Homily for the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord

Wednesday, 2 February 2011, saw not only the fruits of a severe winter storm complete with freezing rain, sleet, and snow (affectionately called "snowmaggedon" or "snowpocalypse"), but it also gave us the privilege of celebrating the feast of The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. Nine of us, including the Kantor and the Pastor, braved the elements and gathered to celebrate our Lord's presentation in the temple forty days after His nativity. The homily, "Great Promises in a Small Package," focused on Simeon holding the Infant Savior, his now immortal song, and what it all means for us in the Lord's Church.

Click this link (or the title link), download the audio file, and listen to "Great Promises in a Small Package."

Reformation Text Study

If you're looking for a text study to aid in preparations for celebrating Reformation Day (October 31), please consider this humble offering. It was presented last year (2009) at our weekly Pericope Study group, and I offer it here for wider consideration and use.

"Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defends us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." (Collect for Reformation Day, Lutheran Service Book)

Homily for St. Michael and All Angels

Last night's homily for St. Michael and All Angels focused on the theme of "Praising God with the Angels," and drew together all three Scripture readings: Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12; and Luke 10:17-20. Also, without actually citing it, the homily tried to reflect our prayer to God in the Collect of the Day: "that, as Your holy angels always serve and worship You in heaven, so by Your appointment they may also help and defend us here on earth."

To listen to the homily, just click on this link and download the audio file.

Homily for the Ascension of Our Lord

Last evening we celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord. Inspired by Luther's House Postil on the Ascension (1532, if I recall correctly), it was a delight to proclaim our Lord's coronation in light of Ephesians 4:8-10 under the theme "No Longer Captive."

To listen to the audio file, click this link, download the file, and listen away.

On Christ's Ascension I Now Build

In order to prepare us for celebrating our Lord's Ascension, this article will appear in the May edition of my congregation's newsletter, "The Hope Lutheran."

At Christmas celebrated God the Son coming down to us and taking on our human flesh and blood. In Lent and Holy Week we celebrated Jesus’ descent into suffering and death, humbling Himself further, to rescue us from sin and give us life with Him. On Easter Sunday, and for several Sundays since, we have celebrated His rising to life again and His victory over the grave.

On Thursday, May 13 we will celebrate Jesus' enthronement, His victorious reign, and our abundant life in Him as we celebrate The Ascension of Our Lord at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Jesus' exaltation began when He descended into hell and continued with His rising to life. But it did not stop there. Jesus' Ascension completes His Father's mission to accomplish our salvation.

Sad to say, though, Jesus' Ascension doesn't get as much attention as do Christmas or Easter. Perhaps it's because we celebrate it on a Thursday. Why a Thursday? In our hectic world we want a pretty good reason for adding yet one more thing to our frantic schedules. We're so frazzled from shuttling the kids to school and sports and juggling our own schedules that a Thursday evening is prime time for "vegging out" in front of the "boob tube."

Why celebrate Jesus' Ascension on a Thursday? Because it marks 40 days after Jesus' Resurrection. After He rose from the dead Jesus remained on earth 40 days (see Acts 1:3), teaching His apostles and others what His dying and rising meant (also read Luke 24 and John 20-21). Jesus had to put all the puzzle pieces together for His followers—what kind of Savior He is, what kind of life He gives through His Gospel and Sacraments, and how they were about to be sent out to teach others.

Another reason Ascension Day may not be a big deal is that we've lost its meaning. We may think that once we've celebrated Easter, we've finished the salvation story. But that's like leaving a baseball game at the seventh inning stretch! Your team may be ahead by one point on the scoreboard, but you haven't seen the exciting conclusion. Your favorite player may yet hit a grand slam to clinch the victory. To echo Paul Harvey, Jesus' Ascension gives us "the rest of the story."

On Christ’s Ascension…

The Formula of Concord says: "Now He has ascended to heaven, not merely as any other saint, but as the apostle testifies (Ephesians 4:10), above all heavens. He also truly fills all things being present everywhere, not only as God, but also as man." (FC, VIII, 27)

What does this mean?

First, Jesus' Ascension means that His work of saving all people is done. When Jesus died on the cross, He said, "It is finished." When He ascended into heaven, Jesus showed that everything for our salvation is accomplished. Our eternal life with God is a "done deal." Love came down at Christmas, accomplished forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation on the cross, rose victorious over death, and then returned to God the Father. Jesus finished His journey. Our life with God, now and into eternity, is safe and secure. What a comfort when doubts annoy, temptations assail, and sorrows come crashing in!

Second, Jesus' Ascension means that a perfect human being has entered heaven and sits at God's right hand. We can try all we want to get to heaven on our own steam, but we cannot get there. The people at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) tried to get up to heaven, but their pride was their downfall. We try to impress God with our good lives, but then our pride leads us to ruin too. No human being can enter God’s glorious presence and live. Until now! Jesus not only breaks the bonds of death, but He also opens the barrier between God and human beings. Our ascended Lord gives us the hope of entering God’s glorious, eternal presence.

Third, Jesus' Ascension means that He rules over all things. Without this step in Jesus' exaltation, we in the Church would wander through life aimless and scared. Terrorist attacks, political scandals, or economic bad news would lead us to despair. We would vainly try to create some kind of heaven on earth. Without Jesus' Ascension, we might think that we should mould and shape the Church like a wax nose—make it look and act differently with every passing fad of "popular" teaching.

But with Jesus' Ascension, we have peace. Jesus rules all things for the good of His Church. Everything from terrorist attacks to church struggles to personal tragedies takes on new meaning. Jesus uses everything—even the conflicts and wars, even our personal trials and stresses—to strengthen us in faith toward Him and in fervent love toward one another. Nothing is out of Jesus' gracious control. He works it all for the good of His people.

Faith comes by hearing…

How does this good, Biblical teaching of Jesus' Ascension help us in faith and life? Why is it important for the Church to hold on to Jesus' Ascension as one of its prime teachings?

First, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit for His followers. While Jesus goes away from physical sight, He does not leave His Church. He promises to be with her "in, with, and under" the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26 Jesus says, "He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." In John 15:26, our Lord says, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me." Jesus promises the Holy Spirit who, in turn, keeps our focus on Him.

Then in Acts 1:9 we read, "When He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight." Notice: this key verse does not say that Jesus is gone! The great joy of the Ascension is that while Jesus may be out of sight, He is not out of mind, and He most certainly is not absent. He's still with His forgiven, precious people!

Here's an illustration. A mother and her six month-old baby are playing together on the living room floor. Mom has to get up and go into the kitchen. The baby looks around but doesn’t see Mom. She starts to fuss, fearing that she is alone. What does Mom do while she is in the kitchen? She speaks. She speaks so her baby can hear her: "It's alright, my dear. Mommy's still here." The baby is comforted. How? Not by the visible presence of Mom, but by hearing her voice.

That's what the Ascension of Jesus means for us Christians. A cloud hid Him from the disciples' sight, but He was not absent. Instead, Jesus comforts His disciples, then and now, with His voice. So Jesus' Ascension teaches us something very important: the Church does not live in the time of seeing, but in the time of hearing. Faithfully hearing the Word of God read, preached, and sung is the most important thing any Christian can do in life. As St. Paul says, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Based on this clear, comforting Ascension teaching from the Bible, we in the Church must, and can, trust our ears more than our eyes. Too often our eyes lead us astray. If pews look empty, we despair and don't trust Jesus' eternal care for His Church. If pews look full, we gloat and pat ourselves on the back for how we ingeniously brought people into "our" church. Instead of relying on our eyes—and the common, worldly standards of success and failure—our Lord calls us to rely on our ears.

After all, the more we hear the Gospel of Jesus' gifts of forgiveness and life, the more we are comforted and strengthened in faith. The more we hear the Gospel, the better equipped we are to give "a reason for the hope that is in [us]" (1 Peter 3:15).

Supposedly Dr. Martin Luther (1483-1546) was once asked about a preacher who had distracting mannerisms in the pulpit. The upset church member complained to Dr. Luther, "I just can't watch him and get anything out of the sermon." Dr. Luther replied, "Well, then, take your eyeballs out of their sockets, put them in your ears, and listen!" Jesus' Ascension ushers us into the time of hearing God's Word. After all, hearing God's life-giving Word is the fountainhead of our life with God.

So, set aside Thursday, May 13 to attend the Divine Service. When Jesus ascends to God’s right hand, so do we. And Jesus promises to rule all things for the good of His body, the Church. As we sing in the Ascension Day hymn:

On Christ's ascension I now build

The hope of my ascension;

This hope alone has always stilled

All doubt and apprehension;

For where the Head is, there as well

I know His members are to dwell

When Christ will come and call them.

(Lutheran Service Book, 492:1)

Homily for the Resurrection of Our Lord

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

As we celebrated the Resurrection of Our Lord this past Sunday, the homily was based on the Gospel reading, Mark 16:1-8, and titled, "The Easter Evangel."

Click this link to download and listen to the audio file.

St. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus

Today the Church remembers and honors St. Joseph, the stepfather and guardian of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lutheran Service Book gives these readings for observing this day:

2 Samuel 7:4-16 – God will raise up David’s offspring and He shall build a house for God’s name.

Psalm 127 – “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

Romans 4:13-18 – God’s promise of offspring for Abraham came through the righteousness of faith.

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 – Joseph protects the Infant Jesus in the flight to Egypt then returns to the land of Israel and settles in Nazareth of Galilee.

Collect of the Day:

Almighty God, from the house of Your servant David You raised up Joseph to be the guardian of Your incarnate Son and the husband of His mother, Mary. Grant us grace to follow the example of this faithful workman in heeding Your counsel and obeying Your commands; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn Verse:

We sing our thanks for Joseph,

The guardian of our Lord,

Who faithfully taught Jesus

Through craft and deed and word.

Grant wisdom, Lord, and patience

To parents ev’rywhere

Who guide and teach the children

Entrusted to their care. (LSB 517:14)

Meditation:

“Oh, Joseph, of the great heart, wearing goodness and understanding. You are strong, Joseph, a man of toil, of gnarled hands and faith and wise judgment. For a short moment long ago, you hesitated before this child, but then, in fullest love, you battled for him mightily, and won.

“You will endure, Joseph, for out of homeless nights and weary journeys and strength and sacrifice for a child, you built not beams and trestles, but life. Old carpenter, it is said you died in Jesus’ early manhood, but the structure that you raised lives on beyond the best of wood. You did not know at first, Joseph. But that boy was yours because you wanted him, and is yours, even as he is all mankind’s who want him.” (George W. Cornell [1920-1995], They Knew Jesus; cited in For All the Saints, III:1316)

Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor

On this day Lutheran Service Book commemorates Dr. Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor. Treasury of Daily Prayer gives a brief synopsis of Luther's life and work, which you can read at Pr. Weedon's blog.

I also notice that Pr. Weedon posted the very same quote that I intended to post. It is one of my favorites from Dr. Luther, as it nicely describes the Christian life in this world:

“This life is not godliness, but growth in godliness; not health, but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest, but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way; the process is not yet finished, but it has begun; this is not the goal, but it is road; at present all does not gleam and glitter, but everything is being purified.” (“A Defense and Explanation of All Articles,” AE 32:24).

Since there are so many good pearls from Dr. Luther, I'll post a few more quotes that have impressed me, sustained me, and taught me much. Here's one on faith:

“Faith is a lively and mighty thing. It is not a sleepy and lazy thought held suspended over the heart yet never swimming in it like a goose hovering over the water. It is rather like water that is heated and warmed by a fire so that if it still remains water, yet it is no longer cold but warm and a completely different kind of water. So faith, which is the work of the Holy Ghost, makes a different heart, mind and soul. It makes the whole person new.” ("Lectures on Genesis," AE, 2:265-267).

Here's a gem that we certainly need to hear in our time, as the Reformer extols holding to the faith and teaching of the whole Church of all times:

“For it is dangerous and atrocious to hear and believe anything against the unanimous testimony, belief, and teaching of the whole holy Christian church that from its beginning now for more than fifteen hundred years has been taught with one accord all over the world.” (“Letter Against Some Factious Spirits to Margrave Albrecht of Brandenberg,” 1523, St. Louis Edition, 20:1686; cited in C. F. W. Walther, Church and Ministry, 141)

And speaking of the Church, who can forget Luther's lovely and simple way of describing the Church as that which even a child can know:

"Thank God, a seven-year-old child knows what the church is, namely, holy believers and sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd. So children pray, 'I believe in one holy Christian church.'" (Smalcald Articles, III, XII, 2)

Luther certainly knew how to preach the Gospel of God saving us and enlivening us in His Son, Jesus Christ. Here Luther proclaims that precious message as he speaks of Jesus' Baptism:

“For we see how God in heaven pours out his grace through his Son’s baptism. Heaven which before was closed, is opened by Christ’s baptism and a window and door now stand open for us to see through. No longer is there a barrier between God and us, since God himself descends at the Jordan. The Father lets his voice be heard, the Son sanctifies baptism with his body, and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. Is this not a great manifestation, a truly great sign of how very precious baptism is to God, that he does not abstain from it?” (House Postils, I:218)

And finally, this quote on the Virgin Mary really opened my eyes to just how much Luther wanted to remain with "the unanimous testimony, belief, and teaching of the whole holy Christian church." Notice it comes from "mature Luther."

“She was without doubt, a pure, chaste virgin before the birth, in the birth, and after the birth.” (Sermon from 1541 on Holy Innocents)

Luther was certainly a complex and colorful character, but most of all we thank God that His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ brought great comfort to the Reformer and that our gracious God used Luther's humble lips and pen (okay, not always so humble, we must admit) to confess the Truth who is Jesus Christ. If nothing else of Luther's writings were to remain, his Small Catechism would be plenty for us to feast on the Bread of Life whom he confessed. After all, the Small Catechism gives a great summation of the Christian faith as a whole, and especially in the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed:

"I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true." (Small Catechism, Creed, The Second Article)

Fatherly Wisdom-Eve of the Epiphany

As we shift gears from the Twelve Days of Christmas to celebrating the Epiphany of Our Lord, here's a little something from Leo the Great to pinpoint the cause of our joy and the "reason for the season," the Epiphany season that is:

The loving providence of God determined that in the last days he would aid the world, set on its course to destruction. He decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ.

A promise had been made to the holy patriarch Abraham in regard to these nations. He was to have a countless progeny, born not from his body but from the seed of faith. His descendants are therefore compared with the array of the stars. the father of all nations was to hope not in an earthly progeny but in a progeny from above.

Let the full number of the nations now take their place in the family of the patriarchs. Let the children of the promise now receive the blessing in the seed of Abraham. In the persons of the Magi let all people adore the Creator of the universe; let God be known, not in Judea only, but in the whole world, so that "his name may be great in all Israel."

Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God's grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the merciful God, "who has made us worthy," in the words of the Apostle, "to share the position of the saints in light; who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son." As Isaiah prophesied: "the people of the Gentiles, who sat in darkness, have seen a great light, and for those who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death a light has dawned." He spoke of them to the Lord: "The Gentiles, who do not know you, will invoke you, and the peoples, who knew you not, will take refuge in you." (Sermon 3 for Epiphany, 1-3; cited in Wright, Readings for the Daily Office from the Early Church, 46-47)

Homily - Reformation Day (Observed)

Here's the homily that I preached at both my congregation, Hope, St. Louis, and Trinity Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, MO for the "Reformation Festival" of the Sedalia Circuit of the Missouri District (LCMS). It was a great joy, honor, and privilege to join the brothers and sisters in central Missouri in order to proclaim the Good News of the Son setting us free from our slavery to sin, also since my wife and I got to see many relatives on her side of the family. Here's the homily:

The Son Sets Us Free
Reformation Day (Observed; at Hope & at Reformation Festival, Trinity, Cole Camp, MO)
John 8:31-36

In the late nineteenth century Joel Chandler Harris gave us the Uncle Remus stories with their famous, and impulsive, character Br’er Rabbit. In one story Br’er Rabbit has an unfortunate encounter with a Tar Baby, a lump of tar fashioned by Br’er Fox to look like a creature and thus lure Br’er Rabbit into a trap. Br’er Rabbit spots the Tar Baby and begins talking with it, but the Tar Baby does not respond. Impulsively, Br’er Rabbit concludes that the Tar Baby is stuck up. He insults and threatens the Tar Baby, but still the Tar Baby does not respond. Fed up with the Tar Baby acting stuck up, Br’er Rabbit hauls off and hits the life-sized but lifeless lump of tar. And his fist gets stuck. Then he hits it with his other fist. And that fist gets stuck. Then, totally upset with the Tar Baby, Br’er Rabbit uses one foot to kick the Tar Baby, and, yes, you guessed it, his foot gets stuck. Finally, Br’er Rabbit tries to hit the Tar Baby with his head…and gets stuck. Well, things don’t turn out too well for Br’er Rabbit, because Br’er Fox comes out from his hiding place and threatens to eat Br’er Rabbit.

What does Br’er Rabbit have to do with our Gospel reading or with celebrating the Reformation in the Western Church? Remember Jesus’ words: “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Just as the Tar Baby grabbed Br’er Rabbit’s attention and lured him in, so also our sin appeals to us and lures us in. But there’s more. Just as Br’er Rabbit tried to fight the Tar Baby and got hopelessly stuck, so also with our sin. We can try to fight against our sin, even our many actual sins, but we’ll only get stuck—stuck as if punching, kicking and head butting a gooey, sticky Tar Baby.

In our Gospel reading, the Jews who believed Jesus were not at all convinced that they needed to be set free from any tar baby of slavery. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Pretty comforting words, if you think about it. But the folks who had believed in Him objected. “We are offspring of Abraham,” they reminded Jesus. “We have never been enslaved to anyone.”

I guess those folks somehow forgot about the 400 years they were enslaved in Egypt, making bricks and serving harsh Egyptian slave masters. I guess they happened to forget about the 70 years they spent in exile in Babylon because they had been faithless to the God who loved them, redeemed them, and freely gave them the Promised Land. I guess it slipped their mind that at the very time they said they’d “never been enslaved to anyone,” their country was subject to the Roman Emperor and his mighty armies. I guess it’s like Br’er Rabbit trying to say, “I never got stuck with no Tar Baby.” It just wasn’t true.

Jesus, though, knows better. He knows that they most certainly have been slaves and still are slaves, but He’s not thinking of politics and race relations. He’s thinking of the heart of the matter, of what enslaves every human being: “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” He’s thinking and speaking of our spiritual life. When we commit sins, we show that we are slaves to sin. The more we commit sins, the more we punch and kick that ol’ “tar baby”…and the more we get stuck. And if you’ve ever gotten tar on you, you know what a mess it is. Just imagine getting stuck in it.

Only Jesus, the Son of God, can free us from the tarry mess of our sinful state and our sins of thought, word, and deed. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” And how does He do that? First, by taking on our human flesh and blood and becoming one of us. St. Paul called it “taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” But that’s not all. He also took the tarry mess of our sin upon Himself. “And being found in human form, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). As Jesus hung on that cross, hands and feet pierced with nails, head wounded with a crown of thorns, He put Himself in our place of fighting our “tar baby” of sin. “For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). That’s what St. Paul means when he says in our second reading: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

This is why we celebrate Reformation Day today. No, we do not celebrate Martin Luther hauling off and smacking the pope a good one, as if he were Br’er Rabbit and the pope were the Tar Baby. No, we do not celebrate Martin Luther throwing off the shackles of some burdensome church tyranny and starting his own, freer kind of religion. He even said that he was not trying to start his own church. No, we do not gather on this day for a Lutheran pep rally and cheer, “Luther, Luther, he’s our man; if he can’t do it, no one can.” And we certainly do not gather to sing a modified version of that song by Queen: “We are the Lutherans, my friend. And we’ll keep on fighting till the end.” So let’s not be like those folks in our Gospel reading—let’s not say, “We are offspring of Luther and have never been enslaved to anyone.”

Instead, we celebrate Reformation Day because Luther and the Reformation remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith. After all, it’s only by Him that we can be and are free from the tar baby of our sin. This is the “eternal Gospel” that the angel carries in our first reading.

Let’s go back to what happened on October 31, 1517. We know the story. Luther posted his “95 Theses” for scholarly debate. He saw some problems and abuses in the church of his day, and he wanted to correct those abuses with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the freedom from sin in His cross-won forgiveness. Remember how Luther began those “95 Theses”: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Repentance. That’s the one thing that the offspring of Abraham in our Gospel reading did not have. That’s the key thing that was missing in Luther’s day as people tried to seek God’s graces by man-made works designed to merit God’s favor.

But it’s the very thing that Jesus is talking about in our Gospel reading. No, I didn’t hear the word “repentance” there either, but it’s what our Lord is teaching us. “If you abide in My word…you will know the truth.” What truth? The truth that you and I are enslaved in our sins. How so? When we give in to works such as “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these” (Gal. 5:19-20). Ew! What a tarry mess! And, try as we might, we cannot free ourselves from such things.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” And how’s that? By His death and resurrection; by His gifts of life and forgiveness that free us from the tar baby of sin and death. Also by being brought into His house, the Church, where we live in repentance. It’s not enough just to be pardoned; we also need to be brought into Jesus’ home, the Church. We’re not just saved from sin; we’re also saved for living as God’s children.

The Son remains forever in the house of His Church. It’s where we are freed and cleansed from the tar of our sin in the purifying waters of Baptism [just as Sergei and Slav now have been]. It’s where we live confessing our sins day in and day out and hearing the liberating words of our Lord’s Absolution. That Absolution keeps cleansing us from the tar of the sins we keep getting on ourselves. The house of His Church is where our Lord’s holy Body and Blood free us in forgiveness and strengthen us to resist reveling in the tar baby of our sins.

When the Son of God sets us free from our sin and sins, He also frees us to live in the fruit of the Spirit—in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23). When we practice such things, we do not try to merit God’s favor. You see, we can truly practice such things only when we already have God’s favor in Christ Jesus. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24).

So, instead of trying to fight the tar baby of our sin with our punches and kicks against our sticky sins, let’s cling to the truth of Jesus’ word of truth: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” After all, He has kicked sin and death in the teeth, and He frees us to live with Him in His house. Amen.

Homily - St. Michael and All Angels

I cannot believe that I actually passed up the chance to preach on St. Michael's day, but I could tell that Mr. Louis Boldt really wanted a chance preach on this great day of hearing God's teaching on angels, especially the story of St. Michael. As you can see from the following sermon, Louis did a very fine job as he took the task of preaching an "image-based" sermon, doing a masterful job of describing the picture (shown here) to which he refers throughout the sermon. You can learn more about the picture here: http://www.artilim.com/artist/david-gerard/altarpiece-of-st-michael.aspx .
Here's Louis' homily:

Today we are observing the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, which occurs tomorrow. September 29 is the day that the Church has set aside to acknowledge and honor the role of St. Michael and all angels in God’s created order. Today’s sermon will focus specifically on the work of St. Michael. While St. Michael is only mentioned five times in the Bible: 3 times in our Old Testament reading, once in our Epistle reading, and once in the Book of Jude, these sections of Scripture tell us quite a bit about his role in God’s creation. While many artists over the centuries have used these sections of Scripture for inspiration, there is a 16th century painting by Gerard David that expresses St. Michael’s work and his role in God’s creation in a unique way.

When you look at this painting, your eyes are drawn to its center where you see St. Michael standing on the ground with outstretched wings. Wings that almost span the entire width of the painting. Wings that almost span the entire height of the painting. And as we gaze at this larger than life image, we see that he is wearing a gown of the finest silk. Silk that is the color of the sky on a cloudless, summer day. A gown held in place with gold rope across his chest and cinctured around his waist.

And overlying this silk gown, St. Michael wears a cloak made from the softest and choicest of velvets. Its interior color is the warmest charcoal gray and the exterior color is the richest burgundy. Trimmed with intricate, gold filigree and held in place by a large gold medallion. A cloak so long that it drapes across the ground around him. And we are reminded of Daniel’s vision from our Old Testament reading. A vision that promises that Michael, a great prince, one of the chief princes, will arise and deliver the people from their trouble, trouble like there has never been before. And then we notice the shield in St. Michael’s left hand and the spear in his upraised right hand. And we know that this great prince does not come to deliver the people with a peace treaty. He comes to deliver them by waging war.

And as we look at the spear in St. Michael’s, we notice that he is looking down toward the ground and our eyes are drawn to that part of the painting. And as they focus on the ground at St. Michael’s feet, we see seven hideous, demonic creatures struggling to get out from underneath him and flee away. Creatures that have an other worldly appearance with horns, fangs and claws. Some bear a resemblance to animals, while others have a disturbingly human appearance.

And as we gaze upon this epic struggle between St. Michael and these demonic creatures, we notice other figures behind St. Michael up in the sky. And when we look more closely, we witness an on-going battle. A battle between angels in sky blue, silk gowns and demonic creatures like those at St. Michael’s feet. And we remember John’s vision from our Epistle reading, the vision of St. Michael and his angels battling the great dragon and his angels. St. Michael and his angels are victorious. They cast them out of heaven and throw them down to the earth.

Now this may or may not surprise you, but most people don’t believe that Satan is real. Most people believe that Satan is just a symbol for evil. He is just a symbol that people use to explain the bad things that happen in the world. A symbol to blame for all the bad things that people do. But they are wrong, very wrong. Now, I have never met Satan nor could I point him out in a crowd, but I know he exists. I know that he is real. I know because there is evil in the world. I know because behind every evil act is the agent of evil. The Devil. The Ancient Serpent. The great dragon. And that is how we see him. We see him through his works, through his temptations to sin. And this is what Gerard David is depicting in his painting entitled St. Michael Defeats the Seven Deadly Sins. Those seven demons underneath St. Michael’s feet represent the seven deadly sins.

And these sins are evidence of Satan’s work among us. Satan tempts us with LUST. He tempts us to take that lingering, second look. He tempts us to fantasize about that person we saw. He tempts us to act out our fantasies with that person.

Satan tempts us with GLUTTONY. He tempts us to eat one more dessert; after all, the first one was so good. He tempts us to eat out more often than we eat at home, just because we can. He tempts us to get our money’s worth at the all you can eat buffet; after all, we paid for it.

Satan tempts us with GREED. He tempts us with the latest and the greatest cell phone, game system, or plasma screen TV the market has to offer. Even if we already have one; after all, the new one can do some things that the old one just can’t do. He tempts us to replace our car with a new model - sure our car runs great, but it is getting old. He tempts us to work longer hours and take on more jobs to make more money; after all, we need to save for our retirement.

Satan tempts us with SLOTH. He tempts to spend less time on a project than we should; after all, we can cut a few corners and get it done more quickly. He tempts us to do our volunteer work in a half-hearted way; after all, we are not getting paid to do it. He tempts us to sleep in and skip Bible Study class; after all, that’s not as important as the worship service.

Satan tempts us with WRATH. He tempts us to lash out in anger because we didn’t get our way. He tempts us to get back at the other person; after all, they started it. He tempts us to get in the “first word” because we know they are going to attack us.

Satan tempts us with ENVY. He tempts us to think ill thoughts about a sibling because they always get what they want. He tempts us to think ill thoughts about a co-worker who got the promotion instead of us. He tempts us to think ill thoughts about another family because everything always seems to go their way.

Satan tempts us with PRIDE. He tempts us to boast about the things that we have done. He tempts us to withhold compliments even though they are warranted. He tempts us to disregard people’s attempts at correction; after all, that doesn’t apply to me.

And as we take in this epic battle scene between St. Michael and his angels and Satan and his minions, we notice the golden hue of sunlight breaking through the clouds at the top of the painting. And as our eyes are drawn toward that glorious light, we notice a figure within the light. A figure dressed in the finest of silk gowns. A figure wearing a cloak made from the softest and choicest of velvets. A crimson red cloak that matches the color of the underlying gown. Crimson red like the color of blood flowing from an open wound. As we look closely at this figure, we see that He is wearing a many tiered, golden crown on his head and carrying a royal scepter in His left hand. And we realize this is The King, The King who reigns in heaven above. We realize that the King of Kings is overseeing this battle. And then we remember John’s words from our Epistle reading, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, ... they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...”

And we realize that the battle that St. Michael and his angels are waging against Satan and his minions was already won. It was a battle won when the very Son of God came down from heaven above. To take on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. It was a battle won by Jesus, the Christ, when he lived a life under the law. To fulfill the law for those who could not. It was a battle won on a cursed tree at Golgatha. When Jesus Christ shed his blood and gave His life to pay for the sins of the entire world. To pay for your sins and for my sins. It was a battle won in an empty tomb on Easter morning. When Christ Jesus overcame death itself by rising from dead. It was a battle won when Christ ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. Where He received the power, authority and dominion over all of creation. It was a battle won when the Son of God enacted the full and complete kingdom of God.

And the great news for us, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is that we are part of this kingdom of God. We were brought into this kingdom of God through the waters of our baptism. We heard the Word of God. We received the sign of the cross on our foreheads and upon our hearts. We were baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the waters of our baptism, we were clothed with Christ as we were baptized into His death and resurrection. To receive forgiveness for our sins and to rescue us from death and the devil. And we live our lives looking forward to Christ’s glorious return at the end of this present evil age. An age where the devil lives and walks among us, prowling like a roaring lion. Looking for people to devour because he knows his time is short. An age where Satan seeks to pull us away from God by tempting us with the seven deadly sins.

And if we were left alone to face these temptations, we would surely succumb and be lost forever. But we are not alone. God has given us the Holy Spirit in the waters of our baptism to help us. God is at work within each of us through the power of the Holy Spirit to face these temptations and overcome them. Our faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit enable us to resist Lust and instead practice CHASTITY. To practice TEMPERANCE and resist Glutttony. To resist Greed and instead practice CHARITY. To practice DILIGENCE and resist Sloth. ..... To resist Wrath and instead practice PATIENCE. To practice KINDNESS and resist Envy. To resist Pride and instead practice HUMILITY.

And when we succumb to the temptations of the Devil, Jesus does not forsake us or leave us, He forgives us. When we confess our sins to God our Father, it is Jesus, Himself, who forgives our sins in the words of Absolution. When we come to the rail burned with guilt over our sins, it is Jesus, Himself, who says, “Take, eat, this is My body given for you” “Take, drink, this is My blood shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” And it is Jesus, Himself, who promises “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Amen.

Homily - St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Jesus Heals Sinners
St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist
Matthew 9:9-13

Today the Church remembers and thanks God for St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist. In our Gospel reading, he calls himself “Matthew,” but in Mark and Luke, he’s called “Levi.” Other than that other name, the story before us today, and the Gospel that bears his name, not much is known of Matthew for sure.

We do know for certain that Matthew was a tax collector. (Hiss! Boo!) Now we know what it’s like to deal with the taxman on April 15, but that’s nothing compared to Matthew. You see, Matthew did not work for the government of his own people. No, he worked for the much-hated Roman government, the empire that occupied Palestine in the first century. So he and other tax collectors were viewed as treasonous traitors to their country. On top of that, they were also considered apostates, or standing outside of, their people’s religion in the synagogue and the temple. And on top of all that, the tax collectors would routinely overcharge the folks, in order that they could line their own pockets. Hey, what’s a few extra shekels? Give the Roman authorities their due to keep them off your back, but then have a little extra left over to get rich quick. So, what we see in our Gospel reading is pretty remarkable just because of who Matthew was before he encountered the Savior.

Then Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and dwelling among us, came to Matthew and said two simple words: “Follow Me.” Matthew, the hardened, corrupted, thieving tax collector simply “rose and followed Him.” What a miracle! Matthew was one of the sin-hardened Israelites. Why would he want to hear God’s Word in the flesh? After all, it would mean a complete change in his life. He would have to give up his dishonest gain from over charging people on their tax returns. He would have to sacrifice his posh lifestyle. But he would receive something much better in place of it all. He would receive full life with God and complete healing from sin and death.

Matthew was changed by the forgiving mercy of Jesus, and he threw a great banquet for the Lord of Life, the Word of God in the flesh. And Matthew wanted his business associates and his acquaintances to take part in this new life too. So Jesus came to eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners. What a great display of God’s eternal mercy, forgiveness, and life!

But the sin-hardened Israelites did not like what they saw: Jesus dining with sinners. “Why does He do it?” they asked the disciples. Jesus answered: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” You see, dear saints, Matthew shows us how to realize and admit our sickness of being hardened in sin. Matthew shows us how Jesus comes to heal us.

I’m sure that each of us can identify with Matthew. He had his lying, cheating, and stealing ways. We have our lies. We cheat or steal in different ways. Perhaps we cannot tell our spouse what’s really upsetting us. Perhaps we lied to the boss about that little conflict the other day. Perhaps we did not want to be completely honest with our mom or dad, or with our children. Perhaps we cut corners on our tax returns, this last year or for several years. Perhaps we cheated on that test at school, or copied someone else’s work on that term paper. Perhaps we stole the company’s time by not working to our fullest potential. We’re a lot like Matthew.

But remember this: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” You don’t go to the doctor if you are healthy; you go when you are not well. And so we have come to Jesus’ hospital for sinners here today. Since He desires mercy and not sacrifice, He gives us a wonderful prescription of healing forgiveness. Yes, it’s expensive, and no health plan can cover the cost. It cost Jesus His very life as He spilled His holy, precious, life-giving blood from the cross. But that, dear friends, is our greatest medicine! That’s what we receive today in our ears and our mouths. Jesus, our Divine Physician, desires to give us His mercy, the mercy He showed by sacrificing Himself for us and for the whole world.

Notice how He did that with Matthew. First, Jesus called him to follow after Him. Then, Matthew threw a banquet for this Jesus who showed him mercy. Then—scandal of scandals!—this Jesus starts hanging out with and dining with other tax collectors and sinners. (Gasp!) But isn’t that the way of a physician? He kind of has to hang around those who are sick with all the nasty little viruses and bacteria. A physician kind of has to deal with all of the messy, putrid little details of sick people.

Well, that’s exactly what Jesus came to do for Matthew and for us. When He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He truly came to hang around with and deal with us who are infected by sin and death. And just why would He lower Himself to hang out with us sin-sick people? In order to set us free from our sickness of sin and death. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection set us free from our sickness that leads to lying, cheating and stealing.

We certainly see how Jesus’ healing changed Matthew. He went on to write the first Gospel account. He probably wrote it in Palestine for his fellow Israelites. That certainly comes out in his Gospel account as he shows that Jesus came to fulfill the various Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. According to Church tradition, Matthew also proclaimed the healing of Jesus, the Gospel, in various countries in the Middle East. It’s generally believed that Matthew was martyred, that is, executed for confessing Christ and His forgiveness and life. No one is quite sure how it happened, whether he was burned, or stoned to death, or beheaded, but it does seem that Matthew was martyred for confessing and proclaiming the Lord of life and His healing of forgiveness. What enabled Matthew to do this? The full and perfect healing that he received from Jesus, the Son of God. Yes, Matthew shows us “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Matthew shows us how Jesus’ healing in forgiveness leads us in the Church to “a mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

When Jesus heals us, as He did Matthew, we too can endure whatever afflictions come our way, confident that God will always love us and always see to our needs. We no longer need to live like a tax collector, scraping and scratching, thieving and cheating to make ends meet or to make our lives meaningful. No, we can live in complete confidence that we are well, that we live with God. We can enjoy the feast that our Lord puts on for us here today, a feast with all of us sinners gathered together for healing. As one preacher said: “Jesus’ sitting at table has more significance for Matthew than just dining. Jesus will be feasting not on food but on the return of sinners. He will call them back through feasting, collegiality and human affection, enjoying himself with their pleasant conversation while reclining at table.” (Peter Chysologus, ACCS, NT, I:178) Amen.

St. Bartholomew, Apostle

Today the Church remembers and thanks God for St. Bartholomew - a. k. a. Nathanael - Apostle. Here's a little write up from Philip Pfatteicher, Festivals and Commemorations: Handbook to the Calendar in Lutheran Book of Worship followed by the Collect of the Day, readings, and hymn verse from Lutheran Service Book.

St. Bartholomew, Apostle

Bartholomew is listed as one of the twelve apostles in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and again in Acts. In these synoptic lists his name immediately follows that of Philip. The list of the Twelve in the Fourth Gospel has the name Nathaniel rather than Bartholomew, and it is sometimes assumed that the apostle’s given name was Nathaniel and that Bartholomew was a patronymic, representing the Aramaic for “son of Tolmai” (ef. “Simon Bar-Jonah” in Matthew 16:17). Nathaniel was from the town of Cana in Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle. He was invited to discipleship by Philip, who told him that he and Andrew and Peter had found the Messiah in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. At first Nathaniel was doubtful, but after a word from Jesus, he followed.

The story of his call (John 1:45-51) is all that is recorded in the New Testament of the life of St. Bartholomew, but there are several traditions about his later labors. He is variously reported to have preached in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Persia, and India; in connection with India Eusebius says that Bartholomew left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew which Pantaenus, a missionary of the third century, found there in the hands of the local people. Most of these stories agree that St. Bartholomew spent his last years preaching in Armenia and was flayed and beheaded in Albanus (modern Derbend) on the Caspian coast. (The flayed Bartholomew is portrayed in a prominent place in the Sistine Chapel in Michaelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment.) The Armenian Church believes that the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus were the first to bring the gospel to the Armenians, and that Bartholomew spent a number of years there before his death. The Armenian Church commemorates him on two days in the year: once together with St. Thaddeus and again together with an Armenian martyr.

A very different story of St. Bartholomew’s mission appears in the traditions of the Coptic and Ethiopian churches, which also revere him highly, observing his day on August 29. Their accounts tell of his preaching at an oasis in Upper Egypt (there is a special commemoration of this even on November 15), then going among the Berbers where he was rescued from wild beasts by a cannibal, and finally preaching along the coast of North Africa where a local king, Agrippa, had him sewn into a leather bag and dropped into the sea.

August 24 has been St. Bartholomew’s day on calendars of the Western church since the eighth century, but no reason for the date is known. The Eastern Orthodox churches commemorate him with St. Barnabas on June 11. In European history St. Bartholomew’s Day is remembered for the massacre of Protestants which took place on that day in Paris in 1572.

Collect of the Day
Almighty God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, chose Bartholomew to be an apostle to preach the blessed Gospel. Grant that Your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Readings
Proverbs 3:1-8
Psalm 121
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Luke 22:24-30 or John 1:43-51

Hymn Verse
All praise for him whose candor
Through all his doubt You saw
When Philip at the fig tree
Disclosed You in the law.
Discern, beneath our surface,
O Lord, what we can be,
That by Your truth made guileless,
Your glory we may see. (LSB 518:23)

Homily - St. Bartholomew, Apostle

The No-Deceit Disciple
John 1:43-51

When we see the symbol for St. Bartholomew, we might scratch our heads in puzzlement. Bartholomew’s symbol is an open Bible with a flaying knife on it. Fishermen keep such knives in their tackle box for flaying the fish they catch. The symbol for St. Bartholomew, though, reminds of his faith, his work, and his martyrdom.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up to our Gospel reading for today. Again we might scratch our heads. After all, we did not hear the name “Bartholomew” in our reading from John 1. Instead, we heard the name “Nathanael.” When the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke list Jesus’ disciples, they pair up “Philip and Bartholomew” (Mt. 10:3). John’s Gospel, though, gives us Philip and this guy named Nathanael. Most likely, “Nathanael” was his first name and “Bartholomew” his last name. So, today we remember and thank God for Nathanael Bartholomew, or, in good Hebrew fashion, Nathanael, son of Tholmai.

We hear how Philip, who was already called to be a disciple by Jesus, invited Nathanael to “Come and see” this Jesus of Nazareth. After all, Philip said, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote.” But Nathanael wasn’t quite sure. He had his doubts, to be sure. But he did not have deceit. Nathanael asked if anything good could come from Nazareth. That’s like asking if anything good can come from East St. Louis or from Festus, Missouri. In Nathanael’s mind Nazareth was “Hicksville.”

And yet our Lord Jesus says these startling words when He sees Nathanael walking toward Him: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” Even though Nathanael Bartholomew had his doubts about Jesus being the Messiah, at least he spoke plainly and called ‘em as he saw ‘em. He would become the Lord’s “no-deceit disciple.” Then, when Jesus told Bartholomew that He saw him sitting under the fig tree before Philip had even invited him to meet Jesus, Bartholomew realized that this Jesus was the “real deal,” truly the Messiah. So Nathanael made a confession of faith: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Is that all it took? Why anyone from a nearby hill could have seen Nathanael snoozing under his fig tree! So Jesus invited Nathanael to see still greater things. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” I doubt Nathanael would of have missed that one. His last name of “Bar-Tolmai,” son of Tolmai, indicates he was a good Hebrew. And all good Hebrews knew the Old Testament story of the patriarch Jacob sleeping one night with a rock for a pillow and having a dream of a stairway that connected heaven and earth (Gen. 28:10-22). Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on that stairway and the Lord God—the Son of God—standing at the top. Now Jesus would apply that ancient dream to Himself. Nathanael Bartholomew would see heaven and earth joined in Him, in the Son of Man, the Son of God, who had come to earth and taken on human flesh.

So Jesus calls Bartholomew to Himself, overcomes his initial doubts, sparks faith in him, and essentially says, “Just you wait, Mr. Nathanael, you’ll see Me reunite heaven and earth, that is, God and sinners.” That’s the real confession of Jesus the Son of God, the King of Israel!

That’s about all the Bible tells us about St. Bartholomew, except for also mentioning him after Jesus’ Resurrection. Perhaps a couple of weeks after Jesus rose from the dead, Nathanael is listed with Peter and the others who were sitting around. Peter decided to go fishing, and we can only assume that Nathanael and the others joined him. That’s when this little band of disciples saw Jesus appear on the shore and then fix a nice little “Easter breakfast” of fish for them. So Nathanael Bartholomew witnessed the risen Christ. He did get to see the Son of Man reunite heaven and earth in His crucifixion and resurrection.

What else did St. Bartholomew do, and what happened to him after Jesus ascended? Church traditions say that he traveled east to proclaim this crucified and risen Jesus. Savior Jesus turned this plainspoken, no-deceit disciple into a brave preacher of His forgiveness, life, and salvation for the world. The story goes that Bartholomew went as far as India preaching Jesus who is the true Israelite in whom there is no deceit. In fact, the Church historian Eusebius says that Bartholomew left a Hebrew copy of the Gospel of Matthew in India, where it was rediscovered only a couple of centuries later by another missionary there. Finally, Bartholomew suffered his martyrdom, his execution for confessing Jesus Christ, in the region of Armenia—north of Iran and Iraq, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Tradition tells us that Bartholomew was probably flayed (skin cut and pealed off) and beheaded. And all that for preaching Jesus Christ crucified and risen and thus converting the king’s brother and his family.

What does this story of St. Bartholomew have to do with us? How does it strengthen our faith in Christ crucified and risen to forgive our sins and restore us to life with God? As we Lutherans confess, “[T]he history of the saints may be set before us so that we may follow the example of their faith and good works, according to our calling” (AC XXI:1). This “no-deceit disciple” named Nathanael Bartholomew may have had his doubts about Jesus at first, but he did end up believing in Him and confessing Him with great boldness. That’s why Bartholomew’s symbol has not only the flaying knife in it, but also the open Scriptures. By God’s grace, he spent all of his days after meeting Jesus confessing the real Israelite in whom there’s no deceit, Jesus the Messiah. When the prophet Isaiah foretold the Savior and his suffering, he said, “they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Is. 53:9). No-deceit Jesus “was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5). No, we are not healed by Bartholomew’s execution. Instead, we, along with Bartholomew, are healed by Jesus’ execution. Our Lord Jesus unites heaven and earth, restores us sinners to life with God and forgives all our doubts and deceits, with His shed blood and His glorious resurrection.

And here’s how St. Bartholomew serves as our example in faith and life. In today’s Collect we asked God: “Grant that Your Church may love what [Bartholomew] believed and preach what he taught.” When we are healed by Jesus’ execution, when we also see the angels of God ascending and descending on the crucified and risen Son of Man, our hearts are free to trust Him. You see, in Him we sinners on earth are reunited with our heavenly Father, with His Son, and with the Holy Spirit. And that makes us “no-deceit disciples” too. With the confession of Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Israel in our mouths, and with His Body and Blood put in our mouths, He removes our deceit and leads us to speak the truth, just as He did for Nathanael Bartholomew.

In our day too many pastors and churches would rather moisten their fingers, stick them in the air, and try to sense which way the breezes of religion are blowing. So we need the example of St. Bartholomew. Jesus’ “no-deceit disciple” teaches us to proclaim our “no-deceit Savior” with great boldness and confidence, even in the face of death. We are free simply to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen. So, come to His Table, and receive His Body and Blood to strengthen you in believing and proclaiming what Bartholomew also believed and taught. Amen.

The Visitation

Last week, on June 24, we celebrated a little "Advent in June" with the Nativity of John the Baptist. Today we who use the historic One-Year Series from LSB celebrate some "Advent in July" with the Visitation. (Those who use the LSB Three-Year Series celebrated this festival on May 31.)

In the Visitation we hear the account of the Virgin Mary going to visit her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John the Baptist, and Mary has just been given the miraculous conception of the Word of God, the eternal Son of God, in her womb. But the visitation that truly captures our attention and elicits our praise, along with that of Mary and Elizabeth, is that God Himself comes to visit us in the flesh.

Readings
Isaiah 11:1-5
The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed the coming of our visiting Lord and Savior as "a shoot from the stump of Jesse." The Holy Spirit would rest on Him, thus showing Him to be the very embodiment of God's "wisdom and understanding," "counsel and might," "knowledge and the fear of the LORD." We discover all of this in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh in the womb of the humble Virgin. The Savior who comes to visit us brings righteousness, that is, righteousness as the gift of God's forgiveness and the vindication of being set free from sin, death, and the devil. Thus this "shoot from the stump of Jesse" would "judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth." How blessed we are that our Savior comes to visit!

Romans 12:9-16
When our Savior comes to visit us in our flesh and blood, He comes to reunite and restore us to life with our holy, Triune God, the very life we had before Adam and Eve's fall into sin and death. Thus today's Epistle reading draws our attention to our true humanity, what it should look like and how it is meant to be lived. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Certainly the Virgin Mother of God displayed these qualities and lived these virtues in her lowly state, but our Lord Jesus showed them perfectly and supremely. While Mary is certainly a good example of faithfully receiving the great things that God did for her, her Son both shows us how to "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer," and He freely gives such gifts to us through His atoning death and resurrection and in the work and life of His Church. Since He has come to visit us in great humility by taking on our flesh and by dying and rising for us, we too can "rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." We also can live and love in our recreated humanity and "live in harmony with one another," striving not to be haughty but rather to associate with the lowly and shunning conceit. This is the life that our visiting Lord embodies and gives for us.

Luke 1:39-56
Today's Gospel gives us the account of Mary coming to visit Elizabeth. However, the greater visitation happens between those who are unseen at this time: John and Jesus each in their mother's wombs. When Jesus enters the house, residing in Mary's womb, John, in his mother's womb, leaps for joy. His Savior, as well as the Savior of his parents and of the Virgin herself, has come to visit. Then Mary sings her magnificent song of praise, lauding God Himself, extolling His deeds for her and the rest of humanity, and teaching us how to receive God's good things no matter how lowly our estate. Mary serves as our great example for how to receive our God who comes to visit us in the flesh--in the flesh of His Incarnation and "in the flesh" of His Body the Church, especially as He comes in His Body and Blood on the Altar. Luther said it well in 1521: "Therefore god lets us remain poor and hapless, because we cannot leave His tender gifts undefiled or keep an even mind, but let our spirits rise or fall according to how He gives or takes away His gifts. But Mary's heart remains the same at all times: she lets God have His will with her and draws from it all only a good comfort, joy and trust in God. Thus we too should do; that would be to sing a right Magnificat" (The Magnificat, 1521; cited in For All the Saints, III:1307).

When our Savior comes to visit in His flesh and blood then, in Mary's womb, and in His Body and Blood now, at the Eucharist, we rejoice greatly, because He restores us to life with God by working His justice over our sin and death and over our enemy the devil. Thus we sing as Mary teaches us: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

Homily - St. Peter & St. Paul, Apostles, with Ordination of Michael Bahr

“Flesh and Blood Have Not Revealed This to You”
St. Peter & St. Paul, Apostles –
with Ordination of Rev. Michael Bahr
Matthew 16:13-19 (w/ Galatians 2:1-10)
Trinity Lutheran Church, Bluffs, IL

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Greetings, President Bueltmann and Pastor Eckman. May our gracious God continue to bless you as you serve Him in His Church. Greetings, redeemed saints at Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity congregations. May our Savior continue to comfort, strengthen, feed, and nourish you in His Gospel of sins forgiven, in your Baptism, and with His holy Supper, and may He bless you with love for your new shepherd and with his love for you. And, last but not least, greetings, soon-to-be Reverend Bahr. What a weighty thought! Can you feel the onus of the office starting to press down? May our loving Lord Jesus, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, bless you in your labors of preaching His Gospel and giving out His gifts in Baptism, Absolution, and Supper.

I am both humbled and honored to proclaim God’s message of mercy for you on this momentous day. I also marvel at the timing. An ordination is a joyous, historic event in any congregation, but especially today for the tri-parish – three congregations in one parish – of Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity. Mike, it’s certainly a joyous, life-changing event for you. After all, today you receive the mantle of the Office of the Holy Ministry, the mantle of serving at the bidding of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the mantle of loving your one flock of three congregations. And here’s the marvel. Today we celebrate this joyous event on the very same day that we remember St. Peter and St. Paul for laying down their lives for Christ and His Gospel. Could there be a message here? Yes, I think so. And a great one!

In today’s collect we acknowledged that “Peter and Paul received grace and strength to lay down their lives for the sake of [God’s] Son.” Then we prayed for God’s strength to confess His truth “and at all times [to] be ready to lay down our lives for Him who laid down His life for us.” That, fellow saints in Christ, is what this ordination is all about—laying down one’s life for Him who laid down His life for us. Members of Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity, that is what your pastor will do for you, and what you will do for him. Mike, you will indeed sacrifice yourself—your time and talents, your energy and efforts, your prayers and love—for your flock. No, this laying down of your lives may not take on the form of martyrdom, but it will take on the shape of sacrificing yourselves for one another in Christian love. Let’s hear what this meant for Peter and Paul, and then what it means for you, Mike, and the congregations committed to your care.

St. Peter and St. Paul were both “second-career men.” Peter first worked as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Then the Lord Jesus called him to follow Him and promised that he would “catch men alive” by tossing out the net of the Gospel and bringing them into the boat of Jesus’ Church. Sure, Peter had his problems, his bull-in-a-china-shop personality, his sins, and even his infamous three-fold denial. But as we hear in today’s Gospel reading, he also made the good confession. Jesus asked His twelve disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Oh, and did they know that answer for this seminary exam! “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But then Jesus asked them, point blank: “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” You see, it’s not enough to know the scholarly answers or the answers in current discussions and publications. Jesus wants to know what His disciples truly believe and confess. So, Peter speaks for the whole group: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Well done, Peter!

Then Jesus gives the real punch line of the story: “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” No, human wisdom did not lead Peter to confess Christ. No, human insights did not serve as the foundation for Jesus’ Church then, nor do they now. Rather, Peter confesses the Truth who comes down from the Father—the Truth-in-the-flesh named Jesus, the Truth who laid down His life on a cross to restore us to life with God.

Then there was St. Paul. His first “career” was being a zealous Pharisee, so zealous that he wanted to hunt down, arrest, and even kill off every pesky little Christian he could find. But, once again, the Lord Jesus got the last word. Our Lord confronted Saul on the road to Damascus and enlisted him—ordained him—to preach the Gospel that he formerly tried to extinguish. In our Epistle reading, St. Paul tells us of his reception by the other Apostles. He “went up because of revelation and set before them the gospel that [he proclaimed] among the Gentiles.” And what Gospel was that? Hear what he says a few verses later: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

Paul confessed the same Jesus as did Peter—the Son of the living God, the Christ who saves us, who gives His life for us, and who lives His life in us. For both Peter and Paul, this one confession would consume and shape the rest of their lives. Both Peter and Paul would proclaim this one confession of Jesus the Christ, the Savior of sinners to any and all who would hear it, and even to many who would reject it. Peter and Paul would lay down their very lives for this same confession of Christ crucified and risen. As tradition has it, they both suffered martyrdom in A.D. 67—Peter by being crucified, and upside down at his own request, after all, he didn’t want to be crucified the same way His Lord did; and Paul by being beheaded, after all, he was a Roman citizen. You see, Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, came into our flesh, suffered and died for us, and rose again to forgive all our sins and give us life with God. This Jesus and His message of life and mercy were not revealed by flesh and blood, but by our Father in heaven. This Jesus enabled both Peter and Paul to devote their lives to proclaiming the Gospel and to lay down their lives in confessing the Faith.

Mike, this is the very confession and message of Christ for which you lay down your life, figuratively speaking, here today. You see, flesh and blood have not put you here at the tri-parish of Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity, but your Father who is in heaven, and your Savior who laid down His life for you. Very shortly, you will stand before God and His redeemed people and make some solemn promises. Before you make your ordination vows, pay special attention to these words of introduction: “God gathers His Church by and around His Holy Gospel and thereby also grants it growth and increase according to His good pleasure” (LSB Agenda, 165). God Himself gathers you and His people around the confession of Christ, the Son of the living God. That’s the foundation of His Church—not your brilliant personality, not your diligent sermon preparation, not your wowing Bible class presentations, but the confession of Christ crucified and risen for us sinners. God Himself grants growth to His Church—not by means of well-crafted mission statements, not by strategies modeled after the business world, not even by ginning up some blazing zeal to get people excited about missions. No, God grants growth to His Church at His good pleasure and on the foundation of Christ Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Proclaim Him, confess Him, teach Him, comfort your people with Him and His forgiving mercy, and you will do what your Lord sets you apart to do here today.

Redeemed saints of Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity, I urge you to remember one thing from today. Flesh and blood did not put Pastor Bahr here among you, but your Father who is in heaven, and your Savior who laid down His life for you. Sure, you went through the proper channels of contacting your District President and requesting Vicar Bahr from the seminary, and then calling him to be your pastor. But always remember that it was your Savior who loves you who now puts Pastor Bahr here to serve and love you. After Pastor Bahr makes his solemn promises, you will be asked: “Will you, the faithful, according to the Church’s public confession, and speaking for the whole Church, receive [him] as a servant of Christ and minister of Word and Sacrament?” (LSB Agenda, 167). That applies not only to today’s joyous event of ordination, but it also applies to each and every day for as long as our Lord keeps Pastor Bahr here. No doubt there will be times when you just don’t want to listen to him, especially when he confronts you with your sins. No doubt there will be times when Pastor Bahr makes his mistakes in words and deeds. After all, we pastors are chiefs of sinners, you know. But your heavenly Father and your Savior have still put him here to love you by giving you the good confession of Christ, the Son of the living God. So, pray for him, support him and his family, listen to his Christ-centered teaching, and be comforted by the message of sins forgiven and life with God. I am confident that Pastor Bahr will feed and nourish you with the very Bread of Life who is Jesus Christ Himself.

So, today we join with St. Peter and St. Paul in laying down our lives for the Truth who is the Son of the living God, the Truth who is Christ who loves us and gave Himself for us. After the Ordination Rite, our Lord will again come to us in His Body and Blood, the same Body and Blood that was broken and shed on the cross, the same Body and Blood that sustained Peter and Paul to lay down their lives in martyrdom. May this Body and Blood forgive us and give us the life of Christ here and now. May this Body and Blood strengthen us to lay down our lives to confess Jesus Christ in our day. May this Body and Blood strengthen you, Pastor Bahr, and you, dear saints at Christ, Immanuel, and Trinity in the forgiveness and life of Jesus. May this Body and Blood of our crucified and risen Savior be the focal point and the beating heart of your life together for many years to come. After all, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Amen.