What Does This Mean?

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

What’s with the exhausting serving day and night in the temple in Revelation 7?

Let’s first consider our creation. We unique, dirt-with-the-breath-of-life critters, created in the image and after the likeness of God, were made for doing things.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Garden-tenders and earth-subduers are we. God made us to have dominion. This is both ruler and caretaker. The dominus (lord) of the household is the one who is responsible for the safety and full bellies of his subjects. Even in our sinful fallenness, the earth is still organized this way.

And to Adam he said, “…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life… By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17b, 19)

Not just us, but all of creation is broken, distorted by sin, death, and the Devil. Before sin entered, the work of tending the garden didn’t break backs, tear muscles, or cause the sweaty putrescence and exhaustion that define our lives of toil under the sun. For the toil with which one toils all the vain days of this life, that breaks down and exhausts this sinful flesh.

But, dear baptized, redeemed by Christ in the resurrection all will be made new. A new heavens and a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and a new temple/garden of which we will be the tenders once more. Refreshed, renewed, resurrected in glory, we will not suffer from our labor.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17)

Even more, we will be sheltered by God as a hen gathers her chicks. Hunger, thirst, the heat of toiling under the sun, and sadness itself are all wiped away in the presence of our Savior. Serving in the temple will be an immeasurable joy to us. Quite frankly, I can’t conceive of it at all. But, Jesus puts this vision into our ears to strengthen our trust in the hope He has prepared.

Trust in Jesus, for He has prepared a place for us.

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

Justice and Injustice

Justice is a word dangling from the lips of a host of Christians and non-Christians alike these days. But, what of this “justice?” Social justice, economic justice, racial justice, environmental justice; do these ideas jive with the Christian notion of Justice?

In a word, No.

Justice as a concept can only exist in a world where equality is the goal. Justice can only simultaneously be for everyone. It does not defer to the great. It is not partial to the poor.

You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (Leviticus 19:15)

You can slip any seemingly opposite pairs into this definition and maintain the concept and the principle drawn from it: women and men, military and civilian, urban and rural, native and naturalized, blue collar and white collar, one race and another, skilled and unskilled, uneducated and educated, renters and homeowners, southerners and northerners, Christians and non-Christians, and the like. All are due equality in the application of justice. We shall not defer or be partial.

Sadly, the contemporary civil rights movement wants to abandon God’s standard of impartiality. The claim is that there is racism, for which privileged people as a whole must repent. They insist that justice can only be obtained by abandoning God’s Word in favor of the world’s constantly moving standards. Furthermore, there is a call to repentance for what they claim is systemic or historic racism. In effect, they hold individuals guilty of sins of society. They insist that people atone for sins they didn’t commit. According to this view, Jesus death isn’t enough to forgive sins against racial justice.

This is antithetical to Christianity. First, God’s justice can’t be preferential to anyone. Second, atonement before God can only be through Jesus’ death. Third, sin cannot be conferred upon you by someone else’s deeds. Instead of justice, the social justice crowd are advocates of injustice as God defines it.

This injustice also requires us to break the eighth commandment. We must point to our neighbor and confess their sin for them. Yet, we cannot confess each other’s sins. Neither can we withhold Christ’s forgiveness from those penitents, who seek it.

Ironically, justice is not what we want as Christians anyway. Justice looks like this: all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God’s justice condemns us all for our sin. We deserve only hell for our failure to keep God’s law. But, instead of meeting out justice on us. God’s wrath and punishment fell upon Jesus. His suffering and death paid for our sins. We, forgiven children of God, have not received the justice we earned.

Justice modified is injustice. But, God’s forbearance saves us from the justice we are due. In Christ, we are all one race, one family, one people. Human injustice is met by Showing mercy to those who are abused, hurt, cast aside, poor and in need.

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

What’s with the accounting of our deeds in the Athanasian Creed?

At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. (Athanasian Creed; lines: 38-39)

That sounds pretty severe, doesn’t it? It’s not the just sound, but the reality. Jesus warns us again and again that there is a reckoning in store for humanity. Sheep and goats, wheat and tares, wedding guests with and without a wedding garment, good trees and bad trees; some will receive salvation and some will not. Some will receive eternal fire.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, …he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… Then the King will say to [the sheep], ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? … “Then he will say to [the goats], ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty … and did not minister to you?’ … And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-32b, 34, 37, 41, 44, 46)

One very significant thing about Jesus’ description of the final judgement is that neither the sheep nor the goats recognize themselves in their deeds. The goats do not see their wickedness. The sheep do not see their righteousness.

Unbelief and faith are the mitigating issues at play here.

As with Judas, unbelief produces wickedness. Out of hatred of God, those who choose to deny Christ are bad trees producing bad fruit. The road to hell is paved not in good intentions, but in unbelief.

As with Abraham, our faith is credited to us as righteousness. Our faith, which is a gift given in our baptism, produces good works. Good trees produce good fruit. And, God makes good trees out of us sinners.

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:13-14)

In baptism we find our identity. We are children of God, called, named, and saved by the blood of Jesus. We are saved by this washing of regeneration. Through it, God only sees us a righteous people, sheep, wheat, wedding guests clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, good trees producing good fruit. At the accounting of our deeds, we will all still be surprised that God finds us righteous. Now, we can only see our sin. There, He only sees us in Christ.

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

The Great Cloud of Witnesses

Encore Posts: Once every four years, the world pauses to watch the Olympics. Among the most exciting of the sports contested are the foot races, where the fastest men and women to ever walk the earth run nearly as fast as each other, the winner crossing the finish line a few thousandths of a second ahead of the others. The crowds That pack the stands cheer them on. The loudest are coaches urging them on.

The Book of Hebrews uses is image to describe the assembly of the church triumpant — all of God’s holy ones — his saints — who have died and now live in God’s presence forever. They form a “great cloud of witnesses” cheering us on. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Also our coach, Jesus, stands at the finish line. We focus on him as we run our race because he endured the cross before us and for us. When we worship, we enter eternity and join them, the “whole company of heaven”, in praising God.

All Saints’ Day is an ancient celebration — begun in the Eighth Century (700s AD) It was intended celebrate all the Saints that did not have a special day assigned for them. Lutherans have kept this day a sort of Christian Memorial Day. We remember the Christians in our lives who have died and now rest with Christ, especially those who entered eternal life in the last year. It is a joyful day, more so than the day of their funeral, where grief is more intense. Most parishes read their names during worship. Some use other ways to remember — distributing flowers, lighting votive candles or other practices special to them.

Yet our celebration is not about the saints — even our loved ones. It is about Jesus, their Savior, who by his death has destroyed death and by his resurrection opened the kingdom to all believers. He is the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God. It is because he is risen that they — and we — will rise on the last day. So, we dry the tears in our eyes, for he is risen! He is risen indeed! Allelujah!

For All The Saints

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

This year has been quite a wild ride. All Saint’s Day last year we were not even aware of the virus that would wreak havoc well into this year. We had no idea that nursing homes would close up and keep family members and pastors from doing their visiting with their loved ones and shut in members. It changed a lot of what could be done for folks in compromised health situations. I don’t honestly remember the last visit I made to a person in the hospital.

We all were humbled and are continuing to be humbled this year in one way or another. The things we have taken for granted have been taken away in large part. Science and Medicine once something considered all knowing has been questioned repeatedly from all kinds of people for their lack of knowledge about this virus. I think it is right to say that God has knocked down many of our idols, cutting off their hands or smashing their faces, showing how useless they are when it comes to life and death.

Some may ask, why is God doing this? What kind of judgement is this? It is the kind that is supposed to lead all to repentance, turning to Him and receiving from the forgiveness of sins He so richly and lovingly provides to us poor miserable sinners who need his forgiveness, mercy, and love.

That’s what the saints of the Lord Jesus Christ know. They know where to turn when life turned sour, when a plague hit, when things got rough, they knew to call upon the name of the Lord, coming to him in repentance, seeking His mercy. When they sinned in thought, word, or deed, they came to the Lord confessing their sins and seeking God’s grace and favor. For that is God’s character. He is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love.

I think about those men and women who were called home in our congregation since the last All Saints’ Day service. I was not able to do some of their funerals. Funerals I longed to do, for I knew that their funerals would have been a glorious last testimony speaking of the mercy and grace of their Lord Jesus Christ, in whose blood their own robes were made white, pure, and holy. They were covered in the blood of the Lamb, and thus made holy for the sake of Him who died to save the world from its sin.

Many of you probably have been paying attention to the additional services that we have been hosting on random days of the week. And if you watch the live streams you might remember seeing the names of various saints. Like James of Jerusalem, Luke, Peter and Paul. The list goes on. You might ask yourselves why we remember them and why have a service on Nov 1st for All Saints. First and foremost, the men and women remembered with their own day in the church, God used them to point us to Christ. Think of the writers of the New Testament books. They have left for us the very Words of Christ so that we might believe and have life in Christ with them. They even allowed their own blunders and sins to stand so that we might learn from them and see the grace of God in granting the forgiveness of sins on account of Christ. Christ used the quick to speak but slow to think Peter. He forgave and used a murderer in St. Paul to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. He used a tax collector to write the great catechetical Gospel we call Matthew. The list goes on and on. They want us to be in everlasting fellowship with Christ, and thus also with them. But they also give us examples in the faith to follow. Paul for instance on a few different occasions speaks to the church, saying, “Imitate me and the Lord.” God used them to glorify not themselves but to glorify the salvation won for them over sin, death, and hell, by their Lord Jesus Christ. It is ultimately always about Christ and what He has done for us by his death and resurrection.

So it is also, with the saints in our own day. We can give thanks to God for their lives of faith through which they looked to the Lord God for grace and mercy but also loved and served their neighbors. Perhaps it was mowing the church yard or making sure the widow down the street was being taken care of and able to get her groceries. Maybe it was teaching the children of the town in the old country school. Maybe it was using their voice to lead the choir and congregation in singing praises to the Lord. But what was their motivation? Like the saints of old, to glorify Christ and to give thanks to God by serving their neighbor just as God had served them in love, removing their sins from them for the sake of their Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.

All Saints’ Day remembers and gives thanks to God for the unnamed saints, those from every tribe and nation who were called by the very Gospel, which you yourselves have heard and believed, into faith in Jesus Christ the Lamb whose blood sets us free to be the people of God. We may sing this hymn today, we may not, but I do encourage you to look at it if you get the chance. The hymn is 678. We sing for all the unsung saints, that countless nameless throng, who kept the faith and past it on. With hope steadfast and strong Through all the daily griefs and joys, No chronicles record, Forgetful of their lack of fame, but mindful of their Lord.

You might not now all the saints. But you are bound to them by the bond of love that is Christ Jesus. You make up one body, Christ’s body, the Church. While you might not know them all, the more important thing is that Christ knows you and He knows you by name. For He called you by name at the waters of your Holy Baptism where you received that white robe of righteousness, His righteousness. There were watched clean of your sin and made God’s own Child. You then are a saint already. Having been made one at your Baptism.

So God looks at you and sees Christ’s righteousness. You have been clothed, as have your sins. You in your Baptism are made new, regenerated, reimaged in Christ’s image and likeness. A living faith in the Lord will naturally produce works that are good and loving towards your neighbors. But will you always do that? Will you love your neighbor as yourself as the Lord requires in His Law? Of course not, while you are a saint you are also a sinner on this side of Heaven. You are still in your sinful flesh, and you are still fighting against the Old Adam daily. That is why we confess the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die that a new man should arise and emerge to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. This life in which you now live by faith in Christ Jesus is one that is a daily battle. It is one where the world, our own sinful flesh, and Satan himself will fight and battle against us. You will be persecuted for your faith in Christ Jesus. You will be ridiculed for holding the line of Scripture when it comes to 6-day creation, God’s institution of Marriage, life beginning at conception, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the list goes on and on. The world, you own weak flesh, and Satan will work mightily to make you doubt all of these things and ridicule Christ.

Yet, here we are. Where Christ promises to be for you and for your salvation. And where Christ is, that is where His Saints gather. And no, I am not just talking about ourselves here in these pews. But really the whole host of Heaven who are already singing the praises of the Lamb who was slain for their salvation, whose blood makes their robes white.

The life and faith of the saint is a daily battle. We need to be strengthened. We need the cleansing of Christ’s saving blood often because our robes are often dirty with our sins. Only Christ’s blood covers the stains and blots them out, as far as east is from the west. And we get that every time our Lord comes to serve us in His Divine Service. He gives us the forgiveness we need and also gives his body and blood to strengthen us in this faith. Rejoice and be glad and be at rest in your Savior Jesus.

And here is Christ with all his faithful, those who have gone before us, those who have written their testimonies, those who are unnamed and unknown to us, and those saints we hold most dear, and we are participants together with them all singing the great hymn of praise. Not looking to ourselves but to the Lamb who was slain.

This year has been hard. It has been a battle for everyone on many fronts. But let us not lose hope. But let us hold even more fervently to Christ and His promise. For Christ saves us! He covers our sins that we might be called saints not just here but also in eternity that we might live in His Kingdom forever! We, along with all the Lord’s saints from all tribes and nations, will be before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. We shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike us, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be our shepherd, and he will guide us to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. These are words for All The Saints. These are words for you.

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

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

It’s All About Jesus

Encore Post: As we get to know God and the Christian faith, we run into many things that are not easy, even downright impossible to understand. Of course, God knows this and reveals himself to us in the Holy Scriptures. But sometimes even the Bible Is difficult to figure out. One thing that is certain. If we want to get to know God, we can get to know Jesus. In a way, all of theology, the study of God and His word, is Christology — the study of Jesus.

God’s law contains many commandments, yet these can be summed up in two. In the same way, there are many teachings in the Bible, divided into many subjects, yet all of Scripture speaks about Jesus. (Luke 24:25-27, John 5:39, Acts 10:43) No one has seen the Father, but the Son reveals him. (John 1:18, John 14:9) No one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom he shows the Father. (Matthew 11:27) In Jesus, God lives in bodily form.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus created the world. (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16) In the form of the Angel of the Lord, He stayed the hand of Abraham as he was about to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:11-19), spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3) and in many other times and places throughout the history of Israel. He is the promised Messiah who, at just the right time (Galatians 4:4) was born to save us from our sins. (Matthew 1:21-22) He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. By his suffering, death, resurrection and ascension, he has paid the penalty for all our sins, satisfied the demands of the law for us and won for us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

And that is not all, Jesus is with us today when we gather in his name and he gives to us his body and blood with bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. He understands our struggles, because he is in every way like us, except he did not sin. He prays to the father for us and prepares a place for us with him where we will live forever. On the last day, he will raise us from the dead and we will live with him forever. This is when we want to know God, we get to know Jesus, his Son, our Lord, Savior and brother.