Third Sunday in Lent

Introit (Psalm 25)

St. Luke 11:14–28

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

Today's Introit Psalm is the same as last Sunday's: Psalm 25. We look at this Psalm from a different perspective this week. Last week we prayed that the Lord would remember not our sins, but remember us according to His mercies in Christ. This week we are praying especially for rescue from our enemies. "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble. Pluck my feet out of the net."

When a Christian thinks, “Who is my enemy?” the obvious answer is the devil. But of course, he is not obvious to everyone. Our Lord said that he was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. Perhaps his greatest lie is that he doesn't exist; that He is just a superstition, an old way of thinking, and he has no real power. But if our time and place will not recognize the demonic forces, or if we do not see any visible manifestations of the devil and his allies, we shouldn't assume that they do not exist. The devil easily keeps us guarded and in his own possession when we deny that he exists. He loves that, because we do not resist or fight what we don't believe and fear. The influence of the Devil is not less these days because we don't see people demon-possessed. The devil's influence is not less powerful because it is hidden. It is more powerful.

It is worse than what Hollywood has shown us of demons. The devil is a master liar. And our world loves lies. They are easier to handle than truths. The devil twists and blinds man's thinking. We see this in the reaction of the people of Judah to Jeremiah. He comes speaking the Word of God, a call to repentance, and a warning of judgment for those who refuse. But the people only hear this: "Jeremiah said something bad about our city." And they prepare to kill him. Never mind that it is the Lord's Word— not hate speech. Never mind that the Lord speaks it for the sake of repentance, with the promise that He is faithful and just to forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. It is very much like the ridiculous conclusion of the Pharisees, that Jesus must be casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus easily shows the flaws in their argument. They are confronted, just as Judah was by Jeremiah. And if it is by the finger of God that Jesus casts out demons, they must acknowledge that the Kingdom of God has come upon them.

So hear this Christians: 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. So writes St. Paul in the chapter just after today's Epistle, where He describes in plain terms what our Lord says in His parable about the strong man. The devil, that strong man, had all of us. He ruled us and held us captive. We were darkness. We were caught in the net. We were surrounded by enemies and put to all sorts of shame. But now, Jesus, the stronger man has come, attacked the devil, taken away his arms, and divided his spoils. And here is where we see that Psalm 25 holds together. Because our enemies are not only external things. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood and not even simply against demons, as if we could pull out a sword and chop off the head of this dragon. Our enemies include our own sinful flesh. The devil has an ally in us. Paul does not write that we once were victims of darkness; he says we were darkness.

The weapons of the devil actually include our sins. We are afflicted, assaulted, and taken captive by many spiritual enemies. But we also cooperate with the enemy. When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are at peace, says Jesus; when the stronger man, who is Jesus Himself, comes, there is division. We must pray and fight against those three enemies of which the Catechism so often speaks: the Devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. We must fight against ourselves, that we not have hearts that are empty, idle, and waiting for the unclean spirits to come back and take over.For then our last state would be even worse than the enmity with God which we all have from birth. O Lord, preserve us!

So we pray with Psalm 25: Consider my affliction and my trouble! And we might expect the Psalm to continue, "put an end to all these enemies that cause me affliction and trouble.” But instead, the verse continues, and forgive all my sins. Again with the sins? We need rescue from our enemies, not more forgiveness! Oh how weak our faith is, dear saints, and how easily we are deceived with empty words. The Stronger Man who comes to conquer Satan does it by taking away the armor in which he trusted, to divide us from the devil's keeping and separate us as a holy people for Himself. He takes away what the devil holds against us. He takes away our sins. The enemies we face are all out to keep us from having this: the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins is the devil's undoing. The world doesn’t understand this, because it neither believes in sins nor is willing to be righteous in any way but through its own efforts. But our sins—our unholy alliance with the forces of darkness, in which we once walked and toward which our hearts still incline—our sins can only be dealt with by the blood of Christ. That is how He rescues us.

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. For the Word is the finger of God. It casts out our enemies, because it forgives our sins. And keeping it—guarding it, holding onto it, returning constantly to it in repentance and faith—that is life. The Catechism teaches us this when it speaks about that other tremendously powerful gift of God, by which he touches our tongues and opens our mouths to speak: The Lord's Supper. These Words, "given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins," show us that in the sacrament, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these Words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. It is not that we need the forgiveness of sins plus many other things too. Rather, we need the forgiveness of sins because it is the answer to much more than we know. We think we need forgiveness only when we feel guilty; but the forgiveness of our sins is the medicine, the antidote, the weapon against all of our enemies. It is what removes shame from us. It is what gives life. It is what emboldens us to be imitators and beloved children of God, to walk in love and offer a fragrant sacrifice in every aspect of life.

Guard my soul and deliver me! we pray. And Christ does. Our strong man, Jesus, has taken away what the devil used to hold us captive. He has forgiven our sins. And He has not left us alone to await a worse fate, another enemy, or the world's shame and affliction. He has blessed us with His Word to hear and keep, so that we turn in the midst of all our distress toward Him, that He would pluck our feet at last out of the net. In Baptism He cast out the unclean Spirit from us and gave us His Holy Spirit. In His Word of Absolution and in His Holy Supper, He again opens our mouths just like the mute man in the Gospel. And we sing: Christ, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us; grant us peace!

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

This sermon was written in collaboration with Rev. Sean Daenzer, Trinity, Great Bend, & Peace, Barney, ND. 2016

Second Sunday in Lent

Introit (Psalm 25)

St. Matthew 15:21–28

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

Reminiscere is the Latin name for this Sunday. It means “remember,” coming from Psalm 25 and our Introit for this day. Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Has God forgotten something? Isn’t it strange for us to pray this, since we are the ones who so easily and so constantly forget what God has told us and done for us. Why would we tell God to remember? After all, He is omniscient. He knows all things. But sometimes it seems like He has forgotten – forgotten His deeds of old and His promises, forgotten His mercy and steadfast love, and forgotten us. “Has He forgotten me?” we ask, when we lose our job, or when the days seem to drag on in darkness, or when the cancer treatments don’t work, or when a loved one dies. Has God forgotten?

It seems that way in Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman. First, He ignores her. Then He says that He is not for her. Then He calls her a dog. But she won’t let Him get away. She refuses to believe that He has forgotten her. She has faith that her Lord is good, even when it seems like He is not. She is practically screaming Psalm 25: Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love. Keep your promises, Son of David. I don’t have to be a Jew to know that You are my Savior. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Don’t let the demons take my daughter. Don’t let Satan exult over me. Lord, help me. Remember, Lord. I remember Your mercy. You remember it too. This is what makes her faith great. There is nothing great in her, but her faith is great because she puts her faith in the Great One, the Lord who remembers and shows mercy and steadfast love to poor sinners.

Let’s boil down the prayers of our Introit. It’s basically this: Remember Your mercy, O Lord. Remember not my sins.  Now that’s something even a Gentile dog can pray. When we run to the Lord for salvation, this is what we want from Him. We want Him to think upon His mercy and love. We want Him to look down with favor and forgiveness. And we want Him to not remember our sins. We want Him to blot them out, cancel our debts, erase them as though they’ve never been. We don’t want the Lord to forget us, but we want Him to forget our sins. We don’t want the Lord to forget His love for us, but we want Him to forget His anger.

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! For a sinner to say to God, “Remember me,” is quite a bold thing. Possibly risky. What if He does, and remembers all the evil you have done? But the Canaanite woman, or any trusting heart, is not so brazen as to put herself forward on her own merits. Rather she prays precisely, Remember not my sins…but according to your steadfast love remember me. Lord, only remember me with Your compassion. Remember me, not for my sake, but only for the sake of your goodness! This is not arrogance, but only humility before God and trust in His never-failing mercy.

In this way, Psalm 25 could also be the prayer of the Penitent Thief, hanging on the cross next to Jesus. As he hung there dying, he confessed his guilt and acknowledged that he was receiving the due reward of his deeds. But then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) There, at the bitter end of his life, this thief had nothing to say for himself, no good deeds to put forward, no hope, except to be remembered by the love and mercy of God. He turned to Jesus on the cross, dying for him, and asks this Jesus to think on him in the kingdom of forgiveness, to look upon him in the way that only the King on the Cross can. And according to His steadfast love, for the sake of His goodness, Jesus said, “Truly, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Now like the Penitent Thief, if you’re asking God to remember not your sins, then it must mean that you are aware of them. You know what you’ve done and you know how that stacks up against God’s commandments. You know the sins of your youth and the transgressions of five minutes ago. And you’re frightened, or at least you should be. Often, we Christians who know the Gospel, run past our sins too quickly. “Yeah, I know I sinned here and there but God forgives me so no big deal.” We would do well to actually examine our lives. We should put our thoughts, words, and actions under the magnifying glass of God’s Law. And we should fear His anger and we should fear the Devil’s hold on us. Demons are real and it is their goal to drag you away from God through sin, false ideas, and impenitence. Hell is real too. And it is God who sentences sinners to eternal death apart from His love. Could any of these thoughts have been flying around in the Canaanite woman’s head? Wasn’t there some fear in her voice as she cried, “Lord, help me!”?

But even in Jesus’ refusal to answer, His forgetfulness, His anger, there is His goodness hidden deep down. Because He is teaching her, pulling her to where He wants her to be: with Him and only Him. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Jesus takes her to the point of confession. He takes her to the point of no-return, no rescuing herself. He takes her to the point where only He can do the rescuing. “You’re a Gentile dog,” says Jesus. “You’re a sinner.” “Yes, Lord,” she says. “You’re right. I am a sinner.” This is what the Lord wants to hear from sinners: the Truth. No arguing with Him, no insisting on your rights or claiming that you’ve been treated unfairly. When we want the Lord to remember us, we don’t want Him to remember any of our self-righteousness or excuses. But we confess, we acknowledge our sin and His judgment. Good and upright is the Lord. Let us seek instruction only from Him.

And then the impossible happens. The Lord remembers not your sins. The Omniscient One forgets. And all He remembers is His mercy. All He remembers is His steadfast love. He forgives you. All He remembers is His sacrifice for you: Jesus the Sinless One, bleeding and dying, paying the debt you owe, suffering the punishment you deserve, rising again in the life you can share. The record of your sins was nailed to the cross with Jesus and destroyed. There are no more sins for God to remember. But He remembers you, because you are with Jesus. And for His name’s sake, your guilt is pardoned. Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

First Sunday in Lent

Introit (Psalm 91)

St. Matthew 4:1–11

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

Psalm 91 is all over this Sunday. It’s the source of the Introit, the Gradual, and the Tract – all of those brief prayers and songs that bring us into God’s presence at the beginning of the service and divide up our Scripture readings. And it’s quoted in the Gospel reading. But not by Jesus.

Psalm 91 is quoted by the Devil during the second temptation. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the temple, for it is written in Psalm 91, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Of course, the Devil doesn’t quote it faithfully. He twists it. He quotes it only in an effort call God’s Word into question. His temptation for Jesus is to doubt the trustworthiness of God’s Word. Because if God really means what He says here in Psalm 91, if He really sends His angels to lift up His children, then why has every Christian in the history of the world stubbed his toe or tripped? Why have Christian soldiers been pierced with arrows and bullets? Evidently the angels don’t protect people as this Psalm says they should and God makes promises that He doesn’t keep. Our real answer to the Devil’s temptation is in the very last verses of Psalm 91 that make our antiphon for today: When he calls to me, I will answer him; says the Lord. I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. This is the answer for God’s children to give the Devil. God says He will answer. He will be with us and honor us.

This also shows how dumb the Devil is for trying to play games with this Psalm. He is pretending like he doesn’t know what poetic language is. Everything in Psalm 91 is leading up to those last verses of God’s salvation. The whole Psalm points to the promise that God will answer. So, of course, God is not a building, but the Psalm describes Him as our refuge and fortress, our shelter and dwelling place. God is not a bird, but the Psalm says He will cover you with His feathers, and give you refuge under His wings. God is not a piece of armor, but the Psalm says He is a shield and buckler. The Psalm is describing and promising to you spiritual realities. And so also the angels do guard and keep you. They bear you up, and pray for you, so that your soul would not be struck against the stone tablets of the Law and be destroyed. The angels are your aids and guardians in the spiritual combat with the Devil and the Law’s accusations that the Devil uses against you. Your soul, which is figured in this Psalm as your feet, will tread upon the lion and the adder, that is your adversary the Devil, the roaring lion and cunning serpent. You will conquer. Satan and all his lies will be destroyed. The Psalm doesn’t say you will never stub your toe or will not die in battle. But it says your life has purpose because God is on your side. Satan cannot have you. Your end will not be in defeat. God is bringing about your true deliverance and rescue.

This also means that this Psalm is really for the Children of God, not for the Messiah. Jesus doesn’t get these benefits. In fact, He gets the opposite. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the Devil, but we are taught to pray, Lead us not into temptation. And the Devil tempts Jesus to make Himself some bread. The idea with that temptation is that Jesus gives bread to His greedy, complaining people, so why not do for Himself the things He does for them? Why should He feed others, while He goes hungry? Really, none of the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are answered for Jesus. He doesn't get daily bread. He is led into temptation. And He is not delivered from the evil one. Instead, He is handed over to the Devil and is killed. And through all Christ’s suffering and humiliation, the Devil is trying to get Jesus to take for Himself what He gives to others. He is trying to get Jesus to rescue Himself, to come down from the cross, and to not save sinners.

But our Lord Jesus will not give in. He goes through all the temptations and sufferings. And through it all He trusts that He will receive good things from His Father. His perfect faith makes Him patient. Jesus has true confidence in His Father’s love, and so He waits for it, even while starving in the wilderness, even while hanging forsaken on the cross. He has perfect faith.

This is also why our Lord doesn’t argue with the devil or explain what Psalm 91 is actually for. He doesn’t have a debate, but simply responds to the temptation by quoting Scripture: Don’t test God. The Devil has custom made temptations for all of us, but under it all is some version of this: God is holding out on you. If God really loves you, He should give you what your flesh wants. Now we try to explain why that’s not so, and we should. This is why we study the Scriptures so we can see what God really does want for us and why it is good for us, and also come to see that what our flesh wants is bad for us. But in the crisis, in the middle of temptation, it is no good to argue with the Devil. The best response is to do what Jesus did – quote Scripture. The best response is to reply, “God is good and I will wait for Him.”

It is sadly true that the most important time we need to pray is when we least feel like it. So let me also suggest that when you pray for deliverance from whatever temptation you’re facing, you pray out loud. First, the Word of God actually drives demons away, so say it that they can hear it and tremble at its power. Second, praying out loud slows you down and helps you actually think about the situation you’re in and what God has to say about it. And third, it fills the void, so you don’t feel so alone and it lets you hear what you’re saying. Along this line, we can’t say enough good things about singing hymns, and memorizing the Catechism and other Scripture verses. These are most precious, and our only weapons against Satan.

God tempts no one. But while we are in this life and in this flesh temptation will still come, and we always participate in it in some way, failing, even if it’s only in our darkest thoughts. But our Lord Jesus did not fail. He did not participate in sin or entertain the slightest doubt in God’s goodness. In this way, Jesus doesn’t really need Psalm 91. But you do. It’s for you. During His humiliation, His time of suffering, Jesus denied Himself what He provides for us. The holy angels didn’t fight for Him, but they do for you every day. He was not lifted up, but cast down, His heel was bruised, He was crucified, so that you will not die. You get all the credit for standing firm in the day of temptation. You get all the credit for overcoming the Devil and his lies. So do not fear. The evil one shall not be allowed to overcome you. Satan and all your enemies of sin and death attacked Jesus instead of you, and He has taken it all.

You have a Redeemer. When you call He will answer you. He will rescue and honor you. With life eternal He will satisfy you and show you His salvation. Because after the Devil did His worst, and bruised Jesus’ heel, Jesus crushed the devil’s head and rose again. The Devil’s lies could not defeat Him and the grave itself could not hold Him. Risen from the dead, Jesus is vindicated as the perfect, faithful man. He is no longer humble, no longer suffering the Devil’s attacks. Your Lord has won, and His victory is for you, so that when you call He will answer.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

Adapted from Rev. David Petersen, Lent 1, 2015

Ash Wednesday Evening

Introit (Psalm 57) and Antiphon

St. Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

When God cursed the serpent in the Garden of Eden, He also lay down curses upon Adam and Eve as well. They were not innocent victims of the Devil. They were deceived by his lies, but they were also active participants in the rebellion, desiring what God had not given them. And the same goes for us. Sin and the Devil are tyrants, but we also enslave ourselves to sin. We are consumed with desires for the things of earth. We are controlled by our desires to possess them and enjoy them.

This is something we need to keep in mind: Sin ruins good things. Sin is a misuse, a corruption of good things that God created. For example, sex outside of marriage and adultery are what come from ruining God’s good gift of sexual intimacy within marriage between a husband and wife. Alcoholism and gluttony are what come from ruining God’s good gifts of food and drink. It is no sin to desire what God has given, when He gives it. But it is grave sin to be dissatisfied with what God has given you, and to crave what He has given to someone else. So St. Paul writes, covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Wanting something that is not yours and that God said you may not have, that is the desire, the lust, that makes an idol. So also Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Whatever you truly treasure, whatever you love and trust in, that’s your god.

And it is not hard for us to be dissatisfied with what we have. We compare our lives to TV, movies, and romance novels, and we quickly learn that reality is not nearly as exciting as we want it to be. Our friends are not as clever as the ones on TV. Our spouse is not as thoughtful or caring as the one in the love story. Our church is not as exciting or the way we think it should be. We are obsessed with the treasures of this earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. We are obsessed with it even though it does not last, and we want more of it thinking we will finally be satisfied. We doom ourselves to a life of misery and disappointment because we seek what we cannot find on this earth and we grab for what is not ours.

The truth is we are emotionally flat – our hearts are cold or hard – and we refuse to believe that God may have given us a dull existence because it is actually good for us. Our annoying spouse, our tired-out church, our frustrating parents, they are still our spouse, our church, our parents, given to us by God. We refuse to see the good things that God has given us or to recognize that they come purely from His generosity. Our spouses, our children, our parents, our church, are always less than they should be – they never live up to our standards (or to God’s for that matter) – and yet they remain His good gifts. And we look at the good gifts of God and say, “They’re not exciting enough. I want something more.” Repent. Mourn for your participation in sin and your discontent. The idea that you’re too important to ever be bored, or that you deserve better, is a lie of the Devil.

And still, despite all that, the Lord has mercy on us. And that’s why we run to Him for forgiveness. You have mercy on all, O Lord, and abhor nothing you have made. You look past the sins of men that they may repent. You spare them all because you are our Lord, our God. (Introit Antiphon) God loves you and He is patient with you because He wants your repentance. There is no need to worry or wonder if God will be gracious and merciful. No question if God will forgive or show mercy. That is who He is – our God, our Lord.

We can come before Him and pray, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge.” (Ps. 57:1) We flee to our merciful Lord for safety and shelter from the Devil and all his temptations. We flee to our merciful Lord for covering and pardon from our sin and all God’s wrath. We hide ourselves in Him, and in the shadow of His wings we may take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. (Ps. 57:2) So also Jesus tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And those who trust in God who fulfills His purpose for us… and sends out His steadfast love and faithfulness, (Ps. 57:3) those who believe in Him, they will have their hearts with Jesus, hidden and safe with Him.

We, who believe in the Lord, really have our hearts with Jesus. It is not a metaphor. What’s more, it is not merely mental or spiritual. We need to put our actual hearts, our bodies and souls, where Jesus promises to be: in His Word and sacraments. That means putting our hands and our eyes on our Bibles. Putting our bodies in the pews. Putting our treasures (our money) in the offering plates. Jesus promises to be with His Church, so we need to put our hearts there too. This is how you get your heart in the right place – you hear and pay attention to His Word. And you carry it with you into every other moment of life as you continue to hear the Word, read it, and pray with it. This is what Christians should be thinking about, talking about at the family table, in the living room, with friends and co-workers. The Word of God is our greatest treasure, and so hearing His Word puts our hearts with Jesus.

And this treasure draws our hearts on to more treasure, pulling us back to be with Jesus even more in His holy Supper. Even while we were perishing in sin and death, covered in the ashes and dust of this dying world, our Lord joined us in our dust, He became a man and He died, succumbing to the way of all flesh, perishing. And yet He rose, taking up His body once and for all time so it does not ever perish. His death means victory over sin and death. The resurrection of His body means resurrection for ours. Now our crucified and risen Lord uses perishable food, bread and wine from earth that won’t last, and with His Word He gives that food to be bread and wine from heaven, His true body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. He continues to be the God who gives good gifts even to poor, discontented sinners like us. With perishable food He gives us His imperishable body so that we who are perishing might receive Him and be saved. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus joins our hearts to His, for we are His treasure and He is ours.

You have mercy on all, O Lord, and abhor nothing you have made. You look past the sins of men that they may repent. You spare them all because you are our Lord, our God. (Introit Antiphon) One day, our Lord, our God, will raise up our physical hearts, along with our whole bodies and souls, from the dust. And He will bring us to be with Him forever, never to want for something more, never to be parted from Him again.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

Ideas drawn from Rev. David Petersen, Issues, Etc. Interview Feb. 2016

Ash Wednesday Morning

St. Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

Maybe some of you thought it strange that we did the imposition of ashes and then heard this Gospel reading from Jesus: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others… but when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others.” Many people have used this verse as a reason to not use ashes. And it is all right to not use ashes, because our Lord never commanded that we use them. But neither did He forbid us from using them. And anyway, that’s not what this verse is about. Quite the opposite.

In fact this passage from the Sermon on the Mount confirms what the ashes are meant to teach us: That we are sinners. That we are not righteous. And that we are consumed by our desire for earthly treasure that will not last. We are dust and to dust we shall return. The ashes are meant to teach us. They are not a sacrament or a blessing or an absolution. They are merely a symbol. But they are meant to preach to us. They are like a little sermon rubbed on our foreheads. You heard the short sermon when the ashes were applied: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” But you also hear the little sermon whenever you glance around at your fellow Christians. You look around and you see little black crosses on your friends or family members that say to you: We are a dying people. But we are also a people for whom Christ died. This little sermon is even being preached to me as I look out at you. It’s a good reminder for a pastor, to see that he is a dying man and that he is preaching to a dying people. But also a reminder that Christ died for him and for these people. And that the Word of God the pastor is supposed to preach is the only way for these dying people to have life. The little black crosses are preaching a good sermon.

These crosses of ash are not contradicting Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

If Jesus’ statements about fasting are applied to the ashes because now your fasting is made public, for people to see, then you would also have to apply the same rule to the parts on giving to the needy and prayer. That means you can’t give to the needy in public. No one can ever know that you collected cans for the food pantry. And you can’t go serve at the soup kitchen because people will see you. And we can’t pass the offering plates because then our giving would be public and showy. Same thing for prayer. You can’t pray with other Christians. Obviously we’ve been doing church wrong for two thousand years because we all pray together. And even Jesus made a mistake because He told us to pray “Our Father…” which of course is plural, so it implies you pray this with other Christians. Of course, this is not the point Jesus is making. All these things may be done publically. In fact, Christians should pray together. And the ashes are not a sign that you are fasting. Who could know if you are or not? As I said, the ashes are a little sermon – to yourself and to those around you.

So what is the point Jesus is making here in Matthew 6? The point is that giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting can’t prove or show to others that you are a good Christian. It’s true that Christians give to the poor, Christians pray, and Christians give stuff up. But these things don’t make you a Christian. And you can’t tell who is a true Christian and who isn’t based on whether they give offerings, pray, or fast. Here’s the main point Jesus is making: Stop being like the hypocrites. Because let’s face it – we are – we can be hypocrites.

I think we can all admit to giving to charity for less than charitable reasons. Serving because people will see it and thank us. Or being mad when our service gets overlooked and we aren’t acknowledged. I think we can all admit to praying or going to church, because on some level we know that it’s good to be seen praying or at church. We want the recognition. This is what hypocrites want. They want praise from men. This is their greatest earthly treasure. Jesus said the hypocrites give to the poor and pray and fast so that they may be seen by others and praised. And He said they have already received their reward. There’s nothing in heaven waiting for them because they have their reward on earth: the acceptance, the admiration and respect and gratitude of men. So stop being like hypocrites. Repent. We are dust and to dust we shall return. And yet our hearts still cling to this dusty earth and its dusty treasures, even though it will all come to nothing in the end. Repent.

On the other hand, Christ, who had everything, the Son of God Himself, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped and held onto jealously, but He made Himself nothing, He made Himself dust, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found as a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He fasted and gave up everything that was His by right. And He gave it all to us poor sinners. He traded His righteousness for our sins. He gave up His righteousness for us and died. Therefore God the Father has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And though you are dust, you are dust loved by Jesus and dust made alive by His holy blood, and your dust will come back from the dust and live with Him in His glory.

Let us return now to Jesus’ Sermon. What’s so good about fasting anyway? It doesn’t make you a Christian or a holier person. But our Lord does seem to think that Christians fast. He said, “When you fast…” The good of fasting, and prayer, and giving to the needy, is that they all point to the last portion of our Gospel reading: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Fasting, or giving something up, shows where your heart has been, what your true treasure was, what you were trusting in or enjoying more than your Lord.

Fasting is meant to give up earthly things, and turn your heart to heavenly treasure: to God’s Word, to His sacraments, and to His absolution. You’re not giving up something for God. It doesn’t do anything for Him. But giving up something can be for your own good. By giving things up we can focus more on our heavenly reward. By doing less with earthly things, we can do more with heavenly things. And giving up something can also be for your neighbor’s good. Ideally, fasting should lead to giving to the needy. If you’re not eating as much, you can give food to the poor. In a country that wastes so much food, it might seem strange to think this way. But maybe our overindulgence needs to be checked. Why lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal? Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. And it’s not hard to find these heavenly treasures. They’re all right there in your Lord’s Word and sacraments.

So let us fast and turn our hearts from earth to heaven. Let us give to those who need it, putting the goods of this earth to good use. And let us do all of it with prayer, trusting that Our Father sees us and gives the reward of heavenly treasure because of His Son our Savior.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

Quinquagesima (50 Days until Easter)

St. Luke 18:31–43

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen

Before we start Lent, there’s something we need to get straight: Jesus went to the cross deliberately. This was part of His plan. It was not merely some terrible accident. I think we know this on one level, and yet on another level we don’t always get this. I’ve heard people say they don’t like going to church on Good Friday because it’s too sad. Or they don’t like images of Jesus on the cross because they feel sorry for Him. Now, if this is our understanding then we need to re-adjust our thinking. The death of Jesus was on purpose.

Look at what Jesus says to the Twelve disciples. This was His third time predicting His passion and death. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.” Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem, not only because He is God and omniscient, but He knows because of what is written about Him in the Old Testament Scriptures. The prophets had already laid out what the Messiah would do and what would happen to Him. And now it was time for all those prophecies to be fulfilled. Jesus said the prophecies would be “accomplished” or “finished.” This is the same word Jesus says on the cross: “It is finished.” This means all that is written, all that had been promised, all that was required, was finished by the death of Jesus. In other words, God’s plan was finished by the death of Jesus. Jesus knows this and so He goes to finish it.

Jesus continues explaining to His disciples: For the Son of Man “will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.” Jesus predicts that He will be “delivered over” or “betrayed.” So who does this to Him? Our first answer is probably Judas who betrayed our Lord for the thirty pieces of silver. But who is the one in charge of it all? Who is the one handing over Jesus to die for the sins of the world? His Father. God the Father delivered Jesus into the hands of sinful men in order to die in the place of sinful men. His Father sent His only Son to do His will and finish this plan. And Jesus, the truly obedient and loving Son, obeyed His Father’s will. Jesus wanted the same thing as His Father and so He gladly followed the plan. Jesus did not complain about it. He wasn’t reluctant. He went willingly and He knew what He was doing. He accepted the mockery and shame. He accepted the spit and the whip. He joyfully laid down His life, knowing what it would accomplish. And He also knew the end of the story. Jesus predicts His death three times, and all three times He mentions the resurrection. “And on the third day He will rise.” Jesus has His vindication in sight. He knows His Father will not leave Him in the grave. And He knows that because of His suffering and death we will not be left in the grave either.

Now this is all what Jesus understood and what Jesus explained to His disciples.

And yet… “They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” In other words, they had no faith. Oh sure, they probably had a general faith in God and His power. But they had no faith in the Crucified One. No faith that God would save by His suffering and death. And no faith to ask this God for mercy. But then there’s this blind beggar who does have faith. He hears about Jesus of Nazareth and he understands. He immediately calls Jesus who He is: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Son of David is a title for the Messiah, the promised Savior who would come from King David’s house. So by calling Jesus of Nazareth the Son of David, this blind man was already calling up everything that is written about the Savior by the prophets. He is summing up the Old Testament and holding God to His promises. So also the Blind Beggar prays for mercy. It is a humbling thing to ask for mercy. Before God we are all beggars. But this prayer for mercy is also a song of praise. The Blind Beggar is calling Jesus who He is. Jesus is the One who has mercy. That is exactly how Jesus wants us to think of Him. He is the One with mercy and love for begging sinners. And He answered that prayer, He did that mercy, He loved that love with His death on the cross.

Some don’t like hearing about the passion and cross of Jesus, although they probably do like hearing about the love of God. But you can’t have God’s love without Jesus’ cross. God doesn’t love with general thoughts and feelings. He loves with specific deeds. God loved the world by giving up His only Son. This is what 1 Corinthians 13 is all about: it describes the love of God that is known in Jesus on the cross. Jesus is patient and kind. He does not boast, nor insist on His own way, nor resent those who do not love Him back. And in love He bears all things. He patiently suffered for us. He did not object to His shameful treatment and He did not brag about His power. He quietly, lovingly bore the sins of the world. This love is as concrete as the bloody nail wounds in His hands and feet. And He continues to love you in specific ways, with specific deeds. He cleanses you with water and gives you His Holy Spirit. He speaks His Word to you and He feeds you with His body and blood. You never have to wonder if God loves you. He tells you the answer again and again.

The Blind Man took Jesus at His Word. He cried out for what Jesus wants to give: mercy, forgiveness, love. That’s what faith does. Faith says, “Be my Jesus. You alone have mercy for me, a poor sinful beggar. Be this merciful, loving Jesus for me.” We are like a child who asks his mother, “Do you love me?” He knows the answer. He’s heard the answer many times before, but he asks again because he wants to hear it again. And the Mother says, “Yes, I love you.” And the Mother doesn’t mind answering again, because she loves the question and she loves to give the answer. So it is for you who have faith in your Lord.

So before we start Lent, let’s get something straight: We should be ashamed of our sins. But we are not ashamed of the cross. We should be sorry for our sins. But we are not sorry for Jesus’ death. He wanted to die. He did it all for you. He was betrayed, mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed because He loves you. This is not the cause of sadness. This is the cause of our joy. And as we approach Good Friday, we do so already knowing the end of the story. On the third day He rose. So let us hear His Word and understand. This Lent, let us mourn our sin, but don’t mourn the death of Jesus. Let us be blind to temptation and desire in this sinful world, but don’t be blind to the cross of Jesus. And let us pray not only for physical healing and temporal comfort, but pray for the love and mercy of Jesus that endures forever.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus – Amen