Sermon -- 12th Sunday after Pentecost

NOTE: The Gospel reading for this sermon was intended for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost.  Due to a hospital stay, it was delayed until the 12th Sunday after Pentecost.  Thanks to Rev. em. Gregory Gibbons for covering for me the previous week.

MARK 6:45-56

GOD THE SON JOINS US IN OUR FEARS AND STRUGGLES.

In the name + of Jesus.

     St. Mark’s Gospel shows us what is typical for Jesus’ miracles.  “Wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment.  And as many as touched it were made well” (Mark 6:56).  The miracles were acts of mercy—restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.  Jesus made the lame walk and cleansed those who were possessed by demons.  These miraculous healings give us a glimpse of the heavenly kingdom in which there will be no blind, deaf, lame, sick, or demon-possessed.  Jesus often commanded those who were healed not to talk about it.  That’s because he acted in mercy, not for show or acclaim.

     That’s what makes the miracle of Jesus walking on water so strange.  What was the point?  If it was to be for show, it would have been done in broad daylight in front of a crowd.  If it was for acclaim, the response would have been cheers and applause, not screams of terror.  As far as an act of mercy?  Mercy for whom?  Whose life was relieved of its burden because of this event?  Well, maybe there is something to consider there.

     Our Gospel begins, “Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:45-46).  The crowd which was dismissed was the crowd of 5,000 (not including women and children) who were fed with the loaves and fish.  You could make the case that this miracle was unnecessary.  If the crowd had to skip one meal, they would have survived.  In mercy, Jesus fed them anyway.  It was not for show, but it was received as a pretty good show all the same.  I imagine that even Jesus’ disciples, each holding a basket of surplus loaves and fish, said to each other, “That was pretty cool!”

     After the leftovers had been collected, Jesus ordered his disciples back into the boat.  He did not go with them.  He bid farewell to the crowd and dismissed them in an orderly fashion.  Then he went up to the mountain top to pray to his heavenly Father.

     Jesus’ prayer is usually overlooked.  We take for granted that Jesus prayed often.  True enough, but note the time Jesus dedicated to pouring out his concerns and offering up intercessions to his heavenly Father.  The crowds were dismissed in the evening, probably before the sun went down about 6:00 PM.  And when did Jesus meet his disciples?  St. Mark wrote, “about the fourth watch of the night” (Mark 6:48).  The Romans divided the night into four watches of three hours each.  The last watch of the night, the fourth one, would have been from 3:00 – 6:00 AM.  That means Jesus was engaged in prayer for perhaps eight hours!  He had a lot to pray about—his mission to be our sacrifice for sins, for his disciples, for the crowd, for his enemies, for all the people of Israel, for all the people of the world, and more.

     I don’t know if any of us has the stamina to devote eight hours to Bible study, meditation, and prayer.  Most Christians do not devote even eight minutes to prayer!  There is a lot that you can pray for in just a few minutes, and we all have a lot to pray for.  What are your concerns and fears?  What temptations do you fight against?  Who seems to fight against you?  What about your loved ones?  What burdens are they carrying?  What blessings can you give thanks for?  What about our leaders?  Rather than treat them with scorn, how about praying that God would grant them wisdom and direct them to act according to his will?  If you really cannot think of anything to pray about, which is impossible, get a membership list and pray for each member of our congregation.  That will be time well spent.

     After hours in prayer, Jesus returned from the mountain and headed out to the lake.  Jesus walked on the water to meet them.  In fact, he was giving the impression that he was about to pass them by.  But again, we ask, “Why?  What was the point of this miracle?”  It seems the disciples’ reaction gives us the answer.  When they saw Jesus, none of them was pointing to him and saying, “Wow!  That is so cool!”  Rather, “when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified” (Mark 6:49-50). 

     The sea has always produced hair-raising stories among sailors.  Many have stories of strange sights and unexplained occurrences.  The seasoned fishermen among the apostles probably had their own stories to tell.  And here, out in the waters of Galilee, they saw a figure walking out to them.  They saw the figure, but the grey of dawn did not allow them to recognize who it was.  But since this figure was coming right at them, they cried out in terror.

     “But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased” (Mark 6:50-51).  Jesus showed his disciples that he is more than a prophet who can do cool things.  He proved that he is none other than God in the flesh.  For, who else can circumvent the laws of nature because he has control over them?  Rather than confess, “This is cool!”, the disciples were given reason to confess, “This is God!”  Even Jesus’ greeting said as much.  The phrase, “It is I”, is literally in the Greek, “I am.”  While “It is I” is an acceptable translation, Jesus identified himself correctly with “I AM.”  He spoke the name of the Lord because he IS the Lord who came to them.  God the Son joined them in their fears and struggles.

     “Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).  Even though they were face to face with God, they did not need to be terrified before him.  He spoke words of comfort, and then—THEN!—he joined them in the boat.  He settled in among them and made himself one with them.  He did not pass them by because they did not understand about the loaves.  He did not avoid them because they were slow to confess that he is God.  Instead, God the Son joined them in their fears and struggles.

     Jesus has done as much and more for you.  That is not to say if you place a “Mayday!” call at sea that Jesus will suddenly walk out to you.  That is not to say that Jesus will relieve you of every fear or struggle you have.  In fact, Jesus might deem it good for you to bear up under your struggles or to pray and battle over your fears.  It might be good for you to have reasons to call upon the Lord for strength and hope.  You won’t think it is good because you still have fears and struggles.  But God the Son joins you in your fears and struggles.  He does not ignore you or pass you by.  He does not despise you because you are weak or even because you fail.  He assures you, “Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50). 

     God the Son has especially joined himself to you in becoming a human being, just as you are.  This is how he gets into the boat with us.  He takes on our flesh, submitting himself to a world of mockery, jealousy, fickleness, and betrayal—and that was from his own family and friends!  Then there were his enemies—slandering him when he healed the sick, trying to entrap him with no-win questions, and pouring on scorn as his blood-soaked body endured the agony of crucifixion.  Jesus saw family and friends die.  He saw his countrymen oppressed by Roman soldiers.  God the Son knows what a sinful world we live in because he joined us in our fears and struggles.  He got in the boat with us.

     More importantly, God the Son became the Son of Man to redeem us from our own sins.  He does not despise us because we are slow to understand, are afraid, or have struggles.  Rather than pass us by because of our sins, he comes to deliver us from them.  Jesus took up the cross for all the times we found fault with God that he does not take away our struggles and make life easier.  Jesus endured crucifixion for our fear of losing earthly blessings more than we fear, love, and trust in God.  Jesus stood under the curse of his heavenly Father, taking into himself all the punishment for our sins.  And upon rising from the dead, Jesus declared peace and forgiveness to his disciples.  He declares peace and forgiveness to you.  He says, “Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).  He does not come to strike fear, but to join us in our fears and struggles.

     God the Son joins us in our fears and struggles, and he assures us that there is really nothing to be afraid of.  If he is with us, he brings salvation to us.  If he is with us, he shows us a loving Father who desires us to be with him as his own beloved children.  We ought to fear God above everything because justice means that he should damn us, but Jesus has taken away our sins.  He has removed God’s wrath.  He has proved that God is on your side.  God the Son joins us in our fears and struggles.  He joins us as our flesh-and-blood brother.  And since he has joined himself to us, he assures us that we will join him in death, in resurrection, and in heavenly glory.  No struggles you face can erase that promise.  No fears you have can overrule God’s gracious decree.

     God the Son joins us in our fears and struggles.  He joins himself to you in a visible, smellable, tangible, and tastable way in the Eucharist.  He who delivers you from sin and death, who alleviates fears, and who gives you strength to endure your struggles gives himself to you.  His body and blood are given to you to enable you to endure this wicked world, to give you the promise of divine peace, and to sustain you with the hope of heaven.  He says, “Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).  “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

     Once you and I enter the heavenly kingdom, we will enjoy all the bountiful blessings of Jesus.  He will put an end to all fears.  For, there will be nothing to threaten you.  He will put an end to all struggles.  Jesus will provide eternal healing.  As Jesus’ miracles prefigured, in the heavenly kingdom, there are no blind or deaf or lame.  There will be no mental anguish or emotional stress.  And in the heavenly kingdom, there will be no end to God’s goodness.

     God the Son has joined us in the boat.  He came to be with us, and he will bring us to be with him.  God the Son has joined us in our fears and struggles, and he will bring us through them into endless peace. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

YouTube -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 13, 2023)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 13, 2023.  You may want to forward to the 3:40 mark for the beginning of the service.

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 13, 2023)

MATTHEW 14:23-22

THE ONLY SURE FOOTING IS ON GOD’S WORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Bible records many miracles of Jesus, and they are all amazing.  They made Jesus very popular, and people spoke well of him.  However, none of Jesus’ miracles were done for the sake of showmanship.  Jesus did not come to be a performer.  His miracles were acts of mercy, usually bringing healing and relief to the diseased, the disabled, and the demon-possessed. 

     That makes this miracle a bit of a head-scratcher.   Why did Jesus walk on the water?  He could have walked along the shore like the crowds he had dismissed.  He could have found another boat to sail in.  Or he could have told his disciples, “I am going up the hill to pray.  Wait here.  When I return, we can sail across the sea together.”  Jesus could have done any of those.  Instead, “He made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side” (Matthew 14:22). 

     Jesus spent hours on the mountain praying to his Father.  At the same time, the disciples were straining at the oars with the waves pushing against them.  It does not appear to have been life threatening, but it made progress difficult.  Then Jesus descended the mountain to meet his disciples … in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.  “In the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25).

     When the disciples saw Jesus, they were terrified.  Can you blame them?  What would you do if you were out on Lake St. Clair and saw someone walking out to you at 4 am?  Jesus immediately calmed their fears.  “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid’” (Matthew 14:27).  When we urge a hysterical person, “Calm down,” very rarely do our words get them to calm down.  However, when Jesus speaks words to dispel fear, his word imparts the very courage it calls for.  As long as they stood on Jesus’ words, they had sure footing.

     Peter called for further assurance from Jesus.  Jesus had identified himself, “It is I,” or more literally, “I AM” (Matthew 14:27), which is the name of the Lord.  The Lord was with them.  But Peter wanted more.  “‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  He said, ‘Come.’  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus” (Matthew 14:28-29).  Once again, the words of Jesus produced what they said.  The summons, “Come,” enabled Peter to get out and walk on the water like Jesus did. 

     Unfortunately, Peter observed all kinds of reasons to not trust the words of Jesus.  “When he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink” (Matthew 14:30).  Peter felt the strong wind pelting him.  He saw the waves pounding around him.  He may have reasoned, “What am I doing out here?  People can’t walk on water!”  Everything Peter observed was accurate.  All his senses and all his experiences told him that fear was a proper reaction.  He abandoned the solid footing of God’s word for his own reasoning and feelings.  Therefore, he sank.  He had asked Jesus to uphold him on the water.  Jesus had given him a word to do just that, but Peter did not trust it.  The only sure footing is on God’s word.

     We share Peter’s little faith when it comes to God’s promises, and for the same reasons.  We look at society and see division, hostility, and confusion.  We experience betrayal, hardship, and loss.  We recognize just how fragile our health is.  Anxiety and fear cripple us because the world is full of problems, and they are all real.  We even become anxious about things that have not happened but might.  We focus on the problems and lose focus on God’s promises.  We sink in panic or despair.  If there is any good that comes out of such fears, we repeat the prayer that Peter uttered, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). 

     The only sure footing is on God’s word.  It doesn’t mean that God will take away all the problems.  It means that God will sustain us, strengthen us, and comfort us despite the problems that swarm around us.  Jesus’ words did not stop the wind or calm the waves.  Rather, they allowed Peter to walk on the water despite the wind and the waves.  In the same way, God’s word does not make the world less chaotic or wicked.  A broken and dying world will remain broken and dying until Jesus liberates it on Judgment Day.  Sinners will go on proving they are sinners.  But God’s word enables you to stand firmly and confidently in the midst of the chaos and wickedness.  Jesus enables you to conduct yourself with calmness while others drown in panic.

     The only sure footing is on God’s word.  But that means you need to know the promises which provide comfort, confidence, and calmness.  You also need to know what God has not promised lest you think God has failed you when he did not do what you assumed he would.  For example, Peter was able to walk on water because Jesus had given him a specific promise for just this incident.  If Peter had sailed out to the middle of the Sea of Galilee the following week and stepped overboard, he would have had to tread water.  Peter had no promise that he could forever after walk on water. 

     The Lord has made many promises.  We study the Scriptures so that we can rely on them and find comfort in them.  Let’s consider just one.  In our epistle reading, we heard, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).  This promise provides endless comfort to us.  It assures us that God knows what he is doing.  It assures us that whatever God sends into our lives, whatever he allows in this world, whatever chaos or confusion or catastrophe we must endure, he works out it for our eternal good.  This promise is solid footing for your life.

     This promises is shaky only because you and I have specific ideas about what we think would be good for us.  Some are selfish.  Some are sensible.  Generally, we think of what will benefit us right now—lack of strife, lack of stress, notoriety, prosperity, entertainment, and pleasure.  And by tonight, please.  God, however, always thinks of the eternal picture.  His goal is to bring you to heavenly glory.  That might mean it is best for you right now to suffer loss or disease or bitterness.  God does not promise that it will be fun, but it will be good for getting you to the eternal goal.  Even through hardship, the only sure footing is on God’s word.

     A number of you followed the story of Finneas Bater, a two-year old boy who had a brain tumor.  Now, I don’t think anyone would call a tumor good.  Because it isn’t.  It is a mutation of cells and is destructive to the body.  Finneas’ parents had plans for him to grow up and do great things with his life.  It was certainly not for nine months of chemotherapy and extended stays at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.  Finneas’ parents prayed that he would be free from cancer and live a long life.  As it turns out, God answered their prayers, but not as they had hoped.  Finneas was baptized as an infant because his parents knew that one day, Finneas would die.  He was cleansed of sin through baptism so that he would enter heavenly glory at his death.  Who knew that that would happen before his third birthday?  So, even something as brutal as a brain tumor God used for Finneas’ good.  Today, Finneas is free from cancer, free from harsh treatments, and free from sorrow.  Today, Finneas does not merely have a long life; Finneas lives forever with Jesus.  His little body awaits the resurrection from the dead when he will be raised with a body that will never be subjected to disease or death again.  Finneas’ parents will grieve his loss for a long time.  Yet, even in the face of cruel death, this promise remains true: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).  Their world may have crumbled, but God’s word remains sure footing.

     The only sure footing is on God’s word.  That’s because nothing can shake God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s faithfulness.  That was proven to us by Jesus.  Jesus lived in this chaotic world among confused and conniving people.  In faithful love, Jesus did everything to deliver sinners from a world which makes promises it cannot keep.  Jesus delivers to us a peace which the world cannot give.  Everything in the world is deceptive and uncertain.  Your money will fail you.  Your health will fail you.  Even friends and family may fail you.  The Lord Jesus does not.  He has taken away every sin from you so that you will not be condemned—even sins of doubting God’s promises because of difficult circumstances.  Jesus was condemned at the cross for you; you receive a full pardon.  Then Jesus rose from the dead.  He lives and reigns over all things, even death and the grave.  Death is not as certain as you think.  The grave has to give you back at the command of Jesus.  So, not even death can shake God’s promises.  The only sure footing is on God’s word.

     The Lord had given Peter a specific promise which gave Peter sure footing on a turbulent sea.  Sadly, Peter was more convinced by his circumstances than he was by the word of the Lord.  So, Peter began to sink.  He cried out, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30), which is always a good prayer.  And Jesus did.  Then Jesus rebuked Peter: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).  Jesus did not let Peter plunge to the depths of the sea, as if to let Peter get what he deserved.  Rather, “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him” (Matthew 14:31).  Even if Peter was one of little faith, Jesus remained faithful.

     Perhaps you have little faith.  Perhaps you are dismayed by the chaos in this world.  Perhaps your life is a bit of a mess.  The Lord does not promise to remove the chaos.  What he does promise in the midst of the chaos is that he will be faithful to you.  He will not abandon you in your fears or doubts or anxiety.  He will provide a peace that the world cannot give.  And he will work all these things for your eternal good.

     The only sure footing is on God’s word.  The world may fall apart.  In fact, it will.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  Everything in this world will fail you in the end.  But the word of the Lord endures, and so do those who rest upon it.  In the end, Jesus will bring you into his everlasting kingdom of peace and glory.  Rest assured; you have his word on that.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

YouTube -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 21, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, August 21, 2022.

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 21, 2022)

From the Pen of St. Paul

COLOSSIANS 3:1-11

WE ARE FOCUSED ON CHRIST.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Jesus told a parable about a rich farmer who became much richer because of a bumper crop.  Since his barns were too small to contain his whole harvest, he built bigger barns.  He secured his fortune, and he chose to enjoy the rest of his life in leisure and luxury.  We could argue that this man had achieved the American dream. 

     You’ve probably heard it said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”  That’s because God often has different plans for us.  And often, God’s plans are the opposite of what we want.  Our plans focus on ourselves, our desires, and our glory.  In his mercy and wisdom, God may redirect us or God may dispose of our plans altogether.  In the case of the rich farmer, his plans were, “Relax, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19).  God’s plans were, “Fool!  This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be” (Luke 12:20)?  Then Jesus explained why we should regard this man as a fool instead of with envy: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20).

     St. Paul picks up on this thought, although Paul’s words are not so much focused on money.  St. Paul urges us to focus on Jesus above any worldly effort or accumulation.  He begins, “If then you have been raised with Christ…” (Colossians 3:1).  Paul is not calling into question the faith of the Colossians or of you.  Perhaps a better translation would be “since.”  It is like saying, “If the Democrats control Congress…”; they do.  Since they do, whatever you say afterwards should be true.  So, since “you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).  Then St. Paul tells you why we are to be focused on Christ.  “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). 

     When you were baptized into Christ, united himself to you.   He took what is yours—your sin and guilt—and died under God’s wrath in your place.  His death is your death.  And Jesus gives you what is his.  His life is your life.  His glory is your glory.  His path is your path.  Jesus is the way through this life and into the next.  Just as Jesus lived in humility and weakness, so now do you.  Like you, Jesus lived in a world of stubbed toes, splinters, blood, sweat, and tears.  Like Jesus, you also endure insults, mockery, and people who disappoint and frustrate you.  Fleshly bodies are feeble, frail, and mortal.  Just as there is nothing about your appearance which is glorious, so also the prophet Isaiah foretold about Jesus, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).

     Jesus suffered and died in humility and weakness.  The image of Jesus on the cross, if it is accurately portrayed, should make you avert your eyes.  His bleeding, naked, frail body being pulled lifeless from the cross is pathetic.  The only reason you find it endearing is because you know that his death is the payment for all your sins.  It did not look glorious; it looked grotesque.  But on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead with a glorified body.  He is no longer subject to death or weakness or struggles.  Jesus lives, forever free from death, forever untouched by the schemes of wicked men, forever over Satan and all demonic forces.  Jesus lives and reigns in glory.  His glory was witnessed by the apostles.  His glory will be seen by all creation when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.

     We are focused on Jesus because he is the way to our glorious future.  “For your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).  For now, your glory is hidden.  Yes, you are the children of God.  Yes, you are the heirs of the heavenly kingdom.  But that is not evident now.  These things are yours by faith.  When Jesus comes again, we and all the world will see and know this glory to be true.  We will think, act, and appear as the glorious children of God Jesus says we are.  We will be like Jesus.  As it was with Jesus, so it is with us: The glory comes at the resurrection from the dead.  We are focused on Jesus so that we are assured of the glory hidden now and the glory to be received when he comes again.

     We are focused on Christ.  “Seek the things that are above…  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).  Everything which the world esteems as glorious is passing away.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  The world and all its glory will pass away, so why invest yourself in that or boast about it?  Why build your kingdom here when “here” will be destroyed by flames?  Why build your kingdom now when “now” is momentary and eternity is coming?  We are focused on Christ whose kingdom endures forever.

     You have probably heard it said that some Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.  That can happen.  Although this world is passing away, we still live in it.  We do not seek its glory; our glory is that we serve for the good of others.  We do not take our focus off Christ to do it.  In fact, we can’t.  To serve in a God-pleasing way, we must keep focused on the heavenly things—the kingdom and the word of God.  This is how the Holy Spirit informs and inspires our attitudes and behavior.  In order to serve in a way that glorifies our Lord, we keep our focus on Christ.

     St. Paul shows us how: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth” (Colossians 3:5-8).  The sinful nature still clings to us.  It still influences us to revert to worldly words and actions.  It never produces anything profitable or beneficial, so it must never be rewarded.  It must be put to death.

     St. Paul mentions a number of sinful attitudes that are common to mankind, and he calls you to put them away.  We will limit our focus to anger and wrath.  What is it that makes you angry?  It is likely something or someone which prevents you from getting your way.  Now there may be occasions when your anger is justified.  For example, when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, he saw the people of Israel engaged in the wicked and perverse worship of a golden calf.  In his anger, Moses slammed the tablets to the ground and shattered them.  Then he pulverized the golden calf, scattered the gold residue in the water, and made the Israelites drink it.  In all of this, Moses was not seeking his own glory or trying to get his way.  He saw the people under his care abandoning the living God for a dead idol, exchanging glory for shame, and abandoning heaven for hell. 

     Our anger is rarely stirred up by such noble motives.  We are enraged when the slow car is in the far left lane.  We snarl when our text does not get answered for more than 30 minutes.  We are upset when no one notices that the dishes are done or the laundry is folded.  We get angry because we assume that every inconvenience is a sign of disrespect.  We fume because people are not as focused on us and our problems and our achievements as we are.  Repent.  Unchecked anger turns into shouting, threats, violence, and murder.  Anger and wrath have not benefited your neighbor, and they have not made your life any better either.

     Our Lord Jesus Christ has valid reasons to be angry with us for our selfish, worldly ways.  But he does not treat us as our sins deserve.  He is merciful.  He died under God’s wrath to pay the price for ours.  Having rescued us, Jesus calls us to put our sins to death.  Focused on Christ, we “put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).  Sin cannot be ignored, or it will ensnare you.  It must be put off by daily repentance.  We cast off our old ways, and our Lord renews us day by day.  The Holy Spirit works in us so that we live with our minds set on things above.  That does not mean we think of angels, harps, and clouds.  It means that we want to be like Jesus.

     We are focused on Christ as we live in a world that rejects his word and mocks godly living.  As we had considered before, Jesus lived in such a world and yet was faithful to the Father.  Jesus served many people who were only interested in his miracles and thought little of the words of eternal life.  Jesus did good to them anyway.  We are focused on Christ; so, we also serve our fellow man.  Even if our service is despised, we do good anyway.  Jesus confessed the truth before others because he desired to save them.  Some slandered Jesus for his testimony.  They plotted his death.  When they put him under oath, they made him confess that he is the Christ, the Son of God, so that they could condemn him for blasphemy.  Jesus made the good confession, and then died for the sins of all—for sins of anger, impurity, obscenity, and every evil deed and desire.  We are focused on Christ; so, we also confess the truth and expose the devil’s lies.  We confess no matter how much the world hates the truth—first, because we love God’s truth and second because the only hope anyone has of being saved is to hear that truth.  We are focused on Christ.  He is the only source of life in a dying world.  He maintains faithful love in a world of failed promises.  He guarantees the only glory that will endure.

     We are focused on Christ.  His mercy endures, his kingdom is eternal, and his promises are unshakable.  Everything else will pass away, so we need not cling to earthly glories, and we dare not let earthly desires cling to us.  Since “you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).  Soon enough, you will live and reign with him in everlasting glory.  So it will be with everyone whose treasure is Jesus and is rich toward God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

YouTube -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 8, 2021)

Here is the service from August 8, 2021.

YouTube -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 16, 2020)

 Here is the service from August 16, 2020.  Rev. Mike Bater is filling in.

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 25, 2019)

LUKE 12:13-21

GUARD YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The church where I served my vicar year is in Jenera, Ohio.  My supervising pastor, I have learned since then, adds a Scripture verse to every letter he sends to his children.  It comes from the third epistle of St. John: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4)  Without a doubt, there are many things that bring parents joy about their children.  We want our children grow up to be productive, successful, well-adjusted people.  I think any parent would be proud of a child who excels in a career, is recognized by awards, earns a lucrative income, and enjoys a good family life.  Ask anyone how they would describe the good life, and they will list such things as healthy families, fine food, luxurious homes, nice wardrobes, and glamorous vacations. 
     But of all the things that you might desire for your children, your family, your friends, what could be of greater importance than what St. John wrote: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4)  Whatever God gives us in this world will pass away.  No matter what you accumulate in this life, you will have to give it up, whether prizes or possessions.  The only thing that we are given in this world that we have a chance to see in eternity are the people we know.  And there is no way for anyone to enter heaven except through faith in Jesus and his truth.  So, whether you are well-to-do or just scraping by, whether you are praised for accomplishments or anonymously doing your duty, there is no greater treasure that you can have than your faith in Jesus.  Therefore, guard your most treasured possession.
     Still, when we think of the good life, it usually comes down to this: money.  If we have money, then we have the good life.  We fear and love and trust our wealth more than all things.  We trust that money will solve our problems.  We love what money can gain for us.  We fear losing it, and we dread the future if we think the money will not be there.  This is nothing but idolatry.  We continually crave more and more money.  It is a craving which is never satisfied.  It defies God and it ends up in death. 
     This was illustrated by Jesus when a man came to him with an urgent plea.  Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (Luke 12:13)  To be fair, I am guessing this man had a legitimate complaint.  This man seems to have been cheated out of his portion of his father's inheritance.  So, he appealed to Jesus.  But (Jesus) said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14)  Jesus' role is not to assure you that you get your fair share of wealth.
     Then Jesus said to (the crowds), “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)  Like the man who craved his share of the estate, we also crave wealth.  We labor and scheme and plan to accumulate as much as we can so that our world will be much better—better for us, that is.  Our efforts are not concerned about others.  It is an on-going effort to establish our own little kingdoms in this world.  When we think of the good life, we think of this world and our comfort in it.  It does not take much to forget that the goal of our life is not to make this world our home but to look for a better dwelling with Jesus.  Guard your most treasured possession.
     To illustrate this, Jesus told the parable about the farmer who was blessed with a bumper crop.  He had harvested so much that his barns could not hold it all.  As he assessed his situation, he did not consider the needs of his neighbors.  He did not concern himself with God who had blessed him with his harvest.  This man devoted his goods to himself.  He trusted in his possessions to give him a comfortable life for years to come.  He knew how to stretch his wealth for his own good, and his wealth allowed him to settle into the good life we all crave.  It was the best first century 401k plan around.  Many would consider him a good business man and envy his plans.  But Jesus demonstrated his man's foolishness and misplaced trust.  “God said to him, ‘Fool!  This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:30-31)  
     The reality is that we will all lose what has been given to us.  We come into this world with nothing.  God chooses to bless us—sometimes with much, sometimes with little.  We depart from this world, and all of our blessings will be lost.  All are gifts and are to be used for the glory of God and the good of others.  If you devote yourself to the riches of this world and are not rich toward God, you will lose your kingdom in this world and have no part of the kingdom of heaven either.  Therefore, guard your most treasured possession which is your faith in Jesus.
     If you are going to be rich toward God, then understand that it is God himself who gives you these riches.  Just as the man in the parable did not create his own crops, so you do not create your own faith.  Just as it was God who blessed the man in the parable with his worldly riches, so it is only God who can give you heavenly riches.  Therefore, to be rich toward God, you come to the place where God enriches you with mercy, forgiveness, life, and salvation.  And to guard the riches he has given you, you continue to come to Christ to be enriched all the more.  If you are going to be children who walk in the truth, then you must dedicate yourself to hearing and learning God's truth, to fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things.  ALL things.  Guard your most treasured possession.
     Dear fellow Christians, Jesus has regarded you as a treasure to be won for his kingdom.  In order to redeem you, Jesus came to earth to sacrifice everything.  He purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  Your worth is not determined by your bank account.  Rather, the Lord has showed you that your are worth the sacrifice of the Son of God.  You are highly esteemed.  God has decreed it.  This is your most treasured possession.  Guard it!
     Behold: The good life is realized only in Jesus.  He supplies all that you crave.  He has put you in a blessed family, the Church.  He feeds you with heavenly delicacies which bestow forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation.  He clothes you with robes of righteousness.  He prepares mansions in heaven for you.  He will deliver you from a sinful world and assures you of a glamorous, glorious kingdom which endures forever.  Neither Dave Ramsey nor Charles Schwab can promise you that.  Guard your most treasured possession.  And if your wealth is drawing your attention away from this, get rid of it.  It is only harming you, and it can do much good for others.
     Guard your most treasured possession, which is your faith in Christ.  And as you continue to be enriched by God's word and sacraments, the Lord will continue to guard and keep you in his kingdom.  For, you are God's treasured possession, redeemed by the holy blood of Jesus.  Jesus continues to enrich you by his promises which are preached to you in words and which are delivered to you in the sacraments.
     In 100 years, you will not care what your worldly riches or reputation were.  The world may be impressed if you end up accomplishing and accumulating much.  Although, if they sing your praises in eulogies and tributes, you won't be around to hear it.  But what will have everlasting value is this: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4)  If you walk in God's truth, you may not hear the world's praises, but you will hear Jesus Christ say of you: “This one is mine.  I have covered your guilt with my innocent life.  I have purchased and won you with my precious blood.  I have loved you and preserved you through your earthly life.  Now, enter my heaven and enjoy boundless riches and glory.  All this, the Father has been pleased to give you, and he is pleased to have you here.”
     If you desire to have such a blessed judgment, then guard your most treasured possession.  For that judgment has been proclaimed upon you by Christ already.  It is declared to you again and again from altar, pulpit, and font.  If you crave this, then you will be satisfied in every way—both for this life and for eternity.  And that is the good life.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 5, 2018)

EPHESIANS 4:17-24

WE ARE CONTINUALLY RENEWED, BY GRACE .

In the name + of Jesus.

     Christians are different.  You don't need to feel bad about saying so, and you don't need to apologize for it, because Jesus did say so.  To say we are different is not to say we are better.  We know better than that.  We confess what the Scriptures teach: There is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:22-23)  We are no better than anyone else; for we are sinners, just like everyone else.  But by acknowledging that you are a sinner, you are different.  You make confession of your sins, but not merely to acknowledge them.  Most people will say that much.  “Nobody's perfect.”  But that is not a confession; it is an excuse.  Your confession is not an excuse.  God is not pleased with our sins.  Neither are we. 
     We confess that we are by nature corrupt.  Our sinful nature displays itself when we do what is evil and fail to do what is good.  We confess that we deserve God's wrath for our sinful condition and our sinful deeds.  God does not find our sins acceptable.  We do not find them acceptable, either.  In fact, we want to be rid of them—forever. 
     God has rescued you from your sinful condition.  Jesus has come to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)  In that way, you are not different, either.  God does not love a few.  God loves the world.  But “whoever believes and his baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)  These are the ones who benefit from Jesus' saving work.  Jesus suffered what you deserve so that you will not suffer for your sins.  Jesus died the cursed death at the cross so that you will have a blessed death.  Death does not mean hell; for Jesus overcame the grave by his resurrection.  He promises that you, too, will rise from the dead with a glorified body to live in glorious freedom forevermore.  You will not merely be free from aches and pains and sorrow, but you will be forever free from your sins, from shame, from regret, and from every other thing that vexes us because of sin.  Though “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), much of the world rejects God's love.  You are different.  By God's grace, you believe in Jesus.  You are baptized into him.  You are saved.
     Your salvation, however, is not limited to what will come down the road someday.  Jesus not only pardons your offenses, he has also rectified the very corruption in your nature sinful.  Jesus has renewed your very heart, mind, and soul from which all thoughts, words, and deeds arise.  In your baptism, your sinful nature was put to death with Jesus.  He drowned your Old Adam in the baptismal waters and he raised you up a new creation.  He has wrapped you in robes of righteousness so that you are holy and blameless before God, and he has renewed your heart and mind so that you are no longer devoted to this world, but rather you are focused on heavenly things.  This is not what you will be someday; it is what you are now.
     We are continually being renewed, by grace.  You are a new creation, and St. Paul urges you to live like one.  He writes: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)  
     Our world has always been tolerant of evil, and even celebrates it.  If you go to a concert and the rock star boasts about his most recent sexual conquest, the audience will roar with approval.  Movies have trained us to cheer for the adulterous affair and feel good when the marriage gets destroyed.  Binge drinking is considered admirable.  Living together outside of marriage is considered wise.  And we build our own virtue in seeing the faults of others exposed.  In short, wickedness is common, it is commended, and it is celebrated.  If you play along, the world will praise you.
     But you are different.  God has enlightened you to see that this worldly thinking is futile.  The world promises happiness for giving into sensuality, for being greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Ephesians 4:19)  Whatever gratification you may get does not last.  What does last is guilt, regret, shame, and the fear of the death you deserve for what you have done.  This world seeks to enforce its perverse values on us.  The pressure is great to give in to worldly ways.  It is expected of you, and you are mocked if you are different.  But you are different.  You don't need to feel bad about saying so.  You should not be ashamed for living like it.  And you surely don't need to apologize for it.  You have been set apart by Christ to be different.
     In our struggle to be faithful, and because of our weakness which results in giving into worldly pressures and pleasures, we need Jesus who continually renews us.  Day after day, we live a life of repentance.  Day after day, we flee to our Savior for mercy, comfort, and strength.  St. Paul reminds us that this daily renewal is not optional.  He writes, “You … were taught in (Christ) … to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:21-24)  
     We are continually renewed by grace.  The Lord renews our hearts and minds so that we agree with God's word.  What God calls evil, we recognize as evil and despise it.  We flee from it, and we root it out of our lives.  But it is more than that.  It also means that what God calls good we recognize is truly good, and we strive to do it.  This is what it means to put on the new self.
     If you had a garden full of weeds, you would rightly want to pull every weed out of it.  Weeds make for a useless garden.  However, after you uproot every weed, it doesn't mean you have a productive garden.  You would only have a plot of dirt.  To have a productive garden, you need to plant good seed and cultivate it.  You need to keep removing weeds and to keep on tending and watering the good seed so that it produces good, useful food.  In the same way, putting off the old self in repentance is only part of our daily life.  It is right to repent of sins, but we also need to put on the new self—to cultivate our lives with good works, and to labor to continue in them.  Our Catechism also teaches this.  In his explanation of the Commandments, Martin Luther teaches that God's will is both to avoid and to do good.  “We should fear and love God that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, or give him a bad name, but defend him, speak well of him, and take his words and actions in the kindest possible way.” (Small Catechism, Explanation of the 8th Commandment)
     We are continually renewed by grace.  Day by day, we return to our baptism to drown the Old Adam who desires what is sinful, and God raises us up anew.  This is how we put on the new self.  Day after day, the Lord assures us that we remain his redeemed and that we stand before the heavenly Father as holy and blameless.  He not only calls us holy and blameless, he also calls us to be holy and blameless.  In this, we struggle.  The Lord, however, does not grow tired of our weaknesses, or that we never live up to status of saints.  Instead, the Lord renews us.  He keeps us in his kingdom.  He encourages us to fight against sin and temptation.  He fills our hearts will a love for what is pure, what is noble, what is good, and what is pleasing to him. 
     We are continually renewed by grace.  We drown the Old Adam in repentance, and the Lord restores and renews us in his forgiveness.  By his word, he continues to conform us to the likeness of Christ.  He teaches us to love him and his word more deeply.  And as the Lord conforms you to Christ, he guides you to love what is good and to love your neighbor and to do good to him.  While the world may recognize that this makes you different, you recognize that it makes you more like Jesus.
     Christians are different.  You don't need to feel bad about saying so.  You should not be ashamed for living like it.  And you surely don't need to apologize for it.  You have been set apart by Christ to be different—set free from sin and death, and set free for a new life of good works and, finally, glory everlasting.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (July 31, 2016)

ECCLESIASTES 1:2; 2:18-26

APART FROM CHRIST,

IT IS ALL IN VAIN.

In the name + of Jesus.

      To read the words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, you would think that Solomon was one of the most dour and depressing people the world has ever known.  The reality is that Solomon is one of the richest people the world has ever known.  Solomon's annual income in gold was measured by tons.  In the days of King Solomon, silver was considered to have little value because there was so much of it.  In addition to his wealth and to his prestige as king, Solomon also engaged in many impressive building projects.  His most famous, of course, was the temple of the Lord.
     Despite all of that, Solomon was a realist.  He knew that the day would come when he would die.  When that day came, all of Solomon's treasures would be under the care of someone else.  As Solomon pondered it, he thought, “I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?  Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun.  This also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19)  It is as if Solomon were saying, “What's the point?  You spend your life accumulating and collecting, and for what?  Vanity of vanities!  It is all meaningless.”
     Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 1:2)  The word “Vanity” conjures up images of a man who is full of himself—like Carly Simon singing, “You're so vain.”  Instead, the word here is related to the 2nd Commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,” in other words, for no good purpose.  The word, “Vanity,” can also be translated “breath.”  If you think of a frigid January morning when you step outside and let out a giant breath, you see that cloud of vapor.  It hangs in the air for just a moment, and then it is gone.  That is what Solomon says that his toils and treasures were like.  They were a mist, a puff of air, for no enduring purpose.  They were enjoyed for a moment, and then gone.
     In fact, the evangelist James says in his epistle that we ourselves are like this mist: “What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 3:14)  For many people, that is what it all seems to boil down to—get up, go to work, collect a check, pay bills, and then repeat for decades on end.  All earthly toils, labors, and treasures are vanity and a striving after wind.
     Now, if this is all Solomon had to say, then he is the most dour and depressing man on earth.  Sadly, many live with this meaningless view of life.  If you count your treasures in dollars or in titles and then you realize how easily you can lose all of these things, you become grieved at how meaningless it all is.  Apart from Christ, it is all in vain.  Apart from Christ, there is nothing but to focus on how many treasures and pleasures you can accumulate in this world—and then you leave it all to someone else.  But God did not design life to be a pointless existence.  God gives you a treasure that is far better and more valuable than anything you can collect in this world.
     Apart from Christ, it is all in vain.  But you are not apart from Christ.  In our Gospel, Jesus reminds us, “One's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)  On the contrary, your life consists in this: That Jesus Christ has taken possession of you!  The Lord was made man in order to exalt mankind.  He took on flesh and, in doing so, did not hoard the possessions that were rightly his as true God.  Jesus instead left the glories of heaven to take a place in this sin-corrupted earth.  Jesus gave up his time to people who were eager to see him, hear him, and begged for him to heal them.  Jesus treasured people and gave up all he had to redeem them.  Even the flesh that Jesus took on he gave up for you.  Jesus gave himself into death and his body to the grave in order to redeem you from sin, death, and the devil.  That is because Jesus treasures you!  Jesus ransomed you so that you are God's beloved people.  You are not your own.  You have been bought at a price.  You are God's possession, and so now you possess all of God's blessings—remission of all your sins, knowledge that God's favor rests upon you, wisdom for salvation, and the promise of everlasting glory.
     Apart from Christ it is all in vain.  But you are Christ's.  His bodily death pays for your sins.  And the body that was placed in a grave has also conquered it.  Because of Jesus' resurrection, you are also children of the resurrection.  For you are Christ's possession.  Everything that belongs to Jesus now also belongs to you.  Therefore, life is not one long, painful, and vexing march to the grave.  The grave has been conquered.  It will give you up as surely as it had to give Jesus up.  That is why your treasure is in heaven.  Jesus alone grants life that is not limited to a dying world.  Life is not about the accumulation of goods that go bad or the collection of possessions that slip through your fingers because of theft or storms or a bad economy.  Your treasure is Christ whose love, mercy, and grace never grow weak and never lose value.  His mercy endures forever; that is why your life shall endure forever.  With Christ, you have it all.
     Apart from Christ, it is all in vain.  But with Christ, even your day to day tasks find joy and fulfillment.  King Solomon writes, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)  This is not to say that unbelievers don't have fun or that only Christians are happy people.  (And please don't try to convince someone who does not go to church that he is miserable.  That is vain in both senses of the word.)  Even the most devout Christian can find his work to be drudgery, and think that his life is aimless or his efforts are invisible.  Sometimes, this is just self-pity because the world does not celebrate you.  Other times, it is because you expect that your life is supposed to be some world-changing force.  Unless the Lord has given you some world-changing task, don't expect to change the world.  Besides, what makes you think the task he gives you is unimportant?  The Lord has given you vocations where you get to honor him and serve your neighbor.  And though they don't change the world, God is pleased with them.  However, if you are determined to find your joy from filling your wallet or feeding your ego, you will never be happy.  Apart from Christ, it is all in vain.
     However, your joy comes from being Christ's treasured possession.  That remains true no matter how much or how little you have.  It remains true whether you have your dream job or dread going to work.  It remains true if you are getting awards for your work or never get noticed for your work.  It remains constant no matter what you gain or lose.  The fact is, you are going to lose everything in this world.  Your goods, your loved ones, your abilities, your strength, and finally your breath—it will all pass away.  But the words and promises of God will never pass away.  You are always treasured by Christ and will always remain Christ's possession.  Even when you draw your final breath, the love of Christ will not be withdrawn from you.  For not even death will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)  
     So, if you should lose everything, you have ultimately lost nothing.  Even if you lose your life at a young age or lose a loved one at a young age, you have lost nothing.  God's promises will still stand.  The resurrection will come.  And eternal life is never cut short.  Apart from Christ, it is all in vain.  Apart from Christ, you get no comfort or hope.  But with Christ, you have all things.  By becoming the man who lived, died, and rose for you, Jesus Christ has exalted your humanity so that you are not a mere mist that exists for but a moment.  Rather, you are a precious creation of God whom God has ransomed for eternal life.  The Lord fills with joy and fulfillment which is not measured in worldly possessions or prestige, but rather in divine favor.  Your treasure is in heaven.  For there, you have a Savior who treasures you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 9, 2015)

COLOSSIANS 3:1-11

YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST.  

In the name + of Jesus. 

     Christians are not chameleons.  We do not adapt to our surroundings, changing who we are and how we act depending upon what company we are in.  If you are a child of God, that's not just in church, but wherever you go.  We do not say, “I am going to Vegas, so I am putting my Christian faith and life on the shelf this weekend.”  Nor do we say, “I'm at college.  I will behave myself when I get home.  But while I am on campus, I will do whatever the frat boys do.”  Nor do we say, “When I'm around my fellow church members, I will say the right things; but when I am with my colleagues from work, I will be as raunchy and obscene as anyone.”  If you profess to be a child of God, then you are child of God wherever you go.  And that may very well mean that you will not blend in like a chameleon, but that you will stand out.
     In the reading from Colossians, St. Paul reminds you of you who are.  You have been crucified and raised with Christ.  Your sinful nature has been put to death.  No longer are you a person who is owned and ruled by sin.  You have been redeemed.  You are now a child of God.  Just as Jesus' mercy upon you is not limited to specific times and places, neither are you a child of God for only a specific time and place.  You are a child of God no matter what day or age or place you are at.  That means your salvation is certain no matter what day or age or place you are at.
     It does not always look like you are a child of God.  It probably does not feel like it either.  Daily, you see evidence that says otherwise.  It is no accident that we have a confession of sins every week.  We do not forget that we still need a Savior.  Every week, we hear the absolution by which God forgives all your sins.  When he absolves you, he is assuring you that you are still a child of God.  It is no accident that we invoke God's name at the beginning of every service.  It is a worthy practice to begin and end each day by invoking God's name, too.  By this, we remember that the very name which marked us in baptism marks us still.  You are a child of God—even if it does not look like or feel like it.  That is because your life is hidden with Christ.
     Your life is hidden with Christ, which means that Jesus covers you with his blood and righteousness.  He has rescued you from a world of sin and death and has set you apart as his redeemed.  This is not only your eternal destiny, it is your place now.  And since you bear the status as a child of God, you are also set apart to live like it.
     St. Paul urges you: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:5-8)  As a child of God, you are set apart for godly living.  You are to put behind you all wicked deeds which can be observed by anyone, such as sexual impurity.  But you are also to put to death wicked desires, such as passions and covetousness.  These may be able to be kept hidden before friends, but not before God.
     Though coveting cannot be witnessed, St. Paul equates it with idolatry because covetousness craves what God does not give.  Just as Adam and Eve coveted God's place, so we still do it today.  We are not content with what God has chosen to give to us.  This is idolatry; for we do not believe that God gets it right.  We think we are wiser and that we would do better if we had the authority, if we had the power, if we were God.
     We all covet someone else's blessings.  And so the single man covets another man's wife.  The married man covets the single person's freedom.  Since we envy someone else's popularity, we try to destroy that popularity with slander.  We even covet the sins of the godless, wishing that we could get away with what they do.  We forget that on account of these things the wrath of God is coming. (Colossians 3:6)  Repent.
     Such evil deeds and desires still plague us all.  But now you must put them all away....   Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:8-10)  Your life is hidden with Christ.  Although he has declared you holy and blameless—for you are cleansed by his holy and precious blood—you are still being renewed.  Jesus slowly, continually transforms you so that you become more Christ-like.  The sins are taken off like a filthy garment, and you put on Christ with his godly deeds and desires.  Jesus continues to restore you to the creation he intended you to be—free from sin and wickedness.
     Your life is hidden with Christ.  You are a child of God, and even if you don't think you look like it, the world will take notice.  Though our Constitution tells us that we have the free exercise of religion, society tells us, “You are free to believe whatever you want.  You can go to church and hear your pastor preach whatever he likes.  But don't bring that stuff out here in the real world.  It has no place here.”  But that is impossible for us.  How can we be children of God in this building but nowhere else?  That's like telling a lighthouse-keeper, “I don't care how many lumens you crank out of your Fresnel lens, I just don't want to see it out on the ocean.”  That would make the lighthouse useless.  The Lord Jesus Christ calls on you to let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)  You cannot suppress that light any more than you can stop being a child of God.
     Your life is hidden with Christ.  Chances are, you don't see your life as anything spectacular.  Maybe you don't feel there is anything special about taking care of your family, showing up for work, and doing what is expected of you day after day.  That doesn't sound like glory, but drudgery.  And maybe it seems that there is nothing special about being patient and polite, honest and decent and chaste.  That doesn't sound like glory, but like setting yourself up to be a target.  But your life is hidden in Christ who—even though he was merciful and compassionate—was despised, rejected, and crucified for it.  Though you may think your life is nothing special, others see the light of Christ which shines from you.  Some may respect you for it; others may mock you for it.  But chances are, no one will think it is glorious, not even you.
     Your life is hidden with Christ.  But when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)  At the resurrection, your life will no longer be hidden with Christ.  You, who are called children of God, will actually appear and act like children of God.  You will shine in glory.  You will no longer do battle with temptations or fall into sin.  You will never think about what it will cost you to do what is good and right.  You will never get frustrated that it is so hard to do what is right, and you will never feel guilty that you did not do it.  Rather, you will find unending joy in looking and acting like a child of God..  You will finally be the holy creation that God intended you to be.
     A Christians are not a chameleon.  You are a child of God.  For now, that status is hidden under your frail flesh, just as Jesus' glory was hidden under his battered body and crucified corpse.  Soon, your glory will no longer be hidden.  Just as Jesus' glory was seen at his resurrection, so your will be revealed at last when Jesus returns.  Jesus will reveal you to the world as sons and daughters of God, and he will bring you to eternal life and everlasting glory.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Sermon -- 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 4, 2013)

LUKE 12:13-21

JESUS IS THE ONE WHO ENRICHES US.

In the name + of Jesus.

     You may have noticed that King Solomon was a bit of a downer this morning.  “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)  The word translated “vanity” has the idea of a breath on a cold day.  It is empty and it is fleeting.  That is how Solomon saw life, which is striking because he was a king.  It is how Solomon saw his possessions, which is striking because Solomon was filthy rich.  But Solomon recognized that life does not last forever.  No matter how much stuff you have, eventually you are going to have to leave it to someone else who did not work for it. 

     Though you might cling to your goods with both hands and labor and toil to collect more, they are like a vapor.  What’s worse, when God takes you out of this world and requires your soul from you—for even that is God’s gift to you—your wealth and your possessions will prove to be absolutely worthless and useless to you.  Vanity of vanities!  Utterly meaningless!

     A man spoke to Jesus.  His parents had died, and now he and his brother were in a battle to divvy up their goods.  The fight was over wealth neither one had earned.  But Jesus was not going to play these games.  Moses had already laid down the law.  If this man wanted to enforce the demands of the Law, he would have to appeal to Moses, not to Jesus.  But if he were to appeal to the demands of the Law, it would not help him.  The Law merely exposed his covetousness and greed.

     So Jesus told a parable about a rich man who suddenly became much richer.  His blessings had been a gift of God.  His bumper crop was another gift of God.  He loved his goods, and he loved himself, but he did not love God who gave them.  He wondered, “What shall I do about my crops?  I will make my barns larger.  There I will put my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, ‘Relax.  Eat, drink, and be merry.’”  My, he used the word “my” a lot!  Though the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the rich man claimed his goods and his very soul as his own.  He denied God his rights. 

     God had blessed the rich man with greater riches, but the rich man turned them into a curse.  As long as he had his wealth, he was content.  As long as his barns were full, he was pleased.  But—vanity of vanities!—he went to his grave with full barns and a fat wallet.  Though all he had was from God, he had little or no room for God.  The rich man died impoverished.  He died without wealth, without name, without forgiveness, and without hope.

     Now, the lesson is not hard.  Your riches cannot save you.  They cannot help you.  They will not love you.  The lesson is not hard, but our hearts are.  It is easy to sit here this morning and call the rich man a fool.  Yet, how much does your peace and contentment rest on your bank account?  And if it does, how willing are you to bid farewell to your wealth?  Perhaps you ought to pray, “Heavenly Father, you have blessed me richly.  But I am finding that I am putting my trust in my wealth and finding my truest joys in my possessions.  I am not turning to you for hope.  So, please, I implore you, take it away from me.  It is too much for me, Lord.  Please, wipe it out.”  The sinful flesh will never say such a prayer.  Rather, our prayer is for more goods and bigger barns.  Repent.

     Do not seek comfort in what you have prepared for yourself.  Instead, find your comfort in what Jesus has prepared for you.  Do not put your hope in what has your name on it.  Rather, put your hope in the knowledge that Jesus has put his name on you.  Jesus is the one who enriches you.  He is the one who pours out you God’s good pleasure, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, and God’s salvation.  All that Jesus has done for you, all that Jesus has fulfilled for you, and all that Jesus has promised you can never be lost or stolen or worn out.   

     Jesus is the one who enriches you.  Jesus fills you with peace by making known to you that your place in God’s kingdom is secure.  That place was purchased not with gold or silver, but with Jesus’ holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  Jesus was holy and innocent because he had always and perfectly sought God first.  But Jesus suffered and died for everyone who has not put God first—which is everyone.  Jesus emptied himself of his glory so that you would receive the glories of heaven.  Jesus endured the pains of hell so that you could have the comforts of heaven.  The eternal Son of God gave himself into death so that you could live as children of God forever. 

     Jesus is the one who enriches you.  Jesus is the only one who can grant you eternal blessings.  Now, be sure of this: Everyone on earth will face eternity.  The rich man in the parable, too, received eternal things, but none of them were blessings.  He did not love God or serve him.  Since his heart was opposed to God, he would not be spending his eternity in God’s presence.  That means no blessing, no rest, no peace, and no life.  But Jesus assures you that your eternity will be filled with blessings and rest and life.  Jesus is the one who enriches you.

     Jesus will enrich you, but he already enriches you now.  The peace which you crave is already yours.  You don’t have to live in doubt or fear about God’s love and forgiveness.  God generously delivers it to you.  It was poured upon you when you were baptized.  It is poured into you when you come to the altar for the feast of heaven.  It is applied to you when you are absolved.  You have God’s reminder of it when you cross yourself with every invocation and with every benediction.  You are God’s own.  He has put his name on you.  That peace can never be lost or taken away.

     Jesus is the one who enriches you.  He bestows the blessings of heaven and he bestows your blessings on earth.  Both are good, and both are to be received with thanksgiving.  When you delight yourself in the joys of heaven, then you are able to rightly enjoy the blessings on earth.  King Solomon reminds you: There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?  For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy…. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)  When you know that you are the Lord’s, and when you know that your goods, your time, and your life is in his hands, you can enjoy your life and your blessings.  And you know that when they come to an end, you have really lost nothing.  The everlasting joys, riches, and life are still to come.

     Jesus is the one who enriches you.  For many, there is nothing more heart-rending than losing your stuff.  But for God’s people, you know that it everything is the Lord’s.  He lets you have your wealth and to enjoy it as long as he sees fit.  But the only blessings that truly matter are the ones that you have forever.  Jesus has not short-changed you here.  He enriches you—pouring out peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, comfort, encouragement, and salvation.  Though the Lord may take other blessing from you, he will never take these away.  They are yours because you are his.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.