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Sermon Archive RETURN TO RECENT SERMONS |
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SERMON: Thanksgiving in No-Man's Land
Oak Lawn is a bit of a no-man's land. We're not in Chicago, but we're not really in the suburbs either. Many of you grew up in the city. When you moved here you were living on the edge of civilization. But now you're in the city, but you're not. You live in Chicago, but you don't. For most of you, your kids have moved on, but you're still here, living in no-man's land. This is not where your parents are from and not where your kids have settled, either. We're also in a no-man's land in terms of time. Last Sunday the church year ended. We celebrated the fulfillment and Jesus' return to judge the living and the dead. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the new church year looking forward to Christmas and Bethlehem. But here on Wednesday night, we're between things, between the end and the beginning. As Christians we live in this no-man's land. We're not to get too attached to things here on earth, but we're not in heaven yet. We live between Jesus' first and second comings. As forgiven sinners we live in a no-man's land. We're saved. We're forgiven. We belong to the Lord. And yet we keep sinning, we keep failing, we keep messing things up. We're in the no-man's land between saint and sinner. We feel this tension in our lives. We know that things aren't right here, but we don't know when the Lord will return to make things right. We're living in a no man's land. The good news is that Jesus comes to this no-man's land. Our gospel lesson begins with Jesus traveling the border of Galilee and Samaria. Galilee was Jesus' home. Galilee is where He grew up - in Nazareth where His dad ran the local carpenter's shop. Galilee is where Jesus went to school and to synagogue. He preached in Capernaum, He went fishing on the Sea of Galilee, He healed and taught and cast out demons here. Galilee was home. But Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. He's going there to die. But He's not there yet. He's still on the road. He knows what's coming. He knows how it will end, but He's not there yet. And so Jesus comes to this no-man's land - on the border between Galilee and Samaria, on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus comes to a village that has no name. And when Jesus comes to this village in no-man's land, on the border between Galilee and Samaria, He sees ten lepers standing far-off. There's a reason for this. They're unclean, they're contagious, they are the outcasts. If anyone truly lived in no-man's land, it was the leper. The leper was outside of the community, cut off from friends and family. The leper felt abandoned, living between life and death. The only company was the other lepers, whom you would watch slowly waste away and die, knowing that some day the same fate would befall you. Our sin causes the same separation between us and God. We are unclean. We are outcasts. We live in this no-man's land. Our sin cuts us off from friends and family - nasty fights, divorce, separation, families falling apart, people fighting over silly, unimportant things. We look around and watch our neighbors waste away and die. And we pray that one day the same fate doesn't befall us. Yet into this no-man's land comes Jesus. He's on His way to Jerusalem to die. He already has a full plate, but He stops for you. Our cries have reached His ears, "Lord, have mercy on us!" We plead and beg. Tears stream down our faces. Won't someone have pity on us? Won't someone help us? We pray for peace - the peace of the whole world and the wellbeing of the church of God. We pray for the unity of all and for our salvation. We pray for this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise. We pray for peace in our community, for young people to be safe from drugs and violence. We pray for peace in our families. We pray for peace throughout the world - that our sons and daughters away at war will finally come home. For all these things we cry, "Lord, have mercy!" And the Lord does. It begins with the Lord seeing us. Our text says, "When He saw them…" So often when we see someone begging or in need, we look away. We can't bear to see them, and we think that if we look away, we won't feel as guilty. Not so with the Lord. He doesn't look away. He doesn't hide His face. No, He sees you in all your need. He knows your problems and your pain. He doesn't avoid you, He truly sees you. And then the Lord speaks. He does it all through His Word. "Go, show yourselves to the priests." His words cleanse you and make you clean and whole. His words bring you back into the community and make you acceptable to God. "I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." These words do all the work. Now there are two reactions to those who hear God's word. Nine of the ten lepers leave and never come back. They are healed and continue leading their lives. They got what they needed from Jesus, and off they went. Just as in Jesus' day, many of us receive the Lord's blessings and never look back. There are those who are baptized and confirmed who head off on their way, go about their business, and don't give Jesus a second thought. There are those who have more than they need and are more concerned tomorrow with parades and turkey and football than with those around them who are unemployed, homeless and hungry. It's painful, and you can hear the frustration in Jesus' voice, "Were not ten healed? Where are the other nine?" It's painful for us, too, when the other nine are people we know, people from our congregation and even our own families, people who have received the Lord's blessings, but do not give thanks for all that He has given them. We look around us Sunday after Sunday and say, "Where are the other nine?" And yet there is the one who returns. And He is the only one. In all the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - only one person actually thanks Jesus for anything. Of all the people Jesus heals, of all the people whom Jesus sets free from demonic possession, of all the people Jesus feeds, of all the people Jesus teaches, only one person in any gospel ever says thank-you to Jesus. And it's not just a card in the mail two weeks later. Look at how the thanksgiving overflows from the man's heart. He sees that He is healed, and He returns to Jesus and with a loud voice He praises God. So often we mumble our amens and whisper our songs of praise. But not this one. He sings at the top of his voice. He's not embarrassed or ashamed. He doesn't care what other people think. He doesn't care if he's a little off-key. His life has been changed. He's a new creation. And so with a loud voice He gives glory to God. When He finally reaches Jesus, He falls face-down at Jesus' feet. This is an act of worship. He knows that only God could do such a thing. God is no longer to be found in Jerusalem at the temple where the priests were serving. God is now dwelling among man. God has now come here to this no-man's land to change his life. There is no need to go to Jerusalem and see the priests. God is here and this is the new place to worship. When he falls at Jesus' feet, he gives thanks to Jesus. The Greek word for thanksgiving used here is eucharistia. A Eucharist is a thanksgiving. In a few moments we will join this Samaritan ex-leper in giving thanks. Together we will pray this prayer of thanksgiving: "Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have had mercy on us children of men and given your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. We give you thanks for the redemption you have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Send your Holy Spirit into our hearts that He may establish in us a living faith and prepare us joyfully to remember our Redeemer and receive Him who comes to us in His body and blood." Every Sunday (when we receive the Lord's Supper) is a little Thanksgiving. Here we receive something better than turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. In this meal you receive the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you. There's no finer meal. There's no greater feast than what we receive here, together, right now. And after the Thanksgiving feast, the Lord sends us on our way. Jesus said to the leper, "Arise, go, for your faith has made you well." At the end of the service, the Lord sends you out on your way with His blessing, knowing that you have been given faith, and that faith has saved you. And so here, in Luke 17, we have the entire divine service, from Kyrie, our cry, "Lord have mercy," to the Lord's words of healing, to our response of praise, to the great thanksgiving of the Eucharist to the benediction and the sending on our way. Our entire divine service is here. Our entire life as Christians is here. Our Lord came to that no-man's land between Galilee and Samaria and celebrated Thanksgiving with the leper. Our Lord now comes to the no-man's land of Oak Lawn to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Thanks be to God! - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Nov 26, 2008 Text |
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SERMON: Is Jesus Wrong?
What did you think of today's gospel lesson? From the sound of things, Jesus gets it wrong. We all know that we are saved by grace through faith, right? We all know that we are not saved by doing good works, right? Most of you have been Lutherans long enough that your "Lutheran radar" starts going off when people start talking this way, saying that someone is getting into heaven because they've lived a good life. So what's going on in today's gospel lesson? Jesus separates the righteous from the unrighteous, the sheep from the goats. The sheep are on the right-hand side and get eternal life. The goats are on the left-hand side and get eternal fire. What's the difference between a sheep and a goat? How does Jesus describe things? The sheep are those who have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, shown hospitality to the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and those in prison. The goats are those who have failed to do all these things. Does this mean that you get to heaven by doing good works - by helping out those in need? This doesn't seem to fit what God tells us elsewhere in the Bible. We all know Paul's words from Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, lest anyone boast." So who's right - Paul or Jesus? Now if Jesus really is saying that we get into heaven by doing good deeds, helping our neighbor and those in need, why is Jesus going to Jerusalem to die? If all it takes to get into heaven is donating a few canned goods to the food pantry, then why does Jesus have to die? Couldn't He just teach us to be more generous and giving? Why do we need the cross and Good Friday if all we need to do is help those in need? Well, let's take a closer look at exactly what Jesus says here. These words are the conclusion to the last public sermon Jesus gives. Matthew 26:1 reads, "When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 'As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.'" After this comes the Last Supper, Gethsemane and Good Friday. These words are to remain with us, to get us through the rest of Holy Week, on to Easter morning and beyond. The key to Jesus' words is the phrase, "Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Who are the "least of these brothers of Jesus"? The answer comes earlier in the book of Matthew... In Matthew 12, Jesus' mother and brothers come to look for Him. He's teaching His disciples, but His family is standing outside. When Jesus is told that His mother and brothers are looking for Him, Jesus says, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he says, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Here Jesus explains who His brothers are - His disciples. They are doing the will of the Father by listening to Jesus and following Him. They are part of Jesus' family. God is their Father, and Jesus is their brother. Jesus' own mother and brothers are on the outside. They are not among His disciples. His true brothers are His disciples, those who listen to Him, follow Him, and do the Father's will. When Jesus talks about His brothers, when Jesus says, "whatever you do for the least of these brothers of mine," He's not talking about just anyone who is in need. He's specifically talking about the disciples. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that we shouldn't help those around us in need. We should definitely help to feed the hungry. Jesus says many things about helping the poor and assisting those in need, but that's not what Jesus is getting at here, in this specific instance. If we back up a few more chapters to Matthew 10, Jesus explains this further. In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out His 12 disciples to preach and heal. This is their first go, a short-term mission trip - a vicarage, so to speak. Jesus gives the disciples very detailed instructions on where they are to go and what they are to do. They are not to take many supplies along for the journey. No extra money or extra clothes. Instead, they are to rely on the hospitality of those who receive them. Jesus warns the disciples that their mission will be dangerous. They will be arrested and beaten. Many will reject them and their message. Jesus completes His instructions to His disciples with these words: "He who receives you, receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One Who sent Me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." These words of Jesus help us understand what He says about the sheep and the goats. Jesus is not just telling us to be charitable and generous (even though we should be). Our eternal salvation does not depend on such things. When Jesus says, "Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," He is not talking about random people in need. The brothers of Jesus are the disciples. The disciples are the ones who will bear Christ to all nations. When Jesus sends out His disciples, He tells them, "I will be with you always to the end of the age." When the disciples go out to baptize and teach, Jesus goes with them in a very real way. They stand in the stead of Christ. They speak the words of Christ. When the world hears the disciples, they hear Christ. So how the world treats the disciples is how the world treats Christ. Jesus says to His disciples, "He who receives you receives Me." The fate of the world will be judged based on how they receive the disciples and their message. Those who ignore Jesus' messengers and their message - who refuse to show them hospitality and even cast them out of their community or into jail - will be judged, for in rejecting Jesus' apostles, they are rejecting Jesus. Jesus says that in those situations the disciples are to shake the dust from their feet, and those people will be worse off than Sodom and Gomorrah. Those, however, who receive the disciples, who welcome them in, who give them food and drink and clothing, who visit them when they are sick or in prison, are receiving Jesus and showing kindness to Him. They do those things because they have been given faith to believe the disciples' message. They hunger and thirst to hear more about Jesus' love for them. They show kindness to the disciples because they bear Jesus. These words of Jesus are meant to comfort the disciples. After Jesus' death and resurrection, they will be sent out again. In many places they will be received, but in others they will be rejected. They will be imprisoned and many will be killed. The entire world, all the nations will be judged based on how they receive Jesus' disciples and their message. Jesus is telling His disciples that He will go with them and that how people treat them is how they treat Him. So where does that put us? We are God's flock, His sheep, His people, His church. As we sang in the psalm, the Lord is a great God, who holds the whole world in His hands, from the depths of the earth to the heights of the mountains, the sea and the dry ground - He made them all. And yet He still cares for us. We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Our heavenly Father has made us righteous and prepared an eternal inheritance for us in heaven. He does it all. You are not God's flock because of your good deeds, but because of what the Lord has done for you. You know that you are sinful, that you are have sinned against the Lord in thought, word and deed, by what you have done and by what you have left undone. There are times when you have failed to help those in need, when you have passed by on the other side instead of giving generously. Furthermore, there are many outside the church who are known for their good deeds, for their generosity and their philanthropy. What makes you different is that you have received Christ. You have been baptized. You have been taught. You have willingly accepted the work of Jesus' brothers, the disciples, the pastors and teachers in your life. By receiving them, you have received Christ. By showing kindness to them, you have shown kindness to Christ. One day you will be judged. You will stand before the Lord in all His glory with His angels standing around. And on that day it will not be all about you. When the Lord speaks about you and what you've done, your reaction will be, "Who, me? I don't remember doing any of those things." The fact that you have received the Lord and His messengers came to you as a gift. It was not based on your will or decision, but the working of the Holy Spirit. Through Holy Baptism, through the preaching of God's Word, the Holy Spirit has created faith in your heart. And faith says, "Yes, I'd like to hear more." Faith is what brings you here every week to hear God's word and to give to Him your gifts to support the preaching of His word. It's not something you can chalk up to yourself and your own goodness and generosity. It's all Jesus, it's all faith, it's all gift. One day you will say, "I don't remember doing those things." Because faith will have done them - that is to say, Jesus will have done them through you. So, as it turns out, Jesus and Paul do agree - oh, and Luther, too. Jesus doesn't teach one thing and Paul another. We are sheep saved by grace who live by faith. The Lord has given us His righteousness and with that comes eternal life. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Nov 23, 2008 Text |
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SERMON: Trust
Trust is difficult to come by. It takes time for someone to earn your trust, and once that trust is broken, it's nearly impossible to get it back. Who can you trust these days? Do you trust your doctor? Do you trust the politicians you just elected? Do you trust your mechanic? Do you trust your coworkers? Do you trust your neighbors? Do you trust your pastor? Do you trust children? Do you trust your parents? Do you trust your husband or wife? Without trust, relationships fall apart. Without trust, families fall apart. Without trust, congregations fall apart. When we don't trust other people, we become selfish, and we place everything on our own shoulders instead of relying on those around us. We try to do everything ourselves, and often fail. Think about a military unit. Everyone in the unit from the private through the general has to trust one another. If anyone second-guesses his or her orders, or doesn't trust the others to carry out their orders, the whole unit will fall apart. Think about a team. It's football season. In football, the quarterback trusts his line to protect him, he trusts the coaches' decisions, and he trusts his receivers to run the correct routes. If the team members don't trust one another, they are bound to lose. Today's parable is all about trust. It begins with a wealthy man who's about to go away on a trip. Before he leaves, he entrusts huge sums of money to three of his servants. In today's terms, a talent is worth several hundred thousand dollars. He gives five talents to one, two to another, and one to the last. What's amazing is that the master trusts his servants. He trusts them each with a small fortune. He's not afraid they'll waste it or spend it on parties. He gives them the money and leaves, and he gives them very little instruction. How many of you have left on vacation, leaving your kids home alone? If so, I'm sure you gave them very clear instructions - how to care for the house when you're gone - water the plants, bring in the mail, what to do in case of an emergency. You probably left pretty clear instructions, too, about whether or not they could have friends over, and, of course, no parties. What if you left - not for just a weekend, but for a few months - and not only did you leave your kids in charge of the house, but your money, too. Would you trust them with your credit cards? With your checkbook? With access to all your money, including your retirement account? Could you do this? Could you trust your kids with this responsibility? Well, the master in today's story did just that. He divided his property between three of his slaves. He trusted them to use these resources wisely, then he left. Notice what the slaves did. Two of them put the money to work. In this case it probably meant buying a business or some property, something that would be profitable. They were not thinking about themselves. They were not afraid of the consequences if the businesses failed - they took risks. When someone trusts you and entrusts something of value to you, that really can boost your self-esteem. The fact that their master had trusted them with such great wealth surely emboldened these slaves so that they did their best and worked their hardest so as not to disappoint their master. They wanted to earn the trust their master had shown in them. They wanted to prove to him that he had made the right choice in trusting them. But the third slave was different. He was afraid. He was afraid that he would lose his master's money, that whatever he would do would fail, and then the master would be angry with him. Fear is the opposite of trust. All fear is self-regarding. All fear is just looking out for yourself. And so he does nothing. He buries the money because he's afraid what might happen if he loses it. He doesn't trust his master. He doesn't think the master made the right choice by giving him the money. He doesn't think he has the right skills to manage it properly. And so he just gives up. He doesn't try. When the master finally returns, he settles his accounts with his slaves. For the first two, the time has been profitable. The investments have doubled. Listen carefully to how they explain this success: "You entrusted me with five talents." "You entrusted me with two talents." They begin by talking about their master and what he has given them - the fact that he has trusted them. They don't talk about their business skills. They don't talk about details of what they used the money for. They simply state that the master has trusted them and that this trust has paid off. Listen to the master's reaction: "Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful." The master praises the faith of the servants. They have been trustworthy. They have been faithful. This relationship between master and slave has been profitable for both because they trusted each other. The master trusted the servants to act wisely. The servants trusted that their master had made the right choice in entrusting his money to them. The result is joy. The master is joyful, and he invites the slaves to share in his joy. With the third slave, the scene is quite different. What does this slave talk about? He doesn't begin by talking about the master as the other two had. He doesn't mention the master's trust or generosity. Instead, he talks about himself and his perception of his master. "I know that you are a harsh man, I was afraid, so I hid your money." The slave was afraid, so he played it safe. He figured, "If I don't risk the money, I can't lose it and I won't be punished." It's a sensible plan, but it's not the way of trust- it's the way of fear. And the master calls it what it is - laziness. A whole talent of silver is not a small sum of money. We're talking several hundred thousand dollars. And to just sit on it and do nothing is laziness. Laziness often comes from fear. We're afraid to fail, so we do nothing. The master trusted the slave, but the slave did not trust the master, and he did not trust himself and his own abilities. Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a real danger for us here at Faith Lutheran Church, to be like the third slave. We're a small congregation - we don't have the resources some of the larger congregations in the area. We're tempted to think, "Let's just play it safe. Let's not take any risks. Let's just hold on to what we have and try not to lose it." We're tempted to think like the third slave, "Maybe the Lord made a mistake. Certainly we're not good enough, we're not big enough, we're not rich enough, we're not young enough to be entrusted with the Lord's treasures." We are in danger of giving in to fear - fear of growing old, fear of dying off, fear of closing our doors. But that's not the way of faith. The Lord has entrusted us with a great treasure. We have been given the precious gift of his gospel message. We have been entrusted with the gospel and the sacraments - these life-giving gifts, more precious than gold or silver. We can keep it to ourselves, we can hide it away and play it safe, or we can let that gospel do its work out there in the world. The Lord has entrusted His gospel to you and me. As we heard last week, we don't know when the Lord will return. We don't know when the end will come. We don't know when the master will come back to settle accounts. So we put His gifts to work here in this place. We use all our resources to put this gospel to work here. By choosing to be a member of this congregation, you are saying that this is the place you will receive God's free gifts, this is the place where your gifts will be put to work, this is the place where the Lord will use you in His service. Our congregation is not an end in itself. This congregation does not exist simply as a place to socialize - to make friends and have a good time. It's much more than that. This congregation is a place where the Lord saves sinners. This is the place where heaven comes down to earth. This is the place where the Lord speaks to you and gives you His very body and blood. This is the place where those gifts are used in the Lord's service. This is a place to learn and to grow, to serve those in need - bringing them not only the gifts of life and salvation, but also clothing and food, encouragement and support. This is a place to pray, praise and give thanks. Our neighborhoods and our own families are filled with people who need to know that someone loves them, that someone forgives them, that there's something better than this world that seems to be falling apart. We, too, need to hear again every week that we belong to the Lord, that He has given His life for us, and that heaven's joys await all of His good and faithful servants. For all of that to happen here, for the Lord's work to go on at this place, we need to trust the Lord and trust one another. Such trust is not something we can come up with by ourselves - we are by nature distrustful - but it begins with the Lord trusting us. He has trusted us so much that He has given us the treasure of His gospel. He trusts us to put that gospel to work - to use everything we've been given to get the gospel message out - not to hide it out of fear. Since the Lord has trusted us, we trust Him by giving Him our time and money, by taking risks, by not thinking about ourselves and not giving in to fear. And we too will one day hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your Master's joy." - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Nov 16, 2008 Text |
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SERMON: Daddy's Home!
"Daddy's home!" As soon as those words hit her little eardrums, she's up off the couch and heading toward the door as fast as her little legs can carry her. Before Daddy can even put down his bag, she leaps up into his arms. She wraps her arms tightly around his neck and nearly strangles him. She snuggles up into his strong arms. She plants a huge kiss on his cheek and begins to tell her Daddy everything he's missed in the past week. He's been away on business. And even though it's been only a week, to her, it's been a lifetime. But she knew Daddy was coming home. Mommy had helped her count the days, and now he's home and nothing can separate her from her Daddy. "Daddy's home!" As soon as those words hit his little eardrums, he's up off the couch and running, but, he's not running toward the door. He's running to his room. He slams the door and looks for a place to hide. He knows what's coming. He's been a very naughty little boy. He's been mean and selfish and mouthy. He's been getting into fights at school and talking back to his teachers. He hasn't been listening to Mom either. She's tried every punishment she can think of, but nothing seems to work. Finally, she gave up and said, "Just wait until your Father gets home." So when Daddy finally arrives, the little boy heads in the opposite direction. Maybe he can buy enough time to think up an excuse or some way to talk his way out of this one. "Daddy's home!" The same words, but the reactions could not have been more different. For the little girl, they were the best, sweetest most glorious words she ever heard. They fill her heart with joy and happiness. For the little boy, the words brought fear and an impending sense of doom. "The bridegroom is here." The same words, but the reactions could not have been more different. For five of the virgins, this is wonderful news. Their long wait is finally over - now is the time for the wedding celebration. For the other five virgins, these words bring fear and panic. They realize they're not ready, they're not prepared. They realize there's a chance they might be left out. The virgins (think bridesmaids) have all been waiting all day and most of the night for the party to start. It's been a long day - they had to get their hair and makeup done, get dressed, and then go to the bride's house to wait. The wedding would have gone something like this: The groom, together with his friends and family, prepare for the wedding at his house. Everyone gets dressed up, and the wedding banquet is prepared. At sundown, everyone from the groom's side goes across town to the bride's house. At the bride's house, the actual wedding ceremony takes place, and the bride is given to her husband in marriage. After the ceremony, everyone processes back to the groom's house, and the wedding feast begins. So the virgins have had a long day already. They've probably spent the day with the bride, helping her get ready and helping the family get the house ready. It's understandable that they might doze off, especially if the groom is a little late. Some of these virgins are ready - they've planned ahead. Not only did they remember to bring their lamps for the procession, but they also have plenty of oil. They've been waiting for this wedding for a long time now. They were so happy for their friends when she first got betrothed. They were so honored that they were invited and asked to be a part of their friend's special day. They've done everything they could to make sure this is the happiest day of their lives. So when the cry rings out, "The bridegroom is here," they're excited - they're overjoyed. The moment is finally here - no more planning, no more getting ready, no more waiting. Time for the wedding. Time for the party. The other five virgins have a different reaction. When the cry rings out, "The bridegroom is here," they are frantic. They reach for their lamps, but realize that they're out of oil. Without oil, the lamps won't work. Without a lamp, you can't be in the procession. If you're not in the procession, you might not make it to the wedding feast. So they beg their friends, but no one has any oil to spare. They have to run down to the Wal-Mart and see if they can buy some before it's too late. When they finally get the oil, get the lamps going, and find out where they need to be, it's too late. They've missed the procession, they've missed the wedding. The door is shut and locked. They ring the doorbell, they knock until their knuckles are sore, but it's all to no avail. If you're not in the procession, you don't get in. You're left outside. If you're not ready when the bridegroom arrives, there are no second chances - you're either ready or you're not, you're either in or you're out. We're down to the last three weeks of the church year. And we're down to Jesus' last three stories. This week it's the 10 virgins. Next week it will be the talents, and the last week it's the sheep and the goats. All three stories are about the end. All three stories are about Jesus' return, and what it will be like. In each story there are two groups of people, and only two: This week, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins; next week, those who put the gifts they're given to work and those who don't; and the last week, the sheep and the goats. The point of this week's story is clear: Jesus comes right out and tells you, "Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." You do not know exactly when Jesus will return. Every week we confess that Jesus is coming back. Every week we confess that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Are you ready? If the Lord came back right now, would you be prepared? Would you be glad to see Him? If you heard the cry right now, "The bridegroom is here," which direction would you run? Would you run joyfully into His arms and give Him a hug, or would you run the other way and hide? There's no reason for any of us here to fear the Lord's return. The Lord Himself has prepared you, He has made you ready to meet Him. It all began at your baptism. In Holy Baptism you were given your lamp and more oil than you would ever need. You were given a burning candle, and these words were spoken: "Receive this burning light. Live always by the light of Christ, and be ever watchful for His coming that you may meet Him with joy and enter with Him to the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which shall have no end." The Lord has made you His light. You are the light of the world. Throughout your life He has kept your light burning. There may be times when your lamp seems to flicker, when it's dangerously close to going out, when you begin to feel empty, and the darkness is closing in all around you - but that's when He brings you back here, to fill you once more with His Holy Spirit. In the Divine Service, the Lord tops off your tank, refills your store of oil, and you leave this place with your lamp shining more brightly than ever. One day the night will come, the night will come and you will fall asleep. The night comes for all of us when we fall asleep in the Lord. We will lie in wait for the last day when Christ, our Bridegroom, appears. You will awaken when the last trumpet sounds, when the Lord returns with a shout of triumph. That will be a joyful moment for you. Your long wait will be over. It will be time for the celebration to begin. You will either be ready, or you won't. There's no in-between. The virgins are either wise or foolish. There are no in-betweens. There are no C students. You're either in or you're out. Those who belong to the Lord are ready. He has made you ready. He has made you wise. He has given you more than enough oil for the procession. He's invited you to His banquet, and He has a place ready for you at the party. But there will be those who don't get in - there will be those who think they can smile their way through, those who figure they'll take care of things at the last minute, that God couldn't possibly leave them out in the cold. They will be faced with the harsh reality of God's justice. Those who try to make it on their own will be utterly lost. "I tell you the truth, I do not know you." Our world is filled with people who aren't ready, with people who will try to make it on their own, to get by on their own resources. Many of your friends and neighbors aren't ready. When the Lord returns, it will be a day of fear, panic and dread. But there is still time, there's still time for us not only to prepare ourselves, but to prepare those around us for the Lord's return. You don't want to see them left out. You don't want them to find themselves outside looking in. You want them in the banquet hall, enjoying the party. You want them to be ready, you want them to experience the joy of our Lord's return. So get the word out! Christ is coming back. We don't know the day or the hour, which makes it even more urgent. Don't delay. Don't procrastinate. Don't put it off another day. If you know someone who may not be ready, for God's sake, tell them, warn them, encourage them, spread the word: Our Lord is returning! For those who are ready, it will be a happy time of rejoicing, but for those who aren't ready, it will be a terrifying ordeal. So watch, be ready. Our Lord is coming, but we do not know the day or the hour. Keep your lamps ready. Return here regularly to fill your lamp with oil and prepare for our Lord's return, so that when the cry goes out, "The Bridegroom is here," we will all go running to meet Him as fast as our little legs can carry us. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Nov 9, 2008 Text |
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SERMON: Blessed...
Blessed are the rich, for
they have everything they want. Now, we know that's not how it goes, but that is the message we hear every day: the truly blessed are those who are strong, those who are wealthy, the young, those who are able to take care of themselves, those who don't have to rely on other people, those who do whatever it takes to be successful. We look down upon those who are weak, helpless and reliant. Sure, we're happy to take care of those in need, but there's nothing good about being needy, is there? We look up to the leader, the self-made man, the kind of person who doesn't need anybody for anything. Just look at those running for office. Their message is always the same: I've got the all answers, I've got a plan, I've got the right experience, I'm strong, I'm successful, and I can solve all your problems if you only give me the power to do so. Would you elect someone who was meek? Would you vote for someone who was poor in spirit? No, you want someone aggressive - a fighter, someone who is a strong leader. You want someone in office who is independent, who commands authority. That's what people respect. But there's a problem with this. There's a problem with relying on yourself and your own strength and ability to carry you through. Ultimately your own strength will fail. You will find yourself in a situation you can't work your way out of. It may be illness, it may be family problems, it may be financial problems, but sooner or later we all come to realize how weak and helpless we really are. Not only will your physical strength fail you, but your spiritual strength will as well. No matter how hard we try, we are not able to please God. We can try to live a good life, try to treat others well, try to follow God's law, but our strength is not enough. We just can't do it. Spiritually, we are not strong, we are weak. We are not rich, we are poor. But when we come to realize this, that's a good thing. Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Blessed are the spiritually poor. Blessed are those who do not rely on their own good deeds or their own moral strength. Blessed are those who know their sinfulness and their shortcomings, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to you - not because you've earned it or deserve it, but because you're poor. The church is not for those who lead perfect lives, who have everything put together. No, the church is for sinners who need forgiveness. The church is a place for the needy to come and receive good things from the Lord. This is what makes you a saint - receiving everything from the Lord as a gift - not in living a good life, but in confessing your sinfulness and in being made holy. Your sinfulness will cause you to mourn. When you see the hurt and harm your sinful actions have caused, when you come to know the consequences of your actions, it will make you deeply sad and remorseful, but don't worry. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. You will be comforted by the gospel, the good news that your sins have been paid for, that the Lord still loves you. Your sinfulness will make you meek, shy and timid. You will not trust yourself to do or to say the right thing, but don't worry. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. You will be given a place in the new creation. Your sinfulness will make you hungry and thirsty. You will come to know how empty your life is because of sin. You will crave something better, something wholesome, something that will last - and you will receive it. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. The Lord will fill you with His righteousness. He gives you His body and blood and joins you to Himself. Come to the Lord's table and receive the righteousness of the Lord and do not be hungry or thirst any longer. Because you have been forgiven, because you have been shown mercy, you now show mercy to those around you. Mercy flows from the Lord to you and then out to those around you. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. The Lord shows mercy to you by purifying your heart. He creates in you a clean heart, removing impurities and the stain of sin. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Sinful man cannot see God and live. The holiness of God is simply too intense to survive, but you have been purified. You will see God, look Jesus in the eye. You can even touch Him on the nose. With your pure heart, you are now at peace with God and with one another. Sin separated you from God and made you His enemy. Sin creates conflict with those around you, but, free from sin, you are now at peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. You have been made a part of God's family. No longer an enemy, you are His beloved child. Yet there is a cost to discipleship, to this sainthood we have been given. You will be persecuted because you don't fit in. You will be insulted and people will tell lies about you. Yet even this is a blessing. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is what disciples are like. This is what saints are like. Because we are sinners, we are poor in spirit, we mourn, we are meek and we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Because we are forgiven, we are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and persecuted. We are like this because this is what Jesus is like. Who is poor in spirit, but Jesus Christ, who humbled himself, making himself nothing and becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross? The kingdom of heaven is His, and He reigns from the throne of His cross. Who is He who mourns but Jesus Christ, who mourns over Jerusalem, weeping for the sins of His people? His Holy Spirit is the comforter Who gives comfort to all people. Who is meek but Jesus Christ, gentle Jesus, meek and mild? Like a sheep before his shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. His is the earth and all that is in it. He will come again to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end. Who hungers and thirsts for righteousness but Jesus, the Righteous One? He was without sin, and He freely gives us His righteousness. Who is merciful but Jesus, who has shown us all mercy, not punishing us as our sins deserve, but showing us His mercy, taking God's wrath upon Himself? Who is pure in heart but Jesus, the Holy One of Israel? He was innocent, and His pure heart was pierced for you. When you see Jesus, then, you see God, in all His purity, in all His holiness, dying out of love for you. Who is a peacemaker but Jesus, the Prince of Peace? His death makes peace with God. "Peace be with you," Jesus says, and it is so. He truly is the Son of God. Who was persecuted but Jesus Christ, Who suffered insults and mocking, beatings and thorns, nails, a spear, and shame all for you? The beatitudes are a picture of Christ. Because Christ is in you, the beatitudes are a picture of you and All Saints, forgiven sinners - poor, mourning, meek, hungry, merciful, pure, peaceful and persecuted - and the Lord has given you the kingdom. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Nov 2, 2008 Gospel First Reading Epistle |
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SERMON: The Truth
Sometimes the truth hurts. The truth confronts you and tell you things you don't want to hear. Truth comes in a bank statement that tells you you're running out of money. Truth comes in medical test results that are positive. Truth comes in a report card that tells you that you should have studied a little harder. Truth comes in an angry conversation, where all the things you've been hiding from each other finally come to the surface. Sometimes the truth hurts. When you take an honest look at your life, your family, the world around you, the truth is not pretty. The truth can be frightening. When we are faced with who we are and what we're really like, when we see ourselves in the mirror of God's law, the truth hurts. The truth is clearly spelled out in the Epistle reading from Romans 3. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That's the truth. In the church, we speak the truth. Here the Lord speaks directly to you, and His Word is truth. He doesn't sugar-coat anything. He doesn't lie to you here just to make you feel better about yourself. Every week we are faced with the truth. We confess that we are poor miserable sinners, that we have offended God, and that we deserve His punishment. The truth is good, even when it hurts. Lies may make you feel better, but they don't do you any good. What good is a doctor who doesn't tell you the truth, who tells you you're fine when you're dying? What good is a teacher who doesn't tell you the truth, who tells you your wrong answers are right? What good is a pastor who doesn't tell you the truth, who tells you you're really a good person when you know you're really not? Here you are faced with the truth of God's Law. And the truth hurts. In fact, the truth kills. The Law strips you of any reliance on yourself. Many people ignore the truth and live in denial. They surround themselves with people who will lie to them rather than tell them the truth. Lies are usually more appealing than the truth. This was the case with the Jews in today's gospel. They claimed, "We have never been slaves of anyone." They ignored 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They ignored 70 years of exile in Babylon. They ignored occupation by the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. And they ignored their slavery to sin. So Jesus faces them up to the truth. "Anyone who sins is a slave to sin." This is the truth, and the truth hurts. We also like to take pride in our freedom. We enjoy many freedoms in our country. In just over a week, we will exercise our freedom to vote and choose our leaders and the direction of our country. Yet despite all these freedoms, we are still slaves. We still sin daily. And there's nothing we can do to stop sinning. We can't set ourselves free. We are enslaved by our desires and our passions. We can choose whom to vote for, but we can't choose not to sin. That's the truth, and the truth hurts. This was the case with Martin Luther as well. Martin knew he was a sinner, that there was nothing good inside him. Martin was plagued and tortured by the fact that he did not measure up to righteous expectations of the Lord. He lived in constant fear of the Lord and His wrath. The truth drove Martin to the monastery and into the confessional, where he would spend hours confessing all he had done. Martin felt that bondage to sin. And he tried everything he could think of to work his way free, but the harder he worked and struggled, the tighter the noose became. The Law is true, and the truth hurts. But there is another truth - a truth that doesn't hurt, it heals; a truth that doesn't kill, it makes alive; a truth that doesn't bind, it sets you free. Jesus says, "The truth will set you free." Jesus came proclaiming a new truth, a new kind of truth, a truth that doesn't hurt, but sets you free. The truth is that you are loved. The truth is that you are forgiven. The truth is that life has triumphed over death, that darkness has not overcome the light. The truth is you have been set free. You are no longer a slave to sin and death. Jesus, the Son, has set you free. He has paid the price of your redemption, and you are free. That is the truth - Jesus said it, Jesus did it. He just set you free once more with the words, "I forgive you all your sins." Right here, right now, the truth sets you free. When the Lord speaks to us, we respond with "Amen." Amen means, "It is true." It is true that I am a sinner, and it is true that I am forgiven. It is true that the Lord makes me holy, and that I am free. Yes, Amen, it is true - I am free. You are free from the punishment your sins deserve. No matter what you've done, it is forgiven. There's no more penalty, there's no more guilt - you are completely and utterly free. There's no need to fear God's wrath, because your sins have been taken care of - that's the truth. You are free to live your life without worrying about what the future holds for you. Yes, the time will come when your heart stops beating and you fall asleep in the Lord, but here is the truth - death will not be the end. You will be raised from the dead on the last day and you will have an eternity to enjoy the bliss and splendor of heaven. You will be free from sickness, free from pain, free from all that holds you back and keeps you from enjoying life. No need for medicine or surgery or therapy in heaven - you will be free. And finally, Satan has no more claim on you. You have been set free from him as well. His power is broken and you have nothing to fear. A champion has come to fight the old satanic foe. You ask who this may be? The Lord of hosts is He, Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son, adored. He holds the field victorious - that is the truth. You are free from sin, free from death, and free from the power of the devil. Satan will continue to lie to you. He will tell you you aren't good enough, that God couldn't possibly love someone like you. But you have been set free from these lies by the truth of God's love. Martin Luther experienced this freedom when the truth of the Gospel set him free. This is how he describes his life under the truth of the law, the truth that hurts: "But I, blameless monk that I was, felt that before God I was a sinner with an extremely troubled conscience. I couldn't be sure God was appeased by my satisfaction. I did not love -no, rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners." But after the mercy of God was revealed to him, Luther writes, "All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light." Martin Luther couldn't help but tell other people of the joy he had found in the freedom of the Gospel. He didn't want anyone to remain a slave, living in fear of God's punishment. That freedom caused him to speak out against anything that did not proclaim the truth of the gospel. He could not stand to see others enslaved by their sin. Brothers and sisters, our neighbors are hurting. They are hurting because of the truth of their sinfulness, and their slavery to sin. The truth hurts, the truth kills, but there is another truth, the gospel-truth. We have been given a truth that heals, a truth that sets free, a truth that brings life and hope and joy and peace. We have been set free to live a life through the righteousness of Christ. Go, you are free - that's the truth. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Oct 26, 2008 Gospel First Reading Epistle |
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SERMON: Trapping Jesus
It's never a good idea to try to trap Jesus. Many try. All fail. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday brings things to a head. The religious leaders want to arrest Jesus and they want to kill Him. But He hasn't done or said anything they can get Him on. They need a "gotcha" moment. They need a smoking gun. They need Jesus to say something either blasphemous or treasonous so they can get rid of Him. Three weeks ago it was the question, "By whose authority do you do these things?" They want Jesus to say He has been sent by God. That would be blasphemy (unless, of course, it's true). But Jesus doesn't bite. First, Jesus asks about John the Baptist: Where did his baptism come from? Then Jesus tells three stories, the three stories we heard over the past three weeks: the two sons, the landlord and the deadbeat tenants, and the bum's banquet. Each of these stories shows how Jesus is the Son sent from the Father. The Pharisees reject Him just as they had rejected John and the other prophets. They will be judged because of their rejection, and the kingdom will be given to outsiders, namely you and me. The first attempt to trap Jesus led to three stories. The second attempt to trap Jesus leads to a short saying, "Give Caesar's things to Caesar and God's things to God." Those asking the question are astonished and have to go away and regroup before the next attempt. Let's take a closer look at the question and Jesus' response. First, the question: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? To us it may not seem that controversial. Everyone has to pay taxes, right? Well, remember that the Romans are an occupying power. Most Jews don't want them around, except, perhaps, the Herodians. Herod the Great was a friend of the Romans. He was a supporter of Caesar Augustus, and the Roman Senate proclaimed Him to be "King of the Jews." Many of Herod's sons ruled parts of Israel as well. They did so by permission of the Romans. They were puppets. They were collaborators. If anyone would be a supporter of the Romans, it would be the Herodians. Now the Pharisees and their disciples were not such big fans of the Romans. To the Pharisees, the Romans were pagan infidels. Their mere presence polluted the Holy Land of Israel. While the Pharisees did not lead a rebellion against Rome, they weren't happy that they were around. So you have these two groups - the Herodians and the Pharisees - the Herodians, who love the Romans; and the Pharisees, who hate the Romans. Certainly not friends or allies. But in this instance they cooperate to try to trap Jesus. Both groups would have felt threatened by Jesus. Both groups would be happy to see Him gotten rid of. So they come with flattery and ask Jesus what appears to be a simple question: Is it right to pay taxes? Now, the Herodians are looking for a yes from Jesus - yes, we should be good citizens and pay our taxes. The Romans provide us with security and the rule of law. They build our roads and our theaters. Overall, they are good for our country, and we should pay our taxes. And the Pharisees are looking for a no from Jesus - no, the Romans are godless heathens. This land was promised to Abraham and his descendants, and the Romans have no business here. They worship false gods, and they even worship the emperor as a God. Whatever Jesus says, He's trapped. If He says yes, then the Pharisees will brand Him a sympathizer and an idolater. If he says no, then the Herodians will brand Him a traitor and a rebel. What Jesus does, as Jesus often does, is answer the question with a question. Whose coin is this? Whose image and whose inscription? The answer is obvious: Caesar's. The emperor at that time would have been Tiberius Caesar. The inscription probably would have read, "The August Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Caesar Augustus" and on the other side "Pontifex Maximus" or "High Priest of the Roman Empire." This would be like having our $20 bill today with a picture of George Bush on it, along with the words, "The divine George Walker Bush, son of the divine George Herbert Walker Bush, God's representative on earth." Would you want to use currency like that? Every time you pulled one of those bills out of your wallet, I'm sure you'd cringe, and maybe even swear under your breath a little bit. The image and the inscription, however blasphemous and controversial, on that denarius coin belonged to Caesar. The money was his, and so it was right to give it to him. Now Jesus could have stopped there. He could have just said, "Give Caesar's things to Caesar." That would have answered the question. But He doesn't. Jesus continues by saying, "And give God's things to God." That's the key. That's the extra twist. How do we know what things belong to Caesar? They have his image and his inscription on them. How do we know what things belong to God? They have His image and His inscription on them. The image of God was first given to man at creation. We were made in God's image. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. In all other religions man makes gods in man's own image. They create gods who are like men, only better - with certain special powers. Instead, we learn that God makes us in His image. We lost that image, though, through our own sinfulness. The image was marred. Like a fine oil painting that's been horribly smeared, you can sort of see the original, but it's been ruined. And yet that is not the end of the story. Jesus Christ came to restore the image of God that man had lost. In Colossians 1:15 we read that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. As Jesus Himself says, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." Jesus Christ is the image of God. In Jesus we see the Father and His love for us. In your baptism, the image of God was restored in you, as you were joined to the body of Christ. When the Father looks at you, He sees Jesus, His Son. It's as though God were looking in a mirror. You not only bear the image of God, but His inscription as well. In Holy Baptism, the name of God was written on your forehead with the water and the words, "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." You now bear the image and the inscription of God. You are God's. You belong to Him. Just as Jesus belongs to God as His Son, so you too, who have been baptized, now belong to God. When Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's," you know what this means - pay your taxes, be a good citizen, and so forth. When Jesus says, "Give to God what is God's," what does He mean? Well, just look to Jesus Himself. He gave all that He had, even His very life to God. He urged others to do the same - to sell all they had and give to the poor, to leave everything behind and follow Him. You belong to God, and so everything about you belongs to Him. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Your body is now a living sacrifice. When the Lord tells us to give everything to Him, we usually soften the blow a little bit. Surely God can't mean everything. We should be ready to do so, of course, but He can't really expect me to, can He? We need to broaden our view a little when it comes to giving to God. We certainly give to God by giving to the church. Regular, generous giving is part and parcel of the Christian life. But we also give to God when we are generous to our friends and neighbors. We give to God when we take care of our families and provide for them. Everything you have, everything you are belongs to the Lord. He has made you in His image and put His inscription on you. You are the Lord's coin, and He will put you to use as He sees fit. God used His Son to save the world from sin, and God will use you to bring life, joy and peace to those around you. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Oct 19, 2008 Gospel Old Testament Epistle |
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SERMON: Jesus' Stories: The Bum's Banquet
Jesus likes to tell stories. Two weeks ago it was the man with two sons - one whose no turns to yes, and the other whose yes turns to no. Last week it was the landlord and the deadbeat tenants. This week it is the bum's banquet. This story is the third and final one in the series. In truth, they are the same story, but more on that later. Each story gets a little longer and each has a few more twists and turns. This story begins with a king whose son is getting married. Dad wants to throw a party for his son, a royal banquet, and so he plans an amazing reception - beef, wine, fresh fruits - only the best. Since we got married a few months ago, my wife and I know a little something about planning a wedding reception. There are lots of arrangements that have to be made - from finding a hall to planning the menu, the decorations and the music. One of the most difficult parts of the whole process is the invitations. Now, I'm not talking about the wording or design of the invitation. The hard part, of course, is deciding whom to invite - the guest list. All of the other details will depend on the guests. You want a reception that your guests will enjoy. You need a hall big enough to accommodate everyone. You need a menu that will appeal to everyone's tastes. You need music people like and will want to dance to. So you sit down together with your fiancée, and probably your parents, too, and start working on the guest list. There's the wedding party - they will be there, of course. Then there's all your immediately family, and probably a whole bunch of aunts and uncles and cousins that should probably go on the list as well. You can't leave your friends out, either. There are the friends you grew up with and your college roommates and friends. You might have a few coworkers you would like to join in the party, too. You don't want to leave anyone out, but you can't invite everyone. And you have to guess who will be able to make it, especially the folks from out of town. And you need to know who might be bringing a guest, who might be bringing kids. My wife and I even joined a website with a "guest list manager" to try to keep up with everyone. Once the guest list is set, though, you're still not done. You have to wait for RSVPs to come back. If people don't respond right away, then you need to follow up with them to see if they're coming. And there are always last-minute changes. Something comes up and all of a sudden people can't come, or plans change and they will be coming, which, of course, throws off the seating chart and the final count for the caterer, and everything's a big mess. If you've ever planned a wedding reception or any other party or get-together, you know what this is like, what a big job it is, and how frustrating it can be. You want to have the special people in your life there, but it would be so much easier if you knew who was going to show up. The king in Jesus' story shares this frustration as well. But he has it even worse. When it's time for the party, no one is there. The banquet hall is completely empty. The meat is getting cold, the ice is melting, the potato salad is starting to turn, and no one is there. So he sends out his servants to remind everyone of his invitation. Maybe they forgot. Maybe they had the wrong date or the wrong time. No, the reason they aren't there is because they don't want to come. They don't even give excuses. One goes home, one goes back to work. What's even worse is that they assault the messengers (you may remember this from last week). Who ever heard of killing someone who's just delivering an invitation? The disrespect of ignoring the king is one thing, but to kill his servants is simply evil. The problem with the tenants last week was that they weren't content being tenants. They didn't want to pay rent. They wanted to run the farm. They wanted to be in charge. They wanted to run the show. The problem with the guests who are invited to the banquet this week is that they don't want to be guests. They don't want to come to someone else's house, eat their food and listen to their music. They would rather be at home, they would rather be at their business than be a guest in someone else's home. When you're a guest, you're not in charge. You come when you're invited. You eat what's put in front of you. You receive everything from your host as a gift. When you receive an invitation, you don't call up the host and say, "OK, I know your party is at 7 o'clock, but I'm coming at 6 o'clock because that suits me better. I'm in the mood for Italian tonight. Veal parmesan is one of my favorites, and of course we'll be having chocolate cake for dessert. I'm bringing pictures from my latest vacation to look at after dinner, and then we might play some cards if I feel like it." That's just not proper etiquette. That's not the way we act when one of our friends invites us. If we accept the invitation, we know we'll be dining on our host's terms, not our own. This was the problem with the man in the end of the story, the one who tried to sneak in without the wedding garments. There is a dress code for this reception. It's a black tie affair. Now, the host provides the garments at no charge. He will pay for your tux, but if you ignore the dress code, if you act like you're in charge and try to do things your own way, then there's no place for you at the banquet. Now, the host is in charge, but a good host considers the needs and preferences of all the guests. He chooses a day and time when everyone can come. He selects a menu with plenty of choices everyone will enjoy. He finds entertainment that will appeal to his guests as well. He spares no expense in taking care of his guests. It just goes with being the host. As you can see, the Lord is the host and we are His guests. He has given us His gracious invitation. He had his servants search us out and find us. And no one is left out. He sends His servants out to the street corners, to the back alleys, canvassing the neighborhood looking for guests. Our Lord wants to pack His banquet hall full of guests. There's no cover charge, and you don't even have to bring a wedding gift. Everything is provided, even down to the clothes you wear. And the wedding garments are the finest around. In your baptism you have been clothed with Christ. You now wear Jesus and His righteousness. Your garments were filthy, but they've been washed clean with the blood of the lamb. You are now arrayed in dazzling white garments, more beautiful than the fanciest wedding dress you could imagine. You are a guest here in the Lord's house today. You've received the invitation, and you've come to the banquet. Whether this is your first time here or whether you've been coming here for 40 years, you are always a special guest. And that's a good thing because the Lord is a gracious Host. He's planned a special party with you in mind. The Lord has better things planned for you than you could ever imagine. The guests are your family members, brothers and sisters in Christ. They are all here with you now, even those who have gone before you. They are with Christ, and Christ is here, so they are here, too. The whole family is here - no one missing. The Lord invites you here to feed you with His Word and with His body and blood. There is no finer menu in all the world than the Lord's Supper. It strengthens you in body and in soul to life everlasting. And for the music, we join our voices with the heavenly choirs of saints and angels. It may not sound like much, but if you listen with the ears of faith, you can hear them singing along, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of Your glory." The Lord's guests, the Lord's menu, the Lord's music - it's all the Lord's doing. It's His banquet, and that's a good thing. If we were in charge, we could never imagine, let alone pull off, a celebration anything like this. And this banquet is only a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. It would be wonderful if we could stay here forever, but the Lord calls out to leave this place, to go out in the world and keep inviting more bums like us in to the banquet. But one day we will be called home to the banquet that never ends, the mother of all parties, the wedding feast of the Lamb. All those who want to run things their own way, who want to be hosts rather than guests, will be left outside, but those who receive the invitation and come will be transformed from bums into brothers and sisters of the Lord, the honored guests at His banquet. On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine, the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God. We trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord. We trusted in Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Oct 12, 2008 Gospel Old Testament Epistle |
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SERMON: Jesus' Stories: The Landlord and the Deadbeats
Jesus likes to tell stories. His stories start out ordinary, but there's always a twist, always something different, something extraordinary. Last week it was the father with two sons - one whose yes turns to no and one whose no turns to yes. That was the extraordinary part, that the Lord could take a lazy son and change him into a hardworking member of the family. This week it is the story of the landlord and the deadbeat tenants. It starts out as a familiar story. A man buys a piece of property and makes some improvements. He finds a nice family and rents it out to them. The problems come when the rent is due. His notices are ignored. What's worse is that the messengers are abused. The amazing twist in this story, what makes this story different is that the landlord doesn't call the police, he doesn't get a lawyer and sue - no, He sends His only son. He doesn't want to evict the tenants, even after all that they've done. He doesn't want His property back. All the landlord wants is the rent. So when the Son arrives, what do the tenants do? Do they respect the Son? Do they repent and give the rent that is due? No, they do the unthinkable. They kill the landlord's son. The tenants' logic is flawed. Apparently they think they have squatter's rights. They think that if they can hold onto the property long enough, it will automatically become theirs. But the crowd listening to Jesus' story knows how it will end. There's no need for Jesus to finish the story. Everyone knows how it will end. The tenants' fate has been sealed. There's no way to reverse course. The landlord will come and settle His business. And He won't just collect the rent. And He won't just evict the tenants. The tenants are now condemned by their own actions. They will be punished for what they've done and will be utterly destroyed. The problem with the tenants was that they weren't content being tenants. They wanted to own the place. They wanted to run things themselves. They wanted to keep the whole crop for themselves. When the servants came to collect the rent, the tenants didn't make excuses - "It was a bad crop this year and we've got so many mouths to feed. Can you just give us one more month? We'll promise to pay if you'll just give us more time. You can trust us. We're good for it." No, the tenants didn't make excuses - they attacked the messengers. The tenants didn't make excuses and they didn't try to cut a deal with the landlord. They didn't make an offer to buy the property or acknowledge that He is the rightful owner. No, the tenants are in open rebellion against the landlord. They are willing to commit assault, battery and even murder to try to hold onto the property. But it's the Lord's vineyard. There's nothing the tenants can do that will change that fact. It is His property. The Lord planted the vineyard. He built the fence and the winepress and the tower. He decided to rent it out to tenants. It's the Lord's vineyard, and eventually He will pass it on to His Son. Now, there are some parables, some stories that are a little confusing. Sometimes the disciples have to ask Jesus to explain them, because they don't understand them. This story is different. This is a parable that everyone gets, everyone knows exactly what Jesus is talking about. Matthew tells us that the chief priests and the Pharisees understand that the parable is about them. They know exactly what Jesus is saying. But they are too afraid to do anything to Jesus because of the crowd. The vineyard is, of course, God's people, His Israel. As we sang in the psalm, the Lord brought His people, His vine out of Egypt and planted them in the Promised Land. The vine flourished and grew and filled the land. When the Lord picks a picture, a metaphor, for His people, it is a vineyard. Vineyards are for growing grapes, grapes are for making wine, and wine is for celebrating. It's not a party unless there's wine. For the first of His miracles Jesus provided wine for the wedding guests at Cana, and before He died, He gave His disciples the wine of His blood poured out for them. He also promised that He would drink the fruit of the vine again with the His disciples in His kingdom. When it's time to celebrate, to feast and to rejoice, the Lord provides the wine, and the wine, the fruit of the Spirit comes from His people. The reason to have a vineyard is to make wine, to bring joy and happiness to all around. The reason God has a people is to bring joy and happiness and life to the world around them. You are salt, you are light, and you are the Lord's wine to enrich and enliven the lives of those around you. The problem with the first tenants was that they thought they owned the place, and they thought everything was about them. They refused to produce fruit for the Lord, instead they kept all the fruit, all the wine for themselves. They were only interested in their own happiness. They did not listen to the voices of God's messengers, the prophets. Year after year the messengers came to the people and warned them of the consequences of not being fruitful and giving their fruit to the Lord. The last of these messengers was John. John's message was simple, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." Go out into the vineyard and do the work you've been given to do. As we heard last week, some said yes and some said no. Some went to work, and others did not. Finally, in the last act of love toward His tenants, the Lord sent His only Son. The Lord loved His tenants so much that He sent His only Son to make things right. The tenants recognized Him, they knew who He was. The Pharisees did not reject Jesus because they didn't recognize Him, they rejected Him because they wanted to run the show. They thought it was their vineyard. They liked keeping the profits for themselves and didn't want any interference. So on a dark Friday afternoon, they dragged the Son outside the walls of the vineyard, nailed Him to the cross, and killed Him. And so the Father has given the vineyard to other tenants. He has made a new people for Himself through the New Testament of His blood. You are one of the new tenants. The people of God, the church, the new Israel, the Lord's vineyard, now spreads across the land. Peter and Paul were tenants, and Augustine and Ambrose, Luther and Walther, your parents and grandparents have all lived and worked in the Lord's vineyard. But it's the Lord's vineyard. We are always tempted to think of it as our own. This is our church. No, it's the Lord's church, we are merely tenants whom the Lord graciously invites to live and work here. There's always the matter of the rent. It's a good vineyard, and produces much fruit. The Lord planted it, and so we can be sure of that. We are called to return a small share to the Lord, to give generously and to show mercy to those in need, to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. We are always tempted to think that this is our vineyard and to keep everything for ourselves. There's no shortage of fruit. We've all got much more than we could ever use. These are gifts from the Lord and we graciously give them back to Him. But sometimes we get selfish. We refuse to listen to the Lord's messengers who tell us what the Lord expects of us. We even refuse to listen to the Lord's Son. We are responsible for kicking Him out and killing Him. Thankfully, the Lord doesn't finish the story the same way the crowd does. The Lord is not quick to avenge as they expect. The Lord keeps giving His people the opportunity to repent. On Pentecost, Peter tells the people, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call." Even those tenants who are so wicked that they would kill the landlord's son, even deadbeats like you and me, who are so far behind in the rent that we could never get back on track, the Lord still loves and still calls to repent. There's still time, but the end is near when the Lord will come and judge His tenants. The Lord loves His tenants so much that He sends His Son to them. He has given you His vineyard to live in and work in. Come, eat and drink the fruits of His cross, so that you also will produce fruit in abundance. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Oct 5, 2008 Gospel Old Testament Epistle |
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SERMON: Jesus' Stories: The Two Sons
Jesus likes to tell stories. We give them a fancy name and call them parables, but they're stories. At the ordination you heard the story of the weeds growing in the wheat, and learned that now is the time for planting, not pulling weeds. The following Sunday we heard three parables: the treasure, the pearl, and the net, learning that Jesus sought us and bought us to make us His own. The stories Jesus tells are not ordinary, everyday stories. They are extraordinary. There's always a twist. There's always something a little different, a little bit off: a farmer who won't pull weeds, a merchant who sells everything to buy a single pearl. Today it is the story of the two sons. It's short and to the point. A father has two sons and a vineyard. He asks both sons to go to work. The first says no, but later changes his mind and goes to work. The second says yes, but never goes to work. We all know the second son, the one who doesn't do the work. He might be one of your own children, maybe even your husband. He might be someone who works for you, a neighbor, a student or even a member of this congregation. He's the one who says yes, he'll do the work - he'll cut the grass, he'll fix your car, he'll take out the trash, he'll do whatever you need. But then he just doesn't follow through. You find him asleep on the couch, out with his friends, or working on some other project. There's always an excuse, and the job never gets done. We all know the second son. If we look at ourselves hard enough, we realize that we are the second son. We've all made promises to our families, our friends, our teachers, our bosses. We may have every intention of following through, but we don't. We have our reasons and excuses, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. The job doesn't get done. What's worst of all is that it's not only our family we let down, and it's not just our coworkers and clients. We all let the Lord down. We make promises to Him to do the work He's given us to do. We promise to come to the Lord's House regularly, to pray and read the Scriptures, to give generously to the Lord - but we don't. And at the end of the day, the Lord finds us asleep on the couch, out with our friends, doing other things, doing our own thing. He doesn't find us working in the vineyard. He doesn't find us doing the work we've said we would do. In our parable this morning, this is the part that makes sense. We can identify with this part of the story. We've all had people let us down. We've all let other people down. We've all let our heavenly Father down. But what about the first son? What do we do with him? Have you ever known anyone to act like this? The first son says, "No, I won't work." He doesn't even pretend. He has no intention of working. He's honest. He's upfront. "No, I'm not going to work." We've experienced this also, when people flat out refuse to help, to get to work. You may have said things like this to the Lord as well. "You know what, Lord? I'm not going to commit to coming to church, I'm not going to commit to praying and reading Your Word, I'm not going to commit to giving a tenth of my income, because I know I'm not going to." The unusual part of Jesus' story, the extraordinary element, is that this first son, the one who says, "No, I won't work," somehow, by the end of the day, ends up out working in the vineyard. I don't know about you, but I can't remember having something like that happen to me. I can't think of a time when someone told me that they wouldn't do something, they flat out refused, and then they turned around and did it anyway. So what was it? What caused the first son to turn off the TV, get off the couch and get to work? To answer this question, we need to look outside the story to the context - what else was happening and why Jesus tells this story. The first son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes. These are the ones who originally said no to the Lord. Last week we heard about Matthew the tax man and what his life was like before the Lord called him to be His disciple. We know what these tax men are like. We know what it means to be a prostitute, too. Both of these groups of people were living in rebellion against the Lord and His law. These are people who openly and publicly led a life of sin. They had said to the Lord, "No, I'm not going to work in your vineyard." So what happened? What put an end to their rebellion? Our gospel lesson points to the preaching of John. John had a simple message, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." The Lord is coming, and if He finds you slacking off, there will be hell to pay. This is the same message we heard in the Old Testament lesson from Ezekiel, "Repent and live." The Lord cares for you and doesn't want you to perish. This has always been God's word to you. This was John's message, and it was the law. It convicted people of their sin, helped them to realize the consequences of their actions, and led them to repent. But John didn't just preach the law. He's not John the preacher. He's not John the prophet of doom. He's John the Baptist. When people came to John and confessed their sins, he baptized them for the forgiveness of their sins. This is the difference-maker. This is what gets the first son off the couch. It's the preaching of the law and then Holy Baptism. The Law sizes you up. The Law says, look, you've got a loving heavenly Father. You shouldn't say no to Him. You shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing. You should be out in the vineyard. Shame on you! The Law shows us our sin. It convicts us. It makes us realize we've done wrong. It drives us to despair. But it still doesn't get us off the couch. What gets us off the couch and into the vineyard is not the law, but the gospel. The law prepares you, makes you ready to hear the gospel, but the reason you go out into the vineyard to work is not because you're afraid your Father will punish you. Your Father will not force you to work. He'll let you be lazy. No, the reason why you go out and work in the vineyard is because you love your Father, and because you want to be a productive member of the family. That love is not something you create in yourself. You start out as a rebel, as an ungrateful child. But in Holy Baptism that rebel, that ungrateful child is drowned, and a new person is born. That new person, born from the waters of Holy Baptism, has both the will and the ability to do the Father's will. You are out in the vineyard. You are doing the Father's work in your home, in your community, in your congregation because you are baptized. You have been made new in your baptism, and this new person not only says yes to the Lord, but the new person actually goes out and gets to work. Jesus told the Pharisees that the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom ahead of them. The Pharisees were like the second son. They told the Lord they would do His work, but they never followed through. They tried. They tried to live holy lives and obey all of the Lord's laws, but it was never enough. We can never, on our own, completely do our Father's will. We will always fall short. As long as we rely on ourselves and our abilities, we will never do the job our heavenly Father wants us to do. So where does that leave you? Are you the first son or the second son? Are you a tax collector or a Pharisee? Are you a rebel or hypocrite? Well, it's not quite that simple. Our sinful flesh remains with us. At times we are like the first son and we don't want to be obedient. Other times we are like the second son and don't do what we've promised. Whether you are the first son or the second son, whether you are a rebel or a hypocrite, you still need to hear the preaching of God's Word. You still need to confess your sins, be renewed in your baptism, and get to work. Jesus tells a story about a Father who has two sons. What Jesus doesn't include in this story is that the Father has another Son. There's a third Son. There's the Son who says to His Father, "Yes, I'll work in your vineyard," and then He does. There is a Son Who is neither a rebel nor a hypocrite. There is a Son Who made Himself nothing, who finished His work by His death on the cross. This is your brother. He's the one who comes to you when you're still on the couch. He tracks you down when you're out with your friends. He finds you and invites you to join with Him in working in your Father's vineyard. Thus is our Father's will done. Week after week we pray "Thy will be done." How is God's will done? God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. God grant this to us all. - Pastor Mark Birkholz
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Sept 28, 2008 Gospel Old Testament Epistle |
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SERMON: Matthew the Tax Man
Matthew would have fit right in here in Chicago. Matthew was a tax man. But you wouldn't find Matthew in an office building downtown - the Dirksen Federal Building, the Daley Center or the Chicago Board of Trade. Matthew was a tax man. But you wouldn't find Matthew working for the IRS. And you wouldn't find Matthew at the local H&R Block - Matthew was not someone you'd call if you needed help preparing your tax returns. Matthew was a tax man, but this meant something different in Jesus' day. You see, the Romans ran the show. They had run the show in Israel for about 100 years now. Some parts they ruled directly through one of their own - like Pontius Pilate, who was the governor in Jerusalem. Other parts they ruled through a puppet - like Herod Antipas in Galilee - you remember, the one who beheaded John the Baptist. The Roman Empire was huge, and they needed a huge amount of money to keep it running. They needed money for public works projects like roads and aqueducts, they needed money for supplying the army, and they needed money for keeping the government running. And so, much like today, they paid for these things with tax money. The Romans, however, didn't have many people to spare to collect all these taxes. And they didn't have any withholding, and they didn't mail out 1040 forms every year, so the taxes had to be collected in person. But they just didn't have the people to collect all the taxes. So what the Romans did, like the Greek and Egyptians before them, was what was called "tax-farming." This is how it worked: The Romans would bid out a contract to collect taxes in an area. They would sell the rights to collect taxes. And the people who were bidding were locals, bidding on the rights to collect their neighbor's taxes. The highest bidder would have to front the money to the Romans, and he got his money back through collecting taxes. If he wanted to make any money on the deal, then he would have to collect more money than he had paid for the contract. The chief tax collector in each town would then hire workers to collect the taxes from the people. This is what Matthew did. His job would be to sit at a booth along the highway - a tollbooth - and collect tolls from people who were moving goods through the area. And you thought tollroads were something new. Matthew would have fit right in here in Chicago. Matthew was not so much a businessman as a shakedown artist, a mobster, a hired goon. His job would be collect money for his boss, using whatever means necessary, and chances are he would pocket a reasonable share for himself in the process. This was everyday life in Galilee. But today was different. Today had started out like any other - Matthew got up and went to work. While he was in the middle of his workday, though, a strange man came up to him. "Follow me," he said. Matthew was used to being in charge. Matthew was used to telling other people what to do. He did have to answer to his boss, but when he was here at work behind his desk, he was in charge. He was the one with all the power. He was in control. He gave the orders. People had to do what he said. Pay up, or else. Matthew would have fit right in here in Chicago. But now this man comes up to him and tells him what to do. "Follow me," he says. His words are not so much a command as an invitation. "Thus far you've been living your life for yourself. You're only interested in lining your own pockets and gaining things for yourself. And you've been taking advantage of other people. Come with me. I'll show you a better life." And amazingly, Matthew does. Our text is very matter-of-fact. "Jesus says to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him." There's no huge drama. No fantastic conversion story. Jesus' words accomplish what they say. Jesus says, "Follow me." And those words create faith, and faith obeys Jesus - just like that. Faith comes as a gift from the Lord, and faith is just saying yes to Jesus. "Yes, I'll follow you. You are the Lord, and I'm Your disciple. I trust that You know what's best for me, so I'm happy to do what You ask of me." That's faith. Matthew leaves behind his job, his prospects, and his future ambitions. He was making good money, and even though he wasn't very popular with the religious types, he had plenty of friends in low places. But Matthew leaves it all behind - his job, his money, his books, even his stapler, to follow Jesus - and he does so willingly and happily. He's overjoyed with the new freedom he's found. Matthew throws a party and invites all his friends. Matthew's life was changed. He would spend the next three years learning from Jesus and witnessing all that Jesus said and did. Matthew was there at the Last Supper. He was there in the garden when Jesus was arrested. He was there in the upper room on Easter Sunday when Jesus appeared to the disciples. He was there at the ascension when Jesus returned to heaven. He was there on Pentecost filled with the Holy Spirit. After that we don't hear too much about Matthew. There are several legends that attempt to fill in the gaps. According to many accounts he stayed in Israel for a considerable time, before heading north through Syria and east through Persia and beyond. Most stories end with Matthew becoming a martyr, following Jesus even to his death. What we do know about Matthew is that he wrote a gospel account that was given the first place in the New Testament. Jesus took a man who wrote receipts and filled out tax forms, and used him to write the good news of salvation, still read to this day. He began as Matthew, the tax man - Matthew, the mobster. Today we give thanks for Matthew, apostle and evangelist. The Lord took Matthew and transformed his life. Matthew does fit right in - here at Faith Lutheran Church. Matthew is one of us. The Lord has called you as well. You are here today because the Lord has called you and brought you to faith. He has called you to leave behind your life of sin, to give up your control, and to follow him. You are the sinner Jesus has come to call. You are the sick one Jesus has come to heal. The Lord has a better life for you, and He calls you to follow Him. It's not easy to leave your old, comfortable life behind. Sin is always the easy choice. Staying seated is always easier than getting up and following Jesus. Saving your life is always easier than losing it. Yet this was the message last week o | |
