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Four Evangelists Banners and Symbolism

Mt. Calvary, La Grange, TX recently dedicated two new banners featuring the Four Evangelists’ symbols and other rice, ancient imagery. The new banners come from Ad Crucem in Aurora, CO.

Both banners display a cruciform orphrey braid design (the same cross shaped image that we find on our funeral pall). This cross shape draws our eyes to the central image of the triumphant Lamb of God. The Lamb of God, as an image of Jesus, is used heavily in St. John’s gospel and also the Revelation. The purpose of the Gospels, the Prophets, and the sacraments is to bring Jesus’s forgiveness to us.

The triumphant Lamb of God is often depicted with a wounded side. This reminds us of Jesus’s mortal wounds in the crucifixion; the Lamb who was slain and yet, He lives. He also carries a cross-topped war banner standard, flying the victorious battle banner. The particular halo around His head is only used for God, Himself.

The lectern side features St. Matthew and St. Luke as well as the names of Isaiah and Jeremiah. At its top we find this scripture reference: I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17) This is the proclamation of the Christian faith. We preach it, the gospel of forgiveness of sins in Jesus, that all may hear and believe.

The images of the four evangelists are ancient depictions. The church has used them since at least the 4th century, though earlier examples also exist. They encapsulate the unique themes of the Gospel, as recorded by each inspired writer. The symbols of each often bear wings. This to connect our minds between the Evangelists and the four living, winged creatures discussed in both Daniel and Revelation.

We see Matthew depicted as a winged man. The Gospel according to Matthew begins with a lengthy genealogy. St. Matthew draws our attention to the humanity and prophetic work of Jesus, throughout His ministry on Earth. Matthew’s focus gives us the image of the winged man, which is his symbol.

Luke is depicted as a winged ox or bull. The Gospel according to St. Luke focuses heavily on the priestly work and sacrificial death of Jesus. Even in the birth narrative, the temple and sacrificial activity take a front seat. Luke’s narrative focus gives us the image of the winged sacrificial bull or ox, which is his symbol.

At the bottom of the lectern side banner, we read: Isaiah & Jeremiah. These prophets of the Old Testament are also gospel preachers. We don’t always think that way about them. But, the prophets preach repentance to the wayward people. They also preach the restoration of the people, all peoples, in the coming Messiah.

St. Isaiah gives us much of the language we use in our Advent hymns. His huge prophetic work is dripping with Gospel promises in the unnamed Messiah to come. He also gives us the language we hear out of the mouth of St. John, the Baptizer, a voice crying in the wilderness.

St. Jeremiah also preaches to the hopeless, unfaithful people of Israel. His strong themes of terrifying judgement run deeply in the prophecy. His bold promises of grace for those called by faith are a prophecy of hope and restoration. We don’t expect to find Law-Gospel preaching in the Old Testament. Yet, there it is, big as Dallas. And, it’s been there all along.

The pulpit side features St. John and St. Mark as well as the names of Ezekiel and Daniel. At the top we find this scripture reference: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) This Gospel proclamation of Jesus work for us reminds us that His work of our salvation is complete.

We find John in the image of the eagle. The Gospel according to St. John is given from a 10,000-foot perspective. It soars in the heavens. John focuses on Jesus’ divinity. John begins by tying Jesus to the creation in Genesis 1:1. And, he concludes Revelation by taking us into the Resurrection on the last day. His Gospel themes of light, grace, truth, and God’s love for us drive the narrative.

Looking at Mark, we see the winged lion. The Gospel according to St. Mark dwells upon the Kingship of Jesus. The lion as a symbol of both the Israelite tribe of Judah and Mark is fitting. Mark drives more quickly than the other evangelists. Writing very late, he seems to be writing in a way that recapitulates the stories you know already. But, he brings us details we may have missed along the way.

The names of the prophets, Ezekiel and Daniel grace the bottom of the pulpit side banner. These prophets also preach repentance and restoration in the Messiah to come.

St. Ezekiel shares visions of God justifying His people and keeping His promises in the Messiah. He also gives us a spectacular image of the resurrection in chapter 37. The valley of dry bones, where the voice of the prophet commanded by God causes the bones to come together. Flesh comes upon those bones, and breath returns to them. No, the resurrection isn’t a symbolic, spiritual thing.

St. Daniel is both historian and prophet. He’s the source of several vivid depictions of the Babylonian captivity. The fiery furnace and the lion’s den are two such Sunday school stories. He also gives us the language of “one like the Son of Man.” And, we get the image of the “Ancient of Days” giving His saints the eternal kingdom.

Both banners display Prayer, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper symbols between the Evangelists’ icons and the triumphant lamb. The lamp of prayer is God’s command for us and His promise to hear us. The shell of Baptism reminds us of the Gospel of the forgiveness delivered to us in Holy Baptism. The chalice and host of the Lord’s Supper shows us that same forgiveness delivered in Jesus’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

These Four Evangelists banners teach us so much about the Gospel given to us by the Prophets and the Evangelists. And, they show us Jesus, the Lamb of God at their center, delivered to us in the means of grace by God’s institution and command.

Blessèd be the Lord!

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Watching for Leaves

Dear saints, the lessons for today make it hard to believe we less than three weeks from Christmas. Instead of festive cheer, we hear a lot of doom and gloom. We are warned of the end of the world, much like we are as each church year ends. We hear our Lord teach about and warn his listener of the end of the world. At first glance, it may not sound like Advent. It sounds like we are skipping around from last week’s Lenten lesson to the end of Trinity. But these are particularly good Advent themes. Advent, remember, is not a joyous season like Christmas and Easter but is a penitential season much like Lent.

And so, it is fitting that we began Advent and our anticipation of the birth of Christ by looking at his kingly entrance to Jerusalem. There he was preparing to accomplish what he was born to do: suffer and die for you so that your sin and shame are removed. In Lent, we prepare for our salvation being won. Now, we prepare for our salvation to come. We anticipate this in both the celebration of Christmas and the birth of Christ, but as we see in our text today, at the end of our current heaven and earth. In his Second Coming.

As we turn our attention to this morning’s text, let us first think about the cycle of our year. For a couple more weeks, our days will continue getting darker. Our nights are still getting longer. It is a decent metaphor for our world. It is also getting darker. It is getting more violent and chaotic. There is uncertainty about what the future is bringing. Some foresee a bright future through policy, and others see a tragic future no matter the policy. For the world, this is very unsettling. Yet what we see around us should not surprise us.

As Jesus says, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

There’s a reason things seem to be getting worse: They are. And while we do not like seeing wars or disaster or persecution or plague, we know it must come. And that it does come and that it does get worse means something exceptionally good is coming. The close of our calendar year brings darker days and colder weather. Yet we will soon begin to see longer days. Eventually, we will begin to warm back up. Which leads us to the parable in our text:

“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

As the ground eventually thaws and planting season approaches, the trees leave and bud once again too. It is a sign that summer is coming. In the spring, the earth’s vegetation comes back to life. Brown fields turn into green meadows. Flowers sprout and beautify the landscape. There is the anticipation of a vacation … something I am sure many of us could really use right now. And as they say in baseball, “Hope springs eternal.” Optimism for the coming year always runs high.

Odd as it sounds, we should see the signs in the sun and moon and stars, the distress of the people, the calamities and disaster as a budding tree. It is showing us that Christ’s return is coming. He will return in the same way he ascended. He will return as your righteous king.

This is exciting yet terrifying news! It is terrifying to think of violence and things shaking loose right around you. It is unsettling to think of people losing their minds over what is happening. It is not fun to think about everything you know and are used to crashing down around you. So, Jesus implores you to, “Raise up your heads, for your redemption draws near!”

We do not rejoice at the horrible things that have happened, are happening, or will happen. Indeed, we should grieve with those who mourn. Should be sorrowful and have compassion for those who are desperate. Lament those who have no faith in the One who delivers them from their sin. Yet through it all, you see that your reward won and given to you by Jesus Christ, is nearly here. And so, despite the bad things going on around you, perhaps even to you, it is something you can look forward to with hope. Even with joy because joy is not the same as happiness. Joy transcends happiness. Joy can be felt and experienced amid your deepest pain.

While the world, that is the people who reject the Lord, reacts with perplexity and fear, the church reacts with peace, hope, and joy. The world is about to be condemned. The church sees real justice being revealed. And then there’s creation. Creation waits with eager longing because in the Fall it was subjected to futility and the whole of creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. God’s good creation, corrupted by the Fall, yearns for these signs to come. It suffers, through no fault of its own, right along with us as we await the Son of God. We await the revelation that what God did to you and me in our baptisms will be seen and revealed to all of creation.

As we await the coming of our Lord, he also encourages us to watch ourselves. He urges us not to be weighed down by this life. That we resist the temptation to indulge in the debauchery our world invites us to indulge in. Allowing yourself to be tempted and fooled into sinning threatens to destroy your faith. Though we anxiously await our Christ and his quick return, we do not know when it is. So, we do practice the things that strengthen our faith. We gather to hear the Word and to receive His Supper. We pray for one another, the church over all the world, and even our enemies. This is what Jesus means when he exhorts us to stay awake at all times. These actions and good works that we do have no justifying value to them. They do, however, give us restraint and help prevent laziness. You are given comfort and assurance that the blood of Christ shed on the cross pays the price for your sin. The water poured, sprinkled, or washed over you in baptism washes away your sin and makes you a new creation in Christ.

As we walk along our journey to the manger, we look forward to the culmination of our waiting. As we gaze upon the face of the newborn babe, we consider his innocent sufferings in this life and on the cross. As we share in Word and Sacrament, we consider his gifts and their culmination in his Second Advent. For even as things fall apart around us, we know that our redemption draws near. We will be freed from our sinful flesh and be given a new and incorruptible body. Freed from the impact of sin and given life everlasting in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

Preparing for Christmas

In the United States, December is a very busy month. Christians are preparing for Christmas, Jews are preparing for Hannukah, some African Americans celebrate a fairly recent holiday called Kwanzaa. Our businesses begin already before Halloween to prepare brightly colored lights and Christmas trees, music and sales for the gifts people will buy and parties people will host. Crafters begin even earlier — the care that knitting, crocheting, sewing, making of candles, clay creations and other items take quite a bit of time and love to make.

For the church, it is a season of preparation, too! On the surface, there are the additional services and special music to prepare. Pastors take special care to craft a sermon that will bring the Good News of Great Joy to what has been delicately called the semi-annual worshippers. Yet the real preparation is not for the celebration. The real preparation is for Christ to come.

Advent is about the three ways that Jesus comes to us. Everyone remembers the first time he came — as a baby in Bethlehem. The Second Coming is when he comes at the end of time. The third way is the one most people miss — Jesus comes to us everyday in various ways. He is always with us, until the end of time itself. He comes to us every time we read his word or hear it preached. He comes when we gather in worship, especially when the pastor speaks his forgiveness to us. He is really present, coming to us in bread and wine, where he gives us his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.

So, how do we prepare for these comings? With the faith he has given to us as a gift, we turn from our sins to do his will (that’s what the Hebrew word for repent means). We completely change our minds (that’s what the Greek word for repent means, from giving in to our sinful ways of thinking to keeping God’s law and doing his will. Alone, these are impossible for us. But with God’s help, the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the gifts of his Word and Sacraments, we can change are hearts and minds to serve him.

Why is there a triangle on the last stanza on some hymns and not others?

There may be several related questions about that one little icon in our hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book (LSB), which we print into the bulletin also. It’s an innovation for the 2006 hymnal to smooth out some confusion about rubrics (which describe how we move and what we do, physically) in worship. Sometimes we stand. Sometimes we sit. Sometimes we kneel.

First off, what’s a “stanza?” Most of us grew up calling the numbered lines of text in a hymn, verses. They are actually called stanzas. Verses are the individual poetic lines of which a stanza is constituted. For example: “My Soul, Now Praise Your Maker,” LSB 820, stanza 3, verse 2 reads, God in His arms will gather all who are His in childlike fear. That line doesn’t make much sense by itself. There is a simple phrase to help us remember that distinction. “Psalms have verses, hymns have stanzas.”

So, why a triangle? The triangle indicates the Holy Trinity, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, by name. Christian art has used the triangle as visual shorthand for the Trinity for centuries. So, it was a natural go-to visual marker for our hymnals. Why does the triangle only appear sometimes? Not all, or even very many of our hymns contain a Trinitarian final stanza. This is neither good nor bad hymn writing. It simply is. The ones that do have a Trinitarian final stanza get the triangle marker. We added the triangle to our hymns to reduce some confusion between local practices that popped-up over time.

Why do we stand for triangled stanzas? We stand for Trinitarian stanzas to acknowledge and glorify our Triune God. The Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped, says the Athanasian Creed. We do something special at that moment because we are clearly setting ourselves apart from others who would claim Christianity, but deny the Triune God.

Our standing acclamation speaks to our confessions together in the creeds. There are groups claiming to be Christians, who would not stand in acclamation, or should not. Among those are Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

This is also why we have abandoned the minority practice of standing for every final stanza of every hymn. Only the Trinitarian stanzas receive the bold confession of the Trinity by standing when they are sung. And similarly, we do not stand to sing, “Stand Up! Stand Up! For Jesus,” because it does not contain the Trinitarian formula.

So, dear Christians, stand up. Blessèd be the Holy Trinity!

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Advent and Palm Sunday

Dear saints, we begin Advent as we begin Holy Week: with our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. This helps to focus our hearts and minds. Advent is the first season of the church year and the first part of the Time of Christmas. But it is not a celebratory season. The purple paraments give us a clue to this. Purple is the royal color of the coming king, a color of repentance. The color fits well both Advent and Lent, but the character of the seasons are different. Symbols depicting the two seasons are quite different. Candles and angels are common for one, crosses and crowns of thorns for the other. Only the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God, overlaps.

Advent, like Lent, builds to a climax which is only realized when the next season begins. For Lent the climax is the Resurrection; for Advent, the climax is the Nativity of Our Lord. The themes and lessons of each season help focus us to, for lack of a better word, experience this climax.

Advent begins with our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem a week before his death. This helps show that Advent is not pre-Christmas. If it were, we would expect lessons like the Annunciation. We would expect to hear of Gabriel’s visit to Mary. About John leading in the womb of Elizabeth when he hears the voice of Mary.

But this is not what we are doing in Advent. We are not getting ready for a Jesus who is about to be born. He is born and we will soon commemorate and celebrate that great event. Instead, we focus on getting ready for the End. Advent is eschatological, that is, it focuses on death, judgment, and eternity. Advent is, therefore, a call to repentance.

The word ‘advent’ is from a Latin word that means ‘coming.’ We spent the last three weeks contemplating our Lord’s Second Coming when He comes in Glory. Advent culminates with the celebration of Christmas when He was born in Bethlehem. For that reason, we see in Christmas why Jesus comes. He comes to be the Savior. He comes to die. And He will come again in glory at the End of the Age.

Advent, then, is also a time of preparation. We ready ourselves for the end. This is what we heard from St. Paul: For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of the darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime…. In the Introit and Collect we ask that God would protect us, rescue us, deliver us, and not let us be put to shame. We cry out for our redemption.

Let us, then, look at our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem as He prepares to ascend His throne on the cross. Jesus and those with Him draw near Jerusalem. They arrive in Bethphage, where the Mount of Olives is located. Two of the disciples are sent into the village to retrieve a donkey and her colt. They go and retrieve the animals. They put their outer cloaks on the colt and Jesus mounts it, riding into Jerusalem.

This accomplishes biblical prophecy: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” He rides into Jerusalem just as another son of David, Solomon, did. And like Solomon, the people line the streets and receive Jesus. They spread their cloaks and freshly cut branches and line the road as Jesus enters. And they sing, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!”

Our Lord has come. He comes from the Father to the virgin and makes Himself the sacrifice for the sins of the world. The world that rebelled and caused all the horrible and miserable things which we continue to endure. And then he lays down his life so that we would be rescued and spared. He becomes our sin. He suffers the consequences of all our crimes, petty or otherwise. He is betrayed and abandoned by those He loved. In all that was done to Him, and everything that continues to be done shows exactly how unworthy we are of Him. He knew all of this before he came, and he came anyway. He was driven by an intense love for His creation. And that love compels Him to show mercy, compassion, and charity.

The amazing thing about the message of Christmas is that our Lord does all of this knowing what will happen. It is good to decorate and have various ceremonies and festivities. It is right to rejoice in our Lord’s birth. A birth which came about so that the virgin-born God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, would die as a sacrifice for our sins.

But we are not there yet. When we get there, it will be great. We will rightfully celebrate and rejoice. But our fathers in the faith bid us not to rush to Christmas as children rush through their presents on Christmas morning. The church would have us pause and prepare for this mysterious and exciting day. We prepare through repentance. Before we jump to the joy of Christmas, we fast through Advent. Such fasting may be a literal fast where you abstain from certain foods or activities, or it could be simply that parts of our liturgy are not sung as we await the day when we sing it again with gusto. Before we hear of our Lord in the manger and in His mother’s arms, we hear St. John calling his hearers to repent and to behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Yet there is a third coming that we celebrate in Advent. This coming is one that is ongoing and lasts throughout the whole year. That coming is how our Lord comes to us continually in his Word and Sacrament. He does this and aids us in our preparation for His Second Coming. As shepherds hear the declaration of the angels, we gather to hear the Word through the Scripture and his angels, which means messenger, of today: his pastors. As wise men bow and lay down gifts before Him, we bow and kneel before His altar to receive forgiveness and salvation through the gift of His Body and Blood.

We stand at the beginning of a new Church Year. It does not begin with Jesus in Bethlehem. It begins with Jesus riding toward the cross. Advent is not getting us ready for Christmas or Easter. It is getting us ready for the Lord’s coming in glory and judgment. We get ready for that by receiving Him now as He comes to us in Word and Sacrament.

Our Lord will return. And on that Last Day, He will come in terrors. He will come to judge the nations. But it will not be a terror to you. Instead, it will be a joy and delight. For He is your righteousness. He has died to make you His. He has substituted Himself for you and declared you righteous as He is righteous. He comes on that day as He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and today: driven by His love and desire to have you. That is why we pray, “Hosanna, Lord save us,” and “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

The Guarding of Your Heart and Mind (Thanksgiving Eve/Day)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Holiday Season is upon us. But in many areas, it will be a lot different. Where tomorrow is usually the day we gather with family and friends, there are many places where this has been banned. Some people will stay at home because they are sick or do not want to be exposed to sickness. And some will do what we usually do: they will eat, some will watch football, eat, nap, enjoy the company of friends and family, eat, and perhaps even play some board or card games.

Most years, some of us may skip out of that early. And the reason some will skip out on it early is so we can go get in a line at Best Buy or Wal-Mart. I doubt the Black Friday rush will be what it was last year. The whole reason for Black Friday, which is more like a weeklong affair now, exists is because that is the day businesses look to turn a profit on their year. Who knows what this year will look like? Shoppers like it because many get the bulk of their Christmas shopping done. And perhaps pick things up for themselves while they are at it. I do not know if you have ever participated in the madness that is Black Friday. I have done it. Once. Now, I am still willing to go out Friday afternoon or Saturday if there is something that I really want or need to pick up. But I am not too interested in sitting in lines, running through stores, and displaying a raw materialistic attitude that so many do just to save money on some item.

People look to Black Friday to provide some salvation or respite to their pocketbooks. They know who they are buying for and what they want, but they also know they cannot really afford everything high on a wish list. They do not have the resources to get these things unless they strike it on Black Friday.

Perhaps this is the reason, or at least a good portion of the reason, that stress and anxiety skyrocket during the holidays. But buying gifts is not the only reason for high stress and anxiety. There may be family issues that you know will show up. Maybe a family member is missing this year for the first time. Maybe you are, or have been, the one missing. If you are the cook, maybe you have put an enormous load on yourself – or even worse, had an enormous load heaved upon you – and can’t see any way of fulfilling what you are committed to.

Whatever the reason is, anxiety tends to run high this time of year. I am sure it is especially true this year. If you walked up to someone on the street a few days before Christmas and asked them what their anxiety level was, they would likely rate it about a seven or an eight. Or maybe an eleven. Yet in our text, Paul writes to us saying, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Even though it is not the Gospel lesson for today, perhaps this brings to mind what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. There he reminds us that birds do not sow or harvest, yet are fed. Lilies do not work, but are clothed in beauty. Animals do not do the work we do, they do not stress or have anxiety over every day matters as we do, but still, they are provided for. Jesus ends the section by saying, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Since being anxious does not get us anything, then what good does it do? Well, it does nothing but stress you out. And, frankly, it shows a lack of fear, love, and trust in your Father in heaven. So, we are invited to go to our Father with everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving. We are encouraged to let all our requests be made known to our Father.

I know it is not the greatest comparison, but it is like a child at Christmas time. Especially when they are younger, they will make sure you know every little thing they might want. I remember going through a Sears Catalog, yes, I am that old, and marking pages and circling stuff so my parents knew every detail of my wishes and desires.

I am not saying Paul is writing to the Philippians, and to us, saying that we should do this. He is not teaching what many poor theologians claim today, that God is some sort of heavenly wish fulfiller of whatever you can dream up. But he is telling us that we are free to go to God with every care. Is there a difficult financial situation? Ask God for peace and wisdom. Do you miss a loved one? Tell God that you are having a hard time. Will you be alone for the first time? Remember that Christ was left alone to suffer for you.

While these are common prayers that many have, what about supplication? What about those urgent needs that you earnestly ask, maybe even beg God for? When the doctor comes in and says, “It’s cancer and it’s bad.” When everything is crashing down around you and you do not know where to turn. When there is a knock on the door from the Sheriff’s Department and you are the next of kin. These are the times of supplication. Of raw emotion. Perhaps you are not even able to speak, only able to direct confused thoughts to your Heavenly Father. And as hard as it is to think about it, these are still requests made with thanksgiving. This is because you know that the will of God is good and that it will be done.

Whether you are feeling good or in a difficult place, Paul gives us something that you can hold on to: IN A WORLD WORKED UP AND ANXIOUS ABOUT MANY THINGS, OUR GOD GUARDS OUR HEARTS AND MINDS ON ACCOUNT OF CHRIST. On account of this, anything that is weighing on your heart your Father wants to hear about. He is already there to comfort you. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. We do not understand everything that happens around us. We do not understand the suffering. The pain. The sickness. We do not understand why the innocent are taken into trouble and death. But hear again the promise that is made to us: God’s peace, which is beyond all our feeble understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is comfort you can count on. It is like a soldier keeping watch over his platoon in the night. He is there to keep them and protect them from the enemy and all danger. Because there is one keeping watch for the platoon, the rest can sleep. They can rest and recover. This is the promise of God to you. And better than any soldier, God will keep your heart and mind. In the same way, we are freed from dwelling on anxiety. We can focus on the things Paul lists. We are freed to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Paul wrote this letter from a prison in Rome. And yet he can write about not being anxious. He can write about thinking and dwelling on these good things. His prayers and supplications are on behalf of those he has preached the gospel to and earnestly desires to remain in the true faith.

Paul has known what it was like to be a powerful Pharisee and what it is like to be a reviled Christian preacher. He has known a comfortable financial situation and poverty. He has known having plenty and being hungry. And in all of this, even when in prison, he says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

The reason Paul, and the reason you, can go to God with all your cares, prayers, and supplications; the reason you can know that God will guard your heart and mind; the reason that you can do all things through Christ is that Christ has given up everything on your behalf.

He prayed earnestly in the garden that the cup should pass from him, but even more that the will of God be done. That will was done. Christ knows what it is to have everything. But he gave it all up to be made low and counted as nothing on your behalf. He knows what it is to provide water and he knows what it is to thirst as he hung on the cross. All this he knows and experiences to save you from your sin. From your fear and anxiety. From turning in on yourself and focusing on you. In essence, from you making yourself your god.

Instead, he gives you the freedom to cast your burdens on him. He takes your iniquities and your anxieties and carries them on himself. This is why you are sure your sins are taken away. This is why you can do all things. This is why you take everything to God in prayer. This is why God guards our hearts and minds. He does so because of the work of Jesus Christ.

And this is why, despite all the things going on around us, we give thanks to God. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

On the Wisdom of Faith

Dear saints, this morning we see the end of another church year. And we do so with another parable of Jesus. This time, we center around a group of virgins who are waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. The customs in those days were much different than today. It had the bride awaiting the bridegroom in her home, accompanied by her young companions. The groom would come with his friends and pick her up to lead her to the ceremony. And as he approached, the maidens would go out to meet him. A joyful procession would then wind its way through the streets and end up at the place where the marriage feast was prepared. The young women would enter the hall with the rest of the bridal company. And since weddings in those days were celebrated in the evening, the maidens would carry lamps to light their way in the darkness.

And so already our text makes more sense. The bridegroom was on his way, and the virgins assembled with their lamps. As he approaches, they go out to meet him. They seek. They wait. They get drowsy. They fall asleep as he is delayed. But then, there is a clamor. The bridegroom approaches! It is time to rise and prepare to meet him! The ten virgins awake from their slumber. They grab their lamps, trim their wicks, and go to refill the oil which keeps the lamp burning bright. And that is when the problems start. Five have plenty of oil. They can manage their lamps and have them brightly shine like designed. But five have no oil. They can prepare their lamps but cannot use them. Their lights will not shine.

And so, these foolish virgins turn to the wise who came prepared. “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise virgins brought an extra supply for themselves. They do not have any to spare. And so, the foolish virgins are told to go to the market to buy more. And, despite being the middle of the night and having no merchant to buy from, they go off.

Unsurprisingly, the bridegroom comes while they are away. The wise virgins meet him and process with him to the place the feast has been prepared. They go into the feast, the doors are shut, and the feast commences. Sometime later, the foolish virgins, those who did not come prepared, return. They find the door locked and call out, “Lord. Lord, open to us.” But they hear a surprising response: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” We are not told their reaction, but I am sure it was one of total shock.

But it is Jesus’ commentary after the parable that should draw our attention today: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” This parable is spoken to those who are disciples of Jesus. To those who follow him and trust in him. On the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar, Jesus gives a grave warning. Remember that this is the last public discourse of Jesus, probably on Wednesday of Holy Week. As we saw a couple of weeks ago, he speaks of the destruction of the Temple and the Last Days leading up to his return. He says, essentially, “Keep your eyes peeled.” We are to be aware of what is going on around us.

Why, though, would such a warning be necessary? Jesus does give something of an answer in Matthew 24, but St. Paul also does in our Epistle text. He tells the believers in Thessalonica, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

What the apostle is getting at is what our Lord was getting at: When Christ returns, it will be a surprise. Even to those waiting on him. Therefore, we are warned. Even if our days of a pandemic, how easy is it for us to think to ourselves that we have all the time in the world? That we will, with little doubt, have next year or next decade? How easy it is to become complacent! When we do this, we present to ourselves a very real danger.

All the women that were invited to be a part of the bridal party were the same. They were all young maidens. Virgins. They all had a place and came prepared to sit at the feast. But some of these invited and worthy guests were foolish. They were prepared to sit at the feast, but they were not prepared for any delay. The wise virgins, however, brought extra oil. They were ready for things not to work out as they thought they would or should.

And they did not. Instead of the bridegroom coming at the expected time, he was delayed. And even though they went out to meet him, he was not to be found. And so all ten waited. All ten got tired. All ten fell asleep. But at midnight, there was a cry! Perhaps to the ears of these virgins it sounded like the blast of a trumpet. “He’s here! Let us go to meet him!”

But it is dark. And so, the ten prepare to go out to meet and process. They care for the wick and check the oil level. For five, this is no problem. They simply top off. But for the other five, we have a huge problem. They have no more oil, and their lamp will soon go out.

But what does this have to do with us? What does it mean to have oil or to be out of it? Remember that all ten knew about the bridegroom. They all came, seemingly prepared for the wedding. But as things were delayed and drug out, all ten also began to get tired. They did not stand watch or keep vigil. They all slept. And as they slept, the oil burned. As they awoke, some lacked what was essential for light to continue.

The oil of the wise virgins is that of faith. A faith that is continually sustained by the Means of Grace. And with this faith being sustained by what God has given us, Word and Sacrament, the oil of faith endures. Even as we await the return of our Lord, so has every generation of Christians for nearly 2,000 years. All have waited. All have sat and heard the word and partook of the Sacraments. And each generation has fallen asleep.

But one day, whenever it is, there will be a cry. All who have fallen asleep will awake. And those with oil, those with faith, will trim their lamps and shine brightly as they process to the wedding banquet. But on the other hand, those who awake without the oil of faith will know what they lack and seek it.

But that is the rub. One’s ‘oil’ is only useable by the one who has it. It cannot be loaned or transferred. Faith cannot be infused to another, no matter how much I would like it to be so. And so, in this morning’s parable, we are warned against growing weary of waiting for the return of our Lord. We are warned against growing complacent and being distracted. We are warned against neglecting our faith and being endangered with the loss of our faith.

Jesus Christ, our bridegroom, is coming. We have all been invited to be a part of the wedding party. We gather in anticipation of his arrival. And while he comes soon, we do not know when that is. And so, we strive to remain prepared. Being washed clean in Holy Baptism, we sit and hear his word. We eat and drink his Body and Blood. In doing so, our Lord fills our horn of oil. And we await his arrival, that we may walk with him along the way to the eternal marriage feast between our Lord and his bride: Us. The Church.

As St. Paul writes: For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

About the Freedom of a Christian

For nearly two years, Karl von Miltitz, an ambassador of the pope (Nuncio) had been trying to negotiate an agreement between the Pope and Luther that would end the crisis in Germany. When Johann von Eck published the bull threatening to excommunicate Luther, Miltitz tried to arrange a meeting to find some compromise. He and Luther’s friends in the government of Frederick the Wise urged the reformer to write a letter to the Pope personally, explaining his theology in a positive, non-threatening way. He agreed. The result was the fourth great book Luther wrote in 1520, About the Freedom of a Christian. It appeared five hundred years ago in both German and Latin.

In About the Freedom of a Christian, Martin Luther describes what it means to be a Christian. He puts together in a straightforward way all that he has discovered about the Gospel and how it provides the motivation to do good works in service of God and our neighbor. Along the way he explains what would become the signature concepts and doctrines of the Lutheran Church.

Luther begins the book with a paradox, stating two things that seem to be contradictory, yet are both true at the same time:

A Christian is free, Lord over everything and is no one’s servant.

A Christian is everyone’s willing servant in every way.

Luther describes two natures present in every Christian. The spiritual nature, the New Adam, is free because the Son of God sets him free. The fleshly nature, sinful in a sinful world, the Old Adam, is bound by the realities of this age. Because Jesus came, bore our sins on the cross, paid their price in full, all of them are forgiven. A Christian is saved — and free — because he or she trusts him and relies on his merits alone. The result is that a new nature rises in a Christian, which loves God and wants to love, serve and obey them. A Christian, then, is bound by this love of God to spend his life caring for his neighbor.

So, then, Luther concludes: “Insofar as a Christian is free, no works are necessary. Insofar as a Christian is a servant, all kinds of works are done.” Although the New Adam is free from the law, he or she willingly obeys it, often automatically, for the sake of his or her neighbor. These works are also necessary to discipline the outer person, the Old Adam, the keep it from falling into sin and extinguishing faith.

Luther concludes that we should think of our good works here as the same as the good works of Adam before the fall. Good works do not make a good person, then. A Good person does good works. He puts it this way: “as Christians we do not live in ourselves but in Christ and the neighbor. Otherwise, we are not Christian. As Christians we live in Christ through faith and in the neighbor through love. Through faith we are caught up beyond ourselves into God, Likewise, through love we descend beneath ourselves through love to serve our neighbor.”

Top Twenty-Five What Does This Mean? Posts

For those who are curious, here are the top twenty-five What Does This Mean? posts, going back to the first one in January of 2018. If you’re favorite isn’t high enough on the list, you can “vote” for it. Go to: http://whatdoesthismean.blog, copy the title of the post, paste it into the search box and search for it. Be sure to read it, though. We get an average time on the post reports as well.

1 About Accepting Jesus as your Personal Savior
2 The Harvest is Plentiful
3 The Four Ways of Interpreting Scripture
4 Elijah’s Mantle on Elisha Cast
5 Tropological Interpretation
6 Sermon on the Pandemic
7 Material Principle
8 The Four Ways of Interpreting Scripture
9 That Rebellious House
10 Ten Commandments–First Table
11 Happy birthday, Lutheran Church!
12 The Three Ways God Cares for Us
13 Pastors are Called by God
14 Formal Principle
15 You’re No Angel: Things Angels are Not
16 A Walk Through the Liturgy: The Sign of the Cross
17 Baptism Saves You
18 The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will Do This
19 The Church has Always Baptized Infants
20 Martin Luther, the Sacraments and Faith
21 Baptism Saves You
22 The Church has Always Baptized Infants
23 More About Accepting Jesus as Your Personal Savior
24 Christ’s Sabbath Rest in the Tomb
25 Church Word #6: Lutheran

All Sheep Go to Heaven

Dear saints, last week we heard about what will happen as the end draws near. Next week will bring a parable about our Lord’s return. This morning we hear a parable that wraps up our Lord’s final discourse on the End Times. Last week’s lesson was a warning for us to be prepared. Today, we hear of the Day of Judgment. More precisely, we heard the Lord’s announcement of the judgment that has already taken place.

Jesus comes in glory and sits upon his throne. All the nations are gathered before him. And the people are separated from one another. Sheep go to the right; goats go to the left. The sheep are welcomed into heaven and the goats are cast into hell. After hearing this parable, many will ask the question, “Have I been good enough to be a sheep?”

There is only one problem with that. It is the wrong question. But for a moment, let us try to answer it anyway. Jesus describes what sheep do: They feed the hungry. They give the thirsty something to drink. They welcome the stranger. They clothe the naked. They visit the sick and go to the prisoner.

And so, have you done that? Any of it? Some of it? All of it? How much do you have to do to be considered a sheep? What if you have not even had the opportunity to do some of those things? Are you even able to be a sheep? Remember the standard under 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?” can and will only bring anxiety or conceit. 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 good enough to be a sheep. By failing to help your fellow brother or sister, you find you fit the description of a goat instead.

So let us consider the words of our Lord in the parable and see how we may know that we are, indeed, sheep: Jesus says to those on his right, “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.”

The sheep are confused. They do not seem to understand. They answer and say, “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.”

If the lesson this morning is not about doing good works and showing yourself worthy as a sheep, then what is it about? First, I want to look at how the sheep and the goats are addressed. The sheep are called blessed by the Father and the goats are cursed. The sheep are those declared righteous. They are the ones who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 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 too.

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. Or, as the parable would speak of them, sheep. 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. They are goats.

The parable 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; rather 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? Here we see 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 shines 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