Rogate (Easter 5)

 Rogate – May 25, 2025

Psalm 66; Numbers 21:4-9; James 1:22-27

St. John 16:23b-33

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

On the night when He was betrayed, our Lord told His disciples that the time was coming when He would no longer speak to them in figurative language but would plainly tell them about the Father.^[1] In these words, Jesus is prophesying concerning the Church and the Apostolic office. After the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord, He sends the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles that they would remember all that He taught them and that they would go into the world proclaiming what Jesus has done. Hence the duty of the Apostles is not to teach in figurative language, leaving their hearers to interpret what is said. Rather, they are given to teach, to unfold the Scriptures, that their hearers would understand who God is and how He has won salvation for them.

This is the primary duty of the Apostolic office – to teach. Men called into this office are not to teach according to their own words or according to stories from their own experience. Jesus says that He will speak in plain language. Men in the office of pastor are speaking the very words of Jesus, even if arranged differently and spoken according to the voice of the man called to this specific pulpit.

This is the first of our Lord’s lessons today, but it is not His primary lesson. The primary lesson concerns prayer. In that very same day that the Apostles are called to teach Christ’s words plainly, all Christians are given to ask your heavenly Father as a dear child asks his dear father. You are the beloved children of God and have been given the right and privilege to call the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth your Father. It is a false humility to believe that God does not want to hear your prayers. It is false humility to believe that God is too busy to hear your concerns, worries, desires, or questions. This is a false humility because it is treating God as though He doesn’t care about you in the very name of respecting His Omnipotence.

When a person experiences lack—perhaps he grew up poor or fell on hard times in middle age—and then prospers, he tends to overcompensate by becoming miserly. He will hoard money or possessions for fear that poverty is always hiding around the next turn of the clock’s hands. He convinces himself this is only preparation but will soon find himself dying surrounded by great possessions and nothing to show for it.

The same is true of prayer, of doctrine, of Scripture. A man might memorize the entirety of the bible but if he never tells his neighbor of Christ or comes to believe that he knows everything there is to know about God, it is as much a waste as the man surrounded by possessions. St. James implores us today to be doers of the word and not hearers only.^[2]

The man who is baptized into Christ but fails to pray every day, every moment, finds himself in the same position. He has been given the access to ask the Almighty God for comfort, blessing, help, mercy, guidance, faith, salvation, strength, food, clothing, house, home, and everything else you could imagine and fails to pray because he thinks God is too busy for him. The fault is not in God, but in man. Perhaps the fault is that you are too busy, too frugal, too scared of God.

You have been given unfettered access to the Father, to ask of Him anything in the Name of Christ and the Father has promised to answer your prayer. The frightening part is that He has not promised the manner or time in which He will answer that prayer. This is frightening because it is now out of your control. In general, man views prayer either as a last ditch effort, something to try when there is no other option, or, as a list of demands to be met according to my will and schedule. This is not humility. It is hubris. It is pride. It is sin.

The disciples’ response to Jesus is confusing. By inference, when Jesus says there will be a time when He no longer uses figurative language, He means that He is still using figurative language. Yet the disciples claim that Jesus is now speaking plainly.^[3] Are they speaking from faith, trusting the words of Jesus even if they do not fully understand Him? Or are they like a child listening to the conversation of adults and pretending to follow along? The latter seems to make more sense, especially based on the following verses, where Jesus asks, “Do you now believe,” as if to say, “Really? Do you believe these words? After everything I’ve said and done, after everything you’ve seen, it is these confusing words I’ve just spoken that have opened your ears?”

But even if this is true and the disciples are only trying to put on a veneer of maturity, it is a pious veneer that we ought to imitate. They are not denying their sin or their failure to understand all our Lord’s teachings. They are trying to prove their devotion. This is the child who not only listens to the adult conversation but tries to contribute. They don’t know the depth of the topic at hand and so long as they are engaging appropriately (not yelling, interrupting, or insisting), they are trying to show that they are mature enough to handle adult conversation. They are trying to say, “I’m just like you.”

The disciples are trying to engage Jesus. They are trying to put into practice the type of prayer that He has just explained to them. They are trying to engage Jesus in conversation the same way that He has been teaching them for the last three years. Afterall, they will soon be the teachers of the Church. Their words are wrong, and they are rightly rebuked. They do not fully grasp what Jesus is saying because they can’t. It is not until the Holy Spirit descends upon them on Pentecost that all the words of Jesus will be brought to their remembrance. It is not until they see the words of our Lord through His resurrection that they can understand any of it.

What then of you and your prayers? “Blessed are they who believe and have not seen.”^[4] You believe and have not seen. You stand on the other side of the resurrection. You stand on the other side of Pentecost. You stand in that time promised by Jesus, when the Father will hear your prayers and grant to you anything you ask for in the Name of Jesus. You stand in this blessed time so act like it.

Do not view prayer as a list of demands. View prayer as the unloading of a burden. View prayer as a morning stretch to remove the knots and kinks accumulated in your sleep. View prayer as a weekend phone call with your Father, who loves nothing more than to hear your voice. Pray for the simple things. Pray for the complex things. Pray for everything and everyone. Pray for 15 seconds under your breath. Pray for 30 minutes before bed.

Get into the habit of praying for everything, at all times. “Lord, keep my mind focused on the service today. Amen.” “Lord, guide my memory as I take this math test. Amen.” “Dear Jesus, protect our family as we drive to Minnesota to visit family. Steer the hands of our fellow drivers and grant to us a pleasant and relaxing trip. Amen.” “Lord, soften my heart to forgive my sister. Amen.” “Send the Holy Spirit to fill my mouth with those blessed words to grant faith unto my son, who has gone astray. Amen.” The point is, pray; and pray in the Name of Jesus.

What does this mean? It means to pray according to the will of God.^[5] It means first seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then trusting God to deliver all things needful.^[6] Prayer in the Name of Jesus means recognizing that you do not know everything, but your Father in Heaven does, and He knows what you need before you even ask.^[7]

Prayer in the Name of Jesus also recognizes that you are a sinner, coming before the Lord of Lords to beg for the honest desires of your heart. God will not hear the prayers of the unrepentant sinner, but He and all the angels in heaven rejoice over the repentance of a single sinner.^[8]

The disciples are like children who desperately desire to be included in the conversation of adults. They use words they do not understand, and they claim to be tracking along with everything being said. Yet they do not understand. They do not have the knowledge nor experience to participate in the conversation.

Let us be honest in that no matter our age, we are prone to the same. As adults, we are afraid to admit our ignorance. We are afraid that someone might know something we don’t. We would rather hide than ask. We would rather make them be quite so they don’t reveal our ignorance. We would rather fall back on the familiar than learn something we don’t know. This is childish and such childish behavior not only harms your relationships with other people but hinders your ability to grow in wisdom and knowledge. Biblically speaking, knowledge is that which you gain from reading the Scriptures while wisdom is that which you gain from living according to them. When scripture speaks of the wisdom of the aged, it does not refer to the number of years in your life. If refers to the experience you’ve endured and the wisdom gained either from living according to God’s Word or having been rebuked for betraying His Word.

Whenever Christ commends the faith of someone, it is always tied to his boldness and perseverance. The centurion boldly confesses that Jesus can heal his son with a simple word because he is not worthy that the Christ come under his roof.[9] The Syrophoenician woman will not let Jesus turn her away when He has promised to deliver us from evil, no matter what the disciples or even Jesus’ own actions seem to be telling her.[10] This is the faith in which we pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.

Ignorance is not a sin. Refusal to learn is. Hiding from God, His Word, and His gifts is a sin stretching all the way back to Adam and Eve. They hid in the garden for shame over their sin. Refusing to ask because of your pride or shame is no different than sewing fig leaves to cover your nakedness. Repent of such sins and pray that God would embolden your spirit by His Holy Ghost and kindle in you a desire for knowledge and wisdom.

Jesus says there will come a day when He will no longer pray to the Father for you, but you will ask the Father directly.^[11] Christ is speaking of the Last Day, when you will no longer bear any sign of your former sinfulness but will converse with God face-to-face in glory. At that time, you will have no need for Christ to mediate or the Holy Spirit to translate our groanings.

Until that day, we do need Christ to be our Mediator. We do need the Holy Spirit to make intercession for our groanings, because we do not know what we should pray for as we ought.^[12] We need the guidance of our fathers in the faith and pastors sent by God to direct our knowledge and wisdom.

God begins the conversation of prayer because without His Fatherly guidance, we know nothing of what we are to do. And then, when it is your turn to respond, it is only through the Blood of Jesus that the Father hears your prayers. It is only when the Spirit takes the aches of your soul and translates them according to the will of God that your Father in Heaven hears your pleas and answers them.

This is a great comfort because it means your prayers do not need to be beautiful on their own. Your prayers do not need to be fanciful, memorized, or somehow “correct” in every detail. Is there a time for pre-written, thoroughly rehearsed, rhetorically beautiful prayers? Absolutely. They serve to teach us how to pray just as hearing your mother speak taught you English. But whether they are pre-written or created on the spot, prayer needs to be from your heart, sincere, without any hint of hypocrisy or doubt. Your prayers boldly come from a sinner who has been saved by the Blood of Jesus and now asks his Father for all that which is needful.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. John 16:25.

[2] James 1:22.

[3] St. John 16:30.

[4] St. John 20:29.

[5] The rest of the sermon is inspired by the 8 rules of Christian prayer outlined in Wilhelm Loehe, Seed Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians, translated by H.A. Weller (Kansas City, KS: Emmanuel Press, 2010), 1-2.

[6] St. Matthew 6:33.

[7] St. Matthew 6:8.

[8] 2 Timothy 2; St. John 9:41; St. Luke 15:10.

[9] St. Matthew 8:5-13.

[10] St. Matthew 15:21-28.

[11] St. John 16:26.

[12] Romans 8:26.

Reminiscere (Lent 2)

 Reminiscere (Lent 2) – March 16, 2025

Psalm 25; Genesis 32:22-32; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

St. Matthew 15:21-28

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

The woman who pleads with our Lord this morning is explicitly called a Canaanite. By blood, she is not of Israel. She was raised in a household that worshiped false gods. She spent the majority of her life worshiping the false gods of Canaan. Or perhaps she spent her life ignoring the divine, focusing only on the cares and pleasures of the flesh. Whatever the case, she was raised and spent her life contrary to the Word of God, outside of the faith. When she looks back over her life, she has nothing but sin to remember.

And we might spend a moment in pious speculation about the father of the demon possessed girl. Where is he? Why isn’t he the one to petition the Christ on the child’s behalf? He could be home, praying to false gods that their daughter would be healed. He could be promoting his daughter as a new oracle of one of these false gods, perhaps even seeking to turn her into a temple prostitute as a means of financial gain. Of course, those options assume the father is still in the picture. Perhaps this poor girl doesn’t have a father at home. Perhaps her origin is another of the sins her mother has committed.

Whatever the case, we have a woman approach Jesus who, in one sense, has no right to petition the Lord’s Christ. She is coming from the outside and making a commotion that even the disciples are bothered by. They want Jesus to send her away. Maybe they want Him to quickly answer her prayer so she will go away. They have no time for an outsider. They have no time for someone to join their ranks. They can’t be bothered to make room for someone unfamiliar in the Church. Maybe they want Christ to curse her to get rid of her. What we know for certain is they want nothing to do with this outsider.

At first, it seems Christ is of one mind with His disciples. He doesn’t even respond to the woman’s first cry. He seems to ignore her. He only answers the demand of the disciples, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”[1] At the same time, He doesn’t rush away from the woman. He doesn’t pass through her midst unseen. He allows her to catch up, to remain with the group. He doesn’t respond to her, but He continues to listen.

So the woman falls on her knees before Christ in an act of worship and begs for His help. This time, He responds to her but again seems to dismiss her request. “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Christ is absolutely correct. It is not good to take food away from your children to feed dogs. It is not good to take away that which rightfully belongs to someone and give it to others because your emotions tell you the dogs need it.

The Canaanite woman will not let Him go, just like Jacob refusing to let go of Christ as they wrestled through the night.[2] “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” The woman is also, absolutely correct. She acknowledges what Christ has said is true. She does not desire to take what rightfully belongs to others. She does not want to appropriate that which has been given to the house of Israel. What she wants is to receive what is rightfully hers according to her station in life. She wants only the crumbs from the master’s table. She does not ask for the children’s food, not even their crumbs. She wants the crumbs of her Lord and Master. The smallest portion of food will suffice to fulfill her need.

For this, Christ greatly praises her faith and grants her request. He does not set her up in a palace nor give her the wisdom of the ancients. He grants her the life of her daughter and blesses her faith in the Word of God.

So what is really going on here? Much could be said but we will focus on two aspects: 1) the person of the Canaanite woman; and 2) the struggle of her prayer.

As I said before, the woman has a history of unbelief and sin. What is remarkable about her is that she doesn’t deny it. In no way does she try to justify her past nor assert her rights as a human being before Christ. She doesn’t claim to be a good person. She doesn’t claim the suffering of her daughter to be unjust, unfair, or greater than the suffering of anyone else. She doesn’t even put her own needs before Christ. Remember, she is begging the Lord to help her by healing her daughter.

In the Canaanite woman, we see a beautiful picture of a faithful and repentant person. She is willing to be called a dog because she knows that before the Lord Almighty, she doesn’t even deserve to be called that. She is a worm and not a woman, a reproach of men and despised by people.[3] Neither she nor her daughter has a right to be healed. They both deserve to suffer. This is why she appeals to the mercy of Christ, the Son of David. She begs that the Lord would withhold that which she truly deserves.

This is faith. Repentance consists of two parts – that we acknowledge our sins (contrition) and that we believe the Lord forgives them (faith). She does not come into the conversation with Christ with a specific promise that He will forgive her daughter, yet she trusts that whatever Christ does will be for her good.

At some point prior to our reading, this woman has heard the Word of God, maybe even heard Christ preach or seen Him perform miracles. At some point, she has been confronted by her sins and the effects of those sins on her beloved daughter. At some point, faith, the Holy Spirit, has entered into her heart and led her not only to repent but to seek the love of Christ. She sought the Lord and begs Him not just to be God, but to be God for her; to hear her prayers and answer them.

This woman is a beautiful example for all Christians to follow, for all mankind to follow. The sin that clings to our flesh is strong. We all have a history of sin, a rap sheet against the Law of God. You can try to hide it, but the Lord sees all and knows all. Your sin cannot be hidden from God. So like the Canaanite woman, you shouldn’t try to hide your sin. You should acknowledge before the Lord your God that you are a sinner, little more than the dogs fighting over scraps. You are right to be ashamed of your sin. It is a filthy thing. But it is for this filth that the Son of God became man. It is for this filth that He died and rose again. He wants to feed the dogs with the scraps from His table. He is good and His steadfast love endures forever![4]

When speaking of the person of the Canaanite woman, we must also address our Lord’s words to His disciples, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Christ is not speaking of the blood descendants of Abraham. He is not saying that He was sent only to save the repentant sinners who were circumcised and traced their heritage through Israel. The Shepherd of the entire world is Christ. His lost sheep are those lost in their sins. The house of Israel is the house of God, the Church. The lost sheep of the house of Israel are all those sinners who believe in Christ. He is saying that He has been sent only to the repentant faithful, who look to Christ for salvation. In a sense, He is telling His disciples to be patient because He was sent for this Canaanite woman, too.

The promise of salvation was never limited to the blood descendants of Abraham. The promise of bearing the seed of the woman, of the descendant who would die for the sins of the world, that promise was limited to the offspring of Abraham. The promise of salvation was always for all who would believe, be they Hebrew, Arabic, Indian, or European, descendants of Shem, Japheth, or even Ham. For evidence of this, look to Ruth, Balaam, Job, or Namaan. That means the promise of salvation is for you, too, not because you happened to be born after the resurrection of Christ but because the Holy Spirit has kindled the flame of faith in you by the Word of God.

We must also consider the struggle of this woman’s prayer. At first, the Lord seems to ignore her. Then He seems to dismiss her. Yet she persists in prayer. God will often seem to ignore your prayers. He will allow you to suffer the consequences of sin – both your own and simply the consequences of a sinful world. Does that make Him unjust, unrighteous, or unfair? Of course not. While it seems He is ignoring your prayer, He is actually listening very intently. He allows for the suffering of the faithful that our faith would be strengthened.

And don’t hear that as though God delights in testing your faith as though you need to believe harder. He puts your faith to the test that you would trust in Him. Jacob is not stronger than the Angel of the Lord. Christ could have broken every bone in Jacob’s body if what He wanted was to be rid of Jacob. But that is not the case. God delights in being “caught.” He delights in being caught in His own words and promises. He will test your faith to the point where you have nothing left but to say, “I may lose everything I have, my children, my wife, and even my life, but I will not let You go, Lord of my salvation.”

While many of our prayers focus on the needs of this body and life, we shouldn’t forget to pray that the Lord would keep us in the true faith. You cannot by reason or strength come to faith nor keep yourself in the faith. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to sustain your faith. It is good to pray that the Holy Spirit would restrain your sinful thoughts and deeds from ever driving you away from the faith.

“When in the hour of deepest need, we know not where to look for aid…Then is our comfort this alone, that we may meet before Your throne; To You, O faithful God, we cry for rescue in our misery. O from our sins, Lord, turn Your face; absolve us through Your boundless grace. Be with us in our anguish still; Free us at last from ev’ry ill. So we with all our hearts each day to You our glad thanksgiving pay, then walk obedient to Your Word, and now and ever praise You, Lord.”[5]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 15:24.

[2] Genesis 32:26.

[3] Psalm 22:6.

[4] Psalm 106:1.

[5] When in the Hour of Deepest Need, LSB 615, sts 1, 2, 5, 6.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday (Quadragesima) – March 5, 2025

Psalm 57; Joel 2:12-19; 1 John 1:5-9

St. Matthew 6:1-21

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

The middle portion of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the sixth chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, primarily concerns the spiritual disciplines of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. These disciplines were not something new at the time of Christ. They have been in use by Christians since the beginning of time and have endured right up until the present.

Almsgiving is works of charity toward your fellow man. This can include giving money to those in need or charities dedicated to the same. It can also include giving of your time, talents, or even your presence. In our digital age, the best gift you can give someone is often your presence. Taking someone out to lunch; having a conversation beyond comments on the weather or current events; showing interest in something important to another person are all examples of giving one of your resources (time and presence) to another. Such alms are in great need today. That is not to say that financial gifts are unimportant. Offering to pay a burdensome bill brings great relief to someone struggling with his finances, lifting not only a financial burden but the weight of debt from his conscience.

Prayer is conversing with God. It is a conversation initiated by God in His word and continued by our response. Prayer takes two forms – private and corporate. Your private prayers are those offered between you and God, a time to thank and praise God for the many blessings He has bestowed on you as well as an opportunity to ask Him for aid, comfort, forgiveness, strength, peace of mind, and even temporal things that you need or desire. If God is your Father, then He wants you to talk to Him. He has promised to hear the prayers of His dear children and to answer them.

Corporate prayer is what we are doing here this evening. It is the gathering of the saints to collectively call upon God for forgiveness and blessing, as well as give Him thanks. The corporate prayers of the Church are not heard more clearly by God, as though more voices make our prayers louder and thus more powerful before the Almighty God. But it does serve to show that when we call upon our Father, we do it as a corporate body, not just alone and in our closets. The corporate prayers of the Church are the time when we join our voices together into one Body, the Body of Christ, and lift up our voices as one, uniting our petitions and praise, so that we speak as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Fasting is the deliberate choice not to make use of certain temporal goods. Historically, Christians have chosen to fast from foods that are not sinful in themselves. Most commonly, this was meat, though the specifics have been different at different times and places. By choosing to fast from something that is, on its own, good, a Christian reminds himself that he does not live by bread, or meat, alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.[1] It puts the Christian in mind of the One who provides every good thing for our life – temporal and spiritual.

In more recent times, it has become customary for Christians to fast from something other than food. This is the practice of “giving something up for Lent.” Some people stay off social media for Lent. Others fast from alcohol, television, or foods that aren’t good for you in the first place, like sweets, soda, or fast food. This type of fast generally recognizes that these things aren’t good for you in the first place and Lent is a good time to practice living without them. This can be a good way to rid yourself of a bad habit. The danger in this type of fast is that once Lent is done, will you continue to fast from something that is harming you? Or will you go right back to knowingly damaging your body by over-indulging? My advice would be to completely fast from such things during Lent and then either continue that fast for the rest of your life or return to using these things but only in strict moderation.

Our Lord’s words about these spiritual disciplines are not so much concerned with what they are but how they are practiced. He assumes that everyone who hears His words knows what these practices are and is already engaging in them. He is concerned about how and why these disciplines are used by Christians.

Some are tempted to think of these spiritual disciplines as meant to induce a type of suffering in the Christian. You give to the poor so that you would know what it is to lack. You spend additional time in prayer so that you have less time to do earthly things. You fast so that you feel pain in your belly and are reminded of the suffering of Christ, who fasted 40 days in the wilderness and suffered thirst on the cross.

This idea of discipline to induce suffering is wrong. Christ has promised that Christians will suffer in this world and St. Paul has much to say about suffering but neither commands nor commends self-chosen suffering. We welcome suffering as the just punishment of our sins, but we do not choose to actively suffer. That would be the same error as recognizing the longing of the Christian to be free from the sins of this world and be with Christ by actively seeking martyrdom.

Rather, the proper use of spiritual disciplines is for the training of our bodies and souls. It is for bringing the body into subjection and aligning our souls with the Word of God. Some have even spoken of them as tools or weapons against temptation, sin, and the devil.

Almsgiving works against temptations toward greed. It is our weapon against the world. Almsgiving reminds you that everything you possess in this world belongs not to you but to God, and that you have only been placed as the steward over it for a time. It also puts you in mind of your fellow man, bringing his needs to your mind. By this, you are reminded of just how many blessings God has given to you and the joy it is to share those blessings with others.

Prayer works against temptations toward self-reliance. It is our weapon against the devil. In our war against satan, we are lost on our own. We must call upon our King to win the victory for us. He holds the field forever and slays the ancient dragon with one little Word. Prayer, when combined with the study of God’s Word, molds your thoughts and desires to conform to the will of God. Spending time in God’s Word and in prayer will quickly make you realize that many of the things you think important simply aren’t.

Fasting works against temptations toward gluttony and pleasure. It is our weapon against the flesh. The Old Adam clings to our flesh and craftily subverts our faith. Yet our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.[2] Our Lord has given us the task of bringing our bodies under subjection, that is, making use of our body to the glory of God.[3] Fasting, like the other disciplines, should be thought of as training. It is training your body to act and respond according to faith rather than according to base instinct or desire. Man is composed of body and soul. Physical disciplines impact and are impacted by our souls. The two ought to work in harmony and fasting is a tool for strengthening that connection.

Our Lord’s warning in the use of these spiritual disciplines is against hypocrisy. The world generally thinks of hypocrisy as ‘saying one thing but doing something contrary.’ The Scriptures speak of hypocrisy as confessing, or saying, one thing but believing something contrary. Any good work, any pious action, comes with the danger of hypocrisy. Our Lord points to using any of these spiritual disciplines for the purpose of gaining the attention of man as hypocrisy. He says that those who give alms, pray, or fast for the attention of man receive temporal rewards for their actions but in so doing, have forfeited their eternal rewards. That is to say, they have gained the recognition of man, but they have lost their faith; they have lost their eternal salvation by seeking great temporal rewards.

Don’t think this doesn’t apply to you. It does. As I said, every good work comes with the danger of hypocrisy. The more powerful the act, the greater the danger. The devil, the world, and our own flesh are crafty. They seek to chip away at your faith, piece by piece. Choose to fast from social media and soon you will think that anyone who uses it isn’t a real Christian. Attend every additional service throughout the year and soon someone who doesn’t seems like a heathen. Receive a letter of recognition or an award for a donation to a charity and soon giving to others becomes a means of fame and glory.

The same can be said of ceremonies in the Church. Although we are gathered late in the evening, there is still a temptation to show the world the ashes on your head, not to confess what you believe, but so that the world will see ‘how good a Christian you are.’ The temptation to hypocrisy shouldn’t stop you from engaging in these disciplines. Our Lord has highly commended them to you as good and useful for the strengthening of your body and soul. But the warning persists. Do not make a weapon of faith into a tool of the devil.

These spiritual disciplines, these weapons against the world, the devil, and our flesh, will never win victory over them. Christ is not outlining a way to salvation such that as long as you follow these evangelical counsels, you will save yourself. He is arming you for battle in the war He has already won. As we prayed in the collect this evening, “Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing that You have made, and forgives the sins of all those who are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of You, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.”

Christ has perfectly kept the Law. He has perfectly given alms to the world, prayed to the Father on your behalf, and fasted from all pleasures of the world to fulfill the Law of God. He has submitted to the wrath of God so that you would be spared. We cry out to the God who fulfills His purpose for us. He was sent from heaven to save you, sending out His steadfast love and faithfulness.[4] It is for Christ’s victory over death and hell that we prepare to celebrate.

The spiritual disciplines of alms, prayer, and fasting are for the strengthening of your body and soul to face the dangers still present in this world. While they do not merit salvation, they do embolden your faith for the trials and sufferings of this world. Christ has not, and will not, deal with us according to our sins because He has forgiven the sins of all those of a penitent and contrite heart.[5] In giving thanks to Christ, we utilize these spiritual weapons that we might care for the very bodies and souls which He has redeemed.

As we begin our walk through the cross and to the Resurrection, carefully consider how you will prepare. Prepare your hearts and minds through God’s Word. Examine your conscience that you might find relief in the forgiveness of sins. Give alms, pray, and fast in the joyful knowledge that the war is over, even though there are still battles ahead.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3.

[2] Psalm 139:14.

[3] 1 Corinthians 9:27.

[4] Psalm 57:2-3.

[5] Psalm 103:10.

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity – October 20, 2024

Psalm 119; Isaiah 25:6-9; Ephesians 6:10-17

St. John 4:46-54

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

The nobleman in our text today went on a journey in three parts.[1] First was his trip from Capernaum to Cana to meet with our Lord. Second, he journeyed back to Capernaum after hearing of the promise that his son lives. Finally, there is the reunion in Capernaum. This three-fold journey will serve as the basis for our understanding of this text.

Although we don’t know for sure where Biblical Cana is located, Scripture indicates that it is about a day’s walk from Capernaum. The nobleman was desperate enough to leave his dying son behind and make a two-day trip to and from Cana to entreat Jesus. We know that this man had heard the Word of God sometime prior to making this trip. Perhaps he had been at the wedding in Cana and knew of Jesus from the miracle performed there. Perhaps he had even returned to Capernaum with Jesus after the wedding, hearing Him teach along the way.[2]

What we know for certain is that this nobleman had faith at the beginning of our text. If he didn’t, he would not have risked leaving his dying son in the care of servants. What kind of faith did he have? We can answer this in two ways.

The tiniest drop of faith is all sufficient for the salvation of man. The newly baptized child has the same faith as Elijah, the great prophet of God who was carried into heaven without experiencing death.[3] The young man newly converted to faith in Christ has the same faith as St. Paul, who endured scorn, beatings, prison, and martyrdom on behalf of Christ.[4] The lonely widow weeping over the death of her son has the same faith as Blessed Luther, risking his life to proclaim the purity of the Gospel against the Pope and his minions. This saving faith is one and the same. There is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”[5] It is not the work of man but the free gift of God, wrought in you by the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Gospel – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

At the same time, this faith necessarily needs to grow and be strengthened.[6] It is one thing to possess something. It is something entirely different to care for it, use it, and benefit from it. This faith is exercised in three ways – meditation on the Word of God, prayer, and affliction.[7]

Meditation on the Word of God is best illustrated by a cow chewing her cud. She eats of the grass, chews and swallows into her first stomach, but only a small portion of her nutrition is gained. The grass is brought back into her mouth to be chewed a second time and swallowed again. More nutrition is gained. This continues over and over again until the full measure of nutrition is gained from the mouthful of grass. In this way, we are to chew the cud of the Word of God. The first eating of the grass is hearing and reading the Word of God. Each subsequent chewing is revisiting this Word in contemplation – reading the Word again and again and filling your mind with it. For the cow, there is an end to this process. For the Christian, it is a life-long endeavor.

Prayer exercises faith in taking the spiritual nutrition gained from the Word of God and turning it into action, into words given back to God. The Word of God forms our own words, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit of God gives form to our prayers.[8] Not only is prayer an act of turning our hearts and minds toward God and expecting all good things from Him, but it also trains our flesh to do the same. By turning to God in prayer, we train our flesh for all future times when we find ourselves needing Him. It trains us to turn to Him always; to expect all good things from Him always; and to trust whatever He delivers to us to be for our benefit.

Finally, there is affliction or suffering. Our Lord promised that all who follow Him would suffer in this world. In a sense, our suffering is doubled because we know that we deserve it. When we suffer in this world, we know that it is on account of our sin. We also know that we deserve this suffering because of our sin; even as the beloved children of God. In fact, because we are beloved children of God, we hate our sin and wish to be free from it. We desire that God would purge our bodies and souls of sin, of the love of sinning, and of sin’s effects. And we endure this suffering because we know that God chastens those whom He loves.[9] We know that the suffering of this present age is nothing compared to the joys of the world to come.[10] A wise man loves the rebuke of his Father because he knows by it, he will be wiser still.[11]

As the nobleman journeys to Cana, his faith is weak. He insists that Christ come to his son. He trusts enough to know that Christ’s presence is the one thing his son needs but his faith is weak because it believes that his son will not be healed without the physical presence of Jesus. This is why our Lord rebukes him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”[12] The nobleman wants a display of the power of God in signs and wonders. He is already suffering the sickness of his son and now he wants a great miracle of God in grand visible gestures.

But he will not receive it. Our Lord offers a second, albeit subtle, rebuke. “God your way; your son lives.”[13] It is as though Jesus is saying, “My Word is enough for you and for your son. Your weak faith needs to be nourished and to grow. Let it be nourished on My Word alone. Go in the promise of this Word and your soul shall be healed.”

The nobleman must now make the journey back to his son. This journey is fraught with more anxiety than the first. He now has a clear Word of God, but he does not necessarily know the meaning. He is like Martha after Jesus said to her, “You brother will rise again.” She answers, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”[14] The nobleman must be meditating over and over again on this Word of Jesus. “When I get home, will my son have breath in his body? Or will he live in the life eternal?”

It is not until the nobleman is almost home that he receives an answer. His servants meet him outside his home and announce the healing of his son. They even repeat the words of Jesus, “Your son lives!”[15] The father recognized that his son had been healed at the very Word of Jesus the night before. He receives confirmation of his joy, and his faith is now praised in the eternal Scriptures.

As we near the end of the Church year and the celebration of Advent, our minds begin to turn toward the last things, toward the time when Christ will reveal Himself to the world for the final time. The three-fold journey of the nobleman can be seen as an allegory for our journey in the church.

The journey from Capernaum to Cana signifies our faith in its infancy. It is complete unto salvation, but it is unformed by meditation, prayer, and affliction. When we encounter suffering, the only outcome we can imagine from God is according to our wishes. It does not occur to us that God’s ways are not our ways. We know what we want from God, and we demand that He give it to us in grand and splendid ways.

Then, as we mature in the Word of God and begin to be formed by meditation, prayer, and affliction, we join the man on his journey home. We know and hear the Words and promises of God, but we do not have visual confirmation of them. Faith has grown and it continues to grow. This is the majority of our life on this side of glory. This knowledge of the Word of God, while it exercises our faith and results in its strengthening, also leads to more frustration and anxiety. This is because Satan wants nothing more than to drive the Words and promises of God from your heart. I’d say the nobleman was in greater danger of losing his faith on the journey home than the journey to Cana. And yet the nobleman endures. He endures because he holds to the Word of God and continues to contemplate it in his heart.

The joyous reunion at Capernaum is the consummation of our faith. It is the glorious revelation of our Lord in glory. It is that day when faith will no longer be necessary because the promises of God will be manifest before your very eyes.[16] It is the reunion with all the faithful in heaven and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.[17] In that day, there will be no tears, save tears of joy and rejoicing.[18] On that side of glory, you will look back at your time of affliction, your time of suffering, and realize that the joy and bliss of heaven was made yours at that very hour, before you ever set foot on the final leg of your journey home. It was in the Words and promises of God given to you from the very lips of Jesus. 

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] This outline of the text is loosely based on Fred H. Lindemann, The Sermon and The Propers, Volume 4 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1962), 111-112.

[2] St. John 2:1-12.

[3] 2 Kings 2:11.

[4] 2 Corinthians 11:22-33.

[5] Ephesians 4:5-6.

[6] Hebrews 5:13-14; Proverbs 9.

[7] This is a reference to Martin Luther’s oratio, meditatio, and tentatio.

[8] Romans 8:26-27.

[9] Hebrews 12:6.

[10] Romans 8:18-19.

[11] Proverbs 9:8-9.

[12] St. John 4:48.

[13] St. John 4:50.

[14] St. John 11:23-24.

[15] St. John 4:51.

[16] Job 19:27.

[17] Revelation 19:6-9.

[18] Revelation 21:4.