"Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?" (Luke 13:1-9)

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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:

“There were some present at the very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And [Jesus] answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?’” (Luke 13:1-2).

 

Today’s Gospel lesson from Luke 13 appears like news ripped from the headlines. 

 

A group of unnamed people approach Jesus with the question: “Jesus, did you hear? Pilate had all those pious Galileans killed? They came to offer godly sacrifices at the temple. Jesus, why did this happen?”

 

In other words: “Why did this bad thing happen to such good Galileans?”

 

The question they are asking or the answer they want from Jesus is “why.” Why did these terrible things happen? What did they do to deserve it?

 

First, a little background. If you recall, the histories of the northern and southern regions of Israel were such that it could be assumed that God was punishing the Galileans. Afterall, Galilee had a longer and more pronounced history of apostasy as most abandoned the one true God. So, could God have been punishing them? Did they have this coming to them? Did they deserve it?

 

It appears that these Galileans came to Jerusalem for the Passover Seder. They appeared to be pious Jews. So, did they truly deserve what was coming to them?

 

Now, the mixing of the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices at the temple was a heinous crime. Pilate violated all holiness codes by sending his troops into the courtyard of the temple to murder Galilean Jews while they were slaughtering their lambs for the Passover Seder. Pilate supervised this heinous act. And the mingling of the Galilean’s blood with the lambs’ blood would then constitute a mockery of the Jewish religion.

 

So, why did these terrible things happen to these good people who were just doing what God had commanded them to do? If God cannot protect His people in His temple, then where can God protect His people? To this, Jesus offers no comfort.

 

In fact, Jesus adds some other news ripped from the headlines: “What about those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them? Were they worse offenders than all the others in Jerusalem?”

 

So, not only do bad things happen to good people, but also to innocent people, who were just minding their own business, living their lives, while a tower falls on them. This is so unnecessary! Why did this have to happen?

 

We, too, have the same headlines with the same question: Why did this have to happen? Terrorists take over an airplane filled with innocent people. An earthquake destroys a city. A tornado flattens a town. A train derails and spills chemicals into a river, which threatens the lives of innocent people. Airplanes collide in midair. Wildfires destroy a city. A child is hit by a stray bullet and dies. An invisible virus spreads across the globe. A person is diagnosed with lung cancer who has never smoked a cigarette his entire life. Why? Why do innocent people suffer and die? 

 

Couldn’t God prevent this? Why does God allow pain and suffering and death? This question has been asked in many ways and at many times. And we have attempted to answer this question. We have tried to make sense of the why.

 

For the people who approached Jesus, they appear to have interpreted the Galileans’ blood mingled with their sacrifices to mean that they deserved it. “They deserved it because they were not good Jews. They had it coming! Certainly, God rewards good behavior and punishes bad behavior!”

 

We, too, try to interpret both natural and human disasters. Just think about earthquakes, wildfires and mudslides in California. For many Christians, they say, “They must have deserved it. They had it coming, because of their sin!” Even secular minded people play this game of why by saying that it’s man-made climate change that is causing hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts. We all – the religious and the secular – get excited about interpreting the events of our times.

 

All we can do is to come up with theories on why God allows bad things. As if we can fathom His mind. But you may notice, Jesus does not respond this way. Jesus doesn’t come up with theories. Instead, He puts the question back on them and on us.

He says, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Jesus doesn’t linger on why these Galileans met such a violent fate. He does not address Pilate’s wickedness and cruelty. Instead, Jesus continues to address the crowd and uses this tragedy as an illustration for their need to repent.

 

Jesus says that these particular events – the slaughtering of the Galileans at the temple and those who died in the rubble of the tower in Siloam – are not signs of God’s judgment on individuals, but of His wrath against all of sinful mankind. No one is a worse sinner than another, but all have sinned. The Psalmist writes: “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:2-3).

 

We were all born into a creation that is broken, decaying, and falling apart. We were all born as creatures who are stained and corrupted and weakening day by day. We are all helpless. And we cannot get out of it. The problem for sinful humanity is that we owe a larger debt than we can ever repay. On our own, we cannot put things right. We will all suffer. And we will all die.

 

But it is here, in our helplessness, that God gives His response. It is in our weakness that God comes. 

 

John the Baptist called on all his hearers to repent of their sins and receive his baptism of repentance (Luke 3:3). He called his hearers to bear fruits of repentance (Luke 3:8), and he said that every tree that does not bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire (Luke 3:9). Does this sound familiar? This is exactly what Jesus is saying in the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.

 

Jesus is no less urgent! He calls on all to repent lest we perish in sin as the Galileans and the 18 who were crushed by the tower in Siloam.

 

Repentance includes sorrow for sin and trust in the One who brings forgiveness and release. And for humanity to be rescued, it is necessary for Jesus, the Rejected Prophet, to perish in Jerusalem (Luke 13:33).

 

So, we must repent! In the face of death, which is the wages of sin, repentance is Jesus’ solution. And repentance isn’t just doing a little bit better than we used to. God doesn’t just want us to be a little better. He wants us perfect, just as He is perfect.

 

Our suffering is connected to sin ultimately in Adam, whose sin precipitated all human suffering. But a son of Adam – the Son of Man, who is also the Son of God, brings forgiveness and the promise of release from all who suffer the effects of sin. So, for us and for our salvation, Jesus will perish on behalf of all humankind, including for those Galileans whose blood was mingled with their sacrifices and those who were crushed by the tower in Siloam.

 

In the face of death, turn to Jesus, who alone is life. We only have hope in Him, for He alone has conquered sin and its power. By His own death, He conquered death for you and me.

 

So, let us repent as Jesus calls us to do saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

 

Again, for Jesus, any tragedy should not be seen as a sign of God’s judgment on specific people for specific sins, but as a sign of His judgment for all people. Jesus does not call us to speculation, but to contrition, repentance and faith. For He says: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”(Luke 13:3, 5).

 

So, the Christian is never to think when analyzing the headlines, “they must have deserved it,” but rather, “I deserved the same,” yet also, we are to always thank God that Jesus perished on your behalf, and rose again three days later, so that you would not perish eternally! Amen!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Given a Sign" (John 2:1-11)

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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:

“This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

 

The account of Jesus at the wedding at Cana is often used as an example of the high place Jesus gives to the sanctity of marriage. While it is true that Jesus honors the marriage of husband and wife, St. John tells us that this miracle of Jesus turning water into wine is a sign that manifests Jesus’ glory. St. John tells of the events at Cana for one purpose and one purpose alone: that “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

 

So, at the wedding in Cana, Jesus gives us a sign that reveals Him as our salvation. 

St. John writes, “This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). But St. John does not speak of signs as we may think of them. You see, often, we may think of signs as mere symbols, or something that stands for something else. For St. John, this is not the case. For St. John, the word “sign” really means something that points to, or is linked with. Quite literally, the Greek word that we translate for “sign” here means “mystery.” In the same way, “mystery” in Latin is translated as “sacrament.”

 

A sacrament is a mystery and a mystery is a sign that points to something or reveals something hidden from ordinary sight.

 

So, these “signs” reveal something that you would not otherwise know or recognize unless someone or something revealed it to you. A “sign” is something like a gift waiting to be opened. That gift is a mystery until it is opened and revealed. A sign is something visible for our faith to hold on to. And so it is with the Lord’s gifts of His Means of Grace manifested in lowly water, simple bread, and wine. They are signs. They are mysteries. These Means of Grace point to Jesus because they are linked to Jesus. Holy Baptism, Absolution, the Word, and the Lord’s Supper are signs of Jesus’ real bodily presence among us as the Creator and Redeemer. In these signs, we experience the death Jesus died to give us life.

 

This is how Jesus has chosen to reveal Himself to you and to come to you, in signs in which He resides. But there is a problem. Now, the problem is not with the signs. The problem is us. We are all poor, miserable sinners who seek after all sorts of signs, and not just the signs that Jesus has given to us. 

 

You see, sometimes we seek Jesus through emotions, which lift us to heaven so that we can feel His presence, while we ignore Him when He is right in our very presence in water, Word, bread and wine. We often pray for miracles and signs instead of relying on the miracles and signs He has already provided. You may be afraid that Jesus will not fulfill what He has promised unless we see or experience some sort of a miraculous sign.

 

Because of that fear, we often cannot find comfort in what Jesus has already given, so we seek Jesus in the Law. But the thing is, the Law is empty. The Law cannot save you. The Law can only accuse us and destroy us. So many of us have drank this inferior wine and how has it left us? Not satisfied. We drank the bottles dry and all we have left is pain, despair and death.

 

But Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Just as there were six stone jars to be filled, Jesus fulfilled all that was commanded in the Law. He lived the perfect life for you. He accomplished what we are unable to do. And for living the perfect life, He was falsely accused as a blasphemer, a fraud. He would suffer and die as the perfect sacrifice for yours and my sins.

 

We know Jesus was the perfect sacrifice since He is no longer in the grave. He lives! After spending three days in the belly of the earth, He gives us His greatest sign. His grave is empty! He is not there! He is risen! Jesus has fulfilled the Law to the brim, and now His cup of grace runs over.

 

Through His death and bodily resurrection, Jesus now gives us a new and better wine. We are not purified by the Law, but instead by His holy and precious blood shed for you and me for the forgiveness of yours and my sins. In Him and through Him, we are given the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation!

 

And Jesus loves life! This is why He came into this fallen and dark world. He came into a world that was made through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. His own people did not recognize Him. They did not receive Him. 

 

On this Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, we recall how many parents sadly do not recognize their own offspring by choosing to live in the dark. This darkness has a name, and it is sin, iniquity, and evil. Many parents only see their offspring as a “choice” rather than a life. But there is an answer for this darkness. You see, “the light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5a). Despite our sinful selves, Jesus enters as He drives away the darkness by His everlasting light. He died blameless to absolve all guilt and He rose from the dead so our consciences would have release.

 

Today, Jesus continues to provide His light through signs that point to Him. He has provided us mysteries in the Sacraments. There, Jesus is hidden in lowly water and simple bread and wine. In these divine miracles, Jesus is revealed to you. In the Sacraments, Jesus continues to reveal Himself as Lord over all creation.

 

As we heard last week, in the waters of Holy Baptism, Jesus says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). There in the waters of Holy Baptism, He makes you His own!

 

Now, it’s not the water only that makes you His own, for that is just plain water, but He makes you His own when His Word and command is added to that water.

 

So, just as He turned water into wine, with His Word and by His command, He also gave water the power to redeem you. Baptism is a “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5) as it re-creates you in newness of life in Christ Jesus!

 

Likewise, the Lord’s Supper is a sign of your redemption in Jesus Christ. For “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This is a miracle that we will soon witness as Jesus’ true Body and true Blood under bread and wine forgives your sins and gives you life everlasting. Through these means, He restores His Bride, the Church. 

 

Today, we recall how Jesus began using signs to reveal His glory. And again, a “sign” points to something. And this sign as Jesus turned six water jars into wine provided a physical way to point to a spiritual truth that Jesus is the Son of God. This “sign” proved Jesus’ divine authority and majesty.

 

This, Jesus’ first sign, took place not in Jerusalem, but in the obscure village of Cana in Galilee. 

 

We may have expected a huge crowd of witnesses for this first sign. Instead, without fanfare, Jesus did what God set before Him to do. He needed to reveal Himself as the Messiah to strengthen the faith of His disciples. And He did that. “This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). They had new evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah. They saw the glory of God through this sign. We, too, see God’s glory through His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments.

 

So now let us do as Mary advised: “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). For Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15) and “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Take, drink; this is My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” Amen.  

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"The Scandal of the Gospel" (Luke 7:18-35)

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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:] “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (Luke 7:23).

 

What does it take for someone or something to offend you? Can you recall the last time you were genuinely offended? What caused the offense? How did it make you feel? Angry? Shocked? Vengeful? What was your response? Was it something like, “How dare you!”? “How dare you question me!”? “How dare you accuse me!”?

 

Jesus was no stranger to “How dare you!” His earthly ministry may have lasted only three years, but it was enough time to offend all sorts of people in all sorts of ways. Some, like the Pharisees, were offended because He disappointed them with the way He demonstrated His messianic calling. The Gospels record how over and over again, people were scandalized or offended by something Jesus said or did, or even by something He did not do.

 

There were times when Jesus’ words were just too hard to swallow. In John 6, Jesus proclaims to the crowd of fellow Jews that He is The Bread of Life. The crowd grumbled about Jesus, because He said, “I am the Bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:42). Later on, Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Because of those words of Jesus, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. They took offense! They packed up their bags and left.

 

But Jesus didn’t stop there at offending the masses. Later in John 8, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Immediately, the crowd picked up stones to stone Jesus to death, but Jesus hid Himself. They took offense! This time they tried to eliminate Jesus for good!

 

In Luke 4, Jesus returned to Nazareth where He had been brought up. It was the Sabbath, so He came to synagogue. As a favorite son of the congregation, He was asked to read, so He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 

“The Spirt of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Then Jesus sat down and began to say, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Then murmuring began, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22). The crowd was filled with wrath, and they rose up to drive Jesus out of Nazareth with intentions to throw Him off a cliff. Those synagogue worshipers took offense at Jesus! Again, they too wanted to eliminate Him.

 

But it wasn’t only Jesus’ speaking that caused offense. It was also what He was doing. On a Sabbath, Jesus had the audacity to give sight to a blind man. In response to this sign and miracle, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath” (John 8:16).

 

Jesus was also judged by the company He kept. And Jesus was well aware of what was being said about Him and His company.

 

After Jesus met with John’s disciples, He began preaching to the crowds concerning John the Baptist, saying, “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Luke 7:33-34).

 

Just think about how many of the Jewish authorities took offense as Jesus ate and drank and even associated with sinners. The truth is, Jesus ate and drank and associated with these people, because He was always around sinners. He could never escape that fact, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But Jesus never gave tax collectors permission to collect more taxes than authorized to do. Jesus never gave permission to prostitutes to continue selling themselves. Jesus never gave permission to Samaritans to continue worshipping falsely. What Jesus did do was show them their sins so they would repent of those sins and receive God’s forgiveness.

 

But it wasn’t only what Jesus said and did that caused so many to reject Him. For many others, it was what Jesus failed to do that caused the greatest offense. Think back to the First Sunday in Advent when we heard how the people greeted Jesus on that Palm Sunday spreading their cloaks on the road and laying down palm branches as they shouted their “Hosannas”! “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). 

Most on that Palm Sunday believed that Jesus was the conquering hero who would lead them to political and military victory against the Romans. But how disappointed they must have been to see Him riding in on a donkey instead of a warhorse. How disappointed, discouraged, and offended they were when Jesus turned out to be a compassionate and forgiving Messiah, full of mercy and not vengeance. He wasn’t what the crowd was expecting. By Friday, many in that Palm Sunday crowd changed their shout to “Crucify Him!”

 

With so many expectations not fulfilled. With Jesus appearing to be involved in scandal after scandal, John the Baptist, while in prison, sends two of his disciples to Jesus with the question, “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:20).

 

From the man who attempted to prevent Jesus’ baptism saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14) and later witnessed the Spirit of God descend like a dove and rest on Jesus and heard God the Father proclaim from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) – is this man having doubts? How could he have any doubts?

 

So, why this question of doubt? Is John really wavering in his faith? Or could it be that John desires that his disciples be certain of who Jesus truly is? Jesus wasn’t really living up the expectations of the promised Messiah.

 

So, to clear up any doubts, Jesus directs John’s disciples to His miracles: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them” (Luke 7:22). Then Jesus concludes saying, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (Luke 7:23).

 

Those words, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” certainly do ring loud and clear. We certainly do live in a time where many are scandalized by Jesus Christ. Even with the coming Christmas holiday, many people are scandalized today by saying, “Merry Christmas” or even setting foot in a church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but they will make sure that they have all their gifts in good order.

 

Even for us today, there are many exclusive claims of Jesus that may even cause you to be offended by Him. Jesus says, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). 

Well, what about devout Jews? What about those good and sincere people who do many good works in the community, but do not trust in Jesus? Are they bound to hell because they don’t happen to believe and trust in Jesus as their Savior?

 

For many of us, we get caught off guard. We would rather try to rationalize those words of Jesus. Or we can say, “It’s not for me to judge.” Or, “That’s up to God.” Well, it is up to God, but it’s deeper than that. We may be tempted to be too squeamish to defend the Christian truth. But the truth is the truth. Jesus is the only way to salvation! Even now, Jesus doesn’t live up to our expectations.

 

So, why do we often fail to let our Christian light shine? Why do we become so easily discouraged when it comes to matters of Christian faith and Christian hope? Why are we afraid? Are we worried what other people may think of us? 

 

For all the doubts and worries we may have, Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). So, repent and confess your sins to God, hand them over to Jesus, and then receive forgiveness by God’s grace.

 

Jesus redeemed you and I when we were lost and condemned. He purchased and won us from all sin, from eternal death, and from the power of the devil with His holy and precious blood and by His innocent suffering and death.

 

Jesus called us by the Gospel. He sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten us with His gifts. He has sanctified and kept us in the one true Christian faith. All this He did out of His fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on our part.

 

So, blessed are those who are not offended by Jesus! May we always be reminded of His blessings of forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation for which He won for you and me upon the cross !

 

On this Third Sunday in Advent, let us rejoice in Christ’s Means of Grace! Rejoice in your Baptism into Christ! Rejoice in absolution as Christ forgives our troubled consciences! Rejoice in Christ’s body and blood under bread and wine as our medicine for immortality! Rejoice in the Lord always! Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Who Can Stand When He Appears?" (Malachi 3:1-7b)

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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:

“Who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap” (Malachi 3:2).

 

Judgement is coming and it is coming quickly. And this judgement always takes its victims by surprise.

 

Is Jesus really coming? For many of us, maybe even you, we act as if He isn’t coming. We get lost in the daily grind of life. Or we may think that God has forsaken us.

 

For the postexilic Jews, it’s been some 90 years since their return from Babylon to Jerusalem. The re-built Temple is now 65 years old. But Jerusalem is not a very impressive place. It looks very much God forsaken to them.

 

Before the Babylonian exile, Judah was great and powerful. It had mighty kings and an awesome Temple. The glory of the Lord shined. Yahweh’s reign could be seen and touched.

 

But on this side of the Babylonian exile, God has appeared to have slipped away. Now, Persia appears to be the ruler of their world. If the Jews want anything done, they have to ask permission from the Persian ruler. If they wanted supplies, they had to rely on the good graces of the Persians. They had to practice religion under Persian government. They were beholden to the Persians!

 

The mighty deeds of God were of yesteryear. The rebuilt Temple was a mere shadow of what it once was. The walls of Jerusalem were still a wreck.

 

The Jews were troubled. Upon their arrival back to Jerusalem, they had hoped and expected, the glorious and prosperous reign of the Davidic line of kings, but all they see is a wicked Persia prospering. 

 

To many Jews, they began to believe that their God had abandoned them, or He refused to care about them.

 

Jesus says in Matthew 24: “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).

 

There is something true about lightning. It always takes us by surprise.

 

Jesus’ coming at the first Christmas took everyone by surprise. Mary, Joseph, Herod, the shepherds, friends and enemies were all surprised when He came. God had promised His Son’s coming from the dawn of the world. Many people had carried that thought and hope with them through all those long years, but what they hoped for, they really did not expect. It caught them by surprise. Will it catch you by surprise at His coming on the Last Day?

 

St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

 

Where is God? Is He coming? For the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25, five of them appeared to give up on the Bridegroom coming, so they refused to refill their oil lamps through Christ’s Means of Grace and went to sleep. But then by surprise, at midnight, there was a cry: “Here is the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!” (Matthew 25:6). The foolish five were refused entry to the marriage feast. To them, the Bridegroom says: “‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:12).

 

We all desire the Second Coming of Christ, but that day will also surprise us, even though we hope for it and profess to long for that day.

 

The day of judgement is coming all right, but how often do we act like that day is far off? Do you act like Jesus is coming?

 

“Just as in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man,” Jesus says. “They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27).

 

When we least expect it, Jesus will come.

 

“Who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?” (Malachi 3:2a)

 

If we truly examine ourselves, no one can endure; no one can stand. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is you and me. We are all poor, miserable sinners. We sometimes act as if sin has no consequences, but sin has eternal consequences, because God cannot partake in sin. Since none of us are as pure as the wind driven snow, what do we do? What can we do? Sadly nothing. 

 

So, God will do everything! “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1).

 

God sends John the Baptist to prepare the way for His Son by “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). We are all called to confess our sins as we recognize our inability to stand before God because of our sin. And where there is confession, there is forgiveness. 

 

After that preparation, God sends the Messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, our Lord Jesus Christ, who brought the new covenant through His blood.

 

You and I cannot be 99 percent clean. We must be 100 percent clean. We must be pure. To be clean and pure, Jesus enters in.

 

Through His suffering and shed blood on the cross, Jesus is “like a refiner’s fire and like a fuller’s soap” (Malachi 3:2b). Upon that cross, as He suffered and died for you and your sins, Jesus is making you and I clean and pure. Jesus is not only the Purifier but also the Purifying agent. He is not only the Blacksmith but also the Fire. He is not only the Cleaner but also the Soap. 

 

Jesus refines us through His heat. He cleans us like a launderer by rubbing, kneading, and beating to make us soft, clean, and pliable.

 

God the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ because He desires a pure product. On our own and by our own merits, we could never be made holy, but it is only God who has the power to make us holy. Our purity is only made possible through the blood of Jesus – the very Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

 

Christ scrubbed us clean through His death and resurrection. Today, He comes to keep us clean through the preaching of His Word and in His giving of forgiveness through His Sacraments. 

 

As forgiven sinners, by grace through faith in Christ alone, we have nothing to fear, because through Christ’s work, we are seen as holy and blameless before God the Father.

 

So, “Who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?” (Malachi 3:2a). We can! God’s people can! We endure as we receive through faith the forgiveness of sins won for us at the cross and offered to us freely in the Means of Grace. God is faithful and Christ will return. But now His return is not fearful for us, since Christ has atoned for all of your sins. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Epiphany 5: "Keeping Focus" (Mark 1:29-39)

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:

Simon Peter and those others who were looking for Jesus said to Jesus, “‘Everyone is looking for you.” And Jesus said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out’” (Mark 1:37-38).

 

Huh? That’s Jesus’ response? He wants to leave? Well, we’ll get more into His response later. 

 

In the meantime, this has been a busy day for Jesus. In fact, these last four Gospel lessons all took place the same day. In the morning, while He passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother casting a fishing net into the sea. Immediately after Jesus spoke to them: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), they followed Jesus.

 

As Jesus, Peter, and Andrew walked further, Jesus saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending their fishing nets and He called them. Immediately, James and John followed Jesus.

 

Then, Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John went to Capernaum and Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. Everyone was astonished at His teaching, since He taught with authority and not like any other rabbi or scribe. While at the synagogue, a man possessed by an unclean spirit cried out to Jesus and immediately, the unclean spirit left this man. Immediately, the conversation began to spread all throughout Capernaum about what Jesus did at the synagogue.

 

Jesus then left the synagogue and visited the home of Peter and Andrew, with James and John. While there, Peter’s mother-in-law was extremely ill with a high fever. Now, at this time, high fevers meant that death was likely near, but Jesus did the unexpected. Instead of protecting Himself from her illness, He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her. She was completely healed, and even to the point that she began to serve her son-in-law’s guests.

 

That evening, the conversation that began at the synagogue had spread all throughout the city of Capernaum. Soon, the entire city began to gather at the door to see Jesus. One after another, after another gather outside the door. These people were curious if all the chatter was true. Wouldn’t you be?

 

Among these people are the ill – those with various diseases and illnesses – and those possessed by demons. They were curious if Jesus could, in fact, heal them.

 

Now, you may be wondering: “How could an entire city be gathered outside a single house in Capernaum?” Well, although Capernaum was known as a city, it was not a very large city. It is likely the population was around 1,500 people. And, Capernaum was situated along a trade route, so there could have been even some curious outsiders mixed in with the locals.

 

So, as He did with Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus does not hesitate to touch the sick and demon possessed as He heals them all. Now, what caused all these people to come to Jesus? And what were they seeking? Were they seeking only a miracle worker, or were they seeking the promised Messiah?

 

From our text, we do not know for sure. But it is likely that many came not to hear the preaching of Jesus, but in order to be healed by Him. With all the crowds, it was only a matter of time until Jesus could have been anointed the leader, or king, of Capernaum, due to His popularity. Jesus knew this. He knew this quite well.

 

So, under the cover of the darkness of night, Jesus left early in the morning and went to a desolate place and there He prayed. Eventually Peter and the others found Jesus and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for you.” Jesus replied, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:36-37).

 

During this season of Epiphany, Jesus is revealed to us as the Son of God in many ways. But what is Jesus revealing to us this morning? Yes, we see that He has the divine power to heal and cast out demons. Yes, we see that He preaches and teaches with authority. But what does Jesus mean by His reply to “Everyone is looking for you” when He says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”?

 

As awesome as it would be for an ordinary man to be crowned king of a city due to his popularity, this is not the reason Jesus came. This is not the reason God took upon Himself our human flesh.

At times, you may think that if God is so great, mighty, and powerful, that He may not notice you. Sometimes, you may feel that you are forgotten. Many during Isaiah’s time thought God had forgotten them. To them, God’s promises seemed meaningless. In fact, it was common for many to speak this way: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God” (Isaiah 40:27).

 

Even if God’s people lack faith in God’s promises, this does not deter the one true God. Isaiah proclaims: “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28b).

 

So, even when we are weary and doubt, God is there offering us comfort and assurance. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. And even when we are weak and we may see ourselves as insignificant, God increases our strength as Isaiah writes, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31).

 

This great God does not overlook anyone. This is why everyone who comes to Jesus at Capernaum for healing is healed. Jesus cannot overlook anyone. This is not His nature. He cares for the weary and the weak.

 

But Jesus knows that He cannot be in Capernaum forever, since this is not the reason He came. So, when Peter and the others say to Jesus, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus knows this is not true. So far only those in Capernaum are looking for Him, but He did not come as the Savior of onlyCapernaum. Now, Capernaum matters to Jesus, since He cares deeply for these people, but He came for everyone! He came for the entire world! He came as the Savior for Cana, Nazareth, Samaria, Jerusalem, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus came as the Savior for all people and not just a few.

 

Peter and the others wanted Jesus to focus on the people of Capernaum. Afterall, everything was going well there, and Jesus’ popularity could open doors of opportunities for all of the disciples.

 

We, too, can often lose our focus. You see, every day, our sinful nature tempts us to lose our focus by turning away from God. We look for refuge in temporal things, such as money, possessions, and health. We look for knowledge outside of God’s Word, instead of seeking knowledge in His Word, which is true knowledge. We seek out man’s favor, rather than what God commands of us.

 

So, what does God command of us? He teaches us to learn and apply the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, so we can regulate our entire life in being in accordance with His Word. This is why we are beginning a new Sunday adult Bible Study this morning on the catechism. Through catechesis and Bible study, we devote ourselves with God’s Word daily and carry it in our hearts and on our lips. We grow in knowledge as we gladly hear and read God’s Word and apply God’s Word in our lives. We fear and love God, and love, help, and support all of our neighbors from conception in the mother’s womb all the way to natural death.

 

Thanks be to God that He did not lose His focus. Even though the people of Capernaum did not want Jesus to leave, Jesus knew that His focus was to save the lost. He came to defeat the power of sin, death, and the devil through His suffering and death. He came to save you!

 

This is why Jesus came. He came to set us free. You see, Christ’s atoning suffering and death on the cross, as well as His bodily resurrection from the dead has set us free from Satan’s bondage and we receive this all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

 

Unlike Peter and the others who were searching for Jesus that morning in Capernaum, we do not have to search hard to find Him. You see, through His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacrament – Jesus is never far away.

 

Jesus is still preaching repentance, He is still casting out demons, and He is still healing the ill, the weak, and the weary. Christ is here with us. He comes to each of us in a very personal and special way. He comes to us through His Word and Sacrament. He is here to personally hear us confess our sins as He personally forgives each of our sins.

 

Through His Word, Christ is still preaching and teaching. We hear His voice through Christ’s called and ordained servants as Christ continues to shepherd His flock. Christ’s Words lead us to eternal life in His constant care and away from the wolves who would destroy us. 

 

Christ is still healing. He continues to be the Great Physician. In this temporal realm for which we live, Christ uses doctors, nurses, therapists, but when a person is healed, that person is healed because of Jesus. In the eternal realm, Christ brings us healing through the eating and drinking of His very Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine, which forgives our sins and strengthens our faith in Christ so we can meet the days ahead.

 

So, what does Christ reveal to us this day? He reveals that He never loses His focus. He didn’t come to save just a select few. He came to save you. He came as the Savior from sin. He came as the Savior for the world, so that all who would repent and trust in Him would be saved. This is why He came! He came to save you! Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +