How Shall I Vote as a Christian?

How do you plan to vote in November? Are you picking your candidate purely by political party preference? Are you picking your candidate purely by campaign promises? Are you picking your candidate through your Christian values?

We are all familiar with the phrase “Do not discuss religion or politics.” This phrase seems to be as American as baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July. But, where does this phrase come from? Can we, in fact, discuss religion and politics?

It is likely that the phrase “Do not discuss religion or politics” began in 1947. Prior to 1947, public discussion of politics and religion was widespread, and it was primarily peaceful, unlike on today’s social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook. As Americans discussed politics and religion back then, each person listened, and people typically found common ground. So, what caused this change to begin in 1947?

The change began following the U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision called “Everson v. Board of Education,” which decided that politics and religion should remain separate. One of the exhibits brought up in its decision was President Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut from January 1, 1802 in which Jefferson wrote about a “wall of separation” between church and state. So, this “wall of separation” is not supported by the Constitution of the United States, but is instead supported by a letter from a man who had no dealings with the Constitution, since at the time he was serving as the American Ambassador to France. So from 1947 to today, our education system has indoctrinated generations of people to believe that religion and politics should remain separate.

The result of this landmark decision eventually got the American people getting the idea that even Christians should not be taught how to vote, even according to the faith that we are to live day in and day out. Afterall, voting is the ultimate exercise in individual choice and the expression of personal opinion.

But, should we, as Christians, vote in a certain way? How shall I vote as a Christian? Is there ever a time when we shouldn’t vote, because of our Christian faith?

As Christians, we should always have the Ten Commandments in mind and what these Commandments collectively mean, according to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

So, when we vote, we are first to love the Lord your God. What does this mean? As Martin Luther puts it, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” So, when you vote, are you trusting in the one true God, or are you putting your trust in the politician to be your earthly savior? So, how does the one true God want His flock to vote? God wants us to vote for people, principles and platforms that will uphold and advance His justice in the world.

But, just as the Jewish lawyer asked Jesus, we may ask the same question today: “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

Our neighbor is not just the family who lives next door. Instead, our neighbor is everyone we come into contact with in our daily life. Our neighbor is everyone on the face of the earth. As we care for our neighbor, we are to think of them as Jesus thinks of us. We are to think of our neighbor and their salvation. Of course, their salvation is found in the same place as our salvation: in Jesus Christ alone. So, when we vote, as well as visit our neighbor, we are to proclaim God the Father’s saving grace that is found only in Jesus Christ. Now, this is where voting gets hard, since there is no perfect candidate. Instead, we have to choose from flawed candidates. And, oftentimes, we have to choose between “the lesser of two evils.” So, what should we look for when we vote as a Christian?

First, where does the candidate stand on the sanctity of life? As Christians, we believe that all lives are precious from conception to life’s natural end. This means that Christians should not vote for politicians who support abortion and physician-assisted suicide. As God’s Word says in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Second, where does the candidate stand on marriage? As Christians, we believe that marriage was created by God as the one-flesh lifelong union of a man and a woman for their mutual help and joy and for the procreation and nurturing of children. This man and woman enter into marriage by the public promise to live faithfully together until death. This means that Christians should vote for politicians who uphold the holy estate of marriage as being between one male and one female. From Mark 10:6-9, Jesus said, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two by one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Third, where does the candidate stand on welfare? As Christians, we believe that we are to care for those who are truly in need. However, Christians are not to be enablers to those who are able-bodied and refuse to work. As God’s Word says in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12: “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Fourth, where does the candidate stand on the First Amendment? The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” As Christians, we have the right to worship the one true God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – without restrictions placed upon the church by the government. This means that we should not vote for a politician who promises to restrict Christ’s Church from proclaiming His Law and Gospel, in meeting together, and in receiving His Means of Grace (Baptism, hearing God’s Word proclaimed, and the Lord’s Supper). As God’s Word says in Acts 2:42-44: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

At the same time, a part of me does think that religious persecution may be a good thing to wake up Christians in America. After all, the Christian Church – especially the Lutheran Church – is growing through persecution in Africa and Asia, due to persecution from Islam and anti-Christian governments. But, we as Christians, should not vote to persecute ourselves.

Could there be a time when a Christian should not vote in order to remain faithful? No! Voting is not just a mere right or privilege. Voting is in fact a holy obligation. Voting is our vocation. Voting is our calling. Voting is a vocation given by God to each Christian citizen, so we need to vote.

So, before you vote in November, research what each politician believes. As Christians, we should all vote with our Christian values in mind. So, when you vote, vote for the candidate who you believe would best please God and help and support your neighbor.

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen

Where is Justice Found?

 

“No justice, no peace!” This is the call to arms for Black Lives Matter (BLM) in the wake of practically any police-involved shooting in 2020. As BLM demands “No justice, no peace,” where could justice found?

We are certainly living in a Biblically illiterate society. Study after study shows that Christians increasingly do not know who Jesus was, and more properly is. One study[1] by Ligonier Ministries found that 52 percent of Americans believe that Jesus was “only a good teacher, but not God.” In another study by American Worldview Inventory 2020[2] conducted by Dr. George Barna and sponsored by Arizona Christian University found that 58 percent of Americans believe “there is no absolute moral truth”; and 77 percent believe “right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible”; and 59 percent of Americans say that “the Bible is not the authoritative and true Word of God.” This study also found that Americans do find faith important, but it doesn’t matter what that faith is.

What we have is a spiritual problem.

How many of us open our Bible or catechism in search for answers? (Thankfully, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod publishes[3] an even further explanation of the catechism that helps to answer many questions.) From what study after study find, there are not many who search the Scriptures or any catechism. One thing that study after study on American Christianity has found is that Christianity is no longer favored by the American society at large. If anything is favored it would be American paganism, seeing your political party as your god, and the religion of Islam. But, surely Christianity is no longer favored by society. In fact, society would likely say devout Christians are no longer welcomed in society at large.

Today, we have thousands, if not millions of Americans, demanding justice in the wake of Michael Brown (Ferguson, Missouri in 2014), George Floyd (Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020), Breonna Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky in 2020), and Jacob Blake (Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020). Each of these police-involved shootings was tragic, but at the same time, each of them could have been prevented if they had not resisted the police. But, it actually began sooner as each person made wrong choices that led them to being confronted by the police. If Brown had not held up that Ferguson convenience store, if Floyd did not pass a counterfeit bill and not ingested fentanyl and methamphetamine, if Taylor had not been involved in drug dealing, if Blake would have not resisted and reached for the knife. So, each of these officer-involved situations could have been avoided.

The First Commandment states: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.[4]

The Fourth Commandment states: Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.[5]

Again, what we have is a spiritual issue. Who is your god? Is it the one true God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), or is it something or someone else? Are we honoring our parents and other authorities? Are we respecting the police? Yes, in every occupation there are bad eggs, but not every police officer is corrupt. Instead, we are to fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

Since BLM is shouting “No justice, no peace,” where could true justice be found? True justice can only be found in God. God Himself teaches us “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35). Also from Proverbs 20:22: “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”

But, how does God deliver justice? God delivers justice in two ways: (1) the Temporal Realm (or Temporal Kingdom) and (2) the Spiritual Realm (or Spiritual Kingdom). This doctrine is known as the Two Realms or the Two Kingdoms. Within these two ways, God works with His left hand as He rules the Temporal Realm and with His right hand as He rules the Spiritual Realm. So, what is going on here?

The Temporal Realm (Left Hand of God) is God’s kingdom of the sword. The Spiritual Realm (Right Hand of God) is God’s kingdom of the Word.

Within the Temporal Realm, God established government as the institution in which to preserve and protect society. Within the Spiritual Realm, God established His Means of Grace for redemption and restoration.

So, through these two Realms, God establishes justice temporally and establishes justice spiritually. The criminal justice system is one of the ways God establishes temporal justice. This begins with Laws that are put in place in order to keep an ethical society and is focused on the behavior of the people. When the ethical society breaks down, such as a robbery, then a police officer comes to restore that situation back to peace. Eventually, the accused finds himself or herself in the criminal justice system and eventually to a court date to find out from the judge or jury if he or she is guilty of the crime. And, where we may believe the justice system has wronged an individual, there is also an appeals process. This is how God establishes justice in the Temporal Realm.

In the Spiritual Realm, God aims at justification. However, if a person does not believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, then that person is not justified through the merit and work of Christ, but is instead sent into outer darkness in hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for eternity.

These days, activist groups like BLM and Antifa call for justice in places where true justice is not found – on the streets. Instead of accepting justice as God has ordained it, they loot and burn their neighborhoods and cities as they cry out: “This is not fair! No justice, no peace! You shoot, we loot! The only good cop is a dead cop!”

Instead of searching out what justice truly means, through God’s Word, they follow their sinful nature and create more turmoil, more death, and more destruction.

It also does not help that the mainstream media appears that they are on the side of BLM and Antifa. As the mainstream media does not tell the whole story about the various police-involved shootings, they have gotten more and more people worked up. For each of these police-involved shootings, after the looting, burning and violence, we keep learning that the media was plain wrong in their original reporting. Investigation after investigation shows the truth was hidden. Instead of focusing on the facts, much of the media is focused on feelings. The thing is, we cannot trust our own feelings, because our feelings are rooted in our sin.

Even worse is that many mainline denominations – that are no longer rooted in God’s Word – have lifted up the causes of BLM and Antifa. This has only made the situation worse. For these denominations, namely the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Episcopal Church, they have abandoned Scriptural truth and replaced it with social justice. Instead of looking to Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, they too scream out “No justice, no peace!” Instead of looking to God’s ordained plan of justice, they cry out “No justice, no peace!”

If we search for racism, we will find racism everywhere we look. Sin is destructive. Sin separates us from God and His will.

So, trust in God and trust in His ordained will. Now, His will may not match our will, but remember these words of God: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Remember, God executes justice in His way through His Temporal and Spiritual realms. This is all by God’s ordaining.

---

[1] https://disrn.com/news/one-third-of-evangelicals-believe-jesus-was-a-good-teacher-but-he-was-not-god?fbclid=IwAR3Bsg8vqGTPSfhJ2gaLms1weBuEPejfoeqlDd0DH9nN0Um622c_84K_0TM

[2] https://witness.lcms.org/2020/more-than-half-of-christians-dont-believe-the-gospel/?fbclid=IwAR3YWXBMKWc58fFfOq7ve3H5SGvce3x8_J6XpT3gjpvvZNs-Q8bHUTYwjIE

[3] https://www.cph.org/p-32272-luthers-small-catechism-with-explanation-2017-edition.aspx

[4] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 2017).

[5] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 2017).

Sermon for Pentecost 16: "God is God and We're Not!"

To watch the Divine Service for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, click here.

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

During my vicarage year, one of my supervisor’s favorite phrases was “God is God, and we’re not!” This phrase would come up a lot during Sunday adult Bible studies when a parishioner would ask a question in such a way that it would appear that he or she was questioning the will of God.

You see, sometimes we don’t understand why God does the things He does. We don’t understand why God allowed this or that to happen. And when we don’t quite get it, just remind yourself that “God is God and I’m not.”

In fact, God Himself says just that: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

You see, God’s plans and reasons are beyond the comprehension of us mortal human beings. He settles accounts in strange ways. In fact, in today’s Gospel lesson, we hear Jesus telling us something really strange.

[The “Protestant Work Ethic”]

You may be familiar with the phrase “having a Protestant work ethic.” This approach to work and life focuses on hard work, discipline, and being frugal:

• §  “Work hard, and you’ll be paid what you deserve.”
• §  “Don’t spend more than you make.”

In the workplace of the civil arena, this is most certainly true. Many – often those in the older generations – would even say that we could use much more of that work ethic these days. They compare themselves and their work ethic against the people and work ethic of a younger generation.

God’s vineyard, however, does not work that way. God’s vineyard, His gracious reign in Jesus, is no place for Protestant work ethics or for disciples of Jesus to compare themselves to one another.

You see, God manages His vineyard by means of grace and mercy. When we are confronted with God’s management-by-mercy, though, we sinners still pervert it with our comparing. Thankfully, that does not stop our gracious landowner Lord from His grandiose giving. Afterall, God is God and we’re not!

[The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard]

Since we are so used to comparing things, God uses His parables to help us better understand the kingdom of heaven. In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus teaches us the parable of the workers in the vineyard. So, let’s unpack this parable.

Jesus teaches us: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1-2).

Now, the master of the vineyard is Jesus. As the master, He goes out to hire workers at different times of the day and He sends them into His vineyard.

First, we hear about the group of workers hired early in the morning. This would be at dawn, just before or after sunrise, so around 6 a.m. So, the first group of workers agree to the wage offered by the master. They were eager to work for the denarius, which was a day’s wage. They believed that the master was very fair in proposing that wage.

Then, the master continues to hire another group of workers at the third hour, which is about 9 a.m. The master noticed a group of people who were waiting for some employment, since no one had hired them yet. So, out of the kindness of his heart, he offered them a job and said, “You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you” (Matthew 20:4). So, they went.

This group assumed that they would receive a fair wage from the master of the vineyard – for a partial day’s work. Still, they trusted the master and proceeded to work in His vineyard, even if they were only expecting a partial wage.

Then, the master of the vineyard needed more laborers. So, He hired more laborers at the sixth and ninth hours, which is noon and 3 p.m. Again, these laborers were waiting to be hired in the marketplace and when they were hired, they expected only a fair wage, a partial wage.

Oddly enough at just before quitting time at the 11^th hour, which would be 5 p.m., the master came back to the marketplace and found more people waiting to find someone to hire them. He said to them, “‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too’” (Matthew 20:6-7).

Now, hiring workers this late in the day was in itself an act of graciousness and charity, so that these last workers would at least be able to feed their families that day.

Then, at the end of the day, the master up-ends all expectations. The master said to His foreman, “‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius” (Matthew 20:8-9).

I’m sure that those hired last thought that the master was very generous. And as the laborers who were hired earlier in the day looked on, they, too, were hoping for continued generosity.

“Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat’” (Matthew 20:10-12).

Instead of being satisfied in receiving their agreed-upon wage, this group just grumbles. Instead of being content, they only compare themselves with the other workers. They think that they are better and more deserving of higher wages. They are grumbling like a spoiled child saying: “This is not fair!”

But, Jesus and His kingdom is not about what’s fair. Instead, His reign works by the extravagant giving of His grace.

We can all hear the voices of the workers who were hired first, but paid last, crying out, “That’s not fair!” After all, those who worked only an hour received the same day’s wage that they received for working all 12 hours. We fallen sinners – like spoiled children – often make that same lament.

The kingdom of heaven, however, does not function on the basis of fairness or equality. We hear about this in our parable: “‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:13-16).

You see, Jesus chooses to be generous and give away His things – His blood-bought, cross-won forgiveness, life, and salvation – as He pleases. Jesus, the vineyard master, says, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” (Matthew 20:15a)

[Our Sinful Pride]

But, what about us? Do we ever succumb to comparing and complaining? Are we often like the first laborers?

In their sinful pride, the workers hired first looked down on those who did not measure up to their standard.

In our sinful pride, we also often look down on people around us – at home, at school, at work, and even in the church. We believe that others do not think, act, or speak as we would expect – as we would like. Instead of taking the advice of others, we just ignore it, since we believe that we are always right as we have a high opinion of ourselves. Instead of loving and forgiving others, we just judge and avoid them.

Or, instead of comparing others to ourselves, we compare ourselves to others as the standard. So, when we compare ourselves with others, we often conclude that we fall short of their high standards. We compare ourselves to that other person, who we believe is a better parent, a better worker, or a better student than I could ever be. Or, we say that the other person is a better Christian than I am, because we perceive that he or she has a stronger faith than me.

We often despair that we will never measure up. We may end up concluding that God loves and blesses others more than He loves and blesses ourselves.

We even compare the people of God to worldly standards, instead of seeing others in the light of the gracious giving of His Gospel. We may compare our congregation to others, due to the beauty of the building, the capacity of the sanctuary, or the sound of the choir. So, if our congregation does not measure up, we despair. And, if our congregation seems to be better than others, we become proud. Or, we may compare our congregation according to our memories by thinking of a particular pastor or of the times this church was filled to capacity or of the size of confirmation classes of years’ past.

When we get caught up in comparing, we begin to neglect God’s concerns of proclaiming and hearing His Word – His Law and Gospel – and faithfully receiving His Sacraments.

[God’s Ways are Different]

You see, Christ’s kingdom is different. The point of the parable is that God is working in ways opposite to what we, fallen sinners, expect. After all, God is God and we’re not. So, all comparisons are odious. All believers in Christ will, by grace alone, inherit the same eternal life. Why is this so? It is because the reign of heaven in Jesus is so unexpected and shockingly unlike any other reality known in the world. It’s because the reign of heaven is run on a principle of reward for Christ’s sake that looks like utter foolishness to sinful human creatures. The reign of heaven is like the situation described in the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

As God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). In fact, God’s ways are far wiser than our ways: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

You see, God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). It doesn’t matter to God if one becomes a Christian as a child or on their deathbed. If the person believes in Jesus and trusts in His promises, this person is saved by grace through faith in Him. Every follower of Jesus will receive eternal life solely by God’s grace!

Now, how is this fair for a life-long believer and a deathbed believer to receive the same grace? It isn’t fair. Salvation unto us has come all by God’s free grace and favor! (LSB 555) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

You see, God’s ways are not our ways. Our ways are transparent. God’s ways are inscrutable. Our ways are wicked. God’s ways are pure. Our ways are damnable. God’s ways are saving.

Thanks to God the Father’s action through His Son, there is a sense in which this claim, “Neither are your ways My ways,” is no longer true. For in His mercy, God has made His way also our way – the Way to eternal life. For Jesus, the very Son of God, is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). So, by trusting in Jesus, He leads us to eternal life!

So, just as the vineyard master in the parable absorbed the costs of paying all workers the same wage, our Lord Jesus has absorbed the full cost of our sins, including the sins of comparing, grumbling, and complaining. In His death upon the cross, our Lord Jesus made Himself last in order to make us – by His grace – first in God’s vineyard-kingdom. Now we enjoy His eternal “day’s wage” of forgiveness, life, and salvation!

We, then, live by faith in our Lord’s generous giving. We all – regardless of age, ability, how long we have been Christians, or how well or poorly we labor in His vineyard – receive the same favor and forgiveness.

God also says to us: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). So, where is God to be found? For those who seek the Lord can be assured that they will find Him where He promises to be.

So, where is He? Where should we look? Since, God is God and we’re not, He is easy to be found. He isn’t hiding under a farm field. He isn’t hiding in a cave. He is out in the open! You see, God always loses at the game of hide and seek. So, where shall we look? Those who seek Him in Scripture, Holy Baptism and His Supper do find Him. So, look to His Word and His Sacraments. For in His Word and Sacraments, we see Jesus face to face (LSB 631), who forgives our sins and gives us His free grace!

Since our Lord, the vineyard master, has first shown us His mercy and love, we live our lives showing that same mercy and love to our fellow Christians as we forgive one another when we have wronged one another.

So, if you insist on living your life constantly comparing yourself to others, our Lord’s command is clear: “Take what belongs to you and go” (Matthew 20:14). Our vineyard master, Jesus, does not want grumbling among His workers. Nor does He want His workers comparing themselves with one another.

But thank the Lord and sing His praise! He does not give you what you deserve: the wages of our sin – eternal death apart from God. He does not give you what’s fair! Instead, He gives you what you do not deserve, what is not fair! He gives you forgiveness and life with Him! So, we cling to our Messiah of mercy, our giving God, our lavish Lord. Life is about more than a day’s wage. Life is about receiving divine favor in the Lord’s generous giving. Thanks be to the Triune God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – that He is God and we’re not! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Behind the Hymn: Paul Speratus

Episode 18 of "Behind the Hymn" features the Hymn of the Day for this Sunday (September 20, 2020). 

"Salvation unto Us Has Come" (LSB 555) may have ten stanzas in the Lutheran Service Book, but as we pay attention to the lyrics, we come to read and sing about the good news of our justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone! In today's special episode, we look back to 1524 when this hymn was first published in the world's first Lutheran hymnal, and we learn about the man who wrote this hymn, Paul Speratus.

Sermon for Pentecost 14: "Warning the Little Ones"

 To watch the Divine Service for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, click here. Search: "The Divine Service for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost (September 6, 2020)."

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro & Ezekiel’s Doubts]

The 18^th century American statesman Daniel Webster once said: “The most important thought I ever had was my individual responsibility to God.”[1]

This may sound odd, but each Christian has an individual responsibility to God in what we think, say, and do. Or, you may be more familiar with this phrase: our thoughts, words, and deeds.

The prophet Ezekiel held himself responsible to God. Last week, we heard that the prophet Jeremiah thought of himself as a laughingstock as no one seemed to listen to him as he proclaimed God’s Word (Jeremiah 15:15-21). And, for a time, Ezekiel – in today’s Old Testament reading – thought of himself as a failure to God.

So, why did Ezekiel conclude that he was a failure?

At first, Ezekiel spoke to the nation of Judah – the Jewish southern kingdom. He spoke explicit warnings that if the people did not repent to God, they would face God’s wrath. But, the people didn’t listen and would rather live in their sin. Afterall, sinning is fun! But, this fun would end.

Babylon soon conquered the kingdom of Judah and the people he warned were exiled to Babylon. You would think that this would wake up the Judaeans. But, it didn’t. They just continued in their sins while exiled from their land. The people would rather listen to the false prophets who promised them that nothing bad would ever happen of them because of their sin. Afterall, why not live your life? The false prophets proclaimed that if sinning makes you feel good, go ahead and do it. What could happen?

For this, Ezekiel thought of himself as a failure. Afterall, the people didn’t listen. They just continued in their sins. They were taken over and exiled to a far away place. Their culture was destroyed, but the attitude of the people never changed.

As Ezekiel was down in the dumps, God begins to answer his doubts. In fact, God reassures Ezekiel that he is in fact still a watchman of God. His commissioning has not changed. He did what God called him to do. He warned the people to repent and proclaimed God’s saving message for all sinners.

God reassured Ezekiel saying, “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

Even though the people did not listen, God was still speaking through Ezekiel. Through God’s love in desiring the sinners to be saved, God still spoke His saving Word through Ezekiel. But, as fallen human beings, we have a free will. The Jews then chose to listen or not to listen to God’s Word. Today, we have the same choice. So, are we listening to God’s Word? Are we today, who have been called by God through the Gospel, watchmen and watchwomen of God’s Word? Are we proclaiming the Truth from God’s Word?

[We Are All Vulnerable to Stumble]

Some 600 years after the time of Ezekiel, Jesus – the very Son of God – came into our flesh. During His earthly ministry, the people would still rather sin than repent.

Jesus taught the disciples: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:5-6).

Jesus begins with such positive words: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,” but then immediately His teaching becomes stern, and for some, His words become even appalling: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Here, Jesus is issuing a warning about mistreating or neglecting the care for “one of these little ones.” Now, these “little ones” are fellow disciples who are weak in the faith and have utter dependence on being taught what is true, right, and saving from the watchmen and watchwomen, such as pastors, teachers and other Christians who are strong in their faith.

Jesus is calling us, His hearers, both then and now, not to neglect even “one of these little ones” in need, but to show such concern for one another that when a believer is lured away and begins to wander from the fold, that others will imitate the care of Jesus – the true Shepherd – and bring back the one who has strayed.

You see, we are all vulnerable to stumble into despair, ruin, and unbelief.

Jesus says, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (Matthew 18:7)

Since we live in the world, temptations to sin are all around us. Afterall, Satan is able to deceive us into thinking that evil is good and good is evil. Satan has a way to make sin seem fun and pleasing. Satan has a way to make us even think that sin may even be “God pleasing.”

We all struggle with temptations to sin every second of our life. We ask ourselves: “Should I do this?” “Should I click that?” But, even in our struggle, there is no excuse for our sins of thought, word, and deed against God the Father.

[The Lying False Prophets]

Back during the time of Ezekiel, the false prophets said that no bad outcome would ever come because of sinning. Oh, how they were wrong! They were very wrong! The people were exiled, and their culture was destroyed.

Today, there are still false teachers that proclaim that sin is still not a big deal. They say, “Just live your life.” And, “What I do in my life won’t affect your life.”

Today, more than 61 million babies have been murdered due to abortion, since Roe v. Wade. Sadly, many Christian denominations have no issue with this, despite God’s Word championing the sanctity of life of every human being from conception to natural death. And, if you have had an abortion or know of a person struggling with the effects, through repentance, every sin is a forgivable sin.

Also, the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage has had a profound affect upon the family, society, and upon the church. Again, sadly many Christian denominations jumped onto this bandwagon, despite God’s Word proclaiming that marriage is a holy estate between one man and one woman. Just like abortion, the sin of homosexuality is also a forgivable sin through repentance.

And, just this spring and summer, many churches have latched onto the violence that is promoted by Antifa and Black Lives Matter without ever questioning their motives. If these churches actually proclaimed the Word of God, they would know that vengeance belongs only to God, as He says repeatedly in the Old Testament and New Testament: “Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30, Deuteronomy 32:35).

So, what do all these false teachings and sins all have in common? Instead of trusting in one true God, they are trusting in themselves and sinful man. This all goes back to the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods.” This means that “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

To be frank, we all fail at this. Every single one of us. Instead of depending on God, we look to our fellow man – and ourselves – to bring results. We often forget to pray to God in our daily lives. We often forget that we – as sinful human beings – only deserve God’s wrath and punishment. We also often forget that – as Christians – we are to led by example in our thoughts and actions, so that we don't lead the weak and the "little ones" in the faith astray.

The Lutheran Reformers were clear that “submission and compromise in external things where Christian agreement has not already been achieved strengthens idolaters in the idolatry.”[2] This means that when the church gives in to worldly things that go against God’s Word, this only strengthens the sinful world to seep more into the Church, and thus forming a slippery slope of more and more false doctrines infecting the Church.

[The Screwtape Letters]

In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, Satan’s minion named Screwtape writes to his junior tempter nephew named Wormwood to support his endeavor to convince “the patient” to turn from Christ and instead follow his sinful instincts, so he would be added to hell.

In his 16^th letter[3], Screwtape writes to Wormwood the following:

“You mentioned casually in your last letter that the patient has continued to attend one church, and one only, since he was converted, and that he is not wholly pleased with it. May I ask what you are about? Why have I no report on the causes of his fidelity to the parish church? Do you realize that unless it is due to indifference it is a very bad thing? Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for the church that ‘suits’ him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches.”

Screwtape later continued writing about sending the patient to a church that stands for nothing. He wrote:

“I think I warned you before that if your patient can’t be kept out of the Church, he ought to at least be violently attached to some party within it. I don’t mean on really doctrinal issues; about those, the more lukewarm he is the better.”

So, just because some Christian churches proclaim sins to be God pleasing, this doesn’t make it fact. The Triune God is not going to just look past sins, because a false church proclaims that that sin is no longer a sin. False teachers and false churches only lead their followers to one place – hell – eternal punishment apart from God – and to its weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is what Jesus is warning us all about! The sinful world does its best to lead us away from Jesus. Thus, away from the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The sinful world, led by Satan, does not want anyone saved from the powers of the evil foes: sin, death, and himself, Satan.

This is why Jesus says it is better for the false teacher to “have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). God will not take it lightly when His little ones are caused to stumble.

False doctrine, otherwise known as heresy, is dangerous. Actually, “dangerous” is too mild of a word. False doctrine – or, heresy – is the road to hell.

This is serious! False doctrine is not something to dabble in. Yes, we all make mistakes, but heresies are persistent errors for which the person or church refuses to be normed by the Word of God, the Bible itself. By refusing to be normed by God’s Word, these false teachers and false churches are proclaiming that they are more enlightened that the Triune God, Himself.

So, instead of caring for the wellbeing of the “little ones,” they neglect them and severely damage their faith, or destroy their faith altogether, and all in the name of “tolerance.”

For these false teachers and false churches, to them, I feel that they believe that being a Christian is just a joke. They say, as a follower of Christ, we can do whatever we want. Afterall, Christ died for that sin. But, do they preach repentance? No. As the Apostle Paul said, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

For Jesus, the whole matter of causing another disciple to stumble into ruin is serious! He says: “Woe to the world for temptations to sin” (Matthew 18:7a). Sin is no joke. Sin should not be taken lightly. Sin separates us from God. Sin separates us from salvation.

[What Do We Do?]

So, what are we to do? Are we doomed? No! Jesus reminds us to live vigilantly as we follow Him by following the Commandments. As the Apostle Paul says, we fulfill the Law through love:

“For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Romans 13:9).

We will all encounter causes of stumbling. It’s all in how we deal with it. Do we just fall into sin without thinking of its consequences? Do we turn away from sin? Or, do we accidently sin, but then when we come to realize that we have sinned we then repent of that sin and seek God’s forgiveness?

Jesus teaches us that “if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” He says that “it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” (Matthew 18:8-9).

So, is Jesus literally teaching us to self-amputate? No! He is teaching us that if a particular thing triggers our ability to sin, then we are to cut that thing out of our life. So, if social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, causes you to sin, cut that out of your life. If television shows and movies cause you to think sinful thoughts, cut that out of your life. Again, Jesus is saying that whatever causes us to sin to just cut out that trigger from our life.

You see, God hates sin. And, because of our sin, we all deserve to be thrown into the hell of fire (Matthew 18:9b).

[God Warns His “Little Ones” to Save Them]

God the Father sent the prophets of old to warn us of the consequences of our sin. He sent the prophets, like Ezekiel, to warn us to repent of our sins.

God also told the prophets and us today that if the wicked or unbelieving people persist in their sins, that at least they have been given a fair warning. So, if the Christian believer follows God’s directive and warns the wicked, this believer is not held responsible to the wicked person’s fate, if he persists in evil.

You see, the Triune God does not desire any one of His “little ones” to be destroyed in eternal punishment. Despite our sin, God the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ to bear the penalty of all of our sins through His innocent suffering and death upon the cross.

He sent His Son Jesus to warn us of the destructive power of living in sin. But, also through Jesus, God the Father has given us the Way to salvation. Even though we deserve eternal death and hell because of our sin, we have forgiveness, life and salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

You see, when we repent of our sins of thought, word, and deed against God the Father, these sins are forgiven through the hands and feet of Jesus that were pierced for our iniquities and so that through His wounds, we are healed. By His wounds, precious death and glorious resurrection, we, by grace through faith in Jesus, enter eternal life. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the powers of sin, death, and hell are defeated upon His “little ones.”

Jesus suffered and died for our every sin. Through His blood shed for us upon the cross, our sins are forgiven by grace through faith in Him! At the Lord’s Supper, Christ freely gives us His true body and blood in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins. God through His Means of Grace – Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and in hearing His Word – is constantly forgiving and strengthening our faith in Him!

You see, God does not judge a person on the basis of his or her past. So, when we repent of our sins, those sins are wiped away through the merit and work of Jesus Christ alone.

Even though we sin, God is eager to save! He warns us, so that we can be saved! So, we repent and receive God’s forgiveness, we take up Christ’s cross and proclaim His saving grace as we follow Him! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

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[1] Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1988), 172.

[2] The Book of Concord: The Formula of Concord – Solid Declaration, Article X (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 638.15-16.

[3] C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: Harper Collins, 1996), 81, 84.