The Fourth Sunday after Trinity - June 27, 2010

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 27, 2010)

“Judge Not”

Readings:   
    Psalm 138
    Genesis 50:15:21
    Romans 12:14-21
    Luke 6:36-42

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 6th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 6:36-42 (NIV)

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 39 He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus Christ gives us this commandment, "Do not Judge not, and you will not judged."(v. 37)  So many times we hear this saying being used by people to say that you should never pass judgment on anything or anyone at any time.  We’ve all heard someone said it to us as one time or another, "Judge not."  It may seem that if you say that an some action is a sin, you may get the response, "Judge not."  Even if you hold to the Commandments of God at all, they still may tell you, "Judge not."

But Jesus condemned the Pharisees for this kind of thought process very often.  But there is a difference between using the Word of God to judge and using our own opinions to judge.  There is a difference between judging a person's actions and judging the person as a whole.

We may wrongfully judge others within our heart’s before speaking with that person.  When we see another person Christ sin, and we condemn them as a bad person, then we are being a hypocrite, because this kind of condemnation belongs to God alone.  For it is not the outward appearance of the works that commends or condemns a person.  It is the faith within, which only God can see and judge. 

So, if we condemn people in our hearts based on works, then we are acting like a hypocrites.  But truthfully, how easy that is!  How quickly the sinful heart leaps at the opportunity to look down upon someone whom you catch in a sin!  Every person is a hypocrite sometimes, since the flesh is always judgmental.  If fact we sometimes even revel in the fact that someone gets caught, there’s even a German word for it too.  It’s call schadenfreude, meaning deriving pleasure at the misfortune of others.  Or maybe better said in English, comeuppance, we love to see someone get their comeuppance.

 But, it is very different to judge a person based on our thoughts than it is to judge a person based upon the Word of God.  If we compare actions to the Word of God, then it is not you but God who judges if His Word speaks against sin.  Be careful, however, that you accurately judge whether someone is breaking one of God's Commandments.  If they are not, but you judge them, then you bring shame on yourself.  So you must know the Word very well, which unfortunately, most people do not.  Most people use their hearts to judge right and wrong.  Very few study the Word diligently to know how to judge properly.

But Christ indeed says that there is a time to show your brother his sin.  As we are obligated by the Eighth Commandment to defend our neighbor by not spreading words that hurt his reputation, we are also obligated by the Word of Christ to show a brother his sin.  We are obligated by the Word of God to show others their sin in order to bring him to repentance, out of love for him.  Usually that means going privately to him, in fact that is just what the Bible tells us to do.  And, at the very least, it does not mean telling someone else.

But that’s not the way we usually do it.  We love to continually judge the sins of others based on its own standards.  But, oh do we love to gossip and pass sentence on others.  But, when the light of God's Word falls upon us the Law strikes and revels our own sin.  It is the proverbial message of pointing at someone’s sin with one finger without realizing that every time you point, there are three fingers pointing back at you.  That is the build up of darkness, plank after plank and beam after beam blocks your eyesight, disturbing the right judgment of sin and righteousness.  For all have been conceived and born in iniquity, and stained by the sinful flesh.

 

Instead the standard for the forgiveness and mercy we are supposed to show is the standard given to us by our heavenly Father.  He is merciful and gracious far beyond what do or say.  For God did not destroy us even though we deserved it.  We should have been condemned, but God’s vision is not impaired by sawdust or planks.  God not only the outward appearance of our human works, but also into the soul, where the source of all sinfulness lies.  

In spite of all that we have done in our lives God loves you as His precious child and holy saint.  He forgives your sins, which are many.  He has spoken of you as righteous, that is free from sin, without any blemish in you. How can the Father speak that way and think that way about a sinner?  Because He looks upon you only through His Son.  He sees Christ in you.  That is how He judges you.  Christ was merciful and forgiving and giving.  So the Father thinks that way about you.  Christ even forgave those who crucified Him.  So the Father counts the same loving forgiveness of Christ as belonging to your good works.

But, in a way God has a sort of plank in His eye and that plank is the wooden beam of the Cross.  He looks at you, but the Cross of Jesus Christ blocks His sight from seeing your sins.  And the best thing of all is that God does not desire to take that plank of the cross from .  In fact, He put it there, Himself!

So God has made Himself blind to your sins, and able only to see goodness in you.  He is the complete opposite of a hypocrite. While human beings try so hard even to forget one tiny word said in anger by a brother, God the Father forgets about multitudes after multitudes of sins.  While mankind struggles merely to show the tiniest mercy, God the Father shows infinite mercy through His Son.

How abundant is this wonderful forgiveness you receive!  He overflows with mercy upon mercy here.  Absolution, the Word, preaching, the Holy Supper, and the abiding forgiveness of Baptism are here.  The Father delights in overwhelming you with His mercy.  Here, He not only blesses you with overflowing grace, but He also is showing you how you are to be graceful to those around you.  He is teaching your heart to forgive, every time He forgives you.  He is filling you with His mercy so that His mercy will spill over and flow to others around you.

Now, when you forgive one another, it is the Father who forgives through you.  Human forgiveness is weak and fragile.  But the forgiveness of God is powerful and lasting.  When you as a Christian forgive your brother, you show that the Gospel of Christ is in you, since no one can truly forgive without the Gospel. As His mercy comes to you again and again, He is killing the judgmental hypocrite within you, which is the sinful flesh.  He is drowning the Pharisee that lives in your heart in the grace of your Baptism.

For if you look around you in this place, you might notice that you're not the only one here.  Listen to what God is saying about these others.  These, also, are His sons and daughters.  They are His beloved, as you are, too.  As they kneel to receive His Son's Body and Blood, He is declaring them to be holy saints, part of the same body of which you are a member.  These, also, have received the same mercy that you have received, and the same approval that comes through the Blood of Christ. Therefore, forget every judgment except the judgment of God.  We are blessed because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, God will see you into His heavenly kingdom, forever and ever.  Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The Third Sunday after Trinity - June 20, 2010

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Third Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Father’s Day
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 20, 2010)

“The Father’s Love”

Readings:   
    Psalm 103 verses 1 - 13
    Micah 7:18-20
    1 Peter 5:6-11
    Luke 15:11-32

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 15th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)

“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today is Father’s Day and I know that everyone here had a father, or we would be here of course.  I know on this day I miss my father very much.  He was an intense competitor, whether it be at any sport, or any game, he did not like to loose.  Thank God that trait was not passed down to me or to my children.  But, the thing that I think I appreciate the most about my father, and my mother for that matter, is that they just loved me.  They loved me when I did well, they loved me when I stumbled.  This is not to say that at times they didn’t like me or my actions, but at the end of the day, they always did love me.  And, I will always remember about my very special relationship with my father.

In the parable today we hear of a very special relationship between a Father’s and His Son.  There is quite an adventure for this young man, from the love of his father, to the love of his father’s money.  From the short lived happiness from found wealth and wild living, then to be faced with famine in all aspects of his most basic human needs.  None of what happened for that young man was the way he thought it would play out.  In fact, he might even think that he didn’t get what he deserved, but with every move he made things seemed to get worse.  And actually, if you really think about it, there are two sons and both sons in this parable have challenges.  This parable includes the story of these two sons, but more importantly it is about,

“THE FATHER’S LOVE”

When we hear this parable we often ask ourselves ‘which brother in this parable would we be?’  Would I be the brother who took the money and squandered it?  Or would you be the brother who stayed home?  Careful how you answer, for the older brother was the one who was quick to throw stones in his inherited glass house.  Whether we would act like one brother or the other, we do know that certainly not many of us would be able to act like the father of those two sons.  Truth be told none of could show that kind of compassion.  Giving away his estate knowing that it was going to be frittered away on wine, women, and song.  And then the sheer audacity of that father to welcome home the wayward son.  Most parents would be inclined to point to the door and say get back out there your on your own now. 

But this parable begins with the younger brother who knew of his fathers love, yet he longed for a life that his father couldn’t give him.  He didn’t want what he had.  He wanted everything that was outside of what his family had.  In fact this younger son longed for a life of sin and he has enough audacity to ask for his father for his share of the inheritance.  But even stranger still, the father gave it to him.  And to further compound the situation scripture tells us that the father divided the estate equally between the two sons.  So really, the older brother had his inheritance too.  Both sons received their inheritance long before their father’s death.  Meaning they not only received early, but they also received it long before there was any obligation for that transfer of wealth.

So maybe a better question might be, “Why didn’t older brother speak up sooner?”  Why didn’t he honor his father and wait for the inheritance to come with the passing of time?  Why didn’t he acknowledge that his father would love him so much that he would give everything away for his sons?  So, actually it is the older brother who puts on his second face before the younger.  For the older brother says nothing, he just takes his portion, and does so without comment.  So, in reality the older brother’s sin is by default, by silence and it is greater than it appears.  For as the older brother he would have received a double portion from the father.  And the fact that the elder son agreed indicates that he too alienated himself from his father.  He may not have said it as bluntly as his little brother, but his agreement shows that he was thinking along the same lines.

No matter how obtuse this parable may sound it is indeed an accurate picture of a father dealing with his children out of his love for them.  For this is how God the Father deals with His children.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, (Mt. 5:45) "He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Martin Luther built on that thought in the explanation to the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people …" In His grace, God provides the inheritance of creation, our needs of body and soul, to all people.  Even the most wicked person on this earth still has their food, clothing, shelter, and is offered the knowledge of the truth.  And the world sees this as insanity.  Our sinful nature wants our daily bread now.  We want that thing that would make us happier, make us equal to the person next door, that would give us everything that is out there, at the expense of everything God has promised us. 

And so in the parable the next humiliation is the father's action to take the younger son back into the family.  A man of wealth and prestige never runs anywhere, but this father did.  He ran to meet his wayward son as he came home.  This was an act of humiliation by the father.  This father runs to his son, falling on his neck with kisses, replacing his rags with royal robes, placing the ring of authority on his hand, and inviting the community to a welcome home party.

Furthermore, the father saw the son returning from a distance, so we know this father was always actively looking for his son.  And when the son returns we something spectacular for the father ran to his son and overwhelmed him with grace before the son could get one word of repentance out of his mouth.  Jesus' description of the father's actions is a portrait of complete and total grace, of unconditional love.  The father's actions would overwhelm the son in the parable, but would also totally surprise those who were listening to the parable.

The final humiliation of the father happens in His gracious reaction to the elder son's anger.  The father actually pleads with the older son to attend the party.  But, the elder son actually responds by loudly accusing the father of treating him unfairly.  He insults his father by arguing with him in public and by not addressing him as his father.  The elder son even refuses to acknowledge his brother instead calling him, "Your Son."  Furthermore, he refused to celebrate with his father and brother.

In the face of this furious attack the father graciously and affectionately replied with a repetition of the invitation.  But the older son is still indignant that his father would invite an admitted adulterer and philanderer back home.  Yet the father loved both sons.  And he welcomed both of sons to the feast.  The father is the absolute picture of unbelievable love and grace. 

Jesus never tells us what happened to the older son.  But the Pharisees and the scribes who were listening to Jesus would recognize themselves in the story.  Just as we too recognize ourselves in the story.  When Jesus told the parable the end of the story had not yet happened.  But the end of the story did come.  God was willing to humiliate Himself in His love for us.  God still invites us to the feast.  But, do we ever rejoice over the dead who are alive again - the lost who are found?  Do we see that the celebration was for everyone?  Do we see the Father’s love for even us?

Repent, for we have all strayed.  We have taken the things of this world and left our thoughts of the Father behind.  Yet in the face of all that we have done, we still have a loving God who willingly suffered humiliation for us.  When we would want to squander the Father’s love, He gives us more.  In fact, He gives us everything when He gives us His Son.  And His love draws us to Himself.  He runs to us, He opens His arms, and the Father welcomes us into His Kingdom.  God put upon you the robe of righteousness in your baptism.  God gives up His Son in unconditional love, and that is more than just a Father’s Day of love, it is a Father’s eternity of love, for us.  Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The Second Sunday after Trinity - June 13, 2010

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Second Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 13, 2010)

“The Banquet Feast”

Readings:   
    Psalm 34 verses 12 - 22
    Proverbs 9:1-10
    1 John 3:13-18
    Luke 14:15-24

Sermon Form    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 16th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 14:15-24 (NIV)

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

It’s nice but also very nerve racking when you sit down to dinner with people of affluence, muckety mucks, highfalutin, movers and shakers or whatever else you want to call them.  And so it is in our Gospel lesson a person speaks to Jesus seems like he must be on that elusive inside track.  The reading begins by reflecting the conversation, “When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”(v. 15)  Now the person sitting next to Jesus is not named, but you can almost imagine the thrill that would engross such a person.  First of all, the person makes a statement about who will be blessed, and Jesus does not correct the person, nor does He make revisions to what he said.  Can you imagine the surprise on that persons face?  And then to top it off, Jesus uses that statement to lead into the telling of a parable, regarding...

“The Banquet Feast”

So what was going on at this dinner?  Well, evidently from the words of the parable, Jesus' host customarily must have only invited his relatives, neighbors, or his wealthy friends to dinner. Again, remember these are the muckety mucks, the movers and shakers, the people who could return an invitation with another invitation, a favor for a favor, kind of like a lobbyist, you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours.  But, this dinner is also a mark of polite socialization, you invite me to your party and I’ll invite you to mine.  But then comes a sticky challenge.

For Jesus challenges this host to not only invite the rich, but also to invite the poor, the maimed, and the blind. These kind of people, would never be able to repay the host. The host would be scratching their back with no expectation of a back scratch in return.  And we know this because, Jesus then says, "You will be blessed because they cannot repay you. And what's more you will be repaid when the just rise from the dead."(v. 14) Now this is a tricky thought because we know that God does reward the deeds of His children. Of course, deeds do not save, they do not offer eternal salvation, but God does reward them. Evidently this hearer thought that Jesus was limiting the word "blessed" to the life to come. So Jesus now corrects him, don’t just invite those people who you like or who are like you, invite everyone, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”(Mt. 28:1)  And this all nations doesn’t just mean keeping all that you have to yourself, or only giving to the people you know.

Last week members of Our Savior attended what we might call, “a great banquet and many invited guests.”(v. 16)  It was a meeting here in town and the topic was our Blind and Low Vision outreach group.  Quite frankly I don’t know what the status is or social level was of any of those invited guests to that dinner.  I don’t know if they are rich or if they are poor, and I’m not sure if anyone else knows any of that either. What I do know is that there were many people there and they enjoyed a great speaker talking about a great cause sponsored by this church.   Jesus once said, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38) 

There was a great response to this dinner speech about outreach to a lost and isolated group of people who live in this community.  Joyfully this group reaches out beyond our doors was the correct response to Christ’s request.  Remember Christ’s words in today’s parable, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”(v. 26) 

Pretty politically incorrect those words of Jesus, eh?  But, the point of Jesus’ words was that the master had invited only the influential people he knew, yet all his invitations met with excuses.  One said he bought a field and had to go look at it.  Another bought five yoke of oxen and had to try them out.  Another said he just gotten married and couldn’t come to the dinner. 

But the parable was not really about any dinner, it was about a heavenly banquet feast.  God sends out His messengers, that would be you and me, again and again into all places seeking all kinds of people, no matter how poor or how useless they may appear, whether they are sighted or blind, whether they are healthy or lame. 

And Jesus also warns us in this text to repent. We are told that God is very angry with people who give Him empty excuses like the sinful men of this world who very foolishly often reject God's invitations to the dinner feast of the Gospel. But even then God urgently keeps on inviting them.  If these people continue to reject God’s Word they will not taste the dinner either in this life nor in the life to come.

 In the hearing of God’s Word people are brought to faith.  In the gift of faith and by God grace He shows His desire to have His house full.  In sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins on the cross he pens our heavenly banquet invitation with Christ’s body and blood.  In the water combined with His Word in our baptism with are assured that we will have a seat at that feast.  In Holy communion we eat Christ’s body and drink His blood which is the Holy Supper of our Lord, a foretaste of the feast to come.  And if we, by human hands, can prepare a small banquet feast here and now for a few of God’s people.  Imagine the Heavenly banquet feast which Christ has prepared for us with His nail stained hands, for He says to you, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”  Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The First Sunday after Trinity - June 6, 2010

The Church Season of Pentecost
The First Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 6, 2010)

“Higher Ground?”

Readings:  
    Psalm 33:12-33
    Genesis 15:1-6
    1 John 4:16-21
    Luke 16:19-31

Sermon Form:    Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 16th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verses.

Luke 16:19-31 (NIV)

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Two men.  One rich, one poor.  One had all there was to have, one had no part of anything.  One was carried away with fun, food, and frivolity, the other is just literally carried away by whomever would pick him up and literally carry him to the next place.  Quite a contrast.  One it would seem has the high ground and the other has the low life, but in this parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the reversal happens.  He who thought he was high and mighty is cast low, and he who is low is held in high esteem.

Ironic isn’t it that this reading should this year land on the anniversary of the D-Day invasion.  For on June 6, 1944, over 160,000 men prepared to land at Normandy, with support from over 5000 ships and 195,000 naval and army/airforce troops.  And in that battle it appeared that the German army had the high ground, dug-in, reinforced, mine fields in place both at sea and on the beachheads, they were well prepared.  I’m not sure that anyone would say that the Germans were over confident, but they certainly had a better and a more enviable starting position.  The allied forces were in landing crafts hampered by weather, delayed by a day, hindered by low clouds and fog, yet the battle was begun on June 6th.  The high ground and the low ground, comfort in position, discomfort and terror.  It would seem that these troops had nothing in common on this day.  But sadly they did share one thing in common, and that is that both of these troops were staring death in the face, many died that day, whether or not they had the low ground or high ground.  Less than a year would go by to V-E day, and four months after that V-J day.  We honor those fallen soldiers who gave up their lives so that we can stand here today and remember the anniversary of that beginning of the final campaign that started at Normandy.  The underdog had won, the reversal had taken place.

And so also the reversal takes place in Jesus’ parable.  The rich man dies, the poor man Lazarus dies.  And these two men did have one thing in common.  They both died and they both were able to meet Abraham.  As in life so it was in death, the two men were again separated.  But in death Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s bosom by angels while the rich man was tormented in hell.  And ironically the first thing the rich man tries to do is to negotiate with Abraham.  For first thing which the rich man asks for a drop of water and then when that request failed he asked to have Lazarus warn his brothers so that they would not suffer the same terror and agony that he was experiencing.  Pretty crazy isn’t it?  The rich man is still trying to move Lazarus around as if he was still lying in front of the rich man’s gate.  But it was too late, the rich man had received his judgment just as Lazarus had received his too. Death inescapable for both men., yet for the rich man the terror and agony of death was more than he could bear, all his wealth, all his resources, could not buy even a single drop of water.  Nor could the rich man’s wealth could no longer be used to warn others.  His money and affluence were gone, he was lost, and to the world he was forgotten.  The rich man paid no attention to God while he was living, he only lived to gratify his lust, lived to himself and served only himself.  

We too think we have the high ground with our fellow man, we are better than they are just because we have something they don’t.  But in reality, the idea that "Wealth always means: God has blessed you" or, "Suffering always means: you must have sinned" are both totally wrong.  This parable is not critical of wealth, but with the irresponsibility with perceived wealth. The rich man used his earthly resources to feed his pride and his self-indulgent lifestyle. He cared nothing for his religion, the people around him or the needy in his community. Yet, in hell, the rich man continued to see Lazarus as an inferior who should serve him.

Repent.  For the thoughts and ideas which center only upon ourselves land us along side of the rich man in Jesus’ parable. The truth is that Jesus Christ was made man and walked upon this earth, He died on the cross and was raised from the dead.  Yet there are those, just like in the parable who, “will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”  Whether we have all that life can possibly give us or whether we think we have something less than our neighbor.  Whether we have been blessed with good health or a life full of challenges.  The reality is still the same, the great reversal has happened for you.  Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead for one and for all.  In Christ we have been given the victory over death, death has no longer has its sting.  

In the parable it is the first time that Jesus gave a name to a person Lazarus, which means “he whom God helps.”  In your baptism God places His sacred Name upon you, and from that point forward, you are “he whom God helps.”

Today we remember the anniversary of a day when many who served this country gave up their lives, for the pursuit of freedom.  Even greater still here today, we hear of Jesus Christ, came to offer you eternal freedom, and He does so by giving His life for you so that you may overcome all the challenges which this world has to offer.  Christ has done all this for you, for all who are baptized and believe.  And Jesus gives you reassurace of that promise as you receive His body and blood, and as you receive His blessing, as you receive His Holy Absolution.  And by His work and His actions, Jesus Christ, took the lowly path to death so that may have the high ground of life eternal.  And Jesus brings that to you, whether you are rich or poor, and whether you are sick or well.  Know that in Jesus Christ you will never be forgotten, you are given His Name in baptism, and truthfully your name now well could be Lazarus because you are the one whom God helps.  For those who believe and are baptized your standing of your own acord does matter.  And for that you will be eternally grateful, because Jesus’ victory will give you the higher ground of eternal life.  Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
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The Holy Trinity - May 30, 2010

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Holy Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (May 30, 2010)

“How?”

Readings:    
    Psalm 29
    Isaiah 6:1-7
    Romans 11:33-36
    John 3:1-17

Sermon Form    Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 3rd chapter of St. John, especially the following verses.

John 3:1-17 (ESV)

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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 the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today is Trinity Sunday and traditionally on Holy Trinity Sunday, the Athanasian Creed is spoken.  Yes, today is that day we proclaim together the Athanasian Creed.  It is a day which some will whisper under their breath, “How can it be? or Lord have Mercy.”  Yet, we do not apologize for stating this creed together.  It succinctly outlines what we believe, it leaves no wiggle room. It is a creed which nails down our beliefs.  It answers exactly who God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are, yet somehow we are still like Nicodemus in our Gospel lesson, hearing the Word of the Lord, yet still not understanding, still asking, “How can it be?” 

The Bible tells us over and over in simple terms what God has done for us and in so doing answers the “How can it be?” questions.  For instance as Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.”(Mt. 16:16)  Thomas who upon seeing the resurrected Christ said, “My Lord and my God!”(John 20:28) In Deuteronomy these  words appear, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”(6:4) Aren't all those statements of belief are very short and to the point?  And if we said just one of them, we could be out of here and on our way to our other Sunday activities very quickly.  How can it be that we have short creeds but we say the long one, you know, we’ve got to get to the lake, or up North or to lunch, can’t we just move this along a bit.  We just need simple truths, in short sermons which make us feel better so we can be on our way.  But we do not do well with simple truths, like Nicodemus we ask “How can a person be born again, when he is old?”(v. 4) 

The answer to the How questions are answered today as we focus upon the Holy Trinity in our worship service.  Yes, the word Trinity is not found in scripture, yet many passages reveal the truth of God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.  The reality is that the Trinity surrounds us throughout this worship service.  We invoke the Name of the Trinity as we begin each church service, we confess our sins and the words of forgiveness are spoken in Trinitarian terms.  We speak together, “Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”  The prayer of the day reflects the Trinity.  We hear God’s words read, we confess a Trinitarian creed, we sing hymns, we pray the Lord’s Prayer, and as we leave this place we do so having been blessed in Trinitarian terms.  And if we look just a bit more closely, I’m sure you will see the Trinity reflected in oh so many more places in our service.  

Yet throughout history there has always been and will always be, those who attack the truth of who God is or how He should be defined.  The nature of the Trinity was attacked when Christ made statements about Himself.  How can God be three in one, one in three, how can we understand that, how, how, how.  The Trinity was attacked throughout the years and centuries after Christ’s death.  And so as each attacks upon the divinity of God mounted, the words of the creeds became longer and longer, almost like a legal contract trying to eliminate misunderstandings, avoid confusion or tie up loopholes.  We can relate to that, contracts used to be a handshake, now they are bound in volumes of paper.

And so if we as Christians end up a real long statement of faith, called the Athanasian Creed, why should we be surprised.  We live in the same fallen world as the people around us, in fact we are those fallen people who are around us.  On this weekend we especially thank all those ho have served and died for this country to keep those rights to speak of our faith.  We thank the faithful martyrs of the faith who died for the faith in the face of all those throughout the centuries who would not honor our beliefs. 

Yet our memories fade and our patience is short.  We have all but forgotten what it is which we believe or how we come to believe in the first place. We are indeed like Nicodemus in our reading today, we have the “how” questions, and God answers us, but we don’t understand the answers.  We face trials, challenges, and attacks on our bodies and minds, and we pray.  And we still say, ‘how come?’, when we pray and we don’t  hear the answer we want, or receive an answer when we want, or we cannot seem to understand the answers we’re given.

And no matter how many answers we’re given, we certainly don’t believe that long creeds will help us in our world, our pain just comes back when we’ve gotten to the end.  How can understanding the Trinity ease my pain, right now, today?  But, the creed does point you to the Christian truth of the Trinity.  For the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit reveals to us; the necessity of rebirth through baptism; Jesus, true God and true man in one person; the crucifixion of Jesus which saves all people; the new life of the believer compared with the dead life of the unbeliever; faith saves, unbelief damns; Jesus is the Light of the world.

Yes today we could say we desire to throw out that long verbiage and to get back to the handshake of a short creed a short confession of faith.  So the negotiation begins, how about just the first and last lines of the Athanasian Creed?

“Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith, (then skip to the end)

This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.”

(LSB pp 319-320) 

But, who is the one doing the saving, who is the one doing the receiving?  What is the definition of a catholic faith?  What is this “believe it” and what is the “how” by which I must believe or will not be saved?  

Well, between those first and last verses you will hear of God’s devotion for you.  You will hear and confess, that God gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ who suffered for your salvation.  God the Father Son and Holy Spirit is the how.  God gave His Son Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ died for you, you have heard and have been brought to faith by the working of the Holy Spirit and that is the how.

As Martin Luther stated in the Small catechism, God, “calls (you) by the Gospel, enlightens (you) with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps (you) in the true faith.”(SC)  Are there shorter confessions than the one we will speak today?  Yes, of course.  But this Creed reveals the how of all that has been nailed down for you.  In fact it was Jesus Christ who was nailed down for you and who won your salvation which He confesses before God.  Will the words in a long creed about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relieve your pain?  Yes, indeed for the Words we confess together is the how of what God has done for you, that He has given you eternal life and for that “how” no more questions need be asked.  

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
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