What Does This Mean?

Watch out for False Prophets

Dear saints, our Gospel lesson this morning is from the closing moments of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. In it, he has recounted the life of a Christian. A Christian is blessed; is salt and light; sees God’s Law in both spirit and letter and desires to keep it; is righteous not for his own sake, but on account of Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows us who we are as the Father’s child and instructs us how to live as such.

In this section, we are called to attention: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” False prophets, false doctrine, and false worship have been around since virtually the beginning. From self-righteous Cain to Ham’s despising of Noah to the many false prophets in Israel and Judah, extending into the early Church and medieval Church, even through today. Indeed, wherever the pure proclamation of the Gospel is found, so also are found those who oppose it.

It is surely no accident that this is how our Lord begins to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount. For two-and-a-half chapters, he has expounded and explained true, pure doctrine. He has equipped his disciples and all those listening to hear and discern what the truth is. And he wraps this up by telling you to, “Beware!”

Teachers indeed are to teach, and shepherds are to lead. But our Lord’s words here do not lead us to conclude that hearers are simply to listen, or sheep are only to follow. Rather, we are instructed to observe and listen, but then to consider what we hear and see based on what God’s Word gives us as the truth. No one should base their faith simply on what they hear a man say or do. In this way, we fight against being deceived. Though the false teacher is held accountable for those he misleads, those who are misled are still condemned. Whether the doctrine you believe is true or false is a matter of life and death.

In this section, we see how important it is to know and be certain of what true doctrine is. If it is your job to judge what you hear and see, you must know what is true. You must know what God’s Word says and teaches. Thus, we see why the daily and diligent study of Scripture is imperative. It is necessary in order to recognize truth from falsehood. You have the Scriptures. You have the writings, and today, recordings, of orthodox teachers. You have the confessions of the Lutheran Church. They are yours to read and know.

And if you are unsure where to start, might I suggest you return to the ‘textbook’ of your Confirmation: The Small Catechism. In it, you will find what is necessary for you to know not only for your salvation but also for the testing of doctrine. Think of the chief parts: The first tells you how to know true, God-pleasing works. The second true, saving faith. The third true prayer. The fourth, fifth, and sixth the true Sacraments and the power of the Church. The Table of Duties shows true Christian conduct in your various callings and stations of life.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” In our day there are many wolves. Some are easy to spot. They don’t even pretend to be sheep. They revile the True God. They show disdain for his Word, even claiming it to be fraudulent or full of error. They embrace the teachings, feelings, and philosophies of the world. There are entire church bodies, some even donning the name Lutheran, who are wolves in wolves’ clothing.

But these are not who we are warned about today. It is good to know about them and their false teaching, but they are not the subject here. We are being warned here about people who look and even act like sheep. About people who seem, and surely think, they know and trust the Scriptures and Jesus. They are sure they preach the truth.

The false teachers we are warned of today put on the look of sheep. They will walk and talk like a true teacher. Much of what they teach and believe may well be correct, orthodox teaching. But the error of these false teachers results in all they do being tainted. As our Lord says, “You will recognize them by their fruits…. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.”

Take, for example, the teachers we hear the prophet Jeremiah warn about. These were not Baal worshipping pagans. They weren’t trying to lead the people away from the Lord. They didn’t preach that our God wasn’t real or powerful. They were sure they were hearing from God and preaching what he wanted them to proclaim. But their proclamation gave false comfort and false hope.

The Lord had sent many prophets to Israel and Judah. Their message was some variation of, “Repent or perish.” God’s people had been led away from him and true worship by wicked kings. Idols and false gods had been brought in alongside, if not in place of the worship of the Lord God. Altars and high places were built to these pagan deities. It wasn’t that the people of Israel and Judah weren’t spiritual or religious. It was that their spiritual and religious devotion was not directed toward solely the Lord.

But the people didn’t want to hear that message. They didn’t want to admit what they were doing was wrong. They didn’t want to change their beliefs and practices. In Judah, they pointed to the Temple and thought they were protected from evil because the Lord’s Temple was there and that was where he dwelled. They believed he wouldn’t let anything happen to the city where he dwelt. Furthermore, they could point to real evil. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians. They were really the bad people.

The message of these false prophets was well received. The people believed them rather than God’s true prophets. The fruit of this preaching was destruction. It wasn’t the pious way they talked or the seemingly righteous deeds that mattered. What mattered was that their doctrine, their fruit, was evil. If a teacher does not teach what is right, he is a false teacher. His fruit, even when he has good things to say, is poisoned. You should not listen to such teachers.

The teacher sent by God is also known by his doctrine. He teaches that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. He teaches that our deeds, no matter how good they are in the eyes of man, are worthless without faith in Christ. That our deeds, while good and serve others, earn or merit us nothing, as our righteousness and salvation come only from Christ redeeming us in his life and in his death on the cross. A teacher truly called by God preaches Jesus Christ. He proclaims that it is only Christ who was made of God to wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. As St. Paul tells the Corinthians, he did not come to them with lofty speech or wisdom, but he had decided to know nothing among [them] except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Today we are called to beware of false teachers. In turn, we study and ensure our teachers are true shepherds of God’s sheep. We strive to hear pure doctrine, which creates good trees and good fruit. We pray that in us we see the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We pray that both those who teach falsely and those who listen to them would hear the Truth, that the Spirit would convict them of their error, and that they would in turn trust in Christ as their Savior. That God, in His mercy, would turn these diseased trees bearing rotten, evil fruit into good trees bearing righteous, good fruit. Just as he has done in each of us. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

Leading People to Peace

Dear saints, this morning we have what, at first, sounds like a regular day with Jesus: a large crowd has gathered. But Mark immediately notes that these people had brought no food with them. They are led by Jesus out when they diligently follow him and listen to whatever he had to say. In short, they had a great hunger for the Word. They were so wrapped up in seeing and hearing Jesus, they completely forget about their bodily, physical needs. They were fine sleeping under the stars. Their bodies didn’t register they were missing needed sustenance. Suddenly, they had been following him for three whole days away from their land and into the wilderness. Mark gives us no clue that any of them were aware of what they had been doing. They were laser-focused on hearing Jesus.

But Jesus is keenly aware. He knows exactly what has happened. Exactly what will happen if he sends them away on their own. He calls his disciples and says, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” They are at a loss: “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”

Once again, the Twelve had failed to recognize the power and identity of their Lord. It was not a surprise for Jesus to find himself three days into a journey and have no food in the gathering. It wasn’t a surprise to Jesus that there were seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. And it wasn’t a surprise to Jesus that his disciples had not yet realized the fullness and reality of who he is.

Jesus directs the crowds to sit down. He takes the bread, prays over it, breaks it, and distributes it to the many through the hands of his disciples. He does the same with the fish. All who are there: man, woman, and child eat until they are filled. And when the fragments are gathered, seven baskets remain. And now, having filled not only their souls but also their stomachs, Jesus sends the crowd away to their homes.

Our Lord had compassion on the people following him. For three consecutive days, he was giving them what they needed more than anything else in the world: his word. He knew what they needed to hear, and he gave it to them. Not only would his words cut their consciences, but he would also bring to them the healing balm to restore them. St. Matthew’s account also indicates that Jesus healed many while on this journey. And when he did, the people glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus has the same divine compassion for you and everyone else in this world that he had in those days in the region of Magadan. Think back to the Garden. In divine love, God created the universe and everything in it. He created all the fascinating things on earth to the least detail. And it was perfect and good. He created man in His own image. He completed man by giving him woman. And he planted a Garden for the man and woman to care for. A Garden that would provide for their physical needs. Everything physical and spiritual need Adam and Eve had was provided by the Lord God. He even gives them a good and perfect Law to follow: Don’t eat of that one tree, for if you do you shall die.

But we know the next chapter. We know they were deceived and ate of the fruit. We know they died right then and there, even if it would be years before the fruit of that death would fully manifest. At that moment, they and all their descendants were made slaves to sin. The fruit we produce as a slave to sin is impurity and lawlessness. It leads to its multiplication. We see it not only all around us but in our own constant struggles.

Despite our condition, the Lord has divine compassion upon his fallen creation. He knows the spiritual needs of Adam, Eve, and all mankind. He knows our need for redemption and salvation. He knows we need a peace that can only be achieved by him. He promises this peace over and over again. The entire Old Testament testifies of this promise, and we see it culminate in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

In Christ Jesus, our spiritual needs are met. He takes on our flesh, he lives under and fulfills the Law, he is condemned and is cursed in our place, he dies, is buried, and rises again. Because of the work of Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. In his mercy, he washes you clean, gives you a new heart, and turns you into a slave of God. And while that word slave has an awful connotation today, it is both reality and to your good.

The slave to sin can only sin. Can only participate in unrighteousness, unlawfulness, and impurity. But through the power and grace of God, he makes you his own. He frees you from your spiritual bondage and places the light and easy yoke of Jesus upon your shoulders. Now you desire to be and do righteousness. You want to produce good fruit. You desire the Holy Spirit’s work in you to sanctify you and lead you to eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is as the slave of God that man finds true freedom.

Our God not only knows our needs, physical and spiritual, but he also provides for them. Just as he gives us life and salvation through Jesus and his Means of Grace, he gives us and sustains our physical life through our daily bread. Through his work as Fatherly work as creator and sustainer of all things.

And like the people following Jesus, we need to continually hear this. We need to be continually reminded of God’s Gospel of Peace. This is because, though redeemed and declared righteous, though we want to do good, we constantly act like the slave of sin. This is why we gather. This is why you may make the sign of the cross, remembering your baptism. This is why we approach the Altar. We need to hear and receive the Word continually. For in it is the power of God. In it is God’s good gift to you of salvation. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

A Sermon for the 7th Sunday after Pentecost: The Parable of the Weeds

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

Something that every Christian ought to be doing is reading their bibles. Some folks like to read from start to finish, and that’s fine, but we can easily get distracted if we began in Genesis and Exodus and then we hit Leviticus. The laws of Israel get us bogged down and we lose interest and stop reading. However, if we were to sit down and read through a Gospel say, Matthew, in one sitting it might surprise you how many connections the Gospel has interwoven throughout the book. Matthew was a master at this, as He was crafting and using his Gospel to teach new Christians about Jesus, the faith granted to them and the new life of faith in Christ.

Consider Matthew’s gospel as a catechism book, God’s Word, but crafted and put together in such a format that every chapter builds on the themes before it, word choice and ideas that show up in the beginning get refined, and more poignant as the book progresses. Jesus’ parable of the weeds picks up a few ideas from St. John the Baptist primarily the fire at the end, and the parable that precedes it with the words and ideas of the seed, planting, and the field. It also deals with some of the themes from the Sermon the Mount, primarily the part of judging. Reading the Gospel of Matthew in sitting certainly helps begin to see how masterfully Matthew was in tying together any loose ends.

So, lets imagine shall we that we are students of St. Matthew and the best catechist ever: Jesus and see what this parable says to us in our day and our age. It is nice that Jesus like the parable of the Sower gives an explanation for us because if he had only given us the explanation of the first parable we would just assume the seed had the same meaning, as well as the field, etc. And we could certainly see how this would fit. But Jesus has another meaning in mind, which is why he gives this parable an explanation as well.

He explains the parable: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

While Jesus does not say it this way, we can take this parable as analogy of what happened at the beginning in the other book of beginnings: Genesis. There God called everything he had made good, especially his prized creation: man, made in his image, able to reflect his love in the rest of creation. But we know the story, the Serpent came and disrupted all that was good. He seduced Adam and Eve to eat of the tree which God had commanded them not to eat. All that was deemed good and fruitful by God, turned bad and fruitless, everything became weeds and barren.

The workers, the angels were at the ready to pluck the weeds from the word go. But the Lord knew better because what had been made good in the beginning had been so corrupted that nothing of man was good, there would be sons of the kingdom, unless God Himself acted on behalf of his creation. His own son would need to be planted into the world. The Son, born of the virgin, the seed of the Woman would have to come into the world in order for there to be any fruit at harvest. Without the coming of this “son of the kingdom” there would be no additional sons and daughters of the kingdom. It would only be a harvest of weeds ready for the fire. And God did not want that. God does not desire the death of anyone. Jesus later in another parable concerning the last day speaks of the fires being first and foremost created for the devil and his angels, not for people, but people who reject this preaching of Jesus and the promise Jesus gives in this preaching will be sent their as well.

So, having heard the first parable of this chapter the parable of the sower, you see that God has shown mercy upon his creation. He did not destroy it when He saw the corruption of sin and the fruit of that sin: death. He has sent His Son into the world, to sow the seed that is His Word into the hearts of men, who have been corrupted. But by that word, the men who hear and believe, in others words have been called to a knowledge of Christ Jesus as the Son of the living God, Emmanuel, would be transformed from weeds to a plant that bears fruit and a harvest, making them sons of the Kingdom. Note this is strictly being done by the grace and power of the Lord’s Word. And this merciful and powerful work has taken place in you, for you gladly hear it, and learn from it. By hearing Christ’s preaching, you have been called by His Gospel to faith in Him, and have been made a son or daughter of the kingdom by the waters of Holy Baptism. And you are made righteous for the sake the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to restore and reconcile you to your heavenly Father.

You have been made and accounted Righteous before God in Holy Baptism, but you still live in a sinful world, and you yourself still live in a body marred and corrupted by sin. You still have evil thoughts that come out. You still show your weediness. You having been called sons don’t always act like sons of the kingdom. More often than not we are just like the weeds when it comes to the kind of fruits we produce, good for nothing but the fire. But remember the promise given you in Baptism. You are deemed righteous for the sake of Jesus. And you have forgiveness and life everlasting because Jesus has granted it to you.

And let’s remember folks, Jesus is pretty clear that the enemy is still sowing his seed. We see evil still around us, and its easy to spot as it does not even seem that enemies of Christ and his Church try to hide any more. They are coming from all angles. Even within the tent that is “called Christianity” we have folks who speak the opposite of what Scripture speaks. So how much longer until the end? How much longer do we have to wait? We don’t know. I don’t know, and if you hear someone give an exact date, run from them for they are not speaking for God. Jesus even says he does not know the day or the hour of the return of the Son of Man.

But what is clear also is that Christ is still sowing his own seed. He who has ears let him hear. Jesus still showers us with his mercy and his grace. He has not returned yet for harvest. Until that day, there is still time for his mercy to work to on the hearts of those who are his enemies. He has made you his own. He has given His Words to preached, in order for faith in Him be created in the heart of men and women alike. Weeds can be transformed. You who were once weeds, have been made wheat for the sake of Jesus’ death on the cross, and you have been granted the name of son and daughter of God. And having been made wheat, you bear a harvest because you are grafted into Christ.

Jesus also teaches us to be diligent and remain awake. One of my favorite hymns for this day puts it this way:

Rise my soul to watch and pray, from your sleep awaken! Be not by the evil day Unaware’s o’ertaken; for the foe, well we know, is a harvest reaping while the saints are sleeping. Watch against the devil’s snares Lest asleep he find you; For indeed no pains he spares to deceive and blind you. Satan’s prey, Oft are they Who secure are sleeping, and no watch are keeping.”

The hymn is 663 and I strongly encourage you to learn this hymn and keep it on your lips during these days. Satan, the world, and our own flesh are fighting against us and the church, and we cannot let our guard down lest we lose what Christ has given us. He who has ears let him hear.

So, in catechetical fashion: How does one remain diligent and awake? And how does one with ears hear? Be where the word of Christ is preached. Be where the food which nourishes us and works in us good works is provided. Receive the watering of Christ’s Holy Gospel and the free forgiveness won for you by Christ’s bitter sufferings and death at the cross. Receive the “miracle grow” that is his body and blood, that works in your own heart to trust Christ at his word more and more as well as doing good works toward your neighbor. For by these things you are made ready and kept for the harvest when that day comes.

Out of faith and trust in Christ flows the fruit of the harvest. What those works look like are different depending on your stations and vocations. Perhaps you are a nurse, so caring for the patients put under your charge. Maybe you are a son of elderly parents, so making sure they don’t need to be mowing their grass in the heat of summer by mowing it for them if called upon to do so. Maybe you are the wife of a farmer and so perhaps it’s the simple act of driving the truck to the field with his lunch. What makes these good in the sight of God is that they are done in faith in Christ. Maybe you are student and you have to put up with the false teaching of evolution and listen to the dogma of the secular world, grin and bear it, yet speak the truth when able.

Though you might not feel it now, and you might not feel like you are shining, soon all that seems to have overtaken the truth and the sons of the kingdom on earth will be gathered into bundles and burned at the last. And you, being deemed righteous and good for the sake your Savior Jesus, will be made to shine like the sun, like you were supposed to always shine before our heavenly Father in his Kingdom. May God continue to protect us night and day from the assaults of the Enemy, strength and faith increasing, so that still mind and will shall unite to serve him and forever love him. Amen.

Note: If desiring to hear how this sermon came out in the service, email pastorhercamp@gmail.com. Blessings in Christ!

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

A Sermon for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost

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

No one really knew what was coming as 2020 came into focus. Many of us myself included figured a few weeks of isolation would stem the tide sweeping the nation that was the virus. I know for myself I was not really prepared to face a longer period of the “stay at home” stuff. Much was needing to be done. I felt more busy than ever. Much of my busyness being brought on through anxiety. Trying to navigate how to best serve a church in the middle of the pandemic. Every move, every decision, wore me down. I felt pretty helpless.

As God has a way of using events of the world to bring folks to their knees in repentance, I too was brought to my knees in a few ways. I was reminded and perhaps you have been as well, that you have little strength in and of yourself. And the strength you have in yourself in the long run does not last, nor are you able to add one day to your life by it. I was reminded time and time again not to lean on my own understanding, my mind and my body were going through the wringer. I was burdened and heavy laden with anxiety about how everything would be heard and received. As like many workers in the midst of the pandemic I was being reminded that I was not the savior. In my office as an installation gift I received an icon, depicting Christ walking on the Water. In the icon on my office wall Jesus is lifting St. Peter from the water. It reminds me of something I should have never forgotten: Jesus is the savior of St. Peter, not me.

I am one who needs to come and put off the yoke of my heavy burdens. I am weak. Christ is the strong one. O that we might all have this revealed to us by the Father in Heaven. May we be made into little children and trust in the gracious will of our Lord, instead of try to trudge through our burdens of sin/shame/anxiety alone.

Think about your own situations and lives. There are plenty of situations that you have in your life that likely make you feel helpless and hopeless. Maybe it is something along the lines of family dynamics which we have touched on in previous weeks as the Gospel lessons have brought to the fore. Maybe you teachers are feeling lost in the sea of Covid-19 classroom preparedness. Maybe you are concerned for all your students who have not received the last months of school and now summer is really here and you are anxious where they are in life and in education. Just how far down the ladder have they fallen? Maybe you are trying to do it all, working and trying to make sure no child is left behind. But how can you do that? Feeling the burdens? Do you feel like you have failed? And those are some secondary and tertiary vocations. We aren’t really even talking about the vocations of mothers and fathers. Fathers, have you been burdened by the fact that your livelihood and the lives of your family members have been affected economically? I don’t think this has been the case for our members as much thanks be to God, but many have lost months of income and the standard of living has fallen for many around us. Anxious about what comes next? Burdened by worry? What do you do and where do you turn?

Turn to the one who cries out, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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 11:25-30).

Jesus Christ offers freely rest for our wearied souls. Worry and anxiety are symptoms of a failure to fully fear, love, and trust in the promises of God our Father in heaven. They are sins against the first commandment. We worry because we don’t think we can handle what’s been put on our plate. And usually we are right about being unable to handle it because our focus is on the wrong thing. Our focus is on ourselves and our own strength. We find ourselves to be weak, especially when the burden of our failings mount up against us. Repent. That is the only way to have relief for our souls and conscience.

Jesus tells us a bit more about how this happens. This rest comes to you in knowing Jesus and by knowing Jesus we know His Father. It’s a trinitarian act: For The Holy Spirit is the Person who speaks to us knowledge about Jesus and his Gospel, that is what we confess as the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gathers us to Jesus, and Jesus reconciles us to His Father. And there is our rest knowing that our burdens and our sins, our worries, our anxieties have been taken on by Jesus and dealt with once and for all. We are not the savior, Jesus is. And that is rest to our weary souls indeed.

Like anything, our anxieties and our worries come and go, our feelings of helplessness ebb and flow. Sometimes we feel like we are on top of the world, other times we are feeling like we are walking through the valley of death. Sometimes we will want to give up and give in, throwing the pity party that can come when we feel alone and the load is too much for us to bear alone. Yet, in all circumstances, Christ calls you to walk with him in his way, carrying the easy yoke that leads to eternal life.

He calls you to be like little children. Children do not do much for themselves. They need to be fed. They need to be reminded of a parent’s love for them. They need hugged. They need picked up when they fall off their bike. They need a kiss on the scuffed-up knee. They need to know you care for them. So too you being a child of God you need that same kind of encouragement, a better love that never ends nor fades, a love that picks up all the pieces of your weary body and life and makes it all well in the cross of Jesus.

You are little children, beloved by your Father, made God’s own Child, because you are baptized into Christ. By baptism you are connected to Christ, both his crucifixion, and his resurrection. All your anxiety, all your worry, all your sin, and the shame that burdens your conscience taken away there in Christ’s death. And you participate in that by being washed clean in the waters of Holy Baptism. St. Peter talks about Baptism in this way: Baptism now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You are given a light yoke; you are given knowledge of Jesus who has died and risen from the dead that you might live forever with your Heavenly Father.

In some churches, the font is in the back of the church and each parishioner passes right by the font as they go to their pew. In those churches, if you have ever been to one, you might have seen some folks take the liberty of dipping their finger into the water and making the sign of the cross upon themselves. What an awesome way to be reminded of the gifts Christ gives to us in Holy Baptism. We are called by the grace of our Lord into a life that is ours on behalf of Jesus, a life that is not to be burdened with the cares of being the savior of ourselves or our families or anyone else. No, that job has been covered and taken forever by Jesus. Look to the font and know your burdens have been taken up by Christ and he has dealt with them once and for all.

And know too that if we falter and do worry and fall into sin, we have the Son who comes to us and picks back up and takes those sins away. This is the continued out-flowing of God’s love for you. That love is made manifest to you in the Divine Service, where you repent and confess your sins and receive rest for you souls, rest that lasts through eternity, receiving that rest by receiving Christ on your ears in the hearing of His Word and on your very lips as you eat his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and strengthening of your faith.

Christ cries out, come to me, and I will give you rest. St. Augustine that great 4^th Century Church Father put it this way: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Thanks be to God that Christ continues to call to us, calling the young and old to rest but above all to souls distressed longing for rest everlasting. And you have been brought into that rest who is Christ by Baptism and He has been put into you by Holy Communion. So be at rest, you souls distressed. Be at rest, Christ is your savior and he has come and carries your burdens far from 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

Two Cases of Distress

Dear saints, about three years ago a pastor opened his sermon for this day with these words: “For a Christian, God’s child, there are severe temptations to despair and give up hope when we see the things going on around us in the world. There is sickness, disease, serious injuries, death, war, political nonsense, rampant immorality, financial anxieties, threats from the weather, threats of terrorist attacks, threats from North Korea—just turn on the news. These are the things going on around us every minute of every day.” Not much has changed. With a couple of very minor changes, it could easily be spoken for today’s context. Some of what we experience today could be worse; this year is an election year.

On top of what we observe around us, we are also tempted to despair when we look at our own hearts and actions. While there will be a lot of overlap, we all have our own temptations and struggles. We desire things and people that aren’t ours to desire. We look at what we have and are disappointed it isn’t more. Perhaps there’s an issue with jealousy or anger. Especially in these times, you may feel lonely or hopeless. In our worst times, we may even desire sinful things.

As these things pile up, we may be tempted to lose hope in God. In doing so, one may forget what God says about us and the world. And worse, forget what he promises us. But this doubt doesn’t keep you continuing to gather here and hearing God’s Word as he gathers his saints. In fact, it is why you come. Our environment, families, bodies, feelings, and even our reason are apt to deceive us. And so, we come here and hear over and over again the Word of our Lord speaking again and again the promises he has made to us. The very promises he has made time and time again from the beginning and in every nation and in every language.

But why is it that such things tempt us to despair? It is because the heathens, the atheists and agnostics, the humanists and the ‘Nones’ of our day have made peace with the world. They don’t have the struggles you and I do with temptation. Rather than feeling the burden on their consciences, they have given in to the philosophies of the day and fully embraced the culture and its ruler. They have either embraced immorality outright or bought into the lie that you can live however you want as long as you are nice to the right people or hold the right thoughts. As long as you sacrifice to its god and make penance (with no forgiveness offered) even for things you didn’t do. Good and evil have been redefined, and more and more, what God calls good is called by those around us the greatest evil. We, therefore, are constantly bombarded with a message of tolerance and compromise, a message of peace at any cost. And the pressure to capitulate or be canceled.

But before we are tempted to think we alone have had this struggle, we look to God’s people’s own past. From the Patriarchs to the prophets and priests to the New Testament church and into our own day, every generation of faithful people has been surrounded by a hostile world and hostile people. It is a good thing for us to hear of biblical examples. They are real people in real-time with real struggles. They had real sins and real doubts. And we hear about how God dealt with them, his children, and see his character through their accounts. In them, we are comforted by his mercy and grace to them, knowing it is also for us. This morning, our lessons give us two of these examples: Elijah and Peter.

Elijah battled powerful kings, hundreds of false prophets, and communicated directly with God. He performed miraculous signs and wonders and was God’s instrument for mighty miracles. Through Elijah, rain was ended for three years, the widow at Zarephath was given food, her son raised from the dead, fire was called down from heaven. But this morning, despite all this, we see him like any of us on a typical day. He despairs at his situation and is disappointed in himself and all others around him. He thinks he alone is left as a faithful servant of God. He tells God, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

And how does the Lord answer his pity-party-throwing servant? He reminds Elijah that he and his plans are bigger than Elijah. He shows Elijah that he still loves him and will take care of both him and the generations to come. In essence, God says, “Go anoint kings, go name your successor, I was in control before you and I will be in control after you. This should give you hope. I will not leave you alone. Even now, you’re not as alone as you feel. There are others in my household who are faithful. It’s going to be ok.”

Simon Peter knows who Jesus is. Before this morning’s lesson, he has surely heard Jesus teach. We know that he has seen Jesus’ power when his mother-in-law was healed by the Lord of a fever (a condition much more dangerous than today). When Jesus causes him to stop cleaning up after a fish-less night on the Sea so he can teach the pressing crowds, Peter no doubt listens intently. And when our Lord finishes, he tells Peter to let down the nets. Knowing that fishing at this time of day is foolish, but also knowing what he has seen and heard from Jesus, Peter obeys.

The catch is so great, it takes two crews and two boats to bring it in. It is so great that both boats begin to sink. And suddenly it clicks for Peter: he is a wretched sinner in the presence of his holy Lord. He would rather drown than be judged. But judgment isn’t coming to him; a calling is. He is called from serving his neighbor as a fisherman into the vocation of serving his neighbor as a disciple, and later, apostle where he saves men from destruction, bringing them into the boat of the Church.

In these, and so many other narratives, are words of encouragement for you and me. In them we hear and, through the miraculous gift of faith we receive from the Holy Spirit, we believe that God is in control. That he is the creator and controls the sea, the fish, the wind, disease, and ‘natural disasters.’ He is the one in control of presidents, dictators, generals, armies, and even terrorists. All these things are under his control and things carried out by them are for your good. All these things occur as he works as creator and sustainer of all that exists.

He does this because he is also your Savior. The God who spoke the world into existence has taken on your flesh. It isn’t enough that he created all things, but once his creation rebels, he insists on redeeming it. Born of the Virgin, suffering under Pilate, your Lord dies on the cross, is buried, and rises on the third day. Just like he promised to do. And having ascended to heaven, he opened a way for you to follow. As he tells us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

You are a part of an innumerable multitude he has called and promised to return for when the number of his elect is filled. Though you are a part, he loves you and is gracious to you as if you were the only one. Though you recognize your sin and fear his holiness, he does not cast you off his boat. He does not leave you or forsake you. For you are his.

Jesus has been tempted in every way we are, and yet did not sin. He knows and understands your troubles. And for every temptation that comes your way, he is there for you and provides a way out. You are never without a word of promise from him; he continually speaks to you through his Holy Scripture. He washes you clean in Holy Baptism. And he feeds you in Holy Communion. He continues to call men to be His fishers of men as pastors. Thus, he never leaves his church without his spokesmen. You are never left without his life-giving Word.

The world around you wages continual war against you. So does stress in your life and home. As does the doubt that creeps into your heart and mind. When it does, listen to your Lord Jesus. No matter how much you beg, dear Christian, he will not leave you or forsake you. He has already overcome all you experience. He has already conquered your accuser. He has already overcome your sin. He has placed you in this community of saints for mutual support for one another. So he would continue to nourish and sustain you. So that he could welcome you today to the table he has prepared for you. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

On Mercy

Dear Saints, today we hear about God’s mercy. And we hear it framed at the end of the Joseph Narratives in Genesis. Joseph is the 11th of 12 brothers. He is his father’s favorite. He is given a special robe. He is given dreams, and these dreams make his brothers jealous and angry. He tattles on his brothers, telling his father what they’ve done wrong. In short, his brothers hate him. And I suppose we can understand why.

One day, Jacob sends his son Joseph into the fields to give him a report on his brothers. When they see him coming, they conspire against him. They say to themselves something like, “Here comes that dreamer. Let us kill him.“ But the oldest, Reuben, prevents this evil from happening. Instead, he convinces them to throw him into a cistern. He expects to come back later and pull his brother out. But while he is away, some slave traders come by and the brothers sell Joseph into slavery.

Joseph is taken to Egypt where he is again sold, this time to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar and his house are blessed because of Joseph. Joseph is made second in charge of the household. But again, evil happens to Joseph. Potiphar’s wife desires Joseph and repeatedly tries to get him to sleep with her. He refuses, and one day when he is alone in the house with her, she again makes an advance, He runs away from her leaving his tunic in her hands. She accuses Joseph of assault, and he is thrown into prison.

While he sits in the pit that is the prison of Egypt, he again is blessed. He Is put in charge of all the prisoners. All that he did, like in Potiphar’s house, succeeded. And then, two of Pharaoh’s servants, his chief cupbearer and the chief baker, are thrown into prison. They have dreams while they are there, and Joseph interprets them. They come true, and when the cupbearer is restored Joseph asked him to remember him.

But the cupbearer forgets Joseph. Two years later, Pharaoh has some dreams. His wise men and magicians cannot figure out what they mean. And then, the cupbearer remembers Joseph. He tells Pharaoh of a man in prison who interpreted his dream. So, Joseph is sent for and stood before Pharaoh.

Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh. He tells him there will be 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of great famine. He tells Pharaoh that he should appoint someone to manage the affairs of Egypt in these abundant times so that they would be fed during the lean. And Pharaoh appoints Joseph for the task. The years of abundance come and go. And now during the famine, Joseph’s family is out of food. They are hungry. And they hear that Egypt has food for sale. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy food. And when they arrive, they stand before Joseph. Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize their brother.

Joseph orchestrates a family reunion. He provides for his family and doesn’t even take their money. In the course of time, Joseph’s family stands before him. They are reunited. Pharaoh hears of what has happened and he gives them the choice land of Egypt to live in: Goshen.

Finally, Jacob dies. And when he does, his sons who sold Joseph into slavery fear. They think that because their father has died Joseph will take revenge on them. They think he will deal with their evil by returning it. And so, they come up with a story. They say that their father, before he died, gave them a message for Joseph. “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin because they did evil to you. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father. “

When he heard this, Joseph wept. He wept not because he couldn’t execute revenge and retribution, but because his brothers thought it was necessary to come up with this story. Yes, they did great evil to him. Yes, Joseph suffered greatly in his life because of this evil. But Joseph isn’t interested in revenge. Joseph realizes that everything that happened to him was to fulfill God’s purpose. It was so God would keep his promise to Adam and Eve that he made to them in the garden. Joseph suffered that the promised Messiah would come.

In our text, Joseph is a type and a shadow of Christ. He is hated by his brothers. He is betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery for silver. Joseph is metaphorically killed and buried by being thrown not only into a cistern but into a prison. And Joseph is raised out of that prison and made to oversee Egypt. At the end of the Joseph Narrative, we read that Joseph comforted and spoke kindly to his brothers. He did not desire revenge; He desired to provide peace.

See how this is a shadow of our Lord. Our Lord comes, he takes on our flesh, and his hated by his kindred. He proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, and he is rejected. He is betrayed for silver and he is murdered, crucified on the cross. He is put into a grave. And on the third day, he rises again.

It would only be natural for those who see him after the resurrection to expect revenge and retribution from Jesus. It is, after all, what they deserve for killing the very Son of God. It would be expected for a supposedly devoted disciple who runs away scared and locks themselves away in an upper room.

But Jesus does not come for revenge. He comes to give peace. He comes to grant forgiveness. He comes to reconcile all to his Father. Jesus comes to show the mercy of God.

The scribes and Pharisees of the first century rallied the people so Pilate was compelled crucify the Christ. The people clamored for a murderer and insurrectionist released instead of our Lord. Their evil words and desires put Jesus on the tree. Because of their murderous thoughts and desires, our Lord was crucified.

When Jesus appears to his disciples, they also fear what he will do. But he does not have words of judgment for them. Instead, he brings to them peace and mercy. He forgives them for abandoning him. He forgives them for all the sin they have committed. Because, even though what he suffered was meant for evil, God…Jesus meant it for good.

You and I were not in Jerusalem on that day so many centuries ago. Our voices didn’t join in the chorus of, “Crucify Him!” We didn’t run away and lock ourselves away. But we do know the evil in our hearts. We know the hateful, i.e., murderous, thoughts we’ve had in our own hearts. We know that it is our sin that was carried by Jesus to the cross. We know that it is because of our sin that he took on flesh, was hated, was betrayed, and was crucified. It was for you that he suffered.

Our sin deserves punishment. We deserve retribution. We deserve no mercy. And yet, this is precisely what Jesus has come to give you. We come to him and we ask for his pardon. We confess our transgressions and evil committed against one another and against him. We beg for mercy.

Our Lord does not weep when he hears this. Jesus opens his arms in blessing. He says, “Do not fear, for I am your God. You have done evil against me. You have caused me great harm. But your Father has meant it for your eternal good. He has brought about what happened to me so that the many should be made alive. Do not fear, only believe.”

Lest I forget, I should mention one way that Jesus is different than Joseph. Joseph goes and reports on his brothers. He tells on them when they’ve done wrong. Jesus does not tattle. He pleads on our behalf. Instead of reporting what we have done, Jesus advocates and intercedes for us before the Father. He shows his nail scarred hand and feet, his pierced side, and brings to remembrance that he has already suffered. He would have us receive mercy.

Our Heavenly Father shows us his mercy in the same way he shows us his love. He sent his Son to die in our place. In joyful response, we in turn show mercy to our fellow man. We are patient when evil is done for us. We do not judge or condemn them. Their actions, yes, but not them. We call them to repent and forgive. But we do this in humility, realizing we are often guilty of the same things that are done to us. We forgive because we have been forgiven. May we rejoice in this great mercy our Heavenly Father continually bestows upon us. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD

Meet Wilhelm Sihler

When Friedrich Wyneken was called from his beloved Fort Wayne to succeed his friend Johannes Häsbärt, he refused to accept the call until a pastor was called to replace him. At his recommendation, Prussian Wilhelm Sihler, then pastor is Pomeroy, Ohio, was installed on July 15, 1845, at St. Paul Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church of Friedheim, one hundred seventy-five years ago. He served in Indiana for forty years, founding Concordia Theological Seminary, leading the teaching seminary that would grow into Concordia University Chicago and guiding Concordia (Junior) College of Fort Wayne. Together with C. F. W. Walther, Wyneken and others, he helped to found and guide the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.

Sihler was the son of a Prussian Army officer and inherited from him a strong sense of discipline, devotion to exercise and control of one’s emotions. He studied under Friedrich Schleiermacher, one of the most influential theological voices of the 19th Century. He was attracted to the German Awakening, a form of pietism not unlike the Second Great Awakening in the United States. Like many of his contemporaries, including the other founders of the Missouri Synod, he was drawn to the Orthodox Lutheran theology, especially as found in the Lutheran Confessions and the writings of Martin Luther.

In 1843, a copy of Wyneken’s Distress of the German Lutherans of North America fell into his hands. Moved to help German immigrants on the American frontier, he came to America as a teacher, but was soon called as a pastor in Pomeroy, Ohio. Wyneken and Löhe convinced him to embrace F. C. D.’s idea to found a seminary for second career pastors nicknamed Nothilfer (“Emergency Helpers”) and Sendlinge (“Sent Ones”) By then, Tens of Thousands of Germans each year poured onto the American frontier, looking to carve new lives out of virgin forests and swamp land. There was little time to follow the usual path of identifying future pastors in their middle school years, provide a classical high school education followed by seminary. Löhe provided an initial education in Germany and Sihler and his assistant pastor would complete it.

Sihler also saw the inadequacy of existing Lutheran Synods in America, as did the men Löhe had already sent — and Wynken. They began to discuss with C. F. W. Walther the possibility of joining with the Saxons to form a new church body. But that was yet to come.

A Sermon for the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul

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

We in the Lutheran Church seem to have a greater affinity for St. Paul than for St. Peter. Perhaps, we are drawn to Paul more because of his clarity when it comes to speaking of being justified freely by grace through faith. He says it everywhere, nowhere clearer than in Ephesians 2:8–9. Maybe too it has to do with historical reasons. Peter, of course, had been called the rock, and for some this meant it was He upon whom Christ would build his Church. Peter than became the Pope, and the Lutherans could not go along with the office of the pope as the office of the pope had become so corrupted through the centuries up to Luther’s time. Maybe that is why when I did a quick search on names of our churches, I found nearly 500 churches associated with St. Paul to around 150 named after St. Peter.

But both Apostles were called for specific purposes and both are celebrated together. We should not see Peter and Paul set up against one another but rather fellow workers in the same harvest field. Paul says Peter was set up for ministry to the circumcised and he to the Gentiles.

But let us remember that Peter did not always just work with the Jews. In Acts 10, Peter learns through the vision that God makes no distinction between Jew or Greek when it comes to salvation. God does not show favoritism. And in our reading from Acts 15 we get the same confession from him: We believe that we will be saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus, just as they will.” Those who confess Jesus to be the Christ are the Lord’s people, no matter their nationality or what we in today’s world call race. Again, God makes no distinction. God made one human race. Let us be very clear on that.

Those who are saved are the ones who make the confession: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus tells us that not even the blessed Apostle Peter could say that without the Father making it known to him. Just as we ourselves cannot by our own reason or strength confess Jesus is Lord. Rather we are brought to that knowledge when we are gathered by Holy Spirit calling us by the Gospel.

It is on this confession of Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God that everything else flows and is built. And what a beautiful body and habitation that has been built: The Church. And Peter and Paul made bold confession of Jesus being the Christ, to both Jews and Greeks. They saw how the Spirit of God was poured out by the grace of our Lord so that all might come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This confession however does not come without cost. With the confession of Jesus as the Christ comes the cross, the one which Jesus bore in our stead, and the cross born by Peter and Paul for our benefit, as well as our own crosses, to follow Jesus where He leads. To follow Jesus through death and into life.

Peter saw Christ’s death first hand. He was the one who upon calling Jesus the Christ did not want Jesus to do the very things which the Christ came to accomplish. Peter could not accept that Jesus would have to suffer death by crucifixion. But Jesus showed him what He and the entire world would benefit by his bitter sufferings and death: redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life in a resurrected body. And Peter proclaimed this until he too would suffer death on account of Christ’s name.

Paul’s story is similar, for God desired Paul to be his servant and show him how much he must suffer for the name. And Paul would have plenty of instances where he would be persecuted against, stoned, arrested, ship wrecked, etc. He ultimately would die a martyr’s death as well for the sake of Christ.

We too face our own crosses for the sake of the Name which was placed upon us at Holy Baptism. We might not die a martyr death, but we can begin to feel the society of our nation growing more and more hostile to those of us who call Christ Lord, who believe what the bible says about Holy Marriage, about Male and Female. While a riot can have hundreds of people in close proximity to one another, a church service can only have 10 souls at a time. The voice of the faithful are being drowned out and cancelled in the public square. And it might even feel like hell is here right with us and we are being trampled. But know this: Jesus says, “On this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It may look like Satan owns the day, but he has been defeated, Christ has died and Christ is risen, and his resurrection is made your resurrection by the proclamation of Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

So the Church continues to confess the truth about Christ, a confession that we could not know by our own reason or strength but it has been revealed to us by the grace of the Triune God. The apostles’ confession and witness to Christ is still on going, for by their witness, the Church still is being built up by the grace of our Lord, calling the young and old to rest but above all to souls distressed, longing for rest everlasting. The rock is not Peter or Paul, but the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who suffered and died for the sins of the world and rose on the third day and then ascended to the right hand of the Father, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.

May we confess with Peter and Paul the truth of Christ and be built upon the rock of Christ Jesus and look to him for grace and forgiveness, that we might be saved from the assaults of death and hell now and forever. 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

Luther takes on the Pope

For the better part of a year and a half, Luther was on a collision course with the papacy and its supporters. At first Luther did not realize the full implications of his challenge of indulgences. It surprised him that the reaction of his opponents was not to engage him on indulgences or penance, but to criticize him for implying that the Pope‘s word was not final on the subject.

Rather than engage Luther in a debate on the subject from the Scripture, the defenders of the papacy argued from the official documents of the church, pronouncements of the pope and councils. This drove Luther deeper into his study of the Bible where he discovered more and more problems with the teachings of the church. The alarm grew among his opponents with each new writing. These became very popular and soon Luther was the most read author in Germany.

Luther’s prince, Frederick the Wise, was a very accomplished politician and skillfully used his importance to the Pope when the throne of the Holy Roman Empire was vacant to protect Luther. Once Charles I, King of Spain, was elected Emperor Charles V, the Pope no longer needed the elector quite as much. Both Luther and his prince knew that it was only a matter of time before the Pope would act against the reformer. As rumors of a bull began to filter back to Germany, they began to shift their attention to winning over the Emperor to their cause.

At the end of June 1520, Luther’s tract On the Papacy in Rome appeared. It was a polemical writing (a political attack on his opponents, using insults, humor and sarcasm. The reformer and his adversaries would become known for this style of writing) In it he argued that the pope was not appointed by divine right, but by human arrangement. To criticize the pope, then, was not to criticize God. All ministers of the gospel are equal. The pope was the Bishop of Rome and not the vicar (assistant, substitute) So all the teachings of the pope need to be evaluated by the scripture and held to what the Lord reveals. It the course of this writing, Luther shows an avoidance of the word kirche, church, Instead he uses the word Christendom, which he defines as a spiritual communion, which is not governed by earthly considerations.

On Repentance and Restoration

Dear saints, the first portion of the Trinity season shares a common theme. The readings concern the call we have into God’s Kingdom of Grace. Two weeks ago, we heard of the beggar Lazarus. He had nothing to offer on earth. He was reliant on others for everything he had. He also had nothing to offer God and trusted in him for all good things. At his death, he was received into eternal life. Last week we heard of a great feast prepared. Those invited were not worthy of being invited. And when they rejected the invitation, those who would be regarded as even less worthy were graciously invited and brought into the feast.

We retain this theme today with a trio of parables in Luke 15. Tax collectors and sinners gathered and wanted to hear Jesus. He attracted the undesirables, the deplorable. Think of the scum of society today: the swindlers, the pornographers, the…whatever unsavory person you want to put in. While the sinners come to Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes grumble. They complain that Jesus associates, even receiving and eating with such people. And so, Jesus tells our parables.

A shepherd has 100 sheep and one wanders off. The shepherd leaves the 99 and searches out the one lost sheep tirelessly until it is found. Once rescued, he must carry the newly found animal back to the flock. After traveling, seeking, and bearing the burden of finding the sheep, it is reunited into the fold. The shepherd celebrates and rejoices with his neighbors.

A woman has ten coins and loses one. She urgently and diligently searches for it until she finds it. Eventually, she does. And when she does, she calls her neighbors and spreads the good news that her lost coin is found.

Finally, perhaps the best-known parable of the three, a son goes to his father. He requests his inheritance early. And the father gives it to him. The son quickly liquidates his inheritance and leaves town. He lives wastefully. He buys things and friends with the money. But he quickly runs out. And when he does, his things and friends go away. Destitute, he hires himself out for work that is unbecoming of a Jewish person: he feeds pigs.

In the midst of desiring the pods these pigs ate, he realizes that he could go back and beg his father to make him one of the servants. He would be better cared for as his father’s slave than making money from his current pig farming employer. He even rehearses a speech: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants”

As he starts getting close to home, he is spotted by none other than his father. The father runs to the son and before he can get the whole of his speech out, he is embraced, received back whole, and clothed. And like the first two lost objects, rejoicing must follow. The fattened calf is slaughtered, and a feast is thrown.

But all is not well. The older son is introduced and hates that his brother has been received back. He is angry that his brother receives such special treatment when he feels that he has been ignored. His father goes to him and implores him to rejoice and join the feast, for the family is whole again. But we aren’t told whether this older son joins the feast. Jesus leaves it unclear, surely on purpose.

So, what are we to make of this? Certainly, we can and should see ourselves as the sheep, coin, and prodigal son. We are right to see Jesus as the shepherd and the woman; to see our Heavenly Father as the father in the parable. It is Jesus who comes to earth and seeks out that which is lost. And because of sin, we are all by nature lost. And when sinners are found and restored, heaven celebrates.

When reading and preparing for this morning, I ran across something interesting from St. Ambrose. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes says a threefold cord is not quickly broken, and Ambrose sees Luke giving us these parables of Jesus as a threefold remedy to our problem of being lost sinners. He sees the shepherd, woman, and father as Christ Jesus, the Church, and our Heavenly Father. Here’s what he means:

By nature, we are lost sinners. We are brought to the font and washed clean in the waters of baptism. We are brought up in the teaching of our Lord’s holy church, and still, we are easily and often tempted to wander off into sin and wasteful living.

Sheep are not bright animals. They are quick to wander. It is an apt way to speak about us. They can’t rescue themselves when they get lost. And so, our Good Shepherd takes on our flesh and seeks out his lost sheep. He gladly takes on our burdens and carries them all the way to the cross, where he bears the punishment and condemnation we have earned and deserve. In Christ, we are redeemed and shown mercy.

Now having been shown this great mercy, we have a place in the presence of the Father. Through the Holy Spirit, we are born again and have a place in the gathered body of Christ, somewhat like coins gathered into a cherished box or purse. Even still, from time to time, we are found missing. To continue the sheep analogy, we wander off. The ancient church fathers often called the church their Mother. And so, when a Christian is found missing, the church searches after them. We pray for the lost individual. We reach out to them that they would return. And when our prayers are answered and they return, they are restored with great rejoicing.

Sometimes the drifting away is accidental, and sometimes it is quite intentional. Sometimes a Christian looks God ‘right in the eye’ and tells him he isn’t needed anymore. They go off and enjoy the pleasures of the world. All the while, the church hopes, prays, and reaches out that the lost person returns. The church watches, but the Father does as well. He desires that the prodigal returns. And when he does, he is reconciled. The Father receives him back as his adopted son and rejoices greatly.

We see in these parables the divine grace extended toward us sinners. We see weary sheep found by a shepherd; a coin lost and found; a son returning to his father guilty but repentant. Each is welcomed back and restored. And that is what these parables are all about: the repentance and restoration of sinners to a holy God. His graciousness in forgiving us our wretchedness.

We are all found in at least one of these parables. The tax collectors and sinners saw themselves as the recipient of God’s wonderful grace. Know that you are too. And yet, there is another who we’ve yet to mention: the older son. The Pharisees and scribes resented that Jesus spent time and ate with such wretched people. And so, they are presented as the older brother in the parable. They are in the family, but distant from their father. Even resentful of him. They see themselves as worthy and righteous because of who they are. In the parable, Jesus implores them to realize they too need the father’s grace. They are just as lost as the younger son and can’t see it.

It is easy for us to look at the world and lament how bad it has become. It is easy for anyone to look at people, both contemporary and historic, and think that they are awful and don’t deserve anything good, let alone salvation. The chapter and final parable end open-ended. We aren’t told if the older brother, who has alienated himself from father and brother, is restored. But know this: it is the will of Jesus, the Church, and the Father that he is. If God forgives someone like you, me, or St. Paul, he will assuredly receive and forgive someone like the older brother. And that is important to remember. Especially when it is you that is the older brother. Amen.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD