Swords and Rewards
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
7/2/2017
Matthew 10: 34-42
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is one of the hardest sayings of Jesus for modern ears: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
St. Paul reports that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. A sword is an instrument of war, a tool for killing, appropriate for the Church Militant, the Church here on earth. It is designed to separate flesh from bone, tendon from cartilage, soul from body. The Word of God made Flesh, the Prince of Peace, did not come to bring peace. He came to bring Himself, a sword for the division of Israel, set for the fall and rise of many. He divides father from son, brother from sister, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law. He cuts the dead from the living. He replaces the bond of genetics and culture with the bond of the Spirit sealed in Blood. This cutting, His Word, the Truth, causes discord, division, and fighting among mankind. For you see, the demise of Satan’s false, temporary peace is violent. Wherever the Word of Truth is preached, wherever men embrace and rejoice in it, there will be fighting. That is what swords, like the Bible, are for.
This is because Jesus Christ is the most important thing that there is. Next to Him, His holy life and death, nothing else is significant, not who wins the world series, not terrorist attacks, not our bank accounts or our popularity among men. All of that is meaningless when compared to the eternal reality of God’s love for man in the sacrifice of His Son. That is what matters. And that is worth fighting for.
But most people will not talk about religion. They fear giving offense. You are allowed to have opinions in our society about almost everything. You can embrace flagrant immorality, engage in unapologetic sins. You can gamble, cheat, lie, steal and you will be celebrated by society for the diversity that you bring. But no one is to judge religion. Don’t dare talk about your religion with exclusive language, as though yours was the only way, as though there were false religions that lead to Hell. Our society’s last taboo is conviction about God and His Word. Confess that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and you are bound to be disliked and even persecuted. Protocol dictates that we look the other way as men race toward eternal damnation, lest we should offend them.
Repent. It is your society, your culture. You are guilty of being more concerned with the opinions of men then the opinion of God. But no matter what men wish, there is only one way to heaven, there is only one Name that carries salvation from the God of Abraham. And no one who places his trust anywhere else, in Allah or Mohammed, in Buddha or the Great Spirit in the sky, will go to heaven. Hell doesn’t need to be acknowledged by the atheists and modern pagans. Hell doesn’t care if anyone believes in it or not. It can wait. There is only one thing that matters, one thing which will not pass away, one thing that will endure, that which always has been: the Word of God. And those who carry the Word of God in their hearts will be purified in the flames and restored to a creature better than Adam and Eve in the garden.
That Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, became our flesh, bone, and cartilage. He took up our cause in the Virgin’s womb. He allowed the Law to do to Him all that Justice demanded of and should have done to us. The Father sacrificed His Son in a Roman execution, to the sword of the state. His soul was divided from His Body. He died in our place for sins that He did not commit. But He rebuilt His Body. He resurrected His Flesh. He rose again to life. By that bloody death and glorious resurrection He has redeemed each and every one of you, snatched you out of Hell to be His, done what you could not! Complete payment has been rendered on your behalf. Death, Hell, and the devil could not keep Him from you, His beloved. For you, His chosen Bride, He rose again to life. He emptied the Father’s wrath into Himself just to make you to the Godhead and worthy of His love. He has declared you chaste, immaculate, righteous. Your sins are gone. Your weakness, your fear, your doubts are forgotten. They have all been paid for, forgiven, removed. There is no more. There is no one to accuse you. It is finished. Believe in Jesus and you will never die. All those who trust in Him, who find forgiveness and acceptance through the substitution of His perfect life for theirs, who have been joined to that historical event outside of Jerusalem in the mystical washing of water and Word, will live forever in heaven. That will not pass away. And that, dear Christian, is what matters.
God’s Word is still a sword. The Church on this side of glory is still at war. The Word of God still cuts and divides. The place where it is rightly preached is always marked by discord. The Truth is painful to the fallen ears of mankind. And it is worth fighting for and fighting about. By the Grace of God, we have been called by the Spirit, begotten of the Sword, made alive in crucifixion. We have felt our own hearts pierced, the old man slain, and a new man raised up in us by Grace. The war rages inside of us. For He has made our hearts into instruments of faith and faith must fight unbelief.
Thus, we have been liberated from the devil. He can harm us none, but still we struggle. But for us fights the Valiant One. We are ready for this war, for that lying, defeated enemy, for we have a sword that cannot lie, a lamp unto our feet and lantern for our path. We cannot lose. We will not go back peacefully into the bondage of the devil, no matter how peaceful that bondage seems. We will not pretend as though the debt has not been paid, as though God has not fulfilled His Word, as though we have been left to speculate and imagine for ourselves a way to God. We will not tolerate lies from men about our Savior and His Word. We will not be cowed by devils, armies or governments. We will fight. We will wield this sword for the life of the world. We will take this peace-shattering Good News to the four corners of the earth that men might have the peace that passes all understanding, peace announced to shepherds in their fields, peace with the Father bought by the Blood of the Son.
Here is the Truth: Jesus is Lord. There is none other. He rules in us by the power of His sacrifice and the gift of His life. Here we stand. In His Word He speaks to us, calls us from darkness to light, forgives us. He picks us back up again, strengthens and renews us. Even in this valley of shadows, with all of the struggles that we face, He will never forsake us. Soon, He will come again in glory. His power will be evident. Creation’s expectation will be met. The fog will clear. The veneer will be stripped away. Satan’s lies will be exposed.
Then we won’t stand. Then, we will kneel. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What a joyous day it will be. But until then, we fight. We fight and we rejoice in the joy that is already ours, the forgiveness that is now bestowed, and the token of the resurrection to come. We are already free. Soon we shall be whole. We will then be free to sing His praise, to bask in His love, to kiss the Son, our beloved Bridegroom. Forevermore, our warfare will end, the sword will be beaten into a plowshare. And we sinful men made clean will lie down with the Lamb. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What a Harvest!
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Second Sunday after Pentecost
6/18/2017
Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What a plentiful harvest! I know if you look at the fields the corn is only this tall. It could be a plentiful harvest, but that depends whether the temperatures stay below scorching, and whether the rain comes at the right time and in the right amount. Thanks be to God for the wonderful rain on Thursday night. Only God knows what the corn or bean harvest will be. We leave that in His hands, trusting that He will care and provide for us, no matter what kind of harvest.
But what a plentiful harvest is out there! I'm not talking about anything that grows in the fields or the gardens. I'm talking about the harvest Jesus saw. What a harvest that was! And what a harvest that still is!
Now bringing in a harvest is hard work and long days. But think of how you feel when that last field is combined, the silos are full, and the market is eager to pay you for your harvest. What a joy to have put in that work, to have gathered that harvest, to have accomplished that purpose! We are so grateful for our farmers, for their vocations, to toil as Adam did to provide food for God’s people.
So also in this greatest of harvests, Jesus invites you to share in that work. What joy and celebration will soon come! But for now the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So see the harvest through Jesus' eyes, pray compassionately and give freely. For what a harvest it is!
During the first part of His earthly ministry, Jesus went around to the towns and villages of Galilee teaching and preaching and healing. He proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom.
What was this Good News of the kingdom? It was the Good News that God was raising up the King to rescue His people from their enemies, from sin and Satan and death -- just as He had promised. Yet this kingly reign was not coming with displays of earthly power and splendor. Rather, it worked quietly, unnoticed like yeast in dough. Though it would spread throughout the world, it began small like a mustard seed. This kingly reign came to people's hearts as the Word of God was spread like seed scattered on the ground. Those who hear and understand the message in faith produce a good crop. Those who do not believe will be burnt like weeds at the final harvest. How precious, then, this kingdom is! Like a pearl of great price or a treasure buried in a field, it's worth more than all that we have.
You know who this King is. Jesus, the Son of God, your Savior. You know how He rescued you, ransoming you to be His own. He gave His life on the cross as the bloody sacrifice in your place. You know His victory. He rose from the dead because He has paid for sin, defeated Satan, and broken death's chains. As your kingly Shepherd, He has gathered you into His flock. He knows you, His sheep, and you know Him. You listen to His voice and follow Him.
But as Jesus went throughout Galilee, He saw many, many people who did not know His voice. They had no king to shepherd them. False shepherds, hirelings, had abandoned them or led them away from the truth. Picture sheep wandering aimlessly. They wander into thorns and bramble. Their wool dirty and knotted. Their skin scraped and bloodied. Scattered all around, they're helpless prey for any beast that comes along.
Jesus' heart goes out to them. Compassion fills Him. How sad their spiritual condition! What pity and mercy well up in Jesus! For they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. And he says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Do you see the lost with the eyes of Jesus? Do you see them as sheep without a shepherd, as a plentiful harvest ready to be brought in? It's a struggle for me to see with Jesus' eyes. When we see a Muslim, it's so easy to think of potential terrorist rather than a lost sheep. When we see a Hispanic worker, it so easy to wonder whether they're here legally rather than seeing a lost sheep. When we see someone involved in drunkenness, drugs, or a destructive lifestyle, we throw up our hands wondering what this world is coming to rather than seeing a lost sheep. When others are nasty, cruel, hurtful against us, it so much easier to want to get back at them rather than to see a lost sheep.
But look at them through the eyes of Jesus. He, your Shepherd-King, laid down His life for you, while you were still His enemy. He laid down His life for us, although we are sheep that love to wander. See the lost through Jesus' eyes, for He laid down His life for them just as He did for you.
Then with your heart filled with Christ's compassion, hear Jesus say to you, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Pray compassionately. Pray with hearts filled with mercy and love for the lost. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers, so that those lost sheep are brought into Jesus' flock.
Pray for our pastors and missionaries at home and abroad. Pray that the Lord open up doors to their gospel preaching. Pray that they continue to have the courage to faithfully proclaim God's Word despite set backs and rejection. Pray that through them the Lord bring in his harvest.
Pray for young people, some whom you know, who could be future pastors, teachers, or staff ministers. Pray that the Lord guide them, encourage them, and give them the necessary gifts.
Pray for Meredith, as he trains to be a deacon in Christ’s Church. Give thanks for his willingness to work in the harvest field.
And pray for yourself, that the Lord work in you an ever deeper love for the lost, that He opens your eyes to see the harvest that He has placed in front of you, that He gives you the courage to speak His word at the right time.
Yes, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out harvest workers. Pray compassionately with love for the lost. For as you pray you are sharing in the harvest work. What joy awaits you when that harvest is brought in! What a harvest it is!
And as you pray, give freely. Maybe when you see this third part about giving, you figured it must be about money. But Jesus asks us to give much more than just our money. He asks you to freely give your all, your very self.
After Jesus tells his disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field, notice how Jesus answers that prayer. He sends them out to do the work. At this time they were only to go to the lost sheep of Israel. They were to go out preaching the Gospel, the Good News of the kingdom. For you see, only the Good News brings in the harvest by making disciples -- the Good News that Jesus, our King, has rescued sinners by his death and that through his resurrection he has brought us into the kingdom of his Father.
Freely give the Gospel to others. When the Lord brings you an opportunity to talk about Jesus, to talk about sin and forgiveness, to talk about death and life, freely give the Good News, do it. It may cost you some time and tension. It may cost you some ridicule or teasing. But freely you have received, freely give.
What a harvest! What a harvest of souls who believe in Jesus, their Savior! Share in that harvest work. Yes you, share in that work, Share in it, as you see it through Jesus' eyes, as you pray compassionately, as you give freely. Share in this harvest work. For what joy awaits us on that day when Jesus brings all His people into His heavenly harvest barn. A much greater joy than having a bumper crop. What a celebration that will be and you will have shared in the work! What a harvest! Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What’s In a Name?
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
The Holy Trinity
6/11/2017
Matthew 28: 16-20
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What's in a name? Do names matter? Of course they do! If they didn't, parents wouldn't spend all that time agonizing over the name their child is going to carry the rest of their life. Even when it comes to naming household pets, people put a lot of thought into the whole process. Names are important. They mean something.
It is with this in mind that we turn our attention to the Gospel lesson appointed for this Holy Trinity Sunday. "Go and make disciples of all nations—every man, woman, and child—baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This may sound strange to some of you, but this is the perfect time to ask the old Lutheran question: What does this mean? "Why would we ask that? We know what this means. This is the 'Great Commission.'" Yes…but what does it mean to carry out this charge/command of our Lord and Savior in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Why is the "Great Commission" text appointed for Holy Trinity Sunday? Is it simply because this is one of the few times in all of Scripture that the triune name of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is ever given, so being that today is Holy Trinity Sunday it just makes sense to plug in this passage?
Hardly! Remember: Names are important. Names mean something. This triune name of Almighty God especially means something. And that brings up an interesting point. Have you noticed that this name of God is singular? Jesus doesn't say, "…make disciples of all nations…in the name of the Father and the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit." I know that's what we sometimes hear. I know that's what we sometimes say. But that's not what Christ says, which—yes—is a big deal. As the Athanasian Creed so plainly states, "the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one. There are not three Eternals, but one Eternal; not three Uncreated and Infinites, but one Uncreated and Infinite; not three Almighties, but one Almighty." One singular name of Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is important. It means something.
"Okay…but this still doesn't clear anything up as far as the Great Commission goes. This still doesn't explain what any of this has to do with us today." You know…sometimes our daily lives as Christians tend to take on that all-too-familiar feel. Sometimes it feels like we're missing something. "There's got to be more." I'll be the first to confess that there are times when it feels like, "This is it? All the struggle and sacrifice and heartache that goes along with trying to be faithful in an unfaithful world and all I have to work with is the triune name of God? Help me out here! I'm going to need something more than that!" Congregations fall prey to this same mindset all the time. "There's got to be more to this whole disciple-making process. What else do we need to do?"
My friends: This is precisely why this particular lesson is appointed for Holy Trinity Sunday. Today is the day that Almighty God reminds us of how special and powerful His name truly is. As baptized children of God, we bear this triune name on our heads and on our hearts, marking us as one redeemed by Christ the Lord. God Himself puts His name upon us in the waters of Holy Baptism. This name means something. It means eternal life, complete forgiveness, and peace that surpasses all understanding. No other name can bring about the love, the forgiveness, and the everlasting salvation that's found only in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All other names may mean something special to the children of Adam, but they mean nothing to God. Without God's Almighty name—the name that He Himself puts on us—we are lost and condemned.
That's how special this name is. That's how special you are in Almighty God's eyes. He loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son to live and die for you, all so that you could bear His name for all of eternity. And that's also why this Great Commission text is so appropriate for today; the first Sunday after Pentecost; the beginning of the church year that focuses on the life of the church in the world we live in. It's easy to forget the fact that this incomprehensible and unconditional love of God is for everyone—all nations—every man, woman, and child…even those people that we don't like. God so loved the world—the whole world—that He gave His only begotten Son to die for it. It's easy to forget the simple command our Lord gave us regarding faithful evangelism, outreach, and disciple-making. Go and make disciples of all nations—everyone—by simply bringing them to the font so God Himself can wash away the death sentence of their sin and put His life-giving, life-saving name on them, marking them as His redeemed child. Go and make disciples of all nations—everyone—by simply letting God work in His Word. Make disciples by simply teaching the Word of God—all of it—full Law and full Gospel. This triune name of Almighty God means something. It's powerful. It's dynamic. It accomplishes that which He purposes. It makes true and faithful disciples.
As we now come to a close for the day, I leave you with a little bit of homework. I want you to think about how often this powerful, triune name of God comes up throughout the worship service. You don't just hear it on Holy Trinity Sunday, do you? This very special name is found everywhere in the liturgy. There's a reason for that. This Trinitarian blessing—the triune name of God Himself—is put upon us repeatedly throughout the service to remind us of who we are and whose we are. This life-giving triune name continually echoes in our ears, our minds, and our souls, reminding us of just how special we really are; special enough that God was willing to die for us so we could bear His name.
This name of God Himself serves to open our ears, our eyes, and our hearts to the reality of Immanuel—the reality that Almighty God is keeping His Word. "Behold, I am (another name for Almighty God) with you always, to the very end of the age." Wherever that divine name is spoken, there is God. Name equals presence. That's why God is so explicit in His command to not use His name in vain. It means something.
My fellow redeemed: Look around. You aren't just witnessing something special, like some spectator on the outside looking in. As a baptized and believing child of God, you are a part of something very special. You belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You bear His name. That's important. That means something.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Great Day
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
The Day of Pentecost
6/4/2017
John 7: 37-39
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The message this morning is based on the Gospel reading from John 7, where Jesus talked to His disciples on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles about the coming of the Spirit.
It was on that day of the feast, the last day, the eighth day, that "Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' " Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
On the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the seven lambs were offered up to God, the people were to reflect on the spotless purity and the unassuming innocence represented by those lambs. Again, there were seven of them, a number associated with fullness, with completeness and perfection. The sacrifice of those lambs was to remind the pilgrims in Jerusalem that God's Lamb would one day be given. By faith then, they looked forward to that day, the final "great day" we might say, when all of the Temple sacrifices would come to an end, when their thirst for reconciliation with God would no longer be represented by a symbol of the greater, but, by the Greater One Himself.
For the devout Jew, there could be no more pleasant words, no more comforting words, than those spoken by John the Baptist as he received and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Nothing Jesus did was insignificant. He chose the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles to promise the coming of the Spirit to the disciples. For you and me too, the eighth day is highly symbolic, as it involves the Spirit's work in our lives.
The eighth day no longer served as the culmination of an annual festival. Rather, it would be the new reality for those born of water and the Spirit in Holy Baptism. "Behold, the old is drowned and the new is brought forth, in the image and likeness of God." The Spirit has been poured out and from that Spirit who now lives within us, living water flows.
Now, water, of course, can give and sustain life. But, it can also kill. So it is that the living water of the Spirit, that Spirit given to us in our baptisms, both kills and gives life. It kills when the Word of God condemns our unrighteous lives as an abomination to God. "You were dead," Paul says, "in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the prince of the power of the air." You and I look at the quandary in which St. Paul finds himself in Romans 7, lamenting over his inability to do what he knows is right, and we concur wholeheartedly with his sentiment. The struggle is good. It is the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, convicting us of our absolute depravity and brokenness, of our need for God to set us free from this body of death.
The Spirit that God has poured out on us then quenches our thirst for forgiveness and grace, using the means of God's Word and His Sacraments. What we are isn't what we will be. And, what we are isn't what He sees. Rather, the Holy Spirit has convinced us that the Father sees in us the purity and the righteousness of His own dear Son. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Friends, you are living in the midst of the eighth day, wherein God has created you anew through baptism and His Word. Of course, this day of grace is but an image of the final great day of restoration, the fulfillment of all things, which is yet to come. There will be a new heaven and new earth, as John saw in his vision. The old order of things will pass away. The struggle for righteousness as expressed by Paul, "the good that I would do I don't do, but, the very evil that hate, this is what I do," will come to an end. The saints triumphant, you and I, will rise in bright array and will gather around God's throne of grace and the Lamb, God's Lamb, will be in our midst. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
7/2/2017
Matthew 10: 34-42
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is one of the hardest sayings of Jesus for modern ears: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
St. Paul reports that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. A sword is an instrument of war, a tool for killing, appropriate for the Church Militant, the Church here on earth. It is designed to separate flesh from bone, tendon from cartilage, soul from body. The Word of God made Flesh, the Prince of Peace, did not come to bring peace. He came to bring Himself, a sword for the division of Israel, set for the fall and rise of many. He divides father from son, brother from sister, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law. He cuts the dead from the living. He replaces the bond of genetics and culture with the bond of the Spirit sealed in Blood. This cutting, His Word, the Truth, causes discord, division, and fighting among mankind. For you see, the demise of Satan’s false, temporary peace is violent. Wherever the Word of Truth is preached, wherever men embrace and rejoice in it, there will be fighting. That is what swords, like the Bible, are for.
This is because Jesus Christ is the most important thing that there is. Next to Him, His holy life and death, nothing else is significant, not who wins the world series, not terrorist attacks, not our bank accounts or our popularity among men. All of that is meaningless when compared to the eternal reality of God’s love for man in the sacrifice of His Son. That is what matters. And that is worth fighting for.
But most people will not talk about religion. They fear giving offense. You are allowed to have opinions in our society about almost everything. You can embrace flagrant immorality, engage in unapologetic sins. You can gamble, cheat, lie, steal and you will be celebrated by society for the diversity that you bring. But no one is to judge religion. Don’t dare talk about your religion with exclusive language, as though yours was the only way, as though there were false religions that lead to Hell. Our society’s last taboo is conviction about God and His Word. Confess that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and you are bound to be disliked and even persecuted. Protocol dictates that we look the other way as men race toward eternal damnation, lest we should offend them.
Repent. It is your society, your culture. You are guilty of being more concerned with the opinions of men then the opinion of God. But no matter what men wish, there is only one way to heaven, there is only one Name that carries salvation from the God of Abraham. And no one who places his trust anywhere else, in Allah or Mohammed, in Buddha or the Great Spirit in the sky, will go to heaven. Hell doesn’t need to be acknowledged by the atheists and modern pagans. Hell doesn’t care if anyone believes in it or not. It can wait. There is only one thing that matters, one thing which will not pass away, one thing that will endure, that which always has been: the Word of God. And those who carry the Word of God in their hearts will be purified in the flames and restored to a creature better than Adam and Eve in the garden.
That Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, became our flesh, bone, and cartilage. He took up our cause in the Virgin’s womb. He allowed the Law to do to Him all that Justice demanded of and should have done to us. The Father sacrificed His Son in a Roman execution, to the sword of the state. His soul was divided from His Body. He died in our place for sins that He did not commit. But He rebuilt His Body. He resurrected His Flesh. He rose again to life. By that bloody death and glorious resurrection He has redeemed each and every one of you, snatched you out of Hell to be His, done what you could not! Complete payment has been rendered on your behalf. Death, Hell, and the devil could not keep Him from you, His beloved. For you, His chosen Bride, He rose again to life. He emptied the Father’s wrath into Himself just to make you to the Godhead and worthy of His love. He has declared you chaste, immaculate, righteous. Your sins are gone. Your weakness, your fear, your doubts are forgotten. They have all been paid for, forgiven, removed. There is no more. There is no one to accuse you. It is finished. Believe in Jesus and you will never die. All those who trust in Him, who find forgiveness and acceptance through the substitution of His perfect life for theirs, who have been joined to that historical event outside of Jerusalem in the mystical washing of water and Word, will live forever in heaven. That will not pass away. And that, dear Christian, is what matters.
God’s Word is still a sword. The Church on this side of glory is still at war. The Word of God still cuts and divides. The place where it is rightly preached is always marked by discord. The Truth is painful to the fallen ears of mankind. And it is worth fighting for and fighting about. By the Grace of God, we have been called by the Spirit, begotten of the Sword, made alive in crucifixion. We have felt our own hearts pierced, the old man slain, and a new man raised up in us by Grace. The war rages inside of us. For He has made our hearts into instruments of faith and faith must fight unbelief.
Thus, we have been liberated from the devil. He can harm us none, but still we struggle. But for us fights the Valiant One. We are ready for this war, for that lying, defeated enemy, for we have a sword that cannot lie, a lamp unto our feet and lantern for our path. We cannot lose. We will not go back peacefully into the bondage of the devil, no matter how peaceful that bondage seems. We will not pretend as though the debt has not been paid, as though God has not fulfilled His Word, as though we have been left to speculate and imagine for ourselves a way to God. We will not tolerate lies from men about our Savior and His Word. We will not be cowed by devils, armies or governments. We will fight. We will wield this sword for the life of the world. We will take this peace-shattering Good News to the four corners of the earth that men might have the peace that passes all understanding, peace announced to shepherds in their fields, peace with the Father bought by the Blood of the Son.
Here is the Truth: Jesus is Lord. There is none other. He rules in us by the power of His sacrifice and the gift of His life. Here we stand. In His Word He speaks to us, calls us from darkness to light, forgives us. He picks us back up again, strengthens and renews us. Even in this valley of shadows, with all of the struggles that we face, He will never forsake us. Soon, He will come again in glory. His power will be evident. Creation’s expectation will be met. The fog will clear. The veneer will be stripped away. Satan’s lies will be exposed.
Then we won’t stand. Then, we will kneel. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What a joyous day it will be. But until then, we fight. We fight and we rejoice in the joy that is already ours, the forgiveness that is now bestowed, and the token of the resurrection to come. We are already free. Soon we shall be whole. We will then be free to sing His praise, to bask in His love, to kiss the Son, our beloved Bridegroom. Forevermore, our warfare will end, the sword will be beaten into a plowshare. And we sinful men made clean will lie down with the Lamb. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What a Harvest!
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
Second Sunday after Pentecost
6/18/2017
Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What a plentiful harvest! I know if you look at the fields the corn is only this tall. It could be a plentiful harvest, but that depends whether the temperatures stay below scorching, and whether the rain comes at the right time and in the right amount. Thanks be to God for the wonderful rain on Thursday night. Only God knows what the corn or bean harvest will be. We leave that in His hands, trusting that He will care and provide for us, no matter what kind of harvest.
But what a plentiful harvest is out there! I'm not talking about anything that grows in the fields or the gardens. I'm talking about the harvest Jesus saw. What a harvest that was! And what a harvest that still is!
Now bringing in a harvest is hard work and long days. But think of how you feel when that last field is combined, the silos are full, and the market is eager to pay you for your harvest. What a joy to have put in that work, to have gathered that harvest, to have accomplished that purpose! We are so grateful for our farmers, for their vocations, to toil as Adam did to provide food for God’s people.
So also in this greatest of harvests, Jesus invites you to share in that work. What joy and celebration will soon come! But for now the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So see the harvest through Jesus' eyes, pray compassionately and give freely. For what a harvest it is!
During the first part of His earthly ministry, Jesus went around to the towns and villages of Galilee teaching and preaching and healing. He proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom.
What was this Good News of the kingdom? It was the Good News that God was raising up the King to rescue His people from their enemies, from sin and Satan and death -- just as He had promised. Yet this kingly reign was not coming with displays of earthly power and splendor. Rather, it worked quietly, unnoticed like yeast in dough. Though it would spread throughout the world, it began small like a mustard seed. This kingly reign came to people's hearts as the Word of God was spread like seed scattered on the ground. Those who hear and understand the message in faith produce a good crop. Those who do not believe will be burnt like weeds at the final harvest. How precious, then, this kingdom is! Like a pearl of great price or a treasure buried in a field, it's worth more than all that we have.
You know who this King is. Jesus, the Son of God, your Savior. You know how He rescued you, ransoming you to be His own. He gave His life on the cross as the bloody sacrifice in your place. You know His victory. He rose from the dead because He has paid for sin, defeated Satan, and broken death's chains. As your kingly Shepherd, He has gathered you into His flock. He knows you, His sheep, and you know Him. You listen to His voice and follow Him.
But as Jesus went throughout Galilee, He saw many, many people who did not know His voice. They had no king to shepherd them. False shepherds, hirelings, had abandoned them or led them away from the truth. Picture sheep wandering aimlessly. They wander into thorns and bramble. Their wool dirty and knotted. Their skin scraped and bloodied. Scattered all around, they're helpless prey for any beast that comes along.
Jesus' heart goes out to them. Compassion fills Him. How sad their spiritual condition! What pity and mercy well up in Jesus! For they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. And he says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Do you see the lost with the eyes of Jesus? Do you see them as sheep without a shepherd, as a plentiful harvest ready to be brought in? It's a struggle for me to see with Jesus' eyes. When we see a Muslim, it's so easy to think of potential terrorist rather than a lost sheep. When we see a Hispanic worker, it so easy to wonder whether they're here legally rather than seeing a lost sheep. When we see someone involved in drunkenness, drugs, or a destructive lifestyle, we throw up our hands wondering what this world is coming to rather than seeing a lost sheep. When others are nasty, cruel, hurtful against us, it so much easier to want to get back at them rather than to see a lost sheep.
But look at them through the eyes of Jesus. He, your Shepherd-King, laid down His life for you, while you were still His enemy. He laid down His life for us, although we are sheep that love to wander. See the lost through Jesus' eyes, for He laid down His life for them just as He did for you.
Then with your heart filled with Christ's compassion, hear Jesus say to you, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Pray compassionately. Pray with hearts filled with mercy and love for the lost. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers, so that those lost sheep are brought into Jesus' flock.
Pray for our pastors and missionaries at home and abroad. Pray that the Lord open up doors to their gospel preaching. Pray that they continue to have the courage to faithfully proclaim God's Word despite set backs and rejection. Pray that through them the Lord bring in his harvest.
Pray for young people, some whom you know, who could be future pastors, teachers, or staff ministers. Pray that the Lord guide them, encourage them, and give them the necessary gifts.
Pray for Meredith, as he trains to be a deacon in Christ’s Church. Give thanks for his willingness to work in the harvest field.
And pray for yourself, that the Lord work in you an ever deeper love for the lost, that He opens your eyes to see the harvest that He has placed in front of you, that He gives you the courage to speak His word at the right time.
Yes, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out harvest workers. Pray compassionately with love for the lost. For as you pray you are sharing in the harvest work. What joy awaits you when that harvest is brought in! What a harvest it is!
And as you pray, give freely. Maybe when you see this third part about giving, you figured it must be about money. But Jesus asks us to give much more than just our money. He asks you to freely give your all, your very self.
After Jesus tells his disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field, notice how Jesus answers that prayer. He sends them out to do the work. At this time they were only to go to the lost sheep of Israel. They were to go out preaching the Gospel, the Good News of the kingdom. For you see, only the Good News brings in the harvest by making disciples -- the Good News that Jesus, our King, has rescued sinners by his death and that through his resurrection he has brought us into the kingdom of his Father.
Freely give the Gospel to others. When the Lord brings you an opportunity to talk about Jesus, to talk about sin and forgiveness, to talk about death and life, freely give the Good News, do it. It may cost you some time and tension. It may cost you some ridicule or teasing. But freely you have received, freely give.
What a harvest! What a harvest of souls who believe in Jesus, their Savior! Share in that harvest work. Yes you, share in that work, Share in it, as you see it through Jesus' eyes, as you pray compassionately, as you give freely. Share in this harvest work. For what joy awaits us on that day when Jesus brings all His people into His heavenly harvest barn. A much greater joy than having a bumper crop. What a celebration that will be and you will have shared in the work! What a harvest! Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What’s In a Name?
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
The Holy Trinity
6/11/2017
Matthew 28: 16-20
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What's in a name? Do names matter? Of course they do! If they didn't, parents wouldn't spend all that time agonizing over the name their child is going to carry the rest of their life. Even when it comes to naming household pets, people put a lot of thought into the whole process. Names are important. They mean something.
It is with this in mind that we turn our attention to the Gospel lesson appointed for this Holy Trinity Sunday. "Go and make disciples of all nations—every man, woman, and child—baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This may sound strange to some of you, but this is the perfect time to ask the old Lutheran question: What does this mean? "Why would we ask that? We know what this means. This is the 'Great Commission.'" Yes…but what does it mean to carry out this charge/command of our Lord and Savior in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Why is the "Great Commission" text appointed for Holy Trinity Sunday? Is it simply because this is one of the few times in all of Scripture that the triune name of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is ever given, so being that today is Holy Trinity Sunday it just makes sense to plug in this passage?
Hardly! Remember: Names are important. Names mean something. This triune name of Almighty God especially means something. And that brings up an interesting point. Have you noticed that this name of God is singular? Jesus doesn't say, "…make disciples of all nations…in the name of the Father and the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit." I know that's what we sometimes hear. I know that's what we sometimes say. But that's not what Christ says, which—yes—is a big deal. As the Athanasian Creed so plainly states, "the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one. There are not three Eternals, but one Eternal; not three Uncreated and Infinites, but one Uncreated and Infinite; not three Almighties, but one Almighty." One singular name of Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is important. It means something.
"Okay…but this still doesn't clear anything up as far as the Great Commission goes. This still doesn't explain what any of this has to do with us today." You know…sometimes our daily lives as Christians tend to take on that all-too-familiar feel. Sometimes it feels like we're missing something. "There's got to be more." I'll be the first to confess that there are times when it feels like, "This is it? All the struggle and sacrifice and heartache that goes along with trying to be faithful in an unfaithful world and all I have to work with is the triune name of God? Help me out here! I'm going to need something more than that!" Congregations fall prey to this same mindset all the time. "There's got to be more to this whole disciple-making process. What else do we need to do?"
My friends: This is precisely why this particular lesson is appointed for Holy Trinity Sunday. Today is the day that Almighty God reminds us of how special and powerful His name truly is. As baptized children of God, we bear this triune name on our heads and on our hearts, marking us as one redeemed by Christ the Lord. God Himself puts His name upon us in the waters of Holy Baptism. This name means something. It means eternal life, complete forgiveness, and peace that surpasses all understanding. No other name can bring about the love, the forgiveness, and the everlasting salvation that's found only in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All other names may mean something special to the children of Adam, but they mean nothing to God. Without God's Almighty name—the name that He Himself puts on us—we are lost and condemned.
That's how special this name is. That's how special you are in Almighty God's eyes. He loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son to live and die for you, all so that you could bear His name for all of eternity. And that's also why this Great Commission text is so appropriate for today; the first Sunday after Pentecost; the beginning of the church year that focuses on the life of the church in the world we live in. It's easy to forget the fact that this incomprehensible and unconditional love of God is for everyone—all nations—every man, woman, and child…even those people that we don't like. God so loved the world—the whole world—that He gave His only begotten Son to die for it. It's easy to forget the simple command our Lord gave us regarding faithful evangelism, outreach, and disciple-making. Go and make disciples of all nations—everyone—by simply bringing them to the font so God Himself can wash away the death sentence of their sin and put His life-giving, life-saving name on them, marking them as His redeemed child. Go and make disciples of all nations—everyone—by simply letting God work in His Word. Make disciples by simply teaching the Word of God—all of it—full Law and full Gospel. This triune name of Almighty God means something. It's powerful. It's dynamic. It accomplishes that which He purposes. It makes true and faithful disciples.
As we now come to a close for the day, I leave you with a little bit of homework. I want you to think about how often this powerful, triune name of God comes up throughout the worship service. You don't just hear it on Holy Trinity Sunday, do you? This very special name is found everywhere in the liturgy. There's a reason for that. This Trinitarian blessing—the triune name of God Himself—is put upon us repeatedly throughout the service to remind us of who we are and whose we are. This life-giving triune name continually echoes in our ears, our minds, and our souls, reminding us of just how special we really are; special enough that God was willing to die for us so we could bear His name.
This name of God Himself serves to open our ears, our eyes, and our hearts to the reality of Immanuel—the reality that Almighty God is keeping His Word. "Behold, I am (another name for Almighty God) with you always, to the very end of the age." Wherever that divine name is spoken, there is God. Name equals presence. That's why God is so explicit in His command to not use His name in vain. It means something.
My fellow redeemed: Look around. You aren't just witnessing something special, like some spectator on the outside looking in. As a baptized and believing child of God, you are a part of something very special. You belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You bear His name. That's important. That means something.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Great Day
McConnellsburg Lutheran Parish
The Day of Pentecost
6/4/2017
John 7: 37-39
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The message this morning is based on the Gospel reading from John 7, where Jesus talked to His disciples on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles about the coming of the Spirit.
It was on that day of the feast, the last day, the eighth day, that "Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' " Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
On the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the seven lambs were offered up to God, the people were to reflect on the spotless purity and the unassuming innocence represented by those lambs. Again, there were seven of them, a number associated with fullness, with completeness and perfection. The sacrifice of those lambs was to remind the pilgrims in Jerusalem that God's Lamb would one day be given. By faith then, they looked forward to that day, the final "great day" we might say, when all of the Temple sacrifices would come to an end, when their thirst for reconciliation with God would no longer be represented by a symbol of the greater, but, by the Greater One Himself.
For the devout Jew, there could be no more pleasant words, no more comforting words, than those spoken by John the Baptist as he received and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Nothing Jesus did was insignificant. He chose the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles to promise the coming of the Spirit to the disciples. For you and me too, the eighth day is highly symbolic, as it involves the Spirit's work in our lives.
The eighth day no longer served as the culmination of an annual festival. Rather, it would be the new reality for those born of water and the Spirit in Holy Baptism. "Behold, the old is drowned and the new is brought forth, in the image and likeness of God." The Spirit has been poured out and from that Spirit who now lives within us, living water flows.
Now, water, of course, can give and sustain life. But, it can also kill. So it is that the living water of the Spirit, that Spirit given to us in our baptisms, both kills and gives life. It kills when the Word of God condemns our unrighteous lives as an abomination to God. "You were dead," Paul says, "in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the prince of the power of the air." You and I look at the quandary in which St. Paul finds himself in Romans 7, lamenting over his inability to do what he knows is right, and we concur wholeheartedly with his sentiment. The struggle is good. It is the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, convicting us of our absolute depravity and brokenness, of our need for God to set us free from this body of death.
The Spirit that God has poured out on us then quenches our thirst for forgiveness and grace, using the means of God's Word and His Sacraments. What we are isn't what we will be. And, what we are isn't what He sees. Rather, the Holy Spirit has convinced us that the Father sees in us the purity and the righteousness of His own dear Son. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Friends, you are living in the midst of the eighth day, wherein God has created you anew through baptism and His Word. Of course, this day of grace is but an image of the final great day of restoration, the fulfillment of all things, which is yet to come. There will be a new heaven and new earth, as John saw in his vision. The old order of things will pass away. The struggle for righteousness as expressed by Paul, "the good that I would do I don't do, but, the very evil that hate, this is what I do," will come to an end. The saints triumphant, you and I, will rise in bright array and will gather around God's throne of grace and the Lamb, God's Lamb, will be in our midst. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.