The lutheransermons's Podcast

Preparing for Worship - November 17, 2024

In these last two weeks of the Church Year, our focus is on end times, with the victory of Christ and His return on the last day. In the psalm, Psalm 16, David “takes refuge” in the Lord and knows that he “has no good apart from Him.” He “delights” in his fellow believers, “the saints in the land,” but sees the “sorrows” of those who follow “another god” instead of the One True God, the Lord. David knows that he has “a beautiful inheritance ahead” in heaven in the presence of the Lord. Some of this psalm is also prophetic, though, in pointing to the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. David eventually died, and his body saw corruption, though it will be raised on the last day. Peter quotes this passage in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:22-36) with regard to Jesus, who was crucified and died but whose body did not see corruption but was raised to new and eternal life on the third day. Paul also quotes from Psalm 16 (and Psalm 2) regarding the resurrection of Christ and His body, which did not see decay, in Acts 13:32-39. Christ Jesus is now “the path of life” and “fullness of joy” for all who trust in Him for eternal life and resurrection.

In the Old Testament lesson, Daniel 12:1-3, Daniel speaks of great trouble for God’s people in the last times. All believers in the Lord and His saving work in Christ have their names written in the Book of Life and will be delivered. The bodies of those who have died in the Lord shall be awakened to everlasting life (and reunited with their souls). Unbelievers will be raised “to shame and everlasting contempt” apart from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord calls His people to “wisdom” and to seek to “turn many more to righteousness” through faith in Jesus. It is His doing, but we can be His witnesses.

In the Gospel lesson, Mark 13:1-13, Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and of the magnificent temple (which happened in 70 AD). This would be a prefiguring of the troubles in the last times, “the end of the ages” that Christ brought in by His saving life, death, and resurrection. (See last week’s epistle, Hebrews 9:24-28, for example.) There will be wars and earthquakes and famines and false prophets and persecution of believers and hatred of the name of Christ and other troubles, called “birth pangs,” which we have seen and still see today. These are reminders that Jesus may return at any time, and we will be saved as we endure to the end in faith in Christ, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, the Scriptures, and the Sacraments.

The Epistle lesson, Hebrews 10:11-25, points us again to the single sacrifice of Christ, once for all time, bringing in the New Covenant and the forgiveness of all our sins. As we wait now for the return of Christ, we can approach our Lord with the full assurance of faith, cleansed by the blood of Christ and our baptism and holding fast to the promises of our faithful God. We are also called “not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some,” but to “stir up one another to love and good works” and to “encourage one another” as we wait for “the Day” of Christ’s return, “drawing near.”

Preparing for Worship - November 10, 2024

The readings this week remind us again where we need to put our trust - not in ourselves or in our earthly leaders, but in our Lord God and His saving work in Christ. Three of our readings also mention widows and others who sometimes don’t have much in which they can trust, except the Lord, as an example for us.

The Old Testament lesson is from 1 Kings 17:8-16. Elijah predicted a great drought for the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of the wickedness of King Ahab and the people, particularly in forsaking God and His will and worshipping false gods (1 Kings 16:29-17:7). Elijah was taken care of by the Lord through ravens at a brook until the brook dried up. Then the Lord sent him out of Israel to Sidon, to the North, near Tyre, and to a widow, preparing to eat her last meal that she had with her son. Elijah asked her to give him that last food she had, with the promise that the Lord would provide just enough food for them until the drought was done and rain came again. The woman trusted the Word of the Lord, and the three of them had enough to survive by the miracle of God.

The psalm is Psalm 146. The psalmist calls upon us to praise the Lord and put our hope in Him, who “keeps faith forever” for us and “all generations “ who trust in Him. This psalm includes a good reminder for an election week - that we are “not to put our trust in princes” or other earthly leaders who cannot save and who come and go and cannot be counted on to fulfill their plans. We are to trust our Creator God, who can help “widows” and “lift up those who are bowed down” by the troubles of life. The psalm is especially prophetic of Christ, who could heal the blind (see my sermon on Mark 10:46-52) and set us free from the prison of our sins, by His death and resurrection, and the fact that He now lives and “reigns forever” for us, to bless us.

The Gospel lesson is Mark 12:38-44. Jesus warns about scribes and other leaders, including religious leaders, who want honor for themselves and take advantage even of poor widows. Jesus is in the temple and contrasts the offerings of the rich, who have plenty left over for themselves, and the tiny gift of a poor widow, who, out of her poverty, gave all she had. Jesus is showing in this way His concern for such people, like the widow, and their great needs.

The Epistle lesson is from Hebrews 9:24-28. The author speaks of the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Himself. He didn’t just talk about sacrifices, but He sacrificed Himself, once for all, on the cross, to forgive and “put away sin.” Unlike priests in the temple, He did not need to keep making sacrifices for sins “with blood not His own.” Christ was offered only “once, to bear the sins of many.” This is a Hebraic way of saying that He died for “the many,” which really means “all.” See v.26 - “once for all.” The risen, ascended Lord Jesus has now entered heaven and appears “in the presence of God on our behalf” - for us. He will come again on the last day, too, no longer to deal with sin but “to save all those who are eagerly waiting for Him,” with the resurrection of our bodies, as well. There’s one more important message in this passage. People die only once, and then comes the judgment, including eternal life for all who die in faith in Christ. There is no reincarnation or a second or multiple lives for any of us, as some religions say. When we die in faith, we are with the Lord forever in perfect peace through Christ.

Sermon from November 2, 2024 (All Saints Day)

A Sermon on Revelation 7:9-17

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7).

The text for our meditation this evening is the First Lesson from Revelation 7:9-17 - the vision given to John of the saints in heaven. Notice especially some of the later verses. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to spring of Living Water” (Revelation 7:16-17).

The emphasis on thirst and water and springs caught my attention because, for a few months now, it’s been warmer than usual and very dry - unusual for us. We had planned a family outing with the grandkids, including cooking hotdogs over a fire and making s'mores, etc. - and then came a burn ban in our own county and most all counties around us. And then came a red flag warning on Tuesday, with high winds and warm temperatures and low humidity, where any fires or even sparks from equipment could be dangerous, as it was so dry.

And added to all that, in the last year or so, we began to hear of the “Stop the Water Steal,” when there were plans that few knew about to build pipelines to ship large amounts of our water off to Lebanon for businesses and development there. Many people here were not happy. It made me think of a time we visited family in California and saw areas where there had been large lakes, which were now bone dry because so much water had been shipped off to other areas, especially Los Angeles.

We are richly blessed with water and can bounce back from the shorter periods of drought we have. It is not so true for many areas, including the land of Israel, where freshwater sources are limited and have been for a long, long time. I looked it up and found that in 2022, 85% of the drinkable water for the city of Jerusalem came from the desalinization of saltwater from the Mediterranean Sea, more than 30 miles away.

There was, of course, no such methodology in Bible times. Water sources in Bible times were very important and valuable but very scarce. It is no surprise that water became one of the images of God and His blessings, and even of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and lack of water was pictured as a judgment for sins. You can trace these images through the Old Testament and into the New.

In the perfect Garden of Eden, there was a river flowing to water it, according to Genesis 2. After the fall into sin, everything changed, and the Great Flood changed things even more, as sin and evil spread everywhere, with judgment for sin. Noah and his family “were saved through water” in the ark, and this corresponds, Peter tells us in the New Testament, to “baptism, which now saves us,” through connecting us to Christ and His resurrection. Christ has now gone into heaven at His ascension and is now at the right hand of God, with angels all around him, just as seen by John in Revelation 7 (1 Peter 3:20-22).

When the children of Israel were later slaves in Egypt, the water of the Nile River was turned to blood, as the first of the plagues on them (Exodus 7:14-25), and later, many Egyptians died in the Red Sea, while God’s people went safely through that same water on dry land (Exodus 14).

Unfortunately, God’s people quickly became rebellious about the lack of water, even though God always provided water in miraculous ways - whatever they needed (Exodus 15:22-25, 17:1-7; Numbers 21:4-5, etc.). Because of their continued rebellion, almost all of them died in the wilderness before ever reaching the Promised Land. Even Moses rebelled against God and produced water from a rock in an angry way, different from what God had told Him to do. He, too, failed to enter the Promised Land, though He was forgiven and reconciled with God (Numbers 20:2-13, Deuteronomy 34:1-6). Joshua was then chosen to lead the next generation of Israelites into the Promised Land, crossing the Jordan River - on dry land, as Moses had crossed the Red Sea, many years before.

Note how many Old Testament passages use water as an image of God’s blessings for His people and His promises for the future, with the promise of the coming Savior. In Psalm 1, we hear of a man of God, being like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither (Psalm 1:3).

In the familiar Psalm 23, we hear of the Lord as our Shepherd, “who makes us lie down in green pastures” (where there has to be plenty of water for the pastures to be green), and He “leads us beside still waters” (where it is easy for us to drink and no danger of being swept up and drowning) (Psalm 23:2).

In Psalm 36, we read, “How precious is Your steadfast love, O Lord” for Your children. “You give them to drink from the river of Your delights. For with You is the Fountain of Life” - the best drinking fountain from the Lord (Psalm 36:7-9).

In Luther’s psalm, Psalm 46, we heard last week that “God is our Refuge and Strength, our Fortress, a very present Help in trouble” (Psalm 46:2,7). But we also heard, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God” - speaking of God’s blessings for them, though there is no literal river in Jerusalem.

Isaiah, in His prophecy, spoke of the coming time of the Messiah, the Savior, and said, “The Lord will come to save you… the waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water” (Isaiah 35:4,6,7).

And again Isaiah prophesied, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them… I will open up rivers on the bare heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water” (Isaiah 41:17-18).

And again, Isaiah predicted, ”The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desires in scorched places… and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose water does not fail” (Isaiah 58:11).

There were warnings, too, if God’s people rejected Him as the one true God and His ways. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, not long before Jerusalem was destroyed, and many Jews were carried away into captivity in Babylon: “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?… Be appalled, O heavens, at this”… “declares the Lord, for My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and have hewn out cisterns (for storage of water) for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

And when the fullness of time did come, God sent His own Son, Jesus, into this troubled world, a world thirsty for help, to be the Savior. And Jesus talked with a Samaritan woman at a well and said, “Everyone who drinks of this water (of this well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

And later on, at a festival in Jerusalem that Jesus attended, “He stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” “Now this He said about the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were to receive” (John 7:37-39).

As Paul wrote, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (the children of God) (Galatians 4:4-5). Christ Jesus did all the redeeming, saving work for us through His perfect life, His death on the cross, and His mighty resurrection.

Now, we have been born again, of water and the Spirit, in our Baptism (John 3:5), and we are strengthened in that new Life through the living and abiding Word of God. As Peter wrote, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower fades” - that’s us, on our own in this world - "but the Word of the Lord endures forever, and that Word is the Good News of Christ" and the Water of Life that He brings to us, that wells up to eternal life, as well, for us (1 Peter 1:23-25).

John put it so simply: “This is the testimony (the Word) that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has Life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).

The last chapter of Revelation, the Scripture from which our text comes, has these words taken from an Old Testament prophecy from Ezekiel. John says, “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 20:1, Ezekiel 47:1,16). And some of the last words of Revelation say: “Come! And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, drink from the water of Life, without price” (Revelation 20:17) It is the free gift of God, without price, already earned for us, in Christ. And it is already ours in Christ, as believers, through His Word and Sacraments. We can be sure that we will be part of that great multitude seen by John in heaven one day as we stay in Christ, along with our loved ones and friends who have lived and died in faith in Christ.

We, too, are forgiven sinners, saints of God by God’s grace, whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb. And all the picture images and promises will be ours, too, though we still struggle now in this life.

No more hunger or thirst or tears. No more stifling heat or freezing cold. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will provide us His living water, every blessing that we need, and the Heavenly Father will shelter us with His presence, and we will serve Him with joy. Amen (Revelation 7:15-17)   

Sermon from October 30, 2024

Sermon Based on Mark 10:46-52

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. (Psalm 19:14)

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, for the appointed time for Him to suffer and die and rise again for the salvation of the world was very near. He was traveling the typical way of a Jew of His time, on a road that went through Jericho and near the Jordan River and on to Jerusalem. His disciples and a great crowd were following Him. It was only a short time before His entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday.

A blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting along the roadside and begging because that was probably the only way he could try to get a little help for himself. He heard the commotion of the crowd going by and also heard that Jesus of Nazareth was in the crowd. He must have heard of Jesus before and His reputation and ability to do miracles. He began to cry out, very accurately, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” It was a title used by Jews in speaking of their hopes about the Messiah, the Savior promised in the Old Testament. The Savior was predicted to be a descendant of King David, and people hoped He would restore a great earthly kingdom to God’s people, as David had long before.

Bartimaeus was speaking correctly of Jesus as the Son of David and just kept crying out for His help, but we hear that many in the crowd, and maybe some of the disciples (who had tried before to protect Jesus from those they thought He didn’t need to be bothered by like mothers and children and notorious sinners) - many rebuked the blind beggar, telling him to be silent and not to trouble Jesus.

If you remember the story recorded in John, Chapter 9, Jesus and the disciples saw another blind man, and the disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that He was born blind?” There was a sense among many that if there was blindness or other serious ills, someone must have done something terribly wrong and was being punished severely for it. Jesus, therefore, wouldn’t want to be bothered by such an evil person. But Jesus said the blindness was an opportunity for the work of God to be displayed in the man, and Jesus then healed that man both physically and spiritually.

In the case of Bartimaeus, Bartimaeus showed trust and confidence that Jesus really could help him. He is not discouraged by the rebukes of many and does not listen to them. Instead, he cried out all the more to Jesus and kept saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” Jesus was on His way to die and could have just been absorbed in all that was coming for Him, but He takes the time to help Bartimaeus in the last healing miracle that Mark tells about Him in his Gospel.

Some of the people then tell Bartimaeus, “Cheer up, have courage. Get up; Jesus is calling you!” And Bartimaeus didn’t just get up; he sprang up quickly and came to Jesus confidently. And the fact that he threw off his cloak, his outer robe or coat, was significant, too. Poor, blind beggars would have very few possessions and probably only one outer garment. Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak in seeming confidence that Jesus really would and could help him.

Jesus certainly knew what Bartimaeus was hoping for, but He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” giving Bartimaeus another chance to ask for help from Him. The blind man then said, “Rabbi” (Teacher), “let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well” - or very literally, “Your faith has saved you.” And immediately, Bartimaeus recovered his sight!

We know from other Scriptures that Jesus had given Bartimaeus the gift of saving faith in Him, not just physical sight. We know the words of the Apostle Paul, “By grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Bartimaeus was showing that gift of faith in calling Jesus “Son of David” and “Rabbi.” Literally, Bartimaeus used the Aramaic word “Rabboni” - my teacher - a word used sometimes in Jewish literature for God, meaning something like “Lord of the world.” It is the same word used by Mary Magdalene on Easter morning when her eyes were opened and she realized that she was talking with the risen, living Lord Jesus - “Rabboni” - my teacher - my Risen Lord (John 20:11-18, esp. v.16)!

Jesus called Bartimaeus to come to Him, and Bartimaeus eagerly came by God’s grace. Bartimaeus recovered his sight physically but also received the gift of saving faith in Jesus. And so, when Jesus said, “Go your way,” Bartimaeus knew that the only way to go was with Jesus as his Savior, and we hear that he followed Jesus on the way. Later on, in the Book of Acts, Christianity is called, four times, “the Way,” and believers as thus people “of the Way” - of Jesus. Some commentators also think that Bartimaeus is specifically named because he was still a strong believer and known to many when Mark wrote his Gospel in the later 60’s AD, many years after this event.

Christ Jesus died for all, the Scriptures say, and did His saving work for the sake of the whole world. How comforting it is to know, too, that He was also thinking of and reaching out to ordinary, individual people like you and me as He made His way to Jerusalem to die and rise again. He could have just thought about Himself and all He had to accomplish, but Luke, in his Gospel, tells us that He also noticed a very small man, Zacchaeus, who had climbed up in a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus, and Jesus called him down, out of that tree, and brought him to faith and changed his life. That happened on this same trip through Jericho. And then, as Jesus left Jericho, he took the time to have mercy upon that poor, blind beggar, Bartimaeus, as well, and brought him to faith and salvation.

Surely, still today, Jesus knows and cares about each one of us, too, and has mercy upon us. He has already given His life for us, and he has made us His children in our Baptism and promises us His continued gifts through His Word and the Lord’s Supper. We come, too, as people of the Way, trusting in Jesus as our Way and Truth and Life.

Surely, whatever heavy burdens and fears and troubles we bring and carry with us today, and we all have some, Jesus will help us with, as we pray, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us,” too. Some of us, as we get older, even have eye troubles, too, but we are taught here to keep asking for help, whatever our needs. We may not get just what we want, but our Lord will care for us. Jesus said, on another occasion, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

That does not mean that all will be easy for us. Bartimaeus had people rebuking him and telling him to be silent and that he was wasting his time calling upon Jesus. We hear many of these same voices making fun of us as Christians still today. And Jesus Himself still faced the worst of His own troubles and voices condemning Him as he went to Jerusalem and to the cross. And yet He had His Easter victory soon after all the troubles.

And that victory will be ours, too, as we, like Bartimaeus, follow Jesus on the Way and keep calling on Him. And as believers, by the grace of God, we say to one another, as was said to Bartimaeus, “Take heart! Have courage! Jesus is calling us.” He will give us the strength we need, day by day, to stay with Him through Word and Sacrament, and one day give us the perfect victory in everlasting life with Christ.

We pray: Now may the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds safe, only where they are safe, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Preparing for Worship - November 3, 2024

Many Lutheran churches will likely celebrate this Sunday as All Saints Sunday. Those are the readings I will make some comments on here. Remember that, in the Old Testament, a saint is a believer in the Lord, as God’s people trusted the Lord and His Word and plans, culminating in the coming of the Savior, our Lord Jesus. See, for example, the words in 2 Chronicles 6:40-42, and 7:3, when the temple was dedicated in Jerusalem. In the New Testament, saints are all those who believe in Christ as Savior (together, of course, with the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit). See, for example, Romans 1:1-7, especially v.6-7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, and 2 Corinthians 1:1-2.

The first reading on Sunday is Revelation 7:9-17, where John receives a vision of countless saints from every nation, in heaven, all who have lived and died, washed and purified in the forgiving blood of Christ, and then been taken to eternal life. They are with the angels and the Triune God, and the Lamb (God the Son, our Lord Jesus) is their Shepherd, providing for them in perfect joy, where there are no more tears. They, in turn, praise and honor and serve the Lord in thanks for all His blessings. (Watch for a sermon I will send out next week with more about this passage.)

The psalm is Psalm 149, where “the assembly of the godly,” God’s Old Testament believers, sing new songs of praise and gladness to the Lord. He, in turn, takes pleasure in His people, humble before Him, and provides them with salvation. They seek to serve Him, including battling the evil enemies of the Lord, as described in “judgments written” in the Scriptures. (See, for example, in 2 Kings, Chapters 22-23, how “the Book of the Law” was lost and ignored in Israel, until it was found again, and King Josiah made many reforms, battling against the promotion of false gods and evil practices among the people.) Ultimately, the Word of God is the two-edged sword through which the Lord defeats false ideas and teaching. See Hebrews 4:12. We can use that sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), in battling evil and pointing people to the knowledge of God and to Christ our Savior. See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. All this glorifies our “Maker” and “King.”

The Gospel lesson is Matthew 5:1-12. This is a description of saints, of God’s people who know they are spiritually poor, and mourn over their sins, and hunger and thirst for the righteousness provided by Jesus, and seek to be merciful to others, as they have received mercy and peace from Him. They are not surprised when they are reviled and persecuted and spoken of in an evil way because of following Christ in this life. Great blessings follow, though, in heaven, earned by Christ our Savior.

The Epistle lesson is 1 John 3:1-3. John reminds us of the love of God the Father that has been given to us through Christ our Savior and His life, death, and resurrection to forgive all our sins and count us acceptable to Him through His gift of faith. We are “called children of God” and “so we actually are” through Christ. (See 1 John 5:10-13, where this is said so clearly. This includes the gift of eternal life, already ours.) We don’t know what that eternal life will be like, but we will be able to be in the presence of our Lord and see Him as He is. In the meantime, we seek to live faithful lives, not to earn anything, but in gratefulness for what God already has promised to us, in Christ. The Lord Himself continually purifies us, too, through His Word and Sacraments.

Preparing for Worship - October 27, 2024

This Sunday will be celebrated as Reformation Sunday in many Lutheran churches. I will focus on these special readings for this day rather than the ones for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost.

The Psalm is Psalm 46, the psalm from which Martin Luther composed his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” (The “sons of Korah" referenced in the introduction were descendants from the tribe of Levi who were “in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord” I Chronicles 6:1,22,31.) The psalmists praise God as their “Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.” Therefore, they “will not fear,” though “the earth shakes“ and “waters roar and foam” and “mountains tremble” and “nations rage” and “kingdoms totter” and “desolations” come. We see many of these “troubles” in our own day, as David and Martin Luther did in their days. We are called to stop and to “be still” and trust our Lord and God, who is always with us as “our Fortress.” The picture image of “the river whose streams gladden us” reminds us of the river in the garden of Eden (in Genesis 2:10) and “living waters flowing out from Jerusalem” with the coming of Jesus as “living Water” and the Water of life for us, as our Savior. (See Psalm 36:7-8, Isaiah 41:18, Jeremiah 2:11-13, Zechariah 14:8, Ezekiel 47: 1,12, John 4:14, 7:37-39, and Revelation 21:6, 22:1-2.) The last passage in this list also speaks of the river of the water of life in heaven when we will be with our Lord God and the Lamb, Jesus, in eternal joy forever.

This Sunday is also one of those times when a New Testament passage is read instead of an Old Testament lesson. It is Revelation 14:6-7. Martin Luther followed in the way of the angel (messenger) described in this passage, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to everyone possible. He called upon people to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things” and give Him all glory and worship God the Creator, and not skip over Him, as Adam and Eve did. The mention of the “springs of water” also reminds us of Christ Jesus as the One who brings us that eternal water of life, as we heard in Psalm 46. Luther also translated the Scriptures into the German language so that his own people could understand the Gospel and used German hymns in the liturgy of worship and the Divine Service, encouraging the use of the language of the people everywhere so that all could better understand the Word.

The Epistle lesson is Romans 3:19-28, a clear proclamation of the Scriptures' and Lutherans’ central message, salvation by God’s grace alone through the gift of faith in Christ alone - Christ who is our Redeemer, as the Propitiation (the atoning sacrifice for our sins, by His blood, shed on the cross for us). This saving work of Jesus was necessary because we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Comparing our works with the law of God brings us clear knowledge of our sins and the realization that we have nothing to boast about in our lives regarding God. We must give all the glory to God, for we are “justified only by faith in Christ, apart from the works of the law.” (See Romans 1:21-22 and 4:20-25.)

There are two alternatives for the Gospel. In Matthew 11:12-19, Jesus speaks of the violence coming against the Kingdom of God and God’s people from the time of the coming of John the Baptist, who was executed for his faithful service to his Lord. He was the one who came in the Spirit and power of Elijah yet was rejected. He neither ate nor drank, yet was ridiculed. Jesus came eating and drinking and as a friend to all people, including those despised, such as tax collectors and other sinners (which we all are, in one way or another). None of us can be saved by our own works and efforts, but only by belief in Jesus and what He has done for all of us. (See Jesus’ Words later in Matthew 21:28-32. Tax collectors and prostitutes go into the Kingdom of God before others because they repented and believed in Jesus, unlike those who refused to believe in Christ for salvation.)

The other alternative Gospel is John 8:31-36. Jesus speaks, again, to those who believe in Him and calls them to “abide,” to continue to trust in Him and His Word, for His Word is truth, that sets people free from their sins and condemnation for sin. Some thought of political slavery and objected that as Jews, they had never been “slaves” to anyone (though certainly, they had, to other nations and to the Babylonians and the Greeks and now to the Romans). Jesus says, “Truly, truly” (Amen, amen) "I say to you" (this is really true!) "If you sin, you are slaves to sin. You need Me, the Son of God, to forgive you and set you free from the condemnation for your sins." (See Hebrews 2:14-18 as a description of this.) Right after this text, Jesus also warns, “You seek to kill Me because My Word finds no place in you. ”Instead, you are following the one who really influences and controls you - your father, the devil" (John 8:37-38,44). This all stresses the importance of continually abiding in and listening to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is always working there to help us know His will and keep us in faith and strengthen us in faith and forgive us when we fail.

Sermon from October 19, 2024

Sermon for 22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Mark 10:23-31

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen (Psalm 19:14).

Last week, we heard from Mark, Chapter 10, of a man who came to talk with Jesus and left downhearted and sorrowful because he was trusting in himself and his abilities and his great wealth and possessions and was not about to listen to and follow Jesus and trust Him and His Words (Mark 10:17-22).

Our Gospel lesson for today tells us of the conversation that Jesus then had with His disciples about what had happened. We hear that Jesus “looked around” - maybe to see the reaction of the disciples. Then He said to them, ”How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God.” “And the disciples were amazed at His Words.” The typical attitude of Jews of that time was that wealth was almost a sure sign that you were right with God and being greatly blessed by Him. Jesus seemed to be saying the opposite.

So Jesus repeated His message, using a very vivid image. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” Some scholars have tried to explain away what Jesus said by saying the camel just represents a thread that could go through the eye of a needle - but that’s not what Jesus said. Others have claimed that there was one narrow and low gate into Jerusalem that a camel could go through only by being forced to its knees and squeezed through. That explanation doesn’t make sense, either.

Jesus had used a camel as a dramatic example on another occasion, too. He told the Jewish religious leaders, who tended to be wealthier and more powerful and were considered and considered themselves better than ordinary people: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you tithe to the temple (give 10% of your spices that you have or grow) but have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness… You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel” (Matthew 23:23-24).

In our text, Jesus then added one more phrase: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the Kingdom of God.” Period! It isn’t just wealth that can become more important than our Lord and His Word and will. It’s a First Commandment problem. “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:3). “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10). Or as Martin Luther wrote, in explaining the First Commandment, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

All things! That includes our possessions and our own wishes and desires and even people around us. Let me give a personal example that I have used before. If you know me very well, you know that I love books and what I can learn from them, especially in studying Scripture. When I theoretically retired more than ten years ago, I kept out books that I thought would be most useful but put many, many more books in storage. I am only now seriously looking through those many books, and my wife keeps saying, “If you haven’t used them for almost 11 years, do you really still need them?” She’s probably right, but it’s still hard to get rid of as many as I should. We all have our weaknesses in one way or another. And in our text, when the disciples heard what Jesus was saying, they were “exceedingly astonished” and said to Him, “Who then can be saved?”

And Jesus looked right at them and said, very bluntly, “With man, it is impossible.” And in the Greek it says, “With men (plural) it is impossible.” And the Greek word for “men” means not just “males” but refers to human beings - men, women, and children. With us human beings, no matter who we are, it is impossible to be saved - by our own goodness and efforts and accomplishments and possessions or anything else we do or produce. The Scriptures say the same thing in many other ways. “All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is no one who does good, not even one,” according to God’s perfect, holy standard (Psalm 14:1-3). “No one living is righteous before God” no matter how hard we try (Psalm 143:2). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). And James, in his letter says, “Whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point, has become guilty of it all” (James 2:10). If we are guilty, we are guilty.

Impetuous Peter, though, doesn’t seem to like what Jesus is saying and tries to argue with Him, as he sometimes had done before. Peter wants to put the focus back on himself and his fellow disciples and the good they were doing. Peter began to say to Jesus, “See!” Look at us, Jesus, and how “we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus then stops him, but it is likely that Peter was about to add, “Our great sacrifices for You, Jesus, surely earn us some merit and honor and a place in Your kingdom.” The reality was that Peter and the others hadn’t really yet given up everything. Peter and Andrew had a house, and Peter had a family (Mark 1:29ff. and 1 Corinthians 9:5). When Peter needed to get away, he was able to get a boat and go fishing, etc. (John 21:1-3).

Peter and the others were totally missing the message of Jesus and the really Good News, the Gospel, that Jesus had added. “With man, it is impossible to be saved, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” God still loved this very sinful world, even after the fall into sin, and knew that we could never make ourselves worthy of God and rescue ourselves from our sins - just as we heard last week that Jesus loved the rich man who thought he was so good. Jesus sought to bring that man to the truth of his sin and to bring him to the gift of faith, though the man rejected him.

God the Father had sent His only Son, Jesus, into this world to save us, who could never save ourselves. And right after today’s text, Jesus told His disciples for the third time just what He was going to do for them (and for us.). He would go to Jerusalem and be condemned to die by Jewish religious leaders and Gentiles, Roman authorities, and suffer much to pay for the sins of the world and be killed (Mark 10:32-34).

Jesus was fulfilling the final verse of our text when He said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Jesus seemed to be the last and the lost one when He gave up everything and died on the cross as a common criminal. The victors seemed to be Caiaphus, the high priest, and other Jewish officials, and Pontius Pilate and Roman power. They seemed to be first, and they were, in the eyes of many people. They had won and gotten rid of Jesus, it seemed.

Jesus was a true man, but He was also true God, and as He said in our text, “All things are possible with God.” Jesus saved this world in this amazing and surprising way, dying and rising again - something we could never do for ourselves or for anyone else. The certainty of His winning the victory and salvation for us was in His rising from the dead on the third day. This is His gift, received simply by faith and trust in Him and His already completed work for us. As Paul wrote so clearly, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

What does Jesus mean, then, when He speaks in the last part of our text of “houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands?” Jesus is not speaking of rewards that Peter and the other disciples would earn from their works and sacrifices. In fact, Jesus also mentions “persecutions,” and eventually, all of the disciples, except John, died for the faith, seeking to share it with others. Jesus is speaking of the growth of the Holy Christian Church over time as the Gospel of Christ was shared and houses of worship sprang up, and more and more people were eventually brought to faith in Christ in many lands and kept in faith by the Lord and His Holy Spirit. The Spirit works through the means, the channels, by which the grace and salvation come, as God’s gifts to us in Christ - through the Word of God and the Sacraments.

That’s why we are here tonight, hearing the Word of God again and receiving His forgiveness and being strengthened by remembrance of our Baptism and receiving the Presence of Christ Himself in the Lord’s Supper. These are the gifts of God, coming through His loving Divine Service to us and for us. As Lutherans, we say that this salvation, justification by God’s grace, received as a gift through faith in Christ alone, is the chief doctrine of the Christian faith. As Jesus said, “With man and our efforts, salvation is impossible, but not with God and His grace. All things are possible with God and His grace.

Unfortunately, that is not what many churches say. In the Roman Catholic Church, we receive some initial grace from God in our Baptism, but we must then do enough good to pay for the temporal consequences of our sins in this life (which Christ has not taken care of), and if we haven’t done enough, which is likely, we end up in purgatory after this life until we have done enough to merit eternal life.

Too many Protestant churches also say that we must initiate our life with God ourselves by deciding to follow Christ as an act of our own will, and then there is much work ahead to be a real Christian. One author described his life in an evangelical church as coming to Christ, but then not hearing as much about Christ, but being told to focus and be centered on his own life - his “yielding more to Christ, his obedience, his zeal, his prayers, his Bible verse memorization, his loving others more, his witnessing more,“ and on and on. These are all good things, but they put the focus on us and what we are trying to do and not on Christ and His saving work already done for us, by which we are saved and continue in the faith, by His grace and work in our lives, and the motivation we need.

Paul says, “To me, to live is Christ” - all wrapped up in Him. Paul says, “You then, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:21 and 2 Timothy 2:1). And we heard in our Epistle lesson for today, “We who have believed (in Christ) enter the rest that God gives… Whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works… Let us hold fast to our confession of Christ, the Son of God… For “we have a High Priest (Christ) who sympathizes with our weaknesses (whatever our own struggles)… Let us then with confidence draw near to Christ and His throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” - not through our efforts, but through Christ and His saving work for us.

Let us pray, “Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds safe, only where they are safe, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Preparing for Worship - October 20, 2024

The Scriptures this week continue to give warnings that we heard last week about the dangers of focusing on wealth and personal gain instead of the Word of God and His will and His blessings for us.

The Psalm is Psalm 119:9-16, part of the longest psalm in the Bible, but summarizing key ideas emphasized again and again in this psalm. The psalmist knows that God and His Word will guard and keep him in his life. He “stores up God’s Word in his heart” to help him avoid sin and remember God’s gracious ways. He seeks to delight in His Lord more than all earthly riches. He will not forget God’s Word, which he needs the most.

We hear from King Solomon, a very wealthy and powerful man, in worldly terms, in Ecclesiastes 5:10-20. He reflects on his life and knows that “loving money and wealth” does not really satisfy. “Increasing goods” and “a full stomach” don’t let him sleep and can actually “hurt” him. Riches can come and go, and he can’t take any of them with him or provide for what his son and family really need, in this way. There is much “vexation and sickness and anger” in his life. It is much better to focus on the “gifts of God” and trust Him for the joy and blessings the Lord alone can give to his heart.

We heard last week the story of a very rich man who left Jesus gloomy and sorrowful because he was centered on himself and his efforts and did not want to give up any of his great possessions. Jesus comments on that in our text for today, Mark 10:23-31, saying twice how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. The disciples are astonished, for the attitude of many in Judaism was that wealth was a sign of God’s approval for a person. Jesus has to remind them that no one can be saved by his own effort, but only by and through God Himself and His work for them. Peter struggles with this and asks what reward he and the disciples would get for their own sacrifices. Jesus then speaks of blessings, but also persecution, for them. Only in the age to come would be the clear blessings of eternal life, by God’s grace, through Jesus and His sacrifice for them. Many who seem to be first in this life will end up being last, while Christ Himself, who seemed to be lost and last as He died on the cross as a criminal, will actually be first, with blessings for those who simply trust Him.

The Epistle lesson continues readings from Hebrews, this week from Hebrews 4:1-13 (14-16). The author continues using the example of so many of God’s people on the way to the Promised Land, but losing out on it and never entering it and God’s rest, because of rebellion and sin and finally unbelief toward God Himself and His way and plans. They had received God’s “good news” but refused to “rest from their own ideas and works” and simply trust Him. They were disobeying and rejecting the Word of God, which ultimately showed the unbelieving thoughts and intentions of their hearts. God’s saving plan centered not on us and our efforts, but on Jesus, our great High Priest, who lived a perfect life for us and gave up everything for us and our salvation. We have received His mercy and grace and pray that we may hold fast our confession of Him, trusting that He will help in every time of need until we reach our own time of eternal rest in Him in eternal life. In Him alone is our peace and hope. This teaching of justification by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ is the central teaching of our Christian faith.

Preparing for Worship - October 13, 2024

The Scriptures this week give warnings from the Lord about the dangers of falling away from faith in Him and His rescuing work for His people. There are also words of hope from the Lord, in listening to Him and trusting His work in enabling us to stay in faith.

The Psalm is Psalm 90:12-17. This is a Psalm of Moses, written after God’s people had been rescued from slavery in Egypt. Moses reminds them of how short their lives are on this earth, in comparison with the everlasting Lord, and how many struggles they will have in this sinful world. As our reading begins, Moses calls upon his people to “number their days, that they may get a heart of wisdom” from the Lord. They need the Lord’s pity and mercy and steadfast love and will be able to see His glorious power and work on their behalf. He is able also to establish our work in ways that are pleasing to Him and give us joy and gladness in His grace.

Unfortunately, God’s own people often sinned and rebelled against Him. The Old Testament lesson, from Amos 5:6-7, 10-15, is an example of this from the time of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Many of the people hated hearing the truth and acted unjustly toward others, especially the poor and the needy. They built stone houses and planted vineyards, often profiting off the abuse of others. Their sins were great, in this evil time. Amos called upon the people to “seek the Lord and live,” but also prophesied that many of them would never enjoy their homes and vineyards, because they would be carried away into captivity (by the Assyrians) because of their sinful unbelief. There is a promise, though, that the Lord might spare and be gracious to a “remnant” of God’s people, who remained in faith by His grace. That is what happened when Jesus came from that remnant of surviving, faithful Jews and did His saving, forgiving work for all people.

The Epistle lesson continues readings from the Letter to the Hebrews in Hebrews 3:12-19. Here, too, come warnings of evil hearts that could lead people to fall away from the living God in unbelief. The example here is from God’s Old Testament people and their rebellion against God at the time of Moses. (You could read about this in Numbers 14:1ff, for example.) In Hebrews 3:15-19, the author quotes from Psalm 95:7ff, showing that almost all of those who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness in sin and rebellion and unbelief. He calls God’s people who share in Christ to hold on to our original confidence in Him. Sin is so deceitful, and our hearts can become hardened over time against the Lord. So, the author says, we need to keep on exhorting and encouraging each other through the use of God’s Word and Sacraments, through which the Holy Spirit works and keeps us in faith. That’s why we have worship and the Divine Service together and read and study our Scriptures, etc. It is not, as some say, “once in faith, you can never fall away.” We continually need our Lord and His Word and grace to keep us in faith.

The Gospel lesson is from Mark 10:17-22. A Jewish man runs up to Jesus and calls him a good teacher and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus points him to the reality that only God is good, and one must depend on Him alone. (Jesus Himself was sinless, but as a true man, he always depended upon His heavenly Father’s guidance and direction and help.) Jesus then reminds the man of many of the Ten Commandments, which should have helped him realize his own sinfulness. Instead, the man thinks he has kept all these commandments from youth, which Jews were often taught should and could be done. Jesus challenges the man, who was rich, at his greatest point of weakness, and asks him to sell what he had and give it to the poor. Even more important, Jesus calls the man simply to come and follow Him, Jesus, in faith, for He was the promised Savior, whose perfect life and payment for the sins of the world on the cross could save him. The man is shocked and gloomy and goes away sorrowful. He was breaking the First Commandment, above all, trusting himself and his own goodness and his great wealth, rather than Jesus, Lord and Savior. (This is said so simply in many places and in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Be sure to pay attention to next week’s reading from Mark, also, which speaks to all of us and our need for Jesus our Savior, too. He alone can save us by His grace through the continuing gift of faith in Him.)

Preparing for Worship - October 6, 2024

Several of our readings this week focus on the blessings of marriage and children. A series of readings also begins from the Letter to the Hebrews, focusing on Jesus as our Prophet, Priest, and King and the need to stay close to Him.

The Old Testament lesson is from Genesis 2:18-25. We hear of the many animals and birds God had created, the harmony with them, and all creation in the perfect world God had created, as Abraham names them. God then created the perfect helper and companion for Adam from one of his ribs and instituted the gift of marriage, bringing Adam and Eve together in oneness with each other. This is the origin of the whole human race and all nations (Acts 17:26).

The Psalm is Psalm 128. It is a “song of ascent,” sung as people went up to Jerusalem. “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” This is reflected in families with the blessing of a wife and children and the desire to live long enough to see “children’s children.” In His wisdom, this is not God’s plan for all, but this is the way the human race continues until Christ’s return.

The Gospel lesson is from Mark 10:2-16. Pharisees came and tried to “test” Jesus by asking what His view was about divorce and its “lawfulness.” Jewish views about what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 varied. Some thought divorce was clearly wrong; others, like Rabbi Hillel, wrote that a husband could divorce his wife even for such things as letting his food burn. Jesus said that Moses wrote this because of the hardness of human hearts and human failure. Jesus took the Pharisees back to God’s original intent for marriage in Genesis 2, our Old Testament lesson. The high standard of God is the lifelong commitment of a man and woman in marriage. In this passage, we also hear again of Jesus’ love and concern for children. The disciples did not want Jesus bothered by children, but Jesus wanted the children to come to Him and be blessed, as they also could be part of the Kingdom of God. He held this high standard of the value of children and had already taught the disciples this (see Mark 9:35-37), but they failed. They had failed and sinned, but obviously, there could also be repentance and forgiveness of their sins. That is why Jesus had come into the world. He had come to “save sinners,” which we all are. (See Matthew 9:11-13 and Mark 2:16-17 and Romans 5:6-8 and 1 Timothy 1:15, etc.) He came for us to make us His children and bless us, too.

The Epistle lesson is from Hebrews 2:1-13(14-18). The Letter to the Hebrews emphasizes that God has spoken throughout the Scriptures, but “in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son” and His saving work for us (Hebrews 1:1-2). Hebrews 2 begins with a key warning. “We must pay attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” and “neglect such a great salvation” that Christ Jesus has provided for us. The Biblical writer then quotes from numerous Scriptures that show that Jesus was and is the promised Savior, through His perfect life and “suffering of death” for us, “to make propitiation” (His atoning sacrifice) “for the sins of the people,” including us, as our great “High Priest.” We then, who “share in flesh and blood” with Him, are brought to “put our trust in Him” and continue in such faith through the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” in God’s Word and Sacraments. (Here are some of the Old Testament Scriptures quoted or referred to: Psalm 8:4-8, Psalm 22:23, Isaiah 8:17-18 and 12:2, and 2 Samuel 22:3.) Jesus is the “merciful and faithful High Priest” for us who can help us through times of suffering and temptation that we all face. Thanks be to God for the victory we have in Christ! May we stay close to Him always and “keep paying attention to what we have heard” through Him and the whole Word of God.