Homily - Epiphany of Our Lord

Actions Speak Louder than Words
Matthew 2:1-12

“Actions speak louder than words.” No doubt, you’ve heard that saying, and you know exactly what it means. Another person can speak a promise to you, but his action of keeping that promise says much more than the mere promise. A spouse can say, “I love you,” but unless those words are backed up by actions of love, devotion, and commitment, then the words ring hollow. “Actions speak louder than words.” Somehow, we just know how true it is.

It’s even truer for God, especially on this day of celebrating the Epiphany of our Lord. As soon as Adam and Eve had fallen into the deep, dark hole of sin and death, the hole of separating themselves and the whole human race from God, God made a promise to save them and the whole human race. You remember the promise. God spoke to the deceiving serpent and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). God gave His promise, and the human race would eagerly wait to witness His actions of fulfilling that promise. Actions speak louder than words.

Through the centuries God gave plenty of actions to save and redeem His chosen people, Israel – the exodus from Egypt; the tabernacle worship; the royal line of David; the temple worship; the return from Babylonian exile. But what about the rest of the human race? The rest of the world was still waiting for God’s actions to confirm His gracious words. As we heard in our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah had promised God’s actions for all nations: “the LORD will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” And speaking of those nations from around the globe, Isaiah also said, “They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring the good news, the praises of the LORD.” Those were God’s words. Now, what about His actions to speak His grace and mercy loudly and clearly for all nations?

That’s what Epiphany is all about. God’s action in sending His Son into the world speaks quite loudly. The Son of God taking on human flesh to restore us to God’s favor and life with God speaks quite loudly. But if He had remained secluded in a tiny corner in the little town of Bethlehem, unannounced and not adored, then a small whisper would speak much more loudly. No, the Infant God in the flesh chose to reveal Himself beyond the bounds of Israel and to all nations. And His epiphany, His appearing, to the Magi speaks louder than words. Isaiah’s words gave the promise; Jesus’ appearing to the Magi gives the loud-sounding action.

We can see how the actions of the Magi spoke at first. They sought the newborn King of the Jews, and so they journeyed to Jerusalem. Resting on their own wisdom, their actions showed that they didn’t quite get it, not just yet. The divine King would not be found in the human centers of power. They still needed to hear the words and promises of God.

We can see how the actions of King Herod spoke. He was greatly troubled at the mere thought of a king other than himself. Even though he said that he wanted to worship the Child, his later actions betrayed him. Instead of seeking to worship the Holy Child, he wanted exterminate Him. We can see this by his action of slaughtering the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem.

So, let’s return to the Magi, now as they are led to the Christ Child. Their actions speak louder than words. And have you ever noticed that now the Magi say absolutely nothing? No words; just actions. The star leads them to the house where they find Mary and Jesus. Yes, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” when they saw the star. And they don’t say a word – at least not as Scripture records the epiphany for us. But their actions speak quite loudly and quite well.

“And going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother….” Actions speak louder than words! They saw the Christ Child – the Word of God made flesh, the Savior of the world, sitting in His mother’s lap. Imagine the awe and wonder. I don’t know about you, but I’d sure be speechless. Notice how God’s actions of coming and appearing sparked their actions of bowing and offering.

“…They fell down and worshiped him.” Their worship did not make Him the Christ-Child. Their worship did not cause Him to come and appear for all nations to receive. Rather, they fell down and worshiped because that’s just what you do when you come into the presence of the living God. Actions speak louder than words! Being in the presence of the Creator and Savior of the world calls for different actions, non-everyday actions.

“Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” As Leo the Great proclaimed, the gold was for the King, the incense, for God, and the myrrh, for Man. The action of this offering spoke quite loudly: this Child is the God-Man, the King who comes to save all people from their sins. This royal Child, God in humble human guise, comes specifically to live our human life, to die our death, and to bring us back to life with God. After all, it’s through His death on a cross that He conquers death and forgives sins. And since He is God in the flesh, death cannot contain Him. His resurrection brings life for all who cling to Him in faith, for all who bow down before Him. Yes, actions speak louder than words. His actions rescue and redeem us, and they free us to bow before Him just as the Magi did.

This is the great mystery that St. Paul proclaims to us today. This Christ Child, this Infant Savior, comes not just for Israelites, but also for us Gentiles. This Infant King who would ascend the throne of His cross comes not just for the “good religious people,” but also for sinners such as us. St. Paul said it this way: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” God’s actions in sending His Son and revealing Him to the nations spoke quite loudly: He reconciles all people – even us – to Himself!

So, what about our actions in response? Do our actions speak loudly that we are followers of the Holy Child? Do they speak loudly and clearly that this Holy Child is the God-Man who comes to reconcile us with God? We could go in many different directions, but today let’s focus on actions in worship. Yes, actions speak louder than words even in the liturgy. For example, do you join in singing the hymns, or do you just stand there and gawk around? Do you participate in the prayers by bowing your head, folding your hands, and saying, “Lord, have mercy” or “Hear our prayer,” or are you figuring out what’s for lunch when you get home? Actions do speak louder than words.

When we process in at the beginning of the Divine Service, our actions communicate something: we are entering the presence of the living God, God-in-the-Flesh, God-with-us even now. When we stand for the Gospel reading, for the Creed and the Prayers, and for the liturgy of Communion, we confess that God is truly with us, to reveal Himself by forgiving us. When we kneel at the Communion rail, we tell the world that we humbly bow before our King, and we gratefully receive His mercy in Body and Blood.

Let me recommend another action that speaks quite loudly, and it goes with some familiar words. In the Creed we say, “who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.” Let’s bow when we say these words. After all, it’s a great mystery that the Son of God would come down from heaven, take on our skin and bones, be one of us, live among us, die for us, and rise again for us, and thus bring us salvation. Let’s bow, literally and physically, when we confess our Lord’s Incarnation. And then, right after we say, “and was made man,” let’s stand up straight again. After all, we wouldn’t want to join the mock worship of the soldiers when our Lord “was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.” So, don’t be shy to bow when we confess our Lord’s Incarnation. Christians have done it for centuries.

Yes, actions speak louder than words. Certainly our Lord’s actions of coming and revealing Himself speak quite loudly to save and comfort us. Our actions can speak quite loudly too, as we bow before Him for His great mercy and life. Amen.

Homily - Eve of the Epiphany

This homily was proclaimed earlier this evening at our Evening Prayer on the Eve of the Epiphany. Usually we celebrate an evening Divine Service on Epiphany (6 January) and showcase our children's choir called the Kantorei (with a benefit reception following the service). However, since Epiphany itself falls on Sunday this year, we chose to begin the Epiphany celebration with Evening Prayer, complete with Kantorei singing and brass and strings playing. What a joyous way to open the door to tomorrow's Epiphany Feast!

Gifts for the King
Matthew 2:1-12

“What do you get for the person who has everything?” We often ask that when we go Christmas shopping. Some people are just hard to shop for. Either they already have everything that you may want to give, or you just don’t know what they need or want. What do you get for that person who has everything?

We can ask the same thing of the Christ Child. What do you give to the King who has everything? After all, even as a newborn infant on Christmas or as a toddler on Epiphany King Jesus already owns everything, doesn’t He? “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell in therein” (Ps. 24:1). Also remember, this Word-made-Flesh made all things long before He took on Flesh, “without Him was not anything made that was made” (Jn. 1:3).

What do you give to the King who has everything? The Magi can show us. They came all the way from Persia, or modern-day Iraq. Perhaps they knew of the coming Messiah from Daniel and other exiles from Israel over five centuries before Christ came. Perhaps they figured out the coming of the Bright Morning Star from studying the stars themselves. At any rate, they came. They came specifically to worship the Newborn King. A brief stop in the royal city of Jerusalem revealed that the New King was not there; only wicked King Herod was. The star led them on to Bethlehem. Once in the house with the Virgin and Child, they gave their gifts. Of course, we remember the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but let’s not forget the worship. First, they fell down and worshiped Him, and then they opened their treasures.

What do you get for the King who has everything? Why, of course, gifts that honor who He is—God and Man in one Person. Incense is a gift for God. It speaks of the gift of faith. It speaks of prayer ascending to God in response to His goodness. Myrrh is a gift for a Man. This gift looks ahead to the death of Jesus, true God and true Man, on the cross and His proper burial. And gold—it’s the gift fit for a king. Some say that this gold probably supplied the needs of the humble Holy Family for many years.

But the Magi offered much more than these material gifts; they offered their faith and their worship. The incense, the myrrh, and the gold were simply the first fruits of that faith. The Magi fell down and worshiped Him. You see, they trusted the promise of God’s Savior who would come into the world to restore all humanity to God Himself. When these Wise Men looked at the humble Infant Jesus, their physical eyes see Him in “such mean estate.” But their eyes of faith see beyond the lowliness. They see the God who came to make all people rich in His mercy.

The Magi saw in this humble Child “the Sun of righteousness” Who arises “with healing in His wings” (Mal. 4:2). This holy Toddler would heal all people from the wounds, the sores, and the scars of their sins. The warmth of His mercy and forgiveness would radiate out for all to enjoy. He would heal the breach between Jew and Gentile; He would make them one nation in His Church.

When the Magi looked at this holy Son of Mary, they saw that the light had come; they saw that the glory of the LORD had risen upon them (Is. 60:1). Their eyes of faith could see that “because of the tender mercy of our God…the sunrise shall visit us from on high” And why did He come? “To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Lk. 1:78-79). Yes, this holy Child brings the new day of life with God and resurrection from the dead. Even as you face the darkness of death—whether in ill health or in the midst of grief—the dawn of a new day has come. The holy Child sitting on the Virgin’s lap is “the bright morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). The best gift that the Wise Men bring to the King of the universe in humble guise is their faith.

So, what will you give to the King who has everything, the Child who radiates God’s boundless mercy? What will you give to the Savior who makes you whole and gives you peace with God? What will you give to the Word made Flesh who heals you from your disease of death and the sores of your sins?

You could certainly offer Him gold, the gift befitting a King. Actually, since all things and all wealth already belong to Him, your Lord Jesus bids you to give Him gold by giving it to the poor. As Jesus will say on the Last Day, when you feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, you do it to Him. And what better way to give your gold to your King than to the poor in our own midst, in His family, the Church. You might even consider giving it to the children’s choir called Kantorei, because you know that they will use that “gold” to “Sing out! Ring out” and “Tell the story!” that “Great is he, the King of glory” (LSB 395:5).

I suppose you could certainly still give incense, both literally and figuratively. As we sang tonight in Evening Prayer, “Let my prayer rise before you as incense.” Offer your prayers to the God who promises to hear you and answer you, because He identifies with you and your troubles in this world. Not only did God prescribe sweet smelling incense for the tabernacle and temple worship, but now that the Son of God has a human nose and enjoys the sense of smell, He’s sure to enjoy the sweet fragrance that accompanies your prayers. That’s why we gather in the Lord’s house regularly—to offer up prayers on behalf of the Church, the world, and all sorts of needs. And we offer them as sweet-smelling incense to our God and Savior.

As for giving myrrh to the Child King, that’s definitely not necessary. Remember, the myrrh was for His crucifixion and burial. And since “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10), He does not need to die again. “For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life that He lives He lives to God” (Rom. 6:10). And because of Jesus’ one-time sacrifice, you get to “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).

What else can you give to the King who has everything? Most of all, you can give Him your faith and your worship, just as the Wise Men did. Just as they left their country in the East, you can leave the country of your self-serving desires and sinful ways. Just as they endured the arduous journey, you can endure the trials of your journey through this world, learning to trust your Savior. And just as they bowed down to the Almighty King when they saw Him in humble guise, you can bow down to your God who still comes to you in humble ways.

Behind the humble water, you can see God’s life-changing washing of forgiveness and life. Behind the humble words from the pastor’s mouth—in sermons or in Absolution—you can hear and recognize the voice of your Savior who heals you from all sins and enables you to live with God again. And behind the humble bread and wine, you can see Jesus coming to you in the Body and Blood that He assumed from His Virgin Mother, Body and Blood that are the “medicine of immortality.”

Just as the Wise Men saw the Child Jesus sitting on His Mother’s lap, we get to see Jesus in the bosom of the Church. She is the Mother of our faith and life with God. So, the best thing you can give to this King is … yourself, your faith, your worship, your whole life. After all, that’s what He has done for you. “For Christ goes with us all the way—Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day! His love is never ending!” (LSB 395:5).

Homily - Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus

This homily was delivered by the Rev. Prof. Thomas Egger on the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus (31 December 2007) and is posted here with his permission.

The Enduring Name of Jesus
Luke 2:21

In the name of Jesus.

Our Gospel text is very short this afternoon, just one verse from Luke, chapter 2:

"And on the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived."

Do you know any Name more beautiful? Can you think of a better way to end the closing Year of Our Lord 2007 and to step into the New Year of our Lord 2008, than with this strong and enduring Name ringing in our ears and springing from our lips.

Today we gather here in the place of God's Holy Word and God's Precious Sacrament – for here in this place God has caused the precious Name of Jesus to dwell. Here the name of Jesus resounds for you. Here the name of Jesus lifts from you the burden of your sins. Here the name of Jesus imparts eternal life to your dying body. Here the name of Jesus rekindles hope in despairing hearts, rekindles joy in drooping souls, rekindles courage in faltering spirits.

Here the name of Jesus draws us home again, to the Father whom we keep stubbornly forsaking but who has not forsaken us. For He has given us the Christ Child. Here in this place, we have heard the angels heralding His birth. Here in this place, we have seen Him wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in lowly manger. Now today, here in this place, we behold our Infant Lord at age 8 days, being circumcised and being named.

After 8 days, this Mighty, Holy, Precious, Wonderful Name was given to Mary's Son. After 8 days, this Mighty, Holy, Precious, Wonderful Name was given as a gift to all the world. And now today, after 734,883 days (give or take a few) – 734,883 days since his parents named Him, the name of Jesus is just as Glorious, just as Renowned, just a Mighty and Holy and Precious and Wonderful as the day when it was first given. 734,883 days of Jesus' name, resounding in the world.

Where does all the time go? We ask it all the time, even in our own short lives. Where does all the time go? Every one of us can identify with this sentiment – the feeling of time slipping forward, the feeling of the present constantly being nudged off-stage and into the past. You can see it in your family photos. Especially the ones from the 1960s and 70s! In one of my family pictures from the 1970's, I'm about 5 years old and my parents have me dressed in a dark green polyester sportcoat with brick-red polyester pants and a gigantic plaid bow-tie – also polyester! Where does all the time go?

So often our lives seem to be full of anticipation and waiting. Some big event is looming out there in the future, and then, it comes….and it's gone, and after just a few years we can only remember a few things about it…it seems so long ago. That's what life is like, as the years continue to roll past.

As an adolescent, you wonder whom you will marry some day. When you are engaged to marry, it seems like the day will never come and then for the last few weeks it seems like it's coming way too fast and then (!) it's past and gone and even that big day fades into the past, back into distant memory. Maybe you can remember being a child and thinking what it would be like to drive a car. Now, however, I bet you grown-ups can't even remember the first time you drove, unless you crashed or something to make it memorable. Maybe you can remember having young children at home and wondering what they would be like as teenagers and adults…and the next thing you know, they are…and it's hard to remember what they were like as young children. We're fortunate to have cameras, aren't we? Where does all the time go?

It seems to me like life changes dramatically within about every five years. Five years ago, I bet your life was quite a bit different than today – you had some different interests, some different friends, different routines, different problems and worries, different joys, different recipes that you regularly made. And five years from now, your life will be very different again.

If things change that much in just half a decade, think about all of the changes that time has brought through the centuries….through the 734,883 days since our Lord was circumcised and named. The world has seen many changes, large and small, during that time.

But the name of Jesus has not changed, nor will it ever. Long ago, God sent His angel to visit Mary, and to speak to Joseph also, in a dream. There would be a child born who would reign on David's throne forever, He would be called the Son of the Most High, and they were to name Him "Jesus" because He would save His people from their sins. The blood of bulls and goats could never have atoned for the sins of humanity, but God provided this One Jesus to be a very different Sacrifice – a once-and-for-all Sacrifice and a once-and-for-all Savior. And the name that God chose for this once-and-for-all-Savior was "Jesus." The name Jesus means "He saves" or "The Lord saves" – either one fits this Child well, for He does save and He Himself is the Lord who saves.

One great Name, to endure forever. Very early on, still almost 2000 years ago, the enemies of God tried to stifle the Name of Jesus by putting Him to death on a cross. But death could not hold Him. Risen victoriously, Jesus commanded that repentance and forgivness of sins in His name be preached to the ends of the earth, beginning in Jerusalem.

Soon after, Peter and John were arrested for healing a crippled man in the name of Jesus and for preaching to the crowds about resurrection and eternal life in the name of Jesus. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were at a loss about what to do with Peter and John. Here's how the book of Acts tells the story: "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

From that day on and to this very day, and throughout eternity for that matter, the precious Name of Jesus has been and will be on the lips of His people. Lord Jesus, have mercy. Help me, Jesus. I love Thee, Lord Jesus. Don't leave me, Jesus.

In Hebrew, they would say, "Yeshua."
Greeks pronounce "Iesous."
He is called "Jesu" by Germans,
And "Jesus" by Mexicans.

It's all the same Name, the name of the Son of the Most High God, born of Mary to save His people from their sins. The name chosen by God, announced by an angel, and finally declared by His parents on the 8th day.

It is the name we pronounce "Jesus." Jesus: this Name has endured for 734,883 days, for over 2000 years. It will hold us in its strength also in the year ahead. Whoever believes in this Name will be saved, for "salvation is found in no one else, and there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." God has declared this Name to be the "Name above every name." Christians of every age have counted themselves privileged to be insulted, to suffer, and even to be killed for the sake of this Name. It has long been and will always be, in the year 2008 and in the year 8008 (if the world endures) the most Mighty, Holy, Precious, and Wonderful Name and our most enduring Treasure in this ever-changing world.

It is this Name which God has placed on you in your Baptism. It is in this Name that we gather tonight around this altar. It is in this Name that we end the year behind and enter the year ahead.

"Jesus" – the Name fills our hearts with comfort and peace.
"Jesus" - the power of that Name fills our prayers with boldness and confidence.
"Jesus" – the life of that Name gives us strength and vitality and quiets our fears even in the hour of death.

And in the world to come, the book of Revelation tells us, as we stand around His throne, we "will see His face, and His Name will be on our foreheads. And [we] will reign [with Him and praise His Name] forever and ever."

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived."

A happy and blessed New Year to each of you, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Homily - First Sunday after Christmas

This homily was delivered by Seminarian Louis Boldt on the First Sunday after Christmas (30 December 2007) and is posted here with his permission.

Light to the Nations
Luke 2: 22-40

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Imagine. Imagine total darkness. Imagine the darkness of a moonless night just before the dawn of a new day. Even though they had an arduous journey from Bethlehem the day before, Mary still woke up very early – it was just before sunrise; the time of day when the sky was starting to change from black to purple. She knew that she should go back to bed, but she couldn’t - she was too excited. And as she continued to watch the sky, it began to take on a reddish hue. Barely able to contain herself, Mary thought - Today is a great day, great things are going to happen on this day. Finally, after 40 days of not being able to enter the temple or touch anything holy, I will become ritually clean. I will offer my purification sacrifice and be restored to the community of God’s people. And as she continued to watch the sky, it changed from a reddish hue to a golden color and she was overcome with joy and excitement because she knew… she knew that this was the day that she and Joseph would dedicate, Jesus, her first born son to the Lord. Today He will be set apart for the Lord, today He will be made holy, she thought to herself. And nothing, nothing could diminish her excitement, not even the clouds that partially filled the sky.

So, she woke up Joseph and Jesus and got them ready to go. She made a no frills breakfast which they ate very quickly after the blessing and then they left for the Temple. When they arrived at the Temple, Joseph demanded that they catch their breath before heading up the steps to the East Gate because they had practically run the whole way. Mary’s sense of joy and excitement continued to rise with each step she took until she finally entered the Court of Women and then she saw it… a large pillar of smoke ascending into the sky, smoke rising from the altar of burnt offerings, rising up to Yahweh. And just then, the wind shifted and… [breath in] she smelled the fragrant aroma that would please Yahweh. And she couldn’t wait to offer her atonement sacrifice to God, the required sacrifice of two turtle doves. [pause] Now Mary had been so focused on the smoke from the altar and the aroma from the sacrifices that she had not noticed the man standing in the darkness of the Temple shadows. She did not see this old man, stooped with age, move into the light and begin to shuffle over to her and her family as fast as his feet would move. He was driven by a sense of haste that was beyond his control. He was driven by the Holy Spirit right up to these people whom he had never met before, yet… he knew exactly who they were – the Lord’s Christ and his parents. He knew because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him. He knew he would see the One, the Consolation of Israel, before he died and he believed in that promise.

And when he reached her, Simeon startled Mary with these kind and gentle words, “My what a lovely baby, may I hold him?” When she looked into his eyes twinkling with love and compassion, she said, “Certainly”. So, Simeon reached out and took the child, and lifted him up to bless God by saying, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” While you could see Joseph and Mary beaming with pride and joy, there was also a look of marvel and wonder on their faces as they listened to the old man. But this sense of pride and joy would soon disappear and the looks of marvel and wonder would soon transform into looks of dismay and trepidation. For after blessing Joseph and Mary, Simeon turned to Mary and said, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

We live in a world filled with darkness. Now, when I say darkness, I am not talking about the darkness that occurs at night. No. No, I am talking about the darkness that exists in broad daylight – the darkness that exists in our hearts. The darkness of sin. [pause] It creeps into our thoughts. I must get that new toy I just saw on TV. I can’t believe he just said that – what a jerk. Our burning desire to be with someone we’re not married to. [pause] It seeps into our words. Did you see the new car they just bought…. Did you hear what she said about…. So, do you think you’d like to…. [pause] It sneaks into our deeds. We go out of our way trying to impress our boss to get that promotion and pay raise. We lash out at someone or something in a moment of anger. We act out those burning desires. But we are not alone in this world.

We live in a world that is governed by a holy, righteous and just God, the one true God, the Triune God. And this God… this God ABHORS SIN. He DETESTS IT. He DESPISES IT. And because He cannot ABIDE WITH IT, He PUNSISHES ALL WHO SIN. And that punishment is DEATH – ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD. This God does not distinguish between sins. There is no such thing as a large sin or a small sin – SIN IS SIN. He does not distinguish between sins of thought, sins of word and sins of deed. Thinking it is the same thing as saying it which is the same thing as doing it. And God has pronounced His judgment – THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH AND ETERNAL DARKNESS.

But our God, the Triune God, is also a God of love, a God of mercy and a God of grace. From the moment Adam and Eve brought sin into the world by disobeying God’s command, He enacted a plan of restoration – a plan of salvation. And though He spoke His promise of restoration and salvation directly to the serpent and Adam and Eve in the Garden, it was a plan that would gradually unfurl through time and space. A plan where God worked through specific people as He completed one aspect of His plan after another, after another. A plan where God continued to interact with His people directly, and indirectly through His prophets, to remind them of His promise. To call them back to His plan when they strayed from it. And to reveal more aspects of His plan of salvation. And when the fullness of time had come, God sent His light into the world in the form of His Son, to be born of a woman, to be born under the law. To redeem those living in darkness, those people living under the law, by fulfilling the law. And Simeon KNEW that the child he held in his arms was the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, a light to the Gentiles and for the glory of Israel.

I think we live in a culture that has no real appreciation for light. We have become desensitized and unappreciative because of a little invention by Thomas Edison - the light bulb. We have light at the flip of a switch and we take it for granted – it has no power, no meaning and no strength. But, I am sure that there have been times in each of our lives when we have experienced the power, meaning and strength of light. For me, it was associated with camping. Not so much today, but when I was younger, I used to do a lot of rustic camping. The kind of camping where you are out in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere. The kind of camping where the only light you have at night is the light you bring with you or the light of the fire you make. One day I went off exploring in the late afternoon and I didn’t take my flashlight because I knew that I would be back before dark. Well one thing lead to another and before I knew it, the sky had gone from yellow to red to dark blue and I was far away from camp without a flashlight. So I started to head back to camp as quick as I could, almost running, but when the sky went from dark blue to purple, I had to slow down to avoid injury. And as the sky went from purple to black, I moved even slower as I began to stumble over things I couldn’t see. As I moved slower, I started to hear sounds from things I that I couldn’t see and I started to imagine what might be out there in the dark and I became afraid. Afraid that something might attack me. Afraid that each stumble would be my last. Afraid that I would fall and injure myself and no one would be able to find me. Afraid that I was lost and would never find my way back to camp. And as the darkness and fears were beginning to overwhelm me, I saw what looked like a very faint light flickering in the distance. I didn’t know what it was for sure, but I focused all my attention on it and I placed all my hope and faith in it as I moved toward it. The progress was slow at first, but with each step the light got brighter and brighter and my fears got smaller and smaller. The light was a beacon drawing me to the safety and security of my campsite; a light that brought me home. This is the true power, meaning and strength of light. This is the kind of light that Simeon was referring to when he spoke about the baby Jesus. The kind of light that would draw all people to it. The kind of light that provides complete safety and total security. The kind of light that was revealed in Jesus’ death on the cross where we find a Roman centurion proclaim, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" The kind of light that returned three days later with an empty tomb pronouncing the final judgment and victory over darkness.

As we gather together this morning in the light of a new day, we do not gather together as individual men and women or individual girls and boys, we gather together as children who have been called out of darkness. Children who are clothed with The Light. Children who walk in The Light. Children who have The Light of Eternal Life through our faith in Jesus Christ. And we gather together today as children united in worship of the one True God. And in a short while, we will gather together at the communion rail to partake of the Lord’s Supper. We will gather to receive the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. We will taste and see that the Lord is Good… the Lord is Very God. And then we will break forth in song and sing the Post-Communion Canticle. During most of the Church year, we sing “Thank the Lord” after communion, but during Penitential Seasons like Advent and Lent, we usually sing the “Nunc Dimittis” which contains Simeon’s blessing to God when he saw the Christ child. It is during these seasons of the Church year when we purposefully reflect on our sinful condition and express our remorse and sorrow commonly through fasting and abstinence in our personal lives. And we do the same thing in our corporate worship by removing liturgical songs that praise and thank God. The “Nunc Dimittis” is placed after the Lord’s Supper so that like Simeon, we too, can bless God for having seen Christ in the flesh and blood within the bread and wine. But, it also serves another purpose in the liturgy. It serves as a reminder of our role as children of Light. St. Peter tells us that, as children of Light, we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet. 2:9) And St. Paul tells us that, as children of Light, we are to be a light to those who are still in darkness (Rom. 2:19) with the purpose that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim 2:4) and come to faith in the One True Light - the Light to the Nations – Jesus Christ. Lord now let Your servants depart in peace and serve as Your light to the people around them. Amen

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Almost as soon as He was born, our Lord Jesus was under a death sentence! That's what the Church commemorates today, December 28, the day of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs.

After the Magi (a.k.a. "Wise Men") had asked of King Herod where the newborn King was to be found, Herod's fears and fury would soon be unleashed. He may have said with a good bit of duplicity that he wanted to "worship" the Christ Child, but really he wanted to slaughter him. Then, when the Magi returned to their own country without reporting back to Herod, the wicked king was even more incensed. This led to the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, infants two years and younger in and around the little town of Bethlehem. See Matthew 2:1-18.

But we can rejoice on this day even as we remember the blood of these infant martyrs. You see, our Lord rescued them from this valley of sorrows, from the battles against sin, death, and the devil, and gave them peace and bliss in His presence. So, while Rachel (Bethlehem) weeps, the Innocents get to rejoice in God's unending love and glory. They went home.

That's our lot too, in the Christ Child who had to flee for His life before He could walk or talk, at least that well. We may suffer the valley of the shadow of death here and now, but for those of us who cling to the Christ Child and His cross-won salvation and life, we rest in the grand promise that one day we will get to join the Holy Innocents in God's unending, glorious presence. We too will get to go home.

This specter of persecution and death - this "death sentence" - that our Lord endures in His infancy would come to full fruition about 30 years later. The "death sentence" would catch up with Him on the cross, but He would actually hand out the ultimate "death sentence" - He would sentence death to death. That's the joy of the Holy Innocents. Even though they suffer senseless slaughter at the hands of wicked King Herod, they get to enjoy the fruits of Christ's redeeming work of bringing life and immortality to light.

In the same way, even though we must suffer our sins and life under the specter of death in this fallen world, Christ's victory over death, the very purpose for which He came into this dying world, gives us the promise of everlasting joy with Him, His Father, the Holy Spirit, and, yes, the Holy Innocents. So, today we thank God for the Holy Innocents and for our Lord's victory over death for them and for us. It's all wrapped up in the Newborn King, just waiting to be unwrapped, unpacked, and enjoyed for all eternity!

Collect for Holy Innocents, Martyrs:
Almighty God, the martyred innocents of Bethlehem showed forth Your praise not by speaking but by dying. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with Your will that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn Verse for Holy Innocents:
All praise for infant martyrs
Whom Your mysterious love
Called early from their warfare
To share Your home above.
O Rachel, cease your weeping;
They rest from earthly cares!
Lord, grant us crowns as brilliant
And faith as sure as theirs. (LSB 517:9)

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

Today the Church celebrates and commemorates St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist. His simple writing proclaims the most glorious truths of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, especially as He is the Word made flesh and how He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. His Gospel and his letters (1 John, 2 John, and 3 John) give such profound and life-changing truth and light, and his Revelation gives great hope that the Lamb of God, who bled, died, and rose again to take away the sin of the world will come again to rescue us and place us around His glorious throne, along with the whole company of heaven, to sing praises to the Holy Trinity and bask in His eternal life. Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of "St. John the Divine"!

Collect for St. John, Apostle and Evangelist:
Merciful Lord, cast the bright beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed in the doctrine of Your blessed apostle and evangelist John, may come to the light of everlasting life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn Verse:
For Your belov'd disciple
Exiled to Patmos' shore,
And for his faithful record,
We praise You evermore.
Praise for the mystic vision
Through him to us revealed;
May we, in patience waiting,
With Your elect be sealed. (LSB 517:8)

Christmas Color Scheme a la the Church

The Church's "color scheme" for the days of Christ-Mass sure seems to fly in the face of the world's typical "red and green" (not that there's anything wrong with the red and green; it can also have a good, Christ-centered meaning).

What I mean is this: Christ-Mass (12/24 & 25) is white, St. Stephen's day (12/26) is red, St. John's day (12/27, today) is white, and then Holy Innocents (12/28) is red. The glorious light of the Infant King shines in both the glory of His divinity (white) and the blood of martyrdom (red) for His saints. What a great and glorious color scheme it is! Not only does God the Son humble Himself to become Man and thus reveal Himself and God's gracious favor, but His followers, epitomized by St. Stephen and the Holy Innocents, also find their glory in being sacrificed for Him.

But the blood red of martyrdom means very little without our Lord's own blood. So, the Church's "color scheme" for the twelve days of Christ-Mass really tips the hat to what our Incarnate Lord comes to do - sacrifice Himself to save us from sin, death, and the devil. His glory is fully revealed in His own shedding of blood for us!

And, as a fruit of His life of white and red, glory and sacrifice, we, His followers, get to live the same "white and red life." Our glory comes through being sacrificed - that is, in putting to death the sin and death in us by His grace. This shows up especially in the life we live in Baptism. As Luther explained it so well, our Baptism "indicates that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever" (Small Catechism, IV:4).

So, the Church's "color scheme" for Christ-Mass shows us our Lord's life and our daily life in Him!

Homily - Nativity of our Lord - Christmas Day

With special thanks to my good friend Pr. Weedon. He gave this homily out at our Pericope Study for possible ideas, and the whole thing was just too good to pass up. So I adopted and adapted, tweaking some things here and there and adding other points along the way.

God Locates Himself
John 1:1-18

In the Bible, God loves to locate Himself somewhere specific. Of course, He’s always present everywhere, but He also promises to be at a certain place so that His people can find Him and receive the gifts He comes to bring.

God located Himself in the days of ancient Israel. He let the people know where they could and would find Him. He was in the Tent. If you were an Israelite, you only had to go to that special tent called the Tabernacle, and you could find God there. He would be there to receive your prayers, and in that very place He would shower you with His forgiveness, His grace, and His truth. Later God located Himself somewhere more permanent: the Temple. It did not move around the land. It stayed put in Jerusalem. In that specific place all of the promises that God made for His people and attached to the Tent remained in effect. God would be there to receive their praise and worship, their prayers and supplications. God would locate Himself in that place to give out His gifts of salvation – His glory, His grace, His truth.

But the people abused both the Tent and the Temple. They thought that since God promised to locate Himself for them at that specific spot, they had God locked up and on their side. Instead of faithfully following Him and receiving the gifts He came to give, they went their own ways. They thought they could worship Him in any old way they wanted, that they could use any old statue or image they might make or choose. So God chose to abandon the Temple. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord leave. It was a sad sight. The cloud of glory picked up and moved out of the Temple, out from the city of Jerusalem. Then it hovered for a few moments on the Mount of Olives, as if sadly looking back, and then it was gone [Ezek. 10-11]. Simply gone. And no one at the Temple even seemed to notice. Very sad.

And still, God loves to locate Himself somewhere. He’s not just a God “out there” somewhere. He’s much more than merely the “man upstairs.” God does not want His presence, His glory, His grace, or His truth, to be unanchored and un-located. The Tent and the Tabernacle were merely pictures and shadows of a greater reality that God was planning – sort of like black and white sketches of a more vibrant, colorful reality yet to come. God would inaugurate His new reality in a stable in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

A Virgin had carried a Child. A Baby is born. Mary gives birth to her only Son. But this is no ordinary child. This Child is none other than the Eternal Word of the Father – He through whom all things were made; He who still holds all things together in Himself; He who is “begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” That’s who this Child is. And the very flesh of this Child becomes the true Tent and Tabernacle of God. God located Himself somewhere specific, all right. From that moment of conception, from that holy birth, and for all time to come, anyone who wants to find God will find Him only in the flesh of the Man Jesus.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” That word “dwelt” is most interesting. In Greek, it’s the word for “pitched His tent.” The Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us. Find the flesh of Jesus, and you find the Tent of God – the very place, the specific somewhere, where He promises to be, receiving our adoration and praise, hearing our petitions and supplications, but most of all giving out His gifts of grace, mercy, and truth.

“And we have seen His glory.” Glory goes with the Tent and the Temple. “Glory” is another way of saying God’s brilliant, radiant, life-giving presence. It’s the glory that Moses and the Children of Israel saw in the wilderness, hovering over the Tabernacle. It’s the same glory that the Apostles saw in the flesh of the Man Jesus. They knew He is “the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

But they did not see that glory at Bethlehem. They weren’t there then. And, to tell you the truth, there wasn’t much glory at Bethlehem anyway. A baby wrapped in swaddling cloths may sound like a precious sight, but it’s really no different than wrapping a baby in a warming blanket in the hospital today. The miracle of Bethlehem is that this Baby is true God as well as true Man, but we have no Biblical hint that any glory was visible there. Then what about the halos and nimbi we see in the pictures? They’re imported by the artists.

But the Apostles did see the glory shine. And they saw it shine through the very flesh of Jesus Christ. It happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. John, along with Peter and James, saw the very flesh of Jesus Christ gleam like the sun, only brighter. For that brief moment they saw His divine Godhead united with the flesh that He assumed from the Virgin’s womb. It was a sight they never forgot. With this glorious event in his mind, John looks back on the Baby in the manger. He is overawed by what he sees. After all, it is our flesh that this Baby has – flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone, identical with ours. And it’s this flesh stuff that is glorified in Christ Jesus beyond all imagination.

Think of that as you look at people around you. They share the same flesh – the very flesh that our God honored so highly by taking it into Himself. And once He put it on, He has never taken it off. He is still clothed in that flesh and blood that He received from Mary’s womb. It is exalted to the highest place, and yet it is still the same flesh as ours. When we see that God has honored our flesh in this way, how dare we dishonor it by treating each other shamefully? If you cannot find something good to say to or about that other person, then at least say this: “This person has the same flesh and blood as the Son of God.” And then behave toward them accordingly. Whether they know it or not, whether they realize it or not, they are blood relatives of the King of heaven.

You see, that’s why He came among us. He came to make a new beginning for the whole human race. He came to share our flesh and blood. He came to bleed and die for our sins, and thus make atonement – that is, reunite us – with God. But even more, He came to unite our weak, corrupt, and dying flesh to His flesh, His flesh radiating with strength, purity, and life. In this way He overcomes our decay and death with His glorious flesh and resurrection life.

So, the glory of God is located in the flesh of Jesus, flesh full of the life and light and grace and truth of God. And God does not leave you to find that flesh on your own. No, He locates it somewhere specific for you: “Take and eat, this is My Body. Take drink, this is My Blood.” Behold, the Tent and Temple of God! Behold, the glory and grace and truth and life and light of God for you! It’s all right here, hidden under the bread and wine, located on this very Altar. And when you eat and drink it in faith, it’s all hidden in you too. Yes, your Bethlehem Lord makes you His Temple too. He pitches His tent in you by putting His Body and Blood into you. He pours His endless life into you. He unites you to Himself as a branch to a vine, as a body part to the body – the Body of Christ, that is.

Jesus knew that His body, His flesh, is the new Tent and Temple of God. After all, He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn. 2:19). Yes, His flesh, His body is the very Temple of God. And here we worship and adore Him with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” Here He comes to give us His grace, His truth, and His life. Amen.

There's nothing like...

...new Christmas duds! Oh, I've not received any just yet, but Porthos and Gimli did, last night.


Here's Porthos proudly and regally sporting his new "Christmas collar." Don't you just love that distinguished, sophisticated Beagle look? :-)









And here's Gimli showing off his new Christmas collar (finally, after we settled him down from running around like a nervous idget...no, not because of the collar, but because he had to go outside for some "business"!).





And, with the help of my daughter (she has always loved dressing up our dogs!), Porthos gets to display his fashionable Christmas bow. (Actually, we were surprised he finally held still for the picture, because he kept trying to get his teeth under the "neck strap" to yank it off!)








And Gimli relaxing (finally) with his new Christmas look!

Homily - Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Midnight

Where Is Bethlehem?
Luke 2:1-20

Make no mistake about it, this little Child sitting on Mary’s lap is perfect God and perfect Man. He’s the God-Man, “Immanuel” – God with us. As the Bible says, “God so loved the world,” the whole human race, that He came out of eternity into time so that we might see Him and be reunited with Him. As Isaiah proclaims to us tonight: “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

That all sounds very nice, but perhaps it sounds a bit too abstract, a bit too disconnected from real life. After all, we want something real and down to earth. And guess what? God knows that. In fact, that’s how He created the world in which we live. There is a natural order to life in this universe: normally life functions through physical matter. Think of vegetable life. It works through flowers, plants, and trees. Think of animal life. It also works through physical matter, namely, animal bodies. And human life? Yes, we too live life in and with physical bodies. I’ll bet you’ve never seen a baby without a body!

So, the Lord of all life comes into this world, not in a blaze of glory to drive people to their knees, but in a way that fits with His own created, natural order, in a way that draws us to Himself – in a body. God manifests Himself in the flesh. The eternal God becomes a little Baby! As one favorite Christmas hymn says:

“Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel!” (LSB 380:2).

But that still might seem a bit too abstract, a bit to disconnected from real life. We know the story quite well. Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.” Imagine that: God in diapers! God nursing at His mother’s breast! Almighty God who cannot yet hold His head up straight! The Creator of all things with tiny hands and fingers that cannot yet grasp anything! God became one of us so that we can recognize and receive Him. “But that was some 2000 years ago!” you might say. “I believe all of this is quite true and beautiful. But how does it change my life here and now?”

Yes, God came in the flesh at Bethlehem many centuries ago. But it’s more than a history lesson or a cute, heart-warming, inspirational story. God became Man – God took on our human flesh and blood – to change our life even today. Children may not have a hard time seeing the reality of the Christmas story, but we adults seem to. We think of the Christmas story as, well, ancient history. We want something to help us make sense of our life here and now. We want something to help us deal with the selfishness that we suffer from other people. We need something to help us deal with the selfishness that we inflict on people around us. We might even ask, “Where is Bethlehem today?” Dear friends, Bethlehem is right here, tonight, before our very eyes. Bethlehem is right here at the Altar, in the Holy Communion.

Pastor Berthold von Schenk wrote about Christmas this way in his book, The Presence:

What is Christmas to most people? Candles, lighted trees, carols, presents, happy faces. How touching! How beautiful! Isn’t Christmas lovely? With some, it is a little more. How they love to hear the story of a young peasant maid who came to Bethlehem, who, finding no room in the inn, gives birth to her first child in a stable. With reverence they listen to the Christmas sermon as the preacher begins to rationalize on Christmas. But this must leave us unsatisfied. We feel in our inner selves that Christmas must be more than this. And it is. Christmas must be experienced. The shepherds experienced Christmas. There they found the Christ-Child and made known abroad what they had heard and seen. Through the Communion, we too have a sure way to appreciate the Manger-Child (p. 54).

Yes, as Pastor von Schenk says, Christmas must be experienced. Lighted trees, presents, and happy faces are fine things, but they are not the beating, living heart of Christmas. Hearing the Christmas story told in reading, preaching, and song is also very fine, but there’s still more. Bethlehem must come here to us today. We need the God-Man, Immanuel, the God who was born of a pure Virgin, to come and rescue us from the darkness of our sin and death. And that’s exactly what He does in the Holy Communion. Here is your Bethlehem! Here is God in the flesh for you! Here is the best way for you to experience Christmas. All of the other things are wrapping paper and pretty bows. Here, on the Altar, you have the truest, most genuine Christmas gift: the God-Man giving Himself in Body and Blood under the bread and wine for you.

Here’s the reality and down to earth life of Bethlehem that we need and crave. We live in a world that says, “Find your meaning in money” or “Find fulfillment in the many electronic toys from Best Buy or Circuit City.” The TV and the Internet train us to find our fulfillment in pleasing ourselves at the click of the remote or the computer mouse. But we human beings were not made for such shallow things. We were not made to be automatons that merely seek the next little thrill for a quick fix. Besides, focusing on ourselves in these ways leaves us very unfulfilled, even frustrated. And we end up taking our frustrations out on people around us, on those near and dear to us, even on our fellow Christians. Deep down, we know there’s something more to life. And Bethlehem on the Altar delivers it.

In our second reading St. Paul describes the glorious fruit of Christmas, the joys of Bethlehem on the Altar for us. He says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” When we experience Christmas at the Lord’s Altar, we learn how to do just that, how to live godly lives in the present age. We see how our Lord has honored us by becoming one of us. We see how He honors the whole human race. We see how His love for us begins to radiate in us and through us toward the people around us. We see that our real meaning and fulfillment come from the God who loves us enough to become one of us.

You see, God so loved the world that He came into the world. He came into the world to lift us up to Himself, to restore us to His life and His love. The very flesh and blood Son of God born of the Virgin Mary comes here today. He’s the same Son of God, Jesus Christ, who spilled His innocent blood on the cross. He’s the same Lord of life who conquered death by dying and then rising again on the third day. And He gives you this life in His Body and Blood on the Altar. “Veiled in [Meal] the Godhead see! Hail the incarnate Deity!”

So, where is Bethlehem? It’s right here at the Altar. How do you experience Christmas aright? Right here at the Altar, eating and drinking the very Body and Blood of the God-Man, the Manger-Child, the God-with-us, Immanuel. And with the eyes of faith, you will see on this Altar not merely bread and wine, but the Christ-Child, the Word made flesh. And then you can imitate Mother Mary by treasuring all these things, pondering them in your hearts. And then you can leave here imitating the shepherds, glorifying and praising God for all that you have heard and seen…and tasted, as it has been told you. Amen.

Christ's Holy Birth is Our Birth

From Martin Luther, Sermon for Christmas Day, 1522 (cited in "Day by Day We Magnify Thee," p. 33):

Christ has a holy birth, immaculate and pure. Man's birth is unclean, sinful, and accursed, and man can only be helped through the holy birth of Christ. Yet Christ's birth cannot be shared out to us, nor would it help; but it is offered spiritually unto every man wherever the Word is preached. He who firmly believes and receives it will not suffer harm because of his own sinful birth.

That is the way we are cleansed of our wretched Adam's birth, and that is why it was Christ's will and pleasure to be born as man, so that in Him we might be born again. 'Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we should be reborn unto a new creation.' Behold, in this manner Christ takes our birth away from us and sinks it in His own birth and gives us His birth, that we may be made new and clean, as if it were our own birth. Therefore shall every Christian man rejoice in this birth of Christ, and glory in it, as if he too were born of Mary. He who does not believe that, or doubts it, is no Christian.

O, this is the great joy of which the angel speaks. This is God's comfort and His surpassing goodness, that man (if he believeth) may glory in such a treasure, that Mary be his very Mother, Christ his Brother, and God his Father. For all these things have truly happened that we might believe in them.

See, then, that thou make this birth thine own and dost change with Him, so that thou mayest be rid of thy birth, and mayest take over His, which comes to pass if thou believest. Thus does thou surely sit in the Virgin Mary's lap, and art her darling child. But thou must learn to have such faith and to exercise it throughout thine earthly life, for it can never be strong enough.

(I just love it when Luther, the German, speaks in Elizabethan English! :-)

"The Doctrine of Bethlehem" - part 6

Just in time for celebrating the Nativity of our Lord, here's the sixth and final installment of what I'm calling "The Doctrine of Bethlehem" taken from Pr. Berthold von Schenk, in his book The Presence: An Approach to the Holy Communion (1945). I hope that these readings from von Schenk have helped you prepare to celebrate the mystery of our Lord's Incarnation, especially as we experience it - indeed all of Bethlehem - at the Altar. I know they have helped me!

Here's Part 6, continuing and concluding Chapter III:

It is Christmas. The Gospel states “And it came to pass that a decree, etc.” The preacher gives his message. The sacred vessels are being prepared. Then these words are prayed: “This is My Body.” Now what do you see, bread and wine? Yes! and more! These are only the veil. It is now the true Body and Blood of our Lord. Remember the Spiritual Body. If we have the eyes of faith we see the Babe in Mary’s lap, not as it was then in the state of humiliation, limited to space, but glorified, triumphant, through His Resurrection Body.

An awful mystery is here
To challenge faith and waken fear;
The Saviour comes in food divine,
Concealed in earthly bread and wine.

In consecrated wine and bread
No eye perceives the mystery dread,
But Jesus’ words are strong and clear;
My Body and My Blood are here.

We come to Church on Christmas and we have the right to ask: Where is He? In Bethlehem, is the answer. But where is Bethlehem? Thank God that we can be directed. We are as sure of it as the angel was. We must believe this: The Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger…then wrapped in Mary’s arms, now wrapped in bread and wine.

Communion is the bulwark of our faith in Bethlehem and in the Incarnation of our Lord. Every time we receive the Communion we confess to the faith that this little Babe is Mary’s Son and God’s Son. And we know that to those who kneel at the Communion rail, the fact of Bethlehem becomes a reality in a very special manner. The faithful communicant will never question the Virgin Birth; he will never doubt that the Christ-Child is true God and man, for there He is—the same—yesterday, today, and forever.

Therefore, the Holy Sacrament is the bulwark of our faith and doctrines, rather than any elaborate system of doctrine apart from it. If we neglect this truth, then the deadly fifth column starts its dreadful work in our midst, weakening gradually but surely our real defences [sic]. The Holy Sacrament is the battleground of the very belief in the Deity of Christ. At the Altar there can be no rationalism. At the Altar all shadow of doubt disappears and Christmas means something real, for through it we are linked to Bethlehem.

What is Christmas to most people? Candles, lighted trees, carols, presents, happy faces. How touching! How beautiful! Isn’t Christmas lovely? With some, it is a little more. How they love to hear the story of a young peasant maid who came to Bethlehem, who, finding no room in the inn, gives birth to her first child in a stable. With reverence they listen to the Christmas sermon as the preacher begins to rationalize on Christmas. But this must leave us unsatisfied. We feel in our inner selves that Christmas must be more than this. And it is. Christmas must be experienced. The shepherds experienced Christmas. There they found the Christ-Child and made know abroad what they had heard and seen. Through the Communion, we too have a sure way to appreciate the Manger-Child.

You may say: Are you not materializing God? Is there not something almost superstitious about it? Indeed not. We are following very biblical lines. God is worshipped through the finite body, and is approached through this finite channel because the world is built on that law, because we are made in that fashion. Unless we have a great truth focused to a point where we can grasp it, it is unreal, hypothetical, theoretical. Our Christmas must be based not only upon an historical fact, but it must be a vibrant truth, a reality, an experience. And this truth becomes a reality in the Communion. At the Altar we fling the challenge to the world. We say: Man has not been made for money, or wage-slavery, or mere pleasure or passion; man was not made to be a machine. Man has been made to be God’s own, made in the image of Eternity. And this is not the vague dream of a mystic. It sprang into realization at Bethlehem and is brought down to us today at the Altar.

It is Christmas. Have you found the way to Bethlehem? It is important to make straight the pathway of the Lord into your hearts. That duty is now done. Now take your pilgrim-staff and your gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. You will not have to stop off at Jerusalem to inquire the way. The Altar is your Star. There you will find Bethlehem.

Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Indeed, “bread of life,” “staff of life.” You will come, then, as the shepherds came. You will kneel as they did in adoration. And if your vision of faith is clear enough, you will see at the Altar not merely bread and wine, but the Christ-Child, the Word made flesh. After Christmas? You will do the same as did the Wise Men. They went home by another way, not by way of Jerusalem. You will go another way, the way of the new life. And with the shepherds you will also make known abroad all that you have seen and realized. The confession—“Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man,” will be more than a vague truth, more than an historical event. Christmas will be an experience. You will truly understand the truth of the angelic words: “They shall call His Name Immanuel, which is, being interpreted, God with us,” aye, Immanuel—at the Altar.

Homily - Advent 4 - Rorate Coeli

The Mother of God
Luke 1:39-56

She was just a teenage girl, only about 14 or 15 years old. She had long dark hair and a dark, Middle-Eastern complexion. She wore humble clothes, nothing showy about them. She was not married, but she was engaged. Then, all of a sudden, she had an unplanned pregnancy. Think of it – an unmarried teenager, pregnant outside of wedlock! It’s enough to make you gasp. It surely made Joseph, her fiancé, decide to “divorce her quietly” (Mt. 1:19). But this is Mary…the pure Virgin…the Mother of God!

We do well to honor this pure Virgin. Yes, you heard me right. We Christians, even we Lutherans, do well to honor Mary. No, I did not say “worship”; I did not say “pray to” her. I simply said, “honor her.” Some in the Church may go overboard and say that she is a “co-redeemer,” but we Lutherans tend too go to far in the other direction and sideline her altogether. As we try not to worship her, we forget to give her proper honor. So, today let’s honor Mary, the Mother of God, even as we worship her Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Let’s honor Mary, the pure Virgin, the Mother of God, just as the angel Gabriel did. When he greeted her, he called her “favored one.” Some translations even say, “highly favored.” What made Mary “highly favored”? Gabriel said, “the Lord is with you.” Mary found favor with God because God showered her with His grace and mercy. Mary was nothing special in herself, but God did choose Mary to carry and give birth to His own divine Son. We honor Mary because she shows us the way of humble faith. After the angel told her all the great things about her Son, the Son of God Most High, she faithfully said, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Let’s honor Mary, the pure Virgin, the Mother of God, just as Elizabeth did. After Mary heard the announcement that she would give birth to the Savior of the world, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. We honor Mary because she shows us the way of life in God’s creation. As soon as Mary greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s own baby leaps in her womb. What made Elizabeth’s baby leap? When Mary walked into the room, she carried God-in-the-Flesh in her womb.

Somehow pre-born John knew that he was in the presence of pre-born Jesus, and he leaped for joy inside Elizabeth. Both John and Jesus were more than “tissue mass,” as some say today. They were full-fledged human beings. They had God’s gift of life from the moment of their conception. We honor Mary because she shows us that life begins at the moment of conception. When the Creator of the universe, the Son of God, was conceived, He showed that life in the womb is truly precious and sacred. Let’s honor Mary and worship her Son by standing firmly against abortion and embryonic stem cell research. But let’s also honor Mary and worship Her Son by bringing those brutalized by abortion into the Church to hear the healing forgiveness of Jesus the Savior.

Let’s honor Mary, the pure Virgin, the Mother of God, in the same way that Elizabeth did. Let’s call her “blessed…among women.” Why? Because the Fruit of her womb, Jesus, blesses her by being present in the flesh. Elizabeth called Mary and the Fruit of her womb “blessed” by singing a hymn of praise. She worshiped in the very presence of God in the flesh. Elizabeth did not merely say, “Nice to see you, Mary,” and then rush off to her other duties or activities. She did not view her worship as just another chore or obligation. No, Elizabeth paused. She sang her liturgical hymn. She realized that God Himself was present, so she sang with awe and amazement.

So, how’s your worship? Are you worshiping just because it’s on your schedule? Are you more concerned about who is or isn’t here, or what choir is or isn’t here? I urge you to imitate Elizabeth. Worship and sing your liturgical song with awe and amazement. You see, God still comes to you in the flesh. Jesus, the Fruit of Mary’s womb, comes right here. Worship is not some mere schedule filler. It’s our very lifeline with God; it’s where we meet God in the flesh, God who comes to us in His Son. Elizabeth could not see Jesus any more than you can now. Then Jesus was hidden inside His Mother’s womb. Later He would be hidden by the shame of a dead Man on a cross. Now He is hidden under His Gospel message, His Baptismal water, and the bread and wine on His Altar. But He is still present to bless and forgive. So, sing your song of blessing. Honor Mary and worship her Son.

Today’s Gospel reading sounds a lot like the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem 1000 years before Jesus (2 Sam. 6). Just as David arose and journeyed to Jerusalem, so did Mary. David took the Ark of God – the seat of God’s presence – to Jerusalem. So did Mary as she carried Jesus. Both the Ark and Mary are greeted with shouts of joy. The Ark was brought to the house of Obed-Edom. Mary brought Jesus to the house of Elizabeth. David cried out in terror: “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” Elizabeth cried out in awe and amazement: “Why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” The Ark of God stayed at the house of Obed-Edom for three months and was a source of great blessing to his house. Mary stayed at the house of Elizabeth for three months and was a source of great blessing to her house.

The Ark was the seat of God’s presence in the Old Testament. In the New Testament Mary becomes the seat of God’s presence. Now, in our day, the Church is where the Lord is present in His Gospel and Sacraments. And the Church carries more than Mary did. The Church carries not only the Savior conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; she also carries the Savior who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. She carries the Savior who rose from the dead on the third day. The Fruit of Mary’s womb still comes to you. And this very house is incredibly blessed. Here, in this place, you receive Jesus and His gifts of newborn life and cross-won forgiveness. So, we get to honor Mary as the Mother of God and worship her Son who is still God in the flesh and with us still.

Finally, let us honor Mary, the pure Virgin, the Mother of God, just as Elizabeth did. Let’s echo Elizabeth’s words: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Mary shows us how to live by faith. She was a virgin yet pregnant. She would give birth to a Son, and yet she would remain a pure virgin. Our Lutheran Confessions say it this way: “[Jesus] showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, because He was born of a virgin, without violating her virginity. Therefore, she is truly the mother of God and yet has remained a virgin” (FC SD VIII:24). God would use this humble virgin to carry out His work of saving sinners such as us.

One writer said this about Mary: “If Jesus Christ is the Savior, Mary is, par excellence, the image of the saved” (Hopko, Winter Pascha, 20). Mary is the perfect picture of the Church and of individual Christians. She received Jesus by the word of the angel. You receive Jesus by the words of God proclaimed into your ears. Mary trusted that God would preserve and keep her, no matter what people around her might say. You may trust God to keep and preserve you no matter what happens in your life, no matter what the world around you says about you or your Lord Jesus.

Mary was made pure by God’s grace. So are you. Mary had the mission of carrying Jesus, God’s Son, into the world. You get to do the very same thing. The world started celebrating its backwards version of Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Now everyone is tired from the shopping, the partying, and the rat race they call “Happy Holidays.” But you, dear people of God, now you get to carry Christ to people around you. You get to announce the Savior who forgives sinners and reunites them with the God who gives life and light. You get to sing with Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

One preacher once said this about Mary: “As long as the focus of the spotlight is on the Lord Jesus Christ, the richer the radiance that reflects upon His Mother the better.” Let’s honor Mary, the Mother of God, because she brings us our Savior and shows us how to receive His salvation. Amen.

"The Doctrine of Bethlehem" - part 5

Part 5 of our serial reading from von Schenk's The Presence ties Bethlehem with Christ's Resurrection Body and, of course, with the Altar. Here's the first half of chapter III:

Chapter III
Finding Bethlehem Today

Our destiny is supernatural. We must be caught up with the divine love. We are to love God so much, and be so “one with Him” that His own very love is to shine in us and through us to others.

Now you will say: “That is right. I have failed in my life because I have not had love, the God love in me. But I see it now.” And then, with tears in your eyes, you will say bitterly: “How can I own this love? How can I fulfill my destiny of union with God? It is a beautiful thought—and yet so impractical.” But that is not true. It is not vague. Bethlehem is not just a beautiful fact of history. You can find Bethlehem. Bethlehem is here today, living and vibrant. Bethlehem comes to us in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. At the Altar you find Bethlehem—There is Christmas! If we become as a child of simple faith and good will we shall see it as we have never seen it before.

The angel’s [sic] directed the shepherds:

“And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

Is there not a sign for us? Bethlehem is a very beautiful story. It must be more than the sweetest story ever told. Christmas must really be more than candles, more than tinsel. How is this possible? We were directed to Bethlehem by way of Bethlehem’s doctrine. Then we progressed to the though how Bethlehem shows us our highest destiny. Let us now see how Bethlehem is brought down to us today.

At Bethlehem, 1900 years ago [von Schenk writes in 1945!], God applied the laws of His own creation, focusing Himself in the form of a little Babe. The Word, the Eternal, was made flesh so that we could behold Him, grasp Him, see Him. He did this because the world is what it is. However, He has also focused the truth of Bethlehem so that it can be vibrant and living today. He did this because of what we are. What are we? Spirit? Only immortal soul? All of that, but more. We are a spirit functioning through matter. Our soul expresses itself through our body—our weak, frail, finite body.

“God is a spirit and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.” We cannot cast out our spirit from our body. Our body is the only vehicle by which our spirit can work. We are an infinite soul, wrapped in a finite body. God has given us the spiritual enshrined in the material. He gives us the unseen veiled in the seen. He did this in Bethlehem. It is because of this that the Christmas story is so meaningful to young and old. It is to be more than a story, even more than a great truth of doctrine. Bethlehem must be brought down to today. Bethlehem today! How? Where? At the Altar. “This shall be a sign to you.”

Why must Bethlehem be more than an event, more than a doctrine, a theory? Faust answers: “Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie, und gruen des Lebens goldener Baum.” [“Gray, dear friend, is all theory, and green the life the golden tree.”] All theory is indeed gray. Christmas must be green and living.

If we take offense at God’s making this truth of Bethlehem real to us by His Real Presence at the Altar, then we must take offense also at the whole Christmas story. If we stumble at the Altar, we shall also stumble at the threshold of the stable.

There are people who say: I believe only in the non-material religion. That position would be correct if we were angels—but we are not. We are men. Therefore, God must deal with us as we are. What, then, is our doctrine of the Altar? We believe that the bodily Presence of Christ is in the bread and wine. The Catechism calls it “a sacramental, not a spiritual eating and drinking.” Through the outward means, bread and wine, we obtain the inward, the Body and Blood, given and shed for the remission of sins. It is the unseen, veiled in the seen. Now we know that God is everywhere. But is not God in any special place? We ask Moses, “Where is God?” He tells us, “God is everywhere.” “But is He not in any special place, Moses?” “Aye, in the burning bush. Take off thy shoes.” We ask the High Priest, “Where is God?” “Everywhere.” “But is He not in some special place?” “Aye, in the Holy of Holies, at the Ark of the Covenant.” We ask our catechumens where God is. They reply: “Where the Word is.” How true! But is He not in some special place? Yes, at the Altar, for Christ says: “This is My Body.” You may say to yourself; is not all this quite complicated? It is, unless you have the interpreter’s stone. The key to the whole problem is the spiritual Body of the Risen Saviour. Recall that after His resurrection, He had the spiritual Body. He came through closed doors, and yet the disciples saw Him. He ate broiled fish and yet ascended to Heaven. Now we cannot explain this risen spiritual Body, because the risen Body of the Lord is governed by divine laws of which we know nothing.

We know it only by revelation. But if we deny the reality of the spiritual Body we shall have to remove from our Bible all the resurrection appearances of our Lord, and that is what many people do, consciously or unconsciously. They cannot think of a body, except it be like there own, carnal, limited, subject to death and decay. But Paul insists that there is a natural body and that there is a spiritual body. At the cemetery we say it…”Sown a natural body; is raised a spiritual body…for this corruptible must put on incorruption.”

If you desire to bring Bethlehem down to today, then you must sit at Paul’s feet and listen closely to his teachings of the Resurrection Body. Likewise, in our comprehension of the Bodily Presence of Christ in the Sacrament, we must also sit at Paul’s feet to hear him declare: “There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body" (pp. 49-52).

"The Doctrine of Bethlehem" - part 4

Part 4 continues where Part 3 left off and runs through the end of Chapter II of The Presence: An Approach to the Holy Communion:

The only thing which can satisfy man’s heart is to love God so completely that man becomes the channel of the divine love to his fellowmen. The only love which will affect our fellow men is the supernatural love. All other love is tainted with self-interest, and this is the reason why we often fail—because we do not love enough with the divine love. If we could only love with the divine love, then our duties to God and to our fellowmen would become an expression of our divine love. This is the one thing we must ever seek in Bethlehem—that Bethlehem begets in us that divine love—a selfless, supernatural love, which is the Bethlehem love, a love which alone can ease the heartache of the world.

When we fail in our relationships with our fellowmen, either at home or in business, it is because our love is tainted with self-interest. But it is only the divine love which can make us irresistible.

And this love can save society. The world is always tense with wars, revolutions, global planning. If it is not one thing it is another. Labor is tense, capital is tense—dissatisfaction. The result is more revolution. Why does man revolt? He revolts because he is dissatisfied. That much he knows. The laboring man knows, perhaps only subconsciously, that he has not been created to be a machine, a cog in the wheel of selfish, materialistic civilization, and he rebels against such an order of things. Still he may not know the true reason for his dissatisfaction, which is that man has been made for union with God, and nothing else can satisfy him but that. An eight hour day, minimum wage scales, proper housing conditions, are not the answer. Bethlehem is the answer to the labor problem, for Bethlehem means union with God. And why is the employer, the rich man, so often unhappy? You say that he has everything—no financial worries, every luxury, beautiful homes, shiny cars, money in the bank, security; but he is unhappy still—discontented. Why? Within yourself you think; if I had his money I would never complain again! Oh yes, you would. This man is unhappy despite his money and luxuries because deep down in his soul he knows that he has not been made for money. He has not been made for riches. For after he has accumulated his fortune, he finds himself still dissatisfied. Why? Because he has been made for God.

The only solution, then, for the agony of the industrial world, whether we be in the ranks of labor or capital, is Bethlehem; that divine fact that God came down to earth to lift man up to Himself. Any philosophy, any social order which ignores it, is bound to lead to hell. There are two conflicting forces in life: Good and evil; love and self; God and the devil; Heaven and hell. And if you find the Bethlehem evangel in your life, then Love and Heaven are yours. If not, you will read hell. The reason we have hell in our national, political, social and domestic life so often is that men have lost the way to Bethlehem. The reason we church-members are so impotent is that we too often lose sight of the way and, therefore, cannot direct others back to Bethlehem (pp. 47-48).