Advent 1

In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +
    So, what kind of Jesus do you want?  That seems to be the question that most Churches ask of people today – what kind of Jesus do you want?  I was in Tulsa earlier this week, and there were two kinds of billboards that I saw most frequently – there were ads for great shopping sales for Christmas, and then there were ads for Churches.  What sort of holidays are you looking for; what sort of Jesus do you want?  Come to Best Buy, this cheap laptop is for everyone – come to Church X, our Jesus is a Healing Jesus.  The classy, elegant gifts are at this place – come to Church Y, our Jesus will see that you are so blessed you can afford to wear classy, elegant clothes.  That seems to be the approach that infests American Christianity – to treat the Church as a store selling Jesus, trying to find a niche market to draw in consumers, to draw in church goers.  And thus, so often we end up focusing upon ourselves, our own wants and desires, our own felt needs – what sort of Jesus do you want? 
    The thing is – this is all completely backwards.  Hear the Word of the Lord. “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”  Yes, oh daughter of Zion, you children of the house of the Lord, your King is coming to you.  Do you note how this language isn't about your choice, your wants.  It is not “Come oh shoppers, spend your spiritual money at Jesus' discount salvation shack” - no, you are the daughter of Zion – you are a child.  Not in control.  And it is no peddler of goods who is coming, no merchant.  No.  Your King is coming.  There's a word to rile Americans – we as Americans tend not to like having kings – we took up arms and rebelled against our last one.  When it comes to our leaders, we'd still much rather take a vote, thank you very much.  Even as we Americans cherish our choice, our vote, even as we have TV shows that encourage us to vote for our idol, call in for our favorite contestant while the commericals call for us to chose brand X instead of brand Y – over and against all of that, we hear these words today.  Behold your King is coming.  It's not a question of what sort of Jesus you want – the question we should be asking is what sort of Jesus, what sort of King is it that is coming to us?
    “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ”  Our King is one who is in charge and knows what He is doing.  Oh, that's something that could rile us as Americans, isn't it?  Look at what Jesus does here – just sends people off to do errands.  Just run into town and go bring some animals to Me.  Oh, that sort of thing was one of the reasons we rebelled back in the Revolution – it's why we have it in our Constitution that troops cannot be forcefully quartered in our homes – that's the 3rd Amendment.  But Jesus speaks, and He speaks with authority.  Go and get the animals, and if anyone asks why, give them My Name.  Use My authority, and get what is needed.  We have a King is who coming, a King who has authority. 
    And what is the purpose of this authority?  Why does Jesus wield it?  To His own fame, to His own credit – to fulfill His own wants and desires?  That's what we think of when we think of power and authority – the ability to satisfy our wants, to buy what we want to buy, to do what we want to do and no one can say otherwise.  Nope.  That's not why Jesus has authority, that's not what He uses it for.  Listen to how St. Matthew explains what is happening: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet,”  It didn't take place because Jesus wanted a donkey.  It didn't take place because of a whim.  It wasn't a random, capricious act.  No, it was done to fulfill prophecy.  It was done so that the people then, so that we today might know who Christ Jesus is.  God had sent His people the prophets so that they would know, that they would know, would recognize the Messiah when He came.  This King who is coming is not some arrogant jerk who just does what He wants to do – He isn't some brash and bold dictator satisfying His every whim at our expense.  No, He is a good and gracious King who uses His authority to serve us, to serve us with what we need, even if it isn't what we would want.
    What do I mean by that?  Hear what the prophet said again. “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”  Christ comes to fulfill prophecy.  Christ comes to be the King, to take up the throne of David.  When Solomon entered Jerusalem, he entered on a Donkey – this is proclaiming that Jesus is indeed the King, is indeed the Son of David.  But what sort of King is He going to be?  Is He going to be the sort of king we want.  What characteristic will sum up this King?  Is it boldness, or brashness, or self-aggrandizing arrogance?  Nope, it is humility.  Consider this.  The hopes in Christ's day were that a fierce, warrior leader would arise and drive out the Romans, a mighty man of Valor who would win Israel her freedom  -- like one of the Judges of old.  Not even like Gideon (he wasn't brash enough) – maybe someone like Samson, all big and buff.  Someone who would come riding into town on a big white horse, someone who would be leading armies behind him.  And yet – there's Jesus.  On a... donkey.  Now, I don't know how many of you have ever studied ancient warfare – but have you ever heard of a warrior riding... a donkey?  Even the Polish calvary rode horses, not donkeys.  Donkeys might work for a supply train – the cook could come leading a donkey – but no glorious warrior would be caught dead on a Donkey, because if said glorious leader was caught on a donkey, he would be killed dead by the enemy very quickly.  No, Jesus, while being obvious about who He is, remains humble.  There He is, Christ Jesus, God of power and mighty, He who is in charge of the heavenly host, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabbaoth – legions of angels at His disposal – and there He is.  Riding a donkey.  Coming as not a great and victorious champion, but a humble and lowly servant.
    For that is what our King is.  Our King, Christ Jesus, does not come to conquer and hammer us into submission.  No, He comes humbly, He comes humbly to win us salvation.  He's not going to be killing anyone when He gets to Jerusalem; He's not going to be slaying anyone.  Instead, He Himself will be put to death, He Himself will suffer and die, all so that salvation may come to us.  He comes on a beast of burden because He comes to bear the burden of the sins of the world.  Our King comes with all authority on heaven and earth – and He takes it up in perfect and wondrous humility so that He can come and give you not the things your sinful flesh craves, but so that He can forgive you your sins because of His death, so that He can raise you to new life because of His resurrection.  He has come to be your head, to make you part of His own body, to give you His own life so that you have life abundantly.
    Jesus still works in the same way today.  Say to the daughter of Zion, see your King is coming to you today, humble.  What happened (is happening) today at Zion?  Ciara is baptized.  Christ Jesus the King comes as He always does – He comes and by water and the Word He declared Ciara to be His own daughter, to be a daughter of Zion.  And He comes to her humbly, comes not in expensive, lavish goods, He comes not demanding some difficult set up or requirements – no, see your King comes to you humbly and simply in water and the Word.  No, there will be nothing to keep Jesus from coming to His child – water and the Word, and now there is a forgiven child, a new creation, one given life everlasting and all the benefits of Jesus' own death and resurrection.  And why?  Because Christ Jesus our King has authority – all authority in heaven on earth has been given to Him – make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit.  That's what Jesus uses His authority for – to bring people salvation, to seek and save the lost, to suffer the little children to come to Him – to give His blessings of life and salvation to ever more and more people, even before they could think to ask, even before they could think to choose Him, even before they could listen too all the ads telling them what they should want.  Because that is who Jesus is – He is your King, Your King who will come to you, not because of what you want or what you desire – but because He is your King who loves you, and will stop at nothing to win you salvation.  Or do you not realize that this is what Advent is about.  Behold, your King is coming – and how did He first come?  Christ Jesus, the Word by Whom all things were made comes down from heaven – as a Child.  Weak.  Helpless.  His power cast aside so as to save the powerless.  The King always takes up humility – His birth, His entry into Jerusalem, His death – and all for your salvation.  This is the God, this is the King who has chosen you, called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who has made you His child in the waters of Holy Baptism.  This is what He has taught you to pray for when you pray both “Thy Kingdom Come” as well as “Thy Will Be Done” - that we would learn ever more to trust not our wants and desires but His good and gracious will, that we would see His authority have full reign in our lives. 
    Behold, daughter of Zion, your King is coming.  That is what we see and learn this Advent season again.  Remembering how Christ came, we remember how He Himself has come to us through His Word, through His gift of Baptism.  We rejoice and give thanks in that He comes to us today for forgiveness in His Word, in, with, and under Bread and Wine.  And we also remember and pray that He would quickly come again, that He would show Himself to be our true and eternal King who will give us for all eternity that which we truly need – the resurrection of our bodies and the life everlasting with Him.  This may not be the sort of God or Spirituality that our sinful flesh wants – but Christ Jesus has drowned and put to death your sinful flesh and has given you forgiveness and life now, and indeed, even for all eternity.  Thanks be to God that our King is humble and loves us so.   In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +

House Installation

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
          Tom, members of Redeemer Lutheran Church, friends and visitors here today, Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our text for this evening is one that we hear normally the Sunday after Easter, and is set on the very evening of Easter itself.  And our text presents for us a wonderful contrast.  There it is, Easter Day.  Peter and John have been to the empty tomb, they have seen the burial cloths lying there emptied.  And yet, what do we hear?  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews…”  We hear fear.  Locked doors.  Terrified men.  Terrified men who see all around them danger and suffering and death and pain and sorrow.  Even as on the one hand the tomb is empty, there’s still that fear of danger and death that threatens to overwhelm them.

          This, dear friends, is the situation we ourselves live in now in this fallen world.  We know the tomb is empty, but what do we see around us?  Violence.  Wars and rumors of war.  Economic uncertainty, towns crumbling and decaying.  Culture falling apart.  And even if we try to circle the wagons, simply look at our own congregations, our own families, what do we see?  Fights, hurt feelings, pain, anger, failure, disappointment, arguments.  Or even if we try to circle the wagons even further, even if we ignore everyone else – what do we see when we look inside our own hearts?  Anger, fear, pain, sorrow, lust, greed.  Sin and death.  And so in many ways we are in the exact same position as those disciples there on Easter Evening – we see two realities – we know the Empty Tomb, but always threatening to overtake us, to overshadow that Empty Tomb is the world and Satan and our own sinful flesh, and we can be tempted to cower in fear, to lock the doors, to run and hide and simply wait for the end.

          That’s what the disciples were doing.  Simply cowering.  The world around them was too much for them, the events of Good Friday terrorized them, made them forget Maundy Thursday.  And so, as they sit there huddled in fear, what does our Lord do?  “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”  In the midst of their fear and sorrow, even as they are sitting there and thinking the world and sin and death is going to crush them once they manage to break through that door, Christ Jesus comes to them, and He blesses them, says to them “Peace be with you.”  Understand what Jesus is saying here – He’s no freeze dried hippie.  No, when our Lord says “Peace be with you” He is saying, “I know your fear, your sin, your terror, your doubt – and I cast it out.  Your sin is forgiven, your fears are conquered, your terror relieved, your doubt removed, and in their place I give you My peace, my security.”  “When He had said this He showed them His hands and His side.”  Look here disciples, were you worried about death, were you worried about what the world has done to me?  Take heart, I have overcome the world, and because I have died and have risen again your sin is forgiven, you are at peace with God, and you have life in Me. 

          And so of course the disciples were glad.  Of course they rejoiced.  That’s what happens when we hear God’s peace.  But now, what of you here, my friends at Redeemer?  What of you?  It’s nice that Jesus appeared to those disciples back then in the midst of their fears, but what about right now, what about this time, this place, what about 2012 here in Enid, Oklahoma?  “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.’”  When Jesus appeared to the disciples in that upper room near 2000 years ago, He knew that there was plenty of terror and sin and fear in the world, and so when He spoke Peace unto those disciples, He took them and He ordained them to be His own Apostles, to be those whom He would send out to speak forth His own forgiveness and peace to the world around them.  That’s what the book of Acts is – it’s a record of these mean speaking Christ’s peace and forgiveness.  It’s what the Epistles are – it’s these men preaching Christ’s peace to the Church scattered throughout the world.  And you here, you here at Redeemer Lutheran Church are part of that same one Holy, Christian, and… Apostolic Church.  Just as Christ Jesus sent out those Apostles to preach to the people in their day and age, so too, my friends, Christ Jesus has sent a man to you to proclaim His peace to you here.

          Tom, that is the charge and duty that is laid before you, the call that has been given to you.  That you are to stride boldly into the midst of this congregation, this community, and in the middle of all terror and sin and strife you are to with all boldness proclaim Peace.  To call sin to the carpet and to forgive people who desperately need Christ’s forgiveness.  As the Father has sent Christ, as Christ sent the Apostles, even so too He has sent you here to preach His Word of truth to these people He has entrusted to your care.  This is a joyous task, but it is also a weighty one, a heavy one.  We, your brothers in the office will support and encourage you in this, even as we ask that you will support and encourage us in our own duties in our own congregations.  For you will need encouragement.  You come to Redeemer at a time when they are on the edge of great joy.  A new pastor – and the celebrations that come with that.  A new and gorgeous sanctuary – and the right and proper celebrations that come with that.  And Octoberfest and Christmas in a new sanctuary, and all that joy and merriment.  But even with that joy – life out there will still be going on, still wearing your sheep down.  And then, there will come winter, and the Christmas decorations will be put away, and months of joy and excitement will have passed, and that worn and weary deflating feeling will return.  And people will feel all the more intensely the weariness and the fear that we face in this world.  Leading up to that, indeed, through that, through thick and thin, through whatever storms lash this congregation, through whatever trials and strife Satan sends this way – do what you have been called to do.  Speak the peace of our Risen Lord and Savior.  Do not give into the temptation to come up with your own wonderful plans and schemes – those are nothing but locking the door in fear, but rather with all boldness and with all love, preach Christ and His peace.

          And members of Redeemer, you too have a charge that is laid upon you this day.  You are vowing to receive this man as your Pastor – that you will listen to him as He preaches the Word of God in its Truth, that you will hear the peace that He proclaims unto you, and that you will support him as he does God’s work in your midst.  And this will not always be easy – and no, this isn’t me saying something about Pastor House, I love him like a brother.  It’s simply this – those disciples had heard that the tomb was empty, but they still decided to lock themselves in the upper room.  Fear and sin and our old sinful flesh have strong holds on us fallen men – and God has sent Pastor House to take on that sin, to call it out.  There will be times you won’t like it.  Pastor House is to be your teacher – and no student likes getting the test back with a bunch of red ink on it.  Pastor House is to be your spiritual doctor – and sometimes the Doctor will tell you things you don’t want to hear.  And in those moments your sinful flesh will want to lash out, will want to ignore him and stop up your ears, you will be tempted to lock yourself away from Pastor House and the Word of God that He preaches.  That’s just the way of it in the sinful world, and even we Pastors are not immune.  I know Pastor House and I have both preached sermons that make us squirm even while we were preaching them.  Do not give in to your sinful nature when you think of your Pastor, for God has sent Him here to preach God’s own peace to you, and that Peace drives out sin and terror and fear… the only problem is that often sin and terror and fear don’t like to go quietly.  So, do not ask Him to preach what you want to hear, some watered down feel good poison that pats your sinful flesh on the head and lets it be – no, be faithful Christians, and demand of Him that He preach the whole counsel of God, the Law in its severity, the Gospel in its sweetness, and support Him, pray for Him so that he doesn’t given into temptation himself and wimp out in his preaching, for in preaching the Word He is giving God’s care and love to you, He is giving you God’s peace.

          We live in a wild and wooly, sinful, fallen place.  But Christ Jesus your Lord knows that, and so, out of His great love for the members of Redeemer, out of His great love for you, Tom, He has called Pastor House here, to speak forth the same peace spoken by our Risen Lord and Savior, so that together, united in the preaching and hearing of God’s peace, united together in the distribution the reception of Christ’s Baptism and Supper, this congregation, pastor and members together, might stand and be a beacon of light and love and forgiveness in this community, giving forth Christ to sinners who so desperately need His forgiveness and peace.  Over and against the realities of Sin, Christ Jesus has sent this congregation a preacher, so that first and foremost you may see and remember that Christ has been crucified for those sins that pester you, that He has been raised to defeat that death that threatens you.  He made this congregation to be a place of peace, and He has sent to you a pastor to proclaim His peace.  Know that God will bless you in this, in your preaching and in your hearing; cling fast to Christ and His peace that He speaks here through His servant for His servants.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Trinity 14 12 - Draft

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost +
          Ah yes, the “thankfulness” text.  The healing of the ten lepers.  The text we hear twice a year, both today and on Thanksgiving Day where we get the lecture, the waging of the finger – you little boys and girls need to be thankful, so you better go turn around right now and tell God Thank You!  And if the preacher is a bit unscrupulous… or maybe if the budget seems tight, you might even hear “and by thank you I mean put more money in the plate you ungrateful slobs.”  To often this text is treated as an occasion to just hammer people for ungratefulness – to say “God wants you to be thankful… or hell be mad at you” – as though God is petty and only gives blessings simply to hear his praises.  No, God blesses us purely out of His Fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worth in us – and He doesn’t need our thanks.  So this becomes the question, the question our text will answer today – why, if God doesn’t need our thanks, does He want us to give thanks?  Let’s dive into the text.
          “On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.”  The very first thing to note is this – Luke tells us that Jesus was headed to Galilee.  In Luke’s Gospel, that’s not just a note, a factual snippet.  The second half of Luke’s Gospel over and over repeats that Jesus is headed to Jerusalem – and why?  Because it is in Jerusalem where Jesus wins salvation for us by His death and resurrection.  Luke 18:31-33 explains this focus – Jesus says: “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.”  Over and over in Luke, we are reminded of Jesus being on His way to Jerusalem, on His way to the Cross to win salvation.  So – that is the background of this text, what we need to have in our heads – this text will be teaching us about Christ’s struggle against sin and death, it will be teaching us about His death and resurrection – He is on His way to Jersualem.
          “And as he entered a village, He was met by 10 lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’”  And then He is approached by 10 lepers who cry out “Lord have Mercy”.  The same thing we have already cried out today here in Worship today several times.  They are approach Christ seeking mercy – and mercy He will show.  “When He saw them He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’  And as they went they were cleansed.”  Under the law of Moses, if you had leprosy, had a skin disease, you were exiled.  Had to be for the good of the community.  But, if you were healed, then you could go and show yourself to the priest, who would examine you and let you be restored to the community.  And Jesus says, “show yourselves to the priest” – but did you note.  They weren’t clean yet – it was only as they went that they were healed.  That, my friends, is faith.  Jesus says, “Go” – and even as they look at themselves they see their sores and wounds – yet they go, because Christ has said so.  And again, we too are often in this same position.  Christ has said to you, “Go, you are forgiven, your sins are no more.”  And yet, when we look at ourselves, so often we see more and more sin, more and more flaws.  Christ has said that we were washed clean in Baptism, that we are a new creation, that we will have the life everlasting – yet often, it doesn’t look this way.  I wrote the rough draft for this sermon on Monday morning, and even as I wrote it I knew that there would be countless way between Monday and Sunday where I would do stupid, foolish, hurtful, sinful things – wretch that I am.  Yet, over and above what I see, what we see in our lives, our regrets, our shame, our guilt – Christ Jesus has said that we are clean, that we are forgiven – that he has presented us as His own Bride without spot or blemish – and thus in faith we believe what Christ has said, we trust His forgiveness.
          And now we get to the turning point of our Gospel lesson.  “Then one of the 10, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.  Now he was a Samaritan.”  Literally, the turning point.  One of the lepers, seeing that he is healed, turns around, praises God and gives thanks.  And Jesus looks at this a bit wryly – “Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?’”  Now, here is the danger for us in reading this – we can read this and suddenly want to go and condemn the other 9, say “ah, those evil, wicked nine – bad bad bad!”  This isn’t our Lord angry – we don’t hear “And then Jesus cursed those other nine with leprosy nine times worse.”  No – they are still healed, they are forgiven, they are showing themselves to the priest just as Jesus had commanded.  But because they did not return to praise God and give Him thanks, they miss the most wonderful thing.  “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’”  Jesus explains everything to this leper, and only he understands fully because he returned for praise and thanksgiving.
Now, there are two very, very important things we need to notice to understand this.  Let’s work backwards – Your faith has made you well.  We don’t hear this rightly as Americans. We hear the phrase “your faith” and we think it’s talking about how strongly we believe, or how dedicated we are.  That’s not the point.  Jesus isn’t saying to this man “You are well because you really really really believed.”  This is the type of claptrap we hear today – oh, if only you really believed then X will happen, you’d get the new car you want, your kids would behave better, your life would be great… if only you believed more.  That’s not what Jesus is saying – Jesus is talking about the “object” of this man’s faith, talking about who this man believed in.  This man believed in Christ, and because of Christ he has been healed.  Consider – what if this leper had really really really believed that the Greek god Apollo would heal him?  He’d still be a leper.  No, it was faith *in Christ* that brought about this healing. 
And what does the one who has faith in Christ hear?  “Rise and go”.  Now, we miss it because we don’t speak Greek – “rise” is a resurrection word.  Jesus isn’t just saying “stand up and get out of here” – He literally says “you are rising and going” – you are being raised, you are being giving life.  Jesus isn’t simply saying, “Go away kid, you’re bothering me” – He’s giving the man life and salvation, so that the man sees and understands what it is that He has.  You, leper, you are receiving now what I am going to Jerusalem to win for you – you are receiving now the fruits of My death and resurrection as you are being raised and given new life now even as you will be totally raised and totally given everlasting life on the Last Day.  This is forgiveness of sins and life and salvation.
And that fact, dear friends, let’s us know what this text is about.  It’s not an admonition to be thankful – it’s not the wagging of the finger.  It’s a call to worship.  This text is telling us, teaching that we benefit from worship together.  Consider – what does the leper do, seeing God’s goodness to him?  He praises and gives thanks?  Now, where do we generally turn from our normal everyday lives, enjoying the blessings God has given us, and pause and praise and give thanks to God?  Worship – here, Sunday mornings.  And again, if we knew Greek, it would stand out more so.  Where do we generally gather for communion?  Here in Church – and what is one of the common names for the Lord’s Supper – the Eucharist.  And the word Eucharist means “He gave thanks” – it’s from the words of institution – and on the night when He was betrayed, He took bread, and when “He had given thanks”.  Again – in the Scripture “thanks” isn’t just personal thing, a feeling of gratitude – it was always tied to worship.  Thanks means going to the temple, it means praising and worshipping God and receiving His gifts.
And this is the point of this text – we are called here to this place for worship – to receive from Christ His good gifts of salvation.  And this isn’t because we have to prove anything to God by our diligence.  It isn’t as though if we miss too many Sundays suddenly we are off the salvation gravy train.  Rather this – Christ Jesus your Lord loves you, and He would have you constantly know and receive His love, His mercy – have it preached to you, have it fed to you in His Supper.  He knows what life in the sinful world is like.  He knows that you sin daily and often, so over and against that He would have you hear forgiveness proclaimed often, He would have you taste His forgiveness as often as you eat and drink the Supper.  He knows that life in the world beats us down, that if we listen to the world we forget the wonders of His blessings for us and instead become shaped by greed and lust and earthly power – so He calls us out of life in the rat race so that we can see and know what is going on.  Yes, you are still and sinner in a sinful world, but over and above that another more wondrous truth stands out.  Christ Jesus has died for you, He has risen for you, and He is raising you.  He raises you now so that you may face the trials of this life standing upon Him, resurrected by Him.  He shall raise you forever more on the last day.  Whatever you see this week, whatever happens, whatever the world looks like this week – Christ Jesus is still your Lord, He still has had mercy upon you, and He will still call you to this place so that you may hear, may receive His mercy and forgiveness and love over and over that you may stand fast and enjoy all of His blessings to you, come what may in this world.  Christ Jesus has gone to Jerusalem, He has defeated sin and Satan and death, He has overcome the world – and we are raised and have life in Him.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost +

Trinity 6 draft

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
          This morning we hear our Lord preaching once again in the Sermon on the Mount, and I fear that our familiarity with this passage makes us forget just how wild, how bizarre this preaching would have sounded when our Lord first spoke it.  Consider the start of the sermon – the beatitudes – blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Completely radical.  In that day, you didn’t think those who were poor in spirit, who were burdened by the troubles of life, who saw the impact of sin were blessed – in fact, we don’t really today.  But Christ comes in and says, “No, no, you who suffer, who see that this life is fallen and desolate and a waste land, you are blessed, because you aren’t going to cling to mammon when you hear Me preach; instead you will long for heaven.  Blessed are you.”  That’s what Christ is doing with the beatitudes – turning on its ear the idea of what it is to be blessed – but that is a sermon for another week.  This week we take up just after the beatitudes, and here Christ Jesus turns the idea of what it means to be righteous, what it means to be good, upon its head.
          Our Lord begins, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  Now, even as He turns things upon their head, Jesus makes a very good point.  He hasn’t come to destroy the law, He hasn’t come to destroy righteousness or morality… but He is going to do something different.  He is going to fulfill the law, fulfill it truly, unlike the false fulfillments that people were setting forth.  “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Nothing will be soft sold – nothing with be lessened, nothing will be blown off.  We are to be righteous, and that is that.  Being Righteous was one of the main Jewish focuses of life.  I was listening to some lectures on my road trip, and they were about influences on Western Culture, and in talking about the impact of the Old Testament, the professor noted the Jewish focus on righteousness, on doing what is good.  That was the heart of the Jewish approach to life – that’s what the Pharisees strove after.  When Paul says that he was a Pharisee’s Pharisee, he is saying that by the standards of the world, he was a good man.  But whereas the poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven, unless your righteousness is beyond the Scribes and Pharisees, you don’t get the kingdom of heaven.  And why?  Because the Scribes and Pharisees relax the commandments, because they treat the commands of God as something that we accomplish rather than goals that we are to strive for, goals that we are to in humility confess that we do not accomplish.  Yes, the Law of God is to show us how to live, but it is also to show us that we are sinful, that we are in need of forgiveness and mercy from God – and if you relax the Law, make it more manageable, think that you no longer have room for improvement, well then you are lost.
          Jesus gives an example – actually several, but we are only going to look at the first.  Murder.  The fifth Commandment.  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  A simple commandment.  You shall not murder.  Thou shalt not kill.  Simple enough.  But there is a depth here, there is rich teaching about life and how we ought to live, how we ought to treat our neighbor.  And if our focus is upon our neighbor, we will see that depth.  If our focus is only on trying to prove ourselves okay – we miss the depth.  We check it off.  Hey, look at me, I’m okay, I’ve not murdered anyone.  I’m not like that person that showed up on the news – I’ve never had my mugshot taken with blood on my hands, what I good boy am I.  Jesus turns that on its head.  “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”  Jesus so quickly cuts to the heart of the matter.  Murder, when it boils down to it, is just the highest and most obvious expression of anger.  Why does one man kill another?  Anger.  Cain is angry with Abel, and he kills him.  David is angry with Uriah the Hittite for having such a beautiful wife, for letting scandal come upon David, and so he kills him.  Anger turns our relationship with our neighbors upside down.  To be righteous is to seek to serve the neighbor; to be righteous is to have compassion.  To be angry destroys the desire to serve, to have compassion, and in its place is the desire to hurt, to harm, to put back in their place, to put into the grave.  When you are angry, you fall short of righteousness.  And don’t try to speak to me of Righteous Anger, don’t go about relaxing the law, trying to justify yourself.  When Christ showed righteous anger, He did not kill or hate the money changers, but He Himself died for them less than a week later – in His righteous anger He still acts for their good.  No, to be angry for us fallen men is to be liable to judgment.
          Or there is, “whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Perhaps you think you have kept your anger hidden.  Or perhaps you think it is justified – of course you can be a bit angry with your brother – he’s a fool, and when you call him as such you are only speaking the truth.  If you insult, you are liable to the council – it’s a supreme court case, it’s a matter of high treason to righteousness.  You are not to insult your brother but to serve him!  And if you look callously upon your brother, if you cuss him out – read him the riot act… you are liable to damnation.  There is no way around it.  When the Lord said, “Thou shalt not kill” – He wasn’t giving you a simple hoop to jump through; He was teaching that you are to be righteous, that you are to be concerned about your neighbor’s life, about making it better – and your anger would have you do the opposite.  Harsh.  No relaxing of the Law here.
          “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”  Be reconciled!  Don’t worry about outward shows of piety, don’t worry about making sure that everyone knows what a “good little Christian” you are and how much you give to the Church – make amends with your brother.  If you have wronged someone, repent – and show them love and care and compassion.  In fact, this last verse is the verse that kicked off the reformation – Thesis number 1 of the 95 – When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” – He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance – and “repent here” is literally “pay the last penny”.  Because this is where the rubber hits the road.  If we look at ourselves and think, “Eh, I’m pretty good – it’s a shame more Christians weren’t like me” – we are lost.  We are lost in self-righteousness and despair.  No, rather when we contemplate God’s Law, God’s commands, we are to consider how short we fall, and we are to repent, to turn away from our sin, our short coming and strive to do more and more – strive even knowing that I was sinful yesterday and thus I fail, that I am a sinner today and I will fail, and that unless the Lord returns even tomorrow I will be a sinner and I will fail.  Doesn’t matter – repent, strive after righteousness, full righteousness, and confess your sin, your lack, your failing.
          That’s what it means to be poor in Spirit.  To see when you look at your life not a tale of triumph where you crush all your foes, where you conquer over every difficulty.  No, it’s to see your life honestly, see your sin, your lack, your need, and to repent, to confess.  To you who repent, to you who are poor in Spirit – blessed are you, for yours in the Kingdom of God.  “But how, pastor – how – my righteousness has to exceed the Scribes and Pharisees, and I’m not going to play their game, I’m not going to relax the Law so I can say, ‘see, what a good boy am I!’”  Listen again to your Lord’s Words.   “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  You do not fulfill the Law – but Christ Jesus does, and He does so for you.  The righteousness that God demands of mankind – our brother, Christ Jesus, true God and true Man performs.  Think of how often the Father’s voice booms from heaven – this is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.  Christ fulfills the Law.  And yet, the Law says that those who break the Law must die.  Eat of the tree – die.  Break the law – get stoned.  And we have broken it, and we are doomed to death – and so Christ says, “fear not, I have come to fulfill the Law – there will be a death, a death on account of sin – but I will take up your sin, I will bear it Myself, for I am the Lamb of God who takes upon His shoulders the sin of the world.”  At your baptism, your sins were washed away – they were washed onto Christ, and He bore them to the Cross and there He died, there He fulfilled the Law for you.  This is why we look to the Last Day.  Even should we die before Christ returns, so be it – Christ will come and say, “Death, you don’t get them, you don’t get to keep them – I have died and thus they shall live.”
          Your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, not because of how hard you work, not because of how wonderful you are, but because your righteousness is actually Christ’s righteousness which He gives to you in His Word of forgiveness of life – which He poured upon you in Baptism so that you would rise to newness of life – which He gives to you as He gives you His own Body and Blood in His Supper.  Do not relax the law – no, strive and repent, but above all see your Lord who has fulfilled the Law for you.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit + Amen.

I Am - Good Friday Sermon

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
I Mm the bread of life, he who comes to Me will never go hungry.
I Am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
I Am the door; if anyone enters through Me will be saved.
I Am the Good Shepherd.
I Am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.
I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.
I Am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.
These are the words that our Lord came preaching, these are the truths which He declared about Himself. He has come to give life and light and salvation to His people whom He loves. And yet, there He hangs, upon a cross. There He suffers. There He thirsts. There He bows His head and gives up His Spirit.
I Am is dead.
This is what John records for us in all its gory detail. “So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness— his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth.” John is adamant – Jesus has died… the Roman Soldiers, the profession killers, they knew He was dead. They stabbed Him just to make sure and out seeped water and blood – already separating out. John saw. The soldiers saw. He is dead.
What to make of this then? What is to be our response to this? I Am, Christ Jesus, True God and True Man, who told us so much about Himself, who made so many great promises to us, He has died. Shall we thus despair? Shall we treat this as though it was just a fleeting dream, nice while it lasted? No, no, not at all. Listen to John again – “He who saw it has borne witness— his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth— that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”” What we have here today in Good Friday is for you. John bears witness to it, tells you that Jesus died and fulfilled the Scriptures, the promises of the Old Testament, so that you might indeed know that His promises to you are indeed true.
Christ Jesus told you that He is the bread of life, that whoever believes in Him will never go hungry. Hunger is a sinful, fallen world sort of thing. It’s something that comes because sin has ravaged the world and left it broken, it’s something that comes because death destroys the harvest, blights come and wipe things out. Christ Jesus, I Am, had seen that – and so He came to destroy death, to destroy wickedness and lack… He Himself hungered and died so that by His death death might be undone. In chewing on Christ, death had a meal it couldn’t handle, and it is destroyed. I Am has died for you.
Christ Jesus told you that He is the light of the world, that we need not walk in darkness but have life. As He is put upon the cross, darkness comes – the sun is blotted out as Satan tries to blot out the Son of God. Know this for what it is – Christ Jesus draws all evil, all sin, all vice unto Himself, and upon the Cross in those hours of darkness, He destroys darkness. He closes His eyes in death so that when our eyes are opened in the Last day we will see only His light. His death secures that promise. I Am has died for you.
Christ Jesus has said that He is the door, that if we enter through Him we will be saved. Know what He is doing upon the Cross. Death had staked its claim on us, said we belonged to it. And we had, but Christ Jesus would not stand for it. And so, Christ Jesus took over death. He swallowed up death, robbed it over its victory. And we are attached to Christ, joined to Him in Holy Baptism. St. Paul writes, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” He is the door – and by His death not even death can separate us from Him, indeed, we have already died, we have already gone through death with Him. I Am dies so that we might live.
Christ Jesus has said that He is the Good Shepherd. Did He not tell you that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep? This is what He is doing, this is what He has done. Satan came pouncing for you, to snatch you away – and the Good Shepherd jumped in Satan’s way. I Am lays down His life for you; He lays it down so that He may take it up again and give you life.
Christ Jesus has said that He is resurrection and the life. He will prove it. Does Death still frighten you, terrify you? Then look to Christ Jesus. See, He dies… and He rises. He is the resurrection, and thus you know that the power of death is shattered, and that He is all in all. His promise to you remains – even though you die, like Christ you shall live, for He too has died and risen for you.
Christ Jesus has said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is the way we are restored to the Father – the truth, the harsh weight of sin, it’s burden, death, all of it comes crashing down upon Christ Jesus, it nails Him to the tree, it scourges Him. Yet He Himself is life… and so when He has taken up death, yes, He will live again, live again for your sake, live so that you might live with Him, live so that you might dwell in the mansion of the Father to which He brings you.
Christ Jesus has said that He is the Vine, that you are His branches. We heard last night that a branch that is pruned bears much fruit. Christ Jesus takes up in Himself the full brunt of that pruning, so that He might bear fruit in you, so that you might blossom and grow to life everlasting. He suffers all so that you might grow and have life, that your joy may be complete.
John saw it. He heard our Lord cry out “It is finished.” All the work needed to be done to win you salvation, all the righteousness that needed to be fulfilled, all the struggle against Satan and his kingdom – it is done. Finished. Put to an end by Christ. And having done what is needed, Christ dies, so that His promises to you might take effect. This is for your good, your good now, your good even unto life everlasting. And this is why John is so adamant that he saw Jesus die. I Am has died for you, has given His own life for you – what more would be needed? What could possibly have been left undone? What burden would be left to you? None – your salvation is won by this Christ the Crucified – and in Him you have life. He has died, but His promises hold true – and all that remains is for the day of joy to break forth where we see this in full. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

Lent 1 - 2012

(Note, there's no communion this Sunday, so I don't go as hard pointing to the Lord's Supper as I could -- but I do that with Ash Wednesday preaching about the bread of life)

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
Mankind had started out in a garden, where things were lush and verdant and vibrant. Indeed, there was no hint of death anywhere. Four rivers watered this garden, and over abundance of water, and growth, and life. And it was good. But then the Serpent came in, and he told the man, told the woman, that if they just listened to him, that things would be even better. And so, Adam and Eve ate, and they fell. That’s how we normally think of Genesis 3 – when we hear “The Fall” we think of it first and foremost in terms of Adam and Eve falling. We think of it in terms of morality, in terms of spirituality. We also need to think of it in physical terms – and not just for Adam and Eve. Yes, they died… but the world died with them. Their eating of the fruit became the gateway for death – “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.” The earth no longer gladly yields her bounty of life – the earth itself has been stuck by sin, and now instead of simply roaming a lush garden, Adam is going to farm, and it’s going to be hard work. And even then, there will be some places in the earth so touched, so blighted by the impact of sin that nothing will grow there. There will be deserts, there will be wilderness.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Immediately after His baptism in the Jordan, Jesus leaves behind that watered area and He goes out into the wilderness. This is most fitting. Adam had sinned, and the garden was lost, the world was lost – and so Jesus goes to where that impact of sin upon the world was most obvious – the wilderness. And there stands True God and True Man, on a barren landscape. There stands God, who had said, “Let the earth sprout forth vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit” and yet all He sees there in that place are thorns and thistles at best. Our Lord thus begins His direct confrontation against sin and death and the devil. He enters into that place where the impact of sin is most seen, and there He prepares to make things right. “And after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry.” Again, there’s more Old Testament imagery here. When the floods came, when wickedness was so severe on the earth that it would be wiped out, that lasted 40 days and 40 nights. Or perhaps even more to the point – for 40 years the people of Israel wander the desert due to their grumblings, due to their complaining about food. So there you have Jesus, and see where He is at. He places Himself in the under the full weight, the full pressures that sin and its impacts can bring to bear – tired, sore, hungry, and off in a lifeless place alone. As rough as it can get for one who is still alive, that is where Christ is.
“And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’” Understand the temptation. Satan isn’t questioning whether or not Jesus is God. Satan knows. Rather this – if you are the Son of God, why are You of all people suffering hunger this way? Why, at Your Word these stones could become bread and You could satisfy Yourself. And Satan is right – Jesus could. He could simply and with ease satisfy Himself. But that is not why Christ Jesus is in the wilderness, that’s not why He came down from heaven. He did not come down to serve Himself, but He came down to rescue mankind from sin and death – and that is not done by serving the belly. “But He answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Mere bread is not life, Satan. A full belly doesn’t undo the curse Adam and Eve got themselves into. Adam worked hard in those fields and he ate his share of bread, and he still died, and the deserts remained, and the weeds continued to grow. No, Satan, man doesn’t live simply by bread, and man will never live if he listens to you. Man lives by the Word of God, lives by My Word which created him, and man will live again when I beat down every trial and temptation in His place, when I face you down and die and rise again for Him. I am not here to serve Myself, but to fulfill that Word I spoke long ago that said I would crush your head.
Satan tries again. “Then the Devil took Him to the Holy City and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: He will command His angels concerning you, and: On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.’” I know who you are Jesus, and I know the Word that You have spoken. Alright – show that Word to be true. Jump. It will be alright. You Yourself has said that it will be okay, that the angels will come. Aren’t you truthful? Can’t you do it? “Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Oh Satan, I am not here to prove how wondrous I am, I am not here to show off signs and wonders to make the people marvel. I’m here to fix thing – for years and years these people have put Me to the test, have tried Me, have demanded signs and wonders – and they will again. But that is not why I am here – I am here to put and end to testing, indeed, I am here to put an end to your testing, Satan. I will not do things your way, Satan. My Father and I know what must be done, and while my foot will not strike a stone, it will be bruised, bruised when it lands on your head in full – and you will not distract Me from that.
One more try for Satan. “Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these I will give You, if you will fall down and worship me.’” It seemed like a fair offer. Satan’s domain was sin and the power of death, and all the kingdoms of the world were under that, all were tainted and enshadowed by Satan. And so Satan tries to cut a deal – if you want them Jesus, fine. We don’t need to fight, we don’t need to argue – and more importantly, You don’t need to suffer. You’ve taken on a body, You’ve become man, and You won’t like suffering. You don’t like it now – we can work around it, we can prevent the suffering. Simply give in to me, worship me, and I’ll let you run things the way you want. You can have them… just let me have You. One last bid at the ancient power play, where Satan would be on top and God would be beneath him. Jesus will have none of it. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written: You shall worship the LORD your God and Him only shall you serve.” I have come not to simply rule over people, but to free them from bondage to you, to free them from the fear of death. How can that be done if I too worship you, if I too fall into their boat? No – there is One God, and they will worship the True God who has won them redemption and deliverance from You. Your temptations have failed, Satan.
And there, in that wilderness, in that lifeless area, Jesus Christ, not only true God but also true Man, did what Adam and Eve failed to do, did what you and I fail to do – He perfectly resisted the temptations of the Devil. There, in that rocky, lifeless place Jesus Christ was shown to be truly alive – showed that He was living as man was meant and created to be alive, without the fear of Satan. The Lord, the Giver of Life has walked into Satan’s domain and declared that He would not yield an inch of creation to Satan. “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.” And Satan has no choice but flee before Christ… and then the angels come. That dead, desolate place becomes holy and sacred – we can miss this. Where is the place where God dwells with the angels ministering to Him? We sing part of it on Communion Sundays – this is Isaiah 6 stuff – “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And there, in the wilderness, far from the that temple where Isaiah had His vision, far into the domain and rule of Satan – there is the LORD of hosts with His angels, and His glory is there.
Redemption is coming. Salvation is coming. The destruction of sin and death is coming. With the temptation, Christ Jesus begins His active ministry, He strides forth into Satan’s domain and He begins dismantling it. He has resisted the Devil, and the Devil has no choice but to flee before Him. And over these coming weeks in Lent we will see Christ invade another domain which Satan thought was his, and we will see our Lord crush Satan there… even onto Good Friday itself, where Christ will enter death itself to defeat it. It is an awesome thing to behold God fighting for you, God Himself seeking to free you from sin and death, see Christ fighting the battle you could not. Let us watch and hear with humility and thanksgiving. In the Name of Christ the Crucified + Amen.