The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity – September 15, 2024

Psalm 86; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Ephesians 3:13-21

St. Luke 7:11-17

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

The Scriptures speak of three deaths and in turn, our Lord, Jesus Christ, rescues from each of these deaths with resurrection. First, there is temporal death. This is the separation of body and soul. It is the death that we tend to think of, and fear, most. It is the moment when the body ceases to breathe and the soul is separated for a time.

This death comes for all—believers and unbelievers—on account of original sin and the sin which clings to the flesh. Until Christ reveals Himself on the Last Day, everyone experiences temporal death. However, for the unbeliever, this is a terrifying step into the unknown. It is the closing of the eyes to this world and a frightful step into something of which they cannot conceive.

For the Christian, temporal death is a frightening thing until one realizes that Christ has made death a portal. His death has removed the sting of death.[1] We still endure death because of the corrupt nature of our flesh, wrought by sin. This corruptible must put on the incorruptible; the dishonorable must put on the honorable; the weak and natural must put on the powerful and spiritual.[2] We do not face death unknowingly. We know what lies on the other side of temporal death. The holy angels descend to guide our soul to the bosom of Abraham, that is, to the side of Christ.[3] The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made temporal death a sleep for those who die in Christ because “He who believes in Jesus, though he may die, he shall life. And whoever lives and believes in Jesus shall never die.”[4]

Secondly, there is spiritual death. Spiritual death is separation from God, when the unrepentant and unbelieving are alienated by willful sins from “the life which is of God.”[5] The prodigal son “was dead” in his sinning in the foreign land.[6] All are born dead in your trespasses.[7] Those who are alive in Christ, that is, who have an active and living faith, are still sinners and certainly still sin. However, their faith leads them to hate their sin and desire to be free from it. These holy ones, these Christians, are spiritually alive. Those who are spiritually dead are those who willfully sin against God. They are unrepentant and unbelieving. All mankind is born spiritually dead. We are not born ignorant of God or His holy law. We are born opposed to it; striving against it; and hating God.

And so long as we draw breath on this side of glory, all Christians are tempted to such spiritual death. We are tempted to willfully cast aside God’s Law and His Holy Gospel. We are tempted to cast aside the Savior who bled and died for us. We are tempted to treat His Holy sacrifice as cheap and turn instead toward the indulgence of our flesh. Willful sinning is knowing what God’s Law is and choosing to do the opposite—whether you think it doesn’t matter because “God will just forgive you” or because you don’t believe God is serious. Such willful sinning leads to unrepentance because it isn’t worth repenting of sin that you don’t take seriously.

Finally, there is eternal death. Eternal death is the death awaiting those who are spiritually dead. This is eternal damnation, where the spiritually dead will be eternally separated from God, who is life. This death has two parts. First, there is the suffering of the soul immediately after death. Then, this suffering is intensified when, in the resurrection of all the dead, those eternally damned souls are reunited with their bodies to suffer for all eternity in body and soul.[8]

In Christ, there is life.[9] This Life has promised to rescue in each of the three kinds of death. In Hosea 13, Jesus says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!”[10] He ransoms, rescues, redeems in the three kinds of death by means of giving life, that is, through resurrection.

Scripture is quite clear that temporal death is the least of the deaths in that it is temporary for everyone. It is still a consequence of sin, but it is the least deadly. Christ’s rescue from temporal death is the physical resurrection of all flesh on the last day. All who are in their graves “…will hear the voice of the Son of God…and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”[11]

Also, to combat this temporal death, Jesus has given His Word, the words of Holy Scripture. These words are given to be used during this temporal life for the instruction, rebuke, warning, exhortation, and consolation of man.[12] These words prepare the soul for temporal death, that the hour of death might be met in peace and joy, strengthened by the Holy Spirit by the Word of God.

From the second death, spiritual death, by which the unrepentant and unbelieving are separated by willful sins from the life found in God alone, we are also rescued by Christ. Because we are born in our sin, we are sinners by birth, and original sin clings to our flesh, we are as good as the dead young man in the reading. He didn’t cry out to Jesus for help. He didn’t accept Jesus into his heart. He didn’t choose Jesus over other gods. Such acts of man’s will to turn toward God are the teaching of the Arminian churches, such as the Methodist Church. They teach that man is born with the power to choose God for Himself. That man was never truly dead in trespasses and sins, only seriously ill. But the Scriptures are clear. The young man of Nain was dead; dead in his trespasses and sins, just as everyone is born spiritually dead and incapable of acting, willing, or choosing to be saved.

The faith given to man is absolutely God’s work alone, just as the resurrection of this young man was the work of Jesus Christ alone. His physical resurrection is a picture of your spiritual resurrection. Just as the young man is raised by the words of Jesus, “Young man, I say to you, arise,” so too your faith is given to you by the Word of God. God works through the means of His Words and those words combined with physical elements in the Holy Sacraments to work faith in you. This faith then receives and clings to the forgiveness won by Jesus Christ on the cross.

This faith receives the benefit of the action of Jesus to deliver you from spiritual death. His death paid the penalty that you owed to God for your state as a sinner. Before you ever took a sinful thought, word, or deed, you had already willfully turned your back on God. Your soul was already spiritually dead and turned against God. The penalty for this sin is death and it is this penalty that the death of Jesus has paid. And so, the resurrection of your soul from spiritual death is entirely the work of God so that you would receive the benefit of the broken and shed Body and Blood of Jesus.

Spiritual death is perhaps the most concerning of the three deaths because it is like a ticking time-bomb. All men are born spiritually dead. Once you experience temporal death, the opportunity for the Word of God to work in your heart has ended and your eternal fate is decided. It is during your temporal life, during your life on this side of glory that the Word of God has the opportunity to work faith in you as well as for you to willfully turn your back on God and return to the filth of your sin. That is why it is essential to be in church every Sunday and every opportunity throughout the week; to read the bible every day; to begin and end each day with the Word of God and prayer; and to focus your life on Christ—that His death and resurrection would be the most important thing in this world for you because it is the most important thing in this world and the next.

Our Lord has also delivered us from the third death, eternal death. He has done this by providing everything we need to endure in the faith until the last day. He died to pay the penalty of our sins, but He rose the third day that we might have life and life to the fullest. He rose for our justification, that we would be declared righteous before the Father.[13] Our penalty is paid, and we are made sons of the heavenly Father, sons who will inherit His everlasting kingdom.[14] This is yours by faith, for it is a promise that you cannot see at this time. It is a promise made by God to all who believe, who hold the faith once delivered by the Holy Spirit and preached week in and week out from this pulpit.[15]

Christ rescues from eternal death by means of resurrection to eternal life. In the resurrection on the last day, you will not be tempted to sin. You will not be inclined toward sin. You won’t even be interested in sin. If that were the case, then it wouldn’t be eternal life. It would be temporary life. Eternal life means you are free from sin in every way. You will not endure sin and you won’t win. Rather, you will be in perfect bliss to enjoy the glory of God in a way not even the angels have been given to understand. You will be in perfect bliss with all the saints who have gone before and who are yet to be baptized. You will know God and see Him with your own eyes.[16]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 15:55.

[2] 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.

[3] St. Luke 16:22; 23:43.

[4] St. John 11:25-26.

[5] Ephesians 4:18.

[6] St. Luke 15:32.

[7] Colossians 2:13.

[8] St. John 5:25-29.

[9] Colossians 3:4; St. John 1:4.

[10] Hosea 13:14.

[11] St. John 5:25-29.

[12] 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4.

[13] Romans 4:25.

[14] Galatians 3:7, 26; 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:5.

[15] Jude 1:3.

[16] Job 19:27.

The Feast of the Resurrection

The Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord – March 31, 2024

Psalm 8; Job 19:23-27; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

St. Mark 16:1-20

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

Very early in the morning, just about sunrise, three women made their way to the tomb of Jesus. They brought spices to anoint His body, showing how much they loved their Lord. Perhaps it was the grief, sorrow over the death of Jesus, that distracted them from the fact that a large stone had been placed over the entrance to the tomb. Along the way, they realized this problem and grew concerned over how they would get into the tomb to tend to Jesus’ body.

But when they arrived at the tomb, they discovered the stone had been rolled away. The door to the tomb stood open. Inside the tomb, the women did not see the body of Jesus. They saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting where they expected to see Jesus. This man was an angel, sent by God, to inform the women of Jesus’ resurrection.

The women were afraid of the man, but he quickly gave them the reassurance commonly heard from holy angels, “Be not afraid.” The angel knows they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, and he boldly proclaims, “He is risen! He is not here.” The angel then gives them a job—go tell the disciples, including Peter, to seek the Lord in Galilee as He told you before His death.”

These women quickly fled from the tomb, trembling and afraid. It is somewhat suspicious that our text tells us the women were afraid but not what they are afraid of. We know the Apostles will gather that first Easter evening behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. Perhaps the women are also afraid to tell anyone about the resurrection for fear of the Jews. Or, perhaps they are afraid of the angel. This particular angel appeared in the form of a young man, so his appearance would not have been supernaturally frightening. Maybe he spoke with such authority that the women were afraid of his confidence.

Or maybe, the women were afraid of Jesus. Jesus had taught all His disciples very clearly about the necessity of the crucifixion and the resurrection. He even told them that they would scatter. These women, like almost all the disciples, didn’t really understand or truly believe what Jesus had said. Again, maybe their grief was blinding them to reality. So maybe they were afraid that Jesus really had risen and here they are, carrying spices to anoint His dead body—evidence of their lack of faith in Jesus’ words. Whatever the reason, these women choose to disobey the word of the angel by telling no one what they had seen.

But Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and encountered our Lord. She was the first person to whom Jesus revealed Himself in His resurrected and glorified state. After seeing Jesus, she ran quickly to tell the disciples what she had seen.

Then our Lord appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, walking with them until evening. They did not recognize Him until He agreed to stay with them for a meal. When He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it before them, the eyes of these disciples were opened and they saw the glorified Lord. Immediately, Jesus departed from them. These two disciples then ran quickly to tell the others that they had seen Jesus.

Forty days later and after revealing Himself to many disciples, Jesus gathered with the Eleven on the Mount of the Ascension. He offered to His disciples His final teachings before being received into heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Father:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”[1]

What wonderful words to hear from our risen Savior! Imagine if you truly believed them. Because there are many in error who have taken to dancing with venomous snakes and drinking poison, we are quick to dismiss these words. Those who do such foolish things are tempting God—something Satan tried to get Jesus to do but Jesus refused. Rather than take these things as necessary requirements for faith, something to test out to see if you really have faith, we should see them as flowing naturally from faith.

I said, “Imagine if you truly believed these words.” What I mean is, imagine what it would be like not to be afraid of the Jews, the harsh words of Jesus, your neighbors, your coworkers, your children? What if you believed the words of Scripture to say exactly what they say and lived according to them? What if the next time somebody asked, “Any plans this weekend?” you responded, “Yeah, I’m going to go to church and learn more about Jesus”? They might look at you like you’re crazy. They might laugh at you. So what? It’s true. It should be true.

The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty Word by which creation came to be, took your sins upon Himself; died the death you deserve so that your sins would be buried deep in the earth; and then rose again to new life so that you would receive eternal life with Him in heaven. Why be ashamed of that? Why be afraid to tell someone about that? Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

Rather, revel in the resurrection of Christ. Enjoy the feast of the resurrection. Celebrate the death of Jesus for you, knowing that because of it, you will see Him with your own two eyes, just as Job proclaimed.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Mark 16:15-18.

In Memoriam + Judith A Rodriguez +

 In Memoriam + Judith A Rodriguez + – September 17, 2022

Psalm 23; Psalm 84; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

St. Luke 17:11-19

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

The problem with leprosy is that severs the relationship between the brain and the body. Judith knew this all too well. She did not suffer from leprosy, but she did suffer from separation. She also suffered from various illnesses which turned her own body against her. There is plenty of physical suffering which results from a stroke, but the most frustrating effect is the difficulty in communication. The brain knows what to say and how to say it but the relationship between the brain and the muscles of the mouth is severed.

The lepers in Luke’s gospel had been severed from their families, from their community, and from the Temple. They could not go to that place where God promised to dwell with His people. These outcasts found one another and formed another, surrogate community, but such a leper colony could never replace mother, daughter, husband, or brother.

This is one way in which leprosy signifies sin. It separates us from God and our fellow man. Original sin severs the relationship between God and man. Manifest sin, those sins we commit in thought, word, and deed, severs the relationship between neighbors. Sin isolates. Sin divides. Sin hurts you and everyone around you.

Only the One who is without sin could health this amputation. The lepers could not go to where God promised to be so God came to them. The Second Person of the Trinity took on flesh so He could come to man, crossing the great chasm caused by sin and bringing man Himself.

How is such a miraculous gift given to us? Through death. Not the death of the flesh. This death is the wage of sin. It is the just punishment for our sin. Rather, it is by dying in the waters of Holy Baptism. Christians have nothing to fear in death because you have already died. Your first death was by drowning. There is now only the portal of death, the closing of your eyes in sleep.

It is this view of death which causes us to pray, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God…Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.”[1] With these words, the Christian prays for two things. He prays to be in Church. He longs for the Divine Service. He longs to be in the House of the Lord and to receive the gifts of God through Word and Sacrament. Blessed are those who dwell in the Church, for they will praise God day and night.

 Secondly, the Christian prays for the bliss of heaven. The courts of the Lord are in the presence of the Lord and while God is present everywhere, the Christian longs to be as close to God as possible. God has come to man in the Incarnation and now man longs to go to God, not by his own works or merits but by invitation. Blessed are those who sleep in Christ, for they are already praising God day and night in nearer proximity to Him.

One day in the bliss of heaven is better than a thousand on this side of glory. Yet if you have Christ, you have everything. One day in Christ on this side of glory is better than a thousand in the tents of the wicked. And, believe it or not, one day in the tents of the wicked is better than a thousand in hell. Such a day is better because it still provides the opportunity for repentance. God desires that all men would be saved and be reunited with their Creator in glory. Jesus died for all men. Jesus came to save sinners, not those who need no repentance. So long as a man draws breath, repentance is possible.

Our Lord has promised to be with you even to the end of the age. He is with you now, even though you cannot see Him with your physical eyes. This means you are already in His presence. Already being in the presence of Christ, you have the fullness of Him. You are the light of Christ in the world. At the same time, the soul of the righteous longs to be closer to Christ.

When a man goes on a business trip, he remains married to his wife. The whole time he is gone, if he is a righteous man, he longs to be closer to his wife. He might have the same feeling each day when he goes to work, but it is likely less intense. The man is finally at peace when he comes home to the arms of his beloved wife.

It is the same with the Christian. While we are here, we long to be with Christ. In death, we are closer to Christ and yet long for the day when body and soul will be reunited. On the last day, in body and soul, we will be in the arms of our Beloved. We will also be in the presence of one another. We will be united in one body and under one head.

Just as the Samaritan leper returned to Christ to give thanks and praise, so too does the Christian return to the place of her first death, the Baptismal font, to give thanks and praise to the God who came to her. Judith has returned to the earth from when man was made in eager anticipation of the Resurrection, when body and soul will be reunited. Until that time, she enjoys the bliss of heaven, looking upon the face of the Anointed and crying out, “O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!”

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 84:2, 4.

The Feast of St. James the Elder, Apostle

St. James the Elder, Apostle – July 25, 2021
Psalm 89; Acts 11:27-12:5; Romans 8:28-39
St. Mark 10:35-45

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

            St. James the Elder is not only one of the Twelve but is part of the inner circle of Jesus. Three Apostles – Peter, James, and John – are given the unique opportunity to witness the raising of Jairus’s daughter,[1] the glorious Transfiguration of our Lord and the ensuing conversation with Moses and Elijah,[2] and finally the agony of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.[3] Of the three, however, we hear very little from James’ mouth in the New Testament and we have nothing of his writings. The Epistle bearing the name of “James” was written by the brother of our Lord, not the brother of John.

            The silent James and his poetic brother John seem embarrassed to ask Jesus for something. It is like a child saying, “Promise not to be mad, but I…” “We want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

            Jesus’ response is the same as most parents, “What do you want?”

            The request of the sons of thunder grates on all of us, especially because we live in America. “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” They are asking to sit in the two highest seats at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. They are asking to be given the highest honor by sitting closest to our Lord in eternity. Immediately this sounds arrogant. “How dare they presume they can ask such an honor. What do they think, they are better than us?”[4]

            This is precisely the reaction of the other ten apostles. “Who do those guys think they are? Who are they to rule over us? We have rights and freedoms, and they are sinners just like us.” It is built into the American mindset that one man ruling over another is tantamount to a king, dictator, or tyrant, and inevitably results in horrible abuses of power.

            Jesus rebukes the ten because they were seeking to rule over the sons of thunder. Their desire for equality resulted in tyranny over their brothers in Christ. By comparison, James and John were rebuked very gently by our Lord. They may not have understood the full implications of their request, but they were asking for a good thing – to be close to Christ for all eternity.

            James and John went too far in requesting the highest seats of honor in Christ’s kingdom but at least theirs is a pious desire: to be in Christ’s kingdom, at his side, and at hand to serve him. The ten, not the two, are revealed to be arrogant. They demand equality for all. None shall rise above them and should anyone stand out for any reason, they must be crushed. Soon, no one desires to ask Christ to be near them because such a desire is considered selfish. Where would the world be if no one desired Christ to be near?

            The fantasy of democracy is that all people are equal in all ways. They are granted equal opportunity in every way and to deny such opportunities is a sin against democracy. It is easy for us to consider the virtues of such a governance, but the vices often lie in our blind spot. Other democracies have risen and fallen – fallen for economic reasons, fallen for wicked tyrants, fallen from invasion. In our country, democracy has allowed for abortion to be legal and funded by your taxes. Democracy has allowed homosexuals to claim a right to marriage and force Christians to lose their livelihood. Democracy has allowed pornographic scenes onto cable networks during prime time. The insistence on freedom of opportunity and equality has turned violations of the Ten Commandments into laws and immorality into justice.

            Trust not in princes, they are but mortals. No system of governance is without flaw; most have their merits but all have shortfalls. The sin of Adam ensures that man will always desire the downfall of other men. “I may not be able to earn more money or become more successful, but if I can’t do it, no one else should either.”

            Repent. Repent of such arrogance and judgment against your neighbor. “Not only are you not better than other people, but there are, in fact, people better than you, people smarter, harder working, busier, kinder, more generous. Don’t take that away from them. Don’t try to pretend it isn’t so. Instead, strive to be like them.”[5]

            The rebuke of James and John is gentler. Christ asks what seems to be a rhetorical question, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The brothers, still focused on their desire and with no consideration for Jesus’ perspective in the question, respond, “We are able. Yes we can.”

            One might assume that Jesus would say, “Wrong. You can’t because I’m God.” But he doesn’t. He says, “Yes, you will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. You will suffer in this world. You will suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When things are the worst and you cry out to your heavenly Father, he will not intervene to stop your suffering. James, you will be martyred. John, you will die a natural death, but you will be beaten and spend years in isolation.”

            You, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, will also suffer. Cancer will grow. Depression and anxiety will turn your thoughts against you. Your body will begin to fail. Your eyes grow dim. Your children and grandchildren will abandon the faith. Death will come for you and for your loved ones. Like James and John, you will drink the cup of Christ’s suffering. Your flesh will be drowned and die when you daily return to your baptism. Repentance involves suffering because it involves looking at sin and being made sad because of it; recognizing what your own sins have wrought in the world.

            Repent and open your eyes to the Word of God. You are not better than your Master. He was crucified and has called you to take up your cross and follow him. You do not get to choose your cross, you must bear the cross he has given you. In the depth of suffering, trust that God is good even when you cannot see it. Know that he is chastising your sin so that you will be made white as a virgin bride.

Your suffering realigns your heart to recognize the one thing needful – the Blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of sins. Whatever we are denied in this life is for the sake of turning us toward trust in Christ. Whatever harm we endure is for the sake of making us to rely on the Great Physician to heal us in body and soul. This chastisement is Christ still fighting for you against the sin which plagues even the faithful on this side of glory. It is not punishment, it is the last stages of victory, being won on your behalf in your own flesh.

            Also, like James and John, this cup is not given to you alone. You will drink from the cup of suffering, but Christ has finished the cup of God’s wrath. Christ has swallowed the cup of wrath to the dregs. You are never alone in your suffering. You follow in the footsteps of Christ when you bear the cross of suffering. He is calling you to himself, to Mount Calvary, where you may kneel before his throne of glory.

            In his glory, that place where James and John desire to be, we see that Jesus Christ is above every one of you. He is without sin and yet became sin on your behalf. The most perfect human being, the Almighty and All-powerful God of creation, became less than a slave, lower than a worm, to atone for your sin. He did not come to be served by fancy vestments, beautiful old words, or the smoke of incense. He came to serve you by enduring the torment of hell for you, by dying for you, by rising again and ascending to the Father that a place would be prepared for you in eternity. To this day he serves you by chastising your sin and proclaiming his Word of forgiveness from this pulpit and that lectern. Jesus serves you by instructing you in the way of the Lord, that you would know what it is to live as the creation he made you to be. Christ serves you through the hands of a sinful man who distributes to you the single most valuable and precious objects in the universe – the Holy Body and Precious Blood of God.

            This is far superior to being equal. It is better than having equality of opportunity or freedoms, or rights. The Resurrection on the Last Day will see the New Heavens and New Earth full of individuals. We will all look different. We will all have different abilities and personalities. We will be free to be who we are, and we will be pure in ourselves. This is the glory of man in the Resurrection.

            In the Resurrection, we will rejoice in the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Some will sit closer to Christ. Some will sit further away. All will rejoice to be in the presence of Christ and we will celebrate the blessings of those sitting above us at table. It would be a joyous irony if St. James and St. John were seated on Christ’s eternal right and left sides. If they are, it would be cause for rejoicing. If not, it would be a cause for rejoicing. Because no matter who is on either side, the Lamb is on the throne.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51.

[2] Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28.

[3] Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33.

[4] From this point on, this sermon is based on a sermon by Pastor David H. Petersen, delivered on July 24, 2010, especially the comparison between the ten and our system of government. The sermon may be found here: https://cyberstones.org/sermon/st-james-the-elder/

[5] Petersen, “St. James the Elder 2010,” https://cyberstones.org/sermon/st-james-the-elder/