear of the response of your brother is greater than your love for him.

St. Andrew could be considered the first domestic missionary of the Christian era.[6] After spending a day with the Lord Jesus Christ, he went home and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to his family. Andrew loves his family enough that he is willing to endure scorn and shame. Andrew trusts the Word of God enough that he believes it will cause faith to sprout in Peter’s heart.

Much later in our Lord’s ministry, some Greeks came to the Apostles asking Philip if they could see Jesus. Philip went to Andrew, but Andrew knew to go directly to Christ. He did not want to continue this game of telephone, but instead consulted the Incarnate Word of God. Jesus responded to this request with a prediction of His death and resurrection. He was praising Andrew for coming to Him and subtly telling Him that these Greeks will be saved just as Andrew is—by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

  In this way, St. Andrew could also be considered among the first foreign missionaries. Tracking his movements throughout the Scriptures, you get the sense that Andrew couldn’t wait to tell others about Jesus. He trusted the Word of God such that he understood it to be the most precious thing in the world. He knew Jesus to be the most precious gift given to man and he wanted everyone to receive Him.

We have entered a time in which our society has begun to collapse. There could be days, weeks, years, or even a few decades left before complete collapse, but it has begun. A sign of this collapse is the utter disdain of the church and the protection of the government toward those who would blaspheme the Lord. This blasphemy is not just abstract. It is experienced by the Church. It is experienced by you in your daily interactions. St. Andrew heard the call to follow Jesus and never looked back. It was later revealed to him that following Jesus promised scorn and persecution at the hands of men. For Andrew, it would also mean martyrdom.

Yet St. Andrew was not deterred. It is recorded that Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross at his own request. He did not count himself worthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus. The Greek governor who ordered him to be crucified also wanted him to suffer. Rather than nail his arms and feet to the cross, he was tied to it. Andrew spent three days hanging on his cross. But even during these three days, he continued to proclaim Christ to all who could hear him. At one time, he loudly cried, “O cross, most welcome and oft-looked for; with a willing mind, joyfully and desirously, I come to thee, being the scholar of Him who did hang on thee; because I have been always thy lover, and have longed to embrace thee!”[7]

So many were hearing the preaching of St. Andrew and turning toward Christ, that after three days, the governor ordered that the ropes be cut, and Andrew taken down. As the last cord was severed, “the body of the Apostle fell to the ground quite dead.”[8] I pray the Lord would inspire such courage and such faith in all of us.

The second way to view the call of St. Andrew especially focuses on the second part of our Lord’s call, “and I will make you fishers of men.”[9] This is the call into the Office of the Holy Ministry, and especially in this case, the call to Apostleship. I will save a sermon on the doctrine of the Office for another time, but know this: before any of the Apostles were ordained, they were Christians. They were called to be Christians.

In this sense, there is very little that is different between the Office of the Holy Ministry and the Office of Christian. Both are called to follow Jesus. Both are called to be fishers of men, albeit in different ways. A Pastor is called to make his living as a fisher of men. He is to publicly proclaim the Word of God; rebuke the unrepentant and absolve the penitent. He is to teach and examine the Church. He is dedicated to the Scriptures in a way that is not possible for most Christians as they have other vocations requiring time and effort.

And yet all Christians are called to be fishers of men. Before Easter evening in the upper room, when Christ breathed on the disciples and sent them to proclaim His Word, Andrew told his brother of the Messiah. Andrew brought the prayers of the Greeks to Jesus. In the same way, by virtue of your Holy Baptism, you have been called to follow Jesus by trusting in His Word. Trust that His Word has forgiven you sins. Trust that His Word has changed your stony heart into a heart of flesh. Trust that His Word has loosed your tongue such that the Holy Spirit will guide you in sharing this Word of Truth with the world.

Not all Christians are called to preach and teach on behalf of the Church. That is the duty of the Office of the Holy Ministry. But all Christians are called to preach and teach in your homes; in line at Walmart; to your relatives; and all you meet. Such proclamation is a duty, but it is also a joy. It is the same joy of tasting a sweet dessert and insisting your husband try it. You want to share the cake with him because you know he would enjoy it.

Even greater is the joy of talking about Jesus with your friends, family, and neighbors. It is true that they might scorn you or reject this Word of God, but the joy is still yours. The joy is yours because it is not your work to make them understand or even to receive the promises of Christ. That is the work of the Spirit. Your joy is simply in sharing the beautiful proclamation that Jesus has died for you and for them. Your joy is saying that Jesus loves you. Your joy is resting in the promises of God and looking forward to His eternal embrace.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. John 1:44.

[2] St. Matthew 4:18.

[3] St. John 1:35-40.

[4] St. John 1:41.

[5] St. Matthew 4:19.

[6] William C. Weedon, Celebrating the Saints (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2016), 216-217.

[7] John Foxe, Foxe’s Christian Martyrs of the World (Westwood, New Jersey: Barbour and Company, Inc., 1985), 30.

[8] Foxe, Martyrs, 30.

[9] St. Matthew 4:19.