Sermon -- Lenten Vespers (March 26, 2025)

This sermon was also preached at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Plymouth and St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Belleville on March 12 and March 13, respectively.

PSALM 51:3-4

REFLECTIONS ON REPENTANCE:

Recognizing Against Whom We Sin.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When we think of sins, we often limit ourselves to the second table of the Law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).  One reason is because we can witness these sins.  4^th Commandment: We can observe a child being disrespectful to his or her parents.  5^th Commandment: We can witness a man killing or beating another man.  6^th Commandment: There are usually text messages to prove an extra-marital affair.  7^th Commandment: Police can produce evidence of goods that were stolen from someone’s house.  8^th Commandment: You can hear people slandering the good name of another person or gossiping about what he or she might possibly be up to.  All of these are sins, and all of them can be witnessed.  Charges can be made.  And justice can be meted out according to the severity of the offense.

     But what if my neighbor doesn’t know?  What if my actions do not affect him?  You’ve heard the mantra: “As long as it isn’t hurting anybody, who cares what I do?”  If that is how sins are judged, then the goal is no longer to refrain from doing evil.  The goal is to make sure no one knows.  If there is no evidence, then no one can fault you.  And if no one can find fault with you, can anyone really say there was any sin?  “As long as it isn’t hurting anybody, who cares what I do,” right?

     Wrong.  King David’s confession does not focus on the people he hurt, although he had done a great deal of harm.  The heading of the Psalm acknowledges that: “A psalm by David.  When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba” (Psalm 51:1-2 in Hebrew).  David’s lust for Bathsheba led to his adulterous affair with her.  The resultant pregnancy led to a cover-up.  When the cover-up failed, it led to the plot which arranged for the death of her husband, Uriah, in battle.  David’s sins piled up and left a trail of blood behind him.  David did acknowledge his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah.  “I admit my rebellious acts.  My sin is always in front of me” (Psalm 51:3).  Since he had taken Bathsheba into his house after the death of her husband, her very presence would be a life-time reminder of who she was and how she got there.

     But David’s confession in Psalm 51centered on the first table of the Law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).  His confession was focused on the Lord: “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes” (Psalm 51:4).  Repentance recognizes against whom we sin.  Repentance recognizes that our primary responsibility is to the God who created us and sustains us.  As the author of life and the source of all that is good, God tells us what a good life is and how it is to be lived.  As his creatures, we are accountable to him.  To love the Lord is to trust his word and to do as it says.  Anything that turns away from that is sin. 

     What is sin but a rejection of what God has to say to us?  And if we reject what God has to say, we reject God himself.  Consider what Martin Luther wrote in the Large Catechism.  “What does it mean to have a god? or, what is God?  Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole] heart…  That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god.” (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/large-catechism/#lc-i-0001)  Therefore, any turning away from God’s word is idolatry, that is, setting our hearts on something else.

     David knew this.  He recognized that whatever sin we commit—whether it is known or unknown, whether people suffer because of it, whether people are indifferent toward it, whether people congratulate you for it—whatever sin we commit is a violation of the first table of the Law.  By disobeying his word, we dishonor the God who made us, and we honor something above the Lord.  We show that we love and serve our belly, our wallet, our ego, or our loins.  Even if no one in the world is aware or is hurt by it, God is offended, and his wrath is stoked.  Repent.

     God has revealed his will in his word.  When we hear the word of the Lord, no matter what it is, there is only one of two responses.  Either say, “Amen, this is true” or we say, “Horse fritters; this is false!”  Either we assent to that word and acknowledge that God’s word is true even when it convicts us, or we reject that word and call God a liar.  If we turn from God’s word, we make ourselves our own gods.  We exalt ourselves as the arbiters of what is good and what is evil.  We subject the Lord to our judgment—as if rejecting God’s word excuses us from our duty or from God’s damnation.

     Repentance recognizes against whom we sin.  Therefore, we confess with King David, “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes.  So you are justified when you sentence me.  You are blameless when you judge” (Psalm 51:3-4).  Repentance not only acknowledges that we have sinned against God, but also that God’s judgment is deserved.  I am guilty.  God knows it.  I know it.  So, I rightly admit it and recognize that I deserve whatever punishment God has decreed.  That punishment is banishment from God who is the source of life and all that is good.  No one likes punishment.  No one likes getting a speeding ticket.  No one likes to pay the fine that comes with it.  But if you are clocked at 20 mph over the limit, you cannot fault the police officer for enforcing the Law.  In the same way, we don’t want to experience God’s punishment both now and in eternity, but we must confess with David: “You are justified when you sentence me.  You are blameless when you judge” (Psalm 51:4). 

     We can speak of repentance in a narrow sense, which is sorrow over sins and fleeing from them.  We can also speak of repentance in a wider sense, which includes turning to our Lord for mercy and for hope.  Since our sins are offenses against God, he is the only one who can pardon us for them.  And yet, if God is to be just and his word is to be taken seriously, then there must be a punishment delivered upon the guilty.

     Jesus Christ is the substitutionary sacrifice which enables the Lord to be both just and merciful.  God is just in that he condemned all sin in the sufferings and death of Jesus.  Isaiah declared, “We all have gone astray like sheep.  Each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has charged all our guilt to him.” (Isaiah 53:6).  Rather than slaughtering the wayward sheep, the Lord has slain the Lamb of God; for, he is the one who bears all the guilt.  Bearing our guilt, Jesus testified against whom he was accountable.  Jesus took up David’s confession on behalf of all mankind: “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and I have done this evil in your eyes” (Psalm 51:3).  And how true this is!  For, Jesus had not sinned against any man, woman, or child at any point in his life.  But “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

     Therefore, Jesus suffered abandonment by the one who is the source of life and all that is good.  This meant death and torment.  Jesus testified to this damning abandonment when he cried out at the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46)?  And having said this, Jesus gave himself up into death.  Therefore, God the Father carried out the proper sentence.  The guilty one was denounced, damned, and deceased.  The Father was justified in sentencing him, and blameless in judging him. 

     Behold!  The mercy God has had upon you as a result of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice!  He has not treated us as our sins deserve!  Rather, God the Father has declared a full pardon for all your offenses for the sake of Jesus who endured your punishment for you.  This full and free pardon is what motivated David to write Psalm 51.  David knew he deserved death for his sins.  He had even unwittingly pronounced his own sentence to the prophet Nathan.  But the Lord did not destroy him.  Even though he had shed innocent blood, holy and precious blood was shed for him.  That holy and precious blood has been shed for you as well.  And that holy and precious blood marks you through your baptism.  The Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed you of all sin and guilt by waters which have God’s words and promises attached to them.  Therefore, you will not perish.  Instead, God who is the source of life grants you new life in his kingdom.  Nor will you be abandoned by the God who is the source of all that is good.  Rather, he pours out blessings for your eternal good.

     When our Lord gave both tables of the Law, he prefaced everything with these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, where you were slaves” (Exodus 20:2).  The Lord God had made himself known as a Savior and Deliverer.  Therefore, when he gave his Law, it was not given as a threat: “Love the Lord your God or you’ll burn in hell.”  It was given by a loving God who yearned for people to respond to his love with grateful lives of dedicated service.  “Love the Lord your God because he has redeemed you.  He does good to you.  He seeks good for you.  And his word is good.”  Therefore, we do not love the Lord our God to get him off our backs.  We love the Lord our God because he is on our side.  We do not serve the Lord to make him pleased with us.  We serve the Lord because he was pleased to save us through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

     As we go through life, you will sin against God and others.  Repentance recognizes against whom we sin, and it is good and right to confess your sins and to seek reconciliation.  Even if you do, some may never forgive you.  They may slander you and curse you until the day they die.  But no matter what harsh judgments people utter against you, there is only one judge who matters.  Ultimately, we answer only to him.  Here, we already give our answer.  We confess, “Against you, you only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:3).  And in the name of Jesus, this word is proclaimed: “The Lord has put away your sin; you are not going to perish.”  Because Jesus has taken away your guilt, he is justified in his sentence.  He judges you as blameless; and God does not condemn the innocent.

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

Lenten Vespers 2025

LENTEN

VESPERS

 

2025

 

March 5       ASH WEDNESDAY
                        Divine Service with the Imposition of Ashes
                           Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

March 12     Revealing Our Sinful Nature. (Psalm 51:5)
                         Rev. James Frey, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

March 19      Realizing Our Need for Repentance. (Psalm 51:1-2)
                          Rev. Paul Schaefer, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Plymouth

March 26    Recognizing Against Whom We Sin. (Psalm 51:3-4)
                         Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

April 2          Restored by His Sacrifice. (Psalm 51:14-17)
                         Rev. James Frey, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Belleville

April 9          Removing Our Guilt. (Psalm 51:8-9)
                         Rev. Thomas Schroeder, Good Shepherd, Novi

All services for Lenten Vespers are at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served each Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers #2 (March 20, 2024)

This sermon was also preached on March 13 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Belleville, MI and St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Plymouth, MI.

LUKE 23:26-34

GOD ON TRIAL: Sympathy.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When the Lord Jesus was about to be born, the priest Zechariah proclaimed, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68)!  When Scripture uses the word for visit, it could be an occasion for something very good or something very bad.  It depends upon who is coming to visit and why.  If you hear that your children or grandchildren are coming to visit, you are understandably excited.  If you hear an IRS agent is coming to visit, you are understandably upset.  When the Lord comes to visit, it could be for blessing or for judgment.  Zechariah’s praise reveals that the birth of Jesus is good news of great joy.  The Lord God of Israel comes to redeem them from their sins and to deliver them from death.  He has come to visit his people because he has sympathy on them.

     Some recognized that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior, and they rejoiced.  Others did not recognize it and rejected him.  Of those, some simply walked away; others schemed to destroy him.  Perhaps the most alarming thing about the people who rejected Jesus most vehemently is that they were the Bible scholars.  Of all people, they should have recognized how Jesus was fulfilling all the promises God had made.  At first, Jesus was patient and sympathetic to them.  He repeatedly pointed them to the Scriptures which he was fulfilling.  If they believed the Scriptures, they would believe in him.  In Matthew’s Gospel alone, Jesus asked them six times, “Have you not read…?” (Matthew 12:3,5; 19:4; 21:16,42; 22:31).  He made many references to the Law and the Prophets, urging them to search the Scriptures they claimed to know and believe.  But they would not believe Jesus because they would not believe those Scriptures.

     As a result, the leaders had no sympathy for Jesus.  They arranged his arrest, went through the motions of a trial, and sentenced him to death.  Then Jesus was handed over by Pontius Pilate for crucifixion.  Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but self-preservation outweighed his sympathies.  Jesus received no sympathy from the Roman soldiers.  They decided to have their own fun at Jesus’ expense and then led Jesus out to be crucified.  They forced Jesus to carry his own cross.  But since Jesus was badly beaten and exhausted from lack of sleep, he collapsed under its weight.  It was not for sympathy that they had Simon of Cyrene carry his cross, but for convenience.  The soldiers had no interest in doing it, so they conscripted an out-of-towner to do it.

     There was a group, however, who did display sympathy for Jesus.  “A great multitude of the people and of women … were mourning and lamenting for him” (Luke 23:27).  There is no reason to doubt that their sympathy was genuine.  These are the crowds who had seen and even benefited from Jesus’ miracles.  Whether they honored him as the Christ or only as a good man, who knows?  But they knew that this crucifixion was unjust.  They did the only thing they could do for Jesus—weep.  For, who would dare to interfere with Roman justice? 

     Jesus’ response to the sympathy of the crowd, specifically to the women, is startling.  “Jesus said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children’” (Luke 23:28).  Jesus extended his sympathy to these women because he knew what was coming upon them in the not-too-distant future.  Jesus informed them, “Behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’  For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry” (Luke 23:29-31)? 

     Jesus is the green tree.  He is the true vine from which we receive our faith and by which our faith produces the works which please God.  The Lord Jesus had come to visit his people.  He came with sympathy, with compassion, with mercy, and with grace.  He came to be the source of true life and everlasting life for all.  But both Jesus and all the blessings he came to deliver were rejected.  If this is the response when the Lord is with his people, what will it be like when the Lord has abandoned and rejected his people?

     Actually, Jesus had already said what that would be like.  When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he said, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you.  And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:42-44).  The Lord Jesus had come to visit his people with sympathy and for salvation.  But they rejected God’s grace.  If they despised God’s grace when the tree was green, what would it be like when it was dry?

     The Lord did come again and visited his people—this time with no sympathy and with unspeakably harsh judgment.  In 70 AD, the Roman army laid siege to Jerusalem.  The people inside the city ran out of supplies and faced starvation.  Some resorted to cannibalism.  Those who tried to escape were slaughtered by the Jews for deserting.  Those who remained were slaughtered by the Romans when they finally broke through the city walls.  Those women who had never given birth to children would be blessed because they would not have to see their children suffer so ruthlessly.  All this was the sad and bitter judgment upon the Jewish leaders for demanding the death of the promised Messiah.  Because Pilate wanted no part of this injustice, he stated, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24).  The priests replied, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25)!  And so it was.  When the tree was green, God’s mercy was reviled.  When the tree grew dry, God’s mercy was revoked.

     During the Lenten season, we ponder the sufferings and death of Jesus.  The point, however, is not to muster up some sympathy for Jesus, as if our meditation should be, “Oh, poor Jesus!”  Yes, Jesus was treated badly—without sympathy and without justice.  But Jesus would never have had to visit our world if it were not for us.  We are the reason Jesus came to suffer and die.  We are sinners who treat people badly.  We are not patient.  We do not try to understand another’s burdens.  We assume the worst about other people, and we treat them accordingly.

     Our sympathies are biased.  Sometimes they are imaginary.  When we watch a movie, we develop sympathy for a character because the writers made him such a sympathetic character.  We see the bullies pick a target and rough him up, usually for no good reason.  We feel bad for that person because the writers showed us some hardship he was enduring.  We might boast, “If I had been there, I would have had compassion on that mistreated victim.”  That was easy to say, because my sympathy was merely hypothetical.  But there are many people who we actually do meet with whom we can sympathize—people suffering from sickness and the medical bills that come with it, people who suffer from aging and the frailties that come with it, people who have made poor choices and suffer the consequences of them, people who suffer from loneliness, anxiety, and so forth.  Are we as moved with compassion and sympathy for them as we are for fictional movie characters?  Or do we find ways to avoid them?  It cost us nothing to feel bad for the movie character.  But for real people with real life problems, we know it will cost us time, expense, or effort.  That is where our sympathies run dry.  It is this loveless attitude that Jesus suffered for.  Repent.  Weep for yourselves.

     Jesus treated many with mercy.  In turn, Jesus was treated mercilessly.  Jesus relieved the burdens of people who were bearing a heavy weight.  Jesus, in turn, bore the heavy weight of the cross which the soldiers thrust upon him to carry out to Mt. Calvary.  Jesus spoke words of blessing and comfort to hearts that were afraid or overwhelmed.  Jesus, in turn, had words of mockery and cursing hurled at him.  And while the Roman soldiers were affixing Jesus to a cross as a condemned man, Jesus prayed that they would not be condemned for their deeds.  Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  

     And isn’t that why Jesus was affixed to the cross?  To pay for the sins of people who have harmed him, despised him, and spoken against him?  Whether we knew what we were doing and did it anyway, or whether we gave into sin because of our weakness, Jesus was affixed to the cross to win forgiveness for all our sins.  This is the great sympathy Jesus has for the whole human race.

     And it is rightly called sympathy.  Sympathy is a feeling of compassion or pity for someone who is miserable even though you are not sharing in that misery.  So, if your friend’s pet hamster dies, you will feel bad for your friend even though you had no attachment to the hamster.  Our Lord Jesus Christ did not know the misery of sin and guilt.  He is the green tree who always produced the good fruits that the heavenly Father seeks.  He knew that Father’s good pleasure rested upon him.  Nevertheless, he had sympathy for us in our wretched condition.  Therefore, he made himself one with us.  He took into himself our wretchedness and suffered in our place.  We do not need to weep for him because Jesus accepted the curse of sin and the wrath of God willingly.  He did because he desired to save us and to seek our highest good.

     And now the Lord Jesus visits you.  He comes to you in his word by which he consoles, guides, and strengthens you.  He visits you in the sacrament of the altar by which he gives you his body and blood to cleanse you from sin.  He also works in you so that you desire and do the works of God, bearing the fruits that are in keeping with repentance.  The green tree supplies you with life, makes you fruitful, and transforms you so that you are more like Jesus. 

      “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68)!  He visits you for your good.  He redeems you from you misery.  And he will come again so that you will be blessed forever.

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

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers #1 (March 6, 2024)

MATTHEW 26:57-75

GOD ON TRIAL: Testimony.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The religious leaders hated Jesus.  We fail to understand why.  Jesus performed miraculous healings for multitudes.  That is reason to rejoice, not to get angry.  Jesus demonstrated abundant mercy to people who were consumed by fear and overwhelmed by shame.  Rather than judge them according to their ugly past, he issued a pardon for their offenses and assured them of a beautiful future.  Who could not be moved by that?  And while the dreams of a messianic kingdom gave the Romans reason to be on high alert, Jesus did not stir up the crowds for rebellion.  If there was to be a fight, it was to be against their own sinful nature, not against earthly authorities.  The crowds rallied to Jesus, but they remained a peaceful assembly.  Nevertheless, the religious leaders hated Jesus.

     The reason they hated Jesus is because they were paying attention to his words.  Jesus had given testimony, again and again, stating his authority—authority over illness, authority over demons, authority over nature, authority over the Sabbath, authority over death, and the authority of God himself.  When Jesus had preached the Sermon on the Mount, he began by quoting one of the Commandments.  For example, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’” (Matthew 5:27).  But then Jesus continued, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).  What else is this testimony but a claim to be equal to God?  The rabbis did not miss this.  And other testimony by Jesus further emphasized the claim.

     The religious leaders hated Jesus.  But what they could not do was find fault with him.  While he taught with the authority of God, Jesus did not overthrow the word of God.  He did not rebel against the word of God, and he did not teach anyone else to sin against God’s word either.  In fact, he reinforced it.  This was his testimony: “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.  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” (Matthew 5:17-18).  So, Jesus was faultless both in his teaching and in his keeping of the Law.  When Jesus stood trial, they brought in false witnesses to testify against Jesus.  Even those who were paid off could not agree on their testimony.  They could find no charges to stick against Jesus.  He was guiltless.  Nevertheless, the religious leaders hated Jesus.

     Throughout the trial, Jesus did not respond to any of the charges that were made against him.  Jesus’ teachings were done publicly.  If he had been guilty of anything, the evidence could easily be found.  Besides, Jesus had given plenty of testimony in the past, and they did not repent.  But now, the time for teaching and testifying had reached its end.  In the court of the Sanhedrin, Jesus did not bother to cast any more pearls to the swine.  He remained silent.

     Finally, Caiaphas put Jesus under oath.  “The high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’  Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.  But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:63-64).  Jesus not only repeated the claim that he is God, he also claimed that he would judge the living and dead when he returns in glory on the Last Day.  Caiaphas put him under oath to tell the truth, and he did.

     I don’t know if Caiaphas was angry or overjoyed.  Jesus gave the testimony which produced the results Caiaphas and the whole Sanhedrin wanted.  “The high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy.  What further witnesses do we need?  You have now heard his blasphemy.  What is your judgment?’  They answered, ‘He deserves death’” (Matthew 26:65-66).  The religious leaders hated Jesus.  They rejected the evidence.  They denied the miracles.  They slandered his authority over demons.  They despised his teachings.  And when God was put on trial, they condemned him for his testimony that he is God.

     As the trial was going on in Caiaphas’ palace, Simon Peter stood outside in Caiaphas’ courtyard.  He loved his master, and he longed to be faithful to him.  He had boasted of his allegiance, and he meant it.  As Jesus was being vilified at his trial, Simon Peter was warming himself in the chill of the evening.  A servant girl spotted him and outed him: “You also were with Jesus the Galilean” (Matthew 26:69).  You can envision all the heads turning toward Peter to get a good look at him—soldiers, servants, friends of the Sanhedrin.  The chill went out of the night air and right down Peter’s spine.  To confess Jesus would almost certainly mean to face the same fate as Jesus.  The religious leaders hated Jesus; they would hate his followers, too.

     To avoid trouble, Simon Peter had to avoid his allegiance to Jesus.  He gave his testimony: “I do not know what you mean” (Matthew 26:70).  Peter stepped away from the light of the charcoal fire and hid in the shadows at the entrance of the courtyard.  He was trying to escape danger, but he did not escape their notice.  “Another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth’” (Matthew 26:71).  Peter was given another chance to give his testimony, to defend Jesus’ teachings, and to confess Jesus’ identity.  Instead, “he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man’” (Matthew 26:72).  A third chance for Peter to give his testimony resulted in a third denial: “He began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man’” (Matthew 26:74).  The religious leaders hated Jesus; Peter knew it.  The religious leaders hated Jesus’ disciples; Peter knew it.  But Peter did not want to be hated or endangered.  He was put under an informal trial for being Jesus’ follower.  He was put to the test, and he failed.

     It is a nerve-wracking question to this day.  When people ask about your faith.  Your defenses go up.  You wonder if you are about to face criticism or challenges or scorn.  The question feels like a set up.  But when the questions get more specific, that’s when things get dangerous. 

     Someone may say, “You believe there are more than two genders, don’t you?”  Or, “You believe in Creation?!  Why do you reject science?”  Or, “You are opposed to Drag Queen story hour?  What are you, a Puritan?”  Or, “You think nice people are going to hell just because they aren’t Christians?  Why do you hate them so much?”  And so on.  If these questions are asked, you might feel the heads in the room turn toward you to see how you will answer.  You might get attacked if you give a faithful testimony.  As a result, you may swallow your words, shrink away, and say nothing.  You might even deny what God’s word says so that people will like you.  Or perhaps you will try to find a middle ground and say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe everything in the Bible.  I’m way more open-minded than that.”  But this is what the Lord says, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). 

     We have many opportunities to confess God’s word.  In these moments, God puts us to the test to see if we will confess him and if we will hold to the truth of his word.  If we uphold God’s word and if we insist that his word is true, it may convict some people whose lives or thoughts are opposed to it.  Simon Peter was fearful of the strangers around him.  For you, it may be family members who have turned away from God’s word.  The family expects you to praise wicked choices because you are supposed to stand by your loved ones.  Loving them is supposed to mean agreeing with them.  To stand on the testimony of God’s word will cause heads to turn and charges to be levelled against you.  Rather than repent of their sins, they will pressure you to reject God’s truth.  You will discover that people still hate Jesus, and they hate people who confess Jesus. 

     Perhaps you’ve had those difficult and uncomfortable moments.  How did you do? Were you like Simon Peter, who found it easier to deny Jesus than to confess him and endure the scorn?  Or maybe you chose to say nothing, making no response when asked for your confession.  When we long for the favor of sinful men more than the favor of God, it is God who gets rejected.  Repent.

     When Simon Peter realized how badly he had failed Jesus, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).  He was appalled at how easy it was to turn on Jesus.  While Simon Peter was right to repent, he was not saved by his tears.  He was saved by Jesus who did make the faithful testimony to all people.  Jesus made his testimony throughout his life—before the crowds and their mixed reactions, before the rabbis who hated and slandered him, and before Caiaphas who was looking for reasons to kill him.  Jesus did not budge from the truth.  He sought only to uphold the will of his heavenly Father.  Therefore, Jesus confessed faithfully and freely that he is the Son of God, knowing that they would order his death for saying so.  Jesus’ faithfulness to God’s word does not merely stand in contrast to our weak confession or denial of God’s word, it atones for it.

     God the Father sent Jesus to pay the price for every careless word we have spoken, for every failed confession, and for every lie we have uttered.  He suffered in silence for our sins.  And although we have nothing to say in our defense, Jesus speaks to us in words of mercy.  Having paid for our sins, he issues his sentence upon us: Your sins are forgiven.  And he is pleased to acknowledge you before the heavenly Father and to confess that you are his.  He gives you words to say.  First, you confess what is true about yourself—that you have sinned against Jesus in what you have said and in what you have failed to say.  Then you confess what is true about Jesus—that his blood was shed to take away the sin of the world.  What’s more, he gives you his body and blood in holy communion.  This touches your mouth and cleanses you of every impurity in it.

     And then, Jesus gives you more to say.  We confess with David, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15).  If anyone hates you for your words, keep in mind that they hated Jesus first.  But fear not; Jesus loves you and that is all that matters.  Only Jesus has the words that grant eternal life.  He is not ashamed to acknowledge you to the Father.  For, he tells you that you are his redeemed, and his testimony is true.

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

Lenten Vespers 2024 -- God On Trial

We take advantage of the Lenten season to ponder more intently on the sufferings and death of Jesus.  We will observe our annual Lenten Vespers this year with the theme "God on Trial."  The schedule is below.

Lenten Vespers

2024

February 14      Ash Wednesday.

                          Divine Service with the Imposition of Ashes.

February 21       GOD ON TRIAL: Misconceptions.

                          Luke 23:35-43 (Pastor Paul Schaefer)

February 28       GOD ON TRIAL: Restraint.

                          Luke 22:47-53 (Pastor James Frey)

March 6            GOD ON TRIAL: Testimony.

                          Matthew 26:57-75 (Pastor Schroeder)

March 13          GOD ON TRIAL: Truth.

                          John 18:33-40 (Pastor Paul Schaefer)

March 20          GOD ON TRIAL: Sympathy.

                          Luke 23:26-34 (Pastor Schroeder)

Pastor James Frey of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belleville.

Pastor Paul Schaefer serves at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plymouth.

Vespers is at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served each Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

Worship Notes: The Lenten Season (2024)

Forty Days and Forty Nights

           Throughout the Bible, the number 40 is associated with a time of testing or repentance (e.g., 40 days and nights of the rains falling at the Flood, 40 years of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness to the Promised Land, 40 days of Jesus’ fasting and temptation in the wilderness, 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension, et al.). Therefore, the Church has adopted a Lenten season of 40 days prior to Easter. Incidentally, the word “Lenten” comes from an Old English word lencten which means “to lengthen,” as in, the day light hours are lengthening.

 

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
           The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. (Ash Wednesday is February 14 this year.) It is “Ash” Wednesday because of the Church’s custom to put the mark of the cross on the head of the worshipers with ashes. These ashes are a reminder that we are going to die one day. As the ashes are applied, the pastor proclaims to each person: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return,” a paraphrase of Genesis 3:19.

           This reminder is awkward and uncomfortable. But sin and death ought to make us feel awkward and uncomfortable. Such a grave reminder of our sinfulness and mortality is a proper way to begin the Lenten season. These forty days are a time of penitence and reflection. While the whole life of a Christian is to be one of repentance, the Lenten season especially focuses us on our need for repentance.

 

A “Fast” Season
           Fasting is a practice that has long been observed by God’s people, going well back into Old Testament times. In fact, our Lord seems to expect that we will do it. In Matthew 6:16, he states, “When you fast…”, not “IF you fast.”
           Fasting goes hand in hand with repentance (Psalm 35:13; Jonah 3:7-9) and with prayer (Esther 4:15,16). Fasting is a ceremony by which we express our repentance in a physical manner. It is depriving ourselves of something physical to focus on the spiritual. It is praying with the body.

           Fasting also trains our bodies and souls. We discipline our flesh to teach it that it is not to control us. We deny ourselves in those parts of our lives in which we are most prone to temptation. When you intentionally deprive your soul of what it wants, it has to get by without. Why is that important? Your desires, uncontrolled, give in to temptation. They lead you into sin. Uncontrolled desires make idols of what your soul wants: desiring excess food is gluttony; desiring extravagant clothing or cars or décor is greed; desiring a man or woman outside of marriage is adultery. Desiring anything outside of God’s order makes you an idolater.
           Most commonly, fasting involves denying oneself at mealtime. It does not necessarily mean total abstention from food. Rather, meals are scaled back. Instead of eating three full meals a day, one eats the equivalent of about 1 ½ meals. The time that one would have spent eating is then devoted to prayer and meditation. The money that one saves can be given to the poor or to a charity. You could also fast in a way that addresses a temptation or weakness that is particular to you. Think about what tempts you, and limit your exposure. If shopping is your weakness, no shopping sprees or comfort purchases during Lent. Too much time wasted on the internet, or visiting sites you shouldn’t be? Only use it at work or when someone else is with you. If you need encouragement, counsel, or more ideas talk with your pastor.

           Fasting from these areas of weakness will heighten your sensitivity to them. It allows you to train yourself to put these cravings to death. And it enables you to enjoy the festival times all the more.
           Should you choose to observe this discipline, do not feel that you have to go all out. Perhaps you will limit your fasting to just Wednesdays and Fridays, as Christians traditionally did throughout the year. Or instead of scaling all the way back to 1 ½ meals, perhaps you will simply omit one of the meals, as well as snacking in between. In any case, fasting is not something we do to seek reward from our Lord. It is a way that we can more intently focus on our Lord, to meditate, and to pray.

Note: Sundays are never fast days, so go ahead and enjoy the good gifts of creation to their fullest on these days! Also, expectant or nursing mothers, children, and the ill are never expected to fast from food, but to provide the nourishment their bodies need.

 

A Season of Passion

           During the Lenten season, the Christian Church generally increases the opportunities Christians have to pray and to hear the word. On the Wednesday evenings (7:00 PM) throughout Lent following Ash Wednesday, Good Shepherd offers Lenten Vespers (an evening prayer service, from the Latin vespera, meaning “evening”). The focus of Lenten Vespers is the Passion of our Lord. The word Passion is derived from the Latin word passio which means “suffering.” The Lord’s passion (zeal) to redeem us drove him to his Passion (suffering) for us. At each Vespers, we will hear a portion of our Savior’s Passion, beginning with the Last Supper and concluding with the death and burial of our Lord. This year (2024), we will read through the Passion of our Lord from the Gospel according to St. Mark. (In other years, the Passion readings are from the Gospels according to St. Matthew or St. Luke.)

 

Little Easters
           If you count the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, you will get more than forty days. The reason is that the Sundays in Lent are not counted. They are Sundays in Lent, not Sundays of Lent. The focus on these Sundays continues to be the words and works of Jesus, our Messiah, who battles and conquers sin, death, and Satan for us. While the Lent is a penitential season, the Sundays in Lent are feast days and serve as “little Easters” even within the season of Lent.

Farewell to Alleluia
           While Sundays are little Easters, we do not forget that we are in Lent. To reflect the penitential nature of the season, we mute the joy and praise in our Divine Services. This is noticed mainly by the omission of the Gloria in Excelsis (Glory to God in the Highest) and the Alleluias. We also remove the flowers from the altar during Lent. As we continue to make our way closer to Holy Week, our fast intensifies. We will notice that organ music is restricted to the support of congregational singing. The Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) is removed from the Psalms. Paintings, statues, and icons are either removed or veiled. The season becomes more somber as we get closer to the cross, until finally on Good Friday, the altar has been completely stripped.

           These omissions are a fast for our eyes and ears. Perhaps it will seem awkward to be missing these things, but that is the point. Lent is a penitential season; therefore, our celebration is muted. But it all heightens the joy and festivity of Easter Sunday when all of the beauty, the music, and the ceremonies are returned to the Church. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the Alleluia’s break forth in abundance as we join in worship to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and rejoice in the forgiveness and salvation he brings us.



A Prayerful and Penitential Lent

           One more practice you may want to consider this Lenten season is making use of Private Confession and Absolution. This is a rite in which the penitent can hear in a very personal manner the voice of Jesus declaring through his minister, “I forgive you.” The order of Private Confession and Absolution has been made available at the bulletin board so that you can be familiar with it before you come to your pastor. The pastor would be pleased to walk through the rite with you to help you understand the how’s and the why’s. Confession teaches us to recognize our sins, and the Absolution allows us to hear Christ proclaim his forgiveness for those sins that grieve us and torment us. You may contact the pastor to schedule Private Confession and Absolution.

May God bless you this Lenten season as you prepare to celebrate the joys of Easter.

Sermon -- Lenten Vespers #2

This sermon was preached at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of Novi, MI on March 15, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Belleville, MI on March 22, and at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Plymouth, MI on March 29.

MARK 14:32-38

REPENT! TURN TO JESUS!

When You Face Temptations.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Our Lord Jesus Christ warned us, “Temptations to sin are sure to come” (Luke 17:1).  You can avoid some, based on the places you go, the thoughts you ponder, and even the company you keep.  But you cannot escape all temptations.  Not even our Lord could escape temptations. 

     When Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane, his struggle was intense.  It was not the first time Jesus endured temptation.  We know of the temptations Jesus faced during forty days in the wilderness.  But those temptations never made Jesus sorrowful to the point of death.  They never resulted in Jesus sweating drops of blood.  In Gethsemane, Jesus was on the threshold of his worst suffering.  It is no wonder that Jesus “fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Remove this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will’” (Mark 14:35-36). 

     Jesus knew what the wrath of God would be like.  He was aware of what it would mean to take into himself all the torment of hell—the eternal God enduring death and weeping and gnashing of teeth on behalf of all mankind.  He did it for people who grieve over their sins and people who revel in their sins.  He did it for people who fear, love, and trust in God and for those who deny that God is even real.  Some would praise him for his redeeming work.  Some would use it as an excuse to sin all the more.  Many would never care at all.  Regardless, it would be damning torment. 

     Jesus prayed that if any other way were possible to pay for sins, if any other way salvation could be won, his Father would opt for that.  But there is no other way.  So, Jesus remained faithful to his Father.  Jesus’ prayer and Jesus’ commitment were that God’s will be done.  And so, he did it, which means that your sins are pardoned, God’s wrath is turned away from you, and your eternal life is secured.

     When Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed fervently.  But he also called on his apostles to pray with him.  Jesus was not the only one who was facing temptation.  Jesus had warned Peter, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times” (Mark 14:30).  In St. Luke’s Gospel, the warning is even stronger: “Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).  Therefore, Jesus summoned Peter to keep watch with him and to pray.  In fact, all the disciples were warned, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered’” (Mark 14:27).  The temptation to forsake the Lord was bound to come.  They all had good reason watch and pray.

     In the safety of the upper room, the disciples were courageous.  Their spirit was, indeed, willing to stand by Jesus.  Peter led the charge: “He said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you.’  And they all said the same” (Mark 14:31).  They heard the warnings and boasted that they would not fail.  In Gethsemane, the disciples should have been preparing for spiritual battle.  Instead, they dozed off.  “(Jesus) came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Mark 14:37-38).  They did not keep watch.  They did not pray.  They all failed.

     Temptations to sin are sure to come.  The Bible tells us why: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  Chances are, you know how he will attack you.  You know the sins that are attractive to you.  You know your own weaknesses.  The devil does, too.  He entices you to do what your sinful nature desires.  The sinful nature, more than anything, loves itself.  It loves praise and pleasure.  Temptations are sure to come to be embarrassed about God’s word, to gain acceptance from the world, and to avoid scorn. 

     Our culture is training us to rethink our beliefs, or more to the point, to reject God’s word as truth.  The culture has new truths to instill and, so it seems, to enforce.  You may find yourself in the situation of Jesus’ disciples.  They learned that there is a cost to being Jesus’ disciple.  The soldiers who entered Gethsemane were a sizable force with swords and clubs.  When the soldiers seized Jesus, the disciples feared they were next.  The threat of arrest, beatings, and death were very real.  So, they fled.  They desired to save their skin rather than to risk it for standing by Jesus.  Later that night, Peter was exposed as one of Jesus’ disciples.  Fearing his own demise, Peter swore up and down that he was not associated with Jesus.  He feared what people thought of him or what people could do to him more than what Jesus would say about him or do to him.

     There is certainly a cost for being a disciple of Jesus.  If you have not experienced that yet, you will.  Our culture is becoming more hostile to the word of God.  You may be passed over for promotions, forfeit raises, or be forced to seek different employment if you refuse to take part in pride events or say that men and women are different.  At the very least, you may be required to undergo training to reshape your thinking.  You may have to explain to your children that they will have to give up a sports league so that you do not give up Sundays at church.  You may wonder if you are the only person around who believes the Bible anymore.  The temptation looms large to go along with the culture rather than to stay with Christ.  Peter and the disciples thought that fleeing from Jesus would save their skin.  To do that, however, is disastrous for your salvation.

     Repent.  Turn to Jesus when facing temptation.  Despite his disciples’ failure, Jesus remained faithful to them.  Jesus remains faithful to you, too.  He is ever-present to help you against temptations.  The Bible reminds us, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).  Turn to Jesus when facing temptation for strength, for encouragement, and for confidence that nothing can truly harm you if you are in Christ.

     Perhaps you fear how much you might lose if you remain faithful to Christ.  You may lose friends.  You may lose our income.  You may lose the standard of living you have become accustomed to.  You may.  There may be a hefty cost to being a disciple of Jesus.  There certainly is in other places.  And the Church has experienced this throughout its history.  For us, it has only been stories we have heard.  Will these stories end up being lived by us, too?  I don’t know.  But we ought to be aware of trials that may come.  Temptations to forsake Christ I order to maintain peace with our culture are sure to come.  Temptations to preserve a cozy suburban lifestyle may become intense.  We should be aware of our weaknesses and recognize our need for God’s strength.  “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).  Turn to Jesus when facing temptation.

     Turn to Jesus when facing temptation.  For, Jesus will not forsake you.  He paid a great price to redeem you.  He endured not just the scorn of the world, but the torments of hell.  He was not merely accused by wicked men, he was condemned by his own Father in heaven.  He willingly, deliberately went to the cross to pay for sins he did not commit, and he did it so that you will not be condemned for sins you did commit.  You have been rescued by Jesus from sin, death, and hell.  Judgment is coming upon this world because it is wicked and warped.  Jesus has set you apart from the world which is marked for destruction.  He will not abandon you to cope with it on your own. 

     Turn to Jesus when facing temptation.  The Savior who lived and died for you will not forsake you in life or in death.  He has summoned you, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15).  When you pray, call upon God with your specific request.  Say out loud the sin which entices you.  Name the enemy which stalks you.  There is no verse in the Bible which suggests that the devil can hear your thoughts, but he can hear your words.  Pray against the devil to vex him and to chase him away.

     Even if you succumb to temptation, the Savior will not cast you away.  He extends this promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  And again, when you confess, acknowledge your sins out loud.  “Lord, forgive me for this.”  We do not commit generic, non-descript sins.  So, say what you have done when you are seeking forgiveness for it.  Again, name your enemy to acknowledge what you must fight against.  Turn to Jesus when facing temptation, and return to Jesus when you fall into temptation.  For, he is your kind and merciful Savior.

     Our desire is to remain faithful to Jesus; for, the spirit, indeed, is willing.  But understand that it is actually Jesus who keeps you faithful to him.  He summons you to pray to him because the flesh is weak.  He preserves your faith through his word.  Since temptations will not cease, your devotion to the word of God and prayer cannot cease either.  The Lord also nurtures your faith through the body and blood which have overcome death and the devil.  As you feast on the Lamb which was slain and now lives, you will live more and more for him.  And as you continue to turn to Jesus, you will long more and more to be with him.  You will care less and less for this world, and you will be less and less bothered when the world takes its pleasures and praises from you. 

     “Temptations to sin are sure to come” (Luke 17:1), so turn to Jesus, and you can be assured of your ultimate victory over every lie and every evil.

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