On "Statements of Faith"

I think it is good for Christians to state their faith. As a Lutheran, I state, or confess, my faith freely and publicly. I say what I believe, for my own benefit and for others. And because, frankly, Jesus Christ tells us to confess him before men (Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8).

Some Baptists would say, "I make no statement of faith except the Bible". This paradoxical statement is itself a statement of faith, isn't it? Even so, it's not very handy. Shorter confessions of faith help us to define and differentiate what people teach about what the Bible actually says. Does the Bible teach that God is Triune or not? Is Jesus the Son of God, or not?

Others feel free to write their own statements of faith - and while this isn't forbidden (if those statements accord with God's word) - it may not always be most helpful. Isn't it better to subscribe to those time-tested universal Christian confessions known as the Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostle's, Nicene and Athanasian)?

Still many who confess the three Creeds would differ on important points. So we Lutherans subscribe to the Augsburg Confession, for instance, and the Book of Concord. These longer statements of faith express more clearly what we believe God's Word actually says. But we shorthand this confession as well, even by saying, "I'm a Lutheran" or "I'm a Confessional Lutheran".

I've been thinking a bit about the seemingly ubiquitous statements of faith that emerge from generic Evangelical American Christianity. You can see some examples here and here and here. Then there was the Christian Musician who emailed offering to come to our church for a concert.

Well, you get the idea. Once in a while members of our congregation will see these statements and ask me, "Pastor, don't we believe the same?" Of course, the answer isn't always so simple.

As my wife and I have been looking to homeschool beginning next Fall, we came across a local homeschool organization. They also have a "statement of faith" that we'd be required to sign if we join. Here it is:

Statement of Faith:

1.We believe the Bible is the infallible, inerrant Word of God, and it is the supreme and final authority for all matters of faith and life.

2.We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father , Son, and Holy Spirit.

3.We believe in the perfect deity and perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His bodily return in power and glory.

4.We believe that man was created in the image of God, but chose to sin and Is therefore lost and only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone are saved.

5.We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and is received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose substitutionary death on the cross paid the penalty for man's sin, through His shed blood.

6.We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of their sin, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.

7.We believe in the spiritual unity of believers through our common faith in Jesus Christ.

So some further thoughts:

Like many LCMS Lutherans, I find myself largely, if not entirely in agreement with many of these kinds of statements. We share much with conservative, Bible-believing Christians from many other denominations (or non-denominations).

Here's the rub. Notice what is usually conspicuously absent from these statements? If you are a dyed-in-the-wool Lutheran, you'll probably read them and scream in your head, "BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SACRAMENTS?"

I don't know why any one such group or person omits Baptism or the Lord's Supper from a statement of faith like these. But I figure it's one of two reasons. A) To be generic enough to avoid offending those who hold differing views on the sacraments, or B) Because the sacraments just aren't that important to their faith system.

I did note that the Campus Crusade for Christ statement mentioned "ordinances", which is a "red-flag" to a very different theology about Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Even the different terminology (ordinance vs. sacrament) shows this.

A trained theologian can also get a whiff of some other distinctions that may lie behind the statements - but often by what is NOT said as much as by what is.

What is fascinating to me, is that many who put forward such statements do so to differentiate themselves from liberal Christianity and from Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Fair enough. But by the same token they want to minimize distinctions, it seems, within the certain bounds of conservative Christianity. It seems a bit inconsistent.

So, my questions for thought:

Can, or how can, a Lutheran, in good conscience subscribe to or agree with such a statement of faith? Surely it depends somewhat on the specifics of the particular statement. But in general, should we be signing on to something that doesn't fully confess what Lutherans do? That leaves out key teachings for the sake of an outward agreement or the appearance of such?

Could a Lutheran sign something like this with a "p.s., I also believe in the sacraments...." (if the group would allow it)?

...Oh, and I believe the Holy Spirit does all of that.... but His main work is to call us to faith in Christ by the Gospel.

...Oh yes, I believe in the "spiritual unity of all Christians" (we call it the "invisible church" or the Una Sancta), but Scripture also teaches that we are called to flee from error and have nothing to do with false teachers. That's why I belong to a particular denomination that confesses the truth rightly and clearly. Doesn't signing a vague statement which can purposely cover many different views run counter to that?

In fact, Lutherans have gone through this whole debate before. Phillip Melancthon and the Altered Augsburg Confession come to mind. He wanted to make our distinctive confession of the Sacrament more palatable to Calvinist Christians. But the Gnesio (genuine) Lutherans rejected this approach. That's why so many of our congregations bear the "UAC" moniker today - the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. Isn't this the same issue all over again?

Lenten Series - Seven Deadly Sins - All the Links

Pride - Ash Wednesday

Envy - (I was out of town, Pastor Poppe preached this one, sorry I don't have the text)

Lust - Midweek 3

Anger - Midweek 4

Gluttony - Midweek 5

Greed - Midweek 6

Sloth - Maundy Thursday

Remember Your Baptism!

Remember your Baptism!

“It will therefore be no small gain to a penitent to remember above all his baptism, and, confidently calling to mind the divine promise which he has forsaken, acknowledge that promise before his lord, rejoicing that he is still within the fortress of salvation because he has been baptized, and abhorring his wicked ingratitude in falling away from its faith and truth. His heart will find wonderful comfort and will be encouraged to hope for mercy when he considers that the promise which God made to him, which cannot possibly lie, is still unbroken and unchanged, and indeed, cannot be changed by sins, as Paul says (II Tim.2:13): 'If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” - Martin Luther.

With Dr. Luther I encourage you to remember your baptism!

I write this note on a rainy April morning. But while April showers bring May flowers, they also remind me of Holy Baptism – like rain, a gift from Heaven. Like rain, a gift we neither control nor may grasp for, but it gratefully received from God. Like rain, it cleanses and gives life. But unlike the passing rain-shower, our Baptism is a constant blessing which remains as sure as God's word of promise.

So many Christians regard their baptism as an event in the past – a right of passage with little value. It's a special time to welcome a baby, or a ceremony that reminds us of God's love, or even a “fire insurance policy” that loses meaning or power once we are adults. But Holy Baptism is so much more.

It is God's promise to you – and that never fails. That promise never becomes irrelevant. You never grow out of it. You may reject it, of course. You may turn away and go astray – but God will never turn his back on you. He will remain faithful despite our unfaithfulness. We are the sinners, but he is the forgiver of sins. We are wayward children, but our patient and loving Father always calls us back to his “fortress of salvation”, and comforts us with those baptismal promises.

Thank God for his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whose death and resurrection win for us such blessings! Thank God for the gift of Holy Baptism, a great and daily comfort for forgiven sinners like you and me.

Sermon - Matthew 28:1-10 - Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:1-10
Easter
April 24th, 2011
“Here's What Victory Looks Like”

October 23rd, 2001. Monday Night Football. The New York Jets hosted their divisional rivals, the Miami Dolphins. The nation was watching, and your football obsessed pastor was watching. But it was looking bad for the Jets, as the Dolphins had taken an early lead. Still, some had hope. At Halftime, Arnold Schwarzenegger made an appearance in the announcers' booth and predicted a Jets victory. “The I think as usual the Jets are going to come from behind, you will see... I think the Dolphins have to be terminated.”

Going into the 4th Quarter, the Jets were behind by 30-7, and it seemed so hopeless that fans started to leave the stadium in droves, and even your football obsessed pastor turned off the TV and went to bed. The game finally ended at 1:30 in the morning, in overtime, when the Jets made an amazing comeback. They won with a final score of 40-37. It would go down in history as the “Monday Night Miracle”. And yet so many of us missed it, because we had given up hope.

Today is Easter. Today we celebrate a far greater victory. Today we mark the Sunday Morning Miracle that is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has conquered the enemy. He has terminated death itself. And now that he is risen, our victory is assured! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed, Alelluia!)

It looked bad. It looked like game over. The Enemy had won. Jesus was defeated. They finally arrested him. But he didn't run away. The questioned him, but he didn't answer their charges. They crucified him, but he didn't deserve it. They mocked him, “Come down from the cross!” but he stayed up there. Why? Because he was doing battle. He was fighting – for you. Yes, by suffering and dying he was conquering death by death. He was destroying sin by becoming sin. He was taking away punishment by taking the punishment we deserved.

And then he died. This wasn't how they thought it would end. They were looking forward to glory, thrones, trumpets, revelry – victory! But in the darkness of a Friday afternoon they took his body down, wrapped it up, hastily buried him in a tomb, sealed it up and went away in despair. What a letdown! What a defeat.

Still under that cloud of sorrow, some women came to finish their job – to give him a proper burial, spices and all. But despair deepened when they saw his body had been stolen - or so they thought. Does it get any worse, any lower, any more insult to injury?

But it's always darkest before the dawn. These women, and those disciples, and now we too – are about to see what victory looks like!

An angel appears – and then another. “Don't be afraid. Jesus isn't here. Yes, I know he was crucified – but he is risen from the dead, just like he said! He's not here because he is alive. He's back. See the place where he lay.”

Yes, look and see – what does victory look like? It looks like an empty tomb. Grave clothes neatly folded up. No stench of death. No sound of mourning. No corpse to see. Jesus leaves death behind, and in that empty tomb we see our victory.

“Go to Galilee, and you will see him” the angel told them. And would they ever! Jesus would spend 40 more days alive on this earth, appearing to his disciples here and there, and in Galilee. He would show them, prove to them, that he was and is alive! This was no delusion of a few crazy women. This was proof positive of his triumph and our life.

And as they went, joyfully, they even met Jesus. They saw him. They worshiped him. And he greeted them with kindness, and told them not to be afraid. And he told them to go and tell others, so that they too would see. And so the women did. Many others saw, and believed.

And while we haven't seen, we still know the victory. We see it with the eyes of faith. Jesus Christ is alive.

Sometimes we may give up hope. Sometimes it seems all is lost. Daily life can be discouraging. Fears and pains are common. Grief is no stranger to us. We know the darkness. And we know our sins. Struggle as we might, we can't escape them. They keep haunting us and plaguing us. We can't get it right, no matter how hard we try. And death is always before us. The clock is ticking. Time is running out. The fans are starting to leave the stadium.

But don't give up hope. For Jesus pulled it off! He has won the victory. Not just for himself, but for you! This is what YOUR victory looks like – an empty tomb. A risen Savior!

When life's troubles threaten us, Jesus lives to protect us! When Satan's lies tempt us, Jesus lives to strengthen us! When death's shadow hovers over us, Jesus lives to shine a light of hope! When our own sins defeat us, Jesus lives and says, “Father forgive them!” When it seems we are finished, Jesus lives and says, “IT IS FINISHED!” Death is finished. Pain, suffering, despair, all the darkness and misery that sin brings.... all of it is finished in Christ our living Lord!

He greets you with kindness in his forgiving Word, today. He feeds you with his risen body and blood, making you a partaker of his life, even today. He takes all your loss and drowns it in baptismal water, raising the new victorious man to live for him each day. And he promises you a resurrection like his – a final victory celebration that will never end.

When defeat stares you in the face, remember the victory we celebrate this day. Jesus lives! This is what victory looks like. The Sunday Morning Miracle. Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed, Alelluia!) Amen.

Sermon - John 13:1-18; 31b-35 - Maundy Thursday

John 13:1-17; 31b-35
Maundy Thursday
April 21st , 2011
“Sloth”

Pride, Coveting, Lust, Anger, Gluttony and Greed. So now we come to the final deadly sin on our list – Sloth. As we said at the beginning of this series – these 7 sins aren't the only deadly sins. Indeed, each and every sin is deadly to the sinner – apart from Christ. But in Christ, our loving Savior – no deadly sin can keep us away from God. No dark misdeed cannot be forgiven. No sin of thought, word, or deed places us under judgment – for Christ has paid the price by his blood, his suffering, his death.

Sins of thought, word, or deed. That's one way of categorizing sin. But not the only way. We also confess things we have done and have not done. The sins of commission and sins of omission. And here falls our final sin of Sloth. The things we don't do, that we should be doing.

It's more than just laziness, although it includes that. But we sinners are guilty of more sins that we can imagine – partly because we also break God's law by our inaction.

Take the command Jesus gives on Maundy Thursday (by the way, that's what Maundy means, “command”). He says, “Love one another just as I have loved you.” And here we find our failure.

He's not talking about washing each other's feet. But he is talking about loving our neighbor. He's not talking about warm fuzzy feelings of love. He's talking about what you do for your neighbor. Love. It is action. It is humble self-sacrificing service of another. Washing feet. Changing diapers. Giving a ride to the doctor's office. Extending a welcoming hand. Speaking a word of forgiveness.

And so what happens when we don't? What happens when our lazy, sinful nature lets those opportunities pass us by? What about the fact that we could be seeking out opportunities to love our neighbor – but we don't?

This is a hard sin, my friends. It's one thing to see and confess a sin that you actually do. A goof or gaffe that other people might also notice. You hurt someone with your words. You dishonor an authority. You take something that isn't yours. You can point to the sin, confess it, be done with it. God forgave me for that sin and that sin and that sin.

But how do you confess the good deeds you failed to do? How do you enumerate the actions you never got around to doing – and perhaps didn't even know you should have or could have?

Yes, sloth, laziness – it's more than just sitting around. It's missing out on our God-given privilege and duty to love one another. Oh the excuses run freely on this one, don't they. Chief among them, “I'm too busy!”. Maybe it's too hard, or you are too tired, or you just don't want to. Or else we say, “someone else will do it”. Maybe you even know you should, but you'd just rather have a root canal – and so you avoid. And so passes the opportunity to love your neighbor and serve him.

There's that parable Jesus tells about the talents – a king is going away for a long time, and entrusts three servants with different sums of money. The first two get busy – they invest the money and when the king returns present him with even more than he gave them. But the third servant, (perhaps out of laziness?) doesn't use the gifts he is given. He buries the money and sits on it. The king is enraged, and takes away even what that servant already had! A stinging rebuke of the servant's inaction.

Where does this sin leave us? God doesn't just chide us for sins, he threatens punishment – condemnation – even death. Yes, even for those sins of sloth – the things we have left undone. But God doesn't only threaten and judge. Through Christ, he offers life!

Christ was no lazy-bones. He was active and working, working, always for our good. His earthly life of service was far more than foot-washing. He taught his people the truth of God, but was far more than an example. His perfect obedience fulfilled the law. He did what no human had ever done – he didn't sin, and he always did everything he should. Even down to the last details of prophecy, “in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, 'I thirst”. Every T crossed and every I dotted. Surely he has done all things well.

We call this Christ's Active Obedience – and he does it all for you. And then there's his Passive Obedience, also for you.

His Passive Obedience is his humble submission to the Father's will. He gives himself, his life, as a ransom for many. He suffers, he dies. What he doesn't do is save himself. What he doesn't do is find a better way, with less pain and suffering. What he doesn't do is forsake his task, forsake his sheep. Instead he is forsaken by God for us. Jesus doesn't avoid the hard work of the cross.

For us who leave so much undone – Christ does all things – both in his life and death – and does them perfectly. For us who don't even know all the ways we fall short – Christ knows our weakness, and gives us his strength, and his victory over death.

We fail to love. But Jesus never misses an opportunity. And the best opportunity was his cross. Where God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. That Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life up for his friends.

Deadly sin, we see, is not deadly when we are in Christ. For he faced death and destroyed it. He took sin and conquered it. He does what we do not, and cannot do. He goes where we cannot go. But he returns to take us with him, even to life forever.

This Holy Week, ponder the deadliness of sin – whatever sins you commit, struggle with, and feel the guilt thereof. And see sin meet its death on Calvary, in our Lord's loving sacrifice. And keep an eye on Sunday, for life is coming, and victory is on the horizon.

Sermon - Luke 16:19-31 - Lent Midweek 6

Luke 16:19-31
Lent Midweek 6
April 13th, 2011
“Greed”

Pride, Coveting, Lust, Anger and Gluttony. We're almost to the end of our excursion into 7 deadly sins. Today we come to greed.

While there's certainly some overlap between Covetousness or Envy and Greed.... here's the difference, perhaps. Coveting or Envy has to do with wanting what someone else has. Jealousy. A sort of spiteful sneer that says, “why do they deserve that nice thing?”. But Greed isn't even concerned with the neighbor at all. Greed just wants things – and lots of them. We can dress it up and call it “materialism”, but really it's just a straightforward idolatry – making created things into God.

In our world, that usually means money. Because it's money that gets us everything else we want – or so we are told. Fast cars, fine dining, a big house, nice clothes. The more money you have, the better you live. So get more money. And often, the more money you have, the more money you want. So get more money. And, what, wait... there's someone else in the world besides me?

Greed is good... so goes a famous movie line. But we Christians would disagree. We see it for the sin that it is. Greed not only takes our eyes of our true God – it also takes them off of our neighbor. When all we are concerned with is accumulating things for ourselves, it's impossible to love God with all our heart, strength, or soul. And we give no thought to loving our neighbor as ourselves.

And we're not talking about some faceless corporation that is often blamed for greediness, though that may often be the case. We're talking about individuals with a greed problem. People like you and me. People who have to answer for their sins before a righteous and holy God – unless some other way can be found...

Take the rich man and Lazarus. The world would look at the two of them and say the rich man was far better off. He had it all! ...

But Lazarus was just the opposite. He lay at the gate, covered in sores. The dirty dogs were his only friends. Bereft of friends and health and wealth. But we do learn something Lazarus has that the rich man doesn't. We learn it when they both die. Lazarus had faith.

Jesus tells this parable not to show that the rich will go to hell and the poor will go to heaven. But there is a warning not-so-thinly veiled here about the danger of greed. Like much of Jesus preaching, where he repeatedly condemns greedy sins – whether committed by tax collectors or pharisees or the rich young man.

Greed is a sin, but it's also a symptom. It is caused by a lack of trust in God's provision. Like another rich man Jesus talks about who wants to build extra barns to keep all his wealth – but then he suddenly dies, and oops, you can't take it with you! But where is the trust that God will give us our daily bread – clothe us, feed us? Don't we believe what Jesus says about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field? No, we don't like we should. We think it's up to us to make it happen. It's up to us to watch out for ourselves – and so we'll do it to a sinful degree if we have to.

Is there a fine line between good stewardship of the gifts he does give us – and a greedy misuse of the same? Of course. God doesn't condemn wealth itself. In fact, he makes it clear to Abraham and David and others – that he MADE them wealthy. He gives all good gifts. But what do we do with what we have? Do we manage it well? Or does it tempt us to want always and only more?

Do we blur and cross and break that line like crazy? Yes. We're sinners, after all, it's what we do with good things. We corrupt them. And we fail in the virtues that are opposite these sins – like the opposite of greed – charity.
Giving freely to someone with less. We hardly do it. When we do it, there's always some impurity of motivation. God still uses our imperfect charity, but it's not like we can claim any righteousness by it.

So once again we are left with no solution to deadly sin that we can find in ourselves. We can't just decide not to be greedy and do a better job with our generosity. There's no point in berating ourselves into cheerful giving and grateful contentedness with what God gives. There's only one answer to deadly sin – the life that comes in Christ.

And by now you can probably guess where we are going. Once more see how Jesus takes this twistedness of ours and straightens everything out. First by his perfect life. He had no greed for gain. He had no earthly wealth, no place to lay his head. Certainly no grand palace or fine clothing, no grand trappings of a king – though he was a king. Though he deserved all the gold, frankincense and myrrh, his cradle was with farm animals. Though he was far above the mighty men – Pilate, Caiaphas, Herod – he slummed it up with fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes. And Jesus was always the giver – providing fish and loves, wine from water, healing and wholeness and even... life.

But more than just an example of perfect charity and lack of greed – Jesus did all this for us! His life, his work, his righteousness – God counts it as ours. You wonder how, even as a Christian, you can ever do everything God requires – and you realize you can't. But Christ did, for you! In your place. And that's what God sees and reckons as your righteousness.

And best of all, God the Father, in his generosity, gave his only Son. And Jesus, in his generosity, gave his very life. And God the Holy Spirit, gives gifts like crazy – abundant gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Jesus paid for them, after all – on the cross. Not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood, and his innocent suffering and death. You were bought with a price. Your salvation, and all the spiritual blessings of his kingdom are yours.

Wealthy or not, the repentant and believing child of God has a place in Abraham's bosom – next to once-poor Lazarus, and all the other recipients of God's grace in Christ. No need for greed where this is concerned – it's all ours by God's grace. And with such treasures in heaven, why clamor for anything less, anything below, any earthly thing that moth and rust will destroy? No, greed is not good. But God is, in Jesus Christ our Lord, for you, always. Amen.

Sermon - Philippians 3:17-21 - Lent Midweek 5

Philippians 3:17-21
Lent Midweek 5
April 6th, 2011
“Gluttony”

Pride, Coveting, Lust and Anger. We've been examining these deadly sins in our season of repentance. God's word calls us out, points the finger right at us – dead to rights. But then the Gospel does its work – Jesus, our loving savior, takes away sin, defeats death, and by his Spirit creates a new heart in us. He is the only antidote to deadly sin.

Today another sin – Gluttony. All of these deadly sins we've looked at so far can be done largely in the darkness of the heart. They may or may not produce effects to be seen. You can't usually tell if someone is lusting or coveting. Maybe you can see their anger. But gluttony tends to be a different story. We tend to wear this sin on our sleeves – or rather, on our bellies, hips, and thighs.

Some of us, even pastors, are more familiar with this sin than others. Some of us are a walking object lesson in such sins. But counter to some of the mixed messages we get from our culture, let's call this sin a sin, and confront it head on.

Gluttony, like all sins, takes something good – in this case food – and twists it into something it wasn't meant to be. God gives us food to nourish our bodies, and also for enjoyment. Daily bread is a gift. But gluttony falls under, “too much of a good thing”.

It's not just eating too much, either. Drinking too much – now there's a whole different sermon. Or what about misusing our food in other ways? St. Thomas Acquinas categorized 5 ways of being a glutton – including eating food that is too expensive or pretentious or eating at the wrong time, or even eating too eagerly. And this isn't even to mention the other side of the coin – do we neglect to help those who truly are hungry and in need? Does all this “more for me” mean “less for you?” No, misusing food isn't just about eating too much.

Isn't it interesting that the original sin of Adam and Eve had to do with food – a misuse of a food God had given. Oh you can eat from any tree in the garden – just not that one. But they crossed the line God had set. They took, and ate, and they died.

Gluttony is deadly, like all sins, and has spiritual as well as physical dangers. The physical dangers of obesity – well, we hear about them all the time. Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, the list goes on... But spiritually, the real danger is mentioned in Philippians 3 - that gluttony turns us away from God and makes our own belly our god.

“Their god is their belly, and their destiny is destruction”. Here Paul is talking about those who live as enemies of Christ! And what are they concerned with? What do they value most? What do they worship? Their own full bellies. Unfortunately, that sounds a little too much like many of us. Are we then, destined for destruction? Are we, in fact, enemies of Christ?

According to our old nature, yes! Our old Adam, with his pride and envy and lust and anger and gluttony – must be destroyed. That's what the Christian faith is about. That's what Jesus does. By repentance and faith, destroying enemies and making them into friends. Re-creating us in baptism, raising us from a walking death to an eternal life with him.

Jesus – who fasted 40 days in the wilderness and still had more than enough strength to defeat our enemy the devil. Jesus – who calls himself the bread of life, and give us to eat and drink of his body and blood. Jesus – who on the cross thirsted, but his greatest thirst was for our salvation. He was a glutton for punishment – the punishment for all sins, on the cross. And now death has been swallowed up in his victory over death.

He re-orders our lives by his love. He forgives even our daily sins. And he promises us a future.

Maybe part of what drives gluttony is some kind of fear that we won't have enough – so we better get as much now as we can. But trusting in the one who richly provides for us – we need not worry for tomorrow. Perhaps gluttony is a singular concern for my own pleasure, irrespective of the needs of others. Ah, but the Savior that loves us calls us to love our neighbor, even to feed the hungry. Even as he feeds us with his own self.

The opposite of gluttony, the counterpart virtue, is temperance – that is, restraint or self-control. We could never do such a thing on our own. But we pray the Spirit's guidance, the Spirit's work in our life, to complete the good work he has begun in us – the good work he will bring to completion on that day.

One of the ways Holy Scripture speaks of that kingdom to come is as a marriage feast. The same Jesus who turned water into the finest wine when the host of the banquet ran out. He will, in that day, prepare for us an eternal feast of joy. There will we eat in holiness and righteousness, with all the saints of God forever. There, at the marriage feast of the Lamb in his kingdom which has no end.

Until then, we have a foretaste of the feast to come. A meal unlike other meals – a gathering with all the company of heaven. A food that doesn't tempt us to sin, but absolves our sins. A feast that brings eternal life. A provision that only God can prepare and provide. Here, at the altar. Here at the rail. Here with your fellow sheep, the shepherd feeds you. He prepares a table before you in the presence of the enemy. And in Christ, our cup of blessing overflows.

on Genesis 44

Today's OT reading from the Treasury of Daily Prayer...you know the passage where Joseph frames his brothers as they are leaving Egypt for home? I couldn't help thinking about how this points to Christ.

Joseph makes his innocent brothers into thieves, to accomplish his purpose.
Jesus makes thieves, like the one on the other cross, into brothers as his divine purpose.

Joseph brings them to Egypt, where they are eventually enslaved.
Jesus frees us from slavery to sin and brings us to the Promised Land of Heaven.

Joseph uses his own silver cup, made of precious metal, to do it.
Jesus uses his own sacramental cup, filled with his precious blood, to do it.

Joseph wants to be reunited with his father.
Jesus wants us to be reunited with His father.

Judah takes the place of his "guilty" brother.
Jesus, descendant of Judah, takes the place of all the guilty.

"Why have you repaid evil for good?" Joseph asks his brothers.
We could ask Jesus, "Why have you repaid good for our evil?"

Sermon - Matthew 5:21-26 - Lent Midweek 4

Matthew 5:21-26
Lent Midweek 4
March 30th, 2011
“Anger”

So far we've touched on the deadly sins of Pride, Covetousness, and Lust. And we've seen how these sins of thought are, indeed, deadly. And how the only treatment for such heart disease is the antidote of the Gospel – that Jesus Christ, our loving Savior, gave his life for us. He forgives and takes away deadly sin, and gives us his righteousness and life.

Today, our sin is Anger. And the Bible has much to say about anger. For starters, it is one of those sins of thought that bear just as much guilt as sins of deed. Jesus says as much in our reading from Matthew 5. Anger, he teaches, is a kind of murder committed in the heart. And like other thought-sins, it often leads to word-and-deed sins. Anger is a motivation for all kinds of cruelty, violence, and vengeance.

A survey of the many scriptural passages about anger will lead us to some other noteworthy conclusions about this deadly sin. But perhaps first a caveat: not all anger is sin.

Ecclesiastes tells us there's a time to love and a time to hate. Proverbs 15 commends the man who is slow to anger. James 1 tells us to be slow to anger. And Ephesians 4 teaches us to be “angry and do not sin”. There is such thing as righteous anger. A reaction of outrage or indignation at sin or evil. Even Jesus Christ became angry with the moneychangers in the temple.

But be careful. This can all too easily become an excuse for our sinful anger. It's tempting for us to want to justify all our anger. And even if we are rightly angry over some injustice, that doesn't free us to act on our anger. Proverbs 29 says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Ephesians 4 warns us to “give no opportunity to the Devil”.

Nevertheless, more often than not our anger is NOT righteous. Almost always, in fact. It is tainted by sin, steeped in sin, forged in the sinful heart.
In this sense, we don't have an “anger management problem”, we have a sin problem. And God's Holy Word calls us to repent!

For who are you, after all, to be angry? Think about it. Most of our anger comes when someone offends us in some way. They say something or do something that causes us to react. An unkind word. A thoughtless inconsideration. Who do they think they are? Don't they know who I am? What nerve that person has! We feel threatened, we feel attacked, and anger whispers, even shouts in our heart, “FIGHT BACK! Don't stand there and take this!”

Jesus says, turn the other check. Anger says, hit back and hit harder! Jesus says pray for your enemies. Anger says, get them, they deserve it! Jesus says anyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, but anger doesn't care about that. It's too busy being angry at the brother.

When our anger builds within us, and erupts in explosion, we often regret it. When it smolders and festers, it often grows into bitterness. When we carry those grudges, they only weigh us down with hot hatred, amplified by time and the twisted things we tell ourselves.

And so it goes, for us sinners. We don't get our way, someone does something we don't like, and our old nature throws its tantrum. Are we totally beyond help? Are we liable to the judgment fires that burn hotter than our rage and fury?

God could be, and should be righteously angry over our sin. God hates sin, and directs his holy anger at sin – and yes – sinners. In the end, it's not people's sins that will be thrown into hell, but the sinners themselves. And God is totally justified in doing so. In fact, he's the only one whose anger is ever entirely righteous. He has a right to be angry, and yes, even angry with you, and me.

But he is not.

God's anger has been put away, in Christ. God's cup of wrath that would hang over our head like a sword of Damocles, has instead been poured out on Christ. That's what the cross was all about. God punishing sin.

Christ became sin, and God hated him there. Despised him. Turned his back on him. “Why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried in anguish. But he knew why. Because of your sin, and mine. Because of your hating, angry, spiteful, quarrelsome nature and thoughts and words. Because that person crossed you and you just can't let it go. Because someone pushes your buttons and you snap. Jesus died for all that angry sin – and more.

That's the cup that Jesus drank, that he wanted to pass from him, but “not my will but yours, Father”.

And now, the sun has gone down on his anger. Jesus is raised from the dead by the approving Heavenly Father. And the frown of Friday is turned upside down in Easter joy. But not just for Jesus – for you, too.

On that list of 7 sins remember each sin had a corresponding virtue. And the opposite of Anger is Kindness. That's how God is disposed to us, now, in Christ. The Hebrew word, “Hesed” is often translated, “loving-kindness”. It gets at that same thing. God's not just neutral to you now. He's not just “ok” with you. He loves you. He shows you kindness. The Lord makes his face to shine upon you – in Christ.

He sees you through Christ. He says of you what he says of Christ, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well-pleased”. There's not a whiff of anger left, only unfathomable, indescribable, eternal love.

Matthew 5 even teaches us to be concerned with those who are angry at us – who have something against us! Go and be reconciled with your brother. Do what is right. Ask for forgiveness. Give them no reason to be angry with you. And do it soon! Leave your gift at the altar! This Christian concern is even more important than our outward religious duties. It is yet another way for us to love our neighbor.

The next time you struggle with anger, perhaps it will help to check yourself. Remember the scriptural warnings. Speak a kind word instead. And repent. For God's anger, that you and I richly deserve, is put away in Christ. In his loving-kindess, we love one another – even those who wrong us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sermon - Luke 11:14-26 - Lent 3

Luke 11:14-26
Lent 3
March 27th, 2011
“Stronger than the Strong Man”

Jesus' miracles were acts of compassion for those in need, sick, afflicted, cast out from society. Often we are told it is because he “has compassion on them” that he reaches out to heal. But these miracles are also his calling cards, if you will, bright flashing neon signs “The Messiah is Here!”

Some saw the signs and believed – at least to some extent. Others “kept seeking signs”, that is, they refused to believe even when they saw one or more for themselves. So the miraculous sign doesn't guarantee belief. In fact, sometimes Jesus wouldn't or couldn't do a miracle – whether it was for King Herod or the unbelievers in his own home town.

Nonetheless, here in Luke 11, our Gospel for today, Jesus has to defend his miracles of exorcism from unbelieving witnesses. Oh they believed in demons. They even believed that Jesus had cast them out. But they claimed Jesus was working for the Devil – casting out demons by the prince of demons.

Jesus defends his miracles – not with more miracles – but with his words. And his words are really the main thing, anyway. He has a point to make, and it's a simple one – similar to what he's said elsewhere. It's something like this: In spiritual terms – you are either with Jesus or you are against him. There's no middle ground.

If you are against Jesus, then you are under the power of the Devil – whether you are literally possessed by a demon or not – the Devil has hold of you. You are a captive of the “strong man” locked away in his palace, under heavy guard. And this is the condition we were all in. This is the place we were born – into sin. Slaves by birth to a terrible master. Possessed by the forces of darkness for all eternity.

Not that we are terribly opposed to that. Each time we sin, our old nature is gasping and grasping for its old master. There's a part of us that is quite comfortable with evil – to the point that we're numb to it. We can even cast our sins as virtues. You can paint the prison walls pretty, but it's still a prison. And you can pretend that the devil is irrelevant or a figment, and he's just fine with that as long as his hold on you is still strong.

But Jesus is the stronger man who comes to beat up the bully. He not only casts out demons from villagers and peasants – he destroys the prince of demons himself. He shatters the kingdom of the Devil with a cross – his own cross, descending to Hell to announce his victory. He's even stronger than death – rising from the grave to live forever.

All this to bring us to himself. All this to free us from our old master. To break the bonds of sin and death and hell. To create in us a new spirit. And to make us blessed.

When Jesus had finished explaining this to the doubters and the haters, a woman in the crowd shouts out a kind of a complement – blessing even the mother that gave him birth!

Not that Jesus denies it, but he redirects the woman's attention to where true blessing is found. “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it”. Yes, it's nice to be around Jesus, to see his miracles, to wonder at the wonders. It's great to see him kicking out demons and taking names, bullying the bully for our sake. But it's even better that we hear the word of God and keep it.

Of course, he speaks that word. It's a word of law – a rebuke of sin. Rules to keep that we don't. But his word is also a word of promise – a good word that cleanses and heals. And this word we keep when we treasure the promises and put our faith in them, and in him.

If we don't hear and don't treasure and don't keep that word – it won't matter what else he does for us. He could even cast out demons and the person who doesn't remain in his word will be taken in again, and be worse off than before.

But Jesus does clean house – when it comes to the temple of our body – the temple of the Holy Spirit. He creates in us a new spirit. He washes us clean with the holy waters of baptism. He continues to cleanse us with his holy body and blood. Christ dwells within us, his Spirit dwells within us – and so there simply is no room for an evil spirit. Christ is our master, how could we serve our old master, Satan? Christ is our strong champion – why should we ever worry about what the old serpent can do to us? For his head has been stomped on by the heel of the Savior. He is crushed.

Blessed are you, who hear his word, in this place. Blessed are you, even though each of us struggles with our own demons – literal or not. Blessed are you because the victory is yours in Christ, his word declares, “it is finished”.

Blessed are you who have been sealed in the water of promise – baptized into his name and kingdom. That gift and those words, are also to be kept – not forgotten – not kept on a shelf – but lived and used and remembered each day.

Blessed are you who keep his words of promise that this bread and wine is his body and blood – who remember these words and do what they say. Who receive these gifts in true faith.

Yes, we are weak but he is strong. Enemies surround us, but he protects us. The devil would have us, but we belong to Christ.

Sermon - Matthew 5:27-30 - Lent Midweek 3

Matthew 5:27-30
Lent Midweek 3
March 23rd, 2011
“Lust”

One of the benefits of this sermon series on seven deadly sins is we get to talk about things we don't often cover in the lectionary. We get to zero in on particular sins that trouble us, yes, even us Christians – sins that we might not say much about otherwise. We've already heard about pride and coveting. Today another sin of thought – lust.

Jesus makes it crystal clear that lust is a sin. It is a sin of the heart. And yet, it is to be taken seriously. Like all sins, it is deadly. In fact, Jesus speaks very harshly about this sin – likening it to an eye or a hand that causes sin and must be destroyed, lest the whole body be destroyed and thrown into hell. This should grab our attention!

Where we wish to minimize sins like lust, Jesus maximizes them! Or better yet, he unveils their true severity. Take this sin of lust. In our human way of thinking, it's no big deal. A glance. A look. The imagination runs on. To many of us, it's nothing to worry about and it doesn't hurt anyone. In fact, it's often encouraged. Our culture of consumerism uses it to sell countless products from cars and clothes to foods to pharmaceuticals. In a way, everywhere we look it seems lust is creeping, tempting, inviting us in to stay for a while.

But is a sin of thought a big deal? Isn't it better to just look and not touch? What's the harm? For one, we don't need to know the harm of a sin in order to see it as such. Just because something seems to harm no one doesn't make it fine to do. Our standard of law isn't based on the foreseeable damages. We look, instead, to the law. And while sin does have consequences, even if only spiritual consequences, that's not what makes it sin. It's God's command that matters. Thou shalt. Thou shalt not.

The sixth commandment – what does it mean? Here's what our catechism teaches us: We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.

So he says you shall not commit adultery. And of course, we know the damage that sin can do. Tearing apart marriages. Shattering trust. Breaking homes and scarring the children. Divorce often follows. But long before the sins of deed come the sins of word and thought.

Take King David, in his sin with Bathsheba. Sure, he took another man's wife, and then committed murder to cover that sin. But even before it all happened – there was lust. He saw her from his rooftop and sinful thoughts led to sinful actions. Long before he committed adultery, he had committed adultery in his heart. And so it followed with his son Amnon, whose lust for his own sister led to more dark sins.

Not every sin of lust leads immediately to actual adultery, but lust still devalues the gifts God gives us as men and women. When we objectify others, when we see someone only for their sexuality, we treat the very image of God with dishonor. What's in it for me, instead of how can I serve my neighbor? Lust is antithetical to “husband and wife loving and honoring each other”. It seeks only for the self.

So how do we deal with this sin of lust that brings so much deadliness? Simply stop? Be good? Take a cold shower? No. We deal with the sin of lust like all other sins – with repentance and by receiving forgiveness. In this sense there is no distinction. All sins are deadly, and all are destroyed at the cross.

For we could even seek to cut off the hand that causes us to sin, or pluck out the eye – but if our very heart is sinful, how can we live? Instead, Jesus gave his whole self – eyes, hands, feet, pierced side, thorn-crowned head, scourged back – all of himself, for us. He was destroyed so we are not. He was cast away from God so we are not. He suffered hell to save us from hell.

Jesus Christ – the only one ever to lead a sexually pure and decent life – honors his bride the church by dying for her. For you, that is. He is the bridegroom who is preparing, even now, the great marriage feast in his kingdom which has no end. He is the faithful husband to his people Israel of Old, and to the New Israel which His Spirit gathers and sanctifies.

Lay your sins of lust – and all your sins – on him. His desire is to take them away forever. His desire is to make you righteous and holy, pure and decent.

After David had sinned with Bathsheba, a sin which began with lust and grew and grew.... he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. But instead of explaining away his sin, making excuses or minimizing it in any way, he confessed. And God forgave.

It was then that David wrote these familiar words of Psalm 51, words we know well today – words which take on even fuller meaning through Christ.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Sermon - Proverbs 16:18 - Ash Wednesday

Proverbs 16:18
Ash Wednesday
March 9th, 2011
“Pride”

Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov. 16:18 (ESV)

And so it begins, our journey to Calvary called Lent. Our 40 days of fasting and contemplation to prepare us for a sober and meaningful observance of Good Friday, and the triumphant joy of Easter to follow. But for now, we put on the purple, put away the Alleluias, and focus all the more closely on our sin and our need for repentance, and for our Savior.

For our midweek series we'll be exploring seven deadly sins. And while the idea of “seven deadly sins” has become part of American culture, it has its roots in the catholic church as far back as the 4th century. So it was taught, and apparently still is, that these 7 sins are “mortal sins”, and that other sins aren't so deadly, but these are the ones you really have to watch out for....

Well not so fast. Lutheran theology sets us straight on sin. All sin is deadly. A biblical view of sin doesn't diminish its danger. “The soul that sins shall perish”, and so in a sense all sins are deadly sins. While some may hold more earthly consequences, and others may harm more obviously – we confess with with the church through all ages that sin is always a problem, a deadly and damnable problem. Sins of thought, word and deed, sins of omission and commission, sins against God and against neighbor and against self. And all sinners are called to repent of these, turning away from death – and turning in faith to Christ our only savior from sin.

With that major disclaimer in mind, still, it's worth exploring these seven sins – not because they are worse or more deadly – but because they are so common among us. It's worth venturing into the dark so that we can shine the light of God's Word on our souls. And and these deadly sins come scurrying out from within, may the Gospel of Jesus Christ stomp each and every one of them. Let these 40 days be a time of deep repentance and strengthening faith for us all. For though we have seven deadly sins – and more – we have one loving Savior, who dies to take them away.

Our first sin is pride. And you might even argue that THE first sin was pride. Proverbs tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Wasn't it pride that the slippery serpent used to tempt Eve into sin? For after all, you eat that fruit and “you will be like God”. And so Eve and Adam and all of us fell – but the pride came first.

What is sinful pride? Perhaps we could define it as thinking more of yourself than you should. Paul says, “if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself”. And John says, “if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. And yet how many people would pridefully claim to be without sin? How many would think so much of themselves that they believe they can pass the test of God's probing law and perfect judgment?

Pride – it puffs us up with a false sense of security, or a false sense of our worth and value. It's a lie we tell ourselves to avoid the hard truth – that we really are sinners. That we really are nothing. That our best works are filthy rags. That our “goodness” is a sham. Pride, ultimately, wants to make us our own gods. And then who needs the real God?

The opposite of pride is humility. And many who follow this list of seven deadly sins also point to a list of seven heavenly virtues – opposites to these sins. The idea is that the solution to each sin is to just stop it! And do the opposite. Don't be proud, be humble. Don't be envious, but be kind. Don't be lustful, but be chaste. Etc. Well, easier said than done. In fact, easily said, impossible to do. The solution to deadly sins is not to simply “be good”. It is repentance and faith. It's a turning away from sin, yes, but a turning toward the only Savior from sin.

The only one who was ever truly humble. He even said so, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

If I claimed to be humble you'd laugh at me, for the very claim negates it – but not when it comes to Jesus. He, who had every good and right reason to be proud – he who was without sin – he who was God Almighty – he was humble. He humbled himself, he came down to be less than he was, taking the flesh of a human being, born in a stable, raised in a backwater town, reviled by men, betrayed, deserted, convicted, crucified, dead, buried. It doesn't get any lower than Jesus gets. Forsaken by God – it doesn't get any more humble.

Sin was deadly to him, though. All sins were put upon him. He who had no sin became sin for us. And he died. But by his death he destroyed death. He brought haughty Satan to utter ruin. He laid proud death in the grave forever, and rose to life forevermore. And when he finished his course here, and many saw proof that he was alive, he took back his rightful place at the top. He ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. But his kingdom will have no end.

If we are to be proud at all, in a scriptural sense, if we are to think highly of anyone or anything – it is Christ. “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For in ourselves we are nothing. But in him who is everything, we are everything. In ourselves there is only sin and death, nothing to be proud of. In him there is righteousness and life – and everything to revel in. Pride goes before destruction, but his destruction brings us back from our own. His humble service, in life and death, offers grace and peace and hope and promise to you – now and for all time.

In this Lenten season, repent. Repent of sinful pride. Remember that you are nothing – and to dust you will return. But also turn in faith the the Humble One, who was raised up, and who lifts us up – and one day will lift up even our bodies from the dust to live with him forever. Believe in him, Jesus, and you will have rest. Amen.

Sermon - Matthew 17:1-9 - Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration of our Lord
March 6th, 2011
“Just a Peek”

Transfiguration. Now there's some churchly insider lingo for you. What does it mean? Trans, as in, change – figure, as in figure or appearance. Jesus' appearance changes on the mountain. And we mark this unusual event every year with a special Sunday at the end of the Epiphany season and right before Lent.

So why the change? And what does this have to do with you and me? As the three apostles have front row seats to this miraculous sign, we sit and peek over their shoulder this morning, ponder the meaning of the Transfiguration. And be encouraged with them, for here we come to the mountain, yet we may not remain...

First, let's recall the context of this event. Jesus had less than a week before pointedly revealed to his disciples that he was the Christ! And he immediately started to tell them what that meant – that he would go to Jerusalem, that he would suffer and die. Mark tells us, “he spoke about this plainly”. But the disciples didn't want to hear it, and Peter tried to rebuke him. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus told him, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of man!”

And then he told them, “some standing here today will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”.

With these words hanging in the air for just 6 days, the very next thing the Gospel writers detail is the Transfiguraiton.

In those six days, we can only wonder what ran through those disciples' minds. Was the truth about Jesus starting to sink in? That he was a suffering Messiah, not a triumphant conqueror? Were they perhaps becoming doubtful about him? What's this crazy talk about death and resurrection, anyway? And what did he mean by they will see him coming in his kingdom?

Have you ever been put off by the word of God? Have you ever struggled to understand, or to believe what the holy scriptures teach? Has a sermon ever not sat that well with you, bothered you – made you churn and squirm? Does the law have its way with you? And are you sometimes not only confused about God, but also yourself – how you fit in with his plan?

Sometimes we get it right, like Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”. Sometimes we get it wrong like Peter, thinking we know better than our Lord. And sometimes, we just don't get it. Confusion reigns.

We look at ourselves and see something far afield from the glory that shines in Christ. We are bumbling fools in our sins, filthy and slimy. Dark and dull. Twisted and evil. We are are the opposite of the mountaintop, we are the depths and chasms, wallowing in the muck of our miserableness. Oh, to even be in the presence of such glory – we can see why Peter wanted to build some tents and stay awhile. But that wasn't the point either.

So then, the transfiguration. A high mountain, Peter, James and John. Jesus' appearance changes – dazzling white glory – they get a peek behind the veil of his humility. After all, he truly is God of God and Light of Light. Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets, all the Old Testament scriptures testifying to Jesus as Lord. And best of all, the voice from heaven, God's own voice, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” The same voice and the same remarks from Jesus' Baptism, only now he adds, “Listen to Him”. You may see a spectacle here. You may be startstruck by your Old Testament heroes. You may have the image seared on you forever – but listen! Listen to him!

And so what does he say? “The Son of man will go up to Jerusalem, and suffer and die, and be raised again.” He speaks the Gospel!

This great event, this mountaintop experience, this bright shining moment is great and all, but it's nothing compared to the glory yet to come. It's nothing compared to the day, the Friday that Jesus has in mind, and the Sunday morning to follow. There, on that mountain called Calvary, Jesus would come into his kingdom. And John, who had a front row seat to the transfiguration, will also stand at the foot of the cross.

There Jesus will be stripped of all earthly dignity, rather than clothed in glory. There Jesus will be flanked by common thieves, not great men of faith. There darkness will blot out the sun, rather than radiance shining forth. There no one would say, “it is good to be here, let's build some tents and stay a while”. There, God would not consider Jesus his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased, but instead, he would forsake him who was made to become sin for us.

But listen to him. What he says there, on the cross, matters even more. Forgive them. You will be with me in paradise. It is finished.

The transfiguration of our Lord – it shows Jesus glory. It gives the disciples, and us, just a peek of what our eyes cannot see – that this Jesus is indeed the Son of God. The voice of the Father confirms it. But this mountaintop experience isn't the goal. It simply prepares us for that other mountain, where Jesus does what he really came to do – die for sinners like us. Knowing his true identity is important to understanding that death – that the God made flesh dies for all people – it's foundational to our faith. It's the heart and center of it all.

What does the transfiguration mean to us? It means that Jesus Christ is the Light of Light and very God of very God - he has and deserves all the glory. But it means that the cross matters all the more – that his suffering and death for us are all the better – because he is who he is. The transfiguration reminds us that it's not just some guy who dies for us – but God's own Son. The transfiguration, a picture of glory, actually points us away from such glory to the darkness and scandal of the cross. There is God's kind of glory – a power made perfect in weakness – a salvation through suffering – sweet life for all won by bitter death for him.

And finally, the transfiguration gives us a hint of that kingdom that is yet to come – the kingdom of glory, when we will see Christ as he truly is, when he comes to raise us up forever. Then, we too will be like him, glorified. Then, we will be transfigured – changed – made perfect – body and soul forever. The transfiguration is Christ as he truly is – but it's also a glimpse of our future in him.

Until then, the glory remains hidden. The promise is heard but not seen. He comes to us humbly, still – under bread and wine, by the water, in the Gospel. His kingdom comes to you today – forgiving you, renewing you, and transfiguring you, by faith. So receive him, see him, listen to him. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Sermon - Matthew 6:24-34 - Epiphany 8

Matthew 6:24-34
Epiphany 8
February 27th, 2011
“What are You Worried About?”

I asked around this week what worries people the most. I suppose most of the answers I got were pretty common worries – worried about losing a loved one, worried about the welfare of one's family, worried about the Christian faith of one's children.

Top ten lists of American worries include things like terrorism and global warming, as well as more personal things like paying the bills and losing a job or getting a job, worries about health and relationships.

I did get one interesting answer – someone said, “I'm worried about being worried”. That is, the person knew exactly what Jesus says in our Gospel reading this morning, “Do not be anxious about anything”. And the person worried that because he worried at all – maybe he wasn't really a Christian!

Today's words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount cut both ways. They cut us down with razor-sharp precision, for we all worry. But they also renew and restore with precious promises – and show us why in Christ there's no need for anxiety.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Maybe we should take a step back and see where Jesus started here – with anxieties about money. Many of us, perhaps all of us at times, make money our master. And if not money itself – the things money can buy. The material items of life. For you it may not be clothing or food – we're fortunate enough to have most of those needs met. But it may be anxiety about paying off the credit card or the monthly mortgage. It may be about selling your house or paying for your kids' tuition... or soon enough, tax time.

All of these are good things – money and the things it can buy – but they are not to be our master. They are not to rule over us. We cannot serve them and God, our true master. And when we are anxious about them, when we spend our days preoccupied with things – we are not trusting in our true Master as we should. It's a lack of faith that leads to such anxiety. It's a lack of trust in God that leads us to worry about tomorrow.

Well, sure, don't worry about money. And don't worry about food or clothing. So if we can do that, are we off the hook? Most of the things people seem to worry about around here aren't food and clothing – we're more worried about our families, our loved ones. Isn't that a noble form of worry? Ah, but even these can become our masters, our idols, and take the place of our God. For just as God provides food and shelter, and takes care of our life, he knows how to best care for our loved ones.

Jesus tells us not to worry or be anxious for several reasons. For one, it doesn't do any good. It won't add a single day to our life. Instead, we observe, worrying is really not a pleasant experience. It brings troubles real or imagined into the present, where they don't belong. Jesus says each day has enough trouble of its own. He doesn't want us to make ourselves suffer in the futility of worry. It's useless, and ultimately makes us miserable.

But an even better reason to not be anxious is the promise – that God will care for you! Jesus unfolds this in various ways – comparing us to the lilies and the birds, clothed and fed by God without care or worry. And then he says, aren't you worth more than these? Then don't worry – God will care for you all the more!

If you doubt God's care, if you don't trust that he will provide for you. If you are beset by worry and hounded by your anxieties, if you just can't see that God wants what is best for you and will go to great lengths to provide it – then look again to the cross.

Ponder this, “he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

God provided for our greatest need – our only real eternal need – the salvation of our souls.

If we were still lost in sin, then no amount of food or clothing or money or anything would matter. We would be lost eternally. We would be destined for destruction. We would have bigger worries than these. But Christ has saved us from all this by his blood. He who was impoverished and naked and hungry and thirsty for us – he gives us a robe of righteousness, bread from heaven, the water of life, and the riches of his grace – a crown of glory that will never fade. You think the lilies and the birds have it good? Remember his promises to you! Recall what God has done for you in Christ!

Now, it's true, we don't always see the physical blessings we want when we want them. And it's true that some people do go hungry, and naked, and some people even starve to death. These promises to provide for us are not, ultimately, of this world. For while God does provide for us here, and everything we have here is a gift from him, there will be a day when this life ends. When the lights go out, and no money will help us, no food will keep us alive another day.

But it's that day when we will see the fullness of his promises. Then we will have abundant and eternal provisions beyond our wildest dreams. That day is an end to all worry, anxiety, or any thought of a future that holds any trouble at all.

So don't worry about tomorrow. Instead, trust in the one who provides for you. The one who provided even his own Son. He knows your needs. And he promises to provide for you eternally. Don't worry about tomorrow, but in faith, look further to that glorious day when all his promises come in full, and we share the eternal blessings of heaven.

7 Deadly Sins – 1 Loving Savior

Grace Lutheran Church, Racine, WI
2011 Lenten Series

7 Deadly Sins – 1 Loving Savior

Theologians in times past developed a list of “7 deadly sins”. These grave sins, they argued, led to the destruction of faith and eternal damnation.

We Lutherans consider all sins deadly, apart from repentance and faith in Christ. Still, these 7 are a useful list to help us reflect on our spiritual shortcomings and explore the many facet's of Christ's forgiving love. Join us for this mid-week Lenten series as we consider how Jesus forgives us of:

Pride - Ash Wednesday – March 9th

Covetousness - March 16th

Lust - March 23rd

Anger - March 30th

Gluttony - April 6th

Envy - April 13th

Sloth - Maundy Thursday – April 21st

Sermon - Matthew 5:21-37 - Epiphany 6

Matthew 5:21-37
Epiphany 6
February 13th, 2011
“Raising the Bar”

Have you ever murdered someone? No? Have you ever cheated on your spouse? Probably not. Have you ever been angry with your brother? Have you ever called someone an idiot? Have you ever taken an oath, “sworn to God” or on your mother's grave? Have you ever taken a look at someone with less than pure thoughts? If you answer yes to any of these – then Jesus says you are liable for judgment, deserving of condemnation – you've earned your ticket to eternal punishment in Hell.

“Well, good morning to you too, pastor, nice way to start the sermon.” But it's true. In today's Gospel reading Jesus smacks us up and down with the law. He takes what laws and rules people were comfortable with – you know, the ones we can mostly keep – and he blows them up in our faces, showing us how truly impossible it is to keep the law of God.

You may think you're ok because you've never killed someone. But anger is murder in the heart. And that counts too. You may think you're just fine because you've never cheated on your wife, but you have – with your eyes. And that's a damnable sin. You may think that divorce is ok as long as both parties agree it's just not working out – but Jesus says otherwise.

All of these sins, which we think of as “no big deal”, Jesus pulls the rug out from under us. They are a big deal, as big a deal as hell itself.

And don't think that Jesus doesn't mean it. Don't think that he's talking in exaggerated terms here. He's deadly serious.

Nor is he just trying to scare you straight – so that you'll shape up for fear of punishment. It's too late for that anyway. All of us have already earned our own death, and worse. The perfection God demands was never in our reach anyway, and we'd be fools to think we can get there tomorrow.

So why, then? Why does Jesus cut us down with this extreme law? Why does God, for that matter, make it so tough for us to keep it? It's like Jesus is taking our sin and failure here and rubbing our noses in it – pointing out to us in starkest terms just how much the law has us dead to rights.

It's to drive you to despair. It's to show you how hopeless your situation is. It's to lay out for you that there is no way in heaven, earth, or hell, that you can measure up. “You have heard it said...” yes, we've heard a lot about the law, and how we can do this or that. How if we only follow this, or keep that, or just think this way – then the solution is within our grasp. We hear this from false teachers who may even believe it themselves – that we can save ourselves from disaster. That the choice is ours, the power is ours, that we just have to do ______. But it's a lie.

“You have heard it said...” but JESUS says something different. He raises the bar. He makes it harder, he makes it impossible. Rather, he shows the truth that it is impossible to please God with our works, he brings our sins to light, and leaves us in despair, without hope, lost.

But he doesn't leave us there. If we were to look to ourselves, we could sit in a corner and cry about how hopeless it is. But there's somewhere else to look. If we are to keep trying to reach up, to stand up, to rise up to the occasion, we will always fall and fall short. But there's someone who reaches down to us. It's Jesus.

These words aren't the only words Jesus ever said. And scolding us, though we deserve it, isn't the only thing he ever does.

He raises the bar on the law, but he also raises the bar of his cross. This is why he came – the cross. And there he hangs and suffers and dies, to wipe out all our law-breaking. There he is raised, for all to see, the perfect sacrifice, dying for all. There's you're only hope for God's favor, but what a hope it is!

What salvation could be more certain than the one that God himself accomplishes? We, who can do nothing right – we get to rely on him who does everything well. He who was without sin – the only one ever – he became sin for us. The only one who didn't deserve death takes it on for all who do. The only one not subject to death makes himself subject to death for his rebellious subjects, and wins life for us by it.



He shows us our sin, clear as day. But he doesn't just pat us on the head and say, “Close enough. Try harder next time, now run along”. Nor does he leave us in despair. Instead he takes the punishment from us. He descends to the depths for us. He dies our death, takes our cross, and gives us life.

And in doing so, he raises us. Through him, and only through him, do we meet God's standards. In him, we are declared perfect, made perfect. God sees us that way, even now. He works on us, and in us, by his Spirit - he has “begun a good work in us”, and he will “bring it to completion at the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a joy it will be, on that final day, to be fully free from sin in every way.

No we are far from perfect. We fall short of the bar, especially the high bar Jesus sets for us in the Sermon on the Mt. Repentance is a daily struggle. But not a hopeless one.

For Jesus meets every demand of the law, and through his cross, wipes away our transgressions. Newly created in him, by water and word, we are raised to life – now and forever – and perfected by him.

Jesus raises the bar on the law, but he also raises us, even to eternal life. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sermon - 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - Epiphany 4

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Epiphany 4
January 30th, 2011
“Preaching Foolishness”

“That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!” Anyone ever said that to you, or about something you happen to believe? Is there anything more insulting or disquieting than to have someone question one of the major tenets of your faith – or to suggest that the whole thing is rubbish?

And don't think it doesn't happen. For many of the doctrines of the Christian faith are disturbing to those who don't believe them. Sure there are the live-and-let-live types. But to those who take the time to understand what Christianity actually teaches – they are often angered or offended. And they'll sometimes tell you how foolish they think you are to believe it.

But this isn't a sermon about them. This is a sermon for us. What does it do to us when someone tells us our faith is stupid? That we are fools? Does even a part of us believe it?

We are tempted, not just by such attacks. We are tempted even by our own minds, to place our reason before faith, our own ideas and thoughts before the word of God. And when we do, we usually come to the wrong conclusion.

Luther called reason the “Devil's bride” and the “Greatest enemy of the faith”. One quote attributed to Luther reads, “Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and … know nothing but the word of God” He also said, "All the articles of our Christian faith, which God has revealed to us in His Word, are in presence of reason sheerly impossible, absurd, and false."

So Dr. Luther agrees with St. Paul, that the message of the cross is foolishness, a scandal, utterly unreasonable.

But. To us who are being saved.... a different story. To us who
are being saved, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Still, there's this conflict within us...


Sin often seems so reasonable. Just a little cheating here won't hurt. A little lying there and no one will know. I'll get rid of this inconvenience and I'll ignore that word of God – it's just not practical. God's ways don't make sense to us. Wouldn't it be better to do it my way?

I know God said, “don't eat from that tree”. But it looks so good and I want to be wise. God said, “Honor thy Father and Mother”, but they just don't know what it's like to be a teenager. God said, “do not give up meeting together”, but I could really use a day off this weekend. God said, “pray for your enemies”, but I really hate that guy! God said, “love your neighbor”, but that person doesn't seem worth it... and on and on...

But in reality sin is entirely unreasonable. How many times do we do what's wrong even though we know better. Even though we know we'll get caught, we'll pay the consequences one way or another. Even though we know that sin brings death, and pain, and punishment. And yet we go and sin – for some inexplicable reason.

Reason, human, corrupted, sinful reason, must bow to the foolishness of God. What we think, and what we think we know, must always come after what God says is true. Even if it seems unreasonable.

And thank God for such foolishness. What kind of foolish God would do what he does? Come down from heaven, be born a human. Be mocked. Suffer. Die. Forgive sinners. Love people who hate him. Do it all for people who do everything but his will. Jesus is either the biggest fool who ever lived, or his foolishness is bigger and better than we can imagine.

Paul says God uses the weak things of this world to shame the strong. There's no one stronger in this world than Satan himself. And there's nothing weaker than dying in humility on a cross. And there it is. The foolishness of God. The cross.

So we preach Christ Crucified. It's the only way. It's the only wisdom for us foolish sinners. It's the only power for those of us weakened even to death. Jesus dies, for you and me, for all. The Lord of life dies to bring life. The All-Powerful God submits to petty and unjust human punishments, the judge of all, the king of all, submits to cowardly Pilate.

And in a fit of further foolishness, God turns things upside down again – bringing Jesus from death to life. Back from the dead. Who would ever have thought? What worldly wisdom could have predicted? But no, it's against all reason and wisdom and common sense. But it is by such foolishness that we are saved. In fact without the resurrection, our faith is in vain, as Paul says.

So the next time someone calls you a fool for believing in Jesus, you might agree. But remember that God's foolishness is wiser than man's wisdom. The next time sin seems reasonable to you, repent! And in your weakness turn to the only strength we have – the weakness and foolishness of Christ. We preach Christ Crucified.. for you! The power and wisdom of God are in him, for you.

In his holy name, Amen.

Sermon - John 1:29-42 - Epiphany 2

John 1:29-42
Epiphany 2
January 16th, 2011
“Behold the Lamb”

We're two Sundays in to the season of Epiphany. And as I say every year, the big question for the Epiphany season is, “who exactly is this Jesus?”

We hear at his baptism – the voice from heaven declares it – he is God's own Son. That same voice will echo in a few weeks at his Transfiguration.

But in-between, we have a number of these Gospel readings which unfold and unpack different aspects of who Jesus is. Through his speech and actions, we get a clearer picture of this one who was born in Bethlehem, of whom angels sang. What is his identity? And if he is the savior, what kind of savior would he be?

Today, John the Baptist chimes in. He declares Jesus to be the “Lamb of God”. The text also calls him Rabbi, the Son of God, and the Messiah, that is, the Christ. All these names or titles tell us something about who Jesus is.

But Lamb of God is perhaps the most unusual name of these. It's a technical term in the Old Testament, having to do with the Passover. There a lamb, a perfect unblemished male lamb was slaughtered, and its blood was used on the doorposts to mark the homes of God's people. When the Angel of Death came for the final plague – to kill all the firstborn of Egypt, he would see the blood of the lamb and pass over that house. The Lamb was also roasted and consumed that night by God's people – a feast which was established then and carried over every year as remembrance of God's mercy to them – how God saved them from slavery in Egypt.

It's easy for us Christians to see how Jesus fits the bill of “Lamb of God”. He was the one, perfect sacrifice without spot or blemish. He is the one who saves by his blood – saves us from death. He is the one who is consumed in the wrath of God over sin, as he suffers its punishments for us. And we even continue to remember this blessed sacrifice in our holy sacrament – which he established, and we feast on him – body and blood, for the forgiveness of our sins.

Did John understand all this when he pointed out Jesus as the “Lamb of God?” Who knows. But he was right to direct our attention to Jesus.

He says, “Behold!” And that little word is important, too. “Take note!” “Look here!” “This is important!” We do well to “behold” Jesus. It might not seem so at first. For a bloody lamb slaughtered and roasted guts-and-all isn't a pretty sight. Nor is the sight of a man beaten and bloodied, shamed and humiliated, hung up on a cross with nails and thorns and sweat and agony.... no, Jesus isn't a pretty picture either. But John says, “Behold!”

The truth is, when we “Behold the Lamb”, and it's not pretty – it's not pretty because of sin. Sin is what's ugly. Sin's consequences – suffering, pain, death – are uglier still. And there on the cross Jesus becomes sin for us, “God made him, who had no sin, to become sin for us.' Oh yes, all well and good, pastor, sin is ugly.

But that's our sin we're talking about. Mine. Yours. When you behold the lamb who was slain, and see the bloody mess that sin makes, that's your mess! Are we accustomed to thinking of our sins in such terms? Are we used to thinking that every time we gossip or fudge the truth or slack off when we should be working – it means blood and death? Do we consider our sins that ugly, or have we become so accustomed to sinning that it's not a big deal anymore?

Sure, we are repulsed by CERTAIN sins – other people's sins, mostly. The child abusers and the drunk drivers. The people who cheat on their husbands or beat their wives. But what about the people whose love is cold? Who are too selfish? Who neglect to do the good that a child of God is called to do? What about people who just think evil thoughts and hold lust in their hearts? Jesus condemns such things too. We're not off the hook. We're just good at beholding other things besides our own sins.

Maybe the Old Testament people had better reminders than we do of this reality. As day after day bulls and lambs and doves were slain and butchered and burned in sacrifice for sin. An endless stream of blood poured out for the endless stream of sin and its wake of death.
And yet, it wasn't, ultimately enough. One hymn puts it well, “Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain.”

But once you've truly beheld the bloody mess that is your sin, then once again “Behold the Lamb of God...who takes away the sin of the world.” And yes, that includes your sin, too.

Jesus is that lamb. Jesus takes that mess. He suffers for you, and for all people. And he dies. And there is nothing more important for us to behold, to look at, to pay attention to. For there in the Lamb of God, we see God's love for us sinners, and we are forgiven.

And that lamb is slain, only to rise again! We can behold him on the cross, and in the tomb, but we will see him, behold him, face to face one day – for he lives forever, and we will live with him forever. The Lamb is victorious, and he gives us a share in his victory.

Behold him again, today, as he comes in the sacrament. Though we don't see him with our eyes, we behold him by faith – according to his promise. This is his body and blood. Given and shed for you. This, here, is the lamb of God. Behold the lamb. Take eat, take drink, for your forgiveness.

And believe it for Jesus' sake. Amen.