"To Husbands and to Wives" (Luther's Table of Duties)

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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:

 

Lent is a season of repentance as we reflect on why our Lord died on the cross for us. But Lent is also about catechesis, because Lent is a catechetical season.

 

Tonight, we continue to make our way through the Christian “house rules” on how we deal with each other. These “house rules” serve as our groundwork on our Lutheran worldview of vocation. These vocations are the duties or responsibilities that we each owe to our neighbor.

 

As a reminder: Luther’s intention in including the Table of Duties was to serve us as our guide – the Third Use of the Law – in how we ought to live in this world and what is our duty to one another. But as it always is, when the Law is at play, we often hear the Law as its Second Use – mirror, because the Law always accuses, but again, the primary use and focus of the Table of Duties is to encourage us as we live out our lives in the various vocations that God has placed you and I in.

 

Tonight, we will focus on the first of the Three Estates: family, as we consider the next two pairs in the Table of Duties: “To Husbands” and “To Wives.”

 

We live in a strange world. Much of our strange world would fit in episodes of “The Twilight Zone.” Just imagine you have entered into a world that says men and women are the same. Just imagine you have entered into a world where a man can decide that he is a woman, and a woman can decide she is a man and everyone acts as if this is the way things have always been. These appear like stories from “The Twilight Zone.” But this is our strange world, our fallen world.

 

Today, in this Twilight Zone-like world, it is asserted that men and women are completely interchangeable, and so marriage can occur between a man and a woman, or between two men, or between two women, or even among throuples.

 

The basic idea that men and women are the same has been the focus of feminism in this fallen world. But reality has a way of not cooperating. The truth is that men and women are not the same. Men are physically stronger than women. Men and women are different. 

When children feel ill or are injured, who do they turn to practically every time? Their mom. It’s because women are naturally better at nurturing and comforting than men. Because, again, men and women are different.

 

Men and women are different, because God created men and women to be different. God first created Adam. And then God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). A woman complements the man. They are not the same, because a woman corresponds to the man in ways needed to serve as a helper to him. The ultimate proof that men and women are not the same is that the one flesh union of man and woman is necessary to produce the outcome of marriage – a child. 

 

God’s Word describes an ordering to the creation of man and woman, to husband and wife. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11(:8-9): “For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.”

 

Woman was created for man. Woman was created for man, as the helper corresponding to him. The fallen world may not want to hear this, but this is a fact grounded in creation itself.

 

These facts of creation – this order of creation – then determines how husband and wife relate in marriage. In Ephesians 5(:22-24), St. Paul writes, “Wives, submit to your husband as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

 

Luther cites this “Wives, submit to your husband as to the Lord” as of first importance in his section on “To Wives.” He also includes “They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear” from 1 Peter 3:5-6.

 

To the fallen world, they hear words like “submit” and “submission” meaning inequality, or that women have less worth or less value than men.

Yet, this exact same language is used of the relation between God the Father and God the Son. In 1 Corinthians 15(:28), St. Paul writes, “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be all in all.” And what do we confess about the triune God? We confess that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are coequal.

 

For St. Paul, submission does not mean a relationship where one side gives and gives, and the other side takes and takes. You see, husbands and wives are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

 

But God did give us an order. The husband is the head of the household, and the wife is to be her husband’s co-equal helper. He, the provider. She, the nurturer. But so often, we don’t see it that way. And we don’t see it this way because of sin.

 

After the Fall into sin, God said to Eve in Genesis 3(:16), according to the New Living Translation: “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” Since the Fall, woman finds herself drawn to men who act in self-serving ways. And since the Fall, women also strive against men, competing for the headship that contradicts their own creation. 

 

We all act this way. Selfishness and pride. Husbands and wives act in selfish ways that put themselves before their spouse. Men abuse the headship position to get what they want, when they want it. Women subvert the headship to get what they want.

 

Guided by culture of feminism, many women disparage motherhood and instead seek to act like men. And men bought the same lie as so many fail in their own responsibilities of being a husband. 

 

When we see the ways we fail to live in God’s order of creation in marriage – and confess our sin, always know that there is forgiveness in Christ. And it is in Christ that we find the ability to live in God’s design for marriage. The Holy Spirit who has regenerated us and given us faith, moves us to live the life of faith in our marriages. This is why Luther included the Table of Duties, so that Christians could better care for each other.

 

The Table of Duties lists “To Husbands” first, and rightly so. Man has been created for headship in marriage and family. And the conduct of this headship is modeled after Christ. St. Peter writes in 1 Peter 3(:7): “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as your live with you wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

 

It is true that the wife is weaker, but the husband is to live in a way that reflects the knowledge of what God has done for both of them in Christ, and of the gift the husband has received from God in his wife – as his helper. The husband is to honor his wife and recognize the unique status they share together and that they are co-heirs of God’s saving grace.

 

Luther also includes a passage from Colossians 3(:19) addressed to husbands which reads: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

 

And this should not be forgotten, for after St. Paul’s brief statement about wives, he writes in Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” This sacrificial love of Jesus Christ for His Church is the pattern that is to guide the husband’s behavior.

 

If tonight’s sermon is hitting you hard, seek forgiveness through Christ’s blood and merit and seek forgiveness with your spouse. Remember, Luther’s Table of Duties isn’t intended to be gospel, but as our guide, so that we would be encouraged as we live out our daily vocations.

 

Certainly, men and women are different. Thank God for that! God joins husband and wife together as one flesh. Husband and wife are ordered in marriage in a way that reflects God’s creation of Adam and Eve – the first husband and wife. Uniquely distinct from one another, husband and wife each are needed for marriage and family to be the blessing God has given. Through the Holy Spirit, the union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind support each other through mutual companionship as they love, honor, and strengthen each other through sickness and in health. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Overcoming Satan for Us" (Matthew 4:1-11)

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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:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1).

 

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism to fulfill all righteousness for us, Jesus faced the temptation of the devil – just as we face being baptized into Christ. It was for this purpose that Jesus had come into the world: to overcome Satan for us. And this was the first thing Jesus did at the start of His public ministry. Again, He confronted Satan for us.

 

Every temptation we face is a test. Each second of our lives, we are being tested. And this test is only a pass or fail. There is no “C” grade for passing. It’s either A+ or F.

 

Temptation comes from every angle. As long as we live in this fallen world, we will be attacked, hunted, and harassed on all sides. From the flesh: we want what we want now, things like filling the belly and riches. From the world: we want to be honored as we are tempted by ambition and worldly glory for power and dominion. From Satan: Did God really say?

 

Temptations come in many different forms. Temptations come when we face unpleasant experiences, such as pain, suffering, illness, disappointment and bereavement. Such experiences may cause us to question God’s wisdom and His love. But temptations can also come when life appears to be going well. Sometimes when we experience success or good health, we may think that we can handle temptations when they come.

 

The temptations Jesus faced were indeed serious efforts by the devil to rob the world of its Redeemer. And Satan had been very successful in the past as he led the first Adam into sin so that a Redeemer would be necessary. Now, Satan attacks the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in an effort to frustrate His work of redemption.

 

At one time, Satan had been created as one of God’s holy angels, but now he was a fallen angel. He had rebelled against God and had been cast out of heaven together with many other fallen angels who followed him in his rebellion against God.

But as smart as Satan thinks he is, God is still much wiser and more powerful than Satan could ever be. And Satan cannot overpower us as long as we place our trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

The Greek word used for devil is diabolos (from which we get the English word diabolical). The meaning of this word is slanderer or liar. You see, the devil is not just a clever liar, or a habitual liar; he is a constant liar. He is the father of lies. Satan invented the very idea of lying and told the very first lie. Yes, he makes wonderful promises, as he did to Eve (“You will not surely die” [Genesis 3:4]), but he has never kept a single one of them, and he never will. And if Satan does occasionally speak a few words of truth – as he does with Jesus, he distorts them or misapplies them or takes them out of context or immediately proceeds to contradict them.

 

We know all of these things about the devil, yet, what do we so often do? We so often keep falling for his lies. He tells us that life will be so much more enjoyable if we only disobey God’s Commandments. So, he persuades us to lie, cheat, and steal as he says there is nothing wrong with that. He persuades us into taking the easy way out. His lies always lead to all kinds of trouble, sorrow, grief, and regret. Yet, each time, he convinces us that in this particular case, it will end up different. But in every single case, the devil’s promises are never intended for our good or for our benefit. His only goal is to keep us separated from God.

 

So, what are we to learn from Satan’s temptation of Jesus? Well, for one, it would be a mistake to read this text from Matthew 4 as a “do it yourself” strategy on how to resist temptation.

 

So often, we read this text that way. If we only followed Jesus’ example, then we can handle Satan’s temptations. But how well are we at doing just that? Not very good. I’d say, with pretty good certainty, that we would all receive a failing grade.

 

So, clearly this text isn’t a “do it yourself” guide on how to resist temptation.

 

So, why did the Holy Spirit bring Jesus into direct confrontation with Satan? Well, He’s there, because Jesus is Israel reduced to One. Jesus is the embodiment of Israel.

 

In the past, the nation of Israel had failed every time its people faced even the smallest of temptations. The people of God were weak. They always gave in. They murmured. 

 

Jesus is out there because the nation of Israel needed someone to represent them. Jesus is out there because the nation of Israel needed someone to take their place. Jesus is out there, because, frankly, the nation of Israel blew their chance.

 

For the nation of Israel, it was often all too convenient for them to serve some other false “god.”

 

So, Jesus isn’t out there to serve as an example for Jews and Christians. Because that is too hard for us to follow. We are sinners and we all too often get persuaded by lies in hopes of an easier life. This battle is too hard. This conflict is too difficult.

 

Jesus is there doing battle with God’s great enemy, Satan, the accuser. And nobody can fight that battle except for Jesus. 

 

And this is the battle: will you fall for Satan’s lies to make your life easier? Will you choose the bread that perishes?

 

You all know what you have chosen. So often, we choose the easier option, just as the nation of Israel did before us. But Jesus never chooses the path of least resistance. Not once. He depends upon “every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

 

The battle also consists of this: will you wonder whether God’s ways are right? Will you wonder whether God can be trusted? Will you put God to the test? You can’t win this battle. You have lost this battle many times before, but Jesus never doubts. Jesus never doubts the will of God the Father. Not once.

 

The battle also consists of this: who are you with? Whom do you serve? To whom do you belong? This is the greatest battle of all.

 

As Christians, we confess that Jesus is Lord. We confess that we worship the one true God. But how many times have you taken that first step, or second or third step toward repudiating the God to whom you belong? This battle is just too hard.

 

But Jesus never does anything or says anything or thinks anything apart from God the Father. So, there in the desert, He joins the battle against Satan and He wins. Jesus turns failure into faithfulness.

 

You see, those temptations and those sufferings that Jesus endured throughout His earthly ministry are actually greatly magnified versions of the trials that we endure daily. Yet, Jesus never faltered. All we do is keep falling into sin. So, what does Jesus do about our faltering? 

 

Jesus willingly suffers the punishment that we all deserve because of our sin and failures, and on top of that, Jesus gives us all the credit for the blessings of all of His success simply by faith in Him. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. With His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53). Jesus died, so that we may live!

 

There in the desert, all we can do is watch. We are watching not that we can be like Jesus, but that so we can belong to Him, and to be with Him to this very day.

 

Jesus’ temptation by Satan is not a “do it yourself” playbook on how to resist temptation, but this temptation is to show us the faithfulness of Jesus. And being baptized into Christ, we can say, “I am with Him.”

 

But is there anything we can do? I guess there is something. Knowing that Jesus has overcome all temptation, we can say, no thanks, “I am with Jesus.” When the temptation comes to run after something that you shouldn’t have, some thing, someone, some feeling, some whatever, you face that temptation and say, “No thanks, I am with Jesus.” When temptation comes, and it will come, fix your eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God – for you! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Ashes and Repentance" (Matthew 6:16-18)

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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:

Jesus said: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you”(Matthew 6:16-18).

 

Our Gospel lesson for tonight is the traditional Ash Wednesday reading about alms – or increased giving, fasting and prayer. Tonight’s lesson is a good one as Jesus warns us not to make a show of our piety “as the hypocrites do.”

 

But one can wonder, what is the meaning behind those ashes on our foreheads? Could those ashes on our foreheads be “practicing [our] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them”? (Matthew 6:1). 

 

And later Jesus says in our reading, “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face” (Matthew 6:17).

 

So, what are we doing with these ashes on our foreheads? 

 

Well, there is a difference between private piety and public piety. Christians do not observe Ash Wednesday individually, but corporately with the public Ash Wednesday Divine Service. So, when we are here in this public space with ashes marked on our foreheads, this practice is much bigger than just someone’s individual piety.

 

Likewise, when Jesus says, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so they may be seen by others. … But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:5, 6).

 

Now, keep this in mind, here Jesus is talking about individual prayer, not corporate, liturgical prayer. So, it would be certainly weird if I would just step away from the chancel and go into the sacristy during the Prayer of the Church so that nobody could hear my prayers.

 

Certainly, I can pray individually for my flock – for which I do, but this would be rather weird during the corporate Divine Service. 

 

The same goes with ashes. If I put ashes only upon myself that would be weird. But if we all put on ashes, this would be a congregational activity.

 

But do the ashes mean that we are all fasting? That answer is no. The ashes are a mark of death upon us. It shows that we are all a dying people. And they are in the shape of the cross, because although we are dying, we are still redeemed in Christ, the crucified. So, those ashes on our foreheads are no different from wearing a crucifix or cross necklace in public. Or, wearing a shirt that proclaims that you are a Christian.

 

For us on this Ash Wednesday, those ashes are not declaring to people that we are bragging, like the hypocrites that Jesus is referring. Again, those ashes are really a mark of death upon you, but again, those ashes are in the shape of the cross to show that you are redeemed and that you have life despite of sin and death.

 

Those ashes in the shape of the cross upon your forehead represent your only hope: your only hope as one redeemed by Christ, the crucified.

 

As we begin Lent, we are conditioned to set aside this season for self-examination and assessment. We use this season to focus upon repentance. 

 

But all too often, our repentance is seldom pure. Our intentions may be sincere, but our piety is seldom pure. At some level, we usually repent with the idea in mind that we may receive some reward. 

 

For in at least a part of us, in our repentance, we are not really sorry that we sinned. But we still repent because we fear the consequences before a just and righteous God. For so much of the time, we are like the boy who is caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. He is sorry. But he isn’t sorry for stealing the cookie. He’s only sorry that he got caught.

 

This is the life of a sinner. The truth is that sin is double-mindedness, distorted devotion, and self-concern. And we can’t change that. We can’t overcome who we are by ourselves. We are self-centered, self-serving people. Even our repentance is tinged with concern for our own advantage.

 

We cannot save ourselves.

 

But here we are with those ashes on our foreheads in the form of Christ’s cross. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Those ashes are the mark of death. But they are so much more than that. They also represent our only hope. By faith in Christ, God the Father will not judge you as you deserve, but He sees you as His beloved child, one who has been redeemed by Christ, the crucified, who by His blood has won forgiveness, life and salvation for you.

 

Now that we have God’s grace, I will challenge you with something. Instead of giving up something, if you do that, why not add something beneficial during this Lenten season? Why not study the catechism? And you are in luck this Lenten season as for our upcoming midweeks, we will consider the Table of Duties from Luther’s Small Catechism. Or you could set aside time for prayer, Bible study, devotion, or singing hymns. And we do this not to earn any favor from God, but to grow in the one true Christian faith.

 

Our only hope is in Jesus, whose cross is marked on our foreheads. May our deeds reflect Christ’s mercy and His glory. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Eyewitnesses of His Majesty" (2 Peter 1:16-21)

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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:

 

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).

 

The attacks of Satan and the fallen world come upon the flock of Christ’s Church sooner or later. And this attack is as old as Eden: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1) asked Satan in the form of a serpent.

 

False teachers under the control of Satan were disparaging the reliability of Peter. And not just Peter, but the other apostles, and even the message of the Old Testament prophets.

 

Thanks be to God that Peter came to realize the deadly peril of these false teachers, since they were denying the power and coming of Jesus the Christ. You see, these false teachers, these heretics, were leading people to doubt that Jesus is fully and completely God, and that Jesus works on the behalf of all people’s lives. These false teachers, these heretics, were leading people to think that Jesus was never coming back and that they were not accountable to Jesus for their beliefs and their own lives. Does this sound familiar? Remember those words of the serpent: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). But as we know, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

 

These heretics were making up “cleverly devised myths” (2 Peter 1:16) and they believed that if they would tell these lies long enough and loudly enough, then more and more people would start to believe the lie, no matter how shocking and no matter how outrageous.

 

So, like the Apostle Paul, Peter knew that the foundation of all Christian doctrine was the message of the prophets and the apostles. And without that sure bedrock, the Christian faith would come crashing down.

 

And so, with this in mind, Peter tells of a moment in time that changed his life. Peter tells of the Transfiguration of Our Lord upon that mountaintop. After Jesus went on a retreat by Himself, six days later He “took with Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a mountain by themselves” (Matthew 17:1). There, Jesus was transfigured before them. Jesus was glowing with the brightness of the presence of God Himself. Jesus’ face shone like the sun. And His clothes shone white; whiter than today’s Clorox could ever bleach them!

 

There, upon that mountaintop, surrounding the shining Messiah was a bright cloud that Peter calls the “Majestic Glory” (2 Peter 1:17).

 

In the Old Testament times, “the glory of the LORD” referred to an appearance of God in cloud and fire to mark a significant moment in His plan of salvation. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. God appeared to the people of Israel and to the Egyptian army as a pillar of cloud and fire. God appeared in a cloud at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. Through this “glory,” God signaled His approval and His presence among His people.

 

There, upon that mountaintop, surrounding Jesus was “a bright cloud” (Matthew 17:5) and from that bright cloud, God the Father demonstrated His approval of His only-begotten Son saying: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5).

 

Like a lawyer making his case, Peter declares: “We ourselves heard this very voice from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:18). In the Greek, Peter is even more forceful than the ESV. Literally, Peter is saying, “We, we heard the voice!” This “hemeis ekousamen” is a double-second-person plural showing further credibility as Peter emphasizes that this voice was not just heard by him, but by also James and John!

 

We, too, also have a problem with our old Adam, our old sinful nature, because, so often, we are not convinced by the Word of God. And Peter, too, fell into this temptation. For after hearing Jesus say that He must be crucified and rise from death, Peter rebuked Him saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (Matthew 16:22). And after Jesus said Peter would deny that he ever knew Him, what did Peter say? “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death”(Matthew 22:33). But what did Peter end up doing? He denied that he ever knew Jesus and at once a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered Jesus saying to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times” (Matthew 22:61). 

 

We, too, are prone to such temptations and such failings. Satan whispers to you: “Can you really trust the testimony of men who lived two-thousand years ago?” Others may say, “Jesus didn’t do enough for you, you must do good works to please God.” Even, others may say, “You know, God is still speaking but only through your feelings and your desires, so don’t trust those old words of the Bible.”

 

We each face so many temptations. And the Old Adam in all of us is often all too willing to listen and deny the eternal truth of which the Bible speaks. We do like to get credit for being a “good Christian” by doing “good works.” We would rather enjoy following those who preach “cleverly devised myths” rather than following the Word of the prophets and the apostles. And when those moments come: repent! Repent and ask Jesus for your forgiveness.

 

Now, Peter was not just an eyewitness. He was also an earwitness. He saw the “Majestic Glory,” but he also heard the voice of God the Father.

 

There were three times in Christ’s earthly ministry where God the Father boomed His voice over His only-begotten Son. First, at His Baptism in the Jordan, where John the Baptist anointed Jesus for His work of salvation. Second, upon the Mount of Transfiguration to the delight of three terrified men and two great prophets: Moses and Elijah. And third, during Holy Week, when God the Father confirmed that Christ’s work was indeed bringing Him glory. 

 

Each time God the Father’s voice was boomed, He forcefully proclaimed His love, His approval, and His pleasure in His only-begotten Son for His determination to go to the cross for sinful mankind.

 

This plan of salvation was not a “cleverly devised myth” of man, but this plan was the will of God from eternity. This plan called for sacrificial blood to be spilled. This plan called for a perfect sacrifice: a sacrifice without sin, stain, or blemish. This blood of the Son of God would become a light to the world, glowing from the very face of Jesus upon the Mount of Transfiguration.

 

This plan of salvation is the will of God the Father and Jesus carries out the plan until it is finished. 

 

For Peter, James and John who witnessed the glory of God’s Son and heard the voice of God the Father, their faith would often become shaky, to put it mildly. They often heard from their Lord, “O you of little faith.” Yours and my faith can also get shaky at times. For we often get disappointed by the subtle, hidden way in which Christ comes: the manger, the cross, in Scripture, the absolution, and the Lord’s Supper. Sometimes, we ask for more. But there He is. Jesus came in lowly form. He died a sinner’s death, yet without sin. We hear His voice in His Word, in the absolution, in the Lord’s Supper. And not only that, we receive Christ’s very body and blood under bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and for the strength of our faith.

 

Yes, Peter was blessed to have witnessed and heard what happened that day upon that holy mountain. And He certainly never forgot that moment. And He doesn’t want us to forget either. As soon as Christ, the Son of Man, was raised from the dead, Peter and the other apostles and disciples told of what Christ has done for them, for us, and for our salvation.

 

For us, let us never take for granted the “Majestic Glory” that we witness and hear at each Divine Service as we receive the fruits of Christ’s cross: forgiveness of our sins, life and salvation! God’s plan of salvation is finished! So let us give thanks for what the Lord has done! For His Word is sure and certain. With Peter, we too, are eyewitnesses to His Majesty! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Do Not Grow Weary in Doing Good" (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13)

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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:

“Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (2 Thessalonians 3:12).

 

What is your view on work? Is work a pleasing thing or is work something that you’d rather not do? What is your opinion on work?

 

The people from the day of St. Paul to today often have a wrong view of work. For most people, they view work like this: “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”

 

For most people, work is just seen as a necessary evil. Work is just a way to pay off debts or to fund your lifestyle. For most people, they would rather extoll the virtue of laziness. Or they would rather do anything else but work, such as fishing, hunting, golfing, sailing, traveling. You can think of all those signs that say, “I would rather be – just fill in the blank.” So, often, we would rather be doing anything else but work.

 

With this attitude, it is easy to see why so many people dislike their job. They see work as valueless – except for the paycheck. That they like. But with this attitude, instead of trying to be the best at your job, so often people just want to do only enough to avoid being fired, or to be constantly looking for a better and more lucrative opportunity. In general, so many of us just show utter indifference to the quality of your work. The one thing that makes the difference is getting that paycheck, so, again, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”

 

Who really wants to work? Work is hard work! But this attitude is nothing new, for there is nothing new under the sun.

 

You see, throughout history, cultures have denigrated the value of work. Jews thought work was inferior to studying God’s Law. Greeks and Romans viewed manual labor as beneath their dignity. They viewed work as only fit for slaves or the lower class.

 

Even in the early to medieval Church, Christians had a negative view on work. They saw the first-class Christians serving God alone through church-work vocations, such as pastor, monk or nun. They saw second-class Christians as those who would engage in secular employment. 

 

This was the prevalent view until Martin Luther promoted the doctrine of vocation, which taught the Biblical truth that all Christians are equal in Christ. Luther promoted the idea that all honest work is a way to serve God and your neighbor. So, a shoemaker serves God by making durable and well-crafted shoes, and a baker by baking good bread, and a pastor by preaching and administering the Sacraments rightly. All are God-given vocations. Each vocation is a mask of God. For example, behind the baker is a gracious God faithfully providing for His creatures.

 

Through this doctrine of vocation, there is no such thing as just a “secular job” for a Christian, since all work is our spiritual duty as is done to give glory to God.

 

In the Garden, God gave us all the vocation of work. And originally, work was not a chore. Work used to be easy and enjoyable. Work was not a result of the Fall, since God commanded Adam to work in the Garden before the Fall (Genesis 2:15). The Fall did not initiate work, but the Fall certainly cursed it (Genesis 3:17-19).

 

So, because Adam did not listen to God and rather to Eve, work today is no longer easy and enjoyable, but laborious and painful.

 

Work was meant to be a gift from God. Work was meant to provide development of skill and productivity. Work was meant to provide contribution, value, meaning and fulfillment. Work was meant to prevent idleness. Afterall, as the saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” God’s gift of work served as a means of demonstrating the image of God in man, who by work provides for the needs of all in their care. God’s gift of work was meant to serve one’s neighbor.

 

So, what was the situation in our Epistle reading today? Well, the situation in Thessalonica was that some people, believing the resurrection had already occurred, were living as if nothing mattered, and among other things, had stopped working. They did nothing all day, but blabber and chat and upset their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by yapping and running their mouth. They had no filter. They offered their opinion on every subject, and especially proclaiming false doctrine – in this case, that the resurrection had already happened, strange as that falsehood may seem. 

They were “not busy at work, but busybodies” (2 Thess. 3:11).

So, what was causing this strife? Certainly, there was disagreement about the coming of Christ, or if He had already come. But there was also an underlying cultural issue. You see, the Thessalonians may have been influenced by the prevailing Greek, Roman, and Jewish understandings of work, and felt that work was beneath their dignity. Or, it could have just been plain laziness. In this letter, St. Paul does not mention their motives for failing to work, because none of them are valid, since there is no excuse for someone who is physically able to work and thus chooses not to work.

 

The Holy Spirit inspires St. Paul to be quite clear: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat”(2 Thess. 3:10). This may seem harsh, but freeloading does not come without consequences. Talking and not working is not a victimless crime. Nothing is free. Everything has a cost. And St. Paul’s point is simple: If people get hungry enough, they will work for food. Solomon was inspired to put it this way in Proverbs 16: “A laborer’s appetite labors for him, because the hunger of his mouth drives him on” (Proverbs 16:26). 

 

So, Christians who have the opportunity and the ability to work are to work so they can eat. And for those who have the ability to work and refuse to work, God’s Word says in 1 Timothy 5: “If anyone does not provide for his own family, and especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

 

The core issue of Paul here is on those not willing to work. He is not going after those physically unable to work. There is a difference. The difference is on responsibility. Able-bodied people are to work and care for their families and their neighbors in need who are physically unable to work. Paul, here, is saying don’t be too lazy to work. 

 

In modern America, we are so used to entitlements. This is the idea that those who will not work are entitled to be paid money from those who do work. And the results of this welfare culture are evident for all to see. Some use this system as a safety net; others abuse this system to their advantage. Certainly, financial needs must be met when you or I hit hard times. At those hard times, welfare is certainly a blessing, but as God’s Word says, if you are physically able to work, you must work. Again, idle hands are never good, since God created us to work, so that we would benefit our family and our neighbor.

 

For these Thessalonians, this idleness was not just a matter of mooching on their neighbor’s bread or sticking their noses into others’ business, this idleness exemplified living “not in accord with the tradition [that is, the teachings of the faith] that you received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). 

 

You see, not only had they become lazy at work, but they had also become complacent spiritually. They were not imitating the teachings of their divine Master Jesus Christ. They were altering teachings they were not to alter. They were teaching laziness as a good thing across temporal and spiritual realms. They were weighed down with the cares of life. They were not awake spiritually. 

 

Like the Thessalonians then, if you had a choice to work or not to work, what would you choose? Knowing my sinful nature, I’d choose not to work. But laziness is a serious sin against God who created us with talents and abilities to work. It is also a sin against the Body of Christ, against our brothers and sisters in Christ, to whom we are connected as co-workers.

 

Even though St. Paul calls us to keep away from those who walk in idleness, his Lord and our Lord Jesus Christ did not. Jesus came into this fallen world filled with lazy, sinful people. Now, Jesus never encouraged idleness, but He did call the sinner to realize the seriousness of his sin, so he would repent and be saved through His blood and merit, rather than continuing on his sinful path to his soul’s destruction.

 

Jesus came into this fallen world to save us. He lived the life we were all called to live. He did the work. He completed our work. He suffered and died the penalty that we all deserve because of our sin: death. He died, so that He would be raised again, so that by faith in Him, we also receive the fruits of His cross and bodily resurrection: forgiveness of sins, life everlasting, and salvation. Jesus did the work. He didn’t ignore us. He died for us. He rose for us. He ascended for us. 

 

So, for everyone who is in Christ, everyone who has received His grace and mercy, let us not grow weary of doing good. Let us who are able to use our talents and responsibilities use them for the good of your neighbor. May the Lord help us to follow His example through our daily vocations. With the Holy Spirit’s help, let us never grow weary in doing good. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +