"Delivered, Transferred and Redeemed" (Colossians 1:14-20)

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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:

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

 

Last Sunday during the children’s message, we were reminded that it is getting darker these days. There is less light these days. And until December 21, the light grows more dim each day. Darkness is powerful. Darkness has an undeniable authority. Darkness forces you to do certain things and darkness prevents you from doing other things.

 

In today’s age, we can live out our lives without ever actually experiencing total, complete darkness. We can do this through artificial light, through things such as light bulbs and flashlights. So, it is easy for us to lose sight of darkness’ authority. But darkness does have real power. Darkness forces us to drive slower at night. Darkness causes us to put on the brights in hopes that a deer will still not jump out in your way. 

 

In complete darkness, you will get lost and never know where to go. Darkness certainly forces us to be cautious and sometimes that darkness causes fear, because darkness can hurt you.

 

Darkness can actually kill, because all living things need light to stay alive. In parts of the world where darkness lingers, people have to take steps to fight off depression and other maladies. In total darkness, people can become insane and become sick and die. And all because of darkness. That is authority. That is power.

 

Spiritual darkness has power too. This “domain of darkness” is a place where darkness has its way. This “domain of darkness” is dark because people cannot see their way to the truth; they cannot perceive what they should perceive about the Lord and about themselves. They grope, they stumble, they are the “blind leading the blind” to destruction because they do not have better advice or example to offer than their own impaired stumbling. Sin is dark because we live in it thoughtlessly, carelessly, recklessly, stumbling and tumbling to our own and others’ destruction.

 

This “domain of darkness” is also dark because it is precisely where Satan holds sway. He relies on darkness, both the darkness of night, when sin crouches at our door so close to us, and the darkness of the heart, where we do not even understand the things we say and do as wrong. Satan likes darkness because it affords him room to work. He can work when you don’t confess your sin. He can work when you spend your time and energy hiding your sin. He can work when you have no one else with you and you assume that no one else sees or cares what you are doing. Darkness is a favorite place for Satan. Darkness is where Satan works his hardest on you and me. 

 

In today’s epistle reading, many of the Colossians were choosing to live in spiritual darkness and because of this darkness, the Colossian church was in serious jeopardy. It was so bad that Epaphras made a 1,300-mile trip to Rome to visit St. Paul while he was in prison. 

 

So, what was the issue? Well, the city of Colossae included a mixture of both Greeks and Jews and among them were elements of Gnosticism. This Gnostic heresy taught that Jesus alone was not adequate for salvation. They taught of a secret knowledge that threatened the salvation of these Colossians. This heresy centered on the Person of Christ as they denied Christ’s humanity as they viewed Jesus as a mere spirit being who came from God. They taught a form of philosophical dualism where the spirit is good, and matter was evil. So, they said that Christ could never be man, because flesh was evil.

 

But by far, the most serious aspect of this Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. This is why St. Paul wrote this letter to the Colossian church. He wrote this letter because their salvation was at stake.

 

The Bible is supremely a book about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament records the preparation for His coming. The Gospels present Him as God in human flesh, come into the world to save sinners. The Epistles detail the theology of Christ’s work and personification of Christ in His Body, the Church. And Revelation presents Christ on the throne, reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Every part of Scripture testifies about Jesus Christ. In Luke 24, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to [the Emmaus disciples] in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In John 5, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). And Philip, too, preached Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch by using only the book of Isaiah (Acts 8:35).

But of all the Bible’s teachings about Jesus Christ, our text today may be the most significant. Today’s text is dramatic and powerful and removes any doubt or confusion over who Jesus truly is.

 

So, who is Jesus? “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus is the absolute image of God. Now, He did not become the image of God at the incarnation, but He has been the image of God from all eternity. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. He is the exact likeness of God. He is in His very form God. This is why Jesus could say: “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Christ, the invisible God became visible, “and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

Jesus is the full and final and complete revelation of God. He is God taken upon Himself human flesh. 

 

Not only is Jesus the image of the invisible God for “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the Creator. He is not a creation of God. Jesus created all things. “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing that was made”(John 1:3).

 

The entire universe exists and continues to operate only through the power and will of Jesus Christ. For, if He would for a moment cease to sustain creation, then the stars, the planets, and atoms would all spin out of control until they would disappear into oblivion. It’s Jesus who holds all things together. Jesus is God.

 

This, “in Him all things hold together” also teaches us something else. You see, on Judgment Day, everyone must pass through Him. So, those who in life knew Him in name only, or only knew Him as an inconvenience, or those who did not know Him at all, will now face Him entirely unprepared, dressed in the dirtiness of their sins and will hear Him say: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you”(Matthew 25:12).

 

Jesus does not know those who live in darkness. For everyone who does not live by faith in Christ is among Satan’s fallen world. Without faith in Christ, the sinner stands before God guilty and condemned; the sinner stands before God as a debtor, an enemy, a stranger.

 

But we, who have been delivered from the domain of darkness by faith in Jesus will see Jesus standing before us as a familiar friend and brother. In Him, “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

 

Despite our sins, Jesus has reconciled us back to Himself. He undertook the Great Exchange. He willingly suffered all things for you. He willingly faced mockery for you. He willingly died for you. In Christ, the sinner now stands before God as righteous. In Christ, the sinner is granted freedom. In Christ, the sinner’s debt is paid. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as friend. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as His son or daughter.

 

In Christ alone, we are at peace with God. In Christ alone, we are reconciled to God. In Christ alone, we are restored to a right relationship between God and man.

 

We are at peace with God because Jesus shed His blood on the cross and by rising again the third day from the dead to make sure that you are His.

 

In Christ, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and have been transferred to His kingdom!

 

You were created by Christ and He has redeemed you to be His forever. Christ is the Head of the body, the Church. And since you are in Christ, you are no longer captive to sin, you are no longer of the domain of darkness. You are redeemed. You are delivered. You are forgiven. You are set free. You are cleansed. You are healed. This was accomplished because of the power of His shed blood. His blood brings peace. His shed blood brings peace between you and God. His blood cancels your sin, your idolatry, your rebellion you once owed Him.

 

Jesus has won for you peace by His blood and by His cross and by His resurrected life. Christ is all in all. By faith, Christ, your Creator and Redeemer has delivered you out of the domain of darkness by giving you redemption, the forgiveness of your sin. 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 the Last Sunday of the Church Year: "Your Judgment Day" (Matthew 25:31-46)

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: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left” (Matthew 25:31-33).

 

How often do you think about the glorious return of Christ? How often do you think of the Final Judgment?

 

Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars. He speaks that many will fall away from the Christian faith only to betray one another and to hate one another. He speaks of an increase in natural disasters.

 

With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, one may think, are we close to Christ’s return? With an ever increase in Christians falling away from the one true faith, are we close to Christ’s return? With the news media and politicians lecturing us about the climate, is this a sign of Christ’s return?

 

Instead of pondering these questions, what does Jesus say? “Concerning that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). So, life will be considered normal. Christ says that it will be like the days of Noah, since the general population was unaware until the flood came and swept them away. Christ says over and over again: “Be ready.”

 

But even with the call for us to “be ready,” the natural question is “when?” Now, we don’t know the day and the hour of Christ’s return. So, if someone tells you that he knows when, he is lying. So, you must dismiss him. And, if you forget about this, then some false prophet will make a fool of himself by claiming he knows what he cannot know and he might make a fool of you as well.

 

But Jesus does give us a question from today’s Gospel lesson that we can answer. At least this is one that the Lord tells us the answer. When will all this get decided? When does the judgment happen? When does the Lord make up His mind about who goes where? The big answer to when is this Final Judgment is: right now.

After warning us through the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Tenants, this morning, everything comes to its climax. So, on this Last Sunday of the Church Year, Jesus again is warning His church – you and me – to be ready for the Final Judgment. As I said last week, on the one hand, we pray for Christ’s return, and on the other hand, we pray for His delay. Just the other day, I was waiting in line at Kwik Trip, and I thought: “How many of these people around me will be numbered with the goats?” It is a scary thought!

 

We have this conflict, because the Day of Judgment, which is magnificent, is also scary. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who are lapsed Christians. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who are being fed lies by false prophets wearing albs and stoles saying good is evil and evil is good. It’s scary, since we have family and friends who have never once stepped inside a Bible-believing church. It’s scary, because we all see so many people heading for judgment. It’s scary, because we see how urgent it is to tell everyone that their salvation has been won in Christ alone and that He is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

 

Again, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, … He will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31a, 32b).

 

So, on that great and magnificent day, Jesus will divide all mankind into two groups: sheep and goats. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus likens this to the customary practice of the shepherds in Israel. You see, during the daytime, the shepherd would let his sheep and goats graze together in the same pasture, but at night, the shepherd would separate the sheep and the goats. As it is with a shepherd, this separation is easy, since a shepherd can easily tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. So, on the Last Day, this will be a simple matter for Jesus. “He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:33).

 

The sheep are those who God made righteous through Holy Baptism, so they live as sheep. They gladly hear and learn God’s Word. They share the good news of salvation. They care for God’s creation. They take care for those around them.

 

The goats are those who ignored the call of God. They chose to do other things instead of gladly hearing and learning God’s Word. They chose to reject God’s grace. They chose to ignore the cry of their fellow creatures. They chose eternal death. So, in return, God gives them what they chose. They chose to share in the same fate as Satan and his demons – eternal punishment apart from God in hell.

Now, what to make of “right” and “left”? Well, “right” signifies complete approval by the One who has all power and authority. By contrast, “left” means rejection, or sinister.

 

During the French Revolution, the French National Assembly was divided as “right” and “left.” In fact, our Congress has adopted this framework. But do you know the origins on this seating arrangement? You see, those who supported the Church sat on the “right” and those who supported the revolution sat on the “left.” It may be unknown to them, but the French Assembly and even our Congress is attempting to divide in a similar way as that of Christ on the Last Day.

 

But then we come to a problem. I thought true believers were not judged. Remember Christ saying, “Whoever believes is not condemned” (John 3:18a)? What about: “Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24)?

 

But then we come to: “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10) and “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). 

 

Hmm. What is going on here? On one hand, those who trust in Jesus are not judged and on the other hand, everyone is judged. How do we resolve this?

 

Well, let’s look in what manner Jesus speaks of the sheep and the goats. To the sheep, Jesus does not mention a single sin of theirs. He only speaks in glowing praise. But to the goats, Jesus makes a specific mention of their sins, which have brought them into everlasting condemnation.

 

To the sheep, the Last Judgment is a witness of exactly what they by faith expected. At the sight of Jesus, the sheep are filled with great joy, since Jesus is their Brother and Friend. To the sheep, He calls them “blessed by My Father” (Matthew 25:34).

 

To the goats, the Last Judgment is a witness of exactly how they lived apart from faith. For them, at the sight of Jesus, the goats are filled with fear, since Jesus who they denied, is actually real and present before them. To them, Jesus says, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

 

The goats may have known Jesus, but they chose to deny their faith before man. Remember, even Satan and his demons believe in Jesus. So, by denying their faith and living no different than an unbeliever, Jesus casts these goats into hell. 

 

I mentioned earlier about the big answer to when is the Final Judgment. I said that this Final Judgment is right now. But what about that separation of the sheep and the goats? Well, right now everyone’s fate is being decided. As for the Last Day, that is when everyone’s fate will be publicly announced, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is vindicated as the truth before all people: the sheep and the goats. So, for the sheep, the same Jesus you believe and trust in today and throughout your life is the One in whose righteousness you shall stand on Judgment Day.

 

But what about right now? Each Sunday, we publicly confess that Christ will “come to judge the living and the dead.” We confess that this day is not a day that we – as sheep – dread, for we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We have the forgiveness of sins that covers all our sin. For us sheep, Judgment Day marks the public and eternal announcement of God’s judgment in Christ: “Your sins are forgiven, so you are righteous for Jesus’ sake!”

 

Each Sunday, we too, confess that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10b). According to God’s Law, the sinner deserves God’s “present and eternal punishment.” This is the judgment of the Law.

 

But this judgment, which we all deserved, fell upon Christ in His death on the cross. Because He took our sin into His flesh, God the Father punished His Son. Christ bore the suffering and death that we deserved. “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” (Psalm 53:5).

 

The judgment of the Gospel is that the death of Jesus and the shedding of His blood covers the sin of the world (1 John 1:7). The judgment of the Gospel is that the sinner is declared righteous for the sake of Jesus who has paid the price for his sin. And this word of forgiveness is received by faith. The righteousness of Christ clothes the baptized believer. It covers his sin with forgiveness, so that on Judgment Day, the Christian stands before God righteous and holy for Jesus’ sake as His sheep. 

 

You are His sheep! In Holy Baptism, He claimed you as His own as He gave you His name! As His sheep, we believe the judgment of the absolution which declares you forgiven!

 

So, today, you are judged. Through Christ’s death and bodily resurrection, you who believe in Him are now declared innocent. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: “In fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20a). When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He declared that His death paid the price for all sin, and our salvation was accomplished. When He rose from the dead, He proclaimed the forgiveness of sins to His disciples when He said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19, 21). Then He sent them out to proclaim the judgment of the Law and Gospel on His behalf, in order that sinners might be brought to repentance and faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

 

So, our Judgement Day is today when a sinner is either “bound” or “loosed” from his sins through the preaching of the Law and Gospel in sermons, in catechesis, and in confession and absolution. This takes place daily in the life of the Christian as he is brought again and again to repentance and faith in Christ. This is the life of the Christian. We hear the preaching of the Law that exposes our sins, which flow from a mistrust of God. God’s Law cuts us to the heart (Acts 2:37) as we feel the judgment of the Law that Jesus felt on the cross. But then you hear the preaching of the Gospel, which declares your sins forgiven for Jesus’ sake. The word of the Gospel covers your sins, creates faith in Christ, comforts the heart, and gives the penitent and forgiven sinner the joy of salvation and the sure and certain hope of eternal life.

 

So, when you hear, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” you are hearing the judgment of God. It is as if you are hearing, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). 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 Pentecost 25: "Don't Forget Your Calling" (Matthew 25:14-30)

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: “For [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:14-15a).

 

Our Scripture from last week, this week, and next week are focusing on the return of Jesus and His judgment of the living and the dead. We could call these weeks “pre-Advent,” since the focus is on Christ’s coming. We began this theme last week with the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Today, this theme continues with the Parable of the Talents.

 

The focus on Christ’s return leads to several attitudes among Christians. On one hand, we long for His return and the full realization of His reign over the new heavens and new earth. So, we pray: Come, Lord Jesus. On the other hand, this reality also causes many of us to hope for His delay, so that those in our family and others in our lives who are living apart from Jesus could have time to hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, we pray fervently for God to work through His Church to bring more into His fold. So, preaching these last weeks of the Church Year – to which I call “pre-Advent” – is both about an expectant hope for Jesus to return and an urgency in the Church’s mission to proclaim the good news of salvation to the lost. Today, on this 25^th Sunday after Pentecost, Christ is warning His Church – you and me – to not forget who your Master is, so that you would be counted among His good and faithful servants.

 

Again, Jesus says to us: “For the [kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away” (Matthew 25:14-15).

When the Master went away, He entrusted His servants with a stewardship. First thing to know here is that the Master is Jesus, who went away as He bodily ascended into heaven. But the mission wasn’t over. The Master entrusted His servants, which are you and me, with talents, which are various gifts He has placed in our lives.

 

As the Master went away, the one who received five talents made five talents more. The one who received two talents made two talents more. But the one who received one talent dug his talent into the ground and hid his Master’s money.

 

So, what’s a “talent”? Well, a talent was a unit of money. A silver talent was worth about 7,300 denarii. A gold talent could be even 30 times more valuable than a silver talent. Remember, a denarius equaled one day’s wage. So, receiving just one talent is a sizeable amount of money.

 

Now, when we use this term “talent” for an ability or a skill, that is the meaning that Christ is using in this parable, for we all have considerable abilities and skills given to us by God. These talents include intellectual and physical abilities that we are born with and those that in time develop and mature. These talents include many opportunities God provides for us in serving Him and our neighbor.

 

So, after a long time and “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2), the Master returns and He came to settle the accounts with His servants. Each servant came forward. The first servant said to his Master: “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more” (Matthew 25:20). Then the second servant said to his Master: “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more” (Matthew 25:22). To these first two servants, the Master says to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21, 23).

 

Now, notice what the Master pronounces here: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” You see, they had been faithful with their respective talents, and this was all their Master asked of them. They traded with the talents that were entrusted to them. 

 

And what exactly was entrusted to them in these talents? The Gospel. It’s Christ’s ministry. It is Christ’s mission: the Great Commission in baptizing and teaching all they knew in order to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). It is their faithfulness to the Gospel that these servants are commended for, rather than their accomplishments.

 

But then we come to the third servant. When it was his turn to settle his account, he said to his Master, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours” (Matthew 25:24-25).

 

Often times, our response is like that third servant. We don’t take risks. We would rather do what is safe. We would rather do what is easy. It’s safe being a Christian within these walls, but when we leave the church building, how often would you rather do what is easy by not showing you fruits of faith to others. The safe way, by hiding your Christian faith is the path of least resistance. Our fallen sinful nature would rather do safe things, rather than hard things, like discussing your Christian faith, inviting those living apart from Jesus to a Bible Study or devotions, or inviting your lapsed family member or your neighbor to church.

 

In recent years, there has been a growing cultural view that safety is our highest value. We demand guarantees of safety. But for those who live for safety alone, end up living joyless lives. This concern for safety can easily become a form of idolatry. This concern for safety is what so many fear, love, and trust in. By living for safety, we fear for our own personal wellbeing more than trusting God.

 

Now, this doesn’t mean that we seek out danger. That would be just stupid. But if we do God’s mission, if we do what He has entrusted us to do, most likely danger will seek us. Opposition will seek us, because this fallen world hates Jesus, and so you will be hated for Jesus’ sake. This is what we are to expect out there beyond these church walls in the mission field of West Salem, Bangor, Onalaska, La Crosse, Holmen, La Crescent, and Sparta. Hatred and opposition of Jesus is expected. So, it is a hazardous path following Jesus in this fallen sinful world, but this path is led by Jesus who always leads those who follow Him to eternal life.

 

With regard to these three servants, the first two servants differ only as to the number of talents; otherwise they are identical, and both double their number. The contrast is between those who acted and the one who did not. This third servant rejected his Master by refusing to serve Him in any way.

 

By refusing His Master, this third servant’s talent was taken away from him. Since he hid his faith from the world, by living in accord with the fallen world, this servant was cast into the outer darkness of hell where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).

 

In the Parable of the Tenants, this third servant played it safe. He didn’t tell others about Jesus. He didn’t show his fruits of faith. And we must confess that we often play it safe as well. For this, repent and receive Christ’s forgiveness. Turn to Christ and proclaim His saving grace to others who are desperate to hear it.

 

As we may desire to play it safe, there is One Servant who never played it safe. His mission was supremely perilous. This Servant knew that to advance the kingdom of God took sacrifice, His Sacrifice. It involved ridicule and danger. The Apostle Paul wrote: “[Jesus Christ] though he was in the form of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).

 

Jesus Christ took the hazardous path. He took the way of sorrows and it cost Him His life. God the Father sent Him on this mission that we – in our fallen sinful nature – could not accomplish, and He did it all for you. Through His death, He delivers to you who have repentant faith, pardon for your sin and idolatry. And His death was not the final word. His bodily resurrection is the stamp of approval of His mission and ministry. To Christ, God the Father said: “Well done, good and faithful Servant.”

 

Remember, the Master has entrusted you with His property, which is the proclamation of the good news of salvation to all people, to baptize and teach the good news. But you may still be thinking: “I can’t do much. What can I do?” To this, the Master says, “I give to you according to your ability.”Today, our Master is here to strengthen your weak faith. Today, our Master is here to strengthen your ability to use your talents out in the mission field of this fallen world. Today, our Master is here to strengthen you through His Word and Sacrament. You see, it is not you alone doing the work, it is the Holy Spirit that He gives you in the Means of Grace that does His work in you!

 

The point of today’s parable is don’t neglect your Master who has given you various talents that He has entrusted to you to use in proclaiming the mission of God. The other point of this parable is to not forget who you are: you are a servant of this Master. This is your vocation, your calling. So, as you wait for the Master’s return, we are to serve Him and our neighbor. In this time of waiting, we use our lives for Him and His will. And when He returns, He will treat you the same way that He treats all of His servants who serve Him. He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. For everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance” (Matthew 25:20, 23, 29a). Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

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

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Sermon for Pentecost 24: "A Warning: Are You Foolish or Wise?" (Matthew 25:1-13)

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

Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2).

 

Who really enjoys waiting? I don’t. Waiting for anything really doesn’t come naturally, especially when we live in an instant gratification culture. At the click of a button, your desire is found in the online cart. In just another click, it’s on its way to your home. In the words of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, “If I don’t get the things that I’m after, I’m going to scream. I don’t care how, I want it now!” If we’re honest, that’s who we are. We want it now! Why read a book when you can just stream the movie? Why make supper when you can just order fast food?

 

But there is another risk. If the waiting goes on too long, it’s possible that you can forget what you were hoping for. You see, ever since Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, the Church has been waiting for His return. In the first years, there was eager expectation. But then it seemed that the waiting was too long as we heard in our epistle from 1 Thessalonians 4 today. Did they misunderstand? Do we misunderstand? Is Jesus going to keep His promise? Is Jesus really ever coming back?

 

Since waiting isn’t easy, and because there is a risk that we can forget or lose hope, Jesus tells us a parable on this 24^th Sunday after Pentecost. And if you are honest with yourself, this parable is frightening. In fact, it’s terrifying. But remember, Jesus desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So, as terrifying as this parable is, Jesus is warning us, so that we would be counted among the wise.

 

Again, “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2). First thing to note here is who are the wise and who are the foolish. What do they represent? If we take the wise to be believers and the foolish to be unbelievers, we are missing the point of this parable. Jesus isn’t speaking about Christians versus non-Christians. Jesus is speaking this parable to His Church. So, the foolish and the wise are you and me in this very place. He is warning the foolish to “wise up.”

You see, this parable is actually a variation of the Parable of the Sower, in which Jesus warns us about the dangers of the devil, the dangers of persecution, and the dangers of covetousness.

 

As Christians, we are not secluded from the fallen sinful world; we live in this fallen sinful world. We live in a world that is full of doubt and full of sinful desires. We live in a world that is filled with false gods. Even false gods that claim to be the one true God. 

 

Perhaps, the most deceptive false god is the god who is always loving – not loving in the way that we know God to be in Jesus – but loving in a different way, a false way. A god who is always tolerant. A god who is always accepting. A god who will always accept you as you are – unrepentant and drenched in sin. A god who will always receive you. A god who will always love you. A god of the open door. A god of the second chance. A god who shuts one door and opens another. A god who shuts two doors and opens a window. That’s the false god that this fallen sinful world and its fallen prince offers to you. 

 

Today, Jesus comes to shock you with a vision of a different God, who is the one true God. Jesus doesn’t want you holding onto that false god as you think that you are prepared, because you aren’t. So, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). For these ten virgins, they each thought they were prepared. They each thought they had the right way of thinking. But only half were truly ready.

 

As it was custom then, on the wedding day, the bridegroom would dress in wedding garments, and his friends would escort him to the house of the bride. The bride would then come out to meet them with her friends, in this case, the virgins, who would be known as bridesmaids today. The only question would be when? So, the bride and the virgins would always have to be ready as the bridegroom could arrive at any hour of the day or night.

 

When the bridegroom would arrive, the whole group would joyously parade to the home the bridegroom had prepared. Elsewhere, Jesus used this imagery to describe His relationship to His Church saying, “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, and where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-3). You see, the Christian life now is like a betrothal, and heaven will be like marriage.

So, here we have ten virgins waiting in the night for the bridegroom to come. But as they waited, the hour grew late, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, when the virgins all least expected the bridegroom, He arrived with the cry of command, with the voice of the herald, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!” (Matthew 25:6)

 

Then the virgins all rose and trimmed their lamps. At that instant, five of the virgins realized that their lamps were going out. They never considered the possibility that the bridegroom might be delayed, so they brought no extra oil for their lamps. So, they wandered into the darkness to find a merchant selling oil. Now, what does the “oil” here represent? The oil represents faith. And faith is not anything that we can earn or purchase. Faith is only continually sustained by the Means of Grace: hearing God’s Word and receiving His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation through Holy Baptism, Absolution, and through the eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood under the bread and wine.

 

Now that the bridegroom has come, what does He do? Does He leave the five wise there at the door and tell them to go out into the world to find the foolish? No! He gathers the wise in and He shuts the door.

 

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But that’s not what happens here. Those foolish virgins certainly ask. They asked the wise to share their oil and they do not receive. The wise say, “Go to the dealers and buy for yourselves” (Matthew 25:9b). And they seek. They go out looking for that merchant. But then come back only to find that it’s too late. And they knock. They knock on that door saying, “Lord, lord, open to us!” (Matthew 25:11). But the door is not opened. Then the bridegroom says, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12).

Here, we have a Jesus who is not seeking the lost, who is not opening the door, who is not inviting everybody in, who is not bringing in the blind and the lame and the poor, so that the banquet hall may be filled. He shut the door. It’s barred and bolted shut. Here, Jesus is dividing between the foolish and the wise. He has taken the wise and to the foolish, He says, “I do not know you,” because they had neglected their faith by not receiving His Means of Grace, by ignoring the will of God the Father in having other gods, since they did not hold God’s Word sacred by gladly hearing it and learning it. They would rather say they know Jesus, but in doing so, they do not show fruits of that faith. They would rather live a life no different than any heathen. This is extremely frightening. This is what could be called spiritual shock therapy.

 

Jesus is coming. He will come to judge the living and the dead. Sin is sin and all sin is worthy of damnation. Foolishness is foolishness and by saying you know Jesus and then in return live a life does not put Christ in the center will cause you to be ejected from the kingdom of heaven. So, when God shuts the door on that final day, God shuts the door. He shocks you into reality. He shocks you into the reality of what it means to come before God who judges the living and the dead.

 

But as terrifying as this may be, Jesus is still Jesus. As I said earlier, Jesus is saying this parable so that you and me would be counted among the wise. He is saying this parable as gospel, so that we would be warned. He is saying this parable, so that we would not lose hope.

 

The same Jesus who has the power to say, “I do not know you,” is the same Jesus who uses that power to come and know you even in your sin. God the Father sent this Jesus into this fallen sinful world that would reject Him. Jesus came to a people who would not know Him. Even though His disciples would deny Him and fall away, Jesus still came to know them. And, even though, we, in our sinful nature, would kill Him, Jesus still came to know us. He came to know us in our sin, so that we would know Him as our Savior from sin, death, and the devil. He came to bring you into His grace.

 

Today, that shedding of Christ’s innocent blood is the oil for your lamp. Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. That blood and water that flowed from His side as He was crucified even flows today. That water with the Word washed you clean and gave you faith. That blood now flows with His body in the Sacrament of the Altar so that your sins are forgiven, and your faith strengthened for the day of the Lord’s coming. 

 

In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus does not mince His words: you are either waiting for Him or you aren’t. Here, in the Divine Service through His Means of Grace, Jesus prepares you so that you would be counted among the wise. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

 

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

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