Rev. Eric Andrae
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, 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. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:21-30)
Sadly, very sadly, I am not surprised by the shooting spree at Virginia Tech. In an ultra-violent culture that happily feeds the depraved mind and offers incredibly and immorally easy access to means of bloodshed, to guns; in an academia that teaches the Darwinist lie that you are a meaningless result of chance and the post-modernistic fantasy that there is no objective truth; in a society in which the family “is under siege” and “opposed by an antilife mentality as is seen in abortion, infanticide and euthanasia; scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce;” (Cardinal Francis Arinze, as quoted in Julia Duin, “Criticism of Gays by Catholic Cardinal Riles Georgetown University,” The Washington Times, 30 May 2003); in such a context, this comes as no surprise at all. But, nevertheless, we must not lose our focus. A “theology of glory” focuses on what we do; and when it does focus on God, it focuses on his power and majesty: his providence and sovereignty are allowed to overshadow, perhaps even obliterate, his mercy and grace. It teaches that Jesus is more-or-less Mr. Fix-it-man, that the Bible is a manual for happy and successful living, and that when we “decide” to become Christians, all will be right and we will be happy. It is typical “American Christian” religious nonsense – it permeates most churches’ teachings, focuses on our works, and, if logically followed, would finally deny the necessity of the Cross.
However, Biblical Christians – whether mourning the Virginia Tech massacre or daily repenting or clinging to Jesus for life and breath – hold to “the theology of the cross:” that it is only in the weakness and foolishness of the cross that the Lord helps us (1 Corinthians 1:21-30); through small things like bread and wine, water, words, men – in other words, the Means of Grace: Holy Communion, Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Bible, Holy Ministry, Holy Church. “The theology of the cross” focuses on what the Lord does; as the Creed confesses: he creates, he saves, and he sanctifies us. But the Lord does not deal with us as he did with ancient Israel, with armies and by direct revelation. Rather, he deals with us, the New Israel, mediately in weak sinful pastors and through his Means of Grace. Being marked with the Cross in Holy Baptism, we acknowledge suffering, though not good, as a real part of this fallen world and of the Christian’s life in it. But can there be any purpose of suffering in the Christian life? Yes. It mysteriously unifies you with Jesus, who is the Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53); it provides an opportunity for you to give glory to God (cf. John 9:1-3); it tests and thus strengthens your faith (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-9); it teaches you to love God for his own sake, and not for the sake of prosperity; it conforms and shapes you into the image of Christ (cf. Romans 8:17); it humbles you, reminding you that the servant is not greater than the master and therefore prevents self-righteousness from closing you to his gifts (cf. John 15:20); finally, it teaches you that our theology is indeed and ultimately one of the cross, of glory after going through suffering, of Gospel but only after Law, of forgiveness after repentance, of life through death (cf. Luke 9:22-24; Psalm 34:19-22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalm 22).
Suffering is the result of evil, of collective sin, of satanic temptation and human cooperation. But even out of suffering, even this suffering, God can and does and will bring good. Suffering, punishment, is certainly not the way the Lord reacts to our sin; he reacts to sin by offering his Son into death instead of us; he reacts by forgiving the repentant sinner, removing the sin (see especially Psalm 103:8-12, John 9:1-3, and Luke 13:1-5; also Psalm 130 and Jeremiah 31:31-34). So, we know why suffering happens: it is because of sin, individual and corporate. But we must also be willing to say “I don’t know” when it is the honest answer, for we do not know why specific sufferings happen to specific people at specific times: We do not know why those specific 33 people perished instead of you or me (cf. Luke 13:1-5). As Christians, though, we need to stick to what the Lord has revealed to us to know: that the crucified and risen Christ comes to comfort us with consolation, peace, and forgiveness in bread, wine, water, words: the different forms and means of the Word that he is for us.
Let us pray for all who are anxious or troubled:
Most merciful God, the Consolation of the troubled and the Hope of all who cast their cares on you, may the hearts that cry unto you in their anxiety, distress, and tribulation find rest in your grace and mercy, knowing that all things must work together for good to them that love you and are called according to your purpose. Grant unto us all that peace which passes all understanding, so that with a quiet mind we may view the storms and troubles of life, the cloud and the thick darkness, ever rejoicing to know that the darkness and the light are both alike to you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (The Lutheran Liturgy, 280-81, adapted).
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Amen.
Rev. Eric Andrae is the campus pastor at First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, serving students at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquense, Carnegie-Mellon, and others. He is a member of the Christ on Campus Team.
“O woman, great is your faith! May it be done for you as you desire.” The Canaanite woman had great faith. Do you? Is your faith great? Is it the kind that moves mountains? Most preaching you hear out in the world goes something like this: “If you have enough faith, that is if you REALLY believe, and if you REALLY have trust in God, good things will happen to you. If you’re sick and you pray about it and nothing happens, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. If you are worried or you have troubles in your life, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. You must have more faith, in order to unlock God’s promises and blessings. God has got all kinds of good things for you but He can’t give them to you if you don’t have enough faith!” Brothers and sisters in Christ, that sort of preaching is not from the Holy Spirit. It’s not taught in the Scriptures and I hope you never hear it from a Lutheran pulpit. Nevertheless, that’s just the sort of preaching that makes sense to our sinful flesh. If we have something in us called “faith” or call it “determination” or “stubbornness” or “persistence,” then God has to do what we say. Brothers and sisters in Christ, that sort of believing has little to do with Jesus and much to do with us. But when Jesus says to the woman, “Great is your faith!” He isn’t complimenting her on something she’s got going on. He’s telling her that her confession of who He is is right on.
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank God for Lent. I love Lent. Just love it. Thank God for Ash Wednesday.
Friends, Romans and Youth, “Lent me your ear.” Today, Ash Wednesday begins the Holy Season of Lent. What is Lent? Lent is a Holy Season of the Church Year lasting 40 days. But what is Lent about? Well, it’s not about things people borrowed from you and it’s not about that fuzzy stuff that sticks to your pockets. No, Lent is a season in which Christians pay close attention to Jesus going to the cross for sinners and taking the opportunity to receive even more of Christ’s gifts to us in Word and Sacraments. (Usually with the Supplemental Church Lenten Wednesday Service).
If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser, one of the bits of information you may have gleaned is this: skipping meals does NOT help weight loss. Long-term fasting is not going to make you healthy. Changing which foods, or the serving size can make a difference, but skipping meals altogether actually has the opposite of its desired outcome.
People often think that the parables that Jesus tells are simple little stories about familiar things that He tells to illustrate a point. Except that the people in Jesus’ parables are always crazy and don’t do things like the real world at all! For example, what farmer sows seed willy-nilly all over the place? The farmers I’ve heard of plant the seeds in rows but the farmer in Jesus’ parable just throws seed everywhere, like he’s wasting it! And then there’s the story of the guy who owned the vineyard and rented it out and then sent his servants to collect his cut. But the tenants beat them up and even killed some. So what does the owner do? Send his son? What was he thinking!? Or how about the Father who gives his son his inheritance—before he’s even dead! Usually a parent says, “No, you have to wait ’til I’m dead to get whats coming to you.” Today we have a parable of the kingdom of heaven that does the exact same thing: It isn’t at all like real life. Today, companies are laying off! But here’s this guy who not only goes and hires people all day long but pays them all the same at the end of the day? That’s crazy! But crazy is what our Lord does! What He teaches us with the parable of the workers in the vineyard is, once again, that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. The Lord doesn’t think like we think and He doesn’t do things the way we do them. No, His way is what we call “The Gospel!”
And what happens when the Lord gives such generous gifts? What happens when the owner of the vineyard is gracious and generous with his money? What happens when those who work an hour are given the same as those who work all day? Well, what God’s people usually do: they complain! They grumble! They murmur and mumble. Do those who work all day look see the generosity of the vineyard owner and give thanks? Do they say, “Wow! We’ve never seen such a thing! He’s given us all the same! No one has heard of such a thing before! What a generous, kind vineyard owner!” No, they complain. They grumble, “Hey! They only worked an hour! You made them equal to us! That’s not FAIR!” What happened when the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt? When by His mighty power He brought them through the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies? What do they do? They grumble: “Did you bring us out into the wilderness just to kill us? So we can die of thirst?” Wah, wah, wah! How about us? We come week after week and receive the forgiveness of sins and do we go out rejoicing or grumbling? Are we happy to receive the forgiveness of sins are annoyed at the pastor for doing something we don’t like? Are we full of joy at having heard God’s Word or are we upset about how the church is being run? Do we rejoice at being together with our brothers and sisters in Christ or are we angry or annoyed or upset with someone else for what they’ve said or done to us. Do we run in the door with our sins to let Christ have them or do we go back out, still grumbling about all the things wrong with our lives and all the troubles and irritations the Lord seems to send us? There’s repentance, there, brothers and sisters! For, after all, the vineyard owner finally tells the grumblers: “Is your eye evil because I’m good? Take your pay and get out of here!” Wow!
Just when Peter thought it was good to be on the mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, Moses, Elijah, James, and John, he heard a voice coming out of the cloud that surrounded them: this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him! The next thing Peter knew, he looked up and saw no one but Jesus only. Jesus then commanded Peter, James, and John to tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.
If you think the preceding glimpses of Christ’s glory were something, then the best is yet to come. What the unbelieving world describes as a cunningly devised fable we will see to be the prophetic word confirmed, which [we] do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place. Lent cannot extinguish the light of the world. Holy Week cannot extinguish the light of the world. These two solemn seasons prepare us to lament our sins, repent, and once again believe in the Good News that Jesus conquers the old evil foe once again, once and for all.
