Reminiscere - The Second Sunday in Lent (Lent 2)

(Audio)

Matthew 15:21-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7; Genesis 32:22-32

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

If we are to get straight to the point of this day’s theme, we must learn about faith. Now, faith can be a difficult thing to pin down. Thankfully, Holy Scripture interprets itself and defines faith for us: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the certainty of things unseen,” proclaims the preacher to the Hebrews. Notice those words: assurance and certainty. In our common usage, few would include such words in their definition of faith. And yet that is precisely the point. Faith is neither blind nor irrational, as many suppose, even though it does not depend upon verification according to the senses. Neither is faith weak, for it is not a thing in itself. Faith is unconditional trust in that which is absolutely and unswervingly true, the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ, who is Truth.

Moreover, faith is not a choice that you make, nor is it a work that you do. You do not choose to believe, though you can refuse to believe. You do not manufacture faith within yourself, though you can certainly think, say, and do things contrary to faith that, over time, will harden your heart into unbelief. Faith is a gift of God’s grace. If you have faith, then thanks be to God for this precious gift. And if you find your faith weak, or even faltering, then repent. Turn from the path that leads to death. Cry out to the God who desires to give you His life.

Further, faith is not quantifiable. You cannot measure it. If you have faith, you have it; if you do not, you do not. And yet we do see faith in the words and deeds of others, in their confession. We often see what appears to be great faith precisely in those undergoing great affliction and distress. We marvel and say, “I don’t know how she does it.” “He just won’t give up.” But we are not given to measure or judge the faith of others. That belongs to God alone.

Faith is not about how much you have. Our Lord says that faith the size of a mustard seed is enough. The question is not quantity, but object. What does faith look like? And in whom does it trust?

It is for this reason that Jacob is set before us in Genesis 32. Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau, who was coming with 400 men. Jacob sent his wives, his children, his servants, and all his possessions across the river. He remained alone. Stripped of comfort. Stripped of support. Waiting in the darkness for the brother he believed sought his life. And then, as if that were not enough, a Man wrestled with him through the night. Jacob later confesses that this Man was God Himself. Unable to overpower Jacob by ordinary means, the God-man touched Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint. Crippled. Exhausted. In pain. And still Jacob would not let Him go.

What do you do when God Himself seems to be your enemy? Jacob did not curse God. He did not accuse Him of injustice. He clung all the tighter. “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” And God did bless him. He gave him a new name: Israel, “he who strives with God and prevails.” Such is faith: to wrestle with God and yet prevail, not by overpowering Him, but by refusing to let go. To cling to Him in the dark. To trust His promises even when His hand seems heavy against you.

Jacob surely thought he might die, alone in the wilderness, crippled, with Esau approaching. And yet, when morning came, Esau did not kill him. He embraced him. The threat became reconciliation. The terror became mercy. Even Esau’s anger had been an instrument in God’s hand to test and refine Jacob’s faith, that it might produce perseverance and hope.

But the lesson does not end there. In the Gospel, we meet another wrestler, this time not a patriarch, but a Canaanite woman. An outsider. A Gentile. A mother with a demon-tormented daughter. She cries out to Jesus for mercy. And He is silent. She persists. The disciples urge Him to send her away. He speaks of being sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Then He says words that sting: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

What do you do when God seems silent? When your prayers appear to fall to the ground? When the cancer spreads, the miscarriage comes, the job is lost, the grave is filled? Do you curse God? Do you turn away? This woman does not. She agrees with Him. “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” She confesses her unworthiness. She does not demand. She does not accuse. She clings. She trusts His mercy more than His apparent rejection. And Jesus answers, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”  And her daughter was healed instantly.

What does faith look like? It looks like Jacob limping at daybreak, still clinging to God. It looks like a Canaanite mother kneeling in the dust, pleading for crumbs. Faith is tenacious. Faith is resilient. Faith refuses to let go of Christ, even when Christ seems to push it away.

And here is the comfort: the One who wrestled Jacob and the One who tested the Canaanite woman is the same Lord who wrestles with you, not to destroy you, but to bless you. He wounds in order to heal. He tests in order to strengthen. He delays in order to deepen your trust.

Faith is a struggle. St. Paul exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians to walk in a manner pleasing to God, to live in holiness and honor. Such a life does not come without conflict. The flesh resists. The world entices. The devil accuses. And in the midst of it all, God disciplines those He loves, shaping them through trial into the image of His Son.

But He knows what you need, often quite different from what you think you need. And He supplies all that is necessary to support this body and life, and finally to bring you into eternal life. Even now, He feeds you. Like that Canaanite woman, you come as beggars. Like Jacob, you come wounded. And what does He give? Not mere crumbs, but the feast itself. The true body and blood of the God-man, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

Faith is the certainty that this is no symbol, no mere remembrance, but the very gift Christ promises. Faith is the assurance that, in eating and drinking, your sins are forgiven, your wrestling is not in vain, your clinging will not be disappointed. And so, when it seems that God has forgotten you, cry out with the psalmist: “Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love… Let not my enemies exult over me. Redeem Israel, Your one who struggles, O God, out of all his troubles.”

Cling to Him. Wrestle if you must. Plead without ceasing. For He who wounds also heals. He who tests also blesses. And He will not let go of those who, by His grace, refuse to let go of Him.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday in Invocabit (Lent 1) - The First Week of Lent

(Audio)

Matthew 5:17-20; Galatians 3:15-29; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 119:1-8

 

Washed in the Blood of the Lamb: The Ten Commandments and Confession & Absolution

The First Table: Commandments 1-3 – The Ten Commandments are God’s Holy Will

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

God created our first parents in His own image, in righteousness and holiness. God’s will was their will. Though they were free to choose otherwise, they had neither knowledge of evil nor desire for it. The serpent’s question, “Did God actually say…?” introduced something humanity had never known: a will set against God’s will. In that moment, everything changed.

By their fateful choice, they lost the image of God. They became unrighteous, unholy, and unclean, and their children after them. As we confess, we are conceived and born sinful, under the power of the devil, and would be lost forever unless delivered by Christ. There are now only two possibilities: the will of God, which is holy and life-giving, and every other will, which ends in death.

Even after the fall, Adam and Eve still knew God’s will, for His Law was written on their hearts. But now they feared it. They despised it. What was once their joy became their accusation. They regarded God’s holiness as a threat rather than a gift. And so they hid. They attempted to cover their shame. Yet such efforts are always futile. God is holy, and His holiness demands holiness. The alternative is death, not an injustice, but the wage of sin.

Yet God is holy, and God is merciful. The Lord did not destroy our first parents. He called them to repentance. He sought confession. But in their fear, they blamed one another, blamed creation, and even blamed God Himself. Still, instead of judgment, God spoke promise. The seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.

This promise sustained the faithful through the generations until the Lord established His covenant with Abraham. From him would come the heir through whom all nations would be blessed. Abraham believed the Lord, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Yet Isaac was not the fulfillment, only a shadow. So too were Jacob, Moses, and David. Each pointed forward to the One who was to come. In the fullness of time, God kept His promise in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Because the Law was given at Sinai centuries after Abraham, some are tempted to think of the Ten Commandments as secondary, perhaps even an afterthought. But this is not so. The Law did not begin at Sinai. It was written on human hearts from the beginning. The Commandments are not a later invention, but the eternal expression of God’s holy will. And that Law is perfect.

It is holy, righteous, and good. It defines goodness itself. When we keep it, we merely do what is required. When we fail, it condemns us. The Law cannot rescue us. It can only reveal our sin, showing us that we fall short in thought, word, and deed.

The Ten Commandments are God’s holy will. Before the fall, humanity lived in harmony with them. After the fall, they became both necessary and accusing. Humanity was divided between those who trusted the promise of a Savior and those who did not. Through Abraham, the promise was narrowed to a lineage. Through Israel, to a nation. Through prophecy, to a kingly line. And finally, to a humble household, Joseph and Mary.

St. Paul teaches that the Law served as a guardian until Christ came. It was given because of sin. It curbs outward evil. It reflects our corruption. It exposes the futility of self-justification. The Law silences every boast so that salvation may be received only by grace through faith in Christ.

The First Table of the Law, the first three Commandments, governs our relationship with God.

The First Commandment demands that we have no other gods. A god is anything we fear, love, or trust above all things, anything we rely upon for help or dread losing more than God Himself. The Commandment calls us to fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

The Second Commandment concerns God’s holy Name. If the First Commandment is kept, the Second naturally follows. But if the First is broken, the others collapse with it. God’s Name is not to be misused, but treated as holy — invoked in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, and never used for deceit or falsehood.

The Third Commandment flows from the first two. To keep the Sabbath holy is not merely to rest, but to hold God’s Word sacred, and to gladly hear and learn it. To fear, love, and trust in God is to live from His Word, which sustains faith and gives life.

The Commandments are inseparable. The First Table governs our life before God. The Second governs our life with one another. But these cannot be divided. To fail in love for God produces failure in love for neighbor. Sin against neighbor reveals sin against God.

The Ten Commandments are God’s holy will. They answer the question: How then shall we live? Many imagine themselves to be “good people.” Yet goodness is not measured by comparison with others but by conformity to God’s will. To be truly good is to be godly. To be godly is to live in accord with God’s Commandments.

We do not keep them perfectly. But the Christian must desire to. Indeed, the new man created in Holy Baptism does desire this. Yet he is opposed by the flesh, the world, and the devil. Therefore, we must continually return to God’s Word, hearing it, learning it, meditating upon it. The Law accuses, but it also instructs. It teaches us what love looks like.

Let us, then, cling to God’s Word. Let us commit His Commandments to heart. Let us teach them diligently to our children. Let us speak of them in our homes, in our daily lives, in our rising and resting. For blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the Lord, who seek Him with their whole heart.

And above all, let us cling to Christ, who alone has fulfilled God’s holy will for us.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Invocabit - The First Sunday in Lent

(Audio)

Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Genesis 3:1-21

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

To be baptized is to be born again, or more precisely, to be born from above. This new birth is not symbolic, not optional, not an enhancement of what you already were. It is necessary. For your first birth was already corrupted by sin and death, inherited from your parents and from our First Parents long before you committed a single sin of your own. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and the flesh must die.

But that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. In Holy Baptism your old sinful man has been drowned and died, and a new man has been raised within you, a man who desires holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God. Yet this new life does not erase the old struggle. Your spirit is willing, but your flesh remains weak, still subject to temptation, still drawn toward rebellion.

And so the Christian life unfolds in tension. Until the resurrection of the body, you live in contested territory. Though redeemed and justified, you still carry Adam’s corrupted flesh. You must resist temptation. You must remain faithful.

But you cannot do this on your own. For if Adam and Eve, created righteous and holy, were overcome in Paradise, what confidence can you place in your own strength? How often the good your spirit desires you fail to do. How often the evil you despise you find yourself committing. Who will save you from this body of death?

The answer, of course, is Jesus. Jesus did for you, and in your place, what you could never do for yourself. He perfectly feared, loved, and trusted in His Father. He fulfilled the Law without fault. He bore your guilt, suffered your punishment, died your death, and was raised for your justification. All of this He did according to His Father’s will, and the benefits of His obedience, death, and resurrection are given to you through Baptism and received by Spirit-created faith.

Yet Baptism does not bring peace with Satan. It marks you as his enemy. We confess this plainly in the baptismal liturgy: we are by nature under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. That is why the Church speaks so directly, why the pastor commands, “Depart, you unclean spirit.” This is no mere metaphor. Scripture warns of the danger of an empty house. An exorcised dwelling left unoccupied invites greater ruin. The Christian is not delivered into neutrality. The Christian must be filled, filled with Christ, filled with His Word, filled with His gifts. And therefore Baptism is followed by conflict.

Jesus Himself reveals this pattern. No sooner had He been baptized than He was driven into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The heavens opened, the Father declared His pleasure, and immediately the battle began. So it is for you. Temptation is not evidence of God’s absence. It is evidence that you belong to Christ.

Make no mistake: Jesus was not tempted merely to provide an example. Such a view is far too shallow, and dangerous. The devil knows the Scriptures. He twists them. He deceives with terrifying skill. He did so in the Garden. He does so still. No, Christ’s temptation was substitutionary. Where Adam failed, Christ prevailed. The wilderness stands where Eden collapsed. Jesus resists not for His own sake, but for yours.

Consider Satan’s attacks. First, he urges Jesus to use divine power for self-preservation. Bread for hunger. Relief without suffering. But yielding would have been a denial of trust in the Father’s provision. Christ answers with the Word: Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word from God. Second, Satan urges Him to demand proof of God’s protection. Throw Yourself down. Force the miracle. But faith does not manipulate God. Christ answers again: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Third, Satan offers glory without the cross. Authority without obedience. A kingdom without suffering. But Christ’s reign is not of this world. “Be gone, Satan.” For this is always Satan’s aim.

In the Garden he began not with defiance, but with doubt: “Did God really say…?” He has not changed his strategy. He still calls God’s Word into question. He still distorts truth. He still flatters the flesh. To Eve he suggested God was withholding good. To Jesus he suggested the cross was unnecessary. To you he suggests sin is trivial, repentance can wait, obedience is negotiable. The shape of temptation has not changed. Your flesh still craves comfort without sacrifice. Your reason still seeks certainty without trust. Your heart still desires glory without the cross.

Genesis 3 is not distant history. It is your daily experience. Like Adam, you listen. Like Eve, you rationalize. Like them both, you hide. Yet the Lord still comes walking. He still calls. He still seeks. He still speaks. And here is your comfort: where Adam fell, Christ stood firm. Where Adam grasped, Christ refused. Where Adam brought death, Christ brought life. Not for Himself, but for you.

Christ is not merely your example. He is your victory. His obedience is yours. His righteousness is yours. His triumph is yours. Which means your confidence in temptation rests not in your resolve, but in Him. When Satan accuses, Christ answers. When Satan condemns, Christ absolves. When Satan tempts, Christ intercedes.

And where does this living Christ meet you now? Not in your own strength. Not in your feelings. But in His appointed means. In His Word, which silences the liar. In Absolution, which destroys accusation. In His Body and Blood, which strengthen faith. The Christian life cannot be sustained apart from these gifts. The devil rejoices when believers neglect them. But where Christ’s Word is heard, Satan is driven back. Where Christ’s Sacrament is received, faith is fortified.

Dear baptized believers, do not despair over your weakness. Your salvation rests not upon your victory, but Christ’s. Return, then, to what is certain. Return to the Word. Return to Absolution. Return to the Supper. For there your Lord still declares: “I forgive you.” “I strengthen you.” “I am with you.” The wilderness has been conquered. The serpent’s head has been crushed. Your Savior has prevailed.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

(Audio)

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21; 2 Peter 1:2-11; Joel 2:12-19

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are not a symbol. They are not religious poetry. They are the truth of your condition. You are dust. From dust you were formed by the hand of God. To dust you shall return under the sentence of death. The ash placed upon your forehead declares what your sin has earned and what your body cannot escape. It is the mark of mortality, the reminder of judgment, the witness that “the wages of sin is death.” You are dust, and you are dying.

This truth is easily ignored in the noise of daily life. We surround ourselves with distractions. We busy our hands and minds. We imagine that death is distant, belonging always to some later time. Yet the Word of God strips away such illusions. “All flesh is grass.” “The days of our years are threescore years and ten.” The dust clings to you even now. Each passing day carries you toward the grave. Every breath is a gift you cannot preserve. Apart from God, your end is certain and your condition hopeless.

And yet the greater danger is not that you will die, but that you would refuse to hear why death reigns. For death is not natural. It is not merely biological. It is the bitter fruit of sin. Therefore, the LORD calls you through the prophet Joel: “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

This is no gentle suggestion. It is the voice of the holy God whom you have offended. For your sins are not small. You have not merely faltered; you have rebelled. You have not merely stumbled; you have turned inward. You have loved the gifts more than the Giver, the world more than its Creator, your own will more than the Word of God. In thought, word, and deed you have sinned. You have neglected prayer. You have excused bitterness. You have justified impurity. You have harbored pride. Even your righteousness is stained by self-interest. Even your best works cannot stand before the holiness of God.

And so, the ashes testify against you. They preach without speaking: “Thus you shall become.” All earthly glory fades. All human strength fails. All that you possess and build shall pass away. The grave awaits every child of Adam. Dust to dust.

Such words crush our pride. They expose the old Adam who would rather boast than repent, who would rather deny death than face judgment. Yet this is precisely why the Church places ashes upon your head and why repentance stands at the door of Lent. “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” True repentance is not outward display, but the breaking of the heart before God, the confession that we are not merely weak, but guilty; not merely flawed, but condemned apart from divine mercy.

And yet the God who declares judgment also declares mercy. “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” The One whom you have offended does not delight in your destruction. The Judge Himself provides your rescue. The God whose law exposes your sin sends His Son to bear it.

For your sake, the eternal Son entered your dust. Jesus Christ took on your flesh, your weakness, your mortality. He did not stand at a distance from your corruption, but placed Himself under it. He bore your sin. He carried your guilt. He submitted Himself to your death. Upon the cross, the sinless One was treated as sin. The Holy One endured judgment. The Author of life entered the darkness of the grave. All that the ashes declare about you, they first declared about Him. There, in that great exchange, your salvation was accomplished. Your guilt laid upon Him. His righteousness given to you. Your death swallowed up in His death. His life pledged to you.

Therefore, return. Return not trusting your sorrow or your resolve, but trusting His mercy alone. Return to your Baptism, where God first claimed you, where He joined you to Christ’s death and resurrection, where He washed you clean and sealed you as His own. The ash upon your head does not erase that promise. Though you are dust, you are dust redeemed by Christ. Though you shall die, you shall die in Him who has conquered death.

But where does this mercy meet you now? Where does the crucified and risen Lord deliver the forgiveness He won? Not in vague feelings. Not in distant memories. But here, at His altar. For the same Lord who went to the cross for you now gives you His true Body and His true Blood. The One who entered death now feeds those who are dying. The One who bore your sin now places into your mouth the price of your redemption.

This is no mere symbol. This is the medicine of immortality. Here, the forgiveness of sins is not merely spoken, but given. Here, Christ does not merely remind you of grace, but delivers it. Here, the dust-bound children of Adam receive the pledge of the resurrection. For what you receive upon this altar is the very Body once laid in the tomb and the very Blood once poured out for sinners. The victory of the cross is placed into your hands. The life that conquered death enters your mortal flesh.

Therefore, come in repentance. Come acknowledging your sin. Come hungering not for earthly bread, but for the Bread of Life. Come, you who are dust and who shall return to dust, and receive the food that endures to eternal life. For the treasures of this world perish. But the gifts of Christ endure. The body decays. But the Body of Christ gives life. Death claims all. But Christ has overcome death. And even now He invites you: “Take, eat.” “Take, drink.” “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Return to the LORD — and live.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Quinquagesima

(Audio)

Luke 18:31-43; 2 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Samuel 16:1-13

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

One of the reasons our Lord taught in parables was, as He Himself says, that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” That is not because Jesus wished to confuse, but because no one truly sees without Spirit-given eyes, and no one truly hears without Spirit-given ears. A blind man cannot make himself see. A deaf man cannot make himself hear. Hard soil cannot soften itself, nor can rocky and thorny ground make itself fruitful. Only the Holy Spirit does this, where and when it pleases God, by grace alone, through the Word alone, received by faith alone.

This is precisely what we see in the blind man along the road to Jericho. He sat there begging because he was blind. He could not change his condition. He could not improve himself. He lived entirely by mercy. Yet though he was blind, he was not deaf. He could not see, but he could hear. Indeed, he could see with his ears.

Hearing the crowd pass by, he asked what it meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And that was enough. To him it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. The others saw only a traveling teacher. The blind man heard the presence of the Messiah.

Those walking ahead rebuked him and told him to be silent. They treated him as an annoyance, an interruption, an embarrassment. But like seed falling into good soil, the Word had already taken root. He cried out all the more: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Notice what faith does. It does not remain polite. It does not yield to pressure. It clings. It insists. It cries out for mercy because it knows where mercy is found.

And Jesus stopped. “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord, let me recover my sight.” “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he saw, and he followed Jesus, glorifying God. “Your faith has made you well.”

What does this mean? It means exactly what it says. Faith laid hold of Jesus and His Word. The man’s healing did not begin with his eyes but with his ears. Before he ever saw Jesus with bodily sight, he saw rightly by faith. He recognized what others missed: this was the Son of David, the promised Christ, the Lord of mercy. Faith makes well because faith clings to Jesus, and Jesus is forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Here is the great irony of the text: the blind man sees what the seeing do not, even the disciples. Just before this encounter, Jesus plainly tells them what awaits Him in Jerusalem: betrayal, mockery, suffering, death, and resurrection. Yet St. Luke tells us they understood none of these things. The meaning was hidden from them. They had eyes, but they did not yet see.

The blind man had no eyes, yet he saw truly. Why? Because faith does not rely on human reason or appearances. Faith trusts the Word of Christ, even when that Word contradicts expectation. A suffering Messiah? A crucified Lord? Salvation through death? These things remain hidden to natural sight.

And so it is also with the baptism of little Grace this morning. There is no clearer picture of our complete passivity before God than an infant brought to the font. Grace did not choose to be here. She did not decide for Christ. She cannot comprehend language. Others speak for her. And yet we believe, teach, and confess that in Baptism she receives exactly what God promises: forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, rescue from death and the devil, and union with Christ. Why? Not because it fits human logic. Not because it satisfies reason. But because of the Word of God: “Let the little children come to Me.” “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” “Baptism now saves you.”

Faith sees what eyes cannot. Faith hears what reason resists. Faith trusts what God declares. We must learn to see with our ears — to receive God’s gifts as He gives them, not as we would design them.

This is the lesson Samuel had to learn. Sent to anoint Israel’s next king, he naturally looked for stature, strength, and outward impressiveness. But the LORD corrected him: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” God’s ways consistently overturn human judgment.

The same correction appears in St. Paul’s teaching. Spectacular gifts, impressive abilities, outward displays of spirituality, these mean nothing without love. Apart from Christ’s love, even the most dazzling works are only noise.

Natural sight always misjudges. Human wisdom always misleads. Left to ourselves, we are the blind man. But here is the Gospel: the Lord has not left you to yourself. You are here because the Holy Spirit has given you ears to hear and eyes to see. He has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the true faith.

Yet the Christian life is not a moment but a pilgrimage. Faith must endure. Vision must be continually restored. The world, the flesh, and the devil never cease their attempts to silence the cry for mercy. And so our Lord’s question remains ever before us: “What do you want Me to do for you?” The faithful answer never changes: “Lord, have mercy.”

In a few days we begin again the holy season of Lent — a pilgrimage of repentance, of renewed hearing, of restored sight. We return because the Lord calls us to return. We return because He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We return because there is One who receives sinners.

Like beggars along the roadside, we come with empty hands and persistent voices. And where does Jesus stop for us now? Where does He open blind eyes and forgive sins? Where does He give Himself to those who cry for mercy? Here. At His altar. For we are indeed going up to Jerusalem, not merely as history, but as present reality. The crucified and risen Lord reigns even now as our Prophet, Priest, and King. And here He does what faith alone can see and believe. Here He feeds His people with His own Body and Blood. Here mercy is not requested but given. Here sight is not restored to the eyes but to the soul.

So cry out with the blind man. Cling to the Word. Come as beggars. For the Son of David is passing by, and He stops to be merciful.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Sexagesima

(Audio)

Luke 8:4-15; 2 Corinthians 11:19 – 12:9; Isaiah 55:10-13

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We would like to believe that the Gospel is simply “out there” for anyone to take up if only he will choose it, that faith is a decision within our grasp. But nothing could be further from the truth. Holy Scripture and our own experience testify otherwise. It is only by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God that the soil of the human heart is made receptive. Thus, we confess with Luther in the explanation of the Third Article: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

That confession gives us the right ears with which to hear today’s Gospel. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of crop failure three times before He comes to the sowing that bears fruit. Three failures. One success. Why is there so often a bad harvest when the seed of the Word of God is sown? Why does the Gospel seem to be wasted on so many? Jesus is unsentimental about the answer. There is something in fallen humanity that resists the Word. The seed is good; the problem is the soil. Seventy-five percent of the soils in the parable do not bear lasting fruit.

The Word of God shows us not only how faith is created, but also how unbelief is exposed. That is the nature of Jesus’ parables. They are not moral illustrations meant to inspire effort. They are revelatory and divisive. They create faith where and when it pleases God, and at the same time they unmask the hardness, shallowness, and distraction of hearts that reject the Word.

Jesus Himself tells us that His parables concern “the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” The kingdom does not give advice to the capable; it gives grace to the unworthy. It is received not by those who assume they are strong, perceptive, or spiritually competent, but by those who hunger and thirst for mercy and know they do not deserve it. The one who understands the parables is not the clever hearer, but the repentant one. And even that understanding is not self-produced. It is worked by the Holy Spirit through the Word and by grace alone.

So, Jesus presses the issue of hearing. It is not enough simply to hear sounds with the ears. You must hear with Spirit-given ears. Many hear the Word, but few believe it. Many believe for a while, but few persevere. Many show signs of life, but only some bear fruit with patience. Yet those who do bear fruit bear it abundantly – thirty-, sixty-, even a hundredfold. Hearing ears and fruitful lives are gifts. They are not achievements. They are granted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

This means that the Word of God is never weak, never ineffective, never at fault. If there is no fruit, the problem is not the seed. The Lord says through the prophet Isaiah: “My Word that goes out from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Sometimes that purpose is hardening and judgment. “Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand,” Jesus says. But to those whom the Spirit grants ears to hear, it is “given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God.”

And here is the greatest secret of all: the power is not finally in the soil, but in the Seed itself. The true Seed in the parable is not merely a message, but a Person. The Seed is the Word made flesh, the Word-Son of God, Jesus Christ. He Himself teaches us, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Jesus is the Seed sown by the Father: conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, planted in the earth by His death, and raised again to bestow life that never ends. His cross is the sowing. His tomb is the furrow. His resurrection is the harvest. From His death flows forgiveness of sins; from His risen life flows faith, perseverance, and fruit in His people. Any fruit the faithful bear in their lives – faith, love, confession, good works – is not their own creation, but the fruit of Christ’s own life at work in them.

To receive the Seed, then, is to receive the Word. And that means seeking Jesus where He has promised to be found. This is what even His own family once failed to understand when they sought Him on their own terms. Jesus is found in His Father’s house – first in the tabernacle and the temple, and now in the Church. He is found where His Word is preached and His Sacraments are given according to His institution.

The prophet Isaiah urges us, “Seek the LORD while He may be found.” That is not a threat, but an invitation filled with urgency. Do not postpone what God gives today. Do not imagine that neglecting the Word has no cost. Hard soil does not become good soil by accident. Shallow roots do not deepen on their own. Thorns are never removed by neglect. The Spirit works through means, and those means are given now.

This is why the Third Commandment matters so deeply. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” And what does this mean? “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” To absent oneself from the Word is not neutrality; it is danger. To gladly hear it is not duty alone; it is life.

And hearing does not stop with preaching. The same Word who is sown into ears places Himself into your mouth. In the Holy Supper, the Seed gives Himself as true food and drink for sinners: His body given for you, His blood shed for you. Here Christ sustains the faith He has created. Here He strengthens weak roots, guards against the scorching heat of trial, and chokes out the thorns of sin and unbelief with His forgiveness.

So, hear the Word. Hear it often. Hear it where Christ has promised to be. Come to His house. Receive His preaching. Seek Him at His altar. For the Seed is faithful, the Sower is generous, and where the Spirit gives ears to hear, the harvest will surely come.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Christian Funeral for David Jay Aschbrenner

(Audio)

John 14:1-6; Romans 8:31-39; Isaiah 43:1-3, 25

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

It seems appropriate to say “gone too soon” when a man like Dave, in his early 60s, is taken from us. Not just any man, but a husband, a father, a grandfather; a friend, a veteran, a brother in Christ. Dave survived many difficulties in life, even service in Desert Storm – for which we are eternally grateful – and now he is “gone too soon.” What then shall we say to these things?

What shall we say when nothing seems to make sense? What shall we say when no words can bring him back? What shall we say when human words fail, when grief edges toward despair, and tears harden into heartache? What then shall we say to these things?

Perhaps it’s best to say nothing at all. Perhaps it’s best to sit in silence and let God’s Word speak. For our gracious and merciful God does have something to say. Let us pause our struggle to find the right words and listen to what our Lord declares.

From Isaiah: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” You see those words on the banner over there, with Dave’s name woven in. The LORD knew Dave by name before he was born, even before he was conceived. The LORD knew Dave’s name and prepared the works he would do before there was a Dave to walk them out. More than that, the LORD knew He would redeem Dave, forgive all his sins in Jesus, before there was a Dave, before his first sin, before the world itself. “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Forgiveness, mercy, grace, that’s what we long to hear, what we need to hear. Dave was a good man: a devoted husband, father, grandfather; a loyal friend, soldier, patriot, worker, American. We could list all sorts of good things about him, and it might warm our hearts. But the truth is, none of that matters for salvation or life after death. Being good won’t open heaven’s gates, but faith in the Good Man, Jesus, will.

God so loved the world – God so loved Dave, and you – that He gave His only Son to death on the cross, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. As Romans declares: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” Nothing – nothing – can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dave loved to build and tinker. He crafted his own “Man Shed,” stocked with heat, A/C, microwave, fridge, even a hammock – everything but running water! He hosted parties for family and friends, cheering on the Steelers or watching the races. An avid tool collector, he scoured flea markets, sales, and auctions for them. Most of all, he cherished his motorcycles, riding off for hours or days with Catherine.

Dave adored his family, especially you grandchildren. He treasured those vacations to the Henry Doorly Zoo, trips to Adventureland, picnics in the park. He loved camping at Cedar Bend, hiking and biking the trails; heading to Wisconsin Dells for dinner adventures – the fried chicken was legendary, though he was just as content at Pizza Ranch. He loved his kids and grandkids so deeply that, on his own birthday, he’d let you pick the spot: McDonald’s it often was.

Dave loved you, and you loved Dave. Love comes from God, for God is love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, for Dave, for you, for us all. Jesus taught that the greatest love is to lay down your life for others. Dave showed this love in countless ways, small and great. While that brings smiles or tender tears, it’s not the source of our comfort, peace, and hope today. No, those flow from God’s promises, confirmed, sealed, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Dave was a child of God, purchased and cleansed in Christ’s blood. God made a promise to Dave in Jesus, a promise Dave was baptized into, and God does not break His promises.

“Let not your hearts be troubled,” Jesus says in John’s Gospel. “Believe in God; believe also in Me. 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, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas – yes, Doubting Thomas – replied, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?” Sadly, many in our world, even some baptized, seem not to know the way, or they have lost it along the journey. Jesus answered plainly: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Yes, Jesus is the way. Jesus is the only way. But Jesus is for all – for everyone, for you. Jesus was for Dave. And because of that, we hold comfort, peace, and hope amid grief, sorrow, and tears. God keeps His promises; His promise to Dave and to you is in Jesus. Blessed are those who die in the Lord, for they rest with Him. We will see them again, and no one can steal that joy from us.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Septuagesima

(Audio)

Matthew 20:1-16; 1 Corinthians 9:24 – 10:5; Exodus 17:1-7

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul often compares the Christian faith and life to a footrace. In a footrace, one runs to obtain a perishable prize. In the race that is the Christian faith and life, however, we run to obtain an imperishable prize, life with Jesus that will never end. In this race it is not about finishing first, but about finishing at all. It is not a competition, and all who finish the race receive the same prize. Therefore, we do not begrudge those who entered the race later than we did, but rejoice that they are running with us, encouraging and helping one another to endure to the end and obtain the prize.

And the prize is grace. You do not deserve it, and you cannot earn or merit it. Grace is given freely to all who will not refuse it. It is the most perfect of gifts. You must receive it as a gift, or you will not receive it at all. So set aside your sinful concerns about fairness and equity, for those have to do with merit, and no amount of merit can ever earn this prize.

Grace. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound. And yet, tragically, our sinful flesh and reason do not much like grace. “It can’t be that easy,” we say. “I’ve been a Christian all my life; that person just became a believer.” “I’m in church every Sunday; I give offerings; I’ve served on boards and committees; that has to count for something.” Yes, it does count for something, but only by grace, and by grace alone. And the same grace given to you is given to others as well, such is the generosity of the Father. Do you begrudge Him for showing the same grace to them that He has shown to you? Is He not free to do as He pleases with what belongs to Him?

Our resistance to grace reveals a deeper sin: our resistance toward God Himself. Our flesh and reason do not wish to be in debt to the LORD. We want to be free, self-sufficient, masters of our own lives. If we work, we believe we deserve our wages. We want to be gods unto ourselves, and that was the first sin. What it earns is only death. From that sin flow resentment, fear, anger, and bitterness, not only toward God, but toward our neighbor as well. We do not want God’s grace, and we do not want anyone else to have it either.

God’s people of old showed this very sin in the wilderness. They grumbled against the God who had rescued them from slavery and death in Egypt, accusing Him of intending to kill them by thirst. We do the same whenever we are dissatisfied with His gifts and providence. We look at what our neighbor has and resent it, or we imagine that what we have was earned, while what they have was given freely. But what do we actually deserve? Death. And what does God give us? Grace. Amazing grace.

And how did God respond to His people’s grumbling? He stood upon a rock and had Moses strike it in the presence of the people. God submitted Himself to be struck, and life-giving water poured forth so that the people might drink and live. St. Paul tells us that the Rock was Christ. He submitted Himself to be struck by us upon the cross. From His pierced side flowed blood and water, sin-cleansing blood and life-giving water. Jesus is the Rock cleft for us, in whom we find forgiveness, life, and salvation.

The LORD fed them and gave them drink, and yet they still grumbled and complained. They were dissatisfied and discontent. They accused the LORD of evil toward them, and many were overthrown in the wilderness. They were in the race, but they did not finish it. The prize was given freely, but it was received only by those who endured to the end.

So, St. Paul warns us: “I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control.” An athlete disciplines his body not to earn the prize, but to reach the finish. Feeding the body with what does not nourish, or indulging in what dulls and distracts, only hinders the race. We must keep our eyes on the prize and beware of those things that might keep us from finishing.

“But Pastor,” you might say, “if all that matters is finishing the race, what harm is there in slowing down or taking a few diversions along the way?” The harm is this: you do not know when the race will end. It will end either with your death or with the Lord’s return on the Last Day, and you know neither the day nor the hour. Therefore, stay awake, be watchful, and discipline body and soul, that you may finish the race.

The season of Lent is given to us for this very purpose. It is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to those disciplines that help keep us in the race by fixing our eyes on the prize. The Church has long observed Lent with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, not as works that earn merit, but as gifts that sustain faith. Prayer includes faithful participation in the Divine Service and Lenten services, along with daily devotion at home. Fasting trains the body to receive God’s gifts with gratitude rather than entitlement. Almsgiving teaches us to share freely what we ourselves have received by grace. These disciplines do not earn the prize; they help us endure to the end in faith.

The vineyard is the LORD’s, and in His grace He has called us to labor in it. The work is gift, and the reward is gift. All is grace. You lose nothing by sharing it with others. Even if someone takes from you, you have lost nothing at all. Your LORD invites you to live in the freedom and joy of His grace, and to finish the race rejoicing in Him.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

From Babylonian Captivity to Confessional Revival in the LCMS

When I entered seminary (CTSFW) in 1998, Al Barry was Synod President and things were beginning to click in a decidedly “confessional” way. CTSFW had clawed its way back out of the Schmiel administration and was growing stronger and stronger, and its classes of new seminarians larger and larger. The LCMS was in the midst of a confessional revival, so it seemed. Then, Barry died when I was on vicarage in early 2001. Bob Kuhn filled the vacancy until the Synod Convention in July elected Gerald Kieschnick LCMS President. Kieschnick served for three terms (9 years), a period of time I refer to as the Babylonian Captivity of the Church Redux. During Kieschnick’s presidency the LCMS was “rode hard and put away wet.” Kieschnick seemingly worked furiously to undo the confessional reforms that had been made, and to re-make the LCMS into a PresbyMethoBaptiCostal church (Ablaze!^TM, CoWo, Promise Keepers, The Porpoise Drivel Life, etc.). Kieschnick’s coup de grace was a complete restructuring of LCMS governance placing central power in the Synod President and closely administrated superboards.

Young pastors and laity today likely have no idea how bad things were getting for confessional pastors and congregations, and for Confessional Lutheranism in general. Come the 2010 Synod Convention, Kieschnick would see upwards of 85% of his restructuring plan passed, and he was poised to be elected to a fourth term to reign over it. Only, that’s not what happened, Deo gratias! Synod passed the lion’s share of Kieschnick’s restructuring and then handed over the gavel to Matt Harrison who accepted it with a bit of shock and great humility.

We have been blessed to have Matt Harrison as Synod President these past 16 years. Under his presidency confessional Lutheranism has flourished. Our seminaries are more united in doctrine and practice than ever since Seminex, more congregations are celebrating the Divine Service every Sunday and using one of the approved liturgies of the Lutheran Service Book, confessional Lutheran pastors and laity serve throughout Synod boards and commissions, and so much more. Even the COP is stronger, more unified, and more confessional than it has likely been in the past seventy-five years. No, Harrison and his administration have not been perfect, nor do we expect them to be. However, gratitude is due, if you only know and understand what could have been and stop to appreciate what we have and thank God in humility.

 

The current generation of young pastors do not know this history, haven’t experienced the tentatio and anfechtungen of the Scmiel or Kieschnick years, and have not the wisdom gained from patient, humble service, teaching, battles, etc. to appreciate or to even understand the congregations they are now called to serve. Many take what they have for granted and attempt to “build” upon it with things that are not bad in themselves, but unnecessary, and certainly “push the envelope,” with seemingly little knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or gratitude for the hard work that has been done there over the past two or three decades.

 

I’ve seen the comments on social media, read the blogs, listened to the podcasts, and have observed the rise of the programs and movements. They all speak with a great zeal about how we haven’t taught and exhorted the faithful to make use of Confession and Absolution, how the hymnal has non-Lutheran and too many post-16^th century hymns, the railing against numerous Divine Service Settings (hey, I don’t like them either!), etc. And they push for more serious expressions of piety, from head coverings to male-only suffrage, to an insistence that the results of new lectionary research must be implemented immediately if we are to be truly confessional. I assure you, they couldn’t be pushing for any of these things today if it hadn’t been for the 20 – 30 years of faithful confessional Lutheran ministry, preaching, and teaching that resulted in the congregations and pastors this current generation of pastors grew up in.

So, if you’ll take a little advice from one of those who have passed through a little tentatio and anfechtungen, slow down, show a little humility and gratitude, and “strive to excel in building up the Church.” Hey, I appreciate your zeal and that many of the things you desire are good, right, and true. This gives me a great amount of hope and encouragement for the future of the LCMS and the Lutheran Confession and Faith in general. Take a moment and consider how it is that you are able to push for and implement these things? You have a luxury that you do not seem to recognize, fought for by those who came before you, many of whom suffered grievously for what we take for granted today.

Pax Christi. And stay off my lawn!

Christian Funeral for Duane Clarence Bahlmann

(Audio)

John 14:1-6; Romans 8:31-39; Isaiah 43:1-3, 25

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Duane may have been a man of few words in his later years, but he held more than a few opinions throughout his life, particularly about religion, faith, and the Ten Commandments, and he let you know it. Those weren’t just opinions to him; they were convictions formed by the Word of God and the faith he had been given. He wanted his kids and his grandkids to know their catechism, and he would regularly drill them on the Ten Commandments and the articles of the Apostles’ Creed. Rote memory wasn’t sufficient; Duane wanted them to truly understand the explanations in their own words. After the first three commandments about fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things, the Fourth Commandment was the most important to Duane: “Honor thy father and thy mother.” To Duane, that meant, “Do what your parents tell you!” Yes, the chores had to be done, the Lord commanded it. But not on Sunday; that was the Day of Rest.

That desire for a faith that endured beyond youth and strength I saw firsthand the first time I visited Duane and Ann in their home. Duane prayed the Divine Service liturgy with me from memory, a blessed gift he would retain even in his last years and months, when the words he spoke were often limited to “yes” and “no” and he slept more than he was awake. “Hi Duane, it’s Pastor.” “Yes.” “Would you like to receive communion?” “Yes.” Then, as I spoke the words of Confession, the Apostles’ Creed, the Words of Institution, and the Lord’s Prayer, Duane’s lips moved along word for word. This is what Duane wanted for his kids and grandkids: a faith that wasn’t just head memory, but heart memory, words that would stay with you even when the head wasn’t as clear as it once was.

That same care and attentiveness showed itself in how Duane loved his family. He was always looking out for the needs of others, especially those closest to him. He attended every concert and sports game he could make it to. He worked with the oldest grandkids on their softball skills, throwing and catching balls in his backyard. He loved to hear how things were going with the grandkids. And when one of them brought a hen into the house for him to see, Duane responded by clucking back at the chicken.

Along with that steady faith and devotion, Duane had a playful, ornery streak. You could see it in that little spark in his eye. He loved to bang on a door or jump out from around a corner to make you jump and scream. He told a nephew that the birthday cake was his. He’d get you to help with cleaning fish, only to throw one into the bucket next to you and splash fish water all over you, all in good fun. Duane believed in chores: one would set the table, another would wash the dishes, and another would dry them. This provided opportunities to secretly dispose of undesirable vegetables when Duane wasn’t looking. Feeding them to the dog didn’t work either; the dog didn’t like them and would cough up the evidence under the table.

Duane also knew how to enjoy the gifts of this life. He loved to play cards – 500, pinochle, schafkopf, and cribbage. He enjoyed playing pool and cheering on the Chicago Cubs, especially during that amazing 2016 World Series win. I’m glad he got to see that; the rest of us will have to wait another hundred years. He enjoyed woodworking in his garage, building cedar chests for his granddaughters and memory chests for his grandsons. He built bookcases for his kids so they wouldn’t leave books laying all over the house, and hall trees for them to hang their coats on, for the same reason.

Duane and Ann were married in 1958 and were fixtures in church on Sunday mornings for sixty-seven years. Duane served as an usher. When Eugene and Shirley Huck got married, Duane and Chuck went downstairs to get more chairs because they had run out in the sanctuary, even though they weren’t officially family yet, only dating Ann and Betty. That was Duane: always ready to lend a helping hand. When Dawn’s son was born premature and was in the ICU, Duane drove to Ottumwa to sit with her. That wasn’t just being kind; that was Duane’s faith and love in action.

Duane was baptized shortly after birth. He was raised in the Christian faith and made confession of that faith publicly when he was confirmed after years of catechesis. He instructed his children and grandchildren and raised them in the faith. Well done, good and faithful servant. And yet, the hope we have today does not rest on Duane’s works, but on the promises of God, promises Duane believed, confessed, and trusted.

Thus says the LORD: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine… I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

“If God is for us, who can be against us?… Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?… Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Let not your hearts be troubled… Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

These are the promises Duane knew well. He taught them to you, and he lived them in his life, words, and deeds. We take comfort that Duane is with Jesus at rest and at peace. While we grieve not seeing him now, we are happy for him, and we know that we will see him again in the presence of Jesus in heaven. No one will take that joy from us.

Ann, Rick, Teresa, Melodee, John, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, let not your hearts be troubled. In the Father’s house there are many rooms; there is a room for you also, prepared for you by your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Believe and trust in Him, just as Duane did, and you will have peace as you make your way through the valley of the shadow of death into the Father’s house forevermore. There you will see those you love who have died in the faith again with your own eyes, hear them again with your own ears, and hold them again with your own arms. This our Lord has achieved for us and has promised us. Believe it for Jesus’ sake.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.