ACELC Conference: A Noble Task: Pastoral Formation in the LCMS - Matins Sermon

 ACELC Conference: A Noble Task: Pastoral Formation in the LCMS

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Carlisle, IA

Matins – July 16, 2025

Philippians 2:25-30

This sermon may also be viewed on the Flaneur Record YouTube channel by following this link.

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

The ministry of Epaphroditus appears to be a failure. He was sent by the Philippians to deliver their monetary support to St. Paul and then to stay and minister to the Apostle, assisting him personally and in carrying out the work of Christ among the Romans. Almost immediately after arriving in Rome, Epaphroditus fell ill; so ill that he nearly died. But by God’s gracious mercy, Epaphroditus recovered. When he was strong enough to travel, though much earlier than originally intended, St. Paul sent Epaphroditus back to Philippi, bearing the letter we’ve read from this morning.

Now St. Paul highly praises Epaphroditus. He calls him his brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and the apostle of the Philippians who ministered to his own needs.[1] These epithets are sincere and extremely high praise for a man whose illness probably made him more of a burden to St. Paul than a helper. How could St. Paul praise him when the weakness of his flesh caused him to fail in his ministry to Paul?

We are told that Epaphroditus had no concern for his own life when it came to the work of Christ.[2] In the midst of his grave illness, he could confess with St. Paul, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”[3] And much like St. Paul, his primary concern was for the Philippians. They had heard that he was sick, likely from those who had helped him on his journey to Rome, and they were worried about him. The Philippians were worried about their beloved Epaphroditus and perhaps they were worried what would happen to their congregation should their apostle and minister die in a foreign land.

We can also derive from the text that Epaphroditus was concerned about St. Paul during his illness. He probably thought of himself as a burden to St. Paul during his trial. Yet from St. Paul’s praises of the man, we can see that even while sick, Epaphroditus did what he could to encourage, serve, and minister to Paul.

Rejoicing in Epaphroditus’s recovery, St. Paul says that he is sending him home sooner than he would have liked and that although the ministry of Epaphroditus was a failure by human standards, the Philippians should receive him in the Lord with all gladness and hold him in high esteem because of his faithfulness.[4]

What does all this mean for us today, especially as we are considering pastoral formation in our beloved Synod? First it means that, like St. Paul, we need men more than money, and we need men like Epaphroditus, who place the work of Christ above their own wants, needs, desires, and even lives. I’m sure he was sorrowful to leave his home in Philippi, but his duty was to be the hand of the Philippians in a foreign land, ministering to St. Paul in Rome. There are always dangers associated with such a journey and yet Epaphroditus was willing to face death with no concern for his life, only the work of Christ.

Second, we need to train men to follow Epaphroditus. Not everyone desiring the position of overseer is aware of the sacrifices such a noble task requires. I dare say no one is fully aware. We need to be willing not only to make men aware of the dangers and sacrifices, but to equip them, form them, with the knowledge, doctrine, diligence, and devotion to Christ that are necessary for such a noble task. There is no room to pepper the training of pastors with the leaven of false doctrine or questionable resources. There is no room to keep one foot in and one foot out.

Finally, we have to be willing to recognize that not every man is capable of this sacrifice. The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few but that does not mean that any man with a heartbeat and the name of Jesus on his lips is fit for the ministry. And this is in fact a good thing. The example of Epaphroditus is not just for clergy. Every Christian must confess with St. Paul, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Every Christian must be willing to sincerely sing, “Take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be done, our victory has been won.” We need men in our congregations who are willing to serve at home and support the ministry, receiving pastors in the Lord and holding them in high esteem. We need fathers raising their children to be Christians and teaching their wives in the home, for you are the overseers of your household.

By God’s great mercy, may none of us be faced with a situation like that of Epaphroditus. At the same time, by God’s grace may you all be prepared to follow his faith and example.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Philippians 2:25.

[2] Philippians 2:30.

[3] Philippians 1:21.

[4] Philippians 2:29.

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity

 The Fourth Sunday after Trinity – July 13, 2025

Psalm 27; Genesis 50:15-21; Romans 8:18-23

St. Luke 6:36-42

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

“Judge not lest ye be judged,”[1] is among the most abused verses of Scripture, if not the most abused. It is taken to mean there is no place for harsh or negative words on the lips of Christians, as though we are commanded to live and let live. ‘Preach only the Gospel.’ ‘Be nice and the hearts of many will be turned.’

But no one who has read the Scriptures can come to this conclusion. The Bible is full of commandments to judge and condemn false doctrine – including sin. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”[2] Every pastor is commanded not only to forgive sins but to rebuke and warn against them; as well as train up Christians for every good work.[3] This requires making judgements and condemning false doctrine and sin.

This task of judging and condemning is not just given to pastors in their preaching. The Prophet Isaiah says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”[4] Psalm 119 goes so far as to command us to “hate every false way.”[5] And Christ commands the sheep to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”[6] It would be impossible to discern between a false prophet and a true prophet if you could not judge. And how do you judge this doctrine? By comparing it to the Word of God, the only inerrant and infallible rule and norm by which doctrine can be judged.

Then what is our Lord forbidding in these words, “Judge not, condemn not”? He is forbidding judging hearts, not according to God’s Word but according to our own thoughts, preferences, or opinions. It is judging without love and mercy but according to the passions of our own flesh. The synopsis, or summary, of the Gospel text this morning is “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”[7] But why should you be merciful as God is merciful? What should move, or motivate, you to be merciful as God is merciful?

First, you ought to be moved by the mercy God has shown toward you. Earlier in the sermon on the plain, Christ told us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.[8] Here, that command is taken a step further. Do unto others as you would have God do to you. Don’t get me wrong, it is not our mercy that causes God to have mercy on us. It is not our actions that cause God to grant us grace and forgiveness. However, what we do in and with that grace and mercy can certainly cause our Heavenly Father to withdraw the same.

Think of the parable of the unforgiving servant. A servant owes his master 60 million days’ wages, somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 billion, or over 230,000 years of work. The master has compassion on his servant and forgives his debt. But then the servant finds a fellow servant who owes him $16,000, about 5 months of work. Since he can’t pay the debt, the servant has him beaten and thrown in jail. When the master hears what he has done, he throws the unforgiving servant to the torturers and jailers until the debt is paid.

The servant did nothing to earn the compassion of his master but when he failed to show similar compassion to his fellow servant, the master returned his lack of forgiveness upon him with the same measure: pressed down, shaken together, and running over. That servant was forgiven 230,000 years of debt and yet you have been forgiven more. Your Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son to die for your debt of sin and to rise again that you would no longer be a slave but a son, and that you would enjoy this inheritance for all eternity. You have been set free from the punishment of the Law and the sting of death. Such is the sweet mercy of God that has been shown to you. Such is the same mercy you’ve been called to show to your neighbor.

When we say that good works are motivated by the Gospel, this is what we mean. Though we are but frail mortals, incapable of the perfect mercy of God, we who have been set free by such a glorious love are to reflect that love in our mercy toward others. What would it say to God if you refused to show forth the mercy that you’ve been shown? It would tell Him that what He has done means very little to you. It would be an abuse of everything that He has done for and given to you. He gives you life and you would use it in service to death.

Rather, see your forgiveness for what it is. It is a new life, a new beginning, a new existence as a son of God. A son wants nothing more than a father he can be proud of and to be like his father. We have a Father who defines what it means to be a father. As His dear children, our hearts ought to desire nothing less than to be like Him, to walk in His ways and enjoy His favor for all eternity.

I’ve already hinted at the second motivation to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful. It is because of the consequences of not being merciful. When we heard of Lazarus and the rich man, I spoke of how seriously God takes sin. He hates sin. He cannot tolerate sin to stand in His presence. He also provides the antidote to the poison of sin. His great love sends the shed blood of Jesus to be for you the medicine of immortality. As seriously as He takes sin, He equally takes your forgiveness seriously.

So then, how would you like God to consider you? Do you wish that He would overlook your besetting sins, those against which you struggle but still find yourself falling into? Of course! Then you should also be willing to overlook such sins in your neighbor. Do you wish to escape the loveless judgment of hell? Then do not judge your neighbor without love. On the last day, do you want God to commend your righteous and merciful deed to your neighbor, making no mention of your sins, as He does with the sheep at His right hand?[9] Then, whenever you can, speak well of your neighbor to the best of your knowledge. Before others and in your own heart, put the best construction on everything that he does.

Do not wish that God would remember your sins no more, keep no record of your sins nor add them up, turn His anger away from you, smile upon you, and hurl all your guilt into the depths of the sea, then turn around and keep tally of your neighbor’s sins against you so that you can use them against him at the opportune time. With the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

The final motivation to be merciful as our Father is merciful as presented in our text is the burden of our own sin. You know the depth of your own sin. You know which temptations to which you are likely to succumb. In this knowledge, the temptation to lovelessly judge your neighbor is twofold. There is the temptation to judge those with similar sins. The man prone to anger is especially angered by another man prone to anger. One who steals is often the first to judge another thief. The opposite temptation is also true. It is very easy to judge someone who is tempted to sins that you are not tempted toward. Such self-righteous indignation boils over from a lack of sympathy.

Yet to be ever mindful of the burden of your own sin ought to move you to show compassion and mercy toward your neighbor. It is humbling to ponder your own sinfulness. This humility can then drive your attitude toward others. It is a somewhat slight example but think of the person who cuts you off in traffic or quickly pulls out in front of you. How easy it is to condemn them for driving recklessly. And it is true, what they’ve done is dangerous. What you don’t know is their child was just flown into the city for emergency surgery; or he has just learned of the infidelity of his wife; or he is a first responder who just received an emergency call that pulled him out of bed during his time off. And besides, who among us hasn’t missed a stop sign, unknowingly cut someone off, or even purposely broken traffic laws?

The point is that you know what it is to be a sinner, and you know what a sinner needs. A sinner needs to be forgiven. A sinner needs mercy. It is not your duty to determine the eternal fate of every person you encounter, but to love God and serve your neighbor. There is a time and place to judge and condemn false doctrine and sin, but there is also a time to remove the plank from your own eye first. Attending to your own sin prepares you with a humble heart to seek the reproof, correction, and instruction of your neighbor.

Your Heavenly Father has had mercy on you. By right, there is only One who may even call Him His Father, for Christ is the only True Son of the Father. Yet in His infinite grace and mercy, He has given to you everything that is His own, including your adoption as a child of God. In faith toward Him and in fervent love toward your neighbor, be merciful, even as your Heavenly Father is merciful.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 6:37.

[2] St. Mark 16:15-16.

[3] 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

[4] Isaiah 5:20.

[5] Psalm 119:104, 128.

[6] St. Matthew 7:15.

[7] St. Luke 6:36.

[8] St. Luke 6:31.

[9] St. Matthew 25:34-40.

The Third Sunday after Trinity

 Trinity 3 – July 6, 2025

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

St. Luke 15:1-32

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

The parables of lost things are explicitly told to certain Pharisees who were offended that Christ would receive sinners and tax collectors and eat with them. The tax collectors were especially offensive to the Jews because they were men of Jewish descent who now made their living exacting taxes from the Jews on behalf of the foreign government of the Romans. On top of that, they would collect more than required by the Romans as a wage for themselves.

The sinners and tax collectors were hated by the Pharisees because the Pharisees knew these people. They were once their students. These sinners and tax collectors were raised in the teachings of the Pharisees. Then, at some point, they had turned their backs on their people, on the teachings of the Pharisees, and turned toward a life of sin: usury, harlotry, and prodigal living. It was insult to injury when the Pharisees saw those who had turned their backs on the faith now being received by the Man who called Himself the Christ.

This is the setup for especially the parable of the prodigal son. Christ has created a parable concerning the very tax collectors and sinners that He is dining with. A rich landowner has two sons. They are true sons, entitled to an inheritance from their father. Yet the younger despises his father and insists on receiving his inheritance early. The father obliges and the young man immediately departs from the house of his father to live among foreign nations. He promptly wastes his inheritance on prodigal living – extravagant feasts, fine clothing, and harlots.

Once the inheritance is gone, he finds himself destitute, feeding and sleeping with pigs. Having reached rock bottom, the son finds himself. He is reminded of the father of his youth and determines to return to his father to humbly beg to be received as a servant, a slave. He has no presumption that he will be received as a son. He expects to be treated as a slave since he is the one who abandoned his father.

What a great surprise it is when before he can reach the house, his father comes running to greet him. The father throws his arms around the man and showers him with gifts. He calls for a feast of the finest foods the rich father has to offer. The son is received back into the household with joy and gladness.

Many of us gathered here today have spent time outside of the church. We were born to Christian parents, baptized, catechized, and probably even confirmed. Then, when given an ounce of freedom, we walked away from our inheritance. For some length of time, we departed from the faith and sought fulfillment in the things of this world. We wasted the inheritance of our fathers on prodigal living.

There are also many present today who stand not in the place of the prodigal son, but of the father. Your children have walked away from the house of our Heavenly Father, wasting the inheritance of faith on worldly ideas of autonomy, liberality, and moral relativism.

There is a lot of guilt associated with both of these realities. We feel guilty for our own misspent years outside the church or we feel guilty that we somehow failed as parents to keep our children in the faith. The parable is silent about the relationship between the father and his sons prior to the younger son demanding the inheritance. Maybe the father wasn’t a great father. Maybe he didn’t teach his sons about the 4^th commandment or maybe he wasn’t diligent about praying with his sons that the faith born in them by God would grow as they aged. But we don’t know and the fact that the parable is silent about this is instructive.

Very little is to be gained from trying to figure out why someone has abandoned the faith. Whether it was you or your children, certainly repentance is in order, but no amount of guilt will change the past. The prodigal son abandoned the house of his fathers and this is a fact of history. What really matters is what happens next.

All too often, someone who has abandoned the church will return on a whim and expect to be received as though no time has passed. It is assumed that baptism, or even more commonly a church rite such as confirmation, guarantees an absolute, lifelong right to membership in the church, no matter what happens in between. Such an attitude must be recognized for what it is – sinful pride. It is taking the precious gifts of God and treating them as cheap toys to be used or discarded according to our whims.

Consider, instead, the prodigal son. When he reaches the lowest point in his life, he finally finds himself. He takes an honest assessment of his position and realizes what he has wasted. This realization is an activity of the Holy Spirit. The Law of God has acted on his heart to convict him of his sins – sins against God concerning morality, duty, and faith. He becomes acutely aware of his need for salvation and it is the Holy Spirit who directs him to the one place where he will find salvation – the household of faith, the household of his fathers.

But even then, he does not approach his father to demand his inclusion in the household as a son. He does not assert his rights as a son born of the father. He determines within himself to return home as a beggar, desiring to be treated as a servant. We aren’t even given an indication that he thinks he can work his way back into his position as a son. He sees the gravity of what he has done to his father and wants only the least of things his father has to offer. He is willing to spend the rest of his life as a slave for the sake of his salvation.

This is the humility all Christians must possess concerning our salvation. Truly, we are all beggars. We deserve nothing of what Christ has won for us. We have no “rights” to be asserted when it comes to God. The very fact we draw breath is an undeserved gift of God, for which it is our duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. It is His work alone that brings us together today and we should never forget this fact. We are poor, miserable sinners, who have been called into the glorious light of Christ by His grace and mercy alone.

This is also the humility in which the errant children of the church are to return to the house of faith. Sometimes, this humility must be taught. Sometimes, the child returns in pride and must be made to serve as a slave before he can be received as a son. We shouldn’t see this as mean or cruel, nor should such a child be treated poorly. But it is a fact because the prideful child has not realized the danger in which he has put himself. He does not see the depth of his sin nor his need for a Savior. The Law must first do its work to crush the sinful heart before Christ enters in to heal the wounded heart.

Speaking of receiving a child back into the faith, we must now turn our attention to the father. He has clearly been anxiously awaiting the return of his son. He sees him from far away and runs to greet him. That means that the father has been diligently praying for his son, hoping for the day when the Lord would accomplish his work of returning the lost sheep to the fold.

What does that mean for parents of errant children? First it means that prayer is your mightiest weapon in the battle for the souls of your children. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the hearts of man and the Lord has promised to hear your prayers.

Second, it means to never stop talking to your children about Christ – not just the good stuff, not just that Jesus loves them, but also warning them about the dangers of such worldly, prodigal living. When they come to visit, insist on doing devotions. Keep your routine regular when they are in your household. It is up to them to sit in another room while you read the scriptures and pray. Insist on going to church. Even when you go to visit them, find the local LCMS church and insist on going. Don’t just passively tell them you are going to church on Sunday. Make them actively refuse your offer.

Finally, remember that it is the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the hearts of men. Apostacy is a truth in the church and you cannot be responsible for the soul of another. As I said, there are often feelings of guilt associated with errant children, but you must remember that this is something out of your hands. If you did err in the raising of your children, there is forgiveness. When I said that repentance is in order for both those of us who have spent time outside of the church and those with prodigal children, I meant the word “repentance” in its proper sense – sorrow over sin and faith that Christ has died and risen to forgive that sin.

Take heart, you who have remained in the household of your Father. All that the Father has is yours and has been given to you to be used. The gifts of Christ – His Word, Sacraments, prayer, repentance, forgiveness – these are your inheritance to be used according to His Word and command. So long as you are in the household of faith, make use of the treasures you’ve been given. And encourage others to return to the fold, for there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – July 2, 2025

1 Samuel 2; Song of Solomon 2:8b-14

St. Luke 1:39-56

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

When the Blesséd Virgin Mary enters the home of Zacharias, she is greeted by her relative, Elizabeth, with a blessing, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”[1] Some have understood this blessing as strictly referring to the child in Mary’s womb. Mary is blessed because her Son is blessed. And there is certainly truth in that understanding, truth that I will address in a minute. But where I think such an understanding is lacking is that it does not give attention to the dual nature of Elizabeth’s blessing. She is praising God and imparting a blessing on both the mother and the child, something that is worth a bit of our attention.

In what ways is Blesséd Mary blessed? First, she is blessed in the way all mothers are blessed. Children are a heritage from the Lord and a blessing to mothers and fathers, alike. They are the continuation of your lineage and of all the blessings given to you in this life, they are the only one you can take with you into heaven. They are bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh, not joined into one flesh by God (as with holy marriage), but being generated by your own being. God is certainly the cause of children, but He does not take two formerly distinct persons and join them into one flesh but rather takes what has been joined in holy marriage and brings forth from this united flesh a new person.

Yet this is the least of the blessings to which Elizabeth is referring. She says, “Blessed are you among women,” meaning, “You have received a greater blessing than all other mothers.” Elizabeth recognizes that the child in Mary’s womb is the God-Man, God Incarnate. Of all the women in all creation, from Eve down to the last little girl to be born before the end of the age, Mary holds a unique position. She is the mother of God. It was given to her to bear the Christ. She is the ark of the Old Testament, bearing in her womb the very presence of God, wrapped in flesh. She will give her bone and her flesh to the Christ, who will take away her sin and the sins of the world. This is a higher blessing and honor than that given to every other mother in the world.

Such a statement shouldn’t bother you, though it might. The Marian errors of the Roman Catholic Church shouldn’t prevent you from the truth of the Scriptures, “Blessed is Mary among women.” Just as not all men are called to be kings yet David was king after God’s own heart; just as not all men are called to be translated body and soul into heaven prior to the resurrection yet Enoch walked with God; just as not all men are called to build a Temple for the earthly dwelling of God yet Solomon did just that; so too, not all women are called to bear the Christ yet the Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of God.

And that was not on account of her greatness. It was not on account of her particular holiness or sinlessness. It was not even on account of her heroic faith, as though it were a virtue she had worked hard to strengthen over the early years of her life. It is a mystery as to why this specific maiden was chosen to be the mother of God. What we do know is that it relates to the fact that she was of the lineage of David and that she was of no great status. She was a lowly handmaiden, signifying in her sinful flesh the exact “type” of people for whom the Christ came. You should never reduce our forefathers and foremothers in the faith to paper cut-outs of the “everyman,” because they are real people. This is important because if they are real people, then Christ came to save real people. And if Christ came to save, to visit, to dwell with real people, then He came to save, visit, and dwell with you.

 With that clearly understood, then we can also understand how Mary is blessed because the Child in her womb is blessed. He is the source of every grace and blessing. This blesséd child is the source of Mary’s own blessing. How is the fruit of Mary’s womb blessed? “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”[2] God is the most common recipient of blessing in all of the Scriptures. A very wooden translation of this word, “bless,” would be “good words are spoken of” the one being blessed, but that translation only goes so far. These “good words” are praises of eternal good, not merely temporal benefits. To be blessed speaks of being rightly ordered according to God’s holy will and to be one who dwells in the light of Truth. To bless God is to praise His very divinity and to be blessed by God is to be drawn into the same.

Now, blessing Mary and her Son was not the only thing Elizabeth said. She followed her blessing with these words, “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”[3] This question is as important as the blessing. It is a statement of Elizabeth’s humility and is in keeping with the song of Mary, the Magnificat. Both women are keenly aware that they are not worthy to be in the presence of the Almighty God, wrapped in the flesh of Mary’s womb. This humility is not self-abasement nor a virtue signal as though they are just saying the right words that were expected by God. Elizabeth and Mary know the sinfulness of their own hearts. They know that the Creator of Heaven and Earth deserves to sit not in the womb of a lowly virgin or visit a dusty hut in the hill country of Judah, but to sit enthroned in the great majesty of the Temple in Jerusalem, surrounded by kings and priests.

It takes a great act of humility to confess your sins and your sinfulness. It takes an honest reflection on your own soul to admit that you have not kept the Word of God purely; that you have treated your neighbor with disdain; that you have hated the very gifts which God has given you. Such humility is necessary in all who would be called by the name of Christ, that is, all Christians. It is necessary because Christ came to save sinners. He who is without sin is without the need for a Savior. There will never be a time on this side of glory when you have no need of humble repentance.

This is why the Son of God descended into the flesh of a lowly maiden. It is why this humble maiden visited her elderly relative in a backwoods, hill country village. The mighty are put down from their thrones but the lowly are exalted. The personal suffering of the Christian is given by God to tear down any thought that she can rely on herself in this temporal life, let alone in eternal life. The original sin in the garden was an act of self-sufficiency, explaining why self-reliance is such an enduring, perpetual temptation. Wallowing in self-pity and blaming God for your circumstances is another way of saying, “God, I’ve done my part, why aren’t you blessing me more?” Notice how that is the opposite of what Elizabeth says, “Why is this great blessing granted to me?”

What you can do, is attend to the vocations you’ve been given. Now that might require a change of thought or a change of habit, or a dedicated effort to do those things you’ve neglected. But at the end of the day, faithfully attending to your vocation may not change the circumstances of your suffering. If it did, there would certainly be a temptation to think that it was your work to improve yourself that relieved your suffering. That is not a condemnation of self-improvement, it is a warning against any thought that your work makes the world better. All glory is given to God. “Why has this been given to me? I am but a lowly mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, worker, employer, etc.”

What a great joy and blessing it is to be here with all of you tonight. You are in the house of the Lord, hearing His Word and receiving His visitation. Why is this granted to me, a sinner, that the Lord should come to me in this place, giving me His eternal inheritance when I am nothing but a lowly servant? The Lord has kept His promise to Abraham and to our fathers, helping His people, Israel (the Church), in remembrance of His mercy. Why has this been granted to me, that the Son of God would visit, dwell, and save a sinner such as me? What a glorious mystery to celebrate with all of you.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Luke 1:42.

[2] Psalm 103:1.

[3] St. Luke 1:43.

The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

 The Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul – June 29, 2025

Psalm 139; Acts 15:1-21; Galatians 2:1-10

St. Matthew 16:13-19

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

The Feast of Saints Peter & Paul is among the oldest, if not the oldest, commemoration of a saint or Apostle in the history of the Church. It is recorded as being observed in the early fourth century, which means it was probably being observed even earlier than that. Some traditions state both Apostles were martyred on this date, June 29^th, but it is more likely the date comes from the date on which their bones were moved to the catacombs in the year AD 258.

Why would it be important for those early Christians to remember St. Peter and St. Paul? Why did this feast endure through the middle ages, the Reformation, and on down to today? Is it because these Apostles were particularly gifted speakers or writers? Because they suffered greatly for the Lord and yet endured with bold faith? Because their doctrine and practice, their holy lives and steadfast prayers are worth imitating? No. St. Paul writes over and over that if suffering for Christ and his own talents for speaking and writing were compared to other men, no one would hold a candle to him.[1] Yet he counted all of that as loss before Christ. He would rather none of that were true than give up Christ. He could out-boast anyone in his learning, argumentation, and endurance for suffering, but he wouldn’t dare try. If he is going to boast, he would only boast in Christ Jesus and what Christ has done for him.

 So why have Christians of all ages commemorated Sts. Peter & Paul? Precisely for their proclamation of Christ. And it is this proclamation which led not only to their martyrdoms, but also to conflict between these two great Apostles.

The first internal struggle of the New Testament Church was whether or not Gentile Christians must submit to circumcision and by extension, the entire ceremonial law.[2] It is very important to understand that this conflict arose within the Church, that is, among those who had faith in Christ. In the book of Acts and the Epistles, there are those Jews who had rejected Christ and began persecuting the Church right away.[3] These were loyal to the Pharisees, rejected the Son of God, and are called the Synagogue of Satan by the Holy Spirit.[4]

There are also those of Jewish ancestry who had faith in Christ.[5] These are descended by blood from Abraham and their faith, like that of Abraham, is in the True God, who descended into our flesh, died to save us from our sins, and rose again that we would have eternal life.

It is from among these Jewish Christians that the circumcision party arose. This smaller group was convinced that the Gospel was intended for all people but that those born outside of the Jewish ancestry must first become Jews by means of circumcision and then submit to the rigors of the ceremonial law in order to be Christians. In short, they believed that obedience to the Law was a necessary requirement prior to receiving saving faith.

Now Peter, like all of the Apostles, began his ministry by preaching to those of Jewish heritage. These people had the Words of Moses and the Prophets, and it was a matter of telling them how the Word of God pointed directly at the One called Christ. Of course, this proclamation was at the direction of the Holy Spirit, and it was God Himself who worked faith in their hearts.

Now there was another group of people who were also ripe for the harvest of faith in those first years following Pentecost. These were the “God-fearers.”[6] Such God-fearers were Gentile by birth, not of Jewish ancestry, but were either friendly toward the God of Abraham or firm believers in the same. In Acts chapter 10, we hear of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, who was a devout man and feared God with all his household. An angel of the Lord came to Cornelius, telling him to send for St. Peter, who would come to preach to his household and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Before Cornelius’s delegation arrived, St. Peter received a vision from God of a great sheet filled with all kinds of animals, especially those deemed “unclean” according to the ceremonial law. God commanded Peter to “Rise, kill, and eat,” “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”[7] From this vision, St. Peter was to learn that the ceremonial law was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Its purpose was to point forward to the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. The Church of God had been released from the bonds of the ceremonial law, even as it had been released from the bonds of sin. St. Peter then followed the delegation to the house of Cornelius, taught them about Christ, and baptized his household, in the confidence that the ceremonial law was no longer necessary for those free in Christ.

But sometime later, St. Peter and St. Paul were both in Antioch, preaching and baptizing as the Church of God grew daily. Peter had been eating with the Gentile Christians there, undoubtably enjoying those foods formerly called unclean. But a group of Jewish Christians of the circumcision party, arrived in Antioch from Jerusalem. When St. Peter saw them, he immediately stopped eating with Gentiles and only dined with the Jewish Christians. He even began to preach that it was necessary to obey the ceremonial laws. His preaching was so convincing, even the Apostle Barnabas, St. Paul’s friend and traveling companion, was deceived by this false teaching.

What did St. Paul do in the face of this false teaching? Did he sit idly by and allow it to happen? Did he begin gathering support among the Gentile Christians, so that a large group of likeminded people could confront St. Peter? Did he begin a smear campaign, publishing notices around town about St. Peter, again, trying to rally support for his position? No. “When I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”[8]

St. Paul went directly to St. Peter, albeit publicly, to confront him with his sin. We also ought to notice that St. Paul’s rebuke of Peter is carefully recorded. He does not accuse him of malice or ignorance. St. Paul knows that Peter has sinned out of weakness, out of his fear of the circumcision party. St. Peter was more concerned about the Jews than about the Gentiles of Antioch. This confrontation was not comfortable for anyone. It probably caused hurt feelings and even further division between those of the circumcision party and the Gentile Christians.

Yet St. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit deemed it necessary to rebuke St. Peter because the very heart of the Gospel was at stake. St. Peter’s own salvation was at stake because to continue in such an error, even if it began in weakness, would lead to Peter’s condemnation and the condemnation of all who follow in his error.

‘When it comes to the defense of the Gospel, we ought never be embarrassed to have the hypocrites accuse us of being proud and stubborn, the ones who think that they have the truth, those who refuse to listen or to yield to anyone. In that situation, we have to be stubborn and unbending. The truth of the Gospel is so great and of such dire importance, that, in conflict, we often sin against men (at least in their eyes) by trampling the majesty of someone’s social position, their worldly sensibilities, or their worldly knowledge. Yet these great sins in the eyes of the world are the highest virtues in the eyes of God, for them come in the defense of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, even Jesus Christ our Lord and salvation.’[9]

The result of this conflict was heard this morning in our first reading. The circumcision party continued preaching that salvation required the keeping of the ceremonial law and appealed to St. James in Jerusalem for an official ruling on this doctrine. The first council of the Christian Church was convened, at which, St. Peter was given the opportunity to speak on the issue. He concluded his statement by saying, “Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our father nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”[10]

St. Peter received the rebuke of St. Paul. He saw his sin and repented of it. He, who had received a vision from God regarding the end of the ceremonial law yet for fear of the Jews returned to their legalistic ways, publicly declared that salvation is found in the grace of Jesus Christ alone, received by faith as a gift of God, and requiring no adherence to ceremonial laws of old.

It is fitting that we celebrate these two Apostles together on the same day. These two shining lights of Christ’s church, especially the conflict between them, demonstrate for us what is at stake in the purity of doctrine. Their unity is not found in their heritage or in the keeping of the ceremonial law. Their unity is found in Christ. Together, they proclaim that the love of Christ for man caused Him to descend into our flesh. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”[11] Christ’s death and resurrection has freed man from the slavery of the Law such that no amount of preparation, no signs in the flesh (like circumcision), no act of the will or deed of the hand, nor any rational thought of the mind is a necessary prerequisite to faith.

The example of these Apostles should be of great comfort to all Christians. On behalf of St. Peter, the burden of the weak conscience should be emboldened. If the leader of the Apostles, who was forewarned by Christ yet still denied Him, who saw a vision concerning the end of the ceremonial law yet feared the admiration and retribution of the circumcision party, if one such as St. Peter can be forgiven by Christ and led to boldly confess the freedom won in the wounds of Jesus, then you, too, can be forgiven your trespasses, even as you forgive the trespasses of others.

On behalf of St. Paul, those wishing to boldly confess the truth of the Gospel should also find an example. He stood before the crowds of the circumcision party and the Gentiles of Antioch and rebuked St. Peter. He was imprisoned, beaten to the point of death, mocked, and hated by many for his preaching. Yet he counted all of this as nothing when compared the glory awaiting him in the heavenly mansions of his Father. And do not forget that it was St. Paul who persecuted Christ by sending Christians to their death at the hands of the Jews. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, yet the light of Christ drew him out of his former darkness into the light of Truth.

The lives, virtues, and even the weaknesses of these saints are not why we commemorate them. We remember St. Peter and St. Paul this morning for the purity of the Word which they proclaimed to the world. We commemorate their lives because in their lives, virtues, and weaknesses, we see the very hand of God working toward salvation. We see that it is through these men, as through thousands of others, God has brought His word of forgiveness to the world. And we, who remain on this side of glory until Christ calls us home, look forward to that day when we can confess with Saint Paul, “I am now ready to be offered; and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”[12]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Philippians 3:2-11.

[2] Acts 11:2.

[3] Acts 4:1-2.

[4] Revelation 2:9; 3:9.

[5] Acts 2:5.

[6] Acts 10:2.

[7] Acts 10:9-16.

[8] Galatians 2:14.

[9] An altered quotation from Martin Luther, “Lectures on Galatians (1535),” AE 26, translated and edited by Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1963), 107.

[10] Acts 15:10-11.

[11] Philippians 2:7.

[12] 2 Timothy 4:6-8.