Second Sunday in Lent

Second Sunday in Lent

Reminiscere Sunday

Second Sunday in Lent

February 25, 2018

It is written in Matthew chapter 15,

22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”  23 But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”  24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”  26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  Thus far the text.

Let us pray:  O Lord, who kills and makes alive, keep the promise you made when you baptized us, to drown the Old Adam and raise us in the New Adam so that both His death and His life may be our own; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Do you want to receive the mercy of the Lord? Are you sure? Do not answer so quickly. Remember, our God is the God who says, (Deuteronomy 32:39)  “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”

You have to be killed in order to be made alive. You have to give up everything to have anything. He who keeps his life will lose it, but he who loses his life will keep it. God is eager that you should live – so he's going to kill you.

This is what the Canaanite woman learns in today's Gospel reading. She comes to her Lord begging his mercy, ready to receive with empty hands, for she comes to her Lord as a dead woman. Her heart has been emptied. Her soul rings hollow: for she comes to her Lord as one who knows her powerlessness. She comes as one without pride.  She comes as a parent who can do nothing for her sick child. She had been to the doctors, she's stayed up endless nights – but nothing has helped. Still her daughter is grievously tormented by a demon, one of the false gods of Canaan.

And what can this mother do for her daughter? She knows that she can do nothing. She has no hope of helping her daughter. Her pride is dead. And with that, now on the brink of despair, she is ready to receive the mercies and the lovingkindesses of God our Father.

She comes to Jesus with empty hands: Lord, have mercy. She does not ask for what she deserves: her pride, her self-esteem, is dead. She knows she deserves nothing at all, or something worse. But she comes to beg mercy.  She comes with empty hands: no more bargaining for her. She has nothing to try to bribe Jesus with: she just asks for mercy.

And behold: the Lord ignores her, then even calls her a Gentile dog and not his child. But she clings to him still: these harsh words of rejection from her Lord do not strike her as harsh. For she knows that they are true. She knows she has no right to call upon the Lord; she knows that he is right when he calls her a unclean. But she also knows of his mercy and his lovingkindesses for they are from of old. So she confesses: Yes, Lord: it is as you say. I am a dog, I’m unclean, I’m a sinner.  I know that very well. There is nothing that I can rightly ask of you, nothing that you owe me. I do not ask what is right: I ask what is merciful. I ask only for a crumb of mercy from your table.

With her pride dead, with all hope of dealing gone, having given up on justice and instead begging for mercy: now the woman is ready to be made alive. Great is your faith, woman! - Your daughter is healed.

Faith is having nothing to offer God: so to say that your faith is great is to say that you are small.

Beloved in the Lord, you are in the shoes of the Canaanite woman. God seeks to kill you also that he might raise you to life. Each hardship you face, each cross you must bear, each prayer that seems to go unanswered: all these are God's work to crush your pride, to empty you of yourself, to knock from your hands any chips you would use to bargain with Him. For God wants to fill you up. But to fill you up he must first empty you. To make you live, he must first kill you. So beloved, repent. Admit that you are dead. Give up on yourself. And instead cry out: Lord, have mercy. Nothing in my hand I bring, only to your cross I cling.

For there, in the cross, the Lord will fill you up. He emptied himself on that cross to pay for your sins – he poured out his life so that death for you would be but the gate to life immortal. He took upon himself the sin and pain and loneliness and sorrow and guilt of all the world and took it with him down to death – but then he rose from the dead all alone – for he left the sin and the pain and loneliness and the sorrow and the guilt down in that grave. He lives: and he now makes you alive.

Day in and day out, he will kill you and make you alive. Day in and day out, he will drown that own Adam in you by repentance and raise you to new life in himself. Day in and day out he will empty you so that he may fill you up. For he has lifted you up: he brings you to the table to give you the children's bread: the Bread of Life: the daily Bread of the children of the Heavenly Father, indeed the very Body and Blood which he shed on the cross. Beloved, come and receive him. Come with empty hands, with nothing to offer; Come calling on his mercy alone. Come and be filled, be raised, be made alive through faith in Jesus.  Amen.

The peace which passes understanding guard and protect you in Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Amen.

First Sunday in Lent

First Sunday in Lent

First Sunday in Lent

Invocabit Sermon Notes

February 18, 2018

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is written in 2 Corinthians chapter 6:  1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.  Thus far the text.

Let us pray: Gracious Father, You instruct Your people to pray that we not be led into temptation.  Grant us Your Holy Spirit so that we may love Your Word and remain in it; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

The Apostle Paul argued against his opponents, who were quite similar to Luther’s opponents of the day. The titles are different but the motivations are the same.

Lutherans commonly use “Pietist” as an insulting word today, but they fail to grasp how deep the spirit of Pietism is.

The foundational error of Pietism is to make sound doctrine secondary, in fact to make sound doctrine a barrier to cooperation and love. It is easy to express their interest in a way that sounds appealing.

For instance, Pietists would say, “Cooperation among men is more important than pure doctrine from God.”  Deeds are better than Creeds.  They talk about “Christian-bashing” and “the error of becoming tangled in petty doctrinal wars.”

Two toxic errors makes Pietists especially dangerous:

One is their setting aside of the Means of Grace. They do not emphasize the Word of God. They also do not emphasize Holy Baptism or Holy Communion.

The other error of Pietists is their example of doctrinal purity meaning nothing. Anything goes because the experience and the love matter most of all. Because the True Church of Pietism does not like sound doctrine, they take great pride in running down those who favor the Confessions, those who do not admire their great works of love.

Luther is the best litmus test for Pietism, not the words used. The Pietists like Calvinism too. But Calvinism is doctrine, it teaches against the Means of Grace. Not teaching the Means of Grace is by definition an anti-Biblical and anti-Lutheran act.

Therefore, Pietists rage against Luther, just as the false teachers raged against Paul.

But look at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6 –

7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

BY THE WORD OF TRUTH –

We value the Word of God because it conveys Christ and His forgiveness to us. What is more important than justification by faith? The Promises of God energize our faith. En-ergy means to work, and the efficacy of God’s Word is taught throughout the Scripture. In the New Testament, efficacy is almost letter for letter the word “energy.”

Faith is not something that already exists, except in the generic sense. We are born with faith in our parents, especially our mothers, but not with faith in God. The Word of God creates faith in the Gospel where there was nothing before.

Many different terms show that the Gospel promises are living seed that germinate at once. We are grafted onto Christ.

The Word of Truth brings the righteousness of Christ to us. The Holy Spirit works only through the Word, so nothing else can do that, no matter what some people claim.

BY THE POWER OF GOD

The power of God is identified with the Holy Spirit, since this is how God works through the Word. The Third Person of the Trinity is named after the wind (ruach, pneuma) in Hebrew and Greek, because Jesus taught, He works in the same way. The wind has enormous power, but no one can see it. We experience the effect of the wind, even though no one sees it coming.

BY THE ARMOUR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE RIGHT HAND AND ON THE LEFT,

Justification by faith is armor against the attacks of Satan. Luther has several wonderful stories about that, doubtless because he suffered from many emotional onslaughts or spiritual attacks (Anfechtungen, as he called them).

One is about a bishop who stayed at a haunted house, filled with ghosts, realizing that Satan was using people’s fears to keep them away. Faith in the Gospel makes those fears go away. The Greeks were so aware of this effect, which can cause mass hysteria, that they had a god for it – Pan. And Pan was good for causing “pan-ic.” Many military battles are lost from panic, not from actual superiority.

The other story concerns a statue who gave predictions and worked by the deceiving power of Satan. A bishop by staying at the inn made it go away in anger. The innkeeper was angry, followed the bishop, and rebuked him for ruining his business. The bishop wrote a letter: “To Satan. I give you permission to possess the statue again and predict the future.” The letter was placed at the foot of the idol, and predictions started anew. The innkeeper thought about the irony of writing a letter to a statue and began to believe in the Gospel. He eventually became a bishop himself.

Thus fear influences panic, while faith subdues fear and places trust in the power and mercy of God. Only the Word can do this.

Pietists make idols out of men, but sound doctrine points people to the Gospel promises.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

Sermon Notes

2 Peter: 2-11

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is written in 2 Peter 2:   10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Thus far the text.

Let us pray: Holy Father, you have made us brothers to your Son Jesus Christ.  Grant us Your Holy Spirit during this Lenten season so that we may be confident that You will never forsake us and that we may remain confident in the hour of our death and joyful always; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Lent is a time of somber joy.  Somber because you are reminded that you are dust and to dust we shall return (Gen 3:19) meaning, you will die in the body.  Joyful because you believe in Jesus the Savior of your soul.  In this Gospel death does not have the last say.  Jesus does.

After hearing receiving ashes upon your forehead and hearing the Gospel reading

You might think only hypocrites would do such a thing in public.  We do it as a little signal of unity among us as a congregation.  We do it at the end of the day so no one will see you marked with ashes.  Finally, I encourage all of you to go home after the service and wash your face.  

St. Peter’s second letter is the topic of this sermon.  His first letter focused on justification by faith,  That you believe in Jesus is the work of God for you.

St. Peter’s second letter is focused on the fruit of your justification.  Fruit does not produce a tree.  A tree produces the fruit.  The tree is the forgiveness of your sins.  Tonight we focus on the fruit of your forgiveness; which is love toward others; with is good works.

The question in particular is this:  How can you be confident that you will die in a somber joy?  

St. Peter gives us a little roadmap to follow.  This Lent ask the Holy Spirit to increase your fruit for the benefit of others while at the same time for the benefit that even in the face of death, you will be joyful.

First, St. Peter says supplement the tree of faith with the fruit of virtue.  What does this mean?  It means let your faith be seen by others.  Attend the Divine Service more often.  Attend Bible study more often.  Supplement the faith you have with this virtue, the Word of God.  Martin Luther has this to say about the difference between lazy Christians and mature Christians, saying:

He, whose manner of living shows that his faith is accompanied by good works and thus becomes strong will have an entrance richly provided for him, and he will enter yonder life cheerfully and confidently. Thus he dies courageously, despises life, departs with pride, as it were, and leaps into the eternal kingdom. But if the others enter at all, they will not go so joyfully. The door will not be open so wide for them. They will not have such a richly provided entrance; but it will be narrow and difficult for them, so that they struggle and prefer a lifetime of weakness to the thought that eventually they will have to die.  Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 30: The Catholic Epistles, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 30 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 160.

Second, to the tree of faith add the fruit of knowledge - knowledge about how to lead your outward life in a sensible manner.  Not eating or drinking too much or too little.

Third, to the tree of faith add self control - in all outward living, life, words, deeds, bearing with the weak gently, etc.

Fourth, to tree of faith add steadfastness - if you live life well don’t expect to escape attack.

Fifth, to the tree of faith add godliness - serve God and not our own glory

Sixth, to the tree of faith add brotherly affection - help others in their needs.

Finally, to the tree of faith add the fruit of love - this love extends beyond brotherly affection toward friends to helping even our enemies in their needs.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Quinquagesima Sunday

Quinquagesima Sunday 

Quinquagesima - 50 Days Before Easter

1 Corinthians 13

Faith Alone - The Fruit is Love

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is written 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.  13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  Thus far the text.

Let us pray, Creator Father, who gives faith through His Holy Spirited Word, grant us faith so that we may love you and those around us; in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

In the resurrection, you won’t need faith because you will have all that faith receives.

In the resurrection, you won’t need hope because you will see with your eyes all things you previously hoped for.

In the resurrection, you will love others naturally.  In this sense, love is greater than faith and love.

However, right now, faith is greatest because faith gives birth to hope and love.  St. Paul is emphatic, if you say you are the most faithful person around but show no love or kindness to others, then you don’t have the faith in Jesus Paul is talking about.  You would have a different Jesus.

As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

Faith and love always go together, but for right now faith is first and love follows.

You have received faith in Jesus.  This is the work of God that you believe that Jesus is God and that by believing you have life in His name.  

You have received faith in Jesus.  So you are a child of God.

As children of God, you still need encouragement to grow up in this faith.  12 For now you see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now you know in part; then you shall know fully, even as you have been fully known.  

Faith without love is not the Christian faith.  Paul is arguing in our text that faith and love are so closely connected that where you find Christian faith, you will find Christian love.  The opposite is not true.  Where you find love does not mean you will find Christian faith.

Pastors and teachers and parents need to grow in the faith.  Paul says that even if you were the greatest apostle of God (which Paul is) you need to give up from your childish ways.  He says, If I (Paul) speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  We are the same.

2 And if I (Paul) have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.   Since it is true of the apostle Paul it is true for you and me too

3 If I (Paul) give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Same for us.  Without Christian faith there is nothing to boast about before God.

Now, it is nearly impossible to talk about Christian love in light of all its many abuses in our culture and in our churches.  

What is Christian love?

Love is patient and kind.  Mature Christians are patient and kind to others who love wrongly.  Mature Christians understand that people sin.  Friends might fornicate.  Adults might adulterate.  They might call it love but it is lust.  If you are loving wrongly or if you give approval for others to love wrongly, you have found your repentance for today.  A repentance that leads you back to the Christian faith.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Mature Christians are aware that many wrongdoings are done in the name of love.  Friends might experiment with same-sex relationships.  Parents might rejoice in legal same-sex marriages.  Church bodies might officially bless same-sex marriages in the name of Jesus.  They might call it love but, again, it is lust.  If you are loving wrongly or if you give approval for others to love wrongly, you have found your repentance unto faith for today.  A repentance that leads you back to the Christian faith.

Like the apostle Paul, we live in an unloving society.  You may have acted childishly in your sinful lust thinking it was Christian love only to find yourself outside the Christian faith.

Today, you are all encouraged to grow up in Jesus.  You are encouraged to put off lustful, childish ways regardless of age.  As you mature in the faith of Christ, you will give up more of those childish ways.  

How do you grow in the Christian faith?  Hear God’s Word again.  Be forgiven  your sins again,  eat and drink Christ’s body again.  Not only is your sin forgiven these ways, but you will mature in Christian love and display more fruits of the Christian faith in patience and kindness toward others as well as rejoice more and more in the truth and power of God’s Word.

And yes, mature Christians understand not everyone shares their belief in Christ and not everyone lives according to the Christian faith they profess.  Yet,  love bears all things.  You live confident that God also bears your daily burdens all the way to the cross.  You believe all things the Lord says about sin, faith, and love.  You hope all things the Lord promises in His Word.  You endure all things that even your own lust and unbelief throw at you. 8 Love never ends.  

So, let us continue mature in the Christian faith and encourage each other to do the same.  It won’t be easy, but it is filled with joy; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard and keep in you in Jesus Christ our loving Savior in whom we believe.  Amen.