Author: Higher Things

by The Rev. David Kind

Revelation 22:12-21

It’s kind of cool that now that we have come to the end of our week together at this conference, we also have a reading from the very end of the Bible. But coming to the end of things is not always pleasant. And with an event like this one, it can be kind of depressing when you realize later today or tomorrow or in a few more days I’m going to be back home and back to my regular routine. Oh, for a while, you’ll relive this week as you tell about it to your friends who couldn’t come. You’ll exchange pictures on facebook. And hopefully you’ll start planning to come to the next conference. But eventually the joy and excitement of the experience will fade away, even the joy of retelling it will fade.

So it’s a good thing that Jesus gives us something to look forward to, and not talking about the next Higher Things Conference, although I’m pretty sure He wants you to look forward to that too! Rather Jesus tells us to look forward to Him. We’ve been talking about Jesus and His gifts all week long. We’ve even received those gifts, the Word given in sessions, and the Word preached and Sacraments given here in the Chapel. But now Jesus says: “behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Now Jesus coming! That’s something to look forward to!

But this part about “to everyone according to his work” And then those words, “Blessed are those who do His commandments…” sound kind of scary. You know, after all, just what kind of works you do. And you know that they aren’t always great works. In fact you should know that most of your works are crappy works. And some of your works are downright evil. In other words, you know that you are a sinner who breaks God’s commandments every single day. And if you don’t think that’s the case, then you’d better check yourself over and make sure you have flesh and if you find out that you do, then you’d better listen to what God says about it and about you. After all, God doesn’t ask just that you try hard to be a good person. He demands perfection. And you’d darn well better have it!

And you do. No, no, no… now wait a minute pastor, you’re probably thinking, didn’t you just say I was a sinner whose works were no good? That’s right. But the work that God is speaking about in this chapter, the commandment He wants you to do, is one you can keep because it requires that you do absolutely nothing, nothing that is, but receive.

Remember that St. John wrote Revelation. And in John’s Gospel, the people ask Jesus what work they must do to do the works of God. And Jesus says: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” And later in John’s first epistle, the apostle says this: “this is [God’s] commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another”. And now Jesus says blessed are you if you do this – if you keep My Words. If you do this I’m going to give you the reward that is rightfully Mine.

He’s talking about faith. The work is to believe. It is to say Amen to Jesus. It is merely to receive what Christ gives. It’s not an active work, but a passive one. God does it and I receive it. Now that’s the kind of work I can get into! And that work of God in us through His Gospel produces fruits in us as well and works of love toward our neighbor too. First believe, then out of that faith, love. This is part of faith’s Amen, after all: the Amen of a life lived in love to others. And that’s a life that is different from that of those who love, believe and practice a lie.

But faith’s reward is not based upon your busyness for Christ, or even for your neighbor’s welfare. It is His reward given – given – to you. It is the reward He has won for you through His suffering, through His dying on the cross to save you from your sins, through His rising from the dead to defeat your death. And what reward is that? Where there is forgiveness of sins there is also life and salvation. There is heaven. Don’t do for salvation, Jesus says, rather receive. Take the waters of life freely. And faith says Amen to that and lives in it.

Now all of this is not just a future thing. It’s not some far away future reality of floating on the clouds with your harp, or of eating donuts and chocolate, or what have you. Heaven is yours now. Already. We’ve been saying “Amen, Amen, it shall be so.” But it’s more than that. Amen, Amen, it is so. Not only in the future, but now. Already.

Jesus said “Surely I am coming quickly” Yeah, as soon as the letter was read! When you hear and receive the Word of God, you receive Christ! He comes to you. And so the implied future of the one sentence (I am coming) is balanced against the present tense of the following: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” Amen. It is not a wish. It is a declaration of the present reality. Amen. It shall be so. And it is so. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and everything in between.

And the reward Jesus brings with Him when He graciously visits us is yours now too. For in Holy Baptism you were washed in the waters of life, and those waters, through the power of Word of Christ attached to and comprehended in them, are continually springing up to life within you. You will be able to enter the gates of the City, Jesus says. And you already have entered the City. For you now live in the City of His Holy Church, which is the City of God, the place where Christ is revealed on earth and among which He dwells. You will have the right to eat of the Tree of Life. And you already, this week, even have eaten the fruits of that Most Holy Tree, for you have dined on Christ in Holy Communion, the fruits of the tree of the cross, the tree of torture and death that is made a tree of life for us. All this is yours now.

And faith says Amen to it. Amen, come to us, Lord Jesus. We trust in the works you have performed to save us when you first came. We say Amen to your incarnation, to your suffering and death, to your glorious resurrection and ascension. Come to us now and bring your reward with you. And we say Amen when He does, believing and trusting that His Word and promises to us are true. Amen, come again in glory, O Lord, and bring us to the full recognition and experience of what is ours already by faith, when we shall have joy without end. Amen, Amen, it was so. It is so. It shall be so. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, to life everlasting.

+ Soli Deo Gloria +

The Rev. David Kind is Campus Pastor at University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis, MN. He served as the head Chaplain at “Amen” in Scranton, PA.

by The Rev. Eric Andrae

This sermon was preached at “Amen” in Scranton, PA.

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.”

In the name of + Jesus.

Jesus once spoke this parable to the Pharisees: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

Indeed, which of you would not do this? Well, I’ll tell you which of you would do this – NONE of you…none of you here…and no one else for that matter. I mean, are you kidding me! Let’s see. You have a hundred sheep. You lose one. After a thorough cost analysis and risk assessment, is there anyone, anyone at all, who would seriously consider leaving the 99 to go after the one?!?! Hello! Of course not, that would be very unwise, really completely unreasonable, totally foolish; it wouldn’t make any sense at all. No, take it easy, calm down, or, as we might say in Sweden, ta det lungt. You must be practical – You win some, you lose some, but you certainly don’t risk an excellent 99% A+ success rate to go after one lousy, stinkin’, meandering sheep, that one lost coin, that one missing article of clothing, that one forgotten CD on your last vacation – that risky one instead of preserving the sure 99. You just don’t. Everyone knows that.

Indeed, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?!” Well, of course, there’s always at least one fool out there. Truly, in this case, there is only one…, one fool. “We preach Christ crucified,” says St. Paul, “to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” There is only one man who would and does leave the 99 to go after the one which is lost until he finds it, and that is the God-Man Jesus Christ!

And, oh, what a fool he is. For, as we sing in Lent, the Shepherd not only seeks out the one, but

“The Shepherd [even] dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted, —
God is committed.”

This is an altogether otherworldly and radically countercultural foolishness. This is mercy and grace at its utmost. All we like sheep have gone astray. And counting not the cost, the Lord fulfills his mission, which is none other than to seek and to save that which was lost.

Oh and how lost in sin you are. Oh, of course, you do have all the right political and moral and social and doctrinal positions. If I were to take a survey of this conference, I’m sure we would have another 99% success rate, if you will, or at least close to it, on all the hot-button issues and others – abortion, homosexuality, sleeping around, violence, alcohol & drug abuse, cheating, and so on, not to mention the authority of the Bible, salvation, creation, the sacraments, and more. Well, you can have all the right positions, and that is truly great, even necessary, but…are you kind and humble, are you loving, patient, and forgiving….?! You can take a stand, and you can go to church every Sunday, and you really must of course, but, unlike Jesus, would you rather hang out with the Pharisees than the tax collectors and sinners, would you rather be with those like you – the middle-class cool Lutherans – and maybe even the VIPs, rather than the poor and the despondent, the outcasts and losers at your school? You can have the catechism memorized and quote a bunch of biblical verses, but do you love your neighbor as yourself, are you completely compassionate, are you totally merciful? In other words, are you as foolish as Jesus, or…as wise as the world?

For, indeed, it is Jesus who – in utter compassion and mercy – has sought you out, has gone after you, each ONE of you. The great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky maintains that the chief Christian idea is that of compassion, a compassion which is ultimately life-giving (The Idiot, 241), because it does not simply possess pity – for example, the “drop of emotion” (483) that might move you or even cause tears during a viewing of Titanic, Casablanca, or some other sad movie – but, rather, a compassion that is active in its sympathy and empathy – that is, actually DOING SOMETHING for the least of these my brothers, that is, meeting their various and unique needs. Sound like anyone you know….? “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but Jesus does give aid to the seed of Abraham,” it says in Hebrews. “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” and have even fallen. Jesus Christ doesn’t just regret and grieve over your sin, your lost condition, he outwardly shows his pity by knowing your need and meeting it; by actually going and getting you. Only he can do this, for only his heart is pure and only his heart is large enough to include love for those who were his enemies, for sinners without strength, for you.

“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,” it says in the Psalms. “Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” “Mercy is his attitude toward the law-breaker and the rebel; His attitude toward those who are in distress…. Mercy is the act of God” (Notes on Galatians, Hogg and Vine, 340, 341.)

And mercy is completely unreasonable, totally foolish; it doesn’t make any sense at all. It is reckless, for mercy does not make decisions based on careful, cautious calculations or the best odds. No, rather, divine mercy is mathematical nonsense – seeds sprayed out all over the place, more forgiveness than you’ve got sins, infinite love, and, yes, …even…1 out of 100…even YOU. Finding the one, while not losing the 99 – “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

He goes and gets you and carries you home. Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains, “The burden of men was so heavy for God…that He had to endure the Cross. God [truly] bore the burden of men in the body of Jesus Christ. But He bore them [like] a mother carries her child, as a shepherd enfolds the lost lamb that has been found. God took men upon Himself and they weighted him to the ground, but God remained with them…. In bearing with men God maintained community with them. It is the law of Christ that was fulfilled in the Cross” (Life Together, 100) as

“The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him,
Who would not know Him.
The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted, —
God is committed.”

Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray;    We have turned, every one, to his own way;    And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.    But He was wounded for our transgressions,    He was bruised for our iniquities;    The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,    And by His stripes we are healed.”

If, then, “when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, and, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” For Satan and death could not devour him in the end, could not hold him. Christ was resurrected, the shepherd lives!

Likewise, “death cannot hold you, for He is the life.” Or “do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

So, then, you – you “people of His pasture and…sheep of His hand” – you live out of that “blessed flood,” out of the waters of your baptism daily – in being in the Word, in prayer, in confession, in confident faith – knowing that the old lost sheep in you, by daily contrition and repentance, is drowned and dying with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily comes forth and arises; who will live before God in righteousness and purity now and forever.

And there is only one – only one blesséd fool – who does this to you, for you –

“The LORD, The LORD is my shepherd;
   I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
   He leads me beside the still waters.”
Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

by The Rev. Rich Heinz

When it comes to fishing, Jesus doesn’t know what He’s doing! Fish are more easily caught in the evening, or at least before the sun rises. Here is Jesus in broad daylight, telling Simon Peter and his partners to go at the wrong time. Fishing in the Sea of Galilee is best in the shallows. Jesus tells Peter and company to go out into the deep.

Most likely, Peter, Andrew, James and John, along with any crew, are thinking, “Poor Jesus! You really don’t know the first thing about being a fisherman!” And yet, because they have heard our Lord speak, they keep His Word, and do His bidding. By the world’s standards, He doesn’t know what He is doing. By business standards, He doesn’t know what He is doing. By popularity standards, He is treading on thin ice in the fisherman demographic.

When it comes down to it, everyone else thinks He’s going at it all wrong. “Jesus, you won’t get many fish that way,” we tell Him. In a condescending, arrogant mindset, we say: “Jesus, You’re setting yourself up for failure!” “Jesus, you need to sit back and let someone who knows what he’s doing handle things!”

But He doesn’t care. Donald Trump can’t fire Him for not producing the higher income and numbers. Simon Cowell cannot send Him home, telling Him that He is appalling. And it doesn’t even matter if He’s not on the “hot tamale train” on “So You Think You Can Dance.” He is the Lord God in the flesh; and He knows He is right!

You and I continue in this sinful attitude even now. In our pride over what we know and have accomplished, we want to tell Jesus that we know better. “Jesus, I’m just sure that if we change this music or add that program, we’ll have a lot more people in church.” “Jesus, You don’t appeal to modern people when you just have this liturgy and not something exciting or different.” “Jesus, You just need to dump those disciples and hire some new people in Your marketing department!” Sure, we don’t come out and say these things, but often they are not too far from what we are thinking.

But back to the catch of fish; in the end, while we see that this incident – this great miracle – actually happened, it was not the greatest miracle in this passage. It is amazing indeed that such a great catch was given to these fishermen. Yet even more amazing is the absolution here; Jesus absolves Simon Peter’s sin, and calls him, so that eventually he will do the same.

On this day, Peter has heard Jesus preach. He has listened. Now, this great catch confirms the authority and divinity of Jesus Christ. Peter heard the power of Jesus’ teaching; now he witnesses it in this miracle. Recognizing this, Peter is full of fear. He knows he is sinful. He knows he deserves only judgment and punishment from the Lord. So he confesses his guilt and tells Jesus He should go away and not associate with such a sinner.

Peter had been told to go out into the deep. Many centuries earlier, Noah was told to build a great vessel, which the Lord took out into the deep, as the entire earth was covered with great waters. Through this, the Lord God saved Noah’s life and the lives of those with him. Through Jesus’ calling of Peter, He saved Peter’s life, and the lives of those who listened to him. That is what absolution is all about: saving lives.

Our amazing Lord calls Simon Peter this morning, along with his companions, to begin being transformed into His ministers. Christ, the Master-Teacher is calling His first students to follow Him and learn from Him in His traveling seminary. He is drawing them to Himself, that He may teach, train, and form them to be stewards of His mysteries. He is gathering them in His nets, that they can, in turn, be fishers of men, and catch them alive.

Of course, there would be those thinking: “Poor Jesus! He picked those dumb fishermen!” “What is He thinking!? These disciples are common and uneducated – Jesus needs to reconsider His choices in those whom He sends to preach His Gospel.”

And even in our day and age, we can get sucked into the devil’s schemes to tear the nets and breech the hulls of the ship our Lord calls His Church. In extreme cases, we may even push aside biblical teaching on the ministry, and fancy that the boat of the Church is the H.M.S. Bounty, and join the likes of Fletcher Christian in mutiny. Others may be fish who dislike the boat, and flail about in it until they jump ship and dive back into the dark depths. We question Jesus’ wisdom and challenge His preaching, thinking we know better in the “who, what, when, and where” of Christ’s work in catching men alive.

But what would Jesus have us realize about His catching? “To catch fish, one needs a net and a boat; to catch people alive one needs absolution from Jesus and the commission to absolve others. To capture people alive is to declare to them the kingdom of God in Jesus (4:43) and bring them into that kingdom through catechesis, Baptism, and Eucharist…that is how the church is created and formed and preserved” (Just, Luke 1:1—9:50, pp. 209-210.)

Today we celebrate miracles—not just the miracle of the great catch of fish—we celebrate the miracles through which God touches your life! When your pastor washed you in Christ’s holy font, the net of the Gospel was cast, and you were caught alive, placed into the boat of His Church. This, dear friends in Christ, is a miracle!

When your Old Adam through daily contrition and repentance is drowned and dies, your new creature thrives. Confessing our guilt to the Lord through His servants, and receiving Holy Absolution from them, we soak in His waters, and receive the release of His grace. This, dear friends in Christ, is a miracle!

When you are constantly brought into contact with the Word of the Lord, you are kept alive. Cutting yourself from the Word is the same as fish drying out in the sun, but receiving and keeping that Word is being refreshed and revived in His sacred waters. This, dear friends in Christ, is a miracle!

When you come to the Lord’s Table and receive the Body and Blood of Christ, you are nourished and sustained, body and soul, in the baptismal communion of the Church. Jesus Christ enters your body, and blesses you with the promise of true and everlasting life. This, dear friends in Christ, is a miracle!

When you attend to His Word and receive these sacraments, He keeps you alive and well in His Church. Our Lord Jesus uses these simple Gifts to keep you faithful! This, dear friends in Christ, is a miracle!

This morning you can rejoice, dear friends in Christ! Rejoice that Jesus “doesn’t know what He’s doing,” according to the world! Rejoice in His miracles. Rejoice that the Lord has called you out of the chaos of the rough waters of this world! Rejoice that He has used his pastors to catch you alive through Holy Baptism and His preaching of the Gospel! Rejoice that He continues to absolve you in the vessel of His Church, as you dwell with the Lord in that boat! Rejoice that He takes sinful men such as Peter, absolves them, and uses them to absolve countless others—including you—in His Holy Church! Rejoice, dear friends in Christ, for He tells you not to fear, your sin is taken away, and you are safe in His boat until you reach the heavenly shore! Amen.

Rev. Richard Heinz is Pastor of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Lanesville, IN. He works with Higher Things Internet Services, serving as editor of the Front Page.

by the Rev. Aaron A. Koch

I’m sure many of you have had the experience of hearing your voice recorded on tape and saying, “I sound like that?! That doesn’t sound like me.” Or you’ve seen yourself on video at some event and you’ve thought to yourself, “Gee, I didn’t realize that’s how I acted. I didn’t realize my laugh was so annoying. The camera sure makes me look fat”-or bald, or whatever the case may be. Sometimes that outside, more objective perspective can give us a better understanding of ourselves and the way things really are with us and free us from the illusions of our own self-perception.

There’s a spiritual lesson to be learned from that, I think, which ties in with Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, where He says, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?” Sometimes from our limited perspective we cannot see our own failings and sins. We tend to rationalize our flaws, anyway. We put the best construction on our own behavior and fail to recognize that we’ve got the equivalent of a 2 x 4 sticking out of our eye. We’ve grown so used to our sin that it becomes like the rims of our glasses that we no longer see or notice. And yet we can see all the nit-picky problems with others so clearly. They’ve got this character flaw and that stupid way of doing things. “If they would just listen to me; but no, they never do.” Especially when we’re in an argument, it’s easy for us to come up with all the specks in our neighbor’s eye. And besides, noticing and pointing out our neighbor’s problems makes us feel all the better about ourselves. It places us above them.

This is one of the reasons why God gives us His Law, so that we can see from an outside perspective the way things really are with us. The Law is like a video camera, zeroing in on the plank in our eye, exposing and revealing every prideful thought and hypocritical word and sinful deed that we’ve engaged in. Through the Law we learn that one of the reasons we’re so good at seeing other people’s sins is because we’ve got first hand knowledge of how the sinful heart and mind works. By condemning others so readily, we’re really condemning ourselves. “The camera doesn’t lie,” they say, and neither does the Law. It tells the painful truth about us. It judges you and condemns you. And if you think it doesn’t, then you are lost in your own self-righteousness. There is no denying the verdict of the Law: You are damned for your sin.

Repent. For there is yet hope for us. For the Law is not God’s final Word to us. Though we are indeed judged and condemned for our sin, there is One who took the judgment and the condemnation for us, our Lord Jesus. “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17.) Thankfully, Christ Jesus did not come to beat us over the head with all our shortcomings and nag us and hound us into trying to straighten out our life. Instead, He came to give us a new life, His own life. All of the specks of sawdust and the planks in our eyes were fashioned into a cross upon which He poured out His life for our sakes. There Jesus was damned for our sin so that we would be shown mercy for His sake. And so it is written, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” None at all. If you are in the risen Jesus, who was already condemned for all the sins of the whole world, then there’s no condemnation left, is there? He took it all for you. You are baptized into Christ, and so now you are forgiven and free children of God. The Lord’s mercy toward you is abundantly greater than His judgment. Believe that; it is true. The Gospel is His final Word to you, which fulfills and overcomes the Law every time.

To live by faith in this Gospel, then, is to live freed from judgment. We are freed from God’s judgment of us. And as His beloved children, we are freed from a life of judging and tearing down others. To live in the way of condemnation and revenge is to go back to the way of the Law, which is dangerous territory for us. That’s why Jesus says not to judge, lest we be judged ourselves; not to condemn lest we be condemned ourselves. Rather, He invites us to live in the forgiveness of God and forgive others and give generously to them, even when they don’t deserve it. For we most certainly have not earned or deserved God’s generous mercy either. And yet He still gives it to us, no strings attached.

God is our Father only because His Son Jesus is our brother. Only in Christ are we children of God. Our Father is One who causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, who gives daily bread both to believers and unbelievers. Living in Jesus as the children of God, we are given to reflect His nature-showing His overflowing goodness to others, be they friend or foe; not holding on to grudges or engaging in gossip, but defending our neighbor, speaking well of him, and explaining everything in the kindest way.

Now, I should add as a side note here that Jesus is speaking to us in a general way as individuals. However, there are times when according to our specific vocations we are called on by the Lord to judge. For instance, a judge in a court obviously is given by God to condemn the guilty, as are other civil officials who make and enforce the Law according to the authority God has given them. Parents can without sin judge the behavior of their children; indeed, they must teach right and wrong and discipline their children according to God’s command. Pastors are called to judge and condemn sin as well as proclaim God’s mercy in Christ. And all Christians are called to judge doctrine, to test the spirits to see whether they are of God, to reject false doctrine that doesn’t agree with the Scriptures.

So Jesus’ words here don’t mean that we should just overlook sin and ungodly teaching. What it does mean is that we are the children of the God of mercy, who are given to extend that mercy to our fellow man. As St. Peter said, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV.) As God’s love covers our sins and takes them away, so we are given to cover our neighbor’s sins and not hold them against him. Such godly love builds up the neighbor and brings peace. And even when we are called to judge according to our vocation, we do so for the good of others, that they may not be lost to sin and false belief, but may be led to repentance and faith in Christ our Savior.

So today’s Epistle, then, is not so much meant to be new Law, but what it means to live by faith in Christ. Put yourself in the position of the other person, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep. Walk humbly and do not be wise in your own opinion. First take care of your own problems, and then with a repentant and humble attitude you will best be able truly to help and love your neighbor. “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Bless even those who persecute you and cause you trouble. Love your enemies. Do not repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with good. Do not seek vengeance and payback, but trust that God will take care of things in His own way and in His own time.

And when you struggle to do this—and you will—return to Him who has already done all of this for you. Jesus put Himself in your position to redeem you. He associated with the poor and humble. While you were yet sinners and enemies of His, Christ died for you. Our Lord on the cross did not avenge Himself but blessed those who did evil to Him, saying, “Father forgive them.” He overcome evil with the ultimate good of His self-sacrifice. In Him you are forgiven and holy and loved. Jesus is our Joseph, who reveals Himself to us not as an avenging judge but as our loving brother. He comforts us and speaks kindly to us. He is with you; He is on your side.

And just as Joseph provided grain for his brothers and an abundant meal at his table, so our Lord Jesus gives to us of the finest wheat. Mercy in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over is poured out upon us. Come, dine at His table. Be freed from judgment. Receive His true body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The Rev. Aaron A. Koch is Pastor of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Greenfield, Wisconsin. He is married to Laura, and is the proud father of four children. He and Laura are blessed to be foster parents to another son, as well.

by The Rev. Mark Buetow

At our house, we enjoy watching that show on Discovery Channel called “Dirty Jobs.” Maybe you’ve seen it. The guy who hosts the show joins people doing all sorts of stinky, nasty, gross jobs such as cleaning out the inside of septic tanks or pig farming or sifting through garbage. No matter what the job, the guy always tries it out. No matter how dirty or smelly or disgusting, there he is with his camera crew experiencing some “dirty job.”

The prophet Micah asks “Who is a God like our God, who pardons iniquities and passes over transgressions?” Most gods you hear about won’t have anything to do with this earth and its people. Most religions are all about trying to figure out how to get out of the septic tank and back to a holy and perfect God. But not our God! Not the true God! God is not afraid to come down here Himself, in the flesh, into the filth of our sins and transgressions and iniquities. Jesus doesn’t shy away from the filth of our sins but comes right into the midst of it. Far worse than cleaning a septic tank or working in a sewage plant, the “dirty job” that Jesus does is to come into a world covered over in the filth and stench and slime of sin to save the very sinners who’ve made this disgusting mess! Jesus, true God and man, comes into this world uninvited, unasked for, to glop around in the filth of our sin and to be covered in our sins and then wash it all away by the blood of the cross. Jesus comes into the world of sin to saves us from our sins by dying on the bitter cross to which our stinky, sinful world nails him! There’s no other God or human being who does that. Buddha didn’t do it. Mohamed didn’t do it. Moses doesn’t do it. Only the true Son of God comes in the flesh to this dirty world to save us from our sins.

Just as the shepherd goes mucking around in the wilderness looking for that lost sheep, so Jesus comes to save sinners. But He’s not here to save those who aren’t sinners. He’s only looking for sinners. After all, those who aren’t sinners don’t need a Savior. Jesus comes for the lost sheep of sinners and heaven rejoices over that one repentant sinner more than the 99 who need no repentance. Wait a second! Aren’t all people sinners? Well, the Bible says so. But people don’t think so. Those who are sinners are those who know that they don’t fear, love and trust in God as they should. Those who are sinners know that they despise their neighbor and are always trying to put themselves first. Those who are sinners recognize and believe that they’ve got nothing coming except the wrath and punishment of God because of their sins unless God is merciful to them. Those who are sinners know that they have nothing going for them but God’s own mercy in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, those who have no need of repentance are those who don’t think they’re such bad people. Those who have no need of repentance are pretty sure they’ve got God all figured out and are pretty good and doing what He says. Those who have no need of repentance are those who look around and do good to impress others with how holy they are and are quick to condemn those who aren’t as holy as they are. Those who have no need of repentance are those who confess, “Well, I’m not perfect, but I try to live a good life.” Those who have no need of repentance are those who don’t really believe that their sins are really bad enough that the Son of God has to die for them. Those who are sinners have nothing to cling to but Jesus. Those who have no need of repentance have no need to cling to anything but themselves. Jesus can’t help those who have no need of repentance. They’ll be on their own on the Last Day.

Those who are sinners crowd around Jesus to hear Him and His Word. Those who have no need of repentance complain that Jesus receives and eats with such people. In one of the other Gospels, the Pharisees complained of this same thing, that Jesus eats with sinners. His reply: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I didn’t come to call righteous people but sinners to repentance.” When the sinners come to Jesus, what does He tell them? “Eww, gross! Sinners! Get away from Me, you sinners!” No, that’s why He came. To save sinners. To call them to repentance. And what is repentance?  Repentance means doing a one eighty. It means that the Spirit, by the preaching of the Word turns you away from your sins to faith and trust in Christ. Repentance is all the Lord’s work. You can’t repent on your own. You can’t decide to turn away from your sins. Rather, Christ Himself calls you away from your sins by His Word and Sacraments. What does the sheep do? He wanders away. What does the coin do? It rolls under the cabinet and lays there. In both cases it takes the shepherd or the woman to find that sheep or coin. Just so, it is the Lord who must come to us in our sins and die for them on the cross. It is the Lord who must come to us through the water and Word of the font. It is Christ who seeks us out by the preaching of the Gospel and the speaking of holy absolution. It is Christ who draws us to Him to eat and drink His body and blood. These things are His gifts for sinners. Those who have no need of repentance have no need to be baptized or absolved or fed with Jesus’ body and blood. They may as well stay away. But you, sinners, if you have nothing going for you but Jesus, do like those tax collectors and sinners: come to hear Jesus. Live in your baptism and feast at His Supper. That’s what Jesus has for sinners. All of which declare to us that our sins are forgiven and put away and tossed into the ocean as Micah preached.

And this teaches us what these two parables are NOT about. The story of the lost sheep and the lost coin are NOT about us, who go to church and those who stop coming to church and we don’t know what happened to them so the pastor has to go figure out where they went. I’ll tell you where they went. They stopped being sinners. At some point, those who leave the church behind have come to the realization that they’re pretty good people and they don’t need what Jesus has for them. They have no need of repentance. Oh, some might claim they don’t come because they feel TOO sinful. But that’s just talk in the opposite direction. That’s just saying their sins can be bigger than Jesus. And you can’t think that unless you really aren’t concerned about your sins after all. No, brothers and sisters, the lost sheep and lost coin aren’t about people who stop coming to church. They’re about us. They teach us that the church is really only truly those who are sinners. Those who think they’re doing OK and don’t have any need of repentance, well, Jesus won’t do any good for them! They’re on their own.

So now listen carefully. If you don’t have need of repentance; if you think you’ve got God all figured out; if you’re convinced you’re not perfect but you try hard; if you think your good works are really so good and you’re better, at least, than most other people; if you think God must be happy that such a person like you goes to church; then repent! Weep and despair of yourself! Or at least recognize that Jesus didn’t come to help you because you must not need any help. And good luck with fending for yourself on the Last Day! But  if you are a sinner, then rejoice! If you are one who doesn’t love God as He commands, who doesn’t love your neighbor like you should; if you are one who has nothing going for you with which to persuade God how great you are; if you know that your life and sins deserve nothing from God but His eternal wrath and condemnation; if you are pretty sure that your life is the septic tank God should plug His nose and avoid, then rejoice! Rejoice because it is for such sinners that Jesus has come into this world. It is for such sinners that Jesus slogged through the filth of sin and was nailed to the cross. It is for YOU that Jesus has given His life and rescued you by His Word and Sacraments.

There are lots of “dirty jobs” in this world. But there is no job as dirty and disgusting as saving sinners. But that’s what Jesus does. No other “god” would do that. But the true God does. He comes down into our muck to save us. No wonder when they heard such a thing that the tax collectors and sinners ran to Jesus to hear Him. There was nothing else to hear that would save them. The world told them they weren’t holy. The Law condemned them for their sins. But Jesus spoke words of life. Jesus spoke pardon from their sins. Jesus spoke peace to their hearts. Just as He rescues you from sin and death. Just as He washes and absolves you sinners. Just as He now receives you and eats with you as you eat His Supper. With such a Jesus as that, it’s a good day to be a sinner! Amen.

The Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, IL, and the Internet Services Executive for Higher Things. He edits the Daily Reflections. He is married and father of three.

by The Rev. Charles Henrickson

Real estate agents will tell you there are three things that determine the value of a house:  1) location; 2) location; and 3) location.  That old line may be somewhat exaggerated, but the point is clear enough:  Location is extremely important in determining value.  Where a house is located can make a huge difference in its value.

Now if that saying about “location, location, location” is true of the physical houses we build, how much more important is it when we talk about the spiritual “house” that everyone builds for him or herself.  Where you build makes a huge difference, the difference between life and death.  The location that will mean life for you is the rock-solid foundation of Jesus’ words.  Any other place you choose to build–all other ground is sinking sand.

Our text is from the Holy Gospel for today, Jesus’ parable of “The Wise and Foolish Builders”:  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The wise man built his house on the rock.  The foolish man built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, and in the end there was only one house that was still standing, the house built on the rock.

Now notice several things in this story.  Both men build a house.  It’s not that one man builds and the other man doesn’t.  Both build.  No difference there. And there is no difference indicated in the type of structure or the outward appearance of the two houses. Both may have looked just the same, just as fine, on the outside.  Nor is there any difference in the types of adversities that come against the two houses.  The same rain, the same floods, and the same winds beat against both.  No, the only difference mentioned is that the wise man built on rock and the foolish man built on sand.  Location, location, location made all the difference.

What then does this parable mean?  It is assumed from the outset that everyone is going to build a house. And it’s true.  Everyone does build his house, the house of his life, upon something.  The question, though, is this:  What are you building it on?  On rock or on sand?

Whatever you build your life on is really your god. Luther explains this in the Large Catechism, under the First Commandment:  “What is it to have a god?  Or, what is one’s god?  Answer:  To whatever we look for any good thing and for refuge in every need, that is what is meant by ‘god.’  To have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in him from the heart. . . . If your faith and confidence are of the right kind, then your God is the true God.  If, on the other hand, your trust is false, if it is misdirected, then you do not have the true God. . . . To whatever you give your heart and entrust your being, that, I say, is really your God.”

So everyone has a “god” of some sort.  Everyone “builds a house,” to return to the imagery of our story.  Whether or not it is the true God, whether you are building your house on the firm foundation—that is the question, that’s what makes the difference between standing and falling.

The houses that people build may not be all that different in their outward appearance. The life of the hypocrite and the life of the true Christian may look fairly similar in some respects.  That’s the point of a hypocrite, after all–he looks like the real deal.  The Pharisees’ whole aim in life was to look good before men.  So they worked at it.  They made a good show.  Their house looked good from the outside. But appearances can be deceiving.  Imagine a magnificent, multimillion-dollar house overlooking the ocean on Malibu beach.  You wouldn’t know by looking at it that ultimately it’s going to be worthless.  You won’t know that until the waves come and wash it away, and it crashes and crumbles like a house of cards.

Looking good on the outside is not all there is.  Once I read an article about the many houses built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  Gorgeous, beautiful houses. Striking in their appearance, way ahead of their time.  But what doesn’t get noticed, until you look at them more closely, is what bad shape they’re in.  They looked good for a while, for a number of years even.  But over the passing decades, they haven’t stood up very well.  Roofs are leaking. Gaps have developed in the walls and windows, large enough for mice to run in.  The Frank Lloyd Wright houses now take more money to maintain every year than they took to build in the first place.  The house may look good on the outside, but will it hold up over time?

That leads us back to our parable and to the afflictions that come against the houses that the two men built.  And those afflictions are no different. The same rain, floods, and winds hit both houses. They test severely the roof, foundation, and walls of each house.  And it’s not a question of “if”; it’s a question of “when.”  It’s only a matter of time before the storms of life hit each one of us.  Everyone suffers afflictions–financial setbacks, bad health, personal tragedies of all sorts.  Sometimes all it takes is one of these to expose our faulty foundation, and the person recognizes this and repents and “re-locates” to Christ, the only solid rock.  But some people manage to escape most of the afflictions of this life.  They think they are immune to the rain, floods, and winds, and so grow smug and self-secure. What they don’t realize is that there is one affliction no one will escape, and that is death.  And after death comes the judgment.  How will they be able to stand on the Day of Judgment, when they stand before almighty God?  How about you?  What have you been building on?  What is the foundation for your house?  Will it stand the test?

Now there are plenty of spiritual real estate agents in this world who will tell you where to build your house.  They’re busy trying to sell you one of their building sites.  But the problem is, they’re located in the sand.  The sand is easy to build on, you know. It’s lower down than the rock, it’s easy to get to, and lots of other people are building there. What are some of these sand-sites?  Let’s call them by name. There’s Pleasure Valley:  Life is a beach; fun is the name of the game.  There’s Greenback Acres:  Money is the root of all happiness; more and more stuff is the goal.  Another sand-site is Good Works Courts:  If I think of myself as basically a good person, and I do works that look good and that people praise and that make me feel good about myself, then God must be pleased with me.  And then there’s Church Estates, a deceptively sandy site, because the person living there builds near the rock, but not quite on it.  He goes to church, perhaps out of some sense of duty, but he doesn’t actually build his life on Christ and the gospel.

So where are you going to build?  On the sand or on the rock?  What is it to build on the rock?  It’s not just that you come to church and let the sound waves hit your ears. Notice what Jesus says about each of the builders.  He starts out in each case by saying, “everyone who hears these words of mine”  (Matthew 7:24 ESV.) Both the wise man and the foolish man hear the words of Jesus. But for the foolish man, that’s as far as it goes:  In one ear and out the other.  No connection to heart and life.  “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them. . . .”  (Matthew 7:26 ESV.) The words of Jesus do not become the foundation for that man’s life.  However, the sensible thing, the wise thing, is to do something with the words of Jesus:  Believe them, trust in them, build your life on them, these life-giving words of Jesus.

“These words of mine,” Jesus says.  Who it is that is saying them–namely, Jesus–that’s what makes them life-giving words and the only firm foundation for your life.  Listen to his words:  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6 ESV.) And so we realize we have no righteousness of our own to count on, but we rely instead on Christ to give us what we need.  These too are the words of Jesus:  “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV.)  Jesus gives us rest from the load of the law, for he took our guilt on himself and bore our punishment by his death on the cross.  These are his words also:  “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die; yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” John 11:25-26 ESV.) “These words of mine,” Jesus says.  “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63 ESV.) The words of Jesus are words to build on.  And they are words for you.  Listen to his words to you today:  “This is my body, this is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Once when a lot of people were turning away from Jesus and no longer walking with him, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave also.  But Peter said to him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life”  (John 6:68 ESV.) And so the question remains:  To whom shall we go?  Well, the answer is, we go to the same Lord Jesus.  And going to Jesus always means going to his church.  For it is here in the church that we hear the living voice of the gospel.  Here in his church our Lord Jesus speaks to us through the preaching and the teaching and in the sacraments.  The church is where you will hear these words of Jesus to build your life on.

Not too far from here, in southern Illinois, right along the Mississippi River, there is a little town by the name of Valmeyer.  In 1993, when the floods hit, the town of Valmeyer was wiped out, literally.  When the floodwaters receded, the citizens of Valmeyer decided they needed to do something bold.  So they moved the town.  That’s right, they relocated the entire town onto higher ground.  By 1996 they had finished the rebuilding project, and they rededicated the town.  Now it is sometimes called “New Valmeyer.”

Friends, God has relocated us from the sinking sand of our foolish, flood-prone lives, and he has moved us up onto higher ground.  Now we have a firm foundation, and that foundation is Christ.  The solid rock on which we stand is Christ himself.  His words–“these words of mine,” Jesus says–these are words to build your life on.  Building on the words of Jesus is the only safe place to build.  It’s the only place that will stand the test, now and at the Last Day.  When the rain falls and the floods come and the winds blow, your house–the house built on the rock–will stand. It’s all about . . . location, location, location.

The Rev. Charles Henrickson is pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bonne Terre, Missouri.  Pastor Henrickson has led breakaway sessions at the HT conferences in Colorado Springs (2006) and Asheville
(2007).