+INI+ Do you have an investment strategy? Some of you are at or near retirement. The rising

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1 11 th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 12A) Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52 Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 Epistle: Romans 8:28-39 Title: Purchased People +INI+ Do you have an investment strategy? Some of you are at or near retirement. The rising price of gas, the declining real estate market, and the current bear market certainly aren t helping things. You may find that you re spending more and saving less and what you do save is declining in value, so you need to have a plan. Many people are willing to give you advice on how to manage your money. There are professional financial planners, there are many newspapers and magazines, and there s always the infomercials that tell you how to make your fortune in real estate, not to mention the televangelists who promise prosperity if you ll only send them your seed money. Whatever strategy you use, I would be shocked if you invested your money like the characters in today s parables- the men who sold everything to buy a field or a pearl. In fact, you ve probably done the exact opposite. I m sure you ve been told to diversify your holdings. Spread your money around. Don t put all your eggs in one basket. Right? What would you say if someone told you to sell everything you had, and I mean everything- sell your house, sell your car, sell all your furniture, your clothes, your TV, your computer, cash in all your stocks and bonds, your IRAs, your 401(k), your life insurance, and then take all that money and buy one, single pearl. What would you say to that advice? Would you actually do it? Would you be willing to risk it all on one pearl? Even if you got a great deal for that one pearl, and even if you were guaranteed that it would increase in value and improve

2 your investment, would you do it? Would you risk everything you had for a single precious pearl? I know I wouldn t. It s just too risky. It just doesn t make sense. But then, the parables are full of things that just don t make sense. Last week it was the farmer who refused to weed his field, because he didn t want to pull up any wheat. The week before there was a farmer who sowed his seed wildly- even on the path and in the rocks and among the thorns. Parables show us the absolute absurdity of God s love for His people. God s love defies our expectations, and it defies reason. So what do you do with these twin parables, the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price? (There are actually two more parables in today s gospel, but four parables are a bit much for any preacher to cover, let alone a young pastor in his first sermon at his first call. So come back in three years for the other two.) These parables say very much the same thing. Jesus paints two different pictures, but he says basically the same thing twice. The kingdom of heaven is precious, it s priceless, it must be purchased. But what does that mean for you? How do you fit into this picture? Most often you ve probably heard the parable preached this way Jesus or eternal life is the treasure, Jesus is the pearl, and you are the one looking for Him. Once you find Jesus, you should give up everything for Him. Now that s not completely wrong, Jesus does say things like this at times, about giving up everything to follow him, but there is a better way to hear this parable. In all the parables we ve heard thus far, the Lord has been the one doing all the work. The Lord sows the seed, the Lord plants the field, the Lord casts His nets into the sea. The Lord does everything. On the other hand, we are completely passive. We are the soil that receives the

3 seed. We are the wheat planted by the Lord. We are the fish caught in the Lord s nets. We receive the actions of the Lord. That s the way things go with the Lord. He is the one at work; He does the whole job. We simply receive what He has to give. And so it goes with today s parables as well. The Lord is the treasure hunter. The Lord is the merchant searching for pearls. You are the Lord s treasure. You are the Lord s precious pearl. The Lord searches you out and finds you. Once He finds you, He gives everything He has to purchase you. Jesus gives all He has to make you His own. He gives up the glory of heaven to be a humble servant to purchase you. He gives up His very lifeblood to purchase you. As we confess in the catechism, Jesus has purchased and won me from sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious, blood, and with His innocent sufferings and death. But wait, you might say. I m nothing special. I just confessed that I m a dirty, rotten sinner. How could I be His treasure? How could I be His priceless pearl? When the world looks at you, the people of God. They don t see anything special. They see people who are selfish and lazy, liars and cheats, misbehaved children, broken families. When the world looks at Faith, they see a small, aging congregation with an uncertain future. When the world looks at me, they see a young, inexperienced pastor who is in over his head. They see someone who is lacking in charisma, who has wasted years of his life in libraries and classrooms. But our value is not based on anything that we ve done or what others think of us. What determines something s worth? The amount that someone will pay for it. You may think something is utterly worthless, but if someone will pay a fortune for it, that s what it s worth. Our Lord loves you and me so much that He gave everything He had to purchase us. You are a purchased people, precious to the Lord.

4 This is the message that our world is dying to hear. Children are told they re worthless because they re not old enough, teenagers are told they re worthless because they don t have the right friends and don t fit in. Single people are told they re worthless because they don t have someone special in their lives. People who are unemployed or retired are told they re worthless because they re not contributing to society. We could go on and on with the poor, the immigrants, the disabled, the unborn, and so many others who are told that they re worthless. But that s not what the Lord says. The Lord says, you have worth, you have value, you are precious to me. I put my Name on you in Holy Baptism to mark you as my own. I put my words into your ears to forgive your sins. I put my body and blood into you to strengthen and enliven you. If you ever think that you are worthless or unloved- look no further than font, pulpit and altar. There you see how much the Lord loves by the gifts He freely gives you right here. There s no way to explain why the Lord loves us so much. We certainly don t deserve it. Take a look at the people of Israel. There s no reason why the Lord should have loved and cared for these people the way that He did. There was nothing special or remarkable about them. There are no great pyramids of Jerusalem. There was no Israelite empire. In fact, they were the smallest and weakest of all the peoples on earth. The Israelites were a nation of slaves. The Lord had His pick. He could have chosen the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Babylonians, the Persians, or the Romans. But He chose the people of Israel. Why? Because He loved them. There s no other reason. And there s no way to explain love. The Lord calls the people of Israel His treasured possession. The Hebrew term is segullah, and refers to a something very precious, very personal that means the world to you. In a society

5 where so much was held in common, this is what was particularly yours. If your house was on fire and you could only save one thing, that thing would be your segullah. You are the Lord s treasured possession. You are his segullah. You are the one thing He has chosen to save in this fallen world. There is nothing that will separate us from His love- not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword- not life or death or angels or demons or old age or cancer or poverty or inexperience or anything else you can imagine. Nothing will separate you from His love. You are a treasure hidden in a field. When Jesus found you, He joyfully sold all He had and bought you. You are a fine pearl of great value. When Jesus found you He sold all that He had and bought you. You are a purchased people.

6 12 th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 13A) Gospel: Isaiah 55:1-5 Old Testament: Romans 9:1-13 Epistle: Matthew 14:13-21 Title: Satisfied People +INI+ There s nothing more satisfying than a really great meal. A banquet. A feast. Think of some of the really great meals that you ve had: the thanksgiving dinner when the whole family gathered around the table; the fourth of July picnic when you had more barbequed meat than you could possibly eat; your anniversary when you went out to the fanciest restaurant you could afford. Think of all those special meals that you ve enjoyed over the years. What was it that made them so special, so enjoyable, so satisfying? There are a number of different components that make for a satisfying meal. One is the setting, the time and the place. A special time calls for a special meal- a holiday, a birthday, a wedding, an anniversary. These are times we go all out, spare no expense. The place makes a meal special as well- a nice restaurant, a banquet hall. Your home is a special place as well, and when you put together a meal, you might do a little extra cleaning, put out the nice table-cloth, get out the good china or the silver, buy some flowers or a make centerpiece so that everything looks just right. A second component to a satisfying meal is the people. When you thought of some of the great meals that you shared, you probably thought of meals that you enjoyed together with special people: with your family, with your spouse, with your close friends. Meals are more than just an excuse to nourish our bodies. They are social occasions, a time for fellowship, a time to tell stories. Great meals are filled with joyful conversations. Nothing ruins a meal more quickly than when the guests don t get along. Another component to a satisfying meal, of course, is the food. It may be a family favorite, a traditional dish that has been passed down for generations. It may be a new, exotic cuisine that you re trying for the first time. Satisfying meals are filled with food that is the best, the freshest, prepared with care. And there is always more than enough to go around. Another component to a satisfying meal is great service. As much as I enjoy being the host and serving guests, it can be very stressful to manage all the details of special meal. It s wonderful when you can just sit back and relax, enjoy the company and the food and not have to worry about cooking, serving and cleaning up. In the best meals, someone else takes care of all the details. Finally, the most satisfying meals are free. Often great food and great service comes at a great price, and you may dread getting the bill at the end of a meal. The best

7 meals are when someone else not only takes care of the cooking and the serving and the clean-up, but also picks up the check. In our gospel lesson for today, we see one of the most satisfying meals of all time. But the disciples don t see things that way from the start. First, the setting is all wrong. The timing is bad. It s already evening, it s getting late, too late to serve a proper meal. (Jesus should have been keeping a closer eye on the clock.) The place is all wrong, too. The disciples call the place a wilderness, a desert. There s no proper restaurants or grocery stores, there s not even a 7-11 to buy some snacks for the people. Second, the people are a problem. There are far too many people. There s no way that they can take an edge off their hunger, let along satisfy a crowd so large. Also, these people were sick, and poor, not the kind of folks you d want at your dinner table. Then there s the food. The food isn t that appetizing, and there s not much of it either- a few dinner rolls and a couple fish. Certainly not anything to get excited about. So what is the disciples solution? Send them away. They use the same Greek word that also means divorce. Look, Jesus, you did your thing- healed a few people, put smiles on a few faces, but you we all knew this couldn t last forever, so for everyone s good, why don t you just call it a night. The disciples don t want to be bothered with caring for the people, and so their solution is to let the people fend for themselves. Let them find a store and they can buy their own food, If they can t afford anything, then it s tough luck. Now Jesus approach to the situation is the complete opposite. He will not send His people away. He will not have them buying food for themselves, fighting with one another for the meager resources of one of the small towns. The Lord s way is the way of gift. The disciples begin by complaining and telling the Lord what to do. Jesus begins with prayer and thanksgiving. He looks to heaven and blesses God for the gifts He has received of bread and fish. And then He gives those gifts to those who are hungry. Where do we begin- by complaining and telling God what He should do to fix things, or by giving thanks and putting what we ve been given to good use? Even in the most difficult of circumstances, the Lord feeds His people. He makes a place for them on the grass, gives them food delivered by the disciples, and all for free. And they are satisfied. There s more than enough- even leftovers. The Lord has made you His people. Last week we heard how Jesus sought you out and purchased you with His own blood. After making you His people, the Lord cares for you, providing for all your needs. One of those needs is for food. We pray for our daily bread and the Lord graciously provides for us and we are satisfied. He opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing.

8 And the Lord also prepares a feast, a banquet for us. The setting may seem strange. On Sunday morning at 9:45 am, most people are still waking up and getting a cup of coffee, thinking about breakfast, but certainly not sitting down to a banquet. But today is the Lord s Day, the day of resurrection, the eighth day, a day of new creation. It is a day for celebration and feasting. This is the feast of victory for our God. This place may seem a strange place for a feast as well. Downstairs would be much more logical. Here there is only a small table and a rail. Certainly not enough room for all of us. But the Lord has set aside this place for His own. He covers His table with linen cloths to point to His body- once wrapped for burial. And He uses His best silver. As you look around you, you may be surprised by the company that the Lord has gathered for this feast. A motley crew of sinners. People you may not see more than once a week. Your best friends and closest relatives might not even be here. And it s more than just you and I that are gathered around this table. Your loved ones who have died in the Lord are here, too- your parents and grandparents, your husband, your wife, your children who are now with the Lord. The Lord is here now, and so are they. As we sing the Sanctus with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven, heaven comes down to earth and all God s people join in the banquet. And the meal- a small dry wafer of bread and sip of wine. It doesn t seem impressive. But what you receive here is the very body and very blood of our Lord Himself. There is no finer fare in all the world than what you receive right here. Those who serve this meal are sinful men with their own faults and failings. But the pastor stands in the place of Christ Himself, and when He speaks to you This is My Body This is My Blood, you hear the voice of the Lord. And it s all free. The finest banquet in all the world given to you at no cost. For your Lord and Savior already paid the bill by His death on the cross. This meal is a foretaste of the final meal, the great heavenly banquet of the lamb. The setting will be out of this world. The guests will be the baptized, the redeemed of the lamb. Kenneth just received his invitation a few moments ago, and he has been promised a place at the table. The food will be the finest meats and the best wine. And it is all given to you for free. So come, eat, drink, and be satisfied.

9 13 th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 14A) Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 Old Testament: Job 38:4-18 Epistle: Romans 10:5-17 Title: Satisfied People + INI + It takes a lot to get a grown man to scream in fear. It takes even more to get twelve burly fishermen to shriek like little girls. I ve seen several episodes of The Deadliest Catch- the Discovery channel show that follows Alaskan crab fishermen through rough Arctic waters. Even in the midst of the most treacherous storms, they still manage to stay in control. I ve never heard any of them scream in terror. But none of them saw a ghost either. This morning the disciples find themselves in the midst of a typical ghost story. It s dark, it s stormy, and they are all alone. The plot seems frighteningly familiar. It s night, about 3 am, and darkness surrounds them. They had been navigating by the stars, as they had so many times before, but now the stars are hidden by clouds, and they are surrounded by deep darkness. The softly falling rain has increased steadily to a torrential downpour, and the winds are now beating against the tiny vessel. Each disciple strains at his oar, trying to get the boat back under control. Everyone is shouting directions. It s enough to make anyone scared. What makes things worse is that they are all alone. The last time they were in a wicked storm, Jesus was in the boat with them (and fast asleep). When they managed to wake Him up, it only took a word and the wind and waves were still. But now they are all alone. Jesus has sent them on ahead while He stayed to pray. Without Jesus, the darkness seemed even darker, the winds seemed even stronger, and their peril even more dread. And then they see something off in the distance. It s hard to make out at first, but it comes closer and closer. It looks like a man, but that s impossible. Certainly this could be no mere mortal. It must be a ghost, a phantom, a spirit come back from the grave. In that ghost, in that storm, and in that darkness, they saw death, and they were sore afraid. Shrieks of horror emerge from their lips as time seems to move in slow motion. They are now living their worst nightmare. They are in the middle of a ghost story. But everything changes with a few words. First word: Take courage. Jesus speaks this word often to people who are anxious or worried. This does not mean suck it up and be a man. Jesus is not calling His disciples cowards. Rather, this word is a call to trust in the Lord. He is the source of our courage, our strength. This word means Trust in me. In John 16 Jesus uses this same word when He says, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Trust in me, rely on me in difficult times.

10 There will be times when your own strength and courage fail you. There will be times when death surrounds you. At such a time look not to yourself or to the strength of those around you. Look only to Jesus, Jesus who comes to you across the water. When Jesus walks on the water, He is not just showing off. Jesus miracles do more than prove His divinity. If Jesus only wanted to prove that He was God, He could have had a grand magic show for the people and left no doubt - stones to bread and a fantastic leap off the temple, just like Satan wanted. No, Jesus miracles show us that He is the Lord of creation, and He is reversing the curse of Adam. Sickness, pain and death are a result of sin, and so Jesus comes to cure, to heal, and to raise the dead. The water bit is not a parlor trick - He s not Criss Angel or David Blaine He is the Lord. When Jesus walks on water it shows you what it means to be the Lord. The sea is synonymous with death itself. It is a place of chaos, a place of sea monsters. The sea will swallow you up like the grave, and you will never be seen again. In this sea the first Jonah sunk like a rock, all the way to the grave, but Jesus, the second Jonah walks, treading death and the great serpent under His feet. This is the Jesus who says to the disciples: Take heart, I am. Jesus is the I am, the one who brought all creation into existence, and still sustains it. I am, says Jesus. Because Jesus is, you are. Jesus speaks His name to the disciples, just as He spoke centuries before to Moses in the burning bush. I am that I am. Because Jesus walks on the water, because He treads death and Satan under His feet, there is no reason to fear. And so Jesus tells His disciples, Take heart, I am. Don t be afraid. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear looks inward; fear happens when you look at yourself and your problems, and you realize that your problems are more than you can handle. Fear happens when you look in the mirror and see someone who is weak, vulnerable, and helpless. Fear comes when your life seems out of control. Fear sees the waves and the storm and the deep waters. Fear is the result of the law- it sizes you up and finds you wanting. When you are faced with who you really are, the reality of your sin and the effects it has had on your life, you are afraid. Faith looks only at Jesus. Faith sees the one who made the wind and the waters. Faith sees the one who has taken your sin upon Himself. Faith sees the one who created you and purchased you as His own. Faith sees the one who satisfies you will every good thing. Faith sees the one who has come to rescue you. When Jesus walks on the water, He is not showing off. He has come to bring calm in the midst of terror. He has come with hope in time of despair. He has come bringing life to a world of death. He has come to rescue His disciples. Peter thinks He gets it. And he wants to play, too. Peter wants to defy death and be like Jesus. May I? says Peter? Come, says Jesus, and Jesus word draws Peter out of the boat and across the water. But Peter s faith is little. Soon He stops looking at Jesus and looks down

11 at his feet. And when he looks down, and sees the water and the waves and the seaweed and the fish, it s like Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff. Peter begins to sink. But Peter s little faith prays a big prayer. Lord, save me! And the Lord hears Peter s prayer and immediately His hand reaches out to grab Peter and put him back in the boat. Peter is not quite ready for the full-blast Jesus, and so it s back in the boat for a while longer. The Lord rescues him again and brings him back to safety. So take heart, have courage, trust in the Lord. The Lord is with you. The one made the heavens and the earth has come here to be with you and to rescue you. Have no fear. One day the Lord will call you out of the boat of this world to walk hand in hand with your Lord. There will be no ghosts, no darkness, and no storms. Also, before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. The sea will be clear and calm, and there you will walk with the Lord. Then those who were in the boat worshipped Him saying, Truly You are the Son of God. The voices that have screamed in terror now confess Jesus as the Son of God. Our voices join in their confession in the words of the Apostles Creed.

12 15 th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 16A) Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 Old Testament: Isaiah 51:1-6 Epistle: Romans 11:1-2a, 13-15, INI+ It s been about month of life together now, so let s review: First it was the pearl and the treasure. Jesus found us and joyfully sold all that He had to purchase us. Then it was dinner by the lake with 5000 of our closest friends- bread, fish, and lots of leftovers. Jesus satisfied us with the greatest banquet of all time. Last week it was the shrieking disciples who turned to confessors as Jesus walked across the water, over death and Satan to rescue us. Purchased. Satisfied. Rescued. Typical Jesus stuff. We know this Jesus guy pretty well, and these are the kinds of things we expect Him to do: to purchase us and make us His own, to satisfy us when we re hungry, and to rescue us when we re in trouble. This is the Jesus we ve come to know and love- some combination of Santa Claus and Superman. But this Jesus from today s gospel doesn t seem to fit. This is not typical Jesus. This is not what we ve come to expect from our Savior. When the woman comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal her daughter, we expect Jesus to heal her right away, instantly. Jesus is allpowerful, right? Jesus is loving, right? We expect super-hero Jesus. We expect nice-guy Jesus. But instead, we get silent Jesus, and eventually mean and insulting Jesus. Are you sure this is the same guy who walked on water and fed 5,000 people? First, there was the silence. There are few punishments as severe as the silent treatment. The woman is right there in front of Jesus. She s sought Him out and found Him. She s causing a scene and will not leave. The disciples plead with Jesus to just give her what she wants and let her go. But Jesus is silent. You, no doubt, have endured silence from the Lord. You have pleaded with Him for things that you need, for your family, for your friends. Good things- not selfish things. You have prayed for healing, for reconciliation, for a new job, but there is only silence. We Americans don t like to wait. We want everything done yesterday, and we expect the Lord to be on our schedule. We have our life planned out, we know the script (we ve seen it on TV), how everything should go, and we are tempted to pray this way. But that is not faith. Jesus does finally speak, but His answer is not what this woman is expecting to hear. His words are devastating. I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Not you. I have come for others, but not for you. Surely the woman had heard how Jesus had helped others, which is why she came to Him that day. She may have heard how He had cast demons out of others. There was the demon-possessed man in the synagogue at Capernaum. There were the two men who lived among the tombs, and Jesus cast a legion of demons out of them and into the pigs. If others had been cured, then why not her daughter? You may have felt this way, too. Why are some healed, but I still suffer? Why do others have perfect families, and my marriage is falling apart? Why does my neighbor enjoy the good life and I m just scraping by? It s not fair. Jesus explains to what is fair to the woman. It is not fair to take the children s bread and throw it to the dogs. The final word of Jesus is the most cruel of all. I can t give you anything 1

13 because you are a dog. We aren t used to hearing insults come from the mouth of Jesus (except maybe a few jabs at the Pharisees). There is no way to soften this blow. While you may think of dogs as cute, cuddly pets, this was not so in Jesus day. There s nothing good about calling a woman a dog. Did you notice how this woman was introduced? She is a Canaanite. Who were the Canaanites? Remember- they were the folks who lived in Palestine before the Israelites arrived from Egypt- Joshua, Jericho and the Conquest. The Lord commanded the Israelites to wipe them all out. What do you do with a God who plays favorites? There are two possible reactions to a Jesus who acts like this. There are two ways to act when God is silent and against you. The first is to defend yourself, to claim that God isn t being fair. Now look Jesus, that s not any way to treat me. I ve tried to live a good life. I m not perfect, but I m doing better than most. I m a decent person once you get to know me. My daughter certainly doesn t deserve this, and she s being tortured unfairly. I can t help the fact that I was born a Gentile and a woman. That s the way you made me. This is the way we are prone to react when we hear the accusing words of the Lord- we want to defend ourselves. But it is not the way of faith. Faith is not something you work up in yourself, some sort of inner strength that you call upon in tough times. Faith begins when you are emptied. Sometimes it is the suffering of a loved one that empties you. Sometimes it is the Lord s silence that empties you. Sometimes it is the Lord s Law- His words that accuse you, judge you, condemn you and empty you. But the Lord only empties you to rid you of any confidence in yourself, anything that will not hold, and to bring you to faith in Him. Once emptied, faith looks to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is the voice of faith. Prayer is not manipulating the Lord into getting what you want from Him, arguing and bargaining and trying to control Him. Prayer is standing or kneeling before the Lord with empty hands, ready to receive what He has for you. Listen to the prayers of this woman s great faith. Three times she prays. First: Have mercy on me, Son of David. Second: Lord, help me. Third: I d be happy with crumbs, thanks. The first prayer is the cry for mercy. The cry for mercy is the cry of the beggar. It is the cry of the poor, the blind, and the leper. It comes from your emptiness and desperate need. This is how our divine service begins every week, not by being full of ourselves and how good we are and what an accomplishment it is to get up and come to church when everyone else is sleeping in. No, our first prayer every week is, Kyrie Eleison Lord, have mercy. This is how it went at the ordination service as well, with the litany. It wasn t about how great the candidate was or what a perfect congregation this is, but Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Jesus initial response brought the women to her knees. This is the posture of begging as well. There is a reason why we kneel at the Lord s Table. We come as beggars, joyful to receive whatever the Lord will give us. Lord, help me. Is all the woman can manage the second time around. Perhaps you ve prayed this prayer, too. Lord, help me. I have nowhere else to turn. There s nothing more I can do. The doctors say that it s only a matter of time. I don t know the right words, all I know is that I need your help. And finally, when Jesus calls her a dog, the woman does something remarkable. She doesn t get upset. She doesn t get angry. She says, yes. She says yes, I am a dog. You re right, Jesus, I don t deserve a place at the table. And what is more, I m happy to be a dog, 2

14 because the dogs get the crumbs, and even the tiniest crumb from your table is more than enough for me. And that is faith talking. Faith agrees with Jesus. This is the second way to react- not by defending yourself but by agreeing with Jesus. Yes, I am unworthy, and I ll take whatever you ll give me. Faith only receives from Jesus. Faith takes Jesus words and promises and uses them as the foundation for prayer. This morning we, too, receive the crumbs from our Lord s table- a small crumb of bread and a tiny sip of wine. But this is the Lord s Table, and His crumbs are the bread of life. These crumbs still drive out the demons and bring eternal healing. We come as beggars on our knees, and the Lord hears our prayers and gives us what we need. Strengthened by His body and blood, you go out to face whatever this week holds for yousuffering, silence, adversity- bringing all these needs to your Lord in prayer- knowing that He will hear you because of the great faith He has given you. 3

15 16 th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 17A) Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20 Old Testament: Isaiah 51:1-6 Epistle: Romans 11:33-12:8 +INI+ We knew there was a problem when the cracks began to appear in the walls of my parents house. They started out small, barely noticeable. But then they grew wider and longer, weaving their way across walls and ceilings, spreading out from the corners of door jambs and window sills. Eventually the doors didn t close right, windows were hard to open, and we knew there was something seriously wrong. First, we tried patching the cracks and repainting the walls. But this was a quick fix and did not solve the problem for long. The cracks soon reappeared and in greater numbers. Next we tried to get to the root of the problem- the larger cracks down in the basement walls. We patched those with concrete, but the concrete didn t hold. We tried everything we could think of, but every time we thought the problem was fixed, the cracks came back. By now I m sure you know the source of the problem- the foundation. More accurately, it was the ground underneath the foundation. A drought had caused the ground to shift, and the foundation was no longer stable. Eventually, professionals were called, the foundation was repaired, but there are still problems to this day, because the ground is not solid. Which brings us to the gospel lesson. Who do people say that I am? asks Jesus. All the answers are less than solid: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, a prophet. Jesus preached like a prophet, Jesus performed miracles like a prophet, he must be a prophet. But this is not solid ground. Don t build here, or your walls will be full of cracks. Even true prophets are only messengers, spokesmen, mouthpieces for God. They are not anything in and of themselves. When you build on this foundation, what you have is a cult, puts all its weight on the messenger rather than the message and the one who sent him. Cracks quickly appear, and often the whole house will collapse, as we saw at Jonestown and Waco. The only solid foundation is, of course, Jesus. But which Jesus? Not the prophet-jesus, the Jesus who is one option among many. The correct answer is e. none of the above. Only the Messiah, the Son of God Jesus will hold. Only this confession is rock-solid. This is not anything we would come up with by ourselves. Blessed are you, Simon son of John, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but our Father who is in heaven. This is what makes Peter s confession rock solid and sure- it comes to him as gift. Anything that is based on ourselves and our ability will ultimately fall apart- our knowledge, our spirituality, our morality, our strength, none of these will hold. Just look at Peter. Next week we will hear Jesus call Peter Satan. He will eventually deny and abandon the one whom he now calls the Son of God. Huge cracks running across the walls. If it s all about us 1

16 and how smart we are, or how nice we are, or what good people we are, it won t be long before cracks start to appear. Cracks in the church start out small: minor differences of opinion and annoyances. They grow into disagreements over what songs to sing, how to spend the money... Then the cracks grow as people start to split off into parties and factions. Some give up and stop coming. Others vow to stay and fight. Visitors can see obvious problems and steer clear of the whole mess. The cracks may look different from church to church, but the root problem is always the same. The foundation is not on solid ground. If we ever make ourselves and our opinions into the foundation, if I put myself and my personal preferences first, if it s all about me and what I like and what I want and what makes me comfortable, then it s only a matter of time before cracks start to appear. We can patch and paint all we want, but it won t solve the problem. The only sure, rock-solid foundation is Jesus Christ. And this is where Jesus builds His church. It s not up to us to build the church. Jesus says, On this rock, I will build my church. The church is Jesus doing. He is the carpenter, the master craftsman, and He builds the church on the solid, immovable rock of Peter s confession. The confession is rock solid because it comes from the Father. The church is rock solid because it is built by Jesus on this foundation. Everything that happens in the church that is done by Jesus is therefore rock solid- uncrackable. Everything that happens here confesses Christ. He does the lot. He builds the house of His church. And it s quite a house. As you walk up to our Lord s house, the first thing that catches your eye is the door. The front door to our Lord s house is made of solid wood, like the cross which once bore His body. You have the sign of the holy cross, the name of Jesus, on your forehead, and so you are invited in through the door of the invocation. Once inside, you see a basin of cool, fresh water. Our Lord is here to greet you. To your surprise, He stoops to wash your feet with the words of holy absolution. He washes away all the dirt and grime of last week, and leaves you fresh and clean. As you begin to look around the house you are struck by the incredible works of art that adorn the walls. Some have been painted by professionals, others drawn by children. There s a shepherd leading His sheep beside the still waters, and there s a mighty fortress, you see the little town of Bethlehem and Jerusalem the Golden, in one you see Christian soldiers marching as to war, and in another the Rock of Ages. You are captivated by the beauty of this artwork, these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The Lord invites you further in to sit and have a chat. He s got a comfy couch, a lazy boy recliner and a few beanbag chairs for the kids. You sit and are captivated by the sound of His voice. He begins to tell you stories of long, long ago, all your favorite family stories. There s the one about grandpa Moses and his adventures in Egypt, there s old aunt Esther who lived in Persia and even got to be queen, and your crazy cousin Daniel who had those strange dreams and spent the night with the lions. There are also cards and letters on the coffee table from other family members- Paul s written most, but there are several from John, a couple from Peter and 2

17 one from James. The letters bring greetings, encouragement and more news from the rest of the family. Our Lord even tells you stories about yourself and what you were like as a kid, how you kept getting into trouble, but he never gave up on you. Then the Lord leans back, looks you in the eye and asks you how you ve been. He wants to know what s been going with you and your family, what you re looking forward to in the coming week, what you re worried about, what s on your mind, and you bring these thoughts to Him in prayer. Then the Lord leads you into the dining room. It s time to eat. You could smell the food from the moment you walked in the door, and you are starving. There s a long table with seats all the way around, a white tablecloth, candles, and polished silver. Today the placemats are green. The Lord invites you to join in giving thanks for the food (something that is good, right, and salutary to do). Then comes the meal. The Lord serves each guest personally, and everyone is satisfied. No thanks, I couldn t possibly have another bite. When the meal is over, you thank your host for His generosity. It s been my pleasure, He says, and gives you a big hug, His face shining upon you. As you look once more around the house, you are struck by how everything looks just right. There are no cracks in the walls, no dust or cobwebs in the corners, no fingerprints on the glass. The woodwork is all ornately carved, all done by hand. Everything fits together perfectlythe lamps, the curtains, the carpeting. The house is solid, it s sturdy, but more than that, it is beautiful. Outside is the busy world, full of stress and pressure. Outside there is danger. Outside the storms rage. The outside world is ugly and dirty and chaotic. Everything is falling apart. Inside, there is peace and safety. Inside there is calm, there is order. Inside there is beauty. Inside there is beauty, inside there is life. Everything is this way, because this is the way that the Lord made things. Everything here confesses that Christ- Sunday worship, the food bank, Bible Class, VBS, all of this says of Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And this is how the Lord builds His church. Everything in your life that confesses Christ- your generous giving, your devotional life, your family life, the way you treat others, all of this says of Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is also how the Lord builds His church. If it confesses Christ, then it comes to us as a gift from our heavenly Father. If it comes from our heavenly Father, it is sure, it is solid- no cracks. 3

18 17 th Sunday After Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 17A) Gospel: Matthew 16:21-28 Old Testament: Jeremiah 15:15-21 Epistle: Romans 12:9-21 Title: Life Together: Crucified With Christ +INI+ It s Labor Day weekend. Tomorrow September begins. The summer is basically over, the kids are back in school, vacation time has come and gone, and it s time to get back to business. Jesus is getting down to business in today s gospel, as well. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Jesus disciples have been with Him for nearly 3 years now. They ve seen and heard amazing things from Jesus. Now Jesus finally explains to His disciples what He s come to do, what He s here for, what His mission is. You ve seen this scene in countless movies. A small number of highly skilled soldiers have been selected for a special mission. They spend weeks training and preparing together, honing their skills and coming together as a unit. They don t know what their mission is, only that it is important, that the security of the country depends on it. Finally, just before they are to go into battle, the commander sits down with his troops. He lays out all the intelligence and explains exactly what their mission is going to be. He explains the risks to them, but also the importance that the mission succeed. In this gospel lesson, Jesus calls the troops together. He lets them know exact what their mission will be. The destination- Jerusalem. The objective- to suffer, die and rise again. This is what the disciples have been training and preparing for. This is why Jesus chose the disciples- to witness what He is about to do, and then proclaim the good news to all the world. This is Jesus business. But this is not what Peter signed up for. He doesn t understand the importance of Jesus mission. Peter shows that he doesn t understand who Jesus really is and why He s here. Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Son of God, but his reaction shows that He doesn t understand what this means. Peter was all for a Jesus who could heal the sick, cast out demons, walk on water, and feed the crowds. This sort of Jesus had real potential. He could really be the Messiah everyone had been waiting for. But a Messiah who suffers and dies, what good is that? So Peter takes Jesus aside. He tries to point out the problems with Jesus plan. Suffering and death will not accomplish anything in Peter s mind. Peter doesn t understand God s business. There s God s business and there s man s business. There s God s side, and there is

19 Satan s side. You are either with Jesus or you are the Enemy. To be with Jesus means the way of suffering, cross and death. It means losing your life. To be with the Enemy means holding on to what you have, it means putting yourself first. Satan tempted Jesus many times to turn from the way of the cross. First it was in the wilderness, If you are the Son of God do a trick, put on a show, worship me and I ll give you anything. Then it was through Peter, If you are the Son of God don t go to Jerusalem and get yourself killed. Finally, when Jesus is hanging on the cross, He will hear Satan say, If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross save yourself. Jesus did not come to save Himself. Jesus came to save you. Jesus came to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die there for you. He knew what would happen, and He told His disciples it would happen. But Jesus still went to die, to fulfill the mission. This is what makes Jesus the Son of God and the Messiah. Plenty of other prophets had come, teaching and healing. Some even fed the crowds and even raised the dead. This is not what makes Jesus the Son of God. What makes Him the Son of God is when He dies on the cross. Remember the centurion at the foot of the cross who said, Truly this is the Son of God. If you want to play, too, if you want in on Jesus business, if you re still up for the mission, Jesus tells you exactly what is involved. If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Jesus calls you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. When you hear people talk about bearing their crosses, usually they are talking about situations that are difficult and unpleasant, something they must suffer through. I did a quick internet search on this phrase my cross to bear, just to see how people are currently using this phrase. When people talk about their crosses to bear, this is what they include- getting up early, having dry skin, dealing with an upset friend, or cheering for a loosing sports team (not that folks in Chicago would know anything about that). But this, of course, is not what Jesus is talking about of here. Being a Cubs fan may cause pain and anguish, but it will not kill you, even here on the South Side. A cross has only one purpose- and that is to kill. You could replace cross with noose or electric chair for a similar effect. Take up your noose, have a seat in the electric chair and follow me. A cross is used only for executions- not to make people annoyed or uncomfortable. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. To bear your cross means to die. Death is what makes Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Death is what makes you a disciple. Not your good works, not your right answers, not anything that comes from you. To be a disciple means to die. And all of you have already died. In baptism, you were crucified with Christ. Paul writes in Romans 6, Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death. You

20 have already died. You have been crucified with Christ. You have died and now have been raised with Christ. Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Jesus death was followed by resurrection. Your death has been followed by your resurrection, your new life. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. You now have new life in Christ. Eternal life starts now. This is what Jesus means when He says, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. The kingdom of heaven came with Jesus death and resurrection. The first disciples saw and experienced these things. You have experienced the death and resurrection of Christ as well. And so you now live a new life. What does this mean? Just look at today s epistle lesson. Here it is once more. This is Jesus business in the world. This is what your life looks like once you ve died and been raised to new life. This is the way that Jesus lives, and so this is how you live when Jesus lives in you: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the only way that our lives look like this, the only way for us to love one another, even our enemies, to be joyful, even in trying times, to live in peace and harmony with one another, is if we die to ourselves, and are raised to new life in Christ. We are tempted to live life the old way. To do business man s way, the Enemy s way, to avoid death and the cross and cling to our old life. This is why Luther writes, The old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever. In confession and absolution you return to the baptismal font. When you confess your sins and hear Christ s words of forgiveness, you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. This is what Christ is up to this Labor Day weekend. Jesus gets down to business by putting you to death, so that you are also joined to His resurrection.

21 19 h Sunday After Pentecost, 2008 (Proper 18A) Gospel: Matthew 18:1-20 Old Testament: Ezekiel 33:7-9 Epistle: Romans 13:1-10 Title: Life Together: Problems and Solutions +INI+ One last time, just to review. It begins with the Lord and what He does for us. He finds and purchased us, satisfies us, and comforts us. Then the Lord gets us involved. We respond by with prayer, confessing our faith, and finally, taking up our cross and following Him. That s what the Lord s been teaching us the past six weeks. This is what our life together looks like. The Lord brings us together in this place and gives us His gifts, and we respond in faith. And everything s great. But this week, things are different. This week there s a host of problems, and they re problems within the community of faith, the church. In today s gospel we see all sorts of things that could possibly go wrong in the church. Even though the Lord has brought us together and done amazing things for us, so often we manage to mess things up, and cause division within the church. The church has problems, and today s gospel teaches us how they are best dealt with. The first problem arises when there are arguments over who is the greatest. Comparing yourself to others is never a helpful thing to do, particularly within the body of Christ. You are tempted think of yourself as better than others. I m the greatest because I m here faithfully every week. I m the greatest because I put more in the plate. I m the greatest because I volunteer more of my time. Now don t get me wrong. You should be here every week, you should give generously of both your money and your time, but that s not what makes you great in the kingdom of God. What makes you great- being like a little child. Jesus said, Whoever humbles himself and becomes like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. A child is dependent and needy. A child must be cared for by someone else. A child has no great accomplishments to boast of. Our Lord has shown us the way when He Himself became a child. Jesus could have come directly from heaven as an adult. He could have skipped the diapers and the crib and the pacifier, but He chose to come in humility. Jesus was the one who had every right to consider Himself to be the greatest. If anyone had a right to this title, it was Him. Yet Jesus humbled Himself- from birth to death, showing us what it really means to be great. To be great means to be like Jesus. Do you want to be like Jesus? Then come here to the Lord s Supper. Here Jesus will join you to Himself. Jesus will give you His very body and His blood, the same body that was born as a child in Bethlehem will be born in you today in the Lord s Supper. Now Jesus lives in you and lives through you. And so, when the problem is pride, the answer is Jesus, and you receive Jesus here in the Lord s Supper. 1