Lay ministers serve RLC

Resurrection lay ministers Gary Kresge, Jeff Johns, and John Hazzard have been doing a great job serving the church since the resignation of Pastor Chris Boyd. Pastor Boyd resigned at the end of January. His ministry still extends to the Catawba Island Fire Department as its chaplain and as a volunteer fireman. He is in the process of being called to a new church within the Missouri Synod closer to his home town of Dayton. Until an interim pastor through the NALC is in place at RLC, the congregation will receive pastoral care from three lay ministers. Pastor Dan Pennington has been providing communion.

Sermons

Sermon prepared by John Hazzard February 9, 2025

5th Sunday After Epiphany

Luke 5:1-11

“The Nets Cast into The Sea of Life"

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN LORD AND SAVIOUR - JESUS THE CHRIST.

There’s a Biblical Greek word I find most meaningful; the verb eu-an-gi-lizo which means “to bring good news or to announce glad tidings” and its noun eu-an-ge-lion which means “good news or glad tidings”. Of course, for Christians, that euangelion – The good news – is THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION THROUGH OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS THE CHRIST. That Good News is the foundation of the Holy Christian Church and the essence of our belief and mission as Christians. And I encourage you all to keep this in mind as we discuss today’s gospel text. As that same Lord and Savior continued to make himself known while he preached the Word of God and performed miracles among the fishing community found on Lake Ge-nnes-a-ret; which we might remember as the name given to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Each day - as the sun was setting - the fishing boats would head out into the lake. There the fishermen would remain until the boat’s hold was filled with fish or the sun had begun to rise. Throughout the night the fishermen would cast their weighted nets into the sea and then slowly draw them back to the boat - hopefully filled with fish. This was no simple task; these fishing boats were rather large. As You may recall, these boats were large enough to haul Jesus and his twelve disciples across the lake.

The hours were long, and the work was hard - and each morning the fisherman's wage was one third of his catch. Alongside these holders of those precious fishing licenses; another one of the more prosperous industries by the lake involved the boat owners who took care of the boats and rented them each night to the fishermen for one-third of the night's catch of fish.

The final third went to the net owners. Each night they rented their nets to the fishermen. Every morning, they cleaned and stitched the nets and did everything necessary to get them ready for the next night.

Knowing all of this, you can only imagine how hectic the mornings on the shore must have been, with fishermen returning with their hard-earned catch from a long night on the lake. It was on one such morning that we found ourselves in today’s reading.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with people crowding around Him and listening to The Word of God, Jesus saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. Luke goes on to report that the fishermen who were washing their nets by their boats were Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

Peter and Andrew with their father Jonas; and James and John, with their father Zebedee, had those very expensive fishing licenses and they had earned enough from their fishing to own their own boats and nets; meaning, every night’s catch belonged totally to them. And to make things even more clear, Mark tells us that Zebedee and his sons were in their boat with the hired men – people they were employing in the fishing business. MARK (1:2)

That’s not all. You no doubt recall that on the night of Jesus’ arrest, when Peter and John followed the arrest party, they were admitted to the high priest’s house because the gatekeeper recognized John as the man who sold fish to the high priest’s cook. Zebedee and his partner and their sons were not only fishermen, boat owners, and net people, but they were also involved in sales - which also meant, they were involved in preparing the fish they caught to sell. Their fishing business was indeed a First Century corporation.

It was these men that Jesus approached. Getting into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, Jesus asked him to put out a little from the land. And Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. One of the central characteristics of our Lord and Savior is His constant willingness to do whatever is necessary to communicate with us. Our text goes on…When He had ceased speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."

Now, that cluster of villages along the shoreline of the lake were filled with fishermen who prided themselves on their knowledge of the lake and its fish. They knew fishing. They knew no one catches fish on that lake in the heat of the day. They also knew that even at the best time- when the fish were most active- the spot Jesus was pointing to, was the WRONG place to fish. It was the Wrong Place and the Wrong Time.

Most everyone on the shoreline knew Simon and his partners were short tempered, outspoken fishermen. They also knew that after fishing all night and having no luck at all, that the last thing they would do is let some non-fishermen tell them where and when to fish. I can only imagine what must have been going through their minds. They must have been thinking, “what is wrong with you Jesus, didn’t you see that we fished all night in all the right spots and caught nothing. Don’t you know that trying to catch fish in the spot you're pointing to, especially at this time of day, is next to impossible.” Most of all, they knew Simon to be a proud man who would never want people to laugh at him for following advice everyone knew was contrary to all their fishing experience. All who knew Simon was just waiting for him to blow his top. What all those people didn’t know is that for Jesus the Christ, nothing is impossible.

So, instead of chastising Jesus, as was expected by all, Simon calmly replied, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets." You see, in the end, no matter what is said or what someone thinks, the wise person who lives by faith is always ready to follow where God leads – even if God calls us to let down the nets in the most improbable of waters – even if what God commands seems to be politically incorrect or the opposite of what so-called experts tell us. When God calls us, we must take up our nets and be ready to act just like Simon did that day.

The fishermen let down the huge, weighted nets and allowed them to sink and to trap any fish that might happen to be in that unlikely spot at that unlikely hour.

And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and, as their nets were breaking, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so they began to sink.

At a time and in a place every Galilean fisherman knew was bad for fishing, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking and the holds in Simon's boat and in James' and John's boat became so filled with fish that the boats began to sink.

This wasn’t the only time that Simon was given a glimpse of the true identity of Jesus. We know from Luke chapter 4 that Jesus preached, healed people, and even cast out demons with authority. The people were astonished at Jesus’ teaching because his word had such authority. (This was a stark contrast to their rabbis, who simply taught the opinions of other rabbis.) Jesus not only had authority, but he had the inherent authority of God himself. You may recall that prior to this, Jesus- who happened to be visiting Simon’s house- was asked to help his sick mother-in-law, and as he rebuked the fever, it left her, and she immediately got up and began to serve them. It wasn’t like she slowly started to feel better, she instantly felt better! You might be asking yourself why Simon didn’t fall at Jesus’ knees at that moment in time? It seems that he would not be so easily swayed by things he didn’t completely understand.

However, Simon did know fishing - particularly fishing on that Galilean Lake where he spent so much of his life. He was an acknowledged expert on fishing on that lake. And now he had seen Jesus intervene in an area where Simon was the expert and Simon was overwhelmed with what he saw.

When Simon Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish -- saw Jesus' Lordship over nature itself – he knew that this was no coincidence. This was a miracle that Simon Peter- as an expert fisherman- knew was a demonstration of the presence of God. He fell at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

The faith, inspired by that miraculous catch of fish and taking root in Simon Peter, caused him to recognize Jesus not only as "Rabbi"- or Teacher, but also as The Lord of nature and of everything else – Simon Peter’s Lord.

Simon Peter caught a wonderful vision that went far beyond a miraculous catch of fish. Simon Peter discovered himself to be in the visible Presence of The Lord -- and that is not a comfortable place for a sinful man or woman to be.

Simon Peter knew himself to be an overly proud, boastful, hot-tempered man with a sinfully flawed character. How could he possibly feel comfortable in the Presence of The Lord? The miracle of the catch of fish reached Simon Peter and drove him to feel a sinful man's fear and discomfort in the Presence of The Lord who can command the very forces of nature to do His bidding.

By the grace of hindsight, it is easy for us to be critical of Simon Peter’s inability to recognize the very essence of who Jesus really is; God Incarnate, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. But how could we truly understand how he felt that day, when that revelation washed over him. When he realized that, Jesus is truly man and truly God. And in this context Jesus not only died for our sins; but also lived for our righteousness. It is only by the grace of God that we freely receive Christ’s righteousness through the work of the cross. Jesus died for us as the spotless lamb of God. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He passively took our sins, as he emptied himself and subjected Himself to not only the physical pain of the crucifixion, but to the overwhelming terror He realized when He was cut off from God as the result of our unrighteousness. It was only through Christ’s total obedience as a vulnerable flesh and blood human that He qualified to be our savior, the spotless lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29)! Perhaps, John of Damascus put it most succinctly when he said, “For He who is the Creator becomes also the Savior, and He who is the master becomes also the Redeemer” (John of Damascus 2022). It is in these two actions; Jesus passively taking our sins on himself while actively living without sin, that allowed Him to atone for our sins. In (2 Cor. 5:21) Paul describes Christ as being made “Sin for us,” so that we might become “The Righteousness of God in Him.” It was in this double imputation that our sins were imputed onto Christ, so that His righteousness, as the vulnerable flesh and blood Christ, could be imputed to us.

And it is Christ’s actions upon the cross that puts us in the same place in our lives, as Simon was on that first century day on the lake. We have all been there. Perfection is not a strong suit for any of us. The label, "sinful man" or woman belongs indelibly to each one of us, and anyone who boasts of perfection only adds false pride to his or her list of sins and shortcomings. WE ALL recognize the Divine Truth God proclaimed through St. Paul in his EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (3:22b-23). "There is no distinction; since we all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God …" St. Paul and each of us truly understand Simon Peter's feelings in the Presence of The Lord.

"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." was Simon’s plea, but Jesus did not depart from Simon Peter. As He does not depart from ANY of us.

God came as a vulnerable flesh and blood human being to save us. Jesus did not depart from Simon Peter or from James and John or from anyone else that day. Jesus does not depart from us.

Instead, Jesus answered his plea by reassuring Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

Jesus' miraculous catch of fish opened the door to Jesus' even more miraculous redeeming of human lives. That day, in one miracle, Jesus filled the fishermen's nets with fish. But He also performed a second and greater miracle. Jesus filled their lives with forgiveness, grace, purpose, and temporal and eternal meaning -- He filled their lives with those blessings in such quantity that the blessings truly spilled over into the lives of others.

Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." This an obvious contrast to “catching fish” which are removed from the water to die and be eaten. The blessings of The Gospel catch people alive and keep us truly alive eternally.

"Do not be afraid; from now on you will be CATCHING ALIVE people." Jesus doesn't merely say to Simon Peter and the others, "I forgive you all your past and present sins; go and try to do better." No, Jesus invites the once alienated from God, sinful Simon Peter, and the others, to be so filled with Jesus and His blessings that they themselves become agents of Jesus' forgiveness and reconciliation for other people -- helping to bring others back to a loving and faithful relationship with God.

So, they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. So enlightened and empowered were they by all they saw Jesus do and heard Him say that, when He invited them, those prosperous fishing industry people left everything and followed Him. Just as He calls all of us to do the same. Jesus calls all of us, even today to leave our pride, and our sins with Him. To empty ourselves the way He emptied Himself on the cross and to follow, wherever He might lead. Even to the most remote, ridiculous places, at the absolute worst time, He calls us. He calls us to follow His lead and share ourselves, our love, and our time with those around us as we walk with Him wherever He might take us. We just need a little faith, and He will fill our lives with joy and love, like He filled those boats that day on Galilee.

You see, therein lies the real miracle on the lake -- in the lives of those imperfect fishermen, who, by the Grace of God, became evangelical fishers of men – cast their spiritual nets into the lives of imperfect human beings like US, who, by the Grace of God, are committed to answering Jesus’ call to lovingly and faithfully proclaim The Word of God as revealed incarnately in Jesus Christ and inerrantly in The Holy Bible.

THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS … OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN LORD AND SAVIOUR WHO GIVES US TRUE EVANGELICAL PURPOSE ON THE SEA OF LIFE NOW AND ETERNALLY. AMEN.

Sermon prepared by Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel February 16, 2025

Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

6th Sunday After Epiphany

Luke 6:27-38

“The Great, Incongruous Surprise!”

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

You’ve realized by now I’m not one for jokes in sermons, as they can trivialize the proclamation of the Gospel. And yet, sometimes they fit! But you’ll have to think about this one. It seems two Lutheran pastors, Pastor David and Pastor Will, died and headed up to heaven. At the pearly gates, they met St. Peter, and they said, “We’re both Lutheran pastors and we’re here to enter into our heavenly rest.” So, St. Peter looked in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but no, their names weren’t there. Pastor David and Pastor Will were shocked so they pleaded, “We’re long-time Lutheran clergy—our names must be there!” So, St. Peter pulled up the newer hi-tech records on the computer database, but no, no David Wendel or Will Hartfelder. So, the Lutheran pastors said, “What does this mean?” To which St. Peter replied, looking down, “It means you take the down elevator.” The doors opened and down they went! At the gates of hell, they were met by a demon, who processed them in, and was leading them to their fiery eternal home. And lo and behold, as they passed into one room, they saw chained to the wall, who of all people, but Martin Luther and St. Paul! And the pastors said, surprised, “Luther—St. Paul, what happened—why are you here?” To which both Luther and Paul looked at each other, shrugged and said, “It was works!” Think about it.

This joke falls into the category of comedy called “incongruity”, which is funny because it’s a surprise--it takes what you might expect and turns it upside down, that is, assuming you would expect Pastor David and Pastor Will would go to heaven in the first place! You might expect that Lutheran pastors would end up in heaven. Not guaranteed, but you might expect it. But even more, we believe that we are saved by grace, through faith, NOT by works of the Law, so that you might expect pastors, and other Christians, will be saved and go to heaven, in spite of their works. And yet, if we’re wrong, and it is works, we, together with Luther and St. Paul might indeed find ourselves, not in heaven, but let’s say, someplace else. And if that happens, it will be a great surprise, totally incongruous with Scripture and the 2000+ years of the preaching of the Gospel. It would turn the world and eternity upside down!

And isn’t that what we find in our gospel lesson for today? Something totally surprising and incongruous! The beatitudes in both St. Matthew’s and St. Luke’s gospels present blessing, faith, salvation, as a surprise—maybe even a shock—because what Jesus is saying is not what one would expect, in the kingdom of this world. For example, according to the world’s way of thinking, blessings come to winners. Everyone wants to be a winner and as we’ve been taught, the Lord helps them to help themselves. Similarly, cursed are those who are considered losers—the poor, the downtrodden, the hungry and the grieving. When you’re down and out, it seems the world puts its foot on you, to keep you down! According to the ways of the world, it’s good to be king—or queen, and it’s bad to be peasants and paupers.

According to the beatitudes, however, in God’s Kingdom, the opposite is actually the case. According to Holy Scripture, within the kingdom of God, the poor are blessed, as are the starving, and those who weep. Blessed are those who are persecuted. But even more, according to Scripture, cursed will be the rich, cursed will be those who are full and satisfied, woe to those who are laughing and having a good time now, for they will be mourning and weeping. And for all the times we’ve heard the Beatitudes—for all the times we’ve been confronted with this reality of God’s great surprise, still, it doesn’t make sense. Still, it’s hard for us to grasp, let alone for us to explain—because it’s incongruous! It’s unexpected. It doesn’t compute.

And of course, that’s the point, isn’t it? That’s why Jesus says what he says in the beatitudes. He wants us to hear and to understand that God’s love, the Kingdom of God, doesn’t make sense, from a worldly point of view! Jesus knew then, as we know now, that the kingdom of this world, expects things to add up—you do good things and good things come to you. If bad things happen to you, well, you must deserve it. That’s what folks believed in Jesus’ time, that your life, whether blessed or cursed, was the result of your own actions—so that you were being rewarded or punished for what you had done or failed to do. Kind of like karma and reincarnation—as if human existence is simply the adding up of good or bad things you’ve done in life, and you’re blessed or cursed in accordance with that. Many people believe that’s the way the world thinks and works, and yes, that thinking continues to creep into the hearts and lives of churches and Christians!

Which is why Jesus points, not just here, but again and again to the truth that God does not function in accord with our all too human structures and systems. Rather, God deals with us in graceful, merciful ways, meaning the last shall be first and the first last. Meaning the proud will be cast down and the lowly lifted up. The poor and hungry will be filled and fed, while the rich and powerful will find themselves on the bottom looking up. And yes, get this, as St. Paul says in our second lesson, the dead will be raised! And is that not the biggest surprise, the most unexpected, incongruous laugh of all? That those who die and face non-existence, that those who have struggled with illness or tragedy or violence and then die, will finally be alive, in Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the dead? Who can imagine such a thing, let alone believe it?

Death is, or has been, the only true reality in life. Everyone dies. No one can escape the final, ultimate reality, death. And yet, Jesus turns this, too, upside down and inside out! Paul says, the Scriptures attest that Christ has been raised from death, and because of this one resurrection, it is possible for others to be raised from death, so that now, death is no longer final! And not only that: as this is the greatest surprise of all, but this is also that which makes a reality all the other surprises! It is the death and resurrection of Jesus which gives hope to the hopeless, joy to the sorrowful, peace to the anxious and fearful, and yes, life to those who are dead, and new life to those who are merely existing as the living dead. There is nothing else, there has been nothing else in the history of the world that can, in fact, create such a world-shattering, life transforming surprise, but the death and resurrection of Jesus, Son of the Living God. Everything else, past and present, supports the rational, reasonable, adding things up the nature of human existence. It took the death and resurrection of God incarnate to make death and life different, now and for eternity.

And it is that which makes the Beatitudes the beatitudes and makes the Beatitudes, good news! It is that which compels me, after the reading of the Beatitudes, to announce, “The Gospel of the Lord—because it is Gospel, it is GOOD NEWS!” And it’s that which moves you to affirm, at the end of the liturgy, “Thanks be to God!” Thanks be to God for the good news of the surprising, incongruous Gospel! Thanks be to God for the good news that in Jesus, God transforms life and death. Thanks be to God for the good news that there is hope in the midst of despair, peace even when we are anxious and fearful, love in the face of hate, and yes, new life after death. Thanks be to God that in the most uncertain of times, in the darkest of days, in our lowest moments, there is light at the end of the tunnel. And not just light, after death—but light, here and now!

When you find yourself struggling, anxious and uncertain; when you are worried about finances, illness and unemployment, look to Jesus Christ who shines His resurrection light, the light of His life, on you, bringing you hope and courage and promise. When you find yourself in darkness and fear; when you find yourself burdened and carrying a heavy load of guilt, shame and despair, look to the Risen Jesus and be renewed and uplifted and strengthened and encouraged, that new hope and new life is possible, even for the lowest and the least of us—because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! And so, we say together, “Thanks be to God” for the great surprise, for the great incongruity of salvation won for us, given to us, by grace, through faith in Jesus!

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

Transfiguration Sunday March 3, 2025

Guest Pastor Dan Pennington

Sermon

If you read Deuteronomy from start to finish, you will find it very understandable with very straight-forward instruction from God and Moses to a people God chose from all the nations of the earth to bless all families of the earth. You will also find that it represents Moses’ last day on earth, the day he turned 120 years old, still healthy in sight, mind and spirit.

God let Moses teach this new generation of Israelites who were about to go into the Promised Land what had happened to the last generation of Israelites whom God had freed from slavery in Egypt, but for the most part had died in the desert because they did not trust in God their Savior. Moses gives this generation the same law he gave the previous generation, which is why Deuteronomy 5 looks a lot like Exodus 20. He also gives them a song from God that would help them to remember God instead of whoring after the foreign gods among them in the land that they were entering and forsaking God and breaking his covenant that he made with them, as God prophesies to Moses and Joshua in the tent of meeting. God knew it would happen even before the Israelites crossed the Jordan to become fat and happy in the Promised Land.

God also commissioned Joshua to lead them in place of Moses because Moses had not given God the credit for providing water from the rock in the desert, so it was time to pass the torch and retire the old guy. Yet God still let Moses see the Promised Land from atop Mount Nebo as if to say, “See, despite all your false humility and complaining and all the Israelites’ complaining and disobedience, I used you to accomplished this. Well done, good and faithful servant.” The Israelites entered God’s promised abundance living under his law.

Much later, after the judges like Deborah, Gideon and Samson, after Saul, David, Solomon and the division of the Kingdom of Israel, the line of kings mostly consisted of no-account, pagans and their foreign wives who brought false gods with them. So God sent them Elijah to speak the truth of God’s glory and power against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

Elijah spoke a word of famine against Ahab and surrounding lands and God supported this word. Several years later, Elijah summoned Ahab and his water-scavenging servants to the top of another mountain, Mount Carmel, to challenge the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah to the divine duel. Who would send fire from heaven to their own altar to burn the sacrifices offered to them? God or Baal? As we know, Baal never showed up because he never existed except in the fantasies of men, but God burned up not only the offering, but the wet wood under it, the stone altar, the dust beneath, and even the water with which the altar had been drenched. Then the Israelites bowed before God and helped Elijah kill all those false prophets.

Then Elijah spoke the word of the Lord to Ahab that the 3-year famine was over and told him to get his chariot rolling back to Jezreel before he couldn’t. And this Spirit-filled Elijah ran all the way to Jezreel ahead of the king and his chariot. Of course, Jezebel, Mrs. Ahab, if you will, declares her false gods as witness that she makes an oath to kill Elijah by the same time tomorrow. Elijah flees south to Beersheba in Judah, leaves his servant there, and flees again another day into the wilderness where God sends an angel to care for him.

He ends up going to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, and takes shelter in a cave. And God asks him, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah tells God, “Of all Israel, I alone am faithful to you, and they want to take my life for killing the prophets of Baal.” God protects Elijah from a display of raw, elemental power of rock-shattering wind, fire and earthquake, and asks Elijah the same question. Elijah gives the same tired, fearful response. God basically says, “Okay then, Elijah. If you’re done, then go and anoint a new king over Syria, a new king over Israel, and pass your mantle to Elisha. This all happens, and as we know Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. It was time to retire the old guy.

Now, at his point it’s good to know that many Jewish rabbis thought that Moses and Elijah would return before the end times due to some scriptural passages in Deuteronomy [18] and Malachi [4]. It’s a lot like King Arthur returning from the Isle of Avalon when Britain needs him again, but the Elijah thing is biblical, of course, and since it’s much older than the King Arthur legends, I guess we know who stole from whom.

Anyway, enter Jesus 900 years later. He tells his humble and exasperated cousin John the Baptizer that John must baptize him to fulfill all righteousness. I’m sure John was thinking, “Whatever, Dude. You rule.” And so Jesus is baptized in the Jordan as God the Father declares him his Son, the Beloved and the Holy Spirit descends and rests upon him in the form of a dove: truly the most sensational revelation of the Holy Trinity to humanity in a way we could understand. And why does God do this, might you ask? I believe, in very Lutheran terms, it was the beginning of the happy exchange that Luther tells us about. If we are baptized into Jesus’ death so that we can rise with him, I believe Jesus was baptized into our death so he could show us how death cannot possibly hold dominion over him. Therefore, if we are in Christ, he has conquered death for us so that we, too, can rise again, despite that we even now we constantly deserve the death he defeats for us.

Now we can consider the Transfiguration of our Lord. Peter, James and John are jolted awake from an extreme case of grogginess while attending Jesus as he prays. His whole aspect is changed when his glory as the Son of God on earth and in heaven is revealed to them and he chats with Moses and Elijah. I give Peter some credit here, because seeing the glory of God without the proper respect could be deadly according to scripture, and the only thing that might have come out of my mouth would be “B-dee, b-dee, that’s all, Folks!” But Peter’s first instincts are to what, exactly? Jesus, let us provide you, our favorite lawgiver, and our favorite, avenging death-dealer with hospitality by putting you in tents. You might as well offer each of them a box, Peter, because that’s where you really want them, in a form and place you can address and perhaps advise, guide or even control.

And God’s response to Peter and the sons of thunder? Let’s give them the holy cloud and terrorize them a bit, then they can finally hear what I have to say. “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” The cloud is gone, and they see only Jesus.

God didn’t say, “Listen to my lawgiver!” God didn’t say, “Listen to my avenging prophet!” God used them to great effect, but tired both out and had to retire them both. The old guys were benched and the greatest reliever who ever walked the earth was going for the win to end the game. God said, “Listen to my Son. I chose you, Israel (also in Deuteronomy, by the way), and I chose him to free you from yourselves and the judgement you have earned.

There is no salvation from the law. Why then does Jesus insist we follow it? His law is a law of love for God and neighbor, just like all of God’s laws. If we do our best to follow his law, we must see that our only hope is Jesus. We must look to him to save us. Only by following the law can we avoid living in denial of what we have earned so that we can trust him.

The author of Psalm 146 understood this very long ago:

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever.

Sometimes, I guess the message just must be delivered in person.

1st Timothy 1:12-20 March 9, 2024

Lay Minister John Hazzard

“The Ultimate Pregame Pep Talk”

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN LORD AND SAVIOR-JESUS THE CHRIST.

In our sermon text this afternoon Paul, in his epistle to Timothy, encouraged him to undertake the challenging task of stopping false teachers that took leadership roles in the Ephesian churches. These false teachers were corrupting the purity and simplicity of the Gospel by misapplying the law and creating controversy. Paul understood this task would not be an easy task, but it was necessary. For this reason, Paul decided to write this letter to Timothy. He knew that Timothy would need to be emboldened so that he could go and “fight the good fight.” Our Gospel text served to do just that. This epistle served as motivation, like a pregame pep talk given by a coach before an important game. This message, like the most inspiring pep talks, states realities that would have far reaching impacts long after the game ended no matter what the outcome.

Paul started his epistle pep talk (in much the same way that a popular Cheez-It commercial pep talk starts out) by stating the somber facts of his reality. Paul stated, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Paul is not telling us that when we sin against God out of ignorance, that somehow that makes it okay. No, instead, he says that it is only because God loves us so much that we are offered a mercy and grace that is capable of saving us despite our ignorance. Paul’s personal testimony in these verses demonstrates the amazing grace and mercy that God can and does offer sinners like you and me. Paul acknowledged his unworthiness by referring to himself as, “the chief of sinners,” pointing to how he was completely and utterly unworthy of God’s love and grace. Despite this, despite his checkered past, God did not withhold His life altering grace. This illuminates how God’s grace is greater than sin and serves to illustrate the annealing power of God’s mercy as we are graciously transformed by the blast furnace that is His amazing grace.

Paul goes on to explain in his short pep talk, how his life is an example for all as it demonstrates how God’s grace and mercy is available for everyone, no matter how horrific their past. Paul makes this point abundantly clear when he states in the 15th verse of 1st Timothy that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost, but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. Paul’s testimony should encourage us to understand we are not too far gone nor are we too sinful to be saved.

It is only the grace of God and the love and mercy he has for us that makes our justification and salvation possible. We are reminded in the 33rd chapter of Exodus:19 “And God said, I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” God makes Himself known and offers grace to whom he wills. There is no doubt about that! We are also reminded in Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” It is important to realize that we cannot earn our way out of trouble like some flower toting husband trying to earn his wife’s forgiveness for saying the wrong thing, or for forgetting their wedding anniversary, or for explaining to his buddies, when he thought his wife wasn’t listening, how “I am the boss at home.” You see, there is something we all need to understand. We all need to come to the realization that there is not enough good works for us to earn God’s tender love and mercy on our own account. There are not enough doors to hold open while people enter a room or little old ladies to help across the street, or even a large enough bouquet of flowers to give to say, “I am sorry.” None of this will make up for the sins we commit every day. We must recognize our inequities and then understand that our God, the creator of all things, can and will graciously forgive us through Christ and Him Crucified. The message is plain and simple; only God’s grace and mercy is sufficient to save the worst of sinners like you and me.

What an awesome gift it is. It is a gift given out of the extraordinary love that God has for us and the loving relationship he calls us to. The best comparison that I can think of is the love that exists between a child and his or her mother. The child is totally dependent on his or her mother for everything. Moms know all of our secrets, but yet she still loves us unconditionally. Even when we are disciplined for doing the wrong thing, we know it is done out of the love she has for us. Pastor Brennan Manning spoke of the unimaginable love that God has for us when he said, “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ, and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” He went on to say, “I believe that the Lord Jesus is going to ask us one question and only one question; did you believe that I loved you, that I desired you, that I waited for you day after day, that I longed to hear the sound of your voice.” You see once we begin to understand just how much we are loved by God, we can grab a hold of that gift of mercy and grace, all of which is possible because of the work of the cross, and let it totally heal us as we are filled with God’s unfathomable love. A love that pushes the feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and unworthiness out of our hearts and minds so that we can forgive ourselves and all of those around us. This is a gift we should cling to and hold on to with all of our might as we daily fill our lives with Jesus’ love and the love we have for our neighbors. When we do this, we leave no room for Satan who fills our lives with lies and misery.

Paul realized this was a gift worth fighting for as he concluded his epistle pep talk by calling Timothy to action. He wrote, “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme.” He encouraged Timothy to “fight the good fight” of faith and remain true to the Gospel, warning against those who have wandered off the straight and narrow path of the apostolic message that leads us to Jesus.

Paul was deeply alarmed about how the Gospel was being twisted in the church. We must be careful as the church today, to teach the pure Gospel given in the Holy Bible. As the Holy Christian Church we must guard against perverting the Gospel by shifting the focus from our risen Lord and Savior to messages centered on self-improvement, prosperity, and cultural acceptance. We need to preach repentance and salvation through Jesus without minimizing the Gospel by accepting social trends as we ignore the difficult truth about how we are all in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We forget to preach how Christ, as true man and true God, bore our sins, died on the cross, and was raised from the dead on the third day conquering death and the devil so that we who believe can be found righteous when He comes again to judge the living and the dead.

The biblical call to deny oneself and take up the cross (Luke 9:23) is sometimes replaced by pastors, priests, and preachers delivering messages of personal happiness, success, and worldly gain. It is easy to forget that Jesus warned us in Mark 8:36, "For what benefit does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Additionally, some churches proclaim works of righteousness rather than the unmerited grace and mercy of God. This sends the false message that salvation is something that can be earned instead of something that is a gift through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). All of these actions distort God’s justice and mercy as it waters down the Gospel, which can mislead people and leave them with a shallow faith that lacks any kind of transformative power that is found in the true Gospel message.

Thank God for God’s abundant gift of love, mercy, and grace that leads to “the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:7)! Do not forget, a gift is only considered a gift if it is freely given and then accepted by the person it was given to. A gift from God that we are given and called to pass-on as we “fight the good fight” that grows the church and protects the true gospel message it provides.

If we are all called to proclaim the true Gospel of the Lord- and we are- then it is important that we understand the pure Gospel, a Gospel centered on justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We must be willing to spread the good news as an act of obedience to Christ and an expression of the love we are called to have for our neighbors. The Gospel is not about making people feel good about themselves, it is about calling them to, “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Evangelism is about exposing sin, calling for repentance, and leading people to the reality that Christ is our only hope. We must stand on sound doctrine, the rock that the church is built on, the apostolic message of Christ and Him crucified. The words of the popular hymn, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” could not ring truer than when they proclaim, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN JESUS CHRIST…OUR LORD AND SAVIOR THAT IS THE SOLID ROCK WE STAND.

Gospel Text: Luke 16: 1-15 March 30, 2025

Lay Minister John Hazzard

“Faithful Stewardship Under God’s Grace”

GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

One of Jesus’s most powerful teaching tools is his parables. Jesus knew the power of a good story. A story can captivate the mind, spark the imagination, and encourage self-reflection in anyone who listens. Our sermon text today finds Jesus sitting with his disciples telling them a story, packed with life lessons for a shrewd listener to discover for themselves. However, today’s parable can be a bit of a head scratcher at first glance, as it seems to contradict everything we know about our honest, kind, and loving Lord. However, this is a good example of where context makes all the difference. Before we can understand what Jesus’s message was to His disciples, we first need to set the stage.

Our text this morning is nestled in the heart of Luke’s Gospel, following Jesus’s teachings known as the “lost parables,” in chapter 15 He speaks about lost coins, lost sheep, and wayward sons who seemed to have lost their way in life. These parables are far more comforting to us, as we learn how God will tirelessly pursue those who stray away from Him and joyously receive them if they would only turn back to Him. However, our parable, the parable of the shrewd manager, paints a different picture. One where our ties to temporal objects and ideals create a stumbling block for us on our journey toward our eternal relationship with God.

To better express this point let’s look at the parable in question. The parable begins with a rich man who had employed someone to manage his financial affairs. Jesus tells us, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. So, he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ Upon discovering that this steward had mismanaged his wealth, the rich man confronted the steward, demanding him to give an account of the financial ledger and stripped him of his position. In other words, he informed the manager that he had been looking at the books and things weren’t adding up, so he was fired!

In these two verses, we are introduced to the protagonist of our story, a manager who does not deny his part in the mismanagement of the rich man’s wealth. As He always does, Jesus pointed a mirror directly at us, so that we may reflect on our own misgivings. We are all guilty of mismanaging our own riches, and we will all be called to give an account of our management, both sinners and saints alike. God has blessed each one of us with our time, our possessions, and our talents. These gifts are generously given to us to enrich our life and the lives of those around us, and we are meant to use them to glorify God and for the benefit of others.

However, like the manager in our parable today, we often misuse these wonderful gifts that God has bestowed upon us. We waste our time with meaningless pursuits that gratify us in the moment but ultimately do more harm than good, like doom scrolling through Facebook or TikTok at 3:00 AM knowing how tired we’re going to be in the morning. We ignore our talents or do not pursue our passions out of fear of failing, the pain associated with hard work, or our fear of what others may think. We cling to our worldly possessions, hoping that they might bring us joy or fill the hole in our hearts that deepens every time a new obsession is outdated, broken, or boring.

We do not have to live meaningless lives, but many of us do, by what we choose to do with our lives. Many live their lives as if they will never have to stand in front of God or give an account of the things they have done or worse, the things they have left undone. Every day we have a choice. A choice to give in to what we deem as comfortable or what we think others would admire us for, or to follow in God’s example by using the gifts that He has given us. God did not create us in His image to lead meaningless lives, nor did he create us to be self-serving, focused only on momentary gratifications or on accumulating things that we think might make us happy.

We won’t find the meaning of life printed on a tee shirt that says, “whoever dies with the most toys wins.” This attitude only furthers the rift between us and God like some wayward prodigal daughters and sons. Like many of Jesus’s parables, this one is not just a tale of warning. Our parable also provides us with insight into how we might avoid the pitfalls of this world. Christ does this in what seems like a twist that would rival an Agatha Christie murder mystery. As He goes on to tell us, “… The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

The disciples were businessmen themselves and would understand all too well the situation the manager in our story found himself. They, like us, would realize that this manager deserved his punishment, for taking advantage of the kindness and trust of the rich man. Unlike us, however, they would know that this manager was not simply losing a job. In exchange for managing his wealth, the master would provide for the manager’s every need. The manager lost a position that afforded him comforts he could not get anywhere else. Additionally, we are told that the manager is physically unable to do the kind of work that would be readily available to him, that of a common laborer. With few other options, he devised a shrewd plan. He summoned his master’s debtors and cut large amounts from their bills. He excused 50 percent from the measures of oil and 20 percent from the measures of grain. He did all of this to garner favor with the debtors, hoping that once he was fired, he might still be cared for. What many might find surprising about this is the reaction of the rich man after learning about the manager’s plan. “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation, than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into eternal dwellings.” This is the twist in our story. Why would someone who was already furious about being cheated out of his own wealth commend the manager for cheating him out of what is owed? To understand what is happening here, we need to understand first century Jewish culture. The manager was not a salaried employee, besides his daily needs, which the master was expected to provide for, the manager’s pay came from an agreed upon surcharge that was part of every business transaction.

This was not an interest charged on the commodities; we know from Leviticus that such a practice was against Jewish law when they dealt with one another. No, this was a normal markup on goods that was the manager’s only source of income. The disciples, and all others who were gathered around listening to this parable would have known this. They would have known that this manager was not further cheating his master out of what he was owed. He was simply reducing each bill by the built-in markup that would normally be his share to keep. This man, who was desperate and out of options, made the shrewdest decision he could make. He gave up what was owed to him, money I am sure he would need after being let go of from his master’s care, to secure his future.

This is it. This is the lesson that Jesus wanted his disciples to hear and the lesson He wants us to take to heart. His disciples were prominent figures in business, highly successful and highly influential. It would be easy for most of them to give up their travels with Christ and return to comfortable, worldly lives. A temptation that we all have. Like the disciples, we can turn away from Christ, cling to our temporal possessions and our spheres of influence. Where we feel comfortable in living meaningless lives. Jesus emphasizes this point when He tells us, “The sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation, than the sons of light.” Worldly people and unbelievers will go to great lengths to get ahead. They will take risks; they will go back to school to get recertified; and they will quit one job to advance in another, climbing the ever-growing corporate ladder. In other words, people do not hesitate to do whatever it takes to increase their financial interests so that they might enjoy a secure future with a sizable retirement. None of these things are necessarily evil, I am not suggesting that. Jesus is encouraging His saints, and all of us, to “lookout for ourselves.” We need to secure our future and invest in our spiritual wealth. Christ wants us to store up treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:20 - 21).

Jesus goes on to explain, “One who is faithful in very little, is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in very little, is also dishonest in much. If then we have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to us the true riches? And if we have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give us that which is our own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and money.”

Jesus teaches us that all wealth belongs to God, and we are merely stewards of it, entrusted with resources to serve His kingdom. The dishonest manager understood how to use wealth to secure his future; I ask you then, how much more should we, as God’s people, use our resources for His mission? Faithfulness in these matters begins with the small things. Christ calls us to integrity in our daily vocations, relationships, and service. Whether in our jobs, our families, or within the Church, our commitment to honesty and responsibility in small tasks shapes our faithfulness in greater ones. Furthermore, Jesus also warns that we cannot serve two masters. While money is not inherently evil, when it shackles us, competing with our devotion to Christ, it endangers our eternal future. Our culture tempts us to seek security in wealth, but true peace is found only in the promises of God. It is when we forgo such temporal treasures, turning ourselves over to God that we can secure our future. Something that becomes abundantly clear when Jesus reminds us that, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19: 26). But it is not enough for us to simply renounce all our worldly possessions. We must invest them - cherish our time, hone our talents, and invest our resources – in the things that last. We cannot change the past and the future is not for us to know. So, I implore you to listen to Christ as He urges us all to act, while we still can, and invest in our eternal future.

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

Second Sunday in Lent March 16, 2025

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

“Repentance and Amendment of Life!”

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

If one of the most useful disciplines during Lent is listening to Jesus, the Son of God, then the words of Jesus, today, may not be so accessible and helpful. Last week, Jesus’ words quoting three passages from Scripture are straightforward and speak to our lives directly. “Man does not live by bread alone.” “Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” And “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” I hope you’ve been meditating on those words of Jesus this past week and found them timely in this Lenten season of reflection and repentance. Today’s words from Jesus? We might hear them as a little obscure, to say the least!

Our Gospel lesson this Second Sunday in Lent suggests, early on in the season, that already there was opposition to Jesus and His message. Even the Pharisees come to Jesus, warning Him of Herod’s intention to put Him to death. And how odd of the Pharisees to bring such a warning, because as we know the rest of the story, we know that in so many ways, they were also trying to trap Jesus and to trick Him into saying something they could use to accuse Him and convict Him of blasphemy, which would allow the Jewish leaders to conspire with Herod and Pilate, to have Jesus executed. So, in this instance, were the Pharisees truly concerned about the death threat against Jesus, or were they just wanting to get Jesus to give up and go away? We don’t know the motivation of the Pharisees. What we do know is that Jesus sends the Pharisees away with a message for Herod, pulling no punches as He said, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.”

Now, as we open our ears to listen to Jesus, we would have to confess that these words are not nearly so memorable or helpful as those spoken by the Lord last week. In fact, they are a bit difficult to understand, as twice, Jesus speaks of “today and tomorrow and the third day I finish my course.” If Jesus is speaking literally here, then the timing doesn’t make sense. He’s not yet in Jerusalem, nor will He be in two days’ time. So, what’s Jesus talking about? He’s speaking figuratively here, and to them and to us He’s being intentionally circumspect, hiding His meaning, in a way, because it’s not yet time for Him to be arrested, tortured, and executed. So, Jesus speaks in symbols, and really, He’s prophesying here about what was to come. So, when He talks of “today, tomorrow and the third day,” He’s pointing forward to what would happen when finally He would arrive in Jerusalem—He would be put to death on Good Friday, then would come Holy Saturday, then on the third day, He would be raised. Now, the Pharisees wouldn’t have grasped that, nor would Herod, but already, Jesus has been speaking with His disciples about what was to come, trying to prepare them not only for His crucifixion and death, but for His resurrection! Clearly, that’s what Jesus is saying in His message to Herod, although He’s saying it without actually saying it. In this sense, it seems that Jesus might have been toying with Herod and the Pharisees—speaking with them in something of a code, that they might not understand at that moment, but which they might grasp, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, on the third day, if they would remember this prophesy. And—why is Jesus speaking, prophetically, to the Pharisees and to Herod, and more generally, to the people of Jerusalem?

Most of the time, prophets brought a word from the Lord, to call people to repent and to change their ways. Maybe that’s the message Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, and yes, maybe to Herod, but certainly to the people of Jerusalem! That indeed, He still loves Jerusalem, and would gather the inhabitants of Jerusalem to Himself, as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings, if they would repent and run to Him! If they would only repent and amend their ways, still, Jesus would gather them to Himself—in love and mercy! Repentance alone isn’t enough. There is also to be a change, amendment of life, a turn away from our sinfulness, toward our Savior!

In our first lesson from Jeremiah, that’s the prophetic word that Jeremiah had brought to the people of Judah, to repent and return to the Lord God, or face destruction and desolation! The officials and the people of Judah didn’t receive that word of the Lord very well and responded with demands that Jeremiah be put to death, to silence his message of judgement and wrath. So, finally, Jeremiah said to the officials and all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Therefore, mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that He has pronounced against you.” And as we’ve seen, there was repentance and amendment of life, and Jeremiah was not put to death, at least, not at this point. As we see, prophesy is most often, not about foretelling the future, it’s about telling God’s children what will happen if they continue the path of sin and disobedience, calling them, instead, to turn from their ways, to change their ways, and to return to the Lord their God. And that’s what we hear from Jesus, today, as well.

The Lord Jesus wants, with all His heart, to draw us to Himself, as a mother hen gathers her chicks. He loves us and cares for us, and it pains Him to see us running in life, not to Him, but away from Him, in all kinds of directions with all kinds of distractions, keeping us from Him. His goal, for us, is not judgement and wrath, but that through His resurrection on the third day, we might have freedom from sin, death and the devil, and so new life and joy. The question Jesus asks today is, “Will you keep going your own way, following your own wants, desires, and impulses, or will you turn and come to me?” That’s the call to us today, and it is the call of Lent, “return to me, for I am gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

Maybe you’ve noticed in our order for confession during Lent, that it concludes, “The Almighty and merciful God grant unto you, being penitent, pardon and remission of all your sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of His Holy Spirit.” Being truly repentant, that’s the first thing—that we acknowledge our sin, admit it before God and are sorry for our disobedience. Being repentant, God does indeed pardon and remit--forgives all our sins—your sins and my sins. And it is because of that forgiveness that we amend our lives, if we have time! Our prayer is that we have time—time for God’s grace and mercy to so transform our hearts so that we want to change, we want to come back to Jesus, we want to commit ourselves to following Him, being with Him, giving our lives to Him, as our Lord and Savior. That’s our prayer and intention during Lent: that we are repentant, that we are forgiven for all our sins, and that we amend our lives—that we change our minds, that we change direction, to return to Jesus, to be gathered under His loving arms! May we have sufficient time for repentance and amendment of life, and may we use that time!

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

Lent III March 23, 2025

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

“A Faithful, Fruit-full Life!”

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

One of the most valuable gifts Lutherans have provided to all Christians is what we refer to as the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Certainly, before Luther, the Church talked about, quoted the Laws and commandments of God, just as the Church talked about the Gospel. However, it’s the proper distinction between the two in biblical interpretation and preaching, that’s uniquely Lutheran. It’s important, even critical, because not knowing, not understanding the difference between the two, and how to apply them to Holy Scripture, can make the difference between adhering to a theology of justification by works, what we call “works-righteousness,” the belief that you can save yourself, or a proper Biblical theology of justification by grace through faith in Jesus.

In 1539, Luther wrote a rather definitive treatise titled, “Against the Antinomians,” meaning, against those who are against the Law—so, “anti-nomos,” in which Luther stressed the need for a proper distinction between law and Gospel—so that the law moves frightened sinners to faith in Christ—which thereby saves sinners by grace through faith. Without clarity regarding this distinction between the roles of the Law and the Gospel, pastors, preachers and the laity can quite easily misunderstand and confuse the Law with the Gospel, and vice versa. Which is dangerous, because thinking one can save oneself by works of the Law, leads one away from faith in Christ! Which brings us to the point of this sermon—the fact that our gospel lesson for today presents both Law and Gospel, but it’s important for us to know which is which!

It’s all too easy to hear this entire Gospel lesson as Law, as legalism, and to preach it as such, causing people to think the message is, “Unless you repent, you will all perish—and soon you, too, will be cut down and destroyed for the faithless fig trees you are!” Now, where is the good news in that message? Likewise, where is the good news in our Gospel lesson for today? It sounds like all bad news—all judgment and conviction. It sounds like you will be saved by your works, which is contrary to the Gospel.

The reality is that at the time of Jesus, people did indeed believe in works righteousness—that you did bad, and God punished you, and you did good and God rewarded you. Jesus addresses the fact that the people knew about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled in with their sacrifices, and they knew about those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them. They all concluded these things happened because these people were guilty of some terrible sin that caused God to punish them. It was common for folks in Jesus’ time to look at such tragedies and thank their lucky stars that they were not sinners like those that brought the wrath of God down on themselves! To which Jesus replied, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than you? No, but because you are all guilty sinners, unless you all repent, you will all perish just as they did.” Here, Jesus is speaking Law to the people, making it clear that all, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and so all are in need of repentance. That’s the reality of our fallen human nature and why we need a forgiving and merciful Savior. The Law in Holy Scripture shows us we are sinners and that we are in need of mercy and forgiveness. But where is this mercy and forgiveness in this passage? If the first half of this reading is Law, doesn’t the second half sound just like it—reminding us that truly, on our own, none of us bear fruit that befits repentance—and all of us will finally be cut down and thrown into the fire?

Again, the key is in understanding—distinguishing between the Law and the Gospel—seeing where there is good news in this passage. The good news is found in the attitude and the actions of the vinedresser—the gardener. Remember, this is a parable, and we’re not supposed to hear it thinking the owner is God the Father or that the vinedresser, for that matter is Jesus. Instead, the parable contrasts the two ways of approaching sinful humanity. On the one hand, there is a certain impatience with sinners, a readiness to cleanse the kingdom of God, immediately, of anyone who isn’t bearing good fruit for God. On the other hand, we see the mercy and patience of the vinedresser, who wants to give the fig tree time, and more time, to bear fruit! That, clearly, is the divine strategy—as God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love!

If we’re honest, we might admit that in the Church, we can find many Christians ready to adopt the first approach. We Christians are sometimes all too ready to look judgmentally and harshly at others we believe are not good fruit bearers, like we are. We are often too ready to cut down and remove “trees,” members that we don’t believe are bearing fruit—or enough fruit. Even in the Body of Christ, we can be impatient and unloving when it comes to those who don’t seem to be living lives of repentance, love and service, not measuring up to our expectations. After three years of inactivity, many church councils would just as soon remove members from the church roster, if we don’t perceive they are actively living out their faith. I’ve heard church leaders say, “If they’re not involved, then let’s cut them off!” However, Jesus, the gardener, is patient. Jesus, the gardener, would not be hasty. Jesus, the gardener, would rather wait; and wait yet another year for us to bear fruit—being in no hurry to condemn, or judge, or remove. Not only will Jesus wait—and here’s the essence of the Gospel—Jesus will take the initiative to turn things around! If we think of Jesus as the gardener, then it is He who says He will dig around the tree, and fertilize it, to stimulate and create faith, because Jesus knows, faith bears fruit. And as it is Jesus who creates and sustains faith. It is Jesus who generates growth and fruit-bearing. And how is it that Jesus cultivates and fertilizes? Martin Luther says the Lord does it through the ministry of pastors, as shepherds, and servants of Christ, saying, "It is the duty of bishops and pastors to tend His sheep and give them pasture. Therefore, to give pasture is nothing else than to share the Gospel, by which souls are fed and made fat and fruitful, so that the sheep are nourished…”

And how does the pastor feed the flock with the Gospel? How does the pastor dig around the fruitless fig tree and fertilize it, to create faith and fruit? The means at the pastor’s disposal are Word and Sacrament and the means of Grace, if you remember your catechism instruction. These are the tools that Christ, through the pastor, uses to dig around in your life, stir things up a bit, and spread some healthy, life-giving manure—Word and Sacrament! These are the means with which souls are fed and made fat and fruitful—the Word and the Sacrament! Because Jesus knew and Jesus knows, these will not return empty! No one who is fed with these gifts of grace will fail to receive renewed faith and so be saved. So, the good news is, Jesus is patient with us, Jesus takes time with us, and Jesus gives us what we need to bear fruit and to live!

When you are struggling with spiritual dryness and lack of faith; when you are questioning yourself, wondering whether you have a repentant heart, not sure if you are bearing fruit that befits repentance; when you are asking yourself, am I living a life worthy of my calling, or am I just taking up space in the vineyard of the Lord—what should you do? Come to Jesus, who will nourish you with Word and Sacrament, His gifts of grace. Don’t be deceived, thinking you need to save yourself, make yourself perfect and holy and acceptable to God. Rather, open yourself to Jesus, the Master Gardener, so that He will work faith in you, so that bearing fruit, you will be a productive fig tree in God’s Garden. Not by your own reason or effort, but by the power of Christ Jesus, at work in you, through His Word, and the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, broken and poured out for you, to be the fertilizer, the nourishment that you need, to have a full and faith-filled life. For, as the Lord God said through the prophet Isaiah, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth sprout…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Thanks be to God, for His Word, both Law and Gospel, that will accomplish, in us, that which He intends, and succeed in the thing for which He sent it—which is, bringing us to repentance, and creating in us, fruit-filled faith!

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

Epiphany VII, Cycle C February 23, 2025

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Westerville, OH

“Deep Discipleship—Part 2”

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

It’s quite popular in many congregations and church traditions which don’t use a lectionary, to have sermon series, usually topical in nature, as the preacher decides what he believes the congregation needs to hear. If congregational stewardship is lagging, he might preach a series of sermons on stewardship. If worship attendance has been light, he might preach a series on the importance of “not neglecting to meet together, as is the custom of some,” as it says in Hebrews 10. Similarly, if the preacher isn’t happy with something or someone in the political sphere, he might, these days, preach a series about or against a political party, a political platform or a political figure. We Lutherans aren’t so big on topical preaching series developed by the preacher, because preachers being human, it’s too easy for a preacher to preach his own agenda or grind his own axe, so to speak! So, we let the lectionary guide our preaching, often ending up with something of a series because we’re following Jesus’ own preaching and teaching in the Gospels. Take, for example, our Gospel lesson today, which is a continuation of the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, and the last two weeks when the Lord, Himself, has been offering a series on the topic of “discipleship.” Not only discipleship, but deep discipleship: what it means to follow Jesus, not superficially, but deeply, in our daily lives! Which is why I’ve titled this sermon, “Deep Discipleship—Part 2,” because two weeks ago, the Lord was instructing us about putting out into the deep, as fishers of men, to bring more and more men, women, youth, and children into the boat, which is the church. Jesus is continuing to teach us what it means to be His followers, in our relationships and what it means to follow Him, not only in our relationships with those who are our neighbors, our friends, those who are like us and those whom we like, but now He’s giving us guidance in how to relate to, He says how to “love” even our enemies—even those who hate us, curse us and abuse us! I think we would agree—that would require more than a superficial, shallow faith and discipleship! To “love” even our enemies? That would take a deep discipleship, indeed!

And isn’t that what our Lord desires, for us—for you and for me? We just heard Jesus, two weeks ago, telling us, with Peter and the others, “Put out into the deep!” He says that because He wants followers who are willing to go deep in their faith, deep in their relationships with Him and with God the Father, just as He wants followers who are willing to go deeper in the Christ-like life. In our gospel lesson today, Jesus is comparing the Christ-like life, with the lives and behavior of others, saying, “If you only love and do good to those who love and do good to you, how are you any different from everyone else in the world?” Jesus is acknowledging that it’s all too common for people in the world to love and care for those who love and care for us! In that sense, love and care is transactional, reciprocal—if you treat me this way, I will treat you similarly. That pretty much sums up the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s also a reflection of the second greatest commandment in the Old Testament, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything in the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, revolved around that notion: Love God and love your neighbor. But who is my neighbor?

By the time of Jesus, one’s neighbor was understood, usually, as someone within your faith community—someone who lived next door and who sat beside you in the synagogue. The word, “neighbor,” in Hebrew and in New Testament Greek is almost always the word which should be translated literally as “the one you see,” the one living with you or next to you or the one who shares your faith. Non-Jews, Gentiles—these were not your neighbor. They weren’t expected to love and care for them. That’s part of the scandal of the parable of the Good Samaritan—that the man who was beaten and robbed and left for dead was understood to be an Israelite—truly, a neighbor to the priest and Levite—whom they did not love and care for, as they passed by him on the other side of the road! This is what caused so much consternation when Jesus began suggesting that His disciples and followers were to love, not just their neighbors, but others. Those who weren’t Jews; those who were not my next-door neighbor; those who may not believe and worship as I do! These, Jesus refers to as those who may hate us, may oppose us, may abuse us. Anyone may find it within themselves to love and care for the neighbor next door! These others Jesus is talking about? Not so much. Not so easy, even for we who consider ourselves Jesus’ disciples. Which is why Jesus is speaking to us, disciples, in our Gospel lesson today.

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew tells us that Jesus was speaking to the crowds and the disciples. As Jesus is preparing to preach the Sermon on the Plain, Luke tells us, while the crowds had been around Jesus, “Jesus lifted up his eyes on his disciples…” It seems Luke wants us to understand that now the Lord is looking at, speaking directly to His disciples—to the twelve He had just chosen, and we who have been chosen as well, to be His disciples, His followers. We are the ones He is calling to a deeper discipleship. We are the ones Jesus is asking to follow Him on the narrow road, the harder path—as we are called to love, not just the neighbor, but also those whom we might very well hate and oppose and abuse, because hey, they hate and oppose and abuse us! So, isn’t turn-about fair-play?! The Lord is saying, “In the kingdom of God, for my disciples, turn-about isn’t fair-play.” We are called to a higher ethic, a deeper faith that results in a love that is not romantic or even familial, because as disciples, we are called to live a divine, self-giving, merciful love, even as God is loving and merciful; even as God forgives and saves, even we who are sinners!

That’s the crux of our discipleship, really. That God so loves us, sinners, that He shows us grace and mercy and love, even though we don’t deserve it. That God so loved the sinful world, that He sent His only begotten Son, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved, through Jesus, and His death, for us, while we were yet sinners! This new ethic, this new, more demanding, deeper discipleship is embodied, not in the old commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself,” but in the Lord’s New Commandment at His Holy Supper on Maundy Thursday, when He said, “Love one another, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU!”

The truth is, in so many ways, we are the enemies of Christ Jesus. We are sinful humanity, who hated Jesus and abused Jesus and put Him to death on the cross. We are the sinful humanity who were not loving neighbors to Jesus, instead nailing Him to the cross to die. Yet, God loves us still. Christ gave His life for us, in love. God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. God forgives sinners. God showers us with blessings, though we don’t deserve them. In response, we are invited, called, commanded to love. To love our neighbor and our enemy. To love those like us and those we don’t like. To love all, as Christ loves us because already, we have received our reward, God’s love and mercy, as Jesus describes it in our Gospel lesson, “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over!” As we have received, so will we give…love, mercy, forgiveness!

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