“LIFE— Live In Faith Everyday!” 1 Cor. 6.18-20, Jan. ‘14

1.                   Please pray with me.  Lord of LIFE, we pray that, by the power of Your Spirit, You would help us to Live In Faith Everyday. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.  Live In Faith Everyday. It’s easier said than done! It’s one thing to have saving faith in Jesus as a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s another thing to live that Christian faith everyday. There are strong forces working against us as we strive to Live In Faith Everyday. They’re those familiar foes: the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. But they’re constantly coming up with new ways to try to make it hard for us to Live In Faith Everyday. And they do it by redefining the meaning of L.I.F.E.

2.                   One redefinition of L.I.F.E. is this: Live In Freedom Everyday.  Anything goes in our society now—especially in the realm of sexuality. The message we hear is that we can have sex whenever we want and with whomever we want. Gay or straight. Young or old. Married or single. It doesn’t matter! Anything goes! Everything’s o.k.! And to make sure you know it’s o.k., our society constantly parades a bunch of celebrities in front of the cameras to assure you that you can Live In Freedom Everyday. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they’re just being intolerant, old-fashioned, and close-minded.

3.                   But, such a redefinition of L.I.F.E. leads to another redefinition of L.I.F.E.: Live In Fear Everyday. When moral confusion reigns in a society, the result is fear. When all moral boundaries are gone, the result is fear. Young people fear they’ll miss out on something, or not be accepted, unless they go along with the crowd. Parents fear what will happen to their children if they do go along with the crowd!  Sadly, many give into their fear of being left out and they dive into this sexual chaos. And they don’t have to swim long before they realize some new fears: pregnancy, sexual disease, guilt, and shame, to name a few.

4.                   And suddenly, L.I.F.E. takes on a whole new meaning: Live In Failure Everyday.  And when that’s what L.I.F.E. becomes, the natural response is to try to cover up our failure. It can happen to anyone. King David in the Old Testament went down that path with Bathsheba. Remember what happened?  It was spring time, the time when most kings went off to war with their armies. But King David stayed behind. Here’s what 2 Samuel 11 says,  “It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant’” (2 Samuel 11:2-5).

5.                   When King David saw Bathsheba, suddenly L.I.F.E. took on new meaning. King David saw this as an opportunity for sexual freedom. He took advantage of the situation, of Bathsheba, and of her husband’s absence, to enjoy the pleasure of the moment.  But, that pleasure of the moment became King David’s failure of a lifetime. What would he do? He immediately made plans to cover up his failure.  In King David’s mind, all he had to do was give Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, a break from his military service. Let him come home on leave for a while to spend some time with his wife. Then, when she begins to show she’s pregnant, everyone, including Uriah, will assume that this is their child.  But, King David underestimated Uriah. Uriah loved his wife, but he also had an obligation to his country as a soldier. And he didn’t feel right being home while his friends were at war. Try as he did, King David couldn’t get Uriah to spend the night with his wife.

6.                   So King David came up with another plan. He would send Uriah to the front lines, pull back support, and have him killed. Then, when Bathsheba’s pregnancy became obvious, no one would know that Uriah wasn’t the father.  King David had an innocent person killed in order to cover up his moral failure. And he thought that in having an innocent person killed he could cover up the shame of his act. But his cover up didn’t work.   Many today try to follow King David’s example. But in this case, the innocent person who is killed is the baby in the womb. In an effort to cover up our guilt from our moral failure, we’ve killed tens of millions of innocent victims. But the cover up doesn’t work. The guilt and shame increase.  Listen to King David’s words in Psalm 32, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4).  King David’s cover up didn’t work. The weight of the guilt and shame crushed him. We’ve all been there at times. We know how heavy that weight of guilt and shame can be. And on our own, there’s nothing we can do to remove it.

7.                   Only God can remove our guilt and shame. And that’s what He wants to do! He doesn’t want us to be crushed under the weight of our sin, and the guilt and shame that come with it. He doesn’t want us to cover up our sin, because it doesn’t work. He still sees it and it separates us from the kind of relationship He wants with us.  God wants us to live in the freedom of His forgiveness! Instead of trying to cover up our sin, He wants us to confess our sin to Him so He can cover it with His forgiveness. Listen to these words from King David,  “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2).  Instead of being burdened by the weight of his sin, King David was blessed with the wonder of God’s forgiveness! How did that happen? Listen to what he says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5 NIV).  King David confessed his sin. God covered his sin with forgiveness. Not only that, God forgave the guilt of his sin!

8.                   Guilt can be a good thing, when it comes from God. As in the case of King David, God’s Word through the prophet Samuel led King David to feel guilty over his sin and to confess that sin to God. David’s guilt was replaced by God’s grace. That’s good guilt.  But, there’s another kind of guilt that keeps many people trapped. This guilt is of the devil. It’s the kind of guilt that Satan wants us to carry around every day. And if Satan can keep reminding us of our failure, then he can keep us carrying guilt over sins that we’ve already confessed and that God has already forgiven. And when that happens, it’s as if God’s forgiveness is rendered useless in our lives.  We don’t have to carry that kind of guilt. When we confess our sin, God removes the guilt of our sin. Jesus took all of our sin to the cross and nailed it there. We don’t need to carry it around as a reminder. There’s a better way to live!

9.                   We can Live In Forgiveness Everyday! It doesn’t matter where we’ve been. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done. It’s in the past! Because we have God’s forgiveness, we don’t have to be paralyzed by our past.  We don’t belong to our past. We belong to Jesus. And He has a great future in store for us! So we can live in the freedom of His forgiveness! We can Live In Faith Everyday because we’re God’s forgiven children!  God’s Spirit guided Saint Paul’s words to describe what it means to live as His children. In his first letter to the Christians in Corinth, we hear these words, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).  God’s Word reminds us that our bodies are holy ground. God’s desire is that our bodies would be used for the pursuit of His holy purposes.

10.               And why wouldn’t we want to use our bodies in this way? God created our bodies in our mothers’ wombs. Jesus redeemed our bodies on the cross. And the Holy Spirit dwells in our bodies through faith. God is the owner, and we’re the tenants of our bodies. And because of His goodness and grace, we live rent free in them, now, and for all eternity.  If we’re so special to God that He would create our bodies, redeem our bodies from sin, and dwell in our bodies through His Spirit, wouldn’t we want to use our bodies in ways that please Him?  That’s what Joseph wanted to do—he wanted to use his body in a way that pleased God. If there was ever a person who had to Live in Faith Everyday, it was Joseph! Forsaken by his family, sold into slavery, seduced by sensuality, it was Joseph. It’s not just our society that struggles with constant sexual temptation.  Imagine being in Joseph’s sandals.  “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master's wife, ‘Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?’” (Genesis 39:6b-9)

11.               Joseph was a handsome man. And Potiphar’s wife thought he would be easy pickings. What servant boy wouldn’t accept such an offer from such a woman? Especially when the offers continued to come!  You would expect that such an invitation would cause Joseph’s male ego to go crazy. But it didn’t. It couldn’t.  And in the face of temptation, Joseph chose to Live In Faith Everyday. He chose to be faithful to God, and to his earthly master. He realized that to do otherwise would be to commit a great sin against his God. 

12.               Joseph did the godly thing. That doesn’t guarantee that the world will accept it. Although Joseph was faithful to God, he ended up the victim of false charges and injustice.  But by God’s grace, he continued to Live In Faith Everyday. And God blessed him in everything he did. And in the end, because God helped him to Live In Faith Everyday, Joseph was able to speak these amazing words concerning what his brothers and others had done to him, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20, NIV).  By God’s grace, Joseph was empowered to Live In Faith Everyday. And his life of faith was blessed by God. As children of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we’ve also been created, redeemed, and sanctified to Live In Faith Everyday by living lives of trust and obedience. And as we do, we’ll be used by God to show the world there’s a better way—God’s way!  So, Live In Faith Everyday, for Jesus’ sake, and the world’s sake! Amen!

“Jesus, Why Do You Seek a Sinner’s Baptism?” Matt. 3.13-17 sermon notes for Jan. ’14 Baptism of our Lord…

1.                  Grace, mercy, and peace to Your from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Well, here we are in worship with another season of the Church Year, the Season of Epiphany.  Epiphany is the time in the Church that focuses on how God reveals himself in Jesus, God’s Son and the Son of Man, the Savior, to the whole world. This begins with the visit of the Wise Men, demonstrating that he came even for Gentiles, as promised, and not just for the people of Israel.  On this First Sunday after the Epiphany, Jesus begins his public ministry with his Baptism. Here, the Holy Trinity is manifest in three distinct persons. Even so, the whole focus is on Jesus, in whom, the entire Godhead dwells bodily (Col 2:9). God the Father speaks of him, and the Spirit rests on him, showing that Jesus is fulfilling all righteousness in himself. Jesus does all things well, and the Father is pleased, but it’s for us that he’s come to do this. We participate in “all righteousness” through the waters of our own Baptism, lived out in this world under the cross with the hope of the resurrection.  The message today is taken from Matt. 3:13-17 and is entitled, “Jesus, Why Do You Seek a Sinner’s Baptism?” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                                      Christmas is over and the Wise Men have come and gone. The decorations are put away, and we risk putting the purpose of this all in storage as well. Jesus has come, but for what? Some 30 years pass between the Christmas readings from the Bible and our text from Matthew 3. But, maybe it’s good the church year fast-forwards to the Jordan River so we don’t lose sight. John the Baptist baptized many, but here’s a baptism unlike any other, a baptism that lays the groundwork for our own.  Today we’re going to try and learn why Jesus sought out a sinner’s baptism.

3.                                      When Ed Koch was mayor of New York City, he would stroll the streets and ask his constituents, “How am I doing?” He would set his course based on their replies. He was pleased when people were pleased.  How’s Jesus doing? We have an interest in the answer to that question, an eternal interest. At Jesus’ birth, angels proclaimed God’s gift. “Peace on earth, good will toward men.”   On whom does God’s favor rest? On people in general? Yes, but because of the gift sent. In Epiphany God makes that clear. That focus is clear in today’s Gospel, where God is well-pleased not in general, but in Jesus. And good for us that God is pleased because of what Jesus has done here.

4.                                      All sorts of people came to John for his baptism of repentance. Critics came as well. Pharisees and Sadducees questioned the need for what John did and instead spoke of having Abraham’s heritage, which they also so graciously guarded. But, Abraham lived by faith with repentance and trust in God’s promises. The fruits of the Sadducees and Pharisees said otherwise.  So why is it then that Jesus seeks a sinner’s baptism?

5.                                      Well, Jesus came to the Jordan River to stand with the same sinners who came to John to be baptized. Jesus wanted baptism like the others who had come under the threat of God’s wrath, but John the Baptist at first would have none of this and says so in no uncertain terms. But this is happening on Jesus’ terms, “Let it be so,” says Jesus, as if to say, “But that is not the point; something else must happen now.” What should happen? All righteousness must be fulfilled.

6.                                      John had a point: in and of himself Jesus had no need of this baptism. But Jesus makes a point: I will be baptized. Why? Because I have come for sinners, I stand with sinners, and I’m to be the chief of sinners, shouldering the burden of all. Righteousness can be tied to a manner of living, a way of being. But here it especially is tied to following God’s will. For Jesus that means becoming the embodiment of humanity and then by observing God’s will heading toward the end where the sin of humanity leads. This is the start of that path to end 3 years from now on the cross. So John should “let it be” even as Jesus chooses to side with sinners, to stand with them figuratively, to stand with them even literally in the Jordan waters.  This is why Jesus comes to seek a sinner’s baptism, to stand in our stead as our substitute for sin.

7.                                      What comes next is an “Amen” to what Jesus has done. The Pharisees and Sadducees would say he’s blown it mixing with this crowd. They’d tell him that more than once during Jesus’ 3 year public ministry. But their approval doesn’t count. “How am I doing?” the question goes. No waiting for the focus groups or the next election. There’s immediate feedback better than any exit poll: Jesus is baptized, comes out of the water, and immediately heaven opens. “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” Not just anyone, but “my Son.” And not just pleased, but “well pleased.”

8.                                      God stands with Jesus our Messiah. We can understand if those on the riverbank were stunned. After all, there were messianic expectations of all sorts. Jesus likely looked most ordinary, even after all that happened. But beware wanting Jesus on our terms. Rather take what’s given, trust what’s said, and cling to what’s given. It’s rude to want to remake a gift—certainly foolish here given the nature and love of the giver.

9.                  To understand more fully why Jesus sought out a sinner’s baptism consider this illustration.  A poor Scottish farmer named Fleming heard a cry for help from a bog near where he was working. He dropped his tools, ran, and found a terrified boy waist deep in black muck. He was screaming and struggling desperately to free himself. Fleming saved the lad from what could’ve been a slow and terrifying death. The next day an elegant carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s humble house. The nobleman who stepped out introduced himself as the father of the boy Fleming had saved and said, “I want to repay you. You saved my son’s life.” Fleming waved off the offer saying, “I can’t accept any payment.” At that moment the farmer’s son came around the comer. The nobleman asked, “Is that your son?” to which the farmer said, “Yes.” “I’ll make you a deal,” the nobleman offered. “You won’t accept any payment, but let me give your son a good education.” And he did. Later he was known as Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. Some years after that the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia and was saved by the penicillin. That nobleman’s son, first saved by farmer Fleming from the muck, then saved by Fleming’s son with penicillin, was Sir Winston Churchill. God, who is so much greater than we are, often places the right people in the right place at the right time, especially his own Son Jesus, who was in the right place at the right time to save all of us from our sins.

10.                               To those there that day at Jesus’ baptism who witnessed the giving of the Spirit, the anointing, this scene in Jesus’ life shouts approval. And the voice from heaven says, “Son,” from the inner circle. Can it get any better than that? But the voice from heaven even says “well pleased.” Who this Jesus is can’t rank any higher on the quality scale. What’s important here is the divine stamp of approval on what Jesus has done: he has stood with us sinners, he’s made himself one of our company. Is that the loss of a Son? No, it’s the first steps on a path to regaining prodigals like you and me, in making sons and daughters in abundance.

11.                               Jesus stands with us sinners, God with Jesus, and God with us. How so? Where? In our Baptism. To be sure, John’s baptism that Jesus sought is not identical with our own. The path wasn’t finished. There are still cross and empty tomb to come. We’re baptized into that death and resurrection. What’s Christ’s becomes ours even as our sin became his—Luther’s “happy exchange” is made ours in Baptism. The “who for us and for our salvation” confessed in the creed is bound to us even as Christ’s name is put on us. All righteousness was eventually fulfilled in Christ’s doing, starting in public with the events of this text, as Jesus himself said. All righteousness is fulfilled in another sense in our Baptism: faith is planted and we become sons and daughters in the kingdom of God.

12.              As far as we know, at Baptisms today there are no reports of church roofs opening up with doves descending and voices from the sky, but there’s no need for that. Something spectacular still happens as the Father, and the Son Jesus give to us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have the record in the Gospel and the promises of God—promises rooted in Jesus, who still stands in our stead as sinners with all righteousness for us and for our salvation.  In this Jesus, God our Heavenly Father is well-pleased. Amen.

“Leading Our Children to Jesus” Luke 2.40–52, Christmas 2A

1.                  Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word this Second Sunday after Christmas is taken from Luke 2:40-52.  In an age when growing numbers of people have an interest in “spiritual things” while shrinking numbers demonstrate a familiarity with the basics of Scripture, the Bible has become something of an answer book for many people. To them it’s an encyclopedia of solutions for modern problems.  Parents who are hungry to fix their latest problem with a teenage son or daughter might get excited to learn of a biblical report on Jesus’ adolescence here in Luke chapter 2. But, this brief story is the only biblical record containing any mention of Jesus’ youthful years. It offers nothing in the way of direct help for everyday adolescent crises. Jesus may be near adulthood. But there’s not a hint of insight about teenage issues for those who seek biblical answers to modern teenage problems.  What Luke does offer is a tension between earthly parents and one’s Heavenly Father, a collision between two competing loyalties. Here’s Jesus bringing to light his divine calling to be our Savior and also to fulfill the Law of God on our behalf. This is Jesus moving his life and purpose away from a private world into the realm of public significance.  The message is entitled, “Leading Our Children to Jesus,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  Peter Larson (“Life in These United States,” Reader’s Digest) came home one day to find his wife exhausted, having spent hours on her hands and knees stripping wax from their kitchen floor and buffing the new wax until it shone like the sun. She sat at the table with a cup of coffee, recovering. Just then their children came charging into the kitchen, hungry, and anxious to eat. Like a good husband, he reminded, them how hard Mom had worked and how nice it looked. He then added, “Now, if anyone spills anything on it, they have to wipe it up and then spend an hour in their room.” Without a moment’s hesitation, his tired wife deliberately poured some of her coffee on the floor, wiped it up, and went straight upstairs. She wasn’t seen again for an hour!

3.                  Maybe Joseph and Mary wanted peace and quiet after celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem.  The reason they were there was because an annual pilgrimage to the Passover was required of all Israelites (Dt 16:6). Extended families and neighbors often traveled together, singing and picnicking along the way.  Luke tells us that an entire day passed before they noticed that their 12-year-old Son, Jesus, was missing. When they discovered that he was not with them, their peace and quiet were shattered as they searched frantically for him.

4.                  In these days after Christmas, when our children have been out of school for awhile, when moments of peace and quiet would be a welcome change from toys, trees, and tinsel, do you know where your children are? No, not physically—hopefully, you always know that but spiritually? Spiritually do you know what issues, are on their minds? Do you know to whom they might be listening for answers? Can you assume that other people will teach them the lessons you want them to know?

5.                  Even though times have changed, the behaviors and needs of parents and children haven’t. Sin still afflicts us all. It separates us from our family and from God our Heavenly Father.  Joseph and Mary assumed that when the religious services in the temple had concluded, their Son would have no interest in remaining there. How wrong they were!  And today, there are many parents who assume that their children have no serious interest in spending time with them in worship, Sunday school, youth activities, or in sharing time with their parents for family devotions. But, in a special report, “The Truth about Tweens: Kids 8 to 14” (Oct 18, 1999, 62–72), Newsweek magazine notes that 80 % of the “tweens” like school and count parents as their most important influences.

6.                  Don’t be surprised if your children and grandchildren, like Jesus, want to linger longer in God’s house. In worship, Sunday school, confirmation, and youth groups they learn that they have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14–16). Caring teachers and mentors point to “the dangers of sin” (Rom 5:12). Children and parents alike hear “the love of the Savior joyfully proclaimed,” just as it was announced by the angels to the shepherds one holy night (Lk 2:10–11).

7.                  So what do we learn from this account from Luke chapter 2 of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem.   The first thing we learn from this account is the way Mary and Joseph discharged their office as the human parents of Christ.  After Jesus was circumcised according to the Law of the Lord, they brought Him up with the greatest diligence.  From the age of 12, He was required to accompany them when they traveled to Jerusalem, according to the Law, in order to serve the Lord publicly where the only temple of the people of God was located, and to celebrate the Passover with the whole congregation of Israel.

8.                  What a rich lesson this is for us parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, to whom God has entrusted children as pledges of His love.  Mary and Joseph must have carefully raised Jesus in whom the Lord God had clothed His glory.  They couldn’t imagine that this child would develop by Himself without their help, and that without them, God would protect Him.  How much more should we recognize our calling to be God’s instruments for the raising of our little ones!  If the parents of the God-man, Jesus, recognized it as their duty to lead Him into the house of the Lord, how much more should we recognize our duty to lead our children, who are sinners in need of grace, to the Lord early on!  Now, we don’t have the power to convert our children to faith in Jesus, to cleanse their sinful hearts, and to keep them in God’s grace.  But, we can be guilty of neglect and the loss of their souls.  So we should be God’s agents and messengers in leading them to their rescue in Jesus.  Our children aren’t given to us as toys or as our servants.  Instead, they’re entrusted to us by God, so that when they know nothing about Him we would lead them to their Heavenly Father. 

9.                  So then, it’s our first duty as Christian parents that, immediately after they birth of our children, we bring them to the Holy Baptism of Jesus.  Jesus says in Mark 10:14, “Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”  But, this in no way completes the payment of our parental debt to them.  No, if our children have been baptized, they then carry Jesus in their hearts, and then, like Mary and Joseph, we each have a little child Jesus in our house and in our arms.  At this point, our care and protection of that child is doubled.  The salvation of that precious child is then the object of our daily prayers and cares.

10.              Each day, along with providing our children food, clothing, shelter, shoes, etc, we should teach our children the love of Jesus and the fear of God.  As soon as they’re able to grasp the significance of their Baptism, we should teach them to say with joy, “I am baptized!  My Jesus is mine!  My sins are forgiven me!”  And, this teaching shouldn’t wait until our children go to school.  Even before that time, we must become their teacher and leader to Jesus. It can be as simple as teaching them to pray with us at meals and at night, reading Bible stories to them before they go to bed from a children’s Bible, and having family devotions with them, and sending them to Sunday School and one of our parochial Lutheran Schools.

11.              As 2013 has ended and the year of 2014 begins, God reminds all of us, children and adults, that he sent his Son, Jesus, not only to the temple to learn the way of faith, but also to the cross to forgive our sins so that we can be with God in his house of worship and with him eternally in his heavenly home. This is good news as we begin this New Year of 2014 and make fresh resolutions to live as the Holy Spirit guides us according to the Word of God!  And remember that Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth and childhood repeatedly sets the ordinary beside the miraculous (e.g., a youth from the country stuns the big city Jerusalem rabbis with His wisdom). Given the mysterious and often ordinary ways God chooses to reveal Himself and His salvation to us—in the flesh of His Son, in simple words, in water, in bread and wine—we easily underestimate the power of God’s Word and Sacraments for ourselves and our children. Thankfully, the very common aspects of God’s gifts mean that they’re never far from us.  In this New Year pray that our Lord Jesus, would open our eyes to His life-giving presence found in His Word and Sacraments.

12.              When Jesus returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (v 52).  Joseph and Mary hoped from the day he was born that these things would happen. We want the same for our children and for ourselves. An appropriate resolution every day of the New Year would be from Deuteronomy 6:  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at. home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deut 6:4–7)  Amen.

“Christians, Be Alert!” Luke 12.35–40, Sermon for New Year’s Day 2014

1.       Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation or our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.  Amen.  A Happy New Year to all of you!  As we gather together today to mark the change of the calendar, we’re aware not only of the passing of time but also we take note of our use of that time. We may observe that in this world one year is pretty much the same as another. Conflict, disaster, illness, funerals, the effects of sin in our world and even in ourselves tempt us to fear or even despair that anything will change for the better. Fortunately, we who are baptized into our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, look to the God who loves us. By faith in Christ we confess and bury the sins of the past and are raised to new life and hope, the certainty that nothing “in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).  The message today is entitled, “Christians be Alert,” and it’s taken from Luke 12:35-40, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

2.      Luke 12:35–40 says, “³⁵[Jesus said:] “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

3.      Notice in our text from Luke’s Gospel that Jesus gives to us two parables.  The first parable Jesus teaches us uses the analogy of servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding.  In ancient times Jewish weddings were held at night, and a bridegroom’s servants would have to wait for their master to come home with his bride. The new husband would certainly not want to be kept waiting at the door with his bride! But the servants had to be sure they were ready to go to work, with their robes tucked under their girdles so they were free to move.  But, the remarkable thing in this story is that the master serves the servants! In Jewish weddings, the bride was treated like a queen and the groom like a king. So you wouldn’t expect the “king” to minister to his staff. Here Jesus tells us that He as our King will minister to us His faithful servants when He greets us at His return, and He’ll reward us for our faithfulness.  We as Christians are to be alert for our Master Jesus to return.

4.      Luke reminds us twice in a short span that the coming of the master is a blessing to those who are prepared. The Greek word behind “blessed” is the same as the one we find in the Beatitudes. But though the coming is a blessing, it’s also a disruption. Luke introduces another image & parable to describe the coming of the Lord, the sudden arrival of a thief. This striking image appears a number of times in the New Testament (cf. Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2–4; 2 Pet. 3:10; and Rev. 16:15). The use of this image certainly reinforces the call to readiness for Christ’s Second Coming. But it also complicates our understanding of the nature of the coming. We’re given in this reading two images, one encouraging of the Master returning home from a wedding, and the other threatening, with a thief coming to steal. Are Jesus’ words a threat or a promise? The answer is “both.” To those who claim Jesus as master and who are prepared for his Second Coming, they are blessed.  The Lutheran scholar Lenski writes about this text, “This lord does not seek his ease and retire for the night… He makes as grand a feast for [his servants] as was the one from which he came, he has them recline to dine and—wonder of wonders—he does not order other slaves, to serve them but makes himself their slave and ‘ministers’ to them. Many waiters and helpers are needed at a great feast, but this lord needs none . . . letting the reality peep through, that this is the almighty, heavenly Lord himself. . . . Yet in a way, this heavenly act need not surprise us. Did not Christ humble himself unto death for us (Phil 2:7, 8)? So, then, without laying aside his divine glory, he will gird himself and serve us” (Lenski, Luke, 703–4).

5.      But, Jesus reminds us in Luke 12 that this act of Jesus our Master serving isn’t so with those whose lives center on their possessions and the things of this world. It’s no accident that the image of the thief appears in a chapter in which so many words are devoted to worldly wealth and possessions. Repeatedly here in Luke 12 Jesus warns against centering our lives on our possessions. To those who fail to heed the warning and whose hearts are with their earthly treasures, the coming of Jesus will indeed be “as a thief in the night.” “So you also must be ready.”  Christians, be alert!

6.      So how are we to take what Jesus says to us here in Luke 12 about us as Christians to be alert and ready for His Second Coming?  Does the idea of Jesus’ return on Judgment Day strike fear in you or does it give to you as sense of comfort and hope?  As I said earlier, we regularly experience fear, don’t we?  For personal safety.  For safety of family members and friends.  Of illness and injury.  Of any unexpected tragedy.  Of financial uncertainty or setback.  Of the consequences of sin in our life past or present.  And, as we start a New Year, many of us may fear the unknown, what this New Year will bring to us.  We also fear the fact that we’re not always alert and watchful, we often can grow tired and weary and we may not be ready for something unexpected to happen in our lives.

7.      Fear is a natural result of sin.  Sin separates us from a loving, caring, protecting God.  Sin separates us from the people to whom we’re the closest.  Sin results in the very real fear of loss of protection, loss of safety, loss of security, loss of connectedness.  But, sin and its resultant fear are conquered by the Father’s love in Christ.  Jesus tells us earlier in Luke 12, “Do not be afraid, little flock.”  “Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”   The giving of the kingdom is a gift of love, earned by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

8.      As we begin this New Year, we as Christians can continue to be alert for Jesus’ Second Coming.  But, that means we shouldn’t be foolish.  Foolishness is the result of sinful pride.  The temptation for us is to let the assurance of no fear produce complacency and apathy.  Extended periods of waiting can tempt one to foolishness.  Since apostolic times, for about 2000 years, there have always been some Christians who think they know the specific day of the Lord’s return.  There’s temptation to put our faith in these predictions about the Second Coming of Jesus.  That same kind of foolishness can produce a mind set of “it will never happen to me.”  We’re all inclined to believe that only other people will be the victims of illness (especially major or life threatening illness, which is not supposed to happen to us).  And, we never anticipate our lives being shattered by trauma or tragedy.

9.      But, Jesus tells us in Luke 12 that this kind of foolishness can be avoided.  We as Christians can be alert for Jesus’ return by heeding our Lord’s admonition to “be ready for service.”  By immersing ourselves in his Word and Sacrament.  By regularly receiving His Word, which assures us that our sins are forgiven through Jesus who was crucified on the cross for our sins and by receiving Christ’s body and blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins.  By regularly receiving Christ’s gifts of Word and Sacrament, we as Christians can be alert for Jesus’ return.

10.  A number of years ago a very devastating tornado struck central Texas, killing an estimated 30 people in Jarrell, with a population of 1,000 people.  Even with some advance notice, residents responded in a variety of ways.  Some jumped in cars and trucks, trying to escape the path of the storm, one quarter of a mile wide.  Some hid in closets or bathtubs, seeking protection.  Some school children huddled in hallways or under tables, singing and praying for protection.  Being alert and ready for such a storm consists not in trying to avoid such indescribable power and fury, but to know that, whatever happens, we’re safe in the arms of our loving Heavenly Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As we begin this New Year, we dedicate our lives to the task of helping people, throughout the world, attain that state of readiness through Christ our Savior and Lord. “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Rom 14:8).  “Have no fear, little flock; Have no fear, little flock, For the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom; Have no fear, little flock!” (LW# 410, St 1).  Through our Lord Jesus, we as Christians can be alert and ready for His return.  Amen.

“O King of the Nations, You Have Come” Christmas 1, Matthew 2.2

1.       Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word from this 1^st Sunday after Christmas is taken from Matthew 2:2 and is entitled, “O King of the Nations, You Have Come,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.       By now you’ve all probably heard this joke enough times to be bored with it. But here goes. “What would have happened if it had been three wise women instead of three wise men? Answer: they would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts.”  With all due respect to all the very wise women among us, the real Wise Men did ask directions. And having traveled hundreds of miles, they were as on time as they could have been. By the time they arrived in Bethlehem, the Holy Family had moved out of the stable and were living in a house. And what of the gifts they brought? Turns out they were not only practical, but they were also prophetic. Joseph and Mary could’ve used the gold to provide for their needs on their journey to Egypt. And frankincense and myrrh remind us of Christ’s priestly work in praying for us, then dying for our sins and being buried. Somehow, I don’t think a casserole would convey that message.

3.       Only Matthew has the story of the Wise Men, and his audience is primarily Jewish. You’d think since the Wise Men were probably Gentiles, Matthew would’ve let Luke tell their story. Luke is the writer who is concerned with reaching out to tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, Greeks, and the like. But the Bible is full of surprises, and it’s Matthew who tells the story of the Wise Men, who come about two years later.  Clearly, their story must be important to Matthew, or he wouldn’t tell it. And it is. So Matthew includes it. It’s important because The Story of the Wise Men Shows Us That Jesus Is the King and Savior of All People.

4.       One kind of people for whom Jesus is King and Savior is Jews. When the Wise Men arrive in Jerusalem, they start asking people they meet on the street, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” (v 2). They’re in the capital city of David. So surely, they think, the average man on the street will know more than they do of the new King’s birth. They assume everyone they meet, including King Herod, will be delighted to learn that a new King, a descendant of David, has been born, in fulfillment of the prophecies they’ve studied.

Boy, are they in for a surprise! Few people think this is good news. Herod doesn’t think it’s good news. He’s poured his fortune into being the king of Judea. He’s been confirmed by the Roman Senate. He’s spent millions on public works projects, including a new temple to endear himself to the people. He’s slaughtered many members of his own family whom he thought threatened his throne that it’s hard to keep count. Herod, not really a Jew but 100 percent politician, isn’t happy to learn that a new King is born.

5.       The priests, Sadducees, Pharisees—really the whole Jewish ruling class—aren’t happy about the news either. Over the last 100 years they’ve worked out a carefully balanced relationship with the Romans. The priests and Sadducees get to run the temple and collect tithes and offerings in return for keeping the people subject to Rome. The Pharisees get a free hand policing the religious life of the people in exchange for not interfering with the priests and Sadducees.  And most citizens of Jerusalem aren’t too happy about a new King being born. If the Romans see the newborn King growing up and gathering a following that might threaten their power, there could be a violent intervention. That would be bad for the peace and business. So practically nobody but a few Jewish shepherds and some Gentile Wise Men rejoice in the news that Jesus is born, “the king of the Jews.”

6.       But it’s not a surprise. Isaiah not only prophesied the birth of King Jesus, the descendant of David, 700 years before it happened, but he also predicted his rejection. In ch 53, Isaiah writes, “He was despised and rejected by men . . . despised, and we esteemed him not” (v 3). John, who doesn’t give a nativity story, tells us, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (Jn 1:11).  And even today, many Jewish people still don’t receive Jesus. Their Messiah was prophesied. He was longed for. He came. He was rejected. And he still is. But that doesn’t mean he’s not King of the Jews. Wise Men recognized he was. Rejection, even by his own people the Jews, doesn’t make him any less the true King of Israel.

7.       Another kind of people for whom Jesus is King and Savior is Gentiles. That’s who the Wise Men are. They’re the first non-Jewish people we know of to believe in Jesus. Their inclusion in the people of God would’ve been stunning for Matthew’s Jewish Christian readers. Despite the Old Testament promises of a descendant of David who would rule the nations, Jews didn’t think of the citizens of the nations as being citizens of the kingdom of God. Gentiles might be subjects, tributaries, or vanquished foes in submission to the kingdom of God ruled by David’s son, but not equal members. Surely, Gentiles could never be children of God, heirs of the covenant promises.

8.       Oh, yes, they could! That’s the whole point of this story being included in Matthew’s Gospel. Gentile Wise Men maybe from Persia, “near kings,” as Origen, one of the Church Fathers, calls them, come to Jesus bringing gifts, and they’re welcomed. They’re not just subjects flattering themselvers to a foreign conqueror; they’re valued citizens, equal in standing before God with any natural born child of Abraham.  How do we know they’re God’s children too? Because God called them. God put the star in the sky where Gentiles and Jews could see it. God wants everyone in every nation to come in faith to his Son. That’s what the Great Commission is all about. Jesus, before he ascends into heaven, assembles his disciples in Galilee and tells them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Just as he called through the star, in Baptism, God calls each one of us his.

9.       Then through their actions the Wise Men showed their faith. They had believed the promises of the Bible about the star of the new King and sought him out. They offered him the best they had, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They knelt in worship and then rose from their knees as holy saints.  Anyone who believes in Jesus and acts in faith as they did, Jew or Gentile, is included in the family of Abraham and is a citizen of the kingdom of God and his Son, Jesus.

10.   The final kind of people for whom Jesus is King and Savior is sinners. From a lifetime of hearing Christmas stories of the Wise Men we have a warm place in our heart for them.  So did the Early Church. One of the first known works of Christian art is painted on a second-century tomb. It portrays the Wise Men bringing gifts to Jesus. By the Middle Ages, the Wise Men were considered saints. They’ve even had names ascribed to them: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

11.   But, if the Wise Men were to come to our church, we’d probably be a bit uncomfortable around them. And we’d want to ask them some pretty tough questions before we’d invite one of them to preach or teach a Bible class. Why? Their designation as “Magi” says it all. “Magi” is the English transliteration of the word magoi, plural of the Persian word for astrologer or priest.  The Magi practiced a blend of astrology, magic, science, and religion. As did many people in the ancient world, they probably thought of the stars and planets, as being a celestial being, maybe an angel. And maybe in this one case it was, because it didn’t behave as an ordinary star. It went before them and stopped over the home of baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Normal stars appear to keep moving as you walk toward them. This one didn’t, it stopped.

12.   But mixing astrology, magic, and religion isn’t something Christians should condone. We’re suspicious of any belief or practice not found in the Bible. Like Luther, we’re very suspicious of what we call “extra biblical revelation,” that is, revelation of divine truth from somewhere other than the written Word.  As Christians, we place no stock in astrology and horoscopes and the like. Maybe they’re fun to read in the newspaper, but there’s no way we actually believe the stars, planets, and constellations predict the future. We must say with Scripture that consulting the stars is idolatry and represents a lack of faith in the gracious plan of God.

13.   The Wise Men weren’t so clear on this. They were astrologers who mixed the religion they got from Jewish exiles in Persia and the superstition they got from their native Persian culture. But, God worked with what was familiar and important to them and revealed to them a profound truth.  The King of the Jews, promised and predicted in Num 24:17, had come. The Word of God said, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” They saw an unusual star shining far off, followed it, and found Jesus. They were still in need of some serious teaching, but faith was alive and well.

14.   Not as Jews but as Gentile sinners they came to worship the newborn King of the Jews. And they were welcomed. They were let into the house, where they saw Jesus with their own eyes. Then God confirmed their inclusion in the kingdom of God by granting them a vision that warned them not to return to Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus, but to return home another way.

15.   The message of the Wise Men is that God welcomes sinners to the kingdom of his Son. False doctrine, false practice of religion, mixing truth from God’s Word with error—even by well-meaning folks such as the Wise Men—is sin. But Jesus is everyone’s King. It’s as we sing in “O Little Town of Bethlehem”:  How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is giv’n! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of his heav’n. No ear may hear his coming; But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in. (LSB 361:3)  Did you catch that last line? Whatever the sin of the Wise Men or yours or mine, the hymn’s promise is true: “Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in.”

16.   All who believe in Jesus and are baptized are included in the kingdom of Jesus, regardless of background, Jew, Gentile, sinner—that last one is all of us. That’s the message of the Wise Men, a message of great joy. That’s why we sing during this holy season: “O come, Desire of Nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!” (LSB 357:7)  Please pray with me, Lord Jesus, longed-for King of the Nations, you have come. Receive us by your grace and welcome us through faith into your kingdom, just as you did the Wise Men. In your name we pray. Amen.

“O Come, Dayspring” Christmas Day Dec. ‘13 Isaiah 9.2

1.       Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation or our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this Christmas Day is entitled, “O Come, Dayspring,” and it’s taken from Isaiah 9:2, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.       Have you ever asked an older person what he wanted for Christmas only to have him tell you, “Don’t get me anything. I have everything I need”? If you’re a child that statement could really puzzle you.  How could someone not want anything for Christmas? Look at this way…  If you have the love of family and friends, along with food, clothing, shelter, clean water, soap, heat, and light, you really have everything you need.  Well, almost everything. We need God in our lives. You can have lightbulbs burning in every room of your house, but it’s not like having the sun come up in the morning. You still want the real light of day. What’s more serious, you can have a glorious sunrise, a sunny day, and still walk in spiritual darkness. You can have a roof over your head, clothes, and food in the fridge, and still be afraid of death. Without God’s sunrise in our lives, his Son, Jesus, the darkness can be frightening. 

3.       An elder from another church was counseling a member of his congregation. She told him about her grown son and his wife. “All they do is watch TV,” she said. “They don’t talk to each other. They never eat meals together at the table. They don’t know where the other one is half the time, and they don’t care. They don’t pray or read the Bible. They never go to church. And they’re so depressed.”  “They really need Christ, don’t they?” the elder replied. He was right. That family really needs what we pray for in today’s stanza from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” “O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,” we pray, “And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh.” Thou Light of Day, Thou Rising Sun, come! Isn’t that what you and I need at Christmas—Jesus, the Sunrise from God who casts out our darkness? Yes!  Come, Jesus, Dayspring from on high, and cheer us.  When our prayer is answered and Jesus comes to us in his Word and Sacraments, all the dark things that depress us are shined away. 

4.       This is what the priest Zechariah was talking about when the birth of his son, John the Baptist, signaled the birth of Jesus, the Christmas Child: “Through the tender mercy of our God . . . the Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Lk 1:78 NKJV). Zechariah was recalling the words of the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi: “For you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Mal 4:2).  Think about the trouble of God’s people in the later centuries of the Old Testament. Think about the verses from Isaiah we read at Christmas: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2). Isaiah’s words shine for all who live in fear of their enemies. Isaiah is describing Israel after the Assyrians destroy the land. A few survivors struggle to hang on. The northern kingdom is ruined.  The people there live in the darkness of despair. But, when all hope seems lost, God’s promise comes. A Light will dawn upon them! It’s so certain it’s even described in past tense. They “have seen a great light,” and “on them has light shined” (Is 9:2). 

5.       But this Light isn’t just for those who despair in Israel; it’s for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, the Bible tells us. That means when you and I see our economy doing bad, when we see our nation growing morally and spiritually weak, when we see what appears to be the last days of our national greatness, the Dayspring rises on us, the Light shines for us.  But let’s be careful; the Light, the Dayspring, isn’t a promise of the rebirth of national greatness. Instead, this is a promise of Light shining from Jesus showing us that he’s the way to the kingdom of God. He’s the Light who keeps us safe through faith no matter what happens to our country. When you and I have faith in Jesus the Light, guess what happens to our fears of death and darkness? They’re replaced with joy! Hence, the words of our song as translated by Rev. John Mason Neale:  “O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!” (LSB 357:6)

6.       This is good news! But its fulfillment took a while. Israel had Isaiah’s promise of the Light for over 700 years. Isaiah said the Light would come as a Child, that the government would rest on his shoulders, that he would be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Isaiah said he would be the heir to David’s throne and rule with justice and righteousness forever (9:6–7). He would be everything a world shrouded in darkness needs. 

7.       Well, 700 years after the promise, the Dayspring, dawned! The fulfillment comes in the birth of Jesus. That’s the message of Christmas. But who receives him? At first, it’s a few shepherds, rejected by most people because they had a reputation for being dishonest, for being thieves, for seldom if ever attending services at the synagogue or visiting the temple during the feasts. They knew they were sinners who needed the Dayspring, so they welcome Jesus.  Later, a few Wise Men receive Jesus the Dayspring, Magi, Gentiles from Persia who probably heard about the Messiah from exiled Jews living there. From the Old Testament, the Magi would have learned that the bright star they followed was the fulfillment of prophecy, “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17). Gentiles had always been excluded, but this star promised the Magi welcome. So they come. 

8.       But it wasn’t a star the leaders of Israel who loved the darkness wanted to see. Herod the king rejects Jesus. The priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees—for the most part, these reject Jesus. Despite the crowds that sometimes flocked to him, not that many people welcomed Jesus as the Light. Most people liked things the way they were. After 3 years of Jesus’ ministry, how many were there in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost? Only about 120!  John tells us in his Gospel that Jesus “the true light, which gives light to everyone . . . came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:9, 11). How grieved our Lord is that the people who need him don’t receive him.  People whom he made and loves, people lost in darkness of sin, people afraid of death! He came as Light in the darkness and they don’t receive him. Oh, how everyone needs his light! 

9.       How is Jesus that Dayspring? Here’s how: he shines for us through the light of his resurrection! On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the disciples and friends of Jesus are wallowing in darkness, sorrow, self-loathing, death, and despair. Their hope that Jesus is the Messiah has evaporated. Jesus has been crucified and buried, his tomb sealed. For the followers of Jesus, there’s nothing but misery.  And they stay miserable until one by one they meet the risen Lord. First it’s Mary Magdalene. Then two disciples who talk with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Then, Peter meets Jesus. Then the Ten. Then a week later, the Eleven. One by one, the Dayspring of the risen Jesus rises in their hearts and drives away their darkness and fear.

10.   I love the story of the disciples who meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Jesus starts walking along with them and asks them what they’re discussing. They’re so depressed they don’t recognize him. They even insult him, saying he must be the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what’s happened. They walk. They talk. Jesus, who must be disappointed with their unbelief, opens the Scriptures to them and explains how his suffering, death, resurrection, and final entrance into glory are all foretold by Moses and the Prophets.  Slowly, the spark of faith begins to glow in these disciples. It’s evening when they reach Emmaus, so they ask Jesus to stay with them and share a meal. As Jesus breaks bread and gives thanks, the light of faith is switched on.  The Bible tells us. “Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Lk 24:31).  Then Jesus vanishes. The disciples, unconcerned about how dark it’s getting, run all the way back to Jerusalem, afraid of nothing. They burst into the Upper Room, find the Ten, and proclaim, “The Lord has risen indeed!” (Lk 24:34).

11.   There was a woman named Ilse. In her 80s, Ilse was in and out of the hospital. Her world had become small, but she still had a heart filled with the joy of faith and generosity. She was always giving—to church, her favorite charities, to children.  One day, Ilse was taken to the hospital after another health crisis. Her pastor rushed to the hospital to see her. She was barely conscious. As he usually did, he read Scripture and prayed. He prayed that God would spare her, that she’d get better, that she’d improve enough to go home. Then he left, not sure if she was even aware that he’d been there. A few days later, the pastor called on her again. This time, she was much better. My, was she talking! She scolded her pastor! She said, “I was ready to go and be with Jesus. But you prayed for me, and I got better.” That’s a woman who had seen the light in Jesus and could go to sleep peacefully in his arms any time.  I’d like to read you the literal English translation of the Latin of what was originally stanza 5 of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”  “O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting, Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness And in the shadow of death.”

12.   When do you suppose this verse was sung? At night in pitch darkness as part of the Vespers service! The monks would get up in the middle of the night in the cold of winter and walk from the stone dormitory where they slept to a dark chapel. How fearful an experience that must have been! Fearful, that is, until they lit candles one by one and sang this prayer. Then with candles glowing, God’s Word would be read and fear would be replaced by faith in Jesus, the Light of the world. That’s what God wants for us, faith in Jesus the Light, our Dayspring from on high. We don’t have to stumble around in the dark to find him. On Christmas Day and every day, Jesus the Light is God’s gift to us through his Word. Hear the Word with faith, and the Light will dawn. We pray:  Lord Jesus, Dayspring, holy Light, shine away our fears of death and fill us with the assurance of faith in your resurrection, even on this day as we celebrate your birth. In your name we pray. Amen.