Christmas Day: Audio Sermon (25-Dec-2013)

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Christmas Day [Luke 2:8-13] (25-Dec-2013)

This sermon was preached at St Paul's Lutheran Church, Darnum (9am) and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Traralgon (11am).

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Text: (Luke 2:8-14)

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, St Luke describes for us the events that surrounded the birth of Jesus.

We learn about Caesar Augustus holding a census, and requiring everyone to go to his home town. We read how Joseph and Mary travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because Joseph was from the house and lineage of David, and David was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was called the city of David. So Bethlehem was the town of Joseph and Mary’s ancestors. And we read that while they happened to be at Bethlehem, the time came for [Mary] to give birth. And we read: And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

This part of the reading talks about very matter-of-fact kind of things: a Roman emperor, a census, Joseph and Mary travelling, a birth, an inn, a manger. There is nothing from face value that seems all that supernatural—in fact, it’s all very factual, and historical. St Luke claims that what he is writing is historical fact, and not a myth, not a fairy tale, not fiction. St Luke says: I am writing an orderly account for you… that you may have certainly concerning the things you have been taught.

However, we know that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the God of heaven and earth that we worship, also guided and directed Mary and Joseph so that they would be in Bethlehem at the right time to fulfil the prophecy.

Now at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, where St Matthew speaks about the birth of Jesus, he quotes the prophet Isaiah, and says: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us.

Jesus is truly God, and at the same time he becomes a true man, and takes on human flesh from the Virgin Mary’s womb. As it says in our Gospel reading today: The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Even as Joseph and Mary are travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, that unborn child in Mary’s womb is actually their true God who is with them, and leading them and guiding them, their Immanuel, God with us.

And right at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, we read where Jesus says: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.

At the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, when Matthew talks about the birth of Jesus, he calls Jesus “Immanuel”, God with us. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus promises exactly the same thing: I am with you always to the end of the age. Jesus says: I will be travelling invisibly with you, taking you on the journey I want to travel with you, just as I was hidden travelling with Mary and Joseph.

Jesus says: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And he commands his apostles to go and baptise and teach.

Jesus doesn’t want his church to baptise people in silence, but also he wants the church to talk about it and teach people. The work of the church is not finished when baptising is done, but the work of the church continues when we keep talking about baptism. In fact, when Jesus ascended into heaven, he didn’t simply want to leave his life behind, but he sent out his apostles to tell the whole world about his wonderful life, his wonderful birth, his wonderful suffering and death and resurrection. Because when we talk about Jesus, and preach about him, and teach about him, his life and everything that he said, he promises to be with his church always to the end of the age.

So in the same way, Jesus is not satisfied that he should simply be born in Bethlehem. His work at Christmas is not finished simply when he is born and placed in a manger. After Easter, Jesus sent out preachers to tell people all throughout the world that he was risen. But also when he was born, he also sent out preachers to tell the world about it.

It’s this second part of our Gospel reading today which tells us about the preachers that Jesus sent out.

We read: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

It’s strange: St Luke has told us about the most important politicians and world leaders—he has told us about Caesar Augustus and his census, and Quirinius who had to organise it and follow out the Caesar’s orders.

St Luke also tells us about Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, who in God’s eyes are very precious.

But then St Luke tell us about some shepherds. They don’t seem to be very significant people to anyone. They are simple men, with maybe some teenagers and older boys looking after sheep. Back in those days, sheep weren’t keep in paddocks in fences, so the shepherds had to guard the sheep all the way through the night.

But remember, Moses was a shepherd, King David was a shepherd boy. In fact, the skills that David had learnt being a shepherd, especially learning how to kill animals with his slingshot, was what enabled him to kill Goliath.

So God had used simple shepherds before. And when Jesus sends out his apostles and pastors, he says to them: feed my sheep. In fact, the word “pastor” is Latin for “shepherd”.

So what happens to these shepherds?

We read: And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Here we can see that this baby Jesus is not satisfied by simply being born and placed in a manger. Just like he sends out the apostles to preach about his life when he ascends into heaven, so also when Jesus is born he sends out preachers to tell people about his birth.

But here’s a problem—we know that Jesus is the true Son of God. And after his resurrection, Thomas tells us the truth when he says to Jesus: My Lord and my God! But the true almighty God, the Lord of heaven and earth, has taken on human form. And he has taken on human form in each of its individual different stages. At Christmas time, we read that he became a tiny newborn baby.

So even though we know that the baby Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, how is he going to send out preachers? How is he going to publicise this good news? How is he going to make this great miracle known? Is the good news simply going to stay locked and hidden away in a little stable in the back streets of Bethlehem?

No—Jesus isn’t finished yet. And so he sends out preachers. But of course, a baby can’t talk. He can’t gather a team together, a mighty army of preachers. So what does Jesus do? He sends out a different kind of preacher, the kind of messenger that looks after babies: he sends out an angel.

Jesus himself says later, when he is older: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Babies, children and angels have a special relationship. Angels are always looking after and guarding the tiniest of children, right from the time of their conception. This is the reason why guardian angels are often painted as cute little naked babies!

And so this baby Jesus sends out an angel. This baby is not just human baby, but was conceived of the Holy Spirit by a virgin mother. And: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [him].

He had the authority on earth to direct the world leaders and world events (like Caesar Augustus and the census) to fulfil the prophecy that he should be born in Bethlehem. But now after he has been carefully laid by his loving mother in the manger, he shows his authority in heaven, by sending out heavenly messengers, heavenly preachers, the angels of heaven.

We read: An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

The baby Jesus is in the manger, but his glory shines all across the sky. The baby Jesus is lying amongst the animals and earthly creatures, the hay and the dung, but his glory shines around the heavenly creatures, the sun, the moon and the stars.

And when sinful people come into the presence of the almighty God, the judge of heaven and earth, people are filled with fear. Remember that the first angel mentioned in the bible, when Adam and Eve are cast out of the Garden of Eden, flashed a flaming sword about him.

What is this angel going to do? Cut us in pieces? Smash our hearts to the ground? Obliterate us from the face of the earth? No wonder it says: They were filled with fear.

No—not at all. The Son of God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

So what does the angel do? What does he say? Does he give the shepherds a list of rules and regulations: what to eat and how to dress? Does he tell the shepherds to place their own works and prayers and efforts and opinions in the balance of divine justice? Does the angel even preach God’s own holy law to them, and make them tremble even further? Does the angel take them and show them all the fires of hell one after the other to frighten them into salvation?

No—not at all. These shepherds were already filled with fear, just by the mere sight of the angel. The fact that we even preach at Christmas that angels even exist and keep watch over us should fill our hearts with tremendous fear. People who deny that angels exist, only do so because it suits their bad consciences to do so.

But the tiny baby Jesus doesn’t send out messengers to fill people’s hearts with fear, he sends them out with pure good news on their lips. He sends them out with gracious words that pour out divine, heavenly joy!

The angel says: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

I bring you good news. Not bad news. The angel doesn’t say that a baby is born, but he’s no use to you unless you do this or that. The angel brings the shepherds good news completely and totally freely.

And this is good news of great joy. This is the sort of joy that is not worked by human beings, a kind of fake pleasantness that people give each other at the checkout in the shops which buries their sadness only for the time being. This is a joy that is worked only by God, only by God the Father, only by Jesus Christ our Lord, only by the Holy Spirit.

And who is this good news of great joy for? It’s for all the people. Is it just for Jewish people? No. Is it only for Gentiles? No. Is it only for Jews together with Gentiles who act like Jews, and eat like Jews and follow Jewish customs? No. It’s for all people. Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Barbarians, pagans, atheists. All are called to repent and believe the Gospel. It’s for all people: all people are called to listen to the voice of this angel and hear the good news of great joy. Even you can see this from the Gospel of Luke itself—it tells you about things which happened in Judea, but doesn’t tell them in the Hebrew language. St Luke wants the good news from this angel to go out to all peoples, so he wrote it in Greek, the most widely-language in his day. And on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak in other languages, and the bible is even translated into our own language, so that we can hear it too. This is because it’s for all people.

So what is the good news of great joy?

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Unto you. The gospel is for you. It’s not for everyone else except you. It’s not for those people who think they are more holy than everyone else, but not you. No—it’s for you. Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour.

Jesus is called here our Saviour. He will save his people from their sin. This baby in the wooden manger, will one day be nailed to a wooden cross.

And he is the Christ, the Messiah. Christ means anointed one. He is anointed with every gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, St Paul says: in him the fullness of deity dwells bodily. He is the one who gives out the Holy Spirit, and distributes the Holy Spirit to everyone who hears and believes his spoken words. He is the one who pours out the Holy Spirit, baptising them with the Holy Spirit as they are baptised with water. He is the one who will pour out his Holy Spirit on those who know and lament of their sin, and who eat and drink his true life-giving body and blood in his Holy Supper.

And he is the Lord. He is our Lord, and our master. But he is also the same Lord who appeared to Moses in the burning bush: The same Yahweh, the same one who said “I AM WHO I AM”, the same Lord. And no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And then the angel points to this greatest miracle of all: This Christ the Lord is not to be found sitting on a cloud, and is not to be found so out of reach that the shepherds have to climb up into the riddles of God’s heart to find him. The angel says: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Even in our church today, as we join together in the liturgy with all the angels of heaven, this baby is Jesus wrapped up in his word, in baptism, and in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper.

It should be no surprise then that we read: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

Glory to God in the highest! What a wonderful message! What a wonderful messenger! But even more, what a wonderful child, a wonderful Saviour, what a wonderful Christ, what a wonderful Lord! Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, how we desire to join in with the angels to sing your glory today this Christmas! But what a wonderful miracle it is that the angels even want to join in with us, knowing that you were not born in Bethlehem for them, but for us, and for all people! Glory to God in the highest! Amen.

Christmas Eve: Audio Sermon (24-Dec-2013)

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Christmas Eve [Luke 2:1-7] (24-Dec-2013)

This sermon was preached at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Yarram (2pm, 22-Dec-2013), St John's Lutheran Church, Sale (4pm, 22-Dec-2013), St Paul's Lutheran Church, Darnum (7pm, 22-Dec-2013), Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bairnsdale (12pm, 23-Dec-2013) and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Traralgon (7pm, 24-Dec-2013).

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Text: (Luke 2:1-7)

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

Our Gospel reading for Christmas from Luke 2, starts like this: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was about to be born in the flesh. He was true God, equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and yet at the same time he came down from heaven and took human flesh from the Virgin Mary. This is at the centre of the whole Christian faith: Jesus is both true God and true man. He has God the Father as his own father, and the Virgin Mary as his true human mother.

Now, why does the bible passage about Christmas start by talking about Caesar Augustus and the governor of Syria Quirinius? Let’s hear the passage again: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was the governor of Syria. The first thing we learn from this is that the birth of Jesus Christ is not a myth or a fairy story, but that it happened at a certain time in history, when certain world leaders were in charge. If something of this significance were going to happen today, we might say: Queen Elizabeth II was the Queen of England and the British Commonwealth, and Tony Abbot was the prime-minister of Australia.

But secondly, we need to take notice of Caesar Augustus and think about exactly who he was. Caesar Augustus was born in 63 BC and was adopted by his great-grand-uncle, Julius Caesar. Eventually, this boy became the Emperor of the whole Roman Empire. He was considered so great that even while he was still living people built altars dedicated to him and worshipped him as a god. In fact, one of his titles was “The son of a god”.

Meanwhile, while this man was exalting himself to be a god, the Almighty God of heaven and earth humbled himself to become a man. A mere man made himself into a god, while the true God made himself into a man.

And so, while this was all happening in Rome, God was doing a wonderful thing in Bethlehem. From a human point of view, Rome was the centre of the world, but from God’s point of view it was small town in Judea, in modern-day Israel, called Bethlehem, that was the centre of the world.

Now it so happened, that during the reign of Caesar Augustus, his whole empire was so well managed, that there was a great time of peace that prevailed. There were no wars, no uprisings, no battles. It was a time of great peace. And so, Caesar Augustus used this opportunity to take a census of his entire empire so that he could make everyone pay tax. It says: A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

We also read: This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. St Luke tells about this, because he wants to tell us the man who organised this particular census, and this particular registration. Here we can work out exactly when the time of Jesus’ birth was, in the year 6 BC.

Then we read: And all went to be registered, each to his own town. Here we learn how the process of the census worked. Today when we have a census, the government send forms around to our homes, and we have to fill them in and wait for them to be collected. But in these times, the people had to go to their own hometown, the place where their ancestors lived, and be registered there.

Isn’t it strange that at Christmas time we should be discussing the ways in which censuses were conducted 2000 years ago? Isn’t it a strange thing that the bible passage which describes the birth of Jesus talks about all these things –Caesar Augustus, the governor of Syria Quirinius, the census, the process, and all this? Why does St Luke tell us all these things?

We read: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

So now we see that it wasn’t just everybody in the whole Roman empire that was moving around and travelling to their hometown, but now St Luke wants to tell us about a particular family that were travelling their own hometown. It says that Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, but they went to travel to Bethlehem, because Bethlehem was his family’s hometown. Joseph was part of King David’s family and was from his lineage, and so he went to the town where King David was born, which was Bethlehem. The prophets also foretold that the Christ would come from the family of King David.

Now in the Gospel of Matthew we read that when the wise men came to visit King Herod to find the baby Jesus they wanted to know where the King of the Jews would be born. It says: Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, [King Herod] inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

So we read in our reading that Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem at this particular time when Caesar Augustus was holding a census. We learn here that God uses world leaders and world events to shape things for the blessing of the whole world. It’s not as if God the Father takes Mary and Joseph in some magical or supernatural way to Bethlehem. No—this happens through real events in world history: in this case, a real census that was ordered by a real Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

Every Christmas too, we can look back at the whole year and see that the world has changed since last year. Maybe it has changed for what we think is the better, or maybe we think it has changed for the worst. Since last Christmas, there have been things that have happened all around the world, all around Australia, all around Victoria, even throughout Gippsland that are unique to 2013. And world history is never going to be quite the same again. This year has been a unique year, just as 2012 was, 2011 was, and so forth. God has used all the events of the previous year to shape and direct the world for the blessing of everyone.

How has God shaped and moved you this year? Has he moved you from a Nazareth to a Bethlehem? Has he changed your opinion about something? What are the circumstances that have even led you to come and hear the words of Jesus in this church today? How has God brought you to this point in your life, just as he brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem?

Let’s look back at our reading. It says: Joseph went to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Here we read something that is very unusual, and especially for those days. If Joseph would have been travelling with Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered, we would assume that they would have been married. In those days, if they weren’t married, they probably wouldn’t have been allowed to travel together. These sorts of matters would have been very important then.

But the text doesn’t say that Mary was his wife, but it says that she was his betrothed, his fiancée, and it also says that she was with child.

St Luke calls Mary his betrothed, Joseph’s fiancée, because he wants to emphasise that the child is not Joseph’s child. This child is not the result of Joseph and Mary’s marriage, but existed before they were married.

Now, many people today would explain this very simply: they would say this is a “shotgun wedding”. They would say that Joseph and Mary went to bed together before they were married.

But this is not what the bible claims, and this explanation is not the Christian faith. The Gospel of Matthew tells us the following: When Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together [before they had been married, before any sexual relations] she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And later we read: Joseph did as the angel commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. When the bible talks about “knowing” a person, it’s talking about sexual relations between a man and a woman. The bible says that he knew her not. In the Gospel of Luke, when the Angel Gabriel goes to the Virgin Mary, and tell her she will become pregnant, Mary says the same thing:  How will this be, since I do not know a man?

So it is a central belief of Christianity, that Jesus’ mother was in fact a virgin. So who was the father? God the Father was the Father, and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This is the Christian faith. Of course, this has never happened before and it will never happen again. But that does not mean that this is impossible. In fact, when the Angel Gabriel went to Mary, he said these powerful words: Nothing will be impossible with God. And these words ring out over the entire life of Jesus.

And so we read in our reading: And while [Joseph and Mary] were [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

You can see that God provided the occasion for Mary and Joseph to travel through the census. Mary didn’t choose the time and place for her son to be born, but God chose it, and the prophecy was fulfilled. And Mary found herself having to put their little baby in a manger, in an animals’ feed-trough, in a stable, because there was no room in the inn. All the hotels and motels in town were all filled up with other people.

And so the life of Jesus, the eternal Son of God in human flesh, begins. Jesus, who is true God, is born of a true virgin. And Jesus never promotes himself, but has the simplest, and humblest, and poorest of births, and the simplest of beginnings. The time, the place, the circumstances are all chosen for him and by him.

The man Caesar Augustus exalts himself as god, and at the same time the true Almighty God humbles himself to become a small tiny baby.

Caesar Augustus want to take a census of his whole empire, but Jesus is born so that he would enrol his whole empire, the whole world in the book of life.
Joseph and Mary are moved by the Holy Spirit from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and we are constantly moved by the Holy Spirit from darkness to light, from sin to forgiveness, from weariness to rest, from sadness to joy.
Jesus shows us his great power as God, how he was able to allow himself to be born at a particular place at a particular time according to the prophecy, but he does this in great weakness, humility, great gentleness, great poverty, lying in a manger in a stable. And by doing this, the little stable in Bethlehem becomes the centre of the world, the focus of the whole universe, the place where angels want to look in, the place where shepherds run to, the place where stars shine down upon.

What a wonderful thing it is to come and be in the presence of that same Lord, that same Jesus, that same Saviour today, to receive from him the forgiveness of all our sins, his great comfort, his great peace and his great joy! What a wonderful thing it is that Jesus comes to meet us in his word, in baptism by giving us his Holy Spirit and in the Lord’s Supper by giving us his body and blood! What a wonderful thing it is that our God comes to meet us where we are and takes us on his journey for us with him, to allow us to grow with him in faith from baby steps into adulthood. And what a wonderful thing it will be when this same child, this same Jesus, this same Saviour, will welcome us in to his inn, where there will never be any lack of room. As Jesus says: In my Father’s house are many rooms and I am going to prepare a place for you.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Amen.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son into the world to be born as a tiny baby in Bethlehem. Send us your Holy Spirit, and send us your gift of faith and peace and joy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Advent 4 [John 1:19-28] (22-Dec-2013)

This sermon was preached at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Traralgon, 10am.

http://stephenvdh.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/advent-4-john-119-28-19-dec-2010.html

Apologies for lack of sermon posts over the last few weeks.

Last Sunday of the Church Year [Matthew 25:1-13] (24-Nov-2013)

This sermon was preached at St Paul's Lutheran Church, Darnum (9am, lay reading), Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Traralgon (10am), Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Yarram (2pm) and St John's Lutheran Church, Sale (4pm).

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Text: (Matthew 25:1-13)

But at midnight there was a cry, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”

 
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
 
 
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus says: Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
 
There are some people who focus sometimes so much on the second coming of Jesus, that they forget to teach people how they should prepare for their death. The way we prepare for the end of the world is the same as preparing for death—Jesus teaches us both how to prepare for his return and how to prepare for our death at the same time. So he says: Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
 
Jesus is talking here about a Jewish wedding custom where virgins, like bridesmaids, would wait for the groom and all his friends to arrive at the bride’s house for a wedding.
 
It’s no accident that Jesus mentions two things that are not highly valued in our overly-sexualised culture today: virginity and marriage. Jesus describes entering the whole kingdom of heaven like a joyful wedding ceremony.
 
There is an order and a purity and a glory to this parable which is found almost in no other parable. Why does Jesus compare the whole church to 10 virgins? Why 10 of them? Why virgins?
 
First of all, there have been some Christians throughout history—and some Christians even today—who have sometimes considered celibacy as some kind of higher spiritual life. This is not entirely true. At the same time, Jesus does not teach promiscuity and sexual relations outside of marriage.
 
If there is one thing that offends outsiders about Christianity it is things to do with sex and marriage. This is not a problem with the church, but shows the great problems that are constantly faced by people outside the church when it comes to these things. There can be a real temptation for us as Christians to “lighten up” on these things, because we want to be friendly and nice to people. But even the world knows that you can’t “lighten up” about what are often the darkest secrets of a person’s heart.

 

So many people have made mistakes in the past or have been hurt deeply, whether it has to do with sex or other matters. All these things effect the way in which we enter into the holy presence of the living and almighty God. Many young people stop coming to church almost immediately as soon as they have lost their virginity, not because anybody in the church judged them—nobody in the church would even know—but because they recognise within themselves something that prevents them from entering into God’s presence. And this is not even to mention the vicious assaults on the innocence of young people (and not just young people) through the media and internet pornography.
 
But how can people go back to the past and fix what has happened? How can they go and fix their stupid mistakes? What’s done is done! How can they find their innocence again? How can they enter the kingdom of heaven like a little child again, without all the world’s filth?
 
This is precisely why Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. St Paul says: You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. We also read: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. St Peter says: He himself bore our sins on his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. St John says: the blood of Jesus [God’s] son cleanses us from all sin. In the book of Revelation we read that Christians have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 
The devil wants to defile you, and particularly he wants to defile your conscience, and make you despair as if nothing can be done. But something has been done: Jesus shed his blood for you, died for you and has risen from the dead for you and now enters into God’s presence with you. Jesus makes people who are defiled by Satan virgins again, by grace, without any of your works, and he is the only person who does this, and he does do it, every time a person is baptised, every time we hear the forgiveness of each and every single one of our sins, and every time we receive the purifying and healing gift of Christ’s holy and undefiled body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. So many people don’t know this, and instead try to pay for their past themselves in all sorts of ways. What they need is the gospel! And the gospel is such wonderful good news for all people in our society today and all people everywhere just like us who so desperately want to be free of the past, are worn out from running from God, from life, from reality, but don’t know where to go. Lord [Jesus], to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
 
So Jesus speaks in our parable about 10 virgins—and in doing this, he is speaking about the whole church who have entered into Holy Baptism, and are therefore washed clean from all sin and defilement. And this purity they receive from Jesus with empty hands, not because of their works, but because of his grace. And we read that each of these virgins took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
 
However, five of them were foolish, and five were wise. What was it particularly that made the foolish virgins foolish, and what was it particularly that made the wise virgins wise? When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
 
Wisdom is always practical, and always has practical consequences. The wise store up some oil for later, knowing that they need to keep their lamps burning. So what happens?
 
We read: As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”
 
Our Gospel reading tells us that all the virgins fall asleep. Just like Peter, James and John in the garden with Jesus—they all fall asleep. But the foolish virgins run out of oil and don’t have time to go and fill up. They can’t share with the wise virgins, because otherwise there wouldn’t be enough.
 
The light here is the Gospel—the Gospel is the wonderful good news of the forgiveness of sins. St Paul says: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”, has shone into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This light of knowledge is not a kind of knowledge as when we know that there just happens to be a rose outside. This knowledge is as when we go and enjoy the rose with our eyes, breathe in the fragrance with all our senses, and almost drink up all its goodness. But does this light depend on us? No – it says: We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. This knowledge, the pure gospel, is a living power of God, and fills our clay jars, our plain dusty oil lamps.
 
The light of the Gospel comes to you from outside. Jesus died for you, he rose for you – all of this happened outside of you. You were baptised—this also happened outside of you. But even though these things come from outside, they must come into you. Say: It is my Jesus, my Lord and my God, who died for me. The Lord is my shepherd.
 

However, this light is not kept burning by us. It is kept burning with the oil of the Holy Spirit. And how does the Holy Spirit work? Through God’s word and through the sacraments. Word, Baptism, Lord’s Supper—these are the gifts of God where he promises to pour out his Holy Spirit continually upon you. The font, the pulpit, the altar—these are the places where Jesus calls to you to come and fill up your lamps constantly with the Holy Spirit to keep your lamps burning.

 
Now, Jesus tells us the purpose of the parable when he says: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
 
Don’t forget the five foolish virgins. What Jesus tells us in the reading is that there will be a time when it is too late to fill up our lamps. Many Christians don’t come to church, and think that the church will always be there for them. There may come a time when they are about to die and there is simply no pastor, no Christians, who are able to visit them and comfort them. There may come a time when the only Christians around are the sort that don’t visit deathbeds, because they say: “What’s the use of spending time with customers who make no contribution to our business?” Many Christians well advanced in years have never read the bible at home. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
 
Many Christians, pastors, seminaries, so-called “bible-scholars”, have fallen for the lie that the bible isn’t the word of God, that it’s just like reading any old magazine, and treat words, whole sentences, whole pages, whole books as useless and insignificant. Whenever the bible accuses them, they say: “…of course, we have to understand the historical context!” They think: “The bible only makes the point I want it to make, it only teaches me a little lesson that I could otherwise find out for myself somewhere else”. They say: “The people who wrote the bible didn’t know what they were talking about, but we know so much better.” They think that there’s no difference between the Holy Spirit and their own minds. And so it’s no wonder that everything these people say, speak, and write sounds like an autopsy report, because they think the bible is a dead word.
 
You can’t begin to imagine how this attitude towards the bible has infested the church today, our society, our young people, like a plague of termites, which corrodes and corrupts every last drop of faith, and eats away like a cancer. Termites won’t keep your lamp alight, only oil will. Every time you hear the words of the bible, remind yourself that this is the living voice of the Holy Spirit, and pray for the Holy Spirit.
 
Hear the word of God now, while you can. Read the bible now, while you still have eye-sight. Psalm 95 says: Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time for you to be saved. Jesus says: Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What Jesus says is true! Jesus will never let you down! Isaiah says: Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Devote yourself to learning to every aspect of the Christian faith, devote yourself to God’s word and Sacraments. Don’t leave it until later, when you might not have the opportunity.
 
Don’t leave it to your deathbed. I have read many stories about people’s deathbed conversions, and most of these stories are before we had morphine. You don’t know when your time will come, you don’t know when your sight, your mind, your senses, your abilities may be taken away from you at a moment’s notice. And then you will not be able to ask your friends and family to read you the bible or call for a pastor. Psalm 90 says: Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.
 
Jesus comes as our loving bridegroom to meet his church all the time. We are gathered here in this church today as Christ’s bride to meet our loving bridegroom. And what a pleasure it is for him to gaze upon his bride and say, just like King Solomon to his bride: You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. And what a wonderful joy it is for us, Christ’s church, to say to him, as the bride said to King Solomon: Your love is better than wine, your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. Draw me after you; let us run.
 
Martin Luther once said: “When you go to the Lord’s Supper, go to it like you are preparing for your death, so that when you die it will be just like going to the Lord’s Supper”. This is why we sing those wonderful words each week: Now, Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation. I came with anxiety and longing, and I leave in peace. I came with sins, and I leave with forgiveness. I came into the presence of Christ with an empty lamp, with a faintly burning wick, and I leave church today with Christ’s blessing, with a cup overflowing, a lamp and flask full of oil.
 
“Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”
 
Amen.
 
Lord Jesus Christ, fill our lamps with your Holy Spirit and fill our hearts with the living light of your Gospel. Send us your Holy Spirit that we may hear your word with attentiveness and follow after you, that where you are we may be also. Amen.

Trinity 26: Audio Sermon (17-Nov-2013)

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Trinity 26 [Matthew 25:31-46] (17-Nov-2013)

This sermon was preached at St Paul's Lutheran Church, Darnum (9am), Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Traralgon (11am) and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bairnsdale (3pm).

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Text: (Matthew 25:31-46)

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

In the Gospel of Matthew, right in the last week before Jesus dies, we read that Jesus went up to the Mount of Olives to give his disciples a final sermon out in the open air. Our Gospel reading today is the last thing that Jesus teaches in this sermon, the last words of Matthew 25. In Matthew 26, we read about the Last Supper, Jesus' prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, his arrest and betrayal by Judas, and his trial.

So what sort of thing do you think Jesus might say when he knows he's going to die in only a couple of days or so?

He says: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all his angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

There is not a flicker of fear in Jesus' eyes here. He preaches a powerful prophecy about the future, and he wants the disciples to remember this prophecy as he goes to his suffering and death on Good Friday. So he says: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all his angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Of course, all the disciples abandon him and run away from him as soon as he is arrested. But Jesus promises a number of things: first of all, he prophesies that he will rise from the dead. The Son of Man will come in his glory. This is a prophecy of the resurrection because he calls himself the Son of Man. God cannot rise from the dead, unless he has also become a true man, and taken human flesh. Someone who is truly God cannot die, and someone who is truly God cannot rise from the dead--unless God himself takes human flesh and becomes a human being. Jesus, who was true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, descended from heaven in all his glory, and took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. So Jesus says: The Son of Man will come. He emphasises his human nature--his true human body--by calling himself not the Son of God, but the Son of Man. On that occasion all his angels came to earth and celebrated with him. And they sang Glory to God in the highest when they went to the shepherds in their fields.

Jesus also prophesies that after the resurrection he will ascend into heaven. He says: The Son of Man will come in his glory. If he's coming in his glory, where's he coming from? There's no glory in hell. If he's coming in his glory, he must be coming from heaven. And if he's coming from heaven, he must have gone there--he must have ascended into heaven. It also says: He will sit on his glorious throne. Therefore, he must be sitting at the right hand of God the Father.

But also, Jesus prophesies that he will come to judge the living and the dead. This Jesus describes in the rest of the reading.

So this fact that the Son of Man will come in his glory, with all his angels with him, and sit on his glorious throne, gives the disciples wonderful comfort, because they know that after Jesus has suffered, been crucified, dead, and buried, he will triumph over his enemies. He will be victorious. He will win the victory. He will be clothed in all the glory of heaven.

Jesus says: Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Many Christians today don't like to think about judgment. But judgment means that there will finally be a time when the followers of Jesus will be separated from their persecutors. Even now, there is a growing separation in our times between those who hope in Jesus and those who don't. We can see this in the way some people cannot bear to tolerate Christian chaplains in public schools, for example. In politics, the catchphrase "separation of church and state" is often used as an excuse to keep Christians quiet, even when Christians are not making much noise! Christian young people are feeling more and more isolated in their faith among their own generation that knows nothing of their faith. Jesus promises that there will come a time at the end of the world, when he will return as the judge of all the nations, and he will separate people one from the other as a shepherd separated the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.

Notice, here Jesus calls himself the King: The King will say to those on his right. Jesus will receive a wonderful crown, but it will be a crown of thorns from the Roman soldiers, he will receive his royal robes from them, he will be given a reed in his hand, and then he will be led along a long road to ascend his throne on the cross. Yes, the Romans think that they are pretending when they mock him, but what they don't realise is that the crucifixion is the coronation service of Jesus as the king of the whole world. This King is the Lamb of God who was slain, and he will speak to his fellow sheep. This King is the suffering servant of God and he will lift up his hands of blessing upon his flock, and they will see the glory of God, brighter than the sun, shine through the nail wounds in his hands, and he will say to them: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.

The king, the Lamb, makes all his sheep kings as well. In the next life, there will not be one single person who does reign with Jesus in his kingdom. We will all be kings and queens. Jesus says: Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. I will crown you and make you a king, a queen. And this kingdom that is given at the end of the world, is prepared right from the beginning of the world.

This is what Holy Baptism is: it is when people are called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. It is where we become disciples of Jesus, and are blessed by his Father, and named with the Father's name: I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Here at baptism is given the kingdom prepared from the beginning of the world to all who believe it.

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

As Lutherans, we hold very strongly to the biblical teaching that we are saved by grace, through faith, for Christ's sake, apart from works. But sometimes people think from this reading that we really might be saved by works after all. Some people think that Paul taught salvation by faith, and that the Gospel of Matthew and the book of James teach salvation by works.

But this isn't true. There is only one way that a person can be saved: through Christ's work alone, which is given to us by grace alone, and is received by faith alone completely apart from works. However, if we are talking about how Christians can perceive and distinguish, either in ourselves or in others, a true living faith from a pretend and dead faith, if we want to know the difference between true faith and a delusion, then James teaches that faith is dead if good works and the fruit of the Spirit of every kind do not follow. Love and good works are the evidence of faith. This is what it means when James says: You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Also he says: As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. He's talking about the evidence of faith. But earlier in the book of James, he says: Of his own will [God] brought us forth by the word of truth. Here we read that God made us his own children not by own works, but by his own will, by the word of truth. These things we simply receive by faith, and so James agrees with Paul.

So in our reading today, Jesus puts the sheep and the goats on trial. And just like any courtroom, he judges people by the evidence. He commends the sheep for their good works, and condemns the goats for their lack of good works.

He says: For I was hungry and you gave me food. It is a good thing for Christians to perform acts of charity and works of mercy to all people that we meet. And in many places in the bible, Jesus encourages us to be charitable, and merciful to all people. But in our reading, Jesus is talking about a specific kind of people. He says: As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Normally, when Jesus speaks of his brothers, he is talking about his disciples, and often his apostles. He says: He who does the will of my Father is my mother and sister and brothers. He also says to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples to tell the news of the resurrection to his brothers. He doesn't mean his flesh-and-blood brothers, but his disciples and his apostles.

Jesus also says: I was in prison and you visited me. Here we see that close connection between Jesus as he suffers on the cross, and those who suffer for sake of the gospel. They will be persecuted for the name of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 11, St Paul boasts of all the hardships he endured. He says: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. James begins his letter by saying: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

What do you think you would do if you were alive at the time of St Paul and knew he was suffering nearby? What would you do if an apostle was enduring hardship? If the people who speak God's word to you were suffering greatly? If a dear Christian friend who encourages you so deeply and profoundly in your faith suddenly falls into hard times? Just as Jesus was crowned with thorns, what would you do if you saw a fellow Christian neighbour crowned with many thorns of Satan? Wouldn't you want to protect that person from harm? Wouldn't you want to savour the last words of Jesus that you could from them? Wouldn't you feed them if they were hungry, wouldn't you give them a drink if they were thirsty, wouldn't you clothe them if they were naked and welcome them if they were a stranger, wouldn't you visit them in prison and strengthen them in their sickness?

Of course you would-- How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news! Anyone would do this for the sake of that Christian encouragement that we so desperately need. Anyone would do this to hear the word of life from the lips of their Christian neighbour. Those who don't value the word of Jesus, wouldn't do anything to protect the people who bring it to them--these people are called the goats. How often the apostles address the readers of their letters so affectionately and with such friendliness and with such gratitude for the love which is showed them on account of their words!

This passage is not about salvation by works--it's about our reception of the living words of Jesus through the messengers of Jesus.

And just so that you know this passage is not about salvation by works, listen to the way in which the sheep respond: Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

They don't even know that they were serving Christ.

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' The least of these my brothers: not just the apostles and the St Pauls of the world, not just the bishops and the pastors, but every simple Christian who receives hardship because of the words of Jesus.

And just as the sheep had no idea that they were serving Jesus, the goats had no idea that they were rejecting Jesus. Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

They do not value these living words of Jesus, and treat those who bring this word to them with contempt and so at the end they will depart from [Jesus], [as] cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Hell was never made for the sake of any human beings, it was prepared for the devil and his angels. And just as there is an eternal life for the sheep, there will be an eternal punishment for the goats.

This reading is almost too harsh for our times, and our society today. People have so much, and the more they have, the more they are afraid of losing. Many Christians don't value the simple message of Jesus and his cross, and also don't value the simple--sometimes even simplistic--Christians who speak it to them. Many Christian reject their baptism, reject the church, reject the authority and care of their pastors, and reject the fellowship of Christians. When did we see you hungry and not feed you? they will say. This word is such a thunderbolt for our country and our times which are full of small churches with few people. Would that the Holy Spirit would open the floodgates that people may hear and receive the precious words of Jesus, and hasten to meet him as their brother, their king, the Son of Man who shares their flesh and blood!

Listen to those words of Jesus, little flock! Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Come, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Friend, come up higher! Come to the banquet, for everything is ready. Come, bride of Christ, come, beloved sheep of the Good Shepherd! Come, and hear the dear voice of your shepherd!

 Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your gracious promise to come and judge the living and the dead. We pray that by your gracious Holy Spirit that you would strengthen and keep us firm in your word and faith until we die, and let your good and gracious will work in us. Amen.