Sermon for Pentecost 13: "The Most-Important Riddle" (Matthew 16:13-20)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Why does Jesus speak so much in riddles? Have you ever thought that? I have. And of course, that’s why I am asking.

 

To the scribes, Jesus asked, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (Mark 3:23). To the chief priests and the elders, Jesus asked, “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25). And Jesus spoke many more riddles.

 

But today, Jesus asks His disciples the most-important riddle: “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13).

 

Christ’s disciples respond, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14). 

 

John the Baptist sounds like a good answer. He was a man of the people. He may have appeared rugged, and he had some odd eating habits, but he was a strong man of faith. He had the courage to call sinners to repentance.

 

Elijah appears like a good answer, too. In the first century, there was major speculation that Elijah would return. Since he was taken up into heaven alive in the fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:1-14), he could very well return.

 

Then comes an odd addition: Jeremiah. Well, maybe not too odd. Jeremiah, like John the Baptist and Elijah were prophets, but Jeremiah didn’t have the so-called “cult of personality” that John and Elijah owned. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. Jeremiah called on the religious leaders to repent. Jeremiah said that Jerusalem and the temple would soon be destroyed because of the peoples’ unrepentant sin.

 

But similarities are there between John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Despite their differences, they each spoke what God called them to speak. They each suffered for speaking the very Word of God. John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah sound like good answers. But none of those answers are correct.

 

So, there appears to be some confusion on this “Son of Man.” Who is this “Son of Man”? What does it mean to be the “Son of Man”? Riddle me this: “Who is the Son of Man”?

 

Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Ahh, now we are getting somewhere!

 

Then Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

 

Here, Jesus has asked the most-important question – or really questions – that His disciples would ever answer. First, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is.” Then, “Who do you say that I am?”

 

You see, Jesus wants to be known. And He wants to be known by this mysterious title “Son of Man.”

 

Jesus uses this title “Son of Man” a sum of 82 times. It’s a favorite of Jesus. It’s the favorite of Jesus. And so much ink has been spilled through history on trying to figure out what “Son of Man” actually means.

 

Well, instead of trying to figure out this riddle on our own, why don’t we actually find out if Jesus answers this riddle? And guess what, Jesus actually explains the meaning of the Son of Man.

 

As Jesus asks the question, the answer is soon revealed. In fact, I already gave it away. Did you catch it? First, of course, Jesus rejects the false definitions: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But He does give the correct definition. Did you catch it? Did you notice it? The “Son of Man” is “the Son of the living God.”

 

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

 

Peter’s reason did not reveal this fact to him. It was God the Father who revealed this fact to Peter.

 

The disciples have not always understood. Now, they had their moments of understanding, but somehow, they would always come back to doubts and misunderstandings on who Jesus truly is. 

The disciples were in awe of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 men, plus the women and the children. Soon, they thought Jesus was a ghost walking upon the sea. They cried in fear! But when they realized the ghost was Jesus, they said of Jesus, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). Then, they had a terrible moment as they urged Jesus to send away the Canaanite woman. They are an example of our roller coaster of faith. Some days, you may have faith that could seemingly move mountains, but then the next day, that faith couldn’t even move over an ant hill. So, we have our good days and our bad days. But through it all, we have faith. Ultimately, it’s not about our feelings. Our feelings are flighty. But what never changes is God’s love for you and me. We are faithful because He is always faithful.

 

Our reason and strength will fail us. So, when you are weak, He is strong. When you cry out for help, He answers you and rescues you. He answered the need for hunger by feeding the crowds with just five loaves and two fish. He rescued Peter who in doubt jumped out of the boat to see if the man walking on the sea was Jesus. He rescued the Canaanite woman and healed her daughter from demon possession.

 

Today, Jesus desires to be known on who He truly is. He may be a prophet, but He is more than just a prophet. He may be a miracle worker, but He is more than just a miracle worker. Jesus is the Son of Man.

 

So, Jesus didn’t just want His disciples to know the answer to “Who is the Son of Man” and “Who am I”? He wanted them to know Him. Jesus would not go on from that riddle until He received the answer. 

 

Back in seminary, I was involved in a group called “Apple of His Eye.” The whole idea of this group was to ask this simple and yet profound question to people, “What do you think about Jesus?” I, along with the others, passed out leaflets about Jesus one summer. We walked down the Delmar Loop, which is a business district north of Washington University and Concordia Seminary, which is a hot-spot for college-aged people. Sometimes we were ignored, but other times, we had great conversations on who Jesus is. On one other occasion, we even walked about the St. Louis Pride Festival. There, we received so many conflicting ideas on who Jesus is: an unconditional lover, a judge, a prophet, a great guy, a figment of man’s imagination.

 

So, like Jesus’ riddle to His disciples, there are still so many questions on who Jesus truly is. What do you think about Jesus? This is the same question that Jesus asks of us. What do you think of Him?

 

The question about who is the Son of Man was a mystery for centuries before Jesus. One of the most famous Old Testament accounts of this mysterious Son of Man was revealed to the prophet Daniel by the Holy Spirit: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

 

This Son of Man is One who is before time. This Son of Man is One who has been given dominion over all peoples, nations, and languages. This Son of Man is One who has everlasting dominion. This Son of Man is One whose reign lasts forever and not even the gates of hell shall prevail against it.

 

Who is the Son of Man? The Son of Man is none other than Jesus who is the miraculous Offspring of the human race in whom the Son of God became man. The Son of Man is like us. He has our flesh. He is fully and truly human. He is like you and me, except without sin. The Son of Man is poor as He has no place “to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). The Son of Man eats and drinks (Matthew 11:19). The Son of Man is reviled, suffers, and dies (Matthew 17:12, 22-23; 20:18-19). The Son of Man bodily rises from the dead. These all prove that the Son of Man is the Son of God, who has come in our flesh in order to save sinners, like you and me, from eternal death. The Son of Man came to justify us as righteous in God’s sight.

 

This same Son of Man sees the thoughts of our heart, forgives sins, is the Lord of the Sabbath, sits at the right hand of God the Father as the ruler of the universe, and He promises to return in divine glory to judge the living and the dead on the Last Day.

 

The mystery is clear. God wants to be known. He wants to be known to you and by you. Today, He comes to us in the mystery of forgiveness spoken through a sinful pastor, He comes to us through the mystery of His Word proclaimed, He comes to us in the mystery of the Lord’s Supper. He comes to us with the purpose on making Himself known as the Son of Man, who is the Redeemer from the powers of sin, death, and the devil. Again, this is the most-important riddle: who is the Son of Man? He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! 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 12: "Persistent Faith" (Matthew 15:21-28)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28). With those words, Jesus healed this woman’s daughter instantly.

 

But it wasn’t easy. Oh no! It wasn’t easy for this Canaanite woman! Sometimes what we ask of God in our prayers also isn’t easy. “O Lord, please heal me!” “O Lord, please heal my loved one!” We want our prayers answered. We desire our prayers to be answered. But sometimes we forget that our prayers are not about our will, but His will. Sometimes, we get silence. No answer. And you may even wonder, “God, are you even listening to me?”

 

This morning on this 12^th Sunday after Pentecost, Jesus and His disciples travel north of Galilee and into the district of Tyre and Sidon in what is modern Lebanon. This is Gentile territory. This is not a Jewish territory and has never been Jewish territory. Jesus and His disciples are well beyond the historic borders of the Kingdom of Israel.

 

So, why is Jesus and His disciples in a Gentile territory that has never been a part of Israel? Well, it appears that they did not go there to engage in any compassionate ministry. It appears that they weren’t there to preach or to heal. So, why are they there? Well, they are there because things were getting a little too hot for comfort due to Christ’s recent confrontation with the Pharisees. So, they’re there to take a breather.

 

But could there be more to just taking some time away? Jesus is beyond the historic Jewish borders for a reason.

 

“And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon’” (Matthew 15:22).

 

Now, you may recall that the Jews and the Canaanites have a history. A history that goes all the way back to Moses. You see, Israel was ordered by God to exterminate the Canaanites, because of idol worship (Deuteronomy 20:17). That clearly did not happen, because we have a Canaanite woman coming up to a Jew. What is going through her mind?

Well, clearly, she knows who Jesus is. She has heard about Him. His fame had spread even past Galilee and into the Gentile lands. But this woman doesn’t just know of Jesus, she also believes in Him and His power. She trusts in Him. She believes in Him to be the promised Messiah and Redeemer from sin and the devil’s power.

 

Although she was a Canaanite and not a Jew, she believed in the promise of the Gospel. She believed that the Promised Messiah didn’t only come for the Jews, but even for her, and all people like her. She believed what Isaiah recorded from God: “The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, to love the name of the Lord … these I will bring to My holy mountain … for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:6, 7).

 

She believed she was included. She believed in God’s promise to Abraham: “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18).

 

You see, this woman’s faith rested upon these promises. Her faith was not in herself. She knew that she could not possibly save her daughter. Instead, she clung to the promise that God’s offspring would be the Savior for all people – for all sinners, including her. Her faith rested upon that promise. This was the only thing that could give her any hope.

 

But to her cry for help, Jesus did not answer her a word. Jesus stood there in silence. 

 

I thought Jesus was our friend. We just sang how great a friend Jesus is! I thought He was faithful! Jesus what happened? Why are you silent?

 

Is Jesus denying her request? Is Jesus denying her faith? Is Jesus denying her prayer?

 

Sometimes, we think God is not listening to our prayers as if we are all alone and He doesn’t care.

 

But then it appears to go from bad to worse for this woman. To end this awkward silence, the disciples beg Jesus, “Send her away! Just give her what she wants so she’ll leave us alone!”

 

To that request, Jesus says to the disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). This is Jesus saying, “O, you my beloved disciples, I am not here for your convenience or to be a wandering miracle worker. I wasn’t sent for her.”

Jesus wasn’t sent for this her? This is the friend we have in Jesus? Some friend He is! How can we say that Christ loves this woman and her daughter, considering what she is experiencing? But Jesus knows this woman’s heart. He is treating her this way to know the true nature of her heart. Where is her faith? Who is she trusting? Through these afflictions, her faith is turning from self-reliance to only Jesus Himself.

 

As this woman overheard Jesus say that He didn’t come for her, she persists as she kneels before Him – she worships Him – and says, “Lord, help me” (Matthew 15:25).

 

Now, Jesus speaks. But if His words were harsh before, they are even worse now. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). Yes, you heard that right, Jesus is calling this woman a dog. Here, Jesus is making a distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews are called “children” and the Gentiles are called dogs.

 

But how does this woman respond? Does she get defensive saying, “How dare you!”? No. She actually agrees with Him. “Yes, Lord, I am a dog.” She receives His word and simply agrees.

 

“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27).

 

She believed. She agreed with Jesus. “You’re right Lord, I am a dog. I am a sinner. I don’t deserve Your help. I have no right to ask You for help. But if it is Your will, You are my only hope. I will never let go. For without You, I have no hope.”

 

To this, Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith” (Matthew 15:28) and her daughter was healed instantly.

 

This Canaanite woman was persistent. But it wasn’t her persistence that necessarily got the results. It was her faith. Her faith was great because the object of her faith was Jesus and His saving word. Jesus was not being mean to this woman. He was treating this woman this way to reveal the true faith in her heart.

 

You see, the struggles that we face day after day with our sin and our constant temptations from Satan, the world, and our very nature, are used by God to draw us away from relying upon ourselves to relying upon Him. Faith believes in the Gospel and cries out to God for help.

 

So, we do have a friend in Jesus! He did come for this Canaanite woman and her daughter. He came for you and for me!

 

So, yes, God is listening to your prayers! And He doesn’t just listen. He also answers every single prayer with His good and gracious divine will. But like the Canaanite woman, yours and my prayers are not always answered immediately. It may appear as if God isn’t listening, but He is. He reveals His will to you and to me as yes, no, or not yet though His Word. He speaks to us and answers us in His Holy written Word. So, if it appears He isn’t listening, maybe it’s not Him who isn’t listening, but you. Yes, God can work miracles outside of His Word, but it is always best to look where He always promises to be found: in His Word and His Sacraments.

 

The good and gracious will of God is that all people would be saved from their sins. The good and gracious will of God is that all people would come to His house of prayer. But for that to happen, humanity would have to be brought back to God. Jesus who came for the lost sheep of Israel, also came for the dogs. He is the Savior for the Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus became man to suffer and die in our place. As poor, miserable sinners, we deserve that cross, we deserve that pain, we deserve that death. We deserve all that because we have turned from God and to sin. But God would not have all of humanity perish. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:4-6).

 

The Canaanite woman is an illustration of how we all ought to be. We also ought to have a persistent faith. We ought to have faith that loves God’s Word. The faith that clings to God’s Word. The faith that clings to His Sacraments. For there is no hope for us apart from God and His Word and Sacraments. 

 

Like the Canaanite woman, our access to God is not dependent on our merits. She had no merits. She was an outsider. She was a sinner. Even so, she prayed. She prayed relentless. She would not let go but held fast in worship to Jesus. May we follow her example as we lay our burdens before Christ focusing on Him alone as the object of our faith. 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 11: "Keeping Focus" (Matthew 14:22-33)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

When you hear the phrase “he walks on water” or “she walks on water,” what comes to mind? Are you really thinking that he or she can actually physically walk on water? Most likely not. These days, that phrase “walks on water” usually invokes the idea that he or she is near perfect, or godlike.

 

Well, in case of Jesus, He’s not near perfect, He is perfect. He’s not godlike, He is fully and completely God in human flesh.

 

This morning’s Gospel lesson isn’t primarily about you or me, or about Peter who also walked on water. It’s not about how we too can step out in faith and get out of the boat. It’s not about our walk of faith. It’s actually about Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus, the Creator who comes as the Redeemer of the world. It’s about walking in trust in the One who walked on the water.

 

Now, this reading may be all about Jesus, but we are not left out. We are indeed included. I’ll get to that later.

 

Just last week, we heard about the miracle feeding of the 5,000 men, plus the women and the children from just five loaves of bread and two fish, which after everyone ate their fill and were satisfied, they left behind 12 baskets full of the broken pieces. That was quite a miracle!

 

But before Jesus performed that miraculous feeding, do you recall what the disciples said to Jesus? They said, “Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves” (Matthew 14:15). So, today, Jesus returns the favor as He sends away His disciples into a boat to go before Him to the other side of the sea, while He dismisses the crowds so that He could pray by Himself.

 

Oddly enough, the disciples never asked any questions, like “How are you going to get to the other side, Jesus?” We only hear that they left and Jesus remained to pray up on the mountain.

 

As Christ was praying, the disciples were having a difficult time coping with a contrary wind. First thing to note here is that these disciples were not afraid of this storm. You see, some of them were expert fishermen and capable sailors who had previously made a living on the Sea of Galilee. Yes, this sailing was difficult, but it wasn’t imperiling. Sudden, violent storms were all too common on the Sea of Galilee.

 

But a storm is still a storm. It would have been much easier to cross the sea on calm waters than stormy waters. So, like the disciples, we too, would prefer calm waters. The same is the case in flying. If you had the choice between a shorter flight with extreme turbulence and the longer flight with calm air, which flight would you choose? I would choose the longer flight with calm air.

 

Storms do make a difference, but storms are nothing unexpected on the Sea of Galilee. Yes, the storm was unfavorable, but they were never in any danger of drowning.

 

As they were fighting the waves, during the fourth watch of the night, that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., the disciples notice a shadowy figure off into the distance coming toward them. The storm didn’t scare them, but now they are afraid! 

 

The storm they can handle. That is known to them. What they can’t handle is the unknown. As the shadowy figure comes closer, suddenly, they cry out, “It is a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26)

 

For these men, they thought this was it. If you or I were on that boat, I’m sure we would have thought the same. They thought they were goners. Could it be the Leviathan? For the Twelve, they were terrified. They believed that only a watery grave was their fate.

 

You see, Scripture often portrays the sea as a realm of chaos that opposes God’s order. In Isaiah 27, the sea is said to be the dwelling place of the ancient serpent – the Leviathan – who is God’s enemy.

 

So, what does Jesus’ walking on water mean for us? Well, first there is fear. Yes, Jesus is shadowy until He is fully seen. That is scary. But there is even more to this fear. You see, whenever the Lord shows His glory, this invokes fear. Man is incapable of walking on water. Man is just too heavy. So, Jesus is more than just a man. This indicates that Jesus has mastery over nature. He is in fact, the Creator of heaven and earth. As the Creator, He is not subject to space and time. He is the Lord of creation, so He has to power to dominate His creation.

But there is even more. Remember the Leviathan? Well, Jesus’ walking on water may indicate something more. Though Him walking on water, He “treads the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). Because of the association of the sea with the devil, this could also indicate that Jesus’ walking on water not only demonstrates His divinity, but also His conquest over the evil foe. So, Christ comes not only to still life’s tempests, but also to crush the power of the devil underfoot.

 

But this lesson doesn’t just end with Jesus’ walking on water. In their fear, He calms them saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). There, Christ used His divine name, “I am.”

 

As the disciples have been calmed by Jesus’ words, Peter appears as if he wasn’t sure this man is Jesus. So, in typical Peter fashion, he cries out to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). So, Jesus invites Peter saying, “Come.”

 

So, keeping his eyes on Jesus, Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus. Then Jesus who has control over the wind and the sea began to test Peter by showing him a strong wind. All of a sudden, Peter begins to focus on the wind rather than on Jesus. He was distracted. He had lost hold of that word of Christ that He had spoken – “Come.” Instead, Peter was focusing on the wind and the water. He was realizing that he was walking on water. Now, he was sinking.

 

How often do you get distracted away from Christ? We live in a constantly distracting world. Emails, texts, notifications, and phone calls were supposed to make life simpler, but so often it makes life more distracting. We get distracted by so many shiny objects. And it is so hard to get back to being focused on the task at hand. In fact, studies show it takes 23 minutes to get refocused.

 

So, the eye always impedes hearing. For Peter, as long as he was hearing “come” and he did not look at the water beneath him, he was fine. But all at once when he began to take notice of the wind, he was distracted and right then and there, he lost his hearing of the word “come.” At that point, he begins to sink and goes under. Faith certainly starts out with strength, but it is made weak by the opposition of the wind.

 

The opposition of the wind for you and me is the world we live in. Satan is the prince of this fallen world. He is out to distract us from Jesus, so we would join him. 

You see, Satan wants us to follow our wants and our desires, rather than to hear Christ’s unchanging and saving Word. But what Satan never expects is what Peter cries out as he sinks, “Lord, save me!”(Matthew 14:30)

 

You see, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13) and “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). So, what happens to Peter? Jesus immediately reaches out His hand and took hold of him.

 

Remember earlier when I said that we are also included in this lesson? It’s subtle, but Peter’s distraction serves us as an illustration of the struggles we all face daily as Christians. We are, by nature, of the world, and we live simultaneously as saints and sinners, trusting and doubting accordingly. In our lives, we face continual struggles with the devil, the world, and our flesh. We see the troublesome seeds of doubt in our various vocations of life, whether we are husband or wife, parent or child, employer or employee. 

 

But there is a solution to our fears, struggles, and doubts! We can join Peter by calling upon the name of the Lord! We may lose our focus, but Jesus always maintains His focus. Jesus was sent to save sinners. He was sent to save you and me! As the Creator and our Redeemer, He accomplished our salvation by enduring the cross and rising victorious. He defeated our evil foes and gave all who trust in Him His victory! 

 

To this day, Jesus continues to call us as He says “Come” through His Word and Sacraments, bringing the joyful message, “It is I.” This strengthens us in our weak faith, frees us from our fears and doubts, and moves us to joyful service in His kingdom.

 

We, too, confess with Christ’s disciples, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33), who delivers us from the devil and eternal death, as well as from the myriad of storms in this life. 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 10: "Come! Everyone!" (Isaiah 55:1-5)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Imagine yourself walking through a marketplace. You hear tenants shouting from each booth about all the staples of life: “Fresh baked bread – two dollars!” “Ice Cold Milk – one dollar!” “Fresh berries – two dollars!” “Fine Wine – three dollars!”

 

But then you come up to a booth where you hear the unexpected: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

 

You think, “Everyone else is selling food and drink for money, what is with this merchant? There must be something wrong with his food and drink! Who would just give away food and drink?”

 

I don’t know about you, but I usually find it odd when a grocery store or convenience store is selling an item for cheap. Are they just trying to get rid of it? What’s wrong with it? Or, if I’m not familiar with a gas station brand and I see that it’s selling gas much cheaper than the known competition across the street, I can often see myself filling up my car with the more expensive gas. Afterall, I don’t want bad gasoline. I want my car to run.

 

So, it is rather odd hearing a merchant cry out, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!”

 

So, you ask, “Why are you giving away your merchandise?” He replies, “My food and my drink has all been paid for! It is absolutely free! No strings attached! Don’t waste your money at those other booths. This here, is the richest of food and the most nourishing of drink. All those other booths offer food and drink that will never satisfy.” To this, you reply, “This has all been paid for? By whom? Who could have afforded to pay for this amazing food and drink and just give it away to others?”

 

Who could have done this, indeed. You likely have heard of those “pay-it-forward” drive though lines at Starbucks. You know, when the person in front of you pays for your bill. Sometimes it goes on nearly forever, especially in 2014 when 378 people at a Starbucks in St. Petersburg, Florida paid for the person behind them in line. 

But for each of these “pay-it-forward” occurrences, they each come to an end. You see, there is someone who would rather receive a free coffee than pay for the person behind them.

 

But at this market, no money is ever necessary. The food and drink has been paid for. And this food and drink never runs out. It’s always there, and it’s always free.

 

All it takes to eat and to drink is to respond to the word of invitation: “Come!” No one is excluded from this invitation. The old, the young, the weak, the strong, the poor, the rich. Everyone is invited to receive free food and free drink!

 

You see, this booth has been paid for by God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who paid the price. Back in Isaiah 53, Isaiah prophesied what God’s Servant would do. He was inspired to write: 

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed”(Isaiah 53:3-6).

 

I’m sure this sounds familiar. This was Good Friday. He was rejected and beaten. He was whipped and bloodied. He was crushed so much that He could not carry His own cross to His own execution. He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted.

 

Jesus did all of this to give us the richest of food and the most nourishing of drink and all for free! He bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He has all our sin and iniquity on His shoulders. And by His stripes, we are healed. On that cross, He prepares forgiveness. He pays the price for our sins. On that Easter morning, He proclaims His victory over the powers of sin, death, and the devil as He cries out: “Come, everything is ready!”

 

Now, Jesus didn’t just pay the purchase price for small things, such as are found at a market. He paid the price for big things. Just think of a fancy banquet, but this banquet never ends.

 

Jesus tells of this banquet in Luke 14. He said, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready’” (Luke 14:16-17).

 

Like the shouting merchant, this servant is saying, “Come to the banquet, everything is ready! Here, you will receive the juiciest of meats, the tastiest of wine. Here, you will receive the best of the best! All you must do is come!” But do you remember what happened? All at once, people began to make excuses:

§  “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.” 

§  “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.”

§  “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” (Luke 14:18-20)

 

Here at this banquet table is an incredible spread of food: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. It’s a meal that satisfies, blesses our relationship with God and with our neighbor. But so often, we come up with excuses, and to be honest, lame excuses. Like those in the Parable of the Great Banquet, we plead necessity, we plead inconvenience, and we plead pleasure. We too, would rather be excused. But the real point of these excuses is that each excuse was dishonest. You see, the real reason they declined the invitation was that in their hearts they had a low opinion of the inviting Host. Their excuses were a cover-up for their contrary minds. They simply refused the invitation, because they were determined not to show honor to the inviting Host.

 

So, what does the Master of the banquet do? Does He just stop there and give up? No, He invites more and more and more people. He invites the unexpected, the poor and crippled, the blind and the lame. He invites sinners in need of salvation. And guess what? They come! And still there is room!

 

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus feeds 5,000 men, plus the women and children, with just five loaves of bread and two fish. By all earthly appearances, there could not be enough food, but not with God! So, like the unending supply of food and drink at the market, the banquet hall also never runs out of room, or food, or drink. It’s an unending supply!

 

You have been invited to this great meal, because Jesus did not remain crushed and beaten. He didn’t remain dead in the grave. No, He rose! He is risen! And He didn’t just live quietly after His resurrection. No! He presented Himself alive by many proofs, appearing to His apostles for 40 days and proclaimed the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

Jesus is inviting everyone to freely taste and drink. Again, status, power, money, fame and looks mean nothing to Him. You can’t buy your way to salvation. You can only be invited by Jesus.

 

The food is ready. The tables are set. If you ever thought the never-ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden was amazing, just sit back and imagine this banquet feast that truly never ends. Rich food full of marrow. A feast of well-aged wine (Isaiah 25:6). 

 

But guess what. Some chairs are empty. Some haven’t arrived at the meal yet. They still need to be invited. And who does the inviting? We do. God works through means. We are those means. This is our vocation. So, we are the witnesses to the people who aren’t yet at the table.

 

Just think about this, if 100 extra people suddenly showed up at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on a Sunday, we would make room for them. But what first needs to happen? They need to be invited.

 

How did the Christian Church grow from 12 apostles to billions of people? Was it through an elaborate evangelism program? No! It’s as simple as saying to your neighbor, “Come and see,” just as Philip said to Nathaniel (John 1:46). Through the working of the Holy Spirit, Nathaniel came to Jesus, and he believed. Philip just invited. The Holy Spirit did the rest!

 

Now, I am not Jesus. I am only Christ’s under shepherd. But Jesus is here. He may be hidden, but He is present in the Means of Grace – the Word and Sacraments. In the Word, we receive the milk that Isaiah mentions. So, whenever we “incline [our] ears” (Isaiah 55:3) to hear, we receive spiritual milk for our faith. In the Sacraments, we “come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1) of Holy Baptism. We also receive forgiveness of sins in Christ’s Body and Blood under the bread and the wine that are bought without money and without price when we come to the Lord’s Table.

 

Now, there are practical ways we can help with inviting family and friends – your neighbors – to church. 

 

First, just because we can’t buy our way to salvation doesn’t mean that money isn’t important to Christ’s Church. This church building is the place we meet and receive Christ’s gifts. Our offerings also assist the church’s mission on proclaiming the saving Gospel here and abroad.

 

Second, most people who don’t attend any church end up coming because someone invited them. This could be even those members we haven’t seen in some time. 

 

Our crucified and risen Lord has invited us. He purchased us through His atoning death. There is no more debt to be paid for our salvation. He has given us the best unending meal of forgiveness, life, and salvation, including for those who haven’t yet been invited. Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +