State church [Trinity 23; St. Matthew 22:15-22]

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Here is the pericope used.

Only audio this week. Apologies.

Peace be with you.

Blasphemer [Trinity 19; St. Matthew 9:1-8]

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Jesus is speaking to you, from His own Gospel, saying,

“And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming.'”

Blasphemy falls under the 2^nd command to “not misuse the name of the Lord your God”. This command is broken in two ways: cursing God or cursing your neighbor. If you speak evil of God or mock Him, Moses warns that you will be held responsible for those words.

If you call down the anger and punishment of God upon yourself or any other person or thing, you break this command, unleashing your tongue. Do you curse and praise out of the same mouth? Brothers it should not be so.

We usually think of cursing as using bad words in front of the preacher (in front of friends its ok), but this is not so. It is not vulgar language in itself that is the blasphemy, it is how it is directed and who it is directed against.

But this is why we become so confused and so guilty so quickly. Because we can not distinguish who we curse and who we don’t. We believe that keeping some language private or secret, at least covers some bases, but we do not fool ourselves. We still feel guilty.

Especially that one weak moment when we cursed God.

In sinful hands, knowing what blasphemy is simply gives us recourse to use it as a weapon against our neighbor, maybe even God. We feel that if we point enough fingers at everyone else’s blasphemy, deserved or not, that God will forget about ours.

However, it is exactly in our judging that our judgment is revealed (Rom. 2:1). Point one finger, three point back. We want to boast so much in the law, but it just ends up showing how we are the ones dishonoring God. In our zeal to root out blasphemy from politics and public schooling, we make the blasphemy worse by modeling the holy life with our sinful life. “For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Rom. 2:23-24)

What we should be doing is using our knowledge of blasphemy in a positive way. Not only should we be teaching against it, but we should self-reflect and discover that we are just as guilty as the worst of our neighbors and therefore both are in need of forgiveness rather than judging.

Because, where do we see true blasphemy and what do we do about the unforgivable sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit and the fact that we may be guilty of that?

Blasphemy is always against Jesus, because the Law that declares that “a man can not be God” and that is exactly Jesus’ crime against humanity and the charge that gained Him the death penalty. For no good work did the Jews condemn Him, but because Jesus, being a man, makes Himself God.

As such only God can forgive sins. So when the paralytic walks away with the forgiveness of sins, that act signals Jesus’ own declaration: I and the Father are one. But, the blaspheming did not stop there.

What the enemies of Jesus did as Jesus hanged on the cross was blasphemy saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Mt.27:40)

Cursing, according to the 2nd Command, then becomes not just dirty language or speaking evil of God, but preventing Jesus from being God and man and preventing Jesus from going to the cross.

True blasphemy is denying that Jesus is both God and man and that He died and rose again. Thus, when we get to the unforgivable sin of blasphemy, it is not simply our sinful judgment of God and others, but it has to do solely with Jesus.

The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a rejection of the gift of forgiveness that Jesus spent all of history accomplishing. If you don’t think your sins need forgiving, then Jesus didn’t die for them. That is unforgivable blasphemy, because there is nothing to forgive, rather you think there is nothing to forgive and so keep your own sins.

The Good News? The Good News is that blasphemy is a forgivable sin. Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people…” (Mt. 12:31). Because you feel that guilt, because you feel that contrition, because you still believe that your cursing and blasphemy is sinful, you are still on the right track.

You know what else is a forgivable sin? Scourging, crucifying, and killing Jesus! In fact, it was that sin that made the forgiveness of sins possible. The crucifixion of Jesus stands as the demarcation between praise and blasphemy. Is Jesus on the cross for you or is He not?

Jesus did not curse you or swear against you in His suffering. Jesus did not lie or deceive by God’s Name in any of His miracles or good works. Jesus did not use satanic arts to raise Himself from the dead.

Jesus called upon the forgiveness of our heavenly Father from the cross. Facing His own unjust death, Jesus prayed for others, praised our Father for His almighty will, and gave thanks that one should suffer and die instead of all of you.

This, sin, death, and the devil can’t stand, because in Jesus’ actions, they are blasphemed. The Lord blasphemes against sin by becoming a man, living a perfect and holy life, and dying for everyone else. Christ blasphemes death by forcing life to Himself Who once had died. Jesus curses the devil by proving that the Lord is slow to anger and quick to forgiveness.

In God’s blasphemy of sending His only begotten Son to the cross, the entire world is saved. God allows the world to curse Him, swear at Him, use satanic arts against Him, lie about Him, and deceive by His Name in order that salvation be brought to you. Jesus opens Himself to history, to investigation, and to sharp criticism in order that the forgiveness of sins be preached to the whole world.

Because the only way to fulfill the law; the only way to avoid the sin of blasphemy is through love. Brow or Bible beating is not going to do it. Rooting our all blasphemers and burning them at the stake really won’t do it.

But, the love of Christ shining on the cross, will do it. The Holy Spirit, freely given, convicting us of sin, of Christ’s righteousness and justice, will do it. Living among the Word and sacraments of Jesus will continue to strengthen us and give us confidence that all of His promises are true.

Intemperance [Trinity 18; 70th Anniversary; St. Matthew 22:34-46]

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Jesus speaks to us today, saying,

“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Just when you think that the Son has come to set you free indeed, Jesus turns on us and tells us that there are two important laws that the Law, the Prophets, everything depends on. And, as we all know, laws are a limiter of freedom, not a proponent, and when the laws get too heavy, we throw in the towel and shout, “I can’t!”

However, in the hands of sinners, freedom becomes a problem; it becomes a weapon. The great example of this is the Reformation. As wonderful and necessary to the preaching of the Gospel as freedom is, once it was given, people ran wild starting so many new denominations, smashing churches, and beating priests.

Freedom is given by Jesus, but it is ruined by us sinners. Thus, the giving of the Law tempers the sinner and the saved. The virtue of temperance is concerned with overcoming the overriding condition of our fallen human nature. Practicing temperance means that you know you have freedom, but you also know that you’re horrible at it.

Temperance is a difficult thing which is why we first figure out how to act rightly (prudence), then we give each man his due (justice), then we stand strong in those things (fortitude), and finally we find our own place, not in exercising absolute freedom, but in restricting our freedom. As Jesus commands us to love God and love neighbor today, temperance reminds us that there is no room for loving self in those commands.

Thus the Law tempers life, even though for the sinner and our sinful self it still means guilt and death, Jesus does not remove one iota of the Law. Though His suffering and death has removed the punishment and guilt of the Law, you remain in your flesh until Christ returns for you.

For the Christian then, the Law holds no sting or power to condemn to hell, but it still points out the way to live that is God-pleasing, because Jesus does not simply redeem you and then place you down in the midst of wolves and say, “Good luck.”

We are still in the world. We are still in our sinful flesh. The sacraments permanently tattoo God’s promises to us, but He leaves us in this world so we are in a constant struggle with our sinful desires.

You don’t think you have a problem with violence, until someone convinces you its God’s will. You don’t think you have a problem with chastity or fidelity, until that one person persuades you that its ok just this once. We never think we have problems handling anything our bodies desire, until it becomes a problem.

In regards to what Jesus is telling us today, we are free to love God and love our neighbor, but we are horrible at it. We never knew we had a problem with loving God or our neighbor until we heard it in black and white. In other words, until we heard it from the Law of God.

This sinful handling of Temperance is called concupiscence. Remember that word well. It means natural tendency and lustful leaning. That is us in our sinfulness. There is nothing more dangerous in this world than a temperate man. There is nothing more dangerous to the faith, than a concupiscent man that thinks he’s temperate.

So what does all this have to do with the Reformation, the LWML, and starting a church?

From the Genesis reading heard at the beginning of Service, we hear that the Lord is working in this world. He does not leave us to fend for ourselves, but instead works out all things for our good, including placing His Church on earth and placing us in it.

The Lord does all this while being intemperate. He showers His wedding feast with an overabundance of wine and food. He sows seed in excess, tossing them upon road, rock and thorn and weed alike.

He gives grace to the undeserving. He enriches in speech and all knowledge those who despise it. He does not spare any expense at revealing His true Son to any and all sinners, calling from every corner of the earth, and proclaiming the forgiveness of sins.

This intemperance climaxes at the cross. There we see the excess of life poured out into the ground. Feeding no one, nourishing no one, and benefiting no one as one would pour out milk into the ground. All of Jesus’ hard work: His words, His miracles, and His very person, seemingly wasted in grim death.

This is the price Jesus pays. His words fall on deaf ears. His miracles are undone. His body dies.

Yet through this abundance of waste comes an abundance of righteousness. As it turns out, this was the Father’s will; that the Son obey Him unto death on a cross in order that He would glorify Him by raising Him from the dead, permanently.

Thus it is not intemperance the Lord practices, but mercy and love. Though His words fall on deaf ears, those ears hear and, regardless, His promise remains true. Though His miracles only last for awhile (people get sick again and die again), Those people find eternal, permanent healing in Christ’s death and resurrection.

Though His body died, it is alive. Jesus has raised the lowly body to immortality, to imperishability, to glory, to power; to life. In three days, Jesus’ body has been torn down and rebuilt again. He has become the building built without hands.

Through this, whenever we ponder the Church, why its here, why we’re here, and what the good of it all is, we must always remember Christ Crucified and that intemperance. And, desiring to be Christ-like ourselves, then we must participate and commune with that intemperance, when it comes to the House of God.

Do we want Gospel preached in its purity and the Sacraments administered according to it in this place for only 70 years or 70 times 7?  The Spirit that has been given to us is not a spirit of wekness, but of power. Power to invest ourselves completely in the Church. Power to overcome our sinfulness and hatred for the apparent waste of time that is the Church on earth and see it for its eternal glory that it is.

The Church of God is the one unique place on earth where all of Scripture comes true because this is the Body of Christ. This is the place where we invest in eternity. This is the place where heaven opens its gates for us. This is the place where the Lord comes to set a table for us. This is none other than the House of God and this is the gate of heaven, as Jacob declared oh so long ago.

To our comfort and peace, the Lord is intemperate with His Church. He continues to sustain it wherever the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments administered. He continues to invest His entire being into those “successful” churches and those “unsuccessful” churches.

He continues to lavish this house with an overabundance of eternal gifts, though the walls remain brick and mortar. He constantly comes to His Supper, though it remains crusty bread and passable wine.

But that is the real Good News. That though these things are the lowest of the low; though we be the lowest of the irredeemable, Christ comes to us. He sets Himself as the Chief of sinners. He is the chief cornerstone that the builders rejected, because He was not virtuous enough.

Thanks be to God that is so. Thanks be to God that the Lord of all can be numbered with the sinners below me, descend to death and hell in front of me, and be there when I must go there. Thanks be to God for His Church on earth, for there would otherwise be nowhere to go to find Him.

The Lord sets up an oasis of life, in this desert of death, in no other place than His Church and this is where we find His full glory, His full power, His full kingdom, and His full righteousness and no where else. Period.

Earthly churches comes and go, but the true Church of the Lord endures forever. It is the Body of Christ and, like a passing rain shower, will be found here for a time and then to another place, but it never dries up and will never leave the earth.

Fortitude [Trinity 17; St. Luke 14:1-11]

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Jesus speaks to you today, in your hearing, saying:

“And they could not reply to these things.”

Verse 6 from the Gospel today, is translated very weakly. That “could not” in “they could not reply” is not something to pass by lightly. Because that phrase is used so much by us: we couldn’t do this or that; it lacks punch. What Jesus is actually saying here is not that these men harassing Him couldn’t find a good answer or explanation, but that they lacked the fortitude to stand up to what Jesus was actually doing and saying.

That is, that Jesus was actually doing the miracles of God and that He was saying that He was God Himself.

But this is what happens when we are caught being in the wrong. We hate to admit it. We hate being found out, so we remain silent. We don’t have the fortitude to either see our position through to its logical end or give it up and say we were wrong. You should be able to sympathize with the Pharisees.

The reason you feel that way is because fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs. Fortitude is not just strength or ability or courage, it is the moral courage to stand against the evil spirits of the times, against fashions, against human respect, and against the easy way out. Fortitude is the virtue that helps us stand up for what’s right even when others say that Christianity is outdated.

Even when it means your death. Even when it means your suffering, poverty, or loss. This is what the Pharisees faced today, in your hearing, when they heard Jesus forgive sins and when they saw Jesus heal that man from his disease. If they were to agree with Jesus and accept what He said, they would be facing their deaths; social and physical.

It would mean that everything they had believed up to that point about God was wrong. It would mean that everything they had grown up with and was familiar to them would change. It would mean their family and friends would turn them out of house and home as an idolater, worthy of condemnation and death.

This is why the Jews lose their fortitude in front of Jesus. They would rather be silent in their sin than to admit that they were wrong and that Jesus is right. They would rather not stand up for their wrong, than to admit that Jesus is right.

We would rather curl up like the Pharisees than stand up for what’s right. Don’t rock the boat, the saying goes. “Just take it easy”, they say. “Don’t get so worked up” or even “God has everything worked out”.

True fortitude is not with us or even with the martyrs. True fortitude is found only with God (Jer. 12:16); beside Him; ruling with Him; dwelling with Him.

So, in one sense I will not get worked up and will take it easy, because the Lord had worked everything out through Jesus. Jesus is the Lord’s fortitude Who not only stands up to these Pharisees today, but also defies death and danger on the cross.

Yes, Jesus is the fire brand, talking about unpopular things at inopportune times. He confronts man-made superstitions about healing on the Sabbath. He defies the establishment that would rather have sacrifice than mercy. He stands up to and fights the law and the law doesn’t win.

But that is not what this is about. Yes, Jesus faces ostracization and capitol punishment by breaking these taboos and being a rebel, claiming to be God’s Son, but for what? To get debate points? To make sure everyone knows He’s right and they’re wrong? To argue, yell, and Bible-thump?

The real reason we see the fortitude of Christ on display is not to impress nor is it to target these men questioning Him. Jesus’ true objective, in showing true fortitude, is defying and defeating the powers pulling all the strings; the man behind the curtain: sin, death, and the devil.

Sin has many a silencing arguments for you and me, but sin can not reply to Jesus. Sin has no fortitude in front of the cross, because then it would have to double down on its own judgment and instead of justifying itself, it would have to claim that it is right and thereby bring to fruition its wages: death. But sin does not want to die, so it remains silent.

The devil has a mouth that oozes sweet and sickly words in order to convince the sinner to continue in his sin, but he has no answer for Jesus. The devil does not have the fortitude to stand in outright war against God and His true Son. This he knows would only result in his defeat. So he hides behind creation, ever corrupting, never creating, and remaining silent.

Death is the final answer to a lot of worldly arguments and one could say that it has the fortitude to stand up to God, doubling down on its role and standing up to the Lord of Life, confronting Him on the cross. But death is not a person, it is simply a result.

At this point, we can work backwards to undo all of this un-virtuous living. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law (1 Cor. 15:56). In this way, Jesus claims the victory. Life wins out over death, because Jesus does have an answer to all of those arguments and temptations: Himself.

Jesus offers Himself, both God and man, on the cross, suffering and dying and rising again and all your arguments are invalid. Prudence, justice, and fortitude bow down at the foot of the cross and yield to the undying and everlasting love of God, that sacrifices itself, rather than see His enemies win.

So I will not remain silent, because the Church does not remain silent. Every argument, debate, or discussion begins and ends with the cross of Jesus. It is lawful to dine with Pharisees because Jesus is on the cross.

It is allowable to touch and mingle with the diseased, because Jesus is on the cross. It is lawful to heal and do work on the Sabbath, because Christ forgives sins from the cross. It is ok to take the higher position or the lower position, because Christ is in the lowest position, hell, and also occupies the highest position, almighty God.

I will not double down on my sin, my life, or my courage and strength. I will double down on Christ and His Person, Word, and Work.

Because these things are Christ’s and not my own, I have the fortitude to be His instrument in the Divine Service, to robe as one chosen by God, and stand in this pulpit.

Because you have the fortitude of Christ, you are able to return to His presence, in His Word and sacrament, repeatedly and find pardon and peace. Remember that loving God means receiving what He is giving, not giving your own stuff to Him.

Remember when Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all soul and mind and fortitude? Same word there. You have pledged your fortitude to Christ and His Word, as you have been taught, in your confirmation vows. In them, you state that you would rather face death than to fall away from this doctrine.

But true fortitude is not being the loudest or most persuasive to the most people. True fortitude is found in Confessing your sins to your Pastor and receiving forgiveness from him as from Christ Himself. True fortitude is not going in front of the enemy and seeking a martyr’s death. It is humbling oneself in the presence of God in the Divine Service, knowing that He is here to commune with you.

The world is very evil and the times are waxing late. Jesus is at the door, preparing His final judgment to terminate the evil and crown the right. In this life we must strive and toil, but we do so in hope. And we throw that hope all around us and as far ahead of us as we can, knowing it is our only hope.

Our hope is that this pile of dust and ashes will be exalted. That our fortitude, as weak as it is, will not be needed. The promise is that the Lord will be our part, that we will be His only and forever. And so it is.

Sufficient injustice [Trinity 16; St. Luke 7:11-17]

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Jesus speaks today, saying,

“As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.”

The word used to describe our funeral crowd this morning, read as “considerable”, is a pretty broad adjective. It can mean larger than normal, but it can also be interpreted as sufficient or adequate.

So, in the case of us hearing the Gospel today, we hear it in two ways. The first was already spoken, as in a larger than normal crowd was there. The second way is that the crowd was sufficient, as in it was just enough to do justice to the grieving mother and to the city’s image.

This second reading suggests an uncaring attitude, as in we will provide just enough mourners to make it look good. And you can relate. If you have ever lost a loved one, you feel as if the whole world should be paying respect, especially those people who don’t stop for the funeral procession on the road.

Here is the evidence for reading it this way: In I Kings, it was not sufficient enough for King Ahab to walk in the sins of his predecessor, but he had to serve Ba’al as well. Going back to Genesis and hearing about Rachel and Leah, Jacob’s two wives, fighting over who is giving more children to their husband, Leah, who is not having any children, complains to Rachel demanding to know why it is not sufficient enough for Rachel to take Jacob, but she also needs to take Leah’s livelihood as well.

Finally, it is the Lord who prophesys against the pastors of Israel, because they are abusing the Lord’s congregation. He asks them why its not sufficient enough for them to feed on the good pasture the Lord provides, but they must also trample it for the sheep when they have finished eating.

The point is, Justice is supposed to be a virtue, but in our sinful hands it turns into a weapon. We see the oppressed, we give them just enough which is their due, and that’s it. Now, you would say, what’s wrong with that? And I would reply, Repent.

In the Kingdom of heaven, justice is not enough. If your brother asks for your cloak, give him your shirt as well. If he asks you to walk one mile with him, go two. Yes, give them justice; give them their due, but if you are to show mercy as the Lord has been merciful to you, then you must go beyond Justice.

Charity, or love, is beyond justice in this way. It is just for God to punish us eternally. It is love that stays His sentencing. Our example in the faith is Cain, the guy who gets the ninth circle of hell for his injustice towards his brother. He cries out how he can not bear God’s justice against his sins, saying, “My punishment is greater than I can bear…whoever finds me will kill me.”

In remembering and recognizing our sins, Cain’s cry is our cry. If our friends and family knew who we really are inside, if they ever found out, surely they would kill us. And it would be a justice to the world to remove such a sinful and corrupt creature from it. And yet, it wouldn’t, because then Jesus would have one less sinner to receive His free, public forgiveness of sins.

For Jesus, it is not sufficient enough to redeem this only-begotten son from this just-enough crowd and from death. It is not enough for Jesus to restore this family, mother and son, on earth. Therefore, Jesus does not give us our due. He does not give us what we deserve. He gives us what we don’t deserve.

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam betrayed Jesus, there were no mourners for Jesus. At Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, there was no considerable crowd for Him. And yet, even though He lost His entire creation, all His first-born, and only-born, and every-born person to sin, death, and the devil, it was not enough for Him to sit idly by.

Jesus switches places with the funeral; all funerals. Where there is a considerable crowd or no crowd at all, it is Jesus in the coffin; Jesus in the bier. Jesus weeps in our place. Jesus suffers, in our place. Jesus dies in our place.

This is injustice. That the holy, innocent Son of God should give His life for those who hate Him and rebel against Him is not justice. Yet, by the mercy of God, His injustice is punishing the innocent. The justice of the Kingdom of the heavens is sending One to die for the many. Justice is laying the One into the grave Who built the earth’s foundation.

And Jesus’ grave is still open. It stares at us and it stares at the widow of Nain. We know we are going down, but because Jesus left the door open, it is no longer a pit of death, but a portal of life.

Thus the church sings not because she is happy, necessarily, but because she has hope. She sings because, contrary to popular opinion, the clouds are breaking and the storms of time will cease. Death, sorrow, and earth’s dark story will all come to and end.

This end will not just be sufficient or even considerable. It will be perfect. It will be complete. It will be an end that not only delivers justice, but love 100 times over what was done to us here and 100 times over what we have lost here.

Jesus lives Who once was dead! He has blessed us and not cursed us. He has washed us and not left us. He has spoken to us and not ignored us. He has fed us and not left us hungry. The Church is not selling these things, but giving them away for free.

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant…” in Body and Blood.