Lay ministers serve RLC

Resurrection Lutheran Church welcomes Rev. John Hazzard as its next pastor. Pastor John has been a member of Resurrection his whole life. On Nov. 2 he was ordained by the North America Lutheran Church Bishop Dan Selbo and installed by Pastor Tim Loehrke. After retiring from Port Clinton Schools, Pastor John followed finalized his dream to become a pastor.

Sermons

Pentecost 17 October 5, 2025

Sermon Text Luke 17:1-10

Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

“We Will Do Our Duty!”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord says, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

We don’t often hear about “duty” in Holy Scripture. In fact, most uses of the word “duty” in the Bible have to do with duties of priests in the Temple, duties of a brother to his deceased brother’s wife and family, and in one place, in Ecclesiastes, the speaker says, “Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Yet, in our Gospel lesson today, our Lord says, “when you have done all that you were commanded say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” Now, on the one hand, prior to this, Jesus has been speaking about the behavior of the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls “hypocrites” and “play-actors,” who were always trying to justify themselves, lovers of money who thought they deserved recognition and respect, just because they were religious leaders, worthy of worldly acknowledgment and regard. So, while Jesus is speaking in our Gospel reading today to the disciples, He is still speaking, really, about the Pharisees! What He is saying to the disciples is, “See, these Pharisees are not doing their duty! They are not loving and forgiving others. They are not concerned about these little ones.” So, Jesus says to the disciples, “Pay attention to yourselves—and live lives of repentance and forgiveness. Be concerned for all people, even and especially these little ones.”

That, evidently, seems quite demanding to the disciples, so they ask, “Lord, increase our faith! If you expect us to resist temptations to sin, and if you expect us to forgive, even seven times in a day, we’ll need more faith!” To which Jesus answers, even faith the size of a mustard seed can work miracles—so be content with your faith and draw on that faith, to do your duty, the Lord seems to be saying. For immediately after, Jesus says, “Don’t expect recognition and respect and fawning gratitude, for doing what you are supposed to be doing! Do your duty, He says, and be pleased that you are fulfilling your calling, as servants!

Now, we can guess that the Pharisees weren’t happy with Jesus’ words, because He was clearly speaking, again, about them, as they wanted everyone to notice how they lived lives of showy religiosity. They didn’t worship, pray, give or keep the commandments, because it was their duty, but because they wanted everyone to see how religious they were. Their motive was self-serving and self-glorifying, which Jesus rejects out-of-hand, because children of Abraham, and now, His disciples and followers, were not to serve, seeking worldly recognition and reward. Rather, in response to God’s love and mercy, they and we, are to serve because it is our duty. Because it is our calling, as Christians, to serve God and others, not to earn God’s favor, not to get God or others to notice us, but only because we want to do our duty. That is why we are to love and serve, Jesus says. Because that is our duty. Why then, do we not think about, talk about, “doing our duty, as Christians?”

Maybe we think, “Well, because I am saved by grace through faith, apart from works, I don’t have to do anything!” Maybe Christians do not like to be “expected” to do something. Maybe today we church members don’t want to feel pressured to show up, to get involved, to be active members. Consequently, many do not think about their obligations as Christians, fulfilling our duty as members of the team. Instead, we function, as Christians, as if my life, my faith, is my own business, with no duty or obligation to anyone else. We come and go as convenient, when it suits us. Most Christians like to slip in and slip out, without anyone expecting anything of us. Studies show this is why so many prefer a mega-church, because they can be anonymous. Lukewarm, uncommitted, inactive Christians do not worry much about “doing our duty,” as they have other priorities, as they are pre-occupied with other things. They just don’t see themselves as servants, called to do their duty as Christians. Do we?

The Scouts say in their oath, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country…” In the Army, the seven stated values are “Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.” The Army defines “duty” as “Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team.” That says a lot to Christians about “duty.” Paraphrasing the Scout oath, it means for us, “On my honor as a disciple and follower of Jesus, I will do my best to do my duty, to God and my Savior.” As the Army definition of “duty” says, applied to Christians, it means we will, each of us, fulfill our obligations. It is more than completing assigned tasks, but being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team, as part of the Body of Christ, where each part of the Body is important, critical to the mission of the Body of Christ, as a whole. Though we rarely consider our “duty” as Christians, being a member of the Body of Christ, through baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, means being a member of the Body, with rights and responsibilities pertaining thereto, which is our “duty” as Christians. A duty which we are to fulfill without expecting to be noticed or rewarded, for we already have our recognition and reward, as we have been saved by grace, through faith in Jesus. We have received God’s free gift of grace, so that now, our response, is to do our duty—living by faith. Fulfilling our obligation. Being functioning, faithful members of the team, accomplishing the mission and ministry entrusted to us, by the Lord.

So, what is our duty? Ecclesiastes says, “the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.” The prophet Habakkuk says his duty is to “take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what the Lord God will say to me…”

St. Paul writes to Timothy, “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control…do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God… 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” In other words, be on fire with the Holy Spirit, which is in you through the laying on of hands, in your Baptism. Live your life, not in fear, but in power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed of the Gospel but share in suffering for the sake of the Gospel. And—follow the pattern of the sound words we have heard from Paul, in faith and love. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit, of the faith, entrusted to us.”

There’s much we could say about our duty as disciples of Jesus, but today, in our lessons, this is what we hear: it is our duty to stand on the watch tower and wait for the Word of the Lord; it is our duty to live lives of repentance and forgiveness. It is our duty as Christians to be concerned for the little ones. We are not disciples to receive recognition or flattering praise, but we are disciples to follow Jesus, doing what He has commanded us to do. As Paul writes, we are to be on fire with the Holy Spirit, which we received in Baptism. We are to live our lives, not in fear, but in power and love and self-control. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel, but are to share the good news of Jesus, even when it leads to persecution and suffering. And finally, Paul says, “follow the pattern of the sound words we have received, in faith and love—and guard the good deposit of faith entrusted to us.” Think about that for a moment, in light of doing what is our duty, as Christians.

In Holy Scripture, there is a pattern for life set, in sound words and instructions, and it is our duty to hear them and to know them and to follow them. And as we follow this pattern of life, we are to guard the good deposit, guard the truth, guard the good treasure, guard the precious thing which God has entrusted to us, which is, the Good News of God’s grace, manifested through the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son and our Savior. It is our duty to guard this truth, this treasure, this precious thing, with our lives, if need be, so that the world will come to know Jesus as Lord. On our honor and to the best of our ability, we will do what is our duty, for God and for the unbelieving world.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost 18 October 12, 2025

Sermon Text Luke 17:11-19

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

“Though We Are Faithless, He is Faithful!”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

One of the benefits of YouTube is the chance to discover segments of old TV shows we might have missed. For example, one Saturday Night Live skit, I never saw back in the day, is from 1993, which has Phil Hartman as Jesus, coming to visit Tina, wife, mother, and homemaker, played by Sally Field, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, she is praying too much! Now, that is hard to imagine, but Jesus says, gently and pastorally, “I listen to everyone’s prayers and each prayer is answered in its own way, but maybe, Tina, try not to pray so much—try to limit it to what’s most important.” To which Tina is shocked and dismayed because she knows Jesus wants us to pray all the time. But Jesus says, “Maybe you don’t need to pray that I’ll help you when you’re vacuuming the stairs, or when you’re sponging off the slipcovers, or when you pray that I won’t let the rice get sticky. Maybe you don’t need to pray that I help Luke and Laura battle that evil Frank Smith on General Hospital. Do you really need to pray for things like that?”

Although a little irreverent, it is humorous because few of us would be accused of praying too much. Most of us have difficulty finding time, or the words, to pray unceasingly, as Paul says. Sure, we might be ready to pray when we are praying for the important things, like a cancer diagnosis, or grief, or loss. But what about turning to Jesus in prayer, for example, to say thanks or to offer gratitude, day by day? Most of us are more like the nine lepers in our Gospel lesson who fail to return to give thanks to Jesus, rather than being like the one who is healed, who takes time to offer thanks and praise to Jesus, who healed him! That is the point of our account of the healing of the ten lepers—not that we are offering prayers of thanksgiving too much, but that we sometimes fail to give thanks at all!

But is that the entire message of our Gospel reading today, that we are often not faithful returning to Jesus with grateful hearts? That we are sometimes sinful, self-focused humans who take God’s gifts and blessings for granted, failing to give thanks? That would mean our Gospel lesson today is all law, all judgment, with no Gospel! That would leave us wallowing in guilt and lost in our sin. But that’s not how God’s Word works! So where is the good news about our lesson today?

First, the good news is that Jesus has the power to heal! If we remember anything from the reading of our Gospel account today, surely it will be that Jesus, when approached by ten men who were plagued by leprosy, responded to their need and healed them. From a distance, as Jesus was heading to Jerusalem between Samaria and Galilee, the lepers cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus responded saying, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And Luke tells us, as they went, they were cleansed! As they went, they were cleansed, so that when they got to the priests they could be declared physically and ritually clean, to be able to return to life in community with their families and friends, able to worship again in the synagogue service. Before, they were isolated from all but others afflicted with leprosy, so that they lived their lives apart, being required to shout, “Unclean, unclean,” when others approached. Now that they were cleansed physically, they would also be declared clean spiritually by the priests. Jesus is telling the Samaritan who was cleansed, and us, that this was not all about the physical—it was about faith. Jesus is saying physical cleansing is one thing but being made well and whole is a matter of faith, as the healed leper was sent on his way, restored to wholeness, through faith.

Which brings us to the second point in this Gospel account: that Jesus is faithful, even when we aren’t! When the nine failed to return, in faith, to give thanks, did Jesus smite them for being ungrateful beasts? Did Jesus, in revenge, plague them again, with leprosy? No. The nine remained cleansed. Jesus didn’t rescind His blessing. Though the nine were unfaithful, Jesus was faithful. Which brings to mind the words of Saint Paul in his letter to Timothy. Paul writes, “Remember Jesus Christ—if we are faithless, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself!” That’s the good news in this Gospel account: that though we are, often, faithless, Jesus is faithful! Our Lord’s nature and His mission is to show grace and mercy, to offer healing and restoration. So that even when we are faithless, even when we fail to return, in faith, to offer prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving, still, we receive God’s gifts of love and forgiveness, though we don’t deserve them. However, Jesus says, there is a certain wholeness which we receive, when we return with grateful hearts. There is a certain completeness which descends upon us when we remember Christ Jesus and all that He has done for us, praying, “Thank you Lord!” We receive God’s gifts regardless, for that is God’s nature, reflected in His Son, Jesus. God does not punish us or reject us when we fail to give thanks. When we receive God’s blessings with grateful hearts, through faith, we are made well, made whole, not because of who we are, but because of who God is, in Jesus Christ our Savior.

Martin Luther was once asked about “true worship,” and his response was, “True worship is the 10th leper turning back.” What Luther is saying is that returning to Jesus in thanks and praise is what true worship is all about. True worship is receiving God’s gifts and returning to Him. True worship is receiving God’s grace as people whose lives have been changed and made whole, so that we return to our Lord regularly, come to Him often, to bow, to fall on our faces before Him, as did the tenth leper, grateful for all that He has done for us, and in us.

Which is why our chief act of worship as the community of the faithful is called, Eucharist, which means "thanksgiving." That's why the climax of our worship is called the Great Thanksgiving, because giving thanks is the heart and soul of what we do as Christians. Thanksgiving is what makes our time together, "true worship." because the focus is on giving thanks and praise to God! We say in the Eucharistic liturgy, "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, not as we ought, but as we are able. And we implore you mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving…” We make our thanksgiving explicit in the Eucharistic feast, so that we do not neglect to say thanks, but offer to God our proper sacrifice of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. We come to worship and adore Him, as we gather as a people who are moved, transformed by the reality of Jesus' presence among us, grateful that we, too, leave here, healed and restored. That is what being in the presence of Jesus does in one’s heart and life. It changes us! It renews us! It heals us! We are made well and whole by the power of Jesus Christ, risen from death, in our midst—truly present, in Word and Sacrament. So, as Jesus is with us—as Jesus is healing and transforming us—we now offer our true worship! We offer to God our prayer, praise and thanksgiving. We turn back, with the tenth leper, to Jesus, who is faithful, even when we are faithless. We turn to Jesus, who heals us and makes us whole, and clean, and new!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Festival of the Reformation October 26, 2025

Sermon Text John 8:31-36

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

"Reformation Sunday and Stewardship?"

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let’s begin with a poll this morning. Raise your hand if you believe these things go together: Love and marriage? Horse and carriage? (That’s from an old Sinatra song, for you younger folks.) Orange and black for Halloween? Purple and Green for Halloween? (Get used to it, those seem to be the new Halloween colors!) Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? Peanut Butter and pickles? French fries and mayonnaise? Ohio State and Michigan? Reformation Sunday and Stewardship?

Talking about stewardship on Reformation Sunday might not seem to fit, to some people. It might even cause some Lutherans heartburn! And why is that? Because there’s a sense in which some want Reformation Sunday to be pure and not, shall we say, “tainted,” by talk of stewardship, which we all know, for some Lutherans, is a four-letter word, not to be mentioned in polite Lutheran conversation!

But let me tell you, preaching about the Reformation while also focusing on stewardship is like saying “sick-em” to a German Shepherd--because the Reformation, Fr. Martin Luther's 95 Theses, the concerns of the reformers were at their heart, concerns about how the Church in the middle ages talked about money and raised money and made salvation, justification, and eternal life, dependent upon how much people would give to the Church!

As you remember, the Reformation began on October 31, 1517, in Wittenberg, Germany, when Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses, or statements for discussion, on the door of the Castle Church, the bulletin board of the university. These theses were Luther's proposals for an academic debate among the theological faculty of the university, in response to what he saw as widespread abuse of the sale of indulgences to fund, among other things, the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Although indulgences were not sold in Wittenberg, they were sold just across the river, a stone's throw from the center of the Wittenberg village. What infuriated Luther was not just the fact that priests like the indulgence seller, Johann Tetzel were selling these pieces of paper that granted complete and final pardon from any time in purgatory, for you, or for your already dead relatives, but that these were being sold to peasants who couldn’t afford them! The classic jingle used by the priests marketing these indulgences was, "When the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs,” suggesting to poor, unwitting laypeople that salvation and eternal life was immediately available, if only they would scrape together the money to drop in the chest! Many of Luther's parishioners did, indeed, scrape together the money, leaving their children without food and clothing and the necessities of life--because, hey, to do without in this life was nothing, compared with the purchase of a piece of paper that guaranteed you eternal life! Granted, the payment for these indulgences was graduated, like a progressive income tax, so that the wealthy paid more for salvation than the ordinary townsfolk, but still, villagers were expected to pay three gulden, which some scholars figured, in their time, would have been a fortune for the average peasant. Luther writes in the 86th of the 95 Theses, "Since the pope's income today is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?" Yet, Luther's issue with the sale of indulgences was not just his concern that his parishioners couldn't afford them, but that forgiveness was being bought and sold, as if you could buy your way into heaven! In the 27th Thesis, Luther writes, "There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of purgatory immediately when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest."

Luther's understanding of justification grew out of his study of Holy Scripture, and in particular, St. Paul's words in Romans 3, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested, disclosed, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith, apart from works…" St. Paul writes. Luther points to this, in Thesis 62, when he says, "The true treasure of the Church is the Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God." This, says Paul and Luther, is how we are saved. In this is our redemption, the mercy and grace of God, in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross--given to us freely as a gift, through faith, not available to be purchased, no matter how great your bank account is, no matter how much money you contribute to the Church, for the building of St. Peter's in Rome, or any church! The message of the Gospel is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast!

This puts into perfect perspective, the truth about Christian stewardship and how it is that stewardship is to be taught and practiced among every Christian community and in every Christian life. And the good news that must be announced with regard to salvation and stewardship is: By grace you are saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing--it is the gift of God! In other words, your works, your good deeds, your offerings, your pledge do nothing to help or hurt, your relationship with God! You are given the gift of salvation, freely, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross has won for you Gospel freedom. As the Lord Jesus says, “The truth shall make you free, and if the Son makes you free, you will be free, indeed!” And this means freedom from feeling guilty about what you can or cannot pledge or give to the church. This means freedom from carrying an additional burden of shame or embarrassment because you may not be able to contribute to the church at the level you would like, at this time in your life. This means you have complete freedom to wrestle and struggle and pray about your tithes and offerings as a faithful Christian, without connecting it to forgiveness or salvation, other than as a grateful response. We make decisions about what we may or may not be able to do in our contributions of time, talent and treasure as a response, not as a condition for God's love, or as a good work intended to earn or deserve God's grace. As Jesus assures us, "If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!" And this freedom means being at peace with God and being at peace with whatever response you are able to make, finding joy in whatever you are giving. St. Augustine writes of our Gospel lesson on freedom in the Son, saying first, "The soul enjoys nothing in freedom, unless it enjoys it in peace." He goes on to say, "Freedom occurs when we delight in the law of God, for freedom brings you joy." When the Son makes you free, this freedom brings you peace and joy!

And that is what I am preaching and what I hope you are hearing. This Festival of the Reformation, this Sunday, is also about receiving stewardship commitments for the coming year. Please hear this morning, the Eternal Gospel as it says in Revelation, the good news that salvation has come by God's free grace and favor! Hear the good news that what you pledge and give to our stewardship campaign, while important to our congregation, has no causal effect on your relationship with God, your redemption in Christ, or your forgiveness and salvation! As Jesus gave His life for you on the cross, freely, so also, your response of money, love, and service are to be freely given, not with one eye on God, hoping that He takes note and records it to your account. Your life, given in response to the gift of justification, is to be given without compulsion, coercion, internal guilt or shame.

For we have been saved! We have received the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ! The true treasure of the Church is the Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God, and we are hearing and are receiving this true treasure! And in that freedom, we find peace and joy! So, we live in that freedom! We lay aside any burden of guilt or shame and give our gifts and offerings cheerfully, with a smile on our face! We have no concern what others may or may not give, but we each, individually, focus only on my life, my blessings, my response, given with great thanksgiving, to the God who has given us, His only Son, our Savior! And together, as a community of Christ, the offering plate is full to overflowing! Together, as a community of Christ, we rise to meet any challenge—as the Body of Christ our Lord!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor John Hazzard November 9, 2025 Resurrection Lutheran Church

Sermon Text: Hebrews 12:1-14

“Turning to Christ the Reality of Our Faith”

Grace be unto you from our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

The book of Hebrews seems to have been written to a group of Jewish Christians who were struggling in their faith. Many of them had begun to lose sight of who Jesus truly is. Some were tempted to return to the familiar patterns of Judaism; others, under the weight of persecution, were even denying their Christian faith.

When we read Hebrews, one central theme stands out and cannot be ignored. This theme is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. We must have a persevering faith in the incarnate Son of God. In our sermon text today, the author of Hebrews proclaims with perfect clarity and conviction that Jesus Christ is far superior to the prophets, superior to the angels, superior to Moses, and superior to Aaron. Christ alone provides a greater priesthood, a greater sanctuary, and a greater sacrifice. The next obvious question is, why! The answer couldn’t be more clear, because it is only through His perfect work and the faith we cling to that allows us to enter the kingdom of God.

In our own strength we cannot live a life of faith; only Jesus makes this possible. That is why we are called to persevere in our faith in the same way you might run a marathon, by getting rid of sin, the weight, which slows us down and holds us back from heeding the truth, the truth that Jesus Christ and Him crucified is “the way the truth and the life.”

Our text begins with these powerful words: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” When the writer says we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses,” I don’t believe he means that the saints of old are sitting around in heaven, watching us live out our faith like fans cheering from the stands at a Sunday Browns vs. Steelers football game. (And if that were the case, I certainly hope our faith is stronger than the hope of the Browns fans!) Instead, these witnesses testify to us by the example of how they lived their lives. They bear witness, not as spectators, but as examples of steadfast faith and endurance. In the previous chapter, Hebrews 11, the author gives us a roll call of the faithful, what we might call the Bible’s Hall of Faith.

At the dawn of history, there was Abel, who by faith brought a more acceptable offering than his brother Cain and was declared righteous. Enoch, by faith, pleased God and was taken up into heaven without seeing death. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and all the prophets—all of them lived by faith and are now held before us as witnesses to the power of perseverance and trusting in the promises of God. Y et, every one of them died without receiving the fullness of what was promised. They only saw it from a distance and greeted it with faith. They believed that God was faithful, even when His promises seemed far away. I am always amazed at the faith these Old Testament heroes had.

How much more faith should we have? We have the benefit of a personal relationship with Christ, the object the Old Testament faithful could only hope for. This is the kind of faith that pleases God. Faith not only brings insight and confidence that the world cannot offer—it is absolutely essential for walking with God. As the writer says earlier, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” True faith is not passive. It is not simply agreeing that God exists, though that is necessary it is not sufficient. It is an active trust that seeks after God and His will. Faith looks forward. It boldly believes that God will fulfill His promises and reward His people even without evidence or observation. But when faith falters, when we begin to doubt or fear, we grow hesitant to follow where God leads. We become weighed down by the very things the author warns us against sin, distraction, and discouragement. That is why the author exhorts us to lay aside every weight and run the race set before us with endurance.

A great deal of this weight, which leads us into sin comes when we allow the things of this world, whether knowingly or unknowingly, to hinder and entangle us, keeping us from running the race that God has set before us. When our hearts become more concerned with earthly pursuits than with the Kingdom of God, we lose sight of His purpose for our lives. And if we persist in that way, the day may come when we knock and plead for entrance into eternal life, only to hear those chilling words of judgment: “Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”

This should be terrifying for each of us, not because we lack faith, you wouldn’t be sitting here today without faith, but because the modifying reality is that we live in a fallen world in which we can never be good enough on our own, no matter how hard we try. God is perfectly just and righteous, and that means our own merit can never bring us into His holy presence. Too often, we exchange worship of the True Triune God—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—for the false god of self: me, myself, and I. Jesus challenges us to embrace the values of God's kingdom as we confess our sins with a repentant heart and boldly stand in the Word and Sacraments as members of the body of Christ. All of this is done by turning to Jesus, the one who not only begins our faith but brings it to completion.

Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, truly human and truly divine, who was sent to save us so that we might have life and have it abundantly. As St. John declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus took our sins upon Himself and paid our debt through the shedding of His blood, dying and rising again for our salvation. St. Peter explains this in his first epistle: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep gone astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24–25). We are able to stand before this eternal Shepherd and Overseer because, as the apostle Paul teaches, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In His great mercy, Christ has taken our sin and graciously given us His righteousness, covering our guilt so that we may stand before a holy God. Therefore, when we confess our sins, God forgives all that we have done and left undone for the sake of Jesus Christ, who was given to die for us.

It is all too easy for us, dear brothers and sisters, to become so caught up in our daily routines that we fail to notice how far we have drifted from our Lord. That is precisely why God, in His mercy, disciplines His children. His discipline is not punishment meant to destroy, but correction meant to restore. Though it may be painful in the moment, it serves a gracious purpose. It produces in us a harvest of righteousness and peace, training our hearts to share in His holiness.

Therefore, we ought not despise the Lord’s discipline but receive it as a child receives the loving correction of a father. For it is in that very discipline that we find the assurance of our sonship. God disciplines those He loves, shaping us through His Word and Spirit into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. His correction, then, is not a sign of rejection, but the very proof that we belong to Him.

We are called, dear brothers and sisters, to walk faithfully on the path that God Himself has set before us. And as we walk, we are urged to “strive for peace with everyone” and to pursue holiness above all else. For holiness is not optional—it is the mark of those who belong to Christ. The message of Hebrews 12 reminds us that faith is not a momentary feeling but a lifelong journey, a race marked by endurance, trust, and perseverance in Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. We are surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, those who lived and died in faith, confident in the promises of God. And their testimony still calls to us today: Keep running. Keep trusting. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

So, how do we do this? How do we remain faithful in a world filled with temptation, suffering, and distraction? First, we must learn to lay aside every weight. This means being honest before God about the sins, habits, and attitudes that slow us down in the race of faith. We cannot run freely while clinging to the things that keep us bound to this world. Whether it is pride, resentment, fear, or the love of comfort, lay it down at the foot of the cross. There, Christ has already borne it for you.

Second, we must look continually to Jesus. The Christian life cannot be lived by willpower alone. When we take our eyes off Christ, we stumble; but when we fix our gaze upon Him, we find strength, hope, and forgiveness. Look to Him in His Word, where He speaks truth to your weary heart. Look to Him in prayer, where He reminds you that He is near. Look to Him in the Sacrament, where He nourishes and strengthens your faith with His own body and blood.

Third, we must endure God’s loving discipline with faith and humility. The trials you face are not signs that God has abandoned you, they are proof that you are His beloved child. Through discipline, He purifies your heart and shapes your life to reflect the holiness of Christ. So, do not lose heart when hardship comes; instead, see in it the gracious hand of your heavenly Father, guiding you toward righteousness and peace.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the race is not easy, but the finish line is glorious. Christ Himself stands at the end of the course. He is the One who endured the cross, despised the shame, and now reigns at the right hand of God. He has gone before us so that we might follow in His steps. Therefore, let us run with endurance. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. And let us press on toward that eternal joy which He has prepared for all who love Him.

May the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen

John Hazzard September 28, 2025

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sermon Text Luke 16:19-31

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Catawba Island, Ohio

“The Rich Man and Lazarus”

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

In our sermon text Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and the scribes. And as Jesus spoke, we continue to see how deeply concerned He was about the spiritually lost. Ironically this includes the pharisees, the religious leaders, who were supposed to be holy men of God. Just before today’s sermon text we find Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for being lovers of money and self-righteous, ignoring the people they are called to serve. Jesus plainly tells them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God”. Jesus continues to warn the religious leaders and any of us who may have our priorities set in worldly things instead of The Kingdom of God by sharing the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

In today’s narrative we have an interesting situation. The Bible is presenting truth by way of a great contrast and tension, and there may be no greater contrast given in all of the Bible than the one we see this morning in the rich man and the beggar. I personally find this reality terrifying.

Jesus told the Pharisees, “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. As the story begins to unfold, we immediately begin to see the contrast. We have the Rich Man who dressed in purple and fine linen, paraded around town in his fine clothing, and feasted sumptuously as he enjoyed all the creature comforts of his day. The rich man’s purple clothing was most likely imported and colored with an expensive Tyrian dye that would be considered a lot even by today’s standards.

In stark contrast, Jesus told us about poor Lazarus, who did not have a penny to his name. He also had terrible sores all over his body and suffered horribly. He was in such bad shape that people from his community had to carry him to the gate just outside the Rich Man’s home. It is obvious why they would place Lazarus at this particular gate; they hoped that the Rich Man would either take pity on him and feed him, or that his servants would offer the crumbs that were discarded from his table. When Jesus refers to crumbs, we are not talking about the small pieces of bread that we as kids left on the countertop, with the knife still stuck in the peanut butter jar, only to have our mom yell at us for not picking up our mess. Jesus is referring to full pieces of bread that were used at lavish dinners to wipe their mouths and fingers as they ate. They would use these pieces of bread like napkins as they ate and then simply toss them to the floor. These were the discarded crumbs that poor Lazarus hoped the Rich Man or his servants might offer Him.

Ironically, the only comfort offered at this gate came from a group of wild dogs, the most reviled of all scavengers. Jesus tells us, “Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.” In first century Judea, dogs were not considered to be “man’s best friend”. They were considered nothing more than troublesome pests. I find it interesting that these despised, Farrell dogs tried to care for poor Lazarus as the Rich Man ignored him and intentionally walked on by him like common roadkill.

What happens next might seem normal to us but would be unthinkable for a first century Jew. Jesus goes on to tell us that Lazarus died and was carried off by a band of angels and was placed in the Bosom of Father Abraham, but the Rich Man died, and his soul was carried off to hell. The surprise isn’t that both men ended up dying, it was that Lazarus ended up in Heaven and the Rich Man ended up in Hell. You see, in those days everyone assumed that if bad things happened to you, it was because you were cursed by God, and If you were wealthy and blessed with nice things, it was because you were blessed by God. We see this way of thinking throughout Jewish history, in the story of Job, his supposed friends kept telling him that he must have offended God somehow because he was very wealthy and it was later taken from him. We have the account in the New Testament where the people that the tower fell on and killed were assumed to be more sinful than those that escaped with their lives. Jesus’ message would have enraged the Pharisees when they should have been “scared straight”.

The Rich Man realized where he would spend eternity; in hell being tormented day and night, just as Jesus describes in Matthew 8:12 and 13:42, “there will be darkness and fire and weeping and the gnashing of teeth for all of eternity.” Then as the Rich Man looked up, he saw Lazarus in Heaven. He began to beg, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” And when that was denied because of the great chasm that separate heaven and hell, the Rich Man said, “Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” Abraham’s response was that his brothers had Moses and the Prophets, they didn’t need Lazarus. They had the Holy Scriptures, God’s inspired Word, just like you and I have. This tells us that the Word of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who speaks in the Scripture can and does lead to a saving faith. But this only happens when we actually go and read the Holy Bible in the light of Jesus Christ. We do not have to suffer the same reality as the Rich Man, By praying, studying Scripture, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can align our lives with God’s will and better understand how we can establish an intimate and eternal relationship with God as we, “love God with our whole heart, and love our neighbor as ourself”. We can turn to Christ and the Holy Scripture to determine what is right and wrong by looking to Jesus’ life and teachings as our ultimate example of truth, love, and righteousness. Jesus is the perfect model of the godly life we are called to live. The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and provides timeless principles—such as justice, compassion, humility, and obedience to God—that help guide our moral decisions in today’s world.

I can only imagine what the Rich Man must have been thinking at that moment; What did I do to deserve this? How could this happen to me, I am basically a good person? I never murdered anyone or cheated them out of their money. I even went to church on most Sundays, and I tithed. I am sure what followed next was denial. He was probably thinking about what many people believe today; “I am not as bad as those people” as if God judges us on a bell curve, or “How do we know for sure what is right and wrong, after all what the Bible tells us is so old-fashioned that it doesn’t apply to us today.” It is hard for people, both then and now, to accept that there is only one moral truth. There is right and there is wrong. There is no in-between. We are quick to take the wide and easy road that everyone seems to be on as we look to please ourselves in search of the things of this world.

The reality is that because we live in a fallen world, we can never be good enough on our own, no matter how hard we try. God is perfectly just and righteous, and that means our own merit can never bring us into His holy presence. Too often, we exchange worship of the True Triune God—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—for the false god of self: me, myself, and I. Jesus challenges his followers to embrace the values of God's kingdom by welcoming the marginalized, recognizing their need for God's grace, and rejecting self-righteousness. The poor, the outcast, and the repentant sinner, are often closer to God’s heart because they are more aware of their dependence on Him. When our hearts are more concerned with the things of this world than with the Kingdom of God, we ignore His calling on our lives. And though we may one day knock and plead for entrance into eternal life, if we have not truly known Him, all we will hear is, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”

The good news, however, is that salvation is not based on our performance, but on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. As Jesus clearly states in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” A few weeks ago, we heard in Luke’s Gospel that we must enter through the “narrow door,” and in John 10:9, Jesus tells us, “I am the door.” This means that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. When we place our faith in Jesus and His finished work of the cross, we are saved—not by our works, but by His righteousness. Good works then become the fruit of that salvation, as we die to ourselves we are born again and clothed in Christ’s righteousness. In Him, we are given new life and an eternal relationship with God—starting now and lasting forever.

As we read our sermon text the answer to where the rich man went wrong seems obvious; he being blessed with abundant wealth, failed to help poor Lazarus that laid helplessly in need at his gate. And I definitely think this is part of where the rich man went wrong, but I also think the problem goes even deeper. The bigger problem that he could not overcome was that he was not a true believer. The evidence of this, besides the fact that he ended up in hell, is that he did not bear good fruit. Those that are in Christ bear good fruit. Jesus tells us in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing". Additionally, St. Paul describes this good fruit in Galatians chapter 5 as the character qualities that are inspired by the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the story of the rich man and Lazarus is not just a parable for the Pharisees—it’s a wake-up call for Us All. It reminds us that what we believe, how we live, and who we trust in matters. The rich man didn’t end up in torment because he was wealthy, but because he trusted in his wealth, ignored the needs around him, and lived for himself rather than for God. His life bore no fruit because his heart was never truly surrendered to the Lord.

Like the rich man, let’s not wait until it’s too late. Let us turn away from self-reliance and instead trust in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Let us seek His Word daily, pray for the Spirit’s guidance, and ask God to open our eyes to the needs around us. And more importantly, we need to take action. Let us live out our faith—bearing good fruit that flows, not from guilt or obligation, but from a heart transformed by grace.

May we be people who not only hear the Word but do what it says. May we love God with our whole heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. And may we, by God’s grace be known, not just by what we profess, but by how we live.

THE PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS… THE TRUE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

Pentecost 23 November 16, 2025

Pastor John Hazzard

Sermon Text Mark 7:31-37

Resurrection Lutheran Church

“Jesus Gives us Ears to Hear Him”

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM OUR RISEN LORD AND SOVIOR, JESUS THE CHRIST

Our sermon text is a great example of what God has expected from us from the beginning of creation itself; to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might and love your neighbor as yourself. This means we are to give God our complete and undivided attention, making him the priority in every part of our life. This means that we should responsibly direct our emotions, will, intellect, and physical abilities toward God, instead of just offering a partial or divided commitment. And flowing from that love for God, is our love for our neighbor, expressed in compassion, care, and faithful action. This process should lead us to seriously consider what it means to be responsible Christians.

Within this gospel account we see three examples of how God calls us to responsible love Him and our neighbor as ourselves. First we are responsible for helping friends and those people that are in need around us. Second we are called to responsibly receive and trust in Jesus Christ as our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, and finally we are called as members of the body of Christ to responsibly love and support one another by proclaiming Christ’s mission to the world.

First, let’s look at the responsibility the men took upon themselves when they brought the deaf man before Jesus to be healed. We must not doubt the fact that we are called to love our neighbor so that means we have a responsibility to act when we see someone in need, just like these men did. It is our responsibility to reach out to those who are suffering in the world around us, So that we can minister to those who are suffering emotionally, socially, or physically. This is done as we care for them and when we bring them to Christ. We bring them by praying with and for them and we bring them by sharing what we know about Christ and how He works in our life. Just as the men took the deaf man to Christ so that he could receive His healing, we can take those who are suffering to the foot of the cross where all are healed for eternity.

We can responsibly tell people about Christ when we know who He truly is. Jesus made this clear for us when he said, “I am, the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “I am the way,” implies that Jesus is our one and only path for salvation and the eternal relationship we have with God. “I am the truth” asserts that Jesus is the Ultimate reality. He is not one possible truth; He is the only truth. “I am the life” suggests that true life originated from Him and that apart from Him, no one is truly alive in a spiritual sense.

Make no mistake: we also bear the responsibility to show the same compassion and initiative as those who brought the deaf man to Jesus. We are called to recognize the people around us who suffer in silence, and who feel isolated by their afflictions. And when we step toward them with mercy and bring their needs before the Lord—whether through prayer, support, or just our presence—we demonstrate the same intercessory faith as those faithful friends who placed the deaf and mute man before Christ.

The second responsibility I want to highlight is our call to receive and trust in Jesus Christ. God invites us to receive His gifts of tender love and mercy. The deaf and mute man in today’s Gospel could neither hear nor speak, and it is unlikely he understood much about who Jesus was or what Jesus was about to do for him. Yet he trusted the people who brought him, and—more importantly—he trusted Jesus Himself to heal him. Scripture tells us, “He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” In receiving the gift offered to him, this man showed a profound and simple faith. I can only imagine what he must have felt as Jesus drew him aside and began to touch and heal him by using the very sense he knew best.

The deaf man shows us how faith truly works in our lives. It is only by the grace of God that anyone is called to a saving faith. God draws people to Himself through different means—by the work of the Holy Spirit, through Holy Baptism, through the reading of His inspired Word, through the circumstances of our lives, and through the voices of those who speak the gospel to us. And when this gracious gift is placed before us we, like the deaf man, are called to receive it—trusting by faith alone that our Lord Jesus Christ will touch us, cleanse us, and cover us with His own blood, so that we may stand healed and righteous before God for all of eternity.

If God calls us and begins to speak to us, we have the responsibility to go to him if we want to be comforted or healed. We cannot doubt him or deny Him. For there is no greater infirmity or disease than the critical condition we find ourselves when we doubt—a clear result of the fallen condition we currently experience due to Adam and eve partaking in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Just as Jesus tenderly and lovingly reached out and touched the deaf man’s ears with his fingers and then touched his tongue with the saliva that Jesus placed on his hands to loosen the evil that prevented him from speaking or hearing about Jesus, our Lord reaches down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit, cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and gives us eternal life—here, now, and forever.

The deaf man’s responsibility was simply to receive the healing gift that Jesus lovingly and graciously offered him. This means that the man was allowed Jesus in his life and was willing to be led—demonstrating the large amount of trust and faith he had in Jesus. If this man had this kind of faith, we have an even greater responsibility to place our trust and our faith in Jesus because we know what he did for us on that cross.

Finally, we have a responsibility, as members of the Christian Church, to use our unique spiritual gifts and abilities. We are responsible for serving to one another and building up the body of Christ in the world—in the same way the crowd did in our sermon text. They were responsible for bearing witness to the miracle Jesus performed and sharing the good news of his message.

We are told in Mark that the crowd was “astonished beyond measure” and praised God saying, “He has done everything well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.” It was for this reason that the crowd couldn’t keep quiet about Jesus even though he charged them not to tell. It seems the more Jesus spoke “the more zealously they proclaimed” what they knew about Christ everywhere they went.

The crowd of witnesses’ actions highlight the responsibility we have to share the good news of What God has done for us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." If you think about it, the only reason those early followers came to know Christ was because they showed up, listened, and learned about what He had done. By being present, they witnessed the miracle that revealed Jesus to them in a way that changed their lives forever. Imagine what they would have missed had they chose comfort or convenience instead of seeking Jesus.

There is no doubt about it, as members of the Body of Christ, we too are called and empowered to bear witness in the world. We are called to seek Jesus through prayer, Scripture, worship, and by living out His teachings each day. This means loving one another, supporting one another, and joining together in Christ’s mission—caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, and showing God’s love in tangible ways. In the fellowship of the Church, we encounter the real presence of Christ in our lives, for He promises, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Belonging to the Body of Christ is not optional—it is the very place where Christ meets us, shapes us, and sends us.

In Conclusion, we see that this Gospel text reveals three essential responsibilities that flow from the command to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. First, we are responsible for showing compassion to those in need—just as the men who carried the deaf man to Jesus. We are called to step up to help the hurting, the isolated, and those that are burdened by bringing them to the One who alone can heal all of our infirmities.

Second, we are responsible to receive and trust in Jesus Christ. Like the deaf man, we come with nothing but our brokenness, and by grace alone through faith alone, Christ opens our ears, loosens our tongues, and restores our souls. Our calling is simply to trust the Savior who reaches out and touches us with His healing mercy.

And third, we are responsible as members of the Body of Christ to bear witness to what God has done. Just as the crowd could not remain silent, we are called to proclaim Christ’s saving work as we support one another, love one another, and share the good news of Jesus wherever we go.

These three responsibilities—compassion toward our neighbor, trust in Christ, and faithful witness to the world—are not burdens laid upon us, but gifts that flow from the new life Christ has already given. As we live in Him, He equips us to love, to trust, and to proclaim His wonders. May God grant us grace to live out this calling with joy, and may we, like those in the Gospel, be “astonished beyond measure” at all that He has done—and continues to do—among us.

THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING, KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN, LORD AND SAVIOR, JESU THE CHRIST.

The Festival of Christ the King November 23, 2025

Rev. John F. Hazzard

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Port Clinton, OH

“Christ Is Our King”

Grace and peach to you from our crucified and Risen Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

As I sat in my office, after what turned out to be a busy start to the week, and began to look at our gospel reading for this special Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, I began to think about everything that unfolded in Luke’s text. For example, Jesus, who was just given a death sentence, told the women who were following him as he was heading to his crucifixion, not to weep for him but instead added that they should weep for themselves and their children. Jesus prayed and asked that the people who mocked him and nailed him to the cross be forgiven because they were acting out of ignorance. And Jesus told one of the criminals that on that very day he would be with him in paradise. There was so much to unpack in this passage that I was feeling overwhelmed. I told myself that “I got to think” of something unique to say about these events or at least come up with a different way of interpreting all of these important points God revealed to us.

That is when I suddenly remembered something Dr. Luey had said in the very first class, I took at Trinity Seminary. It was a class on the Early Church Fathers and specifically, the impact they had on church doctrine. He said something to the effect that, “If you think you’ve discovered something brand-new about Scripture or doctrine, you might want to check it at the door, because many heresies began exactly that way.” And he was right. Problems arise in the Church whenever people drift from what God clearly teaches and instead try to build theology on personal insights, private ideas, or modern agendas. When people abandon one of the great pillars of our confession—Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone—they inevitably drift toward a misunderstanding of who Jesus really is. The moment Scripture is set aside for feelings or cultural pressures; people begin reinventing Jesus in their own image. But the Scriptures—both Old and New Testaments—proclaim with perfect clarity who Jesus is God incarnate, our Creator, our Messiah, the Lord of lords and the King of kings.

This is why the Church year ends with Christ the King Sunday. We need to be reminded of who Jesus truly is and what He has done for us. Christ the King Sunday is not about embracing a new insight but about returning to the truth God has already given us. In society today, Jesus is usual thought of in one of three ways. First, as our divine King and promised Messiah who defeated death and the devil. Second, in more secular or progressive circles, Jesus is reduced to a great prophet, Rabbi, or even a fictional figure who has given us inspiring insight of how to live a spiritual life that makes the world a better place until we pass from this place and dissolve into nothingness. Then there are those who see Jesus as little more than a delusional troublemaker—a complete lunatic who proclaimed to be God, rebelled against authority, and then was put to death for His trouble. My hope is that we see Jesus for who he really is—our Messiah King, the eternal Son of God who reigns by mercy, justice, righteousness, and sacrificial love.

Part of the reason people misunderstand Jesus is because He refuses to conform to our expectations of what a king should look like. Earthly kings do not sacrifice themselves for their people; they demand sacrifice from others. Earthly kings preserve their own lives at the expense of others; Jesus did the opposite. Earthly kings ruled with an iron fist or, as Woodrow Wilson famously put it, “spoke softly and carried a big stick.” But Jesus did not rule with intimidation or brute force. He showed what it means to be a heavenly King when He refused to turn away from the cross. In the very moment when most rulers would have saved themselves, He refused to do so because He came to save us.

People find it difficult to recognize who Jesus really is. As we look through the snap shots that describe his thoughts, words, and deeds, we begin to see who he really is. This reminds me of the time when Little Suzy’s parents, or should I say Mom, decided it was time that the family went to the portrait studio and have their family picture taken. As you know, two-year-olds are a bundle of emotions and getting them to sit through a photo shoot can be quite a challenge to say the least. During the short session there was a wide range of emotions displayed in each picture taken; from at first, contentment, to laughter as the photographers waved a cute stuffed animal in front of them, to pouting, to anger, and then finally to tears—and these were just the emotions Suzy’s dad displayed as he remembered that the Buckeyes football game was going to start in twenty minutes.

Which of these snapshots depicted who little Suzy really is? The answer of course is all of them!! Each one captured a different side of her complex personality. In much the same way, all that pertains to Jesus in the Holy Bible, does the same thing. It provides snapshots of exactly who Christ the King really is.

In today’s gospel reading we see a snapshot of Jesus praying for the forgiveness of the very people who condemned Him. He even offered eternal life to a criminal. I heard it said, When the Lord of Glory died, He left this earth with two criminals at His side, forever silencing the notion of salvation by works. The railing criminal is a picture of human depravity. This criminal cursed himself into a Christless eternity. On the other hand, the repentant thief illustrates all the elements of salvation: he admitted his own guilt, he knew that he deserved to die and then prayed to receive forgiveness. This man had no time to join a church, be baptized, or do good works. He only had time to believe in Jesus—and He was saved. His kingship is not about self-preservation, but self-giving love. His coronation was not in a palace but on Calvary. His crown was not gold but thorns. His royal robe was not silk but the bloodied garment of one who was beaten, mocked, and crucified.

Martin Luther, in his Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms, helps us understand Christ’s kingship with great clarity. Jesus rules both the temporal kingdom and the eternal kingdom, though in different ways. The temporal kingdom is everything bound up in time—creation, society, nations, families, work, responsibilities, and the daily lives we live. It is a place of change, volatility, and decay. Everything in the temporal kingdom fades. We grow up, grow old, and eventually pass out of time and into eternity. Yet Christ is King here as well. He rules this kingdom for our good, providing order, protection, justice, and structure so that life can flourish. Our temporal life is meant to be lived with God at the center as we pray, read Scripture, receive the Sacraments, and live faithfully in our vocations as husbands, wives, sons, daughters, workers, citizens, and neighbors.

God does not want us to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. He wants us to recognize our worth as His beloved children and to trust that He is at work in our daily life. Submitting to Christ the King means trusting His promises, relying on His mercy, and recognizing that in our most broken and vulnerable moments, He draws nearest to us.

The eternal kingdom, on the other hand, is outside time altogether. It is the realm of God—everlasting, unchanging, perfect in love, justice, righteousness, and peace. Scripture speaks with great clarity about this kingdom. In Isaiah 9:6–7 we hear that the child born to us will reign on David’s throne and that the increase of His government and peace will have no end. In Daniel 2:44–45 we are told that God will establish a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, a kingdom that will outlast and overshadow every human empire. In Daniel 7:13–14 the Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven and is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that shall never pass away. And in John 18:36 Jesus tells Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” These passages give us immense comfort. They remind us that our destiny is not bound to the instability of this world. Christ the King invites us into a kingdom that cannot be shaken, a life that cannot be lost, and a hope that cannot die.

Because Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, we know that He alone can guide us through the storms of life. Robert Strauss, a political strategist who worked for several U.S. Presidents, once said that people in government are like a bunch of ants riding on a log floating down a river. Each ant thinks he is steering the log, but in truth, they are simply along for the ride. The same is true for us. We often think we are steering our own ship, in control of every outcome. But there is only one true Captain—and that is our King, Jesus Christ. Because He is King, we are forgiven. Because He is King, we can pray and know our prayers are heard. Because He is King, we have eternal life. Finally, because He is King, we live under His rule in both the temporal and eternal kingdoms.

In conclusion, Christ the King Sunday reminds us that our Lord is not simply another religious teacher or historical figure. He is the crucified and risen King who reigns from the tree of the cross. He is the King who forgives His enemies. He is the King who welcomes sinners. He is the King whose kingdom has no end. As we stand with the thief who cried, “Jesus, remember me,” we hear the same promise spoken to us: “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” May we live each day under the gracious reign of Christ our King—in humility, in trust, and in eternal hope.

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you are our Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Helps to understand exactly who you are, our all-powerful creator and our always present redeemer. Thank you for sending your son to us as our savior and as the model of a godly life. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us today and draw us into both a temporal and eternal relationship we have been called to have with you. This we pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in our Risen Lord and Savior, Christ the King. Amen

Pentecost 19 October 19, 2025

Sermon Text: Luke 18:1–8

Lay Minister John Hazzard

“Persistently Praying to a Just Judge”

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Jesus knew that His followers would be tempted, again and again, to lose heart. He knew there would be days when the weight of the world, the weakness of the flesh, and the whispers of the Devil would threaten to crush the courage of His people. That is why He says, “It is necessary for you to keep on praying, so that you do not give in to evil.” Prayer is not optional for the Christian life, it is essential. It is the breath of faith. It is how we cling to God amid the storms of temptation.

Martin Luther once described temptation as the combined work of “the world, the flesh, and the Devil.” Each of these seeks to pull us away from Christ. Yet, in prayer, God gives us a holy refuge. When we pray, we enter into fellowship with Him, we look into His face as Jacob once did at Peniel, refusing to let go until the blessing comes. Prayer does not remove all struggle, but it anchors us in the presence of God, where evil loses its grip and faith is renewed.

Luke tells us that Jesus spoke the parable about the persistent widow “to show that men should always pray and not lose heart.” That phrase—not lose heart—sets the tone. This parable follows directly after chapter 17, where Jesus warned us of the coming judgment and the days of darkness that would precede His return. Knowing the trials and tribulations that would face His followers, Jesus gives this parable as both encouragement and instruction.

He tells the story of a poor widow and an unjust judge—a story that reflects the struggle of every believer who must wait upon God in the midst of injustice and suffering. What is a judge? In both ancient times and today, the purpose of a judge is to hear the cases brought before him—the complaints and defenses—and to hand down fair and righteous judgments. Justice, after all, sounds like something we would all desire.

What is justice? Aristotle once defined justice as “giving to each person what is their due.” At first glance, that seems fair. Yet when we stand before God, this definition should make us tremble. For as scripture declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If God were to give us what we are due, if He were to render pure justice apart from grace, none of us could stand. If we were to stand before a righteous and just God on our own merits, we would all be condemned, sentenced to the eternal death that is separation from His holy presence.

But, thanks be to God! Our righteous Judge is also our gracious Redeemer. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He offers us not what we deserve, but what Christ has earned for us—mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life. The Apostle Peter tells us exactly how this happened. In 1 Peter 2:24–25, he writes: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

This is why our Lutheran liturgy proclaims with such confidence, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for His sake God forgives you all your sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ, He gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.” So, even as Jesus tells a parable about an unjust judge, He is pointing us to the contrast—the perfect Judge who does care for His people and does act on their behalf. If you were to ask the judge in this parable what justice means, he would have said, “I don’t know! And I don’t care!” Scripture tells us that this man “neither feared God nor respected man.” He represents all the corruption of worldly powered people who make decisions out of convenience, not conviction.

History gives us no shortage of such judges. We can think of the Dred Scott decision, or Roe v. Wade—moments when human courts failed to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and the sanctity of life. Even Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who examined Jesus, declared, “I find no fault in this man,” and yet condemned Him to death out of cowardice and expedience. Likewise, in this parable, the widow kept coming, again and again, pretending to be just for justice. She was one of society’s most vulnerable members. In Scripture, God repeatedly commands His people to defend the cause of widows and orphans. Yet here she stood before a man who cared nothing for righteousness.

Still, she refused to give up. She kept coming until, finally, the judge relented, not because he was moved by compassion or a sense of duty, but because, as he said, “this widow keeps bothering me.” Jesus uses this parable to teach by contrast. If even an unjust judge can eventually grant justice to a persistent widow, how much more will the righteous Judge of heaven hear and answer the prayers of His chosen ones?

Listen again to His words: “And will not God grant justice to His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long in helping them? I tell you, He will quickly grant justice to them.” What a promise! Our God is not reluctant like the unjust judge. He does not delay out of indifference. He hears the cries of His people and responds in His perfect time and wisdom. But then comes the searching question—one that pierces to the heart of every believer: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” This is not a question about whether Jesus will return. His coming is certain. The question is about our faith, will we still be trusting, still praying, still watching when He comes?

Jesus knows how easily our faith can grow weary. He knows that the only way we can remain steadfast is through constant communion with God—through prayer, through the Word, through worship with the body of believers. Worship renews our hearts in grace and reminds us that we do not walk alone. Daily scripture study grounds us in His truth when the world tries to confuse us. Prayer keeps us connected to the living God. Prayer is not a last resort; it is our lifeline.

We clearly hear Jesus calling us to prayer but notice He is not merely calling us to pray for guidance, strength, or comfort in the daily routines of life. No, Jesus is calling His disciples—and He is calling you and me—to pray eschatologically. That means He is inviting us to pray with our eyes fixed on the coming of God’s kingdom, both now and at the end of all things. At the end of Luke chapter 17, Jesus had just spoken about the corruption and ungodliness that would fill the world before His return, the days of Noah and the days of Lot, when people would eat and drink, buy and sell, marry and be given in marriage, yet pay no attention to God. It is against that dark backdrop that Jesus speaks this parable, to encourage His followers not to lose heart but to remain steadfast in prayer until He comes again.

We are reminded, here, of the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–11 and Luke 11:2–4: “Our Father, who art in heaven… Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.” In other words, Jesus taught us to pray that our heavenly Father would sustain us each day with His grace and bring His kingdom to bear among us here and now, even as we await its full revelation when Christ returns in glory. To pray “Thy kingdom come” is to ask that God’s reign of mercy, justice, and truth would break into our lives today—and that our hearts would remain faithful until the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

So, we are to pray daily for strength to maintain our faith and to live in the relationship that God has called us to from before the foundation of the world. We pray for strength to “fight the good fight,” to persevere, and not to give in to the evil that constantly seeks to creep into our hearts and erode both our faith and our righteousness. This is what the disciples would have understood as they listened to Jesus’ parable. He was not simply teaching persistence in prayer; He was preparing His followers to live faithfully between His first coming and His second—to pray, to trust, and to endure until the Son of Man comes again. So, when Jesus says, “Always pray and do not lose heart,” He is not commanding mere religious activity. He is inviting us into a life-giving relationship, an ongoing dialogue with the One who already knows our needs and delights to meet them.

Dear friends, the wonder of prayer is not that it puts us in control, but that it puts us in touch. Prayer reminds us that God is still God, and we are His children. As we spend more time in His presence, we are quietly transformed. The more we look to Him in prayer, the more we begin to resemble Him who died and rose again for us. So, do not lose heart. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep looking to Jesus. For the day will come when the Son of Man returns in glory, and by His grace, may He find faith alive and burning in our hearts.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

Lutheran Church

RESURRECTION

Lay ministers serve RLC

Sermons

Luther Home
of Mercy

Lutheran Church

RESURRECTION

Lay ministers serve RLC

Sermons

Luther Home of Mercy

Luther Home
of Mercy