James Peterson – Page 2 – What Does This Mean?

We Give Thee But Thine Own

As we take a look at these stewardship hymns, we will be reminded that we are God’s people, souls created by Him and provided for by Him. We will pay special attention to the Fourth Petition, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

We give Thee but Thine own,
Whatever the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

This stanza recognizes the order of giving. First, God the Father gives to us. He gives to us clothing and shoes, house and home, land, animals and all that we have to support this body and life. He gives these things that we might use them, and especially that we would use all good things for giving glory back to Him.

May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blesses us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!

We recognize right away in this stanza the word “firstfruits.” This phrase is as old as Abel. It is in fact related to farming, to gardening, to working in the ground. When I think of firstfruits, I always remember “Give God my very best.” He gives to us even more than we need or ask, and so we give back to Him the best that we have for Him to use again.

Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.

Here comes suffering. Here comes the struggles of this world. That there are needy people all around us. That there are others who are straying from the fold and need to hear the words of this most precious Gospel. This stanza reminds us about the reason for our giving. It reminds us about how God will use our treasures for His glory. He will heal hearts and warm homes for those who need. He will provide for others what He has provided for us.

To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.

God’s work in the world continues even more! These words focus on the power of the Gospel and the continuation of the ministry. This is quite important for us as Christians, not just that we assist others who have serious physical needs, but that we as the Church provide for others with serious spiritual needs.

The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.

“What would Jesus do?” We often hear this phrase and worry that we are never doing enough for the kingdom. But this stanza reminds us that we are being like Christ when we give to others and support the ministry of the Gospel. We are stewards of God’s gifts, it is true. But here we certainly consider that we are Christ’s examples to the world to be generous to one another as well.

And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whatever for Thine we do,
O Lord, We do it unto Thee.

Here we have the conclusion. That everything we do, we do to the glory of God. That every penny we earn, we earn because of God’s grace and mercy. That every prayer we pray, we focus our prayers on furthering the Gospel. All of this because God has first and foremost given so much to each and every one of us.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Jesus has Overcome the World

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme for this morning is this: I have come into the world and I have overcome the world.

The King of heaven and earth claims His territory. As far as the east is from the west, as far as the north is from the south, the King is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The King who created the world has come into this world. The King who created this earth has come in order to save it. He came, He saw, and He conquered. Like a conqueror declaring the victory in the streets, our Lord Jesus Christ declared the victory over each and every one of our enemies. Over sin, we are covered with forgiveness. Over death, we have the Lord who lives and who gives life to us forever. Over the devil, we have Jesus who withstood temptation, but more than that, who conquered the wicked foe.

Our Lord has come into the world, and He has overcome the world. For we know our Lord is the Lord of hosts. The hosts are the angels who came to Bethlehem to the shepherds. The hosts are the angels who rolled away the tomb. The hosts are the soldiers of the cross who have fought the good fight, who have finished the race, who have kept the faith. We are part of these hosts, the hosts that won and never will lose again, the hosts who gather at this altar and receive the only life-giving, strengthening and preserving food for the battle in this world.

Of course, Jesus came into the world. We have celebrated it in December every year. This Incarnation Invasion brought God to earth, God with us. Mary was right; “with God all things are possible,” even a virgin birth, even the birth of God in flesh, even that his name is Jesus, even that “He forgives His people of their sins.” Jesus came into the world, came as a king, not according to earthly standards, but according to heavenly standards. Jesus came into the world, to claim His territory, the earth He created, the world He loved, the creation that needed its King.

But we just can’t wait to be king. Maybe we don’t even like Burger King, but we certainly would like to have it our way. Like Adam and Eve and the serpent before them, we forget what God says and do what we want anyway. Or David and Bathsheba. Or Peter drowning in the sea. We think we know best, or right and wrong, or moral and immoral. We want to be able to tell so-and-so to do what we want rather than let God tell us what He wants and what He says. Our will be done, and not God’s will.

This becomes especially troublesome in the church. You’re a sinner, I’m a sinner, we’re just a bunch of sinners. And we are not free to make decisions like we might in our families, or in our businesses, or in our daily lives. We have God’s Word that is what we believe, that teaches us what is true, and that is outside of ourselves. Much like the Incarnation Invasion, the Word enters our own flesh, creates faith in our souls, and sustains that faith unto life everlasting. This is the great power of the Sacrament, that Jesus enters in, and there faith within, and eternal life begin. And so what God’s Word says is all that matters, not what the world says, not what we would like, but what God has said for us to do.

And this will certainly make me unlikable, like Jeremiah, like Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Habakkuk. That I will lead our church according to God’s will and not my own will, or your own, or anybody else’s own. That I make decisions for the whole and not the most powerful parts. That I make decisions based on God’s Word and not on my preference. This humbles me, and it humbles you. At the end of the day, we just can’t wait to be king of the church, but that’s just it, we can’t be king of the church. Jesus is the King of the Church. And this will certainly make us unlikable, when we are the church and not the world, when we are believing and the world is doubting, when we are gathering around God rather than becoming gods unto ourselves.

Worried about the world? Worried about the church? Worried about the family, or the business? Let Jesus tell you today: “I have overcome the world.” As the Catechism says, this is most certainly true. Jesus has overcome the sin of Adam and even the sin of us. Jesus has overcome even the punishment of sin, death, and was raised to new life. Jesus has overcome the devil, who tempted Adam and each and every one of us, and proclaimed the victory and claimed the territory.

For the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world, even our own world. There is no forgiveness of sins found in this wicked world except here at the church. There is no life everlasting in a world scared to death except that which Jesus accomplished when He said, “It is finished.” There is no curb against temptation in our lawless society except that the Word of God is our sword of the Spirit against every temptation we face. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, has overcome the world.

This is no throwaway statement that we can overlook. This is the very promise of the Gospel, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That God created this world and sent His Son to save it. That God’s will was done by Jesus’ death on the cross, that the Lord saved you from each of your enemies. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Of course Jesus came into the world. He came, He saw, and He conquered for you.

This Jesus who called the disciples and sent them as far as the east is from the west, as far as the north is from the south, has worked faith in His Church. He has sent the Gospel even to us, that Jesus is Lord, even Lord of this Church. He humbles us with His Word that comforts us and His Sacraments that relieve us. The Lord of heaven and earth who lives and reigns over this congregation forever and ever has already claimed the everlasting territory, Jerusalem the golden, the mountain of Zion for you, His dearly beloved people, for whom He came, and for whom He overcame, until you shall come into the kingdom that shall have no end.

In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Every Good and Perfect Gift Comes from Above

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme is this: Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

There is but one source for all the evil things going on in our society. There is but one root of all evil. There is but one cause for division in the church. It is the untamed tongue. It is the lying mouth and the deceitful people. It is the breaking of that 8^th commandment, that you should not bear false witness against your neighbor. What does this mean? That we should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

Can we not see it all around us in the world in which we live? That telling lies is as easy as unlimited texting. That betrayals are as simple as political differences. That slander is treated as the righteous thing to do, that ruining someone else makes us look better and feel better about our own sinful selves. That sticks and stones break our bones, but words will always hurt them too.

James causes us to ask ourselves today, Do we hear often about those who defended one another and spoke the truth even though it caused offense (because it was true)? Do we recognize the value when someone speaks well about someone else and promotes their honor instead of their own? Do we ourselves explain everything in the kindest way? It is my hope and my duty that I should be for you an example. And it is your duty and responsibility to be the example also to all those around you.

James begins our text for today with this in mind when he says, “Do not be deceived, beloved brothers.” Yes, he is saying that the world will deceive the church. We see that happening all around us. But he is also cautioning us that we would not deceive one another. For we are beloved brothers and sisters in Christ here at this church. We speak the truth in love, and most especially, we speak the truth toward one another. That is love, that we speak the truth, defend one another, and explain everything in the kindest way.

What is the truth? What can be trusted? It is this: that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In other words, God the Father speaks the truth. He is reliable, He is reputable, and He will defend you from all evil in this world. He keeps the 8^th commandment perfectly, for He will never tell lies about you or betray you, nor will he ever slander you or hurt your reputation.

That is certainly a good and perfect gift, that God tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is a good and perfect gift that is quite valuable in this distrusting and disgusting world in which we live. It is for us our most precious treasure, that God tempts no one and that He does not deceive us or mislead us into other great shame and vice. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature do that. But coming down from the Father of Lights is truth, and trust, and only these, and no deception whatsoever.

For as James says, it was the Father’s will that we were created by the word of truth, and it was the Father’s will that we were brought to the water and recreated by that water and the word in our baptisms. It was the Father’s will that we were brought forth in the truth, the truth that Christ died for the ungodly, that Christ also speaks the truth in love toward us. This He has done, but why? For what purpose?

That we would be the firstfruits of all creation. That we would be the example to all the world. That we would be the true, honorable, and honest folks in town no matter how anybody else might treat us. The good and perfect gift has been given, that word of truth, and it compels us to live as examples to all those who need to hear it.

What the apostle James has said in the Scriptures long ago, let the preacher James say to you this morning, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Know this, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. This is what makes the Christian life so different from the American way of life. That we use our ears more than our mouths. That we hear God’s Word and that faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. That when we listen to one another, we show that we care about one another. Be quick to hear.

And be slow to speak. This may be the most difficult. For we live in a world of talking heads, and for some reason now everybody’s opinions matter about everything that there is to argue about. And yet there are some opinions that are allowed and others that are silenced. Be slow to speak, dear brothers and sisters, be patient when the world isn’t patient, be wise in the midst of all the foolishness, be slow to speak.

So that you would be slow to anger. For this is what the world loves, anger, and feelings, opinions, and strife. But James reminds you today, that anger does not produce the righteousness of God. In fact, it leads to breaking the 5^th commandment, not to making the situation better again. No, what produces the righteousness of God? It is the good and perfect gift that comes down from the Father of lights.

It is the truth, and the truth will set you free. It is the truth, that you can trust God, for He brought you forth by the word of truth. With meekness, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, receive today the implanted word, the truth, for this implanted word is able to save your souls.

Do not be deceived, but receive the implanted word this day, that good and perfect gift that God the Father has given to you.

In the holy name of Jesus.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Confirmation Sunday

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

I know that you know these Ten Commandments. You know now what is right and what is wrong. That God is your God and that you are His child every day of your life. That the Lord is the Lord and that you worship Him in this church every week. That your parents are still your parents and it is your duty to obey them. God placed them over you for your good, and they care about you. That every life is worth living, and that as men you must protect those in danger of death and destruction. That women are precious in God’s sight and must also be respected and honored both now and in the years to come. That what you have is given by God and what your neighbor has is not yours. That above all, you speak the truth and keep your word, your assignments to your teachers, your chores for your parents, and your responsibilities at this church.

And I know that you know the Apostles’ Creed. You know now what you are to believe. That what was spoken at your baptism you have now made your own in your heart. That God the Father made you and all creatures in this world. That your Father has given to you all that you need to support this body and life. That you are male or female, that you are body and soul, made in the image of God.

You know that you are redeemed. Not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death, you know now that Jesus loves you, that Jesus died for you, that He rose also on the third day for you and all those who sit behind you. That now you will live under Christ in His kingdom, that kingdom that shall have no end.

All of this because the Holy Spirit has worked faith in you. He has brought you into this church and is always ready to forgive you your sins. This Holy Spirit who has promised you the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. He called you by the gospel and enlightened you with His gifts. And you can be certain that it is this Holy Spirit who sanctifies and keeps you in this faith in which you stand.

You know now what is right and wrong. You know now what you are to believe. And of course you have known for many years how you are to pray. Pray to your Father as His Son has taught you. Pray in faith, hope, and love for all that you need when you need it most. Pray for all people according to their needs. Pray even on those Thursdays in your lives when there’s nothing going on and nobody to talk to. Talk with God; He is always listening.

For you are God’s child. Baptized so many years ago, God made you forever to be part of His family. He gave you His name, that you would live in it, that you would die for it. That because of that water and the word you are forever changed from the ways of the world and made a disciple in the way of God. That because of this Sacrament you have every confidence that you are forgiven of all of your sins before God anytime that you need it.

This is why the Lord sent me to be your pastor. That I would publicly, privately, and regularly pronounce God’s forgiveness to you. That’s why they pay me the big bucks. To remind you and comfort you in this promise of God, that you are forgiven. In the stead of your Lord and Savior and because of His command, I promise to speak God’s forgiveness to you every single time you repent of your sins. God’s grace is abundantly spoken to you and for you because of Christ.

These things you know, these you believe, teach, and confess. These are your sure and certain foundation, made even more sure for you on a weekly basis at this altar. That this, the bread and wine are truly the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me. As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Oh, and, by the way, welcome to Sunday Bible Study. Join us, your parents, your pastor, and these also who support you in your faith. Join the conversation. Grow your faith and be strengthened by those who believe like you and confess like you. Learn from them, and I assure you, they will learn also from you.

Know this, we are not confirming you today because we no longer care about you. We are not confirming you just because you are old enough. We are confirming you this day in front of all of us because we know the Christian life is difficult, and that faith in our Lord is the only way to get through any difficulty.

Obey and Pray, believe and receive. You know it. You have been taught it. You believe it. Now you may receive it. Stand firm, O soldier of the cross, fight the good fight…of faith…unto life everlasting.

In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Grace, mercy, and peace, be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme is this: Great is His faithfulness.

I believe you can ask every mother in this room today and get quite more of a description than you bargained for about the pains of childbearing. But let John do the describing for us without the extra embellishments. The woman in labor has such pain in order to give birth to her children, but all of that pain fades away when she holds her baby in her arms. Her sorrow and her pain are turned to joy. When she holds that child, nothing else matters.

And I believe you can ask every mother in this room today about how she feels when her young whippersnappers head off to college. On the one hand, she wants what is best for you, wants you to do your best and achieve your goals. She wants you to be grown up and start your own families. But on the other hand, I tell you the truth, she misses you, her children, when you are gone from the home. She wants you to call her, so she can hear your voice again. She wants you to visit her, to come home. While you are off at college, she has sorrow. But when you return, her sorrow is turned into joy. A little while you are away, and again a little while and you come back.

And this is no different in the life of the church. That our children have left or our neighbors have left. And for many of us, we want them to come back. A little while and you will not see me…but we hope and pray that again a little while and we will see them. We have sorrow now, and the world rejoices at this. The devil loves our suffering. The devil devises divisions, strife, false doctrine, you name it.

When Jesus speaks these words to the disciples, it is on the night in which he was betrayed. A little while and you will not see me. I will be crucified. I will die, and I will be buried. He knows this, but the disciples cannot believe it is true. Sure, Jesus said three times that he would be killed and be buried and on the third day rise again. Sure, the Old Testament prophesied this long ago in Psalm 22 and 31 and in Isaiah 53. But our text today reminds us that the disciples are still not understanding what Jesus means. This news makes them sorrowful, but again a little while and they will see Him, see Him raised from the dead. That will turn their sorrow into joy.

On a day like today, on “Take your Mom to church” Sunday, I hope that many of our mothers are joyful that you are here with them hearing the Word of God and believing it like you were raised. I pray that you come back and that she has joy when you return. But when this Sunday falls on a theme like this one, let us turn to the book of the Bible made famous for sorrow, the book of Lamentations, written from Jeremiah, the so-called Weeping Prophet.

For Jeremiah surprises us when he says to us today, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” This is incredibly comforting for us. This is the Good News and Gospel for our souls. That like our own mothers who love us our whole lives, our Lord loves us even more and greater and it never ceases. He died on the cross because He loves us. His mercies, His grace, is not conditional nor does it only last for a few months or years. God’s mercy is granted to you all the days of your life, even today, in the midst of sorrow.

Great is our Lord’s faithfulness to us! In the midst of lamentations, in the midst of pain, in the midst of sorrow, in the midst of struggles, our Lord’s mercies will never fail us. There is no other piece of our lives that can promise us this. At the school, there will not always be an ear to listen. On the farm, there oftentimes seems to be no mercy. At work, we may struggle with various trials. Even in our homes, there are times of lamentations. But you must always remember and never forget.

Great is our Lord’s faithfulness to you. The Lord is your portion, therefore you will hope in Him. Our hope is not in our jobs or our children. Our hope, dearly beloved saints of God, our hope is in the Lord. This hope that we have is this very thing, that our sorrow will be turned into joy. Rejoice, for you shall see the Lord again, again you will see Him, this time face-to-face in clouds of glory.

Great is His faithfulness. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that we should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. In our lives, we wait for many things, for many prayers to be answered, for many children to come home. Let us also wait for the salvation of the Lord. Let us also wait, for the Lord shall return to bring us, His children, home. Let us also wait, and as we wait, His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness is great every day.

So also, you have sorrow now, but the Lord will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you forever and ever.

In the holy name of Jesus, Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels

Up through endless ranks of angels,
Cries of triumph in His ears,
To His heavenly throne ascending,
Having vanquished all their fears,
Christ looks down upon His faithful,
Leaving them in happy tears.

In this first stanza, the hymnwriter puts us in the place of Christ. As Christ ascends into the heavens, “through endless ranks of angels,” He hears “cries of triumph.” Certainly we think of “Alleluia!” We think of “Christ is risen!” We think of “Glory to God in the highest!” The angels and archangels and all the company of heaven rejoice and sing that the Lord is living, that King comes back “to His heavenly throne ascending.” He has vanquished their fears and leaves them in happy tears. “It is finished,” the salvation of souls, the redemption of the whole world.

Death-destroying, life-restoring,
Proven equal to our need,
Now for us before the Father
As our brother intercede;
Flesh that for our world was wounded,
Living, for the wounded plead!

The first Adam died because of His sin and therefore all die. But the second Adam, Jesus, destroyed death and restored life to all creation. What we needed the Lord hath provided. This stanza emphasizes that the Lord Jesus pleads and intercedes for us, His people to the Father. Yes, Jesus died on the cross. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead. But His work is not done. He still prays for us, for the wounded here below, that grace on us would bestow!

To our lives of wanton wandering
Send Your Spirit, promised guide;
Through our lives of fear and failure
With Your power and love abide;
Welcome us, as You were welcomed,
To an endless Eastertide.

In our lives of wanton wandering … Isn’t that a wonderful phrase for our lives as Christians? We are yet wandering in the wilderness waiting for the return of the Lord. And though we love the Lord, we love ourselves, our sin, and our desires even now too. We are wanton wanderers.

But notice the prayer we pray. “Send Your Spirit, promised Guide.” We rely and hope on the work of the Holy Spirit. We know God sent the Spirit, that we would never be alone. Think the Ascension promise, “Lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Holy Spirit will guide and teach us, enlightened and strengthen us. That we will be welcomed to an endless Eastertide in heaven forever!

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to breathe the Spirit’s grace!
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to see the Father’s face!
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Oh, to feel the Son’s embrace!
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John
Curtis, Nebraska

Psalm 3

“Love your enemies.” This is one of those difficult phrases of Jesus that hits right at our hearts. As my parents used to remind me, if you are mad with someone, pray for them; it will help you not be mad at them anymore.

But “love your enemies” is even a bit more difficult than that because sometimes prayer does not solve issues or restore friendships. “Love” these days in our world is all about feelings and all about selfishness. But that is not Christian love. It is not the “love” in the Scriptures. “Love” means to sacrifice for the sake of someone. Who would sacrifice anything for their enemies?

David certainly wrestles with this in Psalm 3. Let’s take a look.

O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
²many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”

David’s enemies think he should be damned. “There is no salvation for him in God.” What’s more, these foes that are rising against him are led by Absalom his son. David the King vs. Absalom the prince. Talk about a family feud brewing! We love our children, but sometimes our children do not love us. We ask ourselves, “How could David love his son Absalom, the son who is about to kill him?”

³But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
⁴I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill.

David has our answer. The Lord is his shield. David’s army was against him. His own son was against him. But God was not against him. God would defend him. God would protect him. God would never leave him or forsake him.

“Love your enemies” may be one of the most difficult challenges for us, but we know that God loves His enemies, even those who killed Him, even those who sin against him. He loves even us and forgives us. This we know for the Bible tells us so.

With this comfort in mind, David then continues:

⁵I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
⁶I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

As someone remarked the other day, these verses are not here so that we know that David was tired, and that he needed a nap. David writes this in the poem to show how God is his shield. Even though his son pursues him, even though the army wishes to kill him, even though he has enemies all around, the Lord grants him sleep. The Lord sustained him that evening and each day.

David will not be afraid, and neither should we be afraid. For just as God was David’s shield, he is our shield too. We can love our enemies as God loved His enemies, and we do not need to be afraid because God will sustain us.

Now the psalm finishes with even more comfort.

⁷Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!

“Save me, O my God!” This is David’s prayer, and we hear it again and again in the Scriptures. So many in the Gospels say this very thing to Jesus. “Save us” is “hosanna” in Hebrew. This points us toward Palm Sunday when the entire crowd is chanting “Hosanna!” And save them He did, five days later when He died on the cross.

On that day, our Lord “loved His enemies” even unto death.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John Curtis, Nebraska

Psalm 2

What are we fighting about anyway? It seems everywhere you look these days, there is fighting going on. There are fights in families about politics and health. There are fights on social media, and friendships are erased. There are fights between countries, and anxiety among the nations. What are we fighting about today?

Let’s take a look at Psalm 2.

Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
³“Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? According to the psalmist, it is because they are fighting against the Lord and against His anointed. Preach that in this world that is angry 24/7. Why don’t families get along? Because you are fighting against the Lord. Why don’t I have any friends anymore on the internet? Because you are fighting against the Lord. Why are countries destroying one another? Because they are fighting against the Lord. I imagine this message would get laughed out of the room because there is no space for truth like Psalm 2 tells us.

But consider what the war cry is, that “we” would “burst our bonds apart and cast away cords from us.” That they would be free. That is what the war is about. That is what all the fighting is about. That this world wants to be free from God, wants to be free to sin, wants to be free to speak, but only because “I am right and you are wrong.”

It would seem that at the time of the Psalmist, they have forgotten that the truth will set you free. It seems in our own day, that we have forgotten that the truth will set us free. Without the truth, there will always be fighting because there will always be lying. But the fighting isn’t so personal, it is in fact theological. The people are fighting amongst themselves because they are fighting against the Lord.

Let’s take a further look at Psalm 2.

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

⁷I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall breakthem with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

What will God do about this? It is clear what He will do. He sets His King on Zion, the holy hill. In other words, it is only through the church that peace will come on earth. And the church will only have peace because that King is God’s Son. We know Jesus has come, and that He has brought peace on earth through His death on the cross. We know that Jesus is God’s Son, begotten of the Father. And that we are now going therefore, baptizing and teaching and making all the nations into His heritage.

Consider these comforting words of warning from Psalm 2 today:

¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
¹²Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Rev. James Peterson
St. John Curtis, Nebraska

The Psalms: Psalm 1

I often teach about the 3 P’s of the Psalms: Poetry, Prayer, and Praise. As we begin taking a look at the Psalms, we notice right away that they are written as poetry and not prose. Hebrew poetry is not written like we might write poetry, with rhyming and meter and so forth. It often compares the righteous and the wicked (as we will see in Psalm 1) and repeats a thought to emphasize and describe what the poet means.

Psalms are also prayers. Whereas many of the passages of Scripture are written in third person past tense, the psalms are frequently written in first person. “Have mercy on me, O Lord!” “Save me, O my God!” This makes the psalms memorable, personal, and powerful as we read them, pray them, or worship with them.

Finally, psalms are praise. I say “praise” for the sake of alliteration. What I really mean is that the psalms are songs. The book of Psalms was the first hymnbook of the church and it has remained in this place in worship even today across denominations and contexts. Psalms are poetry and they are prayers, but they stay with us because we sing them.

Let’s take a look at Psalm 1.

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

The first word we find in the entire book of Psalms is “blessed.” Throughout the Old Testament there are many comparisons between the blessings and the curses. And this Psalm certainly brings this out. I often remind my people that this is also how Jesus began His most famous sermon “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” This is also similar to how many pastors begin their sermons with “Grace, mercy, and peace.”

What we want to focus on next in these two verses are the verbs. First, the blessed man does not walk. As we know, “Synod” means to walk together, and this reminds us of the fellowship we have with the congregations around us. But in this case, the man is not walking into sin, “into the council of the wicked.” This is so easy to do, and it is the way that temptation starts. We walk the walk, walking the way to destruction.

What else does the blessed man do? He does not stand in the way of sinners. When we think of walking, there is always the opportunity to “walk away from it.” But now the sinner stands with other sinners and participates with them in it. Now the sinner is one of the rest, just like everybody else.

But soon after we walk the walk of sin and destruction, eventually we talk the talk too. That’s what the sinner does. The blessed man does not get to this point, but the sinner certainly does. Now he scoffs at the blessed man and reviles the faithful.

Walk, stand, sit. This is the progression of sin that the Psalmist wants us to think about. What logically comes next? Lying down dead. As Paul says in Romans 6, “the wages of sin is death.” And that is the result of unrepentance and sin.

What makes the blessed man so blessed?

It is that “he delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” In other words, the blessed man loves the Bible. The blessed man studies God’s Word and believes it is true. The blessed man is not walking or standing or sitting, but hearing and reading and believing.

And as Lutherans, it is important that we do not get stuck on the word “law” in terms of Law and Gospel. “Law” here means the entirety of God’s teaching in His Word. This is the Word of God we love, and it is the Word of God we study. And this is what makes each and every one of us blessed by God and called to be His beloved children.

“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28

Rev. James Peterson
St. John Curtis, Nebraska

The First Book of Samuel

When do we learn about the books of Samuel or Kings or Chronicles? We probably learn about Samuel and Saul and David and Solomon from Bible stories that our parents read to us. Perhaps we hear the stories in Sunday School. Rarely do we hear these stories in confirmation class. Even rarer will you hear about these stories in the Sunday sermon. I have found in my own life that I have never once attended a Lutheran Bible Study on these books.

Whether it’s because it’s a different nation and its history, or because it’s low on the priority list for pastors and congregations, the Samuels and Kings and Chronicles are still part of God’s Word, and a significant chunk of our Bibles. In my Bible, these books fill 288 pages! And probably some think that these books do not have enough encouragement or comfort. But we will have to wait and see (and read together) these passages to see what we have been missing.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 1:

1 Samuel 1:1-2

The Birth of Samuel

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

First, let’s clarify some places and people we might be unfamiliar with. The first thing I notice is Ramathaim-zophim. This is the lengthened name that is more familiar to us as Ramah. We know about Ramah because Jeremiah (31:15) prophesies that Jacob’s wife Rachel was weeping for her children there.

“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are no more.”

This is the reading that we sometimes hear on the Second Sunday after Christmas, when Matthew quotes Jeremiah as the prophecy that Herod would kill the firstborn sons in Judah and Bethlehem because of Jesus. The Ramathaim of 1 Samuel is the Ramah we hear in the Gospels. Our chapter for today sets the stage for the later coming of Jesus!

But wait, there’s more! This is the same place that we hear about later in the Gospels. When Jacob and Rachel were alive, the town was Ramah. When Hannah and Samuel were alive, the town was named Ramathaim-zophim. But when Jesus was alive, the name of that same town was changed to Arimathea. Can you see the similarities? This is the town of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who gave up his tomb and buried Jesus in it for three days. When Jesus rose, there was no more grief and weeping for Rachel, and there was no more sorrow for Hannah. For the Son of God was raised from the dead and He now lives.

The second name I want us to take a look at is Elkanah. Elkanah is part of the tribe of Levi, the tribe set aside for priests. It is because of Elkanah that Samuel can become a priest for the Lord. Elkanah’s name reflects that beautifully. “El” is the Hebrew name for “God” and “kanah” is the Hebrew verb “to possess.” Put it together and you get “God possesses” or “God bought.” What a Gospel name that is! God has bought Elkanah, paid for his sins, and made him a priest for God’s people!

Finally, let’s take a look at Hannah. Hannah means “grace.” On the one hand, we realize that the beginning of this book appears to suggest that God has not given Hannah grace. It appears God has not been gracious. For He gave Peninnah children, but Hannah had no children. This is a devastating situation for any woman, especially those women who want to have children. For motherhood is the greatest joy for women. We find this true even today. If you ever talk to a widow, she will rarely talk to you about her job or about her friends. But she will certainly tell you about her husband and about her children. We can understand Hannah’s situation, and we can pray today for all women who want to have children of their own.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, Your people have wept in Ramah. But You sent Your Son to be buried there and to be raised from the dead there. Thank You for offering up Your one and only Son for the sacrifice for our sins and for raising Him so that He lives again. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Lord, like Elkanah, You have bought us as Your people. We are no longer slaves to anyone but You. Strengthen us to serve our neighbors in the church and in the world. Like Elkanah, remind us to go to church and to bring our wife and children to know You, trust You, and love You. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Heavenly Father, You comforted Rachel in her weeping and Hannah because she had no children. Comfort mothers whose children have died. Comfort women who wish to have children and cannot. Answer their prayers, for motherhood is the greatest joy. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Rev. James Peterson
First Lutheran Church
Phillipsburg, Kansas