13th Sunday after Pentecost; Hebrews 11:17-31; 12;1-3

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

            We’re surrounded.  Surrounded by so many things in life - some good, some not so good.  Some things that are encouraging to our faith in Christ, some things that harm it.  What kind of things in life surround you?  Bad health?  Mental health issues?  Is death near?  Difficult times?  Spiritual difficulties?  Financial troubles? Temptations to live as if you’re not baptized?  So many things get in the way of our spiritual race that surround us each day that it’s tempting to give up and stop running.

            But the writer to the Hebrews says that you’re surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.”  Faithful witnesses.  Bold witnesses.  Witnesses who are examples to us of what faith outwardly looks like.  And each had their own challenges, their own crosses in life, just like you.  

            Chapter 11 of Hebrews is sometimes called, “The Faith Hall of Fame” because of the constant refrain, “By faith.”  Abraham was given a promise in his son Isaac, yet he was commanded to sacrifice him, which he willingly would have done.  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.  Moses would rather be mistreated with the people of God than live in the lap of luxury.  He infuriated, arguably, the most powerful man in the world by leading Israel out of Egypt.  Rahab risked her neck by helping the spies of Israel.  Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den for his faith.

            They and many others faced persecution, imprisonment, even death for their faith in God’s promise that He makes through His crucified Son.  I’m sure there are people that you have personally known who were examples of faith to you.  That’s why the Church still has feast days, so that we can remember the example of faith that these Biblical saints set for us.  Sometimes that witness is boldly following God’s command.  Sometimes that witness is enduring the whip for the sake of the faith.  Sometimes that witness is even spilling their own blood.  We’re surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses by these Old Testament people who gave witness to faith in God’s promise to save them through the Savior.  

            What we can plainly see from this “Faith Hall of Fame” is that faith is a difficult thing; in fact it’s a miracle that we have it and that it’s sustained.  It’s difficult because of all the other things that surround us in life: poor health, poor financial situation, death, our own sin.  Not to mention the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature, which work against our faith in Christ constantly.  If it were up to us to keep and preserve faith, we would have failed long ago.

            But our faith is sustained, not by any doing of our own, not by work of our own willpower.  Faith is created and sustained by God’s Word, which points us to Jesus.  That’s who the writer of Hebrews points us to, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” 

             As encouraging as these Old Testament people are, they weren’t saved by their works or anything else that they did.  Abraham didn’t gain any “salvation points” by being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Moses isn’t in heaven because he defied Pharaoh and led the people of Israel to freedom.  Rahab wasn’t saved by helping the spies.  These things they did because of, as a result of their faith that was already there.  They’re saved by the same way you and I are, through Jesus.  We have faith in the Savior who was given, they had faith in the same Savior who was promised. 

            True faith is focused in the person and work of Jesus Christ the promised Savior, no matter if you’re Abraham, Isaac, David, Matthew, John, Paul, you or me.  Faith doesn’t look at its works and say, “See what I’ve done”, but it looks to the cross and says, “See what He’s done for me.”  Faith is the hand that grasps onto the promises of God and holds fast to them and says, “This promise is for me.”  True faith grasps on to the cross of Jesus and says, “This forgiveness, this salvation, this Jesus is for me.” 

            So here it is; the clear unadulterated Gospel.  The thing which creates and sustains your faith: Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, the only Savior was sent from heaven to take on our flesh, to live for you, to die for you, and to be raised again for you.  For your imperfect faith, to surround you with His love, grace, peace, and forgiveness.  For those things that seem to be a stumbling block: sickness, death, sin, guilt.  Your faith is sustained in Him who died for you.  Hear it.  Believe it.  It’s yours.

            He’s your Savior, the one who came to rescue you from sin and death, and to give you forgiveness and everlasting life in their place.  Jesus did this by going to the cross for you, shedding his blood for you, that you would have these gifts.  Jesus did this for you by rising from the dead, showing the power of his victory, which will be your victory also, on the day when Christ returns and raises you to eternal life.  These gifts are yours by grace.  Receive them by faith.  Faith takes a strangle hold of the promises of God, and all these promises that are wrapped up in Christ and says, “For me!  Forgiveness for me, poor sinner that I am!”

Now with this gift of faith, you’ll be able to make it through all the challenges and obstacles that surround you in life.  In spite of all the adversities and the setbacks and let-downs and the “How come all this bad stuff is happening to me?”–in spite of all that, your faith in God’s goodness won’t be destroyed.  Tested, yes, but not destroyed.   God is for you and with you, even when it doesn’t look like it.  The ultimate proof is in the cross of Jesus.  This is the one thing you can hold on to, when everything else is falling apart.                                                                              

            So, on your spiritual race, refresh yourself in the waters of baptism, return there each day.  Take sustenance in His body and blood given and shed for you.  Take encouragement in the Gospel, Jesus dies and lives for you.  All this so that you can run the race with endurance, with the cloud of witnesses giving their testimony to the Savior, so that you, too, can live by faith, grasping hold of the Savior’s salvation gift, hold it up to your heart and say, “For me.  This gift God gives for me.”  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

12th Sunday after Pentecost; Luke 12:22-34

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

            Worries.  Anxieties.  Stresses.  Do you have them? Who among us hasn’t been kept up at night with anxious thoughts and fears of this life?  What keeps you up at night?  Don’t know how the mortgage is going to get paid?  When are the medical bills going to stop piling up?  Are the fields going to get planted?  Will the crops be able to be harvested or will the rain prevent that too?  With the weather lately, will there be an early frost?  Is there a loved one who’s sick?  Is there a loved one who’s dying? 

            This week’s Gospel text comes right after last week when Jesus told the Parable of the Rich Fool.  Last week we heard Jesus bid us to “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  This week he tells us why we don’t need to be covetousness for earthly treasures:  God knows what we need and He provides, even though we worry and fret about these things. 

            There’s no doubt that this world if full of worries, anxieties, and stresses.  They’re all around us, they happen each and every day; they prevent countless hours of sleep.  It seems that we have a disposition toward them.  How many hours are spent worrying about this or that when 95% of the time the thing for which we spent all those hours worrying never happens anyway.  We speak the language of fear very well and it usually begins with the words, “What if…”  “What if I don’t get enough money to pay the bills?”  “What if the rain continues and I don’t get the crops in?”  “What if my mom dies?”  We speak the voice of fear very well, but the voice of faith… Not so much.

            Worry and anxiety flows from our sinful nature, which doesn’t exactly trust God with providing for all our needs, though He’s seen to it that our needs were met yesterday, the month before, the year before, and the decade before that.  I don’t know about you, but I still find myself worrying and fretting over tomorrow; what will happen in the future.  My sinful nature just doesn’t seem to trust that Jesus has my back, knows what I need, and will provide everything.  Does that sound like you? 

            Yet, in the midst of financial troubles, poor farming weather, in the midst of sickness and even death; in the midst of all our worries, frets, anxieties, and stresses, Jesus tells us, “I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”  “But hasn’t Jesus seen the economy lately?  Hasn’t He looked out the window and seen the weather?  Doesn’t He see the bills piled up on the kitchen table?  Doesn’t He notice that the children are sick?  Has He even bothered to notice that my mom is dying?  What do you mean, ‘Don’t be anxious?’ “ Ah, there’s the voice of fear we speak so fluently.  The voice of faith, that’s what we need to learn.

            Jesus does, indeed, have your back, He knows what you need and will provide.  After all, the birds don’t have a place to store up for tomorrow, they don’t have tracts of land to grow their own food, yet, God sees to it that they receive their daily bread.  How much more will He provide for you who are of much more value than birds?  Our Lord sees to it that the grass is clothed, even though it’s mowed down and burned, or cut up into little bits of mulch, how much more will He clothe you? 

            “Fear not, little flock.”  That’s what He says.  He’s our Good Shepherd who faithfully tends to His flock.  You needn’t worry or fret or be anxious.  Why?  Because the Kingdom is Yours, it’s your Father’s good pleasure to give it to you.  Jesus has, on the cross, reconciled the world to the Father.  And since the world and God are reconciled, the things like food, clothing, and home; your daily bread, have all been added to you.  

            Jesus has seen to it that your first need – eternal life has been taken care of.  Your ultimate need is a done deal; the Kingdom has been given to you and since the ultimate is sure and certain, the penultimate, that is, this life, is far less scary.

            You don’t need to worry even if you sold all your possessions and gave the money to the church, the poor, or charity.  Jesus has your back, He’ll see to it that you’re cared for.  Now, that’s doesn’t mean you can be lazy or slothful, or act foolishly with what you’ve been given, but that you can trust your Father in Heaven.  The birds are fed, the lilies and grass are clothed, He’ll care for you too.

            “But I still have bills piled up.”   “The weather’s doing a number on my crops.” “My mom is still sick.”  Do not fear little flock.  Your father knows.  He’ll provide for you.  You may not be given to always live the lifestyle you’re living now, but He’ll provide; your daily bread will still come.  God promises to give you what you need.  He never promised a 3-bedroom house and a 2-car garage but He’ll daily and richly provide for all you need to support this body and life.  And even if you do go bankrupt, lose the farm, you can still say, “You know what, I still have a greater treasure anyway and the Lord will provide somehow.”  What if your mom does pass away?  You can still say, “Thank the Lord that He has baptized and kept her in faith all the days of her life.  Thanks be to God.”  Now, that’s the voice of faith. 

            The president of the synod, Matthew Harrison, once said, “Courage is fear that’s been baptized.”  He’s right.  You’re baptized, the Kingdom’s yours.  You’ll face many things in this life, some financial, some medical, and some things that you can’t even imagine; there’s no doubt we live in a fallen and broken world.  But it’s a world that’s been over come.  Fear not.  Have courage.  It’s your Father’s pleasure to give you everything that you need for your body and your soul, for the things you need in this life and for the next.  And all of it, food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, and home, as well as forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, all flow from the cross where Jesus reconciled you to the Father.  He toiled for you that you would be harvested into the heavenly storehouse.  He labors for you on the cross where you’ve been given the Kingdom.  And because the Kingdom is given to you, because the ultimate is certain, the things of this life are also taken care of.

            He loves you like a loving father loves and cares for his children and sees to it that they’re fed, nourished, and clothed.  How much more will our gracious Heavenly Father care for all your needs?  Fear not, little flock, the kingdom is yours and He will make sure that you have all you need for today, tomorrow, and even into eternity.  Amen.

            The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

11th Sunday after Pentecost; Luke 12:13-21

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

             “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”  Pretty strong words, don’t you think?  He’s not asking a question, or putting in a request; this isn’t praying boldly, like we talked about last week.  This is an out and out command given to Jesus, telling Him exactly what to do.  And his command isn’t for the benefit of his neighbor, but for himself.  No “thy will be done,” no, “if it please you, Lord,” just, “tell my brother to divide the inheritance!” (Exclamation point)  A nameless someone in the crowd brazenly commands Jesus to make him a wealthy man.  It could be anyone; it could even be you. 

            We don’t know who this man is, but Jesus does.  He sees the man’s heart turned toward the things of this life, just as He sees your heart.  Greed and covetousness have its way to lead us into temptation.

            I don’t think there’s much denying that we live in a culture that’s fascinated with “stuff” and; what’s more, so many think that they’re entitled to and deserve that “stuff.”  God created all and makes us stewards over it, for our use and enjoyment.  God creates all that we’ve been given and calls it good, but the problem is that we take what God has called “good,” drop an o and call it god.  Our hearts fear not having enough of it, we love our stuff and mourn if we lose it, we trust in it like a security blanket; yet God is clear that our fear, love, and trust is for Him alone.  We’re spiritually bankrupt, but our greatest concern is being rich in earthly things.

            This love for stuff, this covetousness is instilled in us from early on, and covetousness, as Paul writes in our epistle text is idolatry.  We want to be the kid with the nicest shoes, the best video games, the most presents at Christmas.  And the older we get, the stuff just gets bigger.  We want to most land, the biggest house, the nicest boat, the newest car.  And yet, in the end, when our soul is required of us, what does this idolatrous god of stuff profit us?

            Most take Ecclesiastes to be written by King Solomon, the wealthiest king of Israel.  What does this rich king have to say about earthly wealth?  Vanity.  All is vanity, a chasing after the wind and in the end, some fool enjoys the benefits of your toil. 

            “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,” Jesus tells this nameless someone in the crowd and he says it to us.  Your life doesn’t consist in what kind of shoes you wear, how much land you have, how big your house is, or how new your car is.  Your life doesn’t consist in the abundance of your stuff, but in Christ. 

            That’s the lesson of Jesus’ parable.  Life isn’t about accumulating stuff for the sake of getting more.  It’s not about tearing down barns in order to build bigger ones, you never know when the heart will give out, when that vain will pop, or when that bus will be coming down the street with your name on it.  In the end, your stuff won’t help you. 

            The game of life isn’t about having the most when you die, but being rich toward God.  Our Sinful nature seeks to be rich in earthly treasure but apart from Jesus, we’re broke when it comes to heavenly treasure.  So what, then, shall we do?

            “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”  And our Brother does.  Our Lord was rich in heavenly treasure, but gave it up to become poor in spirit, to suffer, to die, so that His inheritance, the inheritance that should go to Him alone, is divided, is given, to you. 

            Christ came down from heaven, leaving all that He had to share in our human nature.  He came so that you, who are poor in spirit, become rich in God.  He came in humility so that you would wear that robe of His righteousness and that crown of glory.  He came so that you would be an inheritor of that heavenly kingdom. 

            He accomplished this, “not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.”  Jesus willingly made Himself poor, going to the cross, spilling His blood so that you would have treasure in heaven.  This great reversal, that we who are spiritually poor are made rich in God by He who was rich becoming poor.  That’s how God accomplishes His good work.  Christ is our greatest treasure.  Greater than anything we can store in a barn, a bank account, or a safety deposit box.  Greater than having the most land, the biggest house, or the nicest car.  For what good is it to gain the whole world but lose Christ?

            And our Lord continues to give to us, here and now, heavenly riches from His heavenly treasury.  The rich man in the text, trusting in his earthly wealth said to himself, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”  Jesus points us to Him on the altar and says,  “Eat my body.  Drink my blood.  Hear my word.  Be merry in the gifts of salvation and eternal life that I bring to you today.” 

            It’s true that we long for earthly wealth more than what God wants to give us in His gifts of salvation.  We must repent.  But trust in God, you’re a forgiven, redeemed child of God.

             What can we do to acquire for ourselves heavenly treasure?  Nothing.  Our Lord gives it to you, He wins it for you on the cross.  He empties Himself that you would be filled with His very righteousness.  Trust in Him, He’s done it for you.

            You’re rich toward God, Jesus has seen to it.  He’s taken your bankrupt spiritual bank account and filled it full with His inheritance.  And when all things have come to completion, when your soul is required of you, when He comes to raise you from the grave, you shall receive your brother Jesus’ inheritance in its fullest. 

            Until then, enjoy what you’ve been given.  It’s not a sin to have much, the sin is trusting in stuff over God, not ever being content with what He’s given you, being more concerned with accumulation earthly treasures instead of seeking the heavenly treasures our Lord has won for you. 

            Believe it!  The Kingdom is yours!  It’s been won for you, the inheritance has been divided, so that we, who deserve nothing from God, receive everything from Him through His crucified and risen Son, the One who became poor so that you would be rich in God.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

10th Sunday after Pentecost; Luke 11:1-13

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

            I recently read on the blog of a former pastor and teacher of the church that he doesn’t have a vivid memory of many of the sermons that he preached from the pulpit or even lectures that he taught at graduate school.  What he remembers most vividly are those sermons that he preached spontaneously as he went about his daily life.  

            I agree.   I don’t have a vivid memory of many of the sermons that I’ve preached from the pulpit in my relatively short tenure, but I have a vivid memory of times I’ve preached or confessed the faith at the bedside of a dying man, the stranger who happened upon a group of us seminarians who were hanging out in a hotel room in St. Louis (the poor guy), and sitting around a table at the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle with my mom and another mother whose daughter was riddled with cancer. 

            The last example happened 20 years ago, but is I still have a vivid memory of it.  This poor woman, whose name I don’t remember, was having a breakdown because of her daughter, and in her cries of lament she exclaimed, “I just don’t know how to pray anymore.”  

            “Teach us to pray,” the disciples ask.  It’s not the natural state of humans to turn to God in prayer; it goes against our every fiber of our sinful nature.  So many things get in the way of our praying: we put them off until just before bed when we’re too tired.  In hunger, it’s all too easy to forego praying before meals.  We tell ourselves that we’ll do it later.  We fail to pray for our friends, neighbors, and enemies.  Maybe there’s doubt whether or not God actually hears our prayers.  But Jesus doesn’t say, “If you pray,” He says, “When you pray.”  Prayer is the voice of faith and it’s something that’s not extraordinary for the Christian; in fact, it’s commanded. 

            Our natural state is to turn in on ourselves for every want, need, or desire.  Since prayer isn’t something that comes naturally and the Old Adam despises, we all must learn how to pray.  We must be taught like a child learns his ABCs. 

            We must also learn not only how to pray, but what prayer is.  So often I’ve seen prayer depicted on T.V. shows, and even by T.V. preachers, as a sort of wishing well.  We throw our quarter in and if we pray hard enough, if our prayer is sincere enough God will grant our wish.  But God is no genie, nor is he a vending machine that we stick in our quarter and out pops what we want.  He’s our Father and we’re His children, He knows what we need even before we ask.

            Prayer is a two-way conversation, but one that’s started by God; He speaks and we repeat, like a child learning to speak.  The child listens and repeats and when he repeats a word of his parents, mom and dad are pleased.  “Did you just hear what Johnny said?  He said it just like us!” 

            “Lord, teach us to pray.”  And what follows is a prayer that covers everything.  A prayer that Christians have repeated for millennia.  Jesus teaches us to pray, He gives the content and the words.  And what follows is the prayer that Jesus gives to His Church from His own lips, He gives them words to pray. “Father. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation.”  You’ll recognize what we call the Lord’s Prayer, at least five of seven petitions.

            And the first thing that Jesus teaches us is who we’re praying to.  “Father.”  He’s our Father and we are His true children.  The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is also our Father.  So with these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children.  So that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.  We dare to pray like that because Jesus teaches us to.

            As Jesus continues His prayer, He sets the agenda of what our needs are.  Jesus says to pray for these things: Pray that the Father’s Name be kept Holy among you; in your lives and on your lips.  Pray that His Kingdom come to you through the Word of the Gospel preached and Sacraments given.  Pray that His will be done among you, that the devil and our own sinful natures are thwarted and that He keeps us steadfast in His word and faith all our lives.  Pray for the bread that He gives us each day and everything else that He provides for our bodies; and to receive it with thanksgiving.  Pray for forgiveness of your sins and the faith to forgive those who sin against you.  Pray for protection against the temptation to sin from the devil, world, and our sinful nature, which want to lead us from faith.  And then after everything is said, after your petitions are made, be bold enough to say, “Amen,” which means, “Yes it shall be so!  I am sure and certain that my Father has heard my prayer just like He promised and He is pleased by my prayer.”                                      
            We dare to trouble the Lord of the universe for these things.  Like Abraham who bargained with the Lord over the destruction of Sodom.  We dare to go to God like a man who pounds on his neighbor’s door in the middle of the night wanting some bread to feed an unexpected guest.  And when you pray, know that the Lord knows what you need even before you ask.  He will see to it that you receive the things you need and some of the things you want.  What father, gives his child a snake when he asks for a fish or a scorpion when he asks for an egg?  How much more will your gracious heavenly Father give you everything that you need for this life and the next?

            He hears our prayers and gives to us all we need for one reason.  Jesus died on the cross.  Apart from Jesus and His cross, we get nothing and God’s ears are closed to us.  But Jesus did the Good Friday deed for you.  He submitted Himself to death so that God would call us His children and we call Him father.  Through Jesus, the Lord accepts our prayers like sweet incense. 

            Our Lord teaches to pray and what’s more, He prays for us.  Read through the Gospels, He’s constantly praying for you and Scriptures are clear that our Lord brings His petitions on your behalf before His Father.  When your prayers fail you, Jesus’ prayers never fail. 

            The Lord has heard your prayers and, ultimately, answers them in His Son, for Jesus has hallowed the Name of God in life and in death. He has ushered in the Kingdom of God, making you an heir and subject of His eternal reign. He gives to you the daily bread of food, house, family, and all the gifts of creation, which are sanctified for your use and enjoyment because you’re a redeemed child of God. By His cross your sins are forgiven. By His passion you’re set free from the temptations of the devil, the world, and even your sinful nature.

            “Lord, teach us to pray.”  That’s what the woman was saying that night at the Ronald McDonald House when she said  “I don’t just don’t know how to pray anymore.”  In those times of despair, when we don’t have the words, Jesus has given them to you, put them in your mouth, and you’re learned them by heart and He, Himself, prays fervently for you.  That night we prayed the prayer that our Lord taught us with boldness and confidence.  We offered up petitions on behalf of her little girl, who was hurting but didn’t understand why.  And when we were done, when we spoke to God like Abraham and the midnight neighbor, we dared to say, “Amen.”

            So, pray, seek, ask, knock.  Jesus has died for you, you’re forgiven and so the Father receives your prayers as a loving father listens to his children.  But you’re not alone in prayer.  Our brother, Jesus, is always offering prayers to our Father on your behalf.  And God has to answer, after all, you’re born again through baptism, you’re one of the family.  Amen.

            The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen