Category: Higher Homilies

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).

by The Rev. Christopher Esget

Did he get depressed, lying in the dirt? As people passed him by on the road, hurrying to meetings, walking or running for exercise, heading for the store to purchase a present, carrying a bag or basket to market to pick up food for the evening meal, did he get depressed? Perhaps a few people tossed a small coin to Lazarus, but doubtless more passed by with nothing. With guilt some would look away from him; but children drew a little closer to their mother’s skirts when they saw his hideous body, covered with sores, and the more callous adults would stare with revulsion and condescension. Did this make Lazarus sad?

Did he snarl with anger at the passers-by, so cold to his need? Was his heart filled with contempt for the Rich Man, whose table was loaded with a Thanksgiving Feast every day? Did he struggle with hatred towards the man who had so much yet gave him nothing? Or was he mostly just beaten down by despair, as year after year passed and his life grew more pathetic?

If Lazarus did despair, if he was depressed by his condition, is that wrong? Lazarus could not alter his condition. Today’s pop-sermons would tell Lazarus, “Have your best life now! Become a better you!” But I imagine those Christless sermons would only make him more despondent.

Lazarus is an extreme-but-accurate picture of man before God: a sick, dying, despised beggar. He owns nothing, he is going nowhere, he is in pain, and no one cares.

No one, that is, except the only One that matters. For God still cares. We could go further: God still loves. Even when a man is in the dirt. Especially when he is in the dark dungeon of despair, when he is suffering, hurting, sad, lonely, angry, confused, disconsolate. God loves that man. That man is us – collectively, as the human race, but also individually. You may be hurt by the sins you have committed, or the sins committed against you. Sometimes those two go together – we sin against those who have sinned against us, and the cycle continues, making enemies. Or you may be hurt by the burdens others place on you, the losses you have known leading to guilt, loneliness, and emptiness. Nameless fears trouble you, a dark road lies before you, and there seems no end in sight. In all of that, God is still love. God is love, meaning that will not change through good times and bad, through seasons of elation and depression, sickness and health; when your faith is strong, and when you are clinging to the last, nearly-broken thread, still God is love, still He loves you.

A seventeenth-century Christian named Georg Neumark was robbed of everything he had by highway bandits, making it impossible for him to enroll in the university to which he was traveling. He wandered from town to town, jobless, life becoming bleaker at each rejection. Later he wrote these words to people suffering:

God knows full well when times of gladness

Shall be the needful thing for thee.

When He has tried thy soul with sadness

And from all guile has found thee free,

He comes to thee all unaware

And makes thee own His loving care.     (LSB 750)

God gives times of gladness when it is good for you; and the times of sadness are for your benefit, too. Why? How? Because in those times especially, the LORD is purifying you from everything that does not cling to Him alone. But He never stops loving you. His love in this life is not chiefly shown in giving you a table full of rich foods, a body free from disease, a mind free from troubles. His love is demonstrated in that while we were yet sinners, He gave His Son Jesus for us; His love for you is shown in giving His Son a body made weak like yours. Do you have enemies, people turned against you? So did our Lord – it was His own familiar friend who betrayed Him. Do you have fears and anxieties? Our Lord sweat drops of blood before His arrest. Have your hopes grown dim, and do you feel all alone? Our Lord was left alone, crying out to the Father, “Why have You forsaken Me?” Nothing has come upon you that He has not known; nothing has burdened you that He has not likewise borne.

Was Lazarus depressed? Probably. Was he angry, resentful, bitter, driven to sin in his condition? Doubtless any man in such a situation would struggle in these ways, as any one of us would, as we all do amidst our various burdens and crosses. But the name Lazarus means “God is my help,” and He is your help too. He helps you with the deep help you truly need: Beginning with your baptism, you have received what Olsen received today: the Holy Spirit, the candle that shines in the darkness, the one light that shines on this life’s dark road.

And in Baptism, God the Father becomes your Father, a true Rich Man quite different from the rich man in today’s Gospel reading: He gives us beggars bread of heaven and wine of gladness from His table, in the living body and cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the help we need, joy for the despairing, healing for the sick, communion for the lonely, love for those sinned against, forgiveness for sinners.

Now then: has God made you rich in this world’s things? Then do not withhold them from those in need. For “this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” Has God given you money? Give it to the poor. Has God given you time? Give it to those who need comfort, or a friend. Has God given you talents and skills? Give to those who need help. “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” None of this is done to be saved, for indeed, by no deeds of ours can we gain salvation. But by our deeds we can begin to show to others the love that God has for us all.

Weep today, and repent, you rich men: and make yourselves beggars before God. Listen to Moses and the Prophets, and look to Jesus alone as your treasure.

Rejoice today, and be glad, you Lazaruses: For God is your help, Jesus has gone into the gutter with you. With your hunger He was made hungry, because of your sorrow He wept, with your sins He was made to be sin – and now to you, poor man, blind woman, hungry man, hurting woman, sinful child, He has given you forgiveness, clothing, sight, a resurrected body, a clean conscience, love, a sun that never sets. God is love, in Jesus He has loved you completely; His love never fails, and He will not leave you in the gutter but will bring you to Himself for endless comfort.

The Rev. Christopher Esget is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church & School in Alexandria, Virginia. Formerly a student sacristan at Kramer Chapel (Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne), he served as chaplain for HT’s FOR YOU conference (2007) in North Carolina. He also regularly blogs at http://esgetology.com/, where this sermon originally appeared.

by The Rev. Mark Buetow

St. John 3:1-17

If people believe in God at all, I think there are generally two ways they think of God. On the one hand, they suppose God is a condemning God. They usually think this because they consider themselves better than others. These are the folks who love to see the glorious God of Isaiah who is ready to smite sinners and burn them to ashes. This God is a punisher, just waiting to destroy anyone who doesn’t get in line, get on board and behave. Those who have such a God live under the delusion that they had better not do anything to make God angry at them!

The other view of God that people have is almost the exact opposite: God is forgiving. He is merciful. In fact, God is so loving and so caring and so nice, that He would never actually condemn anyone for anything. People who believe in that God would never dare say anything is right or wrong. You can’t do anything wrong when God is just going to forgive you. And even if there is right and wrong, it’s OK to do wrong, because God is just going to forgive you anyway. Just because He’s nice that way. Either God is a vicious and mean God who kills sinners, or He is a free love hippy kind of God who lets anything and everything go on.

And it’s funny, too, because if we’re talking about our lives, we usually mean the nice God who approves of how we live. And if it’s other people doing things we don’t like, they get the mean judging God. But I am telling you today, brothers and sisters in Christ, yes, warning you, that if either of those is your God, you will perish eternally. Both of those “Gods” are false gods and believing either way about God will lead you to eternal death.

Jesus says, “The Father did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” With these words, Jesus teaches us repentance and faith, destroys our sins, and saves us for all eternity. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to save us. How? He tells Nicodemus, by being lifted up, that is, on the cross. Jesus saves us by taking our sins away. He saves us by suffering and dying for our sins. He saves us by being lifted up as the serpent in the desert.

When the Israelites were bitten by the punishing snakes, they looked at the bronze serpent and lived. When we sin, when we deny and despise God and scorn and hate our neighbor, we look to Christ crucified and we are saved. It is Jesus who takes away our sins, not by simply making them vanish, as if we don’t have sins, but by taking our sins upon Himself and suffering death to rid us of them. Jesus did not come into this world to make a record of our sins, to list our sins, to punish us for our sins, but to show us our sins and then take them upon Himself and carry them to the cross and shed His blood there to wash them away. God the Father doesn’t send the Son to pound the nails deeper into our coffins but to release us from sin and death and set us free. In Christ there is no condemnation from God.

So now we don’t need to worry about our sins, right? Now we don’t have to figure out what our sins are. We don’t have to repent because it’s all taken care of? We can live however we want and do whatever we want? After all, we’re forgiven. No, that’s the second wrong view of God we talked about a minute ago.

There IS condemnation for sinners. It’s just not Jesus who brings it. The Law that God gives, the Commandments, condemn us. They show us clearly and plainly how we should love God and our neighbor. And the Commandments show us clearly that we do neither. And the Commandments judge plainly that we shall die for our sins. Apart from Jesus, God will damn you. Apart from Jesus there is nothing but the Law. And the Law does nothing but condemn you. You can’t try harder to keep the commandments to make up for the ones you’ve broken. And if you live as if your sins aren’t sins, then you despise Christ who died for them and show you would rather be under the Law.

Let me put it to you as simply as I know how: God will deal with your sins in one of two ways. The way of the Law which condemns and punishes. Or the way of Christ who is lifted up for our sins. If you have sins you want to be rid of, then unload them on Jesus. That’s His job: to take them away. If you want to hang on to your sins, say they’re not sins, then go ahead; but you’ll have the Law to answer to. Jesus is teaching us what the world absolutely does not want to hear. In Him, there is no condemnation. Apart from and outside of Jesus, there is nothing but condemnation. No one outside of Christ will survive the judgment against them on account of their sins. No one who is in Christ will suffer the punishment of their sins because it has been taken and laid upon Jesus for your sake.

So the question is, do we want to try to deal with God directly or in and through Jesus? Obviously, if we will be saved, there is no dealing with the Father apart from the Son. So then, how do we get to God? How do we deal with the Son? Does it take special knowledge? Special skills? Special religious piety? Nicodemus thought so. That’s why he comes at night to figure out from Jesus what the secret knowledge is that he has to know to get “in” with God. Nick figures that Jesus knows the right stuff to teach him to do to get on God’s good side. Nick’s got the condemning God going on and needs to figure out how to get past the front door!

But Jesus doesn’t play that game. He simply tells Nick that the only way into the Lord’s kingdom is to be born again, from above. Nick has no idea what Jesus is talking about because Nick is all about Nick.

Jesus, in telling Nicodemus he has to be born again, is teaching Nicodemus and us, that to be saved from our sins means being born from above, by water and the Spirit. That’s right, Holy Baptism. New birth. The womb of the font as we heard last week. A washing of water and the Word by which the Spirit gives us new life, spirit born of the Holy Spirit. It’s not something Nick or we can do for ourselves, it’s something that must be done to us and given to us by the Spirit.

Which way do you want the Lord to deal with yours sins? If you want the way of the Law, then give it your best shot of thinking that your sins aren’t so bad and you aren’t doomed by them. The Law, of course, will condemn you. That’s the way they live who don’t want to repent, who don’t want to live in their baptism, who have no reason to be absolved and who don’t want Jesus’ body and blood. They can keep their sins. On the Last Day the Law of God will be their condemnation. Born of flesh, their flesh will die.

But in Christ, where He is, is no condemnation, but salvation. Form the font, the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit has rescued you. Absolution declares that you do not stand condemned for yours sins. The gift of the Supper says that Jesus’ body and blood are given for forgiveness. With these gifts, you have the Spirit giving you Jesus and He brings you to the Father. Apart from Christ, there is no love of God, no grace, no mercy. Only sin and death. In Christ, where Christ is, in His church, by His gifts, there is no sin and death, only forgiveness, life and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, either the mysterious and almighty Holy Trinity is for you or He is against you. Outside of Jesus, He can be nothing but your enemy, the one Whose holy Law condemns to eternal death. But the Father sent the Son and the Son did not come to condemn but to give life. In Jesus, that Holy Trinity is all for you. The Father who sends the Son; the Son who becomes man to be lifted up and take away your sin; the Spirit who pours out His gifts upon you in the church.

If your sins are no big deal, then the God of the Law is waiting to show you otherwise. But if your sins terrify you and would condemn you, then the God who is in the flesh in Jesus Christ has already taken care of them. He has been lifted up on the cross and that means the condemnation has passed from you to Him. He has taken all your sins.

And now, filled with the Spirit, you are a son of God – the very God who is once again your Father. If there’s ever a doubt, ever a question, just look to the font and your doubts will be answered: Hear again the divine name put upon you: “In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.” All in and by and through and because of Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus, death. In Jesus, life and salvation. 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. Mark Buetow

St. John 14:23-31 

God always works through means. He never just does stuff “out of the blue.” He always deals with us and comes to us and blesses us through earthly things that have His Word and promises and gifts attached. One of the ways in which this is most obvious is that of mothers. Many of you are mothers. All of you have a mother. It is through your Mom that God gives you life and brings you into this world. Babies don’t just fall out of the sky. Moms have to give birth! And when you get hurt playing at the park, God doesn’t just thunder an “It’ll be OK” at you from the clouds. It is through Moms that cuts and scrapes are taken care of. When you need clothes, does God just drop you a pair of pants from the sky? No, it is through Mom’s hard at work that God provides for us our clothing and food and so on. Sometimes, of course, Moms don’t do their job. But the Lord still takes care of us with Grandmothers who take over the job of Mom. Sometimes, when Dad’s don’t do their job, Mom takes over that job, too. In any case, it is through Moms that the Lord accomplishes a whole lot in our lives. So take the time to celebrate your Mom today. But not for her own sake. Let her know that you recognize that she is the one that God Himself gives in His place to raise and care for you. And Moms, don’t just indulge that you get a day for yourself, learn and believe that you are in the place of God Himself as the one who is given for the care and nurture of your children. You see? God works through means.

And God also works through means in saving the world. Jesus tells His disciples that He has been given command by the Father to save the world and He does it. When the Father rescues us from sin and death, again, it’s not some thunderous proclamation from heaven that we can’t be sure we heard correctly. He sends His Son into this world, born of a woman. With hands and feet to walk around and talk and preach and heal. Jesus is a real human being who does stuff. And the sins of the world—our sins—get laid upon Him at His baptism and He carries them to the cross. And by His death on the cross, the sins of the world are wiped out. But His resurrection, the power of death is defeated. By His ascension, our salvation really is wrapped up in Jesus in the heavenly places. By His real, actual, physical existence in this world, the Son of God does the work of saving sinners. God works through means. He doesn’t just magically make our sins go away. But through the means of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Father no longer counts our sins against us. You see? God works through means, through the real flesh and blood of His Son, to accomplish our salvation.

But the means don’t stop there. Jesus tells His disciples that the Comforter will come and will remind them of all things that He said to them. This is fulfilled today on Pentecost when the Spirit it poured out on those Apostles. And what do they do? They preach Jesus. They speak God’s Word. Again, rushing wind and tongues of fire are all neat and exciting, but what is the end result? That through the voice of His chosen men, the Spirit speaks Christ’s Word of salvation and forgiveness to sinners. This is the Christian Church: in which the Spirit is at work through means, preaching the Gospel and giving new birth to sinners. In fact, it is by this new birth of water and the Spirit that sinners become God’s children. That is why we call the Church our Mother. It is from her womb, the font, that we are born again, born from above. Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters on the day of creation, just as He breathed into wet dirt to make man a living being, just as He came with the angel Gabriel’s Word to Mary, so the Spirit comes to us through our Mother, the church. Just as your heavenly Father gives you an earthly mother to give birth to you, comfort you and feed you, so your heavenly mother, the Church, gives birth to you by water and the Word and the Spirit. She comforts you against the nightmares of the devil with the holy words of absolution. She feeds you with the pure milk of the Word and as you grow up gives you the strong and sustaining food of Jesus body and blood. This is Pentecost, dear Christians, when the Spirit comes upon Christ’s church and by His holy gifts gives us life! You see? God works through means continually today, in His church, giving us Jesus by water, word, body and blood.

But just like the kid who gets mad at his mother and so he packs his suitcase and runs away, the world doesn’t want the Church as a Mother. The world doesn’t want God and His gifts. The world wants to make its own way and do its own thing. And so it despises Christ and His Word. Just as some people laughed at the apostles on Pentecost, so the world laughs at the Church and the preaching of Christ. It mocks the Good News that we don’t have to try to save ourselves because we have a Savior in Jesus Christ. It jokes and makes fun of those who believe their only hope and confidence is Christ and what He has done for us and gives us. Just as the child who runs away and can’t provide for itself, so the world runs from the gifts God gives through His church and starves to death apart from God’s grace. On the other hand, just like some mothers don’t want to stand in God’s place to care for their children and may even abandon them, so the world is full of churches who don’t want to stand in God’s place and give His gifts, but abuse their children by feeding them junk food all the time and not showing that they are there to give God’s gifts. These are churches in which Jesus is not to be found in His Word and Sacraments but only in hearts if you look hard enough or in a person’s outward piety or “walk” with Jesus. These churches deny that they are true spiritual mothers because all they have is self help and self-deceit and not the pure milk of God’s Word and the food of Christ’s body and blood. Beware of such preaching and teaching! Hear Christ’s promise that the Spirit comes to remind us of all that He said and did. And run from any preacher or church or religious idea that isn’t about delivering Jesus to you.

Our earthly mothers are sinners. They make mistakes. They don’t always do right by their children and they often exasperate and embarrass their kids. Yet nevertheless, the Lord commands us to “Honor your father and your mother” anyway. That is His command. Kids, you have no cause whatsoever to back talk or disagree with your parents. Your Mom is your Mom because God made her so. There is no such thing as “that’s not fair” or “you never let me” or “I hate you!” There is no place for such things. Children, if you would give your Moms a true Mother’s Day, then not just today, but every day, ask yourself, “What must I do today to put a smile on Mom’s face and to make her glad I’m her kid?” Likewise Moms, you aren’t called to be your kid’s friend or pal but their Mother. To provide for them and care for them and most of all, to show them that God works through means. To teach your kids that you stand in God’s place to provide for them. But more than that, to see that they learn to love their spiritual mother, the Church. To learn with them how God works through means. You see, if the church is our mother, then we all have much to learn as to how to treat Mom. In Christ, you have been given a heavenly Father and a spiritual mother. Rejoice in her gifts! Learn all that she does for you. And again, not for the Church’s sake, but so that you learn to glorify God the Father who has given us the Spirit that we might be reminded of all that Jesus said and did for our salvation.

God works through means. He doesn’t just “do stuff” out of the blue. Just as He cares for us by the hands of our Moms, so He saves us by the blood of His Son and delivers that forgiveness by the gifts we receive in the Church, our spiritual mother. By water, word, and body and blood, the Lord comes to us, blesses us, forgives us, and does what nothing else in the world can do: give us peace. As the gentle mother rocks her child and comforts him against a bad dream, “It’s OK, Mommy’s here,” so even greater than that, our Lord Jesus promises us: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. Not as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid.” Why not? For Christ has won all salvation for us. And the Spirit has come preaching and washing and feeding in the Church. And that’s all from our heavenly Father for our good. So Happy Mothers Day to Moms. And a Blessed Pentecost to all those who are in Christ. 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. Mark Buetow

St. Mark 16:14-20

The most important thing we can learn about our Lord’s Ascension is that even though He has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, He IS NOT GONE. Most people seem to think that after Jesus’ ascension, He’s not around anymore. He’s far away. Wherever the “right hand of God” is, it’s not nearby. People suppose that Jesus is gone and that they’re just sort of on their own, maybe with some help from the Spirit, until He comes back. But this is exactly what the Scriptures do NOT teach.

The Ascension of our Lord means this: Christ has gone to the Father so that He can send the Spirit and by the Word that the Spirit preaches be with His church. St. Mark writes this very thing: “After this He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And the Apostles went out preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them.” Whatever else the Ascension means, it means this: Jesus is at the right hand of God and that means He’s wherever His Gospel is being preached.

What is that Gospel? Jesus tells the Apostles to go and preach the Gospel to every creature. The Gospel is Good News. It’s the Good News that Jesus has taken away our sins by His death on the cross and that He has conquered sin, death, devil and hell by that death and by His resurrection. The Good News goes on with our Lord’s Ascension for He has taken to the Father all of our righteousness and salvation and the Devil can’t take it away from Him. It’s like the big kid who holds the ball up in the air so that the little kid can’t jump up and get it away from him. Just so, the Devil would love to snatch us and our righteousness away from Jesus, but he can’t do it. He’s powerless now that Jesus has ascended and been crowned with glory. That’s the Gospel. Your sins are forgiven. Jesus paid their price. Nothing stands between you and God anymore. And if the Devil wants to get to you, he’s got the ascended and glorified Son of God Himself to deal with!

And Jesus sends the Apostles to preach this into the world since the world doesn’t know anything like it. The world thinks that if you live a good life, God will love you. The world imagines some kind of religion about what you have to do to make up for your sins. But the world can’t figure out the Gospel. Only the Lord can accomplish it and reveal it! The world doesn’t know anything about grace or mercy or the forgiveness of sins won for us by another. So into that dead world, the Lord sends His preachers with the word of life, the Good News of the forgiveness of sins.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” So by the preaching of the Gospel and the water and the Word, the Spirit makes disciples out of sinners in the world. And just as the world knows nothing about what the Gospel is, so also the world knows nothing about faith. When Jesus says “whoever believes,” He doesn’t mean that we have some knowledge about things He did or that we can recite some names and dates about His life. He means a trust that clings to Him and to His gifts. The Bible says that when the Lord went on high, He gave gifts to men. These are the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation, given through the preaching of the Word, the water of the font, the words of absolution and the body and blood of the Supper. To believe means to trust that you have nothing going for you but Jesus and those gifts which give you Jesus. To a world that is dead in trespasses and sins, Jesus doesn’t just send some knowledge about a far away God, He actually delivers repentance and the forgiveness of sins through His preachers.

This is really what the Ascension is all about. When Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father, what He’s really doing is now going all over the earth through the preaching of the Gospel. While visible to our eyes, He’s there in Judea. Now, hidden to our eyes, He is everywhere the Gospel is preached to the ends of the earth, to all creatures. There is an irony, there, I suppose, in that when He seems to be going away, He’s actually getting ready to go everywhere. When it seems as if Jesus is leaving us behind, He’s preparing to go all around the world wherever repentance and forgiveness are preached in His name. Listen again to those words of St. Mark: “He was received up and sat down at the right hand of God and they went out and preached, the Lord working with them.” In fact, Ascension is your guarantee that where Christ’s Word is preached and His sacraments given, there He Himself is forgiving and saving sinners.

And there’s our Ascension repentance. Don’t think that Jesus is just “far away” somewhere where He doesn’t really do anything. Don’t think that Christ isn’t with you here and now. Don’t let faith be just some facts that you happen to know. Rather, with all your heart trust in the this risen and ascended Jesus who has gone to the right hand and by His gifts raises you up to that same right hand with Him so that in all things, against all enemies, nothing can snatch you away from Jesus.

On this day, forty days after Easter, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. That doesn’t mean He’s gone. It just means we don’t see Him with our eyes. But He’s right here, where His Gospel is preached, where water and the Spirit are poured, where His body and blood are given to eat and drink. And with these gifts, Jesus makes us His own, raises us from the death of sin, seats us in the heavenly places and works all things for our good until He returns again, the same way He went on this day. Jesus died for you. He rose for you. And His ascension is for you too! We have heard of His Ascension today. Now, like His disciples, who went to the Temple, praising and glorifying Jesus, we too come to His house, full of joy and to receive His good gifts in which He is right here with us again. 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. William Weedon

[Numbers 21:4-9 / 1 Timothy 2:1-6 / John 16:23-30]

Rogate, the name of this Sunday, means “pray!” or “ask!” Comes right out of the Gospel reading where our Lord says: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full!” But how often is this gracious invitation unheeded? And why? Why is it that people have such a hard time praying?

When Adam and Eve heard in the garden the sound of the Lord God coming, they turned tail and ran away. They tried to hide. You know why. Same reason you like to try to hide from Him. Fear that He is coming to get you, to punish you, to pay you out what you deserve, or, what I suspect many fear nowadays, to take away your fun, to deprive you of doing what you want to do. When the real God comes on the scene, then the play acting that WE are calling the shots is all over. And who wants that game to end? So better just to avoid him. To stay away. Not to pray.

But a people who do not pray, who refuse to live in communion with God, who instead pretend that they are on their own and pursue their own way, doing their own thing – such a people soon come to grief. For the world itself that was created to be nothing but communion with God betrays them at every hand and death dogs their every step. Death, the final end to the foolish games we play, is where there is no more running and hiding. When death comes you will talk to Him, whether you like or not. No evading the moment of standing naked and alone before His throne with all of your life an open book.

And there’s nothing like the fear of death to turn people to God. Think of today’s first reading. The grumbling about the way God was leading them. “We have no food; and we hate this worthless food” – the miraculous manna from heaven! God decided it was time to give them something to really complain about. The fiery serpents invaded the camp and they began to die. And in their terror, they turn to Moses, and ask him to pray for them. To stand before the Lord and ask for what they didn’t deserve – for mercy. Moses does so and God answers. The snake on the stick, raised up for any who will humble themselves to look up and see a picture of God’s coming redemption. And those who did miraculously lived.

Because you see, no matter what that old fiery serpent whispers in your ear about how much God is against you, about how He only wants to deprive you of life, to destroy you, to take from you all your freedom, all your fun – the snake on the pole shows that its all a lie. And that the One you’ve been running from, hiding from, not talking to, pretending He wasn’t there even as He kept you alive – and He’s the One who loves you.

St. Paul put it like this in today’s beautiful epistle: Prayer of all sorts “is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And what is that truth? “For there is one God and there is one mediator (go-between) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” Jesus as the ransom, Jesus the one prefigured by the snake on the pole, Jesus nailed to the tree as your ransom – that’s the testimony. That’s the truth of God. That’s how much He’s not against you, not out to destroy you, not out to take away from you anything but that which would deal you death – eternal death. And He took that away from you by taking it into Himself. That’s how much He loves you.

Our Lord knows that this residual fear is what spoils our prayer, leads us to run the other way when we sense that presence. To fight against it, rather than to rest in it, and to speak to Him whose presence surrounds us wherever we go. And so He says on the night before He was nailed to the tree and lifted up as our ransom: “The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me and believed that I cam from God.”

Do you get that? Do you let those words sink in? The Father Himself loves you. You don’t have to run away from Him. When you look to the Cross, when You see that Your Father loved you so much as to give His most precious treasure to forgive your sins, to blot out the accusations of the Law that were against you, to impart to you His own life as a free gift – then the running stops. The hiding stops. The ignoring of God stops. Looking at the Cross is what heals our fears.

We don’t have to wait until the game of hide and seek is over and we stand before the judgment seat. We can stand before the cross itself right now and see the judgment. And the judgment is that God loves us with a love that is unfathomable, unshakeable, and that His desire for us from the beginning has always only been that we share in His eternal love, that we receive from Him the gift of a love that never ends. We can look at the cross and see the judgment of God against all sin – the eternal death that we choose for ourselves when we run from Him and try to find life in the stuff of the creation. It’s all there. All borne. All answered for. All forgiven. And life is being reached us there. Life from the cross – His body and blood, here for you. The forgiveness of sins. The embrace of the Holy One which He gives not to destroy you, but to heal you forever.

Beneath the cross as our true “tree of life” we see that God has never been against us – no matter how it seemed, no matter what fears Satan planted in our heart. For from before this creation, the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. At the heart of God has always stood the Cross – and He created us knowing that He would so redeem us to display for all the ages the glory and marvel of His love.

Stop the running, my friends. Stop living your days avoiding Him. Let your days be wrapped in prayer. For the One to whom you speak and ask for every good, is the One whose heart was opened for all the world to see on Golgotha, the One who gave His Son into death that you, the eternal object of His love, might have a life that does not end. Speak to Him! Come to Him in the name of His beloved Son, your eyes fixed upon His cross, and know that in the name of this Mediator and by the power of His Spirit every promise of God to you is “yes and Amen!” In Him you have nothing to fear.

The Rev. William Weedon is Pastor of Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, Illinois. Among his other pursuits, Pastor Weedon is committed to using (and encouraging others to use) the offices of daily prayer.