The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – August 25, 2024

Psalm 74; Leviticus 19:9-18; Galatians 3:16-22

St. Luke 10:23-37

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

The certain man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho is representative of mankind. He is every man. He is you in this parable. He is going the wrong way. He is leaving Jerusalem, the city of peace which God has appointed for His holy habitation.[1] He is going to Jericho, the city that God commanded never to be rebuilt. In fact, God said that should Jericho be rebuilt, it would be built in the blood of the firstborn and youngest sons of the one who rebuilt it.[2] In the days of evil king Ahab, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho and sacrificed both his firstborn and youngest sons to Baal in the process.[3] In other words, the man going from Jerusalem to Jericho describes humanity’s fall into sin and the ever-present desire to sin that clings to our flesh.

The thieves who meet humanity on the road are Temptation and Satan. Every day of our journey on this side of glory, we are beset by Temptation and Satan. In his fallen state, man falls victim to these thieves who leave him half dead. He is “half dead” because he is spiritually dead even if he is physically alive.[4] The man is left helpless to save himself. He lays dying on the road to perdition and there is nothing he can do to prevent his damnation.[5]

At this fortunate moment, a priest and a Levite come down the road as well. Together, these represent the Mosaic Law and the Levitical priesthood, specifically the Temple regulations and sacrifices. The priest and the Levite are also coming down from Jerusalem. They have finished their service at the Temple and are returning to their homes. This signifies that the Law and the sacrifices have done their job. They have shown man his sin, revealing to him the ways in which he has disobeyed God’s will.[6] The sacrifices have accomplished their duty in pointing man to the mercy of God and His forgiveness. There is nothing left for them to do because faith in the Law and faith in the sacrifices of goats and sheep cannot save the man.[7] Their duty is accomplished and so both pass by on the other side of the road.

Finally, a Samaritan, who is on a journey, comes to the man. The Samaritan is far from his home. He is something other than the man himself and yet descends into the ditch to be with the man. The Samaritan is the very figure of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He journeys from the Father, into our flesh to be with us. He descends from His heavenly throne into the ditch of creation to be with His beloved mankind.[8]

Seeing the sorry state of man, God has compassion on him. He is moved in His inward being and determines to rescue man.[9] God is moved by His great love for man to descend into our flesh, into our sorry state. Christ bandages man’s wounds with oil and wine. The oil is the consolation of a clean conscience before God, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the knowledge of the Gospel—Christ’s own sacrifice for your sins that you would be reconciled to the Father. The wine, which stings as it cleans and disinfects the wounds, is the cross given to all who believe to bear in this life.[10] This cross is affliction, give to man by God that he would ever be mindful of the sorry state which is the result of sin. This sting reminds man that he is not made for sin nor to endure in this physical life forever but has the eternal life of glory to live for.[11]

Christ raises man up out of the muck and mire of our sin and places him on His own beast of burden. He gives us His relief, His place upon the animal, and takes for Himself the burden of our sin.[12] He walks in our place. His feet tread the burning sand and sharp rocks created by the fall of our first parents in our stead. That which we deserve, Chris endures for our sakes.

Upon this beast of burden, Christ carries man to the inn. This inn is the established location for the care of man. It is the hospice designed to care for man as he concludes his life on this side of glory and enters into eternity. It is the hospital where man is nursed back to health to face life on this side of glory. It is the gym where man is trained, strengthened, and equipped to life the life of the righteous man before the world. The inn is the Church. It is that place where the beloved of God gather to hear the Word of God and receive His holy gifts in the Sacraments.

These Sacraments are the two denarii which the Samaritan given to the innkeeper. They are the means given to provide for the care of Christians: Holy Baptism to wash away sin and rebirth the Christian as one born of God, and the Holy Supper, given to feed, strengthen, form, and forgive the Christian as he continues the journey on this side of glory.

To whom are these denarii given? They are given to the innkeeper, the man given authority to administer the Holy Sacraments of God. The innkeeper is the pastor, whose solemn duty it is to preach the Word of God and administer the Holy Sacraments for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of Christians in body and soul.[13] He stands in the stead of the Samaritan who has delivered the injured man to the inn and cares for him as the Samaritan has directed.[14] He receives his orders from the Samaritan and is called to execute them according to that divine command.

Finally, the Samaritan promises to return. He will return to repay the innkeeper and to retrieve the injured man as the Samaritan returns on His journey to His Father. Christ has promised to return to gather His elect into the heavenly mansions He has prepared.[15] He has also promised to return and give to His servants, His undershepherds, the honor due their service. Pastors will be judged more harshly than all others because of the severity of their charge but they will also be rewarded more handsomely for their faithful service because of the value of the souls given to their care.[16]

Now, this parable is given to the certain lawyer as the answer to the question, “And who is my neighbor?” The lawyer is trying to find the loophole in the commandment to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. He doesn’t want to know who it is he must love. He wants to know who he doesn’t have to love to inherit eternal life. He wants to narrow the field and make it possible to keep the Law of God.

The beauty of the parable is that Christ transitions the definition from passive to active. The lawyer defines the neighbor as the one who needs help—the passive person in need. Jesus defines the neighbor as the one who shows mercy—the active person who helps. Even the lawyer acknowledges this as being true. When asked who was a neighbor to the man who fell among thieves, the lawyer responds that it was the Samaritan, the one who showed mercy who was his neighbor. And Jesus responds, “Go and do likewise.”

The parable is unquestionably about our salvation being achieved by Christ alone. It is about the inability of man to save himself in any way, shape or form. Every step of the man’s healing is the work of the Samaritan, not the man himself. And yet, Jesus’ command remains, “Go and do likewise.” For those who have been grafted into Christ, who are the baptized children of the Father and who find themselves united to THE Good Samaritan, it is a necessary consequence that we find ourselves imitating Him. We are to look to Christ our Salvation and see the very model of the perfect man. We are to look to Him and see what righteousness is. “Who may abide in the Tabernacle of the Lord? Who may dwell in His holy hill? He who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart.”[17]  “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul…Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation…Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.”[18]

Everyone in the world is a candidate for you to show mercy to but not everyone in the world has been placed before you. You have been placed in a specific location with particular people around you. These are your neighbors, and these are the people for whom you are called to be a neighbor. No one chooses for whom he is a neighbor. God has placed you in a particular place among particular people. It is their needs, their bodies and souls to which you have been called to show mercy—not for the sake of earning the inheritance of eternal life but as one who has been shown the ways of the Lord and taught to walk along His paths. 

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Isaiah 4:3.

[2] Joshua 6:26.

[3] 1 Kings 16:34.

[4] Genesis 2:17.

[5] Psalm 14:1-3.

[6] Romans 3:19-20.

[7] Hebrews 9:11-15.

[8] St. John 1:14.

[9] St. John 3:16.

[10] St. Mark 10:39.

[11] 2 Corinthians 12:7.

[12] 2 Corinthians 5:21.

[13] 1 Corinthians 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4.

[14] St. John 20:21-23.

[15] Acts 1:11; St. John 14:1-4.

[16] James 3:1; 1 Timothy 3:1.

[17] Psalm 15:1-2.

[18] Psalm 25:1, 4, 8.

Sexagesima

Sexagesima – February 12, 2023

Psalm 44; Isaiah 55:10-13; 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9

St. Luke 8:4-15

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

Preachers, especially young preachers, are often admonished to be less abstract and to be more concrete. This is good advice but I fear that it is sometimes misunderstood. A word or concept is abstract when it is considered by itself, separated from the context and ideas which naturally accompany it.[1] To consider the quality of ‘whiteness’ would be an abstract thought because the quality of ‘whiteness’ is being considered without reference to a subject.

The adjective ‘concrete” literally means “united in growth.”[2]  A concrete thought is applied to a subject. To consider the whiteness of snow is a concrete thought. I’ve taken the abstract idea of ‘whiteness’ and given it a subject – snow.

It is a temptation of theologians to dive deeply into abstract topics. It is an overstatement, but illustrative, to say that the entire branch of dogmatic theology is abstract. If you open a dogmatics book, you will find sections on justification, sanctification, the two natures, sin, authority, perspicuity, and on and on. This becomes a temptation when theologians are asked to communicate with individuals. Bringing an abstract idea to bear on individuals necessarily requires a movement into the concrete. The abstract idea of sin must become the concrete idea of the sinner. The abstract idea of justification requires the concrete understanding of the substitution of the righteous Christ for the wicked sinner. The temptation of the preacher is to remain in the realm of the abstract and place the responsibility for moving into the concrete solely on his hearer.

And yet this criticism is often overemphasized. Sometimes, it is necessary to teach in the abstract before bringing this teaching into the concrete. If you are interested in anatomy, or the study of the structure of living things, you must begin with abstract concepts. Perhaps you start with the skeleton. A skeleton is not a living thing. It is part of a living thing. Once you understand the skeleton, perhaps you move onto the muscles. After learning about the muscles by themselves, you will inevitably put your knowledge of the muscles and skeleton together. In so doing, your knowledge will grow together or, become concrete.

Our Lord, Himself, taught using abstract words and concepts. Although the parables use many concrete terms, they are almost always taught in abstraction. Today, Jesus has told us about a sower going out to sow seed. Three-quarters of the seed is trampled, devoured, withered, and choked. One third grows in good soil and yields a hundred-fold. This was the entirety of the teaching as the great multitude received it. As such, this is a very abstract teaching. It is left open ended for the hearer to interpret. Jesus even concludes this teaching by saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”[3]

 Who has ears? What is he supposed to hear? What does agriculture have to do with Jesus? What does seed have to do with salvation? The answers to these questions are the necessary context to move the parable from abstract to concrete.

The seed is the Word of God. Those who are trampled, devoured, withered, or choked are unbelievers. The circumstances of these various groups are different, but they all belong to the category of unbeliever. Some disregarded the Word immediately. Others receive the Word of God with joy but fall away due to temptation. Still others endure in the faith for a while but are choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life. All abandon the Word of God. The final group in the parable are those who hear the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The one who has faith has ears. Said faith receives the abstract teaching of the parable and places it into the context of the Scriptures. The one with faithful ears hears of trampling, devouring, withering, and choking, and calls to mind the temptations of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. He knows the punishment for sin. Three-quarters of the seed ends up dead and he sees such temptation creeping into his flesh. He is aware that sin is waiting at the door and is prepared to snatch him.

This one with faithful ears also hears of the seed and immediately calls to mind the first promise of our merciful God, ‘The seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent.’[4] ‘The Savior of the nations shall come from the seed of David.’[5] ‘Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it cannot produce much grain.’[6] Thus the faithful ear hears that this Word of God is itself the Incarnate Christ, the Messiah. It is this Christ, this Word of God, who has crushed the head of the serpent.

This is an important point that you should not miss. The phrase, “the Word of God,” is itself an abstract concept. What is “the Word of God”? It might refer to the Bible, the written Word. It might refer to preaching, the proclaimed Word. It might refer to the Second Person of the Trinity, as St. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”[7]

In the most fundamental sense, the Word of God must always be referring to Jesus Christ. He is the fundamental Word of God. Without Him, the words on the pages of the Bible and the words coming from my mouth will do you no good. It is only because of the Son of God, Who took on flesh to die for sin and rise again for your justification that the ink in the Bible and the words of my mouth deliver to you live and salvation. So yes, in this parable, the seed that is cast abroad is the Word of God, that is Jesus Christ, as read from the Bible, proclaimed from the pulpit, showered on the Baptized, fed from the altar, and absolved with holy words.

Now that the faithful ear has placed the abstract into concrete context, what does this Word of God have to do for you, dear hearers, in a concrete sense?

Firstly, there is no such thing as sinners in the abstract. Know that whenever a sin is condemned in Scripture or when a sin is preached against from the pulpit, the condemnation of this sin falls upon the concrete people who commit such a sin. The phrase “hate the sin, love the sinner” has a nice sentiment but it is wrong. The sentiment is to show love for the erring, that they might be won with love. It is true that we should not be cruel to people nor mean for the sake of being mean. However, to the impenitent sinner, it is God’s Law that will convict his heart, not the sweetness of the Gospel. No sin is committed apart from the person who does it. There is no distinguishing between the sin and the sinner. This is a concrete truth.

What then of you, beloved of the Lord, when you find yourself sinning? When you have uncovered a sin in your heart or in the works of your hands? What are you to do? Do you say, ‘But I am of the good soil, so I’m not worried about it’? No! You repent. You repent and you pray that Christ would remove this sin from your flesh as far as the east is from the west. You pray that while you have found stones in your soil, Christ would till the land, removes the stones, and make your heart and mind fertile ground for the receiving of Him once again.

No soil is prepared for agriculture by nature. It must be prepared in one way or another. Either the soil needs to be gathered into a tillable area, it must be cleared of stones, or invasive plants must first be destroyed. All soil requires preparation for agriculture. The same is true of human beings. You are not prepared to receive Christ and eternal life by nature. You must be prepared. You must be prepared like soil. The removal of such obstacles is painful and must necessarily disturb the soil before the soil can be planted. This painful removal of sin is called repentance in the life of the Christian. It is the process of taking an honest look at yourself and seeing just what is unfit to be presented to your God and Lord.

Then, the most painful part of the process is to remove said sins, but the frustrating part is that you cannot remove them on your own. The soil does not willfully give up the stones. But after the farmer has churned up the soil to reveal the stones, the soil is joyful to have them removed. Only the Christian, the one declared and made to be good soil is willing and joyful in the process of having stoney sins removed from his soul. The process of breaking up the soil of your heart, of examining your conscience, is still painful but the knowledge of relief after the removal of sin gives you the patience to endure.

I’ll leave it up to you to understand the differences between abstract and concrete, though I will give you a hint. I cannot describe the concrete sins to which you are tempted, enticed, or prone to. I cannot because I cannot see into your heart. But in the abstract, I can tell you that any sin to which you cling will degrade the soil of your heart. Also in the abstract, any sin which lies in your heart can also be removed by the Good Sower, who has given Himself over to death in your place, so that all crows, stones, and thorns would be removed forever. Come then, and receive the Good Sower not abstractly, through some spiritual experience, but concretely, in His Holy Body and Holy Blood.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/abstract.

[2] https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/concrete.

[3] St. Luke 8:8.

[4] Genesis 3:15.

[5] St. John 7:42.

[6] St. John 12:24.

[7] St. John 1:1, 14.

Septuagesima

Septuagesima – February 5, 2023

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

St. Matthew 20:1-16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

[2] Ezekiel 33.

[3] St. Matthew 20:15.

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 13, 2022

Psalm 54; Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Peter 3:3-14

St. Matthew 25:31-46

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

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”[1] Faith is born in you, is created in you, by the hearing of the Word of God. This is not your own doing; it is the work and the will of the Holy Spirit. The act of hearing itself is not your work. Hearing is a passive, or receptive, activity. You hear when someone else speaks. You receive their words into your ears.

The reception of faith is then always connected with another person. We might call this the incarnational aspect of faith. Faith comes by hearing when the Word of God issues forth from the mouth of another human being. In this way, the Word of God becomes wrapped in flesh. Whether it is your mother singing to you in your nursery, your father reading the Scriptures to the family at night, or the public reading of the Holy Gospel by the ministers of God in the Divine Service, your faith was brought to you in the Word of God wrapped in the lips of another person.

The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error. Yet in writing the Word of God, in its transmission, God saw fit to inspire holy men. God works through means. There is not an “Epistle of the Holy Spirit to the Church in Missouri.” Words did not miraculously appear on pages. The Son of God took on flesh, became incarnate, that He would physically die the death you deserve. After His physical resurrection but before His physical ascent into heaven, our Lord, Jesus Christ, breathed on His apostles.[2] He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them so that whoever hears them would hear Christ.[3] This is the Apostolic Doctrine once delivered to the saints.[4] This is the one faith into which we are all baptized.[5] It is the Word of God, and it is the Word of God delivered by means of fleshly mouths.

The propagation of the faith by the mouth of Christians to the ears of new Christians is how the Sheep are created. The Sheep are those who have received the Word of God in faith. Yet receiving the Word of God is not quite enough. The Word must take root. The Word must change the stony heart of the Goat into a fleshly heart of a Sheep. In fact, the Goats are surprised to be called such. They are surprised because they thought themselves to be Sheep. They thought their actions had proven the wool of their Sheep coats.

The difference between these two animals in the parable is the presence of faith. The Sheep and the Goats are separated based on what they are. One is a new creation, having received the Word of God in faith and growing into that Word accordingly. The other is the Old Creation. The Goats may have heard the Word of God, but it took no root in their hearts. The Goats may outwardly appear to be sheep but are little more than Goats in wool coats.

What does it mean, then, that faith take root in your heart? In this parable, it is presented as the works born of faith. The blossoming of faith is described as feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, housing the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Associating the hungry, thirsty, stranger, etc., with Christ, Himself, tells us that the object of these good deeds is those who have brought the faith to you. It is the way in which the Sheep have treated their brothers and sisters in Christ. In a general sense, we can say the division of the Sheep and the Goats is based on the reaction each has shown to the hearing of the Word of God.

However, the Scriptures get more specific in this parable. Christ says, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”[6] When our Lord speaks of “His brethren,” it is a reference to the Apostles. More specifically, it is a reference to the Apostles when they are acting in the stead of Christ. So, while it is true that the division of the Sheep and the Goats speaks to your reaction to and treatment of the Church, this parable speaks specifically of your reaction to and treatment of the ministers of the Church.

Some of the actions listed are necessities. It is necessary that the ministers of the Church have food, drink, and clothing. It is not necessary for this life, that he be taken in when he is a stranger. It is not necessary that he be visited when he is sick. What this tells us is that Christ is speaking of more than meeting the basic needs of His ministers. He is speaking also of hospitality shown toward them.

In this light, we can see that the Sheep recognize the Office of the Holy Ministry to be the vocation of highest honor on this side of glory. They recognize the difficulties of the Office and that a man of flesh and blood must fill this Office. The Sheep also recognize that it is the ministers of Christ who bring to them the one thing needful – Jesus. The Office is honorable, difficult, to be respected, and mentioned in this parable not because of the men who fill it. The Office is honorable, difficult, and respectable because of who instituted this Office – Jesus.

On this side of glory, men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Word would continue to work faith in the hearts of man. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that His Body and Blood would continue to feed and sustain His church. Men are placed into the Office of Christ so that your sins would be forgiven through the Words of a human mouth—a human mouth in poor imitation of the lips of the One who died for your forgiveness.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Romans 10:17.

[2] St. John 20:21-23.

[3] St. Luke 10:16.

[4] Jude 1:3.

[5] Ephesians 4:4-6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:40. Emphasis added.

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

 The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 11, 2022

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

St. Luke 10:23-37

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

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

[3] The Small Catechism.