Second Sunday in Lent - Reminiscere

St. Matthew 15:21–28

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

Demons are real. But we don’t talk about them very much anymore. Sometimes we say, “That man has some demons.” But we mean that metaphorically. He’s an alcoholic, or he has anger problems. That’s not what the Canaanite woman meant. Her little girl had a real demon literally possessing her body. No metaphor, no fairy tale, no joke.

And we are kidding ourselves if we think the devil and his demons are not behind all the evils that still plague us, including alcoholism. Or pornography. Drug use. Mental illness. And we also still have to watch out for the straight-up paganism, spiritism, witchcraft. You might think it sounds crazy but it’s on the rise. As many as 1 million or 1.4 million people in the U.S. claim to believe or practice some kind of paganism or Wicca. Just to give you an idea, that’s bigger than the United Church of Christ, about the same as the Presbyterian Church USA, and just a little smaller than the Missouri Synod. So, I also warn you, absolutely stay away from psychics and fortune tellers, palm readings and tarot cards. No playing with seances or Ouija boards. It’s no joke. Demons are real and touching their stuff can do damage to your soul. The idea behind real magic is that you control the spirits to do your bidding. But you mess with that stuff, and sooner or later the demons are controlling you.

We don’t need to get afraid, but we do need to take this stuff seriously. We are blind if we think there is no spiritual warfare raging all around us. 

However, recognizing the reality of demons does not make us less culpable. Eve didn’t get away with telling God, “The devil made me do it.” And while demons are deceitful and lure us into temptation, we are the ones who give into our desires and let them rule us. We are the ones who run away from God and His Law, looking for what we think would be a good life, and then throw ourselves at the mercy of the devil. The demons may entice us into the house of sin, but we walk in, shut the door, and throw away the key. Anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). And the devil is only too glad to help us along into this slavery.

But now we come to the other problem the Canaanite woman had. What happens when you realize you’ve locked yourself in with demons and you want to get out? And what happens when you cry for help but no one answers? What happens when it seems like God is one of the demons? What do you do when God shows up and attacks you, like He did to Jacob? The natural response is to be terrified, and we should fear God, because it’s not a demon that will come for you in the end—it’s the almighty God.

So, what do you do when God comes at you, like He did to Jacob; or when He ignores you and calls you a dog, like He did to the Canaanite woman? The natural response is to despair, to hate God, and to go looking for a nicer god. But Jacob wrestled with God and wouldn’t let Him go without a blessing. And the Canaanite woman wrestled with Jesus’ Words, and she wouldn’t let Him go without keeping His promise. What’s the only thing you can do in this life, with demons on the one side, and a God who doesn’t seem to care on the other? The Canaanite woman clings to God’s Word.

Now, what's really amazing is that this Canaanite woman should not exist. If you go to the Book of Joshua, you see that God had commanded Israel to wipe out the people of Canaan. You also find out that they did not completely obey, so there were still Canaanite people living. Really, if anyone should think this God of Israel was a demon, it was a Canaanite. 

But our Canaanite lady still calls to Jesus. Evidently she has heard God’s Word and trusted His promise for a Savior, and so she cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” She calls Him the Messiah—the descendant of King David who would rule over Israel forever, even though she’s not an Israelite. That’s why Jesus then says that He came only for the lost sheep of the House of Israel. 

Even though it seems like Jesus doesn’t care, this woman keeps on calling: “Lord, help me.” She calls Him Lord—the name He told to Moses and His people, Israel. She calls Him Yahweh—I AM, even though she’s not an Israelite. And then that’s why Jesus says, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She has no right to make claims on Him, to use His name. She is not a child of Israel. He calls her a dog. He all but tells her to go back to her poor daughter and live with the demons.

Wrestling with God was painful for Jacob. And wrestling with Jesus is just as painful for this mother. God is dangerous. He should be feared. No Canaanite, and no sinner, can make demands on God or argue for their rights. But still, she believes God is faithful. She has heard His promises for mercy in His Holy Word and she will not let go of that. She says, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table—Yes, Lord. I’m no child of Israel. But let me be Your dog. Yes, Lord. I’m not worthy and I don’t deserve anything good. But be my Master and let me eat Your crumbs.”

When God seems to ignore us or appears cruel, when His answer for us or for a loved one is suffering or death, our response cannot be to give up and walk away. And it also won’t really help to just pray more or pray harder. We won't get anywhere by throwing a fit and telling Him we deserve His help. Instead we confess our sin. We need to empty ourselves of ourselves. “Yes Lord, I am a dog.” We agree with Him. We are not worthy. We have no rights. We have consorted with demons and given into temptation. That Canaanite woman should not have been alive. And neither should we.

But God has made promises and we can hold Him to that. Only when our hands are empty can we hold onto Him. So even when He appears silent or hateful, that cannot change the fact that He speaks to us in His Word. And in His Word He promises forgiveness, salvation, and freedom from the devil and death. He promises to answer when we call upon His name. He promises to give life everlasting. 

If all you have is God’s Word, even just a crumb, then you have Him. And this God that you have in His Word is the God who kept His promises, and came in mercy, and died in your place. And this God that you have in His Word is no demon, and He’s not going to leave you trapped with them. This God is not silent and He does answer your prayers. He will either give you what you ask for, or He’ll give you something better. His final answer is always the same: the crucified Jesus lives and He sets you free.

Your God wrestles with you, and it will hurt, but it’s for your good. Because He is good. He disciplines you like a good Father disciplines His children, so that they stay away from the stuff that can really hurt them. We firmly believe that any hardship you bear, so long as you bear it in faith, it is for the glory of God, and the Lord will hear your prayer and He will work for you according to His good and gracious will (PCC, 34). 

And even while He wrestles with you, He crushes the demons. They cannot have you. Don’t be afraid. Cry out to Him with confidence. Prayer discourages the devil—meaning, it takes the courage out of him. And it encourages you—prayer puts the courage of God into you. You have God’s ear. You can call on Him and hold Him to His promises. 

Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love (Ps. 25). And He answers, “Great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.


Preached at Trinity, Clinton, IA & Immanuel, Charlotte, IA

Second Sunday in Lent - Reminiscere

St. Matthew 15:21–28

Baptisms of Jamyson & Chloe Atkinson

Catechesis brings you low in order to lift you up

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

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus casts out a demon from the woman’s daughter. We actually saw this very thing take place this morning. In their Baptisms, Jesus cast out the devil from Jamysn and Chloe. The Word of God teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation. But Baptism rescues us by forgiving our sins and silencing the devil. Depart you unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit. Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways? Yes, I renounce him (Baptism Liturgy, LSB p.268–70). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit claimed Jamysn and Chloe, covering them in the righteousness of Christ, bringing them into God’s Kingdom, and so they will be forever protected from the forces of evil so long as they remain living in their Baptisms, trusting in the promises God made to them today.

Baptism heals you and rescues you from the devil, just like Jesus did for that little girl. But Baptism also tears you yourself down. Through this saving flood all sin in them, which has been inherited from Adam and which they themselves have committed since, is drowned and dies (Flood Prayer, LSB p.269). See, we are not innocent victims, and neither are Jamysn and Chloe. We are sinners, active participants in the rebellion against God. And that means, not only must we be rescued from the devil’s power, but we must also be killed. Or more accurately, Baptism drowns the Old Adam in us. Our sinful hearts and minds, our sinful flesh, that must be put to death. All so that a New Man can arise and live in righteousness. The children sang it today: Let us daily die to sin, Let us daily rise with Him (LSB 605:3). Baptism brings you low in order to lift you up. The Old Adam in us is put to death with Christ, so that the New Man in us can rise and live with Christ.

This dying and rising, this brining low and lifting up, happens in Baptism, but it doesn’t stop with the drops of water. This dying and rising, this bringing low and lifting up goes on throughout life as we continue to live in our Baptisms. And that’s why we have catechesis, hearing and learning the faith. Like Baptism, catechesis brings you low in order to lift you up. Catechesis continues the work of Baptism in your daily life going forward. Or to put it a better way, Baptism keeps doing its work daily through catechesis.

This is seen most clearly with the Canaanite mother in our Gospel reading. It is shocking to us how Jesus responds to her cries for help. First, He ignores her: He did not answer her a word. Next, He refuses her: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (meaning, “I’m not going to help this Gentile sinner”). And then, He outright insults her: “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” Catechesis brings you low and Jesus absolutely brings this woman low. You might even naturally think, “How can Jesus seem so cruel?” But catechesis brings you low in order to lift you up, and that’s what Jesus does for this woman. With every harsh reply He brings her lower—less explanations about her difficulties, less reasons why He should help, and more clinging only to Him, only trusting that He will answer. Jesus takes her to the point where she is truly able to receive mercy. He brings her low so that she can only receive mercy. She has no other leg to stand on, nothing to be proud of, no way that she can earn or deserve anything good from Him. He brings her low. Spiritually speaking, He kills her.

And yet, she does not despair. The lower Jesus takes her, the more she trusts in Him. The lower He brings her, the more she acknowledges her lowliness, and all the more she claims His goodness. She calls on God’s promises. Ultimately, she uses His own Word and she gets what she asks for: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.”

That is how a Christian is to die. And I don’t just mean physical death. That’s how a Christian dies to self. That’s how you drown the old Adam, deny yourself, and are crucified with Christ. And then, you can be raised up again and live with Christ. All the while, through all the harsh words, Jesus has that woman’s salvation in mind. He brings her low in order to lift her up. If she had turned away earlier, offended, thinking that she didn’t have to stand for this kind of harsh treatment, if she had denied her sin, her lowliness, and denied Him, then she would go without His help. You can’t get a crumb from the Master’s table if you think you can insist on your rights or earn a spot by who you know or what you’ve done. Only when you admit that you are indeed a sinner deserving God’s anger, no better than a dog, only then can you rely on the Master’s generosity. You can’t hope to rise again if you aren’t willing to first die. You can’t hope to be forgiven if you don’t first admit your sin and your desperate need. As we sang earlier:

            Baptized into Your name most holy,

            O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

            I claim a place, though weak and lowly,

            Among Your saints, Your chosen host.

            Buried with Christ and dead to sin,

            Your Spirit now shall live within. (LSB 590:1)

Baptism humbles you, it brings you low, it kills you. That’s the same goal in catechesis. The work of Baptism continues as often as that Old Adam rears his head in protest. We don’t have much trouble saying we believe this when it comes to Baptism itself. But we don’t like it so much when it happens later in life. When  our sin is confronted by God’s Word then we get angry, we object, we refuse to listen. When we’re told that we need to listen and learn God’s Word we shrug it off, because we don’t think we’re so bad. 

But that is precisely why you need catechesis, you need to be taught that you are wrong, and your Old Adam needs to be killed. A big part of both Baptism and catechesis is getting rebuked. A big part of being a Christian is getting corrected, even getting a harsh treatment from Jesus like the Canaanite woman. You are a sinner and you need God’s Word to silence your excuses, kill you, bring you low, so that your sinful pride doesn’t get in the way of your salvation. That means you have to leave your sin. In simple terms, it means you have to learn what your sin is and work at not doing it anymore. You need to trust the Lord’s teaching on what is good and conform yourself to what He says. And that does mean getting rebuked once in a while. It means dying to self and admitting you’re wrong. It means saying, “Yes, Lord. You are right. Yet, I will cling to Your mercy.” It is painful to be brought low and confess your sin. But only then will you be lifted up with the Word of forgiveness and life.

Baptism raises you and gives you new life and new power. It creates a New Man in Christ—someone who only loves God and what is good. And catechesis not only continues giving life to this New Man, but it teaches you how to live as the New Man. You are new in Christ but you still need to learn how to live this new life: how to bring your Old Adam low and kill him by the Word of God’s Law and by confessing your sins and resisting temptation; and how to lift up your New Man, how to strengthen him by trusting God’s forgiveness and taking advantage of everything He gives in the Word and the sacraments.

Living this new life means that you learn God’s Word so that you grow to love it more and more. Catechesis can be a humbling thing: the more you learn, the more you find out that you have more to learn. I imagine this is why so many people stay away from things like Bible study. They don’t want to be reminded of how little they know. But the Canaanite woman wasn’t ashamed to be a dog eating the crumbs from her Master’s table. That’s how much she loved her Lord. So, you don’t be ashamed to sit at your Master’s table and learn from Him. This is true for all of us, myself included. Maybe learning something new is humbling, but there is so much joy in learning something from God’s Word. There should be no embarrassment when Christians gather to learn God’s Word together, because God is bringing us all low so that He can lift us all up.

What’s more, catechesis trains you in being brought low, so that you learn how to suffer and receive some harsh treatment. This is so that suffering doesn’t turn you away from Christ, but brings you closer to Him. This was Paul’s point in our Epistle: Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ—we are baptized, so we can be confident that we are God’s children. Through Christ (and through Baptism) we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:1–5).

Baptism brings you low in order to lift you up.Catechesis brings you low in order to lift you up. These two works of God train you to persist and endure and suffer, so that you do not give up, so that you do not turn away from Him when things get bad. Baptism and catechesis bring you low in order to lift you up so that you also might be like that faithful Canaanite woman, and have your cries for mercy answered by the Lord who gave Himself for you. The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life everlasting (Baptism Blessing, LSB p.271).

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Second Sunday in Lent - Reminiscere

Baptism of Sayler Danae Miller

St. Matthew 15:21-28

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

The account of the Canaanite woman is a masterpiece of a Gospel reading. It’s one of my personal favorites. It’s such a stunning account of faith because it shows faith’s life and death struggle with God. Faith is not all tranquility and relaxation. While faith in God’s promises does supply us with peace and comfort, peace and comfort that the world cannot give, the act of faith itself is not easy. Faith is the persistent struggle to overcome doubt and to cling to God’s Word no matter what, even if it seems that God has turned away from us.

First of all, this woman is a Canaanite, a Gentile, an outsider. That means she is not a descendant of Abraham and she has no right to ask the God of Abraham for help. The thought must have nagged at her conscience:  “I’m not worthy to approach Him. I shouldn’t even bother. I’m a Gentile, and He’s a Jew, sent to the Jews.” And I’m sure you’ve all had similar thoughts attack you when you pray. We might feel as though we shouldn’t pray because we’re not good enough. We might feel as though God won’t listen to us anyway, He’s tired of us, tired of the same old problems, the same old sins. We might feel as though we can’t pray because we don’t have enough faith or we’re not sincere enough. For the unpracticed heart, the Christian who has stopped struggling, these thoughts succeed in silencing our prayer. And then the struggle really is lost, and faith dies. But look at this Canaanite woman. She’s heard a good report about Jesus, a Gospel message of His word and works, and so she believes. Her heart is so full of trust in Christ that she is convinced that He will not turn her away. With this faith she banishes every thought of her unworthiness. She refuses to debate with herself and her sins. Instead she focuses all her confidence on Jesus. She knows that she needs help and so she humbly comes seeking help from Him.

She cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But on top of her feelings of unworthiness, Jesus adds another blow: He did not answer her a word. You know she must have thought, “Where’s the kind man everyone was praising for His compassion, being quick to listen, eager to help?” When this kind of thing happens to us, we immediately get upset with God. And some even give God their ultimatum: “I would never believe in a God like that…” Maybe you’re a little disappointed with Jesus here. He doesn’t seem like the “Jesus loves me” kind of Jesus that we’re so comfortable with. But the poor Canaanite woman doesn’t let herself be scared off. She is all too aware of her desperate need. And she is willing to fight through the silence and darkness while her Lord ignores her. But she doesn’t stop expecting help from Him.

Now, the disciples tried to be nice people. They were annoyed by her crying and carrying on, but they meant well. They wanted Jesus to help her. And if His helping her made their lives a little easier then so much the better. Nice, satisfied people don’t really know what it means to struggle with God. They don’t really have faith in Christ the way this woman does, because they don’t realize their deep need for Christ. This might be some of us, if we’re only interested in the quick fix – the fastest, easiest way to make sure everyone gets along. And when problems arise we bury our heads in the sand. We might commiserate, but we never want to tackle the problem head on. We don’t want to struggle with God or with men, and that’s another indication that faith is dying. But Jesus gives the disciples something to struggle with. He refuses the woman again, first by His silence, and now by His answer to the disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  What did the disciples think? “Oh well, we tried” Still, she does not relent, but keeps right on.

She comes right up to Him, kneeling in front of Him, and says, “Lord, help me.” And then Jesus deals her the hardest blow yet: “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” If He had said that to me, I would’ve probably slunk off to the corner. If He had said that to most people today who get offended at the slightest provocation, He would probably be slapped in the face or sued. But the dear woman is not upset. At last, she has gotten a word out of Him! First, He ignored her entirely. Then, He dismissed her, but only through the disciples. Now, He has finally addressed her directly. And it doesn’t matter to her that this word is so harsh, she is going to grab hold of it and not give it up.

This is the struggle of faith, so beautifully depicted. Faith takes Christ captive in His word, even when He’s angriest, and out of His cruel words faith makes a comforting inversion. She says, “You say I’m a dog. So be it. I will gladly be a dog. Now give me the consideration that you give a dog. I’m not a child of Abraham. I’m not a righteous, deserving person. I am a poor sinner with no other helper. But You are a rich and merciful Lord and You set a lavish table. Let me eat of Your crumbs. Even dogs must have masters and crumbs. And even Gentile sinners like me must have a God and Savior. And that’s You, Jesus.”

Do you see how this faithful woman catches Christ with His own words? “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” She’s got Him. Where can our Lord Jesus go? “O woman, great is your faith!” You can hear the smile creeping on Jesus’ face. “Be it done for you as you desire.” Jesus is more than happy to be caught. It’s what He most deeply desires. With His words, she has won, not only the right of a dog, but also the right of the children. Her faith pleases Him so much that she is no longer a dog, a sinner, a Gentile. But He heals her daughter, makes her a descendant of Abraham, and welcomes her as a beloved daughter of God.

This is all true for you too. When God seems to hide His grace from you, when He seems to ignore your prayers or give you a harsh and angry answer, you must press on in your faith, and catch Him in His Word. Don’t think about Him according to your unworthiness. Don’t think about Him according to your thoughts or your feelings, but only according to His Word. Confess: “Yes Lord, I am a sinner, but You came to save sinners. You died for me, Jesus. O Father, You must hear my prayer, You cannot refuse me, because my sins are forgiven by the blood of Your Son.” When we admit that God is right in His judgment on us, then we have won and caught Him in His own words. When we hold Him to His Word, then He must hear and answer, and He is happy to do it. It is of the utmost importance that we pay attention to God’s Word, learn it and firmly cling to its promises, so that we will know how to catch God’s ear with it, and never doubt that our prayer will be heard, even though for a time God delays His answer.

The struggle of faith is most acute when it seems as though God is against us, and that His answers to our prayers sound like: “No.” His answers to the Canaanite woman sounded a lot more like “No,” than “Yes,” but there was actually more “Yes” there than you might think. In fact, there was only “Yes” there, but it was deeply hidden. And by faith, the woman caught the “Yes” in Jesus’ words. St. Paul wrote: The Son of God, Jesus Christ… was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ. (2 Cor. 1:19–20). At times it may seem that God holds back His “Yes,” but it will be for our good. And He will answer your prayers, He will heal and help and deliver you, either in this world or in the resurrection to come.

So faith struggles against the darkness and uncertainty of the things we experience in this life. Faith struggles against God when He appears to reject us and turn against us. But let us never doubt that we have a “Yes” in heaven, an answer to all our prayers, embedded in the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for us, and in the heart of His Father who has become our Father. In time this “Yes” will be revealed.

For now, God hides His answer from our sight. And for now, the devil tries to shoot his futile “No” at us. But we must learn to cling to the “Yes” by faith. God will be merciful to me, to His Church, and He will rescue all who cry to Him for help. Even today, you heard the Father’s eternal “Yes” to us, and specifically to little Sayler. Yes, your sin is washed away in the blood of the Lamb. Yes, you are my child. Being baptized into Christ means that we have all the promises and answers of God. That is why it is through Christ that we utter our Amen to God for his glory (2 Cor. 1:20)

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Martin Luther's sermons: Baker, Vol. V, pp.321–328; and AE, Vol. 76, pp.378–382.