Be Faithful Tenants of the Lord's Vineyard (Luke 20:9-19)

Dear friends in Christ.

In 1870 a young man named William Wilberforce began his political career as an independent member of the British Parliament for Yorkshire. Just five years later this young man underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a life-long concern for reform. When he came into contact with Thomas Clarkston and a group of anti-slave trade activists a couple of years later, he was persuaded to take up the cause of abolition, and he then spent the rest of his life faithfully devoted to the cause of abolishing slavery in England. Though he faced daunting odds, mockery, critics, and some serious discouragements that simply made him want to throw in the town and chuck the whole thing, he continued to labor faithfully in the vineyard of parliament hoping that one day the harvest would be the ending of slavery. Finally, in 1833, some 46 years after he took up the cause, William Wilberforce passed away a mere 3 days after he learned that his faithful labors had finally brought about the Slavery Abolition Act.

Well, in the same way that William Wilberforce labored so faithfully in the vineyard of politics, this morning our Savior is calling on each and every one of us to be faithful laborers in his vineyard through the parable that he is teaching. Now, when Jesus spoke these words, it was Tuesday of Holy Week. He was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel to them, when the Chief Priests, the teachers of the law and even the Elders of the people came to him, demanding that he tell them by what authority he was doing these things and teaching as he was. Though most people would have grown a little fearful and not a little nervous to see representatives from the Sanhedrin, the Israelite’s board of religious leaders, Jesus simply looked them in the eyes and took control of the situation by asking them about John’s baptism. This stopped them in their tracks, because they simply weren’t prepared for Jesus to be asking questions. They huddled up, and after discussing the question among themselves, they decided that they didn’t know the answer to Jesus’ question. So, Jesus, in turn informed them that because they didn’t know the answer to his question, he would not provide them with the answer to theirs, and he turned to the people and continued teaching as he had been before telling them this parable. Jesus said:

“A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!”” (Luke 20:9–17, NIV)

Can’t you just imagine the tension in the air as these religious leaders listened to Jesus telling them their own sad history? Can’t you just see the Chief Priests, the Elders, and the Teachers of the Law simply glaring at Jesus as he looked directly at them with his divinely authoritative gaze? Can’t you just imagine the hatred welling up inside of them as Jesus simply sat before them and told them and the crowd how these religious leaders had not been faithful tenants of the Lord’s vineyard because they had let go of the Word of truth and replaced it with their own righteous ideas? After all, as Jesus spoke about the owner who sent his servants to the vineyard to receive his share of the harvest, he revealed exactly what the Israelites had done throughout their history. They had not been faithful tenants of God’s vineyard. They had not held on to the Word of truth. Rather, they had wandered away from the Lord. So the Lord had sent prophets to them, prophets to proclaim God’s Word to them and to lead them back to him, but they refused to listen. Instead, they mistreated the prophets, drove them away, and even killed them. Even now as the very Son of God was speaking to them, they were making plans to kill him so that they might take the inheritance for themselves. You see, they wanted to get Jesus out of the way so that they could continue to rule the people. They were not worried about holding on to the Word of truth, which Jesus was proclaiming to them rather, they were worried about holding on to the word that they proclaimed. They were more concerned about keeping the status quo in which they were looked upon as the brightest and best of society because of all their righteous acts, than they were about serving God. The religious leaders would rather have all the Israelites follow and emulate them than see the people flock to Jesus and listen to him.

But it was because of their unfaithfulness that they finally lost everything. Though the Apostles went around Jerusalem proclaiming the message of the risen Christ, it was the religious leaders of Israel who tried to stop them at every turn. When persecution broke out against the church and all the believers left Jerusalem, they took the gospel with them and began the fulfillment of Jesus’ words that the vineyard would be taken away and given to others. Finally, in 70 AD the Lord carried out his judgment against those who had rejected him when the Roman armies marched into Jerusalem and completely destroying the Temple, the City of Jerusalem, even pretty much bringing the Nation of Israel to an end until it was re-established by the United Nations in 1948. But even though Israel has been re-established as a nation, the Temple is still lost, their religion is an empty shell of what it once was, very few Israelites believe in Jesus as their Savior, and those who once had everything in the gospel of salvation which the Lord communicated to them, have lost everything because they were not faithful tenants of the Lord’s vineyard.
But before we start acting all high and mighty, we need to realize that the same thing could happen to us. Though we have the gospel now, though we know who Jesus is and all that he has done for us, if we are not faithful tenants of God’s vineyard, if we do not hold fast to the word of truth, our fate will be the same as the Israelites. If we begin to take God’s Word for granted and let all sorts of worldly reasons keep us away from worship, we will begin to grow weak in our faith. If we come up with all sorts of excuses why we have no time read and study God’s Word for ourselves, we will begin to distance ourselves from the Lord. If we begin to listen to the world’s ideas on religion rather than what the Bible teaches us, we will be walking the same road of unfaithfulness that many of the Israelites did, and we will be in danger of turning our backs on the Lord. This is why the Lord is warning us to hold fast to the Word of truth, for it is only in the Bible that we learn about Jesus. It is only through that word that we receive the comfort of knowing our sins have been forgiven for Jesus’ sake. It is only through that word that we come to know our Savior.

Sadly, much of America has become like Israel was at Jesus’ time. There are many in our great land who may have once been very faithful tenants of the Lord’s vineyard, but now they are more interested in keeping that vineyard for themselves. Though it was once expected that everyone believed what the Bible had to say, now there are many more who question the Bible and place their faith in other teachings—teachings that make sense to their reason and their logic. There are many who would rather trust in false teachings like Scientology, or false religions like Mormonism, rather than trust what God says in the Bible. If fact, all we have to do is take a look at what has been going on in Lutheranism over the past year, and we know that there are many religious leaders who are no longer serving as faithful tenants in the Lords’ vineyard, because they are rejecting the precious cornerstone of Christ and are building their faith on something other than their Savior.

Well, that is what the religious leaders of the Israelites were doing as unfaithful tenants in the Lord’s vineyard. As Luke tells us, “Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.” (Luke 20:17-19 NIV)

Now, if you go home after Church and look this section up in your Bibles, you might come across a little number or a letter following the word capstone. If you follow that letter or number down to the foot note it is indicating, you will find out that the this passage could also read, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” This is quite interesting because cornerstones were the most important stone of the foundation. It was the stone used to set the foundation straight and give the building strength. The capstone, though it was not part of the foundation was also an important stone. For the capstone was stone found at the top of an arch or a dome, and it was the stone that held all the others in place. While it might surprise you that this passage could be translated either way, don’t let it bother you. For both the capstone and the cornerstone were very important stones for the building process, and if you left one out the building would fall. In other words, as Jesus looked directly at those unfaithful tenants who had murdered his prophets and were now seeking to kill him and do away with him, Jesus was telling them that by rejecting him they were rejecting the most important stone of all. They had left out the very stone that held the entire building together. Not only were they trying to build their church and their religion without him, but they were trying to push, pull, and drag Jesus away from the building site altogether.

Sadly, that is what many churches in our day and age are trying to do. They too are acting as unfaithful tenants in the Lord’s vineyard as they try to build without building on the rock of Christ. Though they might talk about Jesus and tell what he did, they try to hack away at that rock by teaching that Jesus really didn’t do all the miracles the Bible says he did. They try to break it to pieces by saying that Jesus wasn’t really the Son of God, but he was just a regular human being. They try to haul it away by saying that Jesus really didn’t die on the cross, he just fainted and was revived later by the cool air of the tomb. Though they try to break this rock up by driving bulldozers over it, all that happens is that the bulldozers are smashed to bits. Though they dig holes underneath it to plant explosives, the rock falls on them and they are crushed by the Lord’s judgment

This is why the Lord is telling us to build on the Rock of Christ, because he is the most important stone. Not only is he the cornerstone of our faith, he is the capstone. Without him, we would have nothing, because he is the one who has freed us from sins by his death and resurrection. Without him, we would be nothing, because he is the one who sustains us in the faith that he is our Savior. But with him we have everything. So continue to build your faith on the rock of Christ, through the Word of God that he has given you in the Bible. This is what it means to be a faithful tenant in the Lord’s vineyard.

Yes, be faithful tenants in the Lord’s vineyard, just as you have been faithful tenants in your other rental contracts. Be faithful tenants of the Lord who hold on to the Word of truth as your most treasured possession. But as you hold on to it, don’t simply keep it for yourselves, rather use it to build God's church on the Rock of Christ. Use it to build each other up in your faith as you travel together on the path to heaven, and use it to tell others so that they too might be added to the Lord’s vineyard and share in our pleasure of being his faithful tenants.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

How Great Is the Love the Father Has Lavished Upon Us! (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 March 14, 2010
Theme: How great is the Love the Father Lavished upon us!

Dear friends in Christ.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, NIV) When the Apostle John first wrote these words toward the end of the First Century, he was writing to remind Christians of the core of their Christianity. He was writing to assure Christians who were suffering under false teachers who were constantly claiming that Jesus wasn’t really the Christ, the Son of God, or the Savior of the Word. He was writing to Christians to assure them of the love that their heavenly Father had poured out on them by sending Jesus to be the Savior of the Word and give his life so that by his death and resurrection, all our sins, be they open and rebellious or hidden and even self-righteous sins, be forgiven. Though these words, which the Apostle John wrote at the turn of the first century are not the words of our text today, they do serve as a wonderful theme for the message of our Father’s love that Jesus conveys in his parable today! As Luke tells us, “Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1–3, NIV)

Now, when all this took place, Jesus was the East side of the Jordan River, a good day’s journey away from Jerusalem. He was teaching the people in the area known as Perea, which was where the tribes of Gad and Ruben had staked their claim to their inheritance. He was teaching the people who had gathered there all about the love that their heavenly Father had lavished upon them by sending him as the Messiah, the Savior, who would shortly give his life as a ransom for all people, when the Pharisees and teachers of the law once again reared their ugly head. They were the ones who didn’t believe that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah because he wasn’t righteous enough. They were the ones who believed that when the Messiah came he would be a righteous judge who would punish and destroy all the open sinners while he hung around with them and praised them for their righteousness. But Jesus did none of these things so they did what any jealous and disgruntled person would do. They complained about him and his association with the riff-raff and in doing so, they sought to shake the faith of those whom they saw as tax collectors and open sinners.

But Jesus knew exactly what they were up to so he began to tell them this parable: “Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:11–24, NIV)

With these beautiful words, Jesus spoke directly to the heart of those whom the Pharisees called the tax collectors and sinners as he revealed to them the lavish love that their heavenly Father had bestowed upon them by forgiving all their open and rebellious sins. For even though they were like the son who had gathered up all he had and left their Father’s house to go out and squander all his blessings in open and rebellious sins, these were the very people whom the Lord Jesus, their Savior, who had called them to faith, and assured them of their forgiveness through their faith in him. These were the very people whom the Father waited for as he stood at the end of his drive way looking longingly down the road for the day when they would return to him. These were the people for whom the Angels in heaven rejoiced because they had come to faith and repented of their sins and through that faith had received the full measure of the Father’s love, because they had trusted in Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and Messiah.

Well, these same people whom Jesus spoke to with his parable are no different than you or me! For the truth is how many of us haven’t done the very same thing? How many of us haven’t taken our share of the inheritance and then wandered away from the Word of God? How many of us haven’t faced difficult and troubling times, like the young man in the parable did, and we came back to ourselves, repented of our sins and then returned to our Father’s home where we might grow in faith through the means of grace, which is the gospel in the word and in the sacraments? In fact, just think about it, how many times haven’t you wandered away from the Lord and watched your spiritual life fall apart as you kept yourself separated from him? How many times hasn’t it happened that you continued on in your sinful ways until finally you hit rock bottom, finally coming to your senses, and returning to the Lord for his forgiveness? How many times hasn’t it happened that even as you repented of your sins your heavenly Father ran to you, threw his arms around you, kissed you and welcomed you back as a son or daughter of his family? How many times hasn’t your heavenly father lavished his love upon you as, through faith in Jesus, he forgave each and every one of your open and rebellious sins against him? How many times haven’t you been the one for whom the angels in heaven rejoiced because you repented and returned to the Lord?

That was the very message of the Father’s love that Jesus proclaimed to the tax collectors and sinners who were gathered around him as he told them how the Lord God their heavenly father had forgiven each and every one of their sins. Yet the Lord Jesus did not stop his lesson of the Father’s great love there, rather, as he continued the lesson he began to speak of the great love the Father longed to lavish upon even the self-righteous Pharisees and teachers of the Law, if only they would throw off their self-righteous ideas and turn to him, their Savior, in sorrow and repentance. As Jesus continued in his parable, he said: “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:25–32, NIV)

With such a simple transition, Jesus begins to speak to the Pharisees about the very love that the Father longs to lavish upon them, if only they would turn from their hidden and self-righteous sins! For with these words, it is very clear that Jesus is speaking to the very people who had been with him and had lived in his house. They were the Son who had stayed at home and served their Father, but sadly, as the years went by they began to rely more on what they were doing for their Father rather than what he would do for them. They began to put their faith and their trust in their own actions and their own righteousness and they no longer saw their own need for a Savior! Thus, when they saw the Love that their Father was lavishing on these tax collectors and sinners, they as angry as the brother in the parable, because their Father did not punish or even annihilate these sinners, nor did he recognize their great efforts to be holy and righteous in the Father’s eyes by their own works. They felt that they deserved so much more because they had been so faithful as they slaved away for their Father and refused the temptations to go off and indulge in open sin, while all the time they continued to condemn others for the very sins that were hidden in their hearts, as they sought to live an outwardly righteous life!

But before we speak too harshly against the Pharisees and teaches of the Law, perhaps we should take a look at our own lives and ask ourselves the question, “How often haven’t we acted exactly like they did?” How often haven’t we been upset when someone who has been away from worship for months or even years, suddenly begins to come back and is welcomed home without any questions asked? How often haven’t we felt that we were so much better than they, because while they were out indulging in whatever sins they were, we were safely at home serving our Father in his home and living under his roof? Or how often haven’t we acted so offended when we heard about the sins that so and so has been engaging in and then hurried to self-righteously pass on this juicy piece of gossip to the next person on the grape vine? Or how often haven’t we spoken extra harshly about this sin or that sin so that no one suspects that it is the very sin which we have hidden away in our own hearts? How often haven’t we acted just like the older son in the parable and just like the Pharisees who spoke against Jesus?

That is why Jesus ends his parable with an open question for both the Pharisees to contemplate as well as you and me, for as he says, “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:25–32, NIV) What he is asking is simply this; “Will you rejoice with the angels in heaven, with my Father and even with me over those who repent? Will you turn away from your own hidden sins and self-righteous behavior, repent of your sins, and live? Will you place your faith in me as your Savior and through that faith receive the great love your Father wishes to lavish upon you as he forgives even your hidden sins and self-righteous behavior?”

As I look at you today, I know that this is the very thing you have already done! As I look at you today, I see a congregation of Christians who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. As I look at you today, I see a group of people who have been lavished with the Father’s love and been washed clean of every spot and satin of sin. As I look at you today, I see a group of people who have given their lives to the Lord and through faith in Jesus and through that faith are striving to remain in that love on a daily basis as you continually go to the Lord in repentance and receive the assurance of his love in the forgiveness of all of your sins.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, NIV) When the Apostle John first wrote these words toward the end of the First Century, he was writing to remind Christians of the core of their Christianity, and we are using them today to remind us of the great forgiveness our heavenly Father has poured out upon us! For through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we have the great assurance that each and every one of our sins has been washed away. Through faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, we know that our heavenly Father has lavished his great love upon us. Through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we know that we have been forgiven of our open and rebellious sins as well as our hidden and self-righteous sins. Through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we now strive to live in that love as we live our lives in service to the Savior. May the Lord God, your heavenly Father, continue to assure you of his love as you daily grow in your faith and your trust of Jesus Christ your Savior.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

Learn from Israel's Example (1 Corinthians 10:1-13)

Dear friends in Christ.

The story has been told about a Sunday morning back in 1865, when a black man entered a fashionable church in Richmond Virginia. When Communion was served, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar, which sent a rustle of resentment through the congregation. “How dare he!” was the thought running through the congregation. After all, the believers used the common cup for communion! Suddenly a distinguished layman stood up, stepped forward to the altar, and knelt beside that man. With Robert E. Lee setting the example, the rest of the congregation soon followed his lead. Well in the same way that the members of that Virginia congregation followed and learned from the example of Robert E. Lee, so also the Lord is calling on us to learn from the example of the Israelites so that rather than setting our hearts on evil, we might set them on the faithfulness of the Lord our God.
Now, as our text opens this morning, we have the Apostle Paul reminding us of the Israelites example so that we might not set our hearts on evil as they did. In fact, as we heard this lesson read just a few moments ago, the Israelites were a very special people. They were the people whom the Lord had chosen to be his own. They were the people whom the Lord had led out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. They were the people who saw the plagues that the Lord God visited on the Egyptians. They were the people who saw the waters of the Red Sea draw back so that they could cross it on dry ground. They were the people who watched as Pharaoh’s army, which had pursued them into the midst of the sea, was drowned as the waters came crashing down upon them. But even though they were God’s chosen people, Paul tells us: “God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.” (1 Corinthians 10:5)
Sadly, those few words are but a summary of the example of the Israelites from which the Lord would have us learn today. For as we look back into their history we see how they tested God’s patience on many different occasions. We hear how they grumbled and complained against the Lord because they simply weren’t satisfied with what he was giving them. We see how quickly they grew impatient with the Lord as their leader, erecting an idol of a golden calf as their god, and indulging in sexual immorality with the women of Moab. From their history, we see how so many of them set their hearts on evil, turned away from the Lord and by their example are teaching us the exact opposite of how the Lord would have us live. But now comes the question: Have we learned from their example not to set our hearts on evil? Or have we simply followed the example they set for us and not learned from it in any way?
If we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that too often we have simply followed their example and set our hearts on evil. For the truth is, we, too, are God’s chosen people, chosen to be his own through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are the people who have witnessed the Glory of his salvation in the death and resurrection of his Son. We are the people who, through faith, have been connected to the Israelites of old and now look forward to the Promised Land of heaven where we will live with the Lord forever. But sadly, all too often we have acted exactly like the Israelites did on the way to Canaan. Though we have never collected jewelry and other precious items with which to forge a golden calf idol so that we might sit down to eat and drink at a festival to this god and then get up to indulge in pagan revelry, we too are guilty of idolatry. For each and every time we allow anything to become more important to us than the Lord and his Word, that thing becomes an idol to us. Whenever we let work, school, vacation, leisure time, or anything else keep us from worshiping the Lord, we become guilty of idolatry. Whenever we allow worship, Bible study, or even home devotions to be an optional thing, we allow the Lord’s importance in our hearts to drop a peg or two, and when he is no longer number 1, we become idolaters who have replaced him with another god.
Though we may never have committed sexual immorality by going out and sleeping with another person before we were married or even while we were married, each and every one of us is just as guilty as the Israelites who went of to sleep with the Moabites. For we have all been tempted by the lust in our hearts. We have all lusted after another man or woman, if even for the briefest second. We have all sat and watched love scenes on television or in movies, we have been enraptured by the lives of soap opera stars and their multiple partners, we have all listened to the town gossip about who is shacking up with whom, and in doing so, we have been found guilty of sexual immorality.
Though we may have never tested the Lord, nor grumbled against him because all we had to eat was this lousy manna, we too have tested his patience with our grumbling and complaining. For how often haven’t we complained about the heat in the middle of summer, the cold in the middle of winter, the mud in the middle of spring, and the dry and dusty land in the middle of Fall. How often haven’t we complained that we don’t have all the things we want, or all the money we think we need. How often haven’t we complained about the government, the state, the city, the school, the church, our employers or employees, or anyone else that we could think of at that moment. How often haven’t we been angry with the Lord, because he hasn’t done what we wanted him to do, or because he has taken our loved one from this vale of sorrow to his or her heavenly joy.
Yes, there can be no doubt about it, we are guilty. We are guilty of every sin that the Israelites committed. Though the things they did were written down to keep us from setting our hearts on evil, it seems that we have rather followed their example and set our hearts on every evil the world has to offer. Because of this, we know that we deserve nothing but God’s wrath and eternal punishment. We deserve to be victims of one of the Lord’s plagues. We deserve to die from the bite of poisonous snakes. We deserve to be cut down by the destroying angel, and suffer eternal damnation for every sin we have ever committed against the Lord.
But even though this is what we deserve, this is the very thing that the Lord has not visited upon us; for the Lord our God is faithful! It was he who saw to it that the example of the Israelites would be written down so that we could learn from them and see how he reveals his great faithfulness. For even though we have constantly set our hearts on evil, it is the Lord who offers his forgiveness and now teaches us to set our hearts on his great faithfulness.
Now, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, calling on them to learn from Israel’s example so that they would not set their hearts on evil, he also urged them to learn from the Israelites example so that they would set their hearts on the faithfulness of their God. This, in fact, is the very thing that Paul is conveying as he writes in the last two verses of our text: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12,13)
With these words, Paul was warning the Corinthians to guard their lives, leaning solely on God’s faithfulness so that they would not fall into temptation. But he was also telling them that when they were tempted, their God would provide them with a way out so they could stand up under it. However, if they did fall into temptation and sin against their God, they could rely on the forgiveness of sins provided to them through their faithful God.
This was the very thing the Lord did for his people Israel. Though they were unfaithful to him on many occasions, and he regularly visited them with his wrath, he still remained faithful to them. For he was always there ready with his forgiveness whenever they sinned against him as they so often did. Though the Israelites were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years because they had turned against the Lord, he did still lead them into Canaan as he had promised. Though many were killed by the poisonous snakes in the desert, those who looked with faith on the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up were healed and lived. Though many died by the sword when Moses came down from the mountain and saw the people worshiping the golden calf, those who repented received the Lord’s forgiveness. Though many died in a plague when they grumbled against the Lord, those who looked to him in sorrow over their sins received the forgiveness that he offered them.
This is the second lesson that we want to learn from the Israelites example. For we too, like they want to learn to set our hearts on the faithfulness of the Lord our God. We want to rely on our God first of all for the strength to avoid temptations that come our way. We want to look to him and trust that he will provide a way out so that we can stand up under the temptations that are besieging us, but we also want to set our hearts on his faithfulness, turning to him in repentance whenever we sin against him. And this is what he has given us. For even though we have been unfaithful to him, he has remained faithful to us. Though we have been found guilty of idolatry, in his faithfulness, the Lord has removed the guilt of our sins. Though we have been found guilty of sexual immorality, our faithful God has washed us clean of every spot and stain of our sins. Though we have been found guilty of grumbling and complaining against the Lord our God, whenever we turn to him in repentance, he turns to us with his forgiveness.
What greater lesson could the Lord be teaching us to day than this! For through the Israelites example, we have learned of his faithfulness and the forgiveness he freely offers us when we turn to him in repentance. Let us always be students of God’s Word so that we might continue to learn from the example of the Israelites, continually placing our hearts on the faithfulness of the Lord our God. Let us learn from the example of the Israelites in the same way that the people learned from the example of Robert E Lee. Let us continually turn to the Lord in repentance, trust in his forgiveness, and learn from the Israel’s example so that we set our hearts on his faithfulness rather than on the evil of our sins.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

Marvel at the Lord's Salvation (Romans 10:8-13)

Dear friends in Christ.

Between my senior year of High School and my first year of college, my family traveled to Estes Park Colorado for a couple weeks of family vacation. However, on the way we stopped at any number of sightseeing places. We stopped at Wall Drug, we drove through the Black Hills, and of course, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore National Park. Now, when I saw Mt. Rushmore for the first time, I couldn’t help but marvel at what I was seeing! For there before me were the faces of four famous presidents expertly carved out of solid rock. Though I had seen the films showing what the workers went through and how they blasted and chiseled the rock away to reveal the faces within, I was astounded by what they were able to accomplish. Even now, after I have seen the monument as many as ten times, I still marvel at what Victor Borgland and his workers were able to accomplish on the side of that hill. But even though what they accomplished there was an amazing feat, it is nothing compared to the salvation, which the Lord has chiseled in to each and every one of our hearts today. In fact, as we study the word of God before us, we will have one more opportunity to marvel at the Lord’s salvation. And as we do this, as we marvel at the Lord’s salvation, we will find that it not only belongs to you and me by faith, but that it also belongs to all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior!

Yes, dear friends, as we have gathered to study God’s Word this morning, we cannot help but marvel at the Lord’s salvation because it does indeed belong to each and every one of us through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! This, in fact, is exactly what the Apostle Paul is assuring us of as he writes in our text today: “‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:8-10)

Now, when Paul first wrote these words, he wrote them to assure us that salvation belongs to us, not because of anything we have done, but simply through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! For, as we heard in our Gospel lesson last week, it was Jesus, our Savior, who defeated satan for us, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers! Though satan offered Jesus three incredibly appealing temptations designed to entice him to take the easy way out, Jesus stood his ground, and did not fall. He made his defense in with the Word of God and finally satan was forced to flee. Though satan continued to rear his ugly head, tempting Jesus every chance he got, Jesus continued to win battle after battle against his adversary. He defeated satan in the wilderness. He defeated in Nazareth when the people rejected him and tried to push him off the brow of the hill. He defeated satan as we heard in our Gospel Lesson this morning when the Pharisees tried to scare Jesus off form completing his mission. He defeated satan in Jerusalem as the Pharisees continued to try to trap Jesus and discredit him. He defeated satan in Gethsemane, and he defeated satan once and for all on the cross. For when Jesus went to the cross, he in effect threw satan into a coffin, nailed it shut, and buried him below hundreds of feet of earth. This is why we marvel at the Lord’s Salvation today, because we know that when Jesus gave his life for us on the cross, he not only freed us from our sins, he completely stripped satan of any power he had over us!

What a great comfort it is for us to know that through faith in Jesus Christ, our salvation has been secured! For it is through the message of the Gospel, which we hear proclaimed to us week after week, that faith has been created in our hearts! It is through that faith, which has been created in our hearts, that we have now been justified, that is, declared not guilty before our Lord and God. It is through that message of the Gospel, through which faith has been created in our hearts, that we now live to confess our Savior’s holy Name through our words and actions. In doing this, we show that we are truly marveling at the Lord’s salvation! We are marvel at the fact that this salvation belongs to us not because of anything we have done, but solely through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! No, we have not earned this salvation because we have lived extremely glorious lives! We have not received it because Martin Luther was such a staunch defender of the faith and many of us have some German heritage in our bloodlines. We did not earned it because we are extremely good looking. It was not offered to us because we are incredibly talented. The Lord hasn’t even awarded it to us because we are living in the valley of the Jolly Green Giant!

No! Rather, we have received the Lord’s salvation as a precious gift through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! There is nothing more incredible in all the world than knowing that the Lord our God loved us so much that he willingly sacrificed his Son on the cross to free us from all our sins. There is nothing more humbling than the knowledge that the Lord made sure that we heard the message of the Gospel and therefore came to faith in Jesus as Christ our Savior. There is nothing more incredible than the Lord’s salvation, at which we are marveling today! For as we have heard again and again, that salvation now belongs to us through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we cannot help but marvel at that incredible salvation! But the most incredible thing about the Lord’s salvation, is the fact that this salvation also belongs to everyone who trusts in him.

Yes, the Lord’s salvation is truly a marvelous thing! For it not only belongs to you and me through faith in Jesus Christ, it also belongs to everyone who trusts in him as his Lord and Savior. This, is exactly what the Apostle Paul is reminding us of as he continues in our text, he writes: “the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:11-13)

What greater comfort could the Lord offer than the comfort he offers in his salvation! For as he tells us, his salvation belongs to each and every person who believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior! This, in fact, is the most marvelous part of God’s salvation! It shows no favoritism and it has no boundaries, because it belongs to every single person who trusts in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Anyone, from the poorest homeless person living on the streets of New York City, to the worst murder on death row can claim salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Anyone, from the most devout Native American to the most extremely radical Muslim believer can also receive God’s salvation. Not by sincerely trusting in their own religion. Not even by relying on what they have done. Rather this salvation comes only through the faith which the Holy Spirit alone can create in a persons’ heart.

Though there are times when we forget this and think that it is just harder for some people to come to faith and be saved than others, we need to remember the power of the Holy Spirit. For if the Holy Spirit was able to soften the granite of our unbelieving hearts and mold them into a monument of the Lord’s salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. He can do the same thing for any other person who hears the Word of God.

This, in fact, is exactly what the Holy Spirit has been doing since the beginning of time, and this is what he is still doing today. For he is the one who is working in the hearts of the Lakota people in Mission, SD and calling them to faith through the Gospel that has been preached to them. He is the one who is at work among the Apache people in East Fork, AZ. He is the one who has called quite a number of Hmong people in St. Paul, MN to faith in Jesus Christ through the message of the Gospel that has been lovingly proclaimed to them. He is the one who has snatched many of the Vietnamese people living in Meridian, ID from the clutches of satan, bringing them under the protection of their Savior, Jesus Christ. In fact, this is the very thing the Holy Spirit has been accomplishing throughout the world. For through the preaching of the Gospel, he has called many Africans, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Bulgarians, and Albanians to faith. He has even managed to convert quite a few Jews to the Christian faith as well as a great number of people from the Muslim world. For wherever the Word of God is being preached, there the Holy Spirit is at work, changing hearts and offering salvation to all who come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Truly the Lord’s Salvation is a marvelous thing! And now, as we sit here today, being reminded that his salvation belongs to each and every person who comes to faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, our mission could not be clearer! For now that we have been reminded of the power of the Gospel and the marvelous wonder of the Lord’s Salvation, we cannot help but realize that it is our mission to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. It is our mission to give our gifts and our offerings not only for the work of this congregation, but so that we can continue to send our offerings to our synod so that they can continue to do their work on our behalf. It is our mission to make every effort to worship the Lord here at church so that our faith might be strengthened and built up in Jesus Christ, so that we are always ready to seize every opportunity the Lord gives us to tell others about Jesus Christ their Savior. It is our mission to go out these doors and invite our friends, neighbors, and even our enemies to come and join us to hear the Gospel so that they to might come to know their Savior. And, even though it might be a little scary, as you already know, it is our mission to bring the Gospel of our Savior to the Hispanic people living in our community as well as any other ethnic groups around us. It is our mission to bring them the Word of our God so that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts and bring them to faith in Jesus Christ, so that they can marvel with us at the Lord’s amazing Salvation.

What greater thing could there be than countless Christians together, marveling at the Salvation the Lord has won for us! Though this salvation was never carved into the granite face of a mountain like Mt. Rushmore, we know how it was set in our hearts by the working of the Holy Spirit! What a marvelous thing it is to realize that the Lord’s salvation not only belongs to us, but it belongs to all who trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ. For as Scripture has truly taught us: Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be Saved!”

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

Wield the weapon of God’s Word (Luke 4:1-13)

Dear friends in Christ.

In 2008, DreamWorks Entertainment released the computer animated movie, Kung Fu Panda. Now, if you have kids at home, or Grandkids that like to spend time with you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen this movie on at least one occasion. But if you haven’t seen it, permit me, if you will, to tell you a little bit about it. Kung Fu Panda is a movie about a lazy, irreverent, slacker panda named, Po, whose greatest desire is to become a kung fu master and fight alongside his heroes—the Furious Five—even though his destiny, if you will, is to follow in his father’s footsteps and one day take over his noodle shop. Yet Po continues to hope that his dreams might come true. A few days later, on the day when the entire village gathers to see who will be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, Po is unexpectedly chosen as that warrior. From that point on, Po goes into strict training to learn how to wield the weapons of a kung fu master. At first things don’t go so well for Po, but as the movie progresses, we see how Po grows in his knowledge and his ability to wield the weapons of a kung fu master.

Now some of you might be wondering why I’m telling you all this. Some of you might be wondering why on earth I’m spending so much time talking about a cartoon panda and his struggles to learn how to wield the weapons of a Kung Fu Master. Well, the reason is simple. For in the same way that Po was taught by his master in the movie, so also, our Master, Jesus is taking time to teach us how to wield the weapon of God’s Word against our enemy, the devil, and the temptations that he continually brings against the fortress of our hearts. Thus, as our text begins this morning, we have Jesus teaching us his first lesson of wielding the weapon of God’s Word when satan seeks to make us doubt God’s promises. Luke writes: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:1–5, NIV)

Now, to fully understand what’s going on, we have to go back a few weeks to the First Sunday after the Epiphany, when we heard about how Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. We have to go back to that day when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and God the Father spoke from heaven giving his approval and saying, “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” We have to go back to that point, because it was immediately after Jesus was baptized that the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness to do battle against the devil. It wasn’t that Jesus decided to go head to head with satan on the spur of the moment, rather, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness according to the will of his heavenly Father so that during those 40 days Jesus might be tempted in every way, just as we are. Though the gospels of Matthew and Luke list only three temptations that Jesus faced, the three temptations serve as a summary of all the other temptations going on during that forty day period. For as the battle began, satan came to Jesus with the very same temptation that worked so well on Eve; the temptation of doubt. Satan sought from the beginning to cause Jesus to doubt who he was and to make him wonder why he, the Son of God, must face such mind numbing hunger from fasting for 40 days and nights. Thus, Satan sought to make Jesus doubt his father’s will for him and tried to move Jesus to act with a demonstration of his power, turning the stones around him into bread. Yet, even as satan attempted this with one single question, Jesus wielded the weapon of God’s Word and said, “Man does not live on bread alone.” Though Jesus could have defeated satan with a single, divine command, he fought against satan according to his human nature, using the weapon of God’s Word, thereby beginning our lesson on how to wield that same weapon when satan seeks to make us doubt God’s promises.

This is truly an important lesson for each of us to learn, because in the sparring match that is our life, doubt is one of the most powerful weapons that satan has in his arsenal. Although we are Christians who have every reason to be confident in the Lord and in his promises, how often doesn’t it happen that a single drop of doubt begins to permeate our hearts and minds in the same way that a single drop of food coloring will begin to permeate the water into which it was dropped? How often doesn’t it happen that our enemy creeps into the garden of our hearts and plants a simple seed of doubt which can quickly grow into a giant tree before we know it? In fact, I don’t want you to raise your hands or anything like that, but how many of you were dealing with doubts when you walked in that door this morning—doubts of whether or not God really loves you, or has forgiven you for the things you have done. How many of you walked in with doubts about God’s care because your health has taken a turn for the worse, or someone you know and love is sick, or suffering, or even dying? How many of you are facing worries and doubts this morning because your expenses have far exceeded your income or your investment portfolio is no longer what it used to be? How many of you are afraid because your position at work has already been eliminated, or may soon be eliminated? How many of you have found that one of the questions echoing in your mind more regularly is, “If God really loves me, why is this happening to me?”

Yet it is against onslaughts such as these that our Savior shows us how to wield the weapon of his Word to defeat our enemy. For when doubts arise in our lives, our Savior simply leads us back to his Word where we are reminded again and again that we are dearly loved children of God. Just as Paul reminded us in our first lesson this morning when he wrote, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:8–13, NIV)

When we wield the weapon of God’s Word against our enemy, it works every time. His attack is met, his advance is slowed, and he immediately finds himself in a battle not with us, but with God himself who fights for us, who encourages us, and who helps us in every situation in life. When we wield the weapon of God’s Word, our enemy is then forced to make a choice either to retreat, or to change tack and press the attack harder, as he did against our Savior. Though Jesus had completely resisted satan’s attack and used God’s word to parry temptation, satan quickly changed his approach from that of doubt to that of making Jesus his slave. Luke tells us, “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (Luke 4:5–8, NIV)

Satan knew why Jesus had come. He knew the glory that Jesus had set aside when he took on human flesh and blood. He knew that just a few weeks earlier, God the Father had declared Jesus to be the Messiah who had come to crush satan’s head. He knew all this and he also knew how terrifying the idea of suffering and dying at the hands of a righteous God would have been to Jesus human nature; so he tries to tempt Jesus to take the easy way out. Rather than go through all that suffering satan offers Jesus another option. He offers Jesus the opportunity to bow down and worship him so that he might give to Jesus all the authority and honor that Jesus would have earned a couple of years sooner. All satan was asking Jesus to do was pay a small price on the front end which would have resulted in exorbitant fees on the back end, because Jesus would have failed his Father and become the slave of his enemy. Yet even as satan hoped and almost prayed that Jesus would fall into his trap, Jesus again withstood the temptation as he wielded the weapon of God’s Word, saying, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Thus Jesus delivers to us his second lesson on wielding the weapon of the Word when satan tries to make us his slaves.

How often doesn’t satan do that same thing to us? How often doesn’t he display before our eyes the “glories” of our own sinful desires and addictions? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price for good grades when it would be so easy to sneak the answers into class? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price to teach our children about their Savior when it would be so much easier to drop them off for an hour and let the Church teach them once a week? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price to make certain that everything is correct when we turn in our 1040 form when it would be so easy to invent a few key deductions that would help save some money. How often doesn’t he ask us why we seek to spend so much time with your husband or your wife and your children, especially when you know that there are so many other interesting and captivating people to be found online? How often doesn’t he ask you why you wake us so early on Sunday morning just to come to church and hear Pastor Shilling drone on and on when you could have stayed home, slept in and read the Bible for yourself?

These are but a few of the blows that satan seeks to land even before we are able to wield God’s Word against him. These are but a few of the ways he hope to counter our defenses so that he can make us his slaves and lead us captive into the dungeons of everlasting damnation. Yet, as we wield that weapon of God’s Word, we are assured that our God is also fighting for us. Though there are times when satan’s blows land on our flesh and we are deeply cut by his temptations and infected by our sins, it is our Savior who heals us with the salve of the Gospel. For in the same way that the Lord led his people out of slavery he also leads us from the slavery to our sins, into the freedom of his Gospel. He drives back our enemy and even knocks him to the ground for us, the only problem is, that in the same way that a prize fighter refuses to lay down on the mats, but gets back up to continue the battle with his opponent, so also our enemy, continues to get up and advance against us again and again. But even as he continues to advance, we continue to wield God’s Word, just as our Savior did when satan came back at him with one last strategy. Luke tells us, “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. ” (Luke 4:9–13, NIV)

Since none of his other tactics were working against Jesus, satan sought to use Jesus’ own weapon against him. He took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and then dared him to jump off quoting the Psalmist who said that God would protect him even if he acted so rashly and so foolishly. But, of course, our Savior immediately saw through satan’s misuse of God’s word, setting one Scripture against another, in an attempt to deceive him into the rash action of testing the Lord his God. So, once again Jesus wields the weapon of God’s Word saying, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test,” and in doing so, he bestows upon us his final lesson of wielding his word to combat against satan’s continual desire to elicit rash disobedience by his constant misuse of Scripture.

For the truth is, satan’s misuse of the Scriptures is probably the most effective weapon that he has at his disposal. Just think about how our enemy has made each and every Christian afraid to judge anyone or anything by continually pulling out of context the simple passage in Matthew: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1, NIV) Though this passage speaks about judging, from the context it tells us not to judge rashly or without all evidence while other passages of the Bible tell us that it is our Christian Duty to judge sin and sinners according to God’s law. Or think about how many people believe that money is the root of all evil, rather than sinful human nature, when the Bible clearly tells us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV) Or how many people have bought into the idea that we can do whatever we want with our body and our life even though the Bible tells us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NIV)

But the biggest misuse of Scripture that leads even the most faithful Christians into rash actions and sinful lives is the misuse of the passage, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NIV) The misuse of this passage is the whole basis for the acceptance of living together before marriage, experimenting with sexuality, and engaging in same sex unions, and countless other ideas and perversions. It is the whole basis because by leading people to focus on the fact that God is love, then it logically follows that God loves us for who we are and what we are as long as we continue acting in love. Thus, it naturally follows that if we are acting in love, then no matter what we do, we must be acceptable in the sight of God because by that logic, love becomes our god. This, is by far the worst misuse of Scripture by our adversary, because it is a misuse that is leading countless millions away from the truth and down the path that leads to destruction. Thus, it becomes all the more necessary for us to wield the weapon of God’s Word boldly against these false ideas spawned from satan’s misuse of the Scriptures. For when we wield that weapon, we know our God is fighting for us and beside us. When we wield that weapon we are able to see through the misuses our enemy brings and even avoid the traps into which they lead. When we wiled the weapon of God’s Word and immerse ourselves in his word, we are ready to resist satan’s logic when he places one Scripture against another, or even one Scripture against the rest of the Word.

These are the lessons that our Master is teaching us today. These are the lessons that Jesus teaches in his battle against our enemy, the devil. Though we may sometimes face difficult times as Po did, even as he sought to become a kung fu master, with the training we have received win God’s Weaponry today, we are ready to wield them against our enemy. We are ready because we know that even as we wield them, our God fights alongside us so that through his Word, we might be victorious in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

See Jesus' Glory Revealed (Matthew 17:1-9)

Dear friends in Christ.

For many years Penn and Teller have been performing their magic act for audiences all over the country. They have performed on stage in all the major cities. They have been featured on news programs. They have even had their own performances broadcast on National TV. And yet some of their greatest TV ratings came when they hosted Magic’s Greatest Secrets Revealed, because on those specials they revealed some of the secrets audiences had longed to know for years and years. Well, in our text today, Jesus does something similar. It isn’t that he gets himself on national TV to reveal some of the best kept secrets of the Godhead. Rather, as he takes Peter, James and John with him up on the mountain side, he reveals his glory to them as he is transfigured before them on the holy mountain.

Now, when Jesus led his three disciples up to the top of that mountain, none of them had any idea what they were about to see. None of them could even have imagined that they would shortly see Jesus revealing his true glory to them as he was transfigured before them, but that was exactly what happened. For Matthew tells us, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2)

Though neither Peter, James, nor John had any idea of what they were about to see, as Jesus stood before them, he suddenly began to change. His entire from began to change from that of his humble human nature to that of his true, divine, and glorious nature. As Jesus stood before them, his face began to shine with the brilliance of the sun, and his clothes became as white as light itself. In some ways, it was almost as if Jesus, according to his humble human nature, was nothing more than a dull ordinary light bulb. However, on this day, as Jesus stood on the mountain, God the Father slowly turned up the rheostat, revealing Jesus’ true glory and true purpose as the Son of God, just as we reveal the true glory and purpose of a light bulb each and every time we flip a switch to turn one on.

For on that mountain, as Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, his true glory was revealed for his disciples to see. His true glory was revealed to them so that they might be assured that he truly was the Messiah who had come into the world. And that is what Jesus is doing for you and me today! For as we have sat here this morning, we too have seen Jesus’ face and clothes become bright as the sun. We too have seen him shining with the brilliance of his divine glory. As we have seen Jesus transfigured before us on that holy mountain, we have seen his glory revealed to us, and we too have been assured that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior who came into the world to free us from our sins. As we have seen Jesus glory revealed in his transfiguration, we have been assured that all authority in heaven and on earth truly does belong to him. As we have seen Jesus transfigured on that mountain today, we have seen his glory, and has his glory has been revealed to us, we have been given a glimpse into heaven.

What an amazing sight it must have been for Jesus’ disciples to see his glory revealed to them in this way. What an incredible sight it must have been for them to receive such an incredible glimpse of the glories of eternal life in heaven as Jesus revealed his glory to them! For Matthew tells us, “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.” (Matthew 17:3-6)

As the disciples watched Jesus transforming before them, suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before their very eyes. Two of Israel’s greatest prophets suddenly appeared, right there on that mountain, so that the disciples could see and hear them speaking with Jesus. In this way, the disciples received an unprecedented glimpse of eternal life. For there, on that mountain top, they saw Moses and Elijah sharing in the glory being revealed in Jesus. There, on that mountain top, they saw Moses and Elijah speaking face to face with the Lord. There, on that mountain top, they felt the presence of God the Father as he too suddenly manifested himself in the form of the brilliant cloud, giving his approval to his Son. Though this final act terrified the disciples beyond reason, as Jesus revealed his glory they received a brief glimpse into what it was like to live in heaven forever with the Lord.

Well, this is what the Lord is doing for you and me today. For, as we have seen Jesus’ glory revealed before us, we have been given the briefest, but most incredible glimpse into the halls of heaven. We have seen Moses and Elijah, and immediately known them as the disciples did, assuring us that we will immediately know each other when we enter eternal life. We have seen Moses and Elijah, one who died and whose body was buried by the Lord, the other who did not face death as he was transported directly to heaven in the fiery chariot. We have seen them and been assured that there truly is life after death because the Lord our God is the Lord of the living. We have seen Moses and Elijah, two monumental prophets form the Old Testament and we have been assured that the only way to eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Though believers in the Old Testament were focused on the Savior who was to come, and we New Testament believers are focused on the Savior who has come, we know that he is one and the same Savior. He is Jesus Christ who stood glorified on that mountain, sharing his glory with Moses and Elijah as they spoke with him, assuring us that when we come into that heavenly kingdom, we too will shine with all the splendor of Jesus’ glory.

Though we would have been just as terrified as Peter, James, and John had we been there to witness the brilliant cloud of the Father’s glory descend on us as rapidly as ten feet of snow falls on the countryside in cartoons, we marvel at the glimpse of haven it provides. For in this brief second, though terrified according to our sinful nature, our new self would be ecstatic at the idea of living with the Lord forever! It is this brief glimpse of eternal life that we view as Jesus’ glory is revealed before us, that buoys us up through times of heartache and trouble. It is this brief glimpse of eternal life revealed in Jesus’ glory today that makes us long for the day when Jesus will call us home. Though that day might be farther off for some of us than it is for others, we are all looking forward to that place where there will be nothing needed to hide our Savior’s glory ever again. Though we must now leave that mountain where Jesus so freely revealed his glory as the Son of God, we still see Jesus’ glory, even as we travel down that mountain. For as we do, we see Jesus’ glory revealed as he now begins his journey toward Jerusalem.
Today, as we have been celebrating the Transfiguration of our Lord, we have seen Jesus glory revealed to us. We have been given some great assurances. But now, as the transfiguration comes to an end, and we see Jesus returned to his normal state, we are all the more encouraged and assured. Though Jesus has returned to his humble, human state, we can still see his glory being revealed as he begins his journey toward Jerusalem. This is what Matthew is speaking of as he concludes our text: “But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don't be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’” (Matthew 17:7-9)

Now that the transfiguration was over, the disciples were undoubtedly glad to see Jesus back in his normal state. Though it was good for them to be there to see Jesus’ glory, they still did not fully understand the ramifications of what they had seen, and that is why Jesus ordered them to keep silent. Rather than allowing them to spread wrong conclusions about what had happened, Jesus orders them to keep silent until after he has been raised from the dead. Though this was also something that they did not yet understand, as they looked back after the days of Pentecost, how they must have realized the glory that Jesus was emanating even then. Even though they didn’t realize it at the time, Jesus was revealing his glory all the more as he now began his journey toward Jerusalem. Though it would be another three to six months before Jesus would resolutely begin his journey there, simply coming down from that mountain of transfiguration marks Jesus willingness to give his life for the sins of the world.

Now, as we will shortly begin to journey with Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, to give his life for the sins of the world, we can still see his glory being revealed. Though it may not be nearly as bright or as amazing as it was on that mountain, he reveals it to us in his humble human nature. Though he once again looked no different than any other human being, his glory was revealed in his willingness to go to Jerusalem for us. Though in just a few short weeks we will see him bruised, beaten, bloody, and nearly broken, we see his glory revealed in the strength of his weakness. We see his glory revealed in his willing and determined sacrifice. We see his glory revealed in his death and resurrection through which he has completely freed us from all our sins.

What great glory our Savior has revealed to us today. Though he may not have revealed it to us through the use of a TV special, he has revealed it to us none the less. For today, as we have celebrated the transfiguration of our Lord, we have seen his glory revealed to us. We have seen it revealed as he was transfigured on the mountain. We saw it revealed as he gave us that beautiful glimpse of eternal life, and we saw it even as he began his journey to Jerusalem, traveling there to give his life and save us from our sins.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

Let's go Fishing (Luke 5:1-11)

This sermon was preached from the perspective of Peter


Dear friends in Christ.

I have to say that it is such an honor to be given this opportunity to serve as a guest preacher and share the message of salvation with you, just as so many others have done in the past. For as I understand it, over the past few years you have had the opportunity to hear from such pillars as Adam, King David, The Prophets Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel; and just a few weeks ago, you had the opportunity to hear from my dear friend John. Did he tell you about us? Did he tell you how we were good friends even before we met Jesus and how we worked together as partners in our own fishing company up in Galilee? Did he tell you how my brother Andrew ran to find me on the day that he and Andrew followed Jesus and spent the day with him? Did he tell you about the Wedding at Cana? I’m sure he did! After all, it was because of that pinnacle event that we all placed our faith in Jesus as the Messiah. But even though that event marked the beginning of my Christian faith, I did not become a professional follower of Jesus until much later. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I considered myself a disciple of Jesus from day one. I had followed Jesus to a number of different places, heard him preach on a number of different occasions, even seen him perform a number of different miracles, yet it wasn’t until that day by the Sea of Galilee that I left everything behind so that I could go fishing with Jesus.

That day, when James, John, Andrew and I left everything to go fishing with Jesus is a day that I will always remember. It was roughly a year after the wedding in Cana. Jesus had returned to Capernaum after preaching his way up from Jerusalem and after his own town’s people had attempted to push him off a cliff because they didn’t like what he was saying. We had finished a long night of fishing with nothing to show for it. We had pulled our boats up on shore, and we were washing our nets and getting them ready for the next night of fishing when I looked up and saw Jesus standing on the shore. He was standing there teaching the people the word of God, and they were listening. The problem, however, was that there were so many people crowding around Jesus that he wasn’t able to communicate effectively with them. So he came over. He stepped into my boat, and he asked me to put off a little ways form shore. When we had done so, Jesus was able to sit down and continue teaching the people certain that everyone would now be able to hear him, because by going out a little ways into the water, Jesus was able to use the natural properties of the water and the landscape as a type of amphitheater, which allowed his voice to clearly carry to everyone present.

I remember sitting and listening to what Jesus had to say. I remember being amazed at how he taught such truth with such simplicity and such authority. I remember how my faith grew on that day through the very words that he spoke. But the thing I remember the most was the test which he laid before me and my faith, as he finished speaking to the people. For as soon as he had finished teaching, he turned to me and said, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4 NIV) Essentially what Jesus said was, “Simon, let’s go fishing.” Now, I’m a fisherman by trait. There is nothing I liked better than putting forth the effort of casting the nets, hauling them in and seeing how many and what types of fish we caught, but what Jesus was suggesting was the exact opposite of what my family had learned from our many years of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. For the truth is, if you want to catch fish in the Sea of Galilee, you don’t go out to the deep water, and you don’t go out during the day! Those are ingredients for coming home empty handed. Instead, when you fish the Sea of Galilee you fish from the evening until the morning when the fish are most active, and you fish the shallows where the fish come to feed, which is the exact thing that Andrew and I had done the night before and caught nothing.

This was the test that Jesus laid before me! Do I listen to what I knew by experience and the aches and exhaustion of my body? Or, do I listen to what Jesus says because I know that he is the Messiah and so much more than a mere mortal? I can imagine the shock that must have crossed my face when Jesus suggested that we go fishing, yet I humbled myself and my ego to his wishes. “Master,” I said, “we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5 NIV) So we put down the nets and the rest is history! We caught so many fish that the nets began to break! So we signaled James and John to come out and help us and they arrived just as quickly as they could. When they got there, we filled both boats so full that they began to sink. Now, don’t think that we started to take on water or anything like that. But the truth is because of the weight of so many fish, we were riding so low in the water that it if we hadn’t been careful, the sea could have easily poured over the side as easily as bath water flows into a child’s play cup at bath time. When I saw this, I was so overwhelmed that I ran over to where Jesus was sitting, fell at his knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8 NIV)

It wasn’t that I wanted Jesus to leave, but it was in that moment that I realized all the more fully who he truly was. In that moment, I knew for a fact that this Jesus was the Lord God Almighty. He was the sinless Son of God whom the prophets had promised would come into the world as the Messiah. He was the Almighty Lord, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and he was calmly sitting in my boat, blessing me with the largest catch of fish I had ever seen. In that moment I was so overwhelmed by his holiness, his graciousness, his mercifulness, and his love, and by contrast all of my sins, that I did not fell worthy to be in the same boat with him, let alone on the same lake with him. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt completely unworthy of a blessing that the Lord has bestowed upon you? Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by the Lord’s gracious providence in blessing you with what you need? Have you come face to face with the seriousness of your sins, even as you felt the kind, loving, and forgiving hand of your Savior pulling you close to him and assuring you of forgiveness? Well then you know exactly how I felt. I didn’t want Jesus to leave me, but I knew that because of my sinfulness I was not worthy to stand or even kneel in his presence.

Yet, when Jesus looked at me he said the two most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. He said, “May Phobou” which simply means, “Don’t be afraid.” Or as a better translation might say, “You no longer have any reason to be afraid.” For you see, with those two simple Greek Words, Jesus was telling me that the reason for my fear, those sins that separated me from him, they were forgiven. Not only were they forgiven, but they were forgotten. I was in a right relationship with him, and any reason I had to be afraid had been removed so completely that there was no reason for me to be afraid ever again. Then he said to me, “Let’s go fishing, for people.” So James, John, Andrew and I we pulled our boats on shore. We left everything behind, and we followed him.

Well, Jesus is also saying the same thing to each and every one of you today. He is inviting each and every one of you to come fishing with him. Not that he’s planning to take us all down to the river or to some lake for a spot of ice fishing; instead he is inviting you to go fishing for people with the message of the gospel. For in the same way that fishermen used to cast nets out into the water to catch fish, you are now the ones who cast the net of the Word into the waters of the world in order to catch more and more people for the Lord and his kingdom. But unlike the fish whose lives are ended when they are pulled out of the water, those who are caught in the net of the Gospel are brought to life for the first time in Jesus Christ our Savior. Though I’m sure you feel just as unworthy of this task as I did and though you probably have no more experience in catching people with the gospel than I did when I started, the comfort we find is knowing that the catch does not rely on us or our abilities. Rather, it rests completely in the Lord and his Word. Though there will be times when you feel that you simply cannot accomplish this task, remember the miracle of the great catch of fish and how the Lord displayed the power of his Word in such a visual way. Though there will be times when you will feel afraid or unprepared to even say something about your Savior, remember that by gathering here each week you are regularly prepared to go out and do a little fishing for your Savior. For every time we gather to hear the Word of God we are built up in our faith and prepared to go out and do just what our Lord would have us do. We are prepared to cast the net of the Gospel into the streams and the ponds of our own communities. We are prepared to cast that net into the rivers of our county and the lakes of our state. We are even prepared to cast that net into the ocean of our country and of the world. For we who have heard and listened to the Word of God all our lives already know what we need to tell our friends, neighbors, family, and even strangers, all that they need to know about Jesus their Savior.

So now, as you leave this place, take up your favorite gospel fishing tool, whether it be the net, the cane pole, the graphite rod, or even the spear and regularly cast it into the waters of the world. Take time each day to do a little fishing for your Savior as you speak to your friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers. Make the most of every opportunity given you express your Christian faith, invite people to come and worship with you so that they too might hear the gospel, and simply live with a Christian attitude. Though there may be times when you fish all night like we did in the boat and catch nothing, remember it is through the gospel message that the Lord changes hearts and calls people to faith at the proper time. For you see, it is only through the preaching and teaching of the Word that sinners are caught alive, brought to repentance and receive forgiveness for all of their sins through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is what happened on Pentecost when the Lord allowed me to stand up and proclaim his word to the crowds there, and through that word called over 3,000 people to faith in one day. It was through that same word that the Apostle Paul was converged from persecutor of the faith to professor of the faith. It was through that word that the heart of a murderer like Jeffery Damer, might well have been changed from unbeliever to believer, and it was only because of the Lord’s Word that our hearts have been changed, that we have been added to the congregation of all believers, and that we now marvel at all that the Lord’s Word has accomplished.

If you think about it, it is truly amazing that the Lord was able to take someone like me and change my heart from that of sinner to that of believer through the preaching of his word. But what is even more amazing is that the Lord was able to do the same thing with you! For you see, it was the Lord who fished for you and caught you alive with his gospel. It is the Lord who changed your heart from that of unbeliever to that of believer. It is the Lord who made you his own and has given you the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and salvation by his side forever in heaven. So now comes the question, if the Lord could do that for me and you through the hearing of his precious Word, what wouldn’t he be able to do for someone who doesn’t yet know him? What wouldn’t he be able to do for my brother, or sister, for my family or neighbor, for my friend or even my enemy through the preaching of his Word! There is nothing that our Lord’s Word cannot accomplish when people have the opportunity to listen to his Word, and now that we know the truth of that Word, we are the ones whom the Lord has commissioned to cast the net of that word into the waters of the world. So grab your gear and let’s go fishing.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN