The Festival of All Saints – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: Daniel 3:13-28
In Christ Jesus, who leads us in triumphal procession through the fiery trials of this world until we reach the blessed gates of His heavenly kingdom, dear fellow redeemed:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood out. It wasn’t just that as Israelites, they looked different than the Babylonians. They stood out in how they conducted themselves, how they approached their work and their life. It started when they were young. They were among the exiles brought back to Babylon after Jerusalem was overcome. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, chose them and other youths to learn “the literature and language” of their captors (Dan. 1:4).
These three were close friends of Daniel who served as the spokesman for their little group, and who later wrote the book that bears his name. God blessed the studies and abilities of these four Israelites, so that they rose higher than their fellow students. The king recognized their talents and selected them to stand in his presence. “And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom” (1:20).
When God gave Daniel the ability to interpret one of the king’s dreams, the king set him over the whole province of Babylon and all its wise men. Daniel then asked that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also be elevated in the province of Babylon (2:48-49). It was quite a promotion for these Israelite exiles! And no doubt, it caused great jealousy toward them among the other Babylonian officials.
As favorable as their situation seemed, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were still servants of a king and administration that did not acknowledge the true God but worshipped gods of their own making. This is highlighted in today’s reading. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge statue overlaid with gold that rose up ninety feet in the air. It would have been seen from miles around, especially with the sunlight shining off it.
The king was very proud of his statue. He summoned his government officials to attend the dedication of this monument. When the music began to play, the people were ordered to “fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar [had] set up” (3:5). What’s more, they were told in no uncertain terms that “whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace” (v. 6). If the people couldn’t be coaxed, they could be compelled.
So the music began to play, and the people dutifully bowed down—except for three: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—with Daniel apparently away at this time. If you had been a friend of theirs, what would you have said to them? “Just bow down, guys! Think of how much good you are doing in your government positions. Do you want to throw that all away? You don’t have to worship any false gods; just worship the true God when you bow down. No one has to know. God will understand.” Is that what you would say? Or would you stand, knees shaking, pale-faced, right next to them?
It’s hard to know what we would do in a situation like this. We like to imagine we would stand there bravely ready to face death for the Lord. But we also think about the times when our life was not on the line, and we still failed to confess the truth because we were afraid of being made fun of or rejected. Examples like this one with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are good for us because they show us the courage of fellow believers, and especially, they show us the faithfulness of God.
In the Holy Gospel for today, we hear Jesus promising His people: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 5:10). He told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mat. 16:24). The life of believers in the world, He said, would not be easy. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (Joh. 15:18). But the hatred of the world cannot prevail. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Joh. 16:33).
The believer in Christ will stand out in this world. That’s because we aren’t made for this sinful world. We are made for God’s eternal kingdom where there is only righteousness, peace, and joy. We would much rather fit in there than fit in here! We were made heirs of His glorious kingdom starting with our Baptism. That is when the Lord called you “out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Pe. 2:9). That is when He called you to stand while everyone else bows to the idols of the world. That is when He called you to continuously acknowledge Him before men, so you would also be acknowledged before your heavenly Father (Mat. 10:32).
At your Baptism, you were called to be a holy one, a saint, before God. You don’t have to be like Mother Theresa to be considered a saint. You don’t need to be subject to a vote of your Christian peers. You are a saint, a holy one, by faith in Jesus Christ, the holy One. It is the sacrifice of His holy body that paid for your sins. It is His perfect keeping of God’s Law that has been credited to you. It is His holiness that covers you. You are not holy because of what you have done for God. You are holy because of what He has done for you.
So He does not owe you anything; He has already given you everything! But what do you owe Him? Nothing that could earn you greater favor with Him or a higher place in His kingdom. As one of His blessed holy ones, what you freely offer to Him is all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. These are not perfect offerings by any means since everything we have and do is corrupted by our sin, but He uses them for great things. He employs you to carry out His gracious work in your family, your workplace, your congregation, your community. Even small acts of faithfulness, small moments of courage, and small demonstrations of love make a big difference.
But you cannot expect the world to pat you on the back for speaking the truth and for doing what is good and right. No one spoke sweeter words or did more wonderful things than Jesus, and He was still nailed to a cross to die while His enemies stood around Him jeering. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did nothing wrong, but they became objects of the king’s furious rage. When they would not obey his command to “serve [his] gods or worship the golden image that [he had] set up… He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.” If they wouldn’t do what he said, then they would burn.
Their response? “So be it; we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Thanks be to God for their faith! Thanks be to God for their courage! They feared neither the king nor his fiery furnace. They feared the LORD their God (Mat. 10:28). They were resigned to the possibility that this was the day of their death. Whatever happened, they trusted that their lives were in God’s hands.
Nebuchadnezzar had them bound and wrapped in layers of their clothing. The furnace was so hot that the flames killed the soldiers who threw them in. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not burn. Watching with astonishment, the king asked, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?… But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” The LORD had sent His angel to protect His saints. It may be that the Man walking in the fire with them was the pre-incarnate Christ Himself, the Son of God.
This is how close our Lord is to us. We are not able to see Him like the three men did. But He is as near as the preaching of His Word and the administration of His Sacraments. He comes again and again to forgive us our sins, confirm us in the faith, and place His holiness over us and in us.
These are the gifts He regularly gave to our dear friends who departed within the last year: Marketta, Ann, Harold, Paul, and other friends in the faith. They faced difficult trials in their life by which the devil wanted to destroy their faith. But God is faithful. He never forgot about them or left them, and now their souls are safely in His holy presence.
He is preparing you for the same blessed end. The holy waters that cleansed them and all the saints triumphant are the same holy waters that cleanse you. The holy words they heard are the same holy words you hear. The holy food and drink they received is the same holy food and drink you receive. Where God’s holy ones now stand in His presence, so you will stand.
But there are more trials to face before that time comes. There are more golden idols to tempt you and fiery furnaces to threaten you. The apostle Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1Pe. 4:12-13). You share in Christ’s sufferings now, so that you will rejoice when He returns to bring His people to His kingdom, body and soul.
He is with you always until that Day comes, powerfully present though unseen. And He will rescue you from the narrow chamber of your grave when He comes again in all His glory. This is why The World’s Fury Cannot Harm God’s Holy Ones. You are safe with your Lord. “For to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phi. 1:21).
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 Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome, 3rd century)
The Festival of All Saints – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: Revelation 7:2-12
In Christ Jesus, through whom we are sealed with righteousness and salvation, so that we are prepared to join the great company of saints in His eternal kingdom, dear fellow redeemed:
You can tell a lot about people by looking at their eyes. You can tell if they are happy or sad, angry or frustrated, surprised or scared. Eyes can indicate if people are telling the truth or lying, or if they have personalities that are more extroverted or more introverted. Eyes can also reveal health problems like stress, sleeplessness, allergies, even liver issues. The expressiveness of eyes is why they are often referred to as “windows to the soul”—windows to the innermost parts of who we are. But of course, what our brains are thinking behind our eyes is far more complex than what our eyes reveal.
Today’s reading from the Book of Revelation talks about a “seal” on the foreheads of believers that only God and the angels can see. Imagine if that seal were also visible to our eyes. You would know who was a believer in Jesus and who wasn’t, not by what they say but by what you see. Maybe the forehead would glow somehow. And what if the forehead would be brighter when a Christian’s faith is strong and dimmer when a Christian’s faith is weak? I think we would all be more focused on the means that God has given to make faith stronger!
I’m sure we would also be surprised to learn who is truly a Christian and who is not. Some who we thought were Christians would be exposed as hypocrites, and some would be shown to have faith who we would not expect. How would you feel about having a very visible seal of God on your forehead for everyone around you to see? Would it make you more aware of the things you say and do? Are there times you would rather keep your faith more hidden, so that you could fit in easier in the world?
It is clear from our reading that although the seal of God is not visible to our eyes, it does set us apart from the world. The seal on our foreheads marks us as “servants of God.” Just as God chose His people Israel to be separate from the nations around them, He calls us to be separate as well. We are part of the 144,000 who are sealed “from every tribe of the sons of Israel.” This is a symbolic number, as the numbers generally are in the Book of Revelation. For example, seven is the number for perfection, and twelve is the number for completeness.
The number 144,000 is gotten by multiplying the twelve tribes of Israel with 12,000 from each tribe. This number expresses the completeness of God’s elect, the holy members of Christ’s Church. You might have heard that the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach something different about this. They teach that 144,000 is the literal number of people chosen by God to be in heaven. Jehovah’s Witnesses who are not part of that select group are told that they will not be in heaven in eternity, but they will reign on a new earth. To improve their chances of a higher status after this life, they are urged to be more active witnesses to their church’s teachings. It is a man-made, works-based religion.
But the sealing spoken of in Revelation is clearly not the work of man. A number of passages speak about how God seals us to protect us from the attacks of the devil. Jesus says that “God the Father has set his seal” on believers (Joh. 6:27). Through the work that Jesus accomplished, the Father “has anointed us” and “has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2Co. 1:21,22).
The Holy Spirit works through the Word to bring about this sealing. St. Paul writes that “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, [you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). And in another place, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2Ti. 2:19). You are sealed by the Holy Spirit with the righteousness of Jesus that He worked for you (Rom. 4:11). You are sealed with the forgiveness He obtained for you on the cross. You are sealed in faith as you eagerly wait “for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
God first applied this seal to many of you at your Baptism when you were called “out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Pe. 1:29). At your Baptism, water was applied to your forehead, and the sign of the cross was made over your head and over your heart. The opening hymn referred to Baptism when we sang, “Each newborn soldier”—born again by water and the Word—“Each newborn soldier of the Crucified / Bears on his brow the seal of Him who died” (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #194, v. 2).
Thinking about this connection to Baptism, could it be that the seal of God on our foreheads is in the shape of a cross? Two passages in Revelation speak about the seal in a different way. In chapters 14 and 22, what the 144,000 are said to have written on their foreheads is the name of the Lamb and the Father’s name (14:1, 22:4).
Through Baptism, God claimed you as His own. He put His name on you, sealed it to you, so that you are identified both as His child and His heir. You might have doubts about yourself, such as how strong your faith is or how God could love a sinner like you. But God says that nothing has changed from His view. The commitment He made to you when He brought you to faith still stands.
It was no mistake that He set His seal on you. He wants to keep you in the faith until He brings you to the great celebration of heaven. This is why He continues to send the Holy Spirit through the Word and Sacraments to strengthen you. As the Holy Spirit works through the Word, we are reminded again who we are. Yes, we are sinners who continue to struggle and break God’s Commandments. For that, we repent, and we need to keep repenting. But the Holy Spirit also assures us that we are saints, sealed with righteousness, forgiveness, and life.
We did nothing to earn this; Jesus earned it for us. This is what the great uncountable multitude in heaven cries out in thanksgiving and praise: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” The saints in heaven give glory where glory is due, and we do the same here on earth. In our liturgy, we join the angels in their Christmas song, “Glory be to God in the highest / And on earth peace, good will toward men” (ELH p. 44). We join them later in the service in their heavenly song of praise, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; / Heav’n and earth are full of Your glory” (ELH pp. 51-52).
That is the beauty of the historic liturgy. It recounts God’s gifts and teaches us how to give thanks for them. It joins our voices spiritually with the saints and angels around God’s throne, even while this fellowship is hidden from our eyes. And it prepares us to join the heavenly liturgy with the saints, angels, elders, and living creatures around the throne of God.
As you sing the liturgy and hymns in our worship here in church, you might sometimes think about where members used to sit whose souls are now in heaven. Today we especially think of Nadine, Swede, and Derwin from Redeemer and Don from Jerico who were called out of this life within the last year. Those of you who are older have seen many saints of our congregations go on ahead of you. Perhaps you think more and more about how you will join them soon, and what it will be like when you do.
Today’s reading gives us a glimpse of what is coming. The elect who were sealed by the Holy Spirit in this life through Word and Sacrament now enjoy the bliss of heaven. They stand “before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Their focus, the object of all their love and praise, is the Triune God. They are glad to be with their fellow saints, but their attention is on God.
They are clothed in white robes. An angel explained to John what made their robes so white: “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). In heaven, we won’t remember any sins, not the ones we have done or the ones others have done to us. We won’t remember any of the things that caused us grief or pain. Jesus’ blood washes all that away. We will stand in the presence of the holy God, and we will be holy. By faith, we are holy now—we are saints now—but the glory is hidden from our eyes. In heaven, we will be perfect saints in body and soul.
This is what you have to look forward to. This is what you are sealed for. You Are Sealed for Eternal Salvation. This is not something to try to hide, so that you can fit in better with the world. Both the troubles and the triumphs of this life are short-lived. Your merciful Lord has something much better and more glorious planned for you. He had it planned for you before you were even born. In fact, He chose you in Christ “before the foundation of the world, that [you] should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4).
This is how we stand by faith in Him, and this is how we will stand before Him in heaven. As St. John writes: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1Jo. 3:2-3)—saints forevermore.
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
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(picture from “Seventh Seal and 144,000 Sealed” by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872)
St. Barnabas, Apostle – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3
In Christ Jesus, whose name is above every name, who shares His saving name with us, and who guides and protects us as members of His holy family, dear fellow redeemed:
On Pentecost Sunday, three thousand Jews heard the preaching of the apostles and were baptized. As the apostles continued boldly to proclaim the truth about Jesus, that number grew to five thousand souls. It was a time of beautiful peace and unity. These new Christians shared what they had with one another. Some of them even sold their land and brought the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to the needy.
One of them in particular is mentioned in the fourth chapter of Acts, a man named Joseph. We are told that he “sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Act. 4:37). This man was a Levite descended from the line of priests, and he was a native of the island of Cyprus in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. He was known for more than his generosity. We learn this by the name the apostles gave him, the name “Barnabas (which means son of encouragement)” (v. 36).
Barnabas was an encourager, a consoler. He was a tremendous supporter of the apostles and a dedicated worker in the church. In today’s reading, he is described in glowing terms as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” Barnabas was the one who brought Saul to meet the apostles after Saul was converted. Everyone was afraid of Saul, since he had severely persecuted the church. But Barnabas encouraged them to welcome him, and testified to them about Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, and how ‘he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus” (9:27).
We can see how highly Barnabas was regarded by the fact that the apostles sent him to Antioch after the Gospel had taken root there. When Barnabas “came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all—encouraged them all—to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” The people liked Barnabas. They respected him. Maybe you have a relative like that—someone who was always supportive, or a teacher who motivated you to work harder, or a coach who inspired you to give your best.
You especially appreciate the people who gave you good encouragement along the way. But not all encouragement is good encouragement. The people who encourage you to put yourself first, who encourage you to ignore your conscience, who encourage you to join them in doing what is wrong—these people are giving bad encouragement, bad guidance.
But it isn’t always easy to recognize what encouragement is good and what is bad. Bad encouragement conflicts with the Word of God, but it agrees with our sinful inclinations, our sinful nature. We like hearing the encouragement to do whatever our passions and desires lead us to do. We like hearing the encouragement to follow our own heart, focus on our own plans, and determine our own future.
The encouragement to follow God’s Word, focus on His plan for us, and trust Him to guide us into the future—even if it isn’t the plan and future we wanted—this encouragement is not always welcome. I know as a pastor, I have often thought how much easier it would be if I just encouraged the people I serve to do whatever seems best to them. I wouldn’t have to challenge anyone to change the way they are thinking or to repent of the wrongs they have done. I could just “go with the flow,” and say, “I’m just here to support you being you!”
That would be easier. You know how much easier it is to be the parent or grandparent who says “yes” all the time, instead of being the parent or grandparent who says “no.” But what would the world be like without any “no”?
Barnabas was not just an encourager. He was an encourager of what is good. He encouraged the Christians in Antioch “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,” to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luk. 10:27) and to cling to His saving Word of grace. He encouraged them in this way because “he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”
This good encouragement to remain with the Lord in faith comes from the Holy Spirit. It is the encouragement you receive whenever you hear the Word of God. Those who stop listening to the Word of God open their ears to other things. That’s when bad encouragement starts to sound reasonable, and right is exchanged for wrong. Then ears will no longer hear the good encouragement, and God’s truth sounds strange and even offensive.
The very things that God warns us away from because they cause injury and pain, are the things the world tells us to celebrate and take pride in. And if we challenge those things out of love for our neighbor’s soul, we are accused of being hateful and bigoted. That is discouraging. It is easy to feel discouraged when you know that what you believe and confess is right, but so many around you say it is wrong.
That’s why you and I need the continued encouragement of the Holy Spirit. The name “Barnabas” means “son of encouragement,” and the Greek word for “encouragement” sounds like para’klesis. Jesus used a very similar word to describe the work of the Holy Spirit. He called the Holy Spirit the para’kletos, which means the Helper/ Counselor/ Encourager (Joh. 15:26). The Holy Spirit encourages you by taking what belongs to Jesus Christ and declaring it to you (Joh. 16:14-15).
Today’s reading tells us something very interesting about the disciples in Antioch. It says that because of the teaching of Barnabas and Saul, “the disciples were first called Christians.” What were they called before? When Saul went on his rampage against the Church, he was looking to arrest anyone who belonged to “the Way” (Act. 9:2). That was how believers identified themselves, probably based on Jesus words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Joh. 14:6).
Now they became known as “Christians”—followers of Christ, those who were baptized into His death and resurrection, who listened to His Word of truth, who partook of the holy food and drink of His body and blood. By the powerful work of the Holy Spirit through the Word, you also are one of those Christians.
You are baptized into Christ, clothed in His righteousness. You are cleansed of all your sins by His holy blood. You are an heir of eternal life by faith in Him. You are a holy one, a saint, one who is set apart by the grace of God. There is nothing more encouraging than to know that your Savior smiles upon you. He forgives you all your sins. He is present through His Word and Sacraments to strengthen you and guide you. He fights for you against the powers of darkness and the temptations of this fallen world. He calls you by His name, which means your future is tied to His future. What an honor to be called a Christian!
But it is not an honor in the world, and it is getting more and more unpopular to be called by the name of Christ. When Barnabas and Saul went on their missionary journey, preaching the good news of Jesus’ saving work, they faced constant opposition and persecution. They wanted to share the greatest, most encouraging message there is, and many did not want to hear anything about it.
Jesus had warned His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mat. 16:24). He told them that they would have to suffer for His name. He did not say this to discourage them, but to prepare them. He was encouraging them to stay the course and keep their eyes on the finish line. Again He said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you…. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me” (Joh. 15:18,21).
We Need Good Encouragement, the encouragement of God’s Word of grace. We need to be reminded that all the things of this world will pass away, but the everlasting treasures stored up for us by God will never pass away. Kingdoms rise and fall, rulers come and go. Christian congregations in various locations flourish and diminish, pastors and church leaders come and go, “but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8).
The Holy Spirit called Barnabas to preach and toil and suffer in the name of Christ and then called him to his eternal rest. Tradition indicates that he died a martyr’s death by being stoned in his home country of Cyprus. But through his work, many were encouraged by him, and we still find encouragement from his life of faithfulness. He did not trust in his own work, his own abilities. He trusted in his Savior Jesus. He found his encouragement and strength through the unchanging promises of Christ.
This encouragement he shared with others is the encouragement we share with one another, the encouragement “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” We do not face the challenges, temptations, and persecutions of the world alone. We face them together in the body of Christ, over which He reigns as our Head.
These persecutions can also be a source of encouragement, because they show we are not of the world; we are of Christ. The apostle Peter writes, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you,” and “if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1Pe. 4:14,16).
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 of “Barnabas curing the sick” by Paolo Veronese, c. 1566)
St. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: St. Matthew 13:54-58
In Christ Jesus, whose coming was prophesied for thousands of years, but whose arrival still caught everyone by surprise, dear fellow redeemed:
Sometimes we wonder how our life would be different if we had chosen a different path. What if we had taken risks instead of playing it safe, or the other way around? What if we had followed the advice of this person instead of that person, turned right instead of left? Maybe we would have been more successful, more respected, more happy. Maybe we could have reached our full potential. Maybe we would feel today like we had really done something significant. Unsettling thoughts, and we’ve all had them at one point or another.
There is encouragement for us in the example of St. Joseph. Joseph was a descendant of the great King David, but it had been hundreds of years since a member of the family had occupied the throne. Joseph lived a ways north of the capital, up in the territory of Galilee in the town of Nazareth. We get a sense of the town when Philip told Nathanael about “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Joh. 1:46).
Today’s reading tells us that Joseph was a carpenter of some sort, working his trade in the community, working with his hands. He was neither wealthy nor well-known—not a person expected to make an impact on history. But God had other plans for him. He brought a faithful woman into his life—Mary—and they made plans to be married. They were “betrothed” to each other, which was a legally binding arrangement that came before the public marriage ceremony. Until the public ceremony, they stayed in separate homes and did not share a bed.
Then the shocker! Mary informed Joseph that she was pregnant. He obviously was not the father, and Mary’s story about a visit from an angel, and the Holy Spirit conceiving a holy Child in her womb, was difficult to accept. The evangelist Matthew writes that “Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly” (1:19). That tells you a lot about Joseph. Even in his heartbroken state, he did not want to make an example out of Mary or bring the Law down on her. He resolved to move on and go back to his work.
But before he took that step, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and verified Mary’s story. He referred to Joseph by his royal lineage, showing that God was laying out this path for Joseph. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (1:20-21). Joseph listened. He set aside his reason. He ignored any doubts. He trusted the Word of God. He married Mary, and when her Son was born, he called His name “Jesus,” which means, “the LORD is salvation” (1:25).
We hear only a little more about Joseph. He had Jesus circumcised at eight days old and then brought Him to the temple at forty days old to present Him there as the Law of God required (Luk. 2:21-22). He rushed Jesus and Mary to safety in Egypt when King Herod wanted the Child dead (Mat. 2:13-15). He moved the family back to Nazareth after some time had passed (Mat. 2:19-23). And each year after that, he brought his family to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (Luk. 2:41). All of these things show Joseph’s character. He was a man of faith committed both to the Word of God and to his family.
Jesus learned from him, which is surprising to think about. The evangelist Luke writes that as a youth, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature” (Luk. 2:52). In His state of humiliation, Jesus did not make full use of His divine power. He was able to learn and mature. And Joseph was right there to model a life of faithful adherence to the Scriptures and faithful attendance at the synagogue each week—a good model for Christian fathers today. He also taught Jesus how to build with His hands—a carpenter just like him (Mar. 6:3).
What we learn in today’s Gospel reading is that the people of Nazareth couldn’t get past the image of little Jesus working with quiet Joseph. They had heard about the miracles Jesus had done in the surrounding territory, and now they were listening to Him teach with authority in the synagogue. But instead of seeing Him in a different light and opening their ears to Him, they closed their minds. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” they wondered. They thought about His humble parents and their simple way of life. “What makes Jesus think He can teach us? Does He think He’s something special?”
They were wrong, of course. But we’ve been wrong like that too, judging people by our perception of them instead of by what they actually are. This is especially tempting in small communities like ours. We can judge people by the way we thought about them in elementary school or junior high. Or we can put them in certain categories and tell ourselves that they are all the same as before, and they aren’t worth our time.
But God tells us to love our neighbors, no matter how far back our history with them goes, or what we have perceived them to be. There is always a chance that we have gotten them wrong. There is always a chance that they have grown just as we’d like to think we have. Clearly the people of Nazareth got Jesus wrong. They had gotten His parents wrong too. Joseph was not just a carpenter; he was the legal guardian of the Christ-Child, whose coming had been prophesied for thousands of years. And Mary was not just a mother; she was the bearer of the Son of God, who came to destroy the work of the devil by His innocent suffering and death.
Neither Mary nor Joseph had chosen this for themselves. God chose them for these things. Who would ever feel qualified to raise the Christ-Child? They must have felt like failures, and not only when they lost track of the twelve-year-old Jesus in Jerusalem. They knew that the best they could do was not good enough. But they still carried out their calling from God. They trusted that since He had chosen this for them, He would bless their efforts—imperfect though they were.
This is your encouragement as you carry out your callings from God. Looking back on your life, you may feel that your life has been one long string of bad choices, failures, and missed opportunities. But that isn’t how God sees it at all. He sees you as His dear child, washed clean by the blood of Jesus and covered in His righteousness. He sees your light of faith shining in your home, your workplace, and your community. He sees you surrounded by neighbors who need your love and service—a life full of purpose.
It is the devil who wants to discourage you and make you discontent. He wants you to question if you married the right the person, if you can really give your children what they need, if your job is right for you, or if anyone actually cares about you. He wants you to think that maybe everything would get better if you just walked away, if you just started over. Then you could do what you were meant to do. Then you could reach your full potential.
But while giving way to selfishness may feel like a sort of freedom, it will only drive you more deeply into sin and its darkness. You are not here to serve yourself. You are here to serve the Lord by serving the people He has placed in your life. Jesus told His disciples, “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (Joh. 15:16). It is the Lord who has planned the good that you would do. He is the one who has set the course for your life.
You haven’t missed out on some higher purpose, some greater thing you were supposed to do, by being where you are today. The Lord has big plans for you and important work for you to do right where you are. You are no failure to Him. God sent His Son to prove the value of your life by giving His perfect life for yours. He cleansed you of your sin and sanctified your life for His work at your Baptism. And He invites you continuously to feast on Him, the Bread of Life—to receive again and again His forgiveness and to be strengthened for your callings by His grace.
Joseph and Mary needed this too. Even while they were raising and providing for Jesus, He was living a perfect life on their behalf. He was keeping the holy commands of God for them and all people, and He would keep these commands all the way to His death on the cross to pay for sin—for His parents’ sins and for yours. His cross is where you take your selfish behavior, your discontentment about your station in life, your thoughts about leaving it all behind. You confess these sins to your merciful Lord, and He declares you forgiven, washed clean by His holy blood.
He chose you for the work you do for the neighbors around you, starting with the neighbors in your own home. Like Joseph, you will not carry out these callings perfectly. But your worth, your success, and your salvation do not depend on how perfect you are. They depend on how perfect your Savior is, and the work He perfectly completed to save you.
What He has done frees you to give with generosity and serve with gladness. Because the work the Lord has given you to do for others is His work. And if it comes from Him, then it is a gift, a gift for which He deserves all the glory.
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 Holy Family with a Little Bird” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1650)