Christmas Eve

The Eve of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas Eve) – December 24, 2022[1]

Psalm 2; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7a; Titus 2:11-15a

St. Luke 2:1-14

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

This night, we celebrate the visitation of an angel, that heralds the arrival of the Christ. An angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in the field and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were afraid.[2] And the angel said to them, “Fear not.” An angel, likely the same angel, appeared to Zachariah, to Joseph, and to Mary herself, announcing the coming of the Lord and each time saying, “Do not be afraid.” These angels came not to bar the gates to eternity, but to announce their being flung open. The Christ child is born in the city of David to bring peace to man.

This peace is brought about through reconciliation. The birth of the Christ brings reconciliation between man and the holy angels. To be reconciled does not mean “to let bygones be bygones.” Reconciliation requires acknowledgment of the harm done, restitution or atonement for that harm, and forgiveness by the one harmed.

The presence of angels almost always strikes fear into the heart of man because angels are the messengers of God and man’s heart is sinful from birth. Our wickedness, our sinfulness, even the inclination to sin is an abuse of the life God has created within us. We have taken His good creation and corrupted it. We have stolen what is rightly His. We have blasphemed His holy name by acting in wickedness. By our actions and our inactions, by our thoughts and lack of prayers, by our own faults, by our own most grievous faults, we have broken the relationship between God and man because we have placed ourselves before Him.

Yet this night, the presence of the angels no longer sparks fear, but joy. The words “Fear not,” are an absolution, words which restore the relationship between two people. The angels have come to announce the coming of the Reconciler, God’s Anointed. “When all was still and it was midnight, [the] Almighty Word…descended from the royal throne.”[3] The cattle, donkeys, and sheep even take notice. These beasts lift their heads in recognition that the Creator has entered creation for the sake of bringing reconciliation to the cosmos.

The reconciliation celebrated by the holy angels is achieved in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The very Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, unites Himself to us by becoming one of us. His flesh is no different than your flesh or mine. Yet within His flesh dwells the fulness of divinity. He is truly the God-Man. Christ’s divinity and humanity are the significance of the bright shining “glory of God” which shone around the angels when the shepherds saw them.

By taking on our flesh, He not only makes us his brothers and sisters, but He gives us the right to become children of the Father. This right is given to those who receive Christ through faith. No longer are they born of the sinful flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.[4] Your heavenly inheritance is eternal life with Christ.

Already in the manger, the Christ child lays wrapped in swaddling clothes. These clothes point forward to the burial shroud which will again envelop his body. The flesh which Christ has assumed within the Virgin Mother will lay in a virgin tomb for three days. The death of Christ is the necessary condition for reconciliation with the Father. Christ declares He makes a new covenant in His blood and a covenant takes effect only by the shedding of blood. After the three days’ rest, that same flesh rose again, to restore you and all creation to a holy relationship with the Father, and one another.

“If we had not inherited sin, the fellowship of nature would move us so much that everyone would love his neighbor as much as he loved himself, because we would all be of one essence, of one blood and of one relationship. A few sparks of that kind of natural attachment still remain in the love between parents and their children [and] between married couples – whose light of love would be far brighter, had not the darkness of sin overshadowed it. Now Christ’s flesh is a holy flesh, which has not been poisoned by sin in the least; that’s why this fire of love burns in it brightly and undarkened so that Christ heartily and passionately loves us because we are His flesh and blood.”^[5]  

Thus the glory of the Lord shone around the holy angels as they visited the shepherds. The angels gather this night, with all the saints of God as we joined them in song, “Glory be to God on High, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[6] Soon, we will again join them, the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, singing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabbaoth. Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Hosanna in the Highest!”[7]

You see, the songs of the angels rejoice at the Incarnation. They rejoice when God comes near to His people, when there is peace is the world. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man that you would have peace with God. We rejoice in the presence of our Lord this very night. He is not locked in heaven as some would imagine. He is here, present for you in Body and Blood. The very flesh by which Jesus won your reconciliation with God is now present for you to be eaten. He has partaken of you in His Incarnation that you might partake of Him in his Exultation.

Bethlehem is not just the site of Jesus’ birth and the city of David. The very name “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.” The Bread come down from heaven was born in a manger, that you would find your home with him.[8] He who eats Christ’s flesh and drinks Christ’s blood abides in Him.[9]

The Advent fast has come to an end. With full joy and splendor, we celebrate Christ’s presence among us now and every day until the visible return of Christ in the flesh. We look to the shining light of Christ’s glory found in a chalice and on a paten. Christ is with you. This is the time when Christ was born, when a Savior appeared. This is the time when angels and archangels sing and the righteous exult and proclaim, “Glory to God in the Highest! Alleluia!”  

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] The propers used are appointed for the Christmas Midnight Mass.

[2] St. Luke 2:9-10.

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

[4] St. John 1:12-13.

[5] Johann Gerhard, “On Holy Christmas Day II,” Postilla, Vol 1 (Malone, TX: The Center for Lutheran Orthodoxy, 2003), 60.

[6] St. Luke 2:14.

[7] Isaiah 6:3 (the Sanctus).

[8] St. John 6:32-33.

[9] St. John 6:56.

The Third Sunday after Trinity

The Third Sunday after Trinity – July 3, 2022

Psalm 25; Micah 7:18-20; 1 Peter 5:6-11

St. Luke 15:1-32

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

God never acts without reason. There is a reason Jesus tells the Pharisees three parables concerning lost things. Each parable follows a similar pattern: something is lost, that thing is found, and there is great rejoicing. The significance of the repetition comes in the differences. The numbers are likely significant, but I confess that I do not have a thorough understanding of this mystery. First, one sheep in a hundred is lost. Then, one coin in ten. Finally, one of two sons—one percent, ten percent, fifty percent.

A more revealing difference is the person who lost the objects. In the first parable, a shepherd has lost one of his sheep. This is a reference to the Office of the Holy Ministry and specifically to the Pharisees. It is also a reference to anyone who has authority over the spiritual welfare of another, such as fathers who are the head of their household and responsible for handing down the faith.

Through negligence or poor instruction, one of those given into his care has gone astray. The phrasing of this parable assumes that every man would leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to seek out the lost one. This is to the shame of the Pharisees. They stand mocking Jesus for associating with tax collectors and sinners. They don’t even mock Jesus to His face, they prefer to scorn Him behind His back.

The parable is unclear if, having found the lost sheep, the shepherd returns to gather the ninety-nine. I’m inclined to say that he doesn’t. He left them in the wilderness, the place of beasts and demons. It is quite possible that the sheep who was lost recognized that the entire flock was in danger. Fleeing from the danger, the sheep found himself lost and in need of a Savior.

Somehow, the sheep became aware that he was dwelling in the house of Satan. He realized his inability to rescue himself, but he didn’t know where to flee. The Shepherd came to this lost sheep and bore him on His shoulders to the safety of the village. The Shepherd returns with the sheep who fled the beasts and demons, calling his friends and neighbors together for a feast. He rejoices that he has found what was once lost.

The Law always reveals your sin. Even as it instructs the Christian, it also reveals the ways in which you fail to meet God’s standards. The promise of salvation connected to the Law is conditional. You must always keep it perfectly to receive salvation from the Law. Since man is sinful from birth, there is no chance for you to receive salvation from the Law. This also means the Law cannot convert, that is, turn the heart of man toward God.

Just as the sheep realized the danger of dwelling in the wilderness but did not know where to flee to safety, when man sees his sin, he does not naturally know where to turn. At the depth of his sin, he knows he needs a savior but does not know where to find him. Thanks be to God the Shepherd descends from Mount Zion into your flesh that He might find you hiding beneath the bushes and carry you to the safe quarters of the Church.

The woman who loses a coin is a representation of this safe dwelling, the Church. She loses one coin, lights a lamp, and sweeps vigorously. The light is the true light of the Gospel, and the sweeping is the harsh condemnation of the Law. The Church must use both edges of the Sword of the Word of God. Sinners must be called to repentance. The Light of Christ must illumine their hearts. Like the lost sheep, if the Church only sweeps the floor but does not light the lamp, the coin can never be found. The sinner would be lost.

Rejoice that the mercy of God is for sinners only. You who have no sin, have no need for forgiveness. You who will not confess your sins, have no need to hear the Word of God. You who would remain proudly in your sins, have only the fires of hell to light your way.

In the third parable, the younger son represents everything the Pharisees hate. He is impudent, disrespectful, associates with harlots, and lives flamboyantly. When he runs out of money, he sleeps and eats with pigs. There is nothing to like about this man. Yet when he returns to his father, the father is overjoyed to see his son. He calls for a feast, new clothes, a costly ring, and new sandals.

This third parable includes a coda, or epilogue, the other two parable lack. Once the younger son is found, everyone rejoices except the older son. He stands outside the feast, indignant that his father would celebrate the son who wished his father was dead. Like the Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, the father comes seeking his older son. The father reveals that the older son already has everything he could ever want but it is the rebirth of the younger son which is the cause for joy.

Jesus does not give an ending to this parable so that the Pharisees, and those who read or hear this Gospel, would see themselves in the place of the older brother. Will you likewise repent and enter the feast? Or will you stubbornly remain outside, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? One must wonder if the older brother is the one who is lost throughout the third parable, rather than the younger.

Remember, the Pharisees complained among themselves about the actions of Jesus. “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”[1] These Pharisees are clearly speaking behind the back of Jesus. Yet of course, He hears them. This is the occasion of the parables.

The 8^th commandment requires that Christians do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.[2] It is very easy to break the 8^th commandment because we are all afraid of what others think about us. It is difficult to confront someone but much easier to tell your friend about what he’s done to you.

It is also easy to abuse the 8^th Commandment, as though there was never a place to criticize the actions of another without months of personal conversation. This is a lesson for another day but remember that the abuse of something never negates its use.

At the heart of the 8^th Commandment is the idea of explaining everything in the kindest way. In the account before us this day, this would look like the Pharisees approaching Jesus and saying, “Why is it that you associate with these sinners?” They might even ask this question with a hint of anger, feeling betrayed that this man who just shared a meal with them the chapter before, is now associating with tax collectors. To the Pharisees, it might seem like Jesus is equating them to the tax collectors and harlots.

The Pharisees might also have asked if Jesus knew who these people were and if he understood that His actions could make Him unclean, unfit to gather in the Temple. While such a statement would reveal the ignorance of the Pharisees, if asked in honesty, it would be an attempt to show a brother His sin, that He might repent.

This is the problem with gossip and hearsay. If you are too afraid to speak to someone who has sinned against you, or whose actions have bothered you in some way, and you choose to tell someone else instead, you have deprived him of the opportunity to repent. You have also deprived him of the opportunity to answer your questions. The blindness of sin affects all men, and we are barely aware of the multitude of sins we commit each day. When one of these sins cuts to the heart of another, who wouldn’t want to become aware of it, that he might repent and be reconciled to his brother or sister in Christ?

If, on the other hand, no sin has been committed, but you are displeased with something and choose not to speak to the one who has displeased you, beware. Satan stalks about like a roaring lion and sin lies at the door, both seeking an opportunity to devour you.[3] If allowed to fester, an unaddressed displeasure often becomes resentment. This resentment will provide the cover necessary for Satan to approach your camp. Should the resentment become hatred, the devil will pounce.[4] No one can hate his brother and dwell in the love Christ.[5]

Such failure to love one’s neighbors is what leads Christ to teach on the parables of the lost. In each case, when that which was lost is found, it is the occasion for rejoicing. Jesus is first calling the Pharisees to repent, then to rejoice over the repentance of any sinner whom the Savior has found. He is calling us this day to repent and rejoice as well. All sin darkens our eyes to the light of Christ.

Only sinners who see their sin and are abhorred by it have need of a Savior. Only the God of our fathers pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage.[6] Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, knowing that the Father loves you. He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy.[7]

You can know the Father loves you because He has slaughtered the fatted Calf in your place. The fatted calf is His own Son, Jesus Christ. He is fatted by taking into Himself the sins of the world. Just as His sides were about to burst from the great girth of your sin, He was slaughtered upon the cross.

This is an occasion for rejoicing. Rejoice because in the slaughter of the calf, all sinners have been given a great feast. You have been given a great feast. The royal robe, once belonging to the Son of God has been placed on your shoulders. The Father falls upon your neck in love and showers you with kisses. The ring is the wedding ring, given to the Bride of Christ.

The Word of God works through the Church, first to vigorously sweep you, scratching deep into your skin to reveal the blemishes of your sin. These sinful blemishes are then exposed to the light of Christ, disappearing in His blood. Only those who have sin need forgiveness. Only those who repent and abhor the sins of their flesh have need to feast on the fatted calf. God has called for His servants to set the table. He has invited His friends and neighbors, the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, to rejoice over you and all sinners who repent, those who were lost and now are found.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 15:2.

[2] Martin Luther, Small Catechism.

[3] 1 Peter 5:8; Genesis 4:7.

[4] 1 Peter 5:8-9.

[5] 1 John 2:9-11.

[6] Micah 7:18.

[7] Micah 7:18.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – July 2, 2022

Introit—1 Samuel 2:1-2, ant. Luke 1:46b-47; Isaiah 11:1-5; Song of Songs 2:8-14

St. Luke 1:39-56

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

The Visitation refers to that occasion after the Angel Gabriel has revealed the conception of St. John the Baptist to Zacharias and Elizabeth and after the same archangel came to both Mary and Joseph, revealing Mary was to be the mother of God, when Mary traveled to visit her relative Elizabeth. The reason for this journey is not given by God. Some speculate that it has to do with protecting the Blessed Virgin from the contempt of her neighbors and safeguarding the reputation of pious Joseph. By Mary leaving Nazareth for three months, it was less likely the Holy Family would receive severe criticism. When she returned, it may have been easier for the public to assume the conception of Mary’s Son occurred after her marriage to Joseph.

This speculation may be true. It may be false. Either way, it isn’t very helpful. What we know is that the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her relative Elizabeth was the occasion both for St. John to leap in his mother’s womb and for the Blessed Virgin to sing the Magnificat.

There are two important lessons for us today: First, that we are unworthy of the least of God or man’s attention, let alone mercy; and Second, that we rejoice at the coming of our Lord.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth out of absolutely nothing.[1] Everything that was made was made through the Word of God according to the Will of God.[2] When God called Abraham and gave him the promise of countless generations, blessings without number, and a land in which to dwell forever, God was again building a people for Himself where there had been nothing. One of the commands given to Abraham was to leave his father’s house. No longer was Abraham to identify himself as of the lineage of Terah, but of the lineage of God. A new generation had begun.

The Prophet Isaiah speaks in this way in our reading today. “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”[3] It would be more accurately rendered the “stump” of Jesse. The Davidic line was all but dead. The family tree of Jesse, the father of David, was cut down. It was little more than a dried-up stump, devoid of hope. From this dead thing, Life sprung forth. A new Rod, a Branch full of life will spring forth and endure forever. This Rod is Christ, who is born of the Virgin Mary, herself a descendant of David.

But Mary was not worthy. She belonged to the stump of Jesse. She was poor, despised, and lowly. If tradition holds true that she was quite young when she bore the Christ child and Joseph was quite old, then it is likely the marriage was arranged for financial gain by her parents and to ensure she could be supported by her established husband. There was nothing remarkable about the Blessed Virgin. She daily went about her chores. She attended the synagogue and heard the Word of God. She belonged to the faithful remnant of Israel but even this was not particularly remarkable.

We see from the history of God’s actions that He chooses that which is lowly, despised, poor, and nothing. God brings up the downtrodden, frees the prisoner, and satisfies the hungry. He also casts down the mighty, binds the strong, and sends the rich empty away. The Blessed Virgin gives thanks that God has had mercy upon her and descended to her in her low estate.

Do not, for one moment, assume that you are something great. If you do, then God is not for you. Or the most you can expect from God is to be cast down into the pit. We are poor, miserable sinners. You are a poor, miserable sinner. You are nothing of importance to God or man. Even if you have achieved great things in this world, there is always someone smarter, faster, better, and more accomplished. If you are the greatest in the world, then know that there are thousands who seek your downfall because man loves to watch the mighty fall.

If you have achieved great things in this world, even the greatness of raising a child, holding a steady job, or attending to the gathering of the church, give thanks that these things do not make you precious in the sight of the Lord. Give thanks because if even simple tasks made you precious in the sight of the Lord, then your salvation would depend on consistently achieving them. One misstep and you would be lost.

Instead, give thanks that there is nothing within you worth the love of God because this means that He has regarded your low estate. This means that you are poor, lowly, and despised, precisely the type of person for whom God became man. Magnify the Lord because He looks upon you in love, not because of what you have done or have failed to do, but because of what He has done. He has called you by name to join Him on Mount Zion. God fills with you good things, His very Body and Blood.

If you have the riches of Abraham, the poetry of David, or the wisdom of Solomon, these things are trinkets before God. They are gifts of God, bestowed upon you for the praise of Him. When the Blessed Virgin hears the words of the Angel Gabriel, she rejoices that her Lord has condescended to be with her. Jesus Christ is also with you, this day and every day.

In the Song of Solomon, the church proclaims, “The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”[4] The Bridegroom calls to the Church out of great love and from a great distance. Before we see our Lord, we hear His voice. Before the Virgin conceived, she heard the Word of the Lord from the lips of Gabriel. Before John baptized his Lord, he leaped in the womb at the sound of Mary’s voice. Thus at the sound of the Word of our God, our ears perk up and our excitement heightens. The church rejoices to see and know her Lord, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

And before we can move a muscle; before the church can take any action of her own, Christ leaps down from Mount Zion, from the side of the Father, to join His beloved bride on the plain. He descends lower than the heavenly beings that He might join us in our flesh. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked, but my God would rather be born of a lowly virgin than institute an earthly kingdom by force of man.[5]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Genesis 1:1.

[2] St. John 1:1-3.

[3] Isaiah 11:1.

[4] Song of Songs 2:8. The following draws from Bernard of Clairvaux, “Sermon 53,” On the Song of Songs, Vol 3, translated by Kilian Walsh and Irene M. Edmonds (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1979), 58-67.

[5] Psalm 84:10; St. Luke 1:42; St. Matthew 4:8-9; Acts 1:4-8.