Encore Post: The congregations I serve uses the One-Year Lectionary, or also called the Historic Lectionary. For us, the final three weeks of the church year focus on the end of this age and the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We hear of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the Sheep/Goat Judgment, and the parable of the Ten Virgins. God’s holy and perfect Law is clearly seen in these lessons.
The terrible consequence of sin and unbelief are unmistakable. The unbelief of the Jews and the reliance on a power other than God will see Rome ransack Jerusalem and destroy the Temple. The goats, who found their righteousness not in faith but in themselves, enter the lake of fire prepared not for man but for the devil and his angels. And finally, unwise virgins are invited to a wedding. But when they have no oil, that is, have no faith, they are left out of the celebration.
But even more powerful in these final weeks are the mercy and grace that God has for us in His holy Gospel. While Jerusalem will be destroyed, God warns and protects His Christians. Even if one of them is caught up in the siege and destroyed in body, God delivers them through that death into eternal life. The sheep, who have faith and bear fruit by the work of the Holy Spirit, are welcomed into the heavenly kingdom. And the wise virgins, filled with faith, enter the eternal wedding feast.
We are in troublesome times, no doubt. But your God is still King. He still watches over you, provides for all your needs in body and soul, and delivers you from every evil.
Which is why we begin a new church year with the season of Advent. We prepare not only for our Lord’s birth and incarnation, but we prepare for His second advent, His second coming. We begin this new year and this waiting with His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem during Holy Week.
Indeed, our church year begins with the account of why Jesus came in the first place: to save His people from their sins. Not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His holy, innocent, and precious blood.
As we close one year and enter another, may you always remember your deliverance from sin, death, and the devil as your Lord, your Mighty Fortress, comes to rescue with through His death.
Rev. Brent Keller Trinity Lutheran Church Guttenberg, Iowa and St. Paul Lutheran Church McGregor, Iowa
Dear saints, the appointed Psalm for this day is the 46th Psalm. It is what inspired Luther to write this morning’s Hymn of the Day, A Mighty Fortress. It is a hymn that brings forth confidence. Not confidence in oneself, but in his God. This makes sense, for by the Middle Ages, the systems of theology preached great insecurity. It rightly preached that you are a sinner, but the prescription for your illness was not the Gospel. It was a series of works that you had to do so that your angry God might be appeased.
And so, you bought indulgences. You paid for masses for yourself and for your dead loved ones assumed to be in purgatory. Some abandoned family to take up residence in a monastery, supposing that your spiritual life there would earn heaven and not purgatory. The abuses of the church and the fear within the churchgoer fueled what became the Reformation. For in the Reformation, we are given the fruits of security.
Luther is a prime example of this. He was a committed son of the church. He believed what the church was teaching and was indeed teaching it himself. He took his sin seriously and it drove him to despair. He almost ended up hating God. But God had mercy. In that mercy, the Lord drove Luther to the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. And in his study of Romans, Luther finally saw that God’s wrath had already been carried out. Not on sinners, but on the perfect Son of God whose blood was shed in propitiation, in atonement, for the sins of the world.
It was in the Scriptures that God showed Luther that man is forgiven and justified not by private masses, indulgences, and works of penance, but by grace. Grace that is received by faith. What God showed Luther is secure and steadfast. In the 46th Psalm, we see how our God gives us security. Let us look at the four parts of the Psalm this morning:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
The opening of the Psalm is the basis of Luther’s great hymn. It is God who is our mighty fortress. It is God who is our help in any trouble. No matter what goes on around us, because of who our God is and because of what He does for us, we shall not fear anything but Him. This is the confidence we have in God. No matter what we go through, He is with us. He keeps our souls. And he will deliver us to life, no matter what trial, trouble, or tribulation you experience in this life.
There are multiple times where God interceded on behalf of His people. He brought Israel out of Egypt and delivered them from Pharaoh’s armies at the Red Sea. He defeated Sennacherib and the armies of Assyria when they were determined to destroy Jerusalem. But the Psalm speaks not simply of earthly rescue. It assures you of your rescue from sin, death, and the devil which culminates on the Last Day. On the Day that Christ returns and completes this psalm’s fulfillment. This is our confidence.
But why do we have this confidence? Because the Lord is with us!
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Though your God is omnipresent, he deigned to be locally present with His people. The holy habitation of God on earth was first in the Tabernacle which traveled with Israel and then the Temple in Jerusalem, the city of God. But Jerusalem did not have a river. What is the river then? St. Ambrose says that the river is the Holy Spirit. This is seen when you recall Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”This living water is the Holy Spirit.
Also, remember the Revelation to St. John. In the vision, he is shown the river of water that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. It flows through the middle of the street and gives water to the tree of life on either side of the river. The leaves of that tree were for the healing of the nations. In that time, nothing will again be accursed. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be present. And as God’s servants, each of you will worship Him.
Our days will never be peaceful. There will be wars, rumors of war, and strife. There will be drought, famine, or other calamities. There will be sickness, plague, and whatever else you can think of. But at the utterance of God’s voice, all will cease. For you, God is your fortress. He is the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. This is seen in the next section:
Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
The victories of God are numerous in Scripture beyond what was mentioned earlier. God worked mighty works and brought down powerful men, nations, and armies. Using young David, God defeats Goliath and the Philistines. He used a wicked nation to bring down another. But the greatest work is that of your salvation. And it is through that mighty work that He will end all wars, breaking the bow and shattering spear, and destroy chariots with fire.
While Christ has cried out, “It is finished,” we do not yet see the culmination of His victory. As a result, we still see a restless and raging world. A world that wants to overthrow God and be a ruler and god unto itself. At times, God’s people will be the target of these entities. To all this, God says:
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
As your Lord spoke to the raging wind and it was quiet, so also will He speak to those that rage against Him. And when He says, “Be still,” they will have no choice. And yet He is also speaking to you. He is telling you that He is in control, even when it is chaos around you. He is God, and no man or power can overthrow Him. It has been tried by man and fallen angel.
Therefore, do not be worried when you are afflicted. Do not fret when things look dark. Stand firm and know that God protects His church. Remember that He gives you His Gospel and accomplishes what is good for you and your salvation. Be ready for the day when all wars will come to an end and the new heavens and earth are ushered in by your Lord and Savior. On that day uninterrupted spiritual peace will endure forever. For the Lord is with us. He is our fortress.
He is by your side. He remains omnipresent and here, right now, locally with you. And through His good gifts, even should your adversaries take your goods, fame, child, wife, even your life, your victory is won. The kingdom of God and your reward in it remain. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Trinity Lutheran Church Guttenberg, Iowa and St. Paul Lutheran Church McGregor, Iowa
Dear saints, last week our Lord tells us what will happen as the end drawn near and warns us to be prepared. Next week He will bring a parable about His return. But today we hear of the Day of Judgment. And in it, we find that it is really the announcement of the judgment which has already taken place.
Jesus, our King, has come in glory and sits upon His throne. All nations are gathered before Him, and the peoples of these nations are separated from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep are welcomed to heaven and the goats are condemned to hell.
And it is at this point in many churches the sermon goes wrong. The question, “Have you been good enough to be a sheep?” or some variation of it is asked of the congregation. It is a well-intentioned question, but it can bring no hope. It contains no Gospel. It can only bring the heaviest teaching of the Law. The question will either puff up or condemn the listener.
Consider what Jesus says of the sheep: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
In trying to answer the question, “Have I been good enough to be a sheep?” the listener is led to consider their works. Have you ever fed Jesus? Given Him a drink? Welcomed or clothed or cared for or visited Him? Even if you know what comes next, that Jesus says that doing these things for any of His brothers is doing it to and for Him, you have then to consider what you have done for your brethren.
What of these things, then, have you done? All? Some? Have you even had the opportunity to do them? Can you even dare calling yourself a sheep? Also, remember the standard of God’s Law. He is perfect and commands that we also be perfect. So, even if we assume you are exempt from fulfilling the things you have not had the opportunity to do, have you served the listed people perfectly every opportunity you have had to serve them? Have you slipped up even once? Then no. You have not done enough to be a sheep.
To answer the question, “Have I been good enough to be a sheep?” will only bring one of two conclusions. You will either realize you are not good enough and bring upon anxiety and despair, or you will deceive yourself and become boastful and conceited in thinking you are better than you are.
The only good thing I can think of when considering this wrong question is that it reminds us that none of us are good enough to be called sheep. None of us have loved our neighbors well enough to be a sheep. By failing to help your fellow brother or sister, you find you fit the description of a goat instead. We will return to this thought.
These sheep in the parable confused by our Lord’s words and respond, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” Notice that there is no surprise that they are sheep. The surprise is what our Lord tells them they have done. They do not recall doing any of these things. And Jesus responds, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
Our Lord’s attention then turns to the goats. “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Like the sheep, the goats do not seem to understand: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” And he answers them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”
In the parable, the sheep are called blessed by the Father and the goats are cursed. The sheep are those declared righteous. They know they do not deserve to be sheep, but since they trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, God has made them sheep. Because they are blessed and declared righteous, they inherit the kingdom which was prepared for them. This is why the sheep are surprised at what they hear next. They know they put their faith in Jesus, and not their works, for their salvation.
The goats, on the other hand, are cursed. Rather than being washed and clothed in righteousness, they remained estranged from the Lord. They rejected the call to trust in Christ. And so, when given the opportunity to love and serve Him, they declined. Yet they are still surprised to hear the judgment. They do not recall seeing the Lord in need and failing to care for him. Because they have no faith, they are cast into the eternal fire. But notice that this fire was not created for them. It is not supposed to be where they are sent. It was created for the devil and his angels, but they go there anyway.
The sheep in the parable are not sheep because of the works they did. The goats are not goats because of the works they did not do. Each are what they are because they do or do not trust in the Lord. Those who are baptized, who believe that Jesus has died for them and has taken away their sins, who try to do good, are Christian. They are righteous. But those who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, even if they are baptized or try to do good things, are not Christian. They remain unrighteous.
Many think the parable is about works. But it is not about works. The parable is about being declared by God what you are. The sheep are made sheep by the power of God and His Holy Spirit. The goats remain goats because they reject God and His Word. The good works that the sheep have done must be put into their proper context, or else we might falsely believe that our works have somehow merited our salvation.
The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Serving your neighbor is a good work only if you have faith in Christ. Good works are the evidence of faith. They are the indicator that faith is present. It is impossible to have faith but not have good works. Yet these works do not save; they are the fruit of faith.
This might make some of you uneasy. Perhaps you are afraid you have not born much fruit. Think about it this way: If you give to the congregation because you support the mission of the Church and want to see the Word preached and the Sacraments administered, you are supporting Christ. If you made a dish for a potluck, you are feeding Christ, for those who eat of it are part of the Body of Christ.
If you have changed a diaper, you have clothed Christ. If you have carried that child to the Baptismal Font, you have carried Christ. The list goes on: If you have fed your children, given them clothes, spoken words of comfort to the sick or mourning, or any of the many other good works that you do because you are God’s child, you have done it to and for Christ Jesus.
Of course, these works are not done perfectly. How many of us have muttered to ourselves changing that blow-out diaper? Or got frustrated that some of your kid’s new clothes have been ruined after a single use? Or been wearied by yet another request from someone in need? God’s Law instructs us even as it accuses us. We see and do what we know to do because we know we are God’s redeemed. But we see how poorly we do these works and repent of not doing better. Or for thinking that what we have done is ‘good enough.’
Repent, but do not despair. Your status as a sheep does not rest upon you. You are what you are because of the mercy of your Savior, the King who rules over all things. It is He who has taken on your flesh and was born of the Virgin. He is the one who kept the Law perfectly. He is the one who, out of love for you, took on your sins and purchased you with His shed Blood and His death on the cross. And in that love, he rose again that you would enter His eternal kingdom with Him.
Because Jesus is your Savior, it is Jesus who makes you a sheep. He takes your ‘goat nature’ and covers it with His perfect nature as the Lamb of God. He has remade you in His own image. And this extends to the works you do. God sees your works and sees them done for Him. He does not see your sins, for they are hidden from his sight. What you do in weakness and sin, He perfects in Himself and His righteousness.
On the cross, Christ Jesus became the sin of all men that all men might be redeemed. Any who are clothed in Christ have been made to be Him in disguise. Thus, the good works of His saints, His sheep, overflow with His glory.
But that does not work for the goats. They may have mighty and noble works that appear to be selfless acts of charity. We can see that throughout the world. But they reject Christ. They do not believe the work done for them in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus, they also reject His presence and serve their god, the devil. Their good deeds, lacking faith, are nothing but stained and filthy garments in the eyes of God.
But for you, dear sheep of Christ, your every action shine like the very Light of Christ. God’s Final Judgment is made, and it is for you. You are the righteous ones. You are those whose lives are made perfect in Christ. You are innocent and pure. So, you will be crowned with everlasting honor, bestowed upon you through the merit of Christ. You will enter the Kingdom of Glory, prepared for you by your Father from the foundation of the world. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, in Genesis 19, we hear of Lot, a righteous man and nephew to Abraham. He settled in the land of Sodom. He remained righteous despite the moral and ethical depravity of the city, but also foolishly remained there. As God prepared to judge and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He sends two angels to rescue Lot and his family. The wickedness of the city is seen in the narrative, and when Lot lingers, the angels forcibly take him, along with his wife and daughters, out of the city. The family, minus Lot’s sons-in-law, is rescued from disaster, though the effects of sin even in the righteous are soon seen.
In our Gospel lesson this morning, our Lord warns his disciples of what will soon come in Jerusalem. But as often is the case in Scripture, the warning has both an immediate and future meaning.
Our Lord had just finished teaching publicly, and as He was leaving the Temple, the disciples marveled at the complex. But Jesus stuns them saying, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” They reach the Mount of Olives, and the disciples ask what the sign of the Temple’s destruction and the sign of His return are.
Jesus answers the question about the end times first, concluding the verse before our lesson this morning. He begins to answer the first question saying, “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.”
Just as Lot was warned of Sodom’s imminent destruction, Jesus warns His disciples of what will occur before Jerusalem’s. But unlike Lot, God’s faithful people will not have an angel escort them out. They must hear and heed the Word of Christ, staying vigilant in what is occurring around them. This is what happens. And it happens before Jerusalem is besieged and the Temple destroyed. Though most of the apostles had left Jerusalem and were serving in their vocation around the world, those Christians in Jerusalem knew of our Lord’s teaching. And when they saw the abomination of desolation take place, they knew the cities time was short. They heeded our Lord’s warning and fled to the hills and settled in a place called Pella.
But why does Jesus also say, “And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.”? It is because of the urgency in the needed flight. Those who are pregnant cannot move as fast as others. Families with small children move slowly as a unit. Jesus shows concern for them, as their escape will be more difficult than others. The cold and damp conditions of winter would inhibit a rapid flight. And because of the legalism of the Jews, an escape on the Sabbath would be impeded by those trying to enforce their Tradition on the Christians escaping. God’s people are exhorted to pray because God listens. Everything is in His hands, and the judgment coming to Jerusalem may be delayed or even be sped up through fervent prayer.
All these things which our Lord said would happen have come to fruition. The abomination occurred. God’s elect fled. The city was sacked, and the Temple was destroyed. Most of the remaining population were killed. And still, there is more to our lesson. While what we have covered so far is history, the rest of the lesson is just as applicable to us today as it was in the days leading up to the destruction of the Temple.
Jesus warns us, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it….”
There are ideas of what the abomination of desolation was, but we do not know for sure. What we do, however, know for sure is that abominations are rampant today, as they have been at all times. And tragically these abominations are spreading like a malignant tumor into many places that see themselves as a Christian church. False teaching is everywhere from false prophets and even false christs. Many have large followings and speaking out against their false teaching paints a large target upon your back and chest.
Apostasy and false teaching will continue to get worse until our Lord returns. Heretics and antichrists, large and small, will seek to damage the Church under the guise of wisdom and truth. Our Lord warns us here to hold firm to the true faith. Should a teacher say that Christ is in the wilderness with the pagans or in the halls of the philosophers, do not believe them. Christ is in His church, where He promised to be.
Yet we do not have the warning to flee in the sight of such abominations. Instead, we have the imperative to stand firm in the faith. We are to remain God’s faithful witness to the truth, even when the world and those aligned with it look to silence the proclamation of God and His Holy Word. When a siege is laid upon us, we seek refuge not in running away, but in our God. For He, as we heard and sang last week, is our Refuge and Strength. He is our very present help in trouble. Recall the words of the Introit: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutor! O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you…Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”
It is right for us to say these words today. It is not upon your own strength or merit that you believe in Christ. You do not keep yourself in the true faith. It is not your wisdom or understanding that keeps you from being led astray by a false teacher. Rather it is the Holy Spirit at work in you. He keeps you. He is gracious to you and comforts you in distress.
God is your deliverer; not you. When you are mocked for your old-fashioned, that is, Biblical beliefs, you will not be put to shame before Him. You will be His witness. When you are weak, He is strong. When your heart faints, He gives you courage. When you sin, He calls you to repentance and forgives you your trespasses. All this He does out of divine love for you. A love that took on your flesh, died, and rose for you, forgiving all the sins of those who trust in Him.
In the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, you see the awful consequences of sin. Temporal consequences of destruction, starvation, and violence. And eternal consequences of disregard and unfaithfulness to God. We continue to see these consequences today with all the errors and abominations of our culture. But whatever may befall you temporally, cling to your Christ. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
As Jesus says, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” When your Jesus does return, there will be no mistaking it. It will be known everywhere instantly. He will Himself descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And whether living or asleep, you will be gathered together with Him in the air, like vultures surrounding the corpse, and will always be with your Lord. He will gather you to Himself, rescuing you from the destruction of sin and delivering you to eternal life. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, we consider this morning how often we must forgive our fellow brother or sister before we may retain the sins committed against us. Our Gospel lesson begins with St. Peter asking our Lord, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” He thinks this is a large number, for the rabbis of the day said you only needed to forgive the same sin three times. Imagine, therefore, Peter’s surprise when Jesus replies, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Our Lord uses the question to launch into our parable for this morning. It concerns a king who decides to settle the accounts with his servants. As he settles them, a servant is brought before him who owes 10,000 talents, which means he owed about 20 years’ worth of wages to his king. It was an insurmountable debt and could never be repaid. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
From our perspective, and considering the customs of the first century, we might understand selling the man into slavery. It’s like what used to be ‘debtors’ prison.’ Selling his things, like today when items are repossessed when a loan defaults, makes sense. But the wife and children? That seems harsh. But under the law of the time, the wife and children would be considered part of the man’s property, and thus, part of his possessions. Do not impose our current day law and morality on a parable making a point while using the customs of the day.
So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.”The man’s plea brings pity and compassion to the king, and he does have mercy on the man. The full debt of the man is forgiven, and he is sent on his way, reconciled to his king. He has no burden of debt, large or small, regarding his king.
You would think this act of mercy would have a profound impact on him. You would think that, if anyone owed him anything, he would reciprocate the mercy. Or, at the very least, not require full payment immediately. But we see the hard-heartedness of the servant immediately.
But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
It is a shocking response. Even the worldly among us would bristle at such an action. It is not surprising that the news of this gets out quickly. And it is less surprising that the king is told quickly. Now, imagine the dread the forgiven servant feels when he is again summoned before the king. And the horror he feels when he hears the judgment: “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”
It doesn’t end there. It gets worse for the wicked servant because this isn’t just a chastisement. For in his anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debts. The jailers here aren’t the jailers we think of today. They aren’t just making sure you don’t escape. These jailers are oppressive and often torture those they have as a prisoner. In fact, their job is to exact torture and pain. And this man will be under them until all – every cent – of his debt is repaid. Said another way, they will oppress him forever. He will never get out.
It is important to remember that, when looking at parables, we should look for the shocking thing. And when we find the shocking thing, it is nearly always the work that God is doing. Here, the shocking thing is the king simply waving away billions of dollars in debt as if it were nothing. And so, we find ourselves God’s debtor. Our debt is sin. We constantly and continually wrack up our debt of sin. A debt that we are hopeless to pay a single one of them back.
We began the Divine Service today with a verse we also found in the Introit: “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”It is a fearful thing to stand before the Holy God. Especially when you know the debt you owe to Him. Yet we continue saying, “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
God has mercy and pity upon you and forgives your sins. The whole of your debt is canceled. You may stand before Him guiltless and go your way in peace. It is, after all, what we come here for. We hear His absolution. We hear His Word read. We receive His gifts in the Holy Supper. And we hear His benediction, sending us out in peace.
Because of all this, we are mindful of the mercy shown upon us when our brother or sister, our fellow servant, sins against us. In a few minutes, we will pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Luther writes of this petition, “We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.”
Our forgiving the sins that are committed against us is part of bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. If we refuse, we do not bear the good fruit of a good tree, but the bad fruit of the diseased tree. Such a bad tree is cut down and thrown into the fire. Or, in the words of our parable, the hard-hearted servant who has no mercy on his fellow-servant, is given to the torturer for eternity.
We forgive because we have been forgiven. We have been forgiven of more sin than could ever be committed against us. Therefore, we may look to our persecuted martyred brothers and sisters when they forgave those sinning against them. At Joseph, whose brothers committed sins against him, and he returned their evil with good. For Stephen, who asks that God forgive those murdering him even as stones reigned down upon him.
And we look to Jesus, who took on your flesh and died for you. On account of Him, you do not receive the just punishment you deserve because He has already suffered it. Rather, you get to show the mercy you have received to others. And each other. It is why you freely forgive and do good for those who sin against you. And why, as we prayed, our faithful Lord grants that what we ask in faith, we obtain. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, we are sometimes tempted to think that those of notoriety are somehow and for some reason exempt from the realities of life. Now, we know it is not true. Celebrities, politicians, sports stars, and CEOs are constantly in the news with some struggle of some sort. But they are often looked at as ‘above’ things like cancer. Perhaps that is why there is such a shock when news breaks of someone like Chadwick Boseman or Norm MacDonald dying from it. Or, maybe, it is because people have made gods out of celebrities and are astounded when their god is toppled. Even when the man or woman would resent being seen as such a deity.
This morning brings a lesson about a nobleman whose family is struck with certain disaster. The man’s son is near death. But alas! The nobleman hears that Jesus has come from Judea into Galilee once again. This news begins a three-stage journey for the man. It is a journey that begins with fear and sorrow but ends with rejoicing and life.
As the man hears Jesus is back in the area, he journeys from Capernaum uphill to Galilee, some sixteen miles, to meet Him. When he arrives, he asks Jesus to come down and heal his son, adding that the boy was close to death. We see a young and imperfect faith in this request. The nobleman has surely heard of the miracle of water made wine. He may have heard of the other works Jesus has done. He believes Jesus can heal his son.
But this faith is small and imperfect. He seems to think Jesus must be physically present to heal the boy. And the addition of before my child dies indicates he thinks that, while Jesus can heal, he cannot deliver one from the dead. What the nobleman does not understand is that Jesus not only knows of the boy, but He knows what He will do for the boy and for the entire family. Jesus looks at the man and says, “Unless y’all see signs and wonders y’all will not believe.”
Our Lord is saying that the people looking for signs and wonders are looking for the wrong thing. Such signs, and the awe they brought, were not for the sake of the sign and accompanying wonder. They pointed to the doer of the sign. It is as if Jesus were saying, “Oh that you would think less about signs and more about Me!”
The man responds in a similar way to the Syrophoenician woman. He looks to the Lord in his weak faith and says, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” But Jesus does not come down. He does not need to. Instead, He says, “Go. I grant you his life.”
It is as if He said, “It is not at all necessary for me to go to Capernaum to save your child’s life, not necessary that I should thus prolong your suspense and anxiety—right here and now I grant your prayer and give you your little son’s life.” (Lenski, adapted)
The man’s journey turns from sorrow to hope with these words. He believes the words of Jesus and he went back down to his home. He is eager to see his son and rejoice in the life that the boy has. The small faith it took to come to Jesus in the first place has been tested by the Lord and has begun to grow as the nobleman leaves Christ’s presence. He did not need a sign because trusted Christ’s word.
Our lesson records Jesus saying, “Go; your son will live.” The Greek certainly may be translated like that, but the more natural reading is, “Go; your son lives.” The reason for this is what happens as the man heads back to Capernaum: servants meet him along the way. Literally what these slaves tell him is, “Your child lives.”
If the child had begun to get better, there certainly would be hope among the household. But slaves would not have been summoned to seek out the nobleman, for what would happen if the child regressed and died before his father returned? The news, “The child is getting better!” would certainly encourage the father, but there would still be fear the rest of the journey. But the word to him is far better: “Your child lives.”
The journey which began in fear and morphed into hope, is about to conclude in peace. The father asks what time, what hour, the child got better. “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The seventh hour! The hour Jesus said, “Go; your son lives.”
That little spark of faith which the nobleman carried with him to Cana began to grow in the presence of Jesus. And now, upon hearing of the miraculous healing of his son, that spark burst into a great blaze. Upon his return home, this blazing fire of faith proclaims to the entire household what Christ, their Messiah, did for them. And not only the man, but the entire household believed. Jesus sustains life in the boy, but also performs a greater miracle in the giving eternal life to the entire household.
The lesson closes with John telling us, “This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” Remember the purpose of the signs, and the entire Gospel according to John for that matter: That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
The nobleman knew that Jesus could heal but thought He must be present to do so. Our Lord does not reject the man’s request due to a weak faith or a lack of understanding. Instead, your Lord helps the stumbling and weak in faith. The nobleman and his increasing faith simply take Jesus at His word. Though his faith was not fully developed, this is the definition of saving faith: taking God at His word.
John records this sign for your comfort. The faith you have you did not muster. It was given to you as a gift. You may feel like your faith is a roaring fire, or you may think it is a smoldering wick. Remember that our Lord does not break the bruised reed or snuff the smoldering wick. Call out to Him for mercy and peace. Ask that He, as the author and perfector of your faith, bring forth its fire. And remember that you are not saved because of faith, but that you are saved through faith.
Finally, because faith and salvation are not your work, but the work of God for you, 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. In His mercy, God provides you all you need. And as His household, he keeps you in His continual godliness and protection. You, therefore, return to your homes in peace. You gather here to hear His mercy and grace proclaimed to you and to receive it tangibly as you gather around His altar. In song and thanksgiving, you receive His Divine Service as you await your call to His side in Paradise. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” Weddings are festive events even in our day. Countless hours are spent planning them. From colors to dresses to guests lists, it can be exhausting. And while it does not have to be, a wedding is often expensive. But the weddings of our day are brief when compared to weddings in the days of Jesus. These weddings were week-long feasts. And this morning, we hear of a king who has prepared the wedding feast for his son.
Everything is ready, the oxen and fattened calves are slaughtered and prepared. And the king sends his servants to call those invited to the feast. Call those who knew the feast was coming. But those invited would not come. They spurned the invitation.
Undeterred, the king sends other servants, this time announcing that all was prepared and the dinner is ready to begin. These servants are met with two groups of people: The first ignore the call to the feast and go to farm or business. The other group forcibly seizes the servants, treats them in a shameful and spiteful manner, and kills them. Imagine killing someone who brings the news that you have been called to a wedding feast, where you would be fed and dined in luxury for a week by your king!
The king’s response is swift. He sends soldiers to the cities of those murderers and destroyed them, burning down their cities. The destruction of the cities would impact those who ignored the servants and went to their farms and businesses. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’” When these servants go, they find whoever they found, good or bad, and gathered them into the wedding hall. Finally, the dinner begins.
There is more to the parable but let us begin unpacking it now. It is clear who the king and his son are. It is none other than our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. The parable is an allegory explaining the Father and His work accomplished through Christ. The wedding feast here is the church.
While most English translations use the word servants, a more literal word is slave. Slaves are sent to those invited, that is, called to the feast. These people are the Jews, the people of Israel. God’s servants in the form of prophets and priests have been calling Israel to His church since God chose them as His people. And we hear in the Old Testament that these prophets and priests are ignored. Sometimes they are killed.
Undeterred, God sends more slaves. These slaves represent God’s servants and messengers in the form of the Apostles and early disciples, such as Philip and Stephen. They are ignored by the Jews when invited to believe in the Messiah they have been waiting for. Some are mistreated and murdered for inviting the King’s people to His feast. And when the destruction of the Temple occurred in 70 AD, we could be seeing another part of the parable occurring.
Israel and the Jews were called to the feast. But they deemed themselves unworthy to attend. Finally, God sends even more slaves. This time they go anywhere and everywhere to invite all they find. These slaves represent the early church through today and into the future. These slaves are the pastors and teachers and Christians who desire their neighbor to know the love of Christ and to believe in Him for their salvation.
To be sure, many today still ignore the message. Many today are more worried about the fruits of their earthly work or the gain they can gather from trade and business. And many slaves are treated shamefully by those the Good News is proclaimed to. They are sometimes even killed. But these slaves also bring into the feast both the good and the bad. The wedding hall, that is, the Church is filled with guests.
The good and evil in the parable are described in this way because of what they look like to the human eye. The tax-collectors and others in open sin are the evil; people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea are the good. And yet all are guilty before God. All are equally sinful and in need of forgiveness and righteousness that they cannot achieve on their own. That means that you and I are among those evil and good who have been brought into the wedding hall.
Wedding feasts in those days often had a garment that was worn by the guests. This was not a tuxedo you rented. It was not your finest suit and tie. It was nothing you brought but was given to you upon your arrival. Thus, all these people arrive at the feast, remove their dirty clothes, and put on the garment provided by the King.
The garment is the righteousness of Christ. In your baptism, you are clothed in this righteousness. No longer are you guilty before God, but you are perfect and pure. You attend the feast and recline at the table with your fellow saints, even coming to the altar where you are fed and nourished and forgiven by Christ’s Body and Blood.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
The man represents those in the church who have insulted God and who reject the garment that He graciously provides. By removing the garment provided and taking on his own clothing, he thinks himself worthy by what he has done and by who he is. When the King finds him and questions him, the man knows there is nothing he can say for himself. He is silent.
Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” The man is not excluded from the feast by God. He excludes himself from the feast and declares himself unworthy to be there by rejecting the gift of grace that is salvation.
Jesus is making it clear in this parable that not everyone goes to heaven. Not even everyone who goes to church goes to heaven. Some come outwardly, that is, they sit in the pews and may even serve as leaders or pastors. But they do not come into the kingdom. They want the power of Christianity, but they do not want the cross.
In this parable, we see the reality and the danger of unbelief. It would be appropriate to feel shivers running down your spine.
But, even more, we also see a beautiful example of God’s mercy. It is God, your King, who provides the your garment. Who provides your soul’s healing and cleansing. And in this, God is glorified by exercising His mercy upon you. By forgiving your sins. And He invites you to his feast not simply as a guest but declares you to be the immaculate bride that Christ loves. He does not invite you because you are worthy, but because He is worthy. And this invitation and work that He does has made you worthy. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, this morning’s Gospel lesson brings two great miracles. At its beginning, Jesus has returned to His hometown after healing the demoniac in the country of the Gadarenes. That miraculous healing scared those in the city so much that they begged Jesus to leave them and their region. There is a lot in just that sentence, but not for today.
This morning’s account from Matthew does not contain details that Sts. Mark and Luke provide. In them we learn that Jesus is teaching in a home and a great crowd has gathered. In fact, there was no room for more to enter. When the paralyzed man in the lesson is brought to the home, those bearing his burden could not get him to Jesus. Undeterred, they climbed with him to the roof and began moving the ceiling tiles. Imagine being in that house. Suddenly, dust and debris start floating around a crowded house. But none of the Evangelists mention that. Nor do they do not state that there was noise above the room or concern in the room.
The roof is removed, and the man is lowered to where Jesus is sitting and teaching. We see a great trust here. The man trusted his friends to carry him to Jesus. Trusted them to get him safely on the roof. And he trusted them to safely lower him to the Lord. And all the men involved trusted that Jesus was good and would have mercy on the man.
Jesus does have mercy. He knows the faith of all the men involved. He looks at the paralyzed man and says, “Have courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Notice this is not a general proclamation of repentance. It is directed at the paralytic. And this declaration infuriates the scribes and Pharisees present. They say to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
Mark says Jesus perceives their thoughts. He responds: “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic— “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
From the perspective of the Pharisees, it was easier to say, “Rise and walk,” for only God can forgive sins. In a sense, they are right. For Jesus to say, “Rise and walk,” and the man gets up and walks, is easier. And Jesus shows that He has the authority to forgive sins by performing the lesser miracle. If Jesus were blaspheming as the scribes asserted, His words, “Rise and walk,” would not have been effective.
But the man does get up and walk. The greater miracle is that the man’s sins are forgiven. The forgiveness of this man’s sins is the reason our Lord came to earth. The man had a physical malady, but the man also recognized his greater malady: his sins. Jesus did not merely see the man’s physical handicap but recognized the man’s faith in Him and anguish over his sin. The man sought comfort from his Lord and the pardon on his sin above and beyond the healing of his physical body. Jesus sees this. It is why we hear Jesus say, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
These are the same words that Jesus has for you today. They are the words that you need to hear. They are the words that put your Lord on the cross. They are the more difficult words because they meant suffering, pain, and death for Jesus. Suffering, pain, and death that is due to your sin against your God.
The heart of the Christian faith is forgiveness. It is why Christ Jesus gives us the Gospel. In the broad sense, the gospel is the account of Jesus and His life found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the narrow sense, it is the wonderful proclamation that, on account of Christ and his atoning death on the cross for you and all mankind, your forgiveness is won. That you may believe that it is true, for Jesus is raised on the Third Day, just as He promised.
But your Lord does not stop there. He establishes the Office of the Holy Ministry and gives the apostles and those He calls to be pastors the authority to proclaim the Gospel to all. That forgiveness of sins and eternal life is not attained by your good works or suffering, but by the blood of Christ.
Jesus gives you also baptism. He commands that the apostles go into all the world teaching all He commanded, baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. A command which is now given to those called into the Holy Ministry. You know your sins and shortcomings. And so, He takes simple water and attaches His promise and command to it. Now when you are burdened with your sin, you recall what God did to you and for you in your baptism. You are free to make the sign of the cross, as it was made over your forehead and your heart, that you may be certain that His suffering at Calvary is applied to you.
Your Lord gives you still another sign. He institutes His Holy Supper that your faith may be constantly renewed and you be reminded of His pledge to forgive your sins. In the Sacrament, you are given strong support for your faith. For there, He gives you the very Body nailed to the cross and very Blood shed upon the cross. And he does this so you may have no doubt that you are reconciled to Him and that your sins are forgiven. That He remembers you and His work for you.
With all these great gifts, Christ Jesus is still not done. When hearing the words of our lesson, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven,” you may know that they are for you. For Jesus has taken these words and given them to His church. He gives His ministers the authority to forgive sins. Easy words for me to proclaim to you because it is not me, but Jesus giving you the forgiveness. Forgiveness that needs no more suffering. Forgiveness that is accomplished. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, we confess concerning the First Commandment that we are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. In our Gospel lesson, from the midportion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Perhaps this reminds you of St. Paul’s writing to St. Timothy that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Everyone must decide who or what his or her god will be. Will it be the Creator of the universe? Or will it be mammon? It cannot be both. One God brings eternal life, and the other god brings anxiety leading to eternal death. It seems like a simple choice. But look at the world around you and see what it serves. See the anxiety the world has and what it fears. The choices it makes to avoid trial and death. What it seeks businesses or governments to enforce that will create the feeling of safety, even where no safety can be guaranteed. And consider what the world considers good and sacred. The desires that it has. And what disdain and hatred these things have toward God and His people. People like you and me.
But let’s not only consider the world. We must also consider ourselves. We still battle with our flesh. We still find ourselves tempted to serve mammon. And when we are honest with ourselves, we must confess that we do, at times, serve mammon. This burden of sin, sin against the First Commandment, produces anxiety. Therefore, we pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” And why we trust that our Father does forgive.
The forgiveness we receive on account of Jesus calms our souls. It lifts the burden of our sin and removes our anxiety. Those who serve mammon, however, have no outlet when they are burdened or anxious. They cannot look to their god for absolution. They can only grasp for more of whatever they seek. More money. More popularity. More restrictions they think will give them safety. And sometimes more freedom to do what they should know is wrong but be lauded for their abominations anyway.
Jesus goes on in the lesson: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” He goes on to explain God’s provisions for us. The birds of the air do not labor. They do not till, plant, or harvest. And yet they are provided for; they are fed by God. But you are more valuable than these, who do not fall to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. Next, we consider the lilies of the field. They also only receive from God, and they are more beautiful than even Solomon in all his splendor. Such beautiful flowers, who are there today and burned for warmth tomorrow, are provided for by God and yet you are still more valuable than they.
The point is that God provides for both the just and the unjust. He sustains life, even the universe, out of His goodness. He provides your daily bread. It is what we confess concerning the Frist Article of the Apostles’ Creed. Though admittedly easy, it is useless to worry and be anxious about food and clothes. About health or safety for freedom. But God knows you need these things. They are not to be your worry, as they are the pagan.
Your concern rather is the righteousness of God. Instead of fretting about every little thing around you, you seek what God desires to give you: Love. Mercy. Grace. Righteousness. Eternal life. Jesus ends our lesson by saying, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
There will always be something around us that causes strife. There will always be danger. Sometimes it will be real and other times imagined. Sometimes it will be less than we think, and other times more than we think. I am not saying we should simply ignore these things. I am, however, saying that your life and actions should not be dictated by them. They should be dictated by who you belong to. By remembering what He has done for you. As our Lord said, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Trouble will, indeed, always be around us.
As an example, I present a sample of C. S. Lewis’s writings from 1948. It is from an essay entitled, “On Living in an Atomic Age.” Perhaps you saw this last year when it started circulating, but for many of you, you will hear it for the first time today, as I did a few weeks ago:
“In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. ‘How are we to live in an atomic age?’ I am tempted to reply: ‘Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’
“In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
“This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb – when it comes – find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”
As bad as things are today, they are much better than they used to be. Sometimes I think that is to our disadvantage. We do not really know what it means to rely on daily bread, for we have days or weeks of provisions in our homes, let alone our grocery stores. I am not sure we truly resonate with the part of the prayer asking God to “graciously keep us this night from all harm and danger,” as the harm and danger we face today in America is very low.
There is, however, a clear and present danger always around us. And that danger is the one going around like a roaring lion looking for whom he may devour. That danger is the devil and his demons. They would have us seek after mammon. They would have us doubt the Word of the Lord. They would have us look for our righteousness in ourselves and from the world.
Seek, therefore fellow saint of God, the righteousness of God. Seek after the blood of Christ, which has washed you clean and saves you. Cling to the promises of your Lord, that He has died for you and atones for your sin not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His blood shed upon the cross. Come to His table and receive the forgiveness of sin which He has spread out for you. For you cannot continue in safety without His aide. Praise God for His help and goodness! Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
Dear saints, this morning our Lord continues His journey to Jerusalem. He is preparing to lay down His life for you, for me, for everyone. His journey takes Him into the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And there He encounters ten lepers. The men, unclean with a disease that ends with death, stand at a distance a call out to Jesus. They are contagious. They reek of death. They are cut off from society and family. It is no surprise that they call out for mercy.
We do not know what they know or have heard about Jesus, but they know enough to think He will be merciful to them. Perhaps He will even heal them. But they do not know that He is their Messiah, for they call out Master rather than Lord. But even with this less than perfect plea, our Lord hears and answers their prayer. “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” The ten turn and are cleansed as they went.
Notice that Jesus does not say, “I will. Be clean.” Instead, He tells them what the person cleansed from leprosy is to do: show himself to the priests in the Temple. They are inspected, and after about two months, would finally be declared clean. Once this declaration is made, they would finally be allowed to return to their family, their city, and to worship in the Temple. They must turn from Jesus with trust that they will be cleansed of their disease.
See, leprosy did not only cut you off from those who love you and that you love. It also cut you off from gathering with God’s people in the Temple or Synagogue. In effect, it cut you off from the presence of God. The same is true of your sin. Sin banished Adam and Eve from the Garden. Sin and unrepentance brought The Flood. It confused languages at Babel. And your sin separates you from God, alienating you and making you His enemy. Sin, like leprosy, is fatal. But the fatality of sin is worse than the awful effects of leprosy.
Each man, woman, and child need the cleansing of their sin and iniquity. All need their leprosy of sin removed. The lepers in our lesson call to Jesus from a distance. They come in earnest and reverence as they entreat Jesus for mercy. Mercy is given as they are cleansed on their way to Jerusalem.
Our cleansing is a bit different. Our cleansing was accomplished when Jesus reaches Jerusalem. Once there, having entered triumphantly, He spends the week teaching. He institutes the Lord’s Supper. He is put on trial. He is crucified. And just before He gives up His Spirit, we hear that “It is finished.” Your redemption is won. Forgiveness is yours. And you can know this is true as what Jesus promised is fulfilled: The Temple of His Body was destroyed, and in three days, it was restored, raised from the dead.
But this redemption, while it is yours was not yet applied to you. As the lepers realize their healing, one of them turns back. Rather than going to the Temple and the priest, he goes to the Temple that is our Lord and our Great High Priest. And he does so while praising God with a loud voice. When he reaches Jesus, he falls on his face at Jesus’ feet and gives thanks for his healing. For this miraculous cleansing provided to him.
Out of ten leprous men, only one recognized Jesus as his Christ and went back in thanksgiving and worship. That man was a Samaritan. A man whose background is not well regarded and whose theology was likely poor. Even still, he believes in Jesus.
Our lesson says Jesus tells him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”Made you well is an accurate translation, but it is lacking. All ten were made well. All ten were leprous and are now clean. But not all ten showed faith in Christ. Only one does, this Samaritan. A more precise translation would be, “Rise and go your way; your faith has saved you.”
The cleansing of these lepers is miraculous. Great mercy is shown to them. Just as great mercy is shown to every person with the blood of Christ on the cross. However, this mercy is applied to you in Holy Baptism. In baptism, the miraculous cleaning of your sins is delivered. The blood of Jesus on the cross washes you clean. Faith is given and strengthened. And you, too, may rise and go your way, for your faith has saved you.
Rather than being separated from your God due to the leprosy of your sin, you stand before Him cleansed by His blood. He invites you to draw near and hear His Word. You can hear it and respond in prayer and hymn and thanksgiving. He invites you to His Table, where He feeds and nourishes your body and soul, giving you His Flesh and Blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith. In short, He invites you into His fellowship.
The nine lepers received a physical cleansing, but since they did not have faith, they did not receive their soul’s cleansing. All people with all their sins are atoned for, but those who do not have faith in their Messiah do not receive the benefit. But you, dear Christian, embrace and hold fast to your Christ. In the faith granted to you by the Holy Spirit, you receive the miraculous cleansing of your sin. And you are welcomed into fellowship with God and His saints where you are kept in the faith by the same Holy Spirit. Where He keeps you in His church with His perpetual mercy. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller Peace Lutheran Church Alcester, SD
