Quinquagesima

Text: Luke 18:31-43 & 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

+INJ+

Difficult people. You cannot live without them, nor can you avoid them.

Difficult people are those individuals who disagree with you; they interrupt you, and they know how to do things better. They are those individuals you find to be as stubborn as an ox, unagreeable, selfish, combative, and manipulative. They truly are, as St. Paul said in the epistle today, “A noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

But what truly makes one a difficult person? I mean, what is at the heart of why someone is difficult? Is it that they have challenges? Are they sick or filled with persistent grief? Do they have disabilities? Or are they frightened at the thought of losing power and control? Or is the difficult person just seen as one who gets in the way? (Or maybe you see your pastor as a difficult person!)

It’s really hard to love a difficult person, isn’t it?

The blind beggar in today’s Gospel appears to be one of these difficult people. He’s near the roadside, and the commotion he’s making as he calls out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” is making him not only annoying but also in the way.

Just as Jesus’ disciples rebuked those bringing children to Jesus to receive His blessing earlier in this chapter of Luke, now the disciples are rebuking this man who is blind, telling him to be silent.

It certainly doesn’t appear that these disciples had the message of today’s epistle, Paul’s message of love, in their hearts.

But I’m going to tell you a little secret: you are these disciples; you are actually the difficult people. I mean, how often do you see the people in your lives as those blocking the road you are on? You hear voices and pleas for help you’d wish would go away.

Yet, did you notice how Jesus approached the situation? The Gospel said,

Jesus stopped and commanded [the blind beggar] to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus didn’t walk away from the man; he didn’t avoid him. He sought the man out. And then Jesus healed the blind man.

Now, some of those following Jesus may have heard the beggar's plea, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” to be a cry for money, as was the custom of the time. These individuals along the roadsides and city gates often sought financial assistance. But when Jesus said, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” He cared for the person; He had compassion upon the man.

Compassion is a challenge, is it not? 

Compassion requires us to grow in love for our neighbor. So, hear these words of Paul again,

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13)

Is this an image of you? Does your love never end with those closest to you? Your spouse or children? Your family or friends? Those within the church?

Or, what hinders your love? In what ways have you made it difficult to love?

I wonder if our trouble with loving others is due to a genuine lack of faith. And I don’t mean just any old faith; I mean faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Again, for this reason, we are the disciples as they heard Jesus’s prediction in the Gospel today as He said to them,

See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For [I] will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill [me], and on the third day, [I] will rise.

The disciples knew the story, the prophecies, and where this road would lead, yet their faith was weak.

As we will soon begin another journey to the cross this Lenten season, we know the story and where this road will lead. It is not hidden from us. Yet, this road will cause us to encounter and engage difficult people throughout these coming weeks – us.

But, as we use this time to focus on our Lord and Savior, learn how He does not avoid you, but how He comes to you and reveals Himself to you in His Word and here in the Sacrament of the Altar.

So we should use this time to join the blind beggar in praying the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy upon me.”

Because these words express faith and trust in Christ Jesus, they acknowledge we cannot save ourselves or anyone else, only Jesus can perform this wonderful work of salvation, which was accomplished for us upon the cross of Calvary.

And this is truly something because it is upon the cross that we see love’s fulfillment.

Now, near the end of today’s Gospel, there is yet one more little sermon. Having recovered his sight and been healed, the blind beggar immediately follows Jesus, glorifying Him. And then all the people who were following Jesus and rebuking the beggar in the beginning also joined in giving praise to God.

This is now your life, too. Having come here today, faithfully crying out with your brothers and sisters in Christ, “Lord, have mercy!” You can depart knowing He has heard your pleas, granted you healing and forgiveness, and now calls you to follow Him. 

Yet, this path is not as you imagine or even wish. It’s a way full of crosses that you, too, must bear. Crosses and difficulties that not only teach you to call out and rely all the more upon Christ Jesus but the way that now teaches you to love others as Christ has loved you, the Church, from His place upon the cross.

So, as you enter this coming season of Lent, let us learn again to follow Jesus. Let us learn again to have compassion and love for one another, for as St. Paul wrote: "Love is patient and kind…. Love bears all things … [love] endures all things…Love never ends.” +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

 ***I picked up the theme of difficult people from another pastor over the years, but I cannot remember who or where.***

Sexagesima

Text: Luke 8:4-15

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

You’ve all heard this familiar passage from the book of Proverbs, 

Train up a child in the way he should go;
                      even when he is old, he will not depart from it. (22:6)

But what does this mean?

Well, the first thing we need to wrestle with is the first two words of the verse, “Train up.”

You see, there are times when definitions, words, and concepts can get lost in translation as they are translated from Greek and Hebrew into English. Some say this is one of those times because, in other instances, this Hebrew construct used for “Train up” is translated as consecrate.  

And if you were to translate this verse of Proverbs with this understanding, then it reads,

Consecrate a child according to the way he should go,
and even when he becomes old, he will not turn from it.

So, what does this mean? Well, to consecrate here means to dedicate or set aside a child.

How does the Church then dedicate or set aside a child so that as they grow, they will indeed follow the path set before them and not turn away from it? It’s Baptism. 

As Baptism is the means by which the Christian is brought into the Church, it becomes the manner in which all children of God, no matter their age, are set on the way they are to go so that, as they continue to grow and mature in the faith, they will not depart from it but cling to it until the day our Lord gathers us into His eternal kingdom.

But here lies a challenge: clinging to the Word and faith of Christ from birth through old age.

And here is where our Gospel today enters into the equation. Clinging to the Word of God begins with hearing His Word.

The parable in the Gospel today speaks of four varying types of soil and ultimately reflects how one hears and receives the seed or Word of God.

The first type of soil Jesus mentions in the parable is the bare road. Seeds sowed or tossed freely upon this road fall and yield no reward. In fact, they do not even have the opportunity to implant themselves or germinate. Instead, the birds of the air come down as seagulls look to feast upon breadcrumbs scattered along a body of water. They are little devils who swoop down to snatch the Word of God that has entered your ears before it will ever even reach your heart.

The Christian asks, “How so?”

Well, what is the first thing you do when you depart the Divine Service? What happens when you reach your vehicle and prepare to drive down LaGrange Avenue? Do you promptly turn on the radio and catch a sports score, or is it decision time- where will we eat?

Or do you discuss the readings, the Gospel, and the sermon with your family (children) or among friends? Do you take time to meditate upon the Good News the Sower just sowed into your ears? Or do you permit the little devils of the world the opportunity to snatch it away?

Well, at least with the rocks, the seed has a chance, right? Here are those individuals who hear the Word of God and receive it with great eagerness and joy. But, with just the right balance of carelessness and temptation, the roots of the seed never take - the rocky soil leads to a quick death.

This is a scary situation; how many congregations have young people who are brought up in the Church and no longer possess faith? For the children of the church, the seed was planted in a safe environment, but when the times of temptation and tribulation approached outside the home, they fell away.

The question of life is not “if” temptation comes but when.

Jesus said to His disciples before His arrest on the Mount of Olives, “Pray not to come into temptation.” (Lk. 22:46). Yet, we all succumb to temptation, just as the disciples all fell asleep while the Lord prayed.

For some, the temptations of life lie in the people they associate with, their friends and co-workers, or the doctrines of false churches that allure them. What lacks for seed sowed upon the rocks is proper and sustaining nutrients for the life of man - what is required and needed is the water of life found in the daily drowning and rising of Holy Baptism.

But the person who has entered temptation has turned from this life-giving water; they are like Judas, who believed for a little while but fell away and succumbed to the allures of the world.

Judas is an excellent segue to the third type of soil, the soil of thorns. Judas believed for a little while before turning to his heart’s desires; one of the causes of his fall and death was the desire for riches and pleasure.

You see, the soil of rock is of no benefit, as is the soil of thorns. In verse twelve of our Gospel, we learn that seeds sown in either of these settings will survive “for a time,” but eternal death is inevitable apart from good soil.

Over time, the thorns will suffocate and impede any growth of the plant you wish to grow.

Here is an image of competing worldviews. The child is prepared throughout their youth, but as they depart the home and enter the uncontrolled environment of the world, their schools, or a college campus, the cares and pleasures of this world, the desire for riches lead them astray and choke the very life of God from their veins.

Saint John wrote in his first epistle, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

This is not easy for any of us, though. We come to church once a week and then depart back into the world. What do you believe stands a better chance at forming us, our ideals, and our faith? The Church or the world?

Well, what about that fourth type of soil?

Jesus said in the Gospel today, “‘But other [seed] fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.’ When He had said these things He cried, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”

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

To be one who “hears” is to be a catechumen - the word catechumen derives from the Greek word “one under instruction” and often refers to a young person or adult participating in the ongoing instruction of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

This ongoing instruction and hearing of the Word of Christ creates faith, makes you a catechumen, and, as we heard from the Proverb, sets you on the way you are to go so that when you become old, you will not turn away from the seed of faith planted within your hearts by the very voice Christ Jesus Himself.

Therefore, the process of tending to the soil of one’s heart, being conformed to the Christian faith, and being brought into eternal life begins and ends with the continual hearing of God’s Word, the seed of the Sower.

And the Sower is none other than Jesus, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

You know, it’s easy to reflect and recall the date of your Baptism as a historical marker by saying, “I was baptized on February 4, 2024.” Which is true of Judah today.

But the words of Luther, which form a recurring pattern in our opening hymn today (God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It), confess a great comfort to the Christian as we sang, “I am Baptized.”

Just listen to the words of the final stanza of “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” once more,

There is nothing worth comparing
To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ;
I’m a child of paradise!

This is the joy delivered to Judah today, and this is his song and confession. While this world and life will present obstacles to the faith or even attempt to silence and choke the Word of God from creating and sustaining faith within him, he can sing with great joy the ongoing reality, “I am Baptized!”

And this is your song and confession, too.

Like Judah, your Baptism has joined you to Christ Jesus – His death and resurrection, His life and forgiveness. In this way, Baptism defines you. It anchors and reveals to you the way you are to go, the way of eternal life. For this reason, it becomes a present and lifelong reality no matter the challenges or obstacles you now face.

There’s no greater joy than this!

As we prepare for yet another season of Lent, return to your Baptism, hear and be formed by the precious seed of God’s Word so that as you grow throughout this life, as difficulties arise, you might be kept in the narrow way and path of Jesus Christ. +INJ+

Septuagesima

Text: Matthew 20:1-16

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

The season we begin today, “The Gesima Sundays,” has, for many churches, disappeared.

This brief three-week season that was a fixture of The Lutheran Hymnal (or TLH) has faded from many of your childhood memories due to the increased popularity of the newer three-year lectionary that came into existence in the late 1960s. You see, the Roman Catholic Church held a gathering called the Second Vatican Council. One goal of the council was to prepare a series of documents to direct the life of the Church into the twentieth century and beyond. 

One of the results and products of this Council was the development of what is known as a Three-Year lectionary. While there can be arguments for this innovation, it also left many of the sermons and teachings of the Church Fathers, such as Augustine or Chrysostom, or even Luther, behind. It also left centuries of pedagogy and the repetitious teaching of the faith to the children of God in the past.

And yet, as our society and world are now more than ever in a state of information overload, there is no greater time for us to slow down, take our time, and place our focus on a yearly repetition of hearing the familiar stories of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection – the story of eternal life.

And this is a key feature of the lectionary we use at Good Shepherd today, the One Year lectionary; it causes us to slow down and gives us Sundays and seasons with funny names, but still, funny names that not only teach but will stick with you in a way that one might even start to look forward to the yearly repetition of these Sundays. I mean, don’t they just roll off the tongue?

Let’s dig in!

This Sunday is Septuagesima, the first of three Gesimas Sundays. Septuagesima means 70 days, Sexagesima means 60 days, and Quinquagesima means 50 days (or thereabouts). These Sundays serve as our preparation for Lent’s journey to the cross.

Sure, these may seem a little weird to us today, but they serve a vital purpose in slowing us down and preparing Christians for the serious and often challenging days of the approaching season of Lent.

Think of it this way: Baseball players do not begin a season without first attending spring training. An Olympic athlete does not compete without first training. Nor could I, as a soldier, enter the battlefield without first receiving the appropriate training.

Thus, the next three Sundays are preparation for us. They prepare us, get us in shape, and train us for the rigors of Lent. And they do so by constantly pointing us to God’s grace.

So, while some aspects of the liturgy have already grown silent, there remains joy in our preparation that we have a gracious God in heaven. God’s grace, Word, and faith are the focus of these Sundays before Lent; what better gift could we hear before we begin our journey and travel to the cross?

Now, Lent can be seen as a race. It’s long, and it has valleys and hills as we navigate the readings that go with each Sunday. But the finish line is Easter. In our Epistle today, Paul refers to the whole Christian life as a race. However, death is the finish line, and the prize is eternal life with Christ Jesus.

But life, contrary to many of your schedules, is not a sprint but rather a marathon.

Marathons take time to train for; they take commitment. Much like a diet, it can be easy to take your eye off the prize. The rigors and length, the commitment, and the discipline it takes to diet are similar to what it might take to run a marathon. One day off, one lapse can lead to a second day off and then a third, and then you find yourself in a state of simply being lazy. This is the same for the Christian faith.

The Christian life is like a marathon. It demands discipline and calls you to read God’s Word regularly, daily, so that you exercise your faith and prepare for the present and future.

So, Paul’s words today call us to approach the Christian life as an athlete approaches their training for the Super Bowl and Lombardi’s trophy or how an Olympian prepares to compete for gold. “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we [run this race to receive a prize that is] imperishable.” So, Paul says, “I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control.” 

Alright, so the time for training has arrived. Lent is coming. It’s time for us to go back to the fundamentals of the Christian life, to rehearse and relearn them, as a ball player entering Spring Training.

Now, as I mentioned before, today is Septuagesima Sunday. The focus of this Sunday is the doctrine of Grace Alone. To illustrate this beautiful doctrine, we heard the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. This parable speaks of a landowner’s generosity. A landowner gives laborers, whether they worked in the vineyard for one hour or eleven hours, a generous wage for their labor. The landowner represents God in this parable, and the generosity of the landowner reveals how God’s grace is generous and given freely among the laborers.

The Gospel began with an invitation to labor in His vineyard to those standing in the marketplace. These individuals are viewed as those not doing anything with their lives; they spend their lives being lazy. This is a reminder that the Christian faith is not without good works. Good works flow out of faith; they flow out of the generous and gracious forgiveness we receive from our heavenly Father.

But then, when the end of the day arrives, which represents the end of our lives and the day of judgment, everyone laboring in the Lord’s Vineyard receives a denarius, everyone. The denarius represents eternal life.

Yet, there remains a laborer who is not happy and grumbles at how the wages were given out. He doesn’t care for the generosity of the landowner. This Laborer contests that he bore the heat of the day, burdened most of the work. In other words, he looked to his own accomplishments, he reflected on how he kept the law, and how long he was a Christian. But contrary to this view, we are not saved by works; we are not saved by our keeping of the law, nor by how long we’ve been a Christian. No, we are saved by the graciousness of the Lord.

When you drill down into the grumbling laborer’s complaints, he was asking for fairness, for justice. The only thing he deserved was death. And that’s the only thing we deserve. For we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death. This consequence is a result of our first father, Adam, falling into sin; it’s a result of our individual sins and our collective sins as the whole human race.

In today’s collect, we did not pray or ask for justice because that would mean death. Instead, we prayed, “May we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin be mercifully delivered,” delivered by the goodness and mercy of Jesus.

So, our pleas should not be to God for justice but for mercy. Mercy is seen first and foremost in the death of Jesus on the cross. When His hands outstretched carried the burden of the heat of the day, the burden of our sin, suffered our persecution, so that we may not receive justice, but rather the gracious mercy of the Lord.

However, today’s Gospel is also a warning for us. We stand in great danger of being like the grumbling laborer, the laborer whom the Lord dismisses at the end of the day, the end of the world, the day of judgment.

The reality is that there has never been a promise of an easy or fair life. The Christian life encounters challenges and tribulations. These events can shake your focus away from God's graciousness when things don’t turn out as you had hoped, planned, or been led to believe. In turn, you might find yourself becoming discontent, but when this occurs, do not look to God to be fair; look to Him to be merciful.

The cross helps us remain focused on this point.

The cross also focuses our eyes throughout Lent and the remaining days of our lives on Jesus – the source and substance of mercy. Reminding us that no matter the hour of this life, we have a gracious Lord, a Lord who, upon the cross, announced forgiveness to the criminal who pleaded for His mercy and, by grace, entered the Lord’s vineyard at his final hour.

So today, our preparation for Lent begins again. We are reminded how this life, the Christian faith, is not a sprint, but rather a marathon. It’s full of events and moments that can distract us or lead us away from Christ’s love.

But we come here; we come to this house of God to be called back, to be fed and nourished for the road ahead. A pathway cluttered with broken relationships, heartache, and wandering from the vineyard of the Lord. But the font reminds you of the grace your Father in heaven has given you in water and Word, that He has called you by name and made you His heir.

The Word announces Christ to you; the flesh and blood of Jesus feeds and nourishes you for the race. As a runner receives nourishment along the race course, it prepares and sustains you to labor in the vineyard with all the children of God. So, let us prepare for Lent, let our eyes focus on the grace of our heavenly Father, trusting that His mercy will bring us to the day when all His laborers will be brought to the eternal joys of heaven. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Text: Matthew 17:1-9

Transfiguration is a feast for the eyes and the ears.

What the eyes of Peter, James, and John see is incredible. Jesus suddenly changed before them. His face begins shining like the sun! His clothes are white as light! Glory beams in bright rays from his body. The ears hear the Father's voice proclaiming this glorified and shining person, His beloved Son, whose words we must give our attention. Moses, the Lawgiver, and Elijah, the Prophet, stand in witness to His glory as the Only Begotten Son of the Father. It must have been an incredible sight to behold.

To be clear, Jesus didn't get another body there on the mountaintop; it was his same body, the very flesh that he'd received in the womb of the virgin Mary. That's what beamed with radiance upon the mountaintop. It's essential to remember that if we are to unlock the complete joy of this feast today.

What Peter, James, and John saw here is a foretaste, a glimpse into their future. Into your future and mine. As St. John wrote, "We are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is!" (1 Jn 3:2)

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul wrote, "When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory!" (Col. 3:4)

Thus, the Transfiguration of our Lord looks to His crucifixion and second coming. It provides a glimpse of what your raised bodies will be like shining in heavenly glory.

The festival of Transfiguration also provides us a glimpse through the disciples of Christ’s victory. It reveals to us a glimpse of His finished and completed work. For the disciples, this is a moment that is meant to last; it is a moment that is intended to comfort, a moment that would abide with them and give them strength for the days that lay ahead while their Lord would soon suffer upon the cross.

For this reason, the events on the Mount of Transfiguration reveal what Jesus will accomplish in us.

While it is on the Mount of Calvary that reveals how He will do it, one may say that upon the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ stands and sees the journey of His passion below. He must travel the road to the cross to bring redemption and new life to the Church. This glimpse, this foretaste of His glory, provides His disciples, both in word and sight, knowledge and truth for the road they must now follow Him on.

The road is the way of the cross; it is the way of suffering and scorn. It is the way of isolation and rejection. It is the way of His crucifixion. Yet, we stand here today and look out from this Sunday of Transfiguration and see Easter in the distance. But before we see Easter, we must see the Mount of Calvary; before this, we must see and journey through the season of Lent. 

If we are honest with ourselves, the season of the Church Year we now approach, the season of Lent, is the journey we find ourselves on most often. It is the journey that reveals how temptations and addictions shape our lives. It is the path that calls us to walk with and support one another in the most grievous times of life, marked by disappointment, disease, and, ultimately, the truth that no one will live forever. 

But, in the waters of Holy Baptism, you were given a gift. At the font, God spoke over you and said, “This is my beloved child!” And there at the font, you too experience a Transfiguration. It’s here God declares you as His own. Maybe some of you were wrapped or brought to the baptismal font with a white gown; this represents your Transfiguration garment. For this reason, the baptismal life begins the road each Christian travels as they move towards eternal glory with Jesus.

In many ways, the Transfiguration is looking to the journey of the other mount of our lives. It is looking to the mount of death—the inevitable pit of the ground. The final glorification of our bodies does not happen without death or Christ’s second coming. The life of Jesus reveals that suffering and death come first, and eternal glorification comes after. Suffering is the difficult lot we all come face to face with. It comes in all shapes and sizes; it affects the body of Christ and each Christian differently. But to suffer is to bear life’s crosses. To suffer with one another is to bear one another’s crosses.

Like Peter, James, and John, the Transfiguration is for us. It reveals how suffering will occur yet provides a foretaste of what will come. It points to the cross and the climax of Christ’s suffering, His victory over sin and the devil. For these reasons, it is not uncommon for Lutherans to keep the cross or crucifix before us. It is the reminder of what Christ has done so that you may have confidence and endurance to approach the challenges of this life, the assaults of Satan, the crosses of addiction, the death notice of incurable disease with a confident faith to the very end.

We can do nothing to stop our aging or our bodies’ deterioration. Daily life serves as a constant reminder that death will one day come to each of us. But we can journey through the rollercoaster of life, the hills and valleys, because we have heard the Words God has spoken over us. He has marked you as one redeemed by His Son in the waters of Baptism. Thus, we are instructed as the disciples to listen to Him, listen to Jesus. Yes, listen to Him, for He has the Words of eternal life; listen to Him, for He has conquered death and now opens heaven to you.

Because of the Son’s obedience, His death and resurrection to glory, and His victory, Luther also writes and points us to Christ in these ways. He writes,

“Your Father in Heaven still address’ you today in this manner: “‘He says, This is My Beloved Son!’ [and] He will continue to do so until the Day of Judgment, heaven will not be closed again. As you are baptized, partake of Holy Communion, receive the absolution, listen to a sermon, and every time you do so – know that heaven is open, and you hear the voice of the Heavenly Father; all these works of God descend upon us from the open heaven above us.” (LW 22:202)

What comforting news to hear!

In the closing verse of today’s Gospel, Jesus said to the disciples Peter, James, and John as they came down the mountain, and Jesus prepared for His Passion, “Tell no one of the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” Well, He is risen, and to that, we say, “Alleluia, Christ is risen!” (He is risen indeed, Alleluia!).

Alleluia, Praise the Lord, for the Transfiguration of Jesus provides a glimpse of the glory to come for His disciples. It is a glimpse of the glory to come for us. It is a glimpse of the day when we shall be raised to stand with Christ with all the faithful saints, forever singing Alleluia’s joyfully! +INJ+

Epiphany 2

Text: John 2:1-11

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

One of the most highly used wedding texts comes from Ephesians 5,

Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:23-24)

It's a beautiful text, but so many individuals get hung up on “Wives, submit to your own husbands” that they miss the whole point of the text. So, listen now to the words that follow…

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

When we pause and listen to these words in their fullness, they are such a wonderful image of sacrificial love, are they not?

But then hear the concluding words now: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

That passage from Ephesians is just simply beautiful, truly.

But, how often do we either take the time or permit ourselves to truly hear the entire passage I just read or take to heart the beauty that a Husband is to love his wife in such a way that it becomes a mirror and image of how Christ Jesus loves you, His body, the Church?

Too often, our spirit of independence gets caught up with words like “submit,” which is unfortunate because when this happens, we risk missing the blessings that may follow. God’s Word, like many instances and situations of life, requires us to be patient, slow ourselves, and meditate so that God may speak to us.

Take today’s Gospel, for instance. Here, Jesus is conducting His first miracle, or as John says, His first sign.

What does it mean that this was the first “sign” that Jesus did?

The Gospel of John contains seven “signs,” and they are:

-       Today’s Gospel.
-       The healing of a nobleman’s son.
-       The healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda
-       The feeding of the 5000
-       Jesus walking on water
-       The healing of a blind man
-       And finally, immediately before the Passion of our Lord, the resurrection of Lazarus

These “signs” in the Gospel of John constantly confront man with God’s compassionate and omnipotent presence (Omnipotent means all-powerful). And, in the case of today’s Gospel, these signs reveal the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, and why He came into the flesh of man – to have compassion, love, and care for His bride, the Church.

For this reason, one of my seminary professors remarked that these signs demand our faith and obedience. (Weinrich, Page 306) But, they also have more profound meaning than what appears on the surface and require our patient mediation.

So, what does changing water into wine at a wedding in Cana really mean or have to do with us?

Well, let’s go back to the Garden of Eden, our parents, and the first husband and wife of creation.

God had given them the care of the Garden, He said they could eat of anything in the Garden with one exception – “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Yet, like you, it’s always the one thing that you cannot have that entices you the most, and having listened to the serpent and taking what was not theirs to have in the fruit of that tree, Adam and Eve “heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and [Eve] hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”

Why did they hide themselves? Because their disobedience led to their (and our) fall into sin. Their union with God was severed, and their consciences now felt the shame of sin – a sin that led them to hide themselves from their Creator.

This is what the guilt of your sin continues to do today. It causes you not only to hide from God when you do not keep His Commandments, but it also leads you to hide from your spouse, your family, and friends – you do this when you don’t answer phone calls, respond to texts, or emails, or give someone the silent treatment (This is really uncomfortable, prolongs healing, and only leads to greater separation too).

But there is good news in the Book of Genesis, too, as God now confronts the Serpent, Adam, and Eve; He says,

“And I will put enmity
         Between you and the woman,
         And between your seed and her Seed;
         He shall bruise your head,
         And you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

And it’s here we have the first Gospel of Holy Scripture. Because here, God declares that He will send a Seed, a Son, to be born of woman, and this Son will not only crush the head of the serpent – defeating sin, death, and the devil – but will also restore mankind to their Creator.

So, fast forward back to the Gospel today and ask, how does this text confront us with Jesus, and in what ways does it demand our faith and obedience?

First, the scene begins with the wedding hosts running out of wine. This leads Mary, the mother of Jesus, to call on Him to help as she says, “They have no wine.”

Now, some of you may wrongly say, so what if they don’t have wine? One must understand not only their culture but also what the wedding and the adornments symbolize. Weddings were a time of joy and feasting; they were a time of familial unity. But even more, they were also “a prophetic symbol for the peace and prosperity that God’s salvation would bring.” (Weinrich)

Running out of wine for a wedding would not only be an enormous party foul but also disgrace and humiliate the family.

So, when Mary says, “They have no wine,” she understands the gravity of the situation but also possesses faith that her Son, the God-Man, can actually do something about this great need.

But then there’s this striking line as Jesus says, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

Let me say, no, Jesus was not being rude or disrespectful to His mother, instead, we begin to see a separation in how Jesus now speaks as His life now leads Him to the “Hour” of His crucifixion.

In fact, it’s important to hear these words of Jesus from the cross as:

 He “saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, [and] He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26-27)

This whole interaction of Jesus and Mary today finds its completion on the cross, where a loving son places the care and well-being of His mother into the hands of a beloved friend and disciple.

Here is where the first sign of John’s Gospel, the changing of water into wine, is leading us today – to the cross, and it not only deserves but demands our patient mediation.

You see, the six stone water jars that Jesus used to change or transform the water into wine were used for the rite of purification – to make one ritually clean.

But now, upon the cross, Jesus takes all the sin and filth of our lives into the clay vessel of His body so that through His crucifixion and death, we can be made His spotless bride.

Isn’t this such a profound and glorious mystery of sacrificial love and image for us to imitate in marriage and as members of His Church? As we learn from Ephesians, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church because we are members of his body.”

For this reason, should we not slow down in life, listen more, speak less, and ponder the glorious Word of God? Because in it, the love of your Savior Jesus Christ is revealed.

So now the hour has come for you to proceed to this altar where you will not only be confronted with God’s compassion but receive a foretaste of the marriage feast that awaits us all, so come in faith and be transformed by your Savior, where He takes your sin and death into Himself and in return grants and feeds you with His forgiveness and life. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Epiphany

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

It’s really something; the Wise Men in this morning’s Gospel are staples of almost every nativity scene created.  They are included in nearly every telling of the Christmas story. They play a vital role in many Christmas pageants, yet they didn’t likely arrive to present their gifts to the Christ child until Jesus was close to two years old. 

Yet, the brief appearance of the Magi or Wise Men in this Gospel continues a theme of Advent and Christmas: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

The arrival of the Wise Men, these Gentiles and men called the Magi, reveal to the world that the child Jesus is a King for all nations, for all people.

But this news of a new king cannot be taken lightly, either, especially in a world driven by greed and power. Even the thought of a new king may bring instability to a country, region, or man's heart.

For Herod, the King, this news is seen as a direct threat to his reign and, therefore, to Jerusalem and their way of life. Herod is such a paranoid and ruthless king; he is known for killing his own family members and others who questioned him and threatened his reign.

The arrival of the Magi and their question, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” pierces the heart of Herod. Paranoia and fear of the possibility of losing power caused him to call together the assembly of chief priests and scribes. He wants answers, “where is this king to be born,” he asks. And they respond, “In Bethlehem, as the prophet wrote it, ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Whoa, this new King is He who is by no means least among rulers! He is a ruler who comes to shepherd His people. Sounds pretty good to me. But in the eyes of Herod, He is a threat. A threat King Herod would eventually attempt to eradicate through the killing of all the precious male children under the age of two in Bethlehem.

The truth is, Jesus poses no earthly threat to the reign of Herod or Pilate any more than He does to Caesar or any president of this nation. He would not seek political office, nor would He be seen running for office as politicians do in our own time.

No, Jesus is a King from a kingly line of heavenly proportions. The Genealogy at the beginning of Matthew is kingly, following King David's line. Jesus is the King who fulfills this genealogy of God’s promise; He is the King who comes to redeem.

What does He come to redeem? A world that has fallen for the façade that we, too, can be royalty and gods.

This all began in the Garden as your first parents heeded and listened to the voice of the great tempter, the voice that says, “Take, eat, consume, and you will be like God – you will be as kings of your own dominions.”

This is the temptation that led to Adam and Eve grasping for their own power, a longing for more than what was given to them, and a fear of not being in control.

There is little difference in how we go about our work and the days of our lives. Likewise, this fear continues in us. At the first instance of chaos, the argument between husband and wife, the illness that strikes a loved one - the moment of fear sets in, and we, too, reach out like Adam and Eve, grasping for control and the upper hand.

In many ways, our culture feeds this desire for independence and control. Every election cycle is a deluge of advertisements and campaigns informing you that only you can save this country if you vote the right way and cast your trust and faith in this or that candidate – only then will your desires and wishes be met.

At the heart of it, what often drives these campaigns is paranoia and fear.

And yet, you don’t have to look at the national or global political theater; instead, look at your relationships, oh wise men and women; what is the true source of any argument or temper tantrum of Herod proportions you’ve ever had, fear.

But thankfully, Jesus does not enter this world as you and I do, trying to exert power and control.

Instead, Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

This is not only the opposite of Herod's thoughts but also opposes how man continues to think today.

Hear these words again, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

How many kings and world leaders today are willing to give their lives as a ransom for you?

How many of you are willing to give your life as a ransom for another?

Instead, our fear, paranoia, and sin are what drove Jesus to the cross.

And it’s upon the cross that the question of the Magi in today’s Gospel is answered: “Where is He who is born King of the Jews?” Pilate brilliantly and unknowingly wrote and placed above the head of Jesus that first Good Friday, the pronouncement for all mankind to know, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)

It’s really something: the whole life of Jesus, from His birth to His royal enthronement upon the cross, is all about His sacrificial love for you.

This is good news that cannot be taken lightly. But rather invites you to bring all your rage, fear, and paranoia to the foot of the cross, where Jesus takes into Himself and, in turn, gives you of Himself.

Here lies one of the great little sermons we must hear every year – as Jesus gives you of Himself, He reveals Himself to you both in His Word and here at this altar as you take into yourself His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin.

At the core, this is what the word Epiphany means: to shine upon or be made known. And every time you gather here, the light of Jesus’ Word shines brightly the way you are to go, leading you to this altar where, in the sacrament, His deep love for you is once again made known in a tangible and life-giving way.

As you continue journeying through this life, permit the Wise Men and Magi to be an icon and image for you – this life's journey is full of danger and fear. Still, the light of God’s Word will ultimately lead you not only to this altar where Jesus comes to you today but into the peace of His eternal presence. +INJ+

The Eve of the Circumcision and Naming of our Lord

Text: Luke 2:21

The Social Security Administration publishes a list of the top baby names yearly.

Since it’s still 2023, the final numbers aren’t in. However, many of the baby name sites on the internet have the top three female names: Amelia, Emma, and in the top spot, Olivia.  In the male category, we have Oliver, Liam, and in the running to retake the reign…Noah. (It’s a great name, what can I say!) Noah has been in the top spot 4 out of the past ten years, often duking it out with Liam.

But what’s in a name?

A great deal of thought often goes into naming a child. Sometimes, it involves countless hours of research, paging through books, and debate among parents. If parents choose not to know the sex of a baby before birth, then this exercise becomes much more laborious.

But think about it: what is a parent trying to accomplish in their child's name? Are they trying to be unique, finding a word so obscure it may cause their child’s future teachers nightmares trying to spell it (or pronounce it)? Or is there a family heritage being passed down through the use of a name, a grandfather or grandmother? Or is there a passing on of a spiritual legacy by selecting a name from the Scriptures, Christian history, or even Biblical ideas? All said this is a big task.

But another aspect of all of this is one’s family name. A family name represents a sense of belonging that you are part of something bigger than being called Noah.

How often do parents tell their children to be on their best behavior when they attend school, are out in the community, or have extended family events because they represent something more than themselves? They represent and reflect their family.

In the Old Testament reading this morning, the children of Israel were given a name: the name of the Lord. As we heard, “So shall I put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:27)

What does He bless them with? Clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all that they had. He defended them against all danger and guarded them, and protected them from all evil throughout their journey to the promised land. Why? Because He was their Father and they were his dear children, they received the benefits that come with His name.

Even more important in this promise is the Father’s Word, that He would send a Son, a redeemer, into this world. He would finally grant them an end to their wandering and peace. But also, that He would send a name that not only Israelites could call upon, but a name all the earth would know as their Savior. This is what the prophet Isaiah prophesied when He wrote, “And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Or “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) This is the exciting news of Christmas, it’s the exciting news of the new year! That we, like Israel, have a Savior who has entered this world and planted His name upon His creation.

But first, in order to fulfill not only the prophecy but also the Law and Will of God, Jesus is circumcised. Like Baptism, circumcision for Old Testament believers includes the forgiveness of sins, justification, and incorporation into the people of God. (Dr. Just) Circumcision reveals God in the flesh, that He has truly taken our humanity. The shedding of blood in the temple foreshadows the blood He will shed for you on the cross.

In the ritual, it is only after circumcision that a name is given. Think back to the circumcision and naming of John the Baptist. He was to take his father’s name, Zechariah, but the angel of the Lord instructed otherwise. Zechariah was mute, but at the appointed time, he expressed with great joy, “His name is John,” because he would be great before the Lord.

Similarly, Mary and Joseph did not choose the name of the child they brought to the temple for circumcision. Instead, it, too, was announced to them by the angel of the Lord. In the Gospel of Matthew, Gabriel appeared to Joseph and instructed him that the child born of Mary “He shall be named Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

This name means something.

I love this: the Word of God never leaves you wondering who Jesus is. It clearly informs you that Jesus is the world's Savior and that “He will save His people (you) from their sins.”

Again, names are important; they confess who you are.

But one of the great realities of men is that they fear being forgotten. That one day, no one will have known who they were.

Truthfully, like a news headline today or a Facebook status tomorrow, our names will probably be forgotten as the headlines of a new year consume the world tomorrow, a new era and chapter in the world’s history.

But the Church festival we observe today, the naming and circumcision of our Lord, tells us something different about the name of God. As the Psalmist records, it is, “A name that endures forever, a name that is throughout the ages.” And it’s your name too!

Something extraordinary happened when you were baptized, and the water was sprinkled or poured over your head. Over your name, a new name was spoken, and a new name was given to you as you were baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In this name, you are included in the family of God, the gifts and benefits of Jesus’ name are now bestowed upon you, and you are called Christian. In this way, when the name of Jesus is spoken, you, too, are named. You have died your death, your sins crushed, and you have been given new life in Jesus, your Savior.

So come and gather with your brothers and sisters as we begin every Divine Serve by confessing, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:8) Because it’s the name that saves!

As we begin a new year, the truth is we probably won’t give much thought to our names. But in the short Gospel for today lies great news for you, no matter what your name or heritage may be: the child born of Mary, who was brought to the Temple, shed His blood for you. Through His death, He has defeated death, and in His rising, He becomes your Jesus, Your Savior. Therefore, let His name be upon your lips, heart, and mind as you approach this New Year. Trust and know that when you call upon His name, the Lord, your Jesus will answer and save you. +INJ+

Christmas Day

Text: John 1:1-14

+INJ+

What a wonderful day it is; it’s finally Christmas!

But has anything really changed in your life this Christmas?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
We cannot approach the manger of the Christ child in the same way we approach the cradle of another child. Rather, when we go to his manger, something happens, and we cannot leave it again unless we have been judged or redeemed. Here, we must either collapse or know the mercy of God toward us. (God is in the Manger, p. 66)

In other words, will you leave this Christmas and the manger of the Christ child different from how you awoke, opened presents, or arrived at church this morning?

I mean, so much of what our celebrations have become today are wrapped in the world’s story of Christmas. And no, this isn’t an attack on “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.” Instead, it reminds us that the child, born of Mary and lying in a manger, came into this world for a real, transcending, and transformational purpose.

Listen to these words of the Gospel again,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

There is so much packed in this verse, so much Gospel.

These words from the Gospel of John are not the words of the Christmas story we heard last evening with the Angel Gabriel making visits in the night, no room in the Inn, or shepherds in their fields; no, this is a very different Gospel calling on us to think deeply upon our Savior Jesus Christ, and the purpose for which He came into this world as He became flesh.

He came to redeem you, that is, to grant you His grace, to forgive all your sins, and to open the way to eternal life. And with this knowledge, you cannot approach this Christmas the same way as any other Christmas or the cradle of any other child.

It’s truly something to ponder: the very Word that was at the beginning of time, the same Word through which everything of creation was made, has not only become flesh but dwells among us – among man.

Why does God come to us in this way? To tell us where He is located and how He chooses to work and grant us His grace.

And for this reason, “we cannot approach the manger of the Christ child the same way as we approach the cradle of another child.”

Instead, His birth, life, death, and resurrection transcend mankind in such a way that when we come into His presence, our lives must experience a cosmic shift and change, being brought into His own life.

This is how confession and absolution work in the lives and hearts of man. When we confess our sin, our repentance is a petitioning of God for a change that transcends the mind or attitudes of man; repentance leads to a desired change within man's heart.

To frame this differently, this is what occurs when you remember and approach your baptism through the daily drowning of the old sinful Adam within – you confess your desire to die with Christ so that a new man may arise.

Truthfully, you cannot approach or remember your baptism without a change of heart because it is here you were first joined to the Christ child and He with you.

Think about that…Your Savior takes you into Himself, and from the font, your life is intimately joined to the Word made flesh, His manger, cross, and grave.

But even more, as you gather here today, the Word-made flesh continues to come and dwell among you as the Gospel was read in your very midst. In fact, you could not help but turn yourself and listen to His Words.  

And now, in just a few moments, we will gather around the manger of this altar where the crucified and risen Lord now feeds you with His flesh and blood, granting you in the most tangible of ways His redemption and forgiveness, again, coming to you and taking you into Himself.

When all of this occurs, you truly cannot remain indifferent to the Christ child even as much of the world tries on this most holy day of days. Instead, something must happen as Bonhoeffer said: Here, [you] must either collapse [under God’s judgment] or know the mercy of God toward you.

And this is the beautiful gift you continue to receive today: the news that a Savior has been born for you.

So receive the truth of His grace and mercy today in His Word and then return to your homes and families a new way, or rather, a new person in Christ Jesus.

Because when this happens, there is no more extraordinary gift you could receive and confess among one another on this day as you return home to celebrate with “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or το [watch] tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.”.

So come to the manger of the Christ child and receive the mercy of God.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve + Lessons and Carols

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols

December 24, 2023

Dr. Seuss’s book, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, is a must-read in our home this time of year.

But why is this grouchy creature who lives in the solitary confines of a deep, dark cave so loved by children and adults alike? Well, it may be because we all feel and channel our inner Grinch at one time or another, especially around Christmas. In fact, Dr. Seuss said that he himself was the inspiration for this curmudgeon of a beast.

You see, leading up to writing the book, Dr. Seuss’ wife had fallen ill, and her illness changed how he viewed the approaching Christmas. He became sad as he saw a world growing greedy and obsessed with presents, money, and toys.

Are you obsessed with presents, money, and toys under the tree as this Christmas arrives?

If so, why do you fret over these things of the world? Why do they consume you?

Is it fear?

Fear is a troubling thing. For some of us, we fear our gifts will fall short. For others, we fear how this season of gift-giving will affect our overall finances. Yet, for others, like Dr. Seuss, our fear has nothing to do with presents under a tree; it’s the struggle of being unable to heal or bring a loved one back to health.

Fear is a real darkness we all struggle with.

However, the angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary this night is also for you: “Do not be afraid.”

Or as the Greek translates it, “Stop being afraid, for you have found favor with God.”

“Favor” is another way of saying, “You have found grace with God.”

This is your joy at Christmas that the grace, forgiveness, and mercy of your heavenly Father has come down from heaven and is now revealed to you in the incarnation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 

So, hear again the angelic greeting to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be for all people.”

And “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Tonight, we rejoice again as we celebrate our Savior's birth because, on this night, He brought heaven to earth.

On this night, He begins His journey to the cross, where He will take into Himself all your greed and want, all the ails of body and soul, and all your fears so that you might receive His peace – His forgiveness and mercy.

There is no greater gift than this.

Sure, a million Grinches could take your presents in an attempt to steal Christmas. If you aren’t careful as you survey the world around you, the very Grinch within could cast fear and doubt within your heart and lead you into the confines of the world's darkest cave.

But as you light your candle this night, remember these words for such a moment as this, “Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The light, no darkness shall overcome.”

And the darkness of this world did not overcome Him, but rather, this child born of Mary overcame this world of sin and death for you.

May this joy be your peace and comfort as you return to your homes this night. +INJ+

Merry Christmas!

Advent 4 + Rorate Coeli

Text: John 1:19-28

The date on the calendar says December 24th, but believe it or not, Christmas has not yet arrived for the Church. According to Jewish timekeeping, a new day begins with sundown, hence one of the reasons for the tradition of Christmas Eve services. But for now, on this morning of December 24th, we observe the 4th Sunday of Advent. We continue preparing for Christmas; we continue preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Are you ready, though?

Well, today, we hear again from John the Baptist. John is in the wilderness, preaching this message of preparation. The wilderness is often thought of as an unfriendly place. The first part of the word “Wilderness” defines the environment’s wild characteristics; it’s an untamed and uncontrolled place.

A wilderness has an aspect of darkness, where things creep in the shadows. It’s a place where animal instincts rule, and creature is often pitted against creature. No one enjoys walking alone in the darkness of the wilderness, knowing that in it, there are creatures also willing to pounce and attack you when one’s guard is down.

Now, we desire to point to specific locations and call them a wilderness. We see tree lines and say, beyond, there is a wilderness. We look out over cranberry bogs toward the Necedah Wildlife Refuge and say ah, “There is a wilderness.”

But the reality is that the wilderness of this life is everywhere and in every place.

What is the darkness you fear? Where is the place where the untamed and wild things of life roam within your heart and mind?

Are you a child who finds yourself drifting into an abyss as you return home for Christmas, struggling and striving for parental approval? Are you a parent overwhelmed by the unrealistic expectations you feel to fulfill a child’s every wish for Christmas? Has strife entered your home and made everyone cross? Or is there a deep grief that persists as you stare into the darkness of your Christmas tree?

Thus, in today's Gospel, John the Baptist is preaching not only to the Pharisees and tax collectors but also to you. He says, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

Quite simply, what has gone awry in your life? Where is there darkness or a wilderness? What is crooked? What needs straightening?

A significant challenge is that we don’t believe we need help with the challenges and tribulations of life.

Over the Advent season, Jesus's peace has been spoken to you, but what have you done with this peace? Have you told Jesus, “No, thank you, I can fix this on my own? I can find peace. I just need a little more time.”

If this is you, then repent.

Today, John stands in the wilderness; John the Baptist comes to you; his words come into the wildernesses of your life and call you to straighten up and “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” In other words, repent, confess, and turn away from sin.

Now, this is what it means to repent, to confess, to literally stop sinning, to turn away from the ill that you are doing.

So, if your tongue causes division within your home, turn away and speak kindly the words of Jesus. If the devil has entered thoughts of dread and contempt for one another, confess your anger and distrust and turn your hearts to one another in forgiveness and peace. If grief and depression weigh on your heart, turn to the Light of your Christ; turn to His Word of hope and salvation.

These are the ways of “bearing fruit worthy of repentance.” In other words, turn to Jesus.

Did you notice how the words of John the Baptist did exactly this as he said, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know?”

You see, the day after John the Baptist's little party and discussion with the Jews, John proclaims the beautiful words of the Agnus Dei as we sing right before we receive the flesh and blood of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

What a gift for us; John’s words and ministry point us to Jesus.

Jesus is the One who enters not only into the darkness of this world but also the dark and murky water of the Jordan River for you.

And this is a beautiful thing: Jesus comes, not as a sinner, but receives a baptism with sinners. In doing so, Jesus takes upon Himself, your sin and mine. He steps out of His place in the Kingly throne room of His Father and now takes His place among you and me in the wilderness of this life.

In the waters of Holy Baptism, Jesus stands for you today and invites you to drown and kill the Old Adam, the sinful nature that clings to you through daily contrition and repentance so that in Jesus, a new man may come forth.

Through this pattern of daily contrition and repentance, of daily drowning and rising in Christ then transforms your heart and molds you in the image of your Savior. It confesses that your life is not lived for yourself, but rather a life lived in God. For this reason, it is a life lived in service to your neighbor, supplying them with the greatest gift of Christ’s forgiveness, comfort, and peace. 

As we enter these waning hours of Advent, examine your hearts. If your heart is caught in a thicket of sin within your home, bear fruit in confessing your sin. If you have fallen short this Christmas, look up to Christ, who died upon the cross for you. If grief consumes your heart, see the child in the manger who not only entered this world to die for you but rose again, ensuring we and all the faithful would receive eternal life.   

For this reason, we can join the Apostle Paul as he wrote in the epistle, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!”

The Lord is near, and He has conquered all your foes; he has defeated death and scattered the darkness of the wildernesses in your life.

So hear the words of John the Baptist again this day, sing them as you journey to this altar with all that ails you, rejoicing as you sing, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The last two weeks of Advent focus on John the Baptist for a reason; before Christ comes to us at Christmas, the way must be prepared in our hearts by repentance, repentance John preaches not only to Pharisees and tax collectors but also to you and me. May you hear the call of John the Baptist this day, repent, and prepare yourself, for your King is near. And then let us come back as night falls this day and rejoice with all the Church in heaven and on earth, for the Christ child comes, and in Him you have life, salvation, and peace. +INJ+

Advent 3 + Gaudete

Text: St. Matthew 11:1-11

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

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

This is what John sends his disciples to ask Jesus. Why would John send his disciples to ask this question? Has he become weak in the knees? Have the surrounding prison walls caused him to become less of the bold forerunner and a little more of a reed shaking in the wind? 

I believe it’s natural to ask the question: did John know who Jesus was? Did he have doubts? I’m sure he had many doubts throughout his life. But did he join us in singing the familiar Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know?” That I cannot be convinced of; one could interchange John for Mary, but it would not matter; John knew who Jesus was as much as Mary knew who her Son was to be; why is this? 

Well, Mary received the visitation of the angel Gabriel, announcing the miraculous birth to her, instructing her that her Son would be named Jesus and that He would be the Son of the Most High. Due to the reality that she and Joseph had not had sexual relations, she knew and understood that what was occurring was nothing short of a miracle performed by the hand of God. She speaks and confesses what we call the Magnificat (We have sung this lovely canticle every Wednesday evening throughout Advent), “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” She rejoices in God, her Savior! Her joy is in her son, whom she proclaims as her Savior.

Well, John the Baptist is no different; His parents conceived him while advanced in years. Even in his mother's womb, Elizabeth, the baby John leaps in recognition of who the child is in Mary’s womb. In fact, it would be a little weird if John didn’t know who Jesus was; they are relatives, after all—two miraculous births within mere months.

But, even more, John the Baptist prepares the way of Jesus, announcing and confessing, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It’s John the Baptist who baptizes Jesus and witnesses with his eyes the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus as a dove and hears with his ears the voice from the heavens declare, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  

Yet, John is in Herod’s prison, sending his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Could this be because his disciples have failed to see and hear his words? Are they the ones who are truly poor and imprisoned – imprisoned by their fears and anxieties? I believe so; after all, these disciples of John know what is about to happen to the leader whom they have followed. His life will soon be over. 

And so, the disciples go to Jesus as instructed. Isn’t it something that the response of Jesus to these disciples of John begins like this, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.” What did they hear and see; “The blind see and the lame walk; lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear: the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached to them.” These words echo the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Christ, yet now they are no longer mere words but actual works being fulfilled by Jesus.

But, Jesus appears differently than the disciples of John had imagined or hoped for. He’s not dressed in fine clothing, the kind an earthly king would wear. They imagined someone surrounded by good-looking folks, healthy people. Instead, they may have been offended to see Jesus hanging out among the poor and downtrodden. 

The reality is that Jesus does not fit their mold of what the Savior would look like; he does not come as they had imagined. The truth is, He does not come as you desire Him to either; He does not appear as you wish, and His Words are met with the deafness of heart.

But He does come as He needs to be. And that does not bring you comfort and joy this Advent. And so, you join in asking, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 

As we journey through this life, we are consumed and conditioned that faith comes from within us, especially during this time of year; it even begins at the earliest of ages. Have you ever watched the movie The Polar Express? It has become a favorite of children. Well, if you are not familiar with the movie, a boy is preparing for bed on Christmas Eve; he struggles with believing in, let’s say, the Christmas Spirit or Father Christmas. His lack of faith is revealed in greater depth near the end of the movie as there is a big celebration for the arrival of Father Christmas; there are sleigh bells ringing and crowds cheering, yet the boy cannot hear the bells ringing. He was deaf to the sound of the sleigh bells. Why? Because he lacked faith in the world's story of Christmas. Only upon coming to faith in the world's story [Father Christmas] could the young boy finally hear the sound of the bells. The movie's storyline reveals a belief that the young boy's faith had to begin from within, from inside of him, and it was only assured or sealed by the ringing of the sleigh bells.

Is this not how we begin to become imprisoned in this life? The traps of a faith produced from within oneself, the despair and worry over the depth of one’s faith, or the fleeting emotions that leave you searching for more, a sign, a seal of God’s promise to you. Is this not what we do, even while we have the assurance of Scripture that “[Lord] will never leave us, nor forsake us.” 

We remain unfulfilled and desire something more! Something a bit more magical, more emotional, more of a feeling. Dear friends, put away all worldly delusions and place your trust in the unfailing Word of God. As we heard from Isaiah today, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” 

Here is a great joy of being Lutheran: we believe what Scripture teaches, we believe.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). Faith does not begin within you but enters through your ears. We confess this truth in the meaning of the third article of the Apostles Creed, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Faith is not by your work or reason but by the work of the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who comes to you through the Good News of the Gospel. 

A lot is going on in the world; many things cause you to feel like the walls around you are caving in, and life is full of doubts and fears. But, as John the Baptist pointed his disciples in their time of great need to Jesus, he points you today to the very same Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World.

This is why God sends you pastors. When you have doubts, pastors point you to your Baptism, where the dead are raised to new life in the death and resurrection of Christ.

When fear imprisons you, pastors point you to the Incarnate Word – the Good News preached to the poor, Good News that gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf; it is the assurance that God dwells in the midst of you.

When nothing in this life quenches your thirst and hunger, we direct you to the Sacrament of the Altar, where the Lamb of God is most tangibly received in the flesh and blood of your Savior. All this should arouse joy within us and cause us to say with the introit, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.” 

Today is Gaudete Sunday, after all, often highlighted by the fantastic rose candle on the Advent wreath. Gaudete means to “Rejoice.” And this is what I leave with you this day, cause of rejoicing! The joy of knowing your faith resides in Jesus Christ alone. Dear brothers and sisters, there is no need to look for another; your Savior is near, and He is Christ the Lord. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

New Church Logo

I recently worked on a project to create a logo for my congregation. We believe it turned out well and look forward to people recognizing Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Tomah, WI.

Credit to my wife (Becky Rogness) for helping!

Advent 2 + Populous Zion

Text: Malachi 4 & Luke 21:25-36

The day is coming; the day is coming… But no, not the day you are all thinking of, not Christmas.

Instead, the Prophet Malachi speaks of the day Christ Jesus returns.

In one sense, our Old Testament reading from the last chapter of the last book of the Old Testament is about telling time – it speaks of our Lord’s final Advent, His final coming. And this is what our whole life is to be postured towards: the coming of Jesus.

These readings strike you, though, don’t they? They just aren’t what you expect this time of the year, as we will soon decorate the tree after service.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in our congregational readings this past week,

We have become accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse within us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to it.

And Malachi affirms today how the day of the Lord will be no walk in the park for those who do evil. In fact, it’s worse than a stocking full of coal because that coal will possess the fire of God’s judgment, where nothing remains beyond this life and world; there are no second chances or opportunities for future growth throughout the land.

Yet, unlike so many of the Gospel readings we have heard as of late, there is also a note of hope. As Malachi writes, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”

This is what the beginning of the introit and the name of this Sunday, Populous Zion, is also confessing as we prayed,

Say to the daughter of Zion,
         “Behold, your salvation comes.”

So do as we heard in the Gospel, “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

But those words, “Straighten up!”

How often did you hear these words as a child? When a person straightens up and raises their head, they display and possess confidence. That’s what these words are calling the Christian to do: straighten up, have confidence, or as we might say, have faith that the Lord who redeemed you upon the cross, “not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,” is coming again to gather you and all believers into His holy Zion, into His eternal presence.

For this reason, we prayed the words of the Collect today, asking God to stir up within us a ready mind and heart, possessing confidence for the coming of God the Father’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

And you need your hearts aroused by God’s Word because the cares of this life and world the Gospel refers to not only press upon you as soon as you walk out of these doors today, they come upon you as a trap, sifting your confidence like sand.

Truthfully, you no longer find yourself straightening up for the day of the Lord; instead, all the commitments of the season leave you hunched over, head down, and plowing forward to check off tasks and make this the hap…happiest of Christmas’ of all.

Yet, it’s the mind and the heart that will be the source of so many of the troubles we experience as we strive for a perfect Christmas. It’s the gifts that fall short, the relationships around you that continue to be caught in conflict. Sure, we prayed this morning for God to stir up our hearts, but you might say this world already stirs them!

At the core, what causes these tribulations of the heart? Maybe it’s the idea that you believe the success and failure of Christmas depends upon you.

It’s no wonder that all these pressures of life form a savior complex in all of us, causing our hearts and minds to fret and be filled with anxiousness, especially this time of year.

Yet, we must remember that the success of Christmas arrived when Jesus was born of Mary.

The success and fulfillment of Christmas was revealed from the cross as Jesus hung and died for your sins.

The success of Christmas is confessed every time you gather to hear God’s Word and receive the flesh and blood of Christ at this altar.

So, how do we rid ourselves of the anxiousness that weighs down our hearts and minds? We don’t. Instead, we do as the Apostle Paul says,

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

In other words, do what you’re supposed to do throughout the season of Advent (and really all the time): pray to your heavenly Father ceaselessly, and in this way, be prepared for His coming on the last day.

But do you want to know the kicker to all of this? You don’t have to come up with the words for your prayers; instead, do as the liturgy teaches us and speak the words of your heavenly Father back to Him. Permit His Words to be your prayer and supplications.

You see, it’s in this way the Holy Spirit comes to you and “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

I love this because it is a reminder of how the Holy Spirit makes you the daughter of the people of Zion, as we said at the beginning of the introit, His chosen people. It’s the Holy Spirit that makes you ready for the final advent and coming of your salvation. It’s the Holy Spirit that gives you the confidence and faith to “Look up and lift up your heads,” to see “your redemption [drawing] near.” 

So take to heart how fleeting our time on earth is and how this Advent serves as another reminder of our nearing day of judgment. Do not be indifferent to the message of Jesus, but be made ready by prayer and supplication – your Savior is near, and He brings with Him your redemption. +INJ+

Read “God is in the Manger” with me!

Join my congregation in reading “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer this Advent and Christmas. You can follow along on the congregations blog: http://goodsheptomah.weebly.com/advent-and-christmas-blog

Additionally, there’s a reading schedule posted on the blog too!

Advent 1

Text: Matthew 21:1-9

We’ve all been there before, being told something great is going to happen, only to be told again it will take a little longer. It’s like a child on Christmas Eve being told, “We’ll open presents in the morning,” only to be told in the morning, “We have to wait for everyone to wake up.”

This is the story of Israel. Jeremiah wrote in the Old Testament reading today, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

Israel is ready for their new King to arrive; they want to meet Him; they desire the justice and righteousness God has promised He will bring to them; they desire to have a home and country to call their own, but they are continually told again, to be patient and wait.

Waiting is hard for every season and age of life. But it is one of the only constants all of us have throughout our days on earth.

So, what should we be waiting for in this life? The same thing as Israel, our King, to arrive, to come and grant us His righteousness.

This is what the whole season of Advent focuses our hearts upon: the coming of our King, Jesus Christ, who brings with Him His righteousness, that is, forgiveness and eternal life.

Alright, so what does the word “Advent” mean? It comes from the Latin “Adventus,” which means “Coming.”

For this reason, the season of Advent prepares us for the twofold coming of Jesus.

His first coming is seen in the manger as He was born of Mary, while His second Advent is known as His coming on the last day, when He will, as we heard last week, bring judgment upon the earth.

However, we don’t possess the patience to wait for the Lord any more than the world has the patience to permit the Church this season of Advent.

For much of the world, Advent has been displaced into the shadows by an earlier and earlier celebration of Christmas as radio stations begin changing music programming right after Halloween and stores transition their displays. We, too, are undoubtedly guilty of these practices. I mean, who doesn’t get excited about the birth of a child? It’s always a joyful event for the parents and the entire family.

But, just as so many often repeat the words this time of year, “keep Christ in Christmas,” we need to keep our Advent in preparation for Christmas.

That’s right, the season of Advent is meant to slow us down, give us pause in our lives, deepen our patience, and refocus our eyes and hearts on the coming babe of Bethlehem. But instead, all the excitement around us, the “Parties we’ve been hosting, marshmallows toasting and caroling out in the snow,” leave us gassed and out of the patience necessary to wait for the coming of our Savior.

Maybe this is why the Gospel readings of Advent appear a little off to your ears.

Why the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem? Why a Gospel reading from Holy Week?

For two purposes. One: It reveals how our Lord, our King, arrives humbly as He processed into Jerusalem (which means city of peace) on a donkey. Two: It reveals how our Lord fulfills the prophecies regarding Him that were once spoken of old.

Similarly, Jesus’ birth comes in the lowliest and humblest of ways. He is born among the dung of cattle with no room to call His own. There is no grand and triumphal entrance into this world, no party or seasonal favorites to celebrate—just a bed of hay in the cool night among the earth's creatures and beasts.

Likewise, it’s on a humble beast of burden, a donkey, that the Christ Child will make His final journey to the cross to bring to completion the purpose for which He was born, the purpose we heard in our reading from Jeremiah, to be “a righteous Branch,” to “execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

It’s through His death and resurrection Jesus becomes “Our righteousness.”

Have you ever thought deeply about the well-known passage we hear around Advent and Christmas from the book of Isaiah,

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
                        and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)

How long does it take for a shoot or limb of a tree branch to grow, mature, and bear weight?

It takes patience, and this is what our Gospel teaches us today, amid the tumult of the world, looking for a Savior; our Jesus has already come. 

But as we await His second coming on the last day, we must now learn again from the crowds to patiently cry out to Him, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

The word Hosanna means, “Save us now!”

As we prepare to receive the Lord’s Supper, we, too, join our voices with the crowds of Jerusalem in singing the Sanctus each week as we say, “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.”

So, what do you need saving from this Advent season?

Has the business of the season already made you feel overwhelmed and defeated? Do you lack patience for your family? Do you want to scream as everyone around you appears so jolly and happy as you navigate a gnawing sadness of life? Are you lonely?

If so, then cry out to Jesus with all those who line the streets of Jerusalem, pray with the Church throughout all time fervently by saying, “Hosanna,” that is, “save me now, Lord Jesus.”

And then know and trust that He has saved you through His death upon the righteous branch of the cross.

In fact, He hears your cries and continues to come to you in the Lord’s Supper to grant you His righteousness – His life and forgiveness.

This is great! As you come to the Lord’s Supper and receive Christ's flesh and blood upon your lips, you are redeemed, saved, and grafted into the very life and body of Christ Jesus. There’s truly no greater news than this.

I know, this is all so countercultural. But don’t worry, “There'll still be plenty of time for parties to be hosting, marshmallows toasting, and caroling out in the snow.” In fact, I look forward to all three.

But Advent deserves our time. It deserves our attention and focus. It prepares us not only to celebrate the birth of our King on December 25th but also for our Savior's final Advent, His final coming.

This Advent season, let us learn again the art of patience; let us turn our attention and focus to Jesus and be strengthened for the length of days as we say and sing together,

 “Hosanna in the Highest!” save us now, Lord Jesus Christ. Save us now. +INJ+

The Last Sunday of the Church Year

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Today draws a line in the sand, a dividing line between one Church Year and the next. Today is the last Sunday of the Church Year, and next Sunday will begin a new year for us.

The Gospel reading for today also demonstrates a clear line in the sand for God’s true Church; a judgment is coming and is revealed through the image of separating the sheep and goats of this world.

Jesus described the sheep in this way as He says,

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

But for the goats, He says,

For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Who are you?

It’s easy to want to be an image and icon of the person Jesus describes as a sheep, but are you as humble as a sheep or as proud as a goat?

While we may get caught up in the external image of these two animals, Jesus is directing our attention to the internal nature of these two animals.

Sheep are often seen to demonstrate more innocence, humility, patience, and obedience. And they flock together. However, goats tend to be the opposite; they smell, can be fierce and quarrel, and often go alone and by doing so wander into dangerous places.

And so, who are you?

What’s pretty amazing is that the Gospel says the sheep didn’t even know they were demonstrating the characteristics of sheep as they responded to the King’s words of praise by saying, “And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”

This brings to our mind the words of Jesus as He preached the sermon on the mount and the Christian’s care of the needy as He said, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3)

However, the response of the goats to their King is in opposition to these words, aren’t they? The goats want the world to know what their left and right hands are doing as they responded to the King, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?”

Please don’t misunderstand me; our works are not necessarily bad in this life and world. In fact, Holy Scriptures says you cannot be a Christian without good works. St. James writes in his epistle, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:26)

Faith requires good works, but our good works flow out of a faith that demands that our left-hand doesn’t know what our right hand is doing. (Matthew 6:3)

So, what is this truly getting at? What will Jesus judge when He returns on the last day? The nature and faith of our hearts.

But did you also catch how the sheep didn’t even realize how they were caring for the King? The sheep responded to King in the gospel by saying,

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Isn’t this beautiful? Their good works did, in fact, flow out of a pure faith that knew nothing else but to care for their neighbor. It’s just who they are. It's like a mother whose ceaseless love for a child is revealed as they nightly set out clothes for the next day, pack lunches, or give goodbye hugs and kisses as the child goes off to school.

But did you also catch this? Jesus said, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

So, who are these brothers? They are the ones whom Jesus regards as being welcomed, fed, clothed, and cared for by the sheep or rejected by the goats – they are His Disciples, His brothers.

Now, none of this is to say you are not all made brothers and sisters of Christ through the waters of Holy Baptism; you are. However, in the Gospel of Matthew, the term brothers is often reserved for Jesus' Disciples. Those whom Jesus has sent out in Matthew Chapter 10 to travel from place to place, preaching the Good News of Jesus to the “lost sheep of Israel.”

But Jesus warns His brothers that not everyone will receive them or the message they were given with hospitality or willing ears to listen. In fact, there will be days when they will be rejected, suffer harm, and remain sheep among wolves. And so, we continue to hear Jesus’ warning to His disciples today,

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me…. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. (Matthew 10:40-42)

What is this reward but eternal life with Jesus?

For this reason, I, too, have been sent among you to bring and confess unto you God’s Word. To feed you with the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. In these ways, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains a heart of innocence, humility, patience, and obedience within you. In these ways, you are made ready for the day when Christ returns and separates the sheep from the goats.

So don’t go the way of the goats, looking to yourself and your prideful works for validation. They will only lead you to quarreling, loneliness, and straying into life's dark and dangerous places – or, as Jesus says, “The way of eternal punishment.”

Instead, focus your eyes and hearts on your Savior, Jesus Christ. He is coming to judge the living and the dead just as we confess in the creeds.

But take heart: His cross will lead His sheep (you) out of this valley of tears and into His eternal kingdom to live forever. +INJ+

The Eve of Thanksgiving

Text: Luke 11:11-17

Going home is somewhat of a Thanksgiving tradition. With Thanksgiving always on the fourth Thursday of November, it’s hard for families that live afar not to plan a journey to see family. What is it about these homecomings that are so special? Is it seeing a brother or sister from the military returning home on leave? Maybe it’s the smells and aroma wafting from grandma’s kitchen as she cooks the bird and whips the potatoes. Or perhaps the stories being repeated by a father or grandfather too. The football game is also undoubtedly on TV.

But more, Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder that you are part of a tribe, a clan, a family. Being home provides comfort, a reminder of what we see as truth in the world, and a steady aspect of normalcy for many.

But for others, Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder that they are alone, isolated, and cut off from family and friends.

The lepers in the Gospel tonight share in these feelings of loneliness and isolation. They, too, have been living apart from the world, isolated from their village, people, family and friends.

These ten men have leprosy, a disease that renders them unclean, casts them out of their village, and isolates them from those who are pure, clean, and enjoy the fellowship of community.

When one thinks of leprosy in the Old Testament, it should bring to mind a disease that ravages and eats away the flesh of a man. But is leprosy simply an external disease? What about the conscience and the soul of the leper?

The leper had to stand at a distance from everyone else. This is why the lepers greet Jesus outside the city. They are not welcome inside the village gate they so desperately wish to rejoin. According to the purity laws of the Old Testament, they must be separated as outcasts of filth.

Whenever someone passed near them, they had to declare their condition by saying, “unclean.” Over time, their voices would become hoarse, and eventually, the only ones who would hear these words of judgment were the lepers themselves.

But when they see Jesus, all they can do is call out to Him. To lift up their voices to be heard, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Their desire is mercy, not to simply be made clean, but to be saved.

While leprosy is not seen ravaging us or our neighbors today, we are still devastated by the disease and leprosy of sin.

The evil thoughts toward our families we have been cut off from, our neighbors whom we fail to see eye to eye with, or leaders whom we feel have led us astray. Like the ten lepers, the leprosy of sin penetrates beyond our flesh; it consumes our hearts, filling our thoughts with evil and spilling forth from our mouths.

However, tonight, the lepers show us the way of faith and point us to the true source of salvation. Their cries for mercy are our cries for mercy. The lepers cannot heal themselves but must rely upon the Son of Man to deliver them, grant them salvation, and return them to their community.

But isn’t this something? It always amazes me how the ten are healed by Jesus and sent on their way to the temple to have their cleansing verified by the priests so that they could rejoin their family, friends, and community once again. But just the one leper returns on bended knees and with prayers of thanksgiving. Just one recognizes Jesus as the giver and source of salvation.

We often gloss over salvation, but salvation is the deliverance from the trials, disasters, or physical and mental ailments of this life. An earthly king or president may be able to grant a form of salvation to save man from a lengthened prison sentence or by forgiving a debt. But, the salvation of man, the eternal rescuing of man, resides in the incarnate Son of God.

Jesus tells the leper who returned to thank him: "Your faith has made you well.”

Where is your faith this Thanksgiving? Is it located in Christ? Or is today just another reminder of the sin that separates you from family and friends?

Sin is ultimately our turning away from God, our departing from His presence. It’s not God that has separated us from Him, but we who have gone astray from Him.

People often say, “Home is where the heart is.” It’s often meant to comfort someone away from family and friends or who might move a lot. But, it’s true in the sense that where your heart is, there your faith will follow. This is not only your comfort but also your assurance this night. Your home is with Christ Jesus.

Have you separated yourself from your neighbor? Run to them and seek reconciliation. Are you one who is happier to avoid the gathering of family? Stop and thank God for giving you the gift of people to love and care for you in this life. Have you sinned and departed the grace and joys of your Baptism? Repent, turn back to Jesus, cry out with the lepers, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” and know that He hears you and will save you.

What a comfort this is for us to hear again this night. You have a Savior who hears your pleas for mercy, who died upon the cross and rose again for you so that you may have an eternal home with Him in heaven. So come and feast this night on the Holy Meal prepared for you upon this altar. In this bread and wine, you receive the flesh and blood of Christ, the medicine that heals your leprosy of sin, restoring you to Christ Jesus, and sends you home with thanksgiving. +NJ+

25th Sunday After Pentecost

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

+INJ+

Well, our Gospel reading didn’t end very Gospel-like.

Jesus said, “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

One might wander in off the street and say, “That’s pretty dark.” It is; Jesus is nearing the cross and preparing His disciples for His death and when He will return in glory on the last day.

Today, Jesus is teaching the disciples and us about the stewardship of faith. He wants to impress upon them the importance of an active faith that does not sit idly with our heads buried in the sand.

When we think or hear “stewardship,” our minds often go directly to money. It’s hard not to, especially as Jesus teaches this parable using the image of a talent. 

A talent was worth a lot. One talent alone was worth nearly 6,000 days of wages or twenty years of slavery. So, receiving two talents as the second servant would be 12,000 days of wages or 40 years of slavery. Or five talents as the first servant would be 30,000 days of wages and 100 years of slavery. This is even unimaginable to most of us.

The only way many of us would ever see an income of this magnitude would be if we were the starting quarterback of an NFL team. But then, again, to keep it, we’d still need to be good stewards.

But what is stewardship anyway? One of the most basic ways to define stewardship is to see it as carefully managing what has been entrusted to you. So, this implies that stewardship is done when someone else places something or someone into your possession and for your care.

The parable says that the Master is the source of the talents entrusted to the servants. The duties of the servants are to now use these gifts faithfully and well.

As we know from the Gospel, those servants entrusted with five or two talents used them and saw them increase twofold. However, the one who dug a hole and planted his talent into the earth as some time capsule to be opened years later needed to have used his gift correctly. Instead, the parable says,

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

What caused the servant to dig and bury the gift entrusted to him by his master? The servant said it was fear.

But who owns this fear? The servant does.

It’s his fear that caused him to dig and bury what was entrusted to him by the master. He fears losing his earthly life more than anything else.

It’s important to note that the master entrusted all his servants to use the goods he provided them, no matter the amount. This is why the first two receive the accolades and blessing of the master as he said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The good and faithful servants use the gifts entrusted to their care not for themselves but ultimately for their neighbor, and by doing so, they not only please their master but also serve him and see His kingdom grow.

So, what are we to make of all of this today?

How many of us come and receive the blessing and gift of God’s forgiveness each week, only to return home and bury the gift we’ve received in the Divine Service out of fear?

At its core, what fear am I speaking of? The fear of reconciliation, the fear of confessing our sins among one another as we have confessed before God. The fear of absolving one another as God has absolved and forgiven us. Or, to put it more simply – the fear of saying, “I am sorry” and “I forgive you.”

When the servants of Jesus Christ do not use the Gospel gifts of grace and forgiveness granted and entrusted to them in their lives and among neighbors, they are, in fact, rejecting their Master.  They are not only failing to exercise proper stewardship of the great gift of faith among others, but they are also excluding themselves from communion with Jesus through the idleness of their faith.

This is why Jesus said, “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It’s frightening.

Too often, we see the things of this world as ours: homes, cars, clothes, knickknacks, people. But truthfully, we’d have nothing if God the Father did not give it to us first.

When we realize we own and possess nothing and are just using and caring for the gifts our heavenly Father entrusts to us as a gardener tending their garden, it changes how we value not only the people in our lives, such as husband or wife, mother or father, children, friends but how we use the gifts of this world to serve one another. 

The stewardship of our lives is important. In fact, our whole lfe should be one long exercise of preparing for our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, to return and take account of our stewardship.

Have we dug and buried His Word in the ground in order to hide our faith from Christ Jesus and our neighbor alike? Have we used His grace to extend His forgiveness among one another, permitting His Church and kingdom to grow? Or has fear turned our hearts from our Savior and silenced the confession of our lips?

If so, turn back to your Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Return to His cross and learn again how,

[Jesus] purchased and won [you] from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver (or talents), but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that [you] may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

An eternity He desires to call you into.

As we continue journeying to the Last Sunday of the Church Year and the day when our Lord and Master returns to settle our accounts, may His Word not only abide but actively increase faith, love, and charity within you for God and neighbor alike. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Funeral of Dawn Hawkins

Text: Luke 2:25-38

Dear family and friends of Dawn, grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some of you may wonder, “Who is Anna the prophetess?” After all, her name is mentioned only once in all of Scripture. It comes immediately after the infant Jesus is presented in the temple, and Simeon sings the familiar hymn, Nunc Dimittis, you know, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your Word has been fulfilled.”

However, in a way, Anna is in the shadows of Simeon. But, with only a couple of verses mentioned, we learn a great deal about her. She was a pious woman who did not depart the temple. Her life was centered and anchored in being where Israel came into the presence of God. While she dwelled in this place of God’s presence, she spent her time worshipping her Lord night and day in anticipation of the redemption of Israel. She looked with an expectation of the newborn king’s arrival.

This is true of Dawn as well; as her days grew shorter, she was anchored in God’s Word and was looking forward to the arrival of her Savior – to bring her into His eternal presence. 

And this is why Simeon and Anna were great examples for Dawn and teachers for us. Both Simeon and Anna had been waiting and longing for the Lord, a waiting for the Savior that embraced both hope and comfort.

But patience and waiting are not what most of us are known for, not in this lifetime. Yet, as Dawn was a teacher, she had to master the art of patience as she was entrusted with children's education. Teachers have to have some of the deepest wells of patience, don’t they? The repeating of instructions to students over and over again. The answer to the question parents also receive all too often, “But why?” The challenges of helping students navigate emotions and family issues they brought to school.

In many ways, God used these experiences for Dawn to prepare her for her last days on earth.

Why would Dawn require patience in her last days? Because her body would not move as it once did. Her mind was not as quick or sharp as it once was. Her relationships with family were not as they once were.

We can relate.

So, what gave Dawn and what will give you the patience needed for this life? The same Jesus whose appearance causes Simeon to break forth in song and Anna to give thanks endlessly because Israel’s redemption, their Savior, had arrived in the flesh of the baby boy born to Mary. 

This redemption was also granted to Dawn in the waters of Holy Baptism. A redemption that was given every time she confessed her sin. A redemption that was placed upon her lips as she received the Lord’s Supper, even in her final days of life, and joined Simeon and the Church in singing, Nunc Dimittis, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your Word has been fulfilled.”

Isn’t this such a joyful confidence?

One of the last things Dawn ever did on this earth was to receive her Savior’s flesh and blood for the redemption and forgiveness of her sin. Jesus came and visited her in this final time of distress, granting her the patience she needed for the last days.

And in thanksgiving, she sang with Simeon, Anna, the angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven; she sang praises to Her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, declaring she was ready to be gathered into His eternal courts.

It doesn’t get much better than this. And yet, it doesn’t take away your sadness and grief, but as the apostle Paul reminds you, “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe in Christ Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

This is the same hope that must accompany us to the grave of Dawn. For just as the body of Christ only laid in the grave three days, we know Jesus, our Redeemer, lives. And just as the body of Christ was raised on that first Easter morning, we look forward to the great resurrection when Christ returns, and the body of Dawn and all who are in Christ are raised in glory.

So, look to Simeon, Anna, and Dawn – learn from them to wait patiently on the Lord. Receive God’s Word into your ears and take into your hands the flesh and blood of your Savior, Jesus Christ. For in this way, you are not only granted the patience needed for the trials of this life; you are made ready to join the song of heaven, confessing your readiness by singing, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your Word has been fulfilled.”

 His Word has been fulfilled, and Dawn has received eternal peace.  +INJ+

24th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Matthew 25:1-13

+INJ+

For whatever reason, the hymn we just sang, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” has always stayed with me. It’s haunting, yet you can hear how the trumpets might sound in the background as a choir sings, and a bride makes her grand entrance.

However, as the hymn writer Phillip Nicolai wrote the hymn, life was not that joyful. But instead, an epidemic hit his town of 2,500 people, killing 1,400 of the townspeople. Nicolai recounted that some days, he’d performed nearly 30 funerals. By all accounts, this number is simply staggering to us. But it was the reality of those living in the tiny German town of Unna.

One would surmise, amid all the sickness, war, and death, these people must have prayed the closing words of Revelation quite often, “Amen, come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

And yet, that is precisely what the hymn “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” and our Gospel reading today are about – the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

Like a “Mighty Fortress is Our God,” today’s hymn is a complete paraphrase of Holy Scripture, a marriage of hymn text and Scripture. It’s pretty beautiful.

Now, there is a twofold aspect to the Gospel today: the first is preparation, and the second is the ability to remain vigilant and ready.

It’s Veterans Day weekend, and for those of you who have served in the military, you know how painstaking the process of training and preparation for a mission can be. The details matter, and you train over and over and over again to ensure a state of readiness because the training and preparation before meeting the enemy can mean life and death.

In many ways, this is the same mentality we must have today as the Church.

And for this reason, today's text is not speaking of a strictly physical and mental alertness; instead, it speaks of a spiritual readiness.  A readiness that requires all hearts to be prepared for, as we confess in the Creed, the Bridegroom, “who will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.”  

While this daily and weekly confession should arouse us from our spiritual slumbers, we must ask if our ears actually hear the words of our lips. Do we take our confession of faith as seriously as we ought? Does our confession reveal hearts with the necessary oil of faith to await the Bridegroom, your Savior, Jesus Christ?

The twentieth-century German theologian Hermann Sasse wrote, "Is the foolishness of the virgins not also our foolishness? Have we not become tired and sleepy in the light of the Christian faith? Have we not let the lamps of hope, with which we would escort the coming of Christ, go out?"

The midnight cry that goes out will separate the wise from the foolish. This is all so disturbing because in the Gospel today, it’s not that the lamps of the wise were continually burning; they weren’t. Instead, it was that they were prepared and ready with the oil required to burn their lamps and greet the coming of the Bridegroom. While the foolish spurned preparation, they had been in the company of the wise and yet turned out very differently.

We often ask this question about brothers and sisters – how are they both from the same parents and mature so differently? How is it that we can come and hear the same Gospel, the same sermon, and receive the sacrament at the same rail, and yet, some of us will depart today, wise and prepared, while others will not take seriously the call to be ready for the day of death? Truthfully, I don't know; however, sin works in each of us differently; the devil and the world attack us in different ways, according to our individual weaknesses.

Now, while we all confess with the Church in the Creed, "And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead," we must continually examine and ask ourselves, have we, as our brothers and sisters, grown weary as we journey through this life and world of sickness, war, and death? Have we permitted the flame of faith to grow dim as we travel to the grave? Have we begun to mechanically confess and gloss over the gravity of these words of the Creed?

To you, the cry comes out, awake! Prepare! The Bridegroom is near!

The time of judgment and the time of the Bridegroom's return draws nearer with each passing breath. We do not know the day or the hour. Yet, the words, "I never knew you," should frighten and arouse you to awake from slumber and confess your sins to God, confess your sins among one another, announce and extend forgiveness, receive forgiveness and the oil of faith that only God can provide to you.

So the time is at hand for us to prepare for the Bridegroom, to be like soldiers obsessing over the details of faith and practicing them over and over and over again.

How do we do this? First, by coming to the Divine Service and being mentally, physically, and spiritually involved. By making the liturgy our song, a song that abides in our hearts and leads us even to sing it throughout each week while we go about our daily tasks.

But also by getting back into the Small Catechism. No, the Catechism is not just for kids; it's for all of us. In fact, it’s the most basic form of preparation and training of the Christian faith that we cannot outgrow. Instead, through careful repetition of the catechism and liturgy alike, the lamp of faith continues to receive the oil needed for young and old alike.

Why? Because repetition and preparation are the difference between life and death. Of possessing the oil of faith or hearing the Bridegroom pronounce to you as the door to the eternal marriage feast closes, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”

On the last day, age will make no difference; intellect will make no difference, only faith. So, prepare.

Because while we do not know the day or the hour, we do know Christ Jesus is coming. This is what all the Gospels are leading to at the end of the Church Year, the return of Christ Jesus. So let us hear His call today to prepare and make ready our hearts for His return.

Now, I get it, for some these readings always seem down and gloomy, but shifting back to our hymn, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying,” did you notice how we sang in the first stanza, "The watchmen on the heights are crying." But, in the second stanza, the watchmen break forth in joy as we sang, "Zion hears the watchmen singing…." Why is this important? Because the watchmen of old never sang to announce an arrival, good or bad, into their town or village, they shouted! But, the news of this Bridegroom is too exciting not to sing; they cannot help themselves.

As the days of life grow shorter and darker, as you approach the day of your death, remember the joy of the watchmen. Let their song be your song, and sing not only with the Church on earth but with the Church Triumphant (Those who now rest from their labors and are with Christ). For as you sing, you confess the virgin birth, the crucifixion and resurrection, the ascension, and the coming again of the Bridegroom – your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So my friends, amid all this world's sickness, war, and death, prepare each day for your Lord's return by keeping His name and life upon your lips. Praying with the Church, “Amen, come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) In this way, even upon your deathbed, you join in keeping watch for the Bridegroom. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI