Feast of Pentecost Sermon

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Spirited Eyes, Ears, Hearts, and Lives”

Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

 

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

The untrained eye misses a lot of things. I can look at a fifty dollar bill and think it perfectly fine. But someone who is trained to spot counterfeit money can see in an instant all the imperfections, omissions, and flaws my untrained eye cannot see. Law enforcement officers, too. I can look at someone and think they are acting perfectly normal; they’re just like me. But a police officer can see small things I miss that tell them that person is hiding something; that person is trouble.

This is true for ears, too. We went to my daughter’s symphony concert last weekend and I enjoyed the music. But I’m sure my untrained ear missed many of the subtleties of the music and what the composer was doing with certain notes, certain instruments, and certain movements. And so for a medical professional, too. If I listen to a heartbeat through a stethoscope, I hear a heartbeat. But their ears can hear small sounds that might mean big trouble. 

Now, look around. In the world. Even in this congregation. What do you see? What do you hear? Now think: What does God see? What does God hear? Do you think He and His all-present, all-powerful, and all-knowing eyes and ears can see and hear things we do not? Of course, right? He sees the person who looks perfectly fine to us, but who is really confused and unsure about what to do, and scared that they make the right choice. He sees the man who is a pillar of the church but who is filled with guilt because he is not the husband or father he knows he should be. He hears the pain of that young person who says everything is fine, when it’s not, because they think they can’t do anything right. 

What does God see when He looks around? A valley of dry, dead bones. People who were full of life, but who sin has dried up and robbed of life. Ironically, this is how some people see the church! The world is where life is, fun is, freedom is! The church is where you don’t have those things - going to church, Bible study, family devotions, being faithful, not going along with the latest sin du jour - is boring, lifeless, dries you up, and sucks all the life out of you! Those are pretty opposite ways of looking at things! So the question is: who is looking with untrained eyes and who is seeing what others miss? Who is hearing with untrained ears and who is hearing those small things that mean big trouble? That’s a pretty important question, don’t you think? 

On the day of Pentecost - the very first New Testament Pentecost, that we heard about today in the reading from Acts - there was confusion about this, too. The people who were in Jerusalem heard the sound of the mighty rushing wind from heaven, but they didn’t know what to make of it. They each heard the apostles speaking in their own language - the Medes in Persian, the Arabs in Arabian, those from Mesopotamia in Assyrian, and lots more. But what did it mean? How could it be? They must be drunk! Babbling. Out of their minds.

But Peter and the other eleven knew exactly what it meant. They hadn’t been drinking. It was only 9 am! They were filled not with liquid spirits but the heavenly Spirit, the Spirit of God. The Word of God spoken through the prophet Joel was being fulfilled. What the crowds could not see and hear rightly, Peter and the eleven could. Receiving the Spirit of God, the could see with God’s eyes and hear with God’s ears. 

So when Peter and the others stood there and looked out at that mass of people, you know what he saw? He did not see Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabians. That’s what untrained eyes saw. Peter and the others saw a mass of dry, dead bones. So Peter became the new Ezekiel. Peter did what Ezekiel did. He preached. He preached to the bones that they life. That they be brought to life by the Word and Spirit of God. And just as with Ezekiel, it worked. Which should not surprise us! God’s Word is living and active, filled with the Spirit of God, and does what it says. And if you read on in Acts chapter 2, beyond what we heard today, you hear the rest of Peter’s sermon, as he preaches about Jesus and His death and resurrection, and we find out that 3,000 people believed and were baptized that very day. Peter and the others got to see all those dry, dead bones rise up and come to life.

Which really is the true miracle of Pentecost. The mighty rushing wind and what looked little tongues of fire that rested on the twelve get all the press. But what happened after that - and continues to happen after that, all the way to today - is the real story. That the Word and Spirit of God continue to give life. The Word and Spirit of God continue to raise up dry, dead bones to life. The Word and Spirit of God enable us to see and hear rightly, and truly. That we not be deceived by the world and where it says life is and is to be found, and so chase after those things. But see through that, and hear those small things, those small lies that lead to big trouble.

That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, also called the Helper and the Spirit of truth by Jesus. The Holy Spirit who enabled Peter and the eleven to see and hear and know exactly what was going on that first Pentecost, and who enables us to see and hear and know in the same way. Which is what Jesus was teaching the disciples in the verses we heard from John today. Jesus told the disciples they would bear witness, they would testify, because with the Holy Spirit they would be able to see and hear in truth - not only what everyone else could see and hear, but what got missed by untrained, or maybe we could say, unspirited, eyes and ears. That Jesus is not just Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus the crucified, but Jesus the Son of the living God; Jesus the one who died but is now risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and lives and reigns to all eternity.

So, Jesus teaches them, the Holy Spirit, whom they would receive after He ascended back to His Father, would teach them and enable them to see and hear and know rightly and truly. And specifically to see, hear, and know of three things rightly and truly: (1.) themselves, (2.) Jesus, and (3.) satan. 

First, themselves, ourselves. It is the Spirit who enables us to confess: I am a poor miserable sinner. The Spirit opens our eyes to see sin truly, and to see the sin in me. And to see the sin that is in the world and that chasing after that is not going to give me life. To the untrained, unspirited eye it looks like it; it looks fun and fulfilling and better than church and following God’s Word! But the spirited eye sees through that, and the spirited ear hears false gods that promise the world but in the end, give nothing but sadness, division, trouble, and death. Look around. The world’s a mess! Why? Maybe your life’s a mess. Why? Dry, dead bones.

And then second, the Spirit enables us to see Jesus as not just a prophet, a good man, or an example, which is what untrained, unspirited eyes can see - but as Saviour. As the one who came to get us out of this mess by taking our sin and death upon Himself and overcoming it, conquering it. Dying for us in what looked like defeat, but then rising for us in victory, to give us dry, dead bones life again. Those crowds in Jerusalem that first Pentecost knew only of the defeat; Peter preached to them of the victory. And by the Word and Spirit of God, dry, dead bones came to life. 

And third, by the work of the Spirit, we know satan rightly and truly. Which sounds odd, doesn’t it? How could we not know satan rightly and truly? But that is why so many fall for his lies today. His lies about where to find life and happiness and fulfillment, and that it’s not in Jesus and His Word and truth that you find these things, but anywhere and everywhere else - anywhere and everywhere that fulfills your heart, your desires, whatever you think is good and right and true. But all that comes of that - sooner or later - is dry, dead bones. Satan has been judged, thrown out of heaven. And those who follow him - knowingly or not - sadly, wind up the same way. But the Spirit enables us to see and hear where true life and true joys are found. Life and joys that last more that a minute or a day, but forever.

And this Spirit you have received. For while 3,000 were baptized on that first Pentecost, how many countless others have been since? As the Word and Spirit of God have gone out into all the world, and every time the Word is preached, and every time a person is baptized, and every time a person repents and is absolved, that dry valley full of dead bones becomes a little less dry, a little less dead, and a little less full. And the church becomes a little more full, with those baptized and so risen with Jesus from that dry, dead valley of sin and death and alive in Him. With eyes and ears spirited to see and hear and know Him as Lord and Saviour.

Spirited eyes and ears that will now also come to the Table today and see and hear and believe what others cannot - that here is not mere bread and wine, but the true Body and Blood of Jesus is fed to us and gives us that forgiveness, life, and salvation we need. That forgiveness, life, and salvation we need after we have once again stepped up and sat at the world’s table and partook of its sinful swill that we thought was going to be tasty and good! And while maybe it was at first, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. And it doesn’t satisfy, doesn’t fill you up, but leaves you empty. And you look around that table at those you thought were your friends, and realize they’re not - they’re only there for themselves. And even if they wanted, they can’t give you what you need. For what can dry, dead bones give you or do for you? 

But there is one who can, and at whose Table are the gifts we need and hunger for. Word and Spirit, water and word, bread and wine. An unseeing, unspirited world says: foolish, stupid, useless, dumb. But to those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear and spirited hearts, here is life. For here is Jesus. 

So on this Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out - a pouring out that has not ceased, but continues still today. And eyes and ears and hearts were spirited and opened, as they continue to be today. And dry, dead bones were raised to life, as they continue to be today. So while the mighty rushing wind and the little tongues that appeared as fire and the speaking in tongues may not be around today, the miracles of the Spirit continue. How do I know? Because you are here. Because I am here. That is the work of the Spirit. And that you resist the temptations of the world and of satan to sin, and that you repent when you give in, that is the work of the Spirit. And the love you give and the good works you do, that is the work of the Spirit. Which is why we say and sing so much today: Come, Holy Spirit! Fill fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. That’s what we need. That’s what all people need. And He did, He does, and He will. So that all may see and hear rightly and truly. That all call on the name of the Lord and be saved. That all have life, now and forever. 

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

The Congregation at Prayer

For the Week of Pentecost (May 20-25, 2024)

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

Speak the Apostles’ Creed. 

Verse: John 3:14-15 – ”As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

Hymn of the Week:  Lutheran Service Book #504 “Father Most Holy”

Hymns for Sunday: 876, 960, 504, 637, 953, 507, 941

Readings for the Week: [The readings for Thursday-Saturday are the Scriptures for this coming Sunday.]

Monday: Isaiah 57:15-21

How is God both high and low? Why is this good news for you? How is God your Saviour in both ways?

Tuesday: Isaiah 32:14-20

What has sin done to God’s people and city? How will the pouring out of the Spirit undo that? Why?

Wednesday: Psalm 29

How is God portrayed in this psalm? How do you see the trinity here? Is his power frightening or gracious or both? Why?

Thursday: Isaiah 6:1–8

Isaiah was terrified! Why? Should he have been? What then happened? What got taken away – Isaiah’s life or his fear? Why?

Friday: Acts 2:14a, 22–36

What does Peter preach? How does Peter preach? What is the basis of his preaching? What is the center of his preaching? Is this still true for us today? Why? Why is this important?

Saturday: John 3:1–17

Nicodemus wanted to be taught. Jesus wanted him to be born! What’s the difference? Why is this important?

The Catechism - The Lord’s Prayer,  Introduction – Our Father who art in heaven What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear Father.

Collect for the Week: Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen

The Prayers:  Please pray for . . .

+ yourself and for all in need (remembering especially those on our prayer list).

+ God’s blessing, wisdom, and guidance for our congregational recording secretary, TJ Myers.

+ the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church, for God’s wisdom, blessing, guidance, and provision.

+ God’s blessing, guidance, and provision for our Synod’s Veterans of the Cross program.

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer from the Catechism.

Now joyfully go about your day (or to bed) in good cheer, child of God!

Collect for the Week © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.

Lutheran Service Book Hymn License: 110019268

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“The Church as the Soul of the World”

Text: John 17:11b-19

 

Alleluia! Christ is ascended! [He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!] Alleluia!

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

Today we get to listen to Jesus pray. He isn’t teaching, He isn’t sparring with the Pharisees, He isn’t telling a parable - He’s praying. And when you pray, sometimes you pray a prepared prayer, like the Lord’s Prayer. But sometimes you just pray what’s on your heart. And that’s especially true when you’re in a stressful or scary situation. When a loved one is sick or in the hospital. When you have a big decision to make and you don’t know what to do. When you’re facing a frightening situation. At such times, what we pray reveals what’s in our hearts.

And then sometimes, we get to listen to someone else praying. And those times can be precious. Like when we get to hear a small child praying the Lord’s Prayer here at church with us, and we hear the faith being passed down to the next generation. When parents hear their child at night praying God bless mommy and daddy. Or when you’re in one of those difficult times and you’re drained and all prayed out, and someone prays for you and is strong for you just when you need them to be.

So to get to hear Jesus pray . . . we shouldn’t underestimate that. 

Now most of you know that Jesus prayed a lot. We hear that often in the Gospels, that Jesus goes off by Himself to pray. And most of you know of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him but they kept falling asleep. And when He was in agony over what was ahead, the sweat pouring from Him like great drops of blood. But this prayer of Jesus that we heard today came before that. It’s after this prayer of Jesus that John says they all went out and entered the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, Jesus is still with His disciples. He wants them to hear this. And that means He prays for them - He prays for us - first; before He prays for Himself. They are in His heart, as they always were. This is going to be a difficult time for them, so He prays for them. 

And the first thing Jesus prays for here is that His Father would keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. I fear that most of the time, when we hear those words, it is in a Rodney King, bumper sticker, kind of way. That Jesus wants us to all just get along, that we all coexist, that we accept and tolerate our differences and different beliefs. This is what the modern day ecumenical movement has been all about - that all the different beliefs of different denominations and even different religions don’t really matter. We just all need to join together and get along. And while sociologically that might have its benefits, that we get along with our neighbors and co-workers, if that spills over into our theology, it is catastrophic. And it is not what Jesus means at all.

For Jesus prays for His Father to keep us in His name, and by this, by keeping us in His name, that we may be one. So the oneness comes by His name, not in any other way, and certainly not in the name of any other gods - be they names of deities, or causes or movements that have become the gods of people’s lives. They can’t give us the oneness we need, or that Jesus is praying for here. For the oneness Jesus is praying for here is much deeper than that. For the oneness that is at the heart of the Scriptures is the oneness of marriage. When a biological man and a biological female are united and the two become one flesh. That’s the oneness the Son has with the Father, and the oneness He prays for us here - first and foremost with Him, and then, therefore, with one another. Because it is in His name. It isn’t to just get along or coexist, but to be united with Jesus and therefore to God in Baptism, where He puts His name on us, and we are therefore one with one another because we are one with Him. This is Jesus as the Bridegroom and His Church as the Bride image that is all over the Scriptures. A oneness in truth, and a oneness that cannot be broken.

Maybe the reason we don’t understand this anymore is because our understanding of marriage has been so damaged in our world today, where any two persons can get “married,” and that now usually means little more than co-habitation or procuring certain legal rights. If that’s all marriage is, then it ain’t much. But if it is a oneness like Christ and His Bride, the Church, where Jesus lays down His life for her and she joyfully submits to Him as the one who loves and serves only her as His own life . . . well, we could use a lot more marriages like that in our world today. That’s the oneness Jesus wants with you! And not just you, but all people. Which is pretty amazing, when you consider how sinful and (frankly) unloveable we can be.

Which brings us to a second thing Jesus prays for us here, and that the Father sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. To sanctify means to make holy. And notice here that Jesus doesn’t pray that the disciples make themselves holy - as if that’s something we can do! - but that the Father sanctify them. And that happens by the Word of God. The Word of God that makes us holy by the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness that Jesus is about to die on the cross for.

Now, when you talk about being holy, or sanctifying, or the biggest word of all, sanctification, many people think it is what we do. That it is the result of us leading a holy life. And while that is the result, that is not the cause. We are not the cause. The cause is God’s Word, His Absolution. And this misunderstanding - by the world and by Christians - is why, I think, many unbelievers think Christians are hypocrites. We talk about holy but we don’t lead holy lives. And they’re right. We don’t. We’re sinners, just like them. We need holy-ing, just like them. So if our holiness came from what we do, we’re sunk. 

But holiness doesn’t come from us. It never did. What is unholy cannot make itself holy. Go back to the Old Testament and think about the Tabernacle and the Temple. What was their purpose? It was to make the people holy. God dwelt with His people so that He could share His holiness with them and make them holy. And that didn’t change once Jesus came. All that changed is that the Temple of God was now no longer made of stones, but of flesh and bones! But that flesh and bones was about to die on the cross, rise from the dead, and as we celebrated this week, ascend into heaven. But He would still be present with us, now in His Word. His Word preached and proclaimed, and His Word attached to water and bread and wine. His Word through which the Holy Spirit would now work to make us sinful and (frankly) unloveable brides holy in the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus had done that, He says, while He was with them. But now He is going to the Father. 

So He prays for us. For our oneness, and our sanctification.

For while Jesus is going to the Father, they are not. Not yet. They must remain. So Jesus doesn’t pray for them to be taken out of the world, but - and here’s the third thing Jesus prays here for us - that His Father keep them from the evil one. Because when you’re one with God and forgiven and sanctified by His Word, you are going to have one very powerful and evil enemy, who is going to harass you and seduce you and do whatever He can to turn you against God or lure you away from Him. And this evil one, the devil, has a very influential and (perhaps you may think) unlikely ally - you! That is, your sinful flesh. The sin you were born with, that old Adam in you that keeps fighting against the new man of faith. Remember what St. Paul said about that? His frustration! That he knew what he should do and what he wanted to do, but his sinful flesh kept dragging him into sin anyway! Maybe you have felt that, too. Well, not maybe. You have. So Jesus prays for us, for protection. You’re sinful flesh is hard enough to fight, and then there is the pressure from the world around us, and the attacks of the devil! Who could stand? No one but Jesus. So He did. For us. He won the fight we couldn’t. So (1.) make them one with us, Father. And (2.) sanctify, forgive them, Father. And (3.) protect them, Father. Jesus praying to His Father for us.

But not just for us. Because Jesus goes on to say, As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. Because the world needs them. That’s why Jesus doesn’t pray for the Father to take them out of the world. The world needs them. And you. Because Christians are the soul of the world. Listen to this snippet from an early Christian letter that talks about this:

In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body but is not of the body. Likewise Christians dwell in the world but are not of the world.  . . . The flesh hates the soul and wages war against it, even though it has suffered no wrong, because it is hindered from indulging in its pleasures. Similarly the world also hates the Christians, even though it has suffered no wrong, because they set themselves against its pleasures. [But] The soul loves the flesh that hates it and its members, and Christians love those who hate them. The soul is enclosed in the body, but it holds the body together. And though Christians are detained in the world as if in a prison, they in fact hold the world together. . . . Such is the important position to which God has appointed them, and it is not right for them to decline it. (Letter to Diognetus, in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Vol. IVb, John 11-21, p. 244)

I don’t know if you ever thought of yourself in that way before, but that makes you and where you live and what you do pretty important. It is the Church being the salt, or the preservative, of the world, as Jesus also said (Matthew 5:13). Preserving the world from sin, death, and evil. And so it should be of no surprise to us that as the influence of the Church in the world wanes, the evil in the world rises.

And so for such an important task, Jesus has given His Church not only (1.) the oneness of Baptism into Him and (2.) the sanctification, or forgiveness, of His Word, but also (3.) the food of His Body and Blood to feed and strengthen us for this life. How else could we survive? But with a Bridegroom who lays down his life for us and loves and serves us, and who sends us His Spirit to sanctify us with His Word of forgiveness and life, and who feeds us with Himself that he live in us and we in Him, all that we need we have. And what the world needs, we are and have. And now we are sent out into the world, to our places, to our vocations, with the blessing of the Lord. His blessing to sustain us and the world. 

That’s what Jesus is praying for us. And how good for us to hear that! That as we come to the end of this Easter season and celebrate the sending of the Holy Spirit next week with the Feast of Pentecost, we not only live in confidence and faith for all that Jesus has done for us, but also in His purpose for our lives. That we are not just treading water until we die, but have a much more important purpose than that: to be the blessing of Jesus to the world. To be the soul of the world. To pray for the world as Jesus has prayed for us, and to proclaim His Word of truth, that all people may be one with us in Jesus, be sanctified with us in Jesus, and live with us in Jesus forever. That’s why Jesus came, and why Christ is risen! [He is risen indeed! Alleluia!] And why Christ is ascended! [He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!] Alleluia! And amen! That’s what we say at the end of prayers. Amen! To end this Easter season. And Amen! Let it be so with us.

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

Sermon on the Eve of the Ascension of Our Lord

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Our Hope In Life For Life”

Text: Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11

 

Alleluia! Christ is ascended! [He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!] Alleluia!

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

The Ascension of Our Lord is both one of the most important - and most forgotten - days in the life of the church. It is the completion of the resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead not to stay here in this earthly life filled with sin, sorrow, and sadness, but to return to the Father and to His kingdom, which He is preparing for us. Jesus ascends into heaven not for Himself, but for us, that we, too, ascend. He lives that we live. He rises that we rise. He ascends that we ascend. It is all for you. To give you hope. The hope that we need

I don’t think I need to tell you that. But I did, just in case. Because I think we can lay many of the world’s problems today on an absence of hope. My life is hopeless or my situation is hopeless so I am going to end my life. This pain I feel - whether it is of the body, of the mind, or of the spirit - is too much for me. I have no hope of it getting better, so I will turn to drugs. And from drugs often grows addiction, and from addiction, crime, and then poverty, homelessness, and death. There is no hope for my spouse, for my marriage, for our problems, so I will end it; get a divorce. 

And what else? Where else is hopelessness felt in our world today? Felt maybe even by you? And what happens then? Hopelessness drives us into the arms of false gods. This will be the answer to my problems. The desire to have more. The desire to fit in. The desire to be someone. And when these things I have put my hope in don’t work, or don’t work for long, my hopelessness increases, driving me either farther into the arms of false gods, or to despair that there is any hope for me at all, in this hard, cruel, sinful world.

Our age, our generation, is not the first to be so afflicted. In Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian Christians, we heard his desire that [they] may know what is the hope to which [the Father] has called [them], what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. That is, the answer to our hopelessness is not only Jesus’ resurrection, but also His ascension. That Jesus, our brother, who took on our human nature, lived as we do, and knows all that we are going through - all the temptations and problems and struggles - this Jesus, our Jesus, is now far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And [the Father] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

If that is true - and it is! - then nothing is hopeless. No life, no situation, is beyond hope or help. Because Jesus is on the throne. Jesus is ruling all things for the good of His Christians and His Church. 

Now that is an article of faith, right? Because if you look around at the world and look at your life, it may not seem like it! It may not seem like Jesus is ruling all things for your good! Or if He is, He’s not doing a very good job of it. We’d certainly do things differently! But isn’t that what Adam and Eve thought? And did? Their differently didn’t turn out so good. Peter didn’t want Jesus to go to the cross! That differently certainly wouldn’t have worked out so good. In fact, all through the Bible, every time someone thinks God isn’t doing it right and that different would be better, and does that different . . . it doesn’t turn out so good. From Moses to David to Judas to . . . us. So maybe the problem isn’t Jesus. Maybe we need our hearts to be enlightened to see things in a new way. That God doesn’t need to do things differently. We do.

I think we get a glimpse of this with the account of Jesus’ ascension. When you read the account of Jesus’ ascension in Matthew, it says that when they gathered together that day in Galilee, they worshiped Him, but some doubted (Matthew 28:17). But then we heard today from Luke that after Jesus ascended, they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. You would think that Jesus leaving them would cause sadness, not joy, and certainly not great joy - or mega joy, which is how the Greek puts it. But it did. They were joy-full, not hope-less. Because Jesus was now on the throne.

Which doesn’t, of course, means the disciples had an easy life! You know they didn’t. They were arrested, beaten, and most of them martyred. But they were never hope-less. Because no matter what happened to them here and now, they had a future that was secure, they had a life that could not end. They knew that just as Jesus had risen, so would they. Just as Jesus has ascended, so would they. Just as Jesus reigns, so would they. Therefore suffering and martyrdom was not a horrible end to be avoided at all costs, but now more like a stubbed toe on the road to eternal life. Painful! But insignificant compared to the glory waiting for them.

And waiting for you! For you have that same promise of glory. In Baptism your hearts were enlightened, or illumined, by the Holy Spirit, to know your Saviour and the hope He brings. You are catechized; your minds, too, opened, like the disciples, to know all that He has done for you, how He has fulfilled all the Scriptures. When you stumble and fall into sin you are lifted up in His absolution. And you are given a seat here at His Table, to be fed by Him. For you have not a God far away someplace in the heavens, who may or may not see you or know what you are going through or care, but a God who is here. At hand. His hand reaching out to you, to baptize, absolve, and feed. To fill you with Himself, His life, and His hope.

Luke told his beloved Theophilus that his first book, his Gospel, dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. That is, that all he said in his Gospel was just the beginning. Jesus isn’t done. He is ascended, but He isn’t done. He is ascended, but He isn’t gone. He is ascended and ruling all things for you; for your good. That even though you sin, that even though others sin against you, that even though you struggle, you never be hope-less. Because none of those things can win. For all of those things were overcome by Jesus in His death, resurrection, and ascension. And though they afflict you now, you, too, will overcome them. In Jesus. That though they seem like great calamities now . . . and I don’t want to belittle what you are going through. But whatever you are going through now - even if it be martyrdom, like the disciples - it is in reality but stubbed toes on your way to the life and glory Jesus has prepared for you.

That is the lesson I think the disciples learned, that turned their doubting into joy. And it is the lesson we must all learn - and constantly re-learn! - as well. All our lives. That the devil’s strength is a mere show, while the seeming weakness of Jesus’ cross is our true strength, and our victory. Jesus resurrection and ascension show that. So there is our hope. All hope. Our hope is not in success, not in wealth, not in ease, not in happiness, not in anything else in this world and life or what it may offer us. All of that can - and will - only fail us and drive us in the end to despair. But in Jesus, we have hope. And with that hope, joy. And it will not disappoint.

So the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And we return to our usual lives with great joy. They did, and we do, for one reason only - because Christ is ascended! [He is ascended indeed!] And through stubbed toes and all, and even a martyrdom or two, we know the victory is ours.

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