Reflection: Compared to What? (October 27, 2013)

Reformation Sunday
Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28; Matthew 11:12-19

When Jesus wanted to compare the generation of people who lived during His time to something, He chose  a familiar image to use for the comparison. Although it is obscure to us, His reference to “children sitting in the marketplace calling to their playmates  ‘We played the flute for you, and you id not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn’” struck a chord — and a nerve — with His audience. He was telling them that they were impossible to please and that they used double standards. He was calling them judgmental and unreasonable. In other words, Jesus was telling them that they were the ones who were forcefully resisting the Kingdom of Heaven.

Forceful resistance to the Kingdom makes up a significant part of the human story. It isn’t unique to the generation of Jesus’ time, but does characterize it. The Jewish people who lived as Jesus ushered in the New Covenant were particularly opposed to the Kingdom, because they were entrenched in a religious system that was based on good works and self-righteousness. The people who felt as though they had earned God’s favor through their efforts didn’t want to hear that “by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20). And they especially wouldn’t accept Jesus’ teaching that He had come to do what they could not do under the Law.

The generations that have followed that of Jesus’ time haven’t fared much better. By the 16th Century, God’s grace was so obscured that the church had become a heartless institution. But God used that generation to restore the Gospel through the Reformation — a restoration of the Kingdom that was met with great violence. Faithfulness to Christ, even in the face of death, characterized that generation of believers. But what best describes our generation? To what shall we be compared? We’re a selfish, self-centered, and cynical people who have done great violence to the Gospel. We could be compared to a hurricane or tsunami because of our heartless, destructive ways; or to farm animals because we have become so crude as a society; or even to barbarians because of how we have trampled on the sanctity of human life. But Jesus compares us who have been washed in His blood and adopted into His family through Baptism to something altogether different — something altogether undeserved: We are His Bride, pure, spotless, and deeply loved by the God who has given us His Kingdom.

Click here to listen to the sermon "Compared to What?" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).

Reflection: WWJF-What Will Jesus Find? (October 20, 2013)

The 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 32:22-30; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8

After Jesus told a parable to encourage His disciples “always to  pray and not lose heart,” He asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” While we can answer that question with a confident “yes” (after all, Jesus said elsewhere that not even the gates of hell can overcome His Church), we can’t answer with the certainty that He will find faith in our society. We live in a culture that encourages people to turn their hearts to false gods, celebrates false teachings, and rejoices when the Church falters. Our time has been called “post-church” and “post-gospel” and now even “pre-churched,” but it is by any name a rebellious, faithless time. But it is far from a unique time. Jesus’ first disciples faced a similar situation, one which Jesus addressed with the parable that was meant to encourage them … and us.

Unfortunately, people have twisted this parable so that it not only fails to bring us any encouragement but it puts a burden on us. Commonly used to prop up an unbiblical view of prayer, teachers in and outside of the Church have stripped away the main point of the parable and, in the process, made God out to be something that He isn’t. Worse yet, people actually prefer this corrupted understanding of the parable over it’s actual meaning! Why? Because it promotes prayer as a power (or tool) that we possess and can use to get God do what we want Him to do. And getting God to do what we want Him to do appeals to our human nature. The twisting around of this parable is just one example of how the warning found in today’s Epistle has come to fruition in our experience: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, having itching ears they will accumulated for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” Is this what Jesus will find when He comes?

It all sounds so hopeless. But there is another question that Jesus asked that reminds us that God is faithful even when we are faithless: “Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” Here’s the key to finding comfort and encouragement in this parable. God is grossly unlike the judge who boasted “I neither fear God nor respect man.” Instead, God is kind, gracious, and loving to those whom He has called to eternal life, i.e., His elect. Confident of this, we “cry to Him day and night,” including the age-old, heartfelt prayer “Come, Lord Jesus,” because we know that by His grace He will find faith in us when He returns.

Click here to listen to the sermon "WWJF: What Will Jesus Find?" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).

Reflection: Point of Return of of No Return? (October 13, 2013)

The 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Ruth 1:8-19a; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Luke 17:11-19

There are no universal rules about returning things. Returning a favor can take place long after the initial kindness, but returning a borrowed car is likely to happen very much sooner. One shop may have a liberal policy regarding returning merchandise while another may have a “no returns” policy. Turning the car around on a trip can happen at any point, but after a space vehicle is launched it quickly reaches a point of no return, that is, a point at which it’s too late to turn around. While life is filled with points of no return, our walk with Jesus is more about points of return.

Today’s Old Testament is filled with calls to return. As Naomi prepared to return to her homeland she pleaded with her two daughter-in-law to leave her and return to their own people. One did, but the other, Ruth, didn’t. Ruth knew that there was ni going back for her. She had come to believe in and worship the true God and she recognized that she could not return to her roots because they involved worshiping false gods. “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God,” she told Naomi. She had reached a point (i.e., a reason and purpose) of no return.

The flip side of having a reason and purpose for not returning is found in today’s Gospel lesson. After Jesus healed ten men of leprosy, nine did not return to Him to thank and praise Him. Their point of not returning was evident: despite having been healed by Him, they did not have faith in Jesus as their God and Messiah. For them, there was no point in going back to Jesus. Instead, they were intent on going to the priests and doing what it took to comply with the legal requirements of being ceremonially clean. They looked to the Law for their righteousness. The faithlessness of the nine is highlighted by the return of the one. Recognizing that he had been delivered from the condemnation of the Law along with his physical healing, the Samaritan leper returned to Jesus. The point of his return was to thank and praise Him as his Savior and God.

How have you responded to Christ’s call to return? Do you think that it is too late for you to turn back, that you’ve reached a point in your life from which there is no way back? Or do you hear in His call God’s very point, His reason and purpose, to turn back from the sinful ways that you are pursuing in order to return to His mercy and grace? In Jesus there is always a point to return and never a point of no return.

Click here to listen to the sermon "Point of Return or of No Return?"

Reflection: Not What We Want to Hear (October 6, 2013)

The 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:1-10

If we could playback the soundtrack of our lives we’d all have segments in which we were told something that we didn’t want to hear. The phrases stick with us and even now cause our hearts to sink. “I’m afraid that the test results show cancer ...” “This just isn’t working out …” “I’m sorry for your loss ...” “Based on your credit score we can’t approve your mortgage application …” “Do you know why I stopped you …” As bad as these are, they can’t compare to the things that Jesus says to us that are not what we want to hear.

In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus says things that contradict the values of our culture and challenge the way that we’ve learned to live in this world. In contrast to our view that it isn’t our problem when a person takes offense at what we say or do, Jesus says that it’s better to be drown in the depths of the sea than to cause offense to those who are weak in faith. He then calls us to reject the “live and let live” attitude of our culture and actively intercede when a fellow believer sins — even when we think that the sin has nothing to do with us. Then He makes it personal by telling us that we must repeatedly forgive a brother or sister in Christ who sins against us and then repents. So much for the “hurt me once, shame on you; hurt me twice, shame on me” mentality of our culture. Finally, Jesus uses a story to convey what our attitude should be about shunning the world’s ways and doing what He is teaching us to do. He calls these extreme actions our duty and then says that after we’ve done what we’re told to do we should see ourselves as “unworthy servants” who “have only done what was our duty.” No praise, no thanks, no reward. Definitely not what we want to hear.

What we want to hear from Jesus is that we’re doing well and we’re fine just the way that we are. We want to hear promises of ease and prosperity, not a call to sacrifice and hardship. In other words, we want glory not the cross. But the cross is what we hear when we listen to Jesus. Certain temptation, confronting people in their sins, forgiving others without conditions, sacrifice as duty, and a call to “share in suffering for the Gospel” aren’t what we want to hear, but more than call us into these things Jesus joins us in them. He faced certain temptation, confronted sin, forgave freely, and sacrificed Himself on the Cross. Through His blood we are declared “the righteous who live by faith.” A proclamation that far exceeds everything that we once wanted to hear.

Click here to listen to the sermon "Not What We Want to Hear" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).

Reflection: Hold On for Your Life (September 29, 2013)

The 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31

Action movies often include life-threatening situations in which the main
characters have to defy the odds to stay alive. Whether it’s being vastly outnumbered by zombies, rushing out of an exploding building, shooting it out with a superior fighting force, or defeating alien invaders, somehow the heroes of our movies find a way to live through it all. If they also are trying to save the lives of other, less capable people, they typically have to yell out to them in one scenario or another to “hold on for your life.” Following this advice is a certain way to survive against all odds, at least in the movies.

Anyone interested in surviving the challenges of real life is going to need more than the movies can offer. Very little of what saves lives and brings people through catastrophes in the fantasies of Hollywood can help people in times of actual crises. And nothing in this world, fictional or real, can bring us through the threats against our souls. More than the living dead and the supernatural destruction of movies, real spiritual forces are creating real havoc on the souls of people all around us. Unlike the action of popular movies, the spiritual destruction of those with whom we work, live, study, and play is very subtle. So subtle, in fact, that it fits in with the routines of daily living. The powerful deception that we are not in any spiritual danger has lulled many people into a complacency that makes God’s call to “hold on for your life” seem like nonsense. But it is the only way for us to take hold of life.

The call to “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” is made in the context of rejecting the things that the world values in order to find contentment in true riches. It is a call into the most epic of battles, one which has caused far more destruction than any Hollywood writer, producer, or director could imagine. Unlike the fanciful adventures of the action movies that hold our attention, no one can escape from this destruction. Instead, we had to be rescued from it and now have to hold on for life to the grace and mercy of God in order to remain safe. Not only that, but we must cling firmly to His grace and mercy as we reenter the fray in order to bring the hope of rescue to those who are perishing. We may never be action figures or super heroes worthy of Hollywood’s attention, but as instruments of God grace we bring the real and only hope for people to “take hold of that which is truly life.”

Click here to listen to the sermon " Hold On for Your Life" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).

Reflection: Being Shrewd with Unrighteous Wealth (September 22, 2013)

The 18th Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Luke 16:1-15

The parable of the dishonest manager presents us with some real challenges. The most difficult part of understanding and applying this parable comes when the master commends the manager for doing something that seems dishonest to us. Whether it was or not isn’t the point of the parable. In fact, trying to determine whether he was being honest or not is likely to distract us from what Jesus is teaching. Without answering that ethical question, Jesus drives home His point by saying “the sons of this world are more shrewd” in how they make use of “unrighteous wealth” than we believers are. The message of this parable is that we should be the shrewd ones.

It’s no accident that the central character in Jesus’ parable is a manager, or, more accurately, a steward. As a steward, this man was responsible for making proper use of what belonged to someone else. He was entrusted with the “unrighteous wealth” (literally unrighteous “mammon”) of his master. His problems began when he acted unwisely and used what belonged to someone else as though it had belonged to him. When he was called out for his unfaithful stewardship, he quickly sized up the situation and acted wisely in his final acts as the steward of his master’s accounts.

Like the character in this parable, we are stewards. However, we are not stewards of “unrighteous wealth” but of the resources that belong to God which have been entrusted to us for His purposes and to His glory. Jesus’ point stings … greatly. If the people of the world are shrewd with “mammon” to gain power, riches, influence, etc. for themselves, we whom God has entrusted with money, time, abilities, and the Gospel should be all the more shrewd in making use of them for righteousness. We should be, but, too often and in too many ways, we’re not.

Our poor stewardship is the focus of this parable. But Jesus did not tell it to condemn us. Rather, He shares this parable with us as a call to rethink how we are making use of His gifts and, in sincere repentance, turn back from our unfaithful use of God’s wealth to pursue what the pagans seek after in their use of “mammon.” It’s a pointed reminder that everything that we have and are is not ours, but belongs to God. And it’s an challenging invitation to share in His joy and in His glory by being profitably shrewd in our use of “unrighteous wealth” — so shrewd that the “mammon” in our lives ends up becoming “righteous wealth” in eternity.

Click here to listen to the sermon "Being Shrewd with Unrighteous Wealth" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).

Reflection: Sharing God's Joy (September 15, 2013)

The 17th Sunday after Pentecost
Ezekiel 34:11-24; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

There was once a time in which you made a career choice in high school and that was that. If you chose to skip college and enter the work force, the chances that you would (or could) go to college later in life were very slight. If you entered college after high school you declared a major during your freshman year and stuck with it (or were stuck with it). But now we have all kinds of education and career options. Colleges have retooled to appeal to adult learners, both in the
classroom and on-line. In place of the worker who spent a career with the same employer, the average person changes jobs eleven times during his career. It’s so common for college students to change their majors that some schools don’t permit their students to declare a major until their sophomore or junior year. And if it turns out that someone ends up with a major in a subject that they dislike, they can always go back to school and get a different degree. With so many options available to us it can be difficult to decide what to do with our lives. As a result, some people are aimless, many are restless, and few actually end up feeling like they’re doing something meaningful with their lives. As Christians we have an advantage over other people. But are we any more clear about what direction to take with our lives?

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus speaks two parables that offer us insight into living out the purpose that God has designed for us. In these parables you won’t find a code for unlocking which major you should declare in college or a “Magic Eight Ball” answer to whether or not you should take a job offer. Instead, this purpose transcends college majors and job titles as an integral part of whatever our vocations in this world may be. In fact, God makes use of our education, training, careers, and every other aspect of our earthly lives to carry out this purpose in and through us. What is this amazing purpose? To share in His joy.

In order to share in God’s joy we must first understand what brings Him joy. People have a lot of ideas about what brings joy to God, but, as these two parables highlight, the Bible only speaks of God rejoicing when the people whom He has chosen to be His own are gathered into His fellowship by His grace. In whatever place in life you have now or will have in the future, God is inviting you to bring His love, mercy, and grace to the people with whom you study, work, play, live, and socialize — and, through those relationships and with all that He has entrusted to your stewardship, to share in His joy.

Click to listen to the sermon "Sharing God's Joy" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).