Midweek Lent – Vicar Anderson homily
Text: St. John 19:4-6
In Christ Jesus, who was scourged, beaten, and crucified for you and by those wounds you are healed, dear fellow redeemed:
When a verdict is reached in a court case that gathers national attention, the media is waiting for the press conference to hear about the outcome. Sometimes at those press conferences, more people than just the media will look to gather there. If the verdict was that the person was innocent, the press conference will go into detail about how they were able to prove that their client was innocent. Now how would the world react if that innocent client was brought out of the courtroom beaten and unrecognizable? They were pronounced not guilty! How could this happen?! The Jews could not provide any evidence against Jesus to have him executed. Pilate tells them this. He’s looked at the charges and there is nothing. The Jews tell him that Jesus is a threat to not only the Jews but the Romans. Pilate takes that into consideration in his ruling. Pilate knows his verdict is right, and he wants the Jews to know it as well.
Jesus body is a shadow of the teacher that He looked like only 24 hours ago. He was teaching His disciples. He had instituted the Lord’s Supper. He was arrested in the garden. It only got worse from there. Pilate now brings Him out to reveal to the Jews what has happened to Him. Jesus was taken from the public’s view and was subject to Roman torture. He had endured a scourging and a mockery so harsh that He must have been unrecognizable. Many people die from this torture. Jesus walks out, very badly beaten and abused, wearing a purple robe and a crown of thorns wedged onto His head.
It was known how cruel Pilate could be with the Jews, they see again his cruelty as Pilate brought Jesus out after His beating. Did he do this to rouse pity from the Jews, to show them that Jesus was not a threat to the Jews or to Rome? We don’t know Pilate’s thoughts, but we do know this, he knew that Jesus was innocent. This was unjust.
“Behold the man!” said Pilate. If Jesus was a king, Pilate wanted to show the Jews how weak their king was. If the Jews felt threatened by Jesus, Pilate hoped they would be satisfied by the beating He had already taken. “Behold the man!”—the weak, pitiful man. No one who looked at Him would have known this was God in the flesh. He had humbled Himself so completely. He was despised and rejected by men.
And this is how we are tempted to think about Him too, as nothing more than a man, a weak man. That is how we act when we put our trust in the powers of the world more than in Jesus. That is how we act when we are confronted by our friends and the world about our beliefs. It is so easy to join in with what they say and think instead of defending Christ. If we defend Christ, what will our friends and the world think of us? They might even leave us. So, it is easy to look at Jesus as just a man and what can that man do for us? Like what some of our friends and the world might think, it sure looks like He doesn’t do much at all.
Just like the chief priests and officers, the people of the world act like they are in control over Jesus. The religious leaders call out for His crucifixion. What can He do about it? They feel very powerful. The unbelieving world also has no time for a dying Savior. The world responds to power, fame, and influence. Like many followers then, they thought Jesus would lead a rebellion against Rome. Many want a worldly, reigning on earth Savior if they even want one at all. When the world denies Christ and ridicules His followers, we can forget who it is we trust in. We can forget who Jesus really is—the Son of God in the flesh, who is not suffering against His will, but according to His will.
Pilate did not know this plan and was very conflicted about what was happening. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent. What is he to do? Does he do his duty to preserve law and order? Pilate is already on thin ice with Rome regarding the Jews. He cannot risk open rebellion, especially when he is vastly outnumbered. He also despises the Jews; they need to know that he is in charge. Pilate shows them that death is up to him. He points out that Jesus is just a man in his eyes. Jesus is not a threat to Rome. And as Pilate washes his hands, he hands Jesus over showing the Jews that this is only happening on his command. When we continue in our sins and put our trust in the things of this world, we also wash our hands of Him. We join the world and Pilate pointing at Jesus saying, “Behold the man!”
As all human beings are responsible for the inhumane torture of Christ, we do “Behold the man!” Unlike Pilate’s “sermon theme” of Jesus being only a man, we behold a man who is the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world. As He was shown hate and loathing, Jesus teaches mercy and sacrifice. He didn’t say a word to them. He didn’t defend His innocence. This is why it was necessary for our Savior to be true man. He was true man in order to be obligated to obey the law and to perfectly fulfill the law for us, and to have a body and soul, which could suffer and die in our place.
He went with the soldiers to be flogged. As He was mocked, ridiculed, and almost unrecognizable, Jesus recognizes us, lost souls that need to be saved. Our sins covered us, but Christ shed His blood on the cross to wash away our sins. The ultimate suffering that we deserved. That is what it took for us to be saved. The sacrifice was needed. Christ was never conflicted about the plan of Salvation; He didn’t debate whether or not save us. Jesus pitied us. He wasn’t thinking about Himself like Pilate, like we think about ourselves. Jesus gave up His life, suffering the pain and punishment for the sins of the whole world.
It is sometimes hard to see what Christ has done when you have given in to sin and have been ashamed of Him. You see how much He has done for you, flogged, beaten, humiliated. How do you defend your Savior? You won’t do it perfectly. You will sometimes give in and be ashamed that you know Him. Your Savior witnessed this, He felt this, and He forgives you. You were responsible for His suffering, but that is what He came to do. He took on your suffering so that you would be saved.
No one wants to be found guilty and serve time for something that they didn’t do. We have been found guilty of our crimes against God. There should be no way out of this verdict. However, when the gavel comes down and we hear the words “Not guilty”, we look over and there stands our suffering Savior. That should be us. Jesus was an innocent man. He wasn’t only an innocent man, but He was, He is the Holy Son of God. As Pilate says, “Behold the man”, we do behold Him. He is not only a man. We behold our beautiful Savior, who was scourged in our place. As “Behold the man” was said in jest, it sounds like another statement recorded by the same gospel writer. The apostle John writes, “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The lamb of God in whom we find hope. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “Ecce Homo” by Antonio Ciseri, 1871)
The Third Sunday in Lent – Vicar Anderson sermon
Text: St. Luke 11:14-28
In Christ Jesus, who taught His prayer to us so that we call on God the Father to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, dear fellow redeemed:
In the many different categories of history that I love, one of those categories is the battles of the Civil War. Now the Civil War is not a bright spot in our Nation’s history. The divisions had come to a point where the country was at open war. Brother against brother, family against family. There are many stories that are found when the men went to war against one another. This is contrary to what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 133, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Civil wars do not bring unity. That is what Jesus tells those who accuse him of being in league with the devil. Jesus fighting for Satan?! That doesn’t make any sense. Not only does Jesus refute this nonsense, but He explains what is happening. Jesus is not on the same side as the devil, but it is the finger of God that is going to war against Satan for us! As Satan looks to attack us with all his might, Jesus teaches us that we are delivered from the enemy!
The father of lies continues his attacks against Jesus, this time using Jesus’ enemies to do his bidding. Those who are against Jesus lie about what He is doing by saying He is using the power of the devil. Let’s look at what Jesus does. A man was suffering under the pain of being mute. Not able to talk to anyone. This demon had such a firm grip, it looks like it won’t let go. Jesus with one word sends the demon out, letting loose his grip. And all Jesus’ enemies can do is say that He is in league with Satan. Does this look like being in league with Satan? Jesus cured this man taking him out of Satan’s grasp.
They try to trick Jesus as they declare that He is in league with the devil. They ask for a sign from heaven that they know Jesus will not produce. Satan wants Jesus discredited. Jesus knowing what they are attempting to do, explains to them their accusations are not true. He points out that if Satan had a civil war on his hands, his kingdom could not stand. As He explains how their accusations are false, and that the devil would not go to war against himself, Jesus also gives a warning to those whom He has helped. Satan doesn’t rest. He sees how people’s lives are put back together and he comes back with an even stronger force.
As Jesus’ enemies accuse Him of working for Satan and Jesus refutes them, we see how serious it is that Satan is working from a unified front. He begins to come after us by making an alliance, an unholy trinity of the devil, world, and our own sinful flesh. They make attacks against us every day. The flesh works on us to succumb to its wants and desires. Sexual pleasures, laziness, drunkenness, and the like. He uses the world to get us to be upset and angry. Violence, injustice, cursing, slander, and lying are ways that the world gets us to turn on one another. Satan attacks spiritual matters viciously. His work is to destroy God’s will on earth. Jesus warns us about these attacks.
Satan attacks us right here at church. He uses our sinful flesh and the world to come after us. Our sinful flesh commits sins that we can have a hard time confessing here at church. We can feel embarrassed or think that God can’t forgive them. We might also not want to give them up. He sends the world after us to call us bigots and hypocrites. The world is nonstop trying to get rid of the church. With these attacks then Satan comes in with more foes, stronger than ever as he works on us spiritually. He tempts us with terrible sins, and he wants us to doubt God to the point that we leave the church entirely. This is what Satan wants, to disturb and destroy God’s kingdom.
As the devil is fighting from a unified front against us, it is the finger of God that casts out the devil and his minions. God is much stronger, and the devil is outmatched. Jesus explains to His enemies that they cannot beat him. The Pharisees’ sons could cast out demons. This was not on their doing; it was because of God’s doing. We also see the power of the Gospel. Jesus’ enemies want to believe that Jesus is on the same side as the devil, except we see how He is the One who has come to destroy the devil’s work. Jesus died on the cross, destroying sin, death, and the devil. We see what Jesus Words bring, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to those who hear and learn it.
Jesus then explains how the strong man is defeated. Satan is a strong man that fights hard, but Jesus is the stronger man. Satan had our number from the beginning. He tempted Adam and Eve to sin. He tempts us and gets us to fall. We see how hard Satan fights against us using the world and our very own flesh. And as Satan points out our faults and tries to get us to despair, Jesus explains that this strong man has been defeated. Satan’s kingdom does not fall because it is at war with itself, it falls because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Satan can’t judge or condemn anyone because of what Christ has done, Christ takes the punishment that we deserved. He redeemed us not with gold or silver, but with His innocent suffering and death.
Jesus tells us how Satan is sent away. “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” This is an important connection. The finger of God is not just anything, but here we see the power of the Word on display. With God’s Word, Jesus uses it against the devil. With one word He sends demons packing. We see the power of the finger of God. God’s Word comforts and defends us. It’s there for us when we need it most.
Christ warns us that Satan will come back and continue to fight us. He specifically warns those who have had demons driven away. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” His warning is that those who persist in their sins, the devil will come back.
What are we to do when the strong man comes back? There is nothing that you can do to stop him. It is what your Savior does for you. He comes to wage battle for you through the means of grace. We see the power of His Word. It is sharper than a double-edged sword. In your baptism you are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, the ways in which He destroyed Satan’s kingdom. His body and blood brings you the comfort of all that Christ has done for you. He takes away your sins. Your Savior also taught you, His prayer. You are taught to pray for God’s will on earth and for your daily bread. He provides you with strength and comfort in this life. He forgives you your sins as you forgive others, He leads you not into temptation and delivers you from the evil one. The evil one who thinks he has your number. The stronger man delivers you from the hands of the strong man. Jesus Christ delivers you from the devil.
In their zest to discredit Jesus, His enemies do point out a scary truth. There is no civil war happening within Satan’s ranks. He is bound and determined to come and attack Christians with all sorts of strife and temptations. His goal is to get us to doubt God’s Word and to bring us away from Christ entirely. Jesus is the stronger man, who overpowers the strong man. Through His death and resurrection, He has taken the strong man and thrown him out. We have been delivered from the enemy with Christ’s redemption. But Satan is not content with laying idle. He comes back to fight against us and get us to sin. As Satan continues to badger us, we know where we find our comfort and strength. We pray to God, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We put our faith in Christ. He delivers us from our enemies, pointing us to the truth. It is what He has done that we are saved. The truth of Christ is found in His Word. He points it out when he says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “Exorcism” woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872)
Midweek Lent – Pr. Faugstad homily
Text: St. Mark 15:16-20
In Christ Jesus, who in great humility hid His power and glory, so that He might suffer and die in our place, dear fellow redeemed:
What the soldiers said was perfectly correct: “Hail, King of the Jews!” “Hail” was a positive and proper greeting. And Jesus was “King of the Jews,” at least in a certain respect. He was a descendant from the line of the great King David, and His reign had been prophesied all through the Old Testament. Earlier that Holy Week, Jesus had told the religious leaders that He was both David’s Son and David’s Lord (Mat. 22:41-45). He was David’s Son according to His human nature, and He was David’s Lord according to His divine nature.
But Jesus was more than the King of the Jews. The book of Revelation refers to Him as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16; 17:14). He is King over all. He spoke everything into existence in the beginning, and “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). In Psalm 2, God the Father Almighty declares, “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (v. 6). Then He says to this King, His eternal Son, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (vv. 7-8). In Psalm 110, the Father says to Him, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (v. 1).
That is powerful language about a powerful king. But Jesus hardly looked the part on this day, the day of His arrest and His trial before Pontius Pilate. Pilate was showing his own weakness as he presided over a trial he wanted nothing to do with. He had no special compassion toward Jesus. Jesus was a Jew, and the Romans disliked the Jews. This Roman governor and the battalion of Roman soldiers would have much rather been about anywhere else, not watching over this annoying, unruly people. Now things were even worse, since the city of Jerusalem had filled with Jews who had traveled from all directions to celebrate the Passover.
In Jesus, the Roman soldiers found an outlet for their disgust of this people. Supposedly He was an important Jew from what they were hearing, perhaps some sort of a king. Some of the soldiers had already scourged Him leaving deep cuts all over His back and sides. But neither these wounds nor the bruising and swelling on His face would keep them from inflicting more pain on Him. He had just been sentenced to die, so why shouldn’t the soldiers have some fun at His expense?
The soldiers who had charge of Him called together the whole battalion. A battalion was about 600 soldiers. This church could hardly fit a group of people that large. These men acted without restraint. It was mob rule, where anything goes. They dressed Jesus in a purple cloak. They made a crown out of thorns and pressed it into His skull. Then the soldiers took turns saluting Him, striking Him on the head, spitting on Him, and kneeling before Him in mock worship.
I can imagine six against one. I can’t imagine six hundred against one, each taking his turn. But in a certain sense, the number was actually higher, much, much higher—thousands against one, millions against one, billions against one. We must remember why Jesus was in this horrible situation. It was because of sin—not just the sins of the Jewish leaders who turned Him over to Pilate, not just the sins of the godless Romans, but because of your sins, my sins.
When we see the terrible actions of these Roman soldiers, it should not make us feel self-righteous. “Oh, I would never do something like that! I would not treat someone like that!” Instead we should picture ourselves among those violent soldiers, striking Jesus, spitting on Him, mocking Him. Our sin put Jesus in this situation. Our sin caused His suffering. Our sin sent Him to the cross.
The sins we have committed against God are every bit as serious and just as bad as what those soldiers did. We cannot wash our hands of Jesus’ suffering. We cannot say, “the Jews did that,” or “the Romans did that,” without also realizing, “I did that.” If you and I don’t understand our part in it, then we will not see Jesus for who He is or understand what He did for us. He was not simply a tragic figure who was dealt a bad hand. He was not a victim of unfortunate circumstances, caught in the middle of a race war against His will.
He was a Lamb that “goes uncomplaining forth, / The guilt of all men bearing; / And laden with the sins of earth, / None else the burden sharing! / Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, / To slaughter led without complaint, / That spotless life to offer; / Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death, / Anguish and mockery, and saith, / ‘Willing all this I suffer’” (ELH #331, v. 1).
He, this totally innocent Man, this descendant of David’s royal line, this mighty King of kings—He suffered willingly. For the salvation of sinners—for your salvation—He let the thorns be driven into His head. He let the punches land. He let the spit run down His face. He let the mocking words enter His ears and sting His soul. He did all of it in perfect obedience to His Father’s will.
The prophet Isaiah recorded these words of the Son’s humble submission to His Father: “The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near” (Isa. 50:5-8).
Jesus did not fight back. He did not say a word. The apostle Peter wrote, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1Pe. 2:23). Perhaps this is why the soldiers grew tired of their game. Maybe they were beginning to feel guilt for their terrible actions. For all the abuse they had carried out on Jesus, He hadn’t spoken one word in anger or hurled one curse their way. He just took it.
He took it for their sake and for yours. He took it in order to spare you from the eternal suffering of hell, a suffering we all deserve. He received this punishment, so you would receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
We know that Jesus’ humble suffering made an impression on some of the soldiers. They saw how intensely He suffered, and how He bore it patiently. Then when nails were driven mercilessly into His hands and feet, they heard Him say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luk. 23:34). So when the ground shook immediately after His death, a centurion and those who were with him cried out, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mat. 27:54)—“Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luk. 23:47).
Perhaps they also added the same words as before, but now with a holy awe: “Hail, King of the Jews!” We join them in praising this suffering Servant, this righteous King, the Savior of our souls.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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(picture from “Ecce Homo” by Mateo Cerezo, 1650)
The Second Sunday in Lent – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: St. Matthew 15:21-28
In Christ Jesus, who judges us not by what we accomplish in our faithfulness, but by what He has done for us in His mercy, dear fellow redeemed:
I have never heard a Christian say, “I wish my faith were weaker.” Every Christian wants to have a stronger faith, a faith that will stand firm in temptation, that will endure in difficult times, that will shine brightly through this life until we reach eternal life. Today’s reading gives us an example of a faith like this, a faith that Jesus Himself describes as “great.”
The people in Jesus’ day might have expected “great faith” to be found among the religious leaders like the scribes and Pharisees. Or maybe they would have looked to the dedicated priests serving day and night in the temple. Or they might have thought that the twelve disciples hand-picked by Jesus were the best examples of faith.
None of these things was the case. Just before the events of today’s reading, Jesus called the Pharisees “blind guides” (Mat. 15:14), indicating that they had no faith at all. At least twice He cleared the temple courts of those who were buying and selling there, showing that the priests were negligent in their duty. And several times He rebuked the disciples for their “little faith” (Mat. 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20), when they failed to put their trust in Him.
Jesus’ announcement of a great faith comes from a most unlikely source—a Gentile woman living in the pagan territory of Tyre and Sidon. Now we live in a time when everyone wants to assert his or her “rights.” “I have the right to this” and “the right to that,” and “if I don’t get what I think I deserve, I’ll be taking names and calling my lawyer!” This is not how the Canaanite woman approached Jesus.
She did not come with a power play trying to impress or intimidate Him: “I know people in high places.” She did not try to convince Him why she was worthy of His help: “I do what I can for my neighbors. I give to charity. I’m a good person.” No, she came looking for mercy. Mercy does not depend on a person’s own position or good qualities. Mercy depends on the one who has the ability to help. Mercy can’t be taken; it has to be given.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” cried the woman; “my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” And she didn’t just say it once. The form of the Greek word indicates that she kept crying out. She wouldn’t stop. This makes sense since the disciples soon came to Jesus and were begging that He send her away. So much for Jesus taking time to rest—first the woman came crying to Him and now the disciples kept complaining too!
Why didn’t Jesus just help her? Well why should He? He was a Jew sent to save the people of Israel. He told His disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The woman didn’t deny this. She called Him the “Son of David.” She knew where He came from. But she did not believe that disqualified her from receiving His help. What made her so certain? What is it that she based her hope on?
The very words of Jesus that seemed to disqualify her were the words she held tightly to and wouldn’t let go. Jesus said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” We don’t know how Jesus said this whether gently or harshly. But how many of us would stick around if He said this to us? The Canaanite woman didn’t budge, and she didn’t try to contradict Jesus. She completely accepted what He said: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Do you see what she did? She pinned her hopes to the very words of Jesus that seemed to shut her out. She agreed that bread should not be taken away from the children of Israel. Jesus was the “Son of David,” the King of the Jews. But if there was plenty of bread for the children, which she wholeheartedly believed, then certainly there must be some crumbs for the dogs. “Oh to be a dog that could eat those crumbs—what a privilege that would be!” she said. This is when Jesus declared, “great is your faith!” and granted her request, the healing of her daughter.
So what are some of the characteristics of this woman’s faith? She did not appeal to her own worthiness, but came pleading for mercy. She did not give up, but kept crying to Jesus for help. She did not take offense when Jesus seemed to turn His back on her. She held Him to His Word, even when it appeared the door was closed. We can learn a lot from her example. But the biggest lesson is not gained by looking at her. The biggest lesson is looking where she looked.
Her eyes were on Jesus the whole time, not on herself. And when she walked away from Him, she didn’t go away thinking how strong her faith was. She walked away thinking how merciful her Savior was. The greatest error we make in pursuing a strong faith is looking inside ourselves to make it happen. We can think to ourselves, “I need to be more patient, more trusting, more accepting of God’s will, more dedicated to His Word.” And those things are certainly true.
But our faith will never get stronger because of what we do. Faith gets stronger because of what God does. The Bible says, “faith comes from hearing” (Rom. 10:17), which means passively receiving what God gives, not doing something to get it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In our Catechism we confess the truth that “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith” (Explanation to the Third Article of the Creed).
If you want a stronger faith, it’s not going to come because you try harder or stay more focused on doing what is right. A stronger faith comes when you stop looking inside yourself where you will only find worry, doubt, and pride. Faith increases when you forget yourself and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus only.
That is what we do at the Divine Service each week. We don’t come thinking about what we can do for God, or making appeals for His help because of how good we have been or how worthy we are. We come with the cry, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” We beg for His mercy because we know we can’t live without it.
We remember how easily we have been led to doubt God’s Word at the slightest challenge we have faced. We think of how impatient we have been in suffering, and how quickly we have given up on prayer. We know how ready we were to question God when He did not give us exactly what we wanted and on the timetable we expected it.
But even though the devil tries to convince us that Jesus has turned His back on us, that Jesus doesn’t care, this is nothing but a lie. Today’s reading shows us that when Jesus seems to be uninterested in our troubles, that is only how it seems. Jesus did not fail to help the woman who put her trust in Him, and neither will He fail you.
When you come to Him looking for mercy, He shows you His cross. That is where mercy shines most vividly. That is where God the Father proved His mercy toward you by punishing His innocent Son for your sins instead of you. Jesus willingly did that for you. He went to the cross, so that all your worries, doubts, and pride would be atoned for. He went there so that no matter where you come from and no matter what you have done, you would be presented holy and righteous before God the Father by faith in Him.
This same Savior now gives His own body as your food and His own blood as your drink. He has not forgotten about you. He has not forsaken you. You would gladly have the crumbs that fall from His table, but He freely gives Himself for you to eat and drink in abundance. It is His presence through His Word and Sacrament that strengthens your faith. It is His presence that brings you healing and eases your burdens. It is His presence that increases your love toward God and your neighbor.
You have nothing to offer God that isn’t already His. The world is His! You are His! But He has everything to give you. Keep your eyes on Him like a child waiting for his birthday present or a dog eagerly anticipating his treat. He has given His gifts to you before, and He promises to keep giving them. Like the Canaanite woman did, you can trust His promises. Even if everyone else rejects you and you feel totally alone, Jesus does not reject you. Your cries for mercy will not go unanswered. You will not leave empty-handed. Your faith in the Lord Jesus will not be disappointed.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from 15 century French Gothic manuscript painting)
Midweek Lent – Pr. Abraham Faugstad homily
Text: St. Matthew 27:1-5
Dear Friends in Christ,
Our lesson states, “When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.” There is no rest for the wicked. While the disciples were sleeping, our Lord’s enemies pursued without ceasing. The chief priests and the elders plotted how they might put Jesus to death. They wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible to avoid any uproar among the people. They believed that he needed to be put to death for his blasphemy and would have gladly carried out this sentence themselves. However, they were prohibited from doing so. The scepter had departed from Judah (Genesis 49:10). They were now ruled by the Romans who reserved the right of inflicting the death penalty for themselves. It was therefore necessary for the chief priests to deliver Jesus to the Roman governor for sentencing.
And so, Jesus was bound and delivered to Pontius Pilate. When Judas, who betrayed him saw that Jesus was condemned, he was remorseful. Some translations say that “he regretted it” or “changed his mind.” But why would Judas, who had been seeking an opportunity to betray Jesus, feel remorse? While we cannot know for certain the reason for his remorse, some have suggested that it was because Judas never thought Jesus would actually be captured. Judas had never had the slightest thought that it would come to this. Rather, he thought that Jesus, as it had happened before, would slip away unharmed. He could come away with thirty pieces of silver and later he could again easily find forgiveness and reconcile with Jesus. However, when Jesus surrendered and was condemned to death, he was remorseful.
Judas did not start with the intent to betray Jesus. His initial temptation was greed for money. John writes, “he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it” (John 12:6). His love for money grew so great that he jumped at the opportunity to betray his Lord with a kiss for thirty pieces of silver.
Judas’ betrayal serves as a warning to each of us. Judas was one of our Lord’s chosen disciples and yet he fell. Therefore, beware of proudly thinking, “It can never happen to me!” Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; what is our price? Is it a great fortune? Is it success in our occupation? Is it a special someone? Or is it simply continuing in the sinful pleasure and entertainment we enjoy?
Peter writes, “your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” One of the great tricks the devil uses to separate us from God is minimizing our sin. The devil holds this minimizing mirror before our eyes to make our sin seem quite small and insignificant. He holds this up when he wants to tempt someone into sin. The devil says, “You are underpaid, what’s the big deal if you take that tool from work or add five minutes to your punch card. They really should be paying you that anyway. You’re not stealing, you’re taking what you deserve.” The devil lies, “I bet your neighbor has spoken ill of you. If you tell other people about their sins, it’s not slander because it is the truth. After what they’ve done to you, they deserve much worse than just being the topic of a little gossip.” The devil lures, “Watching this adult video or looking at these illicit pictures is not that bad. Everybody else does it, why can’t you?” The devil tempts, “So what if you have a few too many beers, it’s just one night. Take a load off and relax!”
The devil always begins with seemingly minor sins. For Judas it wasn’t outright betrayal, but an outwardly insignificant temptation, planting greed in his heart. But after the devil tempts us into sin, he takes out another mirror—the magnifying mirror. With this he makes our sin appear so great that we are beyond forgiveness. He mercilessly holds this before our eyes after we have fallen so that he might lead us to despair.
This is what we see in the case of Judas. When he saw Jesus being led to Pilate, he realized for the first time what he really had done. He now saw his horrible sin and betrayal and he could not endure it. Before this he had loved the money so dearly that it seemed a small matter to him to betray Jesus for it, but now it changed. If he had all the money in the world, he would give it all in return to undo what he had done. Judas went to the chief priests and elders to bring back the money, which was a constant reminder of his sin, and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
But he received no comfort, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Even bringing back the money could not ease his conscience, and in despair, he hanged himself.
In the middle of Jesus’ passion, the Gospel writer holds out the example of Judas so that we might learn never to forsake or abuse what Jesus has done for us. The devil will use it to rip us away from God and bring us to despair. We must guard ourselves against the tricks of the devil by reminding ourselves before we fall into sin the serious and dangerous nature of sin. However, when we do fall, we should remember that Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s mercy are greater than our sin!
The ashes on Ash Wednesday, remind us that we are dust and to dust we shall return because of our sin. But we are not without hope because the cross reminds us that because of what Jesus did for us, our sins are forgiven, and God will raise us from the dead to be with him in heaven! Even Judas’ words offer comfort. Unbeknownst to Judas, he shared one of the best sermons on Jesus.
Jesus’ blood was innocent. He was holy. He was not deserving of death. And yet, for our sakes he came into this world to suffer and die for our sins, so that we could be forgiven and brought back to God (I Peter 3:18). “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). To those who mocked him, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus wants all men to be saved and to receive his forgiveness. He urges us to repent and look to him. Even in Gethsemane, Jesus longed for Judas to repent, calling him, “Friend.” The same is true for us. Despite our endless betrayals, Jesus wants us to come to him. He comes after us as the Good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep.
In Luke chapter 15, we learn the story of the prodigal son who left his father’s house and squandered his inheritance. The son realized his mistakes and went to ask forgiveness and to see if he could just be a servant in his father’s house. “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). The father put the best robe on him, gave him a ring, and butchered a fatted calf! The father showed him love and mercy beyond measure. This is a picture of God’s mercy towards those who come in repentance to him. He sees us coming and runs to us. Jesus says that the angels rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents!
For our comfort, Scripture also records for us the account of Peter. Peter and Judas’ sin was ultimately the same. The difference was not in them, but where they went when they had nothing to stand on. Judas tried to cover his sin. Peter took his sin to Jesus. The example of Peter gives us comfort that we don’t need to have anxiety and despair over our sin, but simply look to Jesus, who has paid for all sin. Are you concerned about your sin? Then take it to Jesus—he will never turn you away! Scripture states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). We can’t make the payment required for our sin, but Jesus did and because he paid the price, we are free from our sins.
John writes, “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7), “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (I John 2:2). Our dear Lord Jesus shed his innocent blood for you because he loves you. He wants you to have his forgiveness. He knew the cost, but Jesus gladly went to the cross to save us that he might bring us to heaven. And so, we can sing,
Thou hast died for my transgression,
All my sins on Thee were laid;
Thou hast won for me salvation,
On the cross my debt was paid.
From the grave I shall arise
And shall meet Thee in the skies.
Death itself is transitory;
I shall lift my head in glory.
(ELH 354:5)
(picture from “Judas Returns the Money” by James Tissot, 1836-1902)
The First Sunday in Lent – Vicar Anderson sermon
Text: St. Matthew 4:1-11
In Christ Jesus, who beat back all of the temptations that we face in this life, who fights the devil for us, dear fellow redeemed:
The battle of good versus evil is pretty much in every single script for any superhero and action movie. The only way these movies or TV shows succeed is if you have a humble yet powerful superhero who the viewers will love, take on the evil character. The movie usually has the hero finding himself throughout the story. This then leads to the climax that happens at the end. To add a little flavor, sometimes the hero will have already fought and lost to the bad guy. Here is where all these movies and TV shows find their origin. Jesus has begun his public ministry and as soon as He starts, He is going head-to-head with the prince of this world. This is the first climax and Satan is not hiding behind his punches. What Satan thinks is a cat and mouse game, it is a boxing match that Jesus intends to not lose. Our text is giving you a front row seat as the Adversary takes on your Savior and the Adversary is the one outmatched.
Jesus after being baptized by John, is led into the wilderness. Satan thinks he is ready for the showdown. He strikes when it seems that Jesus is most vulnerable. Jesus had just fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. The majority of people cannot go this long without food. Here comes Satan when Jesus is weak with hunger, and he tells Jesus to turn these stones into bread. Satan is always armed with his half-truths, hoping to get Jesus to trip up. He tempts Jesus with food that can only provide comfort for a little while. He shows Jesus’ ways in which He can give up on living this earthly life. This life is hard, why should Jesus have to make sacrifices, especially for sinners? He flaunts Jesus with the pleasures of the world to get him to give up. Satan shows his knowledge of Scripture, misinterpreting passages to use against Jesus. Jesus must trust the Father’s plan of salvation and it will not be easy.
The surgical strikes that Satan uses against Jesus are the same strikes that are used against us. These heat seeking missiles hit their mark. He tempts us with the power that we think we can use to change our outcomes. He often uses the temptations of wealth and social status. We see that with social media platforms like Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram. To have power, we must look better than the competition. To be better than our friends, we have to know the latest gossip and have to share it. We are very quick to compare our accomplishments with others. We are quick to look on with lust over what someone else has. The devil also deliberately uses God’s Word against us the same way in which he used it against Christ. He twists the meaning of passages that apply to society saying, “Did God really say that you can’t do that?” The same temptation used in the Garden.
We test God when we throw ourselves into danger. We hear and know the ten commandments. We know what God expects from us. Yet we test God by breaking every single one. Satan waves the sin in front of us. We see that juicy fruit that is pleasing to the eye and good for the taste. Once we taste the fruit, there is no going back, and the consequences of our sins are in front of us. Like us, Jesus is also exhausted after the constant bombardment of temptations. The problem is that we give in to temptation. Repeatedly.
That is what sets us apart from Jesus. We see as clear as day that we are children of Adam and Eve. Their first sin has been passed down the family tree all the way down to us. There is no earthly cure for our sinful nature. Satan has our number. The temptations are dangled in front of us like the forbidden fruit that it is, and we take a bite almost every time. We crave the power, we test God, and we bow down to get gratification that is short lived. The sins that we commit condemn us to death. We can’t withstand the temptations of Satan on our own. That is why Jesus came to withstand Satan for us.
Jesus takes every attack that Satan has to offer and deflects them all with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Jesus points Satan to the Law demonstrating how He will keep it to perfection. He points out that we live by God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” He says, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” There is no reason to doubt what God can do since He is with us. Finally, He says, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’ There is no room for Satan and his lies. Jesus is victorious over Satan!
This battle gives us joy because in all the temptations that we fall into, Christ did not give in one inch because our souls were on the line. Our whole lives consist of us failing and falling into temptation. When we are close to despair, it is Jesus who not only beat the temptations perfectly His whole life, but He also took the punishment for what we have done. Jesus withstood what we cannot. The Gospel shows us that we are saved because of what Christ has done for us. Our sins have been wiped away. Satan wants us to despair. He is the accuser who tells God that since we have given into his temptation, that we should be his. Jesus tells Satan to “Be gone,” he cannot accuse what Jesus has redeemed.
Jesus fights for us through the His Word and Sacraments. His Word is where He defends us, comforts us, and He sends the devil away. We are not wielding the sword. Christ is the sword who does all the work as it is His power that causes Satan to flee. In our baptism we are clothed with Christ. Our old Adam was drowned, and the new man arises. The place that Jesus comes to us in the Word and Sacraments right here.
Jesus contends for you and fights for you each week in the Divine Service. When Satan tempts you and wins, you confess to God what you have done and that you are sorry for your sins. Then Jesus speaks His absolution to you through the mouth of the pastor or vicar. You hear these precious words spoken to you, hearing that as you admit that you have given in to the devil and his temptations, your Savior confirms to you that He has borne all your sins on the tree. They will not be remembered in the sight of God.
The sermon is Jesus’ own Word to you, where He teaches you what He has done for you, warns you about the devil’s temptations, and proclaims to you the power of the Gospel. The Gospel comes through clearly revealing that Christ came into the world, suffered everything that you suffer in this life, and He did it all perfectly and willingly in your place. Christ has beaten Satan. Then Jesus meets you in Holy Communion.
Holy Communion is the true body and blood of Christ. The precious body and blood of your Savior is placed on your tongue confirming that the sins that you have given into have been wiped away by Christ’s blood, shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. He fights the battles within you and keeps you close to him. You can’t get closer to your Savior than in His Word and Sacraments.
By the end of the service, you know that there is only One who you put all your hope and faith in, Jesus Christ your Savior. He is the same yesterday and today. He is your armor, your sword and shield against the enemy. He protects you, guides you, and brings forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, not because you earned it. But because He has beaten the devil for you. When you are weak, He is strong. He is the Hero of all heroes, the One who cannot be overcome.
Satan thought that He could get Jesus. He thought that Jesus was weak. Satan underestimated what Jesus is capable of. Jesus is the Son of God. Satan’s temptations were no match for Jesus. He should have known this as he was told this would happen in the Garden of Eden. Satan won with tempting Adam and Eve, but God delivers to him the ultimate blow. He promised that the woman’s seed would come and crush his head. Jesus is that seed. He came into the world as a humble infant. He humbly lived a life like ours, perfectly keeping God’s Law. And then He went to the cross sacrificing Himself for us, destroying the works of the devil. Jesus is victorious over Satan and always will be. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “The Temptation of Christ by the Devil” by Félix Joseph Barrias, 1822-1907)
Ash Wednesday – Vicar Anderson homily
Text: St. John 11:45-53
In Christ Jesus, whose enemies plan was to silence Him and His message, instead prophesied His plan of salvation for you, dear fellow redeemed:
God’s people have had a history unlike any other. It could have been anyone, but God made a promise to Abraham that He would be great. The people of Israel had great success when they worshiped and followed and loved God with all their heart, soul, and mind. More times than not however, they failed to listen to God. In our text as the nation of Israel looks to be thriving, we see that they are only a shadow of what they once were. They were back to their old antics of not listening to God. The only issue on their mind is self-preservation. The religious leaders like their power. Instead of rejoicing that the Messiah is here, all they can think about is how to keep their power and not make Rome upset. The text shows their breaking point. It teaches how bad the corruption is as the religious leader of the nation prophesies his plan of evil. His plan is to kill Jesus.
Jesus raising Lazarus excites the crowd as they watched a man who had been sealed for four days in a tomb come out alive. There should be no way for anyone to deny that Jesus is the Christ. As most of the people are overjoyed with what has happened, some report the miracle to the authorities. The Jewish leadership cannot deny what Jesus is doing, they see His power. They even say, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.” They can’t deny it. Instead of believing in His message and who He is, they are only thinking about their power and the repercussions that could come of this. There worst fear is that the people will get so worked up that Rome will come in and it will be like what happened to Israel with Babylon. The Babylonians were a nation that God used to take Judah into exile. They were in exile for 70 years from the land. The religious leaders see their influence dwindling. Caiaphas, the High Priest, the Spiritual leader of the people hatches what he thinks is the perfect plan. He thinks it is his own plan. He says, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”
Caiaphas’ “sermon theme” is that Jesus should die. The wickedness of power and greed springs forth. Who needs a Savior, who needs the Christ when you can rule over yourself. When religion is mixed with politics, politics takes over and the religion disappears. Politics is law. We can think like the world that the law can change hearts. We think that if we can follow the law somewhat, that is good enough. We get too invested in what is happening in the world, we turn politics into religion and then we go to war against friends and relatives for ourselves. The Pharisees did the same thing. Their made-up laws make them look better than everyone else. That is what politics can do today. It wants you to look at the issues at hand and it wants you to put yourself over the other side. Being better than your neighbors because of political affiliation can turn you into a god as you judge others for what they do, and you can end up not showing them love.
Caiaphas and the religious leaders were worried that they were going to be destroyed by Rome. They are not focused on their job which is to be the religious leaders for the people. They are doing the opposite. All they care about is where they stand in the world. When the world tries to push its dividing agenda on us, we can do the same thing. We are tempted to make sure that our outward appearance fits in with society. When we fall into this sin then we don’t confess the truth of Scripture. The truth to love God and serve our neighbors.
As Caiaphas “sermon theme” is that Jesus should die, God has other plans. “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Caiaphas was right in that God’s will is that Jesus will die for the people. Jesus did not die to keep him in power. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Caiaphas thought he was getting rid of a problem. Instead, the power that he thought he had was being used by God.
Jesus’ salvation won for us comes to us not because of our own plans or attempts to get it on our own. It comes to us by God’s Will. The gospel changes hearts showing the world that we are to rely on Christ. He did not come to rule over an earthly kingdom. He went to the cross with your sins on His back and died for you. He takes away the sins that weigh us down and keep us from helping our neighbors. This is the glory of the gospel on display. Jesus did not come and die for one group, He came and died for those who are scattered abroad. He came and died for you and me. He lived out a life in service to God and He served those who couldn’t care for themselves. When we fail and fall into these temptations to serve ourselves, it is Christ who takes those sins away because His life counts as ours.
What looks like doom and gloom as Jesus’ enemies look to carry out an evil plot, God works this out for the good of those who love Him. Our enemies will continue to plot against us, because our confidence is in Jesus. They will want us to take sides against one another. It will look like they are going to win in their evil deeds. The world is crumbling all around us. We are eternally protected from those who do evil as God shows us that even when they think that they have it all figured out, He can turn what they think is evil into good. Caiaphas had gotten it all wrong yet confessed it right. He confesses God’s plan, His plan of salvation.
God’s Will is far greater, and it serves His purpose. His purpose is that Christ would die for the sins of the whole world. This was not Caiaphas’ idea. Our loving Father had a plan from the beginning to send His son to save all mankind. The world wants to keep its power to be its own god and cause divisions. As the world tempts us to sin in these ways and when we fail, Christ tells us that our sins have been taken away as He has overcome the world. With Jesus death and resurrection, we do not need to fear when the end comes near. As we return to dust, we return to dust knowing that our bodies will rise again. Caiaphas’ sermon ends with a risen Jesus.
Caiaphas thought that he had it all. Rome had put him in power as the religious head of the nation of Israel. Instead of guiding the people in the Word of God, he was only concerned about keeping the power that he was given. God works through the evil that is around us. He carries out His divine Will. Caiaphas thought that his plan was foolproof and made sense. He thought he would kill Jesus and save the people, or really his own power. And Jesus did die, but the result was not what Caiaphas had planned. God used Caiaphas as His mouthpiece. Caiaphas would prophesy not a plan of evil, but a plan of salvation. Jesus would die, not to preserve earthly power, but He would die to save you and me. Our enemies may look like they are powerful. We know that they are no match for God and His plans. God’s plans overcome evil, they have you in mind, and they work to your good, for your salvation. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “Christ before Pilate” by Mihály Munkácsy, 1881)