Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
Greetings in the Name of Christ Jesus our LORD!
This past weekend’s Introit again pulled from Psalm 27, and today let us consider verse 14, which reads: “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
Twice we are told here to wait for the LORD. Things are full of trouble and hardship, and the call is not a call to action on our part, but rather a call to… wait. It is literally “be stretched out” in patience, to endure instead of reacting. Now, this is becoming more and more a strange and foreign concept in modern American life. We don’t wait well, we don’t let things get stretched well. We want fast food and next day shipping on Amazon Prime. We don’t stretch our dollar – we go for the cheap credit. We want our solutions, and we want to be proactive with them, and we want them now.
But David has a very good reason for calling for us to wait, to let things stretch out. We miss it because we think like Americans instead of Israelites. We hear “be strong” and think that this is an injunction for us to just buck up – pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We hear, “let your heart take courage” and we want to start giving ourselves a pep talk or go find a motivational speaker to get us riled up. But that misses the point.
If you want to understand this verse, remember that you are waiting for the LORD. What happens when the LORD says, “be strong”? Think about in the New Testament when the fellow says to Jesus, “If You will, You can heal me.” How does Jesus respond? “I will. Be healed.” And he is. Or think about Genesis – Jesus goes forth saying, “Let there be light” and light is.
Wait on the LORD. Why? Because the LORD will say, “Be strong” and you will be. Wait on the LORD because He says, “Let your heart take courage” and it does – but not by your own strength, but in His Word.
This is the thing. When we are in trouble, so often we want to run around and panic. When we get nervous, we so often want to get busy doing something. In those times we forget that it is the LORD who is our light and our salvation – and our being stretched doesn’t stop Him from being the LORD and God who loves us and does good for us and to us. In fact, it is precisely in those moments of stretchedness where He does the best for you.
Of course, nothing that He does for you surpasses the day when Jesus Himself was stretched out upon the Cross to win you salvation, a salvation that He continues to bring to you in His Word and in His Supper.
Even if you find yourself having to wait, being stretched – fear not – for you will have a good week in Him.
Pastor Brown
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
Text: Mark 16:6
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Text: Matthew 4:3
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
This sermon was preached at the Bread of Life Higher Things conferences. Pr. Riley preached this sermon at Wednesday Matins.
Rev. Donavon Riley
“And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:27-28)
In the Name of + Jesus. Amen. Faith is the only correct answer to the question of God’s grace. Trust in Jesus is the only possible response. Jesus insists on it. The wrong question, then, is, “Do you have enough faith?” The right question is, “Do you have enough Jesus?” You can have great faith, but you can never have too much Jesus.
Jesus’ doing for this dog-Gentile wasn’t a, “Believe I’m God, go to church, clean up your life, and then I’ll perform an exorcism on your daughter” kind of transaction. It’s Jesus doing for her—for free—what she asks. All she’s got to do is believe it. Nothing else.
Jesus meant it when he said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When people asked Him what they should do to work the work of God He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one whom he sent.”
But then He goes even further and says, “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.” Jesus didn’t come to judge you. He comes to rescue you from shame, and guilt, and fear, and blame. He comes to deliver you from sin and death.
That’s why Jesus just won’t count this strange, foreign woman’s personal history for or against her: how far she’s walked; who watches her daughter while she’s searching for a miracle cure; whether her health insurance covers demon possession; where she worships on the Sabbath. None of it matters to Jesus.
But shouldn’t there be more to God’s doing for her than bare-naked faith? Wouldn’t it be helpful for everyone if God’s grace had a price tag dangling off of it? At least then you’d know it’s value and worth. That’d be something at least.
But look at it from God’s side of the checkout counter. Listen to Ephesians 1:4. “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
God chose her in Christ before the foundation of the world. We know this first, because God’s Word created this woman and created her daughter, too, and second, because Jesus is God’s Word in the flesh, and He’s present for her, there, now. No more proof needed.
That means that not only is the outcome of their conversation already a victory, the result was never in doubt. She was created and chosen to enjoy God being God for her “before the foundation of the world.”
It means, faith was fully present from the beginning in Christ. It’s God’s effort, not your effort to obey God, not your good intentions, not your happy thoughts, not even your heartfelt prayers, that wins the day. It’s His grace, not your works. That’s the thing. Look at yourself. Jesus’ already done everything terrifically for you. What more is there for you to do? What more can you do to add to His doing for you?
So then, why does Jesus just up and heal the woman’s daughter? Why doesn’t He tell her to do something to prove she’s worth the effort, or at least ask for proof of insurance? It’s simple. She’s been in Him all along. She’s been chosen in Him “before the foundation of the world.”
The only thing for her to do about such a fantastic arrangement is just shut up. Believe it. Enjoy it. She’s already got it. The God who created the heavens and the earth, who delighted in creating her, who wove a baby girl together in her womb, who stands in front of her right now, has already got a hold of her.
The only judgment you can make about what just happened between Jesus and this mother who worships the wrong god, in the wrong country, with the wrong people is that their whole back-and-forth is just Jesus hunting up faith so that she’s set free to worship true God… Set free to worship Jesus.
He’s not throwing her out. Jesus reveals that she’s been in the whole time. St. Paul writes that Jesus is God’s “yes” to every “no” the world issues. “There is now therefore no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus” (Roman 8:1).
He’s had you home-free from the start, too. No matter what’s happened, no matter how much you hurt, how powerless you feel, how angry, how beggarly, how alone…He’s always been here with you in your mess. You’ve been in Christ all along.
What saves you from sin, and rescues you from death, and delivers you from Satan is Jesus. The way you get a hold of him is through faith. And faith is something that doesn’t mean anything other than Jesus.
“Do you have great faith?” Wrong question.
“Do you have enough Jesus?” You can never have too much Jesus. Right answer.
Faith is simply saying “yes” to Him instead of “no.” It doesn’t involve any special theological training. You don’t have to work yourself up emotionally to trust Him. And above all, faith doesn’t depend on your custom-designed list of good works—whether you run in a charity marathon, find the cure for heart disease, or give away free hugs. Faith just trusts that you’ve been in Jesus since the beginning. Faith trusts that He’s been doing terrific things for you all along.
So enjoy what Jesus does for you. Have fun with His gifts. You’re that free. Free to act in faith. Free to burst expectations. Free to ask and free to demand. Free to fear and free to trust. Free to work…or take a nap.
You’re always in Christ. You’re in. You can’t lose even in sickness, and sickness unto death. You see, Jesus doesn’t wait for you to get to Him with the right question or with the right prayer or to believe the right stuff. He produces it. His love for you produces godly faith and works and prayers and worship.
In Christ, your hope isn’t a Savior waiting for you to be your best you now. It’s that He’s always with you: in faith and in works, in prayer and in praise, in life and life-eternal, when you’re at your best, and especially when you’re at your worst.
Your one true hope is the promise He breathes into you. It’s the flesh and the blood He feeds you. It’s that for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, He loves and cherishes you, ’til in death He does join you together with Him in life everlasting.
The Canaanite woman comes as desperate mother. She goes home as Bride of Christ. You come and go in the way of Bride and Bridegroom, too. Ashamed, fearful, guilt-ridden, shouldering blame, running from the truth, beaten down, or giving up, it doesn’t matter to Jesus.
In Christ, you’re always God’s beloved. In Christ, you’re Gospeled. In Christ, you’re Baptized. In Christ, you’re bodied and bloodied. In Christ, there’s no more crumbs for little dog-Gentile you. There’s a seat with Christ at His table. A feast is prepared for you. Christ the host and Christ the meal. Good Friday Body and Good Friday Blood. The wedding feast of the Lamb without end, and you, His beloved Bride, are the guest of honor. Believe it. Enjoy it. And why not… you’re in. In the name of + Jesus. Amen.
Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts can strengthen us to get on with the long, hard pull of a war that rages, that’s fought for our salvation. Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts can secure the victory. Only the Gospel and Christ’s gifts keep us safe in the dirty, disagreeable business of fighting against sin, death, and hell.
Text: 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (One Year)
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”
Text: Luke 2:40 (One Year)
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?””
Text: Matthew 11:2-3 (One Year)
Preacher: Pastor Donavon Riley, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Webster, MN
by Rev. Donavon Riley
As the written attacks against Luther increased, the Wittenberger was also confronted with the very real possibility that Elector Frederick would capitulate to Rome’s demands to drag his star professor before the Pope in chains. And yet, despite his anxiety, Luther wrote to his friend, Spalatin, that he was prepared to receive his chains if need be because, “like Abraham I know not where, nay, most certainly, where, because God is everywhere.”
However, rather than sit passively, awaiting his fate, Martin wrote a letter to Frederick arguing his case. He referred to himself as “a shabby little monk” and begged Frederick to allow him to plead his case to the Elector. He included a blow by blow account of what occurred between himself and Cajetan at Ausburg. At that time, he explained, “Cajetan was not able to produce even a syllable from the Scriptures against me.” Finally, Luther wrote, “Truly excellent Prince… concerning my response [to Cajetan], let whatever will be, be; if it false… if it is damnable or to be recanted, then I will do all this if it should be so.” After this, if Frederick would not receive his appeal, then Luther was prepared to accept whatever judgment was laid on him.
When Frederick read Luther’s letter he was moved to continue his protection of the shabby little monk in spite of pressure from Rome. The Elector wrote to Cajetan on December 7, 1518 that “we have fulfilled our promise to you” by delivering Luther to Augsburg. Likewise, “there are now many learned people in our principalities and lands, both in the universities and elsewhere, but in fact to this very moment we are unable to become firmly and unquestionably any more certain that the learning of Martin is impious and not Christian but heretical…” Finally, unless Luther was convicted of heresy, Frederick would not turn him over to the papists.
Unfortunately for Martin, he did not know about the Elector’s letter to Cajetan. Therefore, he was already, on December 20, planning to flee to France. “Pray for me,” he wrote to Spalatin, because “I am in the hands of God and my friends.” In response, Spalatin urged Luther to come to Salzburg instead, that they “may live and die together.”
But, by the time his friend’s letter arrived, Luther had learned about Frederick’s decision. “Good God,” Luther wrote to Spalatin, “with what joy I read and reread” the letter that declared the Elector’s decision about me. “He is the sort of man whose grasp extends to politics and learning at the same time.”
Next time, we will examine the fallout from Frederick’s decision to defend Luther.
Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.
by Rev. Donavon Riley
After days of back and forth between Martin Luther and the papal representatives, Elector Frederick finally urged his now infamous professor to write an appeal to Rome, to “the pope badly informed to the pope better informed.” At the same time, Luther’s colleague Staupitz encouraged him to write a final summary of his position to Cardinal Cajetan. In both letters Luther summed up his position saying he could not recant any of his teachings because that would, in effect, be creating new articles of faith. The Wittenberger could not recant, he argued, because what he taught was biblical and thus the very Word of God which could not err.
Once the letters had been sent, Luther and Staupitz met in private to talk about what would happen next. Martin’s position was clear. He was in mortal danger. He would have to flee under cover of darkness if he wanted to save his life. To this end, Staupitz released Martin from his monastic vows. He was no longer bound to obey the rules of his order or his superiors. After this was done, Staupitz and Luther’s companions fled Augsburg. Now Luther was alone.
Luther, for his part, snuck out through a hole in the city wall, left his monk’s cowl behind, climbed up on an old nag, and made his way to Wittenberg undetected. Later, upon reflection, Martin said that when he arrived at the gates of the city and dismounted he could barely stand he was so exhausted, overcome as he was by feelings of fear and hope. Emotions that would hound him for many days and months afterwards.
Cardinal Cajetan, learning of Luther’s escape, wrote to Frederick, promising the Elector that Rome would not so easily forget what had happened in Augsburg and the Elector’s part in all of it. The matter would be prosecuted and the glory of Rome would not be allowed to suffer blemish. Frederick either sent Luther to Rome in chains or, at the least, he must publicly reject Martin’s teachings. Whatever the case, the Cardinal was clear; turn over Luther or suffer the full power of Rome crashing down on Wittenberg.
Next week, we will examine more of the attacks on Luther after Augsburg and their consequences.
Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota.
