Sermon -- Last Sunday after Epiphany: Transfiguration (February 15, 2026)

YOU DO WELL TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT HE SAYS.

2 PETER 1:16-21

In the name + of Jesus.

      When I was in high school, we had a presentation about rock music.  We had one simple task: Listen to the lyrics.  When you listen to music, it is the tune that catches your attention.  That’s what makes your toes tap.  One song which was popular (and I suppose still is) is, “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult.  If you know this song at all, it is from the guitar riff which, I think, is one of the most catchy guitar riffs in rock music.  You might also know it as the “Cow Bell” song on Saturday Night Live.  Anyway, as we were all tapping our toes, we were drawn back to the assignment: Listen to the lyrics.  It was only then that we discovered the song praises and encourages suicide.  Suddenly, that song was not as great as we thought it was.  It pays to listen to what they say.

     The same can be said for the hymns we sing.  Everyone has their favorites.  Many become favorites because they are linked to a special event.  Maybe it was sung at your daughter’s wedding.  Maybe it was at your grandfather’s funeral.  Or maybe you learned it at Sunday School.  Often the favorites are the ones that stir up our emotions.  You have to sing Silent Night on Christmas Eve because it makes you cry.  Of course, music has its part in any hymn.  But if the music or the emotion is all you remember, then the hymn did not teach you anything.  St. Paul spoke of the purpose of hymns when he wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).  If hymns are to teach, then we need to pay attention to what they say.  And the best ones proclaim the redeeming work of our Lord.

     Shortly before Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to suffer and die for our sins, he took Peter, James, and John with him up a mountain.  There, they saw Jesus’ divine glory.  St. Matthew described it: “(Jesus) was transfigured in front of them.  His face was shining like the sun.  His clothing became as white as the light.  Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17:2-3). 

     Peter wanted to keep this vision of glory for as long as possible.  I suppose we can’t blame him for that.  The disciples had confessed that Jesus is the Son of God.  Here, he finally looked the part!  Their confession was no longer by faith, but now it was by sight.  Peter concluded that others should see it, too.  Jesus, Moses, and Elijah could each have their own tabernacle.  Then anyone could climb the mountain and see it.  God the Father, however, redirected the attention of the disciples.  He declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). 

     Eventually, Simon Peter did learn the lesson.  He wrote in his second epistle, “We also have the completely reliable prophetic word.  You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).  We can be dazzled by what we see or swayed by emotional experiences.  But if we want confidence about what God is like, what God desires, and what God does for people, then we must listen to him.  You do well to pay attention to what he says.

     God’s blessings upon his creation are often tangible.  We can see a brilliant sunrise, a waterfall, or the vibrant feathers of songbirds.  We can feel a cool breeze in summer, the warmth of a hug, or the soft fur of a cat.  We can smell a flower, a campfire, or bacon.  All of these show that our Lord is kind in blessing us with so much variety and beauty.  While the creation reveals God’s kindness, it does not reveal what God does about people who do not listen to his word.

     Our problem is not that we don’t know what God says.  Why else would we create arguments that defend our actions?  Why else would we rationalize that what is bad when others do it is okay when we do it?  The driver who cut you off in traffic is a jerk, but others should understand that when you cut your way through traffic, you have important business to get to.  No one needs to work that hard to explain why they did something good.  But to defend our sins, our reason bends like a contortionist, the kind you look at and say, “The body is not supposed to bend like that.”  Our excuses for our sins are not supposed to contort like that either, but they do.  God’s commands, however, are unmistakable.  Our problem is not ignorance, as if we ask, “Who can say what is right or wrong?”  Our problem is that we do not pay attention to what he says.

     That problem goes back to the Garden of Eden.  God gave Adam and Eve one commandment to follow.  It was very clear: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:16-17).  And the consequence of failing to listen was clear: “On the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17).  Sadly, they did not pay attention to what he said.  Sin and death entered the world and have claimed everyone who enters it.

     Even Simon Peter did not pay attention to the word of the Lord.  On the night Jesus was betrayed, he warned his disciples, “This night you will all fall away on account of me” (Matthew 26:31).  “Peter answered him, ‘Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.’  Peter said to him, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you’” (Matthew 26:33-35).  Jesus had issued the warning, but Peter did not pay attention to it.  Within hours, he swore before God that he did not have any association with Jesus.

     If we pay attention to what God says, we spare ourselves many griefs.  We don’t destroy reputations or relationships with juicy gossip.  We don’t jeopardize a marriage by streaming raunchy websites.  We don’t risk arrest from shoplifting.  We don’t suffer the consequences from our rage against someone we disagree with.  You do well to pay attention to what he has to say.  If you do not pay attention to what he has to say, you fall under his condemnation.  And, sadly, if you do not pay attention to what he has to say, you won’t know how the Lord delivers you from that condemnation.

     That’s why St. Peter wrote, “We also have the completely reliable prophetic word.  You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).  Only God can enlighten us to know how he takes care of our guilt.  You and I might try to ignore it or distract ourselves from it.  God does not.  He deals with it.  Our Savior takes away our guilt by taking it upon himself.

     When God the Father told the disciples, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5), he could also have said, “You should have been listening to him.”  St. Matthew records, “Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17:3).  St. Luke, however, records the content of that conversation.  “(Moses and Elijah) appeared in glory and were talking about his departure, which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31).  If they had paid attention to what he was saying, they would have been focused on Jesus’ mission rather than on his dazzling appearance.

     God the Father sent Jesus to take away the guilt of all mankind.  Jesus paid attention to what he had commanded him, and he was committed to bringing it to its fulfillment.  Jesus took upon himself the guilt of all who fail to pay attention to his word.  He died for Adam’s and Eve’s paying attention to the devil’s words instead of his.  He died for Simon Peter’s failure to heed the warning that he would deny Jesus.  He has taken the punishment for you not paying attention to what he has said.  He has even shed his blood for the times you had paid attention and did what was forbidden anyway.  For these and all our sins, Jesus did what he was commanded to do.  He paid attention to the word of God and paid the price for all the iniquities of mankind.  Jesus’ sacrificial death assures that God’s word to you is a declaration of pardon and peace.

     You do well to pay attention to what the Lord says.  That is what God the Father told Peter, James, and John when they saw Jesus radiant in glory.  He did not ask them, “What do you think about that?” or “How does that make you feel?”  Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ transfiguration expressed his thoughts and feelings.  Instead, God the Father kept the disciples focused: “Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).

     No matter what you see or experience, you will only draw comfort when you pay attention to what our Lord has to say.  In other words, pay attention to what is written in the Bible.  St. Peter reminds you, “No prophecy of Scripture comes about from someone’s own interpretation.  In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).  The Bible are not merely words about God.  They are God’s words.  They guide you in godly living.  They encourage you with divine promises which endure through dark days, tear-filled moments, and painful trials.  They assure you of God’s steadfast love and abiding presence.  Especially when it feels like God has turned away from you, listen to him!  You do well to pay attention to what he has to say, because God speaks to you through the Scriptures for your comfort, encouragement, peace.  He keeps you focused on the end goal.  The end goal is not just to get through rough times—although God will be with you through those.  The goal is to see the glory of the Lord and to partake in the glory of the eternal kingdom. 

     St. Peter wrote, “To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).  The glory that Peter saw is but a glimpse of the glory that awaits you.  It was not a fantasy when Peter saw it.  It is not a fantasy that you dream about.  It is a reality you simply wait for.  God has promised it.  God’s word points you to it.  And you do well to pay attention to the only one who will get you there, which is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Epiphany (February 8, 2026)

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

MATTHEW 5:13-20

In the name + of Jesus.

     It is important to recognize Jesus’ audience in this Gospel reading.  St. Matthew wrote, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up onto a mountain.  When he sat down, his disciples came to him.  He opened his mouth and began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2).  While God’s word is intended for everyone on earth, these words are spoken specifically to his disciples.  That means you and me, too.

     Jesus calls his disciples, “Follow me.”  Jesus’ disciples are to be different; for, they are set apart.  You have been set apart from sin, death, and Satan.  Jesus has taken every charge of guilt which had stood against you.  He was condemned so that you would not be.  You are free from sin.  Jesus went into the grave to rob it of its power.  Jesus died and rose so that you would also rise from the dead to receive eternal life.  You are free from death.  Jesus has also delivered you from the devil.  The devil has no claim on you.  The devil’s name is Satan which means “Accuser.”  But whatever accusations he makes against you are overruled by Jesus.  Jesus has crushed the serpent’s head.  He has rendered him powerless against you.  You are free from the devil.

     Just as Jesus has set you apart from sin, death, and the devil, he has also set you apart for a better path.  But God does more than declare you innocent.  He has changed your heart so that you strive for innocence as well.  He calls you to serve him in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  That is why he told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13,14).  Jesus does not say, “This is what you should be.”  No, he says, “This is what you are.”  You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  You are set apart as God’s people, and he calls you to be godly people.

     “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13).  Salt was used in Jesus’ day mainly as a preservative.  In days before refrigerators and freezers, meat was packed in salt to prevent rot.  God’s people have the same influence on society.  This is done to an extent by upholding laws that promote righteousness and punish wickedness.  No doubt, you have noticed that our society keeps on moving the lines on what should be promoted and what should be punished.  If standards for morality can be moved that often and that quickly, does our society actually have any true standards? 

     God’s standards, however, remain unchanged.  Jesus said, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).  God does not change; neither does his word.  God defines what is good and what is evil.  So, when we urge our leaders to pass laws that promote what is good and which prohibit what is wicked, we rely on God’s word as our standard.  In this way, God’s people preserve this world from rotting away.

     You are the salt of the earth.  While seeking to preserve the world from rotting through laws, your prayers will do much more.  Laws may curb behavior, but only God’s word will convert hearts to love what is good and to hate what is evil.  We pray that the Lord would raise up more faithful pastors to preach God’s word.  We pray that fathers and mothers would discipline their children in godliness and that families would be strengthened in the faith.  We pray that God would send his angels forth to defend and protect us from all that would harm us in body and soul.  We pray for our nation, its leaders, its teachers, and so forth.  When we commend all these things to God’s care, we trust that God will pour out his grace to preserve this world from rot and decay.

     You are the salt of the earth.  But sin continues to rot everything.  Unbelievers are going to act like unbelievers.  Their actions and attitudes are so prevalent that even Christians begin to accept and adopt them.  This rots your own heart and life.  So, what can you do?  You remember who you are: You are the salt of the earth.  You do not have to do what sinners do.  You don’t have to be ruled by your stomach, your wallet, your ego, or your hormones. Actually, it is stronger than “You don’t have to.”  Jesus says plainly, “Don’t.”  Jesus warned, “If salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again?  Then it is no good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people” (Matthew 5:13).  If you refuse to be the salt of the earth, you will not be Jesus’ disciple.  To be set free from sin and then to run back to it is to say that you would rather have your sins than to be set free from them.  You will be thrown out of the kingdom and trampled underfoot.

     But if you are Jesus’ disciple, you will be different.  Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).  The true light is Jesus Christ.  But you are clothed with Christ.  You have been given a clean heart and a right spirit.  Therefore, you will reflect the light of Christ.  It will be displayed in your words and actions.  These cannot escape the notice of other people.  You may not think it is anything remarkable.  But others will see it.  Some will respect you for it because it encourages them to be godly.  But even if they remain ungodly, they will respect you for being trustworthy.  Others will be bothered by it because your light exposes the darkness in them.  These are the people who berate you for thinking you are holier than everyone else.  Do not ever let anyone put you to shame for being godly people.

     “You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.  People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket.  No, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  In the same way let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Of course, Jesus is not telling you to do anything for your own praise.  If your light shines and others take notice, it is not because you flaunt it.  It is simply a matter of living as God’s people because that is what you are. 

     Take the prophet Daniel as an example.  We call Daniel a prophet, and rightly so.  But Daniel’s profession was a government worker.  He served for decades in the Babylonian government.  Then Daniel served in the Persian Empire after they had conquered the Babylonians.  He was so proficient at his work that he was about to be promoted over a whole province.  The Persian officials would not stand for this Jew to be exalted over them, so they plotted to get Daniel ousted. 

     They scoured the records to prove that Daniel was corrupt.  To their surprise, Daniel was an honest politician.  So, they decided, “We will not find any accusation to bring against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5).  How did they know this?  Because Daniel had let his light shine.  They knew he followed the word of the Lord—not because Daniel boasted about it, but because he simply did it.  Daniel’s enemies got the king to pass a law that no one should pray to anyone but the king for thirty days under penalty of death.  When Daniel heard about the decree, he went home to pray about it.  Daniel’s enemies went to his house, knowing that he would be praying to the Lord.  How did they know?  Because Daniel had let his light shine.  They knew he would continue faithfully in prayer to the Lord. 

      “You are the light of the world.  A city located on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).  While you have no need to flaunt your good works, you have no reason to hide them, either.  A godly life cannot be hidden from others.  Once again, these things may not seem extraordinary to you, but others see it.  When others are complaining about their wives and you praise yours and uphold marriage as the sacred union that it is, who could fail to notice?  When you pour water on the slander and the gossip against other people instead of piling more logs on that fire, who could not notice?  Or when a group of friends says, “Let’s go out.  Sunday mornings are mimosa mornings!” and you reply, “I can meet you after church,” who could miss it?

     You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  But the light of Christ can be shadowed by poor choices and prickly words.  And the salt that is in you does not always have the same bite.  This is why you cannot take pride in your good works.  Who takes pride in what is flawed or in failings?

     Jesus’ words jolt us when he says, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and experts in the law, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).  The Pharisees did take pride in their works and their prayers and their tithing.  And the thing is—they actually did these things.  They were careful to do them, so when they boasted about them, no one could call them liars.  Jesus says you have to be more righteous than that.

     You and I do not possess such righteousness.  That is why we cling to Jesus.  He supplies the very righteousness we need.  Jesus perished in utter darkness so that you could be light in the Lord.  He was covered in your guilt so that you could be clothed in his righteousness.  Therefore, we rely on Jesus’ merits for the favor of God the Father which was earned by Jesus’ perfect life and for the forgiveness of God the Father which was earned by Jesus’ innocent death.  These assure us of a righteous verdict. 

     You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  This is not only your status, it is also your life.  God’s word guides your works, your words, and your motives.  Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever practices and teaches (these commandments) will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).  Since you are Jesus’ disciples, you put God’s word into practice in your life.  You teach God’s word to your children.  You confess God’s word to others.  You not only find joy in following God’s word now, you will continue to love and serve the Lord in the kingdom of heaven.  In fact, you will be confirmed in holiness and rejoice in godliness. 

     You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  And the Lord promises what you will be in the glories of heaven: “Those who have insight will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).  There is great joy in pondering what we will be in heaven.  But don’t forget what you are now.  You are a blessing to this world—reflecting the light of God’s goodness and seasoning the world with God’s grace.  For, you are Jesus’ disciples.  You are called to be different.  And this “different” is good.

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

Sermon -- 4th Sunday after Epiphany (February 1, 2026)

LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THE LORD.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31

In the name + of Jesus.

      You and I live in two kingdoms.  We live in the kingdom of the world, and we live in the kingdom of God.  They are two very different kingdoms.  They value things differently.  They prioritize things differently.  They reward people differently.  But since we live in both, we are conflicted about what we value and prioritize, and about the rewards we desire.

     Consider how St. Paul addressed the Corinthian Christians.  He wrote, “Consider your call, brothers.  Not many of you were wise from a human point of view, not many were powerful, and not many were born with high status” (1 Corinthians 1:26).  St. Paul said that not many had attained these things; that means that some had.  But for the most part, the congregation was made up of people who were striving just to get by.  They may have had dreams of bigger and better.  But there was no likelihood of one’s social status changing in the first century Roman Empire.  If you were poor, enslaved, or unschooled, you would remain poor, enslaved, or unschooled.  Your fantasies remained fantasies, and fantasies produce nothing.

     But those who had wealth, those who were heralded as scholars, those who were powerful, influential, or nobility could boast about their station in life—whether it was earned or inherited.  Perhaps nothing has changed.  These things are still highly regarded in our world.  Those who have not achieved them—no matter how noble, honest, or beneficial to society they are—are often held in low regard.  This might sound insulting, but you have been influenced to think the same way.  If you don’t think so, go to the Old Granary Burying Ground in Boston.  I bet you will take photos of the gravestones of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, and I bet you will not even pay attention to the other grave markers there.  We admire those who have achieved wealth, power, and fame.  Those who have not achieved such notoriety still fantasize about achieving it.  The have-nots want to boast like the haves.  That is life in this worldly kingdom. 

     You, however, live in another kingdom—the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is very different from the kingdom of this world.  In fact, the Lord turns things upside down.  The Lord values things differently.  He prioritizes things differently.  He rewards people differently.  Since the Lord is the one who blesses people with wealth and authority, he is not impressed when people take pride in them.  God can withdraw those blessings just as easily as he gives them.  And if someone should be born into a family of high-standing, that is an act of God’s grace.  No one is born to a particular time, place, or family because he has done something to deserve it.  So, if a man boasts about his noble birth, that is the height of arrogance.

     There is a fascinating chapter in the book of Daniel which highlights all of this.  King Nebuchadnezzar ruled the kingdom of Babylon, the most power kingdom in the world up to that time.  He enjoyed wealth, power, and fame.  The prophet Daniel had warned him that his pride would be judged by the Lord if he did not repent.  About year after this warning, “the king said, ‘Isn’t this the great Babylon that I built for a royal residence by my mighty power and my majestic glory?’  While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven.  It said, ‘It is announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has been taken away from you’” (Daniel 4:30-31).  For about seven years, Nebuchadnezzar went insane.  He was reduced to nothing.  Then, after Nebuchadnezzar had been properly humbled, the Lord was pleased to restore him.  Then he confessed, “Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of Heaven, because all his works are true, and his ways are just.  All those who walk in arrogance he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:37).  Thanks be to God, Nebuchadnezzar learned the lesson: Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

     Our Lord should not have to resort to that level of judgment for you to recognize that you are nothing but dust and breath.  Our Lord should not have to remove your wealth so you can no longer take pride in it, or to withdraw your health so that you can no longer take pride in your strength, or make you a victim of slander so that you can no longer find comfort in your popularity.  But sometimes he does.  If he does, the God be praised!  Because he is doing it for your good.  God may reduce our worldly goods and glory to nothing so that we do not remain devoted to our own earthly kingdom.  If we have nothing on earth to boast about but we still have God’s promises, we have everything of eternal value.  Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

     “God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame those who are wise.  God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to do away with the things that are, so that no one may boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).  This is especially true regarding our salvation.  Our Lord was pleased to bring about our salvation through things that were weak, shameful, and despised. 

     When the Father sent his Son into the world to redeem mankind from a sinful existence in a dying world, he did not float down from heaven as an adult, glowing in glory and power.  He entered the world through a birth canal.  Totally dependent upon Joseph and Mary, Jesus experienced a world of cold and hunger, of splinters and callouses, false accusations and fake friends.  For acts of mercy, Jesus was vilified.  For relieving people of demon-possession, Jesus was accused of being in league with Satan.  As Isaiah had said, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man who knew grief, who was well acquainted with suffering.  Like someone whom people cannot bear to look at, he was despised, and we thought nothing of him” (Isaiah 53:3).
     When Jesus acted to deliver us from sin, death, and the devil, it was not with a drawn sword and laying waste to kingdoms and armies.  Instead, God chose what appeared to be foolish, weak, lowly, and despised.  Jesus made himself obedient to death—an unjust sentence upon an innocent man.  Jesus made himself obedient to death on a cross—beaten, bloodied, and naked.  He was mocked by the rich and powerful who boasted that their plans had been successful.  They put Jesus to death.  They preserved their earthly kingdom.  They received their reward. 

     It is common for a Christian church to display a cross as a reminder of where our sin was paid for.  Better still is a crucifix.  It is not the cross that has taken away your sin.  Your sin was put upon Jesus and buried with his lifeless body.  When someone sees the disfigured and dead body of Jesus suspended from a cross and asks you, “Is that your God?” you boast, “Yes, that is my God, my Savior.”  Some will mock you for trusting in one who appears weak and wretched, but you know that the Lamb who was slain shows you the very heart of God.  It shows you how seriously God is about sin and the penalty sin deserves—that God the Father would damn his own Son for bearing your sin.  But it also shows you how dearly God loves you—that God the Father would curse his own Son to grant you a full pardon for all your sin.  Jesus has taken away our sin.  God has no reason to punish or even to threaten you. 

     The crucified Jesus Christ appears utterly weak, shameful, and pathetic.  God, however, has chosen what appears foolish, weak, and despised to save us.  All the wealth, power, and PhD’s in the world can’t save anyone.  No matter how much a man may boast in his wisdom or wealth, he cannot buy his way out of death or outsmart the grave.  No matter how much power one accumulates, he cannot command death to bow to him.  Why?  “So that no one may boast before God.  But because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us the wisdom from God, namely, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.  God did this so that, just as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). 

     Now, understand this distinction.  You live in the kingdom of God.  God brought you into his kingdom through holy baptism.  To some, it seems foolish that a splashing of water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit would have any real significance.  But God chooses the despised things of this world to bestow everlasting value to his people.  God grants his gracious reward without regard to how much we know, how much we are known, how much we attain, or how much we accomplish.  Whether you are an infant or an adult, whether you are at the top of your field or on the low end of the totem pole, whether you have a perfect score on your ACT’s or have Alzheimer’s Disease, your place in the kingdom of God has been secured by the Lord Jesus and by him alone.  So let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

     At the same time, you live in the kingdom of this world.  If you possess wealth, intelligence, or authority, you can do great things for many people.  God grants you these gifts not so that you can build up a kingdom for yourself in this world.  Every worldly kingdom will finally be reduced to dust, as will the people who build them.  But God gives you gifts to use for his glory and for the good of your fellow man.  St. Paul directs us, “Instruct those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but rather in God, who richly supplies us with all things for our enjoyment.  Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they are storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

     If God has chosen to not bless you with wealth, scholarly degrees, or authority, he still provides you with opportunities to do good and to bless your fellow man.  You do not need worldly acclaim to be honest, helpful, merciful, chaste, decent, or to show up on time and to do the work you were given to do.  And you don’t need the world’s praise for God to be pleased with you or for your life to matter.  Jesus has made you pleasing to the Lord.  If the world does not think much of you and your works, so what!  God does!

     Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.  The Lord has made you his priority.  You have infinite value to him.  And he rewards you with an eternal kingdom through the mercies and merits of Jesus.  Therefore, you have nothing greater to value than Jesus Christ.  Now your highest priority are God’s word and sacraments.  By these, the Holy Spirit preserves you in his kingdom.  And we boast in the Lord Jesus as we await his return to bring us to our heavenly reward.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany (January 11, 2026)

JESUS WAS ANOINTED TO DO GOOD.

ACTS 10:34-38

In the name + of Jesus.

    The consecration of the Lord’s Supper begins with the words, “Our Lord Jesus Christ…”  We know that his name is not “Lord.”  Lord is a title.  By it, we confess that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.  He is God in the flesh.  All authority in heaven and on earth belong to him, and he lives and reigns for the good of his Church.  But people often get the impression that Jesus’ last name is “Christ.”  You and I are accustomed to last names, so we expect the same from the ancient world.  But the Jews did not have last names.  Just as “Lord” is a title, so is “Christ.”  It is the same word as “Messiah”—Christ being from the Greek; Messiah being from the Hebrew.  The name given to our Savior is Jesus, and if more information was needed, he would be known as Jesus of Nazareth.

     When St. Peter spoke about Jesus of Nazareth, he made a distinction between the name Jesus and the title Christ.  He said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38).  This sounds rather bizarre to us.  We think of Jesus only as the Messiah, that is, as the Lord’s anointed.  One reason is that when Jesus was born, the angel told the shepherds, “Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).  But Peter says there was a time when Jesus was not anointed.  He said that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 10:38). 

     Prior to his baptism, Jesus performed no miracles.  He grew up in the home of Joseph and Mary in Nazareth.  There was nothing extraordinary to note about him, at least nothing that the Bible notes.  With one exception, the only details we have about Jesus from his infancy until he was thirty is this: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people” (Luke 2:52). 

     At age thirty, Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.  “After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water.  Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him!  (John) saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him” (Matthew 3:17).  Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism.  Anointing is like an inauguration or an ordination.  It is how someone was installed into his particular office.  Aaron, Moses’ brother, was anointed to be the high priest of Israel.  Prior to his anointing, he did not hold that office or carry out its functions.  At his baptism, Jesus took up the office of the Christ.  He began to perform miraculous signs.  He publicly preached and taught the people about the kingdom of God.  And, as St. Peter described it, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil” (Acts 10:38).  Jesus was anointed to do good.

     I suppose anyone could argue that you do not need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit to do good.  Most people know how to behave and to be decent.  At the same time, no one is perfect.  Some embrace sin.  They are “full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and malice.  They are gossipers, slanderers, God-haters, insolent mockers, arrogant boasters, and loudmouths” (Romans 1:29-30).  They revel in it, and they find people who join them in it and who encourage it.  As God’s people, you don’t embrace sins.  You want to flee from them.  Nevertheless, your sinful nature gets the better of you.  We all do things we need to apologize for.  We all say things we wish we could take back.  Jesus, on the other hand, was pure in heart, kind in words, and merciful in deeds.  Jesus was morally and ethically perfect.

     The prophet Isaiah described Jesus’ goodness.  Isaiah wrote, “A bent reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3).  In other words, Jesus did not treat anyone like he or she was a lost cause.  Jesus’ enemies noted that Jesus ate with prostitutes and sinners; and they were right.  No little girl aspires to be a prostitute.  There must have been extreme desperation which would have led a woman to believe that this was her best option.  Jesus did not excuse their fornication, but he did have compassion on them.  A bruised reed would not be found useful by anyone, but Jesus considered it worth binding up instead of snapping off.  So, he sought to bind up those who were broken by life rather than snap them off and cast them away.

     While some people are desperate enough to turn to illegal activity, many face desperation differently.  People are so desperate to fit in that they will abandon their morals to belong.  They will do wicked things to be liked.  A young girl might give herself up to her boyfriend, thinking it is better to be used by him than to lose him.  Maybe you’ve been in a conversation where people slander a woman.  They share stories to alienate others from her.  If you defend her, you might find yourself the next target.  You might think it is better to alienate her than to be alienated with her.  Peer pressure is enough for people to cave in and get drunk, shoplift, gossip, play with a Ouija board, or drive recklessly.  All for the sake of fitting in, we will give into wickedness.  Repent.

     Day after day, we encounter sinful people.  It would be easy to say, “They made a mess of their lives.  I must cut them off.  They’re not worth the grief or the patience.”  If you do this, you will have to cut yourself off from the whole world.  Everyone is broken.  And yet, Jesus would not break off a bruised reed.  Jesus would not snuff out those whose faith was down to smoldering embers.  Jesus did not regard anyone as a lost cause.  Jesus was anointed to do good to all people.

     At Jesus’ baptism, “the Spirit of God (descended) like a dove and (landed) on him” (Matthew 3:16).  Here, Jesus was marked as the Christ.  He took up the work as God’s anointed.  That meant he united himself to us in his baptism.  Jesus did not need to be baptized for any sins of his own.  Rather, he took up ours. 

     For Jesus, baptism had the opposite effect that it has upon us.  Jesus’ baptism made him filthy.  He soaked up all our sin and guilt, marking him as the guilty one.  Nevertheless, the Father still declared, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him” (Matthew 3:17).  The Father was well-pleased with his Son when he covered himself in our sin because that is what he sent his Son to do. 

     Jesus was anointed as the Christ to make a sin offering for all people.  As our great high priest, Jesus makes this sacrifice for us.  And he IS the sacrifice.  He is the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Bearing our guilt, Jesus went to the cross.  There, he was cast away by the Father in heaven.  Jesus was forsaken and cursed and cut off; for this is what sins deserve.  Jesus was a snuffed out wick.  His life was extinguished; for the wages of sin is death.  Jesus endured this for your good because the Father is not content for any of his creatures to be lost.  None are a lost cause to him. 

     Jesus was anointed to do good.  Just as Jesus united himself to us in his baptism, so he has united you to himself through yours.  Jesus’ baptism has taken up all your sin so that your baptism washes you clean of all your sin.  Jesus took up all your guilt in your baptism so that he could clothe you in his righteousness in your baptism.  Jesus was anointed as the one who would be the sin offering for you in his baptism so that his blood would purify you of all unrighteousness in your baptism.  Jesus was anointed to do good.

     Therefore, you do not need to be desperate for other people to like you or to include you in their inner circle.  If your friends would cast you off because you do not fall in line with warped opinions and wicked behavior, how good of friends are they really?  But Jesus’ love for you is steadfast, and his commitment to you is sure.  Even when you come back to God’s house with sins to confess—And who doesn’t have sins to confess?—he will not snuff you out like a smoldering wick.  Rather, he continues to pour out his forgiveness upon you.  He will fan your faith into flame so that you can serve him joyfully.  He speaks tenderly to those who are bruised.  He binds up the broken-hearted.  He supplies hope to the desperate.

     The Lord Jesus Christ has brought you into the family of God.  Rather than snapping you off like a broken reed, Jesus has grafted you in.  He bestows his blessings upon you.  He sees to it that his blood courses through you so that you desire and do what is God-pleasing.  He sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in you to make you God’s temple.  Therefore, your identity is not tied to how other people think of you or talk about you or treat you.  Your identity is found in your baptism.  You have been made a child of the Most High God.  He has opened heaven to you, and he declares, “This is my beloved child, whom I love.  With you I am well pleased.”

     “You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached.  God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:37-38).  The devil will still try to oppress you.  He will tempt you to abandon the Lord to find your happiness from someone else.  He will dig up the past to rub your nose in it.  But the devil lies to you, because Jesus absolves you of what you’ve been and reminds you of who you are—a redeemed and beloved saint in his kingdom. 

     If you ever find yourself wondering if you can be forgiven by God or if you are desperate to know that God really loves you, then remember this statement: “I am baptized.”  For, that is where God has marked you as his own.  That is where God has washed away your sins.  That is where you have been clothed with Christ.  That is where Jesus has done good to you.  For he is good, and his mercy endures forever.

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

YouTube -- Last Sunday of Epiphany, Transfiguration (March 2, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, March 2, 2025.

Sermon -- Last Sunday of Epiphany, Transfiguration (March 2, 2025)

EXODUS 34:29-35

JESUS REVEALS A GLORY THAT WILL NOT FADE AWAY.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, there were others who joined them on that mountain.  Moses and Elijah appeared and were speaking with Jesus.  It was not the first time either had spoken with the Lord on a mountain.  Elijah spoke with the Lord when his frustrations led to despair.  Elijah was convinced that there were no believers left and that his ministry had been a failure.  The Lord told Elijah to return and to keep preaching.  The covenant had not failed.  There were still thousands who were faithful and waiting for the Lord’s deliverance.

     Moses spoke with the Lord when that covenant was enacted on Mt. Sinai.  He received the tablets of the Ten Commandments and other details about Israel’s service to the Lord.  Now these men spoke with the Lord on a mountain again.  While they could have reminisced about the glory days of the past, instead they focused on the glory days to come.  St. Luke wrote, “They appeared in glory and were talking about his departure, which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31).  This departure, in the Greek “exodus”, was the greatest act of deliverance our Lord would bring about.  God’s great act of deliverance in the Old Testament was the exodus out of Egypt.  This act of deliverance would be far greater.  Jesus would establish a better covenant than was enacted at Mt. Sinai.  Jesus reveals a glory that would not fade away.

     If Jesus established a new covenant, then there was something flawed about the old covenant.  Normally, a covenant has two sides to it.  Two parties must come to an agreement for a covenant to be reached.  In the old covenant, the parties were the Lord and the people of Israel.  The lengthy terms of the old covenant are recorded in Deuteronomy 28, but they boil down to this: If the people of Israel faithfully served the Lord and followed his commands, then the Lord would bless them with protection, prosperity, and glory.  But if the people of Israel did not follow the Lord’s commands, then the Lord would afflict them with all kinds of curses and terrors. 

     There is glory in this covenant, for this covenant is the word of the Lord and the word of the Lord is always glorious.  There was great blessing to be gained in this covenant.  “He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep his Commandments” (Luther’s Small Catechism).  But this covenant was flawed because of one word.  That word was, “If.”  If Israel was obedient, they would be a glorious people.  Sadly, Israel did not live up to their end of the covenant.  The glory of this covenant faded because of the “If.”

     This was reflected in Moses’ appearance when he received the word of the Lord.  The Bible informs us, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not realize that the skin of his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord.  When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, they were amazed that the skin of his face was shining, so they were afraid to come close to him” (Exodus 34:29-30). 

     The fear of the people was not just from the shock of Moses’ appearance.  Moses’ face was reflecting the glory of the Lord.  Of course, Moses’ face had no glory of its own.  Moses was a mortal man, corrupted by sin like the rest of us.  The shining face was a reflection of God’s glory.  It is like the moon.  The moon gives no light on its own.  Its brightness is a reflection of the sun.  In the same way, Moses’ face reflected the glory and holiness of the Lord.  That is why the people fled from him in terror.

     When Moses addressed Israel with God’s word, he left his face uncovered.  “When Moses was finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.  But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off until he came out again” (Exodus 34:33-34).  The reason Moses covered his face was not to prevent the people from seeing the Lord’s glory.  It was to prevent the people from seeing the glory fade.  St. Paul wrote, “Moses … put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away” (2 Corinthians 3:13).  This represents the glory of the old covenant because it did not result in glory.  In fact, it resulted in condemnation because the people failed to live up to their end of it.  Jesus, however, reveals a glory that will not fade away.

     When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain, he gave them a glimpse of the glory to come.  “While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white.  Just then, two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him!  They appeared in glory and were talking about his departure, which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:29-31).  Jesus reveals a glory that will not fade away.  The glory on the mountain was undeniable, but it was temporary.  Eternal glory would be achieved through Jesus’ departure, or exodus.  Jesus would go to another mountain at Jerusalem.  There, he would not appear in glory, but in shame and weakness as he languished on a cross.  That is where Jesus would establish a new covenant which would not be flawed and which would not fail.

     Jesus reveals a glory that will not fade away by establishing a new, better, and everlasting covenant.  To ensure that this covenant would not fail or fade, Jesus made it a one-sided covenant.  That means that Jesus did everything to fulfill it.  To secure God’s favor, Jesus would have to keep all of God’s commands.  He not only did it, he received the Father’s approval which Peter, James, and John heard for themselves.  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5).  Jesus earned God’s good pleasure by living up to all the demands of God’s Law.  If Jesus had not done this, then Jesus would be of no benefit to you.

     Jesus continued to live under God’s pleasure by dying under God’s curse.  Just as the old covenant was ratified by blood, so the new covenant is, too.  Jesus shed his innocent blood to restore our relationship with God the Father.  That holy, precious blood redeems us from sin, reckons us righteous, and reconciles us to God the Father.  In the Old Testament, the people were put under the covenant by having blood sprinkled on them.  You have become beneficiaries of this new covenant through the waters of Holy Baptism being sprinkled on you.  In baptism, you have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. 

     All this Jesus did on his own.  As Isaiah had foretold, “He saw that there was no one.  He was appalled that there was no one who could intervene.  So his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness supported him” (Isaiah 59:16).  Jesus has established and ratified this new covenant on his own.  He satisfied the demands of the Law by his innocent life.  He satisfied the punishment of the Law by his sacrificial death.  He overcame the grave by his bodily resurrection.  He opened heaven by his ascension.  And he will come again to gather his people to him on the Last Day.

     All this Jesus has accomplished for you.  And he does not attach an “If” to it.  Jesus does not tell you, “You will be saved if you live a life that proves you are worthy.”  He does not tie a condition on it, saying, “You are forgiven of your sins if you never do that again.”  He does not even suggest, “You will be a Christian if you believe strongly or sincerely enough.”  If salvation hinges on an “If,” the new covenant is no better than the old covenant.  Then your salvation falls back on something you must do.  But the glory of the new covenant does not fade or fail because Jesus made it one-sided.  Jesus did the work.  He sends his Holy Spirit to create the faith that saves.  And the Lord works and continues to strengthen and keep you in this saving faith.  That is why Jesus’ new covenant is not flawed and will not fail.  You and I receive its benefits and rejoice in its blessings which endure forever.  Jesus reveals a glory that will never fade.

     And so that your faith will continue to be strengthened and kept in the one true faith, Jesus invites you to partake in this new covenant in a precious feast.  Rather than let you worry about how genuinely or sincerely or strongly you believe his promises, Jesus gives you something solid and tangible.  He connects this new covenant to the Sacrament of the Altar.  Here, you get to eat the body of our Lord—the body which has overcome death and lives and reigns forever.  Here, you get to drink the blood of the Lord—the blood which was poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.  This bread and wine are not symbolic anymore than Jesus’ sufferings and death were symbolic.  St. Paul states, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:16)?

     Jesus reveals a glory that will never fade.  We catch a glimpse of that glory at Jesus’ transfiguration.  Jesus appeared in glory, as did the saints of the past, Moses and Elijah.  They appeared with Jesus in glorified bodies and spoke with the Lord as one speaks with a friend.  All the pains and sorrows of the past were forgotten—and Moses and Elijah had endured a lot.  Their focus was on the new covenant Jesus would establish and fulfill in Jerusalem.  Since Jesus has fulfilled all things, we can look forward to the same glory enjoyed by Moses and Elijah.  They had departed from this earth centuries before Jesus’ coming, and their glory had not faded. 

     The Lord will fulfill in us the words of the prophet Daniel: “Those who have insight will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).  Once again, this is the Lord’s doing.  He who has loved us acted to redeem us.  He who redeemed us acted to bring us to the saving faith.  He who brought us into the faith continues to sustain and to strengthen us in this faith through his word and sacraments.  And he will reward the faith he has created in us by fulfilling his promises to us.  He will bring us into everlasting glory where we will radiate the glory seen in Elijah, Moses, and in Jesus himself.  Right now, that glory is hidden.  “Dear friends, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed.  We know that when he is revealed we will be like him” (1 John 3:2).  Jesus reveals a glory that will never fade away.  And soon enough, he will transfigure us into a glory that will never spoil, fade, or perish.

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

YouTube -- 7th Sunday after Epiphany (February 23, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 23, 2025.

Sermon -- 7th Sunday after Epiphany (February 26, 2025)

LUKE 6:27-38

LOVE GOES BEYOND CONVENIENCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

      In our Catechism Class, we talk about two different ways we sin against God’s Commandments.  They are sins of commission and sins of omission.  Sins of commission are done when you commit the sin against God’s Commandment.  For example, when you tell a lie about someone, that is an act of wickedness.  You have committed the sin.  This is usually what we think of when we speak about sins.  We think of actions that we have taken which go against God’s will.

     Sins of omission, on the other hand, are when we omit the good that God wants us to do.  So, you may not have told a lie about someone, but what if you did not defend the reputation of the person who was being lied about?  That means you did not do good toward that person when you should have.  These are sins, too, and we are right to confess both: “I have done what is evil (sins of commission), and I have failed to do what is good (sins of omission).”

     The Gospel reading for this week highlights our sins of omission.  Jesus said, “I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you.  Pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too.  If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt” (Luke 6:27-29).  We fail to do what is good because we think that we are excused if we don’t.  It is easy to come up with reasons why we don’t do what Jesus tells us to do.  “My enemy doesn’t deserve it.  People who mistreat me should be cursed, not blessed.  I have a gesture for people who hate me, and it is not prayer.  Why would I turn the other cheek to the one who strikes me?  I am going to hit back, and harder!” 

     We are often blind to the sins we commit against others, but we have an acute sense of justice when we are wronged.  What’s worse is that we seem to be eager to accuse others of wronging us.  Forget about someone taking your cloak and then letting them have your shirt as well.  We become offended over things that are far more petty.  “That guy stole my parking spot.  Someone took the last piece of dessert.  I can’t believe they are making me wait.”  Rather than graciously overlooking these things, we act as if these are grave sins and the height of disrespect.  And then, we want justice.  Actually, we want revenge.  If anyone causes us suffering, we want them to suffer worse.  Anger produces hatred.  Hatred incites violence.  But we call it justice.  And then we have the nerve to claim what good people we are.  Repent.

     Love goes beyond convenience.  Love does not depend upon who people are or how they treat us.  Love does one thing: It seeks the good of other people.  Love goes beyond convenience.  Jesus knows what a convenient love looks like.  He says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even the sinners do the same thing.  If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you?  Even the sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full.  Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:32-35).  

     It is convenient to love those who will love you back.  It is easy to lend to those you know will repay you.  It is convenient to care for people who are grateful and will praise you for your acts of kindness.  Even if your acts of kindness are done anonymously, you are willing to do them because you expect others will gush over your charity. 

     So, what about those who don’t appreciate it or won’t acknowledge it?  How long do we have to put up with that?  Should it matter?  In theory, you might say your love would persist.  In practice?  Such love runs dry very quickly.  But Jesus tells you not to omit the love for your fellow man even when it is hard.  Love goes beyond convenience.  It seeks the good of people whether they are successful or destitute.  It seeks the good of people whether they are well-mannered or crude.  It seeks the good of people whether they are friend or foe.  It seeks the good of people who will respond in kind, who won’t respond at all, or who will respond with obscenities and insults.  “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them” (Luke 6:32).  Love does not care what the other person does.  Love only gives.  It does not seek compensation.  Love goes beyond convenience.

     Consider our Old Testament lesson and the love that Joseph demonstrated toward his brothers.  You might recall how their jealousy led to a plot to kill him.  Cooler heads prevailed, but not loving hearts.  They sold Joseph into slavery.  Through a course of events, Joseph had an encounter with Pharaoh which resulted in him being put in charge of the distribution of food during a seven-year famine.  Joseph’s brothers had to come to Egypt to get food during this famine.  Joseph was in a position to exact revenge on his brothers.  No one would have stopped him, and no one would have blamed him.  You could make a strong case that anything he did to them would be justice.  What his brothers did to him was evil, and Joseph did not hesitate to say so.  But Joseph believed that what his brothers needed from him was not justice, but mercy.  Joseph demonstrated an amazing love toward his brothers and their families.  It was not because they deserved it.  It is because it was needed.  Love is not driven by whether someone is worthy or not.  Love is given freely by the one who loves.  And love goes beyond convenience.

     Jesus’ teaching exposes our sinfulness.  He shows us that we are not like God.  Jesus said that “the Most High … is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).  It does not matter to God that we are sinners.  “God is love” (1 John 4:16), and so God loves freely, even upon those who are ignorant, ungrateful, or hostile.  Jesus taught the Golden Rule: “Treat others just as you would want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31).  That sounds good, but our love is conditional.  We do not love others the way we would want them to love us; we love others only so far as they love us back.  We omit the good we are supposed to do because we regard such love as risky or dangerous or a waste of our efforts.  But love goes beyond convenience.

     Our Lord Jesus did not just talk about this love.  We can all talk about it, but it is another thing entirely to practice what you preach.  Jesus did both.  Jesus did love his enemies.  Jesus prayed for those who persecuted him, who betrayed him, and who denied him.  Jesus did good to all people, even when he was vilified for it.  Jesus demonstrated mercy to well-known sinners because he knew they did not need to have their sins rubbed in their face.  They needed to have their sins taken away.  Jesus came to do just that.  When his enemies struck him in the face, Jesus offered to them his other cheek also.  He even allowed his enemies to pull his beard and spit in his face.  When they took his cloak, Jesus allowed them to cast lots for his tunic so that he died on the cross completely exposed. 

     As Jesus was enduring the shame of crucifixion and the torment of God’s wrath for our sins, his enemies mocked him.  “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!  …He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him” (Matthew 27:40-41).  Jesus would have had every right to come off the cross and declare, “You know what?  You people are not worth it.  You deserve what you will get for your stubborn unbelief and loveless hearts.  I’m done.”  But he did not.  Even if they withheld their love from him, Jesus would not withhold his.

     He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  Rather, Jesus was treated as our sins deserve.  His love went far beyond convenience.  Like his heavenly Father, Jesus “is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).  So, rather than rub our sins in our face, he took them away.  Rather than execute justice and condemn us, Jesus was executed and condemned in our place.  For our lack of mercy, for our slowness to forgive, and for our cold and conditional love, Jesus poured out limitless love, immeasurable mercy, and full forgiveness.  This is not because it is deserved, but because it is needed.  Love goes beyond convenience.

     As our Lord has shown such love and mercy to us, we get to demonstrate that same love and mercy to others.  Love always seeks what is good for others, even if they are unthankful and evil.  But don’t confuse love for your fellow man with acceptance of everything he might do.  When people argue that love means accepting their sins, they like to quote this Bible verse, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37).  They may not know much about the Bible, but they know that verse.  It is intended to shut you up about sins.

     But the reality is you cannot go through life without making judgments.  There are certain things that are good or evil.  If you hear about a murder, you don’t throw your hands up and say, “Who are we to judge?”  No, murder is evil.  Judgments are necessary, but the question is, “By what standard are you making your judgment?”  The only standard that matters is the one used by the one who will judge the living and the dead, Jesus Christ.  The Lord tells us what is good and right versus what is wicked and wrong.  So, we let God remain the judge, and we will agree with him.  Even if God’s judgment shows me I am wrong, I acknowledge that God is right.  I confess my sin, and I repent.  So, when God shows me that I love my fellow man with strings attached, then I repent and put aside my pettiness.  Love means I will view my fellow man with compassion.  Out of love for him, I am not only allowed to call sins evil, I am supposed to.  But love means my goal is not to rub his sins in his face.  My goal is to show him his need for the Savior who died to set people free from their sins.  By doing so, I am seeking the highest good of my fellow man.  That is how the heavenly Father has treated you and me.

      Love goes beyond convenience.  We do not take it upon ourselves to get vengeance upon the wicked; we leave that to our Lord.  Rather than focus on how we are wronged by our fellow man, we focus on how we are loved and saved by Jesus.  We rejoice in the mercies of our Lord, and we are eager for others to know this mercy too.  They will learn of God’s mercies as they see that mercy shown by you.  It may not be convenient.  It is certainly not deserved.  But it is good.

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday after Epiphany (February 16, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday after Epiphany (February 16, 2025)

PSALM 1

BLESSED IS HE WHO DELIGHTS IN THE WORD OF THE LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The very first Psalm sets the tone for the entire book of Psalms.  The focus is on whose words you listen to.  We all listen to someone.  When you were little, you listened to your parents.  They set the rules, and they disciplined you when you did not follow them.  They taught you good manners and to say, “Please” and “Thank you.”  They taught you to fold your little hands and showed you how to pray.  And, of course, they showered you with love and attention.  The love that parents have for their children made it easy for the children to listen to their parents and to love them in return.

     When you got older, you began to listen to other voices.  They weren’t all bad.  You listened to your teachers at school who exposed you to math and history and science.  Many parents recall their children coming home from school and saying, “My teacher said such-and-such,” as if nothing the teacher said could ever be challenged.  As you advanced in age, you began to listen more to friends, professors, politicians, political analysts, and celebrities.  What they told you may have been good or bad.  Their words influenced you.  If you liked what they said, you internalized it, repeated it, and defended it.  And again, that may have been good or bad.  But the point is, there is always someone talking to you.  We are influenced by words, and by those words we establish what we believe is true and moral versus what is evil and unethical.

     The Psalmist, presumably King David, states emphatically that there is only one word on which we are to build our lives.  “Blessed is the man [whose] … delight is in the teaching of the Lord” (Psalm 1:1-2).  And this delight means more than giving it a quick listen and then moving on to more important things.  The word of the Lord IS the important thing, and it is given to direct everything we do at all times.  That is why he writes, “On his teaching he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).  Blessed is he who delights in the world of the Lord.

     One of the reasons the Psalmist encourages meditating on God’s word day and night is that the word of the Lord is not the only word we hear.  We are bombarded by many voices all day long.  Many voices compete with God’s word.  Some outright deny it.  The devil is very good had making what is evil seem reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  Americans, in particular, celebrate the freedom of doing whatever we want.  The devil promotes this freedom.  By contrast, he portrays the Lord as a killjoy and a hater because the Lord sets limits on you.  How many Commandments begin with the phrase, “You shall not…”?  And the devil and the world retort, “Why won’t he let you?”

     Unfortunately, you and I have a sinful nature which concurs with these words, because our sinful nature does not want any limits put upon it.  The sinful nature declares, “If it feels good, do it.”  But feelings are not how we are to determine good and evil.  The Lord sets the standard, and he is the judge.  Therefore, his word overrules all feelings and opinions.  The Lord clearly states that certain actions and attitudes are evil, no matter how good they feel.  God’s word proclaims one thing.  Other voices claim another.  Both demand our attention and insist that they are right.

     The Psalmist illustrates how the devil seduces us with words and strives to influence our lives.  Listen how we can become more and more entrenched in sin.  The Psalmist writes, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers” (Psalm 1:1).  First, we get advice.  Advice seems harmless enough.  You can take it or leave it.  But the advice from the wicked seduces us into wickedness.  And again, it is presented as reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  Eventually, when we find our sins enjoyable, we stand on the path with sinners and imitate their ways.  We celebrate the so-called freedom to do whatever we want.  From there, we sit in with mockers, that is, we make ourselves right at home with our sins.  We join in with those who mock God who doesn’t understand what real freedom is and who would withhold from us happiness and pleasure.  We regard sins as reasonable, desirable, and commendable, and we embrace them warmly.  God has no blessing for those who are seduced by wicked words.  And it is certainly not freedom; for it chains us to death and damnation.  And still, the devil lies, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).

     Blessed, rather, is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  The Psalmist explains that abundant life comes to whoever listens to the word of the Lord.  He states, “He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither.  Everything he does prospers” (Psalm 1:3).  When we hear the word “prospers,” we think of money, popularity, or promotions.  Now, if our goal is to build a kingdom for ourselves in this world, that conclusion would be reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  But our goal is not to build a kingdom in a world that is passing away or to gain glory which will perish, spoil, and fade away.  Our goal is to have a place in the heavenly kingdom.  Therefore, we give heed to the word of the Lord so that we live under God’s blessing.

     Those who delight in the word of the Lord are like a tree that has been transplanted next to a canal or a channel.  Even if everything around it is dead, the tree thrives because it is nurtured by the waters.  In the same way, even if the world is filled with mockers who are dead in sin, the Lord still nurtures you with his word.  He produces in you the fruits of faith.  In this way, you prosper with good works which honor God and benefit your neighbor.  By his word God blesses you, and his blessings rest upon you.

     Blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  But there is no blessing for anyone who does not delight in God’s word.  There is only judgment.  The Psalmist declares that the wicked “are like the chaff which the wind blows away” (Psalm 1:4).  In the days of King David, stalks of grain were laid out on a threshing floor where something heavy was rolled over them.  The kernels of grain broke loose, but they also had husks around them—chaff.  Think of them like the popcorn husks which get stuck between your teeth.  They are annoying and useless.  To get rid of the chaff, the harvesters at the threshing floor would take shovels and fling the grain into the air.  The heavier grain would fall right back to the threshing floor, but the chaff would be swept away by the wind.  This is what the wicked are like before God.  “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (Psalm 1:5).  They are swept away in God’s wrath, and they perish. 

     So, why won’t you be swept away like chaff?  After all, you and I have taken the advice of the wicked, thinking that it is unreasonable that God would withhold something from us.  We have stood on the path of the sinner, saying that it was undesirable to do good to people who are rude or ungrateful.  We have sat with the mockers who believe it is commendable to support people in their sins because it makes them happy.  There is no blessing for those who think and act this way.

     When the Psalmist began the Psalm with the words, “Blessed is the man” (Psalm 1:1), there is a man who has fulfilled all these things.  Jesus Christ was not seduced by warped advice.  He did not go down the path of the wicked.  He did not settle in with those who mocked God’s commandments.  Jesus’ delight was in God’s word—the promises, the prophecies, the commandments, the admonitions, all of it.  He not only delighted in it, he did it.  Jesus fulfilled all the Commandments of God, living the righteous life we have not.  Jesus did not consider it drudgery to attend services at the synagogues.  Jesus devoted hours in prayer to his heavenly Father.  Jesus did good to all people, even when he was criticized for doing it on the Sabbath or accused of using the powers of Satan to exorcise demons.  Although people responded to Jesus with slander, Jesus still prospered in good works.  Jesus rightly earned blessing from his Father.  Just as Jesus delighted in the word of the Lord, so also the Father delighted in Jesus.

     “The Lord approves of the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6).  This approval and this righteousness have been delivered to you through your baptism.  Jesus has cloaked you in his innocence and credited you with his obedience.  This is why we delight in the word of the Lord.  There, we hear how Jesus has purified us so that we will not be like the chaff which is blown away and driven from the Lord’s presence.  There, we also hear how the Lord Jesus delivered us from the judgment that we have earned.  Bearing our sins, Jesus stood under God’s judgment for us.  At the cross, Jesus was consumed in God’s fiery wrath.  There were no words of comfort or mercy for Jesus when he was forsaken by the Father for our sins.  In turn, God speaks to us tenderly and mercifully.  He pours out his blessings and promises us a kingdom of unending glory, peace, and purity.

     Blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  You need this word throughout your life so that you are not seduced by demonic reasoning or sinful desires.  Those voices will never stop.  The devil employs the entertainment industry, political rhetoric, business practices, and friendly advice to turn you away from the Lord.  Many of those voices do not hide their promotion of evil.  Those voices are so common that we have accepted their sinful influence as normal.  Other times, we are tempted by surprising sources, just as Jesus was by Simon Peter.  People whom you love will offer you friendly advice to turn from God’s word because doing what is wrong is easier than doing what is right.  The point is, there is always someone talking to you.  We are influenced by words, which can be good or bad.  By words, we establish what we believe is true and moral versus what is evil and unethical.

     Not all words have blessing in them.  No matter what promises or proclamations the world makes to you, they all end up being silenced by a grave.  But blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  For, this is the word of the Savior who lives to deliver you from the grave and promises the resurrection to life everlasting.  In his word, God declares you righteous for Jesus’ sake, and he leads you on paths of righteousness for your eternal good.  Blessed are you who delight in the word of the Lord; for the Lord’s delight rests upon you.

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