Tag Archives: Suffering

Eager Waiting – Sermon on Romans 8:18-23 for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Romans 8:18–23

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christian, the Bible never says that you will escape suffering. In fact, Jesus promises that you will suffer. Jesus says that everyone who follows Him will take up a cross (Mt. 16:24). Jesus says that since the world persecuted Him, it will persecute you (Jn. 15:20). Jesus says that in this world you will have tribulation (Jn. 16:33). Jesus even says that the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God (Jn. 16:2). 

Christian, you should expect to encounter suffering in this world. 1 Peter 4:12 tells us to not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. Whether or not we will experience suffering is not the question. Instead, our text here would have us consider how we endure the suffering because our typical response to suffering is not what Scripture would have us do.

Often, your initial response to suffering is to look to the time when your suffering will be over. Your kids keep getting up at night, so you look forward to when they finally stay asleep, and you can rest. Your checking account gets low, so you look to your next payday. You get sick, so you look forward to when you will feel better. Even though all of those things are welcome pauses to your suffering, they are only temporary moments of slight relief. And if that is all you hope for, you are setting your sights way too low. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:19, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Christian, this text is telling you that there is something even better in store for you than the end of your suffering. When you suffer, look past the end of your suffering and raise your eyes to the glory that is to be revealed to you (Rom. 8:18). It is a glory that you have even now, but a glory that you cannot see right now.

Look carefully at v. 19-21 of our text. “The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Paul here is inviting us to look at our present suffering from the perspective of the rest of God’s creation, so let’s do that. Jesus helps us get that perspective In Matthew 5:45 where He says that God, “Makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.” Imagine the suffering that the sun has had to endure since the Fall.

Because of God’s mercy, He has commanded the sun to serve idolators, adulterers, thieves, liars, and murderers. The sun was created to shine on the righteous, but God has commanded it to keep shining on both the evil and the good. God has called the sun to serve all people – including the unrighteous. The sun’s work of shining on the evil is wasted, but the sun does it gladly because it is obeying God’s merciful command. The same could be said about the clouds with their rain, the crops with their fruit, and the water with its nourishment. All creation would much rather only serve only you, Christian. As the sun and the rest of creation serves the evil and the good, the righteous and the unrighteous, it waits with eager longing for you to be revealed as the sons of God (Ro. 8:19).

Catch that. Creation longs for “the revealing” of the sons of God. It will take a “revealing” for creation to recognize you as the sons of God.

Some of you have told me that you don’t recognize how loved and valued you are by God. You don’t see yourselves as God’s children. But listen to what 1 John 3:2 says, “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.” 

Here’s the truth. God sees you as His beloved child – holy, blameless, and righteous. Even though you can’t see that, and even though the rest of creation can’t see that, it’s true. But the day will come when you will be revealed as God’s children. All of creation will see it, and you will also see it.

Until then, live like the sun. Shine the light of Christ upon the righteous and the unrighteous as you eagerly wait for the time when you will be revealed before all creation as a beloved, holy, righteous child of God. Sure, you don’t see the glory God has given you yet. That’s fine. That day will come. God has promised. Jesus will return. Your body will be redeemed. You will rise, and all your suffering will fade away.

Dear saints, all suffering in this world is temporary. That doesn’t mean that your suffering doesn’t matter. Suffering can cause deep wounds that leave painful scars. Even though that is very true, the sufferings of this present time are all – every one of them – temporary. In fact, there is only one type of suffering that is nottemporary, and that is the eternal torment of hell. But that is not your destiny, Christian.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, you have God’s promise that the sufferings of this present time are not even worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to you. And as you eagerly wait for your adoption as sons, as you eagerly await the redemption of your bodies, come to God’s table. Receive Jesus’ resurrected Body and Blood given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Be fed with His mercy and grace which strengthens you to serve the rest of creation as you eagerly await His return. Amen.

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

Micro Sorrow, Macro Rejoicing – Sermon on John 16:16-22 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 16:16–22

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today, Jesus teaches us about sorrow and joy, and it is only through Jesus’ teaching that we can properly understand the sorrows we face in this world.

Jesus tells the disciples, “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” They are confused, but they don’t tell Jesus they are confused. Instead, they whisper to each other, “What’s He talking about?” You can almost picture it. Matthew asks Thomas, but Thomas doesn’t know. So, Matthew leans over a little further to ask Andrew while Thomas whispers to Nathaniel, but they don’t know. Maybe Peter, James, and John know since they get to go on special trips up mountains with Jesus (Mt. 17:1-9), but they don’t know either. The disciples are all asking each other, but notice whom they are not asking – Jesus! They are looking for the answer in all the wrong places. Maybe they are embarrassed about their ignorance.

But their ignorance isn’t hidden from Jesus, so He tells them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” Catch that because it’s really important. Jesus does not say, “Your sorrow will go away and then you will be happy later.” No! “Your sorrow will turn into joy.” To get this across, our Lord uses the analogy of a woman giving birth. I’ll be honest with you, I always get a little nervous preaching on these words. I am a man, so I have not, will not, and cannot give birth – no matter what politicians or celebrities say. But the analogy comes from the mouth of our Lord who created women and is the One who said women would have great pain in giving birth (Gen. 3:16), so He knows what He’s talking about. Deep breath, here we go.

To understand the analogy, we have to understand the most basic thing about it. When a woman is in labor, what is the cause of her pain, her anguish, and (to use the word Jesus uses here) her sorrow? The baby. The baby is causing the sorrow and pain. But once she has given birth, what is the cause of the mother’s joy? The baby. The pain caused by the baby gets transformed and converted into the joy of the newborn baby, but you could not have the joy without that initial sorrow.

This is why, when Jesus is teaching the disciples that their sorrow will turn into joy, He uses the analogy of a woman giving birth. Our Lord doesn’t use the analogy of passing a kidney stone. Now, I’ve never passed a kidney stone, but I’ve read and heard that the pain is similar. (Please don’t feel obligated to tell me your kidney stone stories after the service. I worked for a group of 16 urologists, so I’ve heard the stories.) If a person has a kidney stone, they are glad once it’s passed. They have joy, but that joy is only because the pain is gone. Their joy is because they have relief from the pain. The person who has the most joy is the one who passed the stone. Probably, those who are caring for the person rejoice too, but that’s it. You don’t bring a kidney stone into work and show it off. Your coworkers don’t throw you a party for passing a kidney stone. But you do bring a baby into work for a baby shower or party. I think I’m done talking about kidney stones now, so let’s get back to the text.

When Jesus is talking about the sorrow that the disciples will have, He’s talking about His death. But their Good Friday sorrow will turn into Easter joy. Easter turns sorrow into joy. Imagine if Jesus’ death and resurrection happened this way. Imagine Jesus told the disciples, “I’m going to go away for a few days, but then I’ll come back.” And imagine that is all that happened. Jesus was gone, He returned, and He told the disciples, “I’m back. While I was gone, I died for you. I suffered God’s wrath in your place, and I paid for all your sins.” Do you suppose the disciples would have had the same joy? Probably not. Their Easter joy is greater, deeper, and fuller because they endured the arrest, the trial, the beating, the cross, the suffering, the blood, and the tomb of Good Friday (Jn. 19:35). For the disciples to have the joy of Easter, they had to go through the sorrow of Good Friday.

Now, these words of Jesus aren’t only for the disciples. These words were recorded for you and for your comfort when you endure pain and sorrow (Jn. 20:30-31). To help us latch on to what Jesus says, we’re going to get a little philosophical. And I want to make something clear: Philosophy is a fine discipline and area of study. But philosophy is most helpful when it is guided by good theology. That’s what we’re going to do today because this will be beneficial when you face times of sorrow and help you navigate those feelings of sorrow in a good, godly way.

To understand what sorrow is, we have to start with an understanding of what evil is. At its most basic level, evil is a lack, it’s when something is missing, when the fullness of God’s good creation is disrupted leaving a hole or vacancy. So, death is evil on several levels because it causes a lack of life, a lack of a relationship, a loss that is horrible. When there is a death because of murder, it gets even more evil because there is also a lack of justice. Stealing is evil because it causes a lack of someone’s property that God had given them. With every evil, there is some sort of lack; something that should be there is missing. Poverty is a lack of resources. Hunger is a lack of nourishment. You get the picture?

Sorrow, then, is a recognition of evil and an awareness of that lack. I should add this: Something is still evil even if there is no sorrow or awareness of the evil. This is important today because so many people will say we shouldn’t care about many of the evils that exist in our culture. They will say, “It doesn’t affect you, so why do you care?” Evil does not have to directly affect us for it to be evil. Ultimately, all evil has ripple effects throughout creation. If someone steals an apple in Cairo that is evil, but you probably won’t have sorrow about it here in East Grand Forks. That evil, because it disrupts creation, still does affect you because that evil ripples through creation. There is a lot to explore there, but it falls outside the scope of this sermon.

Proper, legitimate sorrow will include, most importantly, sorrow over our sins. When we recognize our lack of righteousness it is good, right, and proper to have sorrow, but don’t only have sorrow. Keep going to repentance of those sins and faith that God forgives those sins for the sake of Jesus.

Sorrow over our sins isn’t the only proper sorrow. It is right to have sorrow in the face of death. Jesus had sorrow and wept when His friend, Lazarus, died (Jn. 11:35). The pain you have whenever you are sinned against is good, right, and proper. Also, it is proper to have sorrow when you see another person experiencing evil and lack. That is the sorrow of pity.

But you can also have improper, misplaced sorrow. Envy is a misplaced sorrow because envy is when we wrongly think it is evil for someone else to have something we don’t have. Anxiety and worry ends up being a misplaced sorrow because we think something evil will happen in the future even though it has not, and may not, happen. When you have a misplaced sorrow, recognize it as sin. Then, have genuine sorrow because of your lack of righteousness. And be filled with the righteousness Christ has won, purchased, and freely gives to you.

Dear saints, Jesus promises that the sorrows you face in this life will be transformed and converted into joy. Another pastor gave a great illustration about this, and the example he uses is boot camp. When a Marine is in the middle of boot camp, he doesn’t like it. It isn’t fun. He wants it to be over. He doesn’t lie in his bed at night and hope that the next day will be harder. He wants the drill sergeant to give them a day off. When he’s in the middle of it, he wants to quit. But once he graduates, he brags about how hard it was. The fact that he made it through is a great honor and joy. And afterward, he’s glad it was hard. It has made him a better soldier. He didn’t think that as he was going through it. The joy he has after making it through is built on the very hardship and sorrow he didn’t want to have while he was in the middle of it.

Dear saints, we live in the little while between Jesus’ ascension and His return on the last day. We are in boot camp that is filled with difficulties, hardship, and sorrow. We might want to know why God allows the sufferings we endure in this life. And we might search for answers in all the wrong places. But there are times when the only answer Jesus gives us is His promise to transform our sorrow into joy.

We want our sorrows to be over and be delivered from them. We might pray – and we should pray – that God would remove the sufferings and sorrows we face in this life. God could do that. God doesn’t always tell us why we have to go through the sorrows of this life, but Jesus teaches us that our sorrows are critical to our long-term, eternal joy in heaven.

If it would be to our benefit to remove the sorrows we endure, God would do it. He would do it. But if God doesn’t, it will be to your ultimate, eternal benefit. God works all things, even your sorrows, together for your good (Ro. 8:28). Dear saints, Romans 8 says that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Ro. 8:18). 

Your sorrows and sufferings in this life are not trivial, but neither are they eternal. Jesus says, “You have sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy. And you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn. 16:20, 22). That’s His promise. 

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

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

When Crumbs Become a Feast – Sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 for the Second Sunday of Lent

Matthew 15:21–28

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Whenever you are reading Scripture, look for the surprises. To see the surprises in this particular text, we first have to recognize some things that are not surprising. This Canaanite mother cries out to Jesus because her daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. As harsh as this sounds, it is no surprise at all that her daughter is suffering at the hands of demons.

Jesus is in the district of Tyre and Sidon, and that region was the center of Baal worship. Baal worship, among other horrible things, included child sacrifice. Obviously, this Canaanite woman hadn’t killed her daughter as a sacrifice to Baal. But in that pagan culture, it was common to engage in occult practices and make deals with demons in order to make your fields more fruitful, to get revenge on someone, to make a person fall in love with you, and all sorts of other things. While we don’t know exactly what caused the girl to be demonized, both this woman’s background and what she says suggest that she does know, and it is very possible that it was because of something she had done. If she and her daughter were innocent regarding this demonic possession, the woman would be crying out for justice, but that isn’t what she cries out for. She cries out to Jesus for mercy. She sees her daughter’s suffering and feels guilt.

Let’s bring this to us today. Dear saints, be aware. Demons have not gone away. If you ignore their existence, it is to your own peril. Demons are real, and they are active. Even if you don’t read horoscopes, call psychic hotlines, use healing crystals or ouija boards – and don’t do those things, they are demonic and evil – but even if you don’t do those things, that doesn’t mean you aren’t opening up yourself to demons. Pornography can be a portal for demons. Getting drunk, giving in to your anger, or being lazy also opens you up to their influence (Col. 3:5-8; 2 Thess. 3:6, 11). In fact, all pet sins dabble in the demonic. We want to imagine that our sins are no big deal or excusable. They aren’t. Sin hurts both the sinner and the sinner’s immediate family. Repent. Know that Christ has defeated the demons and protects you from them. But engaging in pet sins is like dangling your bleeding foot in shark-infested waters. Don’t invite the demons into your life by continuing in those sins.

Now, that brings us to the first surprise in the text which comes in the woman’s initial prayer. She addresses Jesus as the Son of David, and that is a loaded term – especially from her. She’s a foreigner. King David never ruled over her people or her homeland. And yet there are all sorts of promises that a descendent of David would sit on the throne forever and save even the inhabitants of the pagan nations (Is. 11:10-16). And this woman believes Jesus is the Son of David who can help her and her daughter. Jesus is her last hope.

And that brings us to the second surprise. Jesus doesn’t answer her a word. Jesus is usually so quick to have mercy when called upon, but not here. More on that surprise in a minute.

First, we have to consider the disciples’ reaction to her. They pray and ask Jesus to send her away. Unfortunately, this isn’t surprising. It’s disappointing, callous, and sinful, but not surprising. They were tired of hearing her shrieking for mercy. They probably speculated that she is suffering because of her own wickedness. Their attitude and thinking toward her seems to be along the lines of, “Well of course your daughter has a demon. You’ve brought this on yourself. Jesus, if You’re not going to help her, at least tell her to take a hike.” But even though this speculation was probably correct, the disciples failed to have compassion.

Dear saints, too often we are like the disciples. We fail to have compassion on those who are suffering around us. When people are groaning under their suffering, that isn’t the time to be like Job’s ‘friend’ Zophar and say, “You’re getting what you deserve. In fact, your sins deserve even worse punishment” (see Job 11:6). Now, we cannot excuse sin or say that sin doesn’t really matter. Downplaying sin is also unmerciful. Don’t do that! There are times where we have to correct and rebuke, but when someone is crying out for mercy, rebuke is not appropriate. Point the suffering to Jesus, the Source of mercy. Comfort them with God’s promises of forgiveness and mercy in the midst their suffering. And pray that God will give you wisdom to know when to comfort and when to rebuke and correct (Jam. 1:5).

Back to Jesus’ surprisingly slow response in giving this woman mercy. First, Jesus ignores her. Then, Jesus says that He came only for the lost sheep of Israel. And finally, He calls her a dog. Yes, it’s surprising, but it shouldn’t be too surprising. Because He is God, Jesus knows this woman; He knows her daughter; He knows the struggles she and her daughter have had with this demon; and, most importantly, Jesus knows this woman’s great faith. There is no question that Jesus is putting her through the ringer, but what He is doing here is strengthening and purifying her faith.

Even though Jesus ignores her, dismisses her, and calls her a dog, she continues to dig her roots of faith deeper and deeper. You heard in our Epistle text (Ro. 5:1-5) that we can rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces endurance which produces character which produces hope. Jesus is using this woman’s suffering to strengthen her faith. Christ knows how much suffering this woman can take, and through that suffering her faith grows, matures, and gets stronger. Jesus uses her suffering for her good. That doesn’t mean that the suffering is good, but Jesus uses it to bring about good.

That leads us to the next surprise. The demon who is causing the suffering wants to destroy this woman and her daughter, but the demon utterly fails because he ends up driving her to Jesus. And Christ draws this woman in even closer to Himself.

Dear saints, when – not if but when – you suffer, flee to Christ. When you are suffering because of your sinful actions, because of the sin of others, or because God doesn’t immediately deliver you, dig your heels into God’s promises. In your prayers, remind God of what He has promised to do and hold Him to those promises. That is faith. Faith is trusting that what God has promised He will do, despite your experience.

That brings us to the final surprise. The woman says that she will be content with crumbs from Jesus table. Even though Jesus calls this woman a dog, she says, “Ok, Jesus. I’ll be a dog so long as I’m Your dog. It isn’t right for You to give me Your children’s bread. I don’t need bread. Crumbs from Your hand are all I need.” She’s content with crumbs, but here’s the surprise – she gets more than crumbs. She gets a full feast.

Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” This woman is one of only two people whose faith is praised by Jesus (Mt. 8:10). Jesus is the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35). Even the crumbs that fall from Jesus’ table deliver mercy, life, and salvation. This woman gets the very thing she desired and more. Her daughter is delivered, and she receives everything Jesus came to give to sinners.

God’s mercy is of such a nature that it never falls in crumbs. God’s mercy is directly and precisely delivered to give exactly what is needed in every situation.

Right now, your Lord invites you to His table. Not to sit under it like a dog waiting for some crumbs to fall from a careless child. No, you are Jesus’ guest of honor. What you receive might look like crumbs to those who do not know what is being given. But through faith, you know that Jesus gives you a full feast of forgiveness, life, and salvation as He gives you His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. Welcome to the feast. Amen.

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

Never-Ceasing Mercy – Sermon on Lamentations 3:22-33 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Lamentations 3:22-33

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 
his mercies never come to an end; 

23 they are new every morning; 
great is your faithfulness. 

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, 
“therefore I will hope in him.” 

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, 
to the soul who seeks him. 

26 It is good that one should wait quietly 
for the salvation of the Lord. 

27 It is good for a man that he bear 
the yoke in his youth. 

28 Let him sit alone in silence 
when it is laid on him; 

29 let him put his mouth in the dust— 
there may yet be hope; 

30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, 
and let him be filled with insults. 

31 For the Lord will not 
cast off forever, 

32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion 
according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 

33 for he does not afflict from his heart 
or grieve the children of men.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I mentioned the name of this Sunday at the beginning of the service; does anyone remember what today is called? (Yes, “Make a joyful noise,” Sunday.) So, why, on a day where we are making joyful noises, are we listening to a sermon from Lamentations, the book of the Bible whose name contradicts the name of the Sunday? Why even bother with Lamentations? I’m glad you asked.

The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah and is basically a funeral hymnal with five dirges; each chapter is its own song. But whose funeral is Jeremiah writing about? It is the funeral of God’s people. The Babylonian empire has come. Jerusalem has been destroyed. The leaders of Judah have been taken into exile. The Temple has been torn down and left in charred ruins. And the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God had promised to meet with His people, was gone. God’s punishment of His people has been severe.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, begins the book, “How lonely sits the city that was full of people!” (Lam. 1:1). He says that Jerusalem had been “the perfection of beauty” but is now the laughingstock of the world (Lam. 2:15). God’s punishment against the sins of idolatry, wickedness, and injustice that were so prevalent among His people has come, and it stinks. And Jeremiah calls on the people to recognize that God’s intention with this punishment is to bring the people to repentance. God longs for His people to confess their sins and be forgiven. All this punishment isn’t just to make God’s people uncomfortable and miserable; instead, this suffering is meant to heal and restore them.

So, Jeremiah paints this pathetic picture about the suffering of God’s people. He asks that God would see all their suffering under the punishment of their sins. Then, Jeremiah just sits back and waits….

Jeremiah can wait because he knows, “though [the Lord] cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men” (Lev. 3:32-33). Dear saints, the only rescue from God’s wrath against sin is found in the very nature of God Himself. Let me say that again in case you missed it:

The only rescue from God’s wrath against sin is found in the very nature of God Himself. That is why there is hope throughout the funeral songs of Lamentations. The reason for this hope is that God’s steadfast love never ceases, and His mercies never – never ever – come to an end. They are new each and every morning. Great is His faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-23). That is why Jeremiah can wait for God, and that is why, in the midst of suffering and sorrow, you can too. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. 3:25-26). “[God’s] anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

Dear saints, whenever you face suffering, whether it is because of your sin and God’s punishment or whether you are suffering because of the devil’s attacks or whether you are simply suffering because of this fallen, broken world, whenever you face suffering that is not the time to run from God; that is the time to run toHim. His steadfast love, mercy, faithfulness, and compassion is your hope.

Whenever you face trials, tribulations, hardships, and suffering, it is always, always, a call to faith. When we suffer, we try to look for answers, answers to questions like: Is God punishing me for some sin; if so, what is that sin? Is Satan tormenting me? Am I suffering because of the evil that surrounds me? We look for answers to those questions, but in the midst of suffering, both the cause of our suffering and the answers to those questions are often hidden from us. Remember Jesus, even in the midst of His suffering on the cross, asks the why question. “My God, My God, why? Why have You forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:34).

In the book of Job, we see Job looking for those same answers. Job’s friends are all insisting that Job must have some secret sin that he needs to confess. But we know that isn’t the case. Repeatedly in the book of Job, God says that Job is righteous, blameless, and upright (Job. 1:8; 2:3). But God does allow the devil to cause Job great suffering – the loss of all his property and even the death of his children. God knows that Job can handle and navigate all of that and still retain his faith (Job 2:6). And of course, Job does. He continues to trust in God’s mercy and grace. And at the end of it all, Job is restored (Job 42:10-17), and his faith is strengthened.

Now, in the case of God’s people in Jeremiah’s day, God’s people were suffering because God was sending the punishment for their sins and calling His people to repent. Even when you are suffering because of your sins, it is a call to faith. Repentance always requires faith. You don’t repent or bring your sins to God, unless you know there is the possibility of forgiveness. Otherwise, you simply try to hide your sins, pass the blame to others, or ignore them all together. But none of those options ever work.

To repent and confess your sins is always an act of faith. Both repentance and confession is simply believing and saying what God says about your sins. First, you say that those sins have angered God and harmed your relationship with Him. They have brought God’s anger and wrath. Typically, we don’t have a problem with that part of confession and repentance. We know that. But the other part of repentance and confession is to continue saying what God says about those sins – that they are taken by Jesus (Jn. 1:29). That the wrath those sins deserve has been poured out upon Christ as He hung on the cross (1 Thess. 1:10). That those sins are removed form you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12).

So, again, whenever you face trials, tribulations, and suffering, faith and trust is always the proper response. In suffering, God doesn’t always give you answers to all the questions you have, but He does always give you promises.

Most importantly, God has given you the promise of His grace and mercy. God has sent His own Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus bore the yoke of our sins (Lam. 3:27; Is. 53:6, 12). Jesus put His mouth in the dust (Lam. 3:29) when He took on your humanity. He gave His cheek to be struck (Lk. 22:63). Christ took the insults that belonged to you. And on Good Friday, as darkness covered the face of the earth, Christ cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:34). There, in that moment, God forsook His own Son so you could be accepted as God’s own child. But God did not reject Jesus forever.

When Jesus cries out, “It is finished,” (Jn. 19:30) on the cross, God’s wrath against sin was done, completed, and ended. The resurrection proves that God accepted the offering Christ made for you.

Dear saints, God’s anger has an end. God’s anger ended with the death of Christ. The only way God’s anger could continue against your sin is if you continually reject what Jesus has done for you. Those who are lost in their sins and spend eternity in hell are those who reject God’s mercy in Christ.

But, dear Christian, that isn’t you. You trust in God’s mercy. You repent, confess, and receive forgiveness for all your sins. For you, God’s wrath and punishment, what the theologians call God’s ‘alien work’ – in other words, what God doesn’t naturally do – has come to an end. You live and abide in His mercy.

 And His mercy is even more certain than the rising of the sun. Mercy is who God is and how God is toward you who believe in Christ.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

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

Rise & Go – Sermon on Luke 17:11-19 for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 17:11-19

11 On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Leprosy wasn’t simply a skin disease. Scripture repeatedly equates leprosy with punishment for sin and a sign of God’s wrath. In Dt. 28(:15, 27) Moses says, “If you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God,… [He] will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with scales and [leprosy] of which you cannot be healed.” We see this happen several times in the Scriptures.

When Moses’ sister Miriam spoke against Moses (Num. 12:1-10), she became a leper. David’s general, Joab (and later Joab’s descendants), were struck with leprosy after he unjustly killed Abner (2 Sam. 3:29). After Naaman was healed from his leprosy, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, took a bribe from Naaman and became leprous (2 Kgs. 5:20-27). King Uzziah of Judah contracted leprosy when he offered incense in the Temple even though he was not a priest (2 Chr. 26:16-21). The rabbis in Jesus’ day taught that leprosy was never contracted by people who lived moral lives. (I don’t think we can or should go that far, though.) There is little doubt that these ten lepers concluded that their condition meant they were being punished by God.

In desperation, they cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us.” What were they asking for? Did they know that Jesus had cleansed lepers before, so they were crying out to Him for healing? Did they want food or money? Honestly, we don’t know, and it’s possible that the lepers didn’t know themselves. Notice, they don’t call Jesus ‘Lord’ as many other people do when they call out to Jesus in faith. Instead, they call our Lord, ‘master,’ which opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. Jesus simply responds, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”

Now, this statement from Jesus was probably not received well by the lepers. They already knew that the priests were supposed to examine people with skin diseases and declare them to be clean or unclean, and, since these ten have leprosy, they are unclean. Going to the priests would be a pointless exorcise for lepers. The best-case scenario for a leper being examined by a priest would be for them to be declared unclean again. Because we know the end of the story, we know that Jesus has a hidden word of promise here. We know that their leprosy would be gone by the time they got to the priests. But some have argued, and I think convincingly, that these lepers heard the opposite. Instead of hearing the hidden promise, they heard a hard, “No, I won’t help you,” from Jesus.

Let me explain. I frequently and regularly get phone calls and people coming in to the church asking for help. I listen to their story and ask questions to discern how we as a congregation can best help them. Nine times out of ten, the individual is simply looking for one more excuse to continue some type of sinful, destructive behavior.

A few years ago, a man came here telling me that he was homeless and wanted money to buy food. I listened to his story, prayed with him, offered him some godly advice, and told him, “We have some food I can give you in the basement.” (And just so you know it was perfectly good food that I ate a couple days after he came.) But he didn’t want what we had, so I told him that he could go to Northlands Rescue Mission or to the Food Shelf because we support those ministries monthly, but he wasn’t interested in that either. He wanted money to get something from the store. I simply told him, “Listen, we are happy and willing to help you. You can have this food here, you can get a meal at Northland, or you can get something from the Food Shelf.” He became very upset, and as he left he yelled at me, “[Bleep] off.”

I’m very glad that we, as a congregation, send monthly support to different ministries in our community that can assist probably 95% of the people who come to our congregation asking for help. Those ministries serve as a clearing house to make sure people aren’t abusing the generosity of Christians and can come along side of people to help teach them to make better decisions. And I want to be clear, we still help many who need assistance through our Deacons’ Fund, but some people refuse to receive the help they actually need.

I think the nine lepers were like that man. He was offered three ways to get food, which is what he said he wanted. But he only heard the refusal to give him money as a refusal to help him. These lepers probably heard Jesus’ statement, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” in a similar way. It was as if Jesus was saying, “I’ll only help you if you are declared to be clean by the priests.”

The other thing we have to consider is the timing of all this. When were these lepers healed, and when did they discover that they were cleansed? I’ve typically imagined that the ten lepers start marching off to Jerusalem, and after they had walked for a couple hours, discover that they were healed. Nine of them continue journeying to the Temple, but the Samaritan hikes his way back to the village, back through the streets, back to Jesus’ feet where he falls down and gives Him thanks. The thing about this is that the text doesn’t actually supply any of those details. It’s certainly possible that it happened that way, but the grammar that Luke uses actually seems to imply something different.

The way the verbs work seems to suggest that the healing happened more or less immediately, or at least while the ten are still within earshot of Jesus. Imagine if their cleansing happened immediately, basically just as they turned away. The Samaritan, unlike the nine, turns back and praises Jesus with a loud voice. He recognizes both his healing and the source of his healing – which came from the Word of Jesus. In faith, given by the Holy Spirit, the Samaritan believes that Jesus is the good God who has good things for him. He receives the gift of healing, but even better, he believes in the healing Savior, who also gives salvation and eternal life, which is exactly what he gets. Those last words of Jesus in our text are better translated, “Your faith has saved you.”

In the end, the nine ungrateful lepers didn’t expect God to be good to them. And Jesus’ statement, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” would be a direct rebuke of them – something along the lines of, “Are you nine going to ignore when I have just done? I’ve given better than the mercy you asked for, and I have even more to give you.” But even if that isn’t the case, when the nine are healed, they refuse to recognize their Healer. The fact that they are cleansed is a wonderful thing, but it is only temporary. Their skin is restored, but their souls were still leprous in sin. They are the embodiment of the un-thankfulness that Jesus talks about in Mt. 5:45 where He says, “[God] makes the sun rise on the evil and on and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Dear saints, how often does our merciful God gives good things to draw us to Himself, but we fail to recognize it?

But the Samaritan sees God’s goodness and comes back for more. He returned to Christ from whom all blessings flow.

It’s one thing to be grateful, but it is a different thing to be thankful. There is little doubt that the nine lepers were grateful that they were better, but they didn’t recognize how they had been healed. But the one, the Samaritan, the doubly outcast, was thankful. He was not only happy for the gift of healing; he was also thankful for and to the Giver of the gift. That is why he returns to Jesus and gives Him thanks and praise.

I’m going to abruptly change gears here, so bear with me. The church has commonly used Psalm 116:12-13 as a prayer before receiving the cup during Holy Communion. Here’s that prayer: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,” which fits perfectly with what this Samaritan leper does. Jesus is good to him by healing him. So, what thanks and service does he offer to God? He goes back and receives more. He receives the salvation of his soul which is even better than being cleansed from leprosy.

So, let’s bring this to us today. Too often, we are like the nine. We see and feel our suffering and think that God has forsaken us. We pray and ask God to remove whatever crosses we bear, but in our impatience, we think that any delay of relief is a hard, “No,” from God which makes us doubt God’s goodness. As that sinful doubt creeps in, we grow less and less thankful, and even when God does remove that suffering, we do not recognize His goodness and mercy. May we repent.

Dear saints, even in our most difficult times, we can wait on the mercy of God. Yes, we suffer in this life, and “Our sufferings are not trivial, but neither are they eternal” (Rev. Petersen). We can wait on and trust in God. We can praise Him even in times of sorrow because He has bought us with His blood and will never leave nor forsake us.

And from this Samaritan, let us learn to always return to Jesus. When Jesus tells him, “Rise and go,” He doesn’t give him any direction. The man can go wherever he wants. But notice where he did go after being healed, he went back to Jesus, back to the goodness of God for more. And the interesting thing about Jesus’ command to ‘go’ is that the Greek word is a little ambiguous. At its root, it means ‘journey’ which means that It doesn’t necessarily mean, ‘go away,’ it could also mean ‘come with me.’ And it doesn’t make much sense if Jesus praises the man’s faith and tells him to go away. Faith always returns to Jesus in thanks to receive more of what Jesus has to offer. That is why Ps. 116 answers the question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?” with, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”

Dear saints, we can expect God to be good wherever we journey. And we always desire to come back to Christ because He has more good things to give to us. Faith wants to be with Jesus and continue to receive His gifts. He is our Temple. He is our Priest. And He is here now to cleanse us and freely give us His forgiveness.

God has given you every good thing. So, what will you do to repay Him? Come and get more. Come now to His table and lift up the cup of salvation. Come, eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ for the salvation of your soul. Amen.

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

Unseen, but Not Away – Sermon on John 16:16-22 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Listen here.

John 16:16-22

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We’re still in Easter season. We’re still celebrating the resurrection. But this text takes us back to the night Jesus was betrayed. And these words from Jesus in our Gospel text are important for us Resurrection folk to remember – especially in times of suffering. To get at this, we are going to weave back and forth through this text because Jesus weaves back and forth talking about suffering and joy.

Christ tells His disciples that in “a little while” they are going to endure suffering, but that suffering will only last a second “little while.” Then, they will have joy that no one will be able to take from them. So, recognize that Jesus tells the disciples about two distinct “little whiles.”

The first “a little while” refers to the short amount of time that takes place between the time Jesus speaks these words to the time when they will no longer see Jesus. For most of them, they no longer see Jesus once He is arrested. For Peter and John, it’s a little after that. After this first “little while,” comes the second “little while” when the disciples won’t see Jesus anymore because He is dead, buried, and sealed behind the stone in the tomb. And during this second “little while” they have sorrow, weep, and lament.

Now, we need to recognize just how profound and unique the disciples’ suffering was. While Jesus was away from them between Good Friday and Easter, their suffering was quite unique. A major reason the disciples’ sorrow was so pointed and painful is not only did they lose Jesus, their leader and friend, even more importantly, they lost hope that salvation was even a possibility.

Remember the two disciples that Jesus meets on the road to Emmaus Easter afternoon (see Lk. 24:13-35)? Jesus meets them and asks them what they are talking about, but they don’t recognize Him. They’re surprised this stranger hasn’t heard about everything going on in Jerusalem. So, ironically, they tell Jesus about Jesus. How He was mighty in deeds and words before God and all the people, but the chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be crucified. Then, they say something very important, and what they say reveals how painfully sorrowful they are. They say, “We had hoped,” (and the grammar suggests that their hope is now gone), “We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel.” In other words, their hope was that Jesus would save them, but they don’t hope for salvation anymore because, in their minds, He is dead and is in the tomb for good. They thought that Jesus’ death was the end of salvation rather than the thing which accomplished their salvation. So, do you see the sorrow they were enduring?

Now, back to our text here from John, Jesus tells the disciples, “You will weep and lament and be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.”

Jesus compares this sorrow the disciples experienced to a woman in labor. There is no denying the pain and anguish of a woman in labor. And, you mothers, Jesus knows the pain you have in labor because He is the one who said that a woman’s pain in childbirth would be greatly increased after the Fall (Gen. 3:16). But Jesus compares the suffering of the disciples to a woman in labor because of what comes after that suffering. After a mother has delivered the baby – and remember this is according to Jesus – she no longer remembers the anguish because that pain is replaced and swallowed up by joy. Joy that a child has been born into the world.

Jesus doesn’t say that a mother’s memory is erased, and she totally forgets the pain she just experienced. Jesus doesn’t say that she doesn’t have any pain while she recovers – that is not what Jesus says. Instead, her anguish is swallowed up and replaced by the joy that she now has a child to love and cherish.

Jesus compares the disciples’ suffering to the suffering of a mother in labor because of what comes at the end of that suffering. In other words, the sorrow and complete loss of hope that the disciples had while Jesus was in the tomb was painful and real. But that sorrow was swallowed up in joy when they see Jesus after the Resurrection. And the sorrow and lamenting and weeping they had during those days wasn’t worth comparing to the joy that the Resurrection brings them.

This is the main thing Jesus is teaching us in this text. Sorrow and suffering is temporary for you, Christian. 

What Jesus says in these verses applies first to the disciples and the sorrow they had between Good Friday and Easter. But these words of our Lord are also written for us Christians whenever we have sorrow. That little while of sorrow that the disciples experienced mirrors the sorrow that we experience. Our sorrows are a microcosm of theirs. 

The major difference between the disciples’ sorrow and our sorrow is that they endured their sorrow without any hope. That is not our experience. Even though we have real, painful sorrow in this world, we have sorrow with hope that the sorrow will end and turn to joy just as theirs did.

Notice very specifically what Jesus tells the disciples. First, the period of time of sorrow will be only “a little while.” Now, I don’t want in any way to minimize the suffering of the disciples while Jesus was in the tomb. In fact, I don’t think we can compare any suffering we have to what they went through. But we also know that their sorrow, as profound as it was, only lasted a couple days. Jesus was buried just before sunset on Friday and was seen by the disciples Easter evening.

The same is true for us. Jesus has been unseen for a long time. Since His ascension, Christians have endured all kinds of suffering, persecution, pain, and distress. But the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Ro. 8:18).

Again, note specifically that Jesus says their sorrow is that they won’t see Jesus because He is, “going to the Father.” He doesn’t tell them that He is going away; He just tells them that they won’t see Him because He is going to the Father. The same is true for us now.

Jesus has now ascended to the Father and is where the God the Father is. In other words, He’s everywhere. Remember what Jesus says at the end of Matthew’s gospel (Mt. 28:18-20), “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me…. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” So, yes, He is unseen, but He hasn’t left us. Jesus isn’t gone from us. In fact, Jesus is nearer to us than we can possibly know. 

So, let’s try to bring this all together. There is no denying that Christians suffer in this life, but we can be comforted even in the midst of suffering because of what Jesus says in this text.

First of all, when you suffer, you don’t have to put on a brave face and say things like, “I know other people have it worse than I do.” No. No matter how great or small, call suffering what it is – suffering. In the midst of sorrow, pain, and anguish, we can call all of that what it is – it is suffering and not something that God ever intended you to experience.

And yet, God promises that He will use that suffering for your good because God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28). 1 Cor. 10:13says that we do not suffer any “temptation that is not common to man. But God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” So, even though our suffering is unpleasant at the time, it is through that suffering that God chastens us, keeps on track, draws us to Himself, and teaches us to be dependent on Him.

Christian, God sent Jesus to die and rise again for you, and He counts every hair on your head. God cares about the details. He knows your sorrow and suffering, and He is paying attention to it. And Christ is with you even in that suffering. Jesus promises that He is with you with all authority to the end of the age. He will bring you through it. And when He returns, that suffering will be eternally replaced with joy.

So, in the midst of your suffering, know that those around you are suffering too. Don’t think that some people are suffering more or less than you. We don’t know what kind of suffering others are going through, but we do know that they are suffering what is common to man (1 Cor. 10:13).

So, have some sympathy for others. Life is hard on everyone. Maybe that person is being a jerk because his mother just died or she is fighting with her husband or their parents are neglecting them. A little sympathy for others and a willingness to make excuses for someone else’s bad behavior can go a long way toward a more peaceful and loving world.

Ultimately, dear saints, whenever you suffer, know that Jesus is with you. He is crucified and risen for you. Though you do not see Him, He is with you in every trial and tribulation. He will bring you through it. You are God’s children now. He has not abandoned you. And when He appears you shall be like Him. Your suffering will end and be replaced with joy that no one will be able to take from you.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

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

Now – Sermon on Jude for Midweek Advent 1 2020

Listen here.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The end is near. Not the end of autumn, that’s still a couple weeks away. Not the end of the pandemic, but, maybe, the vaccine will help. Not the end of the legal proceedings for the election, it’s hard to know when that will be. Not the end of 2020, but that will come too.

The end of days is near. In fact, Scripture teaches that we have been living in the last days since the ascension of Christ. In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter says that we are living in the last days (Act. 2:17). In the second verse of Hebrews, the author says that we are living in the last days. And in 1 John 2:18, John even says that it is the last hour.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the service, Advent is a time for us to think of Christ’s comings. His first coming was, of course, when He was born in Bethlehem. Jesus also continually comes to us now through His Word and Sacraments. And our Savior will come again in glory on the Last Day.

Our services this Advent will focus on Christ’s coming and the comfort that this gives us now, at the last, and unto eternity. Jesus’ return comforts us because Christ first came for us while we were sinners and His enemies. When He came to earth the first time, He came to make us His own by taking up our flesh so He could go to the cross and shed His blood for us. Now that He has done that and has made us His children, how much more will His glorious return on the Last Day be for our benefit?

Tonight, we start with the book of Jude to see the comfort that we have right now knowing that Christ will come again.

Jude is such a timely book for our day. Jude writes to those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father, and who are kept for Jesus Christ. Listen again to v. 17-19, “You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” Sound familiar?

We live in the age of scoffers. Think back to the first verse of the first Psalm, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” In our culture, we are way beyond sin and wickedness. Today, people celebrate wickedness and laugh at sin. When was the last time you heard someone in the media call something wicked or sinful? Those words are likely to start a firestorm if they are ever used outside of the church. We live in the age of scoffers who mock and dismiss even the idea of sin.

In our culture, what is good is labeled as wicked or hateful. If you dare to say that marriage is God uniting a man and a woman, you hear the majority of the cultural and political elite calling you bigoted, homophobic, and uneducated.

Atheism is the fastest growing religion today because it appears to offer an escape. Atheism is attractive to people today because, if there is no being higher than us, there is no accountability for sin and no judgment. And the heathen of today are terrified of judgment. They know their actions are sinful. So, they just lie to themselves and say that they will never have to answer for their sins. If we are just the highest animals who are an accident of evolution, then there is no accountability or day of reckoning. The nightly prayer of the atheist is, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I sow the seeds I’ll never reap. If I should die before I wake, oh well.”

The Christians of Jude’s day were a lot like us. They were just as dismayed at the evil that surrounded them as we are by the evil that surrounds us now. But Jude wants to remind us that evil has always surrounded God’s people.

Jude goes back before the Fall of Adam and Eve to the fall of the angels. Satan and the demons were not content to be what God had created them to be. So, they rebelled. And for their rebellion, they had an eternal fire prepared for them (Mt. 25:41). And the devil came into the garden to drag humanity, the pinnacle of God’s creation, down with him. 

Jude wants us to remember Cain. God was gracious and merciful to Cain, giving him grain from the field, but Cain rebelled. Cain murdered his brother out of jealousy. Today, God is gracious and merciful to us, giving any and every kind of food we could want and more than we could ever eat. But our culture has rebelled. And instead of killing our brothers; we murder our own children in the womb out of convenience.

Jude reminds us of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They were prosperous, but they rebelled and were filled with unnatural desires. Today, our culture is filled with those same unnatural desires. Those sins are even celebrated with parades, they are even given two months of recognition. Will God send the same fire and sulfur upon our land that He sent on Sodom and Gomorrah? Or, maybe, has God already sent His judgment through fires, hurricanes, unrest, riots, and COVID? But our culture has scoffed and largely let God’s wrath against sin go unnoticed. I’d encourage you to read Amos 4:6-11 and hear of all the calamities God sent to His people. And make sure you notice the sorrow of God’s heart when they refused to repent.

We could go on and talk about Korah and his rebellion against God’s servant, Moses (Num. 16:1-3, 31-35). Or God’s prophet Balaam (Num. 22-25) who sought to become rich by proclaiming something other than God’s Word.

Rebellion against God is all around us, in our midst, and even within ourselves. We are not content with the vocations and tasks that God has given us. We seek the world’s approval rather than God’s. We are the grumblers and the malcontents following after our own sinful desires. We are the loud-mouthed boasters showing favoritism to gain advantage for ourselves (Jud. 16). Repent. 

Do not think that God’s judgment is something to scoff at. It’s time to consider that our that current situation is the judgment of God. Repent.

Again, all of these examples from Jude serve as a reminder that evil has always surrounded God’s people. While that doesn’t sound like comfort, there actually is comfort to be found in that fact. Because despite all the rebellion against God and all the scoffing at God’s people, God sent Jesus, His beloved Son, to rescue and redeem His enemies. And that should give us hope now.

So, what are we, as God’s people, to do now, while we confronted and surrounded by all this evil? Well, listen again to Jude: 

Keep yourselves in the love of God. Continue to devote yourself to the Scriptures (Jud. 21). In His Word, Christ comes to you now, in this moment. Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire hating even the garment stained by flesh (Jud. 23). Be in the world but not of the world.

Show mercy with fear. Isn’t that an interesting phrase from Jude 23? Mercy with fear. Be bold to say the hard things that need to be said. It is not loving to condone and celebrate the sins of the scoffers. As you say those hard things, even though you are saying them in love, know that you will be persecuted. But remember that persecution won’t last. From our Gospel lesson tonight, remember that Jesus said brother will deliver brother over to death, even a father his child, and children will rise against parents (Mk. 13:12). Don’t forget that Jesus promised that you will be hated for His name’s sake (Mk. 13:13). Even if it is a fearful thing to do, offer the unbelievers you encounter day after day a carrot on the end of a stick. Proclaim the truth of God’s Word, and extend the joy of God’s forgiveness and mercy that cannot be denied. 

The days are coming, and are already here, where we will probably be called to be a Shadrach, a Meshach, or an Abednego and walk through the fire. Maybe not a fiery furnace, but the fire of persecution. But know that God’s promise is that you do not, nor will you ever walk alone.

Your heavenly Father is able to keep you from stumbling. So, don’t be afraid of the persecution or of your shortcomings. Christ will – absolutely, beyond a doubt, you can take it to the bank – Christ will present you blameless before God’s presence.

To Him be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. Now, at the last, and unto eternity. Amen.

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

Glory – Sermon Romans 8:18-23 for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity

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Romans 8:18-23

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text from Romans is intended to encourage us as we go through suffering. And these verses tell us where to set our eyes, where we are to focus, in the midst of suffering. It is very important that we focus on the right things when we suffer because, too often, we focus on the wrong things. Especially, we focus on the time when our suffering will end, and everything will be back to normal. But this is not where we should focus.

Joseph Forgives his BrothersTo get an understanding of this, we are going to start by considering what happened in our Old Testament text (Gen 50:15-21) where we heard about what happened between Joseph and his brothers after their father has died. Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph would punish them because of all the wrong things they had done.

Joseph was the favorite son of his father Jacob (Gen. 37:3). Jacob had given Joseph that expensive, many-colored robe and made it clear that Joseph was his favorite son. Because of this, Joseph’s brothers hated him and could not speak peacefully to him (Gen. 37:4). Joseph would have dreams. One where he saw his brothers all bowing down to him and another one where he saw his whole family including his parents bowing down to him (Gen. 37:5-11). And his brothers hated him even more after he told them about these dreams.

One day, when he was seventeen years old (Gen. 37:2), Joseph was sent by Jacob to check on his brothers where were working the flocks a long way from home. Joseph’s brothers see him off in the distance and decide that now is their chance. They formulate a plan to kill Joseph and throw him in a pit. But instead of killing him, they figure it is more profitable for them to sell him to some slave-traders and earn some money (Gen. 37:18-28). So, Joseph gets taken to Egypt and is sold to a man named Potiphar who was a high-ranking officer of Pharaoh. And so, begins a roller coaster of ups and downs – of suffering and glory – for Joseph.

From depths of the waterless pit that his brothers had thrown him in, Joseph rises in prominence in Potiphar’s house so that Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of everything (Gen. 39:4-5). But then he gets thrown into prison after he is falsely accused of trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. While in prison, Joseph catches the eye of the jailor who put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners (Gen. 39:22-23). While God is granting Joseph this success, he correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker who had been thrown in prison. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh so that his unjust suffering can end (Gen. 40:14-15). But for two whole years, (40:23-41:1), the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Finally, the cupbearer does remember Joseph when Pharaoh has a dream that none of his wise men or magicians can interpret (Gen. 41:6). So, Joseph is called to Pharaoh’s palace where Joseph interprets his dreams to mean there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine. And Pharaoh decides to make Joseph the overseer of storing up enough grain in the years of plenty so that there will be food in the seven years of famine.

Finally, we get to our Old Testament text, and Jacob, Joseph’s father, dies. Joseph’s brothers figure their dad was the only buffer they had that prevented Joseph from getting vengeance on them. So, they make up this lie and tell Joseph, “Dad totally said that you have to forgive us.” But Joseph’s view of things has changed from the time he was in prison. While he was in prison, he was just looking for an end to his suffering. But now, he has the hindsight to see that God was working everything out to provide, not only for his family, but for many others to save them.

Now, there is no Scriptural promise that God will give you the clarity of why you experience suffering in this life like He gave to Joseph. No. Instead, God has given you something better. He has given you the promise of heavenly bliss and perfection. He has promised you a future that isn’t worth comparing to the suffering that you experience in this fallen creation. So, dear saints, don’t set your sights too low.

When your checking account gets below a comfortable level, you focus on your next payday. When you get sunburned, you focus on the time when it won’t hurt your shoulders to wear a shirt, and then you focus on the time when you will stop itching from your peeling skin. When your kids can’t sleep and need attention in the middle of the night, you look forward to the time when they calm down and you can put your head back on your pillow. When you are sick, you focus on when your cough will go away, your sinuses opened, or when your stomach will be able to hold down food. When you go through chemotherapy treatments, you look forward to when they are done. When you experience pain and loss because of broken relationships or when friends and relatives die, you yearn for enough time to pass so the ache and agony subsides. All of that is like Joseph, when he was in prison, wanted his story to be told to Pharaoh so that he could get out of that pit of suffering (Gen. 40:15).

Wait Eagerly while we goran - Romans 8-23But, Christian, this passage of Scripture is telling you that there is something even better in store for you than the end of your suffering – whatever has caused it. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:19, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Dear saint, when you suffer, you do not simply look to the end of your pain. Instead, you are to look to the glory that is to be revealed to you. And, in fact, all of creation is groaning for this as well.

All creation eagerly longs and desires for you to be revealed as God’s children. 1 John 3:1-2says something similar, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…. 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.” But here, Paul takes it one step further and says that the sun, moon, and stars, the trees, the grass, and the dirt can’t wait to see the glory that God has given to you – and which you have now – but the glory which will be revealed when Christ returns.

You have this promise, but you do not experience it yet. You have this glory by faith in Christ even while you experience suffering here and now.

Some of you know this suffering better than I and others do. And some of you are even now suffering in ways that are incredibly painful, and you don’t know how you can go on. Listen to the first verse of our text again because it is a promise to you. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Dear Christian, following Jesus means that you will endure suffering. But hold fast to this promise. You have been joined to Christ. In your Baptism, God joined you to Jesus’ death upon the cross (Ro. 6:3-5). There on the cross, Jesus cried out as He suffered God’s punishment for your sin, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”But God has joined you to Jesus’ death so that you would also be joined to Jesus’ resurrection.

Yes, you do suffer now. But that suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in you. The time will come that the revelation that you are a child of God will be clear to all the world. Even when it doesn’t feel like you are a child of God, remember that, when Christ returns, all of creation will see that you have been redeemed by His blood. What a joy that will be.

I want to close with what is probably a silly illustration, but I hope it drives this home a little bit. When a mom decides to style her daughter’s hair, there are times of suffering. All the tangled snarls need to be brushed out, and the daughter isn’t her mom’s biggest fan. But the mom persists. She twists and braids and ties off the daughter’s hair. Finally, everything is finished. The mom steps back, looks at her daughter, and says, “Look how beautiful you are.”

And the daughter looks in the mirror and smiles because she looks just like a princess. The daughter knows, of course, that she had nothing to do with the hair styling other than she endured it. But she happily receives the praise and adoration of the glory that her mother has created.

The ResurrectionDear saints, the same is true of you. In Christ, God has done all the work required to give you your glory. And the day is coming when you will hear your heavenly Father’s voice, praising you for the work He has done in you (Mt. 25:21).

Until then, press on. Look to the promises of Scripture as you wait for the time when Christ returns, when your bodies will be redeemed, and your God-given glory will be revealed. Amen.

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

A Little While – Sermon on John 16:16-22 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

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John 16:16-22

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’;and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus says, “I’m here, but in a little while I won’t be here. Then, a little while later I’ll come back.”And the disciples are confused. They whisper to each other about this and none of them knows what this ‘a little while’ means. So, Jesus explains it to them.

First and foremost, this ‘little while’ refers to what would happen in a couple of hours. Jesus is soon to be betrayed and arrested. He will be tried, crucified, killed, and buried. Somewhere in that sequence, all of the disciples will no longer see Jesus. For most of them, it is when Jesus is arrested. For Peter, it is during Jesus’ trial while he is out by a bonfire denying he knows Jesus the third time (Lk. 22:61). And for John, it is either at the cross or at the burial. The disciples don’t see Him anymore, and they weep and lament because Jesus is dead, buried, and sealed behind the stone in the tomb.

But it is only for a little while – Friday evening and night, all day Saturday, Saturday night through Sunday afternoon before they see the resurrected Jesus once again. Again, first and foremost, this is the ‘little while’ Jesus is referring to.

But Jesus also alludes to something more. He is also speaking about His ascension, which is what Jesus was referring to when He said He was “going to the Father.” Don’t miss that part of our text. The morning of the Resurrection, Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene. When she recognizes Jesus, Mary falls at His feet and embraces Him (Mt. 28:9), but Jesus says to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

So, yes, He is referring to the time that the disciples weep and lament and have sorrow between His burial and resurrection. But here, in this text with this ‘little while,’ Jesus is also referring to the time while you have sorrow between His ascension and return in glory on the last day, which means, you, dear saint, are even now living in the ‘little while’ Jesus refers to.

A Little While WaitingThis ‘little while’ has lasted nearly two thousand years and counting. Yet, two thousand years is nothing when you compare it to everything that lies ahead for you in eternity. And it is even more miniscule when you realize that it will only be a few short years before you meet Jesus face-to-face – even if you live to be one-hundred-twenty. But we still have a problem. During our pain and anguish, our difficulties and seasons of tribulation, time seems to stand still while we suffer. But we can take heart and be encouraged. Jesus says it will only be ‘a little while.’

This little phrase from Jesus – ‘a little while’ – is meant to be comforting in the midst of sorrow, pain, anguish, trials, and tribulations. First, it lets us call that trouble what it is – it is suffering and not something that God ever intended you to experience. When you suffer, you don’t have to put on a brave face and say things like, “I know other people have it worse than I do.” No. No matter how great or small, call suffering what it is – suffering. The second reason this is comforting is that you can know that your God and Savior promises that your suffering can only last ‘a little while.’

Mothers, you understand Jesus better than anyone else which is why He uses you as an example here. As a man who has never and will never give birth, and as a father who has been present at the births of all four children, I hesitate to speak too much about this – especially on Mothers’ Day. But as a pastor who has been called to preach God’s Word, I must echo what Jesus says.

Kids, your mom suffered to bring you into this world. The pain and anguish of a woman in labor is real – there is no denying it. And, mothers, Jesus knows the pain you have been through, not because He ever gave birth, but because He is the one who said that a woman’s pain in childbirth would be greatly increased after the Fall (Gen. 3:16). But when a mother has delivered the baby – and remember this is according to Jesus – she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

It is not as though her memory is erased and she forgets the pain of labor – that is not what Jesus says. Instead, her anguish is swallowed up by joy that she now has a child to love and cherish. This is the main thing Jesus is teaching us in this text. Sorrow and suffering is temporary for you, Christian. It can only last ‘a little while’ and no more.

Grace is Sufficient, suffering, new creationNow, there is no denying that your suffering is real. Some of you are currently enduring that suffering in severe ways right now. We pray that your relief will be soon and swift. But know this: God is working through those sorrows. He is using your trials to keep you close to Himself, to work virtue in you, to teach you to trust in Him. This does not mean that you should rejoice because of trials and tribulations. Instead, it is a reminder that you can rejoice in spite of and in the midst of that suffering. Like buds on a tree indicate that full blossom is coming, those troubles, trials, sorrows, and crosses are harbingers of the joy that is to come.

And if you aren’t currently going through trials right now, you will. Jesus says that you will weep and lament, and you will be sorrowful. Jesus has called you to take up your cross and follow Him. Good Friday always comes before Easter, but Easter joy always overcomes Good Friday sorrow. Resurrection always defeats death.

Christian, the crosses you have borne in the past, the crosses you bear now, and the crosses you will bear in the future will and must give way to Resurrection joy because – already and now – Christ is risen.

Pain, sorrow, trial, and tribulation is real and there is no getting around it. A slave is not above his master. If Jesus is persecuted and suffers, you will be persecuted and suffer (Jn. 15:20). And Jesus promises, “You will weep and lament, and you be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. And no one will take your joy from you,”because Jesus has promised it will only be ‘a little while.’

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

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