Love That Says No; Faith That Says Yes

REMINISCERE

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

February 25, 2018

ST. MATTHEW 15:28

Love That Says No; Faith That Says Yes

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How is any child able to accept “No” from their parent without anger or resentment?

Because they know that the “No” is for their own good. Now in practice we offer react to “No” with anger and resentment. When little ones comes to the dinner table, an often-repeated argument is who gets to sit next to whom. Any denial of placement can be met with howls of anger—because they think that no one loves them.

Jesus said “No” to a Canaanite mother three times in St. Matthew's chapter fifteen account:

1. He did not answer her a word.

2. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

3. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

She asked for help and He said no by ignoring her, by talking as though she wasn't there, and then by calling her a dog.

But she trusted Him. She expected good things from Him because she knew by faith that He loved her.

This mother was a Canaanite. This meant that she was not Jewish. She was descended from the heathen-majority nations that bordered the Holy Land. Just like many in our families today, her family probably contained idol-worshipers. So how this faithful woman came to faith is unknown, at least as far as the details. But somehow the Holy Spirit sent the words of Moses and Prophets to this woman and created in her saving trust in Christ.

Her faith agreed with God and so did her mouth, which confessed:

ST. MATTHEW 15:22 “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION

She called Him Lord, Son of David. She knew that this humble man who called Mary mother and Nazareth home, was really not from around here. He belonged at His Father's right hand.

But He had come down here, to the Earth, to keep His promise. This is the great joy here: Jesus loves to be trapped by His Word. The mother of this demon-oppressed daughter expected Jesus to give her a good word. When He says no to her, her God-given trust in His promise to give good things persists.

We, too, are wise to expect good things from our Lord Jesus. I suppose our trouble comes from confusion about those good things are. Like children we expect our way to be obtained and quickly.

For this mother, these perhaps 15 minutes were the longest of her life. And also the greatest 15 minutes of her earthly life.

For Jacob who wrestled with God 2,000 years before Jesus spoke with this mother, that night was perhaps the longest of his life.

For those with cancer and those who care about them, minutes is not in your vocabulary. Months and years are the reality. And for many of God's faithful people, years of treatment end without deliverance. But this view can only be confessed if you believe that earthly life is the best thing, the most important thing.

God grants life and health; He also might let us linger in the shadow of death. And what could be more of a NO than a death from cancer.

But by faith we with this kneeling mother and limping Jacob we hear God's “No” and cling to our trust that He will always give us what is best. And by the fact of your hearing God's Word gives evidence that you already have it: faith in Christ.

He is the best thing. And even though coming into contact with Him in His Word may humbled us, even like Jacob leave us with scars, we remain His dogs, His children, His brothers and sisters.

Only trust in Christ lets us hold Him to His promises. And He loves to caught by us as we hold onto His Word.

This is Remember Sunday (Latin: Reminiscere). The names comes from Psalm 25:

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways.

And this good thing is done and accomplish according to our Lord's love. In His goodness He remembers us, His children. Come to His table and eat His bread that gives life and goodness.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thanks be to God!

Thrown Out and Patched Up

INVOCAVIT

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

February 18, 2018

ST. MATTHEW 4:1,11 + ST. MARK 1:12–13

Our Savior Is Thrown Out and Patched Up

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Would you rather watch the first ten minutes of a movie or the last ten minutes? You don't get to watch the middle. You can only choose the beginning or the end. Which one do you choose?

I don't know what the question is supposed to tell you about yourself, other than being a good discussion starter with your friends. My conditioned response is to choose the first ten minutes, conditioned because most films these days put a lot of action into the start to hook you in. The endings these day are hit or miss because most major motion pictures these days never end. To wit, the best part of any comic book is rarely the ending, but instead the little teaser scene that sets up the next movie that runs after the end credits.

A possible exception to this rule is when watching documentaries, films about real people and events. If the documentary has a done its job, the story presented builds to a conclusion that is worth the wait.

Happily the real events of Jesus' life have fascinating beginnings, middles, and ends. This is most certainly true of this incident in the wilderness. Let's focus on the beginning and the end.

St. Matthew and St. Luke tell us that Jesus was led out into the desert wilderness after He was baptized into the Jordan River. The Father had just said that this man Jesus is His eternal beloved Son. The Spirit had lighted upon Him as a dove, anointing Him as the promised One who would die for all stubbornness and greed and gluttony and every other sin and Sin itself. And right after this ringing endorsement, God drove Him out into the wilderness!

I say drove Him out because St. Mark says that right after the Baptism of Jesus:

ST. MARK 1:12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION 2016

This driving out and leading out into battle with the Devil demonstrates Christ's humanity. He's just like us, yet without sin.

So perhaps some of you have helped herd turkeys before Thanksgiving. They are heavy, fast, and determined birds, who go their own way. Getting them rounded up is hard work. After you've done it a couple of times, you know you can do the work, that you'll survive, but I doubt you're trotting out to Turkey Town on your way to work.

Jesus is God in the flesh. He knows what's coming, He knows that He'll survive, and indeed crush the devil and send him on his way. But Jesus was sane, and no one in their right mind would relish the prospect of almost six weeks with food, being tempted by the Devil the whole time. Therefore it is not surprising that the inspired writers of Jesus' life note that He was led on His way, even driven out into the wilderness. The willing Savior is emphatically urged on by the Spirit. Jesus doesn't go to play with the devil, but to do battle with him.¹

He wins the battle by speaking His own words back to the devil. The devil can use force when the Lord allows it,² but the devil's main weapon is words. He twists the Lord's own promises to try and lead Jesus into having other gods.

He utterly fails. Jesus sends the devil away with these His own words:

ST. MATTHEW 4:10 “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION 2016

And the devil had to obey and so he left Jesus.

For those who worry that Jesus could have failed in His battle with the devil or that it was too easy for Him (meaning that He wasn't really hungry or weak or exhausted and was playing with the devil like a cat with a mouse or better, a floating alligator with a mouse), do not worry. Jesus' temptation was real, though His victory was assured. The proof of this grueling duel comes at the end:

ST. MATTHEW 4:10 and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION 2016

He was so spent that His own good angels came to care for Him and restore His strength. The beginning and end of this incident shows that Jesus was not play-acting. He was willing and glad to do the Father's will, but as we hear as He prayed in Gethsemane's garden hours before He was hung on a cross, He was in His right mind. If there was another way, so much the better. But always God's will be done. The way of suffering and temptation and the cross is the way of our Lord and of His people.

Sometimes you may feel thrust out into the wilderness of this sinful world and of your own soul. A job isn't working out the way you'd hoped. A marriage isn't working out as well as the wedding. A child isn't listening as they should. And the devil comes and tells us all of this isn't our fault—go ahead and complain and become bitter. Better yet, just give up and despair. The devil delights in hot words or no words at all.

But Christ will speak to you. And His speaking to you is why you won't die. You will suffer, but you will survive. He won't let you starve; He feed you with Himself, the Bread of Life. He won't let you die; He'll bless and keep you safe, sending His angels to protect you as you go about serving Him only as only the living can.

You are alive. Jesus speaks and you're alive. This life came in the day of Baptism. At this beginning of your life, Jesus drove away the devil and demons. They are no longer your masters; now Christ is.

And so you've seen the first ten minutes of the movie of your life. It's a documentary, it's real. You're living in the middle of it, no matter how young or old you are. But I know the ending and so do you because Christ knows you.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thanks be to God!

1Notes on Mark 1:12–13, Daniel Deutschlander.

2Matthew 17:15

The Son of Timaeus Calls on the Son of David

QUINQUAGESIMA

50 Days Before Easter

February 11, 2018

ST. MARK 10:48–50

The Son of Timaeus Calls on the Son of David

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Among the many remarkable things about this incident of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus (which means this man was the son of Timaeus—Bar means son) is how Bartimaeus approaches Jesus.

ST. MARK 10:49–50 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. CSB 2017

Jesus calls him and throws off his coat and jumps up. This is a blind man doing this! If I were him, I'd sensibly leave my coat on and not risking not finding it again in that big crowd and having it stolen.

And he jumps up. I don't imagine the blind do much jumping. But Bartimaeus jumps up! What caused him to have this courage?

Of course, the answer is Jesus! Bartimaeus throws off his coat into the darkness of his blindness, jumps up into an uncertain future, and comes to Jesus. All of this because Jesus calls him.

Jesus' call bids us come to Him, but in His calling is the life and faith. Here the call comes not directly from Jesus; others must relay His words to the blind man. But they are still just as potent.

Last Sunday another blind sinner was brought into the sight of faith through Holy Baptism. Jesus baptized this little babe, but He used the hands of another to put the water on her head and speak His holy call. And they are the power of the Word of God. When God talks, things happen. The deaf hear; the blind see (Isaiah 35:5). Even the dead are raised.

Baptism isn't magic; it isn't an incantation. It is the living Word of God with water and received by faith in Christ. Dr. Luther summarizes this joy:

Baptism works forgiveness of sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. What are these words and promises of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Faith receives what Baptism freely gives: Jesus Christ. Those outside of faith cannot see, cannot get Jesus. But Jesus gives us trust (which is what faith is) in His saving deeds: His incarnation and His crucifixion. Our faith is simply agreeing with God that His Son became a true man, who died to pay for our sin and unbelief. Babies are born unbelievers and they need Jesus.

Many in this world, even more in the visible Christian groups of this world, scoff at babies being baptized. They ignore the Word of God and claim that babies aren’t sinful. In their mental gymnastics they end up claiming that Jesus didn’t die for these babies. But the truth is that He did come for them and to die for them, because He comes and dies only for sinners (Mark 2:17).

I hear their objections to babies being baptized when I hear the crowd of Jewish pilgrims, members of the visible church, telling Bartimaeus to keep silent and to keep away from Jesus.

ST. MARK 10:47–48 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!” CSB 2017

Our song of “Lord, Have Mercy” echoes the cry of blind Bartimaeus. The Son of David is a special name for Jesus that proclaims that He is the promised Deliverer from evil and death for sinners of all ages. And we boldly ask Him to give us good things: salvation and forgiveness above all else, but also good food, good sight, good families, all that we need for body and health.

Bartimaeus wanted to see. He trusted that Jesus would give good things. So when Jesus asked him what his prayer was, he was bold to pray:

ST. MARK 10:51b “Rabboni [which means my teacher], I want to see.” CSB 2017

Bartimaeus called on Jesus to teach him; he calls Him my Teacher! This is faith which trusts in what cannot be seen. Jesus had given this blind man saving faith.

Even though Jesus gives Bartimaeus permission to depart (Go!) once he can see—and just imagine all the places and things that a newly seeing person would wish to stare at—he uses his new eyes and goes with Jesus, so that he might look at Him and listen to Him even more.

What a wise choice! For within hours Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, be Him falsely convicted and condemned, and be nailed to a cross.

Were you there to see it? No.

Was Bartimaeus there to see it? We don't know, but we do know that he began to follow Jesus on the road. God grant the same for us.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thanks be to God!

Jesus Loves His Dirty People

SEXAGESIMA

60 DAYS BEFORE THE RESURRECTION

February 4, 2018

ST. LUKE 18:10

Jesus Loves His Dirty People

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“You try to respond to your e-mails as soon as possible and cannot stand a messy inbox. You rarely do something just out of sheer curiosity. Winning a debate matters less to you than making sure no one gets upset.”

These are questions from a personality test called Briggs-Meyer. Maybe you've answered these or other questions during an exercise at school or work. Perhaps you took the test on your own. Personality tests highlight a common aspect of life: trying to understand what kind of person you are.

And what happens when you find out you are not the kind of person you thought you were? That’s when you tried to retake the test to get a more attractive result!

We want to understand who we are. And when we find out who we are, we might be tempted to ignore the findings. Now that's perfectly fine when it comes to personality tests (“You often find yourself lost in thought when you are walking in nature.” Huh?)

But when it comes to God's revelation about us, we ignore the findings to our peril.

In Jesus’ story about the sower and the seed, we discover don’t discover which dirt we are. Instead we discover that we are all four types of dirt.

If you read this parable and come away thinking, “Oh, good, I'm the last bit of good dirt,” then you missed the point.

St. Paul wrote:

1 CORINTHIANS 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! NIV 1984

In the parable of the sower, the Lord isn’t talking about groups of people that worship false gods or who have never heard the Word of God. He’s talking about people who received the Word, some of whom got sidetracked and fell away from the faith.

The sower scatters seed in the expectation that some of it will take root, grow, and bear a harvest. That is what farmers do. Along the way, some stuff goes wrong. Some is snatched by birds. Some is parched and dies. Some is choked by weeds. This is no surprise to us either in farming or in the Church. As surely as there are threats in this world that prevent every seed from growing, so also there are threats that prevent everyone who hears the Word of God from going to heaven. Some hear the Word of God and yet succumb to false belief, despair, indifference, and other great shame and vice.

This parable is a warning against unbelief.

But there is also great hope here. When the disciples asked the meaning of the parable, Jesus answered,

ST. LUKE 18:10 “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ NIV 1984

Unbelievers simply cannot get the point of anything Jesus says. They hear, but they don't get it.

On the other hand, believers get it or better still, get Him, because Jesus has given us understanding. When we hear the Word of God, we understand it because by faith we understand our sin that causes death and we understand Christ's death that causes life. We get that we are dirty people: we fall when we are tested and we fail when we are tempted by the pleasures of this world. Yet, for His mercy's sake, Christ loves and still has suffered and died for us.

This is mysterious, but it is true.

Today, the seeds of the Sower have been sprinkled on little Madlen. Every day of her life, she will die and rise to live with her Savior because He promised to take dirty people and make us clean. She is now one of His own disciples, to whom He said:

ST. LUKE 18:10A “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you” NIV 1984

The seed of God has taken root in Madlen, and by the grace of God, she will not be uprooted throughout all the trials and temptations of this life.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thanks be to God!

Is God Too Nice?

SEPTUAGESIMA

70 Days before the Resurrection

January 28, 2018

ST. MATTHEW 20:15

Is God Too Nice?

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Does someone cutting in line upset you? Driving east-bound on Kimberly Road just past Brady and a car races by on your right to get out in front of you. What a yahoo … but … now the last is first.

Children, do you get mad when another kid grabs that old light-up rubber ball? You know, that ball that no one has seen for five months, but now that it has turned up, everyone is waiting for a turn. And to have a littler kid cut in line and take it and have a grown-up say that they keep playing with it when you have been waiting makes you mad because it's unfair … but … now the last is first.

Everywhere patient drivers and righteous kids expect “first come, first served.” But this is not the case in God's kingdom. Here the last will be first and the first will be last.

Strictly speaking this is unfair. But it is quite wonderful when we realize that the only Innocent One is Jesus Christ and we are all guilty. And we receive the benefit of His innocent suffering and death by faith. In this Kingdom we who didn’t work get paid as though we did, and we are even invited to remain in the vineyard. However, those who come demanding fairness, well, they get only what they deserve, and nothing more, and they are sent away.

This isn't fair. This is offensive to just and righteous people because the Kingdom of Heaven is not earned by the industrious or the good. It is given to the wasteful, to the lazy, to sinners, to us. The only way to get in is to repent and be humbled. It is to simply trust that vineyard owner will give us whatever is right. Only those accept the Kingdom as a gift from the Lord’s generosity come in. That is the definition of grace. It is getting the opposite of what you deserve.

This is fine when you are getting in to the vineyard, the Kingdom of God. But we see others in God's Church who shouldn't be here. Isn't God being too nice when He commands His pastors to forgive all sinners who repent? Even the repentant father who will probably lose his tempter again? Even the repentant wife who will probably nag her husband again? Even the repentant kid who will probably sulk at her parents again? Even the repentant gossip who will probably tear down other church members again?

Yes, even them. God is too nice. But He doesn't do what is fair or nice. It's not accurate to say that He doesn't care about what is fair or nice; indeed, He is origin and embodiment of all good things: fairness, niceness, justice, mercy. The point is that He doesn't do superficial nice things to be applauded by the world; instead He does what is actually good for you.

Those workers worked hard all day long. I usually see these workers as life-long Christians. Born and baptized as babies, served as obedient children, prepared for Holy Communion, served as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sometimes serving as organists, musicians, altar guild, ushers, Sunday school teachers, elders, and the like. And when we see God's chosen people who used to be out in the darkness of the world, now drawn to the Light, who is Christ, we will not resent, but instead rejoice.

Is God too nice? Yes, for the sake of Jesus Christ He is too nice to me! It is not fair, but it is good!

ST. MATTHEW 20:13–16 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” CSB 2017

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thanks be to God!