Author: Higher Things

By Rev. Eric Brown

Sinful people like to turn the blessings God has given them into idols. It’s sort of our sinful heart’s go to thing to do. Consider the parable of the banquet. The master has offered one fantastic blessing – the banquet to end all banquets. And it is the best thing that could be. And yet, so many invited do not come. Excuses are made – idols are revealed. A new field, 10 oxen, a new bride. These things are all great blessings, but they get used against the master, used to denigrate and downplay and ignore his feast. And they miss the party. Doesn’t ruin things for the master or his banquet – he just keeps on inviting people. But because these people clung so tightly to their blessings, they miss the party of the year.

The same thing is true in life. Our God is a giver. He delights in giving you things. That’s why He created us in the first place – to give us blessing upon blessing. Yet the sin and idolatry of our heart does something so odd. It focuses on a single blessing so much that we cast others aside. It addicts us to something so that we’d cut off the rest of the blessings gives us. The love of money and its worship can make us neglect many other blessings God gives. That’s a common enough story. And while family and friends are indeed great blessings, we can become so focused on pleasing them that we abandon things that are good. Whatever thing that drives you and calls out to you, whatever good thing that you put such a focus on that it dominates your life and lessens it – that’s an idol. The sinful heart loves to turn any good thing into an idol and an addiction, robbing us of joy.

Yet God remains a giver. Even as we are tempted to ignore His gifts, He keeps giving. And not just temporal, earthly gifts; among all the blessings He gives, the greatest are the spiritual gifts, are eternal life and salvation – given through the forgiveness won by Christ. It is the forgiveness proclaimed from the pulpit and altar in His service. And so over and over the call goes out to come to this feast, to the foretaste of the feast to come.

And you will have idols trying to keep you from the feast. You will have many good things from God that your heart has twisted to where they try to call you way from His House. Might be cash, a job, a sunny day. Maybe “family time” – maybe a myriad other things – things that in and of themselves are good, yet your sinful flesh wants to abuse like an addict. But as they call out to you, remember that God calls out to you even more. The same God who gave you such good things has promised you all these and much more, and for all eternity. Indeed, an eternity where you will enjoy and use them rightly and fully, and they will no longer be idols. Just blessings from God. And today, God’s Word calls you away from this, so that He in His love and give you these and all blessings. Come, for all things are ready for you – both now and forever.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

The Magnificat, Mary’s Song given when she visits Elizabeth, is utterly wonderful, and yet I wonder if sometimes it isn’t misunderstood. I wonder if sometimes we don’t view it through a veil of false pretense. Consider the very first sentence: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.”

We can be tempted to think that Mary is doing a “humble brag” here – but I wonder if we get what she means by the “humble estate” that she is in? We can put Mary on a pedestal, think how awesome it would have been to be her. Well, while we do call her blessed, the Scriptures also show the harshness of what Mary went through. Think of what the world would have seen when it saw Mary – a teen pregnant outside of wedlock. That wasn’t popular or celebrated back then in the least – in fact, it was something you might get stoned for. Matthew reports that Joseph was thinking of divorcing her quietly – and that’s the nice option – just kick her to the curb instead of killing her. And then even after Jesus is born, Mary is warned by Simeon that a sword will pierce her own heart. And then, she must flee to Egypt so that her Son isn’t brutally murdered as a child. In many ways, being called to be the Mother of God would stink on ice.

That’s her humble, her lowered, her dropped down estate. Mary’s plans and dreams for the future that she had had are now radically changed. Nothing will be simple for her. Moreover, think of the rumors, the gossip, the accusations and dirty looks that would fly around her. Mary was brought low, she was humbled – the folks would have been talking about how apparently good little Mary wasn’t so good after all. All this crashes upon her, and Mary flees – she goes with haste to visit Elizabeth, the one other person who might understand this strange pregnancy stuff, since Elizabeth herself is miraculously pregnant at an advanced age.

And what does Mary say? “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.” Even though things are rough and wretched, even though society and family and plans are all messed up – there is God, and God is still faithful to Mary, and God still is determined to win her salvation no matter how messed up things are. She carries the proof.

Christ Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, True God and True Man – He knows all about low estates. He knows all about being humbled and brought low. He topped (or, went lower?) His mom when it came to that. Suffered and died on the Cross. And He remembers you. He has joined Himself to you in the waters of Holy Baptism, and He will remember you to be your Savior no matter what humbled situation you find yourself in. When you are low, when you are down, Mary’s song is your song, because Christ Jesus is your great Savior who will always remember His mercy to you.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

Sinful people like to turn the blessings God has given them into idols. It’s sort of our sinful heart’s go to thing to do. Consider the parable of the banquet. The master has offered one fantastic blessing – the banquet to end all banquets. And it is the best thing that could be. And yet, so many invited do not come. Excuses are made – idols are revealed. A new field, 10 oxen, a new bride. These things are all great blessings, but they get used against the master, used to denigrate and downplay and ignore his feast. And they miss the party. Doesn’t ruin things for the master or his banquet – he just keeps on inviting people. But because these people clung so tightly to their blessings, they miss the party of the year.

The same thing is true in life. Our God is a giver. He delights in giving you things. That’s why He created us in the first place – to give us blessing upon blessing. Yet the sin and idolatry of our heart does something so odd. It focuses on a single blessing so much that we cast others aside. It addicts us to something so that we’d cut off the rest of the blessings gives us. The love of money and its worship can make us neglect many other blessings God gives. That’s a common enough story. And while family and friends are indeed great blessings, we can become so focused on pleasing them that we abandon things that are good. Whatever thing that drives you and calls out to you, whatever good thing that you put such a focus on that it dominates your life and lessens it – that’s an idol. The sinful heart loves to turn any good thing into an idol and an addiction, robbing us of joy.

Yet God remains a giver. Even as we are tempted to ignore His gifts, He keeps giving. And not just temporal, earthly gifts; among all the blessings He gives, the greatest are the spiritual gifts, are eternal life and salvation – given through the forgiveness won by Christ. It is the forgiveness proclaimed from the pulpit and altar in His service. And so over and over the call goes out to come to this feast, to the foretaste of the feast to come.

And you will have idols trying to keep you from the feast. You will have many good things from God that your heart has twisted to where they try to call you way from His House. Might be cash, a job, a sunny day. Maybe “family time” – maybe a myriad other things – things that in and of themselves are good, yet your sinful flesh wants to abuse like an addict. But as they call out to you, remember that God calls out to you even more. The same God who gave you such good things has promised you all these and much more, and for all eternity. Indeed, an eternity where you will enjoy and use them rightly and fully, and they will no longer be idols. Just blessings from God. And today, God’s Word calls you away from this, so that He in His love and give you these and all blessings. Come, for all things are ready for you – both now and forever.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

“If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”

I’m guessing you probably want to be successful. End up with a big house, nice cars, all that sort of stuff. I’m guessing you probably don’t want to end up a beggar. And yet, in the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man – things don’t turn out so well for the successful fellow. The person with the happy ending is the miserable beggar.

Now, no, this isn’t where I tell you that you can’t have nice things, or that you shouldn’t work hard or anything like that. Rather, consider the the main sentence of the story – the rich man wants Abraham to send Lazarus back to the Rich Man’s brothers to warn them of sin and hell and all that, and the Rich Man doesn’t think mere Scripture is good enough. And he was wrong (which isn’t surprising as he’s in Hades in torment) – the Scriptures simply point to the truth that Christ Jesus will die and rise for sinners.

For sinners. The Bible tells us some truths that are quite uncomfortable to our sinful flesh. It shows us our sin. It tells us we will always remain sinful in this life – that no matter how “successful” we are, this will remain the case. Isaiah was a priest and a prophet, yet he still knew that he was a man of unclean lips who dwelt among a people of unclean lips. The Bible reminds us that our wants and desires are corrupted, to where we will turn even the blessings that God freely gives into weapons we use against Him.

And there are two responses one can take to hearing this Word. You can ignore it and focus on all your own successes and strength – see how I am a good person! Or, you can admit that they are simply beggars in need of rescue.

There’s a reason our worship service begins with Confession and Absolution. All our members, whether they are rich or poor, successful or broke, happy or miserable, we all together begin service saying that we are beggars before God, that we are poor miserable sinners, and that we need mercy from God. Mercy which He gives on account of Christ Jesus, who died and rose for you. This is the truth that we live in, that we have life in. It’s not about our successes, but rather it’s always about the gifts of both life and salvation that God gives to us poor unworthy sinners. 

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.

By Rev. Eric Brown

Nicodemus is a failure. Spiritually, at least. In the world, he was quite successful. He was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews. He was well respected in society and thought to be wise. He was even a teacher – knew the Scriptures forwards and back. And yet, Nicodemus just messes so many things up in John 3.

First, he comes to Jesus by night. Nicodemus is a man of power and influence, and he knows that many of the Pharisees are giving Jesus a hard time. Does he stand up for Jesus, does he argue that he should be listened to fairly? Nope. He comes by night, when no one can see him there. That’s not exactly boldness. Then, in their conversation, Nicodemus doesn’t understand a thing Jesus says. He constantly gets the wrong answer, to the point that Jesus asks, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” Nicodemus is embarrassed and doesn’t really know what is going on.

Yet what does Christ do? He doesn’t mock Nicodemus. Jesus doesn’t kick Nicodemus out or refuse to talk to him anymore. Instead, Jesus is patient and kind and just keeps spelling things out more and more – even to the point where we get John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus just keeps on explaining, making things clearer and clearer. It’s not about Nicodemus and his failures – it’s about God loving the world through His Son, Christ Jesus.

You don’t need to impress Jesus with your knowledge. You don’t need to hold up your successes before Him, and when you see your failures, you don’t need to shrink away. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever – and just as He showed Nicodemus patience and love and proclaimed the Gospel to him, so to, even today your Lord is patient with you, and will continue to give you His Word and Spirit so that you know that He loves and forgives you.

Rev. Eric Brown is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois and the co-host of the HT Gospeled Boldly Podcast.