“This man receives sinners and eats with them,” His detractors cried. “This man, claiming to be holy, claiming to be sent from God in Heaven, claiming to be the Son of God, eats with the most vile and detestable and unholy lot on earth. How can one so holy deign to dwell among and associate with the unholy? It’s unheard of. It’s reprehensible. It’s sacrilegious.”

So, Jesus compares his listeners to shepherds. These detractors, these self-righteous lawyers, these scribes and pharisees are asked, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” Jesus compared them to shepherds, once a highly respected position, which had become looked down upon as the “am-ha-arets,” the “people of the land”—the unclean and sinners. Furthermore, the shepherd has lost a sheep…how irresponsible.

On top of that, this shepherd left the 99 to find the lost one. He is so irresponsible to lose one and compounds that irresponsibility by leaving the herd to find a single wanderer. Is there such a thing as the needs of the one outweighing the needs of the many?

So, Jesus compared his listeners to a poor woman whose only monetary possession is 10 coins, the wages for 10 days work. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?” She was so poor, she had to be an old servant woman, another example of the “am-ha-arets,” the people of the land. And she was so careless to have lost a day’s wages.

On top of that, this careless woman compounded her carelessness by forgetting about the other nine day’s wages to find the one. Furthermore, when she finds it, she throws a party with her friends, probably spending more than a single day’s wages—the amount that was originally lost. Can there be so much joy over the recovery of something so small and insignificant?

Well, is there? Can there be?

Is there such a thing as the needs of the one outweighing the needs of the many? To answer that, I remind you of another time when Jesus was “accused” of unlawful association. He called Levi, St. Matthew, the tax collector to follow Him—to be His disciple. Levi invited Him over for dinner, and Jesus went and ate. The scribes and Pharisees asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (cf. Luke 5:2-32)

So, maybe Jesus was comparing the scribes and Pharisees to the 99 sheep. After all, the shepherd leaves them to go find the one needing to be brought back into the fold. And when the shepherd finds it, he puts it on his shoulders and carries it home where he calls together his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him. He does not return to the pasture, to the other 99 sheep. They are not mentioned again except in this context: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

In light of today’s Old Testament lesson, it would certainly seem the 99 sheep are representative of the scribes and Pharisees, the self-righteous and unrepentant. There, in Ezekiel 34, God says,

He will judge between sheep and sheep. He will discern between the 99 righteous sheep who need no repentance and the one who does. How? The prophet continued,

He will establish His own shepherd over them, One from the line of David, One Who will judge between the 99 and the one, and He will be the God of the one.

Now, it has often been said, and it is true, that there are no 99 people who are just and need no repentance. No, there is not even one. These 99 just people who need no repentance are 99 people who are just in their own sight and see no need in themselves to repent. They are self-righteous. These 99 sheep see no need for the shepherd; they can get along just fine without them. Likewise, 99 self-righteous people see, any self-righteous person sees, no need for the Good Shepherd—for a Savior—they believe they are good enough without Him.

These are not simply scribes and Pharisees. There are myriad people with myriad labels who justify themselves before the face of God, willfully and unwillfully. From among those who outright reject and deny the Savior, and even from among those who call themselves Christians. And I bet there everyone in here can find and have found one sin or another to justify rather than confess.

But, that one who wanders off, that sinner and tax collector, that member of the “am-ha-arets” who has no righteousness in himself and sees it—to this one does the Good Shepherd run after, and when He finds it, He places it on His shoulders and bears it home. There is an image of burden here, and one which you should not overlook. There is a price that the shepherd pays; the journey to find the lost one is a difficult one. It is costly for the shepherd to put the lost one one his shoulders and bear it home. K. Bailey, in Poet and Peasant, wrote on this subject, “In this theme of the burden of restoration there are clear Christological implications which point in the direction of the passion. The shepherd must carry on his shoulders the burden of the lost sheep, a detail that is specifically mentioned.”

What are those Christological implications? Simply this, to accomplish the restoration of the lost, the Good Shepherd, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, came as man to suffer and die. He bore the burden of the lost on His shoulders as His arms were spread and bound to a wooden beam and nails were driven into His hands and feet. He hung, bleeding and dying, scourged, crowned with thorns, giving His life as a ransom for the lost. And of His last words before death He said, “It is done.” It is accomplished. Or, as St. Paul put it, “[W]hile we were still sinners, Christ died for us…while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” (Romans 5:8b, 10a) You were reconciled to God, restored to a right relationship with God.

No longer is the reconciled one, the restored one an enemy of God. And, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The reconciled one has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (cf. Romans 5:1)

Can there be so much joy over the recovery of something so small and insignificant? Absolutely. Straight from the lips of God walking in the flesh you hear, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” God in His Son paid a price by bearing the full weight of sin and sins committed. So think of it this way: do you not rejoice when something you invested much time and money in is productive, when it does what it is supposed to do, works like it is supposed to, produces the desired the effect. Likewise, there is much rejoicing before the angels of God over one sinner who repents and receives the benefits of the price the Son of God paid: reconciliation and restoration. The difference is that the joy is not because the repentant in repentance somehow becomes worthy of the price paid for his restoration, but in that he has been restored! There is much joy in heaven over one sinner who repents because he has been reconciled and restored.

So, go back to what Jesus said in Levi’s house. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Jesus has come as the Good Shepherd to call sinners to repentance. He comes with all mercy and grace, comes to show you your sin and be your Savior, calling for repentance and giving forgiveness.

The joy in what He said in Levi’s house is that when He calls sinners to repent, He gives the words with which to repent. Those who are not in self-righteous doubt which denies the need for repentance and a Savior then speak those words. Words such are found in today’s Psalm:

Or in Psalm 51:

Or in Psalm 86:

Or as simply as was spoken by the publican—that “am-ha-arets”—in the back of the temple, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

So, when one speaks those words in repentance, there is much joy in heaven, because there are more words for the repentant. Words not for him to speak, but for him to hear from his called and ordained servant of the word: “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” His sins are forgiven then and there as surely and certainly as they are in heaven, and there is much rejoicing in heaven, in the presence of the angels of God, over the forgiveness given this one.

And this rejoicing is not limited to those who call themselves Christians. Even scribes and Pharisees can repent and be absolved—even those who outright reject and deny the Savior, those who persecute Him. Case in point, one man named Saul, who was a Pharisee of highest order and training, who once wrote to a young pastor that which was read earlier and which you will again sing in a little while:

Saul was converted on the road to Damascus and received forgiveness from God through His servant Ananias, and there was much joy in heaven and rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God. So it is for all who repent and receive the forgiveness of sins.

That joy is also present in the Church Militant. For here, you are gathered by the Spirit of God, where you by God-given repentance confess your sins and receive forgiveness. And you rejoice to hear those words with a joy that culminates as you laud and magnify God’s glorious name with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven and take your place at the foretaste of the Feast of the Lamb which has no end. There most certainly is “joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” After all, the highest form of worship is to be in the presence of God to be given to.

So, you are invited. Come, the feast is ready; rejoice, because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Those opening statements sound an awful lot like what you heard from Him three weeks ago, about not coming to bring peace but division, and while there are similar sentiments in these two accounts, today’s is for a different purpose…a different teaching.

With these words, Jesus implores you to count the cost. Counting the cost is always a good idea, as Jesus explained.

• If you’re going to build a tower, you’re going to count the cost. You figure what the materials and labor is going to cost and balance that against your budget in order to insure that you have enough to finish to job. Otherwise, you’ll be mocked as one who began a job you couldn’t finish.
• Or, going to war, a country’s leader also counts the cost. He consults his advisors to see if his forces can match the other forces, which outnumber him two-to-one. Is there some strategy that can be employed to give his outnumbered army an advantage? If no solution can be found before the battles begin, it’s best not to go to war rather than declare war foolishly in the face of insurmountable odds then send peace envoys seeking to surrender.

And having given those two examples, Jesus then said, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

You see, by this time, Jesus had developed a reputation among the common people in and around Judea. With that reputation, He had accumulated a large following. People joined this large throng of followers for one reason or another. However, a follower—or tag-along—does not a disciple make. Therefore Jesus turned to the crowd and announced, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” To turn from simple follower to disciple, one must separate themselves from what was left behind, count it as loss for Jesus’ sake, forsake it to the point of hating it. It’s a heavy cross to bear, but that’s the cost of being a disciple. Count the cost, Jesus implored, count the cost.

Being a disciple is about love, at least in part. Love is a very costly thing. It’s like I tell those whom I am about to marry, “Love is sacrifice for another. Love is hard work; it is the work of serving another. The more one loves, the harder one works.” That is what love truly is, not some romantic notion invented by screen writers. Love is not about what one gets from another but about what one gives to another. It is forsaking everything for the sake of another. And so, in marriage, it is said that a husband and wife are to leave mother and father and be joined to each other, forsaking, in a sense, everything else that they knew for their spouse.

The cost of discipleship is the same. It is love for the Teacher and His teaching over and above all else, even to the point of hating everything else and forsaking it. It is sitting at the feet of the Teacher, listening to Him, learning from Him, trusting solely in Him, relying on Him, being given to from Him.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

Those other things are not important when it comes to being a disciple. I could go down the First Commandment road here: “You shall have no other gods before me,” that is to say, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” And it’s true, and to a point, that’s what Jesus is saying. Being His disciple is fearing, loving, and trusting God above father and mother, above wife and children, above brothers and sisters, yes, even above one’s own life! I keep saying to a point because these all can be forsaken to a particular point because God in Christ has them all in His hands. He cares for these as He cares for His disciples—because He has died for it all. Well and good if father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters are disciples, too, but even if they are not, it does not impact one’s being a disciple because God cares for them, too.

And there’s another important point to make. Jesus is not imploring you to count the cost as empty words. He’s not giving this as advice that has no pertinence to Himself. After all, what is a tower to God? He can raise up and raze down a tower in the blink of an eye. What is the largest army of men to God? No strength of man can match His might. Who is He to tell you to count the cost?

Who are you to question that? Remember that love is very costly. God has considered the cost of love. Out of love for his fallen creation He sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law to redeem those under the Law, and the price for that redemption—the cost—was His own life and blood, given and spilled for the forgiveness of sins. As His Son was hanging on the cross dying, Jesus cried out, “’Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34) God the Father forsook His own Son as the cost of His love for the world, as He gave His Son as a ransom for His fallen creation, held captive to sin and the devil.

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37) No, one can’t say that the cost of love wasn’t considered by the Son, either. For one, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled Himself by taking on the form of His own creation—the form of a man. (cf. Philippians 2:6-7) The Son left His own glory in Heaven, forsaking it, out of love for creation. His own life was the cost of gathering to Himself a spotless Bride, as St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-27. The Son left His Father and mother for the sake of His Bride, the church, and gave His life as Her ransom…as your ransom.

He came as man to die, but He is also true God, therefore death could not hold Him in the grave. Christ is risen, the firstfruits of a new creation, you could say. After all, that’s how St. Paul put it:

Even Jesus Christ Himself declared, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

So, if Jesus Christ has made all things new, then He has made fathers and mothers, wife and children, brothers and sisters new, yes, even your own life! So, while being a disciple may mean hating these things, forsaking them for Christ’s sake, it does not mean abandoning them. If, in Christ, you are called to the vocation of child, you do not abandon your mother or father, whether they believe or not, but you hold to your love of God over and above them; and in your love for God, you love them. If, in Christ, you are called to the vocation of husband or wife, father or mother, you do not abandon your spouse and children, whether they believe or not, but you hold to your love of God over and above them; and in your love for God, you love them. If, in Christ, you are called to the vocation of brother or sister, you do not abandon your siblings, whether they believe or not, but you hold to your love of God over and above them; and in your love for God, you love them. Yes, even your own life—as a disciple you are never asked to take your own life, but remaining faithful to God, remaining a disciple may mean that your life is taken from you. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life,” Jesus declared. (Revelation 2:10)

Thus, the disciple bears his own cross. Following Jesus, loving Him over and above all else, sitting at His feet, listening to Him, learning from Him, trusting solely in Him, relying on Him, being given to from Him—all of that is bearing the cross of discipleship. It’s an easy cross to bear, as Jesus stated, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) That’s the cross of discipleship, the light burden His disciples are called to bear—the burden of being given to and being forgiven in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

As a disciple, then, you are the salt of the earth. (cf. Matthew 5:13) “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?”

How are you salt? When you bear your cross to the world.

• When, as a disciple of Christ, you live as one redeemed to father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and everyone else placed in your path, without regard to your own life, secure in the knowledge that God in Christ holds your life safely in His hands.
• When, as a disciple of Christ, you live as one redeemed by daily contrition and repentance drowning and killing the Old Adam in you with all sins and evil desires that a new man should daily emerge and arise by God’s grace to live before Him in righteousness and purity forever.
• When, as a disciple of Christ, you live as one redeemed by receiving Holy Absolution from your pastor as if from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it, your sins are forgiven before God in heaven.
• When, as a disciple of Christ, you live as one redeemed by receiving the Sacrament of the Altar worthily, having faith in the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” for those words show you that in the Sacrament, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given you through those same words. “For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.”

What a joyful privilege and task you have as one redeemed to God in the blood of His Son, emboldened to do so by the power of the Spirit of God.

You are salt because you are a disciple. You are a disciple because you bear the cross. You bear the cross because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Dear redeemed of Christ, here is a topic of much importance to the Church. Jesus spoke of taking places of honor at a wedding feast. In his own way, He related this to the Great Wedding Feast—the Feast of Victory of the Lamb. So, when Jesus speaks of a wedding feast, you really have no option but to look at the Foretaste of the Feast to Come that He has given the Church to do in remembrance of Him. It is a matter of much importance to the Church because it is in this feast that Her members find their Life in Christ.

You may recall that Jesus once said that the gateway to life is narrow. (cf Matthew 7:14) There is only one gate, and it is too narrow, therefore, to enter carrying anything, like a sack of pet sins; it is too narrow to enter wearing your awards for meritorious service; it is too narrow to enter with shoulders broadened by the idea that, “I’ve done my best” (not that your best is ever good enough); it is too narrow to enter as a group—to say that you have entrance because you carry membership in a certain Christian congregation or belong to a certain family is ridiculous. The gate is wide enough for only one person at a time—a person who has been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. But the gate is nothing to be concerned about for the person who trusts in Christ. For if your entrance has already been won, then you have what’s on the other side of the door to look forward to—the Wedding Feast of the Lamb!

And for your short time on earth, you get a glimpse of that Feast in the Lord’s Supper. So, you hear these words from Jesus regarding the feast:

Jesus began his instructions in this section by speaking to those invited to the Wedding Feast. He spoke of bad table manners, referring to the particular attitude of the individual in attendance. It is haughty for one filled with pride and self-importance to wander into the house and right up to the place of importance at the table; it is sinful to go to the table as a guest and expect or demand or think that you deserve to be served. It may be that you have seen it happen, perhaps even had to do it yourself—someone in either their arrogance or ignorance has to be directed away from the head table because they should not be there. It is embarrassing and humiliating when someone is told to return to where they came from and sit down.

Such a person is the kind of person with broad shoulders who will never be able to enter through that narrow gate. Their view of themselves and others is dangerously turned in upon themselves. It is the same attitude that the sons of Zebedee had when they approached Jesus and asked for the places of honor in Jesus’ glory. (cf. Mark 10:35-37) It is the same attitude of all the disciples at the Last Supper—for when Jesus had told them that He was going to be betrayed, they wondered who would do this, then they disputed among themselves, arguing about which of them should be considered the greatest. (cf. Luke 22:23-24)

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17 KJV) If these are the actions of one with broad shoulders, then the attitude of a guest at the feast should be one of humility. The humble guest recognizes that it is by gracious invitation that he is at the table. The humble guest recognizes that it is only by that same invitation that he is even in the house—that he is through the narrow gate—that the host even wants him there! The humble guest is like the publican who entered the temple, stayed in the back, and kept his head bowed low and confessed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) The humble guest is like the woman who is satisfied, like a little dog, with the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. (cf. Matthew 15:26-27) The humble guest is the one who approaches the table, thankful that he even has a place there.

These are the proper table manners Jesus spoke in His instructions. “But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.” There is no deserving to be served; for if you received what you deserved, there would be no Christ, no Feast, no gate, and you would all be lost and without any hope. But by God’s gracious invitation, you are served the righteousness of Christ. So, you should approach the Lord’s Table, rejoicing in and thankful for what you are about to receive—that is, you take that lowest place—and you are filled with Christ and His merits, those magnificent crumbs from the Master’s table. You are made to be like him—you are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21)—you are honored in the presence of all your fellow guests and right along with them!

Take Christ’s example as your own. In response to the bickering of the disciples mentioned earlier, Christ said, “For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:27) For whom is the highest place reserved? You should have no doubt, and be quick to answer “Christ,” of course, and the Scriptures confirm this. But the Scriptures also confirm that Jesus switched places. For in that same night when He was betrayed, Jesus took a bowl and towel and switched places by crawling on the floor like a servant and washing His disciples’ feet. He switched places with you, taking the punishment and death that you deserved. Hear it from St. Paul, who also speaks of the highest place Jesus ascended to:

Christ switched places with you, granting you pardon while taking the death you deserved on the cross, taking you out of the Kingdom of Darkness, and granting you entrance into the glorious Kingdom of His marvelous Light, His kingdom.

This is a matter of much importance to the Church. Jesus has given you a Foretaste of the Feast to Come; He has given you a means by which you receive Him and His righteousness. This feast, but a mirror of the feast beyond the narrow gate, is not for the Pharisee or the one who wallows in his own self-worth; this feast is closed to those who expect or demand to be served by Christ. The gate is too narrow for these with broad shoulders. This feast is for those who have been invited by the Lord—the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; it is for the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ’s saving word. This feast is for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This feast is for those who desire forgiveness for their sin.

Are you among them? If so, and you are, then this feast is for you. To you, Jesus Christ gives life…He gives forgiveness and salvation. To you, Christ opens the narrow gate—He is the narrow gate (cf. John 10:1-9)—and ushers you in where with the angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, you will laud and magnify His glorious name, evermore praising Him, and eating at the Wedding Feast which has no end. Jesus is your narrow gate and your gatekeeper, granting you entrance through His meritorious death and resurrection for you, making you the righteousness of God in Him, forgoing you for all of your sins.

The man is in the wilderness. He has grown weary and tired from the chase. The day has grown long and the sun is beginning to set. There is no one and nothing else around, and he has no provisions for the night. In his weariness, however, he lays on the ground and falls asleep. For a pillow, he uses a stone.

Of course, with that last line, you know of whom I speak. Jacob, the youngest son of Isaac and Rebekah, the younger of the set of twins with Esau. Jacob was born clutching his brother’s heel. Esau was born first, and he was born covered in red hair, hence his name Esau, which means “hairy.” Jacob, ever in conflict with his brother and desiring what he had, was born with his hand on Esau’s heel, as if trying to trip him up coming out of the womb and gain the advantage for himself. Therefore, he was given the name Jacob, meaning “he cheats.” Esau won the race out of the womb and won the inheritance of his father by right—birthright. (cf. Genesis 25:19-26)

What a family, huh? “Meet my sons, hairy and cheater.”

Jacob wanted this birthright. Esau, who had been hunting in the field all day, returned exhausted. Jacob was cooking some lentil stew, and Esau, being exhausted and hungry, demanded some. “Sell me your birthright now,” Jacob said, in return for some stew. Seeing no use for his birthright as he was about to die (perhaps an exaggeration), Esau agreed and ate. “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (cf. Genesis 25:29-34)

That wasn’t the end of it. Isaac had grown old and was losing his eyesight. It was time for him to bless his sons. Rebekah concocted a scheme by which Jacob would receive Esau’s blessing and birthright from their father. At his mother’s bidding, Jacob put on the fur of young goats in order to feel hairy when his father touched him and put on Esau’s clothes in order to smell like his older brother and trick Isaac. Rebekah prepared Isaac’s favorite meal, and Jacob brought it in to him, pretending to be Esau back from the hunt. Isaac blessed him:

As soon as Jacob received the blessing and left, Esau came in with his prepared game and bids his father eat. Isaac, trembling violently wondered who he blessed and said that that man will indeed be blessed as the firstborn, and not Esau. This infuriated Esau, and he sought to kill Jacob, chasing him into the wilderness. (cf. Genesis 27)

What a family, huh? A conniving wife and sons named hairy and cheater!

That’s what led up to that bit I began this sermon with. Although, he was not just on the run from his brother, but also in search for a wife. He was in the wilderness, weary from the chase, and falling asleep on a rock for a pillow. Interestingly enough, he slept at the place which would be Jerusalem, specifically where Solomon’s temple would be built, according to what Luther once wrote. There, he dreamed, and saw a ladder so high that its top reached into heaven. The angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And YHWH stood above it and spoke to Jacob:

Waking from the dream, Jacob exclaims, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (cf. Genesis 28:10-17)

Later on, Jacob would receive a new name: Israel. He would give that name to the nation he would father, and they would also bear his legacy, being a nation of cheaters and deceivers.

Now, here’s the thing about Jacob. Even though he was the younger brother, it was foretold that the older brother would serve the younger. Even Isaac repeated this when he spoke to Esau after giving Jacob the blessing. Jacob was God’s choice to be the patriarch of His chosen people; He didn’t need Jacob to cheat and deceive his way into this position. Mercifully, his cheating and deceiving did not nullify God’s promise. Through Jacob—through Israel—would come the promised Seed of the woman.

About 2000 years later, the Seed took on flesh and was born of a descendant of Jacob: a young maid from Nazareth betrothed to a man named Joseph, named after Jacob’s youngest and favorite son. This Jesus had just been baptized by His relative and spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the Accuser. In today’s Gospel, He’s back at the Sea of Galilee and calling his first disciples. Peter, Andrew, James, and John followed Him; then Philip from Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael, who is otherwise known as Bartholomew, and told him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Now, Nathanael was a knowledgeable man. He was well versed in the Law and the Prophets. He asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Based on what Jesus said of him, you can safely assume that Nathanael asked this question innocently, not to berate Jesus or to doubt what Philip said. He expressed that what he had heard was unexpected. “Nazareth? That’s such an insignificant little place. The Law and the Prophets declare that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem.”

“Come and see.”

As Jesus saw Nathanael walking toward Him, He declared, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Jesus numbered Nathanael with the nation of cheaters and deceivers, but said there is no deceit in Him. Here was a descendant of Jacob the cheater who is blameless and upright. You could read Jesus as saying, “He is all Israel, and no Jacob.” Nathanael followed Philip because of the faith that he had been given. He was expecting the Messiah, and Philip said that the Messiah had come. And to confirm this faith, when Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Just like his ancestor Jacob, Nathanael would see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending. Jesus made no mention of a ladder, but the vision Nathanael would have is the same as that of Jacob. However, the ladder Nathanael would see is Jesus Himself, crucified. This ladder has one rung—Jesus’ hands nailed to it. And His feet are nailed to the ladder’s post. Jesus’ death opens heaven to all who would believe.

Jesus’ death opened heaven for Nathanael. Even though he was declared an Israelite without deceit, he was still a descendant of Jacob and was unable to free himself from the birthright due him for his fallen flesh. Try as he might, Nathanael was a sinner in need of God’s grace. It is possible that he thought highly of himself for being called an Israelite without deceit; that by this proclamation he must have a right to salvation. I mentioned earlier that he was a knowledgeable man, knowing the Scriptures. It would be tempting for someone of this knowledge to claim a right to salvation because he knows the law and keeps it, much as the rich young man had done before Jesus. (cf. Matthew 19:17-22)

As it turns out, there is only One Israelite—only One Man—who is or ever was without deceit. He really is all of Israel and none of Jacob, and His life echoes that of the nation out of which He was born. As Israel fled to Egypt to stay alive, so did Jesus when the ruthless Herod sought the life of the young boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding region. Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness leaving Egypt, being cared for by God though rebelling against Him before crossing the Jordan into the promised land. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil but without sin, after being baptized in the very same Jordan River and having fasted. Jesus is the perfect Israelite—unlike every other Israelite and every other man—who committed no sin and in whom there was no deceit, as the prophet declares, and St. Peter echoes. (cf. Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22)

But not so with all of Israel. Not so with all of creation. Not so with you, dear hearers.

In a sense, you are a member of that family with the conniving wife and mother, and brothers cheater and hairy. You cheat your way past your rivals, deceiving others in order to get ahead. You’re born this way, thanks to your father Adam. Surely, you see or saw this in your own children, who did not have to be taught how to be this way—it comes naturally—blaming others for their mistakes and misbehavior, cutting in lines, taking a toy from their sibling, trashing and destroying your property, etc. And let no one deceive you that they are not accountable for their sins at such a tender, young age, even as you must discipline them for misbehaving.

And like Jacob, this scheming and deceiving and cheating only continues as you get older, only you’re more cunning at it, now. And you probably add a new tool to that deceptive arsenal: self-deception. It sounds something like this: “I’m good enough the way I am, God loves me the way I am, He made me the way I am, so He has to accept me this way and save me.” You go so far as the call your pet sin no sin because “that’s the way God made you.” “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

So, look at that cross, dear hearers, and see the wrath due you. You should be hanging up there, dead for your trespasses—for your cheating and deceiving. But do not look at the cross merely as the wrath that you should deserve, but as the wrath that you do not receive. Because, on that ladder to heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, received the full wrath of the Father for your sin in your place, leaving for you the blessings of the Father that you do not deserve, but that you receive fully and only by His grace. Jesus Christ crucified opens heaven to you!

Jesus does this for you, fulfilling all of the Scripture and being sinless and without deceit, in order that He would take your sinfulness—all of your sins and the sin you are born with in your flesh—and all of your deceit, and have it nailed with His flesh upon the cross. There He left it, on the cross, in the grave, dead and gone from you forever, as He rose from the grave. There, on the cross, Jesus Christ becomes for you the gateway of heaven, and it is open for you here and now in this place, and wherever you go for the Lord your God is with you always in Christ Jesus, His Son. Dear baptized, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

Dear baptized, here you stand, in the presence of God and one another, confessing your sins by God’s grace, and receiving Holy Absolution, the forgiveness of your sins. Heaven is open for you at the cross, and the angels of God are ascending and descending upon the ladder of Christ crucified to bring you to Jesus and Jesus to you.

The same thing happens wherever the Word is proclaimed and the Sacraments administered. Martin Luther wrote,

Dear baptized, behold the Lamb of God nailed upon the cross: He is the ladder to heaven. Jesus Christ crucified is given to you not that you would climb it and make your way to heaven, but provided for you as a means of grace. Upon this ladder are carried your cries for mercy and your pleas for grace—all of it through Jesus Christ your Lord. Upon it descends to you every blessing that the Father gives you by way of the Son in Word and Sacrament—what Jesus has earned for you on the cross. And this is namely the forgiveness of all of your sins. And where there is forgiveness, there is also life and salvation.

Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Three are divided against two in one house, father against son, mother against daughter, in-law against in-law. And all of this because of Jesus.

Jesus is the reason or cause for the division. Some in a house will believe in and confess Jesus to be the Savior of the world; others will not. And while those in the household may say that they love each other—and that’s not always a given—internally, they are most certainly divided with hostility. It’s not just father against son, etc., but vehemently so. In some cases, this division even results in abandonment, disowning, and divorce.

I can think of no greater example of this than related to the work that is being done in Germany among Iranian immigrants by LCMS missionaries with the SELK. There is much rejoicing in the churches there as Iranian Muslims are converting to Christianity and being baptized in numbers. However, not everyone from their households are converting, sowing deep divisions in their families. There is even risk to their very lives for converting; I’m sure you’ve heard the term “honor killing” before. Still, they give all of that up and risk their lives for the treasure that does not fail, where no thief approaches, and no moth destroys (cf. Luke 12:33)

More common, however, are the divisions that can occur in families where believing parents who did their best to raise believing children suffer heartbreak as those children abandon the faith. Or there are children of unbelieving parents who come to faith and bear the grief of knowing their parents are still children of the devil. More common yet, I would suggest, are those times when a believer marries and unbeliever. The temptation in these cases is either to abandon the familial relationships or downplay the division in order to create some semblance of peace, which is really no peace at all if it denies and downplays the Savior.

Dear hearers, this division runs deeper than these kinds of households, too. St. Paul wrote of factions and divisions within the household of God; the word he used, in fact, can also be translated and understood as heresies. (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:18-19) These divisions manifest themselves as congregations and even entire church bodies (a.k.a., synods) fight to remain faithful to the Word of God, so those who wish to compromise with the world will be divided from those who stand firm on the doctrine of God’s Word. And just like among families, those who wish to compromise do so in order to create some semblance of peace which is really no peace at all if it denies and downplays the Savior.

Then, there are the divisions from outside of the church. Those who believe will always be divided from those who don’t. Do you have any atheist friends? Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or Mormon friends? Sure, you call them friends, but there is division there, real division. These all find some sort of unity under the some doctrine which teaches that what you do matters most, while you confess that nothing you do can merit salvation, and there may be other points on which they agree…all against you! There is division on earth between the believers and unbelievers.

This division is exemplified in Scripture in the account of Noah and his family compared to the rest of the world. They were divided from the rest of the world and spared the wrath of the flood in the the ark because he trusted God’s Word. (cf. Genesis 6-9) This division is exemplified in Scripture in the account of the two thieves on the cross, where one continued to mock Jesus despite being under the same condemnation, while the other, in faith, made a plea for his own salvation. (cf. Luke 23:39-43) There is division on earth between believers and unbelievers.

That should be received as good news, but it doesn’t work that way with this fallen flesh. Instead, what happens is sin compounding sin. Instead of being cause for great concern and care, these divisions breed contempt and hatred. After all, it’s easier for this fallen flesh to hate those from whom you are divided, especially if they make the first move. For instance, how did you feel about Muslims following the attacks of September 11? How about of atheists after the Last Supper mockery that was part of the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies? How does that compare to the desire of your Father in heaven, that all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth? (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4)

It is certainly easy to say that you love all people as individuals for whom Christ died. Actually putting that into action, even sincerely believing it…that’s another matter altogether. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt; that’s certainly true in the house guests and fish sense, if you catch my meaning. Division also breeds contempt. It is so easy to feel a sense of hatred for that which is different from you. Nevertheless, the truth remains that they are someone for whom Christ was incarnate, born, suffered, died, and rose again, just as much as He has done for you.

Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” So long as there is a this side of eternity, where sin persists, so will divisions. Nevertheless, while Jesus did not come to bring peace on this earth for all time, He did come to bring peace:

• “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! (Luke 2:14)
• Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, there is peace with God, a peace unlike the world could give (cf. John 14:27), a peace that passes all human understanding. (cf. Philippians 4:7) And this peace is yours because you have been given faith, by which God is pleased with you, as it is written, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) It is this peace for which those Iranian immigrants are willing to give up and risk everything, even divisions within their families. It is this peace for which Paul was willing to consider everything of his past, his own pedigree, as rubbish. (cf. Philippians 3:4-11) What could be reason enough to risk division on earth? Nothing but peace with God that comes through the propitiatory blood of His Son, Jesus Christ!

Peace with God brings division on earth. I’m not just talking about the division that Jesus mentioned in today’s reading, and those similar to that. There’s another kind of separation that comes from being at peace with God:

At the final judgment, that division which Jesus spoke of in today’s text and exists on earth will be finalized as Jesus separates people like sheep from goats. The sheep will be ushered into the Kingdom of Heaven, while the goats will be banished to the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (cf. Matthew 25:34, 41) The sheep will enjoy true everlasting unity, being one with each other in Christ, at whose feast of victory they will eternally dine.

You see, dear Baptized, peace with God results in division from the second death. John wrote,

I said before that Jesus is the reason or cause for division on earth. In reality, division on earth is sowed because in Christ you have been divided from death. Yet, you still live in the flesh in this fallen creation, and your Old Nature is always at work to convince you that this division from death is too much to bear, and that you would be better off trying to be peaceful with those who are united with death. Your Old Nature is always at work to make sin and death attractive, so that you would ultimately be reunited with death, dividing you, once again, from eternal life.

But, that’s the division over which to rejoice. You have been redeemed, purchased, won back from death to life. Your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, inscribed on those holy pages in His own blood, shed for you on the cross as payment for your sin and satisfaction for the death that you deserve. And if you are redeemed, then you are divided from that death, from the lake of fire, and granted entrance in to the holy city, New Jerusalem:

If your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, then you will be granted entrance into the city with the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb at its center. Your name is written in this book because you are a sheep on the right hand of the Son of Man. You are a sheep because you believe and confess Jesus to be the Savior. You believe that Jesus is the Savior because you have been given faith to believe it from the mouth of God. You have been given faith to believe it from the mouth of God at the font, wherein you were claimed by water and the Word as a child of God and heir with Christ of the heavenly city, and strengthened at the altar, whereat you received your Savior’s body and blood as bread and wine.

It has all been done for you, and so you are a sheep, divided from the goats, to be ushered into the eternal paradise of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. You have been divided from death to life, eternal life. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John5:24) As St. Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) That’s the division that is good news, and it is yours, life is yours, because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

A cursory reading of today’s lessons reveal that they are about faith. There is a theme of taking God solely at His word, of full reliance and trust in God simply because He says a thing is so.

I’ll begin with the Old Testament lesson. Abram, in the midst of his God-ordered nomadic journey, had a vision in which God speaks to him. God’s first words to Abram were, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” “Fear not,” God said, so Abram feared not. God said it, and Abram took Him at His word.

Fearless, Abram was bold even to ask God what He will give him, since he had no heir, spare a servant in his house—not even a relative! Abram was very old by this time, as was his wife, Sarai; she was well past the child-bearing age. There was nothing more Abram could do than pick someone out of a lineup to give all that he had accumulated, to put it crassly, and Eliezer was the lucky schmuck.

Eliezer would not be Abram’s heir, God declared, but there would be one who came from his own body that would be his heir. God said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be.” “You will have as many descendants as there are stars; count the stars, if you can, Abram, count the stars.”

In reading the last verse, you might get the sense that Abram simply said, “Okay.” “And [Abram] believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” It’s not that Abram did anything. He had no choice than not to trust that what God said is what would happen, and Abram didn’t even do that. God said, “You will have an heir and as many descendants as there are stars,” and in saying that gave Abram the faith to believe it. Abram did not reject this promise from God, but believed it by God-given trust. That’s faith—trusting in God’s promise—and it is credited to the faithful one, here Abram, as righteousness. Righteousness is, at its core, fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

After this, God “cut a covenant” with Abram, sealing the deal of His promise to Abram that he will have an heir and many, countless descendants. Abram sacrificed a few animals, cutting them in half (spare the birds), and YHWH walked in the midst of them, receiving the sacrifice and placing a seal on His promise to Abram.

Moving into today’s Epistle, you learn from the author of the letter what the definition of faith is: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” By faith, the author declared, you know that the worlds, even this one, were formed by the Word of God, that they were created from nothing—nothing more than God saying, “Let there be…” and there was! By faith, the author continued, Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham did some great things, all on account of the trust they had been given by God to believe that when God says something, it will happen.

“[F]aith is the assurance of things hoped for.” God told Abram he would have an heir and countless descendants. Abram said, “Okay”; by faith—the assurance and concreteness of the hoped-for heir and descendants—Abram was able to take God at His word. He could not see any of this happening, especially at the moment when God said it would happen; there was no natural way Abram would have an heir from his own body, much less countless descendants. However, God’s promise was all the evidence Abram had and needed for this thing not seen much less readily apparent to him. So it was also with the promises God made to Abel, Enoch, and Noah.

“[F]aith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is being certain of what one does not nor cannot see; it is believing what is not seen. Therefore, that old axiom, “Seeing is believing,” is quite false. Seeing is seeing—knowing based on visible evidence; if you see it, you don’t have to believe it! In that sense, faith and trust are, in a word, incredible.

Faith and trust are incredible; that is to say that there is nothing visible to give credence to that which one trusts is or will happen. One trusts that airplanes will stay aloft because the ones that are flying are expected to be structurally sound. One trusts that the bottle labeled aspirin actually contains aspirin because that’s what the label says. One takes the engineers, mechanics, and pharmaceutical companies at their word in these matters without personally inspecting the products; there is no visual evidence to confirm that what is meant to happen or meant to be in the bottle is actually going to happen or actually going to be in the bottle. That’s how trust and faith operate.

So it was, that after telling the parable of the poor rich man, Jesus turned to His disciples and told them

In short, don’t worry about stockpiling goods and riches here (like the poor rich man from last week, which is the text just before today’s). God takes care of the birds of the air and even the lilies of the field; and to you, who is a more precious creation than they, He promises to take care of you as well, to feed and clothe you and give you all that you need, not only for this life, but for life in the world to come. This is His promise to you…believe it!”

That’s all that you have to go on. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Fear not. Do not worry about this life. “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Bank on it!

Easier said than done, isn’t it? However, that’s how faith and trust work. Despite everything else going on around you, faith and trust still cling to the given word and promises. Despite the many reports of disasters involving airplanes, especially those due to mechanical failure, people still trust that airplanes will stay aloft because the engineers and mechanics say that they are supposed to. Despite the occasional mislabeled or mis-filled aspirin bottle or the occasional pain reliever laced with a toxin, people still take the aspirin in the bottle because the pharmaceutical company says the contents are supposed to be safely packaged aspirin.

It is supposed to work that way with faith and trust in God’s promises, too. Despite the death and decay all around, and even within, you should believe that God has promised the healing of your bodies because God has said so. Despite the starving and naked and homeless, you are still called to heed God’s promise which says that He will feed you with more than He feeds the ravens and clothe you in better raiment than He clothes the lilies. As life in this fallen world continues, not only do you not see evidence of these promises of God, but you see evidence to the contrary…and, dare I say, with many of the other promises, too. And in many cases, people look for that contrary evidence!

But, that’s how God works His promises—in ways that, to your senses, seem contrary to what was promised. God has promised eternal life and healing of body and soul, but uses death as the gateway to it. God has proclaimed victory over sin, death, and the devil and points to an event which appears to all senses to be a miserable failure—the death of His Son on the cross while, to all appearances, it would seem the devil had won. But it is in that death where you find your victory; for you are told that there can be no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood—without a sacrifice (cf. Hebrews 9:22)—and that sacrifice was made by God in the person of His Son. Now that the Son has shed His blood for you, the devil can no longer use your sin to condemn you before God—His accusations are all in vain! Furthermore, the victory over death was achieved in His resurrection—the resurrection from the dead that you were joined to and promised in the waters of Holy Baptism.

That is what you are called by the Word of God to believe, despite and in spite of the evidence in the world around you to the contrary. God has promised it and says believe it, and gives you the faith to believe it! Remember, God always keeps His promises.

However, therein lies another danger. One could come away from all that I have said so far thinking that God keeps His promise because of the trust of the people to whom God has made the promise. It’s akin to one saying that they are saved because they believe, that God shows people grace and favor once they put their trust in Him. Saying this is turning faith and trust into the work of the believer, a work that merits God’s grace and favor.

The next logical step, then, would be to say that one who suffers and does not experience God’s promise must not believe or not believe hard enough. If I am saved because I believe in God and trust His promise, and if I am not seeing God’s promised fulfilled in my life, then my faith and trust must not be strong enough or must not exist at all.

However, faith and trust do not save. That bears repeating: faith and trust do not save. Suffering and not seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise in one’s lifetime is not evidence for a lack of faith or the lack of a strong enough faith. God has promised salvation and eternal life, but He has not given a time-frame. God does promise everlasting rest and glory for those who remain faithful to him, but He does not promise that these things will happen during one’s life on this earth; in fact, He promises quite the opposite (see Matthew 5:10-12).

No, faith and trust do not save; it is the object of that faith that saves. “Faith does not reconcile us of itself, but it grasps and obtains the reconciliation which Christ has wrought for us,” Luther wrote. God saves in Christ by grace, and it is faith which receives this grace. That’s how you should understand it when you hear those times when Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you.” That’s how St. Paul explained it to the Ephesians: “You are saved by grace through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8) That’s Scripture interpreting Scripture.

So, God promised Abram that he would have an heir and countless descendants. It didn’t take long before Abram’s trust in God’s promise wavered and he begot a son through Sarai’s servant Hagar. However, God kept His promise and gave him an heir through Sarai. God promised that through Eve would come a seed that would crush the serpent’s head. However, Adam and Eve were cast from paradise where they and their descendants continued to struggle with sin and doubting God’s promise. Despite that doubt, God kept His promise and sent His Son, Eve’s seed, who crushed the head of Satan as He was crucified, removing Satan’s dominion over all who receive the Christ by God-given faith. God is merciful and gracious and keeps His promises no matter the strength or lack of trust.

Still, it must be said that it is faithlessness that condemns. St. Mark writes, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) While faith does not save, but the object of true faith does (and He is the one who does the Baptizing), faithlessness, also called unbelief, condemns. Unbelief is a determination that the entire life and work of Christ, especially his death and resurrection, is of no effect and no consequence; and this determination can be made with or without prior knowledge of God and His Christ. It is to say that the Christ’s salvific work is not needed or wanted because one believes they can get along and are getting along fine without it—faithlessness, or unbelief, is rejection of God’s grace. This is the “life” of the devil, the world, and of that sinful flesh that you faithful still struggle with as the Old Adam in you. Unbelief condemns, but it does not prevent God from keeping His promises, because God is perfectly faithful!

This doubt, or unbelief, does not condemn one who truly lives by faith, though. For it is by God-given faith that this unbelief is recognized for the sin that it is and confessed if by nothing more than saying, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) And to one such as this God is faithful and just to forgive his sins and cleanse him from all unrighteousness (cf. 1 John 1:9), just as He has promised to do. While faithlessness, or unbelief, is rejection of God’s grace, God-given faith is the open hand that receives God’s grace; therefore, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16a)

That is why you who live by faith, yet still in the flesh, look forward to another promise of God: the promise to return in glory and take you to be where He is now where there will be no more sin, weeping, or gnashing of teeth. Jesus mentioned this in today’s Gospel when He said,

I don’t know how many times I have heard the phrase, “faith is forward-looking.” Despite the things that happen in this fallen world, and even because of them, the fervent prayer of faith is, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” It is a prayer that eagerly looks forward to the time when God fulfills His promise to return in the person of His Son. That’s why Jesus instructs, “[B]e ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

But here’s the thing about this forward-looking faith: it is looking forward to that time when the master returns from a wedding. It is clear from Scripture that when the Christ returns, He comes to judge the earth (cf. Psalm 96:13), and that in judgment, He will get His revenge over His enemies who persecuted and killed His people (cf. Revelation 6:10). But from the lips of Christ Himself, you get a different picture: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” When the Christ returns, He is coming to feast with His expectant servants, to serve them at the wedding feast of victory of the Lamb which has no end.

Dear hearers, what a marvelous picture this is, for you celebrate today with an expression of that forward-looking faith. In a few minutes, your Lord and master will serve you His body and blood hidden in bread and wine and your God-given, forward-looking faith will receive strength and the forgiveness of your sins. You will participate with the Church of all times and places in a foretaste of that wedding feast of victory of the Lamb, as the Lamb comes to His expectant servants right here at this altar. You eat the Lord’s Supper here and now as you eagerly wait for the time when the Christ returns as He has promised to judge the earth, take you to be where He is now, and serve you at the everlasting feast in His Kingdom which has no end.

“[F]aith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” You have not seen that day, but you certainly hope for it, for God has promised that He will do it. Therefore, the words spoken to Abram in today’s Old Testament lesson are spoken into your ears, dear faithful: “Fear not…I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” You look forward to that great and dreadful day expectantly and joyfully and fearlessly, in full God-given trust in the promises of God, looking to Christ and Christ alone as your salvation—by grace you have been saved…you ARE saved! He is your shield and exceedingly great reward!

And so you trust. God has said it; God will make it so. You can trust—that is God’s free gift to you in Jesus Christ’s blood shed on the cross for you and risen again from the grave for you. God has promised it; God has made it so—for it is there that God has fulfilled this promise to you: you are forgiven for all of your sins!

One of the things it seems that St. Luke tried to teach Theophilus (and, of course, every Christians and lover of God) is the importance of prayer. From the prayers of praise and thanksgiving from Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon in his first two chapters, to showing that Jesus was Himself a man of prayer who sought His Father’s aid during significant times in His ministry (check out chapters 3, 6, 9, and 22, among others), St. Luke’s Gospel is filled with prayer.

If anything, from St. Luke’s account, the disciples should have learned of the importance of prayer by observing the discipline with which Jesus prayed and the frequency of His prayers. Jesus would often depart to a solitary place and pray to His Father in heaven. He prayed to His Father in Heaven because He was the Son of God and a Man of faith. He prayed to His Father because He relied on His Father for everything that He needed. His disciples observed this in St. Luke’s Gospel; every Theophilus should find this hard to miss when reading St. Luke’s Gospel.

The Church has learned the lesson St. Luke taught: prayer is an important part of the baptismal life. Read any older catechism published by CPH (that is, any translation before the 1991 translation), and you will read that the Church teaches that prayer IS worship. Flip through the liturgies of the Church, and you will see that she has made use of those prayers of Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon, for she now prays the Magnificat with Mary, the Benedictus with Zechariah, and the Nunc Dimittis with Simeon.

It can be safely said that the disciples learned their lesson, too. For in observing the importance of prayer, today you heard them ask Jesus how to pray. For far too long they had witnessed their master and teacher pray—they had even seen John the Baptist teach his disciples how to pray—so, they wish to pray to God as well. Jesus wasted no time; he answered them directly and gave them a specific prayer:

Jesus gave them the very words they should pray.

But He didn’t stop there. He went on to illustrate for them the meaning of that prayer. Specifically, He taught what it means to call upon God as Father. Jesus was not merely saying “Father” when giving His disciples the prayer because God the Father is His Father; no, He was telling the disciples to call upon God as their Father as well!

Jesus taught His disciples the importance of this prayer, that by it they ask for every blessing in life that is needful, and that by asking for it with these words, God will answer.

“Ask, and it will be given to you,” Jesus taught with this illustration. It is with the prayer He taught that the disciples were to ask of their Father. What were they supposed to ask for? Daily bread and forgiveness; for it is in this prayer that all that is needed for daily life is sought, be it house and home, food and clothing, etc.…and forgiveness, for you daily sin much and are in constant need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. And with this illustration, Jesus taught an important concept in prayer that St. Paul put so succinctly: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Be always asking.

But before the disciples could begin to think that it was their persistence that motivated God to answer prayer, Jesus gave another illustration. With this, Jesus taught that persistence is necessary because His disciples (and you) are in constant need, much like He Himself was (for He constantly sought His Father’s aid during significant times in His ministry). No, God the Father’s motivation for answering prayer is different.

In hearing and answering prayer, God the Father is motivated by love and compassion. For if those of you who are fathers, even in your evil sinfulness, know how to give good gifts to your children, would you not expect the same and more from a Heavenly Father who is holy and righteous and just?

The Lord’s Prayer teaches the Holy Life. The prayer that Jesus gave to the disciples is given to you to pray as well. The command to pray is not only for the 12, but for all who would follow Jesus and His Way. And with that command comes the promise. Did you notice the gift Jesus says you ask of in this prayer: “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The Reverend Peter Bender put it this way:

“The petitions of the Lord’s Prayer have the absolute guarantee and certainty of His Word” because they are His Word!

“The human heart is by nature so desperately wicked that it always flees from God, thinking that he neither wants nor cares for our prayers because we are sinners and have merited nothing but wrath,” Martin Luther once said. The struggle with the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh would tell you that you are unworthy to approach the throne of God in prayer. This is an attempt to get you to despise His Word and to fall into the deep pit of despair so that you curse God, abandon all prayer and worship to Him, and follow your own desires, seek your own gain (and if you fail, oh well, you tried), and make do the best you can. After all, since you are sinners and have merited nothing but wrath, as the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh have proven, then you might as well make the best of it—you might as well do the best with what you have—“if life throws you lemons” and all that—and prepare to die in that sin.

What the devil, the world, and the sinful flesh fail to tell you is that there are no strings attached to God’s promises. You have the Word of God which you pray because He has commanded you to pray, you have been given the Lord’s Prayer. Attached with that command is God’s promise to hear your prayer and answer it; so by that you see that the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh have lied to you!

But there is also a bit of truth to what that “unholy triumvirate” have said. You are sinners and have merited nothing but wrath before God! When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, you acknowledge as much, as Luther taught:

But as you have been commanded to prayer “forgive us our sins,” God has promised to hear and answer that petition. And in answering that petition, God points to the cross, where His only-begotten Son shed His blood for you and died with your sin, so that you wouldn’t have to. In answering that petition, God points to the font, where you were washed clean in the waters of Holy Baptism and all the merits of Christ death were given to you; He points to the font, where the Holy Spirit descended on you to keep you in the one, true faith; He points to the font, where He claimed you as His son, so that you could approach Him as God the Father, just as you can approach your earthly fathers! He points to the altar on which sit the bread and wine that are (or will soon be) Christ’s body and blood which you eat and drink for your forgiveness, life, and salvation.

In and of yourselves, you are nothing. By your merit, your prayers are nothing. But thanks be to God that your prayers are spoken in faith—God-given faith—and by God’s command. Luther concluded, “From the fact that prayer is so urgently commanded, we ought to conclude that we should by no means despise our prayers, but rather prize them highly…On this I can rely and depend, and I can revere it highly, not because of my worthiness, but because of the commandment.” The Reverend Peter Bender concluded, “We believe that God hears and answers our prayers, not because of the merit, worthiness, or frequency of our prayers, but because of His grace to us in Christ and the promises of His Word. This is the motivation for a Christian’s frequent and fervent prayer.” And that is the Holy Life which the Lord’s Prayer teaches. That is the importance of prayer that St. Luke teaches. It’s the Holy Life which you have attained not of your own worth, works, or merits, but because by grace you have been and are forgiven for all of your sins.

I have heard it said, “If we had a scheduled day, we would be able to get a lot more done in a day.” That is to say that if everything—and I mean everything—that you needed to do were scheduled, you could and would get much more done. Whether or not that’s the case, it is an indication that people these days have something to do at just about every hour of the day. There’s barely time to sleep. It seems, and it just may be the case, that people today are a busy people, busier than ever.

Busyness interferes with leisure. When there’s so much to do, there’s little time for fun. As mentioned once already, busyness can also take away from time to sleep. But, busyness can also take time away from doing nothing, playing a game, reading a book for fun, enjoying some down time with friends, going to the pool, riding your bike to nowhere in particular…leisure.

Busyness can also take away time from worship. Therein lies a real danger. You can get so caught up in doing what you’re “supposed” to do—taking care of business—that you forget about, ignore, or flat-out neglect worship. You can get the doctrine of vocation so wrong that you believe you are doing right when you miss worship because you are doing what you do.

That’s the problem encountered in today’s Gospel. Jesus and His disciples were in Bethany, and He was a guest at Mary and Martha’s house. Martha invited Him in, expecting to serve Him. Certainly, she and Mary knew who Jesus was, but the text almost seems to indicate that a friendship between Jesus and this family had not yet developed. So, as Jesus made Himself comfortable in their house, Martha quickly got to the busy work of preparing and serving a meal fit for a great teacher. Mary, taking a bit of an unusual role, decided to bask in the glory of this teacher—learning at His feet.

Teaching is what Jesus does; “Faith comes by hearing,” the inspired St. Paul wrote, so Jesus teaches and preaches the Word—He speaks the faith to and into people. Here, Luke didn’t write what He was talking about; that’s not the point of this narrative. What is important is what’s going on. Jesus was in Martha and Mary’s house teaching. Martha was busy preparing and serving a meal. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus.

Finally fed up with Mary, Martha approached Jesus and inquired demandingly, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” “I’m very busy here, Lord. We’re here to serve you, and my sister is doing nothing. Why don’t you tell her to help me out?”

How similar that is to what goes on here. Jesus comes here to teach and to preach—to have the faith spoken to and into you. He does this through His called and ordained servants as they teach and preach His Word, pronounce absolution so valid it’s as if it was done before God in heaven, wash sins away with water combined with Word, and place His body and blood hidden in bread and wine into the mouths of believers. And the people are sitting, standing, or kneeling there doing nothing—they receive. It doesn’t look busy; it looks like leisure. How easy it is for any one to call out, “Hey, Lord, I’m a Christian, and I’m here to serve you. But, I can’t do it alone. Look at all of these people sitting around doing nothing. Would you tell them to get up and help me out?”

It may be the same coin, but the other side of that is that church looks so much like a leisure activity that it only makes sense to attend if you have time. If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “We’d come to church more often, but we’re just so busy…”

I found a quotation by Pr. Bill Cwirla that’s appropriate for this situation:

“[T]here is no greater Gospel presence of Jesus than in the Word and the Lord’s Supper.” There is nothing better for a believer than to be where Jesus says He is for you to forgive you and give Himself to you—that is right here at His altar.

To quote from Star Trek, it was said by Captain Kirk that “if something’s important [to you], you make the time [for it].” There is much truth in that saying. How sad that there are some Christians who don’t find the Divine Service important enough to make time for it. How bold they are to say to God’s face, “I don’t know if I’ll have the time to be in your sacramental presence that day.” “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” the Law says. Luther taught, “We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.”

Or, to put it another way, Pr. Craig Donofrio once said that to help put it in context, he tells people to replace the word church in their excuse with what goes on at church. In other words, rather than saying, “I don’t have time to go to church” or “I’m too busy to be at church,” say, “I don’t have time for the forgiveness of my sins” or ‘I’m too busy to have my sins forgiven.”

Now, I don’t mean to speak such Law against those whose God-given vocations keep them away on occasional Sunday mornings. There should also be no guilt on the part of those who cannot make it to the Divine Service because they are shut-in or happen to be hospitalized at the time. For one such as these, there are ample opportunities to be in the Word and receive their Lord apart from the Divine Service: from Wednesday evening Vespers and Lutheran Theology study to the Friday evening Bible Studies in this place, from communion in the home to private confession and absolution whenever it is desired. If you can’t make it here on Sundays, talk to me! If you cannot legitimately make it to church at it’s scheduled time, let me know and I can bring church to you!

No, this word of Law is spoken against those who show their spite of God’s Word by choosing not to hear and receive it, especially veiled in the excuse of being too busy to hear it or having no time to hear it. It is a sin against the third commandment to despise preaching and the Word of God. This is done by not attending public worship, not using the written Word of God and the Sacraments, and using the Word of God and Sacraments negligently or carelessly.

It’s so easy to become like Martha, especially when you feel like you’re doing all the work and there are others around who are quite capable of pitching in, or when you feel so busy, but see a church filled with lazy people who do nothing more than sit around and receive. “Tell them to get up and help me out.”

Jesus responded, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” I like to imagine that Jesus’ tone is relaxed and laid-back as if to counter the harried pace that Martha has as she tried, alone, to serve Jesus. Jesus calms her down and, in essence, invites her to join her sister at His feet to learn from Him, to have a part in the good part with her. Dr. Arthur Just wrote,

You see, there’s nothing inherently wrong with serving your guests a meal, or even simply setting out some snacks and drinks before them. Nevertheless, the better thing “to do” is to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive from him.

“The issue here is whether one is first to serve the Lord or first to be served by him,” Dr. Just continued. It’s an issue of merit and grace. To first serve the Lord is to seek by that service to please Him and earn His favor. To first be served by the Lord is to recognize that one cannot earn God’s favor but that He freely gives it for the sake of His Son.

Again, from Dr. Just,

Therein is the reason why Lutherans call this the Divine Service. You are gathered here by God to be served by Him not to serve Him or offer Him anything. He takes your sin and gives you forgiveness; He takes your weakness of faith and strengthens it with His Word and Sacraments. Jesus went into the home of Mary and Martha not to be served by them, but to serve them—to proclaim to them that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near to them, that it was reclining right there at their table. There is no greater form of worship than to sit and receive grace from the hand of God.

Dear hearers, the Kingdom of Heaven is near to you, too. He is right here, serving you. He does not deny that you are busy; on the contrary, He acknowledges it and serves you in spite of it. He tells you, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a) He graciously calms you,

“I will give you rest,” Jesus says, “[L]earn from Me.”

Dear hearers, here is the rest you desire—the rest you require. Hearken to Jesus’ words, leave your busyness at the door, sit at His feet, and learn from Him. Be still, listen to His Word, for in it you will find healing and life. The time here is but a moment, but the effect is an eternal lifetime. Here, for a moment, you receive your Lord and Savior, who died that you may live, so that you may be with Him for eternity. That’s the “good part” from today’s Gospel, and there is no better part. If your vocation or situation prevents you from being here for this set time, then the Kingdom of God can come near to you where you are, where you can be, when you can be; and at that time the Word once again bids you to “Be still” and He will give you rest.

Pr. Cwirla wrote, “Busy? Anxious? Stressed out? Don’t just do something, sit there—at the feet of Jesus.” For there at the feet of Jesus you hear these remarkable, peace- and rest-filled words: You are forgiven for all of your sins.

In Matthew 25, Jesus presented a picture of the Day of Judgment. People will be separated, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The sheep on Jesus’ right hand will be ushered into everlasting life as Jesus gives a list of their accomplishments, much to their surprise. The goats on Jesus’ left will be ushered into fire and everlasting torment prepared for the devil and his angels, and as much as the sheep are surprised to hear of what they have done, the goats are shocked to hear of what they didn’t do.

From there, people get all kinds of ideas as regards what the text means. They all usually focus on the works of the sheep versus the non-works of the goats, and assume He is there teaching that His followers should be in works of service to others, feeding, clothing, visiting, and caring for them as befits their needs. These are all fine works, given to you by God that you may be in service to others.

But Jesus also said in Matthew 25, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) Now, the idea of works to service to others shifts into one that states that doing these is doing them to Jesus, that the person receiving the benefit is something more than someone in the way of your getting to Jesus. It also shifts into the belief that these works are only worth doing if they are done to someone who is Christ-like—someone you deem to be a Christian.

This interpretation of Matthew 25 is completely counter to the text and supporting texts. Those of you who know me well know that I often teach Matthew 25 with support from Matthew 10; after all, Scripture interprets Scripture. In Matthew 10, Jesus prepared to send His 12 disciples out, telling them to take no provisions, that those who receive them will take care of them; in other words, they will be fed, clothed, visited, and cared for by those who receive them. This is much like He told the 72 earlier in Luke 10; in fact, He told the 12 and the 72 pretty much the same things. So, similar to what Jesus told the 72, He told His 12, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40) So, when Jesus said in Matthew 25, “[A]s you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.,” He is saying the same thing. No one says such a thing of just any other person, but it is said of those who represent them—when a representative is received and cared for, it is as if the person who is being represented is received and cared for.

Regardless, the text in Matthew 25 is not about service to neighbor, but about the day of judgment. There will be more time to delve into that text some other time. No, if you want to hear Jesus teach you about works of service to neighbor, there is today’s text.

Sadly, this text is often misinterpreted in as askew a fashion as is the text from Matthew 25. In today’s text, Jesus told the story of a certain man, a Jew, beset upon by thieves who rob him, strip him, beat him, and leave him to die in the ditch along the side of the road. Other travelers happen upon him lying in the ditch—a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The priest and Levite, fellow Jews, pass around the man on the other side of the road. They had good reason to do so, according to the Law: the man in his current condition is unclean, and had they helped him, they would have been unclean, too. The Samaritan, however, had compassion on the man, bound his wounds, placed him on his own animal, brought him to an inn to recover, and gave to the innkeeper all that he would need to care for the injured man, promising more if what was left was not enough.

Where do the interpretations go wrong? “The Samaritan is Jesus,” they say, leaving no room for anything else, even if the text indicates otherwise. The Samaritan is Jesus, because His compassion causes Him not to be concerned about cleanness—He ate with sinners and tax collectors, after all. Furthermore, just as Jesus healed the world of the injury known as sin, so the Samaritan healed the man of his own resources. The Samaritan brought the man to the inn; Jesus brings sinners into the Church. The Samaritan directed the innkeeper to care for the man; Jesus instructs pastors to care for His sheep. The Samaritan provided all that the innkeeper needed to care for the man; the sufficiency for your care from the pastor lies solely and completely in Christ your Lord.

This, they say, is all that this parable means, but that ignores the rest of the text.

A certain lawyer prompted Jesus to tell the story. This lawyer is not a courtroom counselor, but an expert in the law of God. If you had a question about what God’s law said or demanded of you or the minute details of the law, you consulted a lawyer. So, for him to ask Jesus what the law says, what the detail of the law means, can only mean that he intended to test Jesus and catch him in a trap. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” “And who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer was going to prove his righteousness by demonstrating his love for his neighbor, but only the man who was worthy of his love was his neighbor.

Ah, you see! Works of service only matter if the neighbor is one who can be loved. Works of service can only be tolerated if the neighbor is one who can be loved. “One who can be loved,” is such a subjective phrase. If I love you, at least in this moment, then I’ll be more inclined to care for you and be charitable toward you. That’s how many who misinterpret Matthew 25 think. That’s how the lawyer thought. It is wrong!

After telling the story, Jesus turned to the lawyer and asked, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” Despite what he wanted to believe, the lawyer was confronted with the truth. The priest and the Levite couldn’t be bothered to be neighborly to the unclean man; the risk was too great—the work of service to him could not be tolerated. It was the one least expected to be a neighbor to the unclean man who was, a rival Samaritan.

So, the lawyer answered, “He who showed mercy on him.” The lawyer couldn’t even bring himself to say the word Samaritan. Nevertheless, he knew who the neighbor was.

“You go, and do likewise.”

There is where you find difficulty. It’s a fallen human frailty. No one wants to go out of their way to help someone they think is not deserving of their help. The lawyer was looking for confirmation of his bias. Instead, he received the opposite, but acknowledged his lesson.

The command he received is directed toward you, too. Have mercy on those who need mercy. Show grace to those in need of grace. Help the helpless. Do not regard their station in life or their relationship to you, should they be a friend or enemy. You are not doing this to Jesus, but you are doing it because of Him. As much as the Matthew 25 teaching is about the Day of Judgment, today’s text is teaching you that your neighbor is anyone whom you meet for whom you can do one of the good works prepared in advance for you to walk in. (cf. Ephesians 2:10) Better yet, in keeping with the grammar of today’s text, you are the neighbor when do you the good work to anyone in need of your good work.

Now, you’ll note that I never called the story a parable; the only time I mentioned the term was in connection to others thinking of it this way. You’ll note that Luke never used the term…that Jesus never used to term. No, it would be more accurate to refer to this as a fable—a moral story, much in the vein of Aesop’s Fables. Jesus was, after all, answering a lawyer’s question about interpreting the law—a moral question. That’s why He closed out the story with the imperative to the lawyer and to you: “You go, and do likewise.”

Others call Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan a parable. Even the editors of the Lutheran Study Bible allowed the section title with that word to remain above today’s text—perhaps they had no choice in that regard—but the word also appears in the book’s study notes. People call it a parable and want to interpret it as a parable, but a parable is a story about the Kingdom of God. There are certainly elements of a parable in this fable—He told this moral story that way by no accident, you can be sure, for He certainly intended for you to see a type of Christ in the Samaritan, for the very reasons mentioned in the interpretation of this text as a parable. You see, Jesus, similar to the Samaritan, stooped down into the ditch of your humanity, taking on flesh and blood like yours. By His work, your wounds are healed—by His stripes, you are healed. (cf. Isaiah 53:5) Jesus has done the work to bring you into the inn of the Church, wherein He gives all that you need in order to come to the fullness of life. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10b)

This was accomplished for you on the tree of the cross, whereat Jesus shed His blood for your propitiation. You are covered in the blood of Christ, your Savior and Redeemer. This was applied to you each personally in your hearing of the Word and receiving of Holy Baptism. There, in those means, you were washed and sanctified, given new life, much as the man in the parable was restored to life by the work of the Samaritan and in the inn. And Jesus gives you all abundantly from Himself, body and blood, Word and work, so that you may have that abundantly life. Now, you are sent out from this inn to “go, and do likewise,” and be a neighbor to your fellow man, each of you as you have been given according to your ability. You are sent out with the abundant life you have in Christ, a life which is yours because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

Pope Leo X, in a bull titled Decet Romanum Pontificem on January 3, 1521, excommunicated Martin Luther from the Catholic Church, as well as any who follow his teachings, whom this bull labeled Lutheran. The last part of the missive cites the authority which Leo uses to perform such excommunications. There, he wrote,

It’s possible that this bull, as well as Leo’s earlier bull, Exsurge Domine, in which he commanded Luther to recant his teaching, served as part of the influence in writing Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word. There were later events that certainly gave cause to the hymn, not the least of which was an alliance that gave the impression that the Pope and Turk—to be understood as Muslim—were allied against the Church! Catherine Winkworth, prolific in translating many hymns into English, altered the first stanza to the way it is most often now sung, but what Luther wrote was a little closer to this:

Still, the Catholic Church, which would come to be called Roman Catholic nearly a century later, claims the authority of Peter and Paul as the founding of their church, so to speak. More specifically, the Bishop of Rome, who would call himself pope, claimed to be carrying with him and his office the authority they claim was given to Peter to be the head of the Church on earth. Peter is the foremost of all of Jesus’ apostles. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles. These two men have been and still are seen as the two greatest men in the Church since the Ascension of Jesus. Therefore, the papal church appeals to these for their foundation and papal authority.

Of course, Rome bases this authority given to Peter on how they explain the interaction that took place in today’s Gospel lesson. There, Jesus asked his disciples who people say that He is. “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets,” came the answers. Jesus was reckoned by the people to be a prophet, or the return of a prophet, which was to usher in the messianic age. “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “You’ve been with me for nearly three years now. Who do you say that I am?” Simon spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” “Blessed are you, Simon. I now call you Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”

Peter is a name in Greek which stems from the words petra or petros, meaning rock or stone. Simon, son of Jonah, had just given a rock-solid confession, and Jesus gave Him the name Rock. How did Peter know to say this? It didn’t just come to Him, but it was given to Him by the Father. How did the Father give this answer to Peter? Well, he had been walking for nearly three years with the incarnate Rock of all Ages, sitting as His feet and learning. It was St. Paul who once called Jesus the Rock. (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:4) Jesus also called Himself a stumbling stone and the Stone that the builders rejected (cf. Matthew 21:42-44), which both St. Peter and St. Paul echo. (cf. Romans 9:32-33; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8) So, following the precept that Scripture interpret Scripture, Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that Jesus is the Rock and that Peter confessed this truth in today’s Gospel reading when He said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He spoke on behalf of the entire Church, for this is the Church’s confession.

But Rome rejects this and says that in today’s text, Jesus was setting Peter up to be the chief bishop of His Church and thereby gives him all authority in the Church on earth, which carries with it eternal repercussions, of course. They see Peter as being the only one who receives the keys of heaven, which is the authority to bind on earth so that it is likewise bound in heaven. Now, any man who assumes the office of Peter takes the title Holy Father in the Romish church, and with it the authority they presume to assign to Peter based on their understanding of today’s text. As was stated on Wednesday evening, as today’s text was cited in the articles of Smalcald that were studied, the Office of the Keys is seen as a top down office in Rome, given to the pope, who delegates it to the priests. So, to this day, the coat of arms of the papacy bears on it a set of keys as a result. This is also why Peter is often pictured as a sort of concierge in jokes about heaven.

Lutherans point to the night of the resurrection to interpret the last verse of today’s text. For on that night, the disciples were in the room behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. Jesus appeared among them, breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22b-23 NKJV) There, the authority to bind and loose sins as validly as it were to be done in heaven is not limited to Peter, but is given to Jesus’ Church. So, to this day, this Office of the Keys is a peculiar office given to the Church and exercised in Her by Her called and ordained pastors; therefore, the Office of the Keys could be described as bottom up, counter to the top-down idea of Rome. So, if the Office is given to the church, then you, dear hearers, have authority to forgive sins, especially those committed against you, and when your brother or sister leaves truly forgiven, you have won them back. (cf. Matthew 18:15)

With regard to Catherine Winkworth and her work, there is much for which to be thankful to God. She has given done many wonderful translations of hymns originally written in German. But, I would contend that the alteration she made to Luther’s hymn is something that might be worthwhile to consider undoing—that the original, polemical language Luther used is still valid today.

For one thing, the Turk, or Muslim, is still a murderous tyrant, hell-bent on throwing Jesus off of His throne, as evidenced by the many brutal slaying of Christians and the desecration and torching of Christian churches in Muslim-controlled lands in the Middle-east and Northern Africa. The Muslim is, after all, a holy warrior in his mind, whose purpose is to set up the everlasting kingdom of his god, Allah, on this earth. This “One World Under Islam,” which can be called a Caliphate, entails ruthlessly subjugating and slaughtering those who do not believe in Allah.

The pope, on the other hand, while he doesn’t take (or no longer takes) the lives of simple Christians, he is a threat to solid Christian teaching, thereby threatening the eternal lives of simple Christians—he tosses Jesus off the throne by claiming the seat as his own; this is why the Lutheran Confessions refer to the papacy as the Antichrist. (cf. Apology XV, 18; Power and Primacy of the Pope, 39; et al) Why is the papacy antichrist? Because the pope seeks to take from Christ His redemptive work and put the onus of your salvation on you, at the pope’s own discretion. The papacy’s Sacrifice of the Mass is a good example, in which the Romish church declares the Lord’s Supper a sacrifice performed to gain God’s favor rather than the body and blood freely given from Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice on the cross for your salvation.

The pope’s murder, while more subtle, is far more dangerous than the Muslim’s. “[Do] not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Anything antichrist—or contrary to Christ—leads to death, eternal death. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Despite all of this, the pope cites Peter as his authority which he uses to lead people from Jesus and salvation to a way that would lead to death and damnation. Jesus said,

Does that mean that all in the Romish church are damned? Absolutely not! Even the man in the papal office may be saved, it’s not given to me or you to save or damn anyone. Still, there is always room to question Roman Catholic doctrine and wonder if any Roman Catholic, be they pope or parishioner, truly believes as they teach and confess. So long as their belief, teaching, and confession run counter to Christ, they are in danger of hellfire—but this is true of anyone with any label, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Turk, or anything.

The Church is not built on Peter or Paul. A church built on a mere man is a building built on sand, and a house built on sand is doomed to fall. (cf. Matthew 7:26-27) The Church is built on the Rock, Jesus Christ, and built on this Rock, it will never fall (as you will sing momentarily). (cf. Matthew 7:24-25) Jesus is the sure, certain, and solid cornerstone out of which everything that is the true faith is built. He is the cornerstone, the apostles and prophets are the foundation as their work is based on Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:2) And you, as the church, are built on this foundation of Jesus and the prophets and apostles: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Building a church on a mere man is not a danger unique to the Romish church. It can happen in any church body or congregation, even this one. If you are here because you like me or relate well to me or like my voice or you find me full of charisma or like my preaching, I’m flattered. However, any one of those better not be the only reason that you fill a seat in this place. If so, you are here for the wrong reason, and you would be heading for a doomed fall on the last day, like the house built on sand. Come because this place is founded on the rock-solid confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, because Jesus Christ and Him crucified for your salvation is proclaimed here.

It works the other way around, too. Perhaps you don’t like to come here or would rather not come here because you don’t like me or don’t relate well to me or find my voice grating or find me dull and boring or don’t like the way I do a certain thing. Whatever! Such criticism will just roll off my back (or it should). However, as long as Jesus Christ and Him crucified is proclaimed from these lips, then this is a place built upon the rock-solid confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. In that case, your refusal to come is folly; remaining in this futile confession, you will fall like the house built on sand.

The Rock upon which the Church is founded is Jesus Christ. the Messiah, the Son of the living God. What does it mean for Him to be called Christ or Messiah? Namely this: He was anointed from eternity to bear your sin and be your Savior. (cf. Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20) In being anointed to bear your sin, Jesus was sent to Earth, to take on human flesh and blood like yours, to die. The Church, very specifically then, is built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the sum and whole of Jesus’ teaching. To this all of the Prophets looked forward and spoke. To this all of the Apostles attest and wrote. Upon this you stand, by faith grasping the merits that Jesus won for you on the tree of the cross, trusting only in these for your salvation.

Your hope is not that some mere man with man-made authority will free you from the bonds of sin or from some middle place after death. Your sins are finally and fully forgiven in the death of Jesus Christ. He has freed you from all iniquity, regardless of what some pope may say. Unless you wish to hold on to your sins, binding them to you, they are loosed—they no longer hang around your neck like a millstone.

That is what it means to celebrate this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul—to confess what they have confessed, as the Church throughout time has confessed: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And when Jesus comes again, He comes to take you to Himself to be where He is for eternity. This is your sure and certain, rock-solid confession, because, in the right, sure, certain, and God-given exercise of the keys, you are forgiven for all of your sins.