Listen Up

Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord based on Matthew 17:1-9

Dear people who listen to Jesus: grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

When celebrities speak, people listen. When famous actors, singers, or athletes give their opinions, people want to hear what they have to say. Never mind the fact that most of the time these celebrities have no expertise in the matter at hand. Most of the time celebrities have no more knowledge about the subject than the average person. Yet people want to hear what celebrities have to say; what their opinion is on global warming, immigration, the Middle East, or the election. People watch them on TV, read about them in magazines, and follow them on social media so that they can hear their opinions.

However, when it comes to hearing what God has to say, people don’t care. They don’t want to hear it. God knows everything, but people don’t want to hear His expertise. The creator of the universe has given us His Word so that we would know His will, but people don’t want to hear what God says.

In fact, even more than that, they project onto God what they think God should say and what He should be like. They say things like, “I don’t believe God would condemn my actions.” “I don’t feel God would tell anyone not to come for communion.” “I think that God would say this or that is okay.”

However, what we believe, what we feel, and what we think is wrong if it does not line up with what God says. Our feelings can be all over the place. Our thoughts can be all messed up. What we believe is wrong if it is not what God says.

What is it that God the Father says in our Gospel reading as Jesus was transfigured? God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

How many times have you heard someone say that God told them to do something, or that they think God would want them to do something? Such people search for a voice in their heart or in their head that they think must be God’s voice. But God’s voice is not in your head or in your heart. His voice is in His Word, and only in His Word. God points to Jesus and says, “Listen to Him!” Don’t listen to your thoughts, feelings, or beliefs. Listen to Jesus.

Why listen to Jesus? Well, what happened when the three disciples on the mountaintop heard God the Father’s voice? The disciples fell on their faces and were terrified. What happened when God the Father spoke from Mount Sinai to the Israelites? The Israelites were terrified and begged Moses saying, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us lest we die.” (Ex. 20:19)

Moses makes a point in our Old Testament lesson about saying that when the elders of the people of Israel were in the presence of God eating and drinking, God did not lay His hand on them. The fury of His wrath did not consume them because God had made a covenant with them and sprinkled the people with sacrificial blood. This sacrificial blood attested to the people that their lives were protected by virtue of the vicarious atonement of their sins. In other words, someone else’s blood covered their sin so that their blood would not be shed. Someone else was struck dead so that God would not strike them dead.

These Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the one all-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. They foreshadowed the New Testament in Jesus’ body and blood which gives the forgiveness of sins.

Listen to Him. We listen to Jesus, because He is the Mediator between God and men. He stands between us and death; between us and hell; between us and the wrath of God over our sin. Jesus stands between us and the punishment we deserve because of our sin. He stands there because He paid the punishment our sins deserve. Jesus was struck dead so that God will not strike us dead for eternity in hell.

That is the reason why on the Mount of Transfiguration, God the Father says He is well pleased with Jesus. God the Father is well pleased that God the Son has reconciled us back to Him, because God does not want us to die eternally.

That God is well pleased with Jesus is of great comfort to us. It is of great comfort to us, because we are baptized into Christ Jesus. Our Baptism has put us in Christ. Since we are in Jesus, and God is well pleased with Jesus, that means God is well pleased with us. [This morning, since West was baptized into Jesus, and God is well pleased with Jesus, that means God is well pleased with West.]

How can water do such great things? Here’s a neat connection to the Transfiguration. Jesus looked like a regular man as He walked around teaching and preaching. During the Transfiguration, the disciples saw a glimpse of His eternal glory as the eternal God who has no beginning and no end, who created all things, and is over all things. The disciples fell on their faces terrified. If Jesus would have walked around in His glory as He taught and preached, everyone would have simply been terrified and fallen on their faces. Jesus veiled Himself in human flesh that hid His glory so that He could walk among His people and speak to them without them being terrified. Jesus hid His glory so that He would be crucified for our sins, which could not have happened if He walked around in His glory.

Similarly, Baptism looks just like regular water. If we could actually see sin being washed away, the Holy Spirit descending, and Jesus present in His glory during Baptism, we would fall on our faces in terror. God hides the glory of what He does in Baptism so that we do not have to fear Baptism, so that we do not fall on our faces in terror.

Baptism does such great things because it is not just water, but the Word of God in and with the water. Baptism puts us into Jesus, so that God is well pleased with us. Baptism puts us into Jesus so that we would listen to Him; so that we would listen to His Word rather than our own thoughts or feelings; so that we would listen to Him rather than the opinions of the world, or the opinions of whatever celebrity happens to be tweeting this morning.

Listen to Jesus, because He knows everything. He has created you and you are baptized into Him. He is the Mediator between you and God. He stands between you and death; between you and hell; between you and the wrath of God over your sin. Jesus stands between you and the punishment you deserve because of your sin. He stands there because He paid the punishment your sins deserve. Jesus was struck dead so that you will receive eternal life, because God is well pleased with you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Like Father, Like Son

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany based on Matthew 5:38-48

Dear sons of the Father: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fathers take special pride when their sons take after them in some way. A gifted athlete is proud of his son’s athletic accomplishments. A gifted academic takes pride in his son’s academic accomplishments. A gifted farmer is proud of his son who has learned from him and is taking over the family farm.

Of course, this does not mean, for instance, that a gifted athlete is not proud of his son’s academic competency or that a gifted academic is not proud of his son’s athletic performance. However, there is a special connection when the father sees some of himself in his son. It’s not just because of the genetics passed down, but also because the father can share in coaching and teaching his son. The father can encourage him to avoid the same pitfalls and errors he made when he was working towards success in the same field. There is joy in a father encouraging his son to be like him in the ways that he has been successful, and seeing them come to fruition.

As sons of the heavenly Father, He wants you to be like Him. In fact, God the Father demands that you be like Him. “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” It’s not just a matter of pride or coaching or teaching. God the Father demands that you be perfect if you are to be His son.

Therefore, the heavenly Father tells you not to resist someone who is evil or abusive. Turn the other cheek to one who strikes you. Give your cloak to the one who takes your tunic. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.

That’s what God does. He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good. He sends rain on the just and the unjust. This may seem unfair to us. It may seem unjust to us. Why do the just and the unjust get the same blessings from God? Why does God bless the evil with so many great blessings even though they despise Him and do not even acknowledge that the blessings come from God?

The answer is love. God loves everyone in the whole world. We don’t deserve His blessings any more than those who are evil, because we of ourselves are also evil. Without God, we are evil and unjust.

Why are we evil and unjust? Because we don’t act like His sons. We resist those who are evil or abusive. We don’t turn the other cheek. We don’t give our cloak to the one who takes our tunic. We don’t love our enemies and we don’t pray for those who persecute us. We have a hard enough time helping out, forgiving, and praying for our family members and those in our church family, and we think it is unfair when we see God rain blessings on the ungodly.

That is, however, exactly what God does. God doesn’t look at the worthiness of people to receive His love; He simply gives it to us. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” In this realm of creation, God gives His blessings to all. He doesn’t withhold His earthly gifts even from those who have set themselves against Him in unbelief. If He did, we also would not get His blessings.

Romans 5 tells us that while we were enemies of God we were reconciled to Him by the death of his Son (Rom. 5:10). While we were still dead in our trespasses and sins and were by nature children of wrath, God made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1-5). He didn’t look at us to see if we deserved it – because we did not. He didn’t examine if we had acted like His sons should act – because we had not. He didn’t judge us based on our ability to turn the other cheek, to give to those who beg, or to love our enemies. He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins even though there is no merit or worthiness in us. He sent Jesus to die while we were His enemies and dead in our trespasses and sins as all men naturally are.

Christ gave His life as a ransom for evil and wicked sinners like us. He was struck on the cheek, and turned the other cheek. He gave His back to be whipped, His hands and feet to be nailed, His side to be pierced. He even gave up His tunic and cloak as they divided and cast lots for His garments. He gave up His very life for us.

Through His suffering and death, Jesus fulfilled for us the demand, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Heb. 10:14) By the single offering of His death on the cross Jesus covered us with His perfection; He paid for and covered our sin.

He covered us in His perfection in our Baptism.  He speaks His perfecting Word to us in holy Absolution.  He feeds us His perfection through His true body and blood.  He gives us His perfection, covering our sin.

He continually fills us with His love and forgiveness to the point that it overflows us.  His love overflows us to the point that we won’t resist those who are evil or abusive, we’ll turn the other cheek, give our cloak to the one who takes our tunic, love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us.  God fills us with His love so that we can act like His sons to the glory of His name.

Your perfection, however, does not come from your love, actions, or good deeds. Your perfection comes only from Jesus’ offering of Himself on the cross, through which He has perfected you. Your perfection only comes from Jesus who has covered all of your sins. Because your sins are covered, you are like your heavenly Father.

The only reason we are like the Father is because of the Son. In Christ we not only act like the Son of the Father, but we are sons of the Father. Through our Baptism we have been adopted as sons of God, and we are perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. When God looks at us, He sees His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. You are like your Father, and He is pleased with you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

What is Murder?

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany based on Matthew 5:21-37

Dear recipients of forgiveness: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

God’s Law says, “You shall not murder.” Our sinful tendency is to apply this only to the course outward deed of striking our neighbour so that he dies, as if that is the only thing forbidden in this Commandment. Our sinful tendency is to think that we can do anything we want to harm our neighbour, so long as we do not personally and physically put him to death.

This was the interpretation of the Jews, and thus they thought they were not guilty of killing Jesus. They delivered Him over to Pilate for crucifixion and considered their own hands to be clean and innocent of His blood. When Peter accused the Jewish Council of being guilty of killing Jesus (Acts 4:10), they respond by saying, “You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:28) as if they were innocent and the Gentile Romans were the guilty ones, even though it was the Jews that compelled Pilate against his own will to kill Jesus.

So also, David thought he was innocent of the blood of Uriah the Hittite when he had Uriah put to death by the hands of the Ammonites. David had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, and to cover up his sin he put Uriah at the forefront of the hardest fighting where the enemy had their most valiant fighters. Then David had the rest of the soldiers pull back from Uriah so that he was struck down dead by the enemy. Somehow David thought he was innocent of Uriah’s death because his own hand had not struck the killing blow.

What Pharisaic holiness! It dismisses the heart full of anger, hate, and envy, of hidden and evil schemes of murder. It dismisses the indifference the heart has to the needs of neighbours, as if we can do anything we want to our neighbour as long as we don’t personally take his life. As if we can be angry and unforgiving towards our brother, insult him, hold a grudge, and betray him to be killed as long as we do not strike him dead ourselves.

Jesus teaches us the true meaning of the Fifth Commandment when He says, “I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” God’s Law demands to be kept not just outwardly, but also inwardly, in the heart. We are not to break God’s Commandments in thought, word, or deed. Insulting our brother makes us as guilty in God’s eyes as if we had murdered him.

Even failing to help our neighbour in need is breaking the Fifth Commandment. Luther explains this in the Large Catechism, “If you send a person away naked when you could clothe him, you have let him freeze to death.  If you see anyone suffer hunger and do not feed him, you have let him starve.  Likewise, if you see anyone condemned to death or in similar peril and do not save him although you know ways and means to do so, you have killed him.  It will do you no good to plead that you did not contribute to his death by word or deed, for you have withheld your love from him and robbed him of the service by which his life might have been saved.  Therefore God rightly calls all persons murderers who do not offer counsel and aid to men in need and in peril of body and life [LC I.V. 190 – 191].”

Jesus also teaches us the true meaning of the Sixth Commandment when He says, “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” This Commandment also is not only about the course outward deed of adultery, but it is also about the heart, the eyes, and the mouth – sinful lust, looking, and speaking. This Commandment is not just broken when you fornicate, but it is broken when you don’t love and honour your spouse as you should, when you speak poorly of him to your friends, or when you selfishly neglect her needs. This Commandment is broken when you are unsatisfied with your spouse and look at or think of someone else in the way you should only look at and think of your spouse.

Jesus teaches us the true meaning of these Commandments so that we would not be proud and flatter ourselves by considering that we have fulfilled them. He wants to lead us to repentance, so that turning away from our sins, we would receive forgiveness.

He shows this when He says, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Here Jesus is saying that if you are about to do the best good work you can do, of giving God an offering, of sacrificing or giving up something He has given to you, God wants no part of it unless you are first reconciled to your brother. If you intend to serve God while you have unrepentant sin in your life, Jesus says, “Stop! Lay it down right now, drop everything, and go be reconciled with your brother first.” Repent of your sins or God will accept nothing from your hand.

It is an unchristian attitude that is hateful and bears a grudge. It is an unchristian attitude that refuses to repent and refuses to be reconciled.

Jesus sets the example for us in bearing the hatred and grudges of the world and still desiring nothing except our good. It was, after all, our sins that killed Jesus. We are guilty of murder here, too. Do not respond with saying, “You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” as if you are not guilty of murdering Jesus just because your hands did not do the whipping, nailing, and piercing. We are guilty. Jesus died because of our sins. Yet the very One we are guilty of murdering gladly took our sins. He was pierced for our sins. He was crushed for our sins. He voluntarily died for our sins.

See how Jesus fulfilled the Fifth Commandment? Jesus helped you in your physical need. To prevent your eternal death because of your sins, He Himself died. To prevent your eternal suffering and death He instead suffered and died in your place. As He was crucified by you and your sins, Jesus did not get angry with you or insult you or bear a grudge against you. He prayed for you. He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do [Lk. 23:34].”

The suffering and death of Jesus on your behalf is why you are forgiven. Your failures to keep the Fifth, Sixth, and every other Commandment were put on Jesus. The very piercing and crushing of Jesus is what brings you peace and heals you.

Jesus teaches us the true meaning of the Commandments so that we would not be proud and flatter ourselves by considering that we have fulfilled them. He wants to lead us to repentance, so that turning away from our sins, we would receive forgiveness.

God’s forgiveness is what enables you to repent of your sins and to be reconciled to your brother. You are forgiven, so turn away from your sins. You are forgiven by God, so forgive your brother. You are forgiven, so you have God’s promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus died for your sins, so your sins have been taken away from you, and you are forgiven. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. [i]

[i] Part of the ideas in this sermon are indebted to Luther’s sermon on the Sermon on the Mount, AE 21.

Law Fulfilled, Not Abolished

Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany based on Matthew 5:13-20

Dear salt of the earth and light of the world: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them…” Jesus did not come to invalidate the Law or end its effectiveness. Jesus did not come to overthrow God’s Law or get rid of it like something that can be discarded. Jesus says the Law will remain in full force and effect until the end of time. “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law…”

Jesus does not say this to unbelievers. He doesn’t say it to the scribes or Pharisees. Jesus says this to His disciples. He says this to those who follow Him; to those He has called as His own.

Jesus tells believers that the Law must be fulfilled and not one single commandment is to be relaxed, not even the least of the commandments.

Christians are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We’re not supposed to hide the fact that we’re Christians. We are to love God and love our neighbour so much that others see it and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. We should be so helpful and generous and unselfish and kind that others around us take notice. We should be so full of joy and peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Gal. 5:22-23) that others look at us and says, “Wow! What a wonderful blessing from God that person is! Praise God for such a wonderful Christian!”

That’s not what others see most of the time, is it? Instead they see bickering and fighting among Christians and in the church. They see selfishness and stinginess. They see grudges held and anger and impatience. They hear gossip and slander, harsh words, and they see self-indulgence. They see the Law of God being relaxed, not just the least of the commandments, but even the greatest of them. They say, “Wow! I can’t believe you are a Christian! I expected more from you!”

So much for being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. How often we Christians have lost our saltiness and have hidden the light of Christ under a basket.

Trying harder is not the solution. God is not some little league coach saying, “Just try your best.” He doesn’t give marks for effort. Not one iota, not a dot of the Law can go unfulfilled, and we cannot fulfil it. We are in great peril because unless our righteousness exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, we will never see the kingdom of God. Unless you are perfectly righteous on Judgment Day, on that day, God will say to you from His throne of judgment, “Damn you!”

Since Christ did not come to abolish the Law, the Law must be fulfilled. Therefore, we flee to Christ for refuge. Why do we flee to Christ for refuge? Because Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.”

Christ did not come to invalidate the Law or to overthrow it. After all, “The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Rom. 7:12) Christ came to fulfil the Law. He came to do what we cannot do. He came to accomplish everything demanded of us by the Law of God. He did not miss an iota; not a dot. He dotted every i of the Law and crossed every t.

The other thing we cannot overlook is how Jesus ends His sentence, “… not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Until all is accomplished; until the Law is fulfilled. That’s exactly what Jesus did. He fulfilled the Law, and thus He said on the cross, “It is finished.” It is accomplished. Everything demanded by the Law is fulfilled.

It’s not only the Law that Jesus fulfilled, but also the Prophets. Christ fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament, from the promise given to Adam and Eve of the offspring to crush the head of Satan (Gen. 3:16) to the promised sun of righteousness in Malachi (4:2). He fulfilled the prophecies of the Psalmist who wrote that His hands and feet would be pierced, that He would be forsaken by God the Father and that His garments would be divided and they would cast lots for His clothing (Ps. 22). He fulfilled the prophecies of Zechariah, that they would look on Him whom they have pierced (Zech. 12:10). He fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah, that He would be the Suffering Servant, rejected by men, bearing our griefs and sorrows, and that we would be healed by His stripes and that He would take our iniquities (Is. 53). The Son of God took on human flesh and fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.

Scripture teaches that in Baptism we died with Christ (Rom. 6:8) and that the Law is only binding on a person as long as he lives (Rom. 7:1). Therefore, we have died to the Law through the body of Christ (Rom. 7:4) and we have been released from the Law, having died to that which held us captive (Rom. 7:6).

So, while the Law has not been abolished or overthrown and remains in full force and effect, we have been released from its demands because we are baptized into Christ who has fulfilled its demands. The Law remains for us to tell us what God’s will is for us, but it no longer condemns us, because Jesus was condemned for us. On Judgment Day, we will not hear God’s condemnation, because on the cross, God the Father said “Damn you!” to Jesus. Jesus was condemned for your sins and you have received His free gift of righteousness.

His free gift of righteousness covers all your sin, and on Judgment Day you will be perfectly righteous. In fact, you are already perfectly righteous right now. You are covered with the righteousness of Christ because He was covered with your sin. You have died to the Law, so even though you have not dotted every i and crossed every t of the Law, you will not be charged with your trespasses and sins. You are free from every penalty and punishment of the Law.

Thus, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Not because you have done so much good, but because Jesus has done so much good in you. In spite of your sins, the light of Christ shines in you. This is the real witness of a Christian in the world. It’s not about what we have done or left undone. It’s about what Jesus has done for us; how Jesus has saved us from our own sins. It’s about Christ’s light shining in us forgiving our sins, and we can’t help but let others see that light.

Even though not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law, you will not be condemned, because in Christ, you have fulfilled the Law. The Law has not been abolished, but in Christ, you have fulfilled every iota and dot of the Law. The Law will remain in full force and effect until the end of time, but Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, so in Christ, you are holy, and righteous, and good. In Christ, you have fulfilled the Law. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.