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Matthew 25:1-13

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

If this parable makes you uncomfortable, good. That is exactly what Jesus intended. The parable is a warning. You can lose the faith. You can give up hope. You can have the mountaintop experiences, you can rededicate your life a hundred times, you can feel really close to God now, but still be left outside when Jesus, the Bridegroom, is delayed in His return.

Jesus has told us to watch, but none of us have watched as we should. We have not believed as we should. We have ignored what we know to be right and have fallen into sin. We have had opportunity after opportunity to read, hear, learn, study God’s Word, and come to receive God’s gifts Sunday morning, but figured, “I can do it tomorrow, or next week.”

Jesus tells us that five of the virgins were μωραὶ where we get our English word, ‘morons.’ Now, these are not those who were confirmed but stopped coming to church. These five foolish virgins are those who stick it out. They keep coming to church. They serve on the church council, helped with the pot-lucks, and put their offering in the plate every week. The five fools have every mark of what would be considered a ‘good Christian.’ However, when the Bridegroom arrives, they are unprepared to meet Him. They have no oil. They have no hope or faith.

The other five virgins are ‘wise,’ but it is not the normal New Testament word for wise, σοφία. Jesus uses a different word, φρόνιμοι. This is a particular kind of wisdom that plans for the future. It considers everything that is known, but it also recognizes and plans for the unknown.

So, these wise virgins know the Bridegroom is coming, but they don’t know when He will arrive. And because they know that they didn’t know, they made provision for that too. They were ready. They were ready if He came right away – they had oil in their lamps. But they were also ready if He is delayed – they had extra oil in their flasks.

Of course, we should be ready for Jesus to return today. We should put away our sin. We should be repentant. We should reconcile with those we are fighting with. We should watch and pray and expect that Jesus will be here at any moment. All this is to have oil in our lamps.

But we do not know when Jesus will return. It may not be today or tomorrow or next year or even in our lifetimes. So, we should be making preparations for that as well.

We should go to work and school tomorrow and the days and weeks and months and years after that too. We should be preparing for our future careers. We should get married, have children, and teach those children the faith. We should be sending out missionaries to preach the Gospel in other places so they and their children will be ready for Christ’s return. We should be planting new churches, strengthening existing churches, and writing hymns for us today but also for those of future generations because it may not be tomorrow that Jesus returns.

If you thought that Jesus was going to come in ten days, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, you wouldn’t bother thawing out your turkey. You wouldn’t go to the store to buy all the groceries you need (or make your travel plans) for Thanksgiving Day. But if you are wrong, and Jesus doesn’t return in ten days, it will make for a very poor Thanksgiving. You won’t have any tryptophan in your system to help you fall asleep while you watch Giants play the Redskins. Yuck.

Be ready for the return of Christ. Be watchful. Stay awake. Don’t be away from the house when Christ arrives frantically trying to find oil for yourself because when He comes, it is too late. But none of this is to say that you are worthy of entering the feast because you are prepared. As important as they are, you aren’t welcomed into the wedding feast because of your good works.

Notice, all ten virgins – both the wise and the foolish – they all fall asleep. But also notice, that when the Bridegroom comes, He washes away the sins of those five wise virgins who fell asleep. He doesn’t hold their slumber against them. The Bridegroom is the one who died for their sins, so their sins aren’t going to stop Him from welcoming them to the wedding feast (Rev. David H. Pedersen).

Brothers and sisters, Christ is returning, and we do not know either the day or the hour. We do not know the general time or the specific time.

Be ready and remember what you are waiting for. You are waiting for a party. You are waiting for a time of unimaginable celebration and unspeakable joy. Absolutely, you need to be ready, but only because it would be a travesty to miss all the fun. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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1 John 3:1-3

¹ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear saints. Yes, you, you Christian are called a saint by Scripture.

Too often, when we think of saints, we think of people who are without sin. Maybe you watch your grandma getting older. Her arthritis makes her fingers twist in ways they aren’t supposed to, but she doesn’t complain. And she lovingly puts up with all of your grandpa’s eccentricities. Or, maybe, when you think of a saint, you think of the people in our first reading (Rev. 7:9-17), people who have gone to heaven.

But saints are not sinless people. If that were the case, no one could ever be called a ‘saint’ – except Jesus. He is the only sinless person to ever live. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Ro. 3:23-24).

A saint is not a ‘sinless person.’ A saint is a ‘holy person.’ The word ‘holy’ means set apart. And God has set you apart. He has made you holy. He has set you apart for Himself.

Now, this may be a bad analogy, but bear with me. In your home, you probably keep your dishcloths and your washcloths separate. You have one set of cloths to wash your dishes, to wipe the grime and grease from your pots and pans and to get the crumbs and spilt milk off of your table. But you have a separate set of cloths to scrub soap on yourself to wash your skin. And hopefully, those get less greasy than the cloths that wash your frying pan.

Now, you wouldn’t dream of washing those cloths, folding them, and just putting them wherever there was more space. Even though your dishcloths and washcloths are probably the same size and made of the same material, they have different purposes. With one, you wash the pan that fried your bacon and eggs, and with another you wash yourself. You have set each of them apart for a purpose. Each of them are, in a sense, ‘holy.’ You don’t use your washcloths to clean your pots and pans, and you don’t use your dishcloths to wipe the oil and grease from the parts of your snow blower. Did the cloths do this themselves? No. You did.

Dear saints, you too have been set apart. You have been set apart by God for God. “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). You have been claimed by Him when He put His name upon you in the waters of Holy Baptism. You have been kept by God through faith in His Word.

These verses from 1 John invite you to behold this. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Often, it does not seem like we are saints. We don’t feel particularly holy or set apart. And the world certainly doesn’t recognize that we are God’s saints, His holy ones. But right here, John says that shouldn’t surprise us because the world did not know Jesus when He came.

One of the devil’s favorite games to play with you, dear saint, is to have the world shout at you and call you a hypocrite. But the church is not full of hypocrites. The church is full of sinners, but Christians on this side of glory still do sin, minute by minute and second by second. But Christians are not hypocrites; they do not say one thing and do another. Christians are those who confess their sins and cry out to God for forgiveness. Christians do not claim to be without sin. Instead, we claim that we are saints, God’s children, even if we don’t particularly look like it. We have been set apart by God, and we live by His mercy.

If someone wants to call you a hypocrite, tell them to go jump in a lake. Christian, you are God’s child, His saint, His holy one. You have been set apart. When you sin, and you do, you confess that sin, and you have an advocate, Jesus Christ, the righteous (1 Jn. 2:1).

Remain in the things that Jesus has given and promised delivers to you the forgiveness of sins – in your Baptism, in confession and absolution, in the Lord’s Supper, in hearing and trusting God’s holy Word. All those are the places where God declares you righteous for Christ’s sake.

Will you fail? Yes!

Your flesh is weak and you sin daily and often. But whenever your conscience condemns you, know that God is greater than your conscience (1 Jn. 3:20). Christ knows everything, and He has all authority in heaven and earth. He has laid down His life for you. Because He has all authority, when He declares that you are forgiven because of His death and resurrection, no one can debate it.

And God isn’t surprised when He forgives you and you keep on sinning. God has perfect foreknowledge. Though you keep on sinning, God isn’t ashamed of you. Jesus didn’t die for nothing. Jesus didn’t die for the wrong people. He has died for you. Trust that, and you are holy no matter what anyone else may say. It is God’s declaration. Rejoice in that.

See what kind of love the Father has given to you, that you should be called children of God; and so you are. You are God’s children now. What you will be has not yet appeared, but know that when Jesus appears, you shall be like Him because you shall see Him as He is.

In all likelihood, John wrote this epistle before he wrote the book of Revelation. In that first reading today (Rev. 7:9-17), John got a glimpse of what we will be. John saw an innumerable multitude, “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” That means John saw you who speak a language that didn’t even exist in his day. John saw you “standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in [your] hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

And here, now again, is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He comes to serve you His holy Body and holy Blood. Though you are not yet with Jesus in heaven, Jesus comes to you bringing with Him angles and archangels and the whole company of heaven to you. He does this, dear saints, to strengthen and encourage you in the true faith until that day when you are with Him for life everlasting. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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John 8:31-36

³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32). And the people respond to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and we have never been in bondage to anyone.”

Really? What about all those years in Egypt when Pharaoh forced you to make bricks driving you with his whips? What about all those times you cried out to God for deliverance? You’ve never been in bondage to anyone?

What about the seventy years of exile in Babylon? And what about now? What about the Roman soldiers who are patrolling the streets of Jerusalem to make sure Caesar keeps you under his heavy thumb? You’ve never been enslaved to anyone?

Yet, they insist, “We have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘We will become free’?”

Imagine that an evil man came and kidnapped your children when they were very young. He made your children his slaves. He treated them wickedly and cruelly. But you never give up trying to find your children and bring them home.

After many painful years, you finally track the kidnapper down. There are your children bound in chains at the kidnapper’s feet. Even though they don’t recognize you, you stand before them and say, “I am your father. Come home with me, and I will never put you in shackles. Come home, and I will never stop loving you unconditionally.”

But the kidnapper stands up and says to your children, “No, I am your father. Stay here with me. Be my slaves forever. And if you want my love, you will have to earn it because I will never give you anything for free.”

Imagine your children look at you, and they look back at the kidnapper, and they look back at you and say, “We are going to stay here. This is where we want to be.” Pointing at the kidnapper, your children say, “He is our father.”[1]

It is bad enough when you are deceived by a lie, but it is even worse when the lie that fools you is more appealing than the truth.

You here, brothers and sisters, you are not free. Sure, you live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” You live in a country with rulers and judges who recognize (at least for now) that you have “certain unalienable rights.” And in this land, you have neighbors who are willing to die to protect the freedoms you enjoy.

But you are not free. You are a slave. The cemetery is proof of your bondage.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro. 3:23). “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (Jn. 8:34). But, my fellow sinners, we say, “We have never been in bondage to anyone.”

Your sin has blinded you. You have been in its clutches for so long that you have become accustomed to it. In fact, you enjoy it. You prefer the shackles of anger, lust, greed, and covetousness over the freedom that Christ has come to give freely.

The next time you are tempted by the devil and fall into sin, your preference will be exposed. You would rather sit in those chains of sin and earn the love of your father the devil.

Repent. The truth will, as Jesus says, set you free. And the truth is this:

Though you are a slave to sin, Jesus has come. He has done what the Law could not do. He has justified you by His grace as a gift. Christ has shed His holy and precious blood as a propitiation. And through God-given faith, you are made alive. You are declared righteous. You are forgiven. You are set free, and if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

On January 25, 1546, just twenty-four days before he died, Luther was in Halle. He had preached and was administering the Lord’s Supper. Luther’s health at this time was terribly poor. As he was administering the Blood of Christ, his hand quivered and some of the contents of the chalice spilled on the floor. Luther fell to his old, failing knees and sucked up the wine with his mouth so that it would not be stepped on.

The congregation looked on in astonishment, and it was recorded that not only could you hear a pin drop you could hear the tears hitting the floor.

Some might say that was a slavish thing to do. And yet, I think not. That very blood of Jesus sets you free from the shackles of sin, death, and the devil. Through the Body and Blood of Jesus, you who hunger and thirst for righteousness are satisfied.

My fellow sinners, hear the voice of Jesus. He is here to speak to you, to put the memory of His face back into your mind so that you can be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Jesus says to you again today, “I am here to set you free, and you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] I am thankful for a sermon by Pr. Hans Fiene for this analogy.

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Matthew 22:15-22

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶ And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²² When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Pharisees think they have Jesus. Their little entourage of disciples and Herodians ask Jesus a yes or no question. They butter Jesus up first, “You are true, and you teach truthfully. You don’t care about opinions and aren’t swayed by appearances.” And you can just imagine the Pharisees back in the corner watching their disciples along with the Herodians (those who were sympathetic to Herod) talking with Jesus and the Pharisees are giving each other the elbow and snickering. Then the trap is set, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

A little history is helpful here. For about 95 years, Israel had been a province of the Roman empire. Caesar had put Herod the Great on the throne to watch over Israel, so Herod and his sons who ruled after him were actually an extension of Caesar. Now, the Jews hated this Roman occupation and considered it to be punishment from God. The Jews thought that the Messiah was going to come and lead a rebellion against Rome and make them free from foreigners.

So, in the eyes of the Pharisees, when Jesus gets asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” there is no answer that Jesus can give that will not cause Him trouble. This question is like a sword pointed right at Jesus’ chest. If Jesus says, “Yes, pay the man,” the Jewish people will despise Jesus and stop following Him because He isn’t the Messiah they expected and wanted. But if Jesus says, “No, don’t pay taxes,” the Herodians will see Jesus as a rabble-rouser and have Him arrested and killed for trying to start a rebellion.

But Jesus sees right through it. “You hypocrites, show Me the coin for the tax. Whose picture and writing is this?” On that coin was a picture of Tiberius Caesar, and the writing said, “Son of the divine Augustus.” The fact that the disciples of the Pharisees had this coin showed they acknowledged Caesar’s rule over them. So, Jesus asks, “Whose coin is this?” the malicious hypocrites say, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus says, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” If the question was a sword pointed at Jesus, Jesus snatches the sword out of their hand, and points it right at their throat.

We need to consider these phrases from Jesus. “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” God is no anarchist; He has given order and authority in this world. We see this first in the family. God gave Adam a wife, Eve, to be his helper. And God gave Adam and Eve children. And God has given the 4^th Commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” When husbands, wives, and children recognize God’s intention and stay in their God-given roles, it is a beautiful thing. When husbands care, protect, and provide for their wife and children, when wives respect and support their husbands, and when children honor their parents, life is good. How many problems in this world would vanish if we followed God’s order for the family?

But God didn’t stop establishing order and authority with the family. God has also given authority to the state. Read Romans 13:1-7 and recognize that Paul was writing this while Nero (the guy who slaughtered Christians and was terribly wicked) was Caesar, and you will see that all earthly governments – even the most evil – are established by God. And this is also good.

Through the government, God provides for us. Through the government God has given teachers to help you and your children learn. Because of the government we have safe buildings and roads that help you get to work and move goods from one place to another. Because of the government we have a police force, firefighters, and army to protect us.  All of those things that we benefit from in this country are done by government and paid for by taxes. So, pay your taxes (Ro. 13:7).

Now, there is a place to discuss how much of a role the government has in these things and how much could be done better without the government getting in the way. And we can thank God for a country where we as citizens get a say in that through voting. But that falls outside the scope of this sermon.

Of course, it is true that governments and leaders can go beyond what they should do. They can rule in an evil way and make life hard. But God will hold them accountable for that. And those who are in positions of authority had better be careful so the Christians under them are praying for them rather than against them. That’s enough on, “Render to Caesar.”

“Render to God the things that are God’s.” First, what isn’t God’s? What thing exists that isn’t God’s? Remember that you belong to God. You were made in His image. Remember that God has made you a Christian. He has declared you righteous, forgiven, and holy. You need to reevaluate your worth and the worth of the work that you do in this life because everything you do – whether you are a parent, child, soldier, employee, or retiree – you do as a Christian.

This means that your whole life is given to God. There isn’t one part of your life that is holy and another part that is neutral. Raising children, raking leaves, pumping gas, thanking the soldier for his service, and throwing frozen fish sticks or corn dogs into the oven – it is all service to God. Now, do we do all these things cheerfully? I don’t, and it is a safe bet to say that you don’t either. But we should still do them.

When a mother gets woken up in the middle of the night because her child wet the bed, she probably doesn’t get up immediately and cheerfully. She probably doesn’t say, “Thank You, God for an opportunity to show love to my child.” Instead, she might sinfully think to herself, “I wish I didn’t have that child.” But she gets up. She cleans the child, changes the pajamas, and washes the wet sheets even though she does it with sin. Praise God for that.

Even though her heart isn’t pure, she keeps God’s law of caring for her child in an outward way even though she sins in an inward way. But the child is still loved, provided for, and cared for. This should never be minimized. All of you who have sinfully grumbled at a task God put before you but did it anyway, thank you. You have rendered to God the things that are God’s.

And your sinful heart? Well, that was Jesus’ job. He came and took all your sin. He suffered God’s wrath and died for it. Jesus rendered to God the things that are God’s. He gave Himself up as a ransom for us all. He has given Himself as a ransom for you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 22:1-14

¹ And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and torched their city. ⁸ Then he says to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who had been called were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and call to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he says to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here even though you do not have a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright and locked position and that your seat belt is correctly fastened. As we fly through this parable, we do expect some turbulence. However, as your captain (pastor) I guarantee we will reach our destination safely. Thank you.

Jesus tells us this parable about the kingdom of heaven. The parable is about how God has arranged for us to be together, but it is a bumpy ride. Ready?

A king is giving a wedding feast for his son. An event like this is the talk of the kingdom. Even in the good ol’ US of A, people get excited about Great Brittan’s royal weddings. Think William and Kate, or, if you are older, Charles and Diana. The invitations have been sent, but no one shows. So, the king tells his servants to go out again, “Call those who were invited to the wedding feast. Maybe they forgot to mark their calendars, or maybe their phones are on DND and the notifications haven’t popped up.” Still, the guests would not come.

So the king sends out servants again, “Tell the everyone I’ve invited that the wine is poured, the steaks are done.” (In Jesus’ day weddings were planned by men, and you can tell by the menu of meat and drink – rich food full of marrow, aged wine well refined [Is. 25:6].) The king wants his servants to tell the invitees, “Everything is ready. Come! Come to the party!” But still, even with this third invitation, they paid no attention. Instead, one went off to his farm and another to his business. Seriously, lame excuses.

There is an irony in the things that the invitees chose to give their attention to instead of going to the wedding feast. In Deuteronomy 20:[1-9], God gave Moses a list of several things that a man could use as excuses for not going to war. The farm and the business that the invitees prefer over the feast are two things that would excuse a man from going to war. So, you see, these invitees are treating the king’s invitation to the wedding feast is a call to war and not to a joyful feast. But look what happens – war finds them anyway.

Some people, instead of offering excuses, take the king’s servants and seize them. They treat the servants shamefully. Whatever horrible thing you are imagining is probably accurate. They even kill the servants. Can you imagine it? All these servants were doing was extending the king’s gracious invitation to the feast of a lifetime, and they get killed for it.

The king is, of course, outraged. He is done sending servants. Now, he sends his troops. He musters his tanks, helicopters, and bombs – all his military might. And he torches the city and everything these party-poopers and murderers prefer over the feast.

Let’s stop here for a minute and ponder all of this. Jesus is teaching us about the kingdom of heaven, and there are implications for today. Every Sunday morning, God is inviting you to come to His banquet. Every week, God is here to love on you by giving you His Word. His desire is that you would be here to listen to His Word, to receive His Gospel. He wants to prepare His tale before you in the presence of your enemies, to anoint your head with oil, and to overflow your cup, as Psalm 23:5 says.

What is better than that? And yet, what lame excuses do you offer? Maybe, you aren’t treating the servants shamefully and killing them. But what happens when others do? What will happen to the things that you enjoy more than God’s feast when, on the last day, God sends His troops to destroy you who have treated His invitation as though it wasn’t worth your time?

Now, this isn’t to say that you are saved by coming to church. You aren’t. And this isn’t to say that you are damned by missing church. You aren’t. But every time you chose something else over what God offers here, it gets easier and easier to say, “No,” to His mercy.

Back to the parable. The king’s wrath and anger is spent. The city is torched. But rather than singing a duet with Leslie Gore, “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to,” the king still wants to feast. This is, after all, his son’s wedding. The king tells his servants, “We are having this party. Those who didn’t want to be here are going to miss out. Go to the highways and invite anyone you find.” So, they do. The banquet hall is filled with all sorts of people – good and bad.

None of those who show up are worthy to be at this feast. They need to be washed and clothed for such an occasion. No problem. The king is happy to do it. It is his feast of grace and mercy. In this way, finally, the king’s hall is filled with guests. But the parable still is not done, and there is no Hallmark ending.

The king comes in to the hall to look at the guests. And he sees a man with no wedding garment. He held up his hand and scoffed at the Armani suit he was offered at the door. Now, the king walks up to him and says, “Hey, buster, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” And the man was speechless.

Now, ‘speechless’ implies that the man was surprised that he had been caught. But the word Jesus uses here is actually, ‘silent.’ The implication here is that the man refused to acknowledge the king was even talking to him. Imagine the king walking up to him with his guards, looking him in the eye, and addressing the situation, but this fool turns away from the king and tries to yuck it up with his buddies standing next to him.

A simple, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me,” would have worked with how patient this king has proven himself to be. But this moron ignores his host, and he gets what he deserves. He is bound up, hogtied, and thrown into the eternal, outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

My fellow failures, don’t treat the God’s grace as cheap. Don’t test His patience. Repent. The feast is open to the unworthy and even the bad but not for the unrepentant.

God wants you at His feast. He calls you, unworthy though you are. In your Baptism, He has clothed you in the robe of Christ (Gal. 3:27). Enjoy the feast. Delight in the King’s grace. His table is set, prepared for you. Are you ready to party? Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 21:23-32

²³ And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴ Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸ “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Just who do you think you are? What gives you the right? Who gave you the authority to do these things?” The chief priests and elders want to know because Jesus has been throwing their world into chaos.

What had Jesus been doing that was causing such a ruckus? Well, the day before this confrontation had been Palm Sunday. Jesus rode into Jerusalem like He was some kind of Messiah. He marched His way straight into the Temple, tossed around the tables of the money changers, and drove the merchants and their animals out with a whip saying, “This is My house” (Mt. 21:13). Then, Jesus had the audacity to heal the blind and the lame in the Temple as the children continued to cry out, “Hosanna (‘Save us now’) to the Son of David!” (Mt. 21:15). It had been anything but a relaxing Sunday for the leaders.

Monday morning rolls around. Jesus enters the Temple again, and before He can even hang up His coat or get His coffee. There they are asking, “Let’s see some credentials here, Jesus. License and registration, please. What and who gives you the authority to do all of this?”

Today, it seems like we usually think of ‘authority’ in terms of having power to do this or that. But authority has more to do with having permission to do certain things. A judge has the authority, the permission, to make rulings on cases. A police officer has the authority, the permission, to pull you over for speeding. As much as I would like to pull people over for their traffic violations, I don’t have that authority.

Instead, the authority I have has been given to me by God through you, my dear congregation. You have called me to be your pastor, the Word and Sacrament guy, in this house of God. And that is a responsibility and authority I do not take lightly. Please, pray for me.

But what gives Jesus the right to do what He is doing? It should have been clear to them. With all the healing and miracles going on, it’s pretty clear this rabbi from Nazareth isn’t your typical son of a carpenter. The crowds had seen it too. Remember, after Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds were astonished at Jesus’ words because He taught as one who had authority and not as one of their scribes (Mt. 7:28-29) – not like these guys.

But when you ask the wrong question, you will get the wrong answer. And when you ask Jesus the wrong question, you’re likely to have a question asked of you. And that is exactly what happens. “I’ll tell you by what authority only after you answer Me this, wise guys: John’s baptism, where did it come from? I’ll even make it multiple choice – from God or from man?”

And you can hear their discussion as they huddle up. “It had to come from God.” “No, you idiot. We can’t say that. He’ll ask us why we didn’t listen to John.” “Ok. Fine. Let’s say that it came from men.” “Are you insane? The people thought John was a prophet, and we can’t make them mad at us.” “Well, what do you suggest we say then?” “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s just say, ‘We don’t know.’” “Yeah, I like that plan.” “Me too.” “Ok then. Go team. Break!”

I like to imagine one guy coming out of that huddle thinking, “I hope no one ever writes this conversation down because we’ll look like idiots for the rest of recorded history.”

Because they come back with their pathetic excuse of a response, Jesus refuses to show them His authorization. But Jesus, being God, still wants them to turn from their wicked ways of unbelief and live. So He tells them the parable.

A man tells his two sons to work in the vineyard. The first one is a wishy-washy twerp and says, “Naw, I don’t think so,” but later changes his mind and goes. The other son is a politician and says, “Yes, sir. I go, sir,” but doesn’t go. Who does the will of the father? The most obvious answer is the first, but what kind of parent is proud of their child who verbally defies them at every turn even if they eventually do what they are asked.

But that’s the point, and here’s the rub. How many of you do the will of your heavenly Father? The God who has given you the Ten Commandments – have no other gods, keep My name holy, listen to My Word, honor your parents, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t covet – do you do these things?

You end up being both of these sons. Sometimes, you say, “Yes, sir. I obey, sir,” but then you go gossiping and hating your neighbor. You do not gladly hear and learn God’s Word, so you aren’t keeping the Commandments. Sometimes, you say, “I don’t want to do that,” but, for some reason, you end up doing it anyway.

But here is what Jesus wants to get these leaders to understand, and what He wants to get you to understand. You know that the first who says, “No, I’m not going,” but changes his mind, he is the one who does the will of his father. That is the main point of the parable – the change of mind. Repentance. Repentance is what this is all about – and faith.

That’s why Jesus says that the tax collectors and prostitutes go into the kingdom of heaven before the religious know-it-alls. Those sinners believed John. What was John’s constant sermon? “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2).

You see, repentance is one aspect of saving faith. To repent is first to believe what God says about your sins. They are damnable.

The tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. They believed that their lives of sin weren’t getting them anywhere. Neither is yours. Your selfishness and pride, your words of piety but lack of love, your actions that are done simply out of a sense of obligation – they don’t get you into the kingdom of heaven.

Repentance is the first part of faith. Believe your sins are what they are. And believe Jesus when He says about your sins that they are forgiven. Believe what Jesus says as He invites you to His table now and says, “This is My Body. This is My Blood shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Jesus is asked, “By what authority do you do these things?” And how does Matthew’s Gospel end? With Jesus saying “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18-20).

Jesus takes His authority and does not us it for His own advantage. He uses it for yours. Repent. Believe. Be absolved, forgiven, washed, and fed. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 20:1-16

¹ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ⁸ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Some worked a full shift – twelve hours. Some worked nine hours. Some six and three. And some were called when there was only one hour of work left. By the time they got to the vineyard, all the other workers were putting the spades and shovels and buckets away because it was time to get paid. But it didn’t matter when the laborers got to the vineyard. They all received the same – one denarius, one full day’s wage.

This is not the way the world works, and it shouldn’t be the way the world works. Even the Scriptures say this isn’t how this world works, “If anyone is unwilling to work, do not let him eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Wherever this is tried in a business or forced through politics, it fails. Businesses and governments cannot afford to pay people who don’t work.

If people work one hour and get paid as much as those who work twelve, no one will work more than an hour. And if people aren’t working to keep the business going, there won’t be a business. And if there is no business, there is no one to pay workers, and there are a lot more hungry families in the world.

But Jesus isn’t telling us about how this world works or how this world should work. Jesus is teaching us about the kingdom of heaven. This is how the gracious and merciful God runs things. And the way God chooses to do things is so high above us that we cannot understand it. God’s thoughts and ways are not our thoughts or ways. They are higher thoughts and higher ways. Joyfully and mercifully so.

But you can see, can’t you, what those who were hired at the beginning of the day were doing. They see the bums who came just in time for pay-day receiving their denarius and the minds start racing. The ones who are terrible at math are trying to calculate. “He did one hour of work and got one denarius. I worked twelve. That’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (take off a shoe) 11, 12 denarii.” The ones who are better at math are taking out their cell phones and calling their wives to go buy steak and lobster for supper because daddy’s coming home with a big paycheck.

But when that one coin gets dropped in their hand, they are frustrated. The frustration turns to anger. The anger turns to bitterness. And the bitterness turns to a false idea of what is right and just. “Hey, boss, you’re a lousy dude. You are giving those bums more than they deserve. We worked the whole day in the heat and dirt, and you’ve made them equal to us. This is not right. This is not fair. This is not just.”

Christian, you and I fall into the same trap as those hired at the beginning of the day. We think we have earned or deserved more than what God has given us. When we start to focus on what we do not have, we forget that everything we have is a benevolent gift from God.

God doesn’t owe you anything. You are, all of us are, sinners. We see God’s grace every day as He makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. Every good thing – coffee, padded chairs, a pair of socks, and a soft tissue to blow your nose – all of it is an undeserved gift from God’s mercy. The worst existence on earth is better than what we deserve in hell.

When you see God being gracious and giving someone more than they deserve, do not grumble and tell God that He is unfair or unjust.

Repent. Repent and be thankful.

Listen to what the master says to those who grumbled, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity (lit. ‘Is your eye evil because I am good?)?”

In the end, those who worked the whole day got exactly what they bargained for. They agreed for a denarius, and a denarius, they got. And that is all they will ever get because they are sent away from the vineyard.

There are all sorts of vineyards where you can get exactly what you deserve. There is only one vineyard and one vineyard owner who is generous and merciful. If you don’t like it, then take what is yours and go.

That is the saddest truth of all. Those who believe God owes them will get exactly what God owes them, judgment and expulsion from His presence. The kingdom of heaven is about grace that works by raising the dead – not by rewarding the rewardable. If you don’t like it, you can take what is yours and leave.

Our parable today depicts grace as undeserved wages. Workers get paid for work that they did not do. And, believer, so do you. You have not done the work of keeping God’s Law. What God has demanded of you, you have not done, but you get treated as though you have. Jesus has borne the heat of the day, and you get His wages. We are those who are hired at the eleventh hour. God be praised, and may we never forget that.

And because of the mercy and grace of God, you are no longer workers being overpaid. By the grace of God in Christ, you are members of the kingdom, children of God, and brothers and sisters of Christ. You remain with Him. Not only do you get paid generously, you also get to remain in the vineyard because His ways of mercy and love are higher than the heavens are above the earth. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 18:21-35

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Wasn’t it necessary that you should have mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Peter isn’t being stingy when he asks Jesus if he should forgive his neighbor seven times. Imagine having a relative who has been addicted to drugs, but he comes to you and says, “I’m getting my life in order. I’m done getting high. I’ve got a job. Can you loan me $750 for the security deposit on this apartment?” You loan him the money but before the weekend comes, he’s been arrested, again, for drugs, again, and kicked out of his apartment, again.

He gets out, and says, “Ok this time, I mean it. I’m getting my life together. I just need a security deposit for a new apartment.” Does he even get to finish his speech? Do you loan him another $750? How about when he asks a third time? You probably don’t do it seven times like Peter benevolently suggests. And it is pure insanity to do it seventy-seven times like Jesus says.

We are just like Peter. We know that we should be forgiving, and maybe we even want to be forgiving. But deep down we also want to know, we need to know, what the limits are. When can I quit being nice? When do I finally get justice? When can I stop loving my neighbor?

The whole point of the parable is that neither Peter, nor the servant, nor you, nor I can forgive someone enough times to say, “I’ve done all I need to with regard to forgiveness. Check that off my list.” The point of the parable is that the king, God, wants to settle accounts by forgiveness not by collection.

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.” Notice, Jesus does not say, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to collect what was owed him by his debtors.” Immediately, there is a clue of what is going to happen. The king wants clean books, zero balances.

When a debtor comes who owes 10,000 talents… Now, a talent isn’t an exact sum of money. Sometimes, one talent can mean 20 years’ wages for a laborer meaning this owes 200,000 years’ worth of work. Sometimes a talent means 75 lbs. of gold (I checked Thursday, 75 lbs. of gold was just under $1.5M, so take that times 10,000). When someone owes you 10,000 talents, that massive amount of debt, how are you going to settle the account?

It’s clear that nothing can be done to get this account to zero. The guy doesn’t have the money. Even if he, his wife, his children, his house, and everything he has are sold, it doesn’t make a dent. So the man falls on his knees and asks – for patience. But patience wouldn’t do this servant any good; a thousand lifetimes isn’t enough time. And patience doesn’t do the king any good; he wants the accounts settled.

So instead of patience, the king gives mercy. The debt is forgiven. The servant is declared to be out of the red and into the black. In other words, the king pays the debt for him.

The servant, let’s call him Vinnie, leaves. And, instead of being filled with gratitude and joy, he sees Chuck, his buddy, who owed him 100 denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage, so we’re talking about 3 months’ wages (say between $10 – $15 thousand). With his hands around Chuck’s throat, Vinnie demands that Chuck pay up. Chuck asks for patience, just like Vinnie had. And even though Vinnie had just received mercy for this impossible debt, Vinnie doesn’t give Chuck the very thing he requested from the king. Not even patience.

How could this happen? How is it possible? Well, Vinny didn’t appreciate the mercy that had been given to him. He didn’t see what he received was merciful. He didn’t think he really had a debt. He thought his situation was still manageable. In his mind, given enough time and patience, he would have gotten it together on his own. Vinnie would have probably said that the king was a good guy, but little more. In Vinnie’s mind, his freedom and righteousness were his own, a product of his doing – or at least they would have been. He would have paid.

This parable, because it is arguably the epitome of parables showing the nature and character of God’s grace and mercy, contains a dire warning for us.

In the kingdom of God, you are beggars. You were guilty and could not dig your way out no matter how much time you were given. Even more, you were dead, and how do dead people pay bills? You and I, we need mercy. And in Christ, mercy is exactly what we have. Because of Christ’s payment on the cross, we have been declared innocent, alive, beloved.

Never say, “I can’t forgive him/her for what they did.” Don’t say that. At least, be honest, “I don’t want to forgive him/her for what they did.” Then, you can confess your sin of unforgiveness.

Also this parable reminds us (just as we were reminded in our Epistle lesson (Ro. 14:1-12) that each one of us will give an account of ourselves to God (v. 12). So, ask yourself, “What am I doing with what God has given me?” What has God given me? Think about it. Life. Planet to live on. House. Family. Health (even if it ain’t what you wish it is). Knowledge. Food. Mercy. Forgiveness. Reconciliation with Himself.

Now flip the question: What do I have that God has not given me? And really think about this: God the Father who created you, God the Son who redeemed you, and God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you, what do you have that you haven’t received from Him? Sin.

And God has taken that from you. He’s stolen it. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world bore your sin on the cross that you might die to sin and live to righteousness (Jn. 1:29, 1 Pet. 2:24).

So, what are we to do? Should we not have mercy on our neighbor as God has had mercy upon us (Mt. 18:33)? How about our congregation? How can we be a beacon in this community of the mercy of Christ the King? Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 18:1-20

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³ and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

⁶ “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! ⁸ And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

¹² “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great men and women do great things. They contribute, make a difference, and have an influence. Great businessmen create thousands of jobs, build huge companies, and make billions of dollars. Great politicians get reelected, climb higher in office, and change the course of history so that we learn about them in textbooks. Great athletes set records, win championships, create dynasties, and get elected into the Hall of Fame.

Great people don’t just live in this world, they change the world. The greater you are, the more power and influence you have. In the thinking of this world that is greatness.

But what about the kingdom of heaven? In the kingdom where the last are first, and the first wind up dead last (Mt. 19:30), what does greatness look like there?

Jesus calls a child into their midst and says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus makes this child an example – be like this. But then, Jesus goes even farther than that. Jesus makes this child the pinnacle of Christian greatness. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

And ever since Jesus said this, we Christians have been ignoring it. We take a quick gawk at the cuteness and littleness of a child and go, “Aw,” then go about trying to make ourselves great by climbing up a spiritual ladder.

In just a few chapters, the disciples will argue about who will sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in His kingdom (Mt. 20:20-22). Paul wrote letters to the Corinthian and the Galatian churches because they were fighting over what made a believer great. In the middle ages, some would go live in a monastery and model their life after this or that saint. Today in the church, you are great by overcoming your Goliaths, living your best life now as though every day is a Friday, making sure it is purpose driven.

But none of these man-made ladders make you greater in the kingdom of heaven. The higher you climb, the greater your achievements, the further from the Gospel you are.

Again, Jesus says, “Unless you turn and become like children, don’t worry about being great, you won’t even enter the kingdom of heaven.” Little children don’t point to their resume and expect a promotion. Little children don’t hand God a bill, “See all my good works, I believe You owe me.” The things you would point at to prove that you are a good, great Christian are the very things that will condemn you to hell. Repent.

Greatness is not something you earn. Greatness is something Jesus gives.

Imagine the child in this text. (Now, the Greek doesn’t actually indicate if the child is a boy or girl like the ESV does. I’m going to go with a girl because that would have been even more surprising in Jesus’ day.)

Jesus calls a little child to Him. Imagine her barely able to walk. She’s dusty, dirty, and diapered. Her dad hovers over her as she grasps his pinkies to stable herself as she waddles up to Jesus. Jesus put her on his lap and says, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

What greatness did she have? What had she done for God? Nothing really. She came when Jesus called and received the honor and blessing Jesus gave. You too today. You have come to this place where Jesus has called you. You have received the blessing of His Word and the absolution that He gives to you. This is what makes you great.

Don’t despise the little ones. Don’t cause them to sin, to stumble and fall away. Bring them, and yourself, to Jesus to hear His Word and delight in it. If they go lost, do everything to seek them out. Go search for them and find them. If they sin, call them to repentance to restore them. That means telling people their fault. And that can be hard. But listen to what Jesus says, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

If you agree that a particular sin needs forgiveness and ask God, He forgives. And where two or three of you are gathered together in Jesus’ name, there He is. Jesus, the greatest of all because He became the servant of all, present with the you, little ones. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Romans 12:9-21

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You know how different versions of the Bible will put headings over portions of Scripture? The ESV titles this portion as “Marks of the True Christian.” Thirteen verses. Depending on how you count, twenty-six rules to follow. So look over the text again. How do you measure up?

Is your love genuine? Do you abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good? Do you outdo others in showing honor? Do you bless those who persecute you? Do you live in harmony with others and peaceably with all? Do you feed your enemy, and give him something to drink? Do you overcome evil with good? Are you a “True Christian”?

If I’m honest, texts like this make me doubt if I can call myself a Christian. Maybe, you are like me.

Let’s consider the options: I could take the commands in this text and make a list of the areas where I need to improve. Start with the one where I’m worst off. Improve there, and work my way down the list. That would be my first option.

But that always leads to lowering the bar. Rather than my love being genuine, I put on a show of love because I get tired of trying to be genuine. And shouldn’t actions count more than attitude? Instead of living at peace with all, I live at peace with those I like. I mean the text says, “if it is possible.” But I use that phrase as a trump card. “Some people are impossible to please, so why bother even trying? It’s their fault.” But God isn’t fooled by my sham love and peace.

The second option when I doubt if I am a “true Christian,” rather than getting upset and bothered at how poorly I do, I can just look at you and take comfort in the fact that at least I do better than you. You know the joke: You don’t have to run faster than a bear, you just have to run faster than the guy next to you.

But what if the Law is a bear that doesn’t stop after eating the guy slower than you? What if the Law picks up your scent and keeps coming until it finds you. That is, in fact, what the Law does. In our Gospel text (Mt. 16:21-28), Jesus says, “The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (v. 27). Neither of those options – neither self-improvement nor comparing myself to others – offer any comfort or escape.

The problem with both of those options is that you aren’t letting the Law do what God intends it to do. Romans 5:20 says, “The Law came in to increase the trespass.” Rather than trying harder and working more to prove that you are a Christian, you need to die to your works and efforts to save yourself. Listen to what Jesus says, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt. 16:25). Repent.

Repent of trying to save your life as you know it. Instead of trying to save your life, you are free to die to sin. Believer, your old self was crucified with Jesus in order that your body of sin might be brought to nothing so that you would no longer be enslaved to sin (Ro. 6:6). Because Jesus has suffered, died, and risen again, you who are joined to Him will rise as well.

So you are free to deny yourself, to take up your cross and follow Jesus. Listen to what God says of you, Romans 8:1 says it as clearly as possible, “There is therefore no condemnation for [you] who are in Christ Jesus.” You are free to be the forgiven, righteous, holy person that God declares you are because you are in Christ.

You are free from the Law because you belong to Jesus, the One who died to the Law so that you might bear fruit to God (Ro. 7:4-6).

What does that fruit look like? Well, it looks just like this text describes it. Who would you say that this text best describes? Hopefully, your answer is Jesus. Christ is all those things. Christ’s love is genuine. He abhors what is evil and holds fast to what is good. Jesus was not slothful in zeal. He rejoiced with those who rejoice, and wept with those who wept. He did not avenge Himself. When His enemies were hungry, He gave them to eat; when they were thirsty, He gave them to drink. Christ was not overcome by evil, but overcame evil with good.

Because this is all true of Christ, it is also true of you. This is how you are already in Christ. When God looks at you, this is how He sees you. And the reason you don’t see more of this going on in your life is because your flesh, the old Adam, gets in the way. So it is good to have this text as a constant reminder before your eyes as you take up your cross and follow after Jesus.

Jesus is here once again to overcome your evil with the goodness of His love, forgiveness, and mercy by giving you His Body and His Blood. He feeds you, strengthens you, and supplies all you need so that you are not overcome by evil, but so that you overcome evil with good. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.