Why Not More Questions?

Twenty-forth Sunday after Pentecost

November 8, 2015

Mark 12:34

Why Not More Questions?

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus showed up right now, what would you say to Him?

A few things to note. First of all, you wouldn't have to say anything right away, because we'd all be on the floor, prostrate or kneeling with fear. (Almost everytime God shows up in the Bible, people are falling over with fear. As they should.)

Secondly, you'd have sometime to think, but sooner than later, Jesus would come to you and tell you not to be afraid. Maybe He'd even show you His nail-marked hands and use them to pick you up off the floor.

And lastly, if you asked Him a question that isn't in Holy Scripture, would He even answer it?

“Lord, what should I do about my government?”

Render unto Caesar.

“What should I do about my parents?”

Honor your father and mother.

“What should I do about my children?”

Love your enemies.

“Lord, what is heaven like?”

Like a wedding banquet.

“What does eternity feel like?”

He'd probably just smile.

On the other hand, Jesus' enemies loved to hammer Him with questions. Just a bit earlier they had tried to trap Him over questions about the government and the afterlife (Mark 12).

But now a new voice was heard. One of the teachers of the law, a man who devoted his life to scribing down the words of the Law of Moses, asked Jesus which command of the Law was the most important. This man spent his life writing down and re-copying the scrolls of the Old Testament. He was the ancient version of the medieval monk, using pen and ink and parchment to painstakingly recopy more editions of God's Word.

This man knew the Law of Moses that Jesus had handed down to His people at Mt. Sinai like the back of his hand. And he was deeply invested in his question:

“Which command is the most important of all?” (Mark 12:28)

Unlike a bit earlier, I don't think this wasn't a set-up question, trying to trap Jesus. He recognized Jesus' wisdom and knew His answer to this question would be wise and true. And Jesus answered well.

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered:

Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Jesus summed up the Commandments with their essence: Love. When there is love for God, we will fear and love Him above all else, we will use His name well, and we will remember His Sabbath. When there is love for the people in our lives, we will honor our parents, watch out for the physical needs of children, we will protect and cherish all marriages and reserve sex for the married man and wife, we will respect other peoples' property and possessions and help them kept their stuff, and we will speak well of others and defend their good names. When there is love for God and our neighbors, good works abound.

When the scribe, the teacher of the law, heard Jesus' answer, he was correctly excited. He repeats back to the Good Teacher what he has just heard, because he had been listening carefully.

Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one else except Him. And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-33)

It might seem bold to our ears as we hear the scribe tell Jesus that He was right. We think, “Well, duh. Of course, Jesus is right. He always right.” But this man had probably struggled with this question for a long time, and to hear this wise Rabbi confirm his own thoughts must have been electric. A eureka moment, perhaps. His answer revealed that he had always hoped that the key truth of God's promise was not sacrifice, but love for God and fellow human beings. He had correctly confessed God's Law. In a word, it demands love, relentlessly, without fail.

When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34a)

But this man had not confessed the Gospel; he still did not have the truth that would save his soul. He was close, but not there yet. Jesus didn't tell him that he in or even near the kingdom of God. Instead He told the scribe that he was not far off from the kingdom. The only other time this expression (“not far off”) is used is when Paul is talking to a crowd of heathen philosophers in Athens (Acts 17). Jesus and Paul weren't talking to believers.

Jesus' questioner, this scribe, was right to love the Law, but he was trying to use the Law to save himself. He had dismissed the false religion of going-through-the-motions with the false religion of be-really-busy-and-full-of-love.

This false religion is tempting to us today. We reject a religion of going-through-the-motions, but we also hear the siren song that our hearts and the world coos at us: be really nice and busy and loving. Every day a famous broadcaster from Minnesota urges his national audience with his trademark: Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.® (Garrison Keillor, Writer's Almanac)

I think our deeply held hope that we can save ourselves shows up in our potential questions to Jesus. Typically our questions are the side of the spectrum that wants to know what I can do for God. This is a “good impulse” that can hurt us spiritually. Notice what happened after Jesus' final remark,

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.” . . . no one dared to question Him any longer. (Mark 12:34b)

In the Gospel of Mark, there were no more questions from the scribes or Pharisees, at least not until the illegal trial of Good Friday. Why not more questions? Why didn't they dare to ask Him anything else?

Because finally the lovers of the Law, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees understood that Jesus was never going to embrace the Law as the way of salvation. He is the Way. And so they had nothing more to say to Him. They were done with Him, the living enfleshed Word of God.

By His choice and will, we are saved from ourselves, from our sin. So it is natural we have questions. About how to live and serve, yes. About what is coming in the future, of course. But above all, let us ask Him Gospel questions, “Why did You did die for me? And when are You coming back?”

And He answers to each of us in turn, “Because I have had mercy on you and care about you above all others. And I am coming back soon.”

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

All Saints Day

November 1, 2015

Matthew 5:1-12

Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Why don't we speak ill of the dead? Why don't people who are alive say mean things about those who have died? Habit, tradition, politeness are all reasons. You don't go to a funeral and bad-mouth the person who died. It's just not done. It isn't good manners.

But another reason is that when someone we love dies, we are naturally drawn to remember only the good things about them. Even if Aunt Hilda was a terrible cook, we'll still find something nice to say.

Because of His cross, Christ has nothing but good things to say about our dearly departed ones.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and so on. And Christ promises them rewards for today and forever.

For some of His promises Jesus used the present tense: this is your reward now, the kingdom of heaven. But He also promises things to come: they will be comforted, they will inherit the earth, they will be shown mercy.

When a believer dies, they come into the kingdom that they've always been a part of. This is the kingdom that they have prayed for themselves and others: Thy kingdom come. Baptism, Preaching, and Communion brings us into His kingdom. And when we die, we come ever more fully into the kingdom to which we belong. The same kingdom; it just looks different.

All these rewards of which Christ speaks are ours because of Him. Heaven is ours because He suffered hell on the cross. We are shown mercy, not because we turned the other cheek, but because He turned the other cheek and was sticken, smitten, and afflicted. His enemies hit Him and He showed us mercy. We will see God because Christ has made us pure with His blood.

We speak well of the dead. This is good. But it doesn't do anything for our salvation. Reminiscing at the visitation and saying that at least Aunt Hilda tried hard to be a a great cook doesn't change the fact that she burnt every cake she baked. Our efforts don't matter to God as He judges our salvation. Effort doesn't matter when you're dead.

This is the basic reason why faithful Christian churches and their pastors keep eulogies out of the funeral service. Eulogies are long followery emotional lists of all the good things that the dearly departed accomplished and tried to do with their lives; they have no place in the worship of Christ. A eulogy pushes Jesus to the side and places ourselves on a pedestal. Eulogies reinforce our deeply-held opinion that we can save ourselves through effort and work and belonging to the right groups of people.

Why do families become so agitated when told that the best place for the eulogy is somewhere other than the funeral service? Part of it, I think, is the belief that their loved one is being disrespected. But most of it is more about the living than about the dead. The dead in Christ doesn't care; they alraedy are with Him. The survivors become even more angry when the eulogy is clearly revealed for what it is: worship of human beings.

So faithful Christian funerals overflow with Christ. They preach what He has done, His suffering, death, and resurrection, and His Gospel Sacraments, and His imminent return at the end of time. This is the service that every faithful Christian wishes that their loved ones hear at their funeral: Christ speaking well of the dead.

And unlike our speaking, His words make things happen. His word makes the dead come to life. This is what happened to each of you in Baptism: Christ spoke well of you, who once were dead. And it will happen again, when He comes back, and speaks the dead to the life and living into life everlasting.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Christ Makes You the Camel

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

October 18, 2015

Mark 10:25

Christ Makes You the Camel

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

What sounds do camels make? I'm not sure either, but I think something like this:

“Dear, can you help get the groceries out of the car? There are too many bags.”

“Honey, we have to get both cars in for oil changes.”

“Why are all toys on the floor?! We have too much stuff!”

We make these sounds. We are the camels that Jesus is talking about.

Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:23-25)

We're programmed to think that two things about being rich. First, that the rich those with more than us. And secondly, that being is bad.

But we are rich. We have plenty. We're never hungry. We smell good. We have soft beds and warm houses.

And none of this is bad. Christ Jesus gives you all your plenty, and nothing that Christ gives you is bad. He can't give you bad gifts.

But we are sinners, and so we worship the gifts that God gives instead of the God who gives them. And so Jesus tells us that those who are rich are hard to get into heaven. It is hard because the rich can cushion themselves away from their own sins, and thus cushion themselves away from the Savior from our sins.

Let's look at the sins Jesus mentions.

Don't murder. A rich man who plows into a pedestrian can hire lawyers, arguing that it wasn't his fault.

Don't cheat on your wife. A rich man who commits adultery can entice his wife to look the other way, or rather, look at his money and pretend that he is a good husband.

Don't steal or defraud. When most men steals or rips somebody off, they often are caught and sent to prison. When a rich man defrauds his company or a union boss skims the dues, they are often able to use their influence to walk away with a slap on the wrist.

Don't bear false witness. When a rich man bears false witness his children or his wife, he can avoid an apology with a iPhone 6s.

Honor your father and mother. A rich man can avoid his elderly parents by thoughtless placing them in a posh old folks home and feel good about not visiting them because he's working to earn the money to pay their rent.

These examples probably don't apply to you.

But these sins still cling to us. We hate each other and hold grudges. We lust after the bodies of others. We are lazy at work and lazy with our families. We lie to ourselves constantly. We are rude to our parents when they deserve our respect. All these and more cling to us, so yes, Jesus is talking to the rich young man and us today.

Why does this matter?

For much of human history, hatred, lust, laziness, and lying held tough consequences. These sins often meant you didn't get to eat. But our wealth insulates us from much of the fallout from our sins, so much so that we can come to think that we are without sin. If you can keep your sins from coming back to bite you, pretty soon you can start to think that you don't sin, or at least, they aren't that bad.

This is why Jesus said:

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25)

Rich people like us can pretend that we aren't sinners. And since Jesus came for sinners only, we end up treating Jesus on the margins of our lives. Sure, He's there, He's around, we go to church mostly, but the center of our lives? No, and that's why it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for us to enter God's kingdom.

But Jesus has wonderful news: we are the camels that He's talking about.

Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:23-27)

Christ makes us the camels that pass through the eye of the needle. Christ speaks us camels into the kingdom of God by becoming the camel who

was pierced for our transgressions . . .

crushed by our iniquities . . .

the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

(Isaiah 53:5a,6b)

And so

the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5b)

He is the Camel of God, or rather and better, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, including the sins of people who have plenty.

What does a camel sound like?

“Lord, have mercy on me, sinner, a poor, miserable creature.”

“Lord, forgive me all my sin.”

“Lord, thank you for Your mercy and love.”

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

The Two Will Become One

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

October 11, 2015

Mark 10:7-9 & Ephesians 5:32

The Two Will Become One

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Can someone get a divorce from the Church? No, because when someone deserts the Church, they are really walking out on Christ Jesus. Listen to how Paul laid it out:

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church―for we are members of His body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery―but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Ephesiasn 5:28-32)

The whole discussion in the Bible about marriage and divorce are extensions of a much deeper reality. The uniting of one man and one woman in marriage is a reflection of Christ's uniting with His Church.

The prophets repeatedly spoke of God's faithfully caring for His chosen nation, the Jewish people, like a devoted husband. And sadly the prophets rebuke God's people for their adultery and desertion from the one true God to chase after the more handsome idols created by men (Jeremiah 3).

“The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 5:11)

This unfaithfulness is heard in the questions of Jesus' enemies. Since they were always looking for a way out of their marriage to one true God, their hard hearts had no problem carrying this lust for adultery into their own marriages to their wives.

Some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

"What did Moses command you?" He replied.

They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'

'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:2-9)

Jesus rebuked their hard hearts and called them to see that marriage and really every good gift is a gift from our dear Lord. To seek ways to destroy what God creates is sin, plain and simple.

So Paul wrote words of encouragement to the Ephesians to treat marriage with holy joy and reverence. Marriage is to be a living parable of Christ's mercy and sacrifice for us. Not just love, but far more―works of mercy and sacrifice that deliver to us the opposite of what we deserve.

When someone deserts their spouse, this is a grievous sin. Not unforgivable, but a grievous sin that wounds the consciences of all involved: the other spouse, the parents, the children, the pastor, but above all, the unfaithful spouse. The Devil will use this awful decision and heinous deed to work on the minds of those involved:

they caused this,

they should have done that,

God is mad at me,

I'm mad at God,

and perhaps worst of all, I don't care what God says.

And so it goes. The Devil delights in divorce because so often the snake uses it to drag or lure the Bride―the Church―away from the Bridegroom―Jesus Christ.

But there is hope for those who have been deserted. And even hope for the villains who have deserted their families. Jeremiah passed along these stunning words from the Lord to His people:

“Return, faithless Israel, I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the Lord, 'I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt―you have rebelled against the Lord your God . . . Return, faithless people," declares the Lord, "for I am your husband. (Jeremiah 3:12-14)

Dear friends, the Devil is delighted to sponsor the ongoing assault on marriage. He's been doing it for centuries. And now he gains much from the current battle. Obviously he destroys many souls of those who advocate the un-marriage of the day, but he is also happy to use our frustration to keep us from seeing our own desertions and adulteries. We have looked at awful things, read awful things, and watched awful things. They used to come in VHS, now they stream online.

But maybe you've never looked at that smut since you don't know how to operate a VCR or turn on your email.

But you treated your spouse with anger. You've counted their faults and used them to wound when you needed to win. Or perhaps you've laughed at the shows that make husbands look like incompetent idiots and wives like shrill screamers or objects of lust.

But there is still hope for us, because of the words of Christ: “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” He, the Bridegroom, faithfully chases us with these words, His wandering Bride. And He finds us, again and again.

Praise Him for true marriages, where husbands sacrifice for their brides and wives serve their husbands. For in their faithfulness, their repentance and forgiveness to each other, we see the deeper truth and joy. This is what Christ is for us. And instead of the wedding reception at the beginning of the marriage, He saves it for eternity.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' But they paid no attention and went off―one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. (Matthew 22:2-10)

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Christ Alone Gives Us Credit for His Work

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

October 4, 2015

Mark 9:38-40

Christ Alone Gives Us Credit for His Work

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Kids, you draw lots of pictures. Pictures of dogs, houses, clouds, pictures of lots of different things. If you draw a picture of an elephant, would it be okay if your brother wrote his name on the paper and then he gave it to your mom and pretended like he drew the elephant. No, that wouldn't be okay. He'd be taking credit for your work and you'd be probably be sad or even a little mad that he stole your picture.

In the Bible this morning we heard about a different kind of stealing that made Joshua and John mad.

A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:27-29)

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40)

Joshua and John were mad because they thought that someone was taking credit for God's work. But they shouldn't have been mad. Moses told Joshua and Jesus told John not to be mad. They told them that only believers can do God's work. And gladly believers can be found anywhere.

And even more, God's work will always be known sooner or later as God's work. To put it another way, you can't plagiarize God or steal from Him for long.

Before Moses led the Exodus out of Egypt, he faced off with Pharoah's magicians. These sorcerers actually had power from the Devil that could perform a few of first plagues of Egypt, but they quickly were overwhelmed by God's strength. Soon everyone knew that only the one true God has power that endures for the good of His people.

Christ is the Prophet who surpassed even Moses. Christ delivered all of His people out of slavery to sin using His own life. Moses was given power from Jesus to do the work that helped one small group of people for a small amount of time; Jesus used Himself and Himself alone to deliver salvation to all mankind. He delivers us from evil and casts away demons with His name. His name saves us and He gives His name to us to speak when we baptize sinners, preach the Gospel, and feed the hungry with His holy supper.

John was worried that a man who wasn't following Jesus was driving out demons in Jesus' name. But Jesus told John that this man was following Him. He wasn't stealing from God. The man was using Jesus' name. He was giving credit to the only true powerful God.

Our catechism teaches us over and over that we're saved not because of the group to which we belong, but because of His hallowed name. Which group you gather with on Sunday morning and the pastor you learn from matters. But we rejoice when we see other Christians doing good in the name of Christ.

We rejoice when any Christian speaks truth about life to a mother who

thinks there are no alternatives for her living unborn baby.

We rejoice when any Christian pastor speaks and baptizes a baby.

We rejoice when any Christian suffers for speaking the truth about

marriage to their family and friends.

We rejoice when any Christian does good in Jesus' name.

We rejoice that whoever is not against is for us.

All of this good is evidence of Christ's choosing to use His people and giving us the credit. He shares His goodness with His people and we are everywhere.

What kind of man buys his wife a present and lets his children sign their names on the card? A good man. Jesus is the best man, God in the flesh, who gives us credit for His work.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!

Michael Sent out to Kill Dragons with Water

St. Michael & All Angels

September 27, 2015

Revelation 12:7-8

Michael Sent out to Kill Dragons with Water

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Dragons are real. History tells us of large reptile creatures—possibly crocs from the Nile that swam across the Mediterranean—that roamed in the south of Europe. Though these crocodiles didn't breathe fire, neither could the many dinosaurs that Adam and Eve and their children observed.

Like fish-stories, the dragon-stories that we know today are creative additions to real things. But dragons were real.

In the same way, the Devil is real. But instead of increasing his ferocity—like a good dragon story—the world has chosen to defang the Devil and his demons. The world pretends that these dragons are bemusing myth. This is a mistake because while dragons are no longer a threat to us, the Devil most certainly is.

Jesus noted:

[The Devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44b)

Peter warned:

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8b)

The Devil is a fierce enemy who is so bold that he tempted Jesus Christ Himself. And he most certainly tempts you every day with his lies.

The truth is the Devil is too strong for us. So we need help. And our merciful Lord Jesus sends His archangel Michael to fight for us.

Michael means “Who is like God?” and is a reminder that Michael is a created being. God made Michael to serve Him, just as He created Adam and Eve in the beginning to serve Him.

But unlike our first father and mother, Michael never rebelled against God. He remained a loyal soldier, who fights and wins against the real dragons that threaten us every day.

And there was war in the sky, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war and they were not strong enough and there was no longer a place found for them in the sky. (Revelation 12:7-8 Siegbert Becker's translation)

This section of Christ's revelation to John seems to only speak about a past event. But as we have read earlier and from past experience, we know that the Dragon, the Devil, is quite active and has not given up.

This is insanity. For the Devil to keep fighting is insane. Christ has won. In the beginning Christ sent Michael to hurl the Dragon out of the heavenly realms. Christ 1, Devil 0.

The Devil failed to capture the soul of Job. Christ 2, Devil 0.

The Devil failed to destroy God's Old Testament people as was noted in the book of Daniel. Christ 3, Devil 0.

Christ refused the Devil's offers of power and glory in the wilderness. Christ 4, Devil 0.

Christ suffered and died on the cross. Christ won. Christ conquered sin, death, and the Devil on the cross. It is over.

Yet the Devil keeps fighting. So Christ keeps sending Michael out too. The Devil fights with lies. Michael fights with the Truth. Michael uses God's Word to drive away demons.

Today we drive away demons from the soul of little Eli. Today we confess that the Devil has again failed and has been cast down. With Holy Baptism, with water and God's Word, the Devil again is defeated because he has no claim on this precious baby boy. Christ wants Eli and so He chose him to be His own. And He speaks it so with water.

Dragons are real. The Devil will still hunt for Eli, just as he continues to prowl around for us. The Devil has lost, but he still fights on until the end of time. But this is exactly why Jesus continues to send His good angels, like Michael, to protect Eli and us.

The first 72 preachers that Jesus sent out knew that dragons were real. When they came back to report to Jesus, they were understandably excited about their battles with these dragons.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:18-20)

Through Baptism Eli is safe. Through God's Word he will trample the serpent, the dragon, the Devil, for Michael fights for him, sent by the victorious Christ Himself. Eli will call upon the Lord and the Lord will hear him. And Eli's name is written in the book of everlasting life.

For He will command His angels concerning [Eli] to guard [him] in all [his] ways; they will lift [him] up in their hands, so that [he] will not strike [his] foot against a stone. [He] will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because [Eli] loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:11-16)

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!