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The Last Will Be First

2/15/2022

Salomon Koninck, Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, 1647-49. Public Domain.

Septuagesima
Matthew 20:1-16
Pastor James Preus
February 13, 2022

In this parable, our Lord Jesus simply teaches us how God rewards his laborers in the kingdom of heaven. You shouldn’t get hung up trying to figure out what the denarius symbolizes, but simply recognize that God does not save us based on our works. Those who worked for twelve hours under the hot sun and those who worked just an hour in the cool of the evening received the same wage, because the master was not paying them according to their work, but according to his own generosity.

This is how the kingdom of heaven operates. In Luke 17, Jesus teaches his disciples, “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” Unprofitable servants. That is what we are. That is, we are not earning our keep. Those who labored longer or harder should not begrudge those who labored fewer hours, because they got paid the same as if the master is taking from the hard workers to pay the lazy ones. No, everyone is getting paid according to the master’s generosity, from the master’s purse. They are not making a profit for the master. The late-comers are not stealing from the early-comers. Everyone receives a gift that he doesn’t deserve.

Those who made a deal with the master at the beginning of the day grumbled, because they thought they had earned more than the others. That is how the works-righteous think. The works-righteous are those who think they can become righteous before God by their own works. Yet, Scripture says in Romans chapter 3, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”, and “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Scripture makes clear that no one will save himself by his own works, because everyone is a sinner.

The works-righteous want to make a deal with God. They’ll do their part if God does his part. But this places them under the law. And this causes them to reject God’s generosity in the Gospel. St. Paul says that Israel did not succeed in reaching a righteousness by the law, because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works (Romans 9:30-32). Again, St. Paul teaches us that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). So, the works-righteous proceeding without faith can only sin. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So, by insisting on be rewarded by their works, they lose the gift. But what does Scripture say, “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:4-5)

Now this does not mean that Christians should not do good works. St. Paul does not mean that the one who believes in him who justifies the ungodly does not also do good works, but rather, he does not trust in his works to save him, but in God alone, who forgives the ungodly apart from their works. Even those who went into the vineyard in the eleventh hour worked. But their work did not contribute to their salvation. Christians do good works, because God commands them to and by doing good works, they give glory to God, their generous master (Matthew 5:16). Christians do good works to help their neighbor, because, having been loved by God, they also love one another.

And Christians do good works to confirm their calling. St. Peter writes, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.” (2 Peter 1:5-10) So, good works do not earn your salvation, but you can lose your salvation if you continue in sin without repenting. So, being busy in good works and learning God’s Word can keep you from backsliding into wicked sins, which lead to unbelief. As the saying goes, “Idol hands are the devil’s workshop.”

But your good works do not earn your salvation. Salvation is a free gift earned for you by the merits of Christ Jesus. This is God’s generosity! That he sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins. The generous master says, “Whatever is right, I will give you.” What he is saying is, “I will give to you for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of my beloved Son. So rich is my generosity.”

This is why, in the parable, each laborer received the same denarius. Although, working in the Lord’s Vineyard, we have various tasks. There are pastors, teachers, elders, trustees, and musicians; there are husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. Some have the task of teaching and preaching God’s Word, others in caring for the elderly, others in caring for children, others in supplying for the needs of the church. Some work is noticed by all, while other work is often ignored. The labor of the vineyard includes the caring for souls and the changing of diapers, the labor of fathers and mothers, and the chores of even little children. Yet, all of these workers in the Lord’s Vineyard receive the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11)! They worship one Lord, hold on to one faith, have been washed in one Baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6). All laborers in the Lord’s Vineyard receive their prize by the merits of the one and only Christ Jesus, so none can receive a greater Christ than the other, as Scripture declares, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) We all put on the same Christ Jesus in our Baptism; that’s why we each receive the same denarius.

So, Jesus concludes this parable by saying, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” Here again, Jesus teaches that we receive our eternal reward through faith and not by our works. The last are those who consider themselves last, who acknowledge that they are unprofitable servants. For this reason, the last trust not in their own works or how much they’ve earned, but rather they trust solely in the generosity of the Good Master found in the sacred suffering and death of Jesus Christ. St. Paul summarizes this perfectly in his letter to the Philippians in chapter three, “But whatever gain I had, I count as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (vss. 7-9)

So, it is not that the last have done no good works, or that they have worked less than the first, but that they do not consider their works worth mentioning. They do not trust in an award based on their works. They trust solely in the Lord’s generosity.

The first are those who consider themselves worthy of a reward from God and who do not trust in God’s generosity through Christ. They often grumble and despise those whom they consider last. As with the last, to be first is the condition of your heart. How do you consider yourself? Are you better than others? Are your works better? Do you deserve your seat in heaven? It’s easy to feign humility and claim that you don’t think you’re better than others, but unless you hold Christ alone as your righteousness, you consider yourself first.

But the last will be first. Those who repent of their own sins and trust in Christ alone for their salvation will be saved. They will receive a reward not equal to their work. And the first will be last. Those who refuse to acknowledge their own sins and repent, who trust in their own goodness and works, they will be put last, that is, they will be condemned. They’ll receive whatever earthly reward they get, and will be forever shut out of the Lord’s good Vineyard.

We are unprofitable servants. We cannot earn our way to salvation. We don’t make a profit for our master. In this world, that is a precarious situation to be in! No one wants to be unprofitable! But in the kingdom of heaven, this is the best situation to be in, because it means that you depend on Christ. If you found an owner of a vineyard here on earth, who would pay you a day’s wage for showing up for an hour, that might be a pretty sweet situation. Until the foolish man ran out of money. But our God will never run out of his generosity, because he pays us by the merits of Jesus’ precious blood. The man who died for our sins is our God. In his blood is infinite forgiveness, endless grace and mercy. There is no more certain ground you can stand on than on God’s promise for Christ’s sake.

Those who consider themselves first in their hearts live in a delusion. They are confident that rubbish is worth its weight in gold. Their situation is dire, unless they can be convinced to let go of their own vanity and rejoice in the generosity of God. But those, who place themselves last, who trust not in their own works, but rely solely on God’s generosity for Christ’s sake, they cannot lose. Jesus cannot fail them. He will never run out of his grace and forgiveness. And, you will find, and it may surprise you on the last day, that those who were last actually did produce more beautiful fruit by their labors than those prized by the world. Amen.

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Transfiguration of our Lord

2/7/2022

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The Transfiguration, James Tissot, 1886-94. Public Domain.

Matthew 17:1-9
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
February 6, 2022

In the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy chapter 19, God commanded through Moses that no charge should be established except by the evidence of two or three witnesses. No charge was permitted on the evidence of one witness. And this standard not only ruled the nation of Israel, but has been the standard for jurisprudence in the western world for millennia. God has given this standard for two significant reasons. First, because none of us is God. That means that none of us is omniscient or omnipresent. There are things that happen that we do not know about, because we were not there to witness them. So, a single witness cannot suffice to establish something as true. Just because one person said something should not convince anyone. This is why it is so evil to repeat or believe gossip. To repeat and believe gossip is to usurp God’s authority as Judge and Knower-of-all-things. And it is almost always for the purpose of harming your neighbor’s reputation, which you should instead seek to defend.

Second, the standard of two and three witnesses confesses the Holy Trinity. Our Lord Jesus says in John chapter 8, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (vss. 17-18) It is not enough to have multiple witnesses. The witnesses must agree. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three witnesses in perfect agreement. They are one God and have one will. Having multiple witnesses agree not only gives assurance that what they say is true, but they mimic the very source of all truth, the Triune God.

So, Jesus brings three men up to a high mountain, Peter, James, and John. And these three witnesses see Jesus transfigured before them. And with Jesus appears two more men, Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament. Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. Elijah, a great prophet, represents the writings of the other prophets. Peter, James, and John represent the New Testament. These two witnesses from the Old Testament and these three witnesses from the New Testament bear witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The Bible has around forty human authors, who wrote over a span of about 1,500 years. These human authors are eye witnesses to the mighty works of God. St. John writes in the last chapter of his Gospel, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.” (John 21:24) And again, St. John opens his first epistle with the words, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it…” St. Peter declared, “We didn’t follow cleverly devised myths … but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16). And Holy Scripture records the eye witness accounts of many other witnesses besides the authors of Scripture (Luke 1:2), so that in the Old and New Testament, we have a body of witnesses above scrutiny. The Bible surpasses the standard given by the Law to establish a truth. There are not two or three Evangelists, but four Evangelists, who record a unified account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The Old Testament is the most reliable historical book in all of antiquity. When people, trying to sound studious, ask, “What other sources do we have for such and such event besides the Bible?”, what they are asking is, “What other sources do we have for such and such event besides the most reliable record on earth.

And yet, the Bible is not simply a human book, not even the best of all human books. Greater than the forty authors with their many witnesses therein, is the one great Author who has caused all scripture to be written. St. Peter writes, “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is not only that we have dozens of authors writing the testimony of hundreds and even thousands of eye witnesses, which all agree, but these authors did not write their own interpretation of events, but they wrote as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is God’s book. It declares God’s Word. It is not only the testimony of many men, but it is the testimony of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

And this too we see in Jesus’ transfiguration. Not only do we have the two and three witnesses of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Apostles, we have the unanimous testimony of God. Jesus’ face shines like the sun and his clothes become white as light, proving him to be the Son of God. The bright cloud overshadows them, showing that the same Holy Spirit who descended on Jesus at his Baptism by water descends here as well. And God the Father speaks out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

On this holy mountain we have the three witnesses of the Holy Scriptures: the prophets, the apostles, and the three Persons of the Holy Trinity Himself testifying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. On this mountain we see the authority of the Holy Scriptures and their purpose. This is why St. Paul said that the household of God, which is the Church, is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The Holy Scriptures authored by the holy prophets and apostles as they were carried along by God himself, is the one reliable testimony of the truth. When you hear the words of the Bible, you hear God’s Word. When you hear the words of the Bible, you hear Jesus’ Word. This is why Jesus himself says, “Scripture cannot be broken,” (John 10:35).

Yet, it is not enough to believe and know that the Holy Scriptures are God’s own word, trustworthy and sure. What must we do with this knowledge that the Bible is the Word of God? We should listen to it! When St. Peter teaches us that the Holy Scriptures are God’s own word, he teaches us to pay attention to them “as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the Morning Star rises in your hearts.” That Morning Star is Christ. When St. Paul teaches us that Scripture is God’s own word, he tells us that it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Scripture is not meant to be a closed book. It doesn’t do you any good sitting unopened on a shelf, just as the preaching of God’s Word does you no good if you do not come and listen to it.

God the Father interrupted Peter to tell him to listen to Jesus. Peter was talking too much. He didn’t know what he was saying. He was trying to hold on to Jesus’ glory. He wanted to capture it here on earth, but he couldn’t. He did the same thing six days earlier, when he rebuked Jesus for telling them that he would suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and be killed, and on the third day rise. This happened right after Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, for which Jesus commended his faith. But Jesus rebuked Peter for forbidding him to suffer and die. Likewise, the Father rebukes Peter for talking instead of listening. St. Luke tells us that Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah about his exodus, that is, his departure from this world by way of the cross (Luke 9:31). Peter loved confessing Jesus as the Christ. He was glad to see Jesus’ transfiguration. But he didn’t want to hear about the cross. He wanted to talk about his own ideas. He didn’t want to listen to Jesus the Christ talk about his.

We are like St. Peter. We don’t like to listen. We like to talk. Even those who don’t talk too much, would rather listen to their own thoughts than the Word of God. But the Father speaks to all of us when he says, “Listen to Him!” Our ideas will fade with the grass. The wisdom of this world, which is cringeworthy when compared to the wisdom of God, will certainly pass away. The wisdom of this world does you no good. But Jesus’ Word gives eternal life to all who believe it. And holy Scripture is the word of Jesus.

The mistake Peter made by talking instead of listening, was that he ignored Jesus’ cross in order to focus on worldly things. But we cannot have Jesus without his cross. When Jesus was transfigured, he gave a foretaste of what is promised to all Christians. We shall see Christ as he is. His glory will shine on us, and we will share in it. We will join the hosts of heaven, with all the saints, and we will be with Jesus and share in his joy and holiness forever. Yet, Jesus’ transfiguration was just a foretaste. Peter couldn’t hold on to it by building tents. Jesus needed to go to the cross. And Peter needed to follow the cross.

Unless Jesus suffers and dies for our sins, we cannot see his glory. Unless Jesus pays our debt, we cannot enjoy his splendid presence. We hope to see Jesus in his transfigured glory. But we can only do that if we first listen to Jesus tell us about his cross. We need to learn to repent of our sins and to trust in Jesus, who alone suffered for the sins of the whole world, died, and rose again.

Jesus’ passion for our sins teaches us that we can only be saved through faith in Christ’s death for us. Yet, Jesus’ passion also teaches us that we will bear our own cross in this life. The world hates the words of Jesus. Those who cling to Jesus’ Word will be hated by the world. This is why so many, when they are suffering, will stop listening to Jesus, stop meditating on the Scriptures, and stop going to church. Jesus’ Word gives us a cross to bear for a while. Yet, neglecting God’s Word to avoid the cross is foolish, because it is only through the cross that you can share in Jesus’ glory.

Only the Holy Scriptures are God’s Word. Only preaching according to the Scriptures is trustworthy. The opinions of billions of people do not shine a light on Scripture. Rather, they confuse and lead astray. Following Jesus’ Word is painful for a time. It means that we must repent of our sins and crucify our sinful desires. It means that we might be hated and mocked for believing Christ’s teaching. Yet, this is a light cross to bear when you get Jesus. Jesus takes all our guilt away. He promises us eternal life and a glorious resurrection where we will shine with reflected light from his glorious face. He promises peace and fellowship with the Father. When the disciples lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. That is what we see when we follow Christ’s holy Word. The cross becomes a light burden, an easy yoke. The hatred of the world slinks into the shadows as Christ’s face shines on you; you don’t even notice their hateful words. When you listen to Jesus, walking according to Scripture, then you see no one but Jesus only. And he gives you peace. Amen.

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The Test to Strengthen Faith

1/30/2022

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The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public Domain.

Epiphany 4
Matthew 8:23-27
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
January 30, 2022

In 1 Kings 18, the Prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to determine who the true God is, the LORD or Baal. Each party set up an altar and prepared a bull to be sacrificed, but neither the false prophets or Elijah set their offering on fire. Instead, they prayed to their god for him to send fire down from heaven. The prophets of Baal went first. After hours of crying out to Baal and dancing around like pagans, Elijah began to mock them saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” (2 Kings 18:27) Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal in this way, because their god was no true God. Baal did not make man in his own image, but rather a bunch of men made Baal after their own imaginations, with needs and wants just like their own. But the LORD, the true God, whom Elijah served, who did send fire down from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice, was not like Baal that he would muse, or relieve himself, or go off on a journey, or sleep. The LORD is not like a man that he does these things. He transcends mankind. He is all-knowing, omnipresent, and eternal. He has no body that he should relieve himself or go to sleep. So, Elijah rightly mocks these prophets of Baal for worshiping a false god, who cannot answer prayers.

Yet, the Jesus, whom we confess to be God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made, this Jesus does muse. He frequently goes off by himself to meditate in a desolate place and pray. His ministry is described as peripatetic, meaning, that he wanders around, going on journeys. He is recorded to have eaten and drunk like any other man. And here, in our Gospel lesson, we find this Jesus asleep and his disciples must awaken him. Everything Elijah says to mock the false god Baal, we find our Jesus doing here on earth! What does this mean?

Well, this means that our Jesus is truly a man. He doesn’t just appear to be a man, as some have supposed. He is a real, flesh and blood human, just like us, yet, without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Our Lord got hungry. Our Lord needed time by himself to think and pray. And yes, our Lord got tired and slept. Jesus worked hard, traveling, teaching, and preaching, and healing every type of disease. This took a toll on Christ. It tired him out. And so, as anyone who has ever put in more than a full day’s work can sympathize with, he fell asleep. So worn out was he, that the tumultuous waves served only to rock him as he slumbered.

Yet, does this mean that Jesus is not God? By no means. As Jesus is truly a man, he remains God. Although he sleeps here on earth, he remains in full control of the universe on his throne in heaven. Just as Christ held the universe in his hand while he was yet an unborn baby in his mother’s womb, so Jesus continues to be God as he lies tired and worn in the stern of the boat. Jesus’ human nature does not diminish his divine nature. Jesus’ humiliation does not inhibit his ability to rule as God. This is the mystery of the Personal Union of Christ. He is one person, yet man and God at the same time. He sleeps through the storm even while controlling the weather on the entire planet.

This means that Jesus’ nap does not make him unaware of his disciples’ problem. He does not sleep ignorant of the danger of the wind and the waves. Nevertheless, he sleeps. Yet, why does he sleep? Why does he seem so unconcerned for their safety? Why does he permit his friends to tremble in fear that they might drown, so that St. Mark records them crying out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”? This behavior of our God was not introduced when he became man. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Even when the people of God knew that God had no body and no need to sleep, the Psalmist still cried out to the Lord in Psalm 44, “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!”

Why does Jesus put his disciples through this trial? The answer is given by Jesus, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Jesus puts them through this trial to strengthen their weak faith. This is always why God puts us through trials, so that we may come out stronger in the end. This might seem cruel when you go through such a fright, but you’re always better off when you endure. There was a great storm, and afterward Jesus provided a great calm to make up for it. The sailors on Jonah’s ship were certainly frightened that they would lose their lives. They didn’t want to go through such a storm. Yet, they rejoiced in the true God afterward and inherited eternal life. This is why the Psalmist says, “It was good that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71) A stronger faith is always worth the trial, because faith is what unites us to Christ and saves us.

The disciples suffered from a weak faith. A weak faith is another way of saying that they served false gods. We learn from the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” that whatever you fear, love, or trust in most is your god. The disciples were confident when they went out on the boat when the water was calm and the wind gentle. Did they embark in the boat, because they trusted in God? No. They embarked, because they trusted in the calm sea and gentle winds. Yet, when the storm suddenly arose and poured water into their boats, did they fear the Lord? No, they feared the water and the waves. The storm proved their weak faith; it exposed their false gods.

Yet, the disciples did have faith. Their faith was weak. It needed to be strengthened. And so, as God has done many times to those whom he loves, Jesus tested his disciples, so that they would call upon him for help and see his power to save.

Jesus proved that he is God by commanding the wind and the sea, and they obeyed him. The wind and sea do not have faith in Christ. They simply obey him out of necessity. They are creatures. Jesus is the creator. Likewise, Jesus healed many diseases. The diseases did not have faith in Christ, although many of those suffering from them did. Yet, the diseases needed to obey Jesus, because he has the power to restore his creation. After this episode, Jesus comes across a couple men possessed by thousands of demons. The demons obey Jesus’ command to leave the men, not because they have faith, but because Jesus is God.

Yet, faith is different. Jesus does not force us to believe and trust in him against our will, as he stills the sea or casts out demons against their will. Our sinful will is indeed unwilling to believe in Jesus, but Christ does not use force. Rather, Jesus makes us willing by the power and persuasiveness of his Word. To have faith in Christ means to willingly follow him and to willingly obey him. Only the Gospel has the power to create such willingness of faith, because only the Gospel promises life and salvation. Yet, Christ does use the preaching of the Law and trials in this life to prepare the heart to accept the Gospel. The Law condemns you as a sinner, as a worshipper of false gods. Trials in life reinforce the message of the Law. The storm on the sea exposed the fact that the disciples trusted in the weather instead of Christ. Yet, the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed many times caused them to call out to Christ for help when their false god failed them. And when he calmed the sea, they knew that Jesus is God.

God uses our troubles to direct us to the Gospel. They make us weak and needy. The Gospel is for the weak and needy, because the Gospel offers pure grace and forgiveness. This is why St. Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) He is strong, because he knows the Gospel. And the weaker he is, the closer he clings to the Gospel. Yet, if you neglect the Gospel and try to solve your problem, searching for other gods or trying to be your own god, then there will be no end to your misery.

The Gospel comforts the weak and troubled, because it reveals how our God saves the weak and troubled. Our God became a man, just like us except without sin, as we see in our Lord Jesus. He died for us to take away our sins. That man, nailed to the cross dying, remained God, the creator of the universe, the righteous and holy judge. So, by virtue of that Personal Union, that man who died for our sins is also our God. That means that our sins are forgiven, because no sin is greater than God’s righteousness. In this Gospel, we see the certainty of our salvation. We see the depth of God’s love for us. In Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, we see that our Savior is in complete control. This is the Gospel that convinces us of God’s love, that gives us comfort in our trials and faith that God will bring us through them.

Does God love you? Look at Jesus and how he died for you while you were still a sinner and tell me that God does not love you. Is Jesus able to rescue you? Look at him who rose from the grave after paying the debt of mankind’s sin and ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and tell me that Jesus is not able to rescue you. There is not a trial you go through that God has not given you. All your suffering is limited by God’s discretion. He may appear to be sleeping; he may seem to be far away, but he is surely watching and ready to answer your prayers. He desires for you to hold on to him closer, to call upon him in every need, to willingly obey him with perfect trust that he will take care of you.

God’s silence should not tell us that God does not care. Even when Jesus is sleeping, he is aware of his disciples’ troubles. Rather, God’s silence should draw us closer to him, to trust that he is in control, and most importantly, to recognize that he is not silent. He speaks to us today, in the midst of your trial, in his Gospel. What do you need from the Lord? What do you need to know from him? He has already given you everything in Christ Jesus. He has revealed his love for you in the Gospel. The Gospel reveals to you that God has already given you everything you need. If you lose everything, but have Christ, you have lost nothing. You have won. And such knowledge will strengthen you to weather every trial on earth, knowing that all things work out for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28). Amen.

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The Power and Consolation of Christ’s Word

1/24/2022

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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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The Joy of the Gospel

1/18/2022

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Wedding at Cana, James Tissot, 1886-94. Public Domain.

Epiphany 2
John 2:1-11
Pastor James Preus

Trinity Lutheran Church
January 16, 2022

St. John tells us that there were six stone water jars at this wedding for the Jewish rites of purification. These six stone water jars are a symbol of the Law. They are made of stone. God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on tablets of stone. Stone has no feeling, no emotion. The commandments of the Law are cold and calculated. They tell you what to do and what not to do. They do not ask you what you feel about it. They don’t care if you find them difficult.

These stone water jars held water for the Jewish rites of purification. This shows that the Law can only affect the outside, but it can do nothing to improve the inside. The Commandments can tell your hands and feet what to do, your tongue, eyes, and ears. The commandments can even tell your heart how to be, but it cannot change your heart. Like water used for ceremonial washing, it touches only the outside skin, but never purifies the heart within.

And there are six stone water jars. The Lord said in the Law, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” (Exodus 20:9-10a) Sabbath means rest. But there are only six stone jars. There is no seventh. That is because there is no true Sabbath rest under the Law. The Law gives you no rest. It commands you to do, but it never rewards you for having done, because you cannot fulfill what the Law commands. These six stone water jars are a symbol of the six days of labor. Yet, since there is no Sabbath, these six days roll into the next in an endless cycle of incomplete, imperfect work that never accomplishes what it is intended to accomplish.

And these six stone jars are at a wedding feast. And this shows that marriage too is under the Law. It has to be. The Law was added because of sin (Galatians 3:19). Sin is the destruction of what is good. God made marriage good in the Garden of Eden. Sin ruined marriage. So, the Law is added to marriage to keep it in tact, lest it be completely destroyed. So, these six stone jars sit at this wedding as a reminder that the Law must govern marriage as well.

“First comes love, then comes marriage”, so says the children’s rhyme. Yet, wisdom tells us that love alone cannot hold a marriage together, if love is interpreted as a mere emotion. Love as an emotion is fickle and quickly gives way to hate. If what is holding your relationship together is simply a good feeling, well that relationship will soon fall apart when feelings change. And because we are sinners, feelings do change, and for the worse! Sinners don’t think about others, but about themselves and what they want. But that cannot hold a marriage together.

So, the Law must govern marriage with dos and do-nots. And because we are so inclined to sin, rules are added on to the rules God has made. If you want a list of rules on how to keep your marriage in tact you can find plenty of used books for sale, books filled with dos and don’ts for a successful marriage. This is always how the Law works. Even those six stone water jars were not commanded by God, but were invented by men as an additional rule to keep people in line. Yet, if God’s own commands are ineffective in changing our hearts so that we truly love and desire to do what is right, our man-made rules certainly fail. In fact, they often have the opposite effect than what is desired.

And so, sinners despise the Law. They don’t like being told not to do what they want to do. So, they try to reform the Law to be easier to keep. This is no truer than with marriage. God has given us good commandments concerning marriage. Scripture gives three purposes to marriage: 1. Life long companionship; 2. Chastity; and 3. Children. And the rules God gives seek to protect these purposes for marriage. Yet, people are dissatisfied with these rules. They’re hard to keep. So, they try to change them.

Christ said of marriage, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:6) This rule was so strict, it even caused his own disciples to say, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” (vs 10) And because many find it too hard, they have changed the rule. What God has joined together many have separated without biblical grounds. Calling divorce a sin is considered archaic. Jesus must have been naïve when he preached against divorce. He set an unrealistic standard. And so, Jesus’ standard is dismissed. God’s first purpose of marriage, companionship is rejected.

Most people no longer consider sex outside of marriage a sin. It’s the norm now. Only a prude would make a big deal of it. Of course, to maintain this norm millions of babies have been sacrificed at the altar of sexual freedom. Many more have been deprived a stable home with a mother and father. Millions of young women and men have suffered incredible heartbreak on account of this foolhardy sexual reform, but no one will admit the mistake. The next generation is already being indoctrinated into the new sexual orthodoxy by countless media. Jesus’ warning to keep even your eyes free from adultery has been ignored. And so, countless hearts and souls have been stolen not only from spouses but from God in this age of readily available obscene material. But, because many find it difficult to resist temptation, they simply deny that such lusts are a sin. God’s second purpose for marriage, chastity, is also rejected.

Finally, people despise children. They don’t think they do. They just value other things much more. But God doesn’t. Children are rejected, because people fear that they won’t be able to have all the other things they want. God must not have been serious when he said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” People do not trust that God will actually feed every mouth he creates and provide for their little ones. And so, instead of letting God’s Law transform their view of marriage, people change the Law to fit their own views.

People hate the Law, so they change the rules. They hate those stone jars, so they want to destroy them. This is called antinomianism. Antinomianism means to be opposed to the Law.

Yet, Jesus comes and turns the water into wine. He has the servants fill the water to the top. He does not destroy the six stone jars. Jesus comes to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it. Now, the contents of the jars are not useless water for ceremonial cleansing, which never actually clean the inside or change the heart. Now the jars are filled with wine.

The wine is a symbol of the Gospel. The Gospel changes your heart as wine works on the inside to gladden the heart of man (Psalm 104:15). The Gospel doesn’t just pour over your body. It isn’t like cold hard stone. It is lively. It reaches inside of you and changes your heart, so that you feel and think differently.

The Gospel does not make you hate the Law. The Gospel does not make you resent the rules God has given you or turn you into an antinomian. No, the Gospel gives you an affection toward the righteousness of the Law, because Christ has fulfilled it perfectly. The Gospel creates an affection for Christ and his work of righteousness.

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus, true God and true man, has fulfilled the Law in your place and died for all your sins against the Law, so that you are forgiven and saved through faith alone. So, one who believes in the forgiveness of sins, does not hate the Law, even though the Law formerly condemned him. No, the one who believes the Gospel rejoices in the righteousness of the Law, because Christ has fulfilled it in love. Not a mere emotional love, but a love that is made known in action; a love, which causes the lover to sacrifice himself and to suffer for others.

Jesus loved the Lord God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind. You do not resent that the Law commands that of you, because Christ Jesus has fulfilled it perfectly and gives his obedience to you as a gift. You do not resent that the Law commands that you love your neighbor as yourself, because Jesus has perfectly loved the world, even his enemies who murdered him. You rejoice that God’s Law commands such great love, because Jesus has fulfilled it perfectly and gives you the credit to be received through faith.

And so too, you do not resent God’s Law, which governs marriage, even though you often find the rules too difficult. Jesus has perfectly kept God’s Law concerning marriage, and anyone who believes the Gospel sees that this is very good! St. Paul compares marriage to Jesus’ relationship with his Church. Wives are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. The teaching that wives should submit to their husbands is another rule of the Law, which has been rejected. People don’t like the rule, so they change it. But St. Paul shows us how we should not hate this rule or reject it, but rejoice in it.

The Church is Jesus’ bride. He is faithful to her. He will never divorce her. Rather he forgives all her sins. He baptizes her and presents her holy and without blemish. He provides for her all that she needs. And the Church willingly submits to Christ. It is not a burden to her. Submitting to Christ means that she submits to his love, forgiveness, and faithfulness. It means that she trusts in him for every good thing and is not disappointed. And so, Christian wives too should not resent submitting to their husbands, because this is pleasing to Christ. By submitting to her husband, a wife submits to her Lord Jesus, who bought her with his own blood, forgives her, and will always provide for her.

Likewise, Christian husbands should not resent the command to lay down their lives out of love for their wives. By loving his wife, caring and providing for her and forgiving her, a husband confesses what Christ Jesus has done for him and his whole Church. And neither husband or wife should resent these standards, because they fail to keep them. Rather they should rejoice that Jesus has perfected them. No husband will love his wife perfectly as Christ loved the Church, but through faith both husband and wife receive that perfect love. And this perfect love of Christ not only secures eternal salvation to husband and wife and all who believe, but it also preserves and strengthens marriage. Emotional love can’t keep marriage together. Rules and regulations build a fragile veneer. But faith in the love of Christ produces an active love that considers the needs of the other above its own. When husband and wife are willing to repent to each other and to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven them, their marriage is secure.

When Jesus turned water into wine, he saved the wedding. He didn’t cause the problem, but he certainly solved the problem. Jesus fixes what he does not break. He pays for sins he did not commit. And so, we find in Jesus, forgiveness of all our sins. In Jesus’ Gospel, we find the Law we have failed to keep, perfectly fulfilled, so that it no longer condemns us. In the Gospel we have a drink that will never run out, but will gladden our hearts forever. Amen.

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

The Last Will Be First

Transfiguration of our Lord

The Test to Strengthen Faith

The Power and Consolation of Christ’s Word

The Joy of the Gospel

Rev. James Preus

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