A Blog of Sermons, Devotional Thought, Religious Topics, and Just fun information and thoughts from Rev. Keith GeRue Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Between Girard and Virden Illinois
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sermon for St. Bartholomew day August 23, 2008
St. Bartholomew Luke 22:24-30
In the Name of the Father and the + Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It is tough to believe that God's love for you is not proved in wealth and privilege, in success. God's love for you is proved in His promise fulfilled: Jesus on the cross, out of the tomb, and into your heart by way of the mouth in His Body and Blood. His greatness in washing you, feeding you, forgiving you. His love is proved in the quiet things in which He has embedded in His promise: words, bread, wine, water, earthen vessels, tongue-tied, egotistical pastors.
Good Theologians are always idealistic. Lutheran Theologians are always a little sad. That is what exposure to the Truth does to a person. It makes the falsehood and the darkness we must still endure ever more distasteful. As knowledge grows so does frustration. When idealism is sharpened and the will of God more distinctly exposed, then the Church Militant's flaws grow more obvious and disturbing, as does the depravity of our own sins.
There is a temptation to pragmatism, to search for greatness where it can be measured and approved in the sight of men. But that is to abandon the Gospel. We want to make it work, to pack the pews, to improve lives, to get knowable answers to prayers, to build something of ourselves here and now that the world will recognize and respect. This can all be done if you are willing to lie, to strip the Law of its stern killing power and the Gospel of its ridiculously free grace. Preach to itchy ears, be what men want you be, look the other way while they rape your sister, and you'll never be lonely - until, of course, it is too late.
None of those things indicate greatness. Ceasar was wealthy. Islam has converts galore. Any focus upon such things only indicates greed and selfishness. It is the way of the Gentiles. Return to the Apostles, to their preaching and writing in the New Testament and to the Scriptures of the prophets which they quote and expound. Follow the fiery example of their faith. Love what they believed. Receive what they taught with joy.
For there is a kingdom the world does not know. It lives in you. It is the Kingdom of God's grace, the kingdom ruled through forgiveness, the kingdom of dying and rising, where a little child leads them and the strong man is ousted by submission to death. Your King is greatest because He became the least. If it were not so He could not be your King. You would still be lost in your trespasses and destined for Hell's fire. He humbled Himself to the point of death. He died the most shameful death known to man. He was numbered with transgressors. He did not shrink from His love. He paid the price. He laid down His life and He took it up again. He is not dead. He lives. He has satisfied His wrath and His justice for you. He became least to make you great and now you become great in His weakness borne in your bones.
Thus He gladly welcomes you. He accepts you. He names you. For He loves you beyond all telling or imagination. His dying and rising is acted out in you. It began with Baptism. It will not end until the final resurrection to come. Until, then, you live by faith and trust in the good things to be. There is a feast and kingdom awaiting in heaven. But there is also a feast and a kingdom here hidden from the eyes and wisdom of men. You are an honored guest at this feast, for the only One actually innocent refuses to throw stones. You are His son or daughter in whom He is well-pleased. He gives Himself in the bread and the wine, the satisfaction of His wrath, the claim to His inheritance. He unites you to Himself, to His Father, and to His Spirit, to the saints beside you, before you, and behind you, to the saints all over this sad world, and to the saints at rest who sing with angels, even, to St. Bartholomew. Ah, yes, Bartholomew. Free at last of his childish ways, declared innocent by the One with the power to pardon. Apostle of the Lord sent to preach Good News, forerunner of the saints, embraced with the risen arms of Christ, Our Lord. Bartholomew! Your brother. Soon, my friends, you will follow. What a blessed day it will be!
In + Jesus' Name. Amen.
Introduction to St. Bartholomew
ST. BARTHOLOMEW
"Bartholomew" was one of the first followers of Jesus. This apostle's other name was Nathaniel. He came from Cana in Galilee. He became a disciple of Jesus when his friend Philip invited him to come and meet the Lord. Nathaniel received high praise from Jesus, who said, as soon as he saw him, "Here is a man in whom there is no guile." Jesus meant that Nathaniel was an honest, sincere man who would never deceive anyone. His one desire was to know the truth.
Nathaniel was very surprised to hear those words from the Lord. "How do you know me?" he asked. "Before Philip called you," Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree." That was a favorite praying-place. Nathaniel must have realized then that Jesus had read his heart as he prayed. "Master!" he cried. "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel." And Nathaniel became one of the Lord's faithful apostles.
Like the other apostles, Nathaniel, or Bartholomew, preached the Gospel of Jesus at the risk of his life. It is believed that he went to India, Armenia and other lands. He preached with great zeal, until he gave his life for the faith. And so, to the reward of an apostle, St. Bartholomew added the martyr's crown.
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (Jn 1:49)
"Bartholomew" was one of the first followers of Jesus. This apostle's other name was Nathaniel. He came from Cana in Galilee. He became a disciple of Jesus when his friend Philip invited him to come and meet the Lord. Nathaniel received high praise from Jesus, who said, as soon as he saw him, "Here is a man in whom there is no guile." Jesus meant that Nathaniel was an honest, sincere man who would never deceive anyone. His one desire was to know the truth.
Nathaniel was very surprised to hear those words from the Lord. "How do you know me?" he asked. "Before Philip called you," Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree." That was a favorite praying-place. Nathaniel must have realized then that Jesus had read his heart as he prayed. "Master!" he cried. "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel." And Nathaniel became one of the Lord's faithful apostles.
Like the other apostles, Nathaniel, or Bartholomew, preached the Gospel of Jesus at the risk of his life. It is believed that he went to India, Armenia and other lands. He preached with great zeal, until he gave his life for the faith. And so, to the reward of an apostle, St. Bartholomew added the martyr's crown.
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (Jn 1:49)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Trinity 10 - July 26-27, 2008
Trinity 10 Luke 19: 41-48 “The Things that Make for Your Peace”
July 26-27, 2008
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for today is Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, from the Gospel lesson just read.
Anyone who has been a parent for long knows the pain and sorrow that Jesus is going through, here. Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. God’s children, Israel. The city of peace, as the name Jerusalem means. God had lavished his blessings on these people as a father does his children for generations. The Lord loved her with an everlasting love, a love that knows no bounds. A love that never fails.
But Jerusalem rejected him. Again and again, Jerusalem, and her people, had rejected the Lord and had gone a lusting after other gods. The Lord had given her His Word. He had visited them again and again in the prophets. This is the Word of the Lord. It was the Word God had given them to say. It wasn’t always the easiest to hear, but it was always, always given in love to God’s beloved ones.
And now God had sent the Word made flesh. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the One whom angels adored and prophets longed to see. He has visited His people. He has come to them with words of Law and Gospel, of repentance and faith. His message is not hard or complicated. Repent and believe the Gospel. God forgives your sins for Jesus’ sake. Believe it.
This is what Jesus is lamenting in our text, Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. He knows that His promise is only as good as His threat, and He fears for the people, because they do not believe the promise. The Gospel can only be heard if the Law actually has consequences. How good would your word as a parent be of all you did was criticize and threaten with discipline but you never followed through? Your children would get you figured out quite quickly. Hear again this portion of the text: Now as Jesus drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.
The promise that Jesus gives comes with His very presence. Jesus is the thing that makes for peace. He is the very visitation of God on earth. He is God in the flesh. And He came to save them from their sins. He came to draw them into His loving embrace, pick them up from the depths, clean them up, and bring them to His eternal mansions in heaven.
But Jesus knows what will happen if they do not repent and believe the Gospel. He can see with the eye of God what is coming their way. In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans. The people were killed and scattered all over the Mediterranean. Jesus knows it’s coming, and He longed to forgive their sins, their unbelief, and their desire for power.
What was their sin? Their sin, according to Jesus, was that they did not know the time of their visitation. In other words, Jesus was in their midst, healing many and forgiving sins. He was right there, and they would not hear him. They refused to recognize God’s very presence in their midst. That was their sin. Unbelief. And because they refused to hear the promise, all that was left was their destruction.
But don’t get too comfortable. This is your sin and mine as well. Every time we despise God’s house and hearing His Word, we despise His presence. Every time we make something else more important than God’s forgiveness, or try to impress God by our works, we forget His promises.
God preaches this text to you not because He hates you and He wants you to feel bad about yourself. Not at all. He preaches this text to you, reminds you of the destruction of Jerusalem, precisely because He loves you and wants only what is best for you. He longs to forgive your sins and draw you into His presence. But He knows your unbelief. He knows your struggle with sin. He knows how there is one part of you that longs to be with Jerusalem, warring and bickering and fighting and hating rejecting the very thing that makes for peace.
As I look at all of the violence and bloodshed that goes on in Jerusalem even today, it reminds me of how true Jesus’ words were almost 2000 years ago. If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
But they are not hidden from your eyes. For your eyes have seen the salvation which He prepared before His people Israel. Your eyes see the things that make for peace even this day. I’m not talking about just good morals or kind of glorified niceness. No, the only thing that makes for peace, peace between man and God, peace between you and heaven, the only thing that makes for that peace is the blood of Jesus Christ, poured out for you and given to you from this very Altar. That is where your peace is found.
We live in a day and an age of violence, bloodshed and pain at times. But in this great gift God gives you the peace that passes all understanding. God gives you the peace which conquers the whole world. Believe it, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.
July 26-27, 2008
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for today is Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, from the Gospel lesson just read.
Anyone who has been a parent for long knows the pain and sorrow that Jesus is going through, here. Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. God’s children, Israel. The city of peace, as the name Jerusalem means. God had lavished his blessings on these people as a father does his children for generations. The Lord loved her with an everlasting love, a love that knows no bounds. A love that never fails.
But Jerusalem rejected him. Again and again, Jerusalem, and her people, had rejected the Lord and had gone a lusting after other gods. The Lord had given her His Word. He had visited them again and again in the prophets. This is the Word of the Lord. It was the Word God had given them to say. It wasn’t always the easiest to hear, but it was always, always given in love to God’s beloved ones.
And now God had sent the Word made flesh. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the One whom angels adored and prophets longed to see. He has visited His people. He has come to them with words of Law and Gospel, of repentance and faith. His message is not hard or complicated. Repent and believe the Gospel. God forgives your sins for Jesus’ sake. Believe it.
This is what Jesus is lamenting in our text, Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. He knows that His promise is only as good as His threat, and He fears for the people, because they do not believe the promise. The Gospel can only be heard if the Law actually has consequences. How good would your word as a parent be of all you did was criticize and threaten with discipline but you never followed through? Your children would get you figured out quite quickly. Hear again this portion of the text: Now as Jesus drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.
The promise that Jesus gives comes with His very presence. Jesus is the thing that makes for peace. He is the very visitation of God on earth. He is God in the flesh. And He came to save them from their sins. He came to draw them into His loving embrace, pick them up from the depths, clean them up, and bring them to His eternal mansions in heaven.
But Jesus knows what will happen if they do not repent and believe the Gospel. He can see with the eye of God what is coming their way. In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans. The people were killed and scattered all over the Mediterranean. Jesus knows it’s coming, and He longed to forgive their sins, their unbelief, and their desire for power.
What was their sin? Their sin, according to Jesus, was that they did not know the time of their visitation. In other words, Jesus was in their midst, healing many and forgiving sins. He was right there, and they would not hear him. They refused to recognize God’s very presence in their midst. That was their sin. Unbelief. And because they refused to hear the promise, all that was left was their destruction.
But don’t get too comfortable. This is your sin and mine as well. Every time we despise God’s house and hearing His Word, we despise His presence. Every time we make something else more important than God’s forgiveness, or try to impress God by our works, we forget His promises.
God preaches this text to you not because He hates you and He wants you to feel bad about yourself. Not at all. He preaches this text to you, reminds you of the destruction of Jerusalem, precisely because He loves you and wants only what is best for you. He longs to forgive your sins and draw you into His presence. But He knows your unbelief. He knows your struggle with sin. He knows how there is one part of you that longs to be with Jerusalem, warring and bickering and fighting and hating rejecting the very thing that makes for peace.
As I look at all of the violence and bloodshed that goes on in Jerusalem even today, it reminds me of how true Jesus’ words were almost 2000 years ago. If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
But they are not hidden from your eyes. For your eyes have seen the salvation which He prepared before His people Israel. Your eyes see the things that make for peace even this day. I’m not talking about just good morals or kind of glorified niceness. No, the only thing that makes for peace, peace between man and God, peace between you and heaven, the only thing that makes for that peace is the blood of Jesus Christ, poured out for you and given to you from this very Altar. That is where your peace is found.
We live in a day and an age of violence, bloodshed and pain at times. But in this great gift God gives you the peace that passes all understanding. God gives you the peace which conquers the whole world. Believe it, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Beware of False Prophets!!!
“Beware of false prophets”
Matthew 7:13-23
TRINITY VIII
July 12-13,2008
Saint Paul Lutheran Church
Hamel, Illinois
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The message of Jesus in the Gospel reading certainly goes against the grain of today's popular thinking. Our culture is one that is supposedly rediscovering the value of religion and spirituality. More and more it's becoming fashionable, even among Hollywood types, to talk about God and prayer and meditation and religious practices. But you'll notice that in all this talk, there is very little mention of truth, that which is true for everyone in all times and places, very little mention of doctrine, consistent and unchanging teaching that transcends us and shows us the way things really are. No, in our culture spirituality is more of a personal and private and practical thing. The focus is not outward to a holy God but inward to your own feelings, to what makes you fulfilled and happy. You find what works for you, I'll find what works for me, and as long as we're both sincere, it doesn't really make too much difference what you believe or what religion you practice or what sort of god you worship.
But then Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets . . .” Now if there is such a thing as a false prophet, then there is also such a thing as false teaching and false worship and false religion. Those who engage in such things may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong and sincerely in danger. What they are practicing doesn't lead to life but to death. Jesus solemnly warns us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” To follow the crowd in spiritual things is to be like running off a cliff. The broad, easy road that the world is traveling of do-it-yourself religion, the road paved with good intentions, leads to hell.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” It is the way of evil to wrap itself up in good and appear as though it is honorable. The Bible says that the devil himself comes not as the wicked destroyer that he is but as an angel of light, appearing to be holy and good. So also his deceiving prophets come looking like they are sheep of the Good Shepherd. That way these wolves can work their way much further into the flock in order to try to rip them away from their true Shepherd and devour them. Falsehood is much more dangerous when it is wrapped up in what appears to be the truth.
As a faithful Christian can you be deceived? Can you be led astray? What about a group like the Mormons, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? With their slick TV ads and their family values and their Mormon tabernacle choir, they have the appearance of goodness and truth which lures many an unsuspecting Christian astray. Their tabernacle is as beautiful as any Cathedral. I've heard their presentation and have seen firsthand how deceptive their message is and how attractive they make it look. But all of the niceness and attractiveness in the world can't undo the fact that they deny the that we are saved by grace alone apart from works through the all-sufficient merit of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. In fact, on an even more basic level, they worship a different god. For they deny the God of the Bible, allowing for the existence of many gods. The Jesus that they speak of is not the Jesus of the Scriptures–the One who is our Lord, true God from all eternity, and also true man born of the Virgin Mary. They do not have Christ, the only Savior–which is the case with the Jehovah's Witnesses and other such groups, as well. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
And this threat is present not only from these other religious bodies, but even within the outward institution of the church itself. St. Paul warned the pastors of the churches in Ephesus that after his departure savage wolves would come in among them, not sparing the flock. In fact, he said, even some from among those very pastors would rise up and set forth perverse teachings, to draw away believers after themselves.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing...” That is, they come to you looking like servants of the Lord. They are preachers and teachers in the church. They're nice people. They may even wear a collar and a robe and a stole and a chasuble. But they don't teach the truth; they are ravenous wolves.
They're people like the pope, who for all his good stands on moral issues, still denies the full sufficiency of Jesus' death on the cross to save us, who adds in our own good works and thus steals away the glory of Christ. They're people like Billy Graham, who adds to the work of Christ our own work of giving our heart to Him and committing our lives to Him and by our own strength following Him. The Rev. Graham has even publicly stated in a recent interview that there is salvation for some apart from Christ. They're people like Charles Stanley and Chuck Swindoll who reject the working of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, stealing away the very means by which God seeks to give the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection. They're people like the Lutheran pastor who turns the church from a house of prayer into a house of spiritual entertainment and self-help and man-centered piety. Now don't misunderstand me. I make no judgments about whether or not these people are saved or are true Christians. I don't know that. But I do know what they teach. And it is dangerous, it is wrong, it is false.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” So what exactly does that mean? Jesus repeats those same words again a little later, “By their fruits you will know them.” What are “their fruits?” Some have suggested that this refers to the sort of life that they lead, whether their outward works are loving and Christian. But that can't be correct; for Jesus just got done saying that they come in sheep's clothing. Part of their deception is that outwardly they look holy and good. Works by themselves can deceive. It is written, “False prophets will rise and show great signs and wonder to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
No, false prophets are not recognized only by their works but especially by their doctrine and teaching. The way you know if a prophet is from the Lord is whether or not he speaks the words of the Lord according to the truth. We are to test the spirits. And John goes on to say that the way that you do that is by assessing what they teach. John tells us in his second epistle, that anyone who rejects that Jesus is true God in the flesh, fully human and fully divine, is not of God. Those who deny Jesus' coming in the flesh, the offering up of His body on the cross to save us, His resurrection in the body, His literal coming to us now in His body and blood in the Sacrament–those who contradict any or all of these things are false prophets. Whoever teaches contrary to the truth of Christ's Word is a wolf. “By their fruits you will know them.”
Remember that a false prophet may not even be aware that he is one. He may very well be deceived by his own deception. Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!'“ They are law-less; that is, they are without the law, the teaching of Christ, in which alone there is salvation. They have departed from the truth, sometimes without even knowing it.
But you might say, “I'm no theologian; I'm not a Bible expert. How do I distinguish a false teacher from a genuine teacher, who both appeal to the Scriptures? How can I tell whether or not someone is preaching the truth of Christ's Word?” The simplest answer that I can give to you is this: Know your Catechism by heart; pray and meditate upon it in your devotions day by day and week by week. For there in the Catechism is given to you the fundamental teachings of the Scriptures and all that you need to know and believe to be saved. There is confessed God's holy Law and Gospel by which you are brought to repentance and to faith in Christ. Too often we have seen of the Catechism as a text book, when it is really more of a prayer book, a way of dwelling upon and receiving the life-giving teaching of Christ. And as we receive and hold to that teaching, we are also defended against the false teaching which contradicts it. By meditating upon and clinging to the truth, we also learn how to recognize error and reject it.
That is the purposes of the creeds. Not only do they state what we believe, they also state what we reject. They are like fortress walls guarding and upholding the truth of God's Word. The creeds were put together during times when the faith was being attacked or threatened. For instance, at the time of the Nicene Creed, the true divinity of Jesus was being denied; and so the Christians then confessed, and we confess still today that Jesus is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” Even though the creeds are ancient, they remain timely and practical. For example, when someone tells me that I need a second baptism in the Holy Spirit, I can respond with the words of the creed, “I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.” And that, like the entire creed, simply reflects the words of the Scriptures, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
So, if you're wondering whether or not someone is a false teacher, just ask yourself, “Is the teaching of this man in keeping with the faith of the church confessed in the creeds? Is it consistent with what I've learned of sin and of Christ and of faith in the Small Catechism? Does it square with the preaching of the Word of God?” If not, then beware of it, flee from it. Remember Jesus' words, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
That gate is narrow because it doesn't let in any of the opinions or the qualifications of men. Rather, it admits only the merits of Christ and His righteousness. Jesus Himself is that gate, for He said, “I am the gate of the sheep.” He alone is the one through whom we gain entrance into heaven. Jesus Himself is also the way which leads to everlasting life, for He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” That way is difficult because it is the way of the cross. It is the way of death to sin and to self. Jesus accomplished that death for you at Calvary, so that baptized into His death; you might also share in His life. Through the cross you have been entirely forgiven of all your sins. And through Christ's resurrection, you have been raised to new life in Him. It is written, “Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness”–the righteousness of Christ–”By His stripes you are healed.”
Truly, then, the cross is that good tree that bears good fruit. For upon it were not our Lord's arms raised like the limbs of a tree? Did not water and blood come forth from His body as the sacramental fruits of His sacrifice? Indeed, even now you are given to partake of those fruits in the Supper of His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is your Prophet and the fulfillment of all true prophecy. By His fruits you will know Him. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Matthew 7:13-23
TRINITY VIII
July 12-13,2008
Saint Paul Lutheran Church
Hamel, Illinois
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The message of Jesus in the Gospel reading certainly goes against the grain of today's popular thinking. Our culture is one that is supposedly rediscovering the value of religion and spirituality. More and more it's becoming fashionable, even among Hollywood types, to talk about God and prayer and meditation and religious practices. But you'll notice that in all this talk, there is very little mention of truth, that which is true for everyone in all times and places, very little mention of doctrine, consistent and unchanging teaching that transcends us and shows us the way things really are. No, in our culture spirituality is more of a personal and private and practical thing. The focus is not outward to a holy God but inward to your own feelings, to what makes you fulfilled and happy. You find what works for you, I'll find what works for me, and as long as we're both sincere, it doesn't really make too much difference what you believe or what religion you practice or what sort of god you worship.
But then Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets . . .” Now if there is such a thing as a false prophet, then there is also such a thing as false teaching and false worship and false religion. Those who engage in such things may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong and sincerely in danger. What they are practicing doesn't lead to life but to death. Jesus solemnly warns us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” To follow the crowd in spiritual things is to be like running off a cliff. The broad, easy road that the world is traveling of do-it-yourself religion, the road paved with good intentions, leads to hell.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” It is the way of evil to wrap itself up in good and appear as though it is honorable. The Bible says that the devil himself comes not as the wicked destroyer that he is but as an angel of light, appearing to be holy and good. So also his deceiving prophets come looking like they are sheep of the Good Shepherd. That way these wolves can work their way much further into the flock in order to try to rip them away from their true Shepherd and devour them. Falsehood is much more dangerous when it is wrapped up in what appears to be the truth.
As a faithful Christian can you be deceived? Can you be led astray? What about a group like the Mormons, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? With their slick TV ads and their family values and their Mormon tabernacle choir, they have the appearance of goodness and truth which lures many an unsuspecting Christian astray. Their tabernacle is as beautiful as any Cathedral. I've heard their presentation and have seen firsthand how deceptive their message is and how attractive they make it look. But all of the niceness and attractiveness in the world can't undo the fact that they deny the that we are saved by grace alone apart from works through the all-sufficient merit of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. In fact, on an even more basic level, they worship a different god. For they deny the God of the Bible, allowing for the existence of many gods. The Jesus that they speak of is not the Jesus of the Scriptures–the One who is our Lord, true God from all eternity, and also true man born of the Virgin Mary. They do not have Christ, the only Savior–which is the case with the Jehovah's Witnesses and other such groups, as well. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
And this threat is present not only from these other religious bodies, but even within the outward institution of the church itself. St. Paul warned the pastors of the churches in Ephesus that after his departure savage wolves would come in among them, not sparing the flock. In fact, he said, even some from among those very pastors would rise up and set forth perverse teachings, to draw away believers after themselves.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing...” That is, they come to you looking like servants of the Lord. They are preachers and teachers in the church. They're nice people. They may even wear a collar and a robe and a stole and a chasuble. But they don't teach the truth; they are ravenous wolves.
They're people like the pope, who for all his good stands on moral issues, still denies the full sufficiency of Jesus' death on the cross to save us, who adds in our own good works and thus steals away the glory of Christ. They're people like Billy Graham, who adds to the work of Christ our own work of giving our heart to Him and committing our lives to Him and by our own strength following Him. The Rev. Graham has even publicly stated in a recent interview that there is salvation for some apart from Christ. They're people like Charles Stanley and Chuck Swindoll who reject the working of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, stealing away the very means by which God seeks to give the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection. They're people like the Lutheran pastor who turns the church from a house of prayer into a house of spiritual entertainment and self-help and man-centered piety. Now don't misunderstand me. I make no judgments about whether or not these people are saved or are true Christians. I don't know that. But I do know what they teach. And it is dangerous, it is wrong, it is false.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” So what exactly does that mean? Jesus repeats those same words again a little later, “By their fruits you will know them.” What are “their fruits?” Some have suggested that this refers to the sort of life that they lead, whether their outward works are loving and Christian. But that can't be correct; for Jesus just got done saying that they come in sheep's clothing. Part of their deception is that outwardly they look holy and good. Works by themselves can deceive. It is written, “False prophets will rise and show great signs and wonder to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
No, false prophets are not recognized only by their works but especially by their doctrine and teaching. The way you know if a prophet is from the Lord is whether or not he speaks the words of the Lord according to the truth. We are to test the spirits. And John goes on to say that the way that you do that is by assessing what they teach. John tells us in his second epistle, that anyone who rejects that Jesus is true God in the flesh, fully human and fully divine, is not of God. Those who deny Jesus' coming in the flesh, the offering up of His body on the cross to save us, His resurrection in the body, His literal coming to us now in His body and blood in the Sacrament–those who contradict any or all of these things are false prophets. Whoever teaches contrary to the truth of Christ's Word is a wolf. “By their fruits you will know them.”
Remember that a false prophet may not even be aware that he is one. He may very well be deceived by his own deception. Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!'“ They are law-less; that is, they are without the law, the teaching of Christ, in which alone there is salvation. They have departed from the truth, sometimes without even knowing it.
But you might say, “I'm no theologian; I'm not a Bible expert. How do I distinguish a false teacher from a genuine teacher, who both appeal to the Scriptures? How can I tell whether or not someone is preaching the truth of Christ's Word?” The simplest answer that I can give to you is this: Know your Catechism by heart; pray and meditate upon it in your devotions day by day and week by week. For there in the Catechism is given to you the fundamental teachings of the Scriptures and all that you need to know and believe to be saved. There is confessed God's holy Law and Gospel by which you are brought to repentance and to faith in Christ. Too often we have seen of the Catechism as a text book, when it is really more of a prayer book, a way of dwelling upon and receiving the life-giving teaching of Christ. And as we receive and hold to that teaching, we are also defended against the false teaching which contradicts it. By meditating upon and clinging to the truth, we also learn how to recognize error and reject it.
That is the purposes of the creeds. Not only do they state what we believe, they also state what we reject. They are like fortress walls guarding and upholding the truth of God's Word. The creeds were put together during times when the faith was being attacked or threatened. For instance, at the time of the Nicene Creed, the true divinity of Jesus was being denied; and so the Christians then confessed, and we confess still today that Jesus is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” Even though the creeds are ancient, they remain timely and practical. For example, when someone tells me that I need a second baptism in the Holy Spirit, I can respond with the words of the creed, “I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.” And that, like the entire creed, simply reflects the words of the Scriptures, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
So, if you're wondering whether or not someone is a false teacher, just ask yourself, “Is the teaching of this man in keeping with the faith of the church confessed in the creeds? Is it consistent with what I've learned of sin and of Christ and of faith in the Small Catechism? Does it square with the preaching of the Word of God?” If not, then beware of it, flee from it. Remember Jesus' words, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
That gate is narrow because it doesn't let in any of the opinions or the qualifications of men. Rather, it admits only the merits of Christ and His righteousness. Jesus Himself is that gate, for He said, “I am the gate of the sheep.” He alone is the one through whom we gain entrance into heaven. Jesus Himself is also the way which leads to everlasting life, for He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” That way is difficult because it is the way of the cross. It is the way of death to sin and to self. Jesus accomplished that death for you at Calvary, so that baptized into His death; you might also share in His life. Through the cross you have been entirely forgiven of all your sins. And through Christ's resurrection, you have been raised to new life in Him. It is written, “Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness”–the righteousness of Christ–”By His stripes you are healed.”
Truly, then, the cross is that good tree that bears good fruit. For upon it were not our Lord's arms raised like the limbs of a tree? Did not water and blood come forth from His body as the sacramental fruits of His sacrifice? Indeed, even now you are given to partake of those fruits in the Supper of His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is your Prophet and the fulfillment of all true prophecy. By His fruits you will know Him. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saints Peter and Paul @ St. Paul Lutheran Hamel, Illinois
"Let No One Boast In Men" I Corinthians 3:21 St. Peter and St. Paul
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
"Let no one boast in men." So the Epistle says. But that's exactly what was happening at the congregation in Corinth. They were dividing themselves up into spiritual factions. Some identified themselves with Paul, others with a preacher named Apollos, still others with Cephas, which was another name for the apostle Peter. The people were aligning themselves with one or the other of these particular men, not simply as their spiritual leader in a positive way, but in a "My guy's better than your guy" sort of way. This was causing division and strife in the congregation. You might compare it today to a larger congregation with more than one pastor where the people align themselves with one of the ministers based simply on personality or the personal relationship they have with him and speak ill of the other. Or you might compare the Corinthian situation to those who speak so highly and glowingly of a particular pastor or preacher in their life that it seems their faith is put more in the man himself than in God and His Word. "Let no one boast in men."
Earlier in this Epistle, Paul asks the people, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" In fact the apostle actually says he's glad he wasn't the one who baptized most of the people in the Corinthian church, lest they think that their baptism was somehow more special because it was done by him–sort of like those who insist on having their relative who's a pastor do a baptism so that it will be so much more special. Paul says here, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." You are to see beyond the man to the Lord who alone is the reason why you are rescued from sin, death, and the devil, and who alone is the One who keeps you in the saving faith through His preaching and supper. So it is that Jeremiah exhorts us, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." He is your life and your glory.
So then, on this day commemorating St. Peter and St. Paul, we are not going to boast about them or glorify them but rather give thanks to God for His grace shown through them. For the fact of the matter is, their own lives show the danger of putting your trust in human beings. Remember how Peter wavered back and forth in the Gospel. On the one hand he confessed the truth of Jesus, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But then almost immediately, Peter tries to divert Jesus from His mission of suffering and dying for the sins of the world, saying, "This shall not happen to You, Lord!" When Peter was thinking according to his own sinful nature, he was in league with the devil, wanting a worldly Messiah with a worldly kingdom of glory. But when Peter answered according to what had been revealed to Him from above, he was called blessed by Jesus. Just like you and me who believe and are baptized, Peter was both saint and sinner.
Jesus gives Simon the name "Peter" then, which means "rock," not because the church is built on his person as if he were the first pope. Rather the church is built on the confession of faith which he made, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The church is built only on the rock of Christ, as it written, "No other foundation can anyone lay than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ." Peter was the rock as he held to Him who is the true Rock of our salvation.
There were times even after Pentecost that Peter wavered a bit. In Galatians 2 it is recorded how Peter, who used to eat with Gentiles in the freedom of the Gospel, changed his practice when some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem came to town who thought that wasn't right. These Judaizers taught that some of the old ceremonial laws still were still in force, which would include not eating with those uncircumcised or eating "unclean" foods. Peter didn't want to fall into their disfavor. He still wanted to be a part of the Jerusalem "club," the heavy hitters. And so he played the hypocrite and only ate with Jews for a time. He brought division between Jew and Gentile again.
And so Paul confronted Peter before them all. He wasn't intimidated by them because of who they were. He says in Galatians, "Whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man." Paul rebuked Peter, both out of faithfulness to God, and also out of love for Peter and the Gentiles, that they might remain in the truth of God's grace to all nations and ethnicities.
Of course, Paul didn't have a perfect resume either, did he. Earlier in life he was so zealous for the self-righteous Jewish traditions that he actively persecuted the Christians who preached the right-eousness of Christ. Paul was present when a Christian deacon named Stephen was stoned to death for his faith, and he approved of it. Paul, then known as Saul, even traveled large distances to imprison those who followed Jesus as the Way. It was on a trip to Damascus, Syria that the Lord dramatically intervened in Paul's life and graciously converted him from his own self-reliance to faith in Christ, whom he once persecuted. Only because of God's mercy and goodness do we now know Paul as the great apostle and preacher of the Gospel that he was.
And even then Paul was not perfect. He struggled with various physical ailments. And he struggled with his own sin. Paul spoke of the fallen condition that still hung with him when he said, "For the good that I want to do, that I do not do; but the evil I do not want to do, that I practice. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We learn from Paul that Jesus alone rescues us from our sin and death and raises our bodies to life everlasting.
So rather than boasting in men today, glorifying Peter and Paul, instead we glorify God for using even men such as these to proclaim His Gospel for the salvation of many. Even down to this day God works through the life and the writings of Peter and Paul, doesn't He. There are two epistles of Peter and thirteen epistles of Paul in the New Testament. In them God still teaches us to despair of our own works and our own righteousness and instead to cling to the works and righteousness of Christ who has done it all to save us. And we are called to lead lives befitting that Gospel and to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
We should take comfort in how our Lord dealt with men like Peter and Paul. If Peter, who denied Christ, and Paul, who persecuted Christ's church, could be saved and forgiven and restored, then how much more can you be saved and forgiven despite yourself! We learn from Peter and Paul that salvation depends not on us but on Christ, and therefore we are given to rely entirely on Him. And if Peter and Paul could be instruments of the Gospel, then certainly you also can be instruments of the Lord to confess His name and speak of His saving works wherever in life He has placed you.
When it comes right down to it, what really counts is how you answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say I am?" Some say Jesus was a great prophet–indeed, even Muslims say that. Others say that Jesus was a great moral teacher and one who worked for social justice. Still others say that He was an enlightened guru leading people to see new age principles. But only the answer that Peter gives gets to the heart and the truth of the matter. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus is the Savior foretold in the Old Testament. He is God the Son in human flesh and blood, come down to earth that He might die in the flesh and shed His blood as the necessary sacrifice to earn forgiveness for our sins. He is truly the living God, who was raised bodily from the dead to give us victory over the grave and who now reigns bodily at the right hand of the Father to work all things together for the eternal good of His people.
Who do you say Jesus is? Here's where knowing your catechism by heart comes in handy. There we confess, "I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from all 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."
Finally, it must be said that confessing that faith comes with a price in this world. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Our Lord gives you to bear His cross. For He put the sign of the cross on you in your baptism, identifying you as His own beloved children. You bear the mark of the cross on your forehead and on your heart to show you have been redeemed by Christ the crucified. And so you are given to share in the sufferings of Christ in this life–be they physical sufferings, or the troubles that come from being faithful to the Lord in your daily callings, or the mistreatment you receive because of the faith you confess–in order that you may also share in His glory in the life to come. He allows the cross to come to you that your sinful flesh may be put to death and that you may raised forever to new life with Him. As He said, "Whoever loses His life for My sake will find it."
Peter and Paul lost their lives for Christ's sake. Paul suffered beatings and stoning and imprisonment because of his tireless and relentless preaching of Christ. After his several missionary journeys through which God worked to spread the truth of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, tradition holds that Paul was finally beheaded for the faith at the hands of the Roman government. And Peter also left the confines of Israel to proclaim the Gospel as well. According to tradition, Peter ended up in Rome where he also was martyred for the faith. He was crucified, but insisted on being crucified upside down, for he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same fashion his Lord did. This was in fulfillment of words which Jesus Himself spoke at the end of the Gospel of John. Jesus said to Peter, "‘When you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.' This He spoke, signifying by what death (Peter) would glorify God." God was indeed glorified in Peter and Paul. They lost their lives for Christ and now have found true life in Him.
God grant that you may continue with them in the same confession of faith, saying of Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," and finally share with them in the fullness of life that Jesus is and that Jesus gives.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
"Let no one boast in men." So the Epistle says. But that's exactly what was happening at the congregation in Corinth. They were dividing themselves up into spiritual factions. Some identified themselves with Paul, others with a preacher named Apollos, still others with Cephas, which was another name for the apostle Peter. The people were aligning themselves with one or the other of these particular men, not simply as their spiritual leader in a positive way, but in a "My guy's better than your guy" sort of way. This was causing division and strife in the congregation. You might compare it today to a larger congregation with more than one pastor where the people align themselves with one of the ministers based simply on personality or the personal relationship they have with him and speak ill of the other. Or you might compare the Corinthian situation to those who speak so highly and glowingly of a particular pastor or preacher in their life that it seems their faith is put more in the man himself than in God and His Word. "Let no one boast in men."
Earlier in this Epistle, Paul asks the people, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" In fact the apostle actually says he's glad he wasn't the one who baptized most of the people in the Corinthian church, lest they think that their baptism was somehow more special because it was done by him–sort of like those who insist on having their relative who's a pastor do a baptism so that it will be so much more special. Paul says here, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." You are to see beyond the man to the Lord who alone is the reason why you are rescued from sin, death, and the devil, and who alone is the One who keeps you in the saving faith through His preaching and supper. So it is that Jeremiah exhorts us, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." He is your life and your glory.
So then, on this day commemorating St. Peter and St. Paul, we are not going to boast about them or glorify them but rather give thanks to God for His grace shown through them. For the fact of the matter is, their own lives show the danger of putting your trust in human beings. Remember how Peter wavered back and forth in the Gospel. On the one hand he confessed the truth of Jesus, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But then almost immediately, Peter tries to divert Jesus from His mission of suffering and dying for the sins of the world, saying, "This shall not happen to You, Lord!" When Peter was thinking according to his own sinful nature, he was in league with the devil, wanting a worldly Messiah with a worldly kingdom of glory. But when Peter answered according to what had been revealed to Him from above, he was called blessed by Jesus. Just like you and me who believe and are baptized, Peter was both saint and sinner.
Jesus gives Simon the name "Peter" then, which means "rock," not because the church is built on his person as if he were the first pope. Rather the church is built on the confession of faith which he made, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The church is built only on the rock of Christ, as it written, "No other foundation can anyone lay than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ." Peter was the rock as he held to Him who is the true Rock of our salvation.
There were times even after Pentecost that Peter wavered a bit. In Galatians 2 it is recorded how Peter, who used to eat with Gentiles in the freedom of the Gospel, changed his practice when some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem came to town who thought that wasn't right. These Judaizers taught that some of the old ceremonial laws still were still in force, which would include not eating with those uncircumcised or eating "unclean" foods. Peter didn't want to fall into their disfavor. He still wanted to be a part of the Jerusalem "club," the heavy hitters. And so he played the hypocrite and only ate with Jews for a time. He brought division between Jew and Gentile again.
And so Paul confronted Peter before them all. He wasn't intimidated by them because of who they were. He says in Galatians, "Whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man." Paul rebuked Peter, both out of faithfulness to God, and also out of love for Peter and the Gentiles, that they might remain in the truth of God's grace to all nations and ethnicities.
Of course, Paul didn't have a perfect resume either, did he. Earlier in life he was so zealous for the self-righteous Jewish traditions that he actively persecuted the Christians who preached the right-eousness of Christ. Paul was present when a Christian deacon named Stephen was stoned to death for his faith, and he approved of it. Paul, then known as Saul, even traveled large distances to imprison those who followed Jesus as the Way. It was on a trip to Damascus, Syria that the Lord dramatically intervened in Paul's life and graciously converted him from his own self-reliance to faith in Christ, whom he once persecuted. Only because of God's mercy and goodness do we now know Paul as the great apostle and preacher of the Gospel that he was.
And even then Paul was not perfect. He struggled with various physical ailments. And he struggled with his own sin. Paul spoke of the fallen condition that still hung with him when he said, "For the good that I want to do, that I do not do; but the evil I do not want to do, that I practice. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We learn from Paul that Jesus alone rescues us from our sin and death and raises our bodies to life everlasting.
So rather than boasting in men today, glorifying Peter and Paul, instead we glorify God for using even men such as these to proclaim His Gospel for the salvation of many. Even down to this day God works through the life and the writings of Peter and Paul, doesn't He. There are two epistles of Peter and thirteen epistles of Paul in the New Testament. In them God still teaches us to despair of our own works and our own righteousness and instead to cling to the works and righteousness of Christ who has done it all to save us. And we are called to lead lives befitting that Gospel and to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
We should take comfort in how our Lord dealt with men like Peter and Paul. If Peter, who denied Christ, and Paul, who persecuted Christ's church, could be saved and forgiven and restored, then how much more can you be saved and forgiven despite yourself! We learn from Peter and Paul that salvation depends not on us but on Christ, and therefore we are given to rely entirely on Him. And if Peter and Paul could be instruments of the Gospel, then certainly you also can be instruments of the Lord to confess His name and speak of His saving works wherever in life He has placed you.
When it comes right down to it, what really counts is how you answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say I am?" Some say Jesus was a great prophet–indeed, even Muslims say that. Others say that Jesus was a great moral teacher and one who worked for social justice. Still others say that He was an enlightened guru leading people to see new age principles. But only the answer that Peter gives gets to the heart and the truth of the matter. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus is the Savior foretold in the Old Testament. He is God the Son in human flesh and blood, come down to earth that He might die in the flesh and shed His blood as the necessary sacrifice to earn forgiveness for our sins. He is truly the living God, who was raised bodily from the dead to give us victory over the grave and who now reigns bodily at the right hand of the Father to work all things together for the eternal good of His people.
Who do you say Jesus is? Here's where knowing your catechism by heart comes in handy. There we confess, "I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from all 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."
Finally, it must be said that confessing that faith comes with a price in this world. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Our Lord gives you to bear His cross. For He put the sign of the cross on you in your baptism, identifying you as His own beloved children. You bear the mark of the cross on your forehead and on your heart to show you have been redeemed by Christ the crucified. And so you are given to share in the sufferings of Christ in this life–be they physical sufferings, or the troubles that come from being faithful to the Lord in your daily callings, or the mistreatment you receive because of the faith you confess–in order that you may also share in His glory in the life to come. He allows the cross to come to you that your sinful flesh may be put to death and that you may raised forever to new life with Him. As He said, "Whoever loses His life for My sake will find it."
Peter and Paul lost their lives for Christ's sake. Paul suffered beatings and stoning and imprisonment because of his tireless and relentless preaching of Christ. After his several missionary journeys through which God worked to spread the truth of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, tradition holds that Paul was finally beheaded for the faith at the hands of the Roman government. And Peter also left the confines of Israel to proclaim the Gospel as well. According to tradition, Peter ended up in Rome where he also was martyred for the faith. He was crucified, but insisted on being crucified upside down, for he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same fashion his Lord did. This was in fulfillment of words which Jesus Himself spoke at the end of the Gospel of John. Jesus said to Peter, "‘When you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.' This He spoke, signifying by what death (Peter) would glorify God." God was indeed glorified in Peter and Paul. They lost their lives for Christ and now have found true life in Him.
God grant that you may continue with them in the same confession of faith, saying of Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," and finally share with them in the fullness of life that Jesus is and that Jesus gives.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene
St. John 20:1-2, 10-18
July 21–22, 2007
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint Mary Magdalene is a picture of the one, holy, Christian and Apostolic Church. She is neither the “wife” nor the “lover” of Jesus Christ. She is a penitent sinner covered in the blood of the Christ. She is the first “evangelist” to the Apostles of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. She is an example of faith and devotion to us as we are penitents, witnesses, and “evangelists” of sorts of the gifts Christ gives His Church.
The Gospels of Mark and Luke write that Jesus drove out seven demons from Mary Magdalene. She was under Satan’s power until the Lord came to her and spoke the Word that drives demons away. We too were under Satan’s power. We were born into sin; slaves of Satan; bound and owned by the prince of the world. The Word of Christ draws us to the font of Holy Baptism where Satan is cast out and Jesus is put on us.
The Rite of Holy Baptism takes this seriously. Luther’s revision of the Roman Catholic Rite of Holy Baptism left the exorcism intact. You might think it’s a weakness of medieval religion to leave an exorcism in the Baptismal rite. Beloved, Satan is real. Sin is real. Satan must be cast out before the Holy Spirit makes His home in us. So it is today that the pastor proclaims, depart, unclean spirit, and make way for the Holy Spirit, and, I adjure you, you unclean spirit, that you depart from this child in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther took it seriously. So should we.
Consider also these words in the baptismal rite: Do you renounce the devil and all his works and ways? The power of God’s name and God’s Word with the water washes away sin, death, and Satan. Just as Jesus rescued Mary Magdalene from the demons of hell, so He claims you as His precious child rescued from hell.
Saint Mary Magdalene is one of several women who attended to the Lord’s needs. These women provided for the Lord and the Twelve from their own resources. Perhaps they gave them food and clothing. Perhaps they mended their sandals or patched clothes. Mary Magdalene rendered to the Lord grateful and cheerful service for all He did for her.
The Church gives back to the Lord what belongs to Him to support the ministry of the Gospel in this place and around the world. Mary Magdalene gave to the Lord from her very means and substance. Mary is our example. We give abundantly and generously to ensure the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments remains among us. We give not because we have to give, but because we get to give. As the hymn says, we give Thee but Thine own, /Whate’er the gift may be; /All that we have is Thine alone, /A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
Mary Magdalene was a witness of our Lord’s death. Though she didn’t understand the full importance of Christ’s death, she followed Him all the way to the cross. Every time she heard the preaching of the Gospel, she recalled that sad Friday afternoon where she stood vigil with her Lord Christ as He accomplished the salvation of the world.
The Church’s life revolves around the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. There are really two seasons in the Christian Church: Easter, and getting ready for Easter. We cannot see Easter without first seeing Good Friday. Our Lord’s death for sin is front and center in everything we say and do as Christians. That is why we have crosses in our churches. That is why it is a salutary custom that our crosses have our Lord’s Body upon them. A cross with Christ’s bloodied body upon it is a sermon without words. The Lamb of God suffers and dies for all. The Lamb of God robs Satan of his most prized possession: mankind. When we hear the Apostolic preaching of the cross, we stand in the long line of witnesses who hear Jesus proclaim to Mary Magdalene and to you and me: It is finished.
Saint Mary Magdalene’s highest privilege is to see the resurrected Savior first. Three times she wonders out loud who has taken away her Lord Jesus. Mary is filled with sadness. She is hoping against all hope that Jesus would return from the dead as He promised. Her hope is not in vain. She meets a man whom she thinks is the gardener. All it took was the mention of her name, Mary. At His Word, she recognizes Jesus.
At His Word the Church recognizes Jesus. We do not cling to Him as Mary wants to cling to Him. Soon He will ascend into heaven. One day we will join Him, but that day isn’t here yet. Now that Christ is raised from the dead, we seek Him where He promises He will be. He is present wherever the people of God gather to hear His Word and receive His gifts. We do not cling to strange signs, visions, and prophecies. We cling to His external Word proclaimed from pulpit, font, and altar. Here is where the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ.
Mary ran to tell the Good News about Jesus to His Eleven chosen men. His Eleven chosen men, later to add Saint Matthias, would tell the Good News about Jesus to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world. Telling the Good News about Jesus is not strictly your pastor’s responsibility. It is the Church’s responsibility. Together we speak the Gospel of Christ to our neighbor who doesn’t know what Jesus does for us. Like Mary Magdalene, we leave Christ’s side here and go into the world with Good News. Christ has triumphed over death. He is alive and ready to make you His precious child through water and Word in Baptism. He is ready to nourish you with His Body and Blood in the Supper. He is ready to forgive your sins in Absolution. He is ready to nurture you through careful study of His Word with other brethren in Christ. God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Our common task with Mary Magdalene is to say I have seen the Lord!
Today we honor Saint Mary Magdalene not for who she was, but for Who she placed her trust. Today is all about Jesus and the wonderful things He did for her. Today is also all about Jesus and the wonderful things He does for you. Saint Paul is right when he proclaims: To you the word of this salvation has been sent. Today salvation has come to this house of God we call Saint Paul. Today you, like Mary Magdalene, have seen the Lord! In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. John 20:1-2, 10-18
July 21–22, 2007
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint Mary Magdalene is a picture of the one, holy, Christian and Apostolic Church. She is neither the “wife” nor the “lover” of Jesus Christ. She is a penitent sinner covered in the blood of the Christ. She is the first “evangelist” to the Apostles of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. She is an example of faith and devotion to us as we are penitents, witnesses, and “evangelists” of sorts of the gifts Christ gives His Church.
The Gospels of Mark and Luke write that Jesus drove out seven demons from Mary Magdalene. She was under Satan’s power until the Lord came to her and spoke the Word that drives demons away. We too were under Satan’s power. We were born into sin; slaves of Satan; bound and owned by the prince of the world. The Word of Christ draws us to the font of Holy Baptism where Satan is cast out and Jesus is put on us.
The Rite of Holy Baptism takes this seriously. Luther’s revision of the Roman Catholic Rite of Holy Baptism left the exorcism intact. You might think it’s a weakness of medieval religion to leave an exorcism in the Baptismal rite. Beloved, Satan is real. Sin is real. Satan must be cast out before the Holy Spirit makes His home in us. So it is today that the pastor proclaims, depart, unclean spirit, and make way for the Holy Spirit, and, I adjure you, you unclean spirit, that you depart from this child in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther took it seriously. So should we.
Consider also these words in the baptismal rite: Do you renounce the devil and all his works and ways? The power of God’s name and God’s Word with the water washes away sin, death, and Satan. Just as Jesus rescued Mary Magdalene from the demons of hell, so He claims you as His precious child rescued from hell.
Saint Mary Magdalene is one of several women who attended to the Lord’s needs. These women provided for the Lord and the Twelve from their own resources. Perhaps they gave them food and clothing. Perhaps they mended their sandals or patched clothes. Mary Magdalene rendered to the Lord grateful and cheerful service for all He did for her.
The Church gives back to the Lord what belongs to Him to support the ministry of the Gospel in this place and around the world. Mary Magdalene gave to the Lord from her very means and substance. Mary is our example. We give abundantly and generously to ensure the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments remains among us. We give not because we have to give, but because we get to give. As the hymn says, we give Thee but Thine own, /Whate’er the gift may be; /All that we have is Thine alone, /A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
Mary Magdalene was a witness of our Lord’s death. Though she didn’t understand the full importance of Christ’s death, she followed Him all the way to the cross. Every time she heard the preaching of the Gospel, she recalled that sad Friday afternoon where she stood vigil with her Lord Christ as He accomplished the salvation of the world.
The Church’s life revolves around the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. There are really two seasons in the Christian Church: Easter, and getting ready for Easter. We cannot see Easter without first seeing Good Friday. Our Lord’s death for sin is front and center in everything we say and do as Christians. That is why we have crosses in our churches. That is why it is a salutary custom that our crosses have our Lord’s Body upon them. A cross with Christ’s bloodied body upon it is a sermon without words. The Lamb of God suffers and dies for all. The Lamb of God robs Satan of his most prized possession: mankind. When we hear the Apostolic preaching of the cross, we stand in the long line of witnesses who hear Jesus proclaim to Mary Magdalene and to you and me: It is finished.
Saint Mary Magdalene’s highest privilege is to see the resurrected Savior first. Three times she wonders out loud who has taken away her Lord Jesus. Mary is filled with sadness. She is hoping against all hope that Jesus would return from the dead as He promised. Her hope is not in vain. She meets a man whom she thinks is the gardener. All it took was the mention of her name, Mary. At His Word, she recognizes Jesus.
At His Word the Church recognizes Jesus. We do not cling to Him as Mary wants to cling to Him. Soon He will ascend into heaven. One day we will join Him, but that day isn’t here yet. Now that Christ is raised from the dead, we seek Him where He promises He will be. He is present wherever the people of God gather to hear His Word and receive His gifts. We do not cling to strange signs, visions, and prophecies. We cling to His external Word proclaimed from pulpit, font, and altar. Here is where the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ.
Mary ran to tell the Good News about Jesus to His Eleven chosen men. His Eleven chosen men, later to add Saint Matthias, would tell the Good News about Jesus to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world. Telling the Good News about Jesus is not strictly your pastor’s responsibility. It is the Church’s responsibility. Together we speak the Gospel of Christ to our neighbor who doesn’t know what Jesus does for us. Like Mary Magdalene, we leave Christ’s side here and go into the world with Good News. Christ has triumphed over death. He is alive and ready to make you His precious child through water and Word in Baptism. He is ready to nourish you with His Body and Blood in the Supper. He is ready to forgive your sins in Absolution. He is ready to nurture you through careful study of His Word with other brethren in Christ. God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Our common task with Mary Magdalene is to say I have seen the Lord!
Today we honor Saint Mary Magdalene not for who she was, but for Who she placed her trust. Today is all about Jesus and the wonderful things He did for her. Today is also all about Jesus and the wonderful things He does for you. Saint Paul is right when he proclaims: To you the word of this salvation has been sent. Today salvation has come to this house of God we call Saint Paul. Today you, like Mary Magdalene, have seen the Lord! In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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