Sermon for September 25-26, 2010

September 26, 2010

Trinity 17

 Luke 14:1-11

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

The Pharisees would not answer. They were big on complaints, on pointing out the errors of others: they were short on answers. They were cowards. They were afraid of doctrinal review, afraid to take a risk, afraid to speak when it mattered.

Ask them who they favored for the pennant, what they think of Taylor Swift or Flatt and Scruggs or Jordan Sparks, and they’d have an answer. They’d be fully articulate and nuanced. But when confronted with a Law question, which are always real questions, with what mattered, they were afraid to answer. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” The law says: no labor on the Sabbath. They were all experts of getting around that. They’d practiced their self-deceits at home, their little instances of convenient forgetfulness. They’d all mastered the excuse. But they were afraid to do it in the light of day where it might bring shame in front of the One who speaks with authority, or worse, shame in front of their critical brothers.

They could say that it is not lawful to heal on the Sabbath. But they were also afraid of that. They did not want to be exposed as hypocrites or frauds or of being unmerciful. They can’t take the hard line and they can’t take the soft. They know their excuses are weak. God says no work and they all cheat. So what can they do? How can they avoid the shame of being wrong? They are silent.

The Law renders us impotent. It always accuses. We have never lived up to it.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” How are you going to do that? Must you give the homeless man your coat? Empty your 401K for the poor? You would do it for yourself. You would not go hungry when you had money in the bank, but you let them go hungry while you have money in the bank or even in your pocket. You do not love them as yourself. You don’t even know how to love them as yourself.

Let’s try another. “Help your neighbor to improve and protect his property and income.” How do you do that when it comes time to buy a used car? The salesman lives on commission. Should you put the best construction on everything he says, believe him about it all, tell him everything you know, what other deals you have out there, what all your resources are? Will you tell him, right off the bat, how much you can really afford or what you really want? Or will you overpay him in order to improve his income?

What the Law demands doesn’t even make sense. We are so skeptical, so hardened in our ways, that we can’t imagine keeping the Law. It is foolish. So what does “love your neighbor” mean? Is it lawful to walk by a homeless man without giving him something or not? Is it right to buy an antique at a garage sale, way under its value, from its unknowing owner, with the intention of selling it for a huge profit on E-bay?

It is not hard to see why the Pharisees were silent. The Law is good, and we are not, and therefore the Law crushes us. It oppresses us, exposes us. And we are left helpless and dying. We cannot bring ourselves to say that we must empty our bank accounts for the poor, but what else does “Love your neighbor” mean? Repent. It means you have failed.

Here is the funny thing. The Pharisees assumed Jesus was talking about them, what they should do. As though He were saying, “Is it lawful for you to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they didn’t have the power to help the man with dropsy anyway. He was not asking them if it was lawful for them to heal on the Sabbath, but if it was lawful for Him to do so. He heals the man, then He says, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” The implication is clear: the man with dropsy is Gods’ son. All men belong to Him and He is here to help them and He will not be stopped by the Law. He is not afraid to be ashamed. He will suffer it to rescue the lost.

Has He broke the Sabbath? In a sense He has. It is not that He violated the Sabbath or sinned. But He has broken it, stopped it, put it to an end. Not because it was not good, but because it is no longer needed. This is not a matter of mercy being more important than justice or the Law. It is that His submission to death on the cross has made satisfaction of the Law. He fills the Law by going as a Lamb to the slaughter. The Law has nothing more to ask, nothing more to say. It is done. It is finished. He has endured Hell for all men.

Another telling question is whether or not it is lawful for Jesus to forgive sinners. The Law condemns sinners. Jesus forgives them. Is this lawful?

No. The Law condemns. Jesus forgives. It is not full of the Law. It is full of mercy. He has destroyed the Law’s accusations, removed death’s sting. He has answered for all the sins of men and the Law is now impotent. Jesus removes guilt and punishment. He opens Hell’s prison. He lets men out for free. It is not lawful. It is merciful. It is good and it is His will.

He has not violated the Law in the sense of sin. But even as the Law is beyond us and leaves us silent, so also His compassion is beyond us. What kind of a god sends His Son to die for rebels? Our God does. So even as He established the Law in goodness, so He ends the Law in goodness, by His resurrection from the dead and He put all its accusations to rest. He has met His own demands, paid for the life of the world with His holy Blood. He will not leave his sons in the well. He will not leave men in Hell. He has compassion. He heals, cleanses, feeds, and forgives. This leaves us not impotent but full of power, full of the Holy Spirit. And we are not silent but we are filled with praise.

So what does “Love your neighbor” mean? It is much like “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” You must turn it around. Jesus fulfills the Law. He loves you as Himself, as He loves the Father. He does not leave you hungry while He has money in the bank. He gives you everything. What must you do? Nothing. Be loved. Be healed. Be free.

For He says to those who had no right to even come in to the banquet, “Friend, go up higher. I have taken care of everything. You are more than a friend, you are my own dear Bride. Come, sit beside Me in the place of honor. I was humbled and exalted, now in my grace I exalt you for the sake of love.” In + Jesus” Name. Amen.

Daily Readings for September 26 - October 2, 2010

Daily Readings for September 26 - October 2, 2010

September 26 Malachi 2:1—3:5; Matthew 4:1–11

September 27 Malachi 3:6—4:6; Matthew 4:12–25
September 28 Deuteronomy 1:1–18; Matthew 5:1–20
September 29 (St Michael & All Angels)  Deuteronomy 1:19–36;Matthew 5:21–48
September 30 Deuteronomy 1:37—2:15; Matthew 6:1–15
October 1 Deuteronomy 2:16–37; Matthew 6:16–34
October 2 Deuteronomy 3:1–29; Matthew 7:1–12

LOOKING AHEAD TO
The Pharisees ask a Law question. Jesus asks a Gospel question. The Pharisees seek to trap Jesus in His own words. Jesus seeks to “trap” them in the saving reality of who He is as the Messiah (Matt 22:34–46). The Law requires you to “fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” and to “love the stranger” (Deut 10:12–21). Failure to keep the Law perfectly brings judgment. On the other hand, the Gospel brings the grace of God given by Jesus Christ, that you may be blameless in the day of His return (1 Cor 1:1–9). Jesus is David’s Son yet David’s Lord, true God and true man. He is Love incarnate who fulfilled all the demands of God’s Law on our behalf, that we might be saved from the Law’s condemnation and sanctified in the Gospel’s forgiveness. Thereby we see that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Collect: O God, forasmuch as without You we are not able to please You, mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord . Amen.

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 10:12–21
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:(1–3) 4–9
Holy Gospel: Matthew 22:34–46

THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Trinity 16 Sermon September 19, 2010

September 18-19, 2010

Trinity 16

 Luke 7:11-17

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord came into this world to lay down His life as a sacrifice. But He seems to get distracted, almost impatient, along the way. Consider the widow in Nain. Our Lord knows the boy will be raised on the last day and the widow's grief will come to an end. But when He sees her sorrow, perhaps thinking also of His own mother, He is moved by compassion. He acts right then. It is the same with all His miracles. None of them are planned. All of them are spontaneous. All of them, even the withering of the fig tree, come from Our Lord's compassion and serve to re-order creation.

The miracle in Nain fills the people with fear. Then, immediately, they glorify God. Our Lord's compassion should scare us. Because it is holy, pure, and focused. It is hard for sinners, at first glance, to distinguish it from His wrath. It more absolute, more solid, more unbending than anything of earth. Nothing of the Lord is cotton balls and marshmallows. Even His mercy is severe.

The people were terrified as Our Lord touched the casket and spoke to the boy. Perhaps He would destroy the boy or destroy all of them. And when the boy rises, it is scarcely better. They are even more afraid. If He has the power to give life, He has the power to take life. They want to know what this means. Will He now kill the boy? Will He now kill us? Surely He sees how even as we were carrying the casket to the grave we were thinking of how we looked, what people thought of us, or even given to daydreams and thoughts. Surely, our selfishness, our pride, was evident and disgusting to Him who is holy.

We have often watered down the “fear of the Lord,” as found in God's Holy Word, so that it meant little more than “respect” or “awe.” But we should fear God's wrath and because of that do nothing against His commandments. This does not mean simply that we should respect His wrath. It means we should fear His threats of punishment, knowing that we deserve them and that they are terrible and eternal. When we consider how we have broken the commandments, how we have gossiped, lusted, lied, been envious, and so forth, we should be afraid. We do not only receive spiritual mercy, in that we do not pay for our sins in Hell; but we also receive a great deal of temporal mercy. We get away with most of our sins. We gossip about our best friends and don't always get caught. Or we enjoy the grace and forgiveness of friends who put up with us despite the fact that we have betrayed them. How many times have we been told something “in strictest confidence,” only to repeat it in the same? None of us could afford to pay the fines for all our traffic violations. None of us could look our wives in the eyes if they could read our thoughts. Indeed, none of us could remain in holy marriage without constant grace from heaven and also from our spouses. Such thoughts ought to fill us with gratitude. But they also ought to give us some fear. For we ought to see how close we've stood to the edge, how we've played with fire, dangled our toes in shark-infested waters, how just the Wrath of God is and how terrible.

C.S. Lewis beautifully depicts the fear of the Lord in his novel, “The Horse and His Boy.” Early in the story the horses are being stalked by a pride of lions. They catch glimpses of these lions, smell them, and hear occasional roars as the lions call back and forth to one another. They are filled with terror at the thought of being ripped open and devoured by these fearsome lions. Their way is blocked and they have to turn around, or go racing off at full speed to get away. At the end of the novel, the horses learn that it was only one lion, Aslan, the Christ-figure, and that He guided them by this fear.

Our Lord and His angels are forever telling those whom they encounter to not be afraid. In the first place, this means they were afraid. He isn't making up abstract possibilities. “ Don't be hungry. Don't be given to satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. Don't stare at the sun.” They are afraid. He is holy. He is powerful. He might punish and kill them. When He says, “Don't be afraid,” He means, “I am not going to kill you. I am here in mercy, to love you, cleanse you, accept you.”

The comfort Our Lord gives is for those who are afraid, who feel their sins. Because even though Our Lord tells His disciples to not be afraid, the fear they knew was not contrary to Our Lord's word and will. He does not say, “You are wrong to be afraid. I would never hurt you.” He does not say, “Why would you be afraid of Me?” as though such fear were preposterous or strange. He knows why they are afraid. They are right to be afraid. I say again: they are right to be afraid. But He has not come to judge them or kill them. He has come to lay down His life for them in order to forgive and free them. So He says, “Stop being afraid.”

Something is wrong in us if we mistake Our Lord's mercy as weakness, or His grace for self-satisfaction. Aslan does not apologize for scaring the horses. But he did it without malice. He did it for their own good, to get them on the right path, where they needed to be.

Repent. We have taken the Lord's mercy for granted. We have bent His Word and Law to fit our own agendas, to meet the expectations of our culture. We have not been afraid of God's wrath but acted like spoiled children. We have been more afraid of what the world thought of us, of what a voters' assembly might do or the bishop might do, than what God's wrath will do to us. Consider the power of God and His perfection. Repent.

And then, stop being afraid. Rejoice that He comes in peace, with mercy and healing, that He is moved by compassion. His ways are not our ways. He has not interrupted any of our funeral processions, or any others that I know of, since the one in Nain. We bury our dead and we wait, in faith, for the resurrection to come. Be not deaf to the roars of the Law, to its threats, for we should fear God's wrath. Death is the wages of sin and is extracted from us on a daily basis. But so also know that the Lord moves, even when it according to His Law, in compassion. His miracles seem almost impatient for the last day, eager from the good work He has begun in us to be complete, for the reconciled creation to be restored. But if He is impatient for that, He is not impatient with you. He puts up with the apostles and saints. He puts up no less with you.

The Lord's Body and Blood, bodily present, and given to us certainly does fill us with fear if we contemplate it. Let us contemplate it. And let us know something of this fear for that is the meaning of reverence. Let us recognize the power of God in this miracle, that He comes to us in His Body and Blood. And so also, like the people of Nain, let us glorify God for this miraculous mercy. Let us rejoice in His grace. For the Lord is not here to kill you or judge you or humiliate you. He is here to give His life to you, for you. He is here to raise you and those you love, to seal you in the resurrection to come. Here is the greater mystery: His mercy is stronger, more powerful, than His wrath.

In + Jesus' Name. Amen

Daily Readings for September 19-25

Daily Lectionary For September 19–September 25, 2010
September 19 Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15
September 20 Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16
September 21 St Matthew Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16
September 2 Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; 1 Timothy 5:1-16; Ezra 1:1-10:19
September 23 Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2
September 24 Nehemiah 9:22-10:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21
September 25 Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17

NEXT WEEKS LESSONS:

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

“Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king” (Proverbs 25:6–14). Rather, take the lowest position at the table. Humble yourself before Him. For your place is not for you to take but for Him to give. Conduct yourself with all lowliness and gentleness, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1–6), that the King may give you glory in the presence of those at the table with you. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:1–11). Is this not the way of Christ? He is the one who took the lowest place, who humbled Himself even to the point of death for us. He is now exalted to the highest place at the right hand of the Father that penitent believers may be exalted together with Him in the resurrection. To the humble at His Supper He says, “Friend, go up higher,” giving you His very body and blood for your forgiveness that you may ascend to take part in the great wedding feast which has no end.

Collect: Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds to follow You, the only God; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord . Amen.

Old Testament: Proverbs 25:6–14
Epistle: Ephesians 4:1–6
Holy Gospel: Luke 14:1–11

Sermon September 11-12, 2010

September 12, 2010

Trinity 15

Matthew 6:24-34

“Death does not reign. The lilies prove it.”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Adam and Eve brought death and chaos into the world by their sin. The earth and all the universe should have been destroyed in an instant. That is probably what the devil was expecting. His first desire wasn't so much to hurt Adam and Eve, as it was to take creation away from God, like a bully spitting on your cookie just so that you can't have it. It was the first vandalism.

But God did not abandon creation. Even though they had betrayed Him, He still loved Adam and Eve. He walked in the garden after their sin, despite their hatred and fear. He came to earth, in bodily form, foreshowing that He would take our form and pay our price, die our death, that He would stand between us and the devil and perform the duty in which Adam had failed.

He takes our hits, suffers the worst the bully can do, is publicly humiliated and killed in order to give us a new cookie, a better cookie, one that the bully cannot touch.

This is what we should see in the lilies. If death was really reigning, if the devil had his way, there would be no lilies, no chocolate, no music, no laughter. In fact, there'd be no you. For everything would have come undone. Adam and Eve would have died and all creation with them.

But death does not reign. God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. He came where He was needed. After He was betrayed again, before they came with clubs and knives to take Him away, He walked in the garden of Gethsemane. They had their way with Him outside the city, in the place of the skull. Then it was finished and He was laid to rest, like a kernel of wheat, a sleeping lily, in the garden of the dead. He rose on Easter morning, the Victor over death. He gave Joseph his tomb back, as good as new.

Death does not reign. Death is dead. Jesus lives. The lilies prove it.

Now, then: do not be anxious. Jesus lives. Jesus loves you. You are now suffering many things and the devil tempts you to waste your energy and effort, to compound your sorrow, with worry about various things. He would have you worry about money. He would turn you to inward thoughts of how you will pay your bills, how you can get the stuff you want, how you can be popular or successful or just plain survive. If he cannot get you to fret over your own desires and imagined needs, he will turn you to fear for others. He will tempt you to obsess and fret for your children or your country or for the poor who are with us always. He will fill the broadcast news with tragedies and crimes and disasters. He will fill the bookstores with lies and propaganda and useless information. He will try to wear you down, to overwhelm you with sadness, to bury you with the impossibility of it all. Do not be anxious. You only hurt yourself. Jesus lives. He will provide. The lilies do not toil or spin. The birds do not sow, reap, or gather. Your Father takes care of them. Your Father takes care of you. He always has taken care of you. He always will.

Today has its troubles. There is no doubt of that. And these troubles need attention and action. Your children need their lessons and their teeth brushed, your mother needs a phone call, your husband needs a pat on the back, your dog needs a treat. Even your country needs you. She needs your prayers and your involvement, she needs you to pick up the trash and put in the can, to vote for the best candidates, to watch out for your neighborhood. But those needs are small, well within your talents and gifts. You have been placed by the Lord precisely. He has made you who you are. He has given you these duties, these children, these spouses, these co-workers and bosses and friends and even, like it or not, this president. These are the troubles for today. They are sufficient. Nothing is gained by adding to them with a fallen imagination egged on by Hell's slavish minions. Nothing is added to them but sorrow if you turn into yourself in bitterness, envy, or fear. You are who God has made you to be, where He has placed you. You simply respond in your place, to your community, your family, as you are able. Do not be anxious about today's troubles, whether the president is doing a good enough job or not, whether your children are meeting all your dreams, whether the climate is growing warmer or colder. Do what you have been given to do and ask for forgiveness for your failings. The Lord will provide. He has put you in place on purpose, deliberately, even if you yourself feel unworthy to the task or cannot understand all of His purposes. Focus on today, not yesterday and not tomorrow. Rest in the certainty that Jesus lives, that Jesus is providing, and will always provide. That is sufficient.

Death does not reign. The lilies prove it. Not war, famine, or plagues can stop the lilies. So neither are they moved by crime sprees, negligent governments, incompetent bosses, or cheating spouses. They belong to the Lord. He provides according to His promise. He takes cares of them. And you are worth more to Him than they are. You are worth more than lilies and He takes care of them. He will take care of you. Rest. Let go of your anxiety. You do not need to look like a supermodel to please Him. You do not need to keep an immaculate house or yard or have your car free of empty cups. You do not need to always work hard, to get straight “A's”, to never get grumpy, or to be perfect in anyway. Death does not reign. Jesus lives. Your Father loves you.

And out of the oven, by the violence of reaping and thrashing, after the mixing and kneading and resting, and finally, the refinery of fire, out of the oven comes bread for the day, food for the eater. The Lord provides. He walked in the garden. He went where He was needed. He stopped death before it began. Out of the oven comes bread that men might eat His Body and be one with Him. He is needed here, by us, for us, for today. So this Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, is the Bread of Life, and comes hidden in bread this day to be food for men.

Death does not reign. The lilies prove it. That is sufficient.

In + Jesus' Name. Amen.

Daily Lectionary For September 12–September 18, 2010

Daily Lectionary For September 12–September 18, 2010

September 12 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23
September 13 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Colossians 1:1-23
September 14 Holy Cross Day; 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Colossians 1:24-2:7
September 15 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Colossians 2:8-23
September 16 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Colossians 3:1-25
September 17 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Colossians 4:1-18
September 18 Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

NEXT WEEKS LESSONS:  SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

A large funeral procession carrying the only son of a widow is confronted by another large procession, Jesus and His followers. Death and Life meet face to face at the gate of the city (Luke 7:11–17). Filled with compassion, Jesus comes into direct contact with our mortality in order to overcome it. He touches the coffin and speaks His creative words of life, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Jesus does what is neither expected nor requested. For through Christ, God the Father “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:14–21). Jesus bore our death in His body that we may share in His resurrection. Even as Elijah stretched himself out three times over the Zarephath woman’s son (2 Kings 17:17–24), God stretched Himself out over us in the threefold application of His name in the baptismal water, breathing new and everlasting life into us. “To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.”

Collect: O Lord, we pray that Your grace may always go before and follow after us, that we may be continually given to all good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord . Amen.

Old Testament: 1 Kings 17:17–24
Epistle: Ephesians 3:13–21
Holy Gospel: Luke 7:11–17