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

Christ Conquers Hearts with His Gracious Word and Sacraments

1/29/2023

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Epiphany 3 
2 Kings 5:1-14  
Matthew 8:1-13 
Pastor James Preus 
Trinity Lutheran Church 
January 22, 2023 
 
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are engaged in military conflicts with other nations. The land given to them by God is frequently invaded by pagan nations. Scripture is filled with tales of heroes of the faith conquering enemies much greater than themselves by the power of God. Yet, Scripture also records how Israel suffered greatly on account of their unfaithfulness. In our Old Testament lesson from 2 Kings 5, Syria is invading Israel with its army. Yet, the commander of Syria’s army, Naaman, is a leper. He comes to Israel to be healed of his leprosy there by the man of God, Elisha. Yet, he leaves confessing that there is no God in all the earth except the God of Israel.  In our Gospel Lesson, Israel is under the control of the Roman Empire. Yet, Jesus conquers the heart of the centurion, the Roman military commander. Without swords or chariots or any weapons at all, God conquers his enemies.  


What is the more precious territory to conquer, the dust of Israel or the hearts of men? Indeed, God wins a much greater victory by converting the hearts of the unbelieving nations than He does by killing their soldiers by the thousands. And the greatest enemy of Israel and of every human being is not the armies of hostile nations, but sin, which enslaves the heart and sends people to hell. In our Old Testament and Gospel lessons for today, God does what St. Paul exhorts us to do in Romans 12, “Overcome evil with good!”  

The leprosy which inflicted Naaman and the man in Matthew 8 represents the leprosy of sin, which inflicts all mankind. Leprosy was not only painfully unpleasant, but it made you unclean and separated you from God’s people. So does our sin separate us from God. And the mention of the gentiles Naaman and the centurion whom God helps in these passages show us that Christ Jesus has come to rescue all people of all nations from their leprosy of sin, which makes these lessons so perfect for the Epiphany season, which celebrates the revealing of the Gospel to the nations.  


When Christ Jesus came to earth, He came to take on the sin of all people. St. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, not the sin of Israel only, the sin of the whole world. Jesus became the only leper, the only sinner, and died for sins He did not commit, so that people from east and west, from every land would come and sit at the table of salvation with Abraham in whose seed all nations of the earth are blessed. When God cleansed Naaman and healed the centurion’s servant, He demonstrated His intention to save all peoples.  


Yet, these lessons teach us more than that God desires to save all people, but how He saves people. God saves people through faith by the ministry of His Word. Jesus died for the sins of all people. Every sin of every person was credited to Jesus when He made perfect satisfaction for them all by His death on the cross, winning forgiveness of sins for all people. Yet, this forgiveness and salvation cannot be received without faith. A person has faith when his heart has been conquered by God’s love and he believes that Jesus is his Savior. Yet, how can a sinner believe that his sins are forgiven unless God speaks this message to him?  


And what we learn in theses lessons is that God’s Word is not only powerful to create faith and forgive sins, because it relates a message, but God’s Word has divine power to heal, to save, and even make a person’s heart new! “Is it not a great word the prophet has spoken to you?”, Naaman’s servant asked him. “But only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”, confessed the centurion. God’s Word is all powerful. By His Word, God created the heavens and the earth. God’s Word does not return to Him empty, but accomplishes that which He purposes for it (Isaiah 55:11). So, we learn in these lessons of Holy Scripture the benefits of hearing God’s Word and the power in God’s preaching and Sacraments.  


No one can deny the connection between Naaman’s washing and the Sacrament of Baptism. Elisha’s messenger told Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cleansed. So also, God promises that whoever is washed in the waters of Baptism will be cleansed of all his sins and be given a good conscience, having been clothed in Christ Jesus (Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21). At first Naaman was angry and refused to dip himself in the Jordan, arguing that the rivers of Damascus the Abana and the Pharpar were superior to the Jordan. This demonstrates that man’s natural reason chooses free will and his own works over the grace of God. But it wasn’t the Jordan in and of itself that gave it power to heal leprosy, but as Naaman’s servant reminded him, the Word of God from the prophet, which promised that he would wash and be clean. So also, in Baptism we don’t consider the water alone, but the Word of God in and with the water, which promises grace and forgiveness. Those who despise Baptism and doubt that it can forgive sins or save a person are not despising plain water, but the very Word of God.  

Elisha sent the gentile Naaman to the Jordan River, where Jesus Himself was baptized and where He first began to baptize. This foreshadows that Jesus would send His disciples out to all nations, making disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It is through Baptism that a sinner is joined to God’s family, being adopted by grace. When Naaman rose out of those waters, he not only found himself clean of his leprosy, but he was born again as a child of Israel in his heart, a servant of Israel’s God.  


You’ll notice that Elisha, much to Naaman’s displeasure, did not come out to meet Naaman, but sent a servant, who himself  sent Naaman to the Jordan. Naaman wanted Elisha to wave his hand over him, perhaps even touch him. Yet, in our Gospel lesson, Jesus does not hesitate to touch the leper and cleanse him of his leprosy. This shows us that all who have been baptized into Christ have been touched with His healing hand. When the water, which has been joined to God’s Word touches the skin of the baptized, we should believe that Jesus Himself is laying His healing hands on the sinner and cleansing him of his leprosy of sin.  


This further demonstrates that children too are to be baptized. Jesus commands that all nations should be baptized. Therefore, the burden of proof is on those who would deny Baptism to children. We must not prove that children are included in all nations, but they must find a command in Scripture that forbids Baptism to children. Of course, there is no such command. Furthermore, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them, blessing them (Matthew 19:14-15). If Jesus would lay His hands on little children to bless them, He certainly desires that the water of Baptism would touch their skin.  


Furthermore, Jesus tells us that unless we become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). This is reinforced by the fact that it was a little servant girl who first told Naaman’s wife that he could be healed of his leprosy by the prophet in Israel. And again, when Naaman came out of water, his flesh was like that of a little child. These things indicate to us that Baptism is for little children as well that Baptism grants a new birth both to babies and to adults.  


And this is the greatest reason why babies should be baptized. Babies are sinners! They are born under the curse of sin, unclean by spiritual leprosy. Babies need to be baptized in order to be saved. Jesus says, “That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.”, when He explains why one must be born again of water and the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3). Your baby may look cute, but cuteness does not save. We are all born sinners. Sinners die and go to hell. Babies must be saved! God promises salvation in Baptism. Baptism joins a sinner to Christ’s death and resurrection, grants the Holy Spirit, forgives sins and causes new birth. This is the promise of Holy Scripture. So, we bring our babies to be baptized with the confidence in God’s promise to save them by it.  


Elisha told Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River. The number seven carries spiritual significance. It is a perfect number, because God created the world in six day and rested on the seventh. Jesus also taught His disciples that if their brother sinned against them seven times in a day and repented seven times, that they must forgive him (Luke 17:4). Yet, later Jesus proved that this number should not be taken literally when Peter asked how often should he forgive his brother, “up to seven times?”, and Jesus responded, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22) So, this number seven signifies the bountiful grace of God. When you are Baptized, your sins are not forgiven once, but you receive a daily source of forgiveness your entire life. As often as you repent of your sins, you return to the waters of your Baptism and are made new. This is the great blessing given to you in your Baptism.  


This also shows that Baptism does you no good without faith. This does not mean that faith makes Baptism a Baptism. God’s Word makes Baptism a Baptism when it is joined to the water. Just as Jesus’ death on the cross paid for the sins of the whole world whether you believe it or not, so Baptism is a washing of rebirth and source of endless forgiveness of sins by the power of God’s Word alone. Yet, if you do not have faith, neither Jesus’ crucifixion nor your Baptism can save you. It is faith which clings to God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation in Baptism and receives its benefits. But if you do not have faith, then you squander your Baptism.  


That is the difference between those who will come from east and west and sit at the feast of salvation with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the blessed and those of the kingdom who will be cast out into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Those who come to sit at the feast of salvation have faith. They have received every promise given in Baptism by believing and trusting in the promise. That is why it is called the priesthood of all believers, not the priesthood of the baptized.  


Jesus’ declaration that many shall come from east and west and recline at table with the patriarchs is an invitation and a promise. It is an invitation to all nations to come and join Him in fellowship. We do this by coming to church, hearing the Gospel, and of course eating and drinking Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And it is a promise that all who do this in faith will indeed join that endless celebration in heaven. This lesson does not pit the Sacraments against faith, but rather demonstrates that the faithful receive God’s grace through faith when they believe the promises attached to Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and wherever else God attaches His promise. In Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, we see promises to which our faith may hold onto until we finally sit at that heavenly feast. Amen.  
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The Power and Consolation of Christ’s Word

1/24/2022

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Picture
Jesus Healing the Servant of the Centurion, Paolo Veronese. 1585. Public Domain.
Epiphany 3 
Matthew 8:1-13 
Pastor James Preus 
Trinity Lutheran Church 
January 23, 2022 
 
The Epiphany season is about Jesus being revealed as God in the flesh. Jesus is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, just as he is true man, born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus, being God, is all-powerful. He has the power to heal diseases, to raise the dead, turn water into wine and calm storms on the high seas. He has the power to forgive sins and grant eternal salvation. And the centurion in our Gospel lesson teaches us that Jesus’ power to save is delivered to us in his word. “Only say the word, and my servant will be healed,” he says.  


The centurion knows this, because he too is a man under authority with soldiers under him. He says to one soldier, do this, and he does it, and to another come here, and he comes. So, this military captain knows that Jesus too can say a word and his word will be obeyed. This is most certainly true. When the prophets of the Old Testament spoke, they said, “Thus says the Lord!” God’s word remained God’s word, even when spoken by strange men, who dressed in strange clothing. Likewise, Jesus says to his apostles, “The one who hears you hears me…” (Luke 10:16).  


In Jesus’ Word is life and salvation. He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) But you do not need to hear these words directly from the mouth of Christ in order for them to set you free. No, these words deliver freedom, forgiveness, and salvation even when they are spoken by sinners. Otherwise, there would be no benefit in God causing his Word to be written in Holy Scripture. No, God’s Word remains powerful to save when it is spoken by anyone! And Christ promises that his word will be effective when spoken by his servants whom he has sent.  


This is the message Naaman had to learn. He doubted that the Jordan River could wash off his leprosy. He preferred the rivers of Damascus. He can think what he likes about the Jordan River, but the prophet spoke a word from the Lord, “Wash, and be clean.” So, when Naaman submitted to God’s word, he was cleansed. Likewise, we know there is power to cleanse from sins in our Baptism; not because the water is special; not because the pastor who performed the Baptism is special; but because Jesus has commanded that all nations be baptized and he has promised forgiveness and salvation in Baptism (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). The power to save in Baptism is in Jesus’ word.  


Jesus’ words deliver his salvation with power. That is why a sinful man is able to declare to you that your sins are forgiven, and they are forgiven before Christ Jesus in heaven. This is why the right hand of God is able to bend down to us here on earth and feed us Christ’s true body and blood, a peace-meal for sinners on earth to commune with heaven. The power to save is in Jesus’ word. And that power to save remains even when Jesus’ word is repeated by his lowly servants.  


Because Jesus’ salvation is delivered through his word, it is received through faith. The power is in Jesus’ word, not in our works, because Christ Jesus has done all the work for us. His word declares the promise, faith receives the promise as a gift. This is why Jesus praises the centurion’s faith. “Let it be done as you have believed.” This is the same as saying, “Let it be done according to my word.” Faith clings to the word. And so, faith receives the honor of having accomplished what the word accomplishes. We declare that faith alone saves, because God’s word alone saves. God’s word saves, because his word delivers Salvation to us.  


Christ Jesus has done everything to save us. He has accomplished the work. When he said, “It is finished.”, from the cross, he declared that all the work needed to accomplish our salvation is complete. All our sins are paid for. Our debt is gone before our Father in heaven. Satan has lost his teeth. The gates of heaven are open. Salvation is a free gift. It is now Jesus’ word that delivers that gift and our faith which receives it. Faith can grasp forgiveness for every sin you’ve ever committed, because that is what God’s word gives.  


This also means that salvation is for all people. Faith does not depend on who your parents are or what nation you’re from. The centurion was a Gentile. He was not a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He wasn’t of the house of Israel. Yet, he had faith, even greater faith than any found in Israel. And so, he was welcome at the feast of salvation in the kingdom of heaven. This is why Jesus prophesies that many shall come from the east and the west and join Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at table in the kingdom of heaven. This faith which saves is for all nations. This word that delivers salvation will travel the whole world and save all who believe it. Jesus is the Christ promised to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Few would have imagined that the Christ would gather sheep from all nations, even across oceans and continents, and join them into one flock, his Holy Christian Church. But this is exactly what Jesus does.  


That even the Gentiles are saved through faith is a great surprise for those Jews, who thought they were special, because they were descendants of Abraham. Yet, what this means, is that even those descendants of Israel, who do not have faith will not be saved. That is why Jesus says, “while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” No one is saved simply because he is a physical descendent of Israel. Faith alone saves.  


Yet, if not even the sons of the kingdom, as Jesus calls them, are saved without faith, how much less those outside Israel. This message of Jesus is not meant to cause animosity against the Jews, but to sternly warn both Jews and Gentiles that if they reject Christ’s word, they cannot be saved. Saving faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Those who reject Jesus’ word, refuse to hear it, refuse to believe it, ignore it and refuse to let it change them, will be condemned.  


No one preaches more about hell in the Bible than Jesus. In this text he calls it the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The outer darkness means that the damned will be forever separated from Christ, who is the light of the world. Having rejected his word, they will never be allowed to hear his Gospel again. His message of salvation will forever be silenced to them. Weeping means that there will be constant sorrow and suffering. Those in hell will not partake of the good cheer of the feast of salvation enjoyed by those who believed. Gnashing of teeth means that those in hell will suffer from great hatred and futile frustration over their lost salvation. Gnashing teeth never accomplishes anything. It is done by those who have not hope and no solution. They and damned to eternal regret and resentment.  


So, we pray that we would not resist God’s grace or depend on our own virtue, that we would not be so foolish as to think God’s word is unimportant or that we can continue in the faith without hearing it. Faith alone saves us from eternal hell, from the outer darkness severed from Christ, where there is no comfort and only constant frustration and agony. Faith in Christ is able to hold forgiveness for every sin you’ve ever committed, to grant you certainty of salvation. Yet, if you reject the faith, reject the forgiveness of sins, reject Jesus’ work given to you by his word, then there is nothing that can save you.  


Jesus has the power to save you, to forgive your sins and give you a seat in the kingdom of heaven. That’s obvious. Jesus is God. Of course, he can forgive you. Of course, he can save you. Yet, that’s not enough for your faith for Jesus to be able to save you. Your faith must know that he is willing to save you. The leper at the beginning of our Gospel lesson was so blessed to hear Jesus say, “I will; be clean.” Jesus told him that he wants to make him clean. What a comforting message. “I can and I will help you. I want to make you whole and I will.”  


Faith needs this affirmation. Knowing that Jesus can do something will never be enough if he doesn’t want to do something. Jesus’ word not only carries the power to forgive and save, but it declares to you Jesus’ willingness to forgive and save.  


In John 3, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In John 20, Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” In 1 Timothy 2, Jesus’ apostle Paul declares, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Again, he said in chapter 1, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”. Again, St. Paul seeks to persuade us, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6) 


The leper was blessed to hear Jesus say, “I will; be clean.” Jesus says the same to you! Why would he die for you, if he did not desire to save you from your sins? Why would he command that the Gospel be preached to every creature, if he did not desire to save all? Jesus wants you to believe that he is willing to forgive you. That is why he has commanded that it be preached to you.  


In your Baptism, you have your declaration from Jesus, “I will; be clean.” In the Absolution, you have Jesus’ declaration, “I will.” The proclamation of the Gospel, which Jesus commanded to be preached to every nation, is not complete without the clear message that Jesus wills to save you. He desires to forgive you. He wants you to be with him at the feast of salvation.  


All this is revealed to us in Christ’s word. His word delivers to us the power of salvation and the power to hold on to that salvation in faith. If you hold Christ’s word in faith, then nothing can separate you from Christ. Then you are a true son and daughter of the Lord with a rightful seat at his table in the kingdom of heaven. So, we pray that his word would never depart from us, but would ever hold fast to it, gladly hear and learn it, and find the greatest comfort by it. Amen.  
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Salvation through Faith

1/27/2020

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Picture
The Centurion Kneeling at the Feet of Christ, Joseph Marie Vien, 1752, Public Domain
Epiphany 3 
Matthew 8:1-13 
January 26, 2020 
 
Let’s talk about faith. It seems most people think faith is important. But what does it mean to have faith?  Faith is not some quality in your heart that makes you a better person than others. Faith is not persistent optimism that keeps you in a good mood. Faith is not your work at all. Rather, faith is a gift from God through which you receive God’s grace.  
The first thing you need in order to have faith is so obvious, it is commonly overlooked. You need a need. You need to need something and know it. Most people know that they have needs and they are pretty confident they know what those needs are. The leper needed to be cleansed of his leprosy. The centurion needed his servant to be healed. You know what you need. You can feel it in your body, perhaps you can even point to it: backpain, heart disease, cancer. And it is those needs that you pray for. “God take away my pain.” “God heal my disease.” “God make my mother get better.” “God make peace in my family.”  
But there is a need that we all must to be aware of in order to have true saving faith. That is our need to be forgiven and set free from our sin. Our sin not only hurts the people around us, but it separates us from God. If you do not think that you have this need, then you cannot have true faith, because true saving faith is the confidence that God will forgive your sins and save you for Christ’s sake. This is why people should not refuse to listen to the preaching of the Law. The Law tells you that you are a sinner. It points out what you do wrong. It does this in the Ten Commandments and other parts of Scripture that teach you how to love God and your neighbor. The Law is not hate-speech, although it can get you quite upset. Rather, the Law sheds light on your need, your greatest need, your need to be forgiven of all your sins. To have saving faith, you need to know that you are a sinner. 
This means that faith does not boast in itself. Saving faith does not lead you to be proud of yourself. In fact, people who have saving faith do not claim to be better than those without faith. Look at the men, who begged Jesus for help in our Gospel lesson. Neither of them claimed to deserve what they were asking from Jesus. They didn’t claim to be worthy. The leper fell down at Jesus’ feet. In Luke’s Gospel, the Evangelist gives an account of the centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant. Yet, in Luke’s account he points out that the elders of the Jews tell Jesus that this centurion deserved to have Jesus heal his servant, because the centurion had done such great things for the people of Israel, like building their synagogue. Yet, in both Matthew’s and Luke’s account of this story, the centurion himself says that he is not worthy to have Jesus even come under his roof.  
True saving faith does not claim worthiness to receive anything from God. Rather, true saving faith claims to be utterly unworthy of anything from God. And yet, true saving faith does not doubt that God will give us what we ask. This seems like a strange thing that Scripture teaches us. God desires two things from us with regard to our faith. First, that we be humble and not prideful. And second, that we do not doubt, but wholly trust in him, as Psalm 147 states, “The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”  
Yet, how can God desire both that we claim no worthiness of our own, and yet at the same time that we do not doubt but firmly believe that we will receive what we claim to be unworthy to receive? Because true saving faith directs us away from ourselves and toward Jesus. I am unworthy to receive anything from God, but Jesus is worthy to receive all things, even eternal life. Faith does not depend on your worthiness at all, but solely on the merits of Christ Jesus. This means that however far you have fallen in your sin, no matter how grossly you have stained your conscience, saving faith gives you the same thing: Jesus, his forgiveness and righteousness.  
Just look at the interaction between Jesus and the leper. Leprosy, as you know, was a terrible disease that caused sores over the whole body. Even worse, it made you an outcast. Leprosy made you ceremonially unclean. Lepers were forced out of their villages. Not only were they not allowed to go to the temple to worship, they were not allowed to go into their own homes. They had to live in leper colonies outside of villages. And if anyone were to approach them, they had to cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” The leper was deprived of the human touch. This leper was not allowed to hold his own child or even to touch his wife’s hand. How lonely he must have felt. 
Leprosy was also commonly associated with God’s judgment. This is because on several occasions in the Old Testament, God punished people by giving them leprosy (Numbers 12:1-15; 2 Kings 5:15-27; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21). So, not only did the man feel isolated from his friends and family, but from God himself. How far from him God must have felt. The words of Psalm 38 must speak well for his heart, “Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”  
And see how Jesus treats this poor, lonely, unclean man. He stretches out his hand and touches him. That man had not been touched by another human in who knows how long. If you touch him you become unclean. But Jesus touches him. And then Jesus tells him in no uncertain terms, “I will; be clean.”  
This is how Jesus deals with us sinners. Our sin separates us from God. It makes us unclean. God cannot dwell with unrighteousness. Yet, God becomes man in order to dwell with us sinners. Jesus joins us human beings and he takes on our sins. In this same chapter of Matthew after Jesus heals a number of people, Matthew writes, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.’” (Matthew 8:17) Normally, if you have a contagious illness, you will still have the illness even if you pass it on to someone else. If I have the flu and I give it to my wife, I don’t suddenly feel better, because she has taken it from me. No, we would then both have the flu. Yet, with Jesus he actually takes our diseases. Jesus took the leprosy from that man. Jesus became unclean and the man became clean! 
And this is how it is with our sin. Jesus came to earth to be the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! He bears our sin, so that we do not have to! It is as Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us— for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13) Jesus came and took the curse from us by bearing the curse himself. He took our sin away. He took our uncleanness away. He touched us when the Law said that we were not allowed to go near God. He came to save us! And it is to this Jesus that our faith looks. Faith does not stand on our worthiness at all. Faith stands on Jesus Christ alone and his perfect work of redemption.  
The man said, “If you will, you can make me clean.” It is not that the man doubted that Jesus desired for the man to be well. We know that God wants all that is good for us. But the man did not know whether at that time and place Jesus desired the man to be well. Sometimes God permits us to bear crosses in this life. He does this to teach us; to get us to cling to him more closely; he does this for our good. We don’t know how long God will have us bear these temporary crosses; that is left up to his hidden will. This is why we pray, “Thy will be done.”  
Yet, we must not pray, “If you will, forgive me my sins.” as if we are unsure whether God wills to forgive us. We know that God desires to forgive our sins. When Jesus said, “I will; be clean.”, the man no longer doubted whether Jesus desired him to be healed then and there. And through Jesus’ word, we know that Jesus desires for us to be forgiven now, to wear his righteousness now.  
Jesus tells us, “I will” when Scripture says, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15) Jesus tells us, “I will” when Scripture says, “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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus tells us, “I will” when he himself says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” We know that Jesus is able to forgive us our sins, just as the leper was certain that Jesus had the power to cleanse his leprosy. And we have heard Jesus tell us that he is willing to forgive us now. Faith clings to this promise.  
The centurion teaches us one more important lesson about saving faith. Faith trusts in Jesus’ word. The centurion said to Jesus, “But only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” The centurion was a man under authority and he had soldiers under him. When he told his subordinates to do a task, they did it in the centurion’s name. And so, it is with Christ and his word. When Jesus speaks a word, he speaks with the authority of God the Father. And when Jesus sends others to speak his word, that word is as powerful as if Jesus himself spoke it. This is how it is with God’s word. We must believe that if God were to have created a man before he created light, even a beggar, and were to say to that beggar, “Say, let there be light.” and the beggar were to say, “Let there be light,” there would be light as good as if God himself spoke it.  
This is exactly what Jesus is teaching us when he says to those whom he sent, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) When Jesus said all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him and then commanded his disciples to make disciples by baptizing and teaching, he was saying that the words his disciples spoke had the same authority that God the Father had given to his Son Jesus Christ. This means that when a pastor, who is a mere mortal, speaks the words of Christ when he baptizes a poor sinner, God himself is washing that sinner clean of all sin and giving him the Holy Spirit.  
People doubt this, because they focus on the inadequacies of the pastor, or the weakness of the faith of the person being baptized, or the simplicity of the water. And when they doubt the power of Baptism for these reasons, they behave like the leper Naaman, who thought so little of the River Jordan. But what did Naaman’s servant say to him? “Was it not a great word the prophet said to you? Did he actually say, ‘Wash and be clean.’?” Indeed, it was a great word; a word of God. And that is what we have in Baptism: a great word of God.  
Likewise, Jesus sent his disciples saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” These are powerful words of Jesus, even when they are spoken by Jesus’ servants. But when Jesus says, “Do this.” It is done, whether by an angel or by a human.  
Faith clings to Jesus’ word, no matter who speaks it, because Jesus’ word has the power to forgive and save. Jesus’ word is true. And when we believe what Jesus tells us, our faith becomes powerful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  
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Epiphany 3:The Word of God Speaks and Accomplishes the Will of God

1/30/2019

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Matthew 8:1-13 
January 27, 2019 
 
Several weeks ago, a popular “Christian” music singer named Lauren Daigle was asked in an interview whether she felt that homosexuality was a sin. She answered, “I can’t honestly answer on that, in the sense of I have too many people that I love and they are homosexuals. I can’t say one way or the other. I’m not God.” She understandably got much criticism from many Christians, because the Bible is actually quite clear on whether homosexuality is a sin. Leviticus 18:22 states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” And 1 Corinthians 6 states, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  
Now while it is easy to condemn this lady for her statement, we should realize that her words reflect the attitude of many of us. Why does she question whether God is displeased with homosexuality? Clearly there is no passage in the Bible that gives her the idea that God doesn’t care or has changed his mind about it. Rather, her judgment is changed because she has so many people that she loves, who are homosexuals. She is unsure about what the will of God is based on her feelings about people, whom she loves.  
Isn’t that a common attitude toward the will of God? What is God’s will. His will is what he wants, what he says is right and wrong. “God’s will certainly can’t say that what my friends do is sinful! They are so nice! God certainly wouldn’t disapprove of my children’s behavior! God couldn’t be displeased with me! I certainly don’t feel that way.” And this is typically the way people think, the way church-folk think.  
Now, let’s lay aside for a moment the fact that God’s displeasure toward sin does not mean that God does not love the sinner. Scriptures says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) What’s important to note here is that our feelings and our thoughts and our experiences do not alter the will of God. God doesn’t change his position on a sin, because you or someone you love participates in that particular sin. And you do not determine how God feels about a situation by looking into yourself and pondering how you feel about it. How then do you determine what God’s will is? The leper in our Gospel lesson teaches us. Through God’s Word.  
The leper says to Jesus, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” The leper has faith in Jesus. He believes he is good. He believes he is powerful and able to heal. But he does not know if Jesus will heal his disease. He needs to hear Jesus’ word. When he hears Jesus say, “I will; be clean.” he knows that Jesus desires to heal him. That is how we all are. How do we know what God’s will is? Through his word. How does God want you to treat your neighbor? Scripture says to live in harmony with him. Don't be haughty. Do not be wise in your own sight. Repay evil with good. Be kind to your enemy.  
We know how God wills for us to live. He says so plainly in Scripture. We have the Ten Commandments. We know from Scripture that we should worship the Lord God only and gladly hear and learn his word, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, refrain from sexual immorality, theft, murder, and covetousness. This is God’s Law. The Law reveals God’s holy will. Scripture also teaches the Gospel. The Gospel too is God’s holy will. While the Law teaches us how to live and condemns us as sinners when we fail, the Gospel reveals to us how God saves us from sin and hell through Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. It is God’s will that you believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. And you know this is God’s will through God’s word.  
Now, I’ve noted before that our feelings can get in the way of us believing God’s holy Word and knowing God’s will for us. Yet, it is not only emotions that stand in the way of us knowing God’s will, but our reason. We are intelligent creatures. God made us that way. Yet, like everything in us, our intelligence is corrupted with sin. This means that we will use our reason to argue against God’s word and therefore not know God’s will. The perfect example is Naaman, the Syrian commander, who was a leper. Elisha sent a message to him to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be cleansed. Naaman thought that offensive. See, there was Naaman’s problem. He thought. He shouldn’t have thought. He should have believed. Now, I’m sure Naaman was right that the rivers of Syria were cleaner than the muddy river Jordan. But God said to wash in the river Jordan. As his servant said to him, “This is a great word that the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?” And so Naaman submitted his great intellect to the word of God, and he was cleansed from his leprosy.  
Naaman’s pride still affects many today. It is common for people to doubt the power of Baptism. “It’s just plain water. Spirit Baptism is more important. Or, Baptism is a work of man, and only faith saves, so Baptism can’t possibly save.” These are the thoughts of human beings, who follow the example of Naaman. Yet, what does the word of God say? “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off.” (Acts 2:38-39) “Baptism … now saves you, not as the removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21) “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)  
Scripture is abundantly clear. Baptism saves through the power of God’s word and the Holy Spirit. It is God’s will that all people be made disciples, being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The only reason why people question the power of Baptism is because of human reason, which wrestles with the clear words of God.  
Now, people will struggle with God’s will when God’s word reveals something they don’t like or when God’s word reveals something they don’t understand. Yet, perhaps the most exhausting struggle with God’s will is where God’s word does not reveal anything. This is called the hidden will of God. While God does tell us some things plainly, such as, how we should live, that we should repent and believe in the Gospel, there are other things that God does not tell us the answer to.  
When the leper said to Jesus, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” He did not doubt Jesus’ good will. He had faith not only that Jesus was powerful enough to heal him, but also that Jesus was good, as he had heard of Jesus’ many healings before. Yet, the leper did not know if Jesus willed to heal him of this particular disease then and there. He had not yet heard Jesus’ say so. And this is how many of us are in our daily struggles. I do not know how long God will let me suffer from my physical ailments. I don’t know if I’ll recover from cancer or if my friend will be reconciled to me or if I’ll get the job, etc. There are certain things, God just doesn’t tell us. So, what should we do then? The same as when we do know what God’s will is. We pray that God’s will be done.  
What do we know of God’s will? Ezekiel 33 states, “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” So, we see here that God does not want to condemn sinners, whether homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, or swindlers, but that they turn from their wicked ways and live. God desires that sinners repent and believe in the Gospel. 1 Timothy 2 states that God “desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” It was the will of the LORD to crush Jesus on the cross, to lay all our iniquities upon him, and to forgive us for his sake. God’s revealed will is good. God is merciful, patient, and loving. So, what we know about God’s will should also help us to accept what we do not know.  
St. Paul says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We don’t always know what God wills for our life. But, because of what we do know about God’s will, we know that God’s plan for each of us is better than our own. And so, through hearing and believing the word of God, we are able to pray, “Thy will be done” both for what we do know of God’s will and for what we do not know.  
We have learned that the word of God makes known to us what the will of God is. Yet, the word of God does even more. When Jesus told the centurion that he would come and heal his servant, the man refused and asked rather that Jesus say a word and his servant would be clean. The centurion was a man under authority. He understood how authority works. If a captain gives a command originally given by a general, that command has the authority of the general, not just a captain. The word of God carries God’s authority. This means that when a prophet speaks the word of God, it is not the word of a prophet, but the word of God. And also, when a pastor, who is sent by God through the church speaks the word of God, it is not the word of a man, but God’s own word.  
This means that when I say, “Your sins are forgiven.” I am not just relaying to you what God’s will is, but God through these words is accomplishing what he wills. When I say, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” God is actually accomplishing his will to remove your sins as far from you as the east is from the west! When the pastor baptizes in the name of the Holy Trinity, God through those words is accomplishing his will to make that child a Christian. When the Gospel is preached, God’s will is not only revealed to the congregation, but his will is accomplished as the hearts of many are gladdened with the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus.  
The word of God makes known to you God’s will, that he desires you to repent of your sins and believe in the forgiveness won for you by Christ Jesus. The word of God assures you that even where you do not know what God’s will is, his will is still good. And the word of God itself accomplishes the good and gracious will of God by breaking and hindering every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh, and by keeping you in the true faith until you die. For this reason, we cling to the word that makes known God’s will to us. We hear it gladly, because through his word God’s will is done. Amen.  ​
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Epiphany 2: Jesus, the Bridegroom, blesses marriage and his Church

1/21/2019

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John 2:1-11
Ephesians 5:22-33

January 20, 2019 
 
Jesus manifested his glory for the first time at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus chose to reveal his glory for the first time at a wedding. This tells us that God loves marriage.  
God doesn’t just love wedding celebrations with good food and wine and fun conversations. He loves that the bride and groom promise before witnesses and to God and to one another to be faithful to each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death parts them and that they ask God’s blessing upon them. God is pleased with marriage itself. He is pleased that a wife submits her own will to her husband’s as the Church does to Christ. He is pleased that a husband cherishes his wife as his own body, that he willingly sacrifices his time, money, pride, even his very life for her sake. God is pleased with the intimacy of marriage, which takes place in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, and which God blesses with children.  
God doesn’t find marriage mundane or outdated or superfluous. He is pleased with the work that goes into marriage; the budgeting, the working, the cleaning toilets and changing diapers, the communicating, the repenting and the forgiving. God is pleased when husband and wife pray together and have devotions together. God is pleased when husband and wife trade off their crying child, so that at least one of them can hear the Gospel or sing the hymns with the congregation. All these things that are thought burdensome, ordinary, or unnecessary God enjoys. And he blesses by turning water into wine, so to speak, every day, providing for the needs of husband, wife, and children.  
It of course is biblical to emphasize God’s good pleasure toward marriage; however, it is also part of the Lutheran tradition. Martin Luther stressed in his sermons on this very Gospel lesson that God is pleased with marriage. This was because, back in his day the predominate opinion was that celibacy, which is abstaining from marriage and sexual relations all together, was more chaste than marriage. This is a major reason why monks, nuns, and priests took vows of celibacy. They thought these vows of celibacy were better than marriage vows.  
Yet, this is not true! Celibacy is not more chaste than marriage. And Jesus teaches that not everyone can receive celibacy, but that it is a gift from God. (Matthew 19:11) This is why St. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 7, “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” In his explanation to the Sixth Commandment Luther doesn’t teach us to refrain from marriage, but rather that “husband and wife love and honor each other.” 
God is pleased with marriage, because he himself instituted marriage. He determines what it is and that it’s good. God gives three purposes for marriage: Companionship, chastity, and children. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18) And Jesus teaches, “’Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:5-6) God instituted marriage so that a man and a woman would be life-long companions, never to be separated.  
God instituted marriage, so that men and women might live together in holiness and honor and avoid sexual immorality. Sex outside of marriage is a sin, but within marriage it is a holy gift from God. Finally, God instituted marriage for the sake of children. In Genesis one it says that God blessed Adam and Eve and said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” And God says in Psalm 127, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” It pleases God when a husband and wife are each other’s companion for life, are faithful to each other, and when they raise the children God gives them to trust in Christ Jesus.  
These days few people consider celibacy a greater virtue than marriage. Yet, marriage is abandoned by more and more people nonetheless, especially by my current generation. Many sociologists are studying this phenomenon as it has serious implications culturally, economically, and even politically. They theorize that young people don’t want to get married, because of the risk of divorce and other financial and emotional burdens. And they’re probably right, although you can’t really lump all people who choose not to get married into the same category.  
Yet, marriage has become less attractive. For fifty percent of those who enter into it, it is not a life-long companionship. Sex outside of marriage has become socially acceptable, so fewer people are concerned about God’s gift of chastity within marriage. And children are more and more looked at as a commodity and a burden rather than a gift from God. Many western countries are concerned by their nations’ low birth rates and their governments are trying to encourage their citizens to have more babies, so that they can provide for their large aging populations. Yet, even this desire for children is driven by the same materialistic desire that prevented them from having children in the first place.  
Marriage has become less attractive because, we human beings are sinners. And whatever we touch tends to get ruined. And this includes marriage. So, what can we do to fix marriage?  Well, we certainly can repent where we have failed in our own marriages and where we have accepted the opinions of this fleeting world over the teachings of God in the Bible. Yet, no matter how hard we strive, our marriages will continue to be unattractive and detached from how God intends them to be. What we need to fix our marriages and to fix marriage as a whole, is Jesus.  
There were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification. Six, the number of days God worked to create the world. Six, the number of days in a week that God gave Israel to work and do all their labor. Six, one less than seven; one less than complete. Stone, as in the stone tablets on which God wrote the Ten Commandments. The six stone water jars represent the works of the law. No matter how much you labor, you never accomplish what you aim for. These jars were for the Jewish rites of purification. They were for washing the outside of the body, but they could never purify the inside of the body, which is what is needed.  
Jesus, after filling up these jars, turns the water into wine. He turns the water, that could not wash the inside of the body into wine, which makes glad the hearts of man. (Psalm 104:15) This is a symbol of what Jesus does for marriage. No matter how hard you work to make your marriage perfect, because of your sinful limitation, you will never succeed. And we’re not going to fix the marriage crisis in our society simply by trying to enforce a bunch of rules. The only one who can fix a broken marriage is Jesus.  
Jesus turning the water in the full jars into wine teaches that Jesus fulfills the demands of the law for us and makes us clean on the inside, not just on the outside. Jesus makes us clean on the inside by forgiving our sins.  
The forgiveness of sins: it is what every marriage needs. You will sin against your spouse. And you will sin against your God. Sinners cannot please God, as Romans 8:8 states, “Those who are of the flesh cannot please God.” Sinners can’t make themselves holy. They need to be forgiven. You need to be forgiven by Christ. You need to be forgiven for your sins against his holy institution of marriage just as you need to be forgiven for your sins against every other commandment of God. And Jesus freely forgives those, who repent of their sins. St. John writes,  
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7-9) 
God loves marriage so much that he honors it by saying that it refers to Christ and his Church. Jesus Christ, who provides wine for the wedding, is the Bridegroom. The Church is his Bride. Yet, like marriage in this fallen world, the Church doesn’t look splendid, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. The Church looks broken up and divided, racked with scandal and discord, stained and confused, as the hymn states, “Though with a scornful wonder/ The world sees her oppressed,/ By schisms rent asunder,/ By heresies distressed.” 
Yet, the Church is not holy and without blemish because it is filled will holy people who have never done anything wrong. The Church is holy and without blemish, because Christ Jesus her bridegroom laid down his life for his bride, and washed her clean through the water and the word of Baptism, joined inextricably with his blood shed on the cross. The Church is without spot or wrinkle of sin, because Jesus her bridegroom has forgiven her all her sins by virtue of his suffering and death. That is what makes Christ’s marriage to his bride holy. That is what makes you and me holy.  
What the Church needs, indeed, what makes the Church the Church, is the forgiveness of sins won by Christ Jesus. She needs the Gospel. That is why we are members of this one, holy, Christian, and apostolic Church. We are members of the communion of saints, because Christ Jesus has washed us clean with his blood, forgiven our sins, baptized us and clothed us in his own righteousness. And this forgiveness is not confined to the walls of the sanctuary, but we take it with us into our lives.  
This forgiveness sanctifies our homes, our marriages, and our families. No matter how much we try to wash our sinful lives clean and fix our marriages with superficial purification, we still remain dirty. But Christ Jesus turns water into wine. He forgives our sins and makes us clean on the inside and outside. When we live as forgiven Christians, God is pleased with us, even if the world can see the spots and wrinkles in our lives, because God can’t. They have been washed clean in Jesus’ blood.  
The solution to fixing our marriages and indeed our whole lives is to repent of our sins and turn to him, who turns water into wine, who forgives sins and places his Holy Spirit within us. Jesus makes good wine. The best wine. He fills our cup with his own blood to purify our hearts and wash our sins away. Jesus is our Bridegroom. We are his bride. And through his forgiveness, which we receive through faith, he joins us to himself forever. Amen.  
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    Rev. James Preus

    Rev. Preus is the pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA. These are audio and text of the sermons he preaches at Trinity according to the Historical Lectionary. 

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