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

            Preaching at a funeral service, a pastor made the statement, “My friends, we are living for two worlds.”  He was challenged afterwards by a successful businessman who said, “We are living for one world and one only.  We do not know of any other world than this one.”  The pastor thought for a moment and then asked, “If you did believe in another world, would it make any difference to you?”  The reply came without hesitation: “Of course it would.  If I had the slightest suspicion that we are really living for any other world than this, I should change every major business policy I have before the end of the night.”

Where do we put our trust?  Do we put it in our family, our friends?  Do we put it in the bank?  Do we put it in ourselves?  It is very easy to put our trust into the things of this world as the business man did; it’s something which we are very good at.  But at the end of the day, what can this world do for you?  We think that the world will do everything for us.  It will provide us with what we need, the necessities, like the new Mercedes or the half-million dollar house.  Putting our trust and seeking our pleasure in the things of this life can cause us to forget about God and to suffer eternal punishment in the life which is to come.

            With just a few words in our text for today, Jesus describes two men for us.  First He tells about a rich man.  The rich man dressed himself in purple, a color associated with royalty, and in linen, the most expensive cloth of those days.  The rich man was not what we would call a bad man.  He was very likely a respected man in the community.  But his goal in life was set too low.  He honestly believed that the important thing in life was to enjoy the good things life has to offer.

            The picture of Lazarus is the exact opposite.  He was poor and living from the rich man’s table scraps.  He was sick; he suffered from painful sores.  Since he was unable to help himself, he was carried by others who unloaded him at the rich man’s gate as though he were an unwelcome burden.  The rich man’s busy life and his constant search for enjoyment didn’t allow him any time to be concerned about the needy man at his gate.

            The rich man, according to Luther, “is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes, but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols.” 

Luther goes on to say in the explanation to the First Commandment in the Large Catechism, “Many a person imagines that he has God and everything he needs, provided he has money and property.  He relies upon these, boasts about them, and feels so immovably secure that he cares about no one.  But look, he too has a god, named mammon, that is the money and property to which he has given his whole heart.  Mammon is the world’s favorite idol.  One who has money and property has a sense of security and feels as happy and fearless as if he were sitting in the middle of paradise.  On the other hand, one who has nothing is as insecure and anxiety-ridden as if he had never heard of God.  Very few can be found who keep a cheerful spirit and neither fret nor complain when they are without mammon.  The desire for riches sticks glued to our nature right up to the grave.”

            Here one traces the secret sins of his heart.  For the rich man, he had his idols of wealth and property.  As long as he had those, he had everything else; he didn’t need anything else.  Faith didn’t enter into the equation for him.  Look on the flip side of the coin.  For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting; there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone.

            We don’t want to be the rich man, but more often than not, we are.  We may not necessarily go looking for the riches, but the riches find us in one form or another.  We put our trust into the things of this world because, at least for the here and now, that’s where our faith is.  The more we have, the better we are.  The bigger we have, the more important we are.  That’s what our American way of life tells us.  However, our spiritual life does not depend on the earthly goods that we have.  When we live for our own pleasures, we’re left with nothing.  People “feel” or “know” they are in the faith – however, they find themselves outside of the faith.  We put our faith in money, possessions, etc.  When we put our faith in our possessions, they can keep us from heaven and send us to hell.

            In our text, both the rich man and Lazarus, the poor man, died.  Lazarus was carried away to Abraham’s side, while the poor man was buried and found himself in Hades.  When the rich man died, undoubtedly his wealth was able to provide an elaborate funeral for him.  But what good did that do him in the grave?  During his earthly life the rich man had been too concerned with the affairs of the day to devote much thought to life beyond the grave.  But now he knew the awfulness of an eternity without God.  He was experiencing the punishment by fire of which the Bible speaks.

            In Lazarus, we see a complete opposite with regards to one’s thought process regarding this life and our eternal home in heaven.

            Weakened by his disease, by lack of proper nourishment and medical care, Lazarus died.  He did not have many people interested in him during his life, and nothing is said to indicate that it was any different at his death.  Although he may not have had people waiting on him during his life, angels, the servants of God, served Lazarus in death.  He was received into the rest and comfort and companionship and love of heaven.  He was taken to Abraham’s side where he would be with God.

            Lazarus’ focus wasn’t on earthly possessions; he didn’t have them.  Instead, he lived a life of suffering.  He not only suffered, but he was patient under suffering, submitting to the will of God, whom he had learned to know as his heavenly Father. Lazarus knew how to do without what are usually considered the good things of life, but he enjoyed his Father’s assurance of forgiveness and peace of conscience.  In this faith he fell asleep, and in this faith he woke up in heaven in the presence of the Savior in whom he had trusted.

            The rich man found himself in Hades.  He found himself forever separated from God.  He found himself in forever torment.  What could be worse than that?  What could truly be worse than not being with God?  Looking up at heaven and seeing those in heaven.  Jesus tells us in our text that from hell you can see heaven.  That alone is shear torment, seeing the heavenly bliss that could have been yours. 

Looking up, he saw the poor man Lazarus.  He sees Lazarus whom he disdained before now lying in Abraham’s bosom, like a mother holds her child in her arms.  Before, Lazarus was a nobody; now, he is someone special in the eyes of God.  For the rich man, it must have been hard to accept.  How could this poor man be in heaven while he, the rich man, is in hell?  It should be the other way around. 

            Jesus is teaching a hard lesson for all to hear.  There are only two possibilities. Either a person is like Lazarus forever with the Lord and with the saints made perfect, or like the rich man forever separated from the Lord.  This lesson is not one which is easily accepted by people, especially people like the Pharisees, nor is it an easy lesson accepted by us as well. 

      There is truly a hell.  Hell is truth seen too late.  That is what happened to the rich man.  He realized the truth too late.  The truth is your eternal reward cannot be found in earthly gains.  When the rich man realized that, he feared for his five brothers because they were living the same way he was.  Once again he showed his unbelief and tried to invent a new means of grace for his brothers—the appearance of one returned from the dead.  Abraham is quick to point out that they have the Moses and the Prophets, the words of the Old Testament.  More was needed for the rich man than that.  He wanted a visit from the dead to his brothers because that would be more convincing.  If you want a visit from the dead to convince you, listen to the resurrection words of Jesus.  “Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  Abraham simply reaffirmed that sinners are saved not by supernatural appearances from the dead but by hearing and believing the Word of God. Luther emphasized, “The Holy Ghost does not wish to work in us in any other way than through the Word and sacraments.” 

            Jesus Christ gives to us His Word, His body and His blood as means of grace.  The Holy Spirit gives to us faith so that you and I will not go to hell, but instead have a resting place in heaven, with the angels, the archangels, and all the company of heaven, including Christ Himself, with God the Father. 

            We may be rich in this life, and there is nothing wrong with earthly riches.  But when you place your faith and trust in the things of this world, you will always be destined for the road of hell as the rich man was.  Only when you place your faith and trust in the Word of God will you be given the keys to everlasting life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

            Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting, amen.

Pentecost 18C

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

            When you hear the term “law,” what do you think about?  Do you think about the police?  Do you think about what it is that you are not supposed to do?  Do you think of the good of the law, for your protection?  Or do you think like the song of Judas Priest, Breaking the Law?

            Most of us think of the negative connotations of the word “law.”  We rarely think of the good of the law.  We don’t think that because of the law, we are protected from harm and danger.  If it weren’t for the laws like speed limit, laws against drinking and driving and laws requiring you to wear a seat belt, there would be a lot of unnecessary deaths.  Laws are not made to punish us or to take away our freedom; laws are put in place for our protection.  Laws usually come about because of a negative experience, such as the loss of life.  It is because of that negative experience that the law is put into place.

            For the Church, we too have the Law, to show us what it is that we need to do and what not to do.  While you have the Law with a big “L” in place, you will always have those who twist the Law, make it say things that it doesn’t really say.  Paul says that “certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”  These were people who want to be law teachers but they have no idea what it is they’re teaching.  They declare certain things without understanding what they declare, and pronounce with great confidence on what this and what that signifies without even understanding what these things are on which they make such pronouncements.  It would be for us today to have someone who has watched Grey’s Anatomy to perform major surgery on you.  They have no idea what they’re doing, but they have seen it on TV – therefore that makes them certified to operate.

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

Olive Garden. Outback Steakhouse. Red Lobster. Texas Roadhouse. O’Charley’s. These are some of my favorite places to eat. Whether it is by myself, with my wife or family and friends, these are places that I enjoy. When I go there, I’m not looking to be harassed or have my every move scrutinized under a microscope; I’m just looking to enjoy a nice meal. That’s what happens when you or I go somewhere to eat: we just eat. There are no strings attached and we’re not harassed. However, if your name is Jesus Christ, you’re not going to have that luxury.

Our text begins with an innocent setting: Jesus having dinner at the house of a rule of the Pharisees. So far, so good. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary here. He’s ate dinner at many people’s houses throughout His days: Matthew, Mary & Martha, Zacchaeus, and others, just to name a few. However, this time, they were watching Him. They did what any doubter would do: they put Jesus to the test. As Jesus has set His face toward Jerusalem, there has been opposition. Now, those watching are watching Jesus carefully, even maliciously, to put Him to the test and to see how He will act. Their intentions are to find something of which to accuse Him. But in the end, Jesus is ultimately testing them and pointing to their own sinful motivations.

We have several key players in the “witch-hunt” of Jesus. We have the ruler of the Pharisees, lawyers and Pharisees. The Pharisees were the good people of their day. They never missed a religious meeting, they studied the Scriptures, they tithed, and they set the moral standard for their cultures. Jesus did not choose the guests but accepted an invitation to join them. He was likely invited because “they were watching him.” They thought He was being tested, but they were the ones who were having their values checked. Lawyers here were more like contemporary Bible scholars than modern attorneys. They interpreted the Scriptures and applied them to social and religious behavior, while Pharisees did not distinguish between the two.

Now that the players are in place, it’s time to set the trap for Jesus. A man appeared before those at dinner who had dropsy. Dropsy is a condition of swelling, called edema today. It is caused by water retention in the body. It was considered grotesque because of the disfigurement it caused. One who had dropsy was considered unclean according to Levitical law.

Just by this man appearing, the food and all present would have been considered unclean. Would Jesus expel the man or allow him to enter? Jesus’ first strike was allowing the man to enter the house. By doing so, all those present knew that Jesus did not abide by Levitical law and customs.

When Jesus asked those present a question, Jesus began the first of His tests: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Those watching Jesus are asking themselves the same question, and they have given no answer, only silence. Previously in Luke, when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, criticism came: “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” The men saw the need of this man; they saw his illness, they saw his pain, they saw someone with a problem – but that is all they saw. They didn’t see someone they loved. They didn’t see someone for whom they cared for or would sacrifice for. Because of this, they saw no reason to help the man.

Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter: you’re not going to help the man because he’s not important to you. If it were your son or your ox, you would see no problem because it’s someone who is important to you; it’s someone you love. Jesus brings it to them on a level which they can understand. Now that it is someone they’re connected to, will you sit and watch and do nothing, claiming that it’s the Sabbath? Instead of answering Jesus, by acknowledging that what Jesus said is right, they continue to sit and say nothing.

For Jesus, this man with dropsy was someone important to Him. It was someone who Jesus loved. He must act immediately – there is no waiting until the Sabbath is over. Jesus heals the man and sends him away healed. Jesus doesn’t wait; He doesn’t delay; He acts because He loves the man.

We are no different than the man with dropsy. We have a need of healing. Sin has infected us and is running rampant in God’s creation, a creation that was once good. Jesus sees us and acts. He does not delay in healing us. He does delay in restoring us. He does not delay in forgiving us. He does not put off our needs, our pain, or our problems until a later date. This is because Jesus acts out of love on our behalf. He willingly gave His perfect life for our imperfect life. He made a sacrifice which we could not make. He died so that we would live.

The second test which Jesus gives is one which the guests have started for themselves, though they didn’t realize it. The test was in the form of how they seated themselves at the table.

Jesus observes them as they seat themselves, each trying to get the seat of highest honor. They look at what they have done: their accomplishments, their actions, and their work, and they see a great deal to love and a great deal of accomplishment. They love themselves and show that by how they sit.

When you love yourself, you don’t see other people as people. The Pharisees don’t see others; they simply see themselves in relation to others and their standing. Loving themselves and wanting to show it off by where they sit, they one again do not look at others in love. They don’t see others as people to love, but either as those they surpass or those they strive to surpass. They are objects, not people.

Jesus’ instructions to the guests are about humility. One should never recline at the first couch at the table, lest the host shame the aggressive guest by placing him in the last place. Rather, recline at the last place so that the host may elevate you to a spot of honor. Their own lack of love does not simply involve a demotion; rather, it is a complete humiliation. They are removed to the lowest place – a place where there is indeed shame, because they have loved themselves and have not shown love to others.

The proper way is not to love yourself, but to love others and put others before yourself. In this way, there can be no embarrassment or humiliation. This is the life of sacrifice that Jesus leads. Jesus looks at others with love and sacrifices Himself for them. That is what Jesus is all about; sacrificing Himself for us because of His love for us.

The final test which Jesus gives is directed to the host of the dinner. However, the host is not really interested in hearing Jesus and listening to His words. He invites Jesus expecting that Jesus will do something for him. Simply having Jesus there adds prestige to the host’s event. Even more, if Jesus did something “wrong” at the dinner, this would only make the hosts’ standing go up in the eyes of Jesus’ enemies. The host is acting in such a way as to show love for himself, using others for himself.

Again, Jesus shows true love in that He expects no reward, no return, no reciprocation with His love for us. His love asks nothing and expects nothing; He loves purely and simply to help others. The help He offers us is the love of God that led Him to send His Son for our salvation. This is the love of God from which we will never be separated. In this love, we see the gracious salvation that is indeed ours now. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Now the peace which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus until life everlasting, amen.

Pentecost 14C

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

Faith. It’s a broad topic with many definitions to the word. One can walk into any Christian bookstore and find a broad range of books on the topic. We talk a lot about faith, but what is true faith and where is true faith found?

A simple explanation of faith is “the active principle by which the individual enters into that right relation to God which the all-atoning work of Christ has established for the entire world.” Another definition of “faith is also conceived as a state. In this respect faith is reviewed as the continued possession of the gifts and blessings of God, in and through Christ, through an enduring, abiding confidence in His all-complete and all-sufficient redemption.”

When one hears those definitions, one might see a problem with them. Nowhere does it talk about us and what it is that we do. Nowhere does it talk about putting trust in the things of this world. How can you have faith when you don’t have us involved with it?

That’s where the rubber meets the road. Faith is something which is given to us, not something which we make or create. Paul makes that clear in his letter to the Romans: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith is something which comes from the outside, not from the inside. There isn’t anything that we can do to have faith; it must be given to us. Faith is given to us by the Holy Spirit. It comes to us in the Word of God. It comes to us in Holy Baptism. It comes to us in the Lord’s Supper. It comes to us through Christ, who died for our sins. Only through these means does true faith come.

What is the true faith? The writer to the Hebrews tells us at the beginning of chapter 11: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” All throughout our text for today, we read about those people who lived throughout biblical times and the faith which they had, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Each and every person whom the author of Hebrews mentions was a person of great faith. You have Abraham, Moses, the prophets and patriarchs. All were great people of faith, yet each of them experienced pain in their lives, all stemming from the faith which they had in God.

Abraham is often called “the father of the faithful.” It was promised to Abraham that it would be his descendants who would inherit the kingdom of God. However, even the father of the faithful had his share of trials and tribulations and pain along the way. His most painful moment came in Genesis 22 where God commanded him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, to God.

Here God promises to Abraham that his descendants would inherit the kingdom of God, yet God wants him to sacrifice his only son. For us, we would probably scoff at the idea that we have to sacrifice something as valuable as our firstborn. Instead of scoffing at God’s request, Abraham took his only son and went to the land of Moriah to offer him as the sacrifice, just as God had told him to do. When Isaac questioned about where they would find the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham told him, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Instead of losing or questioning his faith, he continued strong in his faith, even in the face of what was to happen, that God would provide. In the end, the faith of Abraham did not waiver. Abraham focused on God rather than on the circumstances of the impending sacrifice.

The second example which the author of Hebrews sets before us is Moses. Moses may not come to mind immediately when you think about suffering and pain, yet Moses faced both in his unwavering faith. Moses was a highly cultured person growing up in Pharaoh’s house. His compassion for his people led him out of Pharaoh’s palace and into the desert of Midian where he tended sheep. Moses suffered because he trusted God more than he loved his position and power. He looked forward to what was ahead of him rather than what was behind him.

Moses is probably one of the best examples of faith in the Old Testament because he forsook all for God. How many of us would leave a position of comfort and security to tend to sheep? While Moses tended to sheep, he also tended to another flock of sheep, God’s people. He continued to be their shepherd through all of their needs, in the good times and in the bad. He had faith that one day, God would provide for Moses and all of the flock which God had entrusted to him, a home. Through faith in God, God provided to the Israelites the Promised Land.

The third example of our text is the prophets and patriarchs. Who would want to be like any of these people? Who would voluntarily want to be stoned? Sawed in two? Scourged? Imprisioned? Mocked? Wear clothes of goatskins? Live in a cave? Be tortured? These are just some of the things which many people in Scripture did as a testament to the faith which they had in God our Father.

All of the people mentioned above suffered pain in this life, some more than any of us could ever imagine. Through all the pain they suffered, they still held to the faith in God and His Word and promises. However, they “did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better.” What could be better than having your descendants be the very inheritors of the kingdom of God? What could be better than entering the Promised Land after forty years of walking around the desert? Jesus is better.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the greatest of all promises. This promise includes the resurrection and the glorification of our bodies when Christ shall appear in His second coming to those who are expecting Him for salvation. This promise is a promise for you and for me and for all believers in Christ Jesus.

For us sinners, we have been given faith by the Holy Spirit in our Baptism, just as little Kyia was given faith this morning. We who are sinners have been united with God forever as His beloved children through what Christ has done for us, through Baptism and through His life, death and resurrection. We have the fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus Christ.

We can look back to the cross of Christ to see our pain dealt with once and for all. As we look back, we remember what the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” Our pains are nothing compared to the pain He bore on our behalf.

As we continue our race, there will be pain. How can we endure it? By looking to the cross, to Jesus, who now is seated in heaven at the right hand of God. When we focus on Him, our pain doesn’t go away, but our faith is strengthened. Through faith in the things above, we can bear it because we see what Jesus did for us and we see what’s coming as well: the second coming of Christ, to end all pain on this world and to take us all to be with Him forever in everlasting righteousness. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Pentecost 12C

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

Everyone take a look at your watch. We need to hurry things up today because I know that everyone has a busy schedule. We have places to be, things to do. Our appointment books are overflowing with meetings and doctor appointments and little league games, sporting events and the like. We are on the go 24/7 and it doesn’t seem like things will be slowing down anytime soon. We try not to worry about our busy schedules and making sure that everything gets done in a timely manner, but it’s hard to do. There are many burdens, many concerns, and many worries of this world that are laid upon us. Not to mention the various concerns of this world clamoring for our attention, often bringing anxiety. Regardless of all that is going on around us, there is no need to be anxious for anything, for Jesus points us to God’s creation and says, “Will God not care for you?”

It’s easy for us to become over anxious in our world. However, Christ points us to creation all around us in our text and asks us a simple question: “When you see creation, don’t you see my Father’s care? Don’t you see the concern my Father has for everything all around you? Then surely you know that my Father is concerned for you as well.”

Christ begins with ravens: “they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.” It’s safe to say that we are higher on the evolutionary food chain than ravens. Regardless, they show us a very important lesson. While we might detest ravens and see them as unclean and nasty birds, God provides for all of their needs. He provides them food. He provides them the materials that are necessary for shelter.

God the Father does nothing less than provide for us as well. It may not be what we want or desire but it is what we need to live. Martin Luther, in the explanation to the Fourth Petition writes, “What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”

However, when we look at the world around us, we get conflicting information. While God provides for our needs, we also see such destruction and devastation. Tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, collapsing bridges – how many of these have touched our lives? All of this seems to go against God’s care in creation. How is it that God provides for His creation when He allows His creation to suffer like this? We look for answers, but often than not, we don’t look to God for the answers. We look to ourselves for answers or we look to the world for answers.

We become anxious about everything. We become anxious about what things we have in our lives, or better yet, the things we don’t have in our lives. We become anxious about the way we live our lives. In essence, our greatest anxiety is for improvement.

We are bombarded by the claims which society places upon us concerning what we ought to be worried about. Commercials tell us what we need to make our lives better, things which we cannot live without. We see these things and they convince us of what we should want and that our life is incomplete without them. They want us to see what is lacking in our lives. The problem is not with our eyes seeing things, but with our eyes loving things too much.

The major problem that we face is not relying on God to provide for our needs. Jesus makes it very clear that we are to rely on God to provide for our needs and not the things of this world: “And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”

The heart does not see Jesus tries to build up treasure for itself. It places trust in the things of this world, something which is easy for us to do. It’s easy because we think that the world can provide us the comfort we need, especially in difficult times. However, that is not the case. While the world may seem to bring comfort to us now, it is only temporary at best. Jesus gives to us a warning – short and simple, but a warning nonetheless: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

This is a truth that applies in all matters. If your “treasure” is worldly goods, then your desires, your plans, and your actions will be directed toward getting earthly riches. If your treasure is human power, your heart will devise ways to get it. Likewise if your treasure is in heaven, your heart will seek ways to use your time, your abilities, and your earthly treasures toward obtaining and securing heavenly things like spreading the good news of forgiveness in Christ Jesus. In doing so your heart will be strengthened in the treasures which we receive in the assurance of the gospel.

When the heart is treasuring the wrong things, then creation and the world does not bring the comfort that Jesus speaks of; the problems of the world weigh upon us rather than being lifted, and anxiety and fear burden us. The only way to change what our heart sees is to change the focus of what our heart is seeing. Instead of focusing on the things of this world which give us great joy now, we need to turn our focus to what matters: Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

Because of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, He has made us a wonderful treasure to God. Our sins have been forgiven; not once, but for all times. God doesn’t see the way we used to be, a creation marred by our sins. Now, He sees us as His

blood-bought sons and daughters, free from all our sins and where only the brightness of Christ’s holiness is reflected in us.

Where God’s treasure is, there is His heart also. That is why He sent His Treasure to earth, as His one and only Son, who left His place in heaven to become human so that He may die for your sins and mine.

Notice that God’s treasure is not in the things of this world, but in the One who came to redeem the world. Since God has given His Son to us as His treasure, we can put our hope and our trust in Christ, who is our treasure.

That is the message which Jesus tells to the disciples: “Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” Little did they know He was referring to Himself, for they were focused on things of this world. They were focused on trying to figure out how to feed 5000+ people instead of trusting in Jesus to accomplish such a feat. They were full of anxiety over what was to happen.

In a world full of schedules and the like, we should have no anxiety. We are to be anxious for nothing for God has promised to provide us with all that we need for this life, in both body and soul. The greatest of all promises we have is faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lived and died so that we may live forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.

Pentecost 11C 2007