READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
Malachi 4:1-6
Romans 15:4-13
- St. Luke 21:25-36
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Who speaks to us on this second Sunday of the new Church Year, saying,
Jesus, once again, instills in His Word the importance of song and singing, as He teaches in our Epistle reading, “sing to Your Name”. But we are to be purposeful in our singing, not lazy. God wants us to believe that our songs do something to ourselves and to creation, so that we take what we sing seriously, reverently, and joyfully.
Last week, we employed our songs to teach us what we need to know of Christ in order that we believe and be saved. Another importance to singing in Church we will discuss today. That is, the Church’s song is to be used as a weapon against the evil one.
Maybe you have never thought about your singing this way, but it is true. We usually only think of singing as a morale booster, something to get us through any situation we may be facing. That is true, we do receive new energy from songs we enjoy and so can face life with our own strength.
But against the powers of darkness, of the hidden plane, who war against God’s chosen, no such human strength avails us. And this is one of our Lord’s teachings in His Gospel today. That the world will see increasing turmoil and struggle as the great Day of the Lord nears. Even as we approach His birth.
For Herod and his cronies were not idle, as they heard from the Magi. All of Judea was also suffering under Roman rule and their spiritual leaders were not doing them any good either, preaching against the Messiah. Civil strife, economic poverty, and no relief in sight set the stage for the Lord.
As bleak and unnerving as that picture is, especially when we think of it happening to us today, the Word of God endured and Faith never wavered. The people held fast to the Lord’s religion He gave to them and God did not abandon them. The census demanded by Rome, may have been meant for evil, but God meant it for good to move Sts. Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.
Even Ceasar obeys God! Every man must return to his town of origin and Joseph was from the City of David, that little town of Bethlehem. The Church’s song proved victorious over the devil, once again, and the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Singing exorcises! Not at the gym, but the sin and demons harassing us. We hear of a curious event from 1 Samuel where Saul has just sinned and lost his kingship from God. Now an evil spirit torments him because he refuses to listen to the Lord, His prophet, or the new king, freshly anointed.
And yet, he is told the evil spirit will flee from him if he fulfills certain requirements. So he searches for a young lad to do such a thing. The man he finds is none other than the new king, David, and David is employed to play and sing music to Saul.
Verse 23 says, “And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.”
Even Saul obeys God! He cannot help but remain sinful in his pride, but unwittingly employs David enabling him to accomplish mighty deeds to cement his kingship in the eyes of the people. All this accomplished by song!
Now, we don’t know what David sang, but I’m certain it was from the Word and from worship. He had only two songs in the psalter, at that time: 88 and 90, as they were from Moses. Pretty certain those were they. On top of that, the subject of both is that, though God may be the cause of suffering and bearing the cross, it is only God Who gives relief: speaking directly to Saul’s situation!!
Repent! Songs should be entertaining only, we say in our sin, and what I sing doesn’t concern anyone else. They should reflect me and my mood. I can’t be bothered with moldy songs, longer than 45 seconds, from a history of which I was not a part. My songs do the same thing and they have catchier tunes and they fill up churches and they make me feel good.
This you cannot prove.
Your song may do one thing for you, but absolutely repulse others. Your songs may encourage you, but throw others into a spiral. There is no such thing as “your truth”, as in your private, bubble encased universe where you can do no wrong. There are things that are true for you, privately, but faith is never private.
The Church of Jesus Christ is described to be in two states, the first of which is the Church Triumphant. This state is the state of those who have died in the faith and yet remain members in good standing with Jesus. “even though we die, we live”, says Jesus, and since we are members of His Church here, we will also be, there.
The second state is the Church Militant. That is, the Church engaging in militaristic maneuvers in order to remain the Church, on earth. Militant. Military. What you think Jesus only left His Church on earth with lutefisk and good feelings?
And what are your weapons? What’s in the armory? If we head back to the end of our Gospel reading, we find Jesus employing prayer. Your psalms and hymns are prayers. You think your prayers aren’t doing anything because they’re not answered immediately how you want them, but they are busy engaging the enemy on your behalf, militarily.
Listen to this from Psalm 149:6, “Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands.” What is the two-edged sword, but the Word of God made flesh? Revelation 1:16, “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
Since our hymns already teach of Christ because they are from Holy Scriptures, Holy Scriptures are the weapon of choice. Not ours, but God’s.
Blessed Dr. Luther says:
“We know that devils and evil spirits hate and can’t tolerate music. I firmly believe and I am not ashamed to assert that, next to theology, no art is equal to music. It is the only one, except for theology, that is able to give a quiet and happy mind. This is so clearly proven by the fact that the devil, the author of depressing worry, distress, and all kinds of disturbing thoughts, flees from the sound of music as he does from the word of theology.”
Returning to the Gospel, then, where is the devil authoring depression, worry, distress, and all kinds of disturbing thoughts? In the distress of the nations, from our Gospel reading. Why? Because Jesus describes the earth going crazy. Seas boiling, the moon turning red, cats and dogs living together. A people mad enough to crucify their God…
How can we sing to God in that sort of situation?
It is a fact that Jesus can still wind and wave with a word from His lips, but He does not still every storm. And the storms of the End Times He will not still, because they are not as they seem. All that the mortal eyes beholds is danger and death in today’s Gospel reading, but before the eye of faith unfolds the power of Jesus’s merit.
That is, that the sea, sun, moon, stars, and all nations are singing the song of the Last Day. It not a song of distress, but the song of renewal and resurrection. The seas are turbulent because of joy. The joy that their renewal is near and that their Lord has crossed the Jordan. He has entered the Promised Land to do battle.
We sometimes hear from the Apocrypha, during the Church Year, and it will refer us to the Song of Three Children, or the song that Daniel’s three young companions sang while in the middle of the furnace of fire, in Daniel 3. We sing it as hymn number 931. It goes:
“Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord...you heavens…you waters…you sun, moon, stars and winds…Praise Him and magnify Him forever.”
When every valley is exalted and every mountain and hill made low, that causes quite a tumult. So it will come upon all on earth.
But it will not take us by surprise. The sun, moon, and earth have already begun their tremors at the crucifixion of Jesus. The sun already hid its face, the moon shed tears of blood, and the earth trembled that it was given to hold its Creator in its depths. So much so that the dead rose and entered the Holy City and appeared to many.
In the resurrection of Jesus we see our own resurrection and the new heavens and a new earth. That these turmoils will be but a moment and our songs hasten their passing and put all fear to rest in the Living hands of Christ.
Dr. Luther again:
“When you are sad, therefore, and when melancholy threatens to get the upper hand, say: ‘Arise! I must play a song unto the Lord on the organ be it the Te Deum Laudamus or the Benedictus, for the Scriptures teach us that it pleases the Lord to hear a joyful song and the music of stringed instruments.’ Then begin striking the keys and singing in accompaniment, as David and Elisha did, until your sad thoughts vanish. If the devil returns and plants worries and sad thoughts in your mind, resist him manfully and say, ‘Begone, devil! I must now play and sing unto my Lord Christ!’”
The hymns of the Church proclaim the Word. Proclaiming the Word, they become Songs of Exorcism. Fighting against sin, death, and the devil this way, they are our military might. Do not just think they rouse your fighting spirit in you. They do, but they also fight on their own and on your behalf, dispelling the darkness of fear and doubt.
For this reason, we should hold our songs to a greater standard than the world. We do not want cutesy, demure kitty cats fighting for us, we want the Lion of Judah. Immortal. Ever-living. Ever victorious. We do not want bags of sappy sugar to fire us for the fight, but the very power of God’s own Spirit.
With these battle songs, the powers of heaven are shaken and fruit falls to earth. The fruit of the Word made flesh for us to forgive, to give faith, and to grant endurance to everlasting life.
Therefore, in these last days of struggle and strife we sing and hurl our songs and prayers against the darkness, for in their words they send for Christ. And in their pure doctrine, they send out hope ahead of us, to the end.
“Strive now to win that glory, toil now to gain that light; send hope ahead to grasp it till hope be lost in sight”, sings hymn 513.
Strive and toil now, for their end is at hand. Christ is coming. The manger is waiting. The cross is being built. Darkness there no more resides, in the Light of Christ faith now abides.
Who speaks to us on this second Sunday of the new Church Year, saying,
“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have
strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand
before the Son of Man”
Jesus, once again, instills in His Word the importance of song and singing, as He teaches in our Epistle reading, “sing to Your Name”. But we are to be purposeful in our singing, not lazy. God wants us to believe that our songs do something to ourselves and to creation, so that we take what we sing seriously, reverently, and joyfully.
Last week, we employed our songs to teach us what we need to know of Christ in order that we believe and be saved. Another importance to singing in Church we will discuss today. That is, the Church’s song is to be used as a weapon against the evil one.
Maybe you have never thought about your singing this way, but it is true. We usually only think of singing as a morale booster, something to get us through any situation we may be facing. That is true, we do receive new energy from songs we enjoy and so can face life with our own strength.
But against the powers of darkness, of the hidden plane, who war against God’s chosen, no such human strength avails us. And this is one of our Lord’s teachings in His Gospel today. That the world will see increasing turmoil and struggle as the great Day of the Lord nears. Even as we approach His birth.
For Herod and his cronies were not idle, as they heard from the Magi. All of Judea was also suffering under Roman rule and their spiritual leaders were not doing them any good either, preaching against the Messiah. Civil strife, economic poverty, and no relief in sight set the stage for the Lord.
As bleak and unnerving as that picture is, especially when we think of it happening to us today, the Word of God endured and Faith never wavered. The people held fast to the Lord’s religion He gave to them and God did not abandon them. The census demanded by Rome, may have been meant for evil, but God meant it for good to move Sts. Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.
Even Ceasar obeys God! Every man must return to his town of origin and Joseph was from the City of David, that little town of Bethlehem. The Church’s song proved victorious over the devil, once again, and the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Singing exorcises! Not at the gym, but the sin and demons harassing us. We hear of a curious event from 1 Samuel where Saul has just sinned and lost his kingship from God. Now an evil spirit torments him because he refuses to listen to the Lord, His prophet, or the new king, freshly anointed.
And yet, he is told the evil spirit will flee from him if he fulfills certain requirements. So he searches for a young lad to do such a thing. The man he finds is none other than the new king, David, and David is employed to play and sing music to Saul.
Verse 23 says, “And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.”
Even Saul obeys God! He cannot help but remain sinful in his pride, but unwittingly employs David enabling him to accomplish mighty deeds to cement his kingship in the eyes of the people. All this accomplished by song!
Now, we don’t know what David sang, but I’m certain it was from the Word and from worship. He had only two songs in the psalter, at that time: 88 and 90, as they were from Moses. Pretty certain those were they. On top of that, the subject of both is that, though God may be the cause of suffering and bearing the cross, it is only God Who gives relief: speaking directly to Saul’s situation!!
Repent! Songs should be entertaining only, we say in our sin, and what I sing doesn’t concern anyone else. They should reflect me and my mood. I can’t be bothered with moldy songs, longer than 45 seconds, from a history of which I was not a part. My songs do the same thing and they have catchier tunes and they fill up churches and they make me feel good.
This you cannot prove.
Your song may do one thing for you, but absolutely repulse others. Your songs may encourage you, but throw others into a spiral. There is no such thing as “your truth”, as in your private, bubble encased universe where you can do no wrong. There are things that are true for you, privately, but faith is never private.
The Church of Jesus Christ is described to be in two states, the first of which is the Church Triumphant. This state is the state of those who have died in the faith and yet remain members in good standing with Jesus. “even though we die, we live”, says Jesus, and since we are members of His Church here, we will also be, there.
The second state is the Church Militant. That is, the Church engaging in militaristic maneuvers in order to remain the Church, on earth. Militant. Military. What you think Jesus only left His Church on earth with lutefisk and good feelings?
And what are your weapons? What’s in the armory? If we head back to the end of our Gospel reading, we find Jesus employing prayer. Your psalms and hymns are prayers. You think your prayers aren’t doing anything because they’re not answered immediately how you want them, but they are busy engaging the enemy on your behalf, militarily.
Listen to this from Psalm 149:6, “Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands.” What is the two-edged sword, but the Word of God made flesh? Revelation 1:16, “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
Since our hymns already teach of Christ because they are from Holy Scriptures, Holy Scriptures are the weapon of choice. Not ours, but God’s.
Blessed Dr. Luther says:
“We know that devils and evil spirits hate and can’t tolerate music. I firmly believe and I am not ashamed to assert that, next to theology, no art is equal to music. It is the only one, except for theology, that is able to give a quiet and happy mind. This is so clearly proven by the fact that the devil, the author of depressing worry, distress, and all kinds of disturbing thoughts, flees from the sound of music as he does from the word of theology.”
Returning to the Gospel, then, where is the devil authoring depression, worry, distress, and all kinds of disturbing thoughts? In the distress of the nations, from our Gospel reading. Why? Because Jesus describes the earth going crazy. Seas boiling, the moon turning red, cats and dogs living together. A people mad enough to crucify their God…
How can we sing to God in that sort of situation?
It is a fact that Jesus can still wind and wave with a word from His lips, but He does not still every storm. And the storms of the End Times He will not still, because they are not as they seem. All that the mortal eyes beholds is danger and death in today’s Gospel reading, but before the eye of faith unfolds the power of Jesus’s merit.
That is, that the sea, sun, moon, stars, and all nations are singing the song of the Last Day. It not a song of distress, but the song of renewal and resurrection. The seas are turbulent because of joy. The joy that their renewal is near and that their Lord has crossed the Jordan. He has entered the Promised Land to do battle.
We sometimes hear from the Apocrypha, during the Church Year, and it will refer us to the Song of Three Children, or the song that Daniel’s three young companions sang while in the middle of the furnace of fire, in Daniel 3. We sing it as hymn number 931. It goes:
“Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord...you heavens…you waters…you sun, moon, stars and winds…Praise Him and magnify Him forever.”
When every valley is exalted and every mountain and hill made low, that causes quite a tumult. So it will come upon all on earth.
But it will not take us by surprise. The sun, moon, and earth have already begun their tremors at the crucifixion of Jesus. The sun already hid its face, the moon shed tears of blood, and the earth trembled that it was given to hold its Creator in its depths. So much so that the dead rose and entered the Holy City and appeared to many.
In the resurrection of Jesus we see our own resurrection and the new heavens and a new earth. That these turmoils will be but a moment and our songs hasten their passing and put all fear to rest in the Living hands of Christ.
Dr. Luther again:
“When you are sad, therefore, and when melancholy threatens to get the upper hand, say: ‘Arise! I must play a song unto the Lord on the organ be it the Te Deum Laudamus or the Benedictus, for the Scriptures teach us that it pleases the Lord to hear a joyful song and the music of stringed instruments.’ Then begin striking the keys and singing in accompaniment, as David and Elisha did, until your sad thoughts vanish. If the devil returns and plants worries and sad thoughts in your mind, resist him manfully and say, ‘Begone, devil! I must now play and sing unto my Lord Christ!’”
The hymns of the Church proclaim the Word. Proclaiming the Word, they become Songs of Exorcism. Fighting against sin, death, and the devil this way, they are our military might. Do not just think they rouse your fighting spirit in you. They do, but they also fight on their own and on your behalf, dispelling the darkness of fear and doubt.
For this reason, we should hold our songs to a greater standard than the world. We do not want cutesy, demure kitty cats fighting for us, we want the Lion of Judah. Immortal. Ever-living. Ever victorious. We do not want bags of sappy sugar to fire us for the fight, but the very power of God’s own Spirit.
With these battle songs, the powers of heaven are shaken and fruit falls to earth. The fruit of the Word made flesh for us to forgive, to give faith, and to grant endurance to everlasting life.
Therefore, in these last days of struggle and strife we sing and hurl our songs and prayers against the darkness, for in their words they send for Christ. And in their pure doctrine, they send out hope ahead of us, to the end.
“Strive now to win that glory, toil now to gain that light; send hope ahead to grasp it till hope be lost in sight”, sings hymn 513.
Strive and toil now, for their end is at hand. Christ is coming. The manger is waiting. The cross is being built. Darkness there no more resides, in the Light of Christ faith now abides.
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