Third Sunday of Advent (16 Dec. 2018)

Be Prepared!

And the disciples of John told him all these things, and John summoned to himself two of his disciples he sent them to the Lord saying “Are you the one who is coming or are we to look for a different one?”  When the men had come to Him they said “John the Baptist sent us to you saying ‘Are you the one who is coming or are we to look for a different one?’”  In that hour He had healed many with diseases and torments and evil spirits, and many blind He granted the ability to see.  And He answered them saying “Go yourselves, tell John the things you saw and heard, the blind regain sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead roused, the poor have the good news preached for them, and blessed is the one who shall not offended by me.”  When the messengers of John had gone He began to speak to the crowds concerning John “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  What, then, did you go out to see?  A man dressed in soft robes?  Behold, the ones in fine clothing and exist in luxury in the palaces.  What, then, did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, indeed, I say to you, and greater than a prophet.  This is the one about whom it has been written 'Behold I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'  I say to you, no one born of women is greater than John.  But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  Luke 7:18-28

The third week of Advent is traditionally focused on joy.  Hence the rosy colored vestments.  But John really isn't the typical "rainbows and sunshine" preacher.  Especially right now.

The last prophet, sent to prepare the hearts that had strayed from God, was in prison.  And not like prisons today, or even prisons back in the 1800s.  Like, a prison that makes the Bastille look like a Sandals resort.

So is it understandable that John asks is Jesus is really the Messiah?  This is the guy who, while still in the womb, was jumping in excitement knowing that he was in the same room as the Savior.  And he had no fear speaking truth to power.  So why ask this now?  Why not when Christ was at the river, being baptized?

But John's question is understandable.  He knows that the end, for him, is soon, and he wants to know that he hasn't been wrong.

Paul had somewhat similar circumstances.  He was in prison, multiple times.  Yet, as he wrote to the church in Philippi, he expressed that, no matter what, he was content.  This is because of his assurance and hope in Christ.  Not that John did not have hope, but it wasn't as clear before Christ's death and resurrection.  That and Paul wasn't quite under the same threat of death (at that time).

Which, in many ways, is for our benefit and joy.  We can look back and be certain that Christ has died for us.  And for that, we celebrate and wait for His return.

First Sunday of Advent (2 Dec. 2018)

Welcome To The New World

And when He [Jesus] said these things He went on ahead going up into Jerusalem.  And as it happened when He approached near Bethpage and Bethany toward the mountain called “Olive Orchard” He send two disciples saying "Go into the opposite village near there as you are entering you will find a colt tied upon which no one has ever sat, and after untying it and bring it.  And if anyone were to ask you 'Why are you untying it,' you will answer that it's Lord has need of it."  The ones who were sent went away and found it just as He told them.  While they were untying the colt its owners said to them "Why are you untying the colt?"  They said "It's Lord has need of it." And they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks upon the colt, and placed Jesus on it.  As He was traveling they began spreading out their cloaks on the road.  Now already as He drew near the descent of the Mountain of Olives the whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice praising God with a great voice for all the miracles which they saw, saying  "Blessed is He, the king, who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest."  And some of the Pharisees, because of the crowd, said to Him "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."  And He answered "I say to you, that if these should be silent the stones will cry out."
Luke 19:28-40

"You have been weighed...  You have been measured...  And you absolutely... Have been found wanting."  This line, from the movie "A Knight's Tale," is based on Daniel 5:27, and it is quite the fitting echo for the Gospel lesson for the first Sunday of the Church year.

But the reading is from the last Sunday of Christ's life before his death on the Cross.  Here the Church awaits the birth of the Messiah, yet we are celebrating His triumphant ride to His execution.  Does this make any sense?  It does.

In the tenth chapter of Ezekiel, the prophet sees the Glory of God leave the temple, but declares that the Lord will return from the east.  And so from the mountains east of Zion comes riding, humble and with peace in His wake, the King.  A great crowd parades Him onward, shouting praises and accolades.  It is a majestic and exciting thing to see.  The Messiah come to Jerusalem.

But not all are pleased with the sight.  The false teachers, the Pharisees, who worship the traditions and law, call Jesus to task, asking that He scold and silence His followers.  They are upset that the "rabble" is seeking a changed world.

But unfortunately for them, the world has already been changed.  And even if Christ had any inclination to have the crowd be quiet, all of creation, from the very dirt that humanity was first molded from, would should the praises of God.  And thus the Pharisees have no excuse to deny the Christ His throne.  And yet, we know they try.  But their reward has already been determined.  They were found to be lacking in that all important detail: faith in the Messiah.  A faith that even the stones, the Gentiles raised up as true children of Abraham, had been given that faith.

The Friday after this triumphant entry ends with Christ dying on the Cross.  But on the next Sunday, He rises again, the firstborn from the dead.  Much like is anticipated birth, which was heralded throughout all time, this marks a new, restored, world.

And so we make ready, not only for the upcoming holiday season commemorating His birth, nor even for His conquering yet meek march into the city, but for His victorious and final return.

(Please note, that with the new year comes a few changes.  Unlike the previous year, I am not posting the entire pericope for any given Sunday.  I mostly only post the Gospel lesson, which I will be translating myself, instead of using the ESV.  This isn't because translations like the ESV, NIV, KJV, etc, are bad, but because I have a class were we are translating the Gospel lesson for each week.  Also, the previous year was the One-Year Series.  Since I am translating the Three-Year, I will be using those lessons.  Any deviation from this will be noted.)

Last Sunday of the Church Year (25 Nov. 2018)

Situational Awareness

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.  I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.  No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.  They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.  They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them.  Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.  The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the LORD.  Isaiah 65:17-25

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly!  Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!  Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre!  For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation.  Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!  Psalm 149

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.  For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the Bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  As the Bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.  But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him.'  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'  And while they were going to buy, the Bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'  But He answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."  Matthew 25:1-13

One of the greatest corny films of all time features naval aviators.  There are quite a number of "mistakes" the Hollywood flyboys make, but the most glaring one is a failure to keep their situational awareness.  They don't "check six," look behind themselves.  They rarely look to the sides.  They hardly even look away from the gunsight directly in front.

Situational awareness is the ability to know what is going on around yourself.  Applicable for drivers, people walking down the street, football quarterbacks, and the Church.

We are implored by the great Missionary to be fully aware regarding the day that the Lord returns.  Things will not be "business as usual" at that point, and there will be signs, as we've seen in previous readings.  But being ready is a bit more particular regarding the arrival of the Lord.

The Lord Himself likens the situation to young maidens waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive for the wedding.  All of them brought lamps, so as to aid in being situationally aware should the wedding party arrive late into the night.  This is good.

But not all of them were properly prepared.  Five of them did not bring enough oil.  It would be light a fighter pilot launching for patrol with almost empty tanks.  All the situational awareness in the world is wasted at that point.

The other five, though, knew that it was best to be prepared, and brought extra oil.  That way, when the inevitable happened and they fell asleep, they were able to go out and meet the Bridegroom when He arrived.  The fact that their lamps had gone out was only a momentary inconvenience.  But they were ready.

We are called to be like the five ready maidens.  Not just ready, but ready and waiting.  This is more than just "situational awareness."  This is being semper paratus - "Always Ready."

This is summed up for us in 2 Timothy 4:2 - "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

No matter what happens, no matter where we are, we are to be ready to both proclaim our Lord's victorious return, and wait expectantly for it.  Because we know it will be soon.

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity (18 Nov. 2018)

Running On Borrowed Time...

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."  So Aaron said to them, "Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."  So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.  And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."  And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.  And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.  They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"  And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."  But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"  And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.  Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.  The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.  When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."  But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear."  And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.  He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.  Exodus 32:1-20

"Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.  He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.  And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you?  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.  Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,  look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day."  Job 14:1-6

To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.  Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?  There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.  You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.  Psalm 14

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!  Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!  For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.  My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.  Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh.  I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.  All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.  For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.  My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.  But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.  You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.  Psalm 102:1-13

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!  Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."  Matthew 24:15-28

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,  nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."  And He said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look, there!' or 'Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them.  For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.  They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot– they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all– so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  Luke 17:20-30

If there is one thing that people cannot escape, it is time.  Whether it be the simple, steady, march of life from birth to death, an approaching deadline, or when the show ends.  But what is to be done with that time?

The people of Israel foolishly, and intentionally, wasted their time chasing after false gods of their own creation.  They looked elsewhere, and were caught unprepared when the Son of God appeared.  What little they were looking for was the restoration of a kingdom long dead and a covenant long defunct.  And what's worse is that the covenant they wanted restored was not the covenant God promised to them.

The disciples asked Christ about this kingdom coming, but were not expecting to get the right answer.

St. Paul tells us that we are to wait for this kingdom of God, watchful for the arrival of the Lord.  Not that we would miss it, since His arrival will be such that no one will be surprised or think it is some kind of secret.  But we do not know when He will return.

Christ makes that clear when He answers the disciples.  It must have been frustrating for them to want to know and be told "no."  No big and epic take-over, no secret rapture, no thousand year earthly throne.  Just silence regarding the actual day, and hints of all the trouble we should watch for.

He does, however, make it clear that there are "hints" that the day is near.  Wars, famine, tribulation, these are birth pains for the end.  As things become more "terrible" we who believe should be working hard to bring the Gospel to the nations.  But, then, like in the time of Noah those who are condemned will be taken, leaving the faithful to inherit the restored Creation.

But we are running on borrowed time and the Gospel must be proclaimed.

Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity (11 Nov. 2018)

Take Heart

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?  Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.  "I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor?  He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking.  I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts is His name.  And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'"  Isaiah 51:9-16

A Song of Ascents. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.  Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!  Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.  Psalm 126

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:9-14

While He was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."  And Jesus rose and followed him, with His disciples.  And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."  Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.  And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, He said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him.  But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went through all that district.  Matthew 9:18-26

Unlike any other so-called "god," the one true God is merciful.  Throughout history this is true.

We hear this proclaimed by prophet, psalmist, and pastor.  But we see this in action with Christ.  One of the most direct times is in the Gospel lesson.  While teaching, the Lord is approached with a seemingly impossible request.  The man's daughter has died, and he's asking Christ to bring her back to life.

It is quite the declaration of faith.  It is one thing for someone to ask for food or healing, but quite another to ask for death to be reversed.  This father is casting his last, and only, hope at Christ's feet, knowing all he can do in faith is beg for mercy, but has no right to do so.

Neither does the woman who touched His cloak.  She knew she did not have the right to look Christ in the eye and beg for even a shred of mercy.  But she trusted that God is merciful, and so in faith reached out.

Christ looked upon both the father and the woman with mercy.  He did not tell them to first be rid of their sin, or to uphold the law.  He did not give them orders to change their lives.  He simply met them where they were, in the state they were in at that time, and was merciful.

God is merciful to us, poor sinful humans.  This is not by any merit we have earned, nor because we have agreed to adhere to some covenant.  God's mercy is not contingent on our obedience or our piety.  This mercy is God's alone, and He freely gives it.  That is why He says "take heart."

It is a command to look up, and see that God has turned His face to you, seen your plight, and has chosen, out of His infinite love, to love you.

All Saints Day (4 Nov. 2018, obs.)

Congratulations... life sucks!

Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.  After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."  Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?"  I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  Revelation 7:2-17

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!  Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!  Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!  For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.  Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!  Psalm 149:1-9

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.  1 John 3:1-3

Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.  And He opened his mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  Matthew 5:1-12

To quote Monty Python: "And there was much rejoicing."

(yay)

As today is the commemoration, and observation, of All Saints Day, the Beatitudes is fitting.  Especially verse 4.  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

The first word of this verse, as with these verses is μακάριοι ("makarioi").  Usually its translated as "blessed," but "fortunate" may be better in context.  "Fortunate are the ones who mourn."

How in the world is that logical?  Why would anyone consider it "fortunate" that they are mourning?

Comfort (from παρακαλέω) isn't the best translation, either.  Why?  Because the word in Greek quite literally translates to "call beside."  To "parakaleo" is to change the status of the one being called.  The "paraclete" changes the faithful in Christ.

So while now we live in this "veil of tears," remembering those who have gone before us, we will soon be most fortunate in that, in the blink of an eye, we will find ourselves and all believers in the new Creation.

And what is this new Creation?  The land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the humble ones in faith.  This land is not the oft-fought strip of dirt on the east side of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is not the territory once known as the Kingdom of Israel.  It isn't even the rocky hill that Jerusalem sits on.  That covenant was contingent on the people awaiting the Messiah and they failed.  And so the Sinai covenant is null and void.

But that wasn't the covenant made to Abraham.

The land promised to Abraham is the new Zion; the Kingdom of God where all who believe in the Messiah will live.  Not Jews, nor Gentiles, but Christians.  But this is not merely a rebuilt Jerusalem.  This is the restored Eden that our Parents were expelled from.  The only people who will inherit the land promised to Abraham are those who have been brought to faith in Christ alone.

Not the law.  Not their works.  Not ethnic affiliation.  Christ's death on the cross, which we are baptized into, and which we partake in at every Lord's Supper.

How fortunate we are to have such great comfort.

Reformation Day (28 Oct. 2018, obs.)

Father Abraham, had many sons...

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.  And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."  Revelation 14:6-7

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters His voice, the earth melts.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, how He has brought desolations on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.  "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah . Psalm 46

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  Romans 3:19-28

So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you remain in My words you all are my true disciples.  And you all will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."  They answered to Him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved yet, how do you say that 'you will be free?'”  Jesus answered them, "Truly truly I say to you that all who are committing sins are slaves to sin.  The slave does not stay in the house forever, the Son remains forever." John 8:31-36 (translation mine)

Who are the Children of Abraham?

It is a loaded question regarding a loaded term.  And one that has caused quite a bit of contention for the last few thousand years.  But the answer is pretty simple, so simple that the Jews got it, and were angry, as soon as Jesus spelled it out to them.

Every single true child of Abraham is a Christian.  Joseph?  A Christian.  Moses?  A Christian.  Deborah?  A Christian.  David?  A Christian.  The Pharisees?  Not children of Abraham.

That's the hard and cold truth of the matter.  The people of Israel were not, universally or consistently, Children of Abraham.  Especially post-Exile.  This is a people and religion in turmoil, in trauma, and react as such.  Unfortunately, they still end up looking away from the promise made to Abraham and double-down on making the Law their god.  They even used the trauma of slavery as their justification for this, while simultaneously denying it happened to them.

To say they were "never slaves" is stupid on two levels.  One because the people of Israel were under someone else's authority throughout their entire history other than those few years David and Solomon reigned.  On a more important level they were slaves to their original sinful nature, as are all humans.

The Jews, with egotistical pride, built a religion around self-justification following absurd man-made laws.  They've been stuck on the first four stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression) since the beginning.  Never have they accepted that the house they build is on a foundation of quicksand.

So if the nation of Israel is not the descendant of Abraham, then who is?

Christ.

And because we, who are Christian and believe in Christ as the Son of God, are joined with Him through baptism and communion, we too are the true Sons of Abraham, not slaves.  We belong in the house, with the Father, where we will inherit life.

-*-*-*-

Sorry this is a little late.  Things have gotten busy at the end of the quarter, and extracurricular writing was the easiest thing to abandon.  But we did translate the Gospel text in Greek Readings, and had some interesting insights (Judaism is a religion of trauma).

After the new Church year starts, I'll be switching to the Three Year series, and focusing primarily just on the Gospel reading, since that's what we are translating in Greek Readings class.

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity (21 Oct., 2018)

What Do You See?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.  And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."  And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.  And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.  And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.  God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.  And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.  And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.  And God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars.  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.  And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens."  So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."  And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.  And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds – livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.  And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."  And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.  And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.  Genesis 1:1-2:3

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.  Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  Psalm 8

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  Ephesians 6:10-17

So He came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.  When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."  The official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."  Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.  As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.  So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household.  This was now the second sign that Jesus did when He had come from Judea to Galilee.  John 4:46-54

There is nothing that God cannot do.

That seems like an oversimplification, but it is true.  Consider the readings.  There isn't a distinctly common theme between them.  We read the account of Creation in Genesis, of King David singing of God's majesty, of the armor of God, and of Christ healing an official's son.  No particular unifying element.

Except for the Almighty God.

In some ways that is the unifying theme of all Scripture.  We do not believe in a god that can only manipulate a select element, or only operate in a limited region of the Earth.  Rather, our God created the entire universe and everything in it from nothing but His Word.  It was that same Word that David heard confessed by children.  It is this Word that St. Paul tasks us with taking up as a two-edged sword.  And it is this Word that walked among us.

It would be very easy to just take one of these passages and focus solely on it.  Much can be discussed with the Creation account, from the amazing work of God to the established order of creation in our first parents.  Likewise, diving deep into the Psalm quickly becomes an exercise in the authority vested in the Son of God.  And the armor of God is a favorite of many, with a plethora of applicable directions to take it.  Even the account of Christ healing the official's son, while not especially notable compared to some healings, is one of the many multi-faced layers of the ministry of Christ.

But underneath it all is the Almighty God.  The God who said "let there be light."  The God who set the human race, reduced to one in Christ, in headship and stewardship over all.  The God who defends us from all the assaults of the devil.  The God who, incarnate, showed mercy as He made His way toward the cross.

Many times Christ was, to put it mildly, disappointed that the people would refuse to believe if they did not see some sort of "great sign."  What more great sign was needed?  God created everything from nothing using only the Living Word.  The mighty works of His hand are evident throughout creation.  The claimed need for a "sign" is arrogantly thinking we can manipulate God.

That is why John mentions the official with the sick son who is dying.  He came to Christ, begging for mercy and healing, hoping that the Man would come and heal his son.  Instead, he is sent away with only the promise that his son would live.  The official believed, sight unseen, because the Word was sufficient.

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity (14 Oct. 2018)

Scandalous

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.  Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.  Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.  "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:1-9

Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.  Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.  One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.  For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.  Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!  You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek."  Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!  Psalm 27:1-9

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:15-21

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.  Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."'  But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,  while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.  The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'  And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.  And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."  Matthew 22:1-14

"Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.  When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.  And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.  Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"  They said to Him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."  Matthew 21:33-44

We are under the somewhat false impression that the Gospel is nice.  But then we are handed parables from Christ that clearly imply the Gospel is expressly not for everyone.  Is that the case?

Through Isaiah, we are told that the thoughts of the Lord are not like ours.  It is such a simple statement, but much more profound than any are willing to admit.  Instead we try to judge God's actions, and our own, based on our understanding of things.  But such a concept is foolish and leads to self-justification.

Which is exactly what happened to Israel.  They had chosen the complacent path.  They either looked to their own strength, or the strength of another to save them from whatever temporary inconvenience the encountered.  They had their comfy little niche carved out, and woe to anyone who came to upset that.  Especially the very Son of David they were commanded to be ready for.  Because how dare this Man, this Jesus, call out their idolatry of the Law and their fleecing of the very people God called them to serve?  Such self-centeredness sound like a perfect place to apply the Gospel.

But Jesus says that while many are called, few are chosen.  In both parables, the people called first openly reject the offer.  The guests decided that their own plans were more worthy than the wedding feast.  The tenants of the vineyard somehow got it in their head that they didn't need to pay the rent, or even show a modicum of respect for the servants or the heir.  In both cases, the master deals with them swiftly.  At the wedding, a random guest clearly snuck in, because no one in their right mind would show up to a wedding in anything but their best.

So Israel and preachers of a false Christ.  They fashioned their own idea of the standards, only to have the Standard trip them up or crush them: scandalon.  Instead of hearing the Law and Gospel and being brought to repentance, they "double down" in their own ideas.  It is a lesson in being vigilant so that we too do not fall into pietism.

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity (7 Oct. 2018)

Rise and shine

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.  And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.  And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!  And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.  Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."  And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."  Genesis 28:10-17

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.  Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah  Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.  As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.  O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah  Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!  For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!  Psalm 84

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  Ephesians 4:22-28

And getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city.  And behold, some people brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."  And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--He then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home."  And he rose and went home.  When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.  Matthew 9:1-8

Many epic stories have the point when the hero is encountered by his teacher and given the choice to "be greater than you currently are."  This is usually the turning point of the story, where the hero goes from being unsure of himself to being completely confident to finish the task before him.  It appeals to our human nature of thinking we can "rise up" and be something more.  But on our own, we cannot.

It sounds like this is what Paul is calling us to attempt in his letter to Ephesus, and it does sound like what happened to Jacob on his way to Haran.  But it isn't.  The "deceiver" doesn't change much.  And Paul knows, clearly, that we cannot on our own "put off our old self."

What, though, has the power to change us?

Read the Gospel account.  Both life changing statements are made by Christ.  "Your sins are forgiven," and "rise, pick up your bed and go home."  Without Christ, we cannot do anything.  We cannot "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" (sorry Americans).  It is Christ, alone, who has the authority to speak life changing words to us.  We receive this at baptism and communion.  It is there, first, that we are changed, temporally though it is.  And from there that we go out and strive to "sin no more."  Without the change, we cannot hope to do anything.

(sorry for this one being late)

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity (30 Sept. 2018)

Rule Number One...

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?  Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.  Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.  Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.  For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.  He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.  Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.  You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.  He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.  Deuteronomy 10:12-21

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!  Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!  The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.  Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.  Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.  Psalm 34:8-22

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge-- even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you-- so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.  And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him.  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."  Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."  He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'?  If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask Him any more questions.  Matthew 22:34-46

Much of the time, we want to either make the Law "go away" or fit into nice, neat categories we can accomplish on our own.  We think "if I can do this, then God will like me," or some other equally silly and shortsighted thing.

But there is some truth to the notion that there are different "degrees" of Law.  In the time of Israel under the Sinai covenant, there were Civic, Ceremonial, and Religious laws.  Some of these were tired into the covenant, while others were only for the "state."  The foundation, though, was the moral Law written on every person's heart.  It is this Law, broken in Eden, that condemns us to hell.  It is this Law that is stated plainly in the Ten Commandments.

Except, it isn't.

The religious leaders of the Jews through they knew the Law.  In fact, they though they knew the Law so well that they could stump Jesus.  "Which of the Ten is the best?"  Jesus, the author of the Law, sets everything on its head.  Or rather, sets everything back the way it was meant to be.

There are only two Laws: Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor.  The buzzwords for these two Laws are the "First and Second Table," because Ten Commandments, and all other law, both divinely instated and composed by humanity, are founded upon them.

The First Table is denoted in the First, Second, and Third Commandments, although breaking any of the Ten breaks the First: you shall have no other gods.  This is because any infraction against God's Law is placing our trust and worship in something or someone who is not God, and therefore not worthy of our fear, love, and trust.

The Second Table is the Fourth through Tenth Commandments, and express how we, as God's people, are to live holy, blameless, and pleasing lives.  These express how we are to live vocationally (the Fourth), care for our neighbor (Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh), and refrain from seeking that which does not belong to us (Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth), be it physical items, honor, or relationships.

In this light, when viewed through the Cross, we see the Law as not a burden that must be completed, but a way of life we are free to strive after.  But we are only able to seek this because Christ is Lord, both of the Gospel and the Law.  They are not diametrically opposed.  They do not stand in conflict.  They are not even in balance, like some eastern philosophy.

Rather the Law and the Gospel are constantly at play, fully.  Both are good, but one is tasked with condemning sin to its rightful place, hell, and the other is the free gift of God that saves us from our own faulty self-righteousness that can never save.

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (23 Sept. 2018)

No Honor Among Humans

Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?  Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.  Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.  Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.  Proverbs 25:6-14

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."  I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.  Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."  Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.  Psalm 2

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:1-6

One Sabbath, when He went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching Him carefully.  And behold, there was a man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"  But they remained silent. Then He took him and healed him and sent him away.  And He said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?"  And they could not reply to these things.  Now He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Luke 14:1-11

It seems, in spite of Western Societies infatuation with Eastern culture and philosophy-religions, the idea of "honor" is still belittled.

"Honor" in the West is something to be gained.  We work to be honored.  We revel in it.  Simply watch any of the award shows.  Or visit any "hall of fame," or even a museum dedicated to a specific person.  There is an extremely fine line between holding up someone's live and accomplishments are worthy of note and with self-gratifying worship.  Actors, musicians, and athletes make stupidly long and wordy speeches to all the people they want to "thank," when all they are doing is say "look at all these people who made me great, and I am great, aren't I?"  Politicians, journalists, professors, they all do it too.

In the East, "honor" is something deserved.  It is a showing of subservience.  Someone has earned honor by their actions or sayings, and that honor is untouchable.  And if that honor is belittled, it must be regained by a show of force.  This is seen most harshly in eras of Japanese and Chinese culture, where a perceived "dishonoring" leads to feuds that would rival the Hatfields and McCoys in violence, death, and stupidity.  And the smallest, most insignificant thing, is considered "dishonorable."

In the West, honor is sought for the culture's ultimate idol: ourself.  In the East, honor is to be given to that culture's ultimate idol: honor.

Either way, it is a worship of self.

St. Paul, the Psalmist, the Teacher, and the Word Himself all teach contrary to that foolish notion.  The "slant" each has is a little different, though three of them have parallel.

St. Paul is the one who focuses on himself.  Not because he's seeking to be honored, but to point out that the whole body of Christ is not to seek after honor, which can only be gained at the expense of others.  Rather, we are to be humble, since honor is only for God.

Through the Psalmist and the Teacher, we learn that those who are of the world seek to gain honor at the expense of God, if that were even possible.  But in human arrogance, we seek to put aside those "silly superstitions" that hold us back from our ability to be the best we can be.  And if we can become the "best we can be," then we will be honored for achieving what no one else could.  The wisdom found in the Old Testament shows this to be folly.

Christ puts this lesson to practical use, leveling the charges of "false honor" against the "rockstars" of the day: the religious leaders.  They no longer think about what will honor God, but what will gain them recognition and temporary honor.  People seek to rank themselves based on what they can see, not realizing that the criteria for true honor cannot be seen.

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  The ultimate example of this is the cross.  The Only Begotten Son of the Almighty God chose to be born of a virgin, live under one of the most strict applications of the Law and morality, worked as a mere servant to all He encountered, was wrongfully accused of any infraction, was beaten and tortured, executed in the most embarrassing and painful way possible, and buried as a nameless criminal far from His family.

Christ willingly humiliated Himself.  And that does not mean "humiliate" as in embarrassed, but in being brought to a status far beneath Himself.  This is God.  Yet He was born in the same fashion as any other human in all of history.  Every trouble, struggle, frustration, temptation, misfortune, and annoyance that humans can experience He experienced.  He even died due to orchestrated injustice.

There was no honor in that.  At least, no honor according to those who craved honor.  Boy, were they wrong.

Christ's exaltation began with His death.  He was honored by the Father, which is first spoken during His ministry at the Baptism, but it spoken of clearly throughout all of history.  Christians continue to show honor, sometimes called reverence, to Him in our worship and lives.  We seek to live an "honorable" life to show that we believe that Christ did not die in vain, but that He is God and worthy of being followed and trusted.

For us, temporally, that means when we humble ourselves and seek to follow the teaching St. Paul clearly states, we will be honored by our Father in heaven.  But it will not be honor we had earned, but the honor of Christ granted to us, covering us and our shameful lives.

Without this honor, won by Christ on the cross and not earned by us, we are not worthy to take a place at the wedding banquet when the Lamb returns.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity (16 Sept. 2018)

Even A God Over Death

After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.  And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!"  And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed.  And he cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?"  Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again."  And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.  And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives."  And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."  1 Kings 17:17-24

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.  O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.  O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.  Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.  For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.  As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."  By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.  To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?  Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!  Psalm 30

So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:13-21

Soon afterward He went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great crowd went with Him.  As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.  And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"  And this report about Him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.  Luke 7:11-17

The church year is starting to wind down, though there is still a ways to go before All Saints Day.  But the readings for today have an eschatological slant, thanks to being focused on death.

In the Psalm, David asserts his understanding that, no matter where he may be, God is there.  Even in the depths of Hell, Sheol, God is still God.  Not even Hell could separate us from God.

How, if it wasn't for God being a God over death, and if He had not sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, the statement that "not even Hell could separate us from God" is be a terrifying thought.  The almighty morally perfect creator God is judging you while you are in the grips of all the tortures of Hell is sobering.

Its the sort of emotions a parent has when their child dies, or is near death.  Despair, plain and simple.  The mothers in both the Old Testament and the Gospel reading are without doubt feeling despair.  And for similar reasons.

Both are widows.  Both had only a single son.

The first widow confronts Elijah, likely out of fear and frustration more than anything else.  Here is a powerful man of God, a prophet who had humbled kings and worked wonders.  A guest in her house who now repaid her generosity by allowing her only son to die.

The second widow does not even have the chance to confront the Son of David.  She is already on the path to bury her only son.  He is dead, and there is nothing left but the grief and despair.  The whole town of Nain mourns with her while the Christ watches the procession.

God the Father, the almighty creator of the universe, knows that pain first hand.  Not just because He is omniscient, but because He sent His Only Son to die in our stead.  And for the Son of God to watch this procession, where and only son has died, has got to be an especially emotional moment.

Through Elijah, God raised the widow's only son back to life.

Christ Himself brings the widow of Nain's only son back to life.

Because He is the God over both life and death.  There is nothing beyond His reach.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity (9 Sept., 2018)

What are you worried about?

Then the word of the LORD came to him, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you."  So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."  And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."  And she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die."  And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.  For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"  And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.  The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.  1 Kings 17:8-16

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!  I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.  The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.  The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!  Psalm 146

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.  Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.  For each will have to bear his own load.  Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Galatians 5:25-6:10

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.  Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Matthew 6:24-34

How much more straight forward can this get?  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.

This is summed up so simply in the explanations Dr. Luther wrote for the Lord's Prayer, specifically the portion on "daily bread."

God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

The gist of it is that God is in control.  The widow of Zarepheth is an example of trusting that God is in control, no matter what.  Beyond our possible understanding, since He is the God who Created the universe.  The psalmist and St. Paul implore us to realize this.  How much easier can this be?

We're not being told "do not plan ahead," or "do not consider what you must do to move forward/survive/etc," or "whatever, man, it'll all work out."  We are called to steward our means and time, using both shrewdly for our daily living and helping our neighbor.

But the ultimate worry, death, has been defeated by Christ.  Without that debilitating fear, we can cease useless worry and focus on doing what has been set before us.