Sermon for Advent Midweek 2: "This Is My Son: Ishmael" (Genesis 16)

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:

 

Surely you have heard of “Tiger Moms” and of “Helicopter Parents.” Well, apparently, there is something new on the scene. There is a new type of parent pushing their way through the schoolyard – and they will stop at nothing to ensure their child’s success. Yes, this new style of parenting is called “snowplow” parenting.

 

These “snowplow” parents are intent on removing any obstacles in the way of their child, in order that their child does not have to face pain or difficulty on their way to success. If their child struggles, “snowplow” parents will take matters into their own hands and accomplish those challenges on their own, thinking that they are helping their child without realizing the long-term consequences of their approach. We can possibly understand this to some degree. For example, have you ever gotten impatient with your child when you have helped them with their homework? Wouldn’t it be much easier to just give them the answer rather than have them struggle to find the solution on their own?

 

We all tend to want to take matters into our own hands when something is not going quite right or taking too long. In fact, that’s the situation we find Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16. Abraham had received the promise of God that he would be the father of many and that through his descendants God would bless the whole world. Abraham and Sarah both believed God’s promise.

 

But that promise was made many years ago. Abraham and Sarah weren’t exactly young when God gave them His promise. And they certainly weren’t getting any younger. Plus, Sarah was still without a child. Maybe they needed to take things into their own hands and force the issue.

 

So, Sarah comes up with a plan. Maybe, just maybe, Abraham was the only one needed for the promise to be fulfilled. So, she offers up her servant, Hagar, to Abraham that he might obtain children from her. Abraham listens, and Hagar becomes pregnant! It worked!

 

Or so it seemed. This situation only caused issues in Abraham’s household. Hagar, who was blessed with child, began to look with contempt upon Sarah, who was unable to conceive. Hagar’s behavior got so bad that Sarah treats her badly in return, which caused Hagar to flee. But after that all gets cleared up and God convinces Hagar to return to Sarah, and Hagar gives birth to Ishmael, God makes it clear to Abraham that, despite Abraham’s efforts, Ishmael is not the son that God promised.

 

“You will have a son by Sarah,” God tells Abraham, who is now 100 years old, while Sarah is 90. So Abraham replies, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before you!” Abraham is trying to demonstrate to God that He has already taken care of having a son. “No,” God says, “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.”

 

It turns out that Abraham and Sarah did not have to take matters into their own hands to have a son. They did not have to kickstart God’s plan of blessing. God was going to take care of fulfilling His promise in His own way and in His own time.

 

When it comes to the blessings and promises of God, we also often think that we have to take matters into our own hands.

 

We imagine that we have to activate God’s promises by showing Him how sincerely and earnestly we believe. We think we can manipulate God by our good works and force His hand to pour blessings upon us. We become impatient with God as we wait for His promises to come to fruition, so we try to take our relationship with God into our own hands and trust in ourselves to get the job done. In order to maintain our status as God’s children, we imagine that we’ve got to prove ourselves to Him over and over again.

 

Often, we would like to exchange the free gift of the Gospel for works of the Law. Rather than living under the freedom of Jesus’ words “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and trusting that it truly is, we live under the Law, which says “Do more! Try harder!”

 

In his letter to the Galatians, the Holy Spirit inspires Paul repeatedly to demonstrate the foolishness of this thinking. In Galatians 3, Paul writes, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse … Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10a, 11).

 

In Galatians 4, Paul supplements his argument with an illustration: the story of Hagar and Sarah. “Now this story may be interpreted allegorically,” Paul says. “These women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar … She corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:24-26).

 

In other words, Hagar represents the Law given at Mount Sinai. All those who submit to the slavery of the Law are children of Hagar. They are Ishmaels. And what eventually happened to Hagar and Ishmael? Paul asks: “What does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the slave woman and her son’” (Galatians 4:30). Ishmael was not the son of the promise. He was the son produced by Abraham’s efforts, a work of the Law. And he was rejected, as ultimately all will be who rely on the Law.

 

But God called Abraham and Sarah to trust in His promise and live by faith. God would take care of it. And though it seemed impossible, Sarah gave birth to a son, the son of the promise, Isaac.

 

“Now you, brothers,” Paul explains, “like Isaac, are children of purpose … we are not children of the slave but of the free woman” (Galatians 4:28, 31). Those who live by faith, not by works, are also sons of the promise, sons of Abraham, and receivers of God’s blessings.

 

But it is not faith in Isaac that brings the blessings of God’s salvation. It is faith in the true Son of Abraham, the Son through whom the whole world is blessed, the Son whose work sets us free from slavery to the Law.

 

As our loving heavenly Father, He removed any obstacle between us and our salvation because He knew we could never do it on our own, no matter how hard we tried. He sent His only-begotten Son into this world and called Him Jesus, for “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

 

This Son would also be born through miraculous circumstances, not through an old, barren woman, but through a young virgin. This Son would also walk up a mountain to be a sacrifice, but unlike Isaac, God did not stop the hands that placed a crown of thorns on the head of Jesus, His own Son, and plunged nails into His wrists and ankles. Jesus completed the work of the Law, suffered the consequences for our sins and lack of faith, and won our freedom as He declared, “It is finished!”

 

Jesus is the true Son of Abraham whose eternal blessings are received only by faith. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith,” Paul writes to the Galatians and to you. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ … And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:26-27, 29).

 

You and I are sons and daughters of the promise, children of Abraham, children of God, through the true Son of Abraham and Sarah – Jesus, the Son of God. Amen!

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Advent 2: "Prepare the Way of the Lord" (Matthew 3:1-12)

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:

When you invite someone over to your home, what do you usually do before the guest arrives? 

 

Well, even if your home is what some would consider spotless, it is likely that you still sweep the floor, mop the floor, vacuum the carpet, and dust off the shelves just in the case of that one spot, that one blemish.

 

So, if we would tidy up our homes, imagine the thoughts of John the Baptist as he saw the filthy condition of First Century Israel. Now, John was not considering the filth of their clothes and their outward cleanliness, he was concerned with their filthiness on the inside that to most people was not noticeable. He was concerned with the spiritual condition of the people.

 

Imagine what John would think of the spiritual condition of 21^st century America? Today, according to Gallup[1], more than half of American adults have no religious affiliation – 53 percent as of 2020. They don’t attend a church, a synagogue, or a mosque. On top of this, so many Christian churches are denying the central tenants of the faith, such as justification by faith alone and even the resurrection. 

 

So, why are they leaving, or have never been religious? Could it be that so many churches have given in to the winds of culture? Some wonder, what makes the church any different than belonging to a humanitarian service organization? 

 

Numerous surveys conclude that politics and social justice may be leading many to abandon their religious commitments. Instead of trusting in God, they are placing their trust in human princes through government. Everyone has a god. It’s all a matter of who they put their trust in – the one true God: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, or a man-made god, who makes promises that could never be fulfilled. 

 

Sadly, so many choose their man-made god. Now, this does not mean that we give up! No! Jesus says, “the harvest is plentiful” (Matthew 9:37), so we continue sowing the good news of salvation to all with ears to hear, so they too, would be saved! (Matthew 13:1-9)

 

If things appear bleak now, imagine John’s time. John faced huge challenges in getting out the important message of the Church – the Messiah is coming!

 

John was called by God to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. He was called to preach repentance. Wait just a moment. Isn’t John called “the Baptist”? Didn’t he just baptize people in the Jordan River? Well, he did, but he did so much more than that! Through his preaching is how he led the people to confess their sins and to be baptized.

 

Despite his odd appearance and his strange choice of food, John was very popular. John was known for calling things as they are. He certainly called a spade a spade. He never minced words. He never beat around the bush. He spoke truthfully and frank. He called sin, sin. He wasn’t in the business of gaining friends. Yet, people flocked to him.

 

John was certainly a herald. He was the messenger of God. As God’s messenger, he never gave in to the culture to make what he heard more comfortable to the people, but he remained loyal to God who gave him the message. John was called by God to preach. He was called to preach the truth: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). God called John to preach His message of repentance.

 

John is who Isaiah promised as the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). And that he surely did!

 

John would preach what we may call “Fire and Brimstone”! He spoke God’s Word without omission of what his hearers might find unpleasant or uncomfortable. Still, people from “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him”(Matthew 3:5). Even with the fiery preaching, seemingly everyone wanted to hear him, confess their sins, and be baptized by him.

 

Here, in order to prepare the way for the Lord, John is calling upon Israel to turn and be converted, to become once again the flock of the divine Shepherd. Now, the Israel of John’s day is a flock of lost sheep, and John is calling them away from God’s final judgment to conversion and true faith in the God from whom they have wandered. You could say, John was calling for a revival of faith.

 

John was calling Israel out of the land to enter it again and become God’s people. By their unbelief they had become like the apostate Israelites who were exiled.

 

But why now? Why is John proclaiming this message of conversion of turning back to God in faith from unbelief? Well, it’s because the reign of heaven stands near! The Messiah is near!

 

For the Jews of that day, salvation was not thought of primary in terms of escaping from this life. Salvation for them meant God came down to save. You see, the people who came to John were looking for the Last Day, however they envisioned it. This Last Day would come in the reign of the Messiah. Jesus is the end-time Messiah, who has come to bring salvation into the world.

 

Among the countless throng who came to hear John preach, repent, and be baptized were many of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were primarily a lay movement concerned about ritual purity and interpretation and application of the Law. The Sadducees were priestly, aristocratic, and denied life after death. But what united them was their failure to find any need to repent. They believed their good works and their good intentions were good enough for God.

 

For these men, why were they there? Was it a matter of curiosity? Were they hopping on the bandwagon of a popular movement? Now, for these men, John knew what was really in their hearts. He could read them. He knew they are not there to eagerly confess their sins. So, he calls them out: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7)

 

Do they really think that they could escape from God’s final judgment by pretending to sorrow over their sins and pretending to desire John’s baptism for the forgiveness of sins? Who warned them that they would be safe from God’s eternal condemnation if they only went through the outward ceremony of baptism, though they remained completely unrepentant?

 

So, who gave these unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees the advice to come? Well, we don’t know, but we do know this is something Satan would do. Satan plants the idea that God can be pacified by a few outward religious observances. Satan plants the idea that an unrepentant person can enter God’s kingdom if he just goes through the motions. No, God requires a sincere faith. The way to turn to God is in sincere repentance.

 

We are often like those Pharisees and Sadducees. We think our good works matter for something. We fall for Satan’s lie that living a worldly “good life” is good enough for God. And when we fall short of what is worldly “good,” how often do we attempt to justify ourselves? “Yeah, sure, I’ve made mistakes. Who hasn’t? Can’t I just say, ‘my bad’ and just try better? Do I really need to confess those wrongs?”

 

For God, being what we consider “a good person” is never good enough. God doesn’t need our good works, but He does want us to come to Him in faith. So, it’s time to quit kidding ourselves about how good we are and honestly recognize our sins – of thought, word, and deed – and repent. John never sugarcoated his condemnation of sinners, and neither should we. As did the prophets before him, John told the people straight up if they refuse to repent, they would be without God’s grace.

 

But what is true repentance? Well, it means more than to be sorry for your sins. Repentance also encompasses faith; faith believing in God’s grace in Christ to forgive sins. Without the Holy Spirit working in the middle of faith, there is no sincere remorse for sin. Sin means nothing without the Holy Spirit convicting us.

 

Repentance is God’s work that leads a person to renounce sin by requesting God’s mercy and returning to His way. When we repent, we turn around from our sinful ways, and toward God and receive His forgiveness. We are converted from unbelief to faith. This confession of sins is the rhythm of life for a Christian. And Advent, like Lent, is a time to make sure that we are back in that rhythm of confessing our sins to God and to one another.

 

For those Pharisees and Sadducees, they thought blood mattered more than faith. They believed that physical descent from Abraham was enough. John didn’t buy it. Neither should we. So, physical descent is no substitute for heartfelt brokenness and confession of sin. The only proper response is to acknowledge one’s need, one’s complete absence of merit, and that all are completely dead in sin.

 

John proclaims that we ought to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). John says, “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10b). If we are sinners, then how can poor trees produce good fruit? Well, through Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit works in us repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, so it is not us who produce good fruit, but the Holy Spirit when we are united in Christ. Through your Baptism into Christ, you are united to Christ’s obedient life, you are united to His death as the payment for sin, and you are united to His resurrection victory! So, we prepare the way for Christ in this Advent season as we live in and treasure our baptismal grace.

 

In this grace, in us and through us, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit that we cannot produce by nature – such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We prepare Christ’s path by bearing the fruit of repentance – which is the fruit of faith – for the world to see, fruit that is not produced by us, but by the Holy Spirit.

 

John the Baptist prepared the people for Christ’s first coming. John prepared the way for the Lord by removing all obstacles of His resistance to us. John calls on us to repent, to turn away from sin, and back to God. By faith in Christ, we are the wheat gathered into His barn for the unending joy in Christ Jesus. We repent and confess our sins. We live in our baptismal grace. We bear fruits of repentance worked by the Holy Spirit. Through repentance and faith, and through His Word and Sacraments, Christ prepares us for His coming!

 

We, in turn, desire others to experience God’s undeserved grace that we already have these holy days of Advent. So, we – like John – call on others to be prepared for the Lord’s coming through repentance and faith in Christ’s sure promise of forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation. Amen. 

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

Sermon for Advent Midweek 1: "This is My Son: Cain" (Genesis 4:1-16)

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:

 

When parents find out that they are expecting a child, hopes and expectations come along with that discovery. Parents begin dreaming about what their child will be like. They wonder what he or she will accomplish. They hope for the best. Every parent wants to be able to point out their child at any stage in their life and gladly introduce them by saying “This is my son” or “This is my daughter.”

 

But every parent has to face certain disappointment as well. Our children will not live up to every expectation we have of them. The dad who places a tiny basketball in his son’s crib may end up with a son who is not interested in playing basketball. The mom who prays nightly for her teenage daughter and tries to raise her right may still end up getting a phone call saying her daughter has gotten into some trouble.

 

Life with children does not go as we plan or hope.

 

Throughout this Advent midweek series, we will focus upon three father-son relationships found in the Old Testament. We will explore the hopes and expectations that these fathers had for their sons, and we will look at the disappointment that each father faced as his son failed to meet those expectations. Ultimately, each sermon will end by looking at the perfect Father-and-Son relationship: the one shared by our heavenly Father and His only begotten Son upon whom the Father smiled as said: “This is My Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

 

We begin our series by looking at perhaps the most disappointing son in the history of mankind – the son of Adam named Cain.

 

Adam and Eve had high hopes for Cain. This was evident not only by his name but also by what Eve, his mother, says about him. In the English Standard Version of the Bible that we use, Eve says, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD” (Genesis 4:1). However, some scholars, including Martin Luther, have understood Eve to say, “I have gotten the man of the LORD.”

 

What this could very well mean is that Eve thought that Cain was the promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 who would crush the serpent’s head and bring salvation from Adam and Eve’s sin. 

 

The name Cain comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to possess” or “to acquire.” Martin Luther puts himself into Eve’s head and imagines her thinking this: “I remember what we have lost through sin. But now let our hope and speech be of nothing else except winning this back and keeping possession of it. For I have gotten the man of God who will obtain that lost glory for us again.”[1]

 

Now, those are some high expectations! Contrast that to his brother, Abel, who gets no such welcome from his mother and whose name means “vanity” and implies something that is worthless or cast aside. The names of these two brothers reveal the hopes and expectations of their parents. But Adam and Eve were only setting themselves up for more disappointment. Cain was no savior.

 

Perhaps it was the lofty expectations placed on him that gave Cain his selfish pride that is revealed later in this history. More than likely, however, his selfish pride was simply a result of the sin that had been passed down to him from his parents. Whatever the reason, it is made clear in Hebrews 11 that Abel possessed true faith in God and received God’s favor while Cain’s offerings were rejected because his heart did not belong to God.

 

Envy and anger filled Cain’s heart and mind, ready to devour him like an animal crouching and waiting to attack its unsuspecting victim. Cain is warned by God to resist sin and to repent, but instead, when sin pounces, Cain gives in and pounces upon his unsuspecting brother, taking his life and becoming the first murderer.

 

Can you imagine the pain and disappointment of Adam and Eve when they find out what Cain had done? The son they thought would save their lives instead became a taker of life. They had to come to grips that the curse of their original sin had been passed down to their own children. And it continued to be passed down to their grandchildren, and to their great-grandchildren, through every generation up to and including our own.

 

“By the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners” Romans 5:19 tells us. We are all sons of Adam, and we have inherited the same inclination to sin that lurked in the heart of Cain. And as Jesus says in Matthew 5(:21-22), we are all as guilty of murder as Cain. Everyone who becomes angry with their brother is liable to the judgment of murder. Anyone who insults his brother or says to anyone “You fool!” will face the same condemnation that Cain did: exile from God.

When it comes to keeping God’s commandments, we have all been huge disappointments. Our offerings have not always been made with hearts full of faith and joy but out of grudging compulsion. We have harbored anger and envy in our hearts toward others. We have imagined that we are not our brother’s keeper, not responsible for the well-being of others. We are more concerned with ourselves. As children of God, we have fallen well short of expectations.

 

This is why the Psalmist instructs us: “Put not your heart in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to earth; on that very day his plans perish” (Psalm 146:3-4).

 

Adam and Eve were wrong about Cain being the promised Seed. But God’s plan was still intact. The Savior would indeed be a son of Adam – true man – but would also be the Son of God. Into our world of hatred and murder was born our God of love and life. From the moment Jesus was a little child, the spiritual heirs of Cain sought to take His life. Because He lived His life as a perfect offering to God, others grew envious and angry toward Him. Eventually, they succeeded in spilling His blood. Two hymns bring the story of Cain and the story of Jesus together.

 

“A murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay” from My Song Is Love Unknown (LSB 430:5). For Cain and for all murderers since him, including you and me, the Lord and giver of life is murdered so that we might be given life.

 

“Abel’s blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies; but the blood of Jesus for our pardon cries” from the hymn Glory Be to Jesus (LSB 433:4). God tells Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). The blood of Abel cried out for justice for himself. But Hebrews 12 tells us that Jesus’ blood cries out not for Himself but on behalf of the whole world. “You have come … to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22a, 24). Jesus became our murdered brother so that He might keep us from everlasting death.

 

Jesus is the true Son of Adam whose shed blood and broken body are the perfect sacrifice accepted by God the Father to wash clean our murderous hearts and make us children of God. “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man (Adam), much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

 

Because of Jesus, our perfect brother, your heavenly Father is not disappointed in you. Instead, through your Baptism, He looks down upon you with approval and love and says gladly: “This is My son” – or “This is My daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” Amen!

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

 

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[1] Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis, vol. 1 of Luther’s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1958).

Sermon for Advent 1: "Without Warning" (Matthew 24:36-44)

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:

 

I have a running joke with my wife, which usually comes up each time we go grocery shopping together. I don’t know about you, but when I see random shopping carts scattered around the parking lot, I say, “They couldn’t make it! They’ve been raptured! I know they wanted to return their cart, but there wasn’t enough time.” 

  

On second thought, maybe not everyone is raptured, since I have seen some people nestle their cart on top of a curb – often when the cart corral was just feet away. But for many of those other people, who knows? Maybe it was their time?

 

Now, I’m not here to judge you if you don’t return your cart. Although, it is the right thing to do. So, I guess I am judging. However, today’s Gospel text has much to do with the rapture. In fact, this is one of the so-called “proof texts” of the dispensationalists who believe that some will be “taken” and others will be “left behind.” So, let’s take a look at this claim.

 

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus compares the Last Day – the Day of Judgment – to be like the days of Noah. He says: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37).

 

For everyone, but Noah and his family, everything appeared to be normal. Jesus says: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38). They were unaware. They were just living their lives as they did. They were living out life’s normal patterns of food and drink, forming human families and being formed in those families. They were just following the normal orders of the day.

 

But then, seemingly, without warning, the flood came and swept them all away. Every land creature that was not on Noah’s ark was swept away.

 

I say seemingly without warning, because the people who perished must have noticed the construction of the ark. This must have attracted some attention. It’s not everyday that you see a large boat being built nowhere near a body of water. There must have been some conversation among the people. They couldn’t have been oblivious.

 

When we see construction projects going up and we don’t know what is being constructed, how often do we make guesses on what it could be? Could it be another Kwik Trip? A Chick-fil-a? So, I’m sure a large boat being constructed with no water nearby would have caused some conversation. What is that Noah doing now? Who builds a ship nowhere near water? Why is Noah doing this?

 

All appeared normal for the people. Again, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They were shopping, they were going out to eat, they were forming families. But then they were swept away. But why? Well, as Scripture says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously” (Genesis 6:5). 

 

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, because he had a right relationship with God. He had faith. Now, Noah was just as bad as those other people, but he trusted in the Lord for his redemption. Noah was a sinner who sought forgiveness. Noah trusted the Lord and followed His commands in constructing the ark. The Lord preserved Noah, his family, and two of every living creature as God’s remnant.

 

Jesus then says, this is exactly how the Last Day will be. Everything will appear normal. Nothing unordinary. People will be watching the morning news, reading the newspaper, driving into work. They will be raising their children. They will be preparing supper. But “then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (Matthew 24:40-41).

 

Jesus says this is how it will be on the Last Day. But what is to be understood of the one “taken” and the other “left”? Jesus here never specifies to where the one will be taken. Is this a positive or a negative outcome?

 

Again, we have two men working in a field – one taken, one left. We have two women grinding flour at a mill – one taken, one left.

 

Well, for the dispensationalists, they believe that the rapture must take place before Jesus returns. So, they understand those taken are with God. They see the “left behind” as the wicked.

 

But how does Jesus lead into talking about the one taken and one left? He speaks of Noah and the unsuspecting flood. Who was taken and who was left behind in that scenario? 

 

The flood came upon an unsuspecting humanity. Noah went into the ark, while Jesus says, “the flood came and took – or swept – them all away.” Jesus here refers to “taken” as a word of judgment, and not salvation. So, being “left behind” is likely to be understood as an indication of salvation.

 

Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets speak frequently of God’s judgment coming upon Israel in terms of the apostates – those who claim to be followers of God, but actually live their lives not as God’s people, since they have more in common with pagans than fellow “believers” – they were taken away into exile, removed from the land, and others being left behind constituting a remnant. And this remnant would grow into faithful believers in the future.

 

Anyhow, the main point of Jesus’ teaching is the suddenness and the unknowability of that day. That day will come without any sign or warning.

 

We would all like to know when a thief would break into your home, or into your car. We never expect that. And if we would, we would like to be prepared.

 

On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi F-1 Mirage aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the Navy frigate USS Stark, which was patrolling in the Persian Gulf.

 

The USS Stark was equipped to be prepared for anything with its state-of-the-art radar systems to detect such missiles in the air. In the nerve center of the ship was the electronic warfare operator. So if a missile was fired at the ship, he would be warned in two ways: an audible alarm would sound and a visual symbol would appear on the radar screen. But seemingly without warning, those Iraqi Exocet missiles struck the USS Stark, tearing a ten-foot hole in the ship and killed 37 American sailors.

 

How could this happen? How could a ship that is prepared to detect such missiles just not notice it? Well, after an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, it was learned that this tragedy was not from equipment failure. It turned out that the audible alarm had been turned off. And the operator appears to have been distracted at the time when the visual signals appeared on the radar screen.

 

That ship was prepared for anything, but it was human error that caused the failure. With many warnings available to protect them, out of their own convenience, they ended up being without any warning.

 

As we begin the season of Advent, we are to be reminded that we must be ready “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Lo, He comes with clouds descending!

 

So, how are you prepared for the Lord’s Coming on the Last Day? Are you going to be swept away like during those days of Noah? Are you going to turn off the audible alarm?

 

Well, in this time between His First and Second Coming, Jesus does not leave us unprepared. In fact, here you are! Just by being here, in the Lord’s House, Christ is preparing you for His coming!

 

Yes, we wait for the Lord’s return at an hour we do not expect. But we don’t have to wait for His presence! The Kingdom of God is even now in our midst through His Word and Sacrament! You see, each time we meet at His Divine Service, we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. We remember what Christ alone has done for us. He conquered sin, death, and the devil for you! Through His atoning suffering and death, by faith in Him, we have life! Jesus came in our flesh to give everyone who clings to Him as Lord: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation!

 

As Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus died to the punishment that our sins deserve and rose to life, so we would be restored to His Kingdom!

 

Without warning, on that Last Day, the Son of Man – the Savior from sin – will also be the Son of Man of our salvation! Amen!

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Thanksgiving: "Giving Thanks Through Prayer" (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Happy Thanksgiving! This evening we have gathered in God’s house to give thanks to Him for all He has done for us!

Thanksgiving is a day with many traditions, especially with family, food, and football. Among these traditions, comes travel, since most families live states apart, but on Thanksgiving families re-unite. In recent years, the days around Thanksgiving have been among the busiest travel days of the year, and the Sunday following Thanksgiving has consistently been the busiest travel day of the year. So, we certainly desire to be with family to celebrate this national holiday.

As the family re-unites, we come together around food, especially turkey and all the fixings – the cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and the dinner rolls. We come together at the dining room table and share stories.

Then for many, there is football. Either sitting together watching it on television or tossing the football in the backyard, or both.

But most importantly, we come together to give thanks. 

Tomorrow is the National Day of Thanksgiving, and that day is a very specific day about giving thanks. But you may not know that the National Day of Thanksgiving has only been a fixed holiday on our calendars since 1941. But this holiday is deeply rooted in America. One could say, this is the one holiday that is uniquely American.

We celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Its original observance was in 1621 as a harvest festival held at the Plymouth Colony. It was observed by the pilgrims – those puritans who emigrated from Europe – and the Native Americans who helped them plant and harvest.

During the colonial period, there were many observances of thanksgiving.

After the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress recommended a day of thanksgiving for the return of peace in 1784. Then in 1789, President George Washington issued the first National Day of Thanksgiving for the establishment of this new republic. After the War of 1812, President James Madison called for a day of thanksgiving. But national interest began to wane as various cities and states picked random days for thanksgiving.

But what we think of the National Day of Thanksgiving today began under President Abraham Lincoln. In Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation, he noted that the nation had need for community prayer and thanksgiving to God.

Today, the National Day of Thanksgiving may have lost its former focus as a day of prayer. Instead, we often have this day focus upon ourselves. I’m sure we have all grown up with the question we hear so often this time of year: “What are you thankful for?” That is a good question, but what about this question: “Who are you thankful for?”

When you first heard today’s epistle read, you may wonder, what does this have to do with the Day of Thanksgiving? Well, it has everything to do with Thanksgiving! 

Abraham Lincoln was on to something. Thanksgiving is all about prayer. In fact, this is exactly what the Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul. He wrote: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1). For Paul, this is a matter of first importance. He says: “Pray, pray, and keep on praying for all people.” Here, Paul uses four synonyms for prayer, but they each have a particular nuance.

First “supplications.” So, what are supplications? Well, they are what we individually say to God when we approach Him with our needs. They are a call for help from God. “Lord, please heal my ailment.” “Lord, please help me with my finances.” But always, when we approach Him with our needs, we always end our prayer with “Your will be done.” No matter what, God knows our individual needs, but by our going to Him with our supplications we acknowledge Him as the only source who alone will satisfy our needs.

Second, we hear Paul using the general word “prayer” in our English text. But the nuance  in the original Greek [προσευχὰς (“pro-se-uch-as”)] is that of devotion and reverence as Christians approach their Lord. We acknowledge that He is the giver of all things as He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Third, Paul urges “intercessions.” So, what makes this form a prayer different? Intercessions are prayers on behalf of someone else. Here, we petition and appeal to God about the concerns we have for others. In fact, the Prayer of the Church is an intercession prayer. Through the Prayer of the Church, we pray boldly and confidently as we bring our petitions for all people according to their needs before God’s throne of grace.

Lastly, Paul urges “thanksgivings.” Thanksgivings are expressions of gratitude for past mercies received. Thanksgivings are always appropriate, even when earthly circumstances are difficult. Wemay be prone to say: “What am I thankful for?” “Do I really feel grateful?” Often, we like to focus upon our emotions, how we feel. But thankfulness is not an emotional response, but a spiritual discipline. If we feel that things don’t seem to be going your way, we are to always give thanks, because we are never separated from God’s love and mercy in Christ.

You see, thanksgiving is a response. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Why do we love God? We love Him, because “[He] sent His only Son in the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). You see, while we were still enemies of God, Jesus suffered and died in our place. Again, the Lord initiates and He leads us to acknowledge it, so we then give thanks for it.

We give thanks for the gift of Christ, as our one and only Savior from the power of sin, so that through Him, we have life!

For Paul, these four terms for prayer are aspects of first importance for our prayer life. We make requests for specific needs. We bring those in view before God always knowing that His will is done. We appeal boldly on behalf of others. And we give thankfulness to God for them.

Just imagine this. As Paul urges us to pray, he doesn’t just urge us to pray for ourselves and fellow Christians to God, but he urges us to pray for all people, including “kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:2a). And who was the earthly ruler of Paul’s day?  Caesar Nero. During Nero’s reign Christians were persecuted because they refused to worship him, and Paul himself suffered martyrdom. Despite this, heathen rulers are among those who need our prayers for even their authority was established by God (Romans 13:1). So, all earthly authorities need our prayer, especially those who may seek to harm the church.

Prayer for our nation and her leaders has an important purpose: that we might freely confess Christ as Savior. Rather than becoming a part of today’s culture, we are set apart by God as the “communion of saints.” Therefore, we pray for those in authority “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:2). The Church then - can freely carry out the Lord’s work and nourish her people by Word and Sacraments.

As Christians, the National Day of Thanksgiving has a greater meaning for us than just one day on the calendar to give thanks. Again, the word “thanksgiving” means “grateful acknowledgment for the past mercies of God.” This leads us to come to God in prayer. 

 

We have so much to be thankful for:

§  He gives us His Word, which is the living voice of our Lord. 

§  Through water and the Word of God, we are brought into His kingdom in Holy Baptism.

§  In the Lord’s Supper, we receive Christ’s Body and Blood, which is the spiritual nourishment that gives us forgiveness of sins and renewed strength for the daily tasks of this life.

Throughout all of our days, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – provides for all of our needs of body and soul.

As we gather at each Divine Service, we come together in prayer. We ask God to continue to bestow His grace on us, as we pray for the church, other people, and our leaders, since “[He] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). We pray before God’s throne of grace the needs of the people of God.

Hearing the truth of God’s Word, we are confident in prayer. We know that God promises to hear and answer our prayers.

On this National Day of Thanksgiving, we confess Jesus Christ as Savior and the giver of all good gifts. We give thanks in our worship and in our prayers. Amen.

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +