Sermon for the Day of Thanksgiving: "True Gratitude" (Luke 17:11-19)

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]

We have so much to be thankful for on this Day of Thanksgiving. We ought to be thankful at all times and all places because the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – has truly blessed us.

He has given us clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all that we have. He richly and daily provides us with all that we need to support our bodies and lives.

Not only that, but He also defends us against all danger and guards and protects us from all evil. Because of His love for us, it is our duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

But have you ever thought about the proper way to give thanks to God? Today, on this Day of Thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit works through an unexpected man – a Samaritan – as He teaches us the proper way to give thanks to God.

[Cleansed by Faith]

As we say in the explanation of the First Article of the Creed, one of the ways we give thanks to God is by obeying Him. Now isn’t this what all ten lepers did? Jesus told them: “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14). But why would Jesus want these lepers to show themselves to the priests? First, Jesus is fulfilling the Levitical Law. But more importantly, Jesus wants the temple priests to confirm that this miracle had taken place. This miracle will also confirm that Jesus is who He says He is: the One who cleanses humanity of sin.

Immediately, without any hesitation, the ten lepers obeyed Jesus and went on their way toward Jerusalem.

At the same time, these ten lepers must have been surprised at Jesus’ reaction to their plea for mercy. But they trusted Jesus. There is no doubt that they had heard about previous miraculous healings of lepers as the result of Jesus. It is also likely that they expected Jesus to speak a word that would produce healing at once, but their trust in Jesus was strong enough that they didn’t listen to their voice of reason, they did just as Jesus commanded.

As these ten lepers were making their journey toward Jerusalem – all at once – they noticed their rotting flesh had healed. In their awe, they spoke with full voices. They were cleansed! They were cleansed because they all had faith in Jesus.

But as it is with faith, not every person grows at the same pace. In the Parable of the Sower, the Sower sowed his seed everywhere. “Some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (Luke 8:5-8a).

Each former leper had faith, but only one, after the cleansing, was willing to give glory to God – God in the Person of Jesus. And the chief irony of it all is that the one who gives glory to God is a Samaritan – a man from a mixed race and a mixed religion. He is the one who has actual faith in Jesus as the Divine Savior.

This Samaritan turned back and began praising God with a loud voice. He returned to give thanks to Jesus for this miraculous healing.

You see, this joyous gratitude in the heart of this healed leper could not be contained. He praised God with a loud voice. He believed that God had healed him through Jesus. He then fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. He thanked Jesus believing that Jesus was in fact the Divine Messiah. He believed that if he was to thank God for his healing, he must thank God Himself. He thanked God through worship. His worship confesses his faith, the conviction about God in Jesus. He believed the place to give thanks for his cleansing is wherever Jesus is.

For the other nine, it is implied that they were Jews. They certainly obeyed Jesus and they had faith in Jesus, but their faith was not a saving faith. Their faith withered as they didn’t come to the same conclusion as the Samaritan that Jesus is the Incarnate God.

Now, we don’t know what happened to the other nine. They may have come to saving faith later in life, but on this day, only a Samaritan had come to saving faith.

For his faith, Jesus says to this Samaritan, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19). What Jesus is saying here is “Your faith has made you well, now come and follow Me,” for which this Samaritan did.

[True Gratitude]

As I began today’s sermon, I said that this Samaritan through the work of the Holy Spirit would teach us the proper way to give thanks to God. So, what then is the proper way to give thanks to God? Did you catch it? Is it us saying, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”? Not exactly. Now, this Samaritan did say thank you. But God doesn’t need our appreciation, since He gives daily bread to both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). You see, this Samaritan man did even more. He returned to Jesus to worship Him.

So, how do we give thanks? We give thanks to God as we come together in the Divine Service to receive more of what we are thankful for.

But what does being thankful really mean? We can’t be thankful for nothing. So, we should stop and think about what really matters. True thankfulness is being content, since the Lord will provide.

Here in the Divine Service, the Lord provides. You see, this is the place where Jesus is found! He is found in His Word that is preached and in the Sacrament that is administered for us!

If we look closely at the worship of the Samaritan, we see that he resembles our own worship. We first meet him – and the other nine – as he says, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). Does this not sound like the words of the Kyrie that we say? “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.” For centuries, Christians have offered this simple prayer as we come together. In this prayer, we ask our Lord to hear us and help us in our necessities and troubles.

After the Kyrie, only one remains – the Samaritan. Jesus questions him saying, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17) For Jesus had so much more to offer them. He offers Himself on behalf of the whole world in His coming suffering and death on the cross. Through His death and resurrection, He offers forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation.

On this Day of Thanksgiving – and every Lord’s Day – God provides His grace and mercy as He serves us in the Divine Service. He serves us in the Means of Grace, His Word and His Sacrament.

But how many of us ignore – or even despise – these gifts by ducking out early, choosing the “shorter” service, failing to show up at all, or being otherwise unfaithful in our attendance at the preaching of His Word and the reception of the Lord’s Supper? How many of us fail to acknowledge that Jesus is present here with us – where two or three are gathered – where His Word is proclaimed, where we celebrate His supper? As children of our heavenly Father, from whom we receive every good thing in our earthly lives, we ought to turn back to Christ and join the Samaritan praising God with a loud voice!

As the Samaritan fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks, acknowledging in his faith that Jesus is Lord, that Jesus is God, that Jesus performed this healing miracle and also saved him from his sins. We too, confess the same in the words of the Nicene Creed saying, Jesus is “very God of very God … who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven … and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.”

Then in the liturgy of the Sacrament of the Altar, we again fall at Jesus’ feet as we are in the presence of the crucified and risen Christ, who gives His Body and Blood in a meal where His Divine cleansing is for all who, like the Samaritan, are saved through faith. We hear and reply again on how it is always truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to God. Holy Communion is received in thanksgiving by Christians. This is the act of thanksgiving. So, the way we observe Thanksgiving is by receiving the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

We give thanks to God as we come together at each Divine Service to receive more of what we give thanks for.

We come to be in the presence of Jesus knowing that we are sinners in need of mercy and Christ provides as He says to us, “Your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19). We leave the Divine Service with our faith strengthened and our sins forgiven. He strengthens our saving faith in Him. We leave knowing that we will return to where Christ is – in the Divine Service – to receive more what we are thankful for: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. We return since true gratitude proceeds from a heart sustained by faith. 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

Being Thankful

 

What does being thankful really mean? We can’t be thankful for nothing. So, we ought to stop and think about what really matters. Being thankful is being content, since the Lord will provide.

 

Oftentimes, our old sinful nature gets the better of us. Our sinful nature causes us to think we always need more things, like more money and more possessions. Or we look at the world around us with a glass half-empty mentality as we look for all what our sinful mind perceives is wrong with the world through complaints.

 

The thing is, the Lord always provides for both the just and the unjust. He provides daily bread – food, clothing, and shelter – to the just and the unjust.

 

Martin Luther explains it this way in the First Article of the Creed in his Small Catechism:

“I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

“He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

“He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

“All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”

 

Since God provides for all the needs of our body, it is good and right at all times and all places to give thanks to Him. But how? How is it proper to give thanks to God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

 

Do we say to God, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”? We could certainly do that, but God doesn’t need our appreciation, since He gives daily bread to all people – the just and unjust.

 

So, what can we do to show our gratitude to God? We come to where He is. We show our gratitude by putting our complete faith and trust in God as our sole provider. And where is He always found? He is found where His Word is purely proclaimed and His Sacrament is rightly administered. The Divine Service is where Jesus is found. We give thanks to God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as we come together at each Divine Service to receive more of what we are thankful for: forgiveness of sins. Each Sunday, we return to receive more of what we are thankful for since true gratitude proceeds from a heart sustained by faith.

 

The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us on this Day of Thanksgiving and all our days ahead! Amen.

Sermon for Pentecost 25: "Enduring to the End" (Mark 13:1-13)

 

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]

“The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13b). What is Jesus saying here? How do we endure?

This morning’s Gospel lesson can leave us scratching our heads and wondering what actually endures?

In the beginning, all earthly things – including you and me – were created to endure. Because of this, we all expect permanence. After all, we were all created to live forever, but permanence came to an end due to the Fall into sin. However, this is what Christ’s disciples were in awe of. They were in awe of all that seemed would last forever.

“As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down’” (Mark 13:1-2).

Really? All this beauty is going to come to an end?

For the disciples, they came to the big city of Jerusalem and were in awe of the Temple and other great buildings. Everything they saw took their breath away. We’re no different. We, too, often become awestruck when we gaze from the sidewalk at the impressive height of skyscrapers, or how majestic stadiums and arenas are, or historic buildings that have lasted hundreds of years. There is so much we can be in awe of.

Today, on this 25^th Sunday after Pentecost, Jesus speaks to us and says: “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13b). The question for us is this: How do we endure? To answer this question, Jesus first speaks about what does not endure.

[What Doesn’t Endure]

To our shock and grief, everything on earth will perish. Even the best and greatest on earth is doomed. Jesus says: “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2).

Nothing appears that it will last. In this, Jesus gives us a warning and a preview of the close of the age. He does this to reinforce the faith of His disciples. He does this to strengthen our faith, as well.

You see, by the end of that very week, Jesus knew His fate. He would suffer and die for the sins of the world. He knew that His suffering and death would be a harrowing experience for His disciples. He knew that Satan would use that moment to tear His disciples away from Him. So, in faithful love for them, and us, Jesus speaks to reinforce their faith for the ordeal that was soon to come.

First, Jesus speaks of false teachers as He says, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and they will lead many astray” (Mark 13:5b-6).

These false teachers will insist that the Scriptures support their false doctrine. They say that they have come to a more mature and enlightened view of the Bible by cherry picking Scripture in order to find support for their deceptions.

Now, as bad as false teachers are, they will not endure. We cannot count on false teachings for our salvation. But many people will become deceived and wander off from the Truth. However, during this time, false teachers will provide a further testing of the faithful.

Second, Jesus brings up wars and rumors of wars. He says: “Do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end in not yet” (Mark 13:7b).

There will be all sorts of things that make the news. World War I was first known as the Great War – the war to end all wars, but then came World War II. So, wars come, and wars go. But wars will also not endure.

Third, Jesus speaks of nations and kingdoms. Many believed that the Roman Empire would last forever. It was also once said that “the empire on which the sun never sets” was the British Empire. Many believe that the United States will last forever. But all earthly empires rise, and all earthly empires fall. So, earthly kingdoms and nations will also not endure.

Fourth, Jesus speaks of earthquakes. Fifth, Jesus speaks of famines. The ground will shake, and crops will fail. But earthquakes and famines will not endure.

Sixth, Jesus speaks of persecution saying, “They will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness before them” (Mark 13:9). As bad as the persecution may be do our bodily harm or hatred, none of this is aimed at us, this is all aimed at Jesus, as He said, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Mark 13:13a).

When Christ is proclaimed as the Way, and the Truth, and the Life – the only Savior of mankind – there will be hatred in the hearts of unbelievers. They say: “What about my good character? Isn’t that enough?” or “How are you to tell me how to live my life? All your talk of sin and hell doesn’t scare me!”

Again, the real hatred is not the Christian, it is actually Jesus Christ. Even persecution, as bad as it may be, will not endure.

Lastly, Jesus speaks of family relationships. He says, “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death” (Mark 13:12). So, even family relationships that are very special to us, will not endure.

As followers of Christ, we ought not to be swayed away from Christ by these many signs of the close of the age. Yes, we are to be put on alert, but at the same time, we should not be alarmed. They are, in fact, “the beginning of the birth pains” (Mark 13:8). It’s akin to a tornado watch being a time to be prepared for a possible tornado. And a tornado warning when we must be hunkered down.

[What Endures]

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13b), Christ says.

The reason why we have false teachers, wars, empires falling, earthquakes, famines, persecutions, and broken family relationships is all because we live in a fallen creation. Due to sin that was unleashed by our first parents when they were deceived by Satan, nothing appears to endure.

At the same time, Jesus says: “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13b). But how? How do we endure? Where is that answer?

When we are wondering about the end, where are we to turn? We turn to Jesus! He is the place to go. He is the only One who has the answer.

Even in the Old Testament times, they believed they had the answer on how to endure. As the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to the Hebrews to write: “Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:11). But they could never take sins away. They sure tried, but priestly sacrifices could not endure. “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:12-14).

You see, Jesus endures. He lives forever. He is sinless – like Adam before the Fall – and therefore He is immortal. As the incarnate Son of God, in Him is the fullness of the Godhead. He is the everlasting Temple of which the splendid temple in Jerusalem was just a shadow.

So, just opposite of the Jerusalem temple was the actual Temple Himself. It may seem strange that Jesus, while sitting on the ground, was greater than all those wonderful buildings. In the end, it is only Jesus who is able to endure.

But what about us? If Jesus endures forever, how do we?

We endure by the blood of Jesus! Christ, being raised from the dead, cannot die again. He endures. As the Son of God, He endures forever. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is holy and immortal. He is the everlasting Temple of God.

We endure only through Christ. In Christ alone, we are given the sure confidence that everyone who receives His Means of Grace – by hearing His Word and receiving His Sacrament – and trusts in Him and the fruits of His cross for the forgiveness of their sins will endure!

Due to Christ’s suffering, death, and bodily resurrection, “everyone who lives and believes in [Christ] shall never die” (John 11:26) and “whoever believes in [Christ], though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). In Christ alone, we receive His glorious body, which is imperishable.

Even though we may see everything around us disappear, don’t be alarmed. Therefore, as the sinful world tempts us by saying “I am He” (Mark 13:6) in order to lead us astray, or peace comes to an end through persecution, war, earthquakes, and family ties, always know this: Christ endures. And if we cling to Christ, we also endure.

Over and over again, God reminds us of these facts: “His steadfast love endures forever!” “His righteousness endures forever!” “His faithfulness endures forever!” And “His Word endures forever!”

Thus, salvation will occur for God’s people. Our salvation in Christ cannot be shaken. Nothing – not even Christ’s dire list we heard today – can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus. Christ’s one and only sacrifice endures for all time. By grace through faith in Christ alone, we endure to the end. In Christ alone, we are saved! 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

Funeral Sermon: "Singing the Glad Songs of Salvation" (Colossians 3:12-17)

 

Carol, Mary, and Julie, family and friends of Esther:

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

[Christ Speaks Comfort]

“Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a). Christ spoke those words to comfort His disciples, since He knew His departure was nearing – with His betrayal, suffering, and death – just days away. Christ speaks those same words of comfort to us here this morning.

You see, any departure – though short or long – is a cause for distress. Certainly, nobody wants to be separated from their loved ones and friends. This morning we see before us the wages of sin, which is death. Due to sin, no human being can overcome death. But, although we die to sin – death serves as a portal, a gate to heaven – since “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

For all believers in Christ, death is not to be feared, since we have the sure and certain hope that we will be with our loved ones again who have died in the faith. “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep. … Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 18).

At the same time, don’t be ashamed to grieve. Grieving the loss of loved ones is perfectly natural. Remember, Jesus grieved. But always hold on to this sure and certain truth that because Christ lives, everyone in Christ also lives.

[God Blessed Esther]

We are here this morning to remember Esther’s life, but most importantly, we are here to rejoice in Christ’s promise of forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation to all who trust in Him.

Throughout her life, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – blessed Esther. She was blessed in her marriage to Harold, known as “Bud” to many, with three daughters Carol, Mary, and Julie. She was loving and never met a stranger. She was certainly a people person as she always remained close to her family and friends.

God also blessed Esther in her work life as He led her to become a prolific stenographer in her youth, which prepared her as she served as secretary at Glencoe High School for 22 years under many principals.

Even in the hard times of losing the farmstead near Lester Prairie in the spring of 1965, due to a tornado, out of that destruction, God blessed Esther and “Bud” as they moved to Glencoe.

All through her life, God provided for all of Esther’s needs of body and soul.

[Glad Songs of Salvation]

Now, you may have noticed a common theme in today’s Scripture readings. If not, I will enlighten you now.

We first heard from Psalm 118 with these words: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous” (Psalm 118:14-15). Then we heard in Revelation 7 of those clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10) They later proclaimed, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 7:12) In the reading from Colossians 3, we heard these words: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).

This common theme is singing the glad songs of salvation. In my years in knowing Esther, she expressed her faith in Christ through song. In a way, singing hymns was how she prayed to her Lord and Savior. All throughout her life, she memorized many hymns. And later in life, when her eyesight diminished, she continually sang the hymns that were written in her heart.

Back at Easter, I visited Esther in the hospital. Being hospitalized, I knew she would not be able to attend the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, so I began singing Easter hymns to her, such as “Awake, My Heart, with Gladness,” “O Sons and Daughters of the King,” and “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today,” and without any words in front of her, she sang right along with me.

For Esther, the word of Christ dwelled in her richly as she sang hymns with thankfulness in her heart to God.

[Hymns as Proclamation of the Word]

In our reading from Colossians 3, God teaches us that singing hymns is also a means for the proclamation of the Word. In fact, Christ-centered hymns convey some of the Bible’s greatest teachings.

As we sing hymns, we anticipate the worship, joy, and glory of eternity that all believers in Christ have. But for Esther, she is no longer anticipating these joys as she is there participating in this worship, joy, and glory with the Church Triumphant in heaven!

So, just as the Word of the Lord gives life and remains to eternity, as Baptism is a resurrection with Christ, which assures us of being raised with Him at His coming, and as the Holy Supper of Christ’s very Body and Blood is a foretaste of the banquet of the kingdom to come, so through singing hymns, the Church anticipates our future worship as the Church Triumphant. So, the closest we can get in this life to the joy and glory of paradise is the church’s worship of Word and Sacrament – including the hymns and canticles that are included.

For Martin Luther, hymnody was powerful. He wrote hymns that are rich in doctrine in order to teach and instruct, as well as to be easily memorized. Luther wrote in his Large Catechism that “nothing is so powerfully effective against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts as to occupy one’s self with God’s Word, to speak about it and meditate upon it. … Without a doubt, you will offer up no more powerful incense or savor against the devil than to occupy yourself with God’s commandments and words and to speak, sing, or think about them … [as] that drives away the devil and puts him to flight.”[1]

The Word of the Lord endures forever even through song. Christ-centered hymns proclaim Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and what His sacrifice gives us: forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, and salvation. For Esther, memorizing and singing hymns gave her comfort knowing that Christ has accomplished salvation for everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus.

Today, Esther and her fellow saints arrayed in white in the Church Triumphant are singing the glad songs of salvation – the glad songs of peace with God through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Today, Esther has no more hunger, no more thirst, no more tears. She has perfect eyesight. Esther has joined the Church Triumphant because she knew the way. So, what is the way? Jesus says: “I am the way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)

You see, Jesus bridges the chasm between God and man. He is the only Bridge to God the Father. As we have all gone astray – due to our sin – Jesus took upon Himself all of our sins through His suffering and death upon the cross, so that we – by faith in Him – would know the only Way to God the Father.

As the Truth, Jesus is the actual embodiment of the Truth. As the Life, He abolishes the separation and unites us with God the Father.

Through Christ’s love for you, He has opened the gate of salvation. He opened the gate of salvation through His suffering, death, and bodily resurrection, which destroyed the power of sin, death, and hell upon all believers, so that we – by faith in Him – would be with Him forever. So do not let your hearts be troubled, since Christ alone has become our salvation.

For everyone in Christ, we are comforted knowing that even in the hour of death, through Christ, we possess the resurrection to everlasting life!

May we one day join Esther and her fellow saints in heaven and sing with them the glad songs of salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! 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

Esther Michaletz's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/esther-m-michaletz/

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[1] The Book of Concord. Luther’s Large Catechism (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 381.