Sermon - Reformation Day (Observed) - Psalm 46

 

This Reformation Day we take a closer look at the appointed Psalm for the day, Psalm 46.  “God is our refuge and strength.” “The God of Jacob is our fortress.”  These words in particular inspired Martin Luther to write his great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  The hymn is a sort of paraphrase of Psalm 46, and a profound sermon in its own right.

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.

A refuge is a place where you go when the going gets tough.  That’s our God! A place of safety in a time of danger.  He is our strength – that is also to say that we, ourselves, have no strength to speak of.  When trouble comes, He is our help – our only hope.  But he is present with us, not far off, but ever near.  By his word, and in his sacraments, he is with us always, even to the end of the age.

² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

This world is a scary place, because it’s broken by sin.  We, ourselves, are broken by sin.  The creation, the earth, the mountains, the seas – all of it seems against us.  If the very ground beneath your feet isn’t a sure place to stand, then, what?  If the mountains themselves tremble when the flood waters threaten, then how can we survive?  But we will not fear.  Because God is our refuge and strength.  And he who created earth and sea and all that is – he is our help in time of trouble.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.

And now a picture of a better place, a peaceful home – the city of God.  The dwelling place of God with his people.  It has a river, it has everything we need.  Most importantly, God is present there with us, in the midst of her, ready to help when morning dawns.  Just around the corner.

The Book of Revelation keys in on this imagery, too.  It pictures our eternal home, our heavenly dwelling, as an idealized Jerusalem.  The city of God in which there’s no suffering or fear or anything impure.  More than just a safe place to hide, it is a place to delight and rejoice.  And with all the earth shaking and quaking and mountains quivering like pudding, the people of the city of God shall not be moved.  What a contrasting picture.

⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

But it’s not just the creation that is against us – the mountains and seas.  The nations rage.  There are enemies out there, angry and raging foes who would take our lives.  Enemies of the church.  Enemies of the Gospel.  Ready to ridicule and ostracize, persecute and oppose.  That’s why even Luther had to hide out in the Wartburg Castle for a time. 

And even worse, our real struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces behind the scenes.  Kingdoms and powers, devils all the world may fill, all eager to devour us.  And of course, they work under the influence of the Old Evil Foe himself, who wants nothing good for us, only death and despair. Deadly woe.

But God is our refuge and strength.  Therefore we shall not fear.  Our Old Evil Foe is judged, the deed is done, one little word can fell him.

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.

You think the fearsome armies of evil have the upper hand?  Oh, no.  Come behold the works of the Lord.  Look, just look and see what our God does to them.  He brings desolations on the earth.  That is to say, he destroys our enemies in the most decisive fashion.  He makes wars cease, even to the ends of the earth.  He even destroys the weapons of war, the bow, the spear, the chariot, so that no further war can be made.  The enemy is utterly undone, by the Lord, the God of Jacob, our helper in time of trouble.

But look what Luther does with this in his hymn:  He further describes and identifies the Valiant One, whom God himself elected.  Our champion in the fight!  Our representative on the field of battle!  The one, the only one who can and does bring us the victory.  Ask ye, “who is this?”  Jesus Christ it is!  Of Sabbaoth Lord, that is, the Lord of the heavenly armies.  With legions and legions of angels at his beck and call, an army far more fierce than anything the old serpent can say.  This is not even a fair fight.  Christ wins the victory, he wins it for us, and he holds the field forever.

And ask ye, how does he do it?  How does our Champion defeat the Old Evil Foe, and all the raging nations, the angry fallen nature and the sin at the root of it all?  With one little word, the word of the Gospel.  It’s not the usual weapons of war, or the every-day way to fight a battle.  Our Champion wins by losing his life.  He defeats death by dying.  He destroys the forces of evil by taking all sin on himself, and submitting to destruction on the cross.  And thus he rescues us from sin, death and the power of the devil.  Thus he secures for us an eternal victory. 

So, we too must let the one little word remain – the word of the gospel – the little word that can fell the ancient dragon.  It’s why we Christians need no take up spear and bow, or sword or gun.  Christ fights the battle for us, and only calls us to hear and believe the word.  There’s not fevered anxiety about this fight.  There’s a calmness in the midst of it – even if the enemy rages and arrows are whizzing by our heads.  He says:

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God.

Profound and simple words of faith.  Be still.  Trust.  He’s got this.  No sin can condemn you.  No devil can vex you.  Not even death can end you.  Be still.  And know, be certain and confident, that he is God.  He’s your God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”

The final victory is his.  He, our God, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is exalted among the nations, as the Gospel goes for the and disciples are made by baptizing and teaching.  He is exalted in the earth, when on the last day he returns in glory, and ushers in the new heaven and new earth, the eternal home for all who belong to him. 

¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

The refrain repeats, the same words that began the psalm.  The Lord of hosts is with us;  we are not alone.  He and his heavenly forces stand with us.  And we stand safe and secure in him, our fortress.  A mighty fortress is our God.  And Christ holds the field, for us, forever.  The kingdom ours remaineth.

Amen.

 

 

Sermon - Pentecost 22 - Matthew 10:23-31

 

Today's Gospel reading follows immediately after last week's, when Jesus lovingly tried to call the rich young man to repentance. “If you want to enter the kingdom, go sell everything you have” and the man went away sad, for he was very rich. And now, Jesus comments on the incident, and on the broader problem of those with great riches entering the kingdom. And his disciples are amazed.

Why were they amazed by this? Perhaps because then, like now, we look at those with wealth and riches in a certain light. We see wealth and riches as a mark of success and perhaps even a sign of God's favor.

We Americans are especially susceptible to this kind of thinking. We are the world's superpower, and even in a down economy, the wealthiest country in the world. Our standard of living is among the highest, and we enjoy many physical blessings just by living here. Even our poor people are quite well off by a worldly standard. So the easy thing to think is, God must favor us. He must be rewarding us, as a nation, for our great values on freedom and equality. We're so wonderful aren't we? God must really love this country the most.

Well maybe you're not so convinced. But what about when we look at worldly success in the church? Look at the churches that are successful, and have it made – in terms of money and people. The happening places, the bigger the better. Yes, they have the nicest buildings, the best parking lots, the newest sound systems. And the people are going there in droves – look they have so many young people and now they need to build and expand again and.... you might think... that God is really blessing that congregation because of its worldly success, its wealth. A sign of God's favor. But be careful. Bigger isn't always better, more isn't always more favored, and these outward trappings of success can easily be as much a sign of problems in the church.

Or even as an individual. Even when we look at ourselves. For many others might consider us to be wealthy. But don't we think we've earned it? Don't we tell ourselves we deserve all the nice things we have? We've worked for them. We take care of our things. We give back... somewhat... We know how to handle money. We have lots of handy reasons and rationalizations- but in the end it's the same lie – that God likes me better, that he's giving me all these good things because I deserve them. That whatever success and wealth and “stuff” I have in life is mine and I earned it.

But Jesus throws a monkey wrench in all that. For those rich people, for those successful people, and even for you and me. How difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! And if you're rich – well – all the more. It's easier for a camel - the largest animal (perhaps they weren't familiar with elephants and dinosaurs) to go through the smallest opening. It's a ridiculous thought. It's physically impossible.

And notice the disciples' reaction. “Then who can be saved?!” See, it's not that they considered themselves rich, but they thought that wealth was a sign of God's favor. And if even the ones God blesses with riches can't enter the kingdom, than what about poor little old me? If those who are successful can't even do it, then what about me – I struggle from day to day. I can't keep my ducks in a row. I can't handle my problems. I can't even control myself. I'm a mess. I'm a sinner.

This is what Jesus is looking for. They are starting to realize the problem. They need him. You need him. Despair of your own efforts, your own works, your own value and worth. If even the rich and powerful and successful and glamorous are shut out of the kingdom, if not even those far “better” than you and I can get in... then we are sunk. On our own, we are lost. Without God, it is impossible.

“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Once the despair starts to set in, the helplessness and hopelessness of their situation, Jesus starts to open the door for the Gospel. He begins to explain that while yes, it is impossible for you, even for the rich man, to enter the kingdom... with God, it's possible. It's possible, and it's a reality, in Jesus Christ... but first Peter interrupts....

“Lord, we've left everything to follow you...” Maybe this is the trick, Peter reasons. Maybe it's not being rich, but being poor that earns God's favor. Maybe it's leaving everything behind. Maybe it really is selling all your stuff and going to live in a monastery, or serving amongst the poor of Calcutta. 

But it's not that either. It's never been about having the things or not having the things. It's never been about being rich or poor, successful or not. Or about where you live and how big your house or small your checkbook. God desires all men to be saved. God blesses rich and poor alike with the blessings that truly count. It's about the heart, it's about the faith, it's about Jesus.

Jesus, who truly left everything behind, when he left his throne in heaven to be born a lowly human and laid in a lowly manger. Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the son of man had no where to rest his head. He had no wealth or beauty that we should regard him, but humiliated himself – stricken, smitten, afflicted, chastised and condemned. Even his garments were stripped from him at the end. A man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. Hardly a worldly success story. He who was first became last of all... at the cross.

This is how God does the impossible. This is how God gets the rich and the poor and even you through the eye of the needle into the kingdom of heaven – through the cross. Through the impossible thought of God becoming Man, and the Creator dying for the creature, the one without sin, taking the sins of all. And through death, bringing forth life. Impossible? Not with God. Not with Jesus Christ. Not with silver or gold, but with his holy precious blood.

And this faith will lead us who believe to fear, love, and trust in him above all things. Above all material wealth and riches. It may mean literally leaving some things behind. Or it may mean simply repenting of putting these idols before the true God. Christ is worth far more to us than “houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands”. And Christ promises us far more than any of that in the kingdom to come.

But he also mentions persecution. Before the bright shiny day at the end of the tunnel, there are persecutions. Christians can expect that the life of faith brings trouble, hardship, and persecution. People won't regard us like they regard the rich – with awe and admiration. The world won't roll out the red carpet for the followers of Jesus.

In the kingdom of God things aren't always as they seem. The rich aren't always the ones with God's favor. And the persecuted and troubled aren't always the ones out of favor. The last are sometimes first, and the first are sometimes last. And even the extraordinary, the incredible, the impossible.... is possible, and very real. Even for you the sinner, salvation is sure, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his name, Amen.

Sermon - Pentecost 21 - Mark 10:2-16

 

One of those little aphorisms they taught us at seminary was something like this, “ministry happens in the interruptions.”  In other words, don’t be surprised when the most important things you do to serve people as a pastor are unplanned, and not part of the “normal” routines, not something that you think is important or necessary, but something that happens when some need arises or some question needs an answer.  It’s part of the reason I like to keep my office door open as much as possible – I’ve actually learned to appreciate the “interruptions.”

Well, today, as Jesus is setting out on a journey, he is interrupted.  A rich young man comes running up and kneels before Jesus in what appears to be quite a show.  He has, also, quite a question, and really an important one for him and for all people who would be saved.  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

From the outset we can see something is amiss with this young man.  He calls Jesus, “Good teacher” and Jesus pushes back on that.  “Why do you call me good?  No one is good except God alone.”  Now, of course, Jesus isn’t denying that he is good, OR that he is God.  But with his question he begins to unravel this man’s self-righteousness. The rich young man will go on to show that he doesn’t recognize true goodness, nor does he see in Jesus anything more than a “good teacher.”  If only he would see him as the Son of God, the Savior. 

Nonetheless, he engages the question.  What must I do to inherit eternal life?  Jesus points him to the commandments.

We might notice that Jesus begins here with the second table of the law, those commandments that have to do with our love for our neighbor.  And we will get to those in a minute.  But what about the first table of the law?  Why not address that?  It seems Jesus has already done so, at least in part, by challenging the man’s understanding of who God is – no one is good but God alone.  No one is deserving of our fear, love and trust, but God alone.  No one’s name is to be holy, but God alone.  No one’s word is worth gathering around, week in and week out, but God alone.  There is no other source of good for us in life, but every good and perfect gift comes down from above, that is to say, from God.  And no one comes to the Father, except through the Son.

But to the point, Jesus says, “you know the commandments…” and then he summarizes the second table in loose fashion:

Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.

And now we see just how twisted up this young man is, for he claims, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

We know better, don’t we?  You may not have murdered someone, but you’ve hurt and harmed your neighbor, even if only in thoughts, but likely also in words and deeds. 

You might not have outwardly committed adultery, but what goes on in the darkness of your heart would be shameful even to mention. 

You can say you haven’t borne false witness, but that would be a false witness itself, as each of us drags our neighbor’s good name through the mud when it suits us. 

Honor your father and mother.  Yes, you probably love your parents, but that doesn’t mean you have always honored them, nor does it mean you always respect and honor the other authorities God places over you. 

In short, you, and I, and all people must admit, “all these I have broken from my youth.”  We must stand before Jesus and confess our sins, rather than rationalize our own goodness.  And he, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How frustrated our Lord must have been when the man failed to see his sin in light of the commandments.  He doesn’t know what good is, and he doesn’t know God rightly.  He thinks he loves his neighbor, but he doesn’t.  And he worships another god, his wealth.  And so Jesus gives it one last shot.  He zeroes in on this man’s great idol, and aims for the very foundations.  “You lack one thing.  Sell all your stuff and give to the poor, then come follow me.”

Whatever you won’t give up to follow Jesus, that’s your idol.  That’s your god.  For many people it’s wealth, for others its power or pleasure or social standing.  But there’s only room enough for one God in the human heart, and no man can serve two masters – it’s God or money.  And this man went away sad, for he had great wealth.  It seems, at least at that moment, he couldn’t forsake his false god and follow the true God.

And though some might say it’s cruel to trouble people about their sins, notice that Mark says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”  He doesn’t rub his nose in the commandments out of hatred.  He doesn’t call him to repent of his idolatry out of malice.  The call to repent is a loving call to turn from the self-destruction of sin, and the deceit of self-righteousness, to turn to Christ and live.  For Jesus loved him.  And Jesus loves you, too.

Greater love has no one than this: that he would lay down his life for his friends.  Greater good has no one done than this:  that he gave up his life for us all.  The cross is the only answer the debt of sin that we’ve incurred, but Jesus spends everything he has to pay it – even his holy, precious blood. 

Jesus preaches some strong law today, to the rich young man and to all men and women, even to us.  But he’s also the bringer of the best good news, the salvations that comes through him and him alone. He looks at us, and loves us, too.

Christ, for his part, kept all these laws from his youth.  He always helped and supported his neighbor in bodily need.  He never committed adultery.  He never took what wasn’t his.  He always honored his father and mother.  He kept and fulfilled every law to every detail, like us in every way yet without sin.  He lived a life of perfect righteousness from conception to birth to adulthood.  In his work in his rest, on his own and with so many others.  He always, always, did right, did good, and never sinned.

And the one who alone is good, and who is himself God, gives that righteousness to us, as a gift, a blessing, yes, an inheritance.  Not to be earned, not to be won by great effort or willpower.  Only by pure grace.

What must I do to inherit eternal life?  Answer:  Nothing.  Believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.  Trust him who has done it all for you.  It’s an inheritance, after all, something you get when someone dies.  And the Good Teacher did just that.  He died for your inheritance, and he rose to pave the way for your eternal life.

Sermon - Pentecost 20 - Mark 10:2-16

 

Our congregation has, for many years, observed an annual “life Sunday.”  Of course, we teach, as the Bible does, that life is precious and that from conception we are created in the image of God.  It’s a teaching that many reject today, an unpopular teaching in a culture of death where personal choice reigns supreme.

Perhaps, in a similar way, we need to start observing a “Marriage and Family Sunday.”   Our appointed readings today invite just such a thing. 

Jesus teaches us the importance of marriage, and warns against divorce and adultery.  He speaks this little axiomatic phrase, “What God has joined together, let man not separate” or “put asunder.”  And then he goes on to discuss children, indignant that the disciples tried to shoo the children away, and eager to give those little ones his blessing. 

Marriage and family are under duress in our culture.  But to some extent they always have been.  Adam and Eve didn’t even have the perfect marriage.  Adam failed to protect his wife from the lies of the serpent.  And Eve brought Adam into her sin by sharing the forbidden fruit.  Ever since then, all of Adam and Eve’s children have struggled with the effects of sin, yes, even in the family.  Even their own children saw it, when Cain murdered his brother Abel, and was sent into exile.

Today it’s not just divorce that troubles marriage, but marriage itself has been re-defined, and continues to evolve, at least in the minds of our unbelieving secular world.  No longer a life-long union of one man and one woman, no longer respected as holy and sacred as an institution established by God.  But more and more, marriage is seen as a self-serving, self-defined, completely customizable and entirely disposable human arrangement. 

No longer is it recognized that God makes us male and female, but now each person is free, we are told, to choose their orientation and their gender, in an ever swirling chaos of individual self-determination disconnected from nature, genetics, and reality.

But this is not just a sermon to make us feel good about how bad the culture is and how good we Christians are in contrast.  Sure, we must point out the depravity out there and reject it.  But let’s not pass over the depravity and sin in here, in each of our hearts, and expressed in our own sinful thoughts, words and deeds.  The truth is, we, too, dishonor marriage and family in many ways.  The truth is, we, too, must repent of our rejection and mismanagement of God’s gifts.

In Luther’s explanation to the 6^th commandment he not only reminds us that we should lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we do and say, but also that husband and wife should love and honor each other.  There’s a tall order, if you think about it!

Married people almost certainly sin against each other more than they do against anyone else, just because you share your day to day life, and we sin so much.  We do not love our spouses as we should, in thought, word or deed.  We do things that hurt them, and we don’t do everything we should to help them. 

In terms of Ephesians 5:  Husbands fail in their God-given leadership role, and do not love our wives like Christ loves his bride the church.  We do not, as we should, lay down our life for her. 

And wives often fail in their God-given role as helper, sometimes disrespecting the husband.  Sometimes rather acting as usurper, taking the headship that belongs to the husband, refusing to submit as Holy Scripture teaches.

Thanks be to God, that all of us have the forgiveness of Christ won at the cross, a forgiveness deep enough to cover even the smoking rubble of a failed marriage.  A forgiveness wide enough to cover the multitude of sins we commit in this and every area of life.  Christ is, after all, the True Bridegroom, who purifies his bride the Church, and presents her to himself holy and blameless.

And it is in this forgiveness that we live, as Christian husbands and wives, and as Christian single people.  And it is this forgiveness that we share and freely apply to those who sin against us.

He gives us the earthly gift of marriage, which stands as a reminder of the heavenly reality of the blessed union between Christ and the Church, between God and his people, and of his all-surpassing love for us.

And then, it seems no accident that right after he deals with marriage, our Lord makes some comments about children.  For that is his design, that children are a fruit of the marital union.  The two become one flesh, in a most literal way, when God blesses them with a new life, fruitful and multiplying.

But not everyone welcomes children.  Today we see declining birth rates, which must represent, at least in part, a growing self-centeredness of our culture.  Rather than seeing children as a blessing from God, some see children as a hindrance to career and financial well-being, expensive and inconvenient obstacles to living life to the fullest.  We could not disagree more.

One of the greatest blessings in life is to welcome a child into your family, and to bring that child to Jesus.  That’s a huge part of what we are about at Messiah, and why we go to the trouble and expense of operating a Christian school.  We want to honor Jesus’ words to the fullest, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” 

We want children, our children, and all children, to hear the Word of God, to learn the Word of God, to believe the Word of God, and to always grow in the Word of God.  We want what is best for them, and nothing could be better than bringing them, through God’s word, to Jesus.

Jesus has a special place for children, and he commends them as examples of faith.  “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child cannot enter it.”  And so in a sense we must all become like children, we must receive the kingdom as children.  A child-like faith, trusting, as children trust their parents.  A child-like faith, which comes without pride and arrogance, but knowing nothing and ready to be taught.  A child-like faith which receives, gratefully, what the Father provides.

Just as marriage serves as a picture for us of heavenly realities, and of God’s love for his people – so too do children remind us that in Christ we are made children of God, and heirs of a heavenly kingdom. 

Therefore, Christians, let us honor marriage, and receive children with thanksgiving.  Let us hold up these precious gifts of God for the blessing they are – and for the greater blessings they reflect.  Husbands love your wives.  Wives love your husbands.  Children, honor your father and mother.  And parents, love your children by bringing them to Jesus.  He will bless them, and you.