Adult Bible Class: Hard Sayings of Jesus

Sometimes we have a hard time understanding parts of the Bible.  Some of those words come from Jesus himself.  We will spend a number of weeks considering the Hard Sayings of Jesus.  

This session will begin on Sunday, January 4.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM.  All from grade 7 on up are welcome to attend.

The schedule is below:

01/04          Translations! Traditions! Troubles! 

01/11          "If you don't have a sword ... buy one."

01/18          "Blessed are those who mourn."

01/25          "Out of men's hearts comes evil."

02/01          "I am coming back soon."

02/08          "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you."

02/15          "No one is good--except God alone."

02/22          "Unless Your Righteousness surpasses that of the teachers of the Law..."

03/01          "Unless you hate your father and mother..."

03/08          "Be as shrewd as snakes."

03/15          "Pearls before swine and bread to dogs"

03/22          "Why have you forsaken me?"

03/29          "So they won't hear"

Sermon -- Christmas Day (December 25, 2025)

THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS.

JOHN 1:1-14 

In the name + of Jesus.

    Christmas Eve produces an image that is endearing, perhaps even romantic.  A young couple basks in the love of their child.  A chorus of angels sings good news of great joy.  Shepherds come to visit the Christ child who rests in a manger.  Our Nativity scenes make it all look cozy.  Our imagination matches Thomas Kinkade paintings. 

     Such images are etched in fantasy, not reality.  While the birth of a child is wonderful, giving birth is painful and messy.  Besides the risks of childbirth in the ancient world, the Virgin Mary also had to give birth near the manger—in other words, by the smells and feces of animals.  If the manger was filled with hay, it was scratchy.  If it was empty, it was hard.  In either case, it was not as comfortable as we like to think.  When the shepherds came in from the fields, they were damp with the night air and smelling of the sheep.  Our Lord entered a world that was gritty, rough, and cruel.

     By contrast, you and I get to enjoy many creature comforts that make life more bearable.  We have furnaces to heat our insulated homes.  We have overstuffed chairs that rock and recline.  We have cars that are climate controlled, perhaps with heated seats.  Thanks to indoor plumbing, we can bathe daily and remove our waste with one flush.  And thanks to modern medicine, both the infant mortality rate and the risk to the mother have been reduced greatly.  These benefits are not only all familiar to us, they are expected.  We are accustomed to being comfortable.  Our world does not seem to be nearly as rough or gritty.

     But it is still cruel. 

     The world can be a very dark place.  People carry emotional scars from relationships, perhaps strained or terminated because of fighting or betrayal or infidelity.  Part of the nostalgia at Christmas is the remembrance of loved ones who are buried in the earth.  It is also the reminder that the heart-warming days of childhood are gone and will never be repeated.  Sins put us in a dark place, especially if they result in long term consequences.  If you are carrying a burden, perhaps no one seems to notice or care.  In the midst of parties and music and cookies, it can be very lonely.  The house may be comfortable, but the world is still a cruel and dark place.

     Our hearts and minds are dark places, too.  The Bible says, “The heart is more deceitful than anything.  It is beyond cure.  Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:9)?  It is the home of anxiety and fear.  We fret over bad things that might happen, even though they probably won’t.  We take delight in Schadenfreude: we enjoy watching other people suffer.  Or on the reverse side, we drift into envy: we get angry over someone else’s blessings.  These attitude are especially dark, because the misery of others does not make your life any better, and the happiness of others does not make your life any worse.  The human heart is a dark and bitter place.  Repent. 

     But shining into the darkness of this world and piercing into the darkness of the sinful heart is a light from heaven.  St. John wrote about the Christ child: “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).    

     When a bright light breaks into a dark place, we immediately shield our eyes.  We squint or turn away because the brightness hurts.  That’s what Adam and Eve did when the Lord came to them in the Garden after they had sinned.  They did not want to see the Lord.  Likewise, when the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush, Moses covered his face.  When the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, they were sore afraid.  The holiness of God, and even of his angels, exposes the filth of our sin.  The brightness reveals how dark our hearts and minds are.  This is why people want nothing to do with God.  We are fearful of judgment.  We are angry at accountability.  St. John wrote, “The light has come into the world, yet people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.  In fact, everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, or else his deeds would be exposed” (John 3:19-20). 

     “God is light.  In him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).  God came into the world in human flesh, just as John declared, “The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).  But the light of God is not sent to blind us or to roast us in blazing heat.  The light that comes into the world in Jesus Christ is sent to enlighten us.  Yes, it exposes us as the sinners we are.  But once our eyes have adjusted to the light, that is, once the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see, the Light of God shows us goodness and mercy.  Jesus enlightens us to see the beauty of God’s love which does not desire in the death of sinners.  He does not want anyone perish.  Rather, he acts to rescue us from the dominion of darkness so that we are not plagued by guilt, hounded by Satan, or swept away with a dark and dying world.  Jesus has come to bring joy to a cruel world, to bring peace to troubled hearts, and to bring hope for a bright and glorious heaven.

     “The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).  That’s not to say the devil didn’t do his best to destroy the Light of the world.  The devil employed people with sin-darkened hearts to do his dirty work.  King Herod tried to slaughter Jesus in his infancy.  The religious leaders tried to trap him with carefully crafted questions, certain they could use his words against him to accuse him of heresy, blasphemy, or treason.  They tried to smear his reputation, calling him a drunkard, a glutton, demon-possessed, a Samaritan, and a friend of crooks and whores.  They tried to alienate his disciples from him, asking them, “Why do you follow a rabbi who acts like that?”  The darkness worked hard to snuff him out, but the darkness has not overcome the light.

     Even when the forces of darkness converged to plot his death, they did not overcome the light.  Unwittingly, the forces of darkness teamed up to fulfill all of God’s promises.  They orchestrated the very death that paid for the sins of the world.  When Jesus hung on the cross with all our sins upon him, darkness covered the earth.  The light of the Father fled from Jesus.  The love of the Father turned away and Jesus was forsaken as one cursed.  Jesus died on a dark and dismal day for all the evils that lurk in our hearts and minds.

     But the darkness did not overcome him.  The Savior rose from the dead.  The light did not burn out, but shines brighter than ever.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.  He lives to show us that we have a loving God who takes away our sin.  He lives to enlighten us to see God’s mercy.  He has ransomed us from the dominion of darkness.  Satan would still accuse you and try to expose you as a sinner.  He wants you to believe that God cannot love you because of the darkness that resides in you.  The devil tries to keep people blinded in unbelief.  He convinces people that sinful rebellion is freedom while holy obedience to God’s word is oppressive.  But Satan’s “freedom” leads to regret, shame, and hell.  Short-term sensual pleasures do not bring lasting joy and result in everlasting death.

     But Jesus shines the light of God’s grace upon you.  He has taken away your sins, so the devil’s accusations have no standing in God’s court.  He has claimed you as his own, so Satan cannot have you.  He has brought you into the kingdom of light.  “The real light that shines on everyone (has come) into the world” (John 1:9).  “The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).  Whatever remains in darkness will die.  Where God’s light shines, there is life.  Therefore, he has made you children of light.  He guides you so that you walk in the light as he is in the light.  His word is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.  He purifies your hearts so that you are disgusted by the deeds of darkness, find no joy in them, and will not return to them. 

     As St. Paul wrote, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works” (Titus 2:11-14).  Our Lord shows you that godly living is not oppressive, but is filled with blessing and spares you many griefs.  You don’t live under threats, but under grace.  You know that your future is not dark, but exceedingly bright.

     The light shines in the darkness.  On Christmas day, it is wrapped in strips of cloth, rests in a manger, and nurses at Mary’s breast.  It is a scene that may appear cozy.  But the Savior has not entered a romantic Nativity scene.  The Savior has come into a rough, gritty, cruel world to do battle against dark and demonic forces.  The Savior has come to win you from death and hell.  It was a fight to the death, and it was a fight for you.  But our Savior is risen.  He has conquered death and the devil.  The light shines.  Darkness has not overcome it.  You are the prize he has rescued.

     Dear Christians, rejoice.  We celebrate the birth of our Lord which occurred some 2,000 years ago and 6,000 miles away.  But he comes to you today.  He still comes to us in our rough, gritty, dark world.  The God who came to us as a body and blood baby, who gave that body and blood into death to pay for your sins, comes to you today with his body and blood to nurture your faith and to cleanse your heart.  By strengthening and preserving you in the one true, catholic (NOTE: small “c”), and apostolic and faith, he assures you that the darkness will not overcome you again.  Today is Christ’s Mass.  Christ came to earth to save you, and now Christ still comes to earth to keep you safe.

     Christmas is not about romance or nostalgia.  Christmas is about God’s faithful love delivered to earth in a person, Jesus.  He has poured out that faithful love upon you and in you.  The light shines in the darkness.  The darkness flees away.  The warmth of God’s love embraces us all.

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

Update from Good Shepherd (December 25, 2025)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Service is Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School is Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is Sundays at 9:00 AM.

NOTE: There is no Sunday School or Adult Bible Class on December 28.  Classes will resume on January 4.

Bible Matters will resume on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM. 

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

Christmas Day Festival Service -- Thursday, December 25 at 10:00 AM.

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (December)

>  We are still planning to have a dry run for our texting service.  The date for that is still to be determined. 

>  As a follow-up to our congregational meeting, we will form a committee to study and make recommendations for larger capital improvement projects and long-term plans which may need to be done in the next ten years or so.  Some projects are necessary; others would be nice.  If you have interest in working with this committee, speak with Dan LeFevre.

GROWING TOGETHER IN GOD’S WORD
          Bible Matters is a discussion group. Each week, we will read through a chapter of, “Your Life Has Meaning: Discovering Your Role in an Epic Story,” and discuss how God’s word applies to our lives. Additional books are still available ($20 each). Friends are welcome and encouraged to join us. The book will be our gift to them. If you need a copy for a friend, speak to Pastor Schroeder. Additionally, all high schoolers who would like a copy of the book may have one for free.
          Bible Matters will begin our discussion of the book on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from December 7, 2025. Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, December 21, 2025 - YouTube

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD

            We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd.  Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets.  Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here.  For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad.  We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here.  But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place.  It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.

            Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather.  Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled.  If there is no email about it, it is not canceled.  But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

PRIVATE CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
     Private Confession & Absolution will be available without appointment on Sunday, January 4, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

Offering Envelopes – Your 2026 offering envelopes have been placed in your church mailboxes.  If you do not receive one, or if somehow we still have not designated a mailbox for you, please speak to Pastor Schroeder or Terry Barber.  If you prefer your offerings to be done by electronic transfer rather than with offering envelopes, speak with Terry Barber about how to set that up.

Through the Bible in a Year – If you are willing to try to read the Bible in a year, there is a schedule you can find here.   Please note that it is a rather aggressive schedule, expecting 15-20 minutes of Bible reading each day, reading through all four Gospels twice.

Bible Information Class – We will offer a Bible Information Class in the new year, staring in February.  It will meet on Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM.  This class is a review for long-time Christians and an opportunity for anyone to come, ask questions about God and the Bible, and to grow in faith and knowledge.  For now, consider whom you might bring to this class.  Many people have spiritual questions.  This class will address many of them.

Adult Bible Class – We will begin a new session on Sunday, January 4.  Sometimes we have a hard time understanding parts of the Bible.  Some of those words come from Jesus himself.  We will spend a number of weeks considering the Hard Sayings of Jesus.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM.  All from grade 7 on up are welcome to attend.

Church Un-decoration

What goes up must come down.  On Sunday, January 4, we will remove and return to storage the Christmas decorations which have adorned our sanctuary through the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS
          For the most part, the pastor will be observing formal office hours (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). Occasionally, duties will take him away from the office during these scheduled times, so you will still want to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE

Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

Christmas Day Festival Service -- Thursday, December 25 at 10:00 AM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Sermon -- Christmas Eve (December 24, 2025)

GLORY TO GOD.  GOOD WILL TOWARD MANKIND.

LUKE 2:1-20.

In the name + of Jesus.

    Chances are, you are going to open gifts tonight or tomorrow.  Even though you may be excited to see what hides under the wrapping paper, the gift is not the only thing that matters.  Each gift will have a tag on it to let you know who the gift is from.  Who the gift is from matters just as much as the gift.  It is a statement about the love and concern the giver has for the one who receives the gift.  If all that mattered was the gift, we would not care if a gift was given anonymously.  We would just want the loot.  But it does matter.  We want to know whom to thank for their consideration and their generosity.

     When the angels sang the heavenly hymn above the fields of Bethlehem, they spoke of two gifts that were given: Glory to God, and Good Will to Mankind.

     The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).  Who gives this glory, and why?  Before we ask that, let’s ask this: Why does God need glory?

     Even if we did not meet tonight to sing praises to God, God would not be any different.  He would still be all-powerful.  He would still be all-knowing.  He would still be holy.  He does not need us for any of these things.  God is glorious no matter what we do or say or think.  If God did not send his Son into the world to save sinners, God would not be any different.  So, if anyone wants to argue that God does not need glory from us, then it should also be noted that God did not need to save us, either.  God is the same, with or without us.

     But God did not want to be without us.  God loves what he has created.  When sin ruined the relationship between God and mankind, God acted to restore it.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  While God is glorious for being all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, and so on, we give God glory because he loves sinners and saves them.

     The angels sang their song of praise when God sent his Son into the world in human flesh.  The angels did not benefit from the birth of a Savior.  The angels do not need to be saved.  But the angels do marvel that God loved mankind so much that he became one of us.  That is why the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest!”

     We who benefit from this Savior have all the more reason to give glory to God.  When we sing our songs of praise, we do not merely praise God for being pure and powerful.  We praise God for humbling himself to take on flesh that would be cut by a crown of thorns and pierced by nails and spear.  We glorify God for submitting himself to live in the same troubled world we live in—to experience mockery, slander, sorrow, pain, injustice, and death. 

     The Lord did not do this just to experience what we experience.  He did it to deliver us from the evils which infect the world and infect our own hearts.  God became a human of flesh and blood so that his flesh would be rent and his blood would be poured out as a sin offering.  This sacrifice made by the righteous God for unrighteous men appeases the Father in heaven.  This is why we give glory to God.  The glory of God is that he is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth, maintaining mercy for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7). 

     The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14), because they witnessed God’s love for mankind.  We sing, “Glory to God in the highest,” because we benefit from that redeeming love.  We glorify God because his love moved him to become one of us, to pay for our sins, and to open heaven up to sinners.  When we sing our hymns, we don’t offer up bland words of generic praise.  The best praise does not tell God what we think of him; the best praise retells what our Savior did for us.  For example: 

          Christ, from heaven to us descending
             And in love our race befriending,
                In our need his help extending,
                   Saved us from the wily foe.

          Jacob’s Star in all its splendor
             Beams with comfort sweet and tender,
                Forcing Satan to surrender,
                   Breaking all the powers of hell.

          From the bondage that oppressed us,
             From sin’s fetters that possessed us,
                From the grief that sore distressed us,
                   We, the captives, now are free.
          “Come Your Hearts and Voices Raising” by Paul Gerhardt (1607 – 1676)

     Glory to God because he has taken up our cause and saved us from death and hell.  Glory from the angels.  Glory from mankind.  Glory to God.

     While our glory goes to God, the greater gift by far is God’s gift to us: Good will toward mankind.  The angels proclaimed this good news to shepherds who often did not receive the good will of their society.  They were usually the undesirables.  Yet, they learned that God had a desire for them to be his.  The angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). 

     God’s good will toward mankind did not merely come in a proclamation, but in a person.  God’s good will came in that Bethlehem baby.  The baby in the manger is the Lord.  He who created the world comes to be with his creatures.  He who grants and sustains life comes to live among us. 

     To the shepherds, the angel said, “This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).  That meant Jesus was a peasant, just like the shepherds were.  When they heard that the Christ was wrapped in strips of cloth, they would have thought, “That’s how our wives wrap our babies!  He is not in some palace that we have no chance of entering.  He is one of us.  He comes for the likes of us!”  God’s good will is not toward some of mankind.  It is good news of great joy for all the earth. 

     At Christmas time, we hear a general appeal for people to have good will toward one another.  It is odd to me that this message receives such emphasis at this time of year.  But maybe it receives such emphasis because Christmas time can reveal the worst of us more than the best of us.  When we go to the store, wait for parking, shop among self-absorbed crowds, and stand in long lines, our good will toward others ran short.  The stress of year-end deadlines boiled over into rude remarks and office squabbles.  The pressure to produce the perfect Christmas magic in our homes made our homes unpleasant.  And while family gatherings seem like a great idea, family rivalries can flare up and arguments from the past can get renewed.  Our good will toward mankind takes a beating at Christmas, and it gets withheld throughout the year as well.

     If this is how we feel about our fellowman, what should God think of us who commanded us, “Love your neighbor as yourself?”  God does not put limits on this love, as if to say, “Love your neighbor, well, if he deserves it.  Love your neighbor, well, unless he is a jerk.  Love your neighbor, but only if he loves you back.”  On the contrary, this is what the Lord says, “If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Even tax collectors do that, don’t they?  If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even the unbelievers do that” (Matthew 5:46-47)?

     But God’s good will toward mankind goes without limits.  The angel declared, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you” (Luke 2:10-11).  The Savior comes for all people—for those who are rude, tired, stressed, snarky, bitter, sad, jealous, petty, abusive, addicted, and adulterous.  That is because the Savior comes to pay for the sins of the world.  His love goes beyond covering minor indiscretions or social faux pas, but he also covers great and shameful sins.  Rather than pick and choose which sinners aren’t that bad, Jesus acted to suffer and die for all.  Rather than debate which sins are serious and which are insignificant, Jesus paid for them all. 

     Jesus proves God’s good will toward mankind.  He does not leave you to wallow in guilt or to languish in your sins.  He delivers you from the guilt, rescues you from the punishment, and reconciles you to God.  He even restores shattered lives and mends broken hearts.  The grace he bestows is greater than your sins.  The joy he brings endures even in the face of death.  God is faithful in his love and lavish with his forgiveness.  The Lord Jesus has taken your sins away from you.  The only way they can condemn you now is if you take them back.

     If you are unwrapping gifts tonight or tomorrow, you might get exactly what you want.  Or you might not.  Loved ones take their best guess at what they think you will like or what you can use.  They mean well, even if they don’t do that well with their gifts.  But our Lord gave the supreme gift that is useful, beneficial, and necessary.  A Savior has been born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.  Through him, God bestows his good will.  And we give glory to God.

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

YouTube -- Festival of St. Thomas, Apostle (December 21, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 21, 2025.

Sermon -- Festival of St. Thomas, Apostle (December 21, 2025)

FAITH BELIEVES WITH THE EARS, NOT THE EYES.

JOHN 20:24-29 

In the name + of Jesus.

    Joseph, the guardian of our Lord, was a man of great faith.  When he learned that his betrothed, Mary, was pregnant, he decided to terminate their relationship.  He had no desire to publicly shame her or to demand any kind of punishment for her, but neither did he want to become her husband.  Perhaps she loved another, and her pregnancy was the result of that.  If so, let her go to the one she loves.  I don’t think anyone would blame Joseph for his conclusions. 

     But then the Lord intervened.  God sent his angel to Joseph in a dream to inform him what was really going on—something Joseph would have never known or even guessed if left to his own devices.  The Lord revealed to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).  Experience taught him that the angel’s words were nonsense.  Joseph knows how women become mommies.  But Joseph believed the word of the Lord.  Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.

     Fast forward thirty-three years.  Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  The eyes were not fooled by these events.  His back was ripped open by the scourging of Pilate’s soldiers.  His wrists and feet were nailed to wooden beams.  He breathed his last and then was pierced with a spear for good measure.  The Romans, utterly successful at death by crucifixion, maintained their sterling record.  Pilate had that confirmed before he granted Joseph of Arimathea permission to take Jesus’ body.  The lifeless body of Jesus was wrapped in cloth and sealed in a tomb.  The death of Jesus of Nazareth was undeniable, publicly witnessed by disciples, soldiers, Pharisees, priests, and passers-by.

     Jesus’ apostles were devastated.  They were scared.  They were also wallowing in guilt for having abandoned their Lord in his most crucial hours.  Even though Jesus had told them explicitly three times that he would rise from the dead on the third day, they did not expect that they would see him again. 

     “On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews.  Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.  So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).  They were overjoyed to see Jesus.  Even more, they were overjoyed that Jesus did not come to pass judgment on them.  He did not bear a grudge because he had to endure torment for their sins.  He declared peace.  All was forgiven—not just their failure to remain by him, but all.  All is forgiven—for you, too.

     The apostle Thomas was not there to hear it.  No doubt, he was consumed by the same fears, despair, and guilt that his fellow apostles had experienced.  Ten apostles had been relieved of their guilt, but not Thomas.  He was still scared, still sorrowful, still devastated.  His fellow apostles were eager to pull him out of it.  “The other disciples kept telling him, ‘We have seen the Lord’” (John 20:25)! 

     It is hard to know why Thomas did not consider the persistent testimony of his fellow apostles reliable.  Thomas demanded proof.  Surely, his experience would not deceive him.  His friends?  Maybe.  But not his own senses.  He would not believe words.  For this, he has been given the name “Doubting Thomas.”  Today, it is applied to people as a rebuke or an insult.  I am surprised that Thomas has not become a hero for skeptics.  Thomas would only believe what he could see with his eyes; he would not accept what he heard with his ears.  He is not unique.

     We constantly seek proof of God’s love and care, but we dictate how that love and care should be proved.  It should be by the end of war and strife.  It should be by the end of sickness and disease.  It should be by crime-free streets and drug-free communities.  It should be by families that are no longer fractured or fighting.  It should be by a robust economy where luxuries are common and all the bills are paid.  It should be by winning the Power Ball lottery.  I suppose you have your own criteria for what would prove that God loves you and cares for you.  If any of our criteria is not met, we may doubt that God loves us or that God is even real.  To paraphrase Thomas, “Unless I see the blessings in my life and in this world, I will not believe.” 

     Repent!  For, the Creator is not answerable to what he has created.  The one who grants life does not take orders from those who live because of him.  Nor is the evil in the world proof that God does not love or care for us.  The holy God is not the author of evil that men do.  God does not sponsor mass shooters.  God does not approve of the murder of babies in their mothers’ wombs.  God does not commission drunk drivers or encourage political violence.  These are the evil acts of sinners.  What you see and what you experience tells you more about this sin-fallen world than it tells you about God.

     The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).  That does not mean Christians live in the land of make believe.  And it does not mean that Christians are so gullible as to believe anything.  Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.  God declares what is true.  God’s people take those words to heart.  We believe what our Lord tells us, even if our senses suggest something else.  The Bible is full of promises that seemed impossible but were fulfilled by our Lord, nonetheless.  When God says so, it is so.  Just because we don’t see the Lord’s goodness does not mean that the Lord is no longer good.  You don’t see the sun at night, either, but it still shines.

     Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.  That was not enough for Thomas.  The words of the prophets were not enough for him.  Jesus’ words were not enough for him.  The eyewitness testimony of Thomas’ colleagues was not enough for him.  Thomas demanded more: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25).

     Jesus did not owe Thomas a special revelation.  In fact, Jesus could have remained hidden from Thomas and let that be an act of judgment upon him.  Instead, Jesus graciously appeared to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here and look at my hands.  Take your hand and put it into my side.  Do not continue to doubt, but believe” (John 20:27).  His wounds were proof of his death.  His body was proof of his resurrection.  His words were proof of his mercy.  For, when Jesus appeared to his disciples again, he declared, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26).  He could have turned to Thomas and said, “Well, not with you,” but he did not.  He spoke to him with tender mercy.  He bestowed his peace, even to Doubting Thomas.

     Jesus has mercy on those with questions, with skepticism, and with doubts.  But he does not address these questions with dazzling displays of power.  When our Lord did display miracles in the past, it did not prevent people from dishonoring and disobeying his word.  Rather than proving himself with what we see with our eyes, our Lord consoles us with words for our ears.  God’s goodness is revealed in promises which are fulfilled.  God’s mercy is proclaimed to console troubled hearts and minds.  Faith believes with the ears, not with the eyes. 

     Our Lord Jesus Christ entered our world at a time when there were not cameras to log video footage.  While some consider that a negative, it shows the wisdom of God.  Videos on YouTube, TikTok, or other media platforms are mostly staged.  Increasingly, videos are becoming AI, so you can’t be sure what is real.

     In his wisdom, the Father sent his Son into the world when we were forced to rely on eyewitness accounts and records passed down to us in writing.  The Bible is overwhelming reliable with these accounts and records.  The Bible is far better attested than any other piece of ancient literature, and it’s not close.  We have more testimony about Jesus than we do about Confucious, Socrates, or Nebuchadnezzar.  It is not living in the land of make believe to trust the words and works of Jesus.  It was all done in public.  It has been recorded, preserved in copies, and proclaimed around the world.  The apostles, even under torture and sentenced to death, never changed their testimony.

     Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.  Jesus had invited Thomas to touch the nail marks and to inspect his wounds.  St. John does not record if he did or not.  St. John did record Thomas’ confession, declaring Jesus to be God and Lord.  Tradition tells us that Thomas did not continue in his skepticism.  Instead, he preached about the Savior who paid for the sins of all, even for skeptics like him.  He travelled as far as India to preach about the Savior who died for sinners and who rose from the dead.  The way to heaven is not by the Ganges River, but by faith in Jesus.  Thomas testified to the wounds that bore witness to God’s love.  And for that, Thomas himself received wounds that killed him.  In the end, Thomas willingly died for the faith.  He did not die as a skeptic, but as a faithful witness who was sustained and saved by the word of the Lord.  The living Savior is greater than a dying world. 

     Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.  What you see and experience in this world may be heart-breaking, frightening, or infuriating.  But God’s love and care—and certainly his salvation—are not determined by what you see with your eyes.  His love and care, his mercy and forgiveness, are made known in words.  In that word, he reveals how he left the glories of heaven to come to this sin-riddled world.  In that word, he reveals how he did the work to deliver you from all of life’s pains and sorrows, and that he will bring you to the glories of heaven.  In that word, he soothes your troubled hearts with words of peace and forgiveness.  This world is deceptive.  God does not lie.  When God says so, it is so. 

     Faith believes with the ears, not the eyes.  But faith in his word always results in seeing his glory with the eyes.  Joseph saw it in Mary’s child.  Thomas saw it in the wounds of Jesus’ risen body.  And you will see it in the resurrection to life everlasting.  He who has ears, let him hear.

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

Local Tourist -- Meadowbrook Hall for Christmas

On Friday, December 19, the Local Tourist and his lovely Mrs. took a tour of Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester, Michigan.  Click on the link for details about this amazing home.  We toured it as it was all decked out for Christmas.  It was fantastic.

Here are some photos.