Month: March 2016

GRACE MERCY AND PEACE ARE YOURS FROM CHRIST, OUR GLORIOUS AND RISEN SAVIOR!

TEXT: Luke 24: 4-8

Dearly Beloved By Our Loving, Living Lord:

I’m not a techie guy. There, I’ve confessed it! To me the modern wonders of cell phones, advanced computers, and the like are a hassle. When they work it’s great. When they don’t, it’s a nightmare. Most of you probably use GPS when you are traveling or want to find a location. Yes, I’ve used Google search for locations, too, but never GPS. I’m a map guy. I have various maps of New England in my car and I enjoy figuring out where things are and finding unique ways to get there. I prefer to use my brain over and against trusting in technology.

That first Easter morning, the women had no GPS to consult in order to find the tomb of Christ. They knew exactly where it was. The memory of that huge stone being rolled into place on Friday was etched forever in their minds. They ran into a couple of angels that morning who summed up their soul-searching and their body searching with a very poignant and ironic question:

WHY DO LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?

I

You well know the entire story. The women weren’t stupid or confused. They knew exactly where Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had laid the body. So, the natural answer to the angel’s question would be: “Where else would He be?”

Any church worthy of that name should never, ever, take the women of the church for granted. Just as today, these women were into details. Details, as most married men know, are seemingly part of a woman’s nature. They, not the disciples, talked about the practical problems connected to Christ’s hurried burial. That’s why they brought along those 75 lbs of spices and various other items. “Let’s do it right and not hurry this loving task.” They also talked about the stone and the guards at the tomb. How would they handle all that? But, amazingly, when they got there, the guards were gone, the stone was rolled away and the grave clothes were scattered on the ground. The shroud that had held Christ was neatly folded, too, but no body! That’s when two angels in shining robes appeared and said: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

Those words sound a bit like a rebuke, don’t they? The angels thought these women should have known better than to come looking for a dead Christ. They should have known He would be alive on Easter morning. After all, Christ had prepared them for this. He had talked about it many times. But, like the rest of us humans, it sounded so fantastic that they dismissed the true meaning behind those prophetic words. They must have made them into a parable in their minds instead of taking them at face value.

We would probably be more sympathetic to these women than the angels were. After all, angels are holy. They are perfect spirit beings. They see and communicate with God all the time. They don’t know what it’s like to be wrong, to be weak in faith, or to misunderstand God’s Word. But, we, on the other hand, are sinners. We’re been wrong so much that we can totally relate to the women’s conundrum. After all, who have you known that has come back from the dead? At this time, life was cheap. Almost half of all children died before becoming an adult. Fever and infections that are easily treated today were a common death sentence then. Yes, they knew Lazarus and he had come back. They had heard about the youth of Nain and Jairus’ daughter, too. But, to us, it seems unfair to rebuke them for their lack of faith in this matter, considering their experiences.

However, they should have known better. Christ really had raised three others from their graves. He really had announced His resurrection on numerous occasions over the past 3 years. They should have known from the Good Friday darkness and earthquake that He really was the Son of God. And they should have trusted His promises to them—pushing doubt aside as they came that morning to that tomb.

So, do you side with the angels or with these women? Our heads side with the angels. But our hearts side with the women. Like them, we’re sinners, too. Like them, we know doubt, too. Like them, death isn’t easy for us to assimilate. Like them, our natural inclination, when hit with death, is to wrap ourselves in sorrow and focus on the practical needs at hand. We can easily leave Christ and His promises out of the equation, can’t we?

But, that’s exactly why we need to hear, as they did, the angels’ very next words which are: “He is not here; he has risen!” Jesus is God. With God all things are possible. So life after death—resurrection—is possible; even more, it is certainty! He promised it and He always delivers. Thus, those trusting in the Lord’s promise, the gospel, know with their very being that “because He lives, we shall live also!” This is our faith, our comfort, our hope, our reality. And now, that first Easter morning, it became theirs too!

II

What’s the difference between a name on a mailbox or the same name on a tombstone? Just this: you can visit that friend in only one of those locales. That’s the point the angels were making when they asked: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” But, some self-important human might then well ask: “What difference does it make?”

Ah, it makes all the difference in the world! When we’re weak in faith we tend to be dissatisfied, or do foolish things, or feel guilty, or are unproductive.—Why? Because we’re looking for Jesus in all the wrong places! We often think that the “other world beyond this one” is communicating with us in signs, symbols, events, or even natural disasters. In that, we’re much like the ancient heathen who tried to divine the future by reading animals entrails. But, Christ deals with us directly. He gives us His gracious will in the Bible, through baptism, in holy communion, and in His Word of forgiveness. Those are His vehicles by which He speaks to our hearts. They impart and also strengthen Christian faith which then opens our eyes to His wondrous love day after day.

The angels pointed them back to Christ’s Gospel that day. For the message of the resurrection is the gospel. They reminded them that their dead Lord was now risen—just as He said! On Easter Sunday, Jesus physically arose! Thereby He gave the world proof that the centurion at the cross was correct when he said: “Surely this was the Son of God!” Thereby He gave proof that death could not hold Him, or you either, because His entire life was about trading places with you and me. Thereby He gave us the one eternal truth which sets mortals free—”He who lives and believes in Me will never die!” The empty tomb proved it all true.

After the angels had spoken we’re told: “They remembered his words.” Now it all came flooding back through the reinforcement of the visual proof before them. And from then on these women became stalwart in their allegiance to their living Savior.

Today, we need to listen as they did and also become stalwart by the power of the Spirit who comes through this gospel message. We don’t need GPS to point us to heaven. We need the Bible. We need the Gospel. We need the truth of the resurrection! And today, Christ gives it all to you! And it’s all wrapped up in that simple, profound, and majestic ancient phrase: “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!” History tells us that the women took that phrase to heart. In the ancient church, literally from the time the women first heard it, Christians used it as a joyous greeting, not only at Easter, but all the time! And so, once again, we stand in their shoes and say: “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!” Amen

Let us pray: Dear Savior, perhaps the most uplifting and calming thing about praising You is that we’re not focused on ourselves and our problems. Praising You takes all the baggage of this life away and replaces it with pure, noble, and glorious thoughts and emotions. Since Palm Sunday is one of Your great days of praise, lift our minds heavenward once again while we are still earthbound. Amen

GRACE MERCY AND PEACE ARE YOURS FROM CHRIST, OUR GLORIOUS LORD MOST WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE AND THANKS!

TEXT: Luke 19: 28-40

Dearly Beloved By Christ:

I’ll bet you’ve come to church, more than once, with something weighing upon you. Some personal problem, some work upset, something was tearing you up inside during the weekend and come Sunday morning you really didn’t want to face anyone. But, church called and you went anyway. You sang the hymns half-heartedly. You half-listened to the lessons. When it was time for the confession of sins some word or phrase struck you in the heart. The absolution seemed to relieve the pain a bit. Then came the sermon and you were left wondering if the Pastor had a secret pipeline into your psyche. After that it was on to prayers and the final benediction and hymn. When you left, quickly that day, you found yourself driving home and thinking: “I feel better now than I did an hour ago.” Why is that? Because God the Holy Spirit came into your heart via His Word and did exactly what He is famous for: providing you with comfort amid pain. Yes, praising God uplifts hurting sinners. Praising God takes the hurt away.

I

We see a lot of examples of God’s people praising Him throughout the Bible. But perhaps the most striking example of such praise takes place on Palm Sunday. It began rather innocuously. Jesus and His disciples had been staying overnight at the home of Mary, Martha, and the recently risen-from-the-dead Lazarus. It was located in Bethany, about 6 miles out from Jerusalem. As they walked along early that Sunday morning toward the Mt. of Olives, Jesus gives 2 of His disciples a directive. Go up to that little village ahead and find Me the donkey tied there along with her foal. Bring them to Me. Moreover, if the owner asks Why? Tell him: “The Lord needs them.” These two men do exactly that and it works out exactly as predicted. This humble act of Christian service on their part was really an act of worship and praise. They obeyed their Lord. They didn’t question or dither or decide it was silly. They obeyed. Praise is about obeying God and giving Him His due. It is about focusing on and acting on His thoughts rather than our own good intentions. And, as the old saw goes: “Actions do speak louder than mere words.” Yes, true praise is always active not passive.

II

Every Christian loves to actively praise God. As Lutherans, “Praise To The Lord, the Almighty” rivals “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” doesn’t it? We sing our hymns with fervor and vigor. But, I wonder if we would do what the disciples did next—unbidden and unasked. That is, they pulled off their cloaks, threw them on that colt, and had Christ sit on this make-shift saddle. Would we have pondered instead: “They’ll get dirty and how will I get the stain out?” Yes, true praise gives to God freely from the heart.

By this time, they’ve started to reach some of the camped pilgrims there for the Passover outside the city walls. Unbidden, these people also throw their cloaks on the dirty road to cushion the colt’s footfalls and Christ’s ride. Apparently, they have no second thoughts.—More heart-felt praise. Then came the palm branches, stripped off the trees, to mark this triumphal entry of God’s Son into God’s city. Of course, what it really marked was His entrance into their hearts via the Spirit’s power. For the City of God in reality is nothing more or less than the Holy Christian Church. None of these pilgrims is thinking anymore about the commotion, the hassle of the day, where are my children?, or worried about the pain of sleeping on hard ground or worried about not having breakfast. Praise and worship displace all other thoughts, don’t they? Praise centers on higher things. It centers on God Almighty sending His Son of save us. And save us He did on Good Friday with His death for our sins and on Easter, one week later, with His resurrection from our graves. That day, praise took their hurts away.

III

This was an open-air worship service, wasn’t it? Now coming down from the Mt. of Olives road, the disciples (the 12 and others) start to shout songs of joy over Christ and the crowd picks up the chant and it builds and builds. They had all seen miracles. By now everyone had heard of His miracles such as raising Lazarus from the grave a few weeks before. Maybe even Lazarus was among that group—and he had a lot to praise God for, didn’t he? “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Those phrases harken back to the angel choirs over Bethlehem 33 years before. But now it’s not angels singing His praises but men, humans, souls who need Him to take away the pain of sin from their lives—and He does! Praising God heals a hurting heart every single time.

Even amid such joy over God’s blessings, we find naysayers. I guess like the poor, the naysayer will always be with us—until heaven comes. “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” They’re making too much noise. Maybe the Romans will think we’re revolting against them! The praise is hurting my head.” Such people are always more concerned with themselves than with God. The absence of a praising spirit shows that they love and care more for themselves than for God. Non-praise shows a selfish nature. But, Christ will have none of that! “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” On that Palm Sunday, the sole point of all creation was about praising its Creator.

Do you think anyone who engaged in that praise on that day regretted it later that afternoon? Do you think it gave any one of them indigestion when they ate their noon meal? Do you think any of them fell asleep that night thinking: “I wish I hadn’t been a part of all that hoopla?” Praising God is a wonderful antidote to the pain and suffering caused by sin. It takes our minds off of us and focuses us on Christ alone, instead. And since He is the healer of body, soul, and the victor over death—well, Praise really does take away our hurts! Amen

Let us pray: Dear Savior, in You we live, move, and have our being. We are Your most precious possession and You are our most precious gift. Nothing in this lift compares to what we have in You because this life is temporary, while You are eternal. May we never forget that fact when hardship and trouble comes upon us. May we never give up You for the garbage of modern life that Satan tries to pawn off on us each day. Amen

GRACE MERCY AND PEACE ARE YOURS FROM CHRIST, OUR SUFFERING LORD

TEXT: Philippians 3: 8-14

Dearly Beloved By Christ:

There is one phrase all sailors learn very quickly. It is this: “Don’t give up the ship.” Why is that phrase embedded into every one of their minds from day one? Because it means life vs. death. Oceans are huge. Storm at sea are 10 times worse than what we face on the land. If you get tossed overboard, or are swept into the sea during such a time, it means certain death. And if you go willingly, well, it’s literally suicide. For the Christian, Jesus Christ is our lifeboat. He’s our ship on the sea of human pain and suffering. Without Him protecting us and buoying us up, we’re literally dead-in-the-water. So, today, let’s consider this:

DON’T GIVE UP YOUR SAVIOR!

I

St. Paul is under house arrest in Rome. The year is 63 AD and he has only a few more years to live. He’s well aware of his plight. About a decade before, he had been sent by the Holy Spirit to Macedonia, northern Greece. It was Hicksville when compared to the rest of Greece, but there were Christians there who needed his guidance. The chief town of Macedonia was the Roman colony in Philippi. Paul counseled and guided them well and when he left, they were ably taken care of by Pastor Ephaphroditus, a prodigy of Paul. Now in his imprisonment, Ephaphroditus journeys 700 miles to see Paul and comfort him. He tells Paul of the problems they face: periodic persecutions, Jewish agitators who tried to undermine the Gospel by telling people that “they must make themselves right with God by their deeds rather than God making them right with Him by grace,” incessant discord in the church caused by people pushing their own agenda for personal power, and the timidity of the Christians there to speak up in their communities when belittled and attacked. So, Paul writes them an epistle, a letter, to give them further Godly guidance.

Here, he draws on his personal situation. It’s dire. They know it. It would have been easy for Paul to give in to his flesh and adopt a “woe-is-me” attitude. That’s the cowardly way out, isn’t it? But instead, he’s upbeat and strong! “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Early in his life as a model Jewish Pharisee, Paul was on the fast track to stardom. He was the prize pupil of the great teacher: Gamaliel, the Jewish Einstein of his day. He was the golden boy of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, and perhaps the youngest member ever to their ranks. He had been the fire-eating, let’s round up those horrible Christians and put them to death, leader within that ruling class. But because Christ met him and converted him on the road to Damascus, Paul had left all that behind. With no money of his own, he begged for assistance and worked on the side making tents at times, all in order to pay for his missionary journeys—including the one to Philippi. And now all that has landed him in a Roman jail awaiting death. He gave everything up for Christ. He considers his humanly stellar past garbage when compared to knowing Christ. And He wanted these people to emulate his sacrifice—the sacrifice of faith.

Why did he do this? Was he deluded? Did his famous brain quit working? No. He did it all because Christ is everything. Knowing Him is everything. Life isn’t about acquiring power, glory, or money—contrary to popular opinion. It is about getting right with God. It is about eternal things. This life is only pre-season, what counts is coming after we leave planet earth behind. Put bluntly, life here is temporary but God is eternal. And our eternal God reached down into our reality, sent His Son to take our sins upon Himself and to die in order to make us right with God. Our strivings could never achieve such powerful, loving perfection. But Christ’s perfect holiness could and did! And all that love has been poured into our hearts and made ours through the Spirit’s gift of faith. Yes, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!”

II

Every single temptation known to humans is about giving up on Christ’s goodness or abusing it in some fashion. These temptations range from small to large, but all of them are like waves trying to sweep us into the maelstrom of this world without a life-preserver. So, you have that neighbor who mocks your faith and your going to church each Sunday? You try to ignore them instead of politely telling them that saving your soul is more important than extra sleep. There’s the temptation to: “Do nothing.” Or, you allow the “gang” at work to convince you to plan your Sunday schedule around sports events with them instead of church first thinking: “I can go later on.” But over time, later becomes later, later, and then never. Do you use profane language at work, or among your friends to be accepted and not stand out? Have you adopted a cut-throat attitude at work because good guys get used and abused? Maybe you try to act pious and give up something: Steak, chocolate, or wine for Lent? Then, afterwards, you can indulge and congratulate yourself? But, you don’t give up lust or greed or gossip. Isn’t that missing the whole point of repentance? Becoming right with God is hard work. God knows. His Son labored to the cross and died there to pay for our sins of commission and those of omission.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow; attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

No matter the troubles you face: Don’t Give Up on Your Savior! Paul didn’t. Even when writing these stirring words, Paul was still suffering. He still had moments of inner self-doubt—just like you. He still had moments of self-loathing—just like you. He still had times of asking “Why me, Lord?”—just like you. He still stood on this earth because God wasn’t done with him, yet. However, faith in Christ won out in Paul and sustained him against such temptations. The cross loomed but behind it was resurrection! The seas would calm and the peaceful port beckoned. So it is with each of us. Don’t Give Up on Christ! Amen

Let us pray: Dear Savior, the shame, the pain, the anguish of the cross is an affront to our minds. The last thing we want in life is to face such dishonor and such a fate. And when we think of You, our God, suffering so—well, it’s like a huge body blow. And yet, the cross still draws us to You because it fully reveals the depth of Your love for us. And it is for that reason we glory in Your cross. Yes, thank You for suffering in such a manner to save us. Amen

GRACE MERCY AND PEACE ARE YOURS FROM CHRIST, OUR SUFFERING SAVIOR!

Text: I Cor. 1: 18-25

Dearly Beloved By Christ:

Let’s time travel today. The year is 56 AD and you find yourself in Corinth, Greece. It happens to be a Sunday morning, late morning, about like now. The markets are bustling with sellers hawking food, clothing, and “magic” amulets from many of the local Greek temples. You notice that some of those temples have people going into them. The followers of Artemis, Mercury, and Zeus are trying to entice you to go and pay homage to their particular “god.”—He or she will grant you your fondest wish—all for a donation. There are Roman temples about, too. Similar temple shills are out front of those, as well. Maybe if you go in there the local officials will notice and you’ll get better treatment when it comes to negotiating that contract to feed their troops? You’re tempted.

But then, you go down a little back alley and there is a small, nondescript building housing a Christian church. There is no sign on the door and no loud-mouthed proponent out front trying to entice you in. All there is singing coming through the door. You’ve heard about these Christians. You’ve never been to their meetings before. Why not go in and see what it’s like? So you do. It’s small, but crowded with people. Their priest, preacher, leader is just about to read a brand new letter written to them by someone named: Paul. You’ve also heard a little about this man. He’s traveled extensively throughout the empire, especially Greece, and is known as a rabble-rouser. The preacher, or pastor, as they call him, is now reading this: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Whoa! You know all about crosses. You’ve seen those Roman torture devices along the highway with criminals hanging on them. It’s awful. It’s shameful. It’s something to be avoided at all costs. How can the cross “save” anyone? That’s a paradox. It makes no sense to your mind.

Yet, this apparent nonsense still intrigues you, so you listen some more. “For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Whoa, again! This man Paul just insulted literally every other temple and philosophy known throughout the Greek and Roman world! The “how to sell anything” book you read by Demetrius Carnegie, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” certainly wasn’t on Paul’s reading list! This Paul is saying all of them are dopes, no nothings, ignorant fools. Ah, he must think he has a corner on the market into godly insight.

The preacher goes on: “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block (a scandal) to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

You’re a Greek. You’ve been schooled since day one that knowledge is power and that humans can sort of control their destiny by learning more and more and more. This Paul is saying that’s all wrong! How can these other Greeks here listen to this? As to the Jews present, well, you know a little about them since they sell alongside of you. You know they are into realism, they expect their god to do miracles and other fabulous things to make their lives better and more complete. There’s a reason for that Greek phrase about them: “Deus ex machina” or God is like a puppet master, a machine from the heavens, that controls our strings. You also know that Christians believe in someone named: Jesus Christ. Supposedly, according to them, He was God’s Son who died on a cross in Jerusalem about 25 years ago to pay for their sins and make them right with God. A dead God? How can that be? A God Who rose again after being dead? How can that happen? And a cross having life-changing power? All you’ve ever seen a cross do is snuff life out. These people must be deluded. Perhaps you should go to the temple of Artemis and ask for a favor instead?

And then, the preacher reads some more and says: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” Those words give you pause. They hit your heart. If there really is One God Who is all-powerful that has to be true. The logic of it is inescapable. Of course, the clever Paul put that statement in the form of a conditional sentence which is a contrary to fact sentence. This means God really isn’t foolish at all or weak at all—and putting Him up against humans shows how small and ignorant we really are. Suddenly, your heart is laid bare. Suddenly you feel that you’re pretty small. Could God really use a cross to change people? Obviously everyone else present believes so. They’re all nodding in agreement.

In your travels you’ve seen placards beneath some public crucifixions where the person was identified as a Christian. Those still alive never bad-mouthed their God. Those dead always had slight smiles on their faces. You always wondered: why? Could this be the reason? Are they tapped into something beyond human comprehension? Did they really see their risen Savior before they breathed their last breath? Is this the reason those other Christian merchants don’t cheat the people or overcharge or falsify contracts?

You leave when the little service is over unsettled yet amazed. How different this service is from the heathen temples. They didn’t ask or demand anything from you. They only sought to give you God’s peace and their love. As you walk out the door one thought continues to plague you which you cannot get out of your head. It is this: BUT WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED! Maybe you’ll have to come back next Sunday and learn more…….Amen