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Strange, but true: Pope Perfume

From The Daily

Smells like Holy Spirit.

Pope Benedict XVI is getting his own perfume, a creation of scent-maker Silvana Casoli, who has also worked with Madonna, Sting and King Juan Carlos of Spain.

“I thought of the smells the pope would smell when praying at the Grotto of Lourdes,” Casoli said of her inspiration for the perfume.

The fragrance includes scents of lemon tree blossoms and newly grown grass, meant to represent his love of forests and animals in his native Bavaria, as well as intangibles such as peace and tranquility, Casoli said.

However, those hoping to douse themselves with a little eau de pape are out of luck. It is only for His Holiness’ personal use and won’t be for sale, she said.

I wonder what it will be called: Pontiff Perfume, Eau de Pope. Will he actually wear it?

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Lent 3–“Folly and Wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistles, which was read earlier.

Are you a smart person? Do you possess lots of wisdom? Before you are too quick to answer, listen again to St. Paul’s words: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” The wisdom of the world is not the glorious treasure that some believe it to be. All we need to do is look at the Greeks of old. Their wisdom would lead them to hell. They were “perishing” in their wisdom. They were so sure they knew what God was like and how to deal with Him. They were so confident that they had the answers to the problems of sin and guilt that they automatically rejected what God had to say about their salvation through the cross of Christ. To them, in their wisdom, salvation through the cross of Christ was “foolishness.” It was the silliest thing they had ever heard. And they were perishing because they thought the cross of Christ was foolishness.

Unfortunately, times have not changed that much. The cross is still folly today for many. For those who view the cross this way, the cross becomes a sign of offense rather than a sign of salvation. After all, the cross is often viewed as just another means of salvation among many. When it comes to salvation, today we’re told that salvation can be found in Jesus, in ourselves, in our works, in another person or another thing, in a series of steps, or by any number of other ways. However, true salvation lies only in Jesus Christ and what was accomplished for us on the cross. That is what Paul says: “But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” By knowing and believing that the cross of Christ is true wisdom, we are saved.

When we look at what St. Paul writes, we see one thing at the heart of this text: bragging. The people of the day were bragging about their wisdom and what that meant for them. Their salvation was based on their wisdom and what they knew or thought that they knew. Paul knew his audience as he penned these thoughts in today’s text. The inhabitants of Corinth, a notorious ancient city, were worldly-wise and thought of themselves as being sophisticated, at least by the standards of their times. For the Greek philosopher, wisdom was one of life’s most coveted goals and was diligently pursued. But Paul wished to show how vain and shallow such wisdom could be.

Perhaps nowhere do we see the surprising and table-turning values of God more graphically displayed than at the cross. For Jew and Greek alike, the cross was a scandalous offense. It was a sign of torture, a sign of persecution. How could anyone take seriously a God who would send His Son not only to die but to die such a demeaning and despicable death? As Paul accurately notes, such talk of the cross is folly to those who seek signs and wisdom. But to those who are being saved, it is the power of God unto salvation.

Yet, not everyone has heard the preaching of the cross, and not everyone who has heard the preaching of the cross has believed it. This is why the cross is offensive. The cross is offensive because the Gospel is offensive. More literally, the preaching of the cross is scandalous. It is a message that kills the unbeliever. We lift high the cross in our preaching and teaching. It is not merely the cross we lift high, but we lift high the message of the cross: we lift high the Gospel for all to hear. We proclaim the Gospel for all people to hear, that all people at all times and in all places would confess the Name of Jesus Christ into all eternity.

Even today, the cross is still a scandalous offense to many. It is scandalous because of who people think that Jesus is and what it is He has, or in some instances, not done. Some non-Christian faiths will say that Jesus was just a prophet, a mere man who led a good life, a good example for us to follow. Some Christian denominations will say that Jesus only accomplished salvation so much for you and that you need to do something to earn salvation the rest of the way. For the non-Christian, Jesus and Christianity are seen as just another self-help method, no different than what you could find in any other self-help book. They demand to be convinced by evidence that falls within the parameters of their own experience. For them, they set up themselves as the arbiters off truth. However, the truth is not found in the word of man, but in the Word of God.

That is why wisdom fails when it comes to God and His Word, or at least earthly wisdom. Man so desperately wants to have all questions about God and Scripture answered. Try as we might, no wisdom on this earth will be able to answer those questions. God has granted to us all that He would have us know. Having answers to all the unanswered questions of Scripture, while nice, is not necessary. What is necessary is knowing Christ alone as the means for salvation.

For Paul, there needed to be a great distinction between wisdom according to worldly standards and wisdom according to God’s standards. We take great pride in boasting about our earthly and worldly wisdom. We boast about our jobs, our families, and most of all, ourselves. As Christians in the Church, we do the same thing. We boast of having the best pastor, the best church, the best choir, the best theology; in short, the best everything that the church has to offer. We boast on how we are the best officer in the congregation, on our church attendance or how much we give to the church. We boast about ourselves and how good we are and what we have done, as if it means anything in the end.

Regardless of what we have done and how great we might be, there is nothing worthy of our boasting of ourselves. Listen to what Paul says: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” You see, there is nothing worthy of us to boast about. If there is anything worthy of boasting about, it is Jesus, for it is Jesus Christ, who by His life, death, and resurrection won for us salvation. We look to the cross, for there Jesus won for us the forgiveness of sins. Jesus paid the entire debt of your sins. Your slate has been wiped clean by the blood of Jesus. Your heavenly Father sees you through His only-begotten Son’s blood and declares you righteous for Jesus’ sake, for the very life He gave on the cross.

For some, the cross is folly and foolish. But for us, we are saved by the cross. There can be nothing more worthy than this. We preach Christ crucified because we can – because the Lord has given us the privilege of declaring His praises. We preach Christ – crucified because, even though it’s foolishness to the unbeliever, it is the power and wisdom of God for salvation to all those who believe. We preach Christ – crucified and risen for our salvation – because He was cursed by God in our place; because He died for our enslavement to sin; and because He suffered the cross for our crimes. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Lent 2–“Who Do You Say That I Am?” (Mark 8:27-38)

B-32 Lent 2 (Mk 8.31-38)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

During all the time spent in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus continued to instruct His disciples. The time now came for a test. How well had they learned what He sought to teach them? It is only a two-question test; however the questions are important questions.

The first question can easily be answered wrong by the disciples and won’t cause them to fail the test. The question is this: “Who do people say that I am?” The answers of the people varied. Some said Jesus was John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others said He was one of the prophets. They all had one thing in common: these were answers that the Sadducees would not have given. They were answers given by those who were taking a serious look at Jesus. For them, He was more than just another teacher; He was clearly bringing a message from God Himself. Yet all these answers made Jesus out to be a man and no more. They were inadequate answers because they failed to recognize Jesus as who He truly was.

Often times today when that question is asked, there are many definitions of who Jesus is. Some will say that Jesus was just a man, albeit a really good man. Some will say that He taught good things or that He told really good stories. Others will say that Jesus is an example that we should model ourselves after, that we should aspire to be like Him. When we look at these definitions, one thing is missing: Jesus is the One who grants to us salvation.

As far as the disciples go, they can’t help what others think of Jesus. Jesus had done all that He could as far as teaching the people who He was. If they did not want to believe or accept Jesus for who He was, then the disciples nor Jesus Himself could change their minds. But now Jesus moved on to the question which directly affected the disciples. “But who do you say that I am?” This should have been an easy question to answer, a no-brainer, so to speak. Since they had lived with Jesus on such an intimate basis, they knew He was a true man. He needed food; He needed rest. However, they had also seen Him perform miracles no man could ever do by his own power. They had even heard the demons and the demon possessed speak of Jesus as the Son of God. They had heard Him claim the authority on earth to forgive sins.

This was the disciples’ time to shine. Jesus had put them on the spot and it was time for them to answer and finish their test. Peter steps up to the plate and hits one out of park. Peter gives the answer that Jesus was looking for: “You are the Christ.” In Matthew’s account, Peter adds that He is the “Son of the living God.”

Now, given Peter’s answer, we have to ask the good Lutheran question, “What does this mean?” Peter rightly calls Jesus “the Christ,” what the people of the Old Testament would have called the Messiah. He is the One who had been expected for so long. He is the One who would bring about salvation to mankind. Jesus is more than just mere man. He is the very Son of God in flesh. The Messiah, though truly human, was also God the Son, and His assignment as the Anointed One was clearly stated back in Genesis – He would be the One to bruise the head of Satan; He would be the one to earn salvation for us sinners.

Even though Peter made this confession, there were many of Jesus’ day who could not or rather, would not. Messiah meant something different to the people. Messiah meant an earthly king. Messiah meant the one who would rescue Jerusalem from Roman rule. Messiah for the people meant only earthly terms. Messiah did not mean what the Scriptures had spoken of regarding the Messiah.

This answer of the disciples given by Peter is the very answer that Jesus had hoped for. It is the only answer that can be given. Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus is the Son of Man, our Christ, our Savior, and our Redeemer.

It is unfortunate, though, that Peter’s answer is not always our answer. We even see that in just a few verses, Peter’s answer isn’t his own answer. All too often, we are quick to downplay the work of Jesus and focus on the work of man, on what it is that I do to earn my salvation.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again because it bears repeating: if you get Jesus wrong, then you get everything wrong. If you get Jesus wrong, then nothing else matters. What exactly do I mean by that? If you do not have the right understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you, then everything that follows after that is wrong also. If you do not accept that Jesus Christ is both God and man, that your salvation depends solely upon Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, then everything else you believe about salvation is wrong. Salvation can come from no other source than Jesus Christ. The moment that we start to think, or even worse, believe, that our salvation comes from someone or something other than Jesus, that is the point when everything means nothing.

Salvation for you and me would come at the expense of Jesus. After Peter makes this grand statement of who Jesus is, “[Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” That is how salvation would be earned and Peter wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, he went so far as to rebuke Jesus for even speaking like this. This boggled the mind. Why go to Jerusalem if this was in store? Head back to Galilee while there was still time. Of all people, the religious leaders should accept God’s Messiah, but instead, Jesus told the disciples that instead of receiving Him, they would crucify Him. As far as Peter was concerned, if Jesus had the ability to not face His passion, then Jesus should have taken advantage of it. It is far better to live than to die, especially dying the way that Jesus had described.

But Jesus counters with something that is much more important. After chastising Peter, Jesus gathers the disciples and the crowds and tells them that salvation is in Him and Him alone. Listen again to the stern words that Jesus says: “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” In this brief moment of Peter’s anti-confession, he shows that he is ashamed of Jesus because of the words that Jesus has spoken. Peter didn’t like Jesus’ words. But just because he didn’t like them didn’t make them any less true.

We may not like Jesus’ words at times either. Though we don’t like them, that doesn’t make them any less true. We may not like hearing that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation because it takes the focus off of us. We may not like hearing that we must repent and return to God, especially if we’re justified in our actions because I’m not as bad as that person. However, one thing remains the same: it is by Jesus Christ that you have everlasting life. St. Paul says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” I didn’t die for you. You didn’t die for you. Your actions are not what save you. It is by Jesus Christ and Him alone that you have salvation.

By Jesus’ death on the cross, by His blood shed, we have salvation. When the question is asked to us, “Who do you say that I am?,” may we be bold to confess as Peter did: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Lent 1–“Why Me?” (Genesis 22:1-18)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Old Testament, which was read earlier.

As we begin the season of Lent, one thing that some Christians do during this time is sacrifice something by giving it up during this 40-day period of solemn reflection on the upcoming passion of our Lord. When people give up something, they truly consider it to be a sacrifice, something that you can’t live without. We can live without our daily trip to Starbucks or that bag of chocolate candy that we absolutely love. Those are not necessities but are luxuries. But as we see with Abraham, he was truly called to sacrifice something, his only son Isaac.

One can only imagine what is going through Abraham’s head at this moment. I’m sure one question he is asking is, “Why me?” It doesn’t make sense of God to make this request to Abraham. Why is this happening to him and not to someone else, say someone with more than one child? Abraham might surely have asked the question, “Why me?” at God’s request and he would most certainly be justified in asking God that question. But as we see, God’s request was an amazing test of faith for Abraham.

Isaac was the son God had given Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Sarah had been unable to have children, yet God saw fit to give to them a child, a single child. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born. Isaac was the heir who would continue God’s covenant promise to Abraham. This was not only Abraham’s personal legacy, but also the legacy of God’s covenant. For this and every other good reason, Abraham loved Isaac! He brought great joy into the lives of his parents. How could God now require Abraham to make such a sacrifice, especially since God had just granted their request for a child?

This test was not for God’s benefit, for He knew in advance that Abraham was indeed a God-fearing man. Rather, this was for Abraham’s spiritual benefit. Abraham’s love for Isaac, although right and good, might in time have crowded out his love for God. In God’s view, Abraham needed an opportunity to consciously put God first. With this test, God brought Abraham’s training in faith to a climax. The particular sacrifice God asked Abraham to bring is called a burnt offering, a blood sacrifice that in the Old Testament symbolized a person’s complete dedication to God.

Because Abraham was a righteous and God-fearing man, he took his only son Isaac to the land of Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. As much as Abraham loved his son, he was willing to offer him to God, just as He had asked. What a faith Abraham must have had in order to go through with this. It would have been very easy for Abraham to turn tail and run away from God, as if he might be able to hide himself and Isaac from God. And really, who would have blamed him if he did? Surely not any of us!

Regardless of what this would mean, Abraham met God’s request with faith and obedience. He trusted in spite of the past challenges in receiving a son. He trusted in spite of future plans God predicted through that son. Abraham did as God had commanded. He obeyed in spite of the three-day journey to change his mind. He obeyed in spite of the emotions he must have felt as he heard Isaac’s question, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

One can look at this account and see just how horrible God is. He deprives Abraham and Sarah a child during the prime of their child-bearing years, only to give them a child when they are 100 and 90. Then, if that isn’t bad enough, then God requires that Abraham make a sacrifice to God, with his beloved son Isaac as the sacrificial lamb. How could this be a loving God who would require so much?

This is where people get God wrong. Here we have a foreshadowing of the sacrifice that earned forgiveness for the entire world. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, so also God the Father sent His son into the flesh of man in order to sacrifice Him on the cross. Surely Abraham was torn up inside as he prepared to sacrifice his son. Never the less, this is but a taste of the anguish of God the Father. God sent a ram to take Isaac’s place. There would be no ram to take the place of the Son of God.

In the case of Abraham and Isaac, God provided a substitute for the sacrifice in the form of a ram. But in order to redeem creation from its sin, God provided the sacrifice in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We could not provide the sacrifice that was necessary to redeem our sins. Yes, the people of the Old Testament provided sacrifices that would forgive them of their sins. But the results of the sacrifices were only temporary. They would have to make another sacrifice for their sins in the future. These sacrifices were not once-for-all sacrifices. The only way to obtain true, once-for-all forgiveness would be given through Jesus Christ and His all sin-atoning sacrifice.

Jesus had to become our substitute so that He could clean up the mess we made. He substitutes His perfection for our sin, His innocence for our guilt, and His virtue for our depravity. He substitutes Himself as the target of God’s wrath so that we can be the target of God’s grace. He suffered hell so that we can experience heaven. He takes all the sinful stuff that earns our eternal punishment and takes it to Himself. At the same time, He takes all His righteousness and gives it to us.

Fortunately for us, since, in the fullness of time, God provided the Lamb, since He committed His Son to the cross, we will never have to wrestle with the frightening choice that God put before Abraham. Our faithfulness to God is not in what we are willing to give up, nor is it in what we are willing to do as God’s servant. Rather, our faithfulness is in our clinging to His Son, His cross and resurrection, knowing that nothing we could give or do could ever exceed what God has already done for us in giving us His Son. 

We need not ask the question of, “Why me?” because it is the wrong question to ask. Rather, we ask the question, “Why Jesus?” and the answer is “For me.” In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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Transfiguration of Our Lord–“’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here” (Mark 9:2-9)

B-28 Transfiguration (Mk 9.2-9)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

“’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here.” Those are more than just words in a hymn. Those are words which Peter speaks to Jesus but are words that are unfathomable to us. For most of us, we never have that “mountain-top experience.” For Peter, James, and John, they did have the true “mountain-top experience,” literally, with Jesus. These three disciples were His chosen witnesses when He had raised Jairus’ daughter, and they would be with Him in Gethsemane. In Jairus’ home, Jesus had revealed Himself as having the power of God over death, for He is the very Son of God. In the garden, He would address God as His Father. The transfiguration would reveal His divine nature in a visible way and also support the truthfulness of all He had told the disciples in predicting His passion, which they were not ready to accept.

What happened on the mountain was startling to say the least. These three men, Jesus’ chosen disciples, had experienced something which they could not understand, but they knew that something extraordinary was taking place. Mark records, “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” In looking at the other Gospel writers accounts, we see similar descriptions: Matthew says “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” Luke reports, “The appearance of his face was changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” This was a spectacle to see if there was ever a spectacle. We see the human nature of Christ and even His clothing was completely immersed with the brilliance of the divine nature. For most of the 33 years Jesus lived visibly in our world, He emptied Himself of the use of that divine glory. He masked His divine nature behind His human nature. On this occasion the Father permitted His Son’s divine nature to shine through the human shell.

As Mark tells it, there had been little rest for the disciples. They’d been chasing Jesus from town to town all around Galilee and beyond, find the reality of faith in unlikely people and fury from His enemies. They knew that Jesus was someone special, but they didn’t fully understand how special He was.

Just six days prior to the transfiguration, Jesus and His disciples had been scrambling around Caesarea Philippi. They had talked about who the people thought Jesus was. Then, Jesus asked them the question point-blank: “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter famously replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Just shortly after that, Peter pulled Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him because Jesus began to talk about His coming death and resurrection.

Now you have Jesus, James, Peter and John up to the mountain, probably to pray. They had probably done this time and time again; this was nothing new. It wasn’t unusual. It was ordinary. And for a while, it was.

Just like that, everything changed, in a twinkling of an eye. Things would forever be different for these three disciples. Looking up, they see Jesus transfigured, changed before their very eyes. What a sight that must have been to be in the full presence of the glory and majesty of God, to see the Shekinah, the very glory and dwelling of God.

But if that wasn’t enough of a “mountain-top experience,” we see standing and talking to Jesus both Elijah and Moses. What was interesting for the disciples is that they knew who Elijah and Moses were. These two men lived hundreds of years before the disciples and yet they recognized them. There was no Facebook fan page or Greats of the Old Testament trading cards which helped to identify them and yet they knew that standing before them were Elijah and Moses. Moses, the great representative of the Law, was God’s messenger for the Israelites. He led them to the Promised Land, though he himself was not permitted to enter. Moses died at Moab and was buried by the LORD Himself. Elijah, the great representative of prophecy, also appeared. Elijah was taken up to heaven bodily without experiencing death. Now they both stood before the three disciples talking with Jesus.

Look and see what is present on the mountain. You have the Bible. You have the Law represented in Moses, the Prophets represented in Elijah, and you have the Gospel represented in Jesus Christ. The Law was fulfilled in Christ. The Prophets pointed to Christ. Their presence and words assured the disciples that God’s purpose was being fulfilled in Christ, in exactly the way Christ had told them.

And now we return to Peter’s words: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter wanted to keep this moment frozen in history forever. He wanted to put on hold the coming work of Christ and keep this moment as glorious as it was. And why wouldn’t Peter want to preserve this memory? If everything that Jesus had said regarding His upcoming passion was true, then those events would start to play out very soon. Seeing Moses and Elijah here was all the proof that Peter needed to confirm that what Jesus had said was true. This glimpse of Jesus’ glory was meant to remind the three disciples—and it reminds us—that Jesus was, is, and ever will be the eternal Son of God.

To put the cherry on top, so to speak, there is one more occurrence that makes this event truly one to remember. Mark says, “And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”” What a statement of bold proclamation, but what an earnest warning as well. This voice which can only be that of God identifies Jesus as His beloved Son but gives to them a message as well – to listen to Him. These were Jesus’ disciples. Of course they heard what Jesus said, what He had preached and taught the people. But God doesn’t tell them to hear, but to listen. There is a distinction to be made between the two. Yes, the disciples had heard Jesus, but were they truly listening to Jesus? All too often we hear Jesus and His Word, but do we listen to Jesus and His Word? Do we listen when He says that salvation only lies in Him and in no one or nothing else? Do we listen to the words Jesus speaks on the cross at His death, “It is finished,” indicating that by His death, He has defeated death on our behalf?

“’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here,” to be here where God is, to receive His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Unlike on the mountain, we need not worry about the glory of the Lord leaving us, for we have Jesus’ very words, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Epiphany 6–“Willing and Able” (Mark 1:40-45)

B-23 Epiphany 6 (Mk 1.40-45)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

When one reads through the accounts of Jesus, they will find numerous instances where we see Jesus teaching, either to the crowds or to the disciples. They will find several instances where Jesus is at a meal with a person or group of persons, again, often teaching. They will find numerous accounts of Jesus performing some sort of miracle. With most of His miracles comes some sort of teaching by Jesus, often through the miraculous act. As we read today’s account of Jesus and the leper, the theme is no different. We see Jesus perform a miracle and we also see teaching of Jesus.

Mark begins by telling us that a leper came to Jesus. You have to wonder how this leper made it this close to Jesus. By being a leper, he was ceremonially unclean and therefore banished from the city or town’s population until he became clean again. The Levitical law demanded that whenever they came near people, they had to cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” Should they ever experience healing, they were required to show themselves to the priests to determine whether they were actually healed or not.

The man who approached Jesus did not cry out, “Unclean,” and we can understand why. In his great distress, he did not want anyone to stop him from coming to the one he had recognized as being able to do what no one else could do, namely, heal him. Falling on his knees before Jesus, expressing his faith that Jesus had divine power and authority to heal and also expressing his own dire need, he cried out, “If you will, you can make me clean.” He acknowledged Christ’s power to heal but did not demand this gift from Him. Instead, he cast himself entirely on Christ’s mercy.

This leper is the complete opposite of us when it comes to Jesus. He leaves it up to Jesus to heal him. For us, we demand of God to provide for us. We look to God and Jesus as our personal dispenser of everything, granting to us whatever we want, whenever we want it. That is not how God works. Yes, “He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life,” as Luther says. But why does He do this? Luther continues, “All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.” What did Luther not say? He didn’t say that God does this because you up and demanded it from Him. He didn’t say that God does this because you asked in a nice tone of voice. Luther says that God does this apart from you, out of His “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy.” You don’t even enter into that equation. This is all about God.

For the leper going to Jesus, he doesn’t ask Jesus to cleanse him. He doesn’t demand that Jesus cleanse him. He doesn’t bank on his past and speak of all that he has done for God. He doesn’t make promises about the future, promising to devote his life to Jesus. He merely states that Jesus has the power and authority to do so and waited for the mercy of Christ to be shown.

Jesus has mercy on those who are outcast and considered unclean. Throughout the Scriptures, we see Jesus come to the aid of those rejected by others. Jesus feeds the multitudes the disciples would have sent away. Jesus sits with sinners and eats with them. Jesus takes little children into His arms and blesses them, though they are considered a bother. Jesus comes to the home of Zacchaeus the tax collector, one who is greatly despised because of who he is and what he does, and still chooses to dine with him.

Jesus is willing to defile Himself for the sake of those He came to save. Jesus looks with mercy on the man with leprosy and with indignation on those who are complacent and judgmental. Jesus reached out beyond the climate of the society and touched the man with leprosy, even though this would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean. Jesus was not concerned for His own well-being or what others would think of Him. He brought His Word and often times His healing to the people, regardless of the consequences. Mark tells us, “And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” The cleansing process was not gradual. The disease fled as the words left Jesus’ lips.

In the same way that Jesus touches and heals the man with leprosy, Jesus touches and heals you immediately. You have been shown the mercy of Christ. Jesus touches us on the cross of Calvary, where He takes our sin and every disease upon Himself, where He defiles Himself for us, and where He becomes the outcast of God for our sake. Jesus touches you and shows you His mercy when God called you to be His own child in the waters of Holy Baptism. You were shown that mercy when you hear that your sins have been forgiven you. You were shown that mercy when our Lord gives to you His very body and blood for you to eat and drink which gives to you forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. You were shown that mercy when our Lord went to the cross in order to redeem you, “a lost and condemned person, purchased and won [you] from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.”

By birth we share a common moral uncleanness. We were helpless to avoid the sin that separated us from the saved people of God. Daily we rebel against our Maker. Our sins are as real as the shiny white spots on the leper’s skin. We must cry out to God and the world that we are unclean, as did the lepers of old. The gracious mystery of the Christ is that He did not come to condemn us. Instead, He touched us. And with His Word and His Sacraments, He healed us and brought us back into communion with the Father and God’s people.

In stark contrast to a society and culture that separates itself from those they judge to be “unclean,” Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, steps out of heaven and into the lives of those in need and who are shunned by others. Jesus looks on those He came to save with mercy and compassion. He reaches out beyond the social norms, even at His own risk. Jesus dirties Himself – He defiles Himself – and He touches you. He heals you. He takes away your sin and blemish, presenting you to His Father and declaring you “clean.” In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Epiphany 5–“Bound and Free” (1 Corinthians 9:16-27)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

Freedom is such a wonderful gift of God that we have. We are free to choose what clothes we wear. We are free to eat what we want. We are free to have children or not have children. We are free to come and go whenever we want, within reason, of course. In short, we are a very free people with the ability to do what we want. What we must realize is that this freedom that we enjoy comes from God, our loving Father.

St. Paul emphasizes that he is free. He says, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” At first glance, it appears that Paul is very confused at what he is saying. He is free, yet he is a servant. The question needs to be asked: can you be free and still be bound?

That is what is at the heart of Paul’s message. He is indeed free. He is not free in the sense that we might think. Paul is free, not on account of his status as a Roman citizen. He is not free on account of his skin color. He is not free on account of anything of his own doing. Paul is free on account of what Jesus Christ has done for him. He is free because Jesus has granted him the freedom from sin and death by His life, death, and resurrection.

While Paul is free, he claims that he has made himself “a servant to all.” He has done this for one reason and one reason only: to preach the Gospel. He is under orders to go and preach the Gospel. God had told Ananias before he baptized Paul, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Paul had no choice but to be an apostle, but it was something he did willingly and gladly because of what the prize was: Jesus Christ.

While Paul was free and a servant at the same time, he was not under obligation to any person except Christ. He did not need to impress anyone. He was not bound to serve anyone except Christ. He had no allegiance to anyone except Christ. He was free yet he was a slave to Christ. Everything that Paul did was for Christ and His kingdom and His Gospel. He was charged with taking the Gospel to people and that is exactly what He did. Paul and his colleagues saw themselves as the Corinthians’ slaves for Christ. Theirs was a ministry of service, and by this humble approach, Paul sought to win as many as possible for the Gospel.

It is for that reason that Paul became “all things to all people.” When Paul became a Christian, he became a free man in Christ, free from all the laws and regulations that bound God’s people in the Old Testament. However, that did not stop him from practicing those Old Testament laws and regulations. To win the Jews, he lived like the Jews under the law, even though he was no longer obligated to do so because of Christ. He kept the Sabbath laws and observed the festival days; he followed the Old Testament regulations regarding the eating of foods; he observed the rite of circumcision all in order to win the Jews to Christ and the Gospel.

For the Gentiles, those outside the law, Paul became as one outside of the law. The Gentiles did not follow any of the ceremonial laws like the Jews did. Instead, they followed the natural law or moral law. His concern for the Gentiles was to convey to them that they did not have to feel that they should become Jewish in order to become Christians. That was different than what some were teaching. There were those within the Church that taught that if you wanted to become Christian, you must become a Jew or accept all the Jewish practices. That meant you had to become circumcised. You had to abstain from the eating of certain foods. You had to observe certain Jewish festivals, all in the name of being a Christian. What was ignored was the fact that a person was free to be circumcised or not circumcised; a person was free to eat or not eat certain foods because they had been set free by Christ.

Both Jewish and Gentile Christians were under the law of Christ. Both had the mind of Christ and sought to live upright, God-pleasing lives. Both Jewish and Gentile Christians live in Christ; their will is in accord with Christ’s will. Both want to do the will of God as expressed in the Ten Commandments, but both had different ways in coming to Christ.

For Paul, becoming all things to all people was what was necessary to win them to Christ. He did this without ever compromising Christ. Paul’s example of love and service is there for all who want to win others for Christ. He showed that each and every person, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, was important to Christ. He showed that he would do whatever was necessary to bring to them the Gospel of Christ which they so desperately needed. Paul knew just exactly how much the people needed Christ because he experienced firsthand how much he needed Christ. When Christ appeared to Paul, it was a life-changing experience like no other. He realized what he was doing to Christ and His Church. He realized that he lay outside of the Church and outside of Christ and His forgiveness. When the scales fell from his eyes, Paul was literally a changed man. He saw the mercy and love of Christ firsthand and his charge as an apostle was to spread the Gospel to all people. He would do what is God’s will to reach another person for Christ. In Christ, Paul became so free that he could give up his freedom to help someone else know God’s love and forgiveness.

His message to the Corinthians was one they needed to hear, as it is a message that all Christians are to hear. There is a prize to be won. The prize is nothing short than the forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. This prize is not like any other prize in this world. The prizes of this world pass away for they are perishable. They are here today, but gone tomorrow. The prize that Christ gives to you is the unfading glory of heaven and eternal salvation. The prize that Christ gives is forgiveness. The prize that Christ gives is Himself, for you.

This wonderful prize that Christ has to offer to you is yours for the mere price of your sins. Jesus gives to you this forgiveness in exchange for your sins. Your sins, washed away in the waters of Holy Baptism, just as was done for Olivia earlier. Your sins, forgiven you when you feast at the Lord’s Table.

It is because of Christ that you have been set free: set free from all sin and bondage to Satan. It is because of Christ that you are bound to Him: bound to Him through His life, death, and resurrection. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Epiphany 4B–“True Authority” (Mark 1:21-28)

B-21 Epiphany 4 (Mk 1.21-28)Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

Why is it that I am the only one who preaches here on a regular basis? Why is that the congregation not take turns to preach? It all comes down to who has authority to preach and who doesn’t. As we look at our Gospel reading, we see Jesus entering the synagogue and begin teaching. But there is one problem with this picture: Jesus does not have the authority to teach in the synagogue because He is not one of the teachers of the Law. As far as authority goes, he has as much authority as the next Jewish male to begin teaching, which is none. As Mark records for us, “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” What Jesus’ specific message was on this particular Sabbath, Mark does not tell us; he does tell us about the impression His preaching made on the worshipers. They were amazed, for Jesus did not teach as the teachers of the Law. They always appealed to the interpretations of past rabbis and were particularly adept at breaking down God’s Word into any number of legalistic regulations. Jesus instead always proclaimed the Gospel of God. He quoted no experts but proclaimed the good news on His own authority.

What did that say about the teaching of the scribes? What was at the heart of their teaching if it wasn’t the Gospel? Imagine the scribes when they heard Jesus teaching. What a humbling experience that must have been, or rather, should have been. Remember what was at the heart of their teaching: adherence to the Law in order to bring about salvation. Again, without knowing what Jesus said or taught, you can only imagine that it was not, “If you keep this law and that law, then you will be saved.” Rather, I imagine that the message of Jesus was all about the forgiveness that comes through the gracious mercy of God.

It is solely the authority of God that brings about salvation. It is not the authority of man. It surely was not the authority of the scribes and their strict adherence of the Law, or at least strict adherence in their own eyes. They were the ones who were trained to know what the Scriptures said. However, merely knowing what the Scriptures say and teaching what they say are two different things. One has the authority of man attached to it and the other has the authority of God.

It is no wonder that Jesus taught as one who had authority because He WAS the authority. As the very Son of God, everything that the Scriptures spoke of concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in Him. Every prophecy, every mention of salvation was the result of Jesus as the Christ, the promised Messiah.

Not only had the people gathered realized that Jesus had authority, so did a particular man with an unclean spirit. He called Jesus out on the spot, telling everyone who He was: “I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” For Jesus, the cat was out of the bag. His identity had been revealed to everyone who was there, whether He wanted it known or not. Jesus was just beginning His ministry. He had just begun to call His disciples as we remember from last week’s Gospel reading. Even there we see Jesus exercising His authority when all He has to say is “Come, follow me” and Simon, Andrew, James, and John immediately leave their boats and what they were doing to follow Jesus.

The time had not come and it was not right that the true identity of Jesus be revealed, and so He commands the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him.” As Mark records for us, the demon obeyed and left the man. Why did the demon leave the man so quickly? Why didn’t he try to put up a fight and retain his hold on this man? The answer was because Jesus had the authority and the demon did not. Jesus has all authority as He says in Matthew, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The words which Jesus spoke were words that commanded authority. They commanded authority because they were not His own words, but they were the words of God. They were the words of promise; they were the words of forgiveness.

Those who were gathered recognized that there was something new to the teaching of Jesus. His teaching was not the same as that of the scribes and rabbis. They recognized that what He taught had authority behind it. It wasn’t made up of fluff, of things that didn’t matter. Those people had heard the Word of God and now here they were confronted with the Word of God made flesh for them. They were amazed at the authority of His words and His work. It was teaching that was focused on the Word of God, with the authority of God behind it. Why did it have the authority of God behind it? Because Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh.

This authority that Jesus Christ asserts over the demon, the authority that He uses to teach in the synagogue, the authority that He uses in performing miracles; in short, the authority that He asserts throughout His life and ministry is the authority as the very Son of God.

As Jesus speaks, we see His authority in action. As Jesus speaks, something happens. Jesus speaks to the blind and they receive sight. Jesus speaks and the lepers are cleansed. Jesus speaks and the lame walk. Jesus speaks and the thief on the cross enters paradise. Jesus speaks, “It is finished,” and your sins are forgiven. It is that blessed Word of God that has such great power and authority.

Even today, we see that authority of God’s Word at work as Gary/Jude came to the waters of Holy Baptism and was made a child of God. What was it that made this possible and earned him that forgiveness? As Luther says, “Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word, the water is plain water and no Baptism.” It is God’s Word that gives it authority.

God’s Word is the final authority. In our case, God’s Word does not cause evil spirits to come out of us. Instead, they are words with the authority to restore. Three words, “I forgive you,” from the mouth of God, dispel all gloom and sadness and bring on joy and gladness. It is joy and gladness in knowing that we have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, that all of our sins have been forgiven, and that we have been given life eternal with Jesus Christ. There lies true authority: authority of Jesus Christ to forgive and to make holy. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Funeral for +Elsie Mary Bates+

LSB Icon_040The text that I have chosen for Elsie’s funeral comes from 1 Corinthians 15:51-57.

51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here ends our text.

Don, Donna, Gail, family and friends, it is no mystery why we are gathered here today. Today, we lay to rest our beloved sister in Christ, Elsie. For us all, death really isn’t much of a mystery. Because of our sinful nature, we live and we die. Man’s mortality rate is 100%. As much as we would like to see happen otherwise, death is inevitable. Elsie was not immune to death. She too suffered death, but only a physical death.

Paul speaks in our text of a mystery. This is the mystery: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” That statement was one that some in the early Church had a problem grasping. They too knew that death was inevitable and that one day, they would succumb to it. Unfortunately for some, they truly believed that death was the end. What a tragedy that was for them! These were Christians, those who confessed Christ and still didn’t believe in the resurrection. Praise be to God, Elsie was not like some in the early Church. She was a sinner, and not just any sinner. She was a sinner who was damned because of her sin, and she knew it! She knew that she deserved death and hell. Yet she also knew that on account of Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, He declared her to be not guilty and gave to her the forgiveness of her sins. Not only that, she knew that when she died, she would rise again to everlasting life because of Jesus. This was her hope, a victory made possible through Jesus Christ, God’s own Son.

Christ lived a sinless and perfect life in order that man would be saved and have everlasting life through Him. That means that Christ lived a sinless and perfect life in order that you would be saved and have everlasting life through Him. Elsie knew that because of Christ, she would be saved and have everlasting life. All those years ago at the font, when the pastor spoke those Gospel words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Elsie’s life was forever changed. There, she died a spiritual death in the waters of Holy Baptism and all sin that she would ever commit was forgiven.

This was accomplished for you and for Elsie solely on account of Jesus. He lived, He died, and He rose again to provide this victory. It is not accomplished by a person’s life or accomplishments. It’s not accomplished by virtue of whether or not you were a good person. This salvation that Elsie received was granted apart from her. The salvation that Jesus grants to you is given to you apart from you. The reason why it does not and cannot depend on you is because you are dead. St. Paul says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ….”

Even though we are dead in our trespasses and sins, we have new life in Christ. It is granted to us without our doing anything or working for it. As Martin Luther writes, “All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.” It is because Christ lives, we too shall live. It is because Christ lives, Elsie lives too.

This victory over sin and death is all according to God’s plan. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God began His plan for redeeming man. That plan involved one thing and only one thing: Jesus. It involved Jesus for Elsie. It involved Jesus for you. When Christ rose from the dead, God’s plan was completed. The reason why all this was done is because of the love that God has for His creation, for you. This victory that Christ has won is meant for God’s people. It is God’s will that all men come to faith and be saved. He does not want to see any perish, but have everlasting life.

That is why Christ was sent into this world, in order to save this world. The world wasn’t saved because it was good, because it was far from it. All one needs to do is read through the Scriptures to see just how corrupt mankind truly is. God punished Adam and Eve by kicking them out of the Garden of Eden. God flooded the earth because it was so sinful. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were so sinful. Mankind is inherently sinful and there is nothing redeemable about us, yet God chose to send His Son to live and to die to redeem us.

Out of love for His creation, God sent Jesus. It surely wasn’t because of anything on the part of man. It wasn’t on account of anything that Elsie did in her life. She knew that about herself. She knew that she was a condemned and damned sinner who deserved hell, but on account of Jesus, she knew that she was forgiven. She knew that she was forgiven because Jesus died for her sins. She knew that she would never be able to achieve salvation on her own and she solely relied upon Jesus to grant to her the forgiveness of sins which she so desperately needed, something which you and I so desperately need.

For those of us who remain, there will indeed be sorrow today, for an important part of our lives has been taken away from us: a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and a friend. For as much sorrow as we might express, we should express an equal amount of joy in knowing that our Lord has called Elsie to be with Him. Our joy lies in knowing that one day, we too shall gaze upon the face of Jesus when we enter that heavenly paradise which Christ has prepared for us with His own blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Our joy lies in knowing that one day, we shall gaze upon the face of our sainted sister Elsie, who has received that glorified and perfect body. While we mourn today, we look to that joy that we have forever because of Christ, a joy in knowing that we will be with those who have died in the faith, but more importantly, a joy where we will be with Him. Don, Donna, Gail, look to Jesus, for He alone can give victory, a victory that He has granted to Elsie and a victory that He grants to you as well. Amen.