Reformation Day Sermon

 

Reformation Day Observed – October 29^th and 30^th, 2022 – John 8:31-36

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

So, what are you a slave to? Well, Pastor Brown, that's an awfully harsh question to start a sermon with! True, even Jesus doesn't just start off the conversation He's having in the text right there, so let's tone it down just a little bit. What is trying to enslave you? Because that's what's going on – sin, the world, and the devil are trying to enslave you. What sins, what idols are demanding more and more of your time, warping your priorities, robbing you of joy, and trying to make you disdain the good gifts God gives you? And I know that this is a heavy topic – but did you hear what Jesus said, the language He used? Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Jesus is blunt here, and He doesn't leave exceptions. Everyone. All the people who are doing a sin are slaves to sin. And frankly, given that you and I commit sin, we're included in this.

So why is this a text for Reformation Day? In part it is because in the Reformation the idea of the enslaving power of sin was once again taken seriously. Over time, in the normal course of the history of the Church, sin began to be ignored, poo-pooed, downplayed. Works began to be praised – sure you sin, but just do some good stuff and that will get you out of it. Sure, you didn't turn the homework for the entire semester in, but maybe the prof will let you turn in extra credit. Or slip them a bribe and you can buy your way out of it. Surely, surely, there can be someway that we can work our way out of our sins, our misdeeds. No – because everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. You and I, we're enslaved to sin. We fight against it, we strive to discipline ourselves, we can and ought to try to make amends afterwards... but we still sin. Even if you make “amends” you're still mending something you had no business ripping apart in the first place.

And there are all sorts of sins that try to enslave us. One of the great standard ones that we'd harp on in the past in the idea of Greed – how many people were slaves to the almighty dollar. Some of you know this yoke – where the work calls and calls and demands more and more, and family and friends are pushed off into a corner – and for what? Cash to buy a new doo-dad that you're too busy working to enjoy? Perhaps other sins take the fore today – we see the enslaving and twisting power of lust all around us today, whether it's the proud displays in the world, the deviance that would have us mutilate our own bodies, the bored flings that rip marriages apart, or even just the flickering lights of phones or computers behind closed doors where no one else can see. Do you see the enslaving power there? Leisure and entertainment enslave, too – I can't come to work today, I have other things to do – I can't come to church today, because look at this other thing over here. Our hobbies so often drive us with cruelty where they take more and more time and money, where they become chores that we fool ourselves into thinking that we still enjoy. And what other things are out there that are enslaving – screens, social media, our food and diet (and sugar), all sorts of addictions, politics turned into a spectator sport of tribalism instead of service to the public, making sure we “support” the right causes where our support isn't actually doing anything to help but simply yelling at people who don't virtue signal properly. Do you see how we could go on – we could spend an hour just touching on these things, and not even going into detail about them.

Jesus wraps them all up this way – Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. And the worst of it is, as much as we will decry sin, as much as we will shake a fist that the sins that don't call to us... there are ones that call to us, and even as stupid and enslaving as they are, we like them. We make excuses for why we do them. We run back to them again, We like them. We love them, we choose them. And the Reformation begins with the acknowledgment of this blunt, harsh reality. We sin, we're stuck in sin, and we ourselves can't work our way out of it. It's verse three of Luther's Dear Christians One and All Rejoice. My own good works all came to naught, no grace or merit gaining. All the penance, all the pilgrimages, all the things I do don't change the fact that I sin. They might be good for my neighbor, but they don't fix me, they don't fix my problem, they don't rescue me or deliver me from my sin. Free will against God's judgment fought, dead to all good remaining. And let's not even talk about how maybe there's a spark of goodness in me – I know myself, I see how my mind will repeatedly make excuse after excuse to not only allow my sin, but to justify, to praise it. My so-called free will freely and happily sins because everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. I am stuck and trapped in sin and thus trapped in bondage to death and the powers of Satan, and despite all the blather otherwise, there's nothing I can do to change that.

Now let's go back to the beginning of our Gospel lesson – hear again what Jesus says. If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. Oh, Jesus knows that you aren't able to free yourselves from sin, that you cannot change yourselves. And in fact, He doesn't expect you to – no more than I'd expect any of you to rip one of those trees out of the ground with your bare hands. Jesus knows what is beyond you – and He knows what He must do for you. Jesus will act – He will act through His Word. And whenever you abide, whenever you remain, whenever the Word of God comes upon you, something happens. Several things, actually. First, You are truly My disciples. My disciples. You're not just left and abandoned to sin, you aren't just left to your own devices. You are tied to Christ. You belong to Him – Jesus claims you by the Word. No, you're not merely a slave to these stupid vices – you're Mine. You belong to Jesus – and He disciples you, He turns you into a student, to one who is learning, who is beginning to see. Beginning to see the power and weight that sin burdens and entraps you with – but also seeing and learning something else even more important.

And you will know the Truth. Truth is a big word in John's Gospel. John records for us Pilate dismissively saying, “What is truth?” during Jesus' passion. We'll hear all about truth today, about My Truth – which is really just my opinion that you aren't allowed to object to it no matter how unattached to reality it is. But when Jesus says that you will know the Truth, Jesus isn't speaking about random ideas or facts, and He's certainly not talking about my lived experiences. Jesus later in the Gospel says, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Truth. With a Capital T. Jesus. In hearing Jesus' Word, not only are you tied to Jesus, made to learn the reality of sin in the world, but you are made to know Jesus, to know He who is the Truth. By the Word of God, the Holy Spirit pulls your sin-trapped, enslaved eyes off of your idols that torment you, and He puts them squarely on Jesus. Quit looking at yourself, quit looking at what you do, whatever good you think it will do – and look at Jesus. And you will know Him, you will experience Jesus at work in your life.

And what is that work of Jesus? And the Truth will set you free. This is what Jesus does. He sets you free. With His Word, He breaks the power of sin – He curbs you and pulls you away from sin with the law, He shows you your sin to break your pride and love of sin – but more than that, Jesus comes to set you free. The whole point of God becoming man, the whole reason Jesus is born and lives is simply to set you free. Set you free from sin, death, and the devil. And everything that Jesus does in the Scripture is driving at your rescue. Is there sin? Jesus forgives it! Is there guilt? Jesus pays for it! Is there death? Jesus takes it up and rises again, and so shall you! All the powers of sin that work upon you, Jesus is breaking them down in your life now. And we don't always see this now, and we don't see it in full yet – the Truth will set you free. There's a fullness to come that you will see, that you will know only come the last day and resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

But this salvation that Jesus has won for you does impact you now. You are granted faith, faith which clings to Jesus Christ alone. You're thrown upon Jesus and freed from the useless burden of trying to justify yourself. You're given forgiveness now, over and against your sin. And where there is forgiveness, there is life and salvation. You do have life now, you do see what sin does, you are made to fight against it, Jesus brings forth in you good works that serve your neighbor and supply the proof that faith is living. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me! And Jesus keeps coming to you in His Word – the Word that the faithless couldn't care less about – and that Word brings you forgiveness and life, that Word brings you Jesus. He's by your side even in this battle you see against sin and all the other junk that constantly seeks to mess with you. And because Jesus is with you, there is confidence. God Himself is on your side, God Himself fights for you. He will not abandon you to this slavery to sin – because before you were a slave to sin, you were His. He made you, and He Himself will redeem you, will rescue you from sin and restore you to the living beings you were created to be.

By the Word, we hear this. By the faith the Holy Spirit works in us, we see this. And so we see the world more fully and broadly – see sin in all its power and terror – don't soft sell it out there or in your own heart... but see that Christ Jesus and His love for you is even bigger than sin, bigger than Satan, and conquers over them all. For you, for your good. So if the Son sets you free [and He has, O baptized child of God] You will be free indeed. Amen.

Trinity 19 Sermon

Trinity 19 – Matthew 9:1-8 – October 22^nd and 23^rd, 2022

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

    “Take heart, My son, your sins are forgiven.” With those words, Jesus throws the scribes into a tizzy – indeed with these words that Jesus sees still spoken to you here in His house, Jesus throws the entire world into a giant tantrum of epic proportion. I do not know if there is anything that Jesus says that more fully and quickly encapsulates drives to the heart of the Gospel, the Gospel that Satan and this world are bound to oppose.

    Consider the story in our lesson. Jesus comes back to “his own city” - this would be Capernaum, the big town by Nazareth from whence Jesus started His ministry. So Jesus is in a place where people know that He is preaching and healing – and thus when the friends of a man who is paralyzed hear that Jesus is back in town, they pick the guy up and carry Him to Jesus. And Jesus sees this fellow, looks at him laying there and says, “Take heart, M y son, your sins are forgiven.” The scribes pitch a fit, how dare this bloke say he forgives sins, that's something only God can do, harrumph, harrumph, harrumph.

    Now, to be fair, these scribes have a point. Forgiveness is a God thing. We acknowledge that all sin is against God – remember that love God, love your neighbor thing? Even when you sin against your neighbor, you are also sinning against God who gave you that neighbor. So while you as an individual ought forgive anyone who sins against you, they also need to know how they stand before God, they need God's forgiveness. The problem with the scribes is that, even with all the Scripture pointing to Jesus, teaching that the Messiah would be true God and true man, they don't buy it. So, Jesus, True God and True Man, knows their thoughts. He sees right through them... because He's the Son of God. And then Jesus decides to heal the paralyzed man – and why? Which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – He then said to the paralytic - “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. The physical healing was secondary. The important thing was forgiveness. In fact, I'd argue that the paralyzed man needed forgiveness more – especially in the culture of that day where if there was some physical misfortune there was also crushing guilt and the assumption that your sin caused it. Forgiveness would have made the man ecstatic. The healing was good, the forgiveness was better.

    And so, the key, the center of this whole text isn't the healing – the healing is just so you know that Jesus can back up what He said earlier - “Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.” That sentence is completely true – see, this man walks again. And this sentence is something the world hates, something Satan fights against in your life daily and routinely.

Consider the first part - “Take Heart” - that is, have courage, have boldness, don't shrink, don't be intimidated. Sin and Satan try to intimidate you all the time. How often this week did the world try to get you stupid Christians to just keep your traps shut? Don't you dare bring that stuff up around here! How often did the wiles of Satan shine forth to kick you in the shin? How often did the overbearing wickedness and stupidity out there try to crush you? How often did the Accuser reveal to you your own sinfulness, to break you, to tell you how terrible and wretched you are and leave you in despair? A common tactic that Satan uses, that the world excels in using, is breaking you down – is just overloading you with how much vice there is in the world, or telling you that the cost of being a Christian is just too high, or even throwing your own guilt in your face and rubbing your nose in it – all of this to rob you of courage, to rob you of strength, to make your life miserable. And the thing is – Satan doesn't even have to lie to do this. The world is full of wickedness. People probably don't want to hear about your faith. You do have sins, many of them nasty. And frankly, if we were supposed to rely upon ourselves, there'd be no reason for us to have any courage, any heart whatsoever.

       But Jesus isn't telling us to ignore reality when He says, “Take heart.” Hey there guy, I see that you are paralyzed. Take heart. Jesus says Take heart to a man who is weak, who can't walk. Why? Because the reason we take heart, the reason we are bold, isn't because of ourselves, because of who we are or how strong we are – we have courage because Jesus is here. With might of ours could naught be done, soon were our loss effected – but for us fights the Valiant One, whom God Himself elected! We are weak, but He is strong! Therefore, because Jesus is here, take heart. Jesus isn't merely telling the guy to buck up, don't worry fellow – just keep a stiff upper lip. No – Jesus is there with Him, and Jesus is his strength – and the world hates that because while it can steamroll some paralyzed guy or knock over you or me, it can't do anything to Christ Jesus. So the world hates it when Jesus says, “take heart” - because it takes our eyes off of sin and death and weakness and puts them squarely on Jesus.

    But it gets worse for the the world. Jesus says, “My son.” The world is quite content to have you believe in “god” as long as this “god” is some faceless, distant entity. “Oh, he's out there somewhere, awfully far away, kind of cold and indifferent – maybe powerful, maybe not... but what's that got to do with anything.” The world will allow for that type of god – a god that has nothing to do with you. But that is not the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My son. That's what Jesus says to this man. It's not just that there's some god who is far off and just leaves this man to the deprevations and attacks of Satan – no, no – My son. There's a tie here, there's a bond here, you have value to Me, and there's no way on My green earth that I'm going to just abandon you or forget you. You're Mine, you're My creation, My child, My brother, one for whom I would and indeed, for whom I will give My own life on the Cross to save.

    God is not indifferent to you. Jesus knows you – He knows your name. He called you by name at the font – that's why I ask that old fashioned, formal question, “How are you named” - that's why I baptize kids “So and so, I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Because there fundamentally is a personal relationship between you and God. You don't need to get one – you have one. God is your Father – and even if you're mad at God and pitching a fit – tough. He still is your Father and He still loves you. Even if you run away – you're His child and He will care for you. The world doesn't get to eliminate God, remove Him. He remains your Father, much more in truth than any of us human fathers are dads. Jesus doesn't disown you, He doesn't undo the promise of your baptism. You're His – and the world can't do a thing about it.

    And then, there's the phrase that caps it all off. “Your sins are forgiven.” But what if you have pitched a tantrum at God, what if you have ignored what He has said, what if you've been on the run forever – what if that person that you come across this week out there has been on the run? Your sins are forgiven. That's what Jesus says. That's what Jesus does. He comes and becomes man, and He takes up your sin, He takes up the sin of the world, and He drags them all to the Cross in His own Body and He puts them all to death. See the Cross – there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because He took it all up. And Jesus, who has come to be with you and give you courage, who is always your Creator, says to you that you are forgiven. Period. Did I stutter? Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. As far as the east is from the west, so far will I remove your sin from you. Father, forgive them – it is finished.

      There is nothing that Satan and this sinful world hate more than Jesus' forgiveness. We all see it, the rage, the anger – the drive to keep the rage going, to never forget, to never reconcile, to cancel forever, to keep the grudge alive. The world despise the forgiveness of Christ Jesus. Oh well. That's what Jesus does. He forgives. He forgives you. Your sins are removed from you, they are taken away, and you are clean in God's sight, and you are going to be raised again from the dead. Period. But what's more, my friends – When they saw it they were afraid, and they glorified God who had given such authority to men. Forgiveness, the authority to proclaim Jesus' forgiveness, has been given to you. It's the family treasure, the birthright of every baptized child of God. The forgiveness that God has declared to you, you speak it as well. Now, as a Pastor, I do this publicly, here – in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ. And when doing the absolution from Divine service 1 or 3, I'll make the sign of the Cross over y'all in blessing, because I'm addressing the baptized children of God. But you all have that authority as well – you announced God's pardon and forgiveness to me today as we used the old “Confititor” form of Confession and Absolution where we take turns confessing and forgiving. You're baptized, you've received God's forgiveness, you get to declare it to other people because they are people for whom Jesus has died.

    And this forgiveness is spoken to you so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who forgives sins. It's the Word of eternal life, and it is given to you for you good and for you to use for your neighbor – there is no greater love than this, that Jesus laid down His life for you and for your neighbor. And even though the world will try to muzzle you, to terrorize you, to make you think that God is distant and far – no, you know the truth, you know reality. Christ Jesus has come, God Himself has taken up the battle against sin, death, and the devil for you – and He has won you the victory with His death and resurrection. And this victory, this forgiveness and life and salvation has been applied to you. You are baptized. Christ is indeed present for you, He comes you to this day – and there's not a cotton picking thing Satan or the world can do about it. Take heart, My son, your sins are forgiven. Amen.

Bible Study - Which Ordo is It?

 So if you've been following Lutheran Twitter (a strange and bizarre place) or even Lutheran Blogs... which you probably are if you see this... there has been a round of discussions on the role of women, in particular whether or not they can write a theological book which in particular has study questions so as to be used in a bible study.

There is much discussion on what is meant when Paul says in 1 Timothy 2 that he does not permit (or suffer, if you like the King James) a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.

I, like some, hold that these ideas - teaching (διδάσκειν) and even authority (αὐθεντεῖν - authenticate, verify) are describing the life of the Church.  This is talking about handling the Word and Sacrament ministry of the Church - given that right after this Paul goes on to the qualification of Bishops and Deacons.  This is what Paul is speaking to.

Of course, there are some who want to make this a blanket statement about the relation of women and men all over the place (to greater or lesser extent).  But even if some will grant that this is a statement about the Church, surely this would apply to the writing of theology or what goes on in bible study!  Surely this is a violation of the Order of Creation.

Interestingly, Luther doesn't really use that term of "order of creation" - but he will speak of the three orders - that this world is broken up into three (I'll call them) spheres... that of the Family, the Church, and the State.  There's different chains of command in each of these, different responsibilities.  As a Pastor, I'm bound to preach (that is teach - didaskein) and administer the Sacraments.  As a father, I have a house of my own to manage.  As a citizen, well, I don't hold office other than voter.  In each of these ordos I have different vocations, different duties, different responsibilities.  I get to discipline my sons - I don't get to just discipline any kids in the congregation (that would be usurping the role of their parents) and certainly I don't get to discipline just random kids in the neighborhood.  

There are three ordos - Family, Church, and State.

So - Bible Study - Which Ordo is it?

The assumption seems to be that as Bible Study takes place in Church that it is clearly a part of the Ordo of the Church.  This is not the case.

First, both Sunday School and Bible Study as we think of them are novelties.  Luther wouldn't have known of them. But the terms used - study, school - speak to what they are.  They are training - and training belongs properly to the Family.

This is the start of the catechism - as the head of the family should teach....  Studies, Sunday School, even (and perhaps especially) Confirmation Class are all properly under the sphere of the family, the home.  When I teach confirmation class, or the Sunday school teachers do their thing, we are operating "in loco parentis" - in the place of the parents.  This is shown by the fact that I can insist that my kids go to Sunday School, but I can't insist that any other children must go - I can only encourage and suggest.

I will even assert that Bible Study belongs to the ordo of the family, not the Church.  Consider - let us say there's a massive blizzard and all Sunday activities at the Church are cancelled.  A dad might well have his family spend some time in devotion and study; he's not going to celebrate the Lord's Supper at home (even if he's me!).  In fact, I expect that the men and women who do attend my bible studies would do that, precisely because they are focused upon studying the Word.  And I also expect that even people who do not attend any of my studies also do their own devotional study of the Word on their own.

Bible study most properly belongs to the home.  In fact, many congregations have bible studies in the home - there was a ladies' group in my own congregation that met for study last night in a member's home.  And food.  Food was there too... and my wife didn't bring any of it home for me as she sometimes does.

... that was sad.

Of course, food is a difference as well.  As a Pastor, I tend to food in the Divine Service - the Body and Blood of Christ under bread and wine for us Christians to eat and drink.  Then, there's bible study - with coffee and snacks for the people who hang around to eat and drink.  Those are categorically different things!

So, I will assert here that although things like Bible Study, Sunday School, and Confirmation Classes may (note, may, not must) take place even on Church property, they do belong to the realm of the family, and as such are governed by the family.  Now, as the Pastor of this congregation I get oversight of anything done here at this place... that's only because the members of the congregation who have their own authority have designed me to exercise such oversight.

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If, in fact, the idea of bible study belongs to the ordo of the home and not the ordo of the Church, there is much more flexibility for what can be done.  The instruction therein belongs to a different ordo than the preaching of the word, the shepherding and teaching, that is mine as a pastor - that is denied not only to women but also to all laymen as well for the sake of order in the Church.

In the home there is more freedom.  I cook and my wife assembles the furniture we get... because I like cooking and she's better mechanically than I.  This isn't a violation of Scripture, nor does it undercut the Order of Creation... because I see my house so ordered this way because it seems to rightly utilize my talents and the talents of the woman that God has given me... and frankly, none of you have an ounce of authority to gain say me - go back to your home (and if you're rude I won't let you take any of my tasty food with you).

And so I'd assert the same with even studies.  Those are things given to the home - let the pater familias designate responsibilities as he sees as good. 

And I suppose, that for the sake of not causing confusion or offending the weak, I'd so oversee the studies of my congregation to curtail the role of women in studies - just Sunday School and not the adult class... that's fundamentally my ordering of a familial responsibility designated to me by the congregation and families of the congregation done in accordance with their wishes and expectations.

But I'm also very hesitant to instruct other families how they must do things... and indeed, other Sunday Schools and Bible Studies at other congregations full of families not my members - I don't have much say.  And if the Scriptures do not forbid, I cannot myself.  I can only give counsel and advise.  

So - there you have it.  Rambling thoughts and conclusions and takes.  Less Scripture than I'd like - at some point I can make a defense of the idea that 1 Timothy is giving primarily instruction for the Ordo of the Church and not instructions for the state or family... but at some other time.  This will suffice for the day.

A New 4th Use of the Law?

 Lutherans have long allowed for 3 uses of the Law.  The primary use of the Law is what often gets termed its 2nd Use (maybe central use would be better) - the Law reveals our sin.  It shows us our sin, drives us to repentance, and thus we are prepared to hear the Gospel.  This is the theological use of the law.

However, the Law also provides for order in society.  It acts as a curb (1st use) where it's threats and punishments keep wickedness in check by fear and threat.  It also acts as a guide (3rd use) where those who love God may thereby seek out to do works of service to God that are pleasing to Him and beneficial to society.  Both of these are centered on loving the neighbor - whether by force or by devotion to God the neighbor is served.

Every so often, though, I end up seeing what I think is a purposed 4th use of the law - the Firebreak use of the law.  People see a trend in society, something that is wrong - and rather than just staying strictly with what God says, an additional firebreak is extended.  Instead of simply "don't eat" - a "don't touch" gets added... because if you can't touch it, you can't eat it.  And there are many examples of this through the ages.

Don't fornicate - so don't dance.
Don't gamble - so don't use face cards.
Don't violate the Sabbath - so don't go over X steps.
Don't misuse the name of the LORD - so don't even speak Jehovah.

So on and so forth the pattern goes.  And the arguments are always wonderfully appealing - there is a danger, and clear and present danger - and we can't give in an inch to them, so to make sure they stay far, far away, we are going to... add things.  Expand the meaning.  Give our holiness a little lebensraum so that it is not defiled.

And these always go poorly.  Wickedly.  The gateway to tyrannical legalism because is it as much and as wicked a sin to add to God's Law as it is to take away from it.

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The Pastoral Office is reserved only for men.  It is the office of preaching and teaching, of administering the Sacrament.

But the public square is not reserved for pastors, nor the writing of books, nor discussion.  In these forums, all the baptized alike are of the royal priesthood, with all the rights there given.

Fear of woman pastors, fear of society losing any distinction between man and woman is no reason to go beyond the limits God has set.  And we do not add to His Word the firebreaks we think we need because of His fear, no more than we ignore His Word to be culturally relevant.  Either is the way of folly.

Never Waste Your People's Time - WIWILIS#1

 I remember back in my early days of blogging and social media communication that an older pastor lamented that anyone who hadn't been in the parish 10 years really shouldn't talk.  As I had been out 7 or 8 at this time, and we agreed, I was sure he wasn't talking about me.  Maybe he was.  But at any rate, many of the last few years have been relatively quiet from me in terms of this blog, or even social media discussions.  I guess I tired of the debates, got busier with family and parish.  Or maybe it was just a bit of wisdom kicking.

What it says about that wisdom that I thought to sit down this morning and type here, wandering and meandering (maybe listening to Mike Rowe's excellent podcast has some unintended and perhaps less than ideal consequences), I'm not to say.  I am just getting over Covid, perhaps I need to write to get my juices flowing and overcome some lingering fatigue.  Or perhaps it is that I am hoping to have two new Seminarians sent to my circuit, and so I am pondering all the things I worry they might end up doing.

At any rate, I decided I would embark upon a list, a written journey of ideas entitled:

What I Wish I Learned in Seminary

I learned many things in Seminary.  I am utterly grateful for the well rounded theological education I got at Fort Wayne.  But even our standard Seminary program knows that you cannot be prepared for life in the parish just by class time - it's why we include vicarage, a year of time in the parish to help round things out.  I frequently remember things taught to me by Rev. Stewart Crown, my vicarage supervisor.  Not everyone gets as excellent a supervisor as I did, though.  So, I am going to write a bit in the days and weeks to come, as I both have time and as ideas come to me.  And so now I begin.

Lesson 1 - NEVER WASTE YOUR PEOPLE'S TIME

At the Seminary we spend a lot of time in the art of handling worship.  We have classes on conducting the liturgy, several classes on preaching.  We have classes on education and counseling.  And there's an issue that seemed to be danced around but never said bluntly.

Don't waste people's time.

Dr. Scaer would sort of get to this by repeatedly admonishing us, "GET TO THE POINT," but that was always in the context of our own answers or questions.  I think many people thought that was just his gruff demeanor.  But there was a truth behind it that is vitally important.  If you have the gumption to think that you are sent by God to get up and talk in front of people or lead divine worship, there's a chance you might be a bit too in love with the sound of your own voice.  You might... like the worship service or the idea of preaching and teaching, and you might thus be easily entertained and delighted by everything that goes on.

Your people probably aren't.  Your simple existence, your "ministry of presence" isn't as grand as you think.  Don't waste peoples' time.

Consider - if my goal and point here was really to convey and teach people an important lesson (don't waste people's time), my meandering introduction, three full paragraphs, do nothing for that.  They could have been in a separate post.  They didn't get to the point... and I'm certain that a percentage of people tuned out, stopped reading, went somewhere else.  That's okay here in this blog - it's me messing around for my own benefit and for the amusement of the bored, idle, and those wanting to show some signs of being "busy" in theology.  It's not the Gospel.  It's not the Divine Service.  It's not the brief sliver of time a week that people perhaps, maybe, have set aside to receive the gifts of God.

Don't waste their time.  Don't be slow in giving the gifts.  Don't turn worship into the Pastor show - give the gifts and get out of the way.

Pastimes are fine to have.  I love baseball in the summer.  I love sports radio, having it on in the background while I'm driving.  Or podcasts - lovely things.  But when you are preaching or teaching, that's not a pass-the-time sort of thing - it is a time to give the gifts of God.  Give them.  Get to the point; the point is Christ Jesus Crucified for you.

You can be solemn and respectful without being ponderously slow.
You can explain ideas in depth without being pedantic.
You can maybe hit that additional point in a different sermon or the next class.

Besides, it's much better for people to leave service or study thinking, "It's a shame we didn't get a little more" than to have them thinking, "Thank God that's over with."  We are to encourage people in the joyous reception of God's gifts; not turn them into chores.

Try it.  Make your sermon this week a bit shorter... edit it, and cut out just 50 words here and there.  Add just a touch of pep to your step around the chancel.  Get the liturgy done a minute quicker - see how it flows.  The beauty, the solemnity is still there... what gets cut is the fat and dross (what gets cut is us as pastors being too self important).

When people are giving their time to God, don't waste their time for them.

St Stephen

Good King Wenceslas looked out/ on the feast of Stephen.” On the feast of Stephen, today, December 26^th. It at first seems strange to suddenly go from Christmas to such a sad story as Stephen’s, the first Christian Martyr. However, it makes sense. We have just celebrated the feast of the Nativity, the birth of Christ. But Jesus' birth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It's not just a nice tale that we tell and then forget. No, Christmas has an impact and an effect on our lives. From Stephen, we can see what that is.

First, on account of Christ, we are all called to service. Let me read from just before our epistle text. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”  And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.... This is how we meet this Stephen, this is the first time he shows up. And what is he? A man of faith, a man alive in Christ, a man who has the Holy Spirit. What clearer sign is there that the events of Christmas have impacted Stephen than this? Christ Jesus comes down and takes on human flesh, works out the plan of salvation, and what do we see? Stephen now filled with faith and the Holy Spirit. The result of Christmas and Christ’s life is that Stephen knows who God is, that Stephen believes in the Salvation won for Him by Christ Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit now dwells in him.

On account of this, Stephen is called into service. Stephen is asked, “for the good of your fellow believers in Christ, please do this. See that everyone is cared for fairly and kindly.” The faith and life that Stephen has is put into action. Faith isn’t just some dead possession, the Christian life is not something that we keep on a bookshelf and have to dust off every now and then, it is a relationship with God that moves us to action. Think of it this way. I’m sure many of the kids here this morning got new toys yesterday, and well, probably quite a few of us adults got new toys as well. So, are these toys just to be kept in the box, oh, look, I have a toy, how nice? No, they are to be played with, they are to be used. That’s the way it is with the Christian faith. We aren’t supposed to just keep it wrapped up, but rather we are to exercise our faith in the service of others. We live.

But sin still wants you dead, and your faith with it. Because of sin, we humans are the masters of the excuse, of dodging and shifting responsibility. When it comes to service of others, all too often our gut instinct is to avoid, to grumble, to wonder why someone else isn’t doing this, isn’t helping out, why am I the one stuck with this. There are times when our faith is an inconvenience to our schedule, and we’d rather just stick it in the closet with that gift our aunt gave us 7 years ago rather than actually use it. This is the temptation we are to avoid and beat down. As Christians we must remember that we are always going to be called into service, called to show love to our neighbor, to reflect back the love that we have received from Christ. This is something that Stephen does, and it is something which we ought to emulate.

Stephen also demonstrates another aspect of the Christian life. On account of Christ Jesus, we are called to confess. In our text today we see Stephen getting in trouble because he speaks plainly and clearly the Word of God. Stephen has been preaching and performing miracles, but the powers that be are upset, and so he is taken before the Jewish rulers and called to account. And what does Stephen do? Does he start playing the great game of cover my hide? Oh, this is all a misunderstanding, there’s no big deal, just let me go. Things are getting a little tense, a little hot in here, I had better stop what I’m doing, drop it, and just roll away? No, that’s not what Stephen does. We skip most of what Luke records for us in Acts, but we get the end of it. Stephen preaches, Stephen rips back and calls a spade and spade, giving them a good double barrel blast of the law. And they kill him. They drag Stephen out, they pick up rocks, and beat him to death.

So, was Stephen foolish? Was he unwise? No. Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. As Christians, as those who know who God is, who have tasted His Salvation, we are called to proclaim, to speak out the truth of God's word. Now, by this I’m not telling you all to get your sandwhich boards and stand out on the side of the road and start screaming at passer-bys in cars. But when you are questioned, when you are asked, “Who is this Jesus”, when one comes and denies your Lord, your duty is to confess Christ, whatever the consequences.

And that's not easy. Few things are more scary, more terrifying than speaking. Think in your own life apart from religion specifically. How many of you have things that you would like to tell someone but are afraid to? Someone is doing something wrong that hurts them, but. . . you just can’t say it, because you might upset them. Someone could use some advice, you have a recommendation, but what if they take it the wrong way. All too often we don’t speak when we ought to. Instead of showing love and care and service, instead of helping out, we say nothing. We have that fear of someone becoming upset with us, and that fear runs and rules our lives, not the love that we have from Christ.

Fear of speaking comes in even with good things. Who here hasn’t felt their knees turn to jelly when you want to say something sweet and romantic to someone? I’d wager that there are some guys here who have been married quite a while who still ho and hum before they work up the courage to tell their wives that they love them. Why then, should we be surprised when we have to confront fear when speaking the most wonderful words ever, speaking of Christ Jesus our Lord? Being bold in your faith can be hard, it can be frightening. There can and will be negative consequences in this life. If you doubt that, look at the prophets, look at the Apostles, look at Stephen, look at the cross itself. Nonetheless we are called to Confess, to speak boldly about Christ and Him Crucified when the opportunity presents itself.

So how? So far we have talked about many demands, much law. I, a poor miserable sinner, am called to service which I grumble about and do not do, I am called to confess Christ, and man, there are times where I just back down and run away. What now? Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. What now is this. We remember what else we are called to. We are called to be with the Son of Man, called to be with Christ Jesus. Dear friends, the Christ child does not remain idle, Jesus doesn’t just keep a low profile. Rather, He grows and suffers and dies and rises again. Why? So that He would call you to His side, that He would send His Holy Spirit to call you by the Gospel and Enlighten you by His gifts. At any and all times, we are to look to this, to remember this fact. Jesus, God Himself, calls you to be with Him. Emmanuel – God with us! This is what Stephen sees even as he lies dying, as the life is pounded out of him. Christ Jesus His Lord calling to Him, giving more and more forgiveness, bringing more and more Salvation. When Stephen sees Him, Jesus is there ruling at the Right Hand of God, calling His servant Home.

God constantly calls you as well. You are called by His Word to hear again and receive again the forgiveness of our sin. He calls you to the Altar, to His Supper, to receive His Body and Blood for the strengthening of your faith. When you are burdened, when you see your lack, you are called to look at Christ and see His love and Salvation, which is beyond anything else in the world. By His Word God constantly strengthens you and refreshes you when the world batters you down. Here in His house He gives you the gifts you need, preparing you to go out into the world and live the lives of service, the lives of confession that He calls you to. Here Christ Jesus fills you again with faith by forgiveness, by preaching, by His Supper, so that you are kept strong and firm, so that you are picked up whenever you stumble. Here in His House, we are gathered by Christ, just like a mother hen gathers her chicks, and under His protective wings you receive all that you need to grow in faith towards Him and in fervent love towards one another. Here in His house the Christ Child is at work for you, forgiving you and leading you.

And so, dear friends, on this December morn, we see who God is, who this Babe of Bethlehem is. He is the God who calls you to service, the God who calls you to confess him, but more than that, Jesus is the God who constantly calls you to be with Him, to come to Him, and to receive His blessings. And this He shall do, even until you see Him standing at the right hand of the Father yourselves. In the Name of Christ Jesus our Newborn King + Amen

Christmas Day Sermon

 

Christmas Day, 2021 – John 1:1-18

In the Name of Christ Jesus our Newborn King +

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. John here gives one of the simplest and best descriptions of the state of what sin looks like. We often think of sin primarily in terms of doing bad things, being naughty. And we therefore contrast sin with doing nice things. If I just do enough good things, then clearly I've dealt with sin. But that misses the point. Sin isn't just about my actions – defeating sin isn't a matter of “works done by us in righteousness” as St. Paul points out in Titus (a verse you should have all memorized from the Catechism, because if you want your Pastor to talk about righteous works he'll start at memorizing the Catechism). Bad acts, bad thoughts, words, and deeds are all just a side effect of what sin is. At its core, sin is not knowing, not experiencing Christ Jesus.

When Christ Jesus made the world, when the Word Himself summoned forth creation, it was all gift to us. Nothing but gift – and not to slate any of your shopping skills or the cleverness of Santa - better gifts than anything found under the tree this morning. And Adam and Eve knew it as gift, and they knew their relationship with the LORD as gift – they'd walk with Him together in the garden in the cool of the day. But the temptation, the lure Satan put forth was that there was something else to know, something better than the LORD and His gifts. Eat the fruit, have the knowledge of good and evil – don't receive merely what God gives, but take for your own. Ignore the trees God gave you and pull a “gift” off of this one. And sin is unleashed. And nothing is good. Contentment is gone. Fear and anger have come. And then what happens? Adam and Eve hear the sound of the LORD coming, and they hide. Why? Why hide from God, why hide from your Creator? Because they didn't know Him anymore. There was Jesus, in the world, the world that He had made, and Adam and Eve acted as though they didn't know Him. As though they thought that Jesus was going to show up and smite them instead of show love to them. Love that should have been the most obvious thing becomes a love unimaginable.

And Jesus promises to clean up the mess. He could not be with Adam and Eve as He had been before the Fall – they couldn't handle it. Satan had his claws upon them, wickedness enveloped them in anger and excuses, sin had blinded and deafened them. And so He promised right then and there in that garden that He would rescue them – the LORD stares down Satan and promises to come, become Man Himself to rescue His creation and to crush Satan under His feet.

And then we have the rest of the Old Testament. And it is nothing but over and over the Word of God coming to people who have forgotten, who intend not to know Him, and reminding them of the promise over and over. The LORD comes to Abraham – have a covenant, be circumcised and remember the promise. The LORD comes to Moses, rescues Israel who had all but forgotten Him – have the Law, remember the promise. Judges and Kings and prophets, all dealing with sin, with folks not knowing the LORD, and yet there is preaching and prophecy again proclaiming the promise. Know the LORD.

And finally, in the fullness of time, He comes. Jesus is born of Mary. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. And even when He comes in the flesh, people still don't know Him – thus the power of sin. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. Think on the Gospels, how often people don't understand who Jesus is, how often He surprises them with His love and compassion. Even the disciples, who should know Him better than anyone are repeatedly caught off guard. Why would He heal even gentiles, why would He cast out their demons, how can He be walking on water and stilling storms, why would He eat with sinners and tax collectors? Over and over – people don't know. Why? Because He is the Word by Whom all things were made, without Whom nothing was made – and there is not one of His creatures that He does not love and care for. But sin, but this stupid desire and determination to not know who God actually is blinds them, blinds us, and Jesus and His love continually catches people off guard.

And of course, it caught the disciples off guard the most when He told them bluntly that He would fulfill the promise – that He would go to the Cross and die to crush the Serpent's head, that He would rise to life on the third day to bring back life for His friends. Peter tries to talk Him out of it – get thee behind Me, Satan. Sin is not knowing who Jesus is. And yet, as He wanders though this world infested and made idiotic by sin, Jesus simply goes on to the Cross and does what He promised to do. And there, the very Body that our LORD took up, that was shown forth and revealed on Christmas – dies. And then, He rises, and life is won again for us, life with God.

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. Oh, Jesus comes to make us children of God again, to restore us unto what Adam and Eve were before the fall. Because that restoration, being again what Jesus created us to be – it wasn't going to happen by anything we did. It wasn't going to be a matter of inheritance, nor of self control keeping our flesh in check, nor of making a decision to be better folks. Jesus knew none of those would work. Instead He does the work for you – and by His blood and by His life, you receive again a welcome into the family of God. You were claimed by God Himself in Holy Baptism. There at the font Jesus declared that He Himself is your brother, and that all that is His is in fact yours, given to you. That's the right that you have – all that belongs to Jesus now belongs to you. Because that's who Jesus is and always has been – the Giver of gifts. Here's a gift, receive it, delight in it.

And you will. Eternally. Now, you still contend with sin. Satan, the world, and your sinful flesh all conspire to make you forget Jesus, to not know Him. Yet that doesn't stop Jesus – He's not intimidated in the slightest. He came to you in Holy Baptism – of course He will come to you again and again. The Word Incarnate comes in His Word. He dwells among you today as He gives you His Body and Blood under bread and wine. Jesus makes you to know Him in His Word and His gifts of Baptism and the Supper. And even as things rage, even as sin tries to blind you and often enough does – Jesus comes to you again and again. And even when death comes for you and tries to close your eyes off to God forever, Jesus will speak His Word and open your eyes and you will see Him, and you will be raised from the dead and restored unto life, true life, life like back in the garden life. Because Jesus remains a giver – not just on December the 25^th, but always, now and forever. So that being justified by His grace [that is His gift, His free gift] we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is the reality, this is the truth of who you are and who Jesus is for you. And because He keeps His promises you will see it – now though a mirror dimly, but then face to face. The world might already be thinking about tearing down the decorations, wrapping all this Christmasy stuff up by Monday or Tuesday – but no – the real Christmas celebrations have just started. The feast is today, the feast is to come – and you will see it, and you will know your Savior's face, and see His own joy as He gives you grace upon grace for all eternity. Merry Christmas my friends in Christ! In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King.

Christmas Eve Homily

 

In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +

Jesus was not the Messiah that people expected. Almost everyone who comes across Him is surprised, or shocked, or even dismayed. Even with the prophecies, even with the Scripture proclaiming what Jesus would be, He wasn't what people expected. He certainly was a surprise to Joseph and Mary – His coming wasn't what they had planned on or expected. The wise men following the star expect a King of the Jews born in the finest palace – but they must be sent to Bethlehem, and not even to the best house there, but to a stable and a manager. The very same manager where shepherds, of all people, lowly shepherds who were even low on the shepherd totem pole, stuck with 3^rd shift night duty, were the first the see the Savior. We're so familiar with the Christmas story that it seems old hat, but nothing here plays out the way that anyone really expected.

And Jesus' ministry – the same thing. People expected someone to restore an earthly kingdom, and Jesus isn't interested. He in fact runs away when they want to make Him king. They hoped for someone who would drive out the Romans and get rid of earthly injustice. Jesus in fact heals the people who arrest Him, and He meekly faces the grossest miscarriage of justice upon the Cross. People were looking for a Jesus that would belittle their enemies and cast them out; instead Jesus is found at table with them, eating with them. Every expectation, turned upside down – even as John the Baptist, even as Jesus Himself point to Scriptures to show what the Messiah would do.

We shouldn't be surprised that Jesus wasn't what people expected. Jesus, the real Jesus, still isn't what people expect, or want. Even today we'll hear people talk about Jesus as though He's just a wise teacher who will give them a few life tips and then leave them alone. Or Jesus is the ultimate feather in the cap in the case of an argument, where Jesus would agree with our every political idea or social whim – why Jesus would even buy the same brand of canned corn that we do. A Jesus who is a tool, easily used but then left on the shelf ignored when we're not building our schemes.

That's not who Jesus is. This Babe, lying in a manger, is God Almighty. He is the Word of God by which you were made. This Child is your Creator. This Boy is the one Adam and Eve hid from in the Garden, the One that every sinful human being has run from and danced away from since. And still, He comes. Jesus made us, and He is determined to be with us – to be Emmanuel – God with us. And so He comes and is born – True God and True Man. And so He wins us redemption – the Cross is His goal – His own death and resurrection so that even dying we would be raised to new life, forgiven and restored. And even as people turn their faces away, stop up their ears – Jesus comes to you today. His gift of Holy Baptism has made you His stable, your heart His manger. His Word of forgiven takes all He won upon the Cross and applies it to you. And even as the world doesn't know it, He comes to you under bread and wine, giving you His own Body and Blood for the remission of your sin in His Supper. Jesus is not what was expected, but He is the gift that was promised – He is your Redeemer. Merry Christmas my friends in Christ. In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +

Trinity 15 Sermon

Trinity 15 – September 11^th and 12^th, 2021

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Continuing on from last week's Epistle dealing with the evident works of the flesh as opposed to the fruit of the Spirit, St. Paul says in today's Epistle – If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. So, as Confirmation Class is starting up this weekend, let's ask now the old Catechism question – What does this mean? What does it mean to live by the Spirit, to walk by the Spirit? I mean, if you hear people say that they are spiritual today, it can mean almost anything as long as it's smug and condescending. Or “I'm spiritual, but not religious” - which Paul would have thought to be as dumb as saying, “I'm a human, but not a person.” In our culture today and in our society today we so often think of “spiritual” as being something high faluting or up there, maybe in our minds, or meditate in a Lotus position and transcend your body or whatever the latest claptrap is. And all that misses the point. Listen again to Paul - If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. This isn't imaginary, this Spirituality stuff isn't in your head – we live by the Spirit, we walk by the Spirit. Living and walking are some real, tangible things. Down to earth things. Paul gives a list of what this tangible real Spiritual life, living and walking by the Spirit looks like – don't provoke each other, help each other out, don't boast, learn the word of God and pay your preacher, keep on doing good things. He doesn't say “go sit under a waterfall” or
“take an expensive vacation to India”. It's life. The fact that you are a Christian, that Jesus' forgiveness has been given to you, that you are baptized, shapes you.

And to contemplate this further, and indeed, to rejoice in Jesus' forgiveness even further, let's consider now our Gospel lesson. And it doesn't seem like this would be a Gospel lesson to rejoice over. I mean, Jesus tells us not the worry – and then lists a bunch of terrible things. And He drops an “O you of little faith” on us. How is this a rejoicing sort of text? How is this a Spiritual life text. Very simply. Alright Confirmands, you're getting a heads up on Sunday night's lesson, so listen up. Adults – the question for you is this: What is the First Commandment? (You shall have no other gods.) And what does this mean? (We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.) Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.” We're used to hearing this, we're used to jumping on into consider the lilies of the field, but pause for a second. Did you hear what Jesus just said. He said, “Don't worry, even about starving to death naked.” That happens more often in history than we'd care to admit. It happened often enough in the Roman Empire of Jesus' day – it would happen in Jerusalem in 70 AD, it happened in our lifetimes in the Concentration camps of Germany, or to our Lutheran brothers and sisters in Siberia, or even now in China and other parts of the world. And that's human cruelty, that's to say nothing of natural disasters, floods and famine and earthquake where the work of lifetimes are turned to rubble. What do you mean, do not be anxious, what do you mean do not worry? Isn't that something to be afraid of, Jesus?

You shall have no other gods. We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Fear. Fear is a spiritual thing. You hear all the time in the Old Testament that we are to “fear the LORD” or “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” - and that sounds so strange to us because we as modern Americans hate the idea of fear. But fear is there, there's always something that one fears, something that one understands as the biggest threat, the highest priority. And fear is Spiritual. Spiritual doesn't mean disconnected to your life – if something is Spiritual it is tied to your life and permeates all parts of your life. And as such, Satan will use the fear of various things to drive you, to torture and twist you. After Pearl Harbor President Roosevelt had fantastic insight when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!” Fear drives you. FDR didn't want the American populous driven by fear to stupidity after Pearl Harbor, and in that sense he was right. We see a fear, and we will do anything, anything, to avoid it or counter it. And if the fear is big enough, we will jettison all morals, all sense, we will throw our neighbor under the bus. Fear will make us turn on friends. Fear turns people into informants. Fear turns people into killers, whether it's the stranger, or even the child in the womb. All driven by fear, driven by what-ifs and we have to do something. All driven by Satan who wants us focused on anywhere and anything but Christ Jesus and His love for us. All seeking to make us live in fear, walk in fear. This misplaced fear of Satan's is in the air today, it's all around us and palpable.

And Jesus says no. We shouldn't fear first and foremost this trash Satan throws us, whether it's our health or what our friends and family think of us, what will the neighbors say. First and foremost, we should focus on what God says – He's the One we should fear above all, because He's the One who can do the most. And what does the Triune God say of you? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Are you not of more value... Jesus says you have value, great value. That in the eyes of God Almighty, you have deep value. So much value that when Satan tempted Adam and Eve into sin, when Satan used them to unleash death and destruction and all the things we fear – that God planned for your salvation. That Jesus would become man and die for you, in your place – that He would rise on the third day to win you everlasting life because you have value to God. The Holy Spirit makes you to know this – the Lord and giver of Life Himself makes you to understand the value that God places upon you, upon your neighbor for whom Jesus died. You live by the Spirit as a redeemed, forgiven, and valued person – and when you walk around don't just see fear, see that you are valued by God and that the person next to you is valued by God, even if they don't see it and treat themselves like trash.

So whose words, whose opinion will you fear, will you give priority? Because that's what fear does – it assigns a priority in your life, and if you choose a dumb priority, bad things happen. So what is the priority – what Jesus says of you – that you are more valuable than His own life and that you are forgiven and bound for everlasting life, or the stupid worries and fear that the world is peddling? What is the priority – seeing your neighbor as someone Jesus died for, or seeing them as an enemy to be defeated, an obstacle to be overcome? If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. That's the point Paul is making here, that's what Jesus is teaching – remember who you are in Christ Jesus's eyes, and let that shape how you see the world and your place in it.

And this doesn't mean that you won't see troubles. Jesus Himself saw plenty of trouble – that Cross up there is a big old sign trouble if ever there was one. And He openly tells us “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Seeing the value God has placed upon you and your neighbor actually brings trouble and hardship – you don't get to treat life as cheap. You don't get to view your neighbor as expendable or disposable, toss them away when it's convenient to do so. And there's still sin swirling around, and there are still fears and words trying to make you forget who you are in Christ, make you forget the dignity we as His children have. And that's all hard. But remember here that God knows this, and He knows what you need. And He is the One who is in control. Listen again to how our Gospel lesson starts.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. Yeah, money and stuff can drive a lot of fears – how many people will be silent and not speak the truth because it might get them canceled and hurt their pocketbook? Money is a fearful master... but Jesus says you can't have two masters... Therefore, I tell you, because I, Jesus, am your Master – I have purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and from the power of the Devil with My own blood, I have baptized you and poured water and My Spirit upon you, and you are part of My Kingdom, and you live by My Spirit. Did you hear Jesus just take charge right there? And He is in charge, and He's in charge for you good. And whatever comes down the pike, even if it is fearful and scary, Jesus is still in charge, and He still conquers over all things, and He does so for you good, because you are of value to Him beyond our ability to understand.

So my friends – walk by the Spirit – that is, walk around your life understanding who you are in Christ Jesus and what Satan is trying to do to you and to your neighbors. There's fear out there, crazy making evil driving fear. See that and know that as a spiritual thing, the work of Satan... but more importantly remember who you are as a baptized and forgiven child of God, alive in the Spirit, fed this day on Christ's own Body and Blood, and bound for eternal life. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Eyes upon Jesus, Words proclaiming the Christ and Him Crucified, fear in it's proper place and Jesus in charge – for you are forgiven. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Trinity 5 Sermon

Trinity 5 – Luke 5:1-11 – July 3^rd and 4^th, 2021

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

      “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing.” Consider what had been going on in Peter's life going into that one occasion of which our Gospel speaks today. There's a simple little note there, that Jesus is standing by two boats, but the fishermen had gotten out of them. They were washing their nets. Their day was done and over. And Jesus just gets into a boat – doesn't ask permission, doesn't say, “Permission to come aboard captain.” Just hops onto the boat and looks at Simon Peter and asks him to carry Him out a bit. So there's Peter, after a long night of work already, tired and worn... and now he's playing ferryman to Jesus. And then Jesus teaches, preaches – while Peter is already tired and worn out from the previous night's work. Things just keep getting longer and harder for poor Simon Peter. And then Jesus is done... He's finished His preaching, and Simon Peter will finally, finally be able to go home, see the family, get some rest. Or maybe not.

     Jesus says to Peter, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Jesus wasn't done yet. Simon Peter wasn't done yet. And do you hear the resignation and despair? “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing.” It's worse than just the end of a long day – it's the end of a long day that was utterly unproductive. That trip home would have been a trip of failure, it would be the farmer having to tell the missus that the crop in a field failed. Peter's day had been utter failure... and now, just more work. Stupid work. Utterly foolish work. Fishermen fished at night because you didn't catch anything during the day. Well, except seaweed and junk, so the nets would have to be cleaned again. But no, Jesus doesn't seem to care about Simon Peter's day – go do more work. “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” That sounds so formal – it's someone saying, “If you say so, boss.” I think this is a grade A dumb idea, but if you say so.

      And then there's a massive catch. So big they have to summon out the other boat – James, John, get over here, we can't haul this catch in. There's the the frenzied action of the fishermen as they rush to haul in the catch, to divvy it up. But Peter stops while the crew runs around frantically. They hit the nets while Peter hits the deck. And when he speaks, there's something new in his voice. Fear. Utter and abject fear. Do you hear it? “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O LORD.” Did you hear the fear? Maybe not – we're sort of used to hearing the bible in a nice and proper, polite fashion. I mean, how many of you said the word “depart” this week? Maybe if you went to the airport – we hear “depart” as a nice, organized dismissal. I'll say it later – Depart in peace. But that's not the flavor of what Peter is saying here. This is “get up and get gone.” This is “run away”. This is “retreat”. It's an emphatic word – it's not just saying “go” it's saying “go away.” Why? Please just get away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord. There's fear there. There's fear because Simon Peter understands his own sinfulness, his own flaws. He had just done a “yeah, sure, whatever you say Boss” to Jesus, and Simon Peter has just really started to figure out who this Jesus is, that there is something miraculous, something divine going on here – and you don't act all blasé about God. And in reality, that's what our sin is. We know what we are supposed to do, we know what God wants us to do, and we blow it off. Or even if we do it – even if we shove off into the deep so that He can shower abundant blessings upon us, so often we do so half heartedly with resignation – sure, whatever. Sin to insulting to God – Simon's sin was insulting to God – your sin insults God. Your sin takes blessings that God has given you and disdains them, cheapens them, ignores them, breaks them, defiles them. And we can ignore the fact that this is what our sin is easily enough when we are all caught up in our own wants, desires – our desperate searching for some sort of happiness over against the resignation and despair we see. But when Jesus is right there in front of you, when God Himself is sitting in your boat, then there's fear. You want God gone. Get away from me.

     And Jesus says no. Yeah, no Simon, I'm not going anywhere. Well, okay, actually Simon, I will be leaving, but when I do you're going to be coming with Me. “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Oh, and James and John too, and Andrew your brother. You're all coming with Me. And as I am preaching and teaching now, you'll be preaching and teaching soon enough. So, no more of that fear there – you're with Me, and in Me it's all good.

      At first you can hear a lot of resignation in Simon, then you can hear an understandable fear in Simon. You can see these things shape Simon Peter's actions – but they don't shape, they don't define Jesus, nor do they define how Jesus treats Peter. Jesus is not driven by fear or shame or guilt or any of the things that drive us. Jesus loves. Jesus is determined to rescue and redeem Peter. Even when Simon Peter is having a lousy day and ignoring Jesus' preaching, Jesus just saunters on up – come on, into the boat fish-boy, push on out. Hear my preaching, and you want fish, well, I'll give you fish. But I'm going to give you something greater. I'm going to give you Myself, I'm going to give you the Church, and you'll get to be part of the place where instead of being defined by your fears or your sins or your desires, you'll be defined by the fact that I am your Savior, that you are baptized, redeemed, forgiven, saved, bound for life everlasting beyond fear and sin and foolish desires. Simon Peter didn't have to do something to get ready for Jesus... Jesus just walks up and saves Him. Dare I say, Jesus catches him, for Jesus is a fantastic catcher of men.

So, how often does fear and resignation shape, drive our lives, my friends? I'd wager quite often. I'd actually be inclined to be utterly honest and say all the time. Think on the Small Catechism – every meaning to a commandment starts “We should fear and love God...” and every sin really can be boiled down to fear, fearing something other than God. Thinking something is bigger, more powerful, more important than God. I'm inclined to say that all sin is driven by fear... I'll allow for some false and misplaced loves to drive some sin, but even there, I don't know. So much fear. Fear of rejection driving people to do anything to gain acceptance. Fear of failure driving people to do anything to succeed. Fear of emptiness driving people to do anything to try to fill themselves up by what they consume or purchase. And by people, of course, I mean us. I mean me. And all around, so many things playing off of our fears, our insecurities, our desperation – “triggers” if you want to use the hip lingo. And at times it's so easy to be overwhelmed by them. And they always push us, sometimes we don't notice, and sometimes we do and we become keenly aware of it and we become resentful and angry and afraid.

      And Jesus says no. No, all that junk, all that stuff doesn't define you. It doesn't determine who you are. Your life is more than just that. God gets to define you. Jesus says, “You're mine. I forgive you.” Seriously. That's what defines you – you are a baptized, forgiven child of God. Period. End of story. Well, but what about this... yeah, well what about Christ Jesus, God Himself, becoming man, taking up your sin, going to the Cross, dying and rising, all to rescue and redeem you from all your what abouts. You are baptized. You are forgiven. You are bound for eternal life. And even if the worst happens – even if, even when you die – Jesus says no. Jesus didn't make you to be dead, so He will raise you from the dead. Period. Because while there are so many things, so many fears and troubles that try to cling to you, and that most certainly seem to in real, lousy ways, the truth, the ultimate truth is this. You are loved by God almighty, and He does not cast you aside, and He will not abandon you or leave you. You are His own – Jesus has purchased and won you from all sins and from the power of the devil – from Satan's despair and Satan's fear - not with gold or silver but by, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that you will be His own and so you will live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. That's what catching men means, it means catching them into eternal life, and that is what Jesus has done to you. His Word, His Spirit have been poured out upon you, and He's not just going to let the world, let Satan have you. Not even death gets to keep you – you belong to Jesus. Therefore forgiveness, life, and salvation are yours.

      Sometimes in this world things just suck. They stink on ice. Peter had been having a lousy day – it was obvious. We understand his resignation – we toiled all night and caught nothing. Seems like it could be the story of our life sometimes. But it's not. It's in the story, but it's not the story. The story of your life is this – Christ Jesus has come to be your Savior, and He has done so, and so you are safe and secure in Him. Yes, there are things that are bad and fearful – but none of them top Jesus Christ for you, and Jesus remains for you, even now, even today, even unto all eternity. You're baptized, redeemed, and forgiven – that's the real, full story. And that's precisely why I'll end the sermon like this. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.