Lent Midweek 1

Lent Midweek 1 – March 12, 2025

Psalm 91; 1 Kings 19:3b-8

St. Matthew 12:38-50

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

Hezekiah was the greatest king of Judah during the time of the divided kingdom. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, tore down the places of false worship, destroyed the false idol Nehushtan, and walked in the commandments of the Lord.[1] During his reign, Assyria laid siege to Jerusalem and the Lord delivered Hezekiah and his people from their evil oppression. Then came the time when Hezekiah fell gravely ill, and the prophet Isaiah told him that this sickness would be his death. Hezekiah wept bitterly and prayed that God would extend his life. The Lord heard his prayer, saw his tears of repentance, and granted him fifteen more years of life. At that time, Hezekiah asked the prophet Isaiah for a sign that his life would be extended. The Lord gave him a sign by turning back the shadow on a sundial by 10 degrees.[2]

When Hezekiah asked for a sign, he was asking for a small symbol to embolden his confidence in the promise of the greater miracle of his extended life. In a sense, he was asking for a small token, a promissory note, that he could cling to should his faith waver in the Lord’s word of promise. This was granted to Hezekiah.

The scribes and Pharisees of our reading this evening were not asking for a sign the same way that Hezekiah did. They had already seen Christ perform great miracles, fulfilling the words of the prophets when they described the coming of the Christ. They had both His words of promise and many signs by which they could be confident that this carpenter from Nazareth was God in the flesh. Yet they demanded more signs. They were not content with the signs given by God, they demanded more. They wanted signs on their own terms to satisfy their own definition of God.

That is why Christ is severe with them. He calls them an “evil and adulterous generation.”[3] They want a god who acts according to their laws, not the Lord God, creator of heaven and earth, who has ordered the universe according to His will. Christ tells them they will receive no sign but the sign of Jonah and instructs them with three illustrations. He is teaching them concerning repentance, wisdom, and perseverance in the faith once delivered.[4]

When considering the sign of Jonah, we shouldn’t get distracted by the number of days. It is true, Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and Christ rested in the tomb for three days. This is a historical fact. But the sign of Jonah is that he was in the belly of the fish only for three days. After that time, he rose again. He came back to life. The sign of Jonah is the resurrection. Christ will spend three days in the belly of the earth, resting in the tomb, but then He will rise again. There is no point in stating how long Jonah was in the fish if he didn’t come out of the fish. So too, there is no point to Christ being in the tomb for three days unless He comes out of the tomb at the end of those three days.

This fact does not escape the Pharisees. They petition Pilate to set a guard at the tomb because they fear that the Christ will rise again on the third day. If He does rise from the dead, their doctrine is proved false. They are shown to be false teachers and are liable to the judgment of God.

This sign of Jonah is followed by three illustrations of judgment against the evil and adulterous generation. First are the Ninevites. The Ninevites were a wicked and perverse generation. Nineveh was an important city of the Assyrian Empire, at various times serving as its capital. We are not told of the specific evils committed by the Ninevites at the time of Jonah, only that “their wickedness had come up before” the Lord.[5] Idolatry and sexual immorality were certainly among their sins. Human sacrifice, specifically the murder of children, was also likely among their transgressions. For their wickedness, the Lord resolved to destroy the city, but before executing His judgment, the Lord sent Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites.

And they listened. From the king down to the cows, every citizen of Nineveh sat in sackcloth and ashes, repenting of their sins and crying out to the true God of heaven and earth for mercy. They heard the word of God and saw their own sinful condition. The Word of God entered deeply into their souls and brought about such repentance that has rarely been seen on that scale. They did not seek to avoid the Lord. They did not hide behind a law of their own creation. They did not excuse their sin. They repented and cried out to God for mercy and forgiveness. The Lord heard their cries and forgave the city. He relented of His destruction of Nineveh. By the preaching of His Word, the Lord brought the entire city of Nineveh into the fold of the faithful.

 It is these repentant sinners that Christ says will judge the scribes and Pharisees. These repentant saints of God will sit in judgment over those who would have God bow to their own wills and act according to the will of man.

Then Christ speaks of the queen of the South. This is the Queen of Sheba, who came to Solomon because she had heard of his great wisdom and wanted to learn of this wisdom for herself.[6] Sheba was a kingdom on the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It was a rich and powerful kingdom but was committed to the worship of false gods. Her journey to Jerusalem was likely as much for economic and military reasons as for curiosity about this wise king to her north.

But once she heard the teachings of Solomon, she couldn’t help but sing the praises of the True God of Solomon. “Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you!”[7] He spoke to her concerning wisdom in this world but certainly told her of the True God who would save this sinful world from damnation. Through the preaching of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba brought the true faith back to her people. Again, a nation of people was saved by the preaching of God’s Word. The Queen repented of her belief in demons and turned toward the True God, who would be born in Bethlehem and save her from her sins.

Christ says that this queen will also sit in judgement over this evil and adulterous generation. She who sought the wisdom of God through Solomon will sit among all the faithful in the day of judgment and pronounce condemnation on scribes and Pharisees, who prefer their own wisdom to the Word of God.

After these historic examples, our Lord provides a sort of parable of a man who has been freed from the possession of a demon.[8] But once he has been freed, the man does not make way for the Holy Spirit. He prefers to remain an empty house, open to all the possibilities of the world. If he is not with Christ, then he is against Him, as the parable shows. The demon returns with seven more powerful demons, who then possess the man, leaving him in a state worse than the first.

This man is the personification of the scribes and the Pharisees, the wicked generation. He has been delivered from the oppression of Satan by the Word of God but does not care about what comes next. He has heard the Word of God but no longer clings to it.

Christ is highlighting the importance of perseverance in the faith. Not long ago we heard the parable of the sower, or more accurately, the parable of the soils.[9] Every field will eventually turn up stones and weeds, becoming unfit for growing crops. It is necessary that the good soil receiving the seed of the Word be tended. When it comes to tending to your soul, it shouldn’t sound like a burden. It is a joy! To be in God’s house, to hear and read His Word, to meditate on His Word, to foster a faithful family and faithful community is the very air the saints of God breathe. It is our lifeblood. Does it involve effort? Can it be difficult? Of course. Anything worth doing involves effort and can be difficult. But the reward is eternal life. In the struggle is the joy of life in Christ! The man in the parable goes to the effort of sweeping his soul clean and putting it in order but he fails to fill it with the Holy Spirit. In the end, he achieves nothing more than creating an ideal home for eight demons.

So then, our Lord’s mother and brothers arrive, wanting to speak with Him. But Christ says that these are His mother, brothers, and sisters, those who do the will of the Father. In this context, the will of the Father is everything our Lord has been speaking about. He is referring to those who repent like the Ninevites; those who seek the wisdom of God like the queen of the South; and those who cling to the faith once delivered, who diligently invite the Holy Spirit into their souls and tirelessly strive to maintain the salvation given to them freely. These are His disciples, His mother, brothers, and sisters. 

In T Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 2 Kings 18:1-8.

[2] 2 Kings 20:1-11.

[3] St. Matthew 12:39.

[4] Jude 3.

[5] Jonah 1:2.

[6] 1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12.

[7] 1 Kings 10:9.

[8] St. Matthew 12:43-45.

[9] St. Luke 8:4-15, the Gospel text for Sexagesima.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Trinity 9 – July 28, 2024

Psalm 54; 2 Samuel 22:26-34; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

St. Luke 16:1-13

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

To understand the parable before us today, it is necessary to understand the words that are used in the parable. A “steward” is someone responsible for using and caring for the possessions of someone else. In the case of the parable, the steward is responsible for managing the money of the rich man. Your accountant is the steward of your finances. Parents, when you send your children to school, the teacher is the steward of your child. Hiring Door Dash is hiring someone to be the steward of your supper. A steward is responsible for the use and care of some else’s possessions. “Stewardship” is simply the way of describing the way in which the steward cares for those possessions. It does not necessarily only mean money.

The word “shrewd” might have negative connotations. It sounds evil, or at least mean. Perhaps it even rings in your ears as someone who is miserly and lashes out at those around him. The word just refers to practical wisdom, knowing what actions to take in a particular situation. This is different from the “wisdom” we usually think of. Wisdom is generally reserved for theoretical wisdom, that is, having the knowledge of the best course of action. To be shrewd is to have practical wisdom of the situation and knowing the best steps to take.

For example, it might be wise for a carpenter to soften the corners of a table to give it a finished, beautiful appearance. It is shrewd of the carpenter to soften the corners and the edges to reduce splintering. The wise Christian knows the value to his body and soul of attending the Divine Service every Sunday and every other day it is offered. The shrewd Christian bathes the children the night before so that Sunday morning is efficient and attends the earliest service so that the children are still slightly subdued by the early rising.

“Mammon” refers to all earthly possessions: clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods. In itself, mammon is good because it is a creation of God. However, Christ calls it “unrighteous mammon” in the parable. That is because, in this context, “unrighteous” doesn’t mean “evil;” it means “something that can’t save you.” Righteousness is not found in mammon, therefore it is “unrighteous mammon.”

We may now begin to understand the parable. The master discovers that his steward has been stealing his money and wasting it on extravagant living. Because the master can’t trust the steward, he fires him and demands the steward return the master’s ledger (the book where the master’s money is recorded). On his way to get the ledger, the steward quickly calls those who owe the master money and lowers their debts. This, of course, makes the debtors happy. The steward does this so that when he is forced out of the master’s house, he can go to the debtors and say, “Hey, remember how I got you a break on your debt? How about you help me out by giving me a job, a place to sleep, or at least a meal.” The debtors, remembering what the steward did for them, will certainly welcome the steward into their homes.

Now, we know that the steward is a scoundrel. He is dishonest. He had been stealing from his master and his last act as steward was to cheat the master out of even more money. And yet the master commends his shrewdness, his wisdom.

Neither the master, nor Jesus, commends the steward for stealing or lying. He is to be commended for his wisdom; for thinking ahead; for striving so hard for what matters to him most. It is this effort, this wisdom, that our Lord is commending to us today. ‘Do you see,’ He says, ‘what lengths the steward was willing to go to in order to reach his goal? Think now of your goal, baptized child of God. How does your goal (eternal life in the presence of and in communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) affect your actions and the way you use the gifts of this life: clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all your goods?’

 These things, this mammon, cannot save you. Every possession in this world is mammon, it is unrighteous because it cannot save you. But all mammon can certainly damn you. It is dangerous. All earthly possessions are dangerous because they so easily become idols. Thanks be to God He has given to His children the Holy Ghost, by which we are made wise. We are wise as serpents and innocent as doves.^[1]

Then again, we must use this wisdom, this shrewdness, given by the Holy Ghost to “make friends” by means of unrighteous mammon. What does it mean to “make friends” in this context? It doesn’t mean buddies. It doesn’t mean lifelong friendships. The goal of the steward is that when his lifelong career fails, he is received into the homes of others that will care for him the rest of his days. The goal of the Christian is that when you fail, that is, when your body gives up its final breath, you will be received into the everlasting heavenly mansion prepared for you by Christ.^[2] You will be received into the bosom of Abraham, gathered into the general assembly and church of the firstborn, to God the Judge of all, and to Christ the Mediator of the new covenant, whose blood of the sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel.^[3]

The friends you are to make are those who are gathered into glory. Some of our theologians consider these friends to be the poor to whom you’ve shown charity by giving your mammon to them. That could be, but I am inclined to see these friends as the general assembly and church of the firstborn, that is, your fellow Christians, the martyrs, and the faithful poor; as well as the Holy Angels and the Triune God.

To make friends with them by means of unrighteous mammon is not to earn their favor by storing up good works or merits. Rather, to make friends with them is to show that you are of one mind, one spirit, one Baptism into one Lord. This is seen in how you order your life. What is most important? Nostalgia? Longing for the past? A comfortable life? An easy life? Or is eternal life most important? Longing for unity with the general assembly of the firstborn? The worship of the Triune God? Citizenship in heaven? Receiving the forgiveness of sins? Repentance for the times you’ve fallen short and the many ways in which you have failed to be shrewd?

The parable of the Shrewd Manager is about the orientation of your life, shown through your use of the things of this world. Is your life oriented toward God or does your life only pay Him lip service? Do you care about pure doctrine or your own opinion? Is a college education more important than faith? The sons of this world are incredibly shrewd in striving for their goals, more shrewd, in fact, than the children of light. Perhaps, there is something to be learned from them, afterall.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 10:16.

[2] St. John 14:1-3.

[3] St. Luke 16:22; Hebrews 12:22-24.

The Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany

The Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany – January 8, 2023

Psalm 100; Isaiah 42:1-9; Romans 12:1-6a

St. Luke 2:42-52

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

On Christmas, we celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord and place a special emphasis on the humanity of Jesus. Last Friday, at the Epiphany of our Lord, we celebrated the revelation that this child in the manger is truly God. At the Epiphany, there is a special emphasis on the divinity of Jesus and His kingship over all creation. As the Sundays after the Epiphany progress, the Gospel readings will focus on the miracles of our Lord which reveal His divinity. Epiphany means “to reveal.”

It is then notable and quite interesting that we begin the Sundays after the Epiphany not with a miracle text, but with the only text God has delivered to us which describes our Lord’s boyhood. When Jesus was twelve years old, His family went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, as was their yearly custom. After the feast, His family departed Jerusalem to return to Nazareth. Since they’ve spent eleven years with Jesus in the family and have come to expect His perfect obedience, they didn’t even bother to check that He was numbered with His brothers. Joseph, Mary, and their relatives departed for Nazareth.

It took an entire day for them to notice that Jesus was not with them. When they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him, it took three more days for them to look in the Temple. At last, when they found Jesus, Mary rebuked Him for making Joseph and her anxious. Jesus responds, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”[1] After this, Jesus went down with them and was subject to Joseph and Mary, increasing in wisdom, stature, and favor in the eyes of God and men.

The first question you may have of this text is how could they forget Jesus for a full day? Remember, Jesus is God in the flesh. They have raised Him for the last twelve years and He is perfectly obedient. Joseph and Mary have left Jesus behind because they’ve grown complacent. Because He is perfectly obedient, they’ve come to expect that He can read their minds. When they forget to tell Him they are leaving town, they expect He will know anyway.

From this, we see that neither Joseph nor Mary is without sin, but Jesus is. Jesus does not sin if Joseph and Mary fail to communicate with Him. Even Mary’s attempt at rebuking Jesus makes it clear that the sin lies with her and Joseph. “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”[2] It is clear that she is at fault for not being a diligent parent and yet to admit as much would be embarrassing. She knows it would be a lie to say, “You hid from us” when the truth is they forgot Him. So she says the next best thing, “why have You done this to us? You made us so anxious.”

Upon further examination, we must learn from the sin of the parents and the sinlessness of our Lord. The sin of the parents is complacency. They have grown so comfortable with the obedience of their Son, they believe He no longer needs parents. They have abdicated their role to train up their Son—whether He is divine or not.

This is the temptation for anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time. It is tempting to become complacent with your faith. It is tempting to believe that you’ve already heard about that stuff and so you don’t need to come to church, or bible study, or read the bible at home, or review the catechism. In fact, there are many in our church body who believe that once you’ve been examined in a confirmation class, you no longer need to do memory work and there is no reason for the Pastor to examine what you know of the Scriptures.

This is complacency. All Christians must be on guard against such complacency because should you fall into this temptation, you won’t even notice that you have left Jesus behind. Joseph and Mary were blessed by God to have remembered after one day of journeying. If you fall into complacency, you have no promise that you will remember after one day or even before your death. The less you attend to your faith, the less you will want to.

On the other hand, the sin of Joseph and Mary speaks specifically to parents. Sending children to school—be it public, private, or otherwise—does not absolve you as being in charge of their education. We do not send children to school to be taught by experts. We send them to school to assist us in our duty to educate them. The same goes for teaching the faith. Catechesis classes at the Church are important but one hour a week at Church will do nothing to foster the faith of anyone. Daily prayer, daily bible reading, daily discussions concerning the Word of God are necessary for raising a child in the faith.

It is necessary that children be present at the Divine Service. Children’s Church is a terrible heresy of the North American church. By distracting children with food and games during the Divine Service is the same as telling them there is nothing here for them. How does a child learn? A child learns by imitation. Repetition is the mother of learning. The youngest among us is learning the faith right now. Sure, the infants in our congregation do not yet understand language, but they are learning the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and even tastes of the church. If we teach children that the church is a place to play and eat, then we can’t be surprised when they leave the church for more entertaining pastures.

We must now turn our attention to Jesus. Whether Joseph and Mary completely forgot to tell Jesus they were leaving or if they simply gave unclear direction, we do not know. We do know that without sin, Jesus remained in Jerusalem. He remained in Jerusalem and went straight to the Temple to learn. Do not misunderstand the text. He is not teaching in the Temple. He is sitting diligently at the feet of the teachers. He is listening to them and asking questions. Those standing around were amazed at what diligent of a student He was.

Imagine a student is perfectly attentive and perfectly obedient. Then imagine the teacher asking a question and this student doesn’t give an inappropriately academic answer, but gives a thorough answer displaying understanding of precisely what the teacher was teaching. This is the boy Jesus in the Temple.

From this, we must first understand that faith in Jesus Christ is not about academic knowledge. The avoidance of sin is not about academic knowledge. Keeping the righteousness of Christ is not about academic knowledge. It is about attentiveness to the Word of God. It is about diligently listening and taking to heart the things of God. It is about trusting the Word of God above your own thoughts and desires.

It is very rare that I share personal stories from the pulpit because you come here to hear the Word of God, but in this case, it is illustrative. Sometime in grade school, we were given an assignment over the weekend to write a story about our summer break. Because the assignment was to write a story, I returned on Monday morning with a fantastical story about falling into a hole in the street and discovering a cave full of treasure. The teacher was delighted but told me I misunderstood the assignment. She was looking for a story about something that really happened.

The point of this anecdote is that in misunderstanding the directions, I did not sin. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, can remain perfectly sinless and perfectly obedient while making a mistake. Mistakes of this nature are not due to sin, but to the imperfection of the world around Him. Thus, it would be entirely possible for Christ to have mis-measured a board in the shop with Joseph or answer a question of the teachers in the Temple incorrectly.

The difference between Jesus and you & me, is that we do not know what it is to make mistakes without sin. I miscut a board because I am in a hurry and didn’t carefully measure. You miss questions in Bible Study because you were busy talking to your neighbor or thinking about lunch. We make mistakes because we are imperfect. He made mistakes because we are imperfect.

This ought to bring you a degree of comfort. Jesus Christ, True Son of God and True Son of Mary, was capable of making mistakes without sinning. He is truly man and is displaying that God is not interested in all Christians having perfect academic records. The Father is interested in diligent study of His Word. Does that mean everyone must know Greek and Hebrew? No. God has given you other vocations. Does it mean that everyone ought to devote more time than you do to God’s Word? Absolutely. Diligent study of God’s Word simply means to read and reread the Word of God so that it becomes a part of you.

Our Lord’s subtle rebuke of Mary is astonishing. “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” It is as if He is calmly saying, “Why didn’t you start by looking in the Temple?” Where else would Jesus be? Joseph and Mary likely went to all of the places a human twelve year old would be found; a twelve year old driven by the passions of his flesh and the desires of a sinful heart. They remembered that Jesus is True Man but had somehow now forgotten that He is True God.

Why be anywhere else? Not all Christians are called by God to spend their days contemplating the Word of God from sunrise to sunset. You have families. You have homes. You have vocations every bit as pious and holy as the Office of the Holy Ministry to attend to.

At the same time, when there is the opportunity to come into the House of the Lord, the Christian heart rejoices. “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the House of the Lord!”[3] It is the complacent hearts of Joseph and Mary who would now say, “But how much do we have to go? Does Thursday count for Sunday?” To ask such a question is to ignore the Gospel. It is not an exercise of Christian freedom to seek the least number of services to attend in order to maintain membership. That is a sin. It is a sin against the Third Commandment and a sin against God’s Word.

Rather, find the joy in receiving God’s Word. Enjoying coming to Church doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy other activities. It means you can enjoy those other activities because God has given them to you. The joy of the Divine Service and the Daily Offices comes not from getting what you want but from receiving what you need.

This is the final lesson to learn from the Boy Jesus. From beginning to end, Jesus displays humble submission in this text. While He is in the Temple, Jesus sits quietly and obediently learns from the teachers. He does not question their authority, even though He has been since before the world began. He does not demand the teachers act according to His expectations or even that they teach the topics He is most interested in. No. The Word through whom creation was made humbly obeys the authority of His teachers and diligently learns from them.

Then, when the Holy Family returns to Nazareth, Jesus is said to be subject to them. In spite of the sins of Joseph and Mary, Jesus is subject to them because they are His parents. God has set the world in order, and it is not always related to ability. God created Adam first and then Eve. Man is the head of woman not by ability but by Divine Order.

  What do I mean not by ability but by Divine Order? It is conceivable that a woman could craft better sermons and teach more effectively in the church than a man. Yet God has strictly forbidden this. Why? Because it is not given to woman to have authority over men. Man is to be the head of woman even as Christ is the head of the Church. If Jesus Christ can submit Himself to His parents, then all women are capable of submitting themselves to the authority of men.

And make no mistake—submission does not mean weakness nor slavery. Submission means recognizing the authority of another and placing yourself under that authority. The one who is in authority must also recognize his duty to lovingly serve and care for those under his authority. No Christian is to lord his authority over another, be it male or female. At the same time, having authority sometimes means rebuke, warning, and exhortation. Sometimes authority means simply to teach. In all cases, him with authority is called to lead by divine right, not by human order.

If Jesus Christ, True Son of God and True Son of Mary, can submit to teachers in the Temple and sinful human parents, then all Christians can follow His example by submitting our wills to His. By such submission, we too will follow our Lord in growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and man.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 2:49.

[2] St. Luke 2:48.

[3] Psalm 122:1.

The Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 20, 2022

Psalm 39; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

St. Matthew 25:1-13

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

Wisdom requires effort. The wisdom of the five virgins consists of both knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into action. We’ve all heard the platitude, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” The Book of Proverbs begins with a similar exhortation, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction;”[1] that is, the receiving of knowledge and wisdom includes effort, the willingness to bring wisdom into your heart, knowledge into your soul, and produce change. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[2]

This is the wisdom of the virgins. They do not have secret knowledge that is unavailable to the foolish virgins. The foolish virgins have simply despised wisdom and instruction. The foolish virgins believe there is nothing they must ever do to enter the wedding feast. They know who the Bridegroom is and that is enough. The rest of their lives is spent in sloth—being lazy because nothing is expected of them.

The wise virgins have received the knowledge and wisdom of the Bridegroom and put it into practice. They have allowed this knowledge and wisdom to transform their hearts such that they are now new creations. They believe that when the Bridegroom says is true and they act accordingly.

Before you begin to think that you, or the wise virgins, are brought into the wedding hall by the Bridegroom because of your actions, merits, thoughts, or worthiness, stop. That is the thinking of the foolish virgins. They want to know the lowest common denominator. They want to know the easiest way to salvation. If that means a certain type of works, fine. If that means knowing a certain formula, fine. The foolish virgins want to know the lifehack that will guarantee success; the shortest route between where they are and where they want to be.

Such foolishness can even parade as gaining knowledge. This is the pursuit of facts without any idea of how such knowledge affects the world, your neighbor, or your heart. In our world, this is the proliferation of trivia. Social media, especially forms with video, are constantly moving toward shorter and shorter clips. Things like Youtube and Tiktok want you to believe that it is important for you to know a little about a lot of things; and when they say “things,” they mean everything from current geopolitics to the origin of a viral dance. The question we ought to be asking of such platforms is, “Does this knowledge help me or my neighbor? Does it affect the world that actually exists or only the world created by this knowledge itself?”

The wisdom of the wise virgins is quite simple. The Bridegroom has said that He is coming. From these words, the wise virgins believe the Bridegroom is coming, though they don’t know when. They then draw the conclusion that if these words are true, then it would be important to bring extra oil. If the Bridegroom is delayed, we might run out of oil. Therefore, we should bring extra. When the foolish virgins ask for their oil, the wise virgins again exercise their wisdom. “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you.”[3] They are not being rude, mean, or withholding. They are exercising wisdom. If there is only so much additional oil, and the Bridegroom is near but still delayed, we could all run out of oil. Therefore, we need the extra oil for ourselves.

The thought, and action, of bringing additional oil is not what saves the wise virgins. The Word of the Bridegroom saves them. The extra oil is only a consequence, a working out of that promise. Thus, the wisdom of the virgins originates in the Word of the Bridegroom that then transforms their minds such that their actions would prove the truth of that Word.

What then of you? What consequence does this parable have for you? In one sense, it is a call to wisdom. All ten virgins are Christians in the earthly sense. They are all members of the Church on earth. They are all probably baptized. Yet some are called foolish and some wise. All have received the same promise of Christ: He is returning to gather His people into the eternal wedding feast. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. These virgins stand, somewhat mysteriously, as both the attendants to the Bride and the Bride herself, since the Church, the Bride, is the saints God gathered to hear His Word and receive His sacraments.

The foolish believe that since they have received Baptism, since they have been present when the Word of God was read aloud, they are then entitled to receive a seat at the banquet hall. Nothing more is required. They have despised wisdom and instruction.

A name recorded on the membership list of a congregation is not a “get out of hell free” card; nor are a clerical collar, vestments, a position on a church board, or a family name on the founding documents. Holy Baptism is not a “get out of hell free” card. Holy Baptism bestows the very faith which also receives this most holy sacrament. It is a beautiful gift of God, a true miracle every time it occurs. Yet wisdom is required even of the Baptized. “Those who believe and are Baptized shall be saved. Those who do not believe shall be condemned.”[4]

The faith given in Holy Baptism must be nurtured and fed by the Word of God. This Word must be received throughout the life of the Christian, not just heard. When it is received, it will enter the heart of the Christian and transform his mind. It will renew his soul such that he desires to act in accord with the Word of God. His actions will then prove the truth and beauty of the death of Jesus, which has saved the Christian from his sins and bought him a seat at the eternal wedding feast.

This transformation involves wisdom. Wisdom requires effort. God clearly states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”[5] God does not state when it is appropriate for a child to have her first cell phone. God does not state whether children should ever have a cell phone. The wise Christian must put in the effort to receive God’s Word, let it transform her mind, and then draw the appropriate consequences therefrom. The Bridegroom did not tell the virgins how long to wait. He did not tell them how long oil lasts in a lamp. He told them He was coming. Wisdom said they should bring some extra oil.

Another consequence of this parable for you is to console your heart. All ten virgins fell asleep. All ten lamps went out. Why do the virgins have lamps in the first place? They are waiting at night. There are no streetlamps. It is dark. It is so dark, should the Bridegroom arrive, He would not see their faces. If He does not see their faces, He cannot know who they are and will not bring them into the wedding hall.

And yet all ten virgins become drowsy, fall asleep, and let their lights go out. Clearly, all ten virgins fall into sin. All Christians sin. All Christians sin daily and much. Your lamp goes out every time you sin. Temptation besets all Christians and when you give in to those temptations, you are ignoring the Light of Christ, that which God Himself has placed within you. You are turning your back on your Redeemer, choosing that which is easy and provides immediate pleasure. But the pleasure of sin is fleeting. It causes you pain in the long run. Sin leads to more sin. More sin leads to greater sin and soon, you are not even able to kindle the small light of a lamp anymore.

 Consolation comes first from the idea that there is no temptation, no sin, that you experience that is not common to man. You are not the first man to cheat on his wife. You are not the first woman to reject the authority of your husband. You are not the first child to talk back to your parents or outright disobey them. This consolation only goes so far. It provides you with comradery, but it does not remove the sin plaguing your soul.

This comes when the coming of the Bridegroom is proclaimed. The virgins are forewarned of His imminent arrival. The cry goes out, “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”[6] The virgins are roused from their sleep in time to light their lamps. The Bridegroom could have arrived in silence. He could have snuck past the sleeping virgins and left all ten in the outer darkness. He did not. This cry is the proclamation of God’s Word. It is the public reading of God’s Word in the services of the Church. It is contained in the printing dies which have made the bible available to you in every imaginable medium. The cry is sounded by those sent by the Bridegroom to raise awareness.

Me, speaking to you right now, is the cry heard in the middle of the night. Jesus Christ has promised to return, and He has promised to return at a time unknown by man. He will return suddenly but not without warning. You are hearing the warning right now. Such a warning is not strictly to inform you of danger, but to call you to vigilance. The Word you have heard proclaimed, the promise of the return of the Savior in judgement is true. The Body and Blood of Christ, given and shed for your forgiveness is a sign of His coming. The very clouds of the sky are a sign of His coming for He will return on a cloud, just as He ascended into heaven.

This is a cry of consolation because our Lord does not want you to be unawares. It is the opportunity to repent. It is the opportunity to light your lamp that the Lord of all will see your face as He enters the wedding hall. This is a cry of consolation because Jesus Christ loves His Church such that He would never sneak past her while she sleeps. He would never leave her in the outer darkness. It is only the foolish, those who refuse to receive the Word of God who will be left in the darkness.

Thus, the cry is the absolution of your sins, for having fallen asleep at the watch. It is the absolution for having put your word above His. It is also the call to wisdom. The call to take the Word which has been given to you and let it transform your mind. As your mind is transformed, then take the Word of God and put it into your members, that you would not be caught unawares, or worse, running around town looking for oil when the Bridegroom returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Proverbs 1:7.

[2] Romans 12:2.

[3] St. Matthew 25:9.

[4] St. Mark 16:16.

[5] Proverbs 22:6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:6.

The Commemoration of All Saints

The Commemoration of All Saints (Obs.) – November 6, 2022

Psalm 31; Revelation 7:2-17; 1 John 3:1-3

St. Matthew 5:1-12

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

The “Church Triumphant” is a term referring to the saints in glory. These Christians have come out of the great tribulation, rest from their labors, are before the throne of God day and night, neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun does not strike them, nor any heat, and God has wiped away every tear from their eyes. The Church Triumphant are presently gathered with angels and archangels in the eternal worship of the Lamb seated on the throne. The Church Triumphant have shed their sin-stained rages and put on the white robes won for them by the death of Jesus.

The “Church Militant” are the Christians on this side of glory. We are the Church Militant, who are amid the great tribulation, who struggle against our own sin, who struggle against the sinful world seeking to claim ou r souls for hell, who must cling to the Word of God as a sure and certain promise of eternity, who receive the Body and Blood of Jesus with the eyes of faith but whose physical eyes see only through a mirror dimly. Our white robes were won on the cross and given to us in Holy Baptism, but we must await to don them until our own transition into the Church Triumphant.

These terms, Church Militant and Church Triumphant, are very helpful. Militant reminds us that on this side of glory we are never without a struggle. The Church is continually in battle. Individuals must daily fight against sin – your own and the sins of others against you. As the Body of Christ, the Church Militant must daily fight against false doctrine, against the sinful world, and against the temptations seeking to snatch the sheep from the flock.

Triumphant reminds us that the war is already won. Even when there are days where sin wins the battle, the war is already ours. Christ has held the battlefield and won the victory on our behalf. When Christ returns, there will only be the Church Triumphant. Suffering, temptation, and struggle will cease. War will cease. Spiritual war will cease. The Final Judgment is final and will pronounce the Church Triumphant.

Do not be confused, however. There are not two different Churches. Militant and Triumphant are two different battalions in the same Church. The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are still one Body and Christ is our head. The Church Triumphant, those Christians whose bodies have been committed to the earth and whose souls enjoy the nearer presence of Christ, are not asleep nor transfixed in a zombie-like state of staring at Jesus. They are alive and active. They are singing the praises of Jesus, praying to him, and praying for you. According to the Revelation to St. John, they are at least aware of the passing of time on earth if not aware to some extent of the events on earth.^[1]

According to St. Paul, these same saints are gathered with us. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”^[2] St. Paul does not limit this surrounding of the great cloud of witnesses only to the worship service. He seems to indicate that the saints in glory are present with the saints on earth, even if the awareness of one another is only passing.

That said, the Church Militant and Church Triumphant are closest as we worship the Lamb on the Throne together. The veil between the sides of glory is thinnest during the divine service, which is how we can say, “with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven.” What’s more, the Church Triumphant is not joining us in an earthly song. God would never be so cruel as to ask the saints in glory to condescend to a worship created in the imagination of man.

Rather, the Church Militant is exalted to join the Church Triumphant in her song. We sing the song of heaven, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabbaoth!” This is the song of the Holy Angels and the saints in glory. We are given to sing the eternal words of the heavenly worship each Sunday as we prepare to feast on the Body and Blood of the Eternal Word. Blessed are we who have inherited the Kingdom of God, we sons and daughters of the King.

The distinction of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, which are united in the Eternal Body of Christ, should help us to understand the Beatitudes. They are not a checklist for getting into heaven. They are not a menu of the rewards for specific deeds. The Beatitudes are a description of Christ and the virtues to which all Christians are called.

Each of the Beatitudes is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Christ is purely poor in spirit, descending into our mortal flesh. Christ truly mourns the sin of the world and condemnation of the wicked yet is comforted by the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Angels. Christ humbled himself to born of a virgin. Christ hungers and thirsts for your righteousness. Christ is merciful to forgive your sins by dying your death. Christ is pure in heart and has seen the Father face to face from all eternity. Christ makes eternal peace between God and man. Christ was persecuted for the sake of your righteousness and was reviled beyond any contempt shown for man. Christ ultimately fulfills each of the Beatitudes.

Jesus also spoke these words to his disciples. He spoke them to the Church Militant. He is speaking them to you today. But again, the Beatitudes are not a checklist of requirements and rewards. Our Lord is telling us who it is He considers to be blessed and what the result of such blessing is.

It is undeniable that the pace of our world has increased tremendously. Information travels instantly across the globe. Not too long ago, even this instantaneous information was slowed by the fact that you must sit at a computer or television, attached to a wall, in order to receive it. Now it is as close as your pocket. Physically, cars have gotten faster. Speed limits have risen. What used to be a day trip is now only an hour or two away.

This rapid pace has dramatically affected our language. There isn’t time to carefully consider your words because any hesitation will put you behind the current thought. Emails and text messages expect a rapid response, and it is viewed as an insult to tarry. Books are shorter. Sentences are shorter. If you only have a few seconds to respond, your vocabulary must shrink. A smaller vocabulary means you have less options of words to use to express your thoughts. Less options mean less decisions. Less decisions mean faster responses.

The problem is that as our collective vocabulary dwindles, the ability to convey meaning also dwindles. We’ve assumed that synonyms all mean exactly the same thing so there is no use in a variety of language. Small does not mean the same thing as minute, even though they might be synonyms. Each has a certain color, a slight deviation in meaning that gives the word a unique meaning and helps you to communicate with your fellow man.

What does this change in our language have to do with the Beatitudes, aside from acknowledging our difficulty with some of the vocabulary? When was the last time you heard or read the word “blessed” outside of the holy Scriptures? What did it mean? I’m willing to bet it didn’t mean anything specific. “He led such a blessed life.” Usually this means that guy got lucky.

Who does Jesus say are blessed? The poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.[3] These are the virtues extolled by Christ. These are the virtues which Christ sees in His beloved Christians. These are also the virtues to which we ought to aspire.

You hear, “poor in spirit” and likely think of someone whose faith is a faintly burning wick. You probably think of this person as struggling with his faith. Jesus says he is blessed. Why is he blessed? He is blessed because he has faith. He is struggling against his sin and struggling to understand how a just and merciful God could love a poor miserable sinner like him. He is struggling against his flesh, trying to put of the old man but always doing that which he knows he shouldn’t and failing to do that which he should. He is poor in spirit, but he is blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to him.

The Beatitudes and the entire Sermon on the Mount can be classified as “wisdom literature.” This means it is intended to be read and reread. It is intended to be pondered over. Ruminating on the Beatitudes requires time. It requires a slow, lifelong effort. As a cow chews its cud, one must continually chew on the wisdom of God, thereby slowly gaining the spiritual nutrition offered therein.

Only by such rumination can you come to understand the Word of God, let alone such wisdom as is contained in the Beatitudes. It would be easy if there was a verse in the Bible that said, “Jimmy, you are meek because it is within your nature to put the needs of others before yourself, like when you chose to continue working 60 hours a week in the factory rather than take the high paying sales job which would require you to travel 5 days a week for the sake of your children.”

This would not require wisdom of Jimmy. It would not require wisdom of you. Wisdom requires you to read the word of God, consider its meaning, place it in the context of the whole counsel of God, and slowly see the word of God blossom into the reality of your mind, body, and soul. This is wisdom and this is wrought within you by the Holy Spirit.

Stop looking for the quick answer. Do not wait for a pastor or radio preacher to tell you exactly what to do in every situation. You may think that trusting the word of your pastor is the Christian thing to do but it is trusting in man. Assuming that any man—clergy, academic, or otherwise—to be correct in every situation is trusting the traditions of man as the word of God.

Instead, go to the source, ad fontes. Search the word of God and ruminate on it. Soak it in. Take responsibility for your own salvation by going to the word of God and to the place where Christ has promised to be with His people—the Church. Receive these words not so that you can make your own decisions about what it means, but so that you can receive the meaning of these words.

As part of this rumination, the Church looks to her saints, the Church Triumphant. We look not to these saints to help us, to intercede for us, or to make the definitive interpretation of the Scriptures. Rather, we look to see how the Word of God worked in their lives, in their thoughts, and in their hearts. We give thanks that God has worked faith in Jerome, Luther, and Walther. We are comforted that if such great sinners as Peter, Paul, Mary, and Augustine can be forgiven then we too shall be forgiven. Then we see the great works of faith demonstrated by Martin of Tours, John the Steadfast, Al Viets, and so many others, and we imitate these works.

We recognize in these works the blessings Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes. We take these examples into consideration when we ruminate on the word of God as examples for how God’s wisdom may be faithfully shown forth in daily living. Thus the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are again united in the working out of the faith as well as in the forgiveness of faith.

The comfort of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant is our unity in the Body of Christ. If we abide in his word, he abides in us. If we abide in Christ, we abide together with Ron, Betty, Norm, Judith, Susan, and Al. This unity with the saints in glory cannot be taken away. Our experience of this unity can only grow as we too make our way into glory.

The Beatitudes progress from declaring those enduring temporal suffering to those demonstrating spiritual virtues, only to conclude in suffering persecution, reviling, and wicked deeds. The response to this is to “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”[4] Your reward in heaven is complete unity with all the saints and eternal worship of Christ. You will be like the glorified Christ and shall see Him as He is, face to face. You shall see him and know him. Blessed are the saints in glory, for their journey is complete. Blessed are you, for you are never alone. Blessed are we, for together we sing the praise of Christ, who has washed our robes and made them white in his blood.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Revelation 6:9-10, “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”

[2] Hebrews 12:1-2.

[3] St. Matthew 5:3-10.

[4] St. Matthew 5:12.