Sermon for Reformation Sunday: "Set Free By the Truth" (John 8:31-36)

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]

 

Why do we celebrate Reformation Day? Isn’t today all about Martin Luther? Where does Jesus fit in?

 

When Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses for Debate into the Wittenberg Castle Church door on that All Saints’ Eve in 1517, do you think he had any idea what his future would be – and how the Church would react?

 

As Luther hammered his theses, each hammer blow would change the course of Christianity and of western civilization itself. Now, Luther may not have known his future, but the Triune God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – used Luther and his fellow reformers to get the Church back on track. God used Luther to get the Church back to the source, that is, back to the very Word of God.

 

You see, the Reformation is a good reminder that the Church can easily get untethered from God’s Word and instead follow man’s word, either by scratching our “itching ears” or by following man-made tradition rather than God’s truth that never changes. So, why do we observe Reformation Day? We observe Reformation Day because we all need to be re-aligned and corrected by the Bible.

 

Beginning in 1517, God called Luther and his fellow reformers to put their lives on the line. That was the moment God chose to reform His Church. We, too, are also called to speak God’s Word of truth to our friends and neighbors. Like the reformers, we too, are tempted to avoid the truth for fear of consequences, but the Holy Spirit always empowers us – through the study of the Scriptures – with the words we need to say when we don’t know what to say.

 

[Jesus is the Source, the Anchor, the Root]

 

Today’s Gospel text is all about getting back to the source. And the source is and always is Jesus. 

 

Many of the followers of Jesus were beginning to be untethered from Him, as their faith was beginning to wither. We, too, are prone to untether ourselves from Jesus. Now, make no mistake, they certainly believed in Jesus as their Lord. Just as we do. But for many, their belief in Jesus was only for a flashing moment. 

 

For these people, they were attracted to Jesus because of the miracles He performed. They liked the idea of never worrying where their next meal would come from. They believed they found their “bread king.” But when Jesus spoke, many of them weren’t actually listening. They were like plants that sprung up in rocky soil, but they thought they were giant redwoods. In fact, they had no root. They bore no fruit. They only had tradition and heritage for which they took for granted.

 

With their tender faith in mind, Jesus says to them, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31).

 

So, in order for their faith to grow, Jesus teaches them that they must cling to His teaching. Again, for many of these followers, they were attracted to Jesus because He fed hungry crowds and healed illnesses. But how did He make disciples? He taught them about Himself. How did He keep disciples? He held them by His Word.

 

We still have Jesus’ Word today. His Word leads us to Him and keeps us with Him. In fact, those very words of Jesus, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” is in a nutshell what the Reformation was all about. The Reformation was all about remaining in the Word of Jesus, without adding to, or delating from, or altering that Word, so that the true Church would proclaim the truth that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone, so that through faith in Jesus we are set free from sin and its wages, eternal death in hell apart from God.

 

The Word of Jesus is our anchor and our root. So, if we attempt to be a Christian apart from the Word of God, we are like a boat at sea drifting away, because of no anchor.

 

So, we must abide in Christ’s Word. To be truly His disciple, we must hear it, read it, and study it.

 

But what do those Jews with tender faith say to Jesus? “We are offspring of Abraham” (John 8:33a). Instead of listening to Jesus, they just imagine that their ethnicity and DNA would save them. We must apply this warning to ourselves, as well. It is possible to fall away, just as they did. It is possible for Lutheran congregations to become nothing more than heritage societies.

Sadly, so many churches have taken that route where their only bond as a church is hosting German or Scandinavian dinners. Those events are well and good, but they prove to be no anchor or root, if they are not connected to God’s Word and His Sacrament.

 

The Jews continue questioning Jesus saying: “[We] have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” (John 8:33b). 

 

Oh, how quick they are to overlook their current condition. At that moment, these Jews did not have their own nation, since they were subjects of the Roman Empire. And not too long ago, these same people were ruled by the Babylonians and the Persians. At present, they are held in bondage to the laws of outsiders. They were not free.

 

But as Jesus always does, He dives deeper than just surface level as He replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34).

 

[The Savior from Sin]

 

You see, Jesus came as the Savior from sin. He came to set us free from sin. The matter of freedom was not about being direct descendants of Abraham or defying all earthly captors ruling over them. It was and is about the universal truth that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. And only those who are set free from sin are truly free.

 

We are all enslaved by sin. Jesus is talking about us. We are naturally inclined to focus on our wants and our desires, rather than abiding in Jesus and loving our neighbor as yourself. We sin and therefore are slaves to sin. We have all sinned on purpose, with full knowledge, repeatedly. We’ve all heard the voice of the New Man telling us to stop gossiping, stop coveting, stop lusting. We’ve all heard the voice of the New Man tell us to stop harming ourselves and our neighbor. Every time we commit sin, we show that we are slaves to sin. One sin leads to the next sin. It’s a slippery slope. When we sin, we are untethering ourselves from God. When we finally realize our condition, our reaction naturally turns to desperation, since the wages of sin is eternal death.

 

Only Jesus, the Son of God, can free us from our sinful state and our sins of thought, word, and deed. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). This is what Jesus does for us. He does this by taking on our human flesh and blood and becoming one of us. He took upon Himself our sin as He died to the punishment we deserve while nailed to the cross. And while on that cross, through His death, God the Father forgave the sins of all who cling to His Son Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-25a).

Only Jesus sets us free from sin. No multi-step program. No “how to” book can set us free. Only Jesus. It is only through Christ’s propitiation by His blood on the cross that we receive forgiveness by faith. He sets us free by His death and His bodily resurrection. He sets us free through repentance and faith in Him. He says, “Repent, receive My forgiveness, and abide in Me!”

 

Jesus, the Son, remains in the House forever. Here in the Divine Service is where we are freed and cleansed from sin. It’s where we hear the liberating words of our Lord’s absolution. The house of His Church is where we receive our Lord’s holy Body and Blood given for us to forgive our sins and strengthen our weak faith as He leads us to resist slavery to sin.

 

Here, Christ says, “You are free!” He says, “You are clean!” But do you believe Him? That is the Truth Jesus tells us. This is the Truth He tells, into which you have been baptized, and by grace, you believe. Through that belief, by faith, we receive the Truth He tells.

 

We celebrate the Reformation, because we have been set free by the Truth. We have been set free by Jesus. By abiding in His Word – by remaining tethered to Him and His Word – we are truly His disciples, for in Him, our sins are forgiven, since He is the Truth who sets us free. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Festival of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus & Martyr: "Brother in Christ" (Matthew 13:54-58)

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:

[Without Honor]

 

Jesus said: “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household”(Matthew 13:57). Today on this day, we remember one in the household of Jesus known as James of Jerusalem, the Brother of Jesus and Martyr.

 

But what kind of brother was James? The Holy Spirit tells us through Scripture that Jesus’ own family thought He was “crazy.” On one occasion, His family tried to seize Him as they said of Jesus: “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

 

Well, what would you think if your brother leaves home and then starts marching around the countryside? What would you think if you heard your brother called a dozen men to follow Him as their Lord? What would you think if he denied you as family, but instead said His new friends were His true family? In fact, this happened. While Jesus was speaking to the people, His mother and His brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But Jesus says of His earthly family: “Who are my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Matthew 12:48). Then Jesus stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:49-50).

 

Beyond those dozen men, Jesus attracts a huge following – thousands of people follow Him out into the middle of nowhere. You hear that your brother is performing miracles of healing. The next thing you hear is that your brother claims to be the Son of God.

 

Then in today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matthew 13:57), to which we also learn that Jesus “did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

 

[Too Familiar]

 

“Familiarity breeds contempt,” the proverb says. Indeed, familiarity with Jesus growing up did breed the contempt of unbelief among His siblings and with the population of His hometown. 

You see, they all remember Jesus. Yes, He was different as a child. The people of Nazareth have no stories of Him arguing with His parents, or TP-ing the neighbor’s trees with His friends, or making false accusations. He never misbehaved. Ever. But Jesus was a child. They remember Him as a child. They also remember Him as He grew up. Yes, He was a bit different than other teens and young men, but He was still the Jesus they remembered. They were all familiar with Jesus, but now Jesus was more different than He was then.

 

Now, the people of Nazareth hear of miracles performed by Jesus. From the various reports they heard, these miracles are true. No one ever accuses Him of being a charlatan, a fake, a fraud. There is no drama, no smoke and mirrors. He just heals. He restores creation in front of them and there is no argument about it. His miracles are undeniable.

 

On top of this, no one can dispute what Jesus says. His teaching is obviously true. He speaks with clarity and power and not even the most-clever of Jewish lawyers can find a mistake. There are no contradictions. His Words perfectly match the Divine revelation of the Old Testament.

 

But this is the problem. Despite His righteous life and His divine miracles, despite everything He says, the people of Nazareth refuse to believe that He is God. Now, they have no reason to reject it. But they don’t need reason. They have sin. This truth of Jesus’ divinity shocks and scandalizes them. They can’t argue against it. They just reject it.

 

They cannot dispute His miracles. They cannot find a failure in His life. They can’t criticize His teaching. So, they just cling to the fact that Jesus is just a man. They say: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:54-55). They say: “He is no better than us. He is just a man.” Well, the irony of it all is that they are correct. Jesus is one of them. As the Second Person of the Trinity, He took on our human flesh to suffer and die for all sinners.

 

I’m sure we understand the people of Nazareth. But what about those closest to Him? Scripture tells us that His closest relatives refused to believe that Jesus is God. One of them was James. James is like us. We too easily take for granted those God has placed closest to us – our family, our spouse. We, too, can speak ill of them and sometimes despise the ones closest to us. 

 

We, too, can be like James. We ought to ask the same question about ourselves. What’s our problem with Jesus? How is it that we often fail to honor Jesus in our hometown, in our jobs and various vocations, and in our households? Do we recognize His wisdom and His mighty works? Has familiarity with Jesus bred contempt of Him? Do you take Him for granted?

James didn’t initially embrace his brother’s divinity and messiahship. We often don’t either. James didn’t embrace Jesus’ call to repentance. Often, we are so very slow to repent. James also didn’t embrace Jesus’ own proclamation that the Christ must suffer, be lifted up on the cross, and rest in the tomb, and rise to life on the third day. We, too, don’t want to hear about the seriousness of our sin on why our Savior had to die so that believers would be forgiven of their sins.

 

In fact, we don’t hear about James as a witness of the crucifixion. We know he was not with Mary as she watches her Son and her Savior die. While nailed on the cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to John as He said, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:27). Where was James? Where were the others of His earthly household? They were ashamed. They were scandalized knowing their brother died claiming to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah.

 

James certainly rejected Jesus. He didn’t believe Jesus could be the Messiah, much less God. He gave up on Jesus. He became estranged from Jesus.

 

[Jesus Never Gives Up on Us]

 

But did Jesus give up on James? Does Jesus give up on anybody? And so, after His death on the cross, a resurrection appearance seems to have been a life-altering moment for James: “Then [Jesus] appeared to more than 500 men. … Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:6, 7). 

 

And how did James react? Through the Holy Spirit, James made his good confession. He embraced Jesus in faith and who Jesus revealed Himself to be: God, Lord, and Christ. James believed. Through faith, James also was a forgiven sinner.

 

James became Jesus’ brother in the truest sense. Not by birth or blood or human will, but by following the will of God the Father. You see, faith is thicker than blood.

 

The effect of this resurrection appearance on James becomes immediately evident because, after years of rejection, the brothers of Jesus, including James, suddenly appear in the upper room with Mary, the other faithful women, and the eleven disciples devoted in prayer as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13-14).

 

For a man, who for most of his life was offended by Jesus, James received Christ’s forgiveness and became a leader of early Christianity. He knew the long-suffering mercy and generous salvation of his brother Jesus. Jesus never gave up on him, so he used Jesus’ example to encourage fellow believers.

And, although being from Nazareth, James would soon be known as “James of Jerusalem,” because he served as the first bishop of the church, seated in Jerusalem. And as bishop, the Apostle Paul wrote of James as being one of the three “pillars” of the Church along with Peter and John (Galatians 2:9).

 

As the bishop of Jerusalem, James taught that righteousness comes only by faith in Christ and not by Jewish ceremonial Law. He taught that righteousness is not found in ourselves, but only by faith in Jesus, who alone is righteous.

 

Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, James was a man of faith as he penned the Book of James, which in all likelihood is the oldest book of the New Testament. But as years went by, High Priest Ananus was seeking a way to depose of James and other Christian leaders. Then in AD 62, Ananus assembled the Sanhedrin and brought up trumped-up charges, falsely accusing James of breaking the Jewish Law in order to execute him. In this pre-determined show trial, James was found guilty and was stoned to death.

 

But what happened the very moment James died? Due to his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior, James inherited eternal life – just as we do! This, James inherited because of the mighty work of Jesus dying on the cross so all sinners – by faith – would be reconciled to God. When he was younger, he thought of this as foolish – as did his fellow Nazarenes – but this is the wisdom of God. And, this is our hope, too! You see, because of your faith in the crucified and risen Messiah, you have eternal life, too! We have good reason to hope, since our hope is sure and certain. We have the same hope that James came to realize. 

 

Like James, who when he saw his resurrected brother and was called to believe in Him as his Messiah and Lord, we too, have been called to believe in Jesus. Now, it is not Jesus who personally calls us to believe in Him, but it is the Holy Spirit who has called us and enlightened us by the Gospel. 

 

You see, apart from the Holy Spirit, our own reason or strength could not believe in Jesus as our Lord, or come to Him. We naturally reject Him, like James before the resurrection. It is only through the Holy Spirit, working mightily through the Word and Sacraments that can change hearts. Only the Holy Spirit mightily working through the Word and Sacraments can perform the strange act of making one a brother in Christ, just as we are – not by blood, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 19: "Continuing in What You Have Learned" (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5)

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:

 

[Watching You]

 

“As for you,” Paul says to Timothy, and us – “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

 

Timothy had learned well. From his teachers – his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and the Apostle Paul – he had acquired strong convictions. From these convictions, he is taught that he should stand by them and not let himself be shaken from them.

 

But notice, Lois and Eunice didn’t wait until Timothy was “old enough” to make his own decisions. They didn’t wait to see if Timothy would decide to become a Christian. No, they started indoctrinating – that is teaching him the fundamentals – right away “from childhood.” Now, literally, “from childhood” means “from infancy.” That is really the best time to start any teaching. So, right as soon as any infant is baptized, parents ought to raise their child in the one true faith, teaching him or her the ABCs of the faith. It is the expectation of parents that they will bring their child to the Divine Service in God’s house, regularly, each week. It is the expectation of the parents to teach their child the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as leading the child to the reception of the Sacrament of the Altar. All of that, and more, is what it means to teach your child the sacred writings.

 

But how well do our children know the Bible? And, how well do adults know the Bible? Are we even teaching our children? Well, yes, we are. We are constantly teaching, even if we don’t intend to be teaching. You see, whatever we do as adults is catechizing our children – for good or for bad. So, if attending church is not a high priority, then your children will see church as not a priority. If you see sports and recreation as important, your children will likely see it that way, too.

 

Again, children tend to imitate their parents. Now, there are always exceptions to every rule, but this Proverb is true: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

 

Yes, we have all known children who departed from the faith who had God-fearing parents, but how many children remained in the faith who had God-fearing parents? No matter what, children typically follow their parents’ example for good or for bad.

 

The 2006 country song “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins shows this at work through song. He sang:

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
'Till his nuggets were gone.

 

A green traffic light turned straight to red.
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap.
Well then, my four-year-old said a four-letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned.
So I said, “Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?”

 

He said, “I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. …
I wanna do everything you do,

So, I've been watching you.”

 

You see, our children – even if they say they don’t – they model their lives after their parents. So, whatever the parent does is ultimately catechizing their children. But as that child noticed what his dad spoke, he also noticed his dad’s other actions. That night, he witnessed his son do something else, as he sung:

He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said, “Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?”

 

He said, “I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. …
I wanna do everything you do,
So I've been watching you.”

 

Our children are always watching. So, what are you teaching your children?

 

This is what Timothy was doing. He watched and learned from Eunice and Lois, just as we learn from our parents and guardians on what is good and right. So, Timothy from infancy heard the writings of the Old Testament. And from those Writings, the Holy Spirit brought him to faith in Christ Jesus, the promised Messiah.

 

So, if you haven’t been the best teacher when it comes to God’s Word, the good news is this: God is gracious. He forgives our sins. He restores and renews us. This, in fact, is the very message of Scripture: the forgiving, renewing, restoring grace of God in Christ. This is God’s Word for all of us this morning. You see, God is gracious. The blood of Christ covers all of our sins. The Holy Spirit will pick us up and help us to do better. God is always faithful, despite our unfaithfulness.

 

Now, did you also notice that Paul is writing to an adult Timothy when he writes: “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (2 Timothy 3:14)? The point is, the learning of Holy Scripture does not stop when we are confirmed. In fact, we are called to be lifelong learners. Even for the most-astute pastor, he is still consistently learning more from God’s Word. 

 

So, we must continue in what we have learned. We must continue in learning from the Scriptures. But why? Why can’t I just worship God in nature?

 

Well, yes, God is seen in nature. He is the Creator of all things. But what is missing? What do we not notice in nature that is revealed in Scripture? Well, Scripture is how we “are able to [be] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). There it is! Scripture is the means by which God reveals our salvation.

 

[Doubting Faith]

 

Now, back some years ago when I was a teenager, I began to doubt my Christian faith. Just a couple years earlier in catechism class, my pastor taught me that the Bible was entirely God’s Word. He proclaimed what Paul proclaims to Timothy: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) – that all Scripture is “God breathed” or “Divinely inspired.” He said the Bible is true from cover to cover, since every word of the prophets, evangelists, and apostles were inspired by – and willed by – the Holy Spirit.

 

Now, all of a sudden, I was hearing the opposite from another pastor. He claimed that portions of the Bible were inspired, while other portions were products of human imagination. I thought, “If the Bible cannot be trusted, why even come to church?” I began questioning the crucifixion and resurrection. I was questioning everything.

 

In my moments of doubt, I remembered the previous pastor mentioning an obscure book called The Book of Concord, so I purchased this book and I began looking through it until I came across this statement in the Epitome of the Formula of Concord: 

“We believe, teach, and confess that the only rule and guiding principle according to which all teachings and teachers are to be evaluated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments alone, as it is written, ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105), and Saint Paul: ‘If … an angel from heaven should proclaim to you something contrary, … let that one be accursed!’ (Galatians 1:8).” 

It also stated: 

“Holy Scripture alone remains the only judge, rule, and guiding principle, according to which, as the only touchstone, all teachings should and must be recognized and judged, whether they are good or evil, correct or incorrect.”

 

When I read that, the Holy Spirit strengthened my weak faith and assured me of the truthfulness of the Scriptures. And this is what eventually led me to The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, since this church body is still tethered to God’s inerrant Word.

 

“All Scripture” – the Old and New Testaments – points us to Christ, so that we can take a hold of Him by faith. Jesus Himself said, “[The Scriptures] bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). The entire Bible is about the dying and rising Christ conquering death for us, and the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name.

 

[Continue in the Sacred Writings]

 

So, we must continue in what we have learned in these sacred writings! Paul teaches Timothy – as well as us – that all Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that a man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16b-17). 

 

So why are the Scriptures profitable? Well, they are for reproof, that is, to expose and convict sin. But the logical question is this: What is sin? Is abortion sin? Is gender-affirming surgery sin? Is cohabitation sin? Is gossiping sin? Is being discontent sin? Now, not everyone will give the same answer. But who is right? This confusion in the world can also confuse the Christian. Where do we turn to know what is truly a sin? Well, God determines what is sin. In His Scripture, He gives us the only reliable standard on what is right and what is wrong.

 

 

 

Another way Scripture is profitable is for correcting, which means restoring those who fall into sin. The Law certainly rebukes and convicts, but to restore the sinner, the Gospel is essential. The Gospel moves the heart, strengthens faith, and builds up so that correction takes place.

 

The Scriptures are also profitable for “training in righteousness.” In His Word, we receive training in how to live as God’s child. One way we are trained is that we are to speak God’s Word when we are tempted by our sinful nature. Do you recall what Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan? Did He comply to temptation? No! He responded saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). He spoke the very Word of God to combat Satan’s lies.

 

God’s Word as revealed in the Scriptures are our tools to fight the lies around us. As Paul wrote, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3).

 

As a result of the Fall, our sinful nature is not satisfied with the Bible. Instead, our sinful nature doesn’t want to hear what we have done wrong to God and to our neighbor, but desires to be flattered. So, instead of listening to the Truth, many of us wander off into myths. This chief myth is that God serves me as He agrees with whatever I want. This false god is like a Disney genie who always agrees with their wishes. So many people search out false teachers who flatter us, instead of being taught God’s unchanging truth.

 

The Old and New Testaments carry the Lord’s own authority. Make no mistake, every word belongs to God and was breathed out by God. They are powerful for accomplishing His own purpose, namely, creating in our hearts saving faith in Jesus Christ. Within this Book, through the merit and work of Jesus, salvation for sinners is revealed!

 

So, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, let us continue in what we have learned, so that we may be wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ!

 

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 18: "Clean and Forgiven" (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]

 

The cleansing of the ten lepers is about giving thanks. Ten were healed, but only one returned to give thanks. Actually, this is more than just about giving thanks. Our Gospel reading from Luke is also about leprosy. It is about sin. It is about healing. It concerns forgiveness. It is about saying thank you to God and about praising God. 

 

With good reason, we stand far off, away from Jesus. Now, leprosy was an individual and social disease. It infects the body. It brings hideous disfigurement. It rots the flesh. It eventually destroys the voice. Leprosy isolated one from others. Both social and religious purity codes demanded that lepers keep their distance. And lepers were regarded as one who was already dead, since there was no known cure for this disease.

 

Sin is also an individual and social disease. Sin infects us individually. Sin ruins our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. Results of our sinfulness are short tempers, impatience, and rash reactions. Likewise, cool and calculated deceptions are results of sin too. 

 

Like leprosy, sin isolates us from others. Gossip, jealousy, unkind words weaken or destroy friendships. Self-centeredness, power struggles and adultery ruin relationships. Disrespect, distrust, insecurities cause rifts between children and parents, and other family and friends.

 

But most importantly, sin isolates us from God. So, we are like those lepers standing far from Jesus. Our sin of thought, word, and deed separates us from God. And if left untreated, sin would separate us from God forever. We would be left to our own merits to justify us. And because we are sinners, we deserve the wages of sin: eternal death apart from God and His goodness.

 

Yet, we – with the ten lepers – cry out to Jesus, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). The lepers did not presume to rush up to Jesus or grab Him and demand healing. They were humble by acknowledging their distance, their leprosy. They plead, cry out, and beg Jesus for healing.

 

[The Liturgy of Mercy and Forgiveness]

 

We, as sinners, do the same. We also come before our Lord, acknowledging our sin. We do not presume or demand anything or try to earn mercy from God. We just beg and cry out for mercy. The Divine Service is a weekly living example of this. What comes first in the liturgy? Distance! We acknowledge that we are far away from our Lord. We confess our sins and ask God for His forgiveness. 

 

It is only through the forgiveness of sins that we enter into the life of heaven. To confess our sins is to speak the truth about our lives. God seeks the truth in the heart and on our lips. To confess our sin is to say “amen” to God’s just verdict that we have sinned against Him and thus deserve only eternal death and hell. 

 

This truth of our sinfulness is answered by the truth of God’s forgiveness for the sake of the suffering and death of His Son. From the lips of the called and ordained servant of the Word, we hear God Himself speaking absolution, that is, the forgiveness of sins. To that forgiveness, faith says “amen,” which means “this is most certainly true.” “Amen” is the great word of worship; it indicates that the gift has been received.

 

Having received the Lord’s forgiveness, we are glad to enter into His courts with praise and thanksgiving. This entrance is made using the Lord’s Words in the Introit.

 

As we come to the Kyrie, we sing the same words spoken by the lepers: “Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.” Like the lepers, we come before the King of Mercy seeking mercy for our salvation and for peace.

 

How does Jesus react to our cries for mercy? Does He keep His distance? Does He run away? Does He attempt to avoid defiling Himself so He would not catch the dreaded disease?

 

No, leprosy and sin do not push Jesus away from us. He cleanses them as He cleanses us. Jesus speaks words of healing: “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14). What this means is that these lepers will be cleansed. And they soon were. As they walked toward Jerusalem, they all noticed all at once that their disease was gone. Their skin was completely healed. They had no more disfigurements.

 

To us, Jesus gives words of absolution: “I forgive you all your sins.” You see, sin doesn’t push Jesus away from us. Sin is what separates us from Him. Sin is us pushing away from Jesus. Jesus comes and He keeps on coming. He comes and takes away our sin, no matter how disgusting it is, no matter how disfigured it has made us. He takes our sin and bears our sin. He dies for our sin. Our sin does not push Him away. That is why He came in our human flesh in the first place. He came to take away sins by calling us to repentance and faith in Him. Jesus truly wants us to give Him our sin and cry to Him in confession, so that He may forgive us.

 

[Joining the Samaritan]      

 

Each Sunday, Jesus gives us an invitation to come close to Him so that we would be clean and forgiven. But our text ends with only one cleansed man turning back in thanksgiving and falling at the feet of Jesus in worship. And who returns? A Samaritan. A man from a mixed race with a mixed religion. Only he turned back praising God with a loud voice giving thanks to Jesus as his Lord.

 

Jesus commends this man saying, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18)

 

Even for this foreigner, this Samaritan, the distance is gone as it was taken away by Christ’s words of healing. We can imagine this cleansed man, who was an outcast from Israel, even by his nationality, grabbing hold of Jesus in profound worship and love.

 

It was only a Samaritan who 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.

 

Now, “were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” Jesus asks. You see, Jesus expected them all to turn back to Him, even though He knew the outcome. For Jesus, He knew reality would not match His expectation. But didn’t Jesus tell them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14)? Well, yes, He did. And they all trusted Jesus’ command. So, what did they do wrong? They didn’t recognize where the cleansing came from.

 

You see, Jesus is the fulfillment of all the commands that God had given. It is all about Jesus. The Temple is Jesus. He is the priesthood. If the other nine had understood who it was who spoke these healing words to them, they would have naturally turned back to give thanks to Jesus.

 

Now, some – all too many, in fact – are like the nine cleansed lepers by missing or ignoring the invitation to be close to Jesus in the Lord’s house of worship. You see, for the other nine, 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 bodily resurrection, He offers forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation. Here in the Divine Service, Jesus shares with us His good gifts as we hear His Word and partake in His Body and Blood at this altar for the forgiveness of our sins.

 

But how many of us ignore these gifts of God’s grace? What a shame when we instead go on with our business by not expressing thanks to God. What a shame when we forget to worship. What a shame when we mumble through our prayers. What a shame when we choose recreation and sports as more important than God’s Word and His Sacrament.

 

As Children of the 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!

 

Still, we, too, can get close to God when our sins are forgiven through repentance and faith.

 

The distance between us and Jesus is removed by His cross and His words of forgiveness. But we still have that invitation to come to Him in praise and thanksgiving and worship, with no boundaries separating us.

 

Today’s Gospel lesson is for us. This is our story. The one cleansed leper who returns is, by the grace of God, who we are called to be. This Divine Service, this liturgy that we take part in, is a liturgy of thanksgiving and praise for the Lord’s healing words spoken to us that remove the leprosy of sin. Each Lord’s Day, we leave this place with our faith strengthened and our sins forgiven. We leave knowing that we will return to where Christ is – in the Divine Service – to receive more of what we are thankful for: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. By God’s grace, we are clean and forgiven! Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 17: "God's Answer To Our Complaints" (Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4)

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]

Why God? Why do You allow evil? Why do You allow all these shootings? Why do You allow Your Church to accept heresy? Why do You allow for murder? Why do You allow children to be abused? Why do You allow the social contagion known as gender ideology and gender-affirming care? Why God? Why do You allow this?

 

We have all had questions such as these. And, I’m sure you have had so many other questions that you demanded answers from God. We all ask God, “Why?” Why do You allow evil?

 

The Prophet Habakkuk also asked many of the same questions we ask God. He, like the Prophet Job, questioned why evil existed and why the Lord permitted evil to afflict His people. Today, on this 17^thSunday after Pentecost, the Triune God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – gives us the answer to Habakkuk’s, Job’s, and our complaints.

 

[Why God?]

“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
         and you will not hear?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
         and you will not save?” (Habakkuk 1:1-2)

 

Habakkuk remembers what it was like before the current king of Judah. He remembers this king’s father Josiah, who was one of the few godly kings of Judah. During his reign, he commissioned a remodel of the Jerusalem Temple. Like many remodeling projects, lost items are soon found. Seemingly tucked away in a closet collecting dust was the Book of the Law – the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They were found by Hilkiah the high priest and when he found them, he didn’t fully appreciate this discovery. You see, they forgot about the Book of the Law. Essentially, each king and their people did what was right in their own eye.

 

When Josiah saw what the discovery was, he called together the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, including the priests and prophets, to hear the Book of the Law read by him. Then “the king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD – to follow the LORD and keep His commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant” (2 Kings 23:3).

 

At that moment, everyone pledged themselves to God and His Law.

 

The Word of God that was seemingly forgotten was now back in plain sight. Following this discovery, Josiah did not want any distractions from God’s truth, so he cleansed the Temple courts of any corrupt religious practices and destroyed all the false idol shrines. God’s Word was certainly working repentance and faith among the people. But then Josiah died. 

 

After his elder son reigned for three months, Jehoiakim then came to the throne. Sadly, he had none of his father’s redeeming qualities. He was godless and his attitude and wicked behavior filtered down to the lesser officials and, finally, to the people themselves. 

 

The people of Judah had God’s Word, but now they chose to ignore it. King Jehoiakim’s behavior filtered down to the people. Still within recent memory was the relative peace under Josiah, since the people agreed on morality. Under Jehoiakim, not so much. The saying, “Culture is downstream of politics” is true. If the culture is corrupt, politics – that is the public, or the people – tends to follow.

“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
         and you will not hear?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
         and you will not save? (Habakkuk 1:2)

 

Habakkuk has been praying to God since Jehoiakim’s behavior filtered down to the people to stop the violence and injustice in Judah, but he believes that God has not been listening. He cried out:

 

“Why do you make me see iniquity,
         and why do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me;
         strife and contention arise” (Habakkuk 1:3).

 

Here, Habakkuk is asking this: “Why, O LORD, do you tolerate wickedness in the first place?” Now, he’s not the first to ask this. Job asked: “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” (Job 21:7). The Psalmist asked: “How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!” (Psalm 74:10-11).

 

Habakkuk, Job, and the Psalmist each wondered why the Lord seemingly has His hands in His pockets. They ask, “Lord, why do You take no action against those who revile You and ignore Your will? Lord, how can You permit the wicked to slap You in the face?”

 

[Violence and Destruction]

In our reading, Habakkuk sees “violence” and “destruction” all around him. Now, “violence” is the immoral and criminal behavior evident everywhere in Jerusalem: murder, robbery, theft, fraud, embezzlement, rape, adultery, and other violations of God’s moral Law. These are sins that destroy the lives of individuals and ruin the fabric of society. These acts of violence look much like the things that fill our society today.

 

As for “injustice,” Habakkuk observes that the courts are corrupt, that the processes of justice have broken down to a two-tiered justice system. Justice is perverted to favor the wicked intentions of the godless, and the godly who play by the rules are taken advantage of. The wicked escape punishment, and the godly find that justice eludes them. The godly are ridiculed because they refuse to condone evil.

 

The way Habakkuk pictures the Law in his society is memorable: “The Law is paralyzed” (Habakkuk 1:4). Now, a paralyzed person cannot move, so he is unable to work or defend himself. This is how the Law is in an immoral society. The Law is ineffective. The Law is easy to circumvent. The Law is so crippled that “justice never prevails.” When the Law is paralyzed, there is no agreement on what is right or wrong. Thus, there is no willingness to punish those who break laws. As a result, the Law ceases to function. It becomes unable to dispense proper justice.

 

An immoral society is a lawless society. Where the Ten Commandments have become paralyzed, the breakdown of Law and Order in society is the inevitable result. This is what Habakkuk saw all around him, and he wondered why a just God did not act. Why is God tolerating this? Why did God let it get this bad in the first place?

 

[The Answer]

But like a watchman standing on the walls of Jerusalem, alert and waiting for a messenger to come bearing news, Habakkuk waits patiently for the Lord’s message. He waits because he is not alone in wanting an answer.

After cry after cry to God, Habakkuk finally receives a reply. The LORD answered him: “Write the vision;
         make it plain on tablets,
         so he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2).

 

Habakkuk then wrote what God spoke to him on large posters – similar to a billboard today – that could be easily read by all who passed by. God’s message is clear: He wants this message to get out. He wants others to hear and read it. He wants this message to have the broadest possible audience.

 

So, what was God’s message of reply?

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
   but the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

 

God is telling Habakkuk that He will use the Babylonians to punish Judah for its wickedness. Wait? What? Aren’t the Babylonians even more wicked? Yes, they are, but 

due to their wickedness Judah will soon be taken into exile by the “puffed up” Babylonians, but in sharp contrast to the arrogance of the Babylonians, the Lord says, “But the righteous shall live by his faith.”

 

Faith is holding firm to the one true God who can be trusted, even though we cannot always understand His ways. Faith is trusting in God’s promises. For the people of Judah, their lives were about to radically change as they would be taken away from their homeland and sent into exile in an unknown place. So, throughout all the “why’s”, God gives them the answer: “I will never leave you or forsake you. Trust in Me, for I will deliver you salvation.”

 

When all was looking grim, God encourages His people that He will deliver them exactly what He had promised. It may look bad now, but in time, He always delivers.

 

So, what “why questions” are you asking God? At each Divine Service, God delivers peace to our “why questions.” He delivers forgiveness of sins and strength for our faith through His Word and Sacrament. He reminds us that despite the craziness of this fallen world, He is still in control.

 

The Holy Spirit inspired Paul, much like Habakkuk here, as he wrote: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:31, 32). What things? Paul is acknowledging that God has done everything for our salvation. It is finished. Salvation is ours by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

 

For Habakkuk, he was awaiting deliverance. In time, he was delivered. He was not able to see it during his life, but he trusted in his deliverance. All of the world was delivered when Jesus died to pay for our sins. And nothing separates us from the love of Christ.

 

As we leave this place today, we will still face challenges, confront difficult circumstances as we face wicked unbelievers in society, but no matter what “the righteous will live by his faith.”

 

Now, the Lord’s answer may not completely satisfy our sense of fairness, but remember this: God’s ways transcend our ways. Salvation, though delayed, will surely come. This salvation is received in God’s justification of the sinner by grace through faith: “For the righteous shall live by his faith.”Amen. 

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +