Saint Michael and All Angels Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Confidence in Jesus and His Angels”

Text: Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12;

Matthew 18:1-11

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Things look bad. Your religion is shrinking. People are getting used to the culture around them and adapting to it. Your children are being educated by those who don’t believe as you do. Folks don’t know their Bible much anymore, and live by it even less. It’s all slipping away. Things look bad. And the future? Well, it’s hard to predict the future, but it’s hard to imagine things getting any better. We’re on the wrong trajectory, and picking up speed. How can you turn this thing around?

Well, Daniel saw all this, and he fasted and prayed. 

You might remember Daniel’s story - or at least part of it. He did not have an easy life. The Babylonians had conquered Judah in war. The part of the old nation of Israel still named Israel had been wiped out 150 years before. Then Babylon came in and finished the job. And most of the people were hauled off as prisoners of war. Now, Daniel was a smart young man at the time, and so was put into the re-education program - to educate him in the ways of the Babylonians, so he would be useful to them. And he was. He excelled. Which caused the natives - who weren’t as smart or as able as him - to be jealous of him. So they plotted against him and got him thrown into the lion’s den - that’s the part of the story most people remember. God saved him from the mouths of the lions. But things hadn’t gotten any better. In fact, things just seemed to get worse.

So as Daniel did when he got taken to Babylon, as he did when he was plotted against, and as he did even while in the lion’s den, so he did now when things looked grim: he fasted and prayed. For 21 days. And from the first day, we are told, his prayers were heard. But there was a delay, caused by the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Not a man-prince, but the one who held the kingdom under his princely, demonic power - satan. For 21 days satan worked on Daniel. For 21 days he was allowed to torment him. For 21 days he tried to convince him his fasting and prayer were a waste of time. For 21 days, he lied and deceived and twisted words and tried to get convince Daniel to give up. But at the end of 21 days, the time appointed was up, and Michael, the chief prince, the chief angel, was unleashed to fight for Daniel. And Daniel was given relief. Michael fought off satan, and the Word of God then spoke to Daniel, and comforted him. 

But note His message. It doesn’t sound good at first. Yes, things look bleak - but it’s going to get worse. There shall be a time of trouble, he says, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But . . . at that time - when things look their absolute worst, at their lowest point - your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Or in other words, this sinful world and its prince will rage, but only for a time. And they will not win. God’s people shall be delivered. Shall. Fact. The outcome is not in doubt. 

And so it came to pass. God’s people were permitted to leave Persia and go back to Judah. God had decreed their captivity for 70 years, their discipline, and they stayed not a day less. And while it looked bleak and hopeless at times, the outcome was never in doubt. At least, not to God. The God who speaks and it happens. The God who orders His angels to act and fight, and they do.

But the ultimate fulfillment of these words to Daniel didn’t happen for another several hundred years, when the Word of God didn’t just come and speak to a Daniel - but when the Word of God became flesh. When Jesus was born. When the Son of God in human flesh, came to fight for you. Like Daniel, He too fasted and prayed - remember that? But Jesus not for 21 days, but 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, being tempted and tormented by the same demonic prince that hounded Daniel. But for Jesus, no angel intervened. This was His fight. Angels came and ministered to Him afterward, but this was His fight. 

And satan knew it. In the verses right before the verses we heard from Revelation, it says that the dragon - another apt description of satan - tried to devour the male child - Jesus - that had been born, but was not able. He tried to devour Jesus with death at His birth. He tried to devour Him with sin in the wilderness. He tried to devour Him with doubt on the cross. But He was not able. The Word of God made flesh for us, Jesus, won. He didn’t lose when He died, but used death to conquer death; and to conquer sin and satan, too. His resurrection, our resurrection. His life, our life. And our freedom.

But, those verses from Revelation told us, that’s not the end of the story. There’s more, and bigger. Because the full and final fulfillment of those words is still to come - when Jesus comes again in glory. Until then, we heard, the demonic prince is going to fight here, for he has been thrown down to the earth. Or in other words, we weren’t thrown to the lions, like Daniel - the lions were thrown down to us. And he is going to fight against you, like he did with Daniel. Trying to devour you with sin, death, and doubt.

But like as with Daniel, God sends His angels to fight for you. You may not ever see them. You may not ever know. I don’t know if Daniel knew during those 21 days what was going on - only after was he made aware. 

But to you it has been revealed. You have been told. That you expect it and not be surprised. That you are a target. Because you have been baptized. And when you were baptized, you were marked with the name of the demonic prince’s enemy, Jesus, and your name was written in His book. So when satan sees you, he sees Jesus. When satan sees you, he seethes with rage and hate. And so he attacks. How? Different for each one of us. But for each one of us, the same goal - get us to walk away from our Saviour. Getting the culture around us - as in the time of Daniel - to educate us and seduce us into thinking that the danger isn’t so great, that we let our guard down. Into thinking the Word of God maybe not so true, that the pleasures and priorities and opinions of this world good, even if the Word of God says they’re not. Into thinking, what’s the harm? And it looks bad, doesn’t it? As it did in Daniel’s day. Things aren’t getting better, and seem to be picking up speed.

But it would be worse were the angels not fighting for you. You may not ever see them. You may not ever know. And I’m sure they’re doing more fighting and protecting than we could ever know or imagine. Even for the little ones, the littlest ones, as Matthew tells us. Their angels are always at the ready. For satan is an equal opportunity attacker. It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, or how strong you are. You’re in his crosshairs, everyone of you.

For a time. And when the days are up, the days that have been decreed, like with Daniel, the Word of God will come to us and, as we pray, deliver us from evil. 

He is now, already, to be sure. The angels are fighting for you, protecting you. But this too: the blood of the Lamb and the Word of His testimony are delivering you, giving you the forgiveness you need and the Spirit you need. And just as with the Lord’s promise to Daniel, the certainty and confidence that you shall be delivered. There are no “maybes” or “ifs” with God’s promises! You ARE baptized. You ARE forgiven. This IS My Body and Blood. This IS the Word of the Lord. Sure. Certain. Powerful. Things may look bleak, but the Word of God is our light in the darkness, our confidence in doubt, and our anchor in the storm.

So here, the outcome is not in doubt. If you walk away from the blood of the Lord and the Word of His testimony, if you go into the battle without this armor of God, then yeah, you’re in danger. But know this: it would be better for you to chop off a hand or foot or gouge out an eye - or be thrown into a lion’s den - than to deliver yourself over to evil. Than to leave these gifts of God and His angels behind. 

Because with these gifts of God and His angels fighting for you, nothing can harm you. Really. Nothing. You may be hated, you may be thrown into a lion’s den, you may be persecuted, you will have satan at you - but the victory is already yours. Nothing will not overcome you. For even if you die, or when you die, you will rise to life with Jesus. Satan, your accuser, will not have the last word, Jesus’ forgiveness will. And with that forgiveness, you have everything. Life now, and life forever. Jesus promised, and so it is.

So if you look around at our world today, it looks a lot like it was in the days of Daniel. Things are slipping away, the world is on the wrong trajectory, and things are picking up speed. It’s easy to lose hope. So this Word of God for us today is timely. That there is more going on than meets the eye. That the angels are fighting for us. And that while there may be a time when the attack is fierce and brutal and long and all seems lost, it is not. It was not for Daniel, and it is not for us. Because Jesus, the promised one came, and is coming again. With His angels. And when He and His angels come, things change. They changed for Daniel, they changed in the first century, they change for us now, and in the end, they will change. When we will see what we now believe. We’ll see the angels who have been protecting us and fighting for us. We’ll hear them singing with us. And we’ll rejoice with them - Saint Michael and all the rest - around the Lamb on His throne. Forever. 

So fear not. You have Christ. You have His angels. You have the victory.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Circuit Pastors Sermon

Note: This is a sermon I preached for my circuit pastors at the closing service of our retreat, so you'll notice that it is directed at pastors. :-)

24 September 2019

SELC District Eastern Circuit Pastors Conference

Christ the King Retreat Center, Greenwich, NY

Jesu Juva

“Preach the Word”

Text: Luke 22:24-30; 2 Timothy 4; Isaiah 61:1-3

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Preach the Word!

Ready or not, Paul says. 10 am, 10 pm, or 3 am. Preach the Word. That’s what you’re given to do. That’s what you’re given to say. Sometimes people will want to hear it, sometimes not. Doesn’t matter. You’ll get tired and impatient. Frustrated and flummoxed. Some days you’ll want to, some days you won’t. No matter. Preach the Word. The Word made flesh. Give ‘em Jesus.

That’s what Paul told Timothy. That’s what Paul himself did. He practiced what he preached. Paul, greatest missionary of all time.  . . .  Hold on - I’m not so sure. His congregations actually were a mess. The Galatians - how quickly they were turning to another Gospel. The Corinthians - they had problems all over the place! The Romans - how many times does Paul say: don’t you know? Like he’s banging his head against the wall. (But you don’t know what that feels like, do you?) 

Maybe that’s why when Paul wrote to Timothy, he threw in these word too: Preach the Word . . . with complete patience and teaching. I actually like how the NIV puts it: with great patience and careful instruction. Or in other words, don’t expect them to get it the first time you say it. Or even the 100th time. Just keep saying it, preaching it. Preaching Him. Preach the Word. Preach Jesus. Give ‘em Jesus.

And that’s what you do. All of you. God has called and ordained you, put you where you are, and gave you the same charge. Give ‘em Jesus.

And sometimes you nail it! Right? We heard that in one of the videos yesterday. You have those Sundays when it all just comes together. The Law, the Gospel, your delivery. You connected. You had the people. Best sermon ever. Just great! Step down from the pulpit feelin’ good.  . . .  And then, after the service, not a peep. From anyone. Not even your wife. No: great sermon Pastor! No: thanks for that word, Pastor, just what I needed to hear. Nothing. And then the questions and doubts come. Satan whispers in your ear: failure. You disappointment. Or, maybe you even get stung with criticism. Because you touched a sore spot. Because you didn’t say what their itching ears wanted to hear. 

So Paul told Timothy: be sober-minded, clearheaded - don’t get too high or too low. Endure suffering - because you will. Do the work of an evangelist - because preaching the Gospel, preaching Jesus, is hard work. Fulfill your ministry - diakonia the flock you’ve been given to diakonia. Just give ‘em Jesus. That’s what they need. That’s what you need.

That’s what the disciples needed. The disciples who, like two seconds after Jesus put His Body and Blood into their mouths, were arguing about who was the greatest. (Which, you think, would make Jesus take His turn banging His head against the wall.) Greatest? Greatest? Yeah, you’re all the greatest. The greatest messes! Just look around this table. Here you have the greatest betrayer, the greatest denier, the greatest doubter, the greatest open-mouth-insert-foot-er, the greatest hardhead . . . Each one, all of them around that table, each of you sitting here, the greatest like this, in some way. But look where you are now, Jesus says! At My Table, being served by Me. Eating My Body, drinking My Blood, receiving My forgiveness, life, and salvation. You’ve made yourselves great in sin. I make you great as sons.

And then Jesus got up, and instead of banging His head against the wall, had a crown of thorns banged into it, and then had His head banged against the cross. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. For me. The greatest for the least.

And while Jesus was on that cross, Satan didn’t whisper into His ear, but shouted in His face through those mocking Him: failure! You disappointment. And Paul, in Rome, imprisoned for proclaiming Jesus, at his first defense no one stood by him; all deserted him. Think the whispers started then for him? Failure. You disappointment. But, he says, the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. The Lord who preached even from the cross, stood by Paul and preached through him, and now through you. Every time you step into the pulpit, every time you dip your hand into some water, every time you stand at the altar, every time you place your hand on a bowed head - you are not alone. The Lord you preach stands by you, speaks through you, and fulfills His diakonia through your diakonia. When you speak, He speaks. What you do, He does. What you give, He gives. That’s His promise, for all of us the same.

And His promise for you today. Jesus absolved you today. Of all your greatest sins. I don’t know what sins you confessed earlier, but this I know: they’re gone. As far as the east is from the west. I know, because I heard Jesus say: I forgive you all your sins. And they are. Remember your baptism? Because Jesus remembers it. He washed you then, He washed you now. And you are. Squeaky clean.

And Jesus spoke to you today. I don’t know what you’re struggling with right now, but this I know: you’re not alone. The Jesus who speaks through your diakonia also diakonia-ed you here, spoke to you. I know, because I heard: This is the Word of the Lord. And it really is. Him speaking, not Dan.

And now, Jesus feeds you. I don’t know how weak you feel right now, how frustrated, how tired, how close to just quitting. But this I know: the food that sustained Moses for 40 days and 40 nights on Mt. Sinai, the food that sustained Elijah for 40 days and 40 nights after Mt. Carmel, the food that sustained Paul in his dark nights, is now given to you. I know, because I hear Jesus say: This is My Body, This is My Blood. And it is. Food, to strengthen you. To Jesus you.

And so with Jesus’ diakonia, Paul’s confidence is your confidence, for you and for the people you serve: the Lord will rescue [you] from every evil deed and bring [you] safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever.

So thank you, brothers, for all that you do, your faithful diakonia. I know it’s not easy. Thank you for preaching the Word, ready or not. For the early mornings and the late nights. To the grateful and the ungrateful. For giving Jesus. Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith. 

But remember this, too, which is so easy to forget: the Jesus you give is the Jesus for you, too. And there is laid up for [you] the crown of righteousness, that is not only for Paul, but that Jesus Himself will place on your battered head. And in the end, you can’t get any greater than that.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost 15 Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Zero”

Text: Luke 16:1-15; Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the parable we heard today, a manager is accused of wasting, squandering, his master’s possessions. He’s about to be fired, maybe also thrown into prison. Yet, for some reason, he still has the books. So he starts giving his master’s stuff away. 50 measures of oil, 20 measure of wheat, and maybe more, suddenly off the books. Like they weren’t even there. He’s making friends so that when he’s fired or imprisoned, he’ll at least have folks to take care of him and visit him. That makes sense. He’s shrewd. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. 

But then, when the master finds out what he’s been up to, instead of blowing his top and going postal on his manager for giving his stuff away, he commends him! Atta boy! Good job! Well done. But maybe we can even make sense of this - for if these accounts were in collections, at least get something. Something is better than nothing. Like a clearance sale at a store. Slash the prices and a least get something. And if the customer gets something good for cheap, maybe they’ll go back again. Shrewd.

The world gets that, Jesus says. The church is the problem. You see, it was the churchy Pharisees were accusing Jesus of mismanaging God’s kingdom. Last week, they thought Jesus was not hallowing God’s Name by hanging out with sinners and tax collectors. Today, they think He is wasting God’s stuff by just giving it away. Giving salvation to people who don’t deserve it. Because these tax collectors and sinners, they owe a huge debt to God, and they should pay it. They should change, clean themselves up, or get what’s coming to them. 

Maybe the Pharisees had verses - like the ones we heard today from Amos - in mind. Where the Lord swears: I will never forget any of their deeds. And Amos tells us what those deeds were at that time. The people couldn’t wait for church to be over so they could get back to what they really wanted to do, and what they really wanted to do was what they were thinking about during church anyway. They took advantage of those in need to enrich themselves. They made the ephah small and the shekel great - which means giving less and charging more for it. They used scales that were rigged - tipped toward their own advantage. God was not pleased with His people, and He wasn’t going to forget.

But it seems as if Jesus didn’t learn that Word of God! Otherwise He wouldn’t just be giving away God’s mercy and love and forgiveness. God doesn’t forget, Jesus. Maybe you should remember that and change your ways.

And what about you? Do you think God just forgets your sins? You don’t forget, do you? The sins of others against you. When they gossipped about you, or hurt you. When they betrayed you or took what you had coming to you. Make ‘em pay what they owe. And as a church do we do this too? I mean, the really bad sinners, are they welcome here? Respectable sinners (like us!), okay. But the really bad ones? Don’t they have to clean themselves up first? At least a little? Do something? We don’t want others thinking we’re that kind of church, do we? And so are we stingy with God’s mercy and love and forgiveness?

If we do that, remember that word from Amos: I will not forget their deeds. Not their deeds (out there) - your deeds, and mine.

You see, the world knows how to handle its wealth, but the church not so much. Because what the manager did in this parable - yes! That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do. And even more. For what Jesus was doing, and what frosted the Pharisees so much, was that He was running around and taking the bills of all these tax collectors and sinners, and not just cutting them in half - but tearing them up completely. Writing zero on them! Forgiving them. Paid in full. And not only that, Jesus now has the audacity to tell this parable so that the Pharisees know that not only is this what He is doing, but that the Father commends Him for it! That every time a sinner, a tax collector, a prostitute, a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, or any other kind of criminal is forgiven, Jesus gets an atta boy! Good job! Well done. This is exactly what His Father wants. 

But . . . what about that verse in Amos? Well, yes, quite right. Jesus learned that verse. The Lord does not forget any sin, not even one. And that’s good news. For if the Lord forgot you sin, how do you know He won’t find it or remember it later? Like the bill on your desk that gets lost under a pile of papers, only to be uncovered later. You still owe what it says, and its worse now, because now you have all kinds of interest and late fees and your credit score has taken a hit. What if you sin were like that? Forgotten now, only to come back again on the Last Day?

So no, the Lord does not forget your sins, not even one. Instead He deals with them. All of them. Every single one. Jesus takes your debt, every single thing you owe, to the cross and pays for it. With His blood. So your debt, your sin, isn’t forgotten - it’s atoned for, washed away. All that you owe died with Him. So now, when you are baptized, Jesus takes your bill of sin and writes on it: Zero. Forgiven. Paid in full. And since He doesn’t forget any sin, you can be sure that every sin is paid for. The resurrection proves that. There was no sin left that could hold Jesus in the grave. 

The Pharisees didn’t like that very much, and there are still people today who don’t like that very much - maybe even you. When you get hurt. When you get cheated. When you get taken advantage of. Forgiveness can’t be that easy. Somebody’s gotta pay. 

But who said forgiveness is easy? And who says somebody didn’t pay? When you feel that way or think that way take another look at the cross and what Jesus did there for you and your sin and every sin. At what the Son of God did there for you and your sin and every sin. It wasn’t easy. But that’s how God is. And that’s His love for you. And for all people. Even those who sin against you.

That’s why Paul tells Timothy, as we heard today, to pray for all people, for God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This truth. Of our Saviour who has cancelled every debt. For, Paul goes on to say, there is one God, - one master - and there is one mediator - one manager - between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom - a payment - for all . . . For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle - to preach this good news of cancelled debts - . . . a teacher of the Gentiles - of the sinners and tax collectors, the outsiders, the not-good-enoughs - in faith and truth - that this good news is even for them. No, especially for them! And if for them, then for you.

So come with the debt you have accumulated this week - how you have put yourself and your desires before God, how you have dishonored His Name and ignored His Word and failed in your prayers, how you have rebelled against authority, hurt others by your words and deeds, lusted after what wasn’t yours, stolen, cheated, lied, gossipped, coveted, were angry at God for what He did or didn’t do for you - bring it all, that whole bill, you poor, miserable sinner, and hear how the manager, your brother Jesus, takes it and writes on it ZERO. I forgive you all your sins. And then come take your place at His Table, where Jesus is still coming for sinners like us, and giving you His risen Body and Blood - the Body and Blood that paid for you - and the forgiveness, life, and salvation He won for you with it. 

And then when you leave this place is just a few moments, what about those who owe you or who wronged you this week? Will you demand payment from them? Or will you take their bill and write ZERO. Forgiven. Cover their sin and debt with the same blood, the same mercy, the same forgiveness that covered your sin and debt. And if we do that with forgiveness, how much more with our stuff. Don’t hold onto it. Is it really worth that much anyway? You cannot serve God and money. Give it away. It’s only stuff. God will give you more. 

And while the world might think that crazy, like the Pharisees thought Jesus crazy, the Father says to you: Atta boy! Good job! Well done. 

And who knows . . . it just might be that those folks you forgave might welcome you to your seat at the Table in the eternal dwellings. The same ZERO written in blood on their bill, too. Wouldn’t that be cool? 

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost 14 Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Each and Every One”

Text: Luke 15:1-10 (1 Timothy 1:12-17; Ezekiel 34:11-24)

A little shorter sermon today since we had a little longer liturgy today, our annual Narrative Divine Service.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

One sheep. It’s only one sheep Jesus. You still have 99. Don’t worry about it. It’ll probably just wander off again anyhow. Relax. There will be more. Your flock will grow. It’s just one sheep.

And one coin. It’s only one coin Jesus. You still have 9. Your bank account is still plenty full. Don’t waste your time. It’s just one coin.

But that’s the way of man, not of God. For God, each and every one is important, valuable, and worth His time and effort. Not sheep or coins, but sinners. He doesn’t want even one lost. 

Maybe it doesn’t always seem that way. After all, the Bible is full of big words, words like all, and world, and cosmos. Jesus feeds 5,000 and then 4,000 at a time. 3,000 are baptized on the day of Pentecost. The picture of heaven in Revelation is of a great multitude that no one could count. And so, perhaps, it’s easy to think we get lost in the crowd.

But then we have other pictures of Jesus, too. Like when He was on His way to a centurion’s house because His daughter was very sick. Jesus was going just for her. Until a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years dared to touch the hem of His garment - then Jesus stopped just for her. To speak kindly to this desperate and scared little lamb of His. Jesus spends time talking to Nicodemus one-on-one at night. Just to him. He stops at a well in Samaria and spends time talking to a woman no one else wanted to be with or talk to. He’s there just for her. And how many more stories are there? Of folks Jesus knows and cares about; of how no one gets lost in the crowd with Him.

But sometimes we do want to just blend in, don’t we? Like when you’re in school, in class, and you don’t want the teacher to call on you. Or at work, when you don’t want more work to be given to you. Sometimes we just want to blend in with God and at church, too. Because of our sin. Because of our shame and guilt. I don’t want others to know what I’ve been up to. I don’t want them to know my doubts and fears. I don’t want anyone to know how really and truly unworthy I am and how unchristian I’ve been again this week. How I’ve blown up the commandments again this week. How I have lived as if God did not matter and as if I mattered most. How if there was a police line-up with 9 criminals and you, no one would finger you as the Christian. So just blend in. Pretend everything’s alright.

But it doesn’t work, does it? The sin and guilt and shame are still there, undealt with.

Until Jesus deals with them. Jesus who knows you and all you try to hide. No one else may notice the one sheep that has gone astray, but Jesus does. The Good Shepherd knows each one by name. And one coin missing from the purse isn’t a noticeable difference - unless you’re Jesus. That’s why He came. To search for every lost sheep and every lost coin - every lost and hiding sinner - and bring them back again. Forgive them, love them, care for them. For you.

That’s, in fact, what Jesus was doing that day. Spending time with sinners. Loving them, caring for them, forgiving them. That’s why the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling. They thought Jesus was not hallowing God’s Name by hanging out with those folks! But Jesus wanted them all to know that He was, in fact, hallowing God’s Name by hanging out with those folks. Because He was making it known what kind of God we have. Not a God who loves us because we don’t need to be forgiven, but a God who loves us - each and every one of us - so much that He laid down his life for us and our forgiveness.

For that’s what brings Him joy. Not 99 righteous persons who don’t need to repent. (And let me know if you ever find those 99 persons!) There is joy in heaven and among the angels over one sinner - each and every sinner - who repents. Who is found by God and finds her life and hope and forgiveness in Him. That she is not lost in the crowd nor lost forever, but singled out, cared for, and died for. 

That love is what changed St. Paul. He never blended in. First, he stood out as a Pharisee. He was a Pharisee’s Pharisee, the best of the best. And it ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up. No one could match his dedication to the Law, or his zeal in persecuting the church (Philippians 3). But then Jesus came to him and found him. Still he didn’t blend in, but stood out - now not as the best, but as the worst of sinners. The foremost of sinners, as we heard him say today. But to such a one as him, Jesus came. To love him, mercy him, die for him, and forgive him. He didn’t deserve it. He was lost lost. Until Jesus found him. 

And so would Jesus do for you. That’s the kind of God we have. The way Jesus is here on earth is the way it is in heaven. God isn’t one way here and one way in heaven, but the same here and there, yesterday, today, and forever. 

So if Jesus is hanging out with sinners here, who do you think fills heaven’s courts? Sinners. If Jesus is eating with sinners here, who has a seat at the heavenly feast? Sinners again. Who fills the heavenly choir? Sinners. Not those who don’t care about their sin, but those who repent. Not those who think they’ve earned it or deserve it by their own goodness, but exactly those who don’t. Sinners whose sins have been paid for, atoned for, forgiven. The lost sheep, the lost coin, lost you, now found, now home.

And the way Jesus is and the way it is in heaven is the way it is here, now, in Jesus’ church as well. For who fills these chairs? Sinners. Who has a place at this table? Sinners again. Who sings these hymns and confesses the faith? Sinners. Every week. And every week, acknowledging this fact and repenting of the reality of our sinfulness, our lostness, our fallenness, our not-good-enough-ness, we get to hear those joyful words of forgiveness. Grace that is for all of you and each one of you. A baptism that is for all of you and each one of you. And Body and Blood that is for all of you and each one of you. Because Jesus is here for all of you and each one of you. For each and every lost sheep, lost coin, lost person. And there’s no place He’d rather be. Let that sink in. There’s no place that He’d rather be than here, with you, with sinners, loving you, rescuing you, being your God.

For Jesus is Ezekiel’s shepherd, come to search for His sheep. Jesus is Ezekiel’s David, come to be enthroned on the cross to be the kind of King and God we need - the one who dies our death and gives us His life. Who has come to find us. And we are found.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Montreal Foro Devotion

Montreal Foro

September 13, 2019

Reading: 1 Corithians 1:18-25

As Dr. Just reminded us this morning, tomorrow, September 14, is Holy Cross Day. A day which began as a commemoration of when Helena, Emperor Constantine’s mother, was said to have discovered the cross of Jesus in the year 320. I don’t know if the cross she found that day was really Jesus’ or not. I do know that if you’re interested, you can find some pieces of it for sale on Ebay. Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.

But according to Paul and his words that we heard today - God’s Word - it is not the cross itself that is the power of God, or folly to those who are perishing, or a stumbling block to the Jews. Crystals, amulets, lucky Rabbit’s feet, and other charms - there are many things people today think have power. So why not a piece of the cross, too. But according to Paul, it is the word of the cross, the message of the cross, the preaching of the cross - that is the folly. That is the stumbling block. That is the power of God.

Therefore this preaching of the cross is important. For even before Jesus was put upon a cross, crosses preached - a Roman preaching. Don’t do it. Don’t go against the Roman government. If you do, this is what will happen to you. And that was a powerful message.

But this is not just ancient history. Just a couple of months ago, the United States Supreme Court, in a case regarding a large cross on public land, in its ruling allowing the cross to remain, preached that the cross has acquired “an added, secular meaning,” and that “the cross symbolized the local community and its past.” Or in other words, it was a monument to honor men, not save them. This preaching of the cross neuters the cross of any power or enduring significance.

So in Montreal, as in all our cities, where there are Jews and Greeks and everything in between, the true preaching of the cross is needed. This word that isn’t wise enough for some and too foolish for others. No matter. We preach the cross, for we preach Christ crucified. This we proclaim because it’s all we have to proclaim. And it’s what all people need to hear. 

Now to be sure, the cross of Christ preaches a powerful message of Law, similar to Rome. Break the Law of God and this is what you get. Death. And worse. Eternal death. But this is not the proper preaching of the cross. That is to say, the Law is the alien work of God. So this message of Law is the alien preaching of the cross.

Rather, the proper preaching of the cross is the same as the proper work of God: the Gospel. The for you of the cross. The Good News, as Charles said this morning.

The Good News that Phillip preached to the Ethopian eunuch: that for you Jesus was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. For your transgressions He was pierced by men. For you and your iniquities Jesus was crushed, not you. The Lord laid your iniquity on Him. All for you.

But in addition to this preaching, we have the preaching of Jesus, too. The words He preached from the cross. That He was forsaken so you would never be. That even as He bears your sin He prays for your forgiveness. That Paradise is no longer barred. And that all is finished. Your salvation is complete. I am making all things new. That is, another took your place. Life springs from death. You don’t have to justify yourself or straighten yourself out with God or atone for your sins. Jesus did. The grace and love of God for you.

Just the cross along a Roman road or on public land - or on the top of a mountain in Montreal - doesn’t preach that. So with Paul, we don’t just preach the cross, but the one on it. For you. Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

So while don’t claim to have the selfsame cross that Jesus hung on, we proclaim instead that we have something better: the Jesus who hung on the cross. We have Him in water, words, and bread and wine. We have Him as we are washed and absolved and bodied and blooded. We have Him, and in having Him we have His forgiveness, life, and salvation. His proper work. 

So what a perfect weekend to have a Montreal Foro and a congregational anniversary. Holy Cross Day. But while just one day on the liturgical calendar, the Holy Cross is the daily life of the Christian, as every morning we make the sign of the cross, remember our baptism, and die and rise with Christ. 

And we pray this would, one day, be the daily life of every Montrealer. That they would know, with us, not just the cross, but the for me of the cross. And say with us, AMEN!

Pentecost 13 Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“You Can’t; He Can”

Text: Luke 14:25-35

(Philemon 1-21; Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

How did you do it?

Seriously! How did you do it? How did you become a disciple of Jesus? Because you are. You’re here. You confess. You’re a Christian, a follower of Jesus. 

But you don’t measure up. In fact, according to the words we heard today, frankly, do you even come close? 

I mean, hate father and mother? Hate your wife and children? Hate your own life? Renounce all you have?

Even allowing for the fact that the word “hate” here doesn’t mean despising and being against your family or your life so much that you wish them ill or wish them dead, but means what you’re willing to leave behind in order to be a disciple . . . still, how did you do it?

For can you really and honestly say that you’ve never put family before God? That you’ve never been silent because you didn’t want to offend? That you were never more fearful of what your family would say or think or do more than God?

Can you really and honestly say that you haven’t followed your own desires and urges rather than the Word of God? That what the world says seems better to you than what God says?

Have you never - at least temporarily - put down the cross because of the ridicule or persecution that was coming your way? Have you never compromised to avoid hardship or conflict?

Can you say that? ‘Cuz I can’t.

So how did you do it? How did you become a disciple, and stay one, and be here today? Seriously.

Or maybe you haven’t. Maybe you’re just fooling yourself. Wishful thinking. Call yourself a disciple when you’re really not. That’s what the world thinks, after all. That’s the accusation they’ll throw in your face. That you’re a hypocrite. That you call yourself a Christian, but you’re no better than the next guy. In fact, you’re worse, because you call yourself a Christian but don’t live like one. 

And that’s especially what the devil wants you to think and believe, too. Using Jesus’ own words, the words we heard today, to prove it. See? Disciple? Right! As if! You? You’re rather the unsalty salt Jesus talked about today. That’s who you are. Good for nothing! Not even for the manure pile! Not even good enough for manure. Ouch. 

But if you look at your life, you know he’s right, don’t you? And if judged by your life, you’ll be thrown someplace worse than the manure pile.

So thank you, devil! Yes, thank you . . . for reminding me of this truth. And for being Jesus’ stooge. Because you mean to drive me away from and separate me from my Jesus, either by making me try to clean myself up and try harder and rely on myself, or by making me despair and think I have no hope. But I’m not here for that. I’m here to repent. And find my life - and my discipleship - not in me, but in Jesus. Which is how He meant for me to hear these words. 

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

That’s what Jesus said. So I’m going to hear what Jesus has to say to me, not you, devil. That’s the ace up my sleeve. Or better to say, the word of truth in my ear. 

Because you know, devil, the first thing I heard that made me a disciple? It wasn’t how good I was or what I did or anything in me. It was this: I baptize you. You see, that’s when I became a disciple. It’s what Jesus did, not what I did. He made me a child of God. He cleansed me. He gave me this life. With those words and water, He took this worthless person from the manure pile and made me His own. How ‘bout that, devil? 

And while you’re right that I haven’t lived that way, and I’ve fallen more times than I can count, you what else I hear in these ears, devil? Not you better improve or get better, but this: I forgive you. You see, that’s what keeps me a disciple. What Jesus keeps giving to me, not my improvement. So even when I repent, it’s not to do something for Jesus, it’s to hear these words of forgiveness. That I can’t make salt salty again, but He can. And does.

So you’re pretty good, devil, using these words against me. And you actually get me to believe you sometimes, and not believe God. ‘Cuz you know how weak and stupid I am.

But I remember how you tried to use these words against Jesus, Mr. Devil. Do you remember? I’m sure you do, though you’d rather forget. It was while Jesus was on the cross. You had all those people come by and mock Him. Yeah, He thought He could establish and build the Kingdom of God, but He couldn’t complete it. He thought He could fight this spiritual war, but look at Him now. How do you spell failure? J-E-S-U-S! The picture in the dictionary next to the word failure? Yup, that’s you Jesus!

But what happened, Mr. Devil? He shut your filthy mouth, didn’t He? ‘Cuz you thought He was dead, but He rose to live again. You thought He was defeated, but He descended into hell and proclaimed His victory. You thought you were the king of the world, but now look at you - you’re like a gun with no ammunition; a sheath without a sword; a bomb without any explosive. You look all bad, but are nothing. My sins are forgiven and cannot condemn me. My death is defeated and cannot hold me. 

And then I hear this hear, too, Mr. Devil. Jesus shut your mouth, but you know what I hear here? He opens my mouth. And you know what He puts in? His Body and Blood, given for me and now given to me! Yup, the same Body and Blood you thought was dead, that you thought you beat, that you thought was going to decompose in the tomb. It didn’t. He lives, and now so do I. Because of Him. You are what you eat, right Mr. Devil? So I am a son of God, a child of God. I am dead and risen with Him. I followed Him through death and the grave. Or better to say: He pulled me through death and the grave with Him to life again. Which makes me a disciple.

Because all those things I can’t do, Jesus did. He did leave everything behind. He did give up everything. He didn’t let anything or anyone move Him from His mission. He did take up His cross and die. For me. 

And for all these people here today, too, devil. Because they’ve been Great Commissioned. Remember those words of Jesus? He told His disciples - who weren’t really good at being good either - He told them: Go and make disciples of all nations, by baptizing them and teaching them (Matthew 28:19). By forgiving them and putting Jesus’ words into their ears. That’s how you disciple someone. They don’t do it. Jesus does.

So yes, devil, I know you’ll keep trying. I know you won’t give up. I know you’ll be fighting to the end. And I know I’ll keep falling and failing, try as I might to be a good and faithful disciple. You know how weak and stupid and unable I am. So I’m just going to die. That’s what a cross is for, after all. But it’s Jesus’ cross that I die on, devil - not my own. I die with Him, not apart from Him. And so I’ll rise and live with Him, too. I’ll keep repenting and admiting that you’re right about my sins. But I’ll keep hearing Jesus’ great and powerful words of forgiveness and life, and confess that they’re right, too. And that’s the life I now live. A new life. As a child of God.

And when I run away, like Onesimus, thank you, Jesus, for sending me a Paul to call me back and send me back to you. And when others come to me looking for forgiveness, help me to welcome them back like Philemon and forgive them, knowing that You have paid their debt and mine. And when faced with the choice between life and good, and death and evil, help me to know the difference! Because as you know, Jesus, the devil can make good look bad, life look like death, and righteousness look like evil. But fill my ears with Your Word, that I know and choose life and good. That I follow You. Now in this life, and finally crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land of heaven.

So that’s how you did it, dear children of God. It wasn’t you after all, you’re not able; it is Christ, and Christ who lives in You. So you are who He says you are, and you now do what He has done for you and given to you. And so you are His disciple. And even more than that, His child.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost 12 Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Dead Men Don’t Care”

Text: Luke 14:1-14; Hebrews 13:1-17

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

He just wants to have a nice dinner party, this Pharisee. At least, that’s the appearance. But there’s an elephant in that room. The Pharisees, we are told, were watching him carefully. And they had been for some time. They wanted to trick Him, trap Him, or tempt Him; get Jesus to say or do something so they could discredit Him, strip Him of His followers, and get rid of Him - put this Jesus problem to bed once and for all. 

But they couldn’t. How many times had they already tried? Got to give them credit for not giving up. But they had a problem. A giant miscalculation they didn’t understand about Jesus. They kept thinking Jesus was like them, and so they kept setting traps and tricks and temptations that would work on them. So they were flummoxed when they didn’t work on Jesus. They were smart. They were among the best and the brightest and most educated in Israel! Surely they could come up with something . . .

So what was it that they didn’t get? What was their giant miscalculation? You’re probably thinking that it’s that Jesus is not just a man but the very Son of God in human flesh. And while that’s true, that’s not Jesus’ edge here. For though He was the Son of God, He did not use His power and wisdom as God for Himself. For others, yes. But the Scriptures say He was like us in every way, except without sin. And so it’s not that Jesus had these secret super-God powers that kept frustrating the Pharisees. It’s rather this: Dead men don’t care. 

And Jesus knew He was a dead man. He kept telling His disciples that He was going to be crucified. In Luke chapter 9 (v. 51) He sets His face to go to Jerusalem - to die. He knows this must happen. Just as He is fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies about the blind receiving their sight, and the deaf hearing, and the lame walking, so too must He fulfill those other prophecies that speak of His suffering and death. That He will be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). This is why He came. And this is what would happen. Every Word of God will be fulfilled.

And so Jesus doesn’t care about what the Pharisees care about. He doesn’t care about His social standing. He doesn’t care about wealth. He doesn’t care about being invited to the banquet at the next Pharisees’ house next Sabbath and what seat He’ll get then. He doesn’t care. Dead men don’t care about such things. 

What He cares about . . . is them. That’s why somewhere between the soup and salad courses and the entree, He focuses attention on this man with dropsy and whether it is proper to heal Him on the Sabbath or not. Surely if he was one of their children they would help him. Or even just one of their animals they would help him. Even on a Sabbath. So why shouldn’t Jesus help him? Interrupting a perfectly respectable dinner party to talk about a man with some gross disease is one way to make sure you don’t get invited back. But dead men don’t care. And more important to Jesus is to teach about mercy than to make sure He gets His belly filled next week.

And then He goes on to criticize the guests because when the announcement had been made, “Dinner is served,” He had gotten more than one elbow to the ribs from those rushing to get the seats on honor. Who does He think He is? Be gracious, not critical, Jesus. But dead men don’t care. And more important to Jesus than proper etiquette and social standing is to teach about humility.

And then finally, one last dig, one last chide before dessert is served: I see that you only invited those who are of advantage to you; those in the dinner party rotation; those who can pay you back. Why don’t you invite those who can’t? The poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind. They’re the ones who need it, who need your generosity and care. And though they cannot pay you back now, you will be repaid in the resurrection of the just. And pay attention to that last line and the reference to the resurrection. In other words, they’re dead men too. For only the dead are resurrected. So these things they care about, all these things . . . aren’t going to make much difference when they’re dead. So why do you care about them now?

By the way, that last question wasn’t just for the Pharisees - but for you, too. Why do you care about these things? 

Well I think the answer is that we find our lives in these things and we’re trying to save our lives. We want to be well thought of, not forgotten or brushed aside. Maybe we don’t have to be rich, but at least we want to be comfortable. We do want to be recognized by others. We want to move up in the world, not down. 

But like Jesus, you’re a dead man. With each passing day, you’re one day closer to your death. And while we don’t like to think about that, it does change your thinking and your priorities. The fancy house, the big vacation, your social standing, next year’s invitation to the banquet of the year, none of that matters so much when you hear the news that you have cancer, or some other life-threatening disease. Neither does that squabble you have with your neighbor, or the revenge you’ve plotted, or how you’re going to even the score. Dead men don’t care. It is the ultimate freedom. Freedom from the worries, cares, concerns, anxieties, and competition of this world. From all these things that all they do is divide us from one another and separate us from God. These things that are all about me. What’s good for me. What I want.

But dead men don’t care. My father doesn’t care that all his earthly belongings are in boxes in my house. He doesn’t care who the president is and who’s going to win the Democratic primary. He doesn’t care what people think about him. He doesn’t care who’s going to win the Super Bowl this year, or if he’s going to be invited to the big Christmas party. He is now with Jesus and that’s all that matters. What he before knew by faith he now knows by sight. And nothing else matters. Dead men don’t care.

But, you say, I’m not dead yet and so I must care about these things! Well, Jesus wasn’t dead yet either, but He knew His Scriptures, and that they must be fulfilled. That every Word of God must be fulfilled. So haven’t you heard: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). 

So you are a dead man! Because you’ve been baptized. Oh, yes, you still have your physical death to go through, but that death has been transformed by your baptism. Or perhaps better to say, transformed by Christ and His death and resurrection given to you in baptism. So that it is now simply the pathway from life to life. From this world to the next. From faith to sight. Because of your baptism, you have a part in the resurrection of the just, for baptism has made you just. Your debt, your faults, your every sin has been forgiven, washed away. By water, by the blood of Jesus, by the Word of God, all applied to you there. You are joined to Christ, and so live with Him now and will live with Him forever.

That’s what the Word of God says, and it will be fulfilled. And so you, now, like Jesus, get to walk in newness of life. Which is not putting you back under the Law, telling you be new! But rather, telling you that you no longer have to care. Because dead men don’t care. And you have died with Christ and been raised with Christ. Christ is your life, not the things of this world. And so your stuff, the size of your house and bank account, your social standing . . . dead men don’t care. Because you have what’s greater and more lasting. You have what death cannot take away. Your life in Christ. 

And that’s the ultimate freedom. The freedom to enjoy the things of this world and life, the things of this creation - as Jesus did - but not to find your life and value in them; not have them rule you and so control what you do or say or how you live. And you have the freedom not only to enjoy these things, but to use them for others, to help them and serve those in need. Because you’re a dead man - you don’t need them. And what you need, Christ will provide. And honor? What worldly honor could surpass the honor you have already received in being made a child of God? So while you may never get your name on a Man or Woman of the Year plaque, a sports trophy, or a Medal of Honor, you have something even better - your name is written in the Book of Life. The guest list for the heavenly wedding feast that has no end.

Therefore, the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind who have been invited to the feast? That’s you. And the humble, the lowly, who have been exalted to a higher place? You again. And those who have exalted themselves will have to give way. 

So dead men don’t care because they don’t have to care! No one is more free than a dead man. And since you are free, you can say as we heard in the reading from Hebrews today, confidently: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” 

So you can love, even those no one else does. You can show hospitality to strangers. You can vote but not despair if the outcome is not as you wished. You can keep the Word of God and speak its truth even in the face of mocking and persecution from the world. You can share and give what you have. And what else? What else are you hanging onto that you won’t need when you’re dead? Then why are you holding onto it? Dead men don’t care. They are free. And you are free.

This morning when we began the Divine Service, you repented of not living a dead man’s life and died a little death again. Good! And then you received the forgiveness of all your sin; a resurrection to a new life already here and now. And you’ve heard the Word of God and all that Jesus has done for you and provided for you and gives to you. And now you come to the foretaste of the feast that awaits you - the feast for those who have been crucified and risen with Christ. His Body and Blood to keep and preserve you steadfast until He calls you from life to life, from this world to the next, from faith to sight. 

But it’s all yours, now. And when you live that way, the world might look at you and regard you as the Pharisees did Jesus - they’ll think you’re like them and so won’t be able to figure you out. Why don’t you care about what they care about? Why are you so free? And you can tell them: because dead men don’t care! I live in Christ. 

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.