Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Midweek Advent Series: I Walk with Angels all the Way Part 1: Angels Fight for Us

12/7/2019

Ángel de la Guarda, Author unknown, 18th century. Public Domain

December 4: Angels Fight for Us
Texts: 2 Kings 6:8-23; Acts 12:6-23; (Preaching Text: Matthew 18:10)
Psalm 148
Hymns 716; 384, 880

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

When we confess in the creed that God created all things visible and invisible, we confess our belief in angels. Angels are invisible. All appearances of angels in the Bible are visions for our sake, but angels do not actually have physical bodies. They are spirits. The word angel simply means messenger. Both in the Old and the New Testament angels are called messengers. This is a descriptive name, because angels indeed declare messages from the Lord. Yet, they do much more than speak messages. They do whatever the Lord God tells them to do. In Psalm 103, David says, “Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!” So, simply, angels are powerful spirits who do whatever God tells them to do. They are his heavenly servants.
In Job chapter one angels are called “sons of God.” This title is given to them, because of their close relationship with God as his attendants in heaven. You might remember that the angel Gabriel declares to doubting Zechariahs, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” Yet, despite this title, “sons of God,” angels are not actually God’s children, nor are they the crown of his creation. Rather, God created man in his image. Mankind, both male and female, is the crown of God’s creation. God did not form angels in his image, but mankind, who has a body and soul.
Likewise, as Scripture points out, God never said to an angel, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” (Psalm 2:7; Hebrews 1:5) Yet, he spoke these words to Christ Jesus, who is God in human flesh. Rather, of angels God says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Hebrews 1:7; Psalm 104:4) We are the crown of God’s creation. Angels are God’s servants. We will inherit the kingdom of heaven and live with our heavenly Father. Angels will continue to serve God and us in heaven. In heaven, we will rank higher than angels, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” So, God does not love angels more than us, but rather, angels serve God and us, whom God has joined to himself by taking on our human nature in the man Jesus Christ.
Throughout the Scriptures we see how God used angels to protect his people. In our first lesson, the servant of the prophet Elisha is terrified when he sees their city surrounded by Syrian horses and chariots. Yet, Elisha gives a queer reply, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” How can this be? The servant knows how few men they have in the city. And he can see with his own eyes how the Syrian army has completely surrounded the city, leaving no room for escape. Yet, when God opens the eyes of this young man at the behest of Elisha, he sees the mountain full of fiery horses and chariots. Angels! Mighty angels in greater number than the Syrian army were ready to attack. And as we heard, they captured the Syrian army without shedding any blood!
Yet, even before God opened the eyes of Elisha’s young servant, those angels were still there. Remember, angels are invisible. And they do God’s work whether we are aware of them or not. The Old Testament is filled with examples such as these. A few generations later Jerusalem was surrounded by Assyrian forces. Yet, after King Hezekiah prayed to God, God sent a single angel to kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. (2 Kings 19). In 2 Samuel 5, it is recorded how God told David not to attack the Philistines until he heard the sound of marching at the top of the trees. In fact, every battle that Israel won against their enemies, they fought side by side angels sent by God.
Even the plagues God sent upon Egypt were carried out by angels, as Psalm 78 states, “He let loose on [Egypt] his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.” Throughout the Old Testament God sent his angels to protect the lives of his people, whether from lions or armies or fires. And he continued to do this in the New Testament, as we heard in our lesson about St. Peter. Prison guards and chains were no obstacle for the angel to rescue Peter from prison. And at the command of God an angel struck King Herod dead, because he did not give glory to God, but instead persecuted his church.
So, we see it clearly, that these angels are ministering spirits, who, although they have no physical bodies of their own, work hard to take care of our bodies. And yes, they still work today, even though we do not see them. God uses angels in more ways that we could possibly know. Jesus himself promises this when he says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)
You are one of Jesus’ little ones through faith in him. Jesus says that you have angels. Powerful angels, who behold the face of God. Angels, whom God has sent to protect you. You do not see them, but they are there, protecting you from danger.
Yet, physical danger is not the only or even the greatest danger you have in this life. A much greater threat is the spiritual danger you must face. “I walk in danger all the way,” does not refer to getting hit by a bus or dying in a house fire. It speaks of the spiritual attacks we Christians must face. As there are good angels that gladly do God’s will and serve us with pleasure, so there are evil angels, who have fallen away from God and rebel against him. Their prince is the devil, Satan himself.
While, you might have heard a few stories of the origins of Satan, Scripture actually doesn’t tell us much. We know that he is a spirit and an angel; Scripture tells us as much (Matthew 25:41; Rev. 12:9). Jesus tells us that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18). It is this Satan, who presents the greatest danger to you. Scripture calls him a prowling lion seeking someone to devour. Satan is a liar and a murderer of souls. His aim is to draw you into sin, for you to reject God and forsake Christ. Satan has angels following after him, who assist him in his evil plot. And Scripture tells us that our angels fight against Satan and these evil angels (Daniel 10; Rev. 12:7ff).
Yet, how can we be sure that these angels will defend us? It is how we are sure that God gives us every good gift: through faith. Psalm 91 states, “Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge-- no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
To make the LORD your dwelling place is to have faith in Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for you. Jesus Christ is God almighty. It is to him God says, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” It is to Jesus Christ that God the Father says, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” Christ Jesus, the Son of God conquered the evil angel Satan by taking on our human flesh, fulfilling God’s will in every way, dying for our sins, and rising from the dead. It is Jesus’ blood that conquers Satan, by taking away the sins Satan tries to accuse us of. Angels serve us for the sake of Jesus Christ, their God, and the for the sake of the blood he shed for us. When angels behold the face of God, they see that God looks down on us with great pleasure, because God looks at us through Jesus and the blood he shed for us.
Although angels are of great help to us here on earth, they are not our saviors. Jesus is our Savior. This is why Jesus refused the service of twelve legions of angels on the night when he was betrayed. He knew only his blood shed for us could save us from our sins.
So, having been forgiven of all our sins, we have no need to blush in shame before our heavenly protectors. They serve us for Christ’s sake, who has already won for us the victory over Satan. When we pray that God would send his angels to protect us, we pray that God would deal with us through Jesus and according to his promise.
When we confess our belief in angels, we are not being superstitious or simple minded; we aren’t denying science or believing in myths. Rather, when we confess our belief in angels, we confess that Jesus is our Savior. And that these heavenly beings, whom God created to serve him, serve us for the sake of Christ, who has joined himself to us physically and spiritually in order to be called our Savior. Let us pray.
I walk with angels all the way, / They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan’s power is held at bay/ When heavenly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense;/ All fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may, / I walk with angels all the way. Amen.

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Jesus Comes for You

12/3/2019

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Benjamin Haydon, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, 1814-1820, Athenaeum of Ohio, Public Domain

Advent 1, 2019
Matthew 21:1-9
December 1, 2019

For December’s newsletter, I shared a poem by Richard Wilbur by the title, “A Christmas Hymn,” which has the refrain, “And every stone shall cry. And every stone shall cry.” This refrain refers to an episode recorded in the 19th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus is entering into Jerusalem and the crowds are shouting praises to Jesus, calling him their king. The Pharisees in the crowd commanded Jesus to rebuke his disciples for what they perceived to be blasphemy. However, Jesus responds, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
If Jesus’ disciples do not praise him, the stones themselves will praise him. This is true, because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He utters his voice and the earth melts. He created the heavens and the earth. All things visible and invisible exist in order to serve him. And yet, as I point out in the newsletter, Jesus didn’t come to be praised by rocks, or sheep, or donkeys, or even angels. Jesus came to be praised by you. This is why he took on human flesh and was laid as a baby in a manger. This is why he was obedient to his parents, why he was baptized in the Jordan, why he rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, why he was nailed to the cross and laid in the tomb. He didn’t do this to save rocks, or beasts, or angels. Jesus took on human flesh, lived under the law to save us humans under the law, and he died to take away our sin. And he has done this so that we, whom he saves, will sing his praises both now and forever.
     Yet, there are many who will not praise him, as we see with the disgruntled Pharisees. They do not welcome his coming. Rather, there are many plotting his execution even as the crowds are singing his praises. They reject Jesus, because he does not come the way they want him to come. He comes lowly on a donkey. He’s too humble and weak-looking to be their king and the promised Christ. They reject him, because he is an outsider. He didn’t learn from them or go to their school. They reject him, because he doesn’t praise them or stoke their ego. They reject him, because he rejects their manmade rules; because he teaches with the authority of God; because he receives sinners and eats with them.
Jesus didn’t come the way they wanted him to come, so they rejected him. Instead of praising him, they demanded his crucifixion. Instead of calling him their king, they said they had no king but Caesar. Instead of taking off their cloaks to lay before his donkey, they watched as soldiers stripped Jesus of his clothes and cast lots for them. Instead of cutting branches from trees to wave in praise, they wagged their heads in disdain as Jesus was nailed to a tree. Perhaps if Jesus would have presented himself in a different way, they would have accepted him and sung his praises.
And this is how many think today. They want Jesus to come to them in a way they are comfortable with. They want Jesus to meet them on their terms, and present himself in a manner to their liking. Some want Jesus to entertain them, while others want Jesus to tell them how smart they are. They think his words in Scripture are outdated and out of touch. They think Baptism is superstitious and reject the idea that it can forgive sins. They are offended that Jesus gives authority to men to forgive sins and promises to come to people through their words. That Jesus tells us to repent and believe in the Gospel does not bode well for most. If Jesus were really “Jesus-like,” he would just accept people for who they are and affirm them in their sins. For these and a host of other reasons, people today reject Jesus and refuse to sing his praises.
Maybe if Jesus would come in a different way, more people would accept him and sing his praises. If Jesus would be a bit more entertaining, a bit more flattering; if he would let us choose in what mode we will receive him; if he would not talk so much about sin, death, and judgment; if he would be less divisive, and be more like the Jesus in the imagination of men’s hearts, then Jesus would be accepted. Right?
Wrong. Jesus does not need to change the way he comes to us. Rather, we need to accept Jesus the way he comes to us. We need to accept the baby born on straw in the stable. We need to accept the man who calls sinners to repentance. We need to accept the man, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, was arrested in the dead of night and crucified on the cross, yet rose from the dead on the third day. We need to accept the man, who comes to us through words, not just any words, but words he has given us, words that have created faith, forgiven sins, and built up the hosts of saints in heaven for many generations and will continue to do so. Words, that the Holy Spirit caused prophets and apostles to write down; words that call us to repentance and declare forgiveness of sins freely for Christ’s sake; words that demand that we conform our minds to God’s will and love one another.
We must accept Jesus in the way he comes to us, because Jesus does not come to us any other way. He doesn’t come to us through the breeze blowing through the leaves as we sit in the deer stand. He doesn’t bubble up in our heart as we meditate on our own feelings concerning the world. He doesn’t come to us through Muhammad, or Buddha, or Hare Krishna. And he doesn’t preach to us any other Gospel. He doesn’t come to tell you how to get rich or live your best life now. He doesn’t encourage you in your selfish desires and sins. He doesn’t tell you that if you try your best, you’ll go to heaven based on your own works. Rather, Jesus comes to you as the God-man, the one who was crucified for your sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. And Jesus tells us to repent of our sins and to trust in him for forgiveness and salvation and in him alone. If you are going to receive Jesus, you must receive him on his terms, not on your own.
Yet, this does not mean that Jesus does not meet us where we are. Quite the contrary. Jesus does not demand that we ascend to him, rather he comes down to us! In fact, Jesus comes down to us in the only way we can receive him!
If Jesus were to come to us in his divine glory without joining himself to our human nature, we would be consumed by his glory. We wouldn’t be able to stand before him, let alone receive him into our hearts! And if Jesus were to tell us to do our best and try to enter heaven by our own works, none of us would make it. Every one of us would fail. We’re sinners. We will never be good enough by our own works to enter heaven! And if Jesus were to simply ignore sin, to tell us that we do not need to repent, he would deny himself, for he is righteous and no wickedness can dwell with him. Jesus can't share his glory with any other god, because he is the only God and we must have no other gods before him. If Jesus did not die for our sins, then our sins would still oppress us today and bind us to hell.
Yet, Jesus didn’t come in any way invented by sinful people. Rather, Jesus came in the only way we could receive him as our Savior. He took on our human flesh, was tempted in every way as we were, except without sin; he fulfilled God’s Law in our place! Jesus entered Jerusalem humble mounted on a donkey to show that he does not come in the power of violence, but in the power of his mercy, which he showed by bearing our sins on the cross. Jesus came in the only way that shepherds could come and bow down to him, that a sinful woman could wash his feet with her tears and hair, that crowds of sinners looking for a savior could greet with palm branches and shouts of hosannas, that could bring him to the cross. He came in the only way where his disciples could take hold of his nail pierced, yet living feet in worship.
And Jesus comes to us today in the only way we can truly receive him. He comes to us in Baptism to wash our sins away. We cannot choose him nor cleanse ourselves from our sinful condition, so Jesus does it for us. He empowers simple water with his almighty word. Jesus calls sinners, not to save themselves, but to come to him for salvation. He doesn’t demand that you make reparation in order to receive forgiveness, rather he declares forgiveness by grace as a gift. Jesus comes to you in bread and wine, which cannot be eaten by angels, but you can eat and drink. A meal simple enough for anyone to eat, yet holy enough to contain the body and blood of Christ Jesus, which must be eaten with faith in order to receive its eternal benefits.
If Jesus were to come the way we wanted him to come, we would be lost. Thank God, Jesus comes the way he planned with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thank God he came to take away our sins through his passion, so that when he returns, he will not deal with us according to our sins, but with healing in his wings. Thank God that he comes to us in words of peace and mercy and that he opens our ears and softens our hearts to understand and believe these words, so that Christ Jesus might dwell in our hearts through faith. It is only through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Christ that we can receive Jesus. This is how God has prepared praise for Jesus wherever he makes his entrance. And this praise will continue to grow. God grant that we would receive Jesus in faith as he comes to us, so that we might praise him today, tomorrow, and in eternity. Amen.

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Thanksgiving 2019: All that is within me, bless His holy name

12/3/2019

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Source: https://freevintageillustrations.com/free-vintage-thanksgiving-illustrations-for-all-your-festive-projects/

1 Timothy 2:1-4
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
November 27, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving! To whom are we giving thanks on this national day of thanksgiving? To the Lord God of course, the creator of the heavens and the earth. And for what are we giving thanks? Not only for the turkey dinner that many of us will be enjoying tomorrow, or for safe travel, or for good health. We give thanks for much, much more. The first article of the Apostles’ Creed and explanation from our Small Catechism put it well.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that he has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”
Indeed, it is our duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey him! That is a lot that our God has provided for us. Not only has he created us and given us the earth and this nation, our body and soul, and all that we need and enjoy in this life, but he continues to preserve them! How blessed we are to have two eyes that see, ears that hear, clothes to keep us warm, food in abundance, a place to sleep. I acknowledge that my wife and children are a gift from God. I do not deserve them and God did not need to give them to me. Yet, see how good God is!
God has blessed us with medical advances few could imagine in generations past. Open-heart surgery, knee replacements, cancer-treatment, pills that correct defects in the body that killed many in the past. How many miracles do we experience every year and how often do they pass us by without us giving due thanks and appreciation to God?
You might not like all who are in authority in Iowa and in the United States government, yet, no one is stopping us from giving thanks to the Triune God tonight. We’re not starving. Even in a bad year for agriculture, we still have food on our table. We have protection and a certain level of justice from our government. So, yes, for our government we should give thanks to God. And we should pray for our leaders! They need God’s guidance and protection! And it is to our benefit when God does guide them to do his will.
This past summer my family and I went to Washington D.C. for our vacation. We got to meet our Senator Chuck Grassley. When I told him that I was a pastor he immediately mentioned our text for today, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, and he asked for the prayers of our congregation. I told him we prayed for our leaders every week. It is encouraging that some of our leaders do fear God and desire our prayers. Yet, even if our leaders are hypocrites, or even public unbelievers, they need our prayers. We should pray that God protect them, guide them to do his will, and we should thank God when he uses them for good. God is able to do good even through wicked rulers, as he has proven in Holy Scripture time and again.
Although, Thanksgiving is a national holiday, we Christians understand its true meaning. We give thanks to the Triune God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, for all that he has given to us apart from our own merits. And we pray that God would continue to provide for us according to his divine, fatherly goodness.
Yet, giving thanks entails more than saying a prayer and singing a few hymns, although these certainly please our Father in heaven. All too often, we give thanks to God for giving us our body, and soul, eyes, ears, and all our members, yet we go on to use them for evil. We use the eyes God gives us to covet and to lust; the ears he gives us to listen to slander and lies. We use our mind and senses that God gives us not to learn his word and grow in knowledge of the truth, but in foolish endeavors and laziness. We use the money he provides us with for selfish purposes; we behave as if our land and property are ours purely on account of our own efforts and for the purpose of our own pleasure. We waste time, neglect our family, curse our government or try to use it for unjust purposes. In short, while giving thanks to God with our mouths for all he has given to us, we then use what God has given us for ungodly purposes.
The Psalmist proclaims in Psalm 103, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” We give thanks to the Lord not only with our mouths, but with our eyes, ears, arms, legs, clothing, shoes, house, wife, children, mind, with our civic activity, and everything that we have and do. We give thanks to the Lord when we use the ears he has given us to listen to his Holy Word in order to grow in faith; and when we listen to the plight of our neighbor and give him our compassion. We thank the Lord when we do honest work with our arms, legs, and bodies so that we can provide for those in need. We give thanks to the Lord when we defend others and speak well of them; when we work to clothe and feed those in need. We give thanks to the Lord when we bring our wife and children to church, say prayers with them at home, and confess Christ to them. We give thanks to the Lord when we not only pray for our leaders, acknowledging that God works through them to do good, but also when we speak out for what is right, defending the helpless, and declaring what is just and true according to God’s word.
We give thanks to God for all that he has given us by using what he has given us to the glory of his name. By using what God has given us, to do good to others, we give glory to God on earth. This is pleasing to God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
The greatest way we give thanks to God, is by receiving his greatest gift through faith. Through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. God, who has fed our bodies, and clothed our bodies, and given our bodies a place to sleep, shelter, protection, medical care, and so forth, has also provided for our bodies to live forever. He sent Jesus Christ to die to take away our sins. In Christ’s resurrection we see our own resurrection and eternal life. In receiving the Sacrament of Christ’s true body and blood, we recognize that God intends for our bodies to live forever. We see that all that God has richly given us here on earth is a very small thing compared to the glories that he will reveal to us.
The greatest way you can give thanks to God is to recognize him as your Savior. We don’t give thanks to him with our bodies as we ought. We don’t use all that he has given us in this life to his glory. Our thanksgiving is not good enough. Yet, through faith in Christ Jesus our bodies receive a healing that no medicine can give. We are clothed with a garment that does not wear out like all the clothes we wear on this earth. Through faith in Jesus we eat a food that does not perish, but gives eternal life. And when we finally do inherit eternal life, then we will commence to gives thanks and praise to God with our words and actions for the rest of eternity. And so, when we trust in Christ, we are confessing that we intend not only to give thanks to our God today, but we intend to give thanks to God every day, without end, with all our body and soul, with our eyes, ears, and all our senses, with all that we have and own. In Christ Jesus we intend to bless the Lord with all that is within us for all eternity. And in Christ Jesus, we will. Amen.

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Be Ready; Be Wise

11/25/2019

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The Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins (unfinished), Peter von Cornelius, 1813-1816, Museum KunstPalast. Public Domain

Matthew 25:1-13
November 24, 2019

These ten virgins are what we today might think of as bridesmaids. Their job is to attend to the bridal couple at the wedding and of course to celebrate with them at the wedding feast. At the time when Jesus first told this parable, it was customary among the Jews for the bridegroom to go and prepare the marital home while the bride remained in the home of her parents. When the bridegroom had finished preparing the house, he would go and get his bride and bring her back to their new home and everyone would celebrate with them there. This is what these ten virgins are waiting for. But there is no set time for when the bridegroom will return. Perhaps he’ll finish up midmorning. Perhaps he’ll be done in the middle of the night. Yet, whenever he comes, the virgins must be ready to accompany the bridal couple and celebrate with them. This is why they brought lamps.
Jesus tells this parable to teach us about the kingdom of heaven, specifically, that the return of Christ and his visible kingdom will come at a time you will not expect, so you must be ready day or night. We are the virgins, the bridesmaids, who are to accompany Christ Jesus the bridegroom as he enters into the house to celebrate his union with his bride, the Church; a union, which will have no end.
The wise virgins are ready when the bridegroom comes. They are ready, because they have oil, both in their lamps and in their flasks, so that they can light their way even in the darkest hour of the night. Their oil is their wisdom. The foolish virgins are not ready. They had no oil, that is, they had no wisdom. The wise virgins entered into the wedding feast to celebrate, that is, they entered heaven. The foolish virgins were denied entrance. The door was already closed. The bridegroom said that he did not know them. The foolish virgins went to hell.
Wise and foolish, wisdom and folly: this is a great theme in Scripture. The wise enter eternal life. The foolish enter eternal punishment. But what is wisdom? What is this oil that leads to eternal life? And what does it mean to be a fool? What does it mean to have no oil?
Scripture says in a number of places, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” So, in order to have wisdom, you must fear the Lord. Now, this fear does not mean to be scared of the Lord, per se. Yet, it does mean more than simply to respect him. To fear the Lord means to recognize that he is the creator of the heavens and the earth; he kills and he makes alive; he has authority not only to kill the body, but also to send your soul into hell; he judges the living and the dead on the Last Day! This fear entails more than just a fear of God’s limitless power, but also an earnest trust that God will provide you with what you need. Psalm 130 states, “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” The LORD forgives all our sins therefore, we fear him. To fear the Lord is to see him as our Father from whom we receive all good things. Psalm 103 states, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” And so, to fear the LORD means to recognize that the Lord is all powerful; that he provides all good things; that he tells the truth; that he judges; that he is the source of forgiveness and eternal life!
Yet, Scripture say, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1) This does not necessarily mean that the fool is an atheist, although, it is clear that to be an atheist is a very foolish thing. Rather, a fool lives as if there is no God; as if God is not watching; as if he does not judge. There is no fear of God before a fool’s eyes. It is important here to note that these foolish virgins with no oil look just like the virgins with oil. They are dressed appropriately and they have their lamps with them. No one knows who has oil and who doesn’t until the watchman cries in the middle of the night and only the wise are able to trim their lamps. The fool may go to church, he may call himself a Christian, he may say that he believes in God, but he does not fear God in his heart. He thinks and speaks and follows his heart without fear or trust in God.
The wise seek knowledge from God. Proverbs 9 states, “Give instruction to a wiseman, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Wisdom comes from hearing the word of the Lord. This is what fear of the Lord does; you want to hear and learn God’s word. This is why Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice.” And Scripture also says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
But is important to notice, that wisdom is not just having a little knowledge stored somewhere in the back of your brain like, “George Washington was the first president of the United States.” or “The Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls.” Wisdom seeks to gain more wisdom. Proverbs 4 states, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” To be wise means to continue to get more wisdom. We know that the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh are constantly pulling us away from Christ, away from our God. Living in this sinful world, it is impossible not to conform and become like it, unless we constantly hear God’s word and are filled with his wisdom.
Likewise, if you know anything about oil lamps you know that oil burns up! You must continue to buy more oil. If you do not, then your oil will burn up and run out! Likewise, when you stop hearing the words of Christ, when you stop listening to his voice, your wisdom runs out. Your faith in Christ dies. Yet, the wise desires to constantly hear and learn the word of God, to become stronger in faith, so that the enemies of God cannot drag you away.
Fools, on the other hand, have no desire to hear and learn the word of God. Rather, they ignore it and seek after knowledge that does not build up. Proverbs 18:2 states, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” And what a danger this folly is! How often do Christians ignore what the Bible says, saying things like, “Well, the Bible may say this, but I think...” Or, “I don’t know what the Bible says about that, but I think...” Who cares what you think? Your opinion is not helpful. God’s word is helpful! God’s word saves! St. Paul tells Pastor Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness...”(2 Timothy 3:16) Yet, more and more Christians live like fools by not hearing and learning the word of God. They take no pleasure in understanding, but follow their own opinions or the opinions of others. This is not wise. To be wise it to gladly hear the word of God, to learn it, and to conform your mind to it. This is why we should go to church as often as we can to hear God’s word and learn from it; to read our Bibles and seek to understand what Scripture says, attend Bible studies and grow in knowledge.
The wise don’t just listen to the word of God. They do it. Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount saying, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock... And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matthew 7:24, 26). Going to church every Sunday, even attending Bible studies regularly does not make one a Christian, if all you’re doing is hearing. The words must actually have an effect on your heart. You must believe them. And your faith must move you to live according to them.
The wise accept correction. The proverb says, “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” (13:1) and another proverb says, “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” This tells us two things about the wise. 1. They are not perfect. The wise still sin. They fall short. They need salvation. And 2. The wise are humble. The wise, filled with wisdom from God’s word, accept rebuke and instruction. They know that they are sinners and desire God to correct and forgive them when they have done wrong. “Let a righteous man strike me- it is a kindness; let him rebuke me- it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.” (Psalm 141:5). This is true wisdom, to repent when you have done wrong; to accept rebuke and correction from God’s word.
Fools, however, scoff at rebuke and correction. They are not afraid of their own sins. Rather, by continuing in sin, they despise the sacrifice of Christ, which he made to take away sin. Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, but he who reproves a wise man is loved by him. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to accept correction and rebuke, to repent of our sins and try to do better even as we trust in God’s forgiveness. Yet, when our pride is so great that we cannot accept correction even from the word of God, then we prove ourselves to be fools and false Christians.
To be wise is to have the mind of Christ. Scripture says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name...” Philippians 2:5-10.
Wisdom is knowing Christ Jesus through his word. Put simply, to be wise is to trust in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation, to repent of your sins and look to Christ to make you whole. Wisdom does not center on your own good works, but on Christ Jesus and the work he has done for you. Christ humbled himself to the point of death to take away your sins and God highly exalted him to eternal glory. And Christ teaches us to humble ourselves, to repent of our sins and to ask him for his kingdom by grace. And God exalts us freely for Christ’s sake. To be wise is to trust in Christ.
The wedding banquet that awaits us will be pure joy. We want to be there. At that banquet we will enjoy our resurrected bodies without any flaw, or pain, or sickness. There will be no sin anymore and no enmity with another human. The creation will be so perfect that lions and wolves will get along with sheep and oxen. It will be truly as God intended. And greatest of all, Jesus, our Bridegroom will be there. We will see him with our eyes, whom we have held in our hearts for so long.
Jesus is with us here today through the preaching of his word. He is with us in the Sacrament of his true body and blood. The foolish do not see it. But the wise see it with eyes of faith. We receive Jesus now in faith. Through faith we know him and he knows us. This is how we know that when Jesus returns visibly, we will be received by him. He will certainly know us, as he will know all those who have faith in him. This Jesus promised when he said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Amen.

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The Least of These

11/18/2019

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Last Judgment, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1525-1530, Nelson-Aktins Museum of Art, Public Domain

Matthew 25:32-46
November 17, 2019

The day of judgment is coming when Jesus Christ will judge the living and the dead. We confess this every time we say the creed. So, as Christians we are not surprised that Jesus tells us about the final judgment, even if the world laughs at such a notion, because they do not fear God. Yet, what you might find surprising is how Jesus appears to reward and condemn based on works. Those who will inherit the kingdom of heaven do so, because they showed mercy to the least of Jesus’ brethren, while those who are sent away to eternal punishment are condemned, because they failed to show mercy.
But I thought that we are justified by faith apart from our works and that salvation is a free gift from God. Romans 3:28 states, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” And Romans 8:1 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” And Jesus Christ says in John 5, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”
This is indeed the consistent teaching of Scripture, that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, who by his death made satisfaction for our sins. To be saved by grace means to be saved apart from your works (Romans 11:6). To be saved through faith means that you are saved when you believe that Jesus Christ saved you by dying on the cross for your sins, so that there remains no charge or guilt against you. Neither grace nor faith depend on your works, but solely on the merits of Christ Jesus and God’s unfailing love and justice.
So, what is Jesus doing here? Is he giving another way to salvation, one that depends on your mercy? Some claim this, that Jesus here teaches that those who do not have faith in Jesus, but who show love to Jesus by being merciful to their neighbors, then they are saved by their works. Yet, this is not true. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And although unbelievers can do outwardly good works, it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). In fact, Scriptures goes so far to say that whatever is done without faith is sin (Romans 14:22).
Neither is Jesus teaching that people will be saved by their works in addition to their faith. Rather, he teaches that those on the right will inherit a kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world! That is grace, apart from their works. God chose them and prepared a kingdom for them before they were even born.
So, why does Jesus tell these righteous to enter paradise, because they ministered to him when he was in need? Because, although our works do not contribute to our salvation, God delights greatly in our works of love both now and in eternity. Perhaps the most popular Bible passages used to prove that we are saved by grace apart from our works is Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” You can’t get much clearer than that! Yet, listen to the very next verse, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
God saved you by grace so that you would live before Christ in righteousness both now and forever. Good works are the fruit of faith. God glories in the good works that are produced by his Christians. In this vision of the final judgment we see our heavenly king present his harvest before the angels of heaven and say, “See what great seed I used. Look at my crop! How beautiful is my fruit!” His seed is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The fruit is the love which his Christians show to each other.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”, said our Lord Jesus to his disciples on the night when he was betrayed. Love is the fruit of faith that will continue to produce and increase even when we live in heaven. Love is the most wonderful fruit of faith, because it reflects the great love God has shown us by sending his Son into the world to save us. We love, because he first loved us. For this reason, we pray earnestly every time we receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which were given and shed out of great love for our human race, that by receiving this meal, it would increase our faith toward God and our fervent love toward one another.
“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”, we will ask our gracious King on that great day. And he will answer us, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
Who are these least of Jesus’ brothers? They are those with whom Christ identifies himself; those whom Christ has joined himself to so intimately that when you feed, clothe, or visit them, you have fed, clothed, and visited Christ himself.
The least of these Jesus’ brothers are all Christians. Christians ought to identify Christ in other Christians. Jesus says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” When you receive another Christian, you receive Christ. So, also when you mistreat a Christian, you mistreat Christ Jesus. This is why Jesus said to Saul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul was persecuting Christians, against whom he breathed murderous threats, bound, and took to prison. Yet, Jesus said to Saul, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
So, if you treat a fellow Christian well, you treat Christ Jesus well. And if you mistreat another Christian, you are mistreating Christ Jesus. So, how ought we behave toward one another? We should love one another! We should look out for one another’s best interest, make sure that others are clothed and fed. When Christians are persecuted for practicing their Christian faith, we should pray for them and speak up for them. When Christians join our congregation, no matter their background, whether they are life-long Lutherans or recent converts, whether they look like you or not, whether they are from this country or not, whether they are rich or poor, whether you know them or they are strangers, you should be kind to them and love them.
Members of the same congregation should not be at enmity with one another; they shouldn’t hold grudges; they shouldn’t speak ill or try to cause any harm to one another. Rather, they should forgive one another as God in Christ forgave them. Each of us needs to swallow his own pride and try to get along with each person in this congregation and in the Church as a whole, recognizing Christ Jesus himself in each person.
The least of Jesus’ brothers are faithful pastors. Christians ought to identify Christ Jesus in their pastor. Jesus says to his disciples, whom he sends out to proclaim the Gospel, “Whoever receives you receives me.” and further he says, “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Christians should recognize Christ Jesus in their pastors, because pastors proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, which has the power to save, and because pastors speak with God’s own authority to rebuke, reprove, teach, and forgive sins.
Christians should love their pastors, because they love Jesus. This was demonstrated by the saints in Scripture who provided for the needs of the Apostles, literally gave them food, drink, and clothing, bandaged their wounds, and visited them in prison. This is why Christians welcome strangers as their pastors, show love to them, and care for them: because they come speaking the words of Christ, which alone give eternal life. For Christ’s sake, they show such love.
Of course, Christians sin against each other. Pastors are sinners too. And sins hurt other people. Jesus of course never sinned against anyone, but only did good. So, it might seem difficult to identify Christ Jesus in your fellow Christian and in your pastor, when they are sinners! You certainly would give a cup of cold water to Jesus, you’d give him the shirt off your back, you wouldn’t just visit him in prison, you’d go to prison for him! But for these so-called Christians? For a pastor who is just as bad or worse of a sinner than you are? That’s a big pill to swallow.
Yet, Christ does not expect you to treat your fellow Christians and your pastor as you would treat Christ himself, because they themselves are sinless. No, Jesus expects you to treat your fellow Christians and your pastor as you would treat him, because Jesus has joined himself to your fellow Christians and to your pastor, he has taken all their sins away and clothed them with his own righteousness. Jesus has joined himself to your fellow Christians and pastor so closely that when God the Father looks at them, he does not see their sins which you so clearly perceive, but he sees holy lambs washed clean in the blood of Christ. And so, it is important for you to recognize who are the least of these brothers of Jesus.
The least of these Jesus’ brothers is you. In faith and through Baptism you became a child of God through Jesus Christ. You were born a child of God not according to the flesh or by the will of man, but by the will of God and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As God’s own child, you are Jesus’ brother or sister. Jesus identifies himself in you, as St. Paul writes, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Christ has taken possession of all your sins and weaknesses. He bore them and died for them. Christ has clothed you in his righteousness by pure grace and so, God does not see your sins, but he recognizes Christ Jesus in you.
So, when you see your fellow Christians, don’t see their sins. Don’t judge and condemn; don’t refuse your mercy, because they don’t deserve it. Because, you do not deserve God’s mercy, yet he gives it to you willingly for Christ’s sake. Rather, when you see the failings in your fellow Christians, see how much mercy God has shown on you by forgiving you and giving you Christ! Likewise, when you see the failings in your pastor, do not use that as an excuse to hate or reject him, but remember the Gospel he preaches, that Christ came to forgive sinners and to overcome our failures. Yes, if your brother or sister in Christ is caught in a transgression you should restore them in a spirit of gentleness, not to glory over your brother or sister, because they sinned, but to glory in Christ, who forgives all sins.
You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, who made satisfaction to God for all your sins through his bitter suffering and death. This salvation is secured for you apart from any good work you’ve done. My son Stephen, who has been baptized into Christ Jesus this morning, and who is incapable of performing an act of mercy, received full salvation in his Baptism. He is a child of God and Christ Jesus dwells in him. Yet, God has prepared good works of love for him and all who are saved by grace to walk in them. Although we sin, God will not count our sins against us for Christ sake. We will not come into judgment. But God will boast in the good works he causes to be done through us. He will rejoice in the love we show to one another. And that love will never end, even as the Father’s love for us in Christ Jesus will never end. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

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