Voices of Faith: Ron Rollins

Advent: Promises, Promises

Voices of Faith: Erin Webb

Voices of Faith: Kevin Wilson

Be A Sponge

Who Are These Saints?

Voices of Faith: Powell Woods

Reformation: Back to the Source

Voices of Faith: Myra Dovenbarger

Teach Us to Pray: Thine is the Kingdom

Voices of Faith: Lloyd Barnes

Teach Us to Pray: Deliver us from Evil

Teach Us to Pray: Forgive Us as We Forgive

Teach Us to Pray: Daily Bread

Voices of Faith: Deanna Cheadle

Teach Us to Pray: Thy Will Be Done

Teach Us to Pray: Thy Kingdom Come

Voices of Faith: Terry Cripe

Teach us to Pray: Our Father

Toes and Treasure

If you ever want to hear a really weird story, look into the history of Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Oak Island is the site of the so-called Money Pit, a place where numerous excavations have taken place to recover treasure believed to be buried there.

The story begins way back in 1795, when a 16-year-old boy and his friends discovered a circular depression in the sand and started to dig. They seemed to find layers of logs and stones on their way down that had been placed there deliberately. They gave up digging at 30 feet.

Eight years later, a professional company made a 300 mile journey to dig at the same site, and at 90 feet down they allegedly found a stone on which had been inscribed, in ancient characters, “forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried.” Since then, approximately ten official excavations have taken place, using a variety of techniques to try and reach the level described on the stone, only to have the shaft fill up with seawater or simply to find nothing. Even so, as of 2005, a portion of Oak Island was for sale with a price tag of $7 million dollars, and as of today, nothing of value has ever been found in the Money Pit. I’ll let you be the judge of whether or not the time, the money, and the manpower has been worth it.

That kind of makes me wonder what your treasure is and how far you would go to get it. Would you go as far as this Green Bay Packers fan? He tailgated and then stayed through the entire 1997 NFC Championship game. Because the temperature was 17 degrees below zero, he acquired frostbite, and three of his toes had to be amputated. His response to all this? He said, “You know what? I got 7 good toes that I can lose—If I can go, I’ll stay the entire game next time.” It evidently was worth it for him to lose toes to be present at a professional football game. That was his treasure. So what’s yours? How far would you go to get it?

Jesus told a couple stories about treasure that I think you’ll find intriguing. You heard them as part of today’s Gospel lesson, but listen again and let our Lord paint the picture for you. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

As stories go, the plots of these tales are simple enough. Upon further inspection there is an interesting contrast between the two. In the first story, there’s a sense that the man stumbled across the treasure in the field. Nothing in Jesus’ story (or in common sense) suggests this guy was out poking around fields looking for treasure. The treasure, you could say, found him. In the second story, however, you’ve got a merchant actively searching for fine pearls. He was on the hunt, looking for the best. And he found a pearl of great value. And even though one man was looking for treasure and the other one wasn’t, their reaction to finding their treasure is the same. They recognize the worth of what they’ve found, and they sell all they have in order to possess the thing they value most.

 Although Jesus’ parables lend themselves to a variety of interpretations, certainly one point Jesus means us to “get” in this case is that those who find the kingdom of heaven—the kingdom of God—the kingdom of Jesus Christ—treasure it. It becomes the thing that they value most, whether they were looking for it or not.

That kind of makes me wonder what your treasure is—and how far you would go to get it? Does all the evidence in your life point to the fact that God’s kingdom and His concerns are indeed your greatest treasure? Or does the evidence take you in a different direction?

Let me ask the question a little differently, thanks to our Packer fan. What would you be willing to lose a couple of toes for? A better-paying job? A bigger house in a nicer neighborhood? Would you lose a couple digits for the sake of popularity or power? A better body—or improved health? The chance to meet someone you admire? Would you do without a couple toes if it meant that someone you know would come to faith in Jesus and be saved?

Now that’s a little extreme of course, but you understand my reason for asking is to make sure you recognize what Jesus and His kingdom are worth. Because it’s one thing to know who Jesus is and it’s another to treasure Him. It’s one thing to admire Jesus and it’s another to put all your trust in Him for forgiveness, new life, and salvation. It’s one thing to toss a dollar in the plate as it passes by and it’s another to sell all you have and buy the field; to invest not just your finances but your very self in His kingdom.

You see, Jesus didn’t do what He did on the cross to just make you a better person; He didn’t endure the whip to be your life coach; He didn’t let the nails pierce his flesh to make sure you were well off and successful. He did it to prevent you and me from having to endure torment in hell! He did it to save our lives for eternity! He did it so that you can look death right in the eye and say: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I will see Him!” Jesus bought and paid for a full ride to heaven for us with his holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. That means there’s no hell for you; no bitter separation from all that is good at the end of your life! Do you see and believe that’s what Jesus is worth?

Maybe we can turn these stories around. I think it would work to say you are the treasure that was found in a field. You are a pearl of great price. Jesus sold all He had to buy you. He gave all He could give to grab you out of sin’s downward spiral. And He did so with joy. He did so with passion. He did so knowing that this is what He had been born to do—to lay down his life for his friends, and take it up again on the third day. All because you are his pearl; his treasure; his creation; his child. What is that worth to you?

No Other Rock

A few years ago, a religious leader in Seattle made big news when she defined herself as both Christian and Muslim. Furthermore, she said about Jesus, and I quote: “I don't think God said, "Let me send this special person so that I can kill him for the benefit of the rest of humanity." That's not the kind of sacrifice I think that God desires.” End quote. Her supervisor says that her declaration that she is both a Christian and a Muslim to be “exciting” in terms of interfaith understanding. What do you think?

Well, let me tell you what I think. The God who reveals Himself through the Bible claims that He is the only true God. And it’s not like he’s silent on the issue of other religions. Consider our Old Testament lesson for today from Isaiah 44. There the Lord Almighty says: “I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come—yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Does that sound like a God who would say, “Oh yeah, those other gods are fine. There’s really no difference?” No way. There is no other rock on which to stand when all other ground is sinking sand. It’s the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, or it’s false. It’s reliance on Jesus’ death and his resurrection or it’s wrong. If the Christian Church loses this truth, the church is lost.

This is not intolerance; it is simply repeating what God has said. It’s simply repeating what Jesus said in John’s gospel: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s simply repeating what the apostles said in the book of Acts: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4: 12)”

If we think we have the right to cut and paste the parts of the faith we like and ignore the rest, we’re just playing god. But guess what? The Holy One will not accept us as fellow gods either. This takes right to the heart of our deepest problems. When we kick God off of the throne and put ourselves there, there will only be heartache and misery and pain, not to mention isolation and death. There’s got to be a better way to live. And there is.

So often, Christianity gets criticized for being narrow. The claims of Jesus are disputed because He sounds so exclusive. But is being narrow and exclusive such a bad thing?

Think of it this way: Let’s say tomorrow that medical scientists announce a one hundred percent cure for all heart disease. It’s been tested and proven to work in every case. And the medicine will only be available in liquid form, kind of like cough syrup. As foolish as it sounds, there would probably be people who complain that it should be available in pill form too! All you have to do is drink it down and you heart is healthy again! Is that narrow? I guess so, but so what? It gives life! You really want to go get a quadruple bypass instead?

            The message of Jesus is exclusive. That’s true. It is absolutely narrow and unique. And I can prove it to you. Because all religion works one way, and new life in Jesus works another way, an entirely different way.

Without exception, every religion gives you a list of things to do, and you do the list to earn God’s favor. You do the list to improve yourself. You do the list to climb up a ladder to God. You do the list to make the world a better place. And if you do the list well enough, there might be some rewards for you. But inevitably, people can’t do the list very well at all, and it becomes a burden as they try harder. It becomes a terror to their conscience. Or they can be deceived that they are doing the list to perfection.

Only the Christian faith, with its focus on the saving words and actions of Jesus, presents the way of grace, of God giving us what we could never achieve. Only the Christian faith says God climbed down the ladder to come and bless you. Only the Christian faith says that God chose you and adopted you, and you didn’t have a thing to do with it except exist. Only the Christian faith says that someone has paid off the debt that you owed God. Religion says you’ve got to work hard to get God to love you; the Christian faith says because God loved you, He worked himself to death to have you.

 This is the life-saving medicine that is available to everyone. The only way to take that medicine is to trust that Jesus is your substitute. When you take that medicine, you’ll discover a love that has no limit, a power for living that never runs dry. Don’t you want that for yourself? Don’t you want that for our world?

Jesus Is Greater Than Our Fears

It was Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, in his first inaugural address, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He described that fear as a “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” Of course, the fact is there would be no reason for the 32^nd President of the United States to say this unless there was actually something to fear. The country was staggered by the Great Depression, sparking fears that were not nameless or unjustified. Later in his speech, Roosevelt admitted: “Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment,” dark realities that created understandable fear in peoples’ hearts.

            In today’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples to have no fear as he sends them out to proclaim his kingdom. At the same time, He comes right out and says that he is sending them out “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” His words of encouragement, “Have no fear,” show that He knows there is much to fear in a world of dark reality.

            Today, you and I are challenged to face our fears, to name our fears, and to be strengthened in the knowledge that Jesus is greater than our fears.

            As Jesus spoke the words of today’s Gospel, he knew that those who follow Him have much to fear. You may fear rejection if you dare to bring up the name of Jesus. The first disciples had to face that fear regularly. Our society is becoming increasingly hostile to Christ and to Christians, and let’s be candid; that can make us think twice about putting out faith out there for others to see.

            Jesus does not hold back in this passage. He says that persecution will be encountered by those who faithfully share the good news of Jesus, up to and including execution. Now that blows our minds as American Christians. We have a really hard time wrapping our minds around that, and yet just a brief glance at the Bible and Church History shows that Christians have been martyred for their faith and continue to be martyred for the faith in many parts of the world today! You have come to worship today in a church that has a number of symbols up here in the front, in the chancel area; those symbols are in the shape of shields. Did you know that each of those shields represents a disciple of Jesus, and that the symbols on most of those shields tell how that disciple was put to death? Not to be graphic, but there are saws and upside down crosses and spears…now on one hand, Jesus was upfront about this, he told his disciples before the fact, you will be put to death if you preach in my name, but it begs the question, and it is a valid question, why? Why did these people keep talking about Jesus when they knew it would cost them their lives? All they had to do was sit down, shut up and go about their lives quietly. But they could not and they would not. Why?

            The answer? They came to believe that Jesus was stronger than their fears. Jesus was stronger than rejection. Jesus is stronger than intimidation. Jesus is stronger than persecution. Jesus is stronger than execution. Jesus is stronger than death! Jesus has been there, done that. He doesn’t ask his followers to do anything that he hasn’t done already. Jesus has faced every enemy causes us fear. Do realize that? Do you understand that? Jesus himself faced rejection and persecution and execution. Jesus himself faced physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering. He understands your fears! He knows you intimately, that’s why Jesus said the hairs of your head are all numbered. He sympathizes with you when things scare you to death! But it’s not just that he knows how you feel. He’s done something about it. He rose from the dead. He came back to life, after his corpse was laid in the tomb. He appeared to his disciples in a physical body that was living again. That’s why they could face their fears and lay down their lives!

            Jesus had faced rejection and responded with forgiveness. Jesus had faced intimidation and responded with courage. Jesus had faced persecution and responded with endurance. Jesus had faced execution and after dying, responded with new life. If that’s who is on your side, if that’s who goes before you, if that’s who fights for you, what do you have to fear? This is precisely why Christians confess Christ regardless of the cost, because if I’m killed for confessing Christ, I get Christ more fully! I enter into life with Him that lasts forever! Do you see the great source of power this can be for you in your own life; in your own struggles?

            The things you and I fear most almost always involve loss on our part; the loss of a loved one; the loss of employment; the loss of a relationship; the loss of possessions, the loss of health; you get the idea. We can’t stand the thought of losing those things and it can be devastating if and when it happens. But Jesus comes along and do you see what He does? He says, “Make me the loved one you fear losing. Make my relationship with you the one you can’t stand the thought of losing.” When you do that, when Jesus becomes the One above all others, you may still fear losing things, but you’re overwhelmed by what you gain. You’re overwhelmed by the promises of what Jesus is delivering to your life. And what do you gain? What is he delivering?

            First this: the promise that even in suffering, He is working for your ultimate good.

            And then this: He has promised to share His victory over death with you.

            A woman who was about to undergo life-threatening surgery stunned her family by saying to the pastor who was visiting, “Isn’t it wonderful that this isn’t the only life we have?”

            That’s the poise and confidence that’s there for you when you rest in Jesus, who is stronger than our fears.

Adapted from a Concordia Pulpit Resources sermon by Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, with an illustration from Rev. Dr. Donald Deffners' "At Life's End"

Like Father, Like Son

Have you ever gotten to know someone and then met their parents later on? Kind of interesting, isn’t it? It’s always intriguing to see where someone’s mannerisms come from. Every so often I will listen to myself on our church website, and when I do that, what I hear is my Dad. The cadence and tempo of the delivery, just the way of saying things; it’s like my father is speaking. You may be just like your mother or father in the way you do things too, even if you don’t want to admit it.

            Today, of course, is Father’s Day. That’s the day the greeting card companies and restaurants care about. The day they couldn’t care less about is the one on our church calendar, and that’s Trinity Sunday. That’s also today, and truth be told, Trinity Sunday is peculiar, in this sense: all the other church year festivals, or holy days, if you will, center on an event from the Biblical record. For example, last week was the Day of Pentecost, which was a historical event in the life of the Church. We can talk about who was there and what happened—the apostles were overcome by the Holy Spirit and started preaching in languages they had never taken time to learn. Go through the church year and it’s the same thing. Christmas—Jesus is born in a stable. Lent and Holy Week, we trace the path to the cross and empty tomb. Ascension Day is self-explanatory. But Trinity Sunday? Trinity Sunday’s the only Festival Day on which we just talk about something that is. Someone who is, was, and always will be. We talk about God on this peculiar day, and we talk about God’s peculiar nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now, Christian thinkers of every era have written countless volumes about the three-in-one nature of God and have attempted to explore the depths of this mystery. I’m not going to even try to trace the history of those thoughts with you, but what I do want you to see is this: In the same way that you can get to know what my Dad is like by getting to know me; in an infinitely better way you can get to know the Almighty God by getting to know his Son, Jesus. And you have help; the silent partner in this getting-to-know-God process is the Holy Spirit.

            So allow yourself for the next few minutes to simply honor and worship the Holy Trinity. Let yourself be raised up from your current situation into the mystery of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Let yourself realize that all things are passing away quickly; that you are being swept by time into the majesty that is God Himself.

            The simple-yet-staggering message of the Bible is this: God reveals Himself as the Father of Jesus Christ and, by Jesus, the Spirit of God is released into the world, who makes us acceptable to God by baptism and faith. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit takes everything that belongs to God and makes it yours. We can’t really comprehend it all, but behind this wonder is a Father and Son unlike any other. Their Spirit is still actively searching for people to love.

            It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s bad news for writers, but it’s also probably true in most cases. Well, the picture that I want to share with you this morning  is the picture that is on my cross. It would be hard for you to see it from where you’re sitting, so we put it on the front cover of this weeks’ bulletin. The picture on my cross is based on a painting that goes back before the year 1000 A.D. It’s a picture of the crucifixion of Jesus, and just in the background is the figure of God the Father, with outstretched arms, holding up the arms of His Son. This is my favorite cross to wear and probably my favorite piece of Christian artwork. It says it all. It was Jesus who died, but it was the Father of our Lord who gave him to die instead of us. The pastor of a large church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago told Peter Jennings in an ABC Special that he did not want the cross in his church, since, after all, the cross is only one symbol among many legitimate Christian symbols. Not true. The cross is what Christianity is all about. Without the cross, I cannot know anything helpful about God. In the cross, I not only see the man Jesus innocently put to death, but in the cross I see the heart of a God who is not just my creator but also my redeemer; in the cross I see a God who would break His own heart to salvage mine.

            The mystery of the Trinity is completed by the coming of the Holy Spirit, and right here on my cross, on which God the Father is holding up the outstretched arms of his crucified Son, there is a dove above the head of the Father. You may not even notice it at first. But the artist has put into one image what would take an author pages and pages. The crucifixion of Jesus is the true celebration of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit comes from God, but that throne is not found in the heights of heaven, out of sight, out of mind. Jesus’ throne is the cross, set right in the middle of sinful humanity. From the throne of his cross, Jesus prays, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” From that cross we have learned to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” From that cross, Jesus grants us the Father’s forgiveness and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we forgive those who sin against us.

            Trinity Sunday is really and finally a matter of identity. The person who trusts in the God revealed at the cross becomes like Jesus in mercy and kindness. The person whose heart is broken open by the sight of the Father holding up his Son’s arms begins to share in that unstoppable love. Look at the lengths to which God has gone in order to gain you. To what lengths are you willing to go to say “thank you” to Him?

Portions adapted from a sermon by Rev. Dr. David Scaer

God's People

You are God’s people. That’s what the apostle Peter writes in today’s Epistle reading, and it applies to you. You are God’s people. People whom God has chosen. People who belong to God because of what Jesus has done. People who belong to God because of the Holy Spirit’s activity in your heart. This morning, I want to introduce you to a few more of His People. We’re going to take a trip around the world today, and it starts in Burkina Faso. That’s in Africa, in case you were wondering.

 

Let me introduce you to a man named Joakim. Joakim lives in Africa, but he speaks French, and one day he met a man who as it turned out was a Lutheran missionary. That Lutheran missionary asked Joakim to help him learn the French language. Joakim agreed. So the missionary and Joakim got together and took turns reading from a French-language Bible. They had been doing this for a while when the missionary asked Joakim if he was a Christian. And this is what Joakim said. He said, “I was a Muslim until the first day that we read the Bible together.  I had always thought that Jesus was a prophet like Muhammed and that Islam and Christianity were basically the same.  I thought Jesus was a law-giver like Muhammed.  I never heard that Jesus came as a Savior to pay for our sins.  I had always tried to be a good Muslim but my sin haunted me.  Now I know that Jesus came to die for me and because of what He has done, I can be sure that I will go to heaven.” That’s Joakim. One of His People.

 

Then there’s Renee, a young lady from Taiwan, who was involved with an international student ministry at University Lutheran Chapel in College Station, Texas. She came to many Bible studies, English conversation classes, and hospitality events, so there were high hopes that she would come to faith and be baptized. But then, when she and her husband and infant son returned to Taiwan in 2006 without that happening, the people at University Lutheran Chapel were disappointed.

Then one day the folks at University Lutheran Chapel got an e-mail. It was from Renee. She wrote to tell them that she had recently been baptized in Taiwan. That’s Renee, there, in Taiwan, off the coast of China. She’s one of His People.

I would also like you to know Slava Ostanin. Slava lives and works in Novisibirsk, Russia. He brings the Good News of Jesus to people who are in jail. He also reaches out to young people who have committed crimes and have been recently released from prison. He shares Jesus' love for them through conversations, giving them the printed Word of God in the Bible and other Christian literature, and giving away clothes, shoes, and basic necessities. He also sends those sorts of things to prisoners in other cities. Slava is doing some very hard work under rough conditions. He’s one of His People, too.

Let’s spend a few moments in Japan. In Japan, not only is professional baseball a big sport, so is high school baseball.  Every spring there is a national tournament with televised games which are played in a major league stadium in Osaka.  A few years ago, Seibo Gakuen’s baseball team made it to the tournament for the first time in their school’s history. (Seibo Gakuen means Holy Hope.) They were just happy to win the first game, but they went on to win the next four games as well and ended up coming in second place in the entire country.  It was an exciting time for the players as well as for the school. And I want to tell you about a long standing tradition that they have at Seibo Gakuen.  Since Seibo is a Lutheran School, every time they get a run, they sing the first stanza of the well known hymn, Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. The words of that famous hymn echoed throughout the stadium during the course of the tournament.  What an awesome witness their tradition turned out to be. Needless to say, the teachers, students, and the baseball team of Seibo Gakuen, or Holy Hope Lutheran School, are His People.

 

There’s one more person I want to talk about today. That’s you.

 

Just like Joakim, the first person I told you about, I hope you know that Jesus came to die for you and because of what He has done, you can be sure that you will go to heaven. Is the story of your life going to show that you believe that, too?

 

God makes us His People through baptism, just like Renee was baptized, the second person I told you about. God chose you when you were baptized! He wants you! He picked you out! How does that feel? Good? Yes, it feels good! So good, that we want other people to feel the same way!

 

You can be like a Slava Ostanin in Russia, helping out people that no one else would help. You can be His People like the students of Seibo Gakuen, Holy Hope Lutheran School, sending out the message of Jesus loud and clear.

 

You’ve heard a number of true stories this morning about real people who are His People. Some of them are very different from you. Others are probably quite a bit like you. What is your story going to be?

What Matters To You

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2: 42 What matters to you? That’s kind of a big, broad question, isn’t it? But let’s deal with it a little. What matters to you? One quick way to figure out the answer is to take a look at what you spend your time doing, because the bottom line is, we make time for what matters to us. So, what matters to you? Is it family? Work? Your own happiness? What matters to you? Being respected? Being well-liked? Being a winner? Having a big circle of friends? Having just a few really close ones? What matters to you? In Acts 2 we hear about the very first generation of people who believed that Jesus had died and risen for them. The term “Christian” had not even been invented yet. What’s great about the picture of the first believers in Acts 2 is that it reveals what mattered to them. It stands to reason that what mattered to them should matter to us—after all, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So let’s see how we match up with the Acts 2 Church. First off, we hear that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. What is the apostles’ teaching? Think of the creeds that we use in worship, which you may know by heart. These are the non-negotiables of the Christian faith, centering on Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day, rose again form the dead. The first believers devoted themselves to getting this message right. They understood that, handled rightly, the gospel of Jesus rescues sinners from eternal suffering and gives life to the fullest. It was also necessary that they learn to defend their faith against attack. We don’t know what program of study they followed—just that they were devoted to the teachings handed down from Christ himself. How about you? Have you devoted yourself to the apostles’ teaching? If we were to examine your life’s schedule right now, would it reveal that learning the truth of God’s Word matters to you? If someone quizzed you on what you believe and why, would you feel confident in giving them Biblical answers? We cannot afford to be Biblically illiterate or to think that, because we went through a confirmation class at one point in our lives, that we’ve got it all figured out. Devotion to apostolic teaching is just that—devotion. Dedication. If it is true that we are more devoted to being comfortable or indulging in a favorite pastime than we are devoted to getting into God’s Word, then we need to change direction, plain and simple. Why would we knowingly cut ourselves off from the Word the gives life? Does learning about Jesus matter to you? Next, we hear that the first Christians devoted themselves to the fellowship. “Fellowship” is one of the Christian buzzwords that gets thrown around quite a bit, but what does it really mean? It means that these people were devoted to a sense of togetherness. They were committed to seeing each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, a true family of faith. Now don’t misunderstand, we’re not talking about some kind of hippie commune here—a bunch of people with their head in the clouds. This fellowship is something real, something God has put together. It is the collection of his baptized people, and the forgiveness of Jesus is the glue that holds it all together. In a way, being part of the fellowship is looking around the room and recognizing, “Wow! The Lord forgave and adopted you, too, huh? Let’s serve him together.” How about you? Are you devoted to the fellowship? Do you see the people sitting around you right now as your family in the Lord? Does what happens to them matter to you? Have you had past experiences that make it hard for you to care? Take those to Jesus. Ask Him for help in opening up, because there’s so much support available to you here. And I am sure that you have a lot to offer in return. The awesome mystery here is that when the fellowship is working, when we care and pray and help one another, we are bringing the compassion of Jesus into each other’s lives. That turns abstract concepts like “grace” and “fellowship” into things that we sense and feel, and that’s powerful. The third thing noted in Acts 2 is that the believers devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread. It is reasonable to assume that means more than just “they were devoted to eating” (although that might prove them to be Lutheran after all) but that they were devoted to the breaking of the bread (and the drinking of the wine) that happen in the Lord’s Supper. And of course they would be devoted to this! They had learned the lesson of the Last Supper and the walk to Emmaus. They knew Jesus was present in His true Words and at the table. They would have needed and desired the strength they received from the body and blood of their Lord. What about you? Are you devoted to the “breaking of the bread”? Does receiving the body and blood of Christ with the bread and the wine on a regular basis matter to you? Is coming to the Lord’s Supper something that you look forward to—or is it just kind of part of the program? Do you crave this connection with Jesus? In this eating and drinking, Jesus pours out his gifts to us. Forgiveness is poured into us. And, when we stand at the rail, we stand in a common faith—faith in the apostolic teachings about Jesus; faith that He is building fellowship among us. Let’s not sleepwalk, but be awake to the tremendous benefits of being devoted to the breaking of the bread. Finally, we note that the people of the Acts 2 Church devoted themselves to prayer. Prayer is simply defined as “speaking to God in words and thoughts,” which can be accomplished in one of two ways: either by yourself or with a group. Without question, the first Christians were committed to their individual prayers. The fact that prayer is mentioned here in verse 42 allows us to think of it in terms of group prayer also. In other words, they devoted themselves to praying with each other and for each other. And when you expand the picture just a bit, it starts to look awfully familiar. What activity do you know of that Christians participate in that features apostolic teaching; fellowship; the breaking of bread; and prayer? Sounds like a worship service to me. It sounds like the 1st generation church was dedicated to being together to receive God’s gifts (through apostolic teaching and the breaking of the bread) and to respond to God in works of faith (namely, prayer and fellowship, or caring for one another). Does it sound like what mattered to them matters to us? Our devotion to Jesus and the things that mattered to the first Christians can be sadly lacking. Many, many things compete for our devotion, and many times other things win it. But in His great patience, the Lord gives us yet another chance today to make a move towards Him. Because here in this place described by apostolic teaching and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer, you hear the truth: Jesus Christ has already moved towards you. Your sin, your wasted time, the pain you’ve caused yourself and others, it’s all forgiven. Jesus paid your bill at the incredible cost of his own life because you matter to Him. He rose to life on Easter, and made sure you would always be able to hear his Words, and there would always be a place where he could touch you and forgive you with his body and blood. He made sure that you could be surrounded with people who share these blessings with you. Why? Because you matter to him.

Jesus at the Table

There is a pattern and an order to most things we experience. That order gives us structure; a sense of security; within that framework we can safely encounter new things. Let me give you a few examples. When you’re watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, what do you expect to have happen? You expect Mr. Rogers to come through the doorway, singing, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” you expect him to hang up his sport coat, take off his dress shoes, and change into his cardigan and sneakers. You expect him to speak directly to you about the day’s theme, you expect him to feed the fish, visit with his friends, take you on a tour of a factory or an artist’s studio, and, of course, visit the Land of Make Believe. Finally, you expect him to change back into his coat and shoes and make his exit singing, ‘It’s Such A Good Feeling To Know You’re Alive.” It’s the same show every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is endless variety—try 998 episodes worth of variety. Or consider the order of baseball game. I don’t recall going to a baseball game wondering, “Are they going to play 4 innings or 25 innings tonight?” Normally, you go to a professional baseball game expecting 9 innings to be played. You know things are getting ready to roll with the singing of the national anthem. The players are introduced. You expect the teams to alternate between hitting and fielding. In the middle of the seventh inning, you expect to stand and sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” and if the game isn’t tied after the bottom of the ninth, you go home. It’s the same game every time—but of course, it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of plays and outcomes, which statisticians have tracked for decades. Or think of a normal school day. There is a pattern and a routine to the way teachers and students move through the day. There’s no guessing when recess or lunchtime is. You know when your favorite subject and your not-so-favorite subject is coming. It’s the same school day every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of lessons to be learned, in and out of the classroom. And so we come to church on Saturday night/Sunday morning and you come to expect a Confession and Absolution, a Psalm, a series of readings from the Bible, usually Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel. You expect an explanation of God’s Word for children and adults, you expect the opportunity to give an offering and to pray to the Lord, and most of the time you expect to participate in something we call the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. Along the way there are liturgical songs—portions of the Bible set to music—such as “Create In Me A Clean Heart, O God,” “Lamb of God You Take Away The Sin Of The World,” “This Is The Feast Of Victory For Our God,” and many others. Along the way there are hymns—songs that teach the faith and give voice to our praise of God—many of which we have come to treasure. It’s the same service every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of stories and themes that center on the mighty works of God and the living presence of Jesus Christ in His Church. Order serves us well. (Just think of what can happen when your getting-ready-in-the-morning routine is interrupted.) But it must be said that order and routine can also make us so comfortable that we are lulled to sleep. Nowhere is that more true than in worship. We’ve all the experience—let’s admit it—of being in a worship service, while at the same time you’re mentally making your grocery list, or wondering if kickoff is at 1:00 or 4:00. I would suggest the antidote to unconscious worship is simply to keep on asking “why”—to continually review together the purpose of our time spent in worship. Why do we interact with Jesus in the way that we do? The answer to that question is found in today’s Gospel reading. May our awareness of the Biblical framework for worship enhance and revitalize this time we spend with Jesus. The Emmaus experience described in Luke 24 is far more than just a neat add-on to the Easter story. It actually forms the foundation for how we experience Jesus in our lives! Here’s what I mean: look for the pattern that emerges. The risen Jesus walks with two men, and during that walk, He explained the Old Testament to them. He went through Moses and the prophets, describing how these writings were pointing to Him! Later on, these men would say, “Didn’t our hearts burn as he explained the Bible to us!” Then, later that evening, Jesus sits down at the table with them and—listen carefully to this language—“he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was.” They recognized it was Jesus at the table with them. Did the pattern pop out at you? The first part of this experience was instruction in the Word of God. It made their hearts glow with wonder. But this experience was only complete when they moved to the table, and Jesus gave thanks over bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Now, Jesus was not only someone they learned about, but someone who was with them. Then he disappeared, he vanished from their sight, as if to say, “Now that I’m risen and will soon be returning to my Father, this is how I will come to you until I return at the Last Day. My Words will be with you; and my body and blood will be with you in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine that happen at the table. You will know me in these ways that I am leaving behind for you.” Do you see the pattern? In the first part of our worship, the Bible explains who Jesus is; in the second part, Jesus Himself comes to our table. With the Emmaus experience, Jesus laid out how He was going to give himself to us. He is still doing it. And that’s what we’re really doing here. A pastor once asked a group of very young children, “Why do you go to church?” One little girl responded, “We go to church to be with Jesus.” Now before you say, “Oh, what a cute story,” and then forget it, just understand this: That little girl was absolutely right. I urge you, in a time where there are Jesus options everywhere, from Internet and TV to the Christian bookstore and concert hall, to look for Jesus where He said he would be! At Emmaus he demonstrated He would be in His Word, and in the breaking of the bread. He continues to come to us through this pattern to save us from the depths of hell. He comes to us through Word, Bread and Wine to forgive our sins yet again! Within this framework, the risen and living Son of God touches you, forgives your sin, breathes faith and life into you, renovates your heart, resets your values and welcomes you to your place in His kingdom! So I ask you: Why do you go to church—to be with Jesus? Please, let that be your answer.

A Clever Story?

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." The apostle Peter wrote these words, and this is a claim that brings great encouragement to believers. It’s also a direct challenge to skeptics of the Christian faith. Peter says, “I’m telling you what I’m telling you about Jesus because I was there. I and the other apostles were eyewitnesses, and we are relating to you what actually happened.”

Now, when someone makes a claim like this, you have to make a decision about the person. Do you trust them, or not? There’s an old piece of advice that says, “Consider the source.” That’s what we’re going to do today. Peter says “we were eyewitnesses.” Is this someone whose word you can trust?

Well, let’s see. According to Scripture, being painfully honest was one of Peter’s personality traits. In the Gospels, you will find him frequently confessing the many times he had been terribly, totally wrong. When Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water on the Sea of Galilee, Peter admitted he was wrong, thinking Jesus was a ghost. Then he tried to walk on water himself and failed. He didn't have to tell you all of that story, but he did. That's not the kind of thing a person who is trying to control the message wants to share.

Then there’s the day Jesus was transfigured. Peter, James, and John were on a mountaintop with Jesus. There, quite unexpectedly, they saw Jesus speaking with some Old Testament Prophets, dead Old Testament prophets. Peter watched as Jesus' clothes became as white as light and His face shone like the sun; he listened when the Father in heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him." A cleverly invented story? Let me ask, why would Peter confess that he and the others fell to the ground in terror? Why would he confess that he didn’t know what he was talking about with the tents and everything, other than honesty?

There was the day Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Savior and then tried to talk Him out of giving His life as a ransom to save us. Later, Peter admits how, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was crushed by this world's sins, he didn't pray but fell asleep. When soldiers arrested Jesus, Peter fought and then ran away. When Jesus was being tried, Peter went to see what was happening and then denied His Lord three times. You can be sure Peter is the kind of guy who really tells the truth, to the extent that he doesn’t mind looking like a complete screw-up.

So when Peter says Jesus was crucified, you can believe him; when the apostle reports Jesus rose from the dead, you can believe that too. You see, when the disciples write of Jesus' resurrection, they admit, that when this, the greatest event in history occurred, they were in hiding. They acknowledge they didn't believe the resurrection accounts of the women; and two of them (Peter being one), had to go and take a peek at Jesus' empty for themselves. You can believe Peter and the other disciples when they talk about the resurrection because they come clean and admit they, themselves, were skeptical! They had nothing to hide and were transparent in their reporting of the facts, even when the facts were completely embarrassing.

So if you agree that Peter is a trustworthy and genuine eyewitness, then let’s consider his claim. He says that Jesus is Lord and Christ, who came with power and majesty. And this power and majesty is shown in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Ultimately it all boils down to this: Did Jesus really die on the cross and did He really rise from the dead?" Peter told the truth about himself; is he telling us the truth about Jesus, too?

As far as Jesus dying, let me say this: the Romans crucified tens of thousands of people, sometimes thousands at a time. History records not a single incident of anyone accidentally surviving. In the case of Jesus, not only did the Romans whip Him, and crucify Him, they also stabbed Him in the heart. Remember, when the Roman soldier made that spear thrust, he was trying to make absolutely percent sure Jesus was dead. Understand, when the Bible says blood and water came out of Jesus' wound it is describing a medical condition. This separation of blood platelets from the serum which carried them only takes place after someone has been dead for a while.

 Jesus was dead. The soldiers who crucified Him knew He was dead; Jesus' mourners knew He was dead; His enemies were convinced He was dead. Everyone was in perfect agreement: it was Jesus' lifeless body that was placed into that borrowed tomb.

So what is left? Only this: did Jesus rise from the dead or did He revive? Let's get rid of the revival idea by saying: Someone who has been whipped, beaten, crucified, and stabbed with a spear doesn't get around like Jesus did on Resurrection Sunday. So, did Jesus rise? He did. He absolutely did. It wasn't a Jesus-ghost who ate with the disciples. It wasn't a figment of imagination that cooked them breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It wasn't some author’s bright idea to have Jesus say, "Touch me, put your hand into My side." Jesus rose. For forty days He showed His disciples He was alive. The disciples of Jesus, including brutally honest Peter, would have no reason to tell you this—unless it was true. And they paid dearly for reporting what they had experienced. Who gives up their life for what they know is a lie?

Jesus really lived, He really died, and he really rose. The Bible reports these as facts, attested to by credible eyewitnesses. And if you put the weight of your heart on these facts, you can live your life knowing that you have God’s approval. You can live life knowing that he delights in you, because your sin and shame and guilt has all been paid for in full by Jesus’ death. If you put the weight of your hope on these facts, you can die in peace, because eternal life with Jesus has been promised to you, and resurrected life with Jesus is coming.

Peter didn't follow a cleverly devised story, and neither do I, as we make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s the truth. Now, will you believe it?

Adapted from a sermon by Rev. Ken Klaus

Beyond the Golden Rule

Question: if your friend or relative found themselves in a bind, would you help out? I’m betting you said, “Yes, of course.” I don’t think there is one person here who has not benefitted from someone else’s kindness and generosity. Business often works in the same way. Give your customers a break and you win their loyalty. We don’t forget favors, or at least we shouldn’t. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. That’s the golden rule, right?

But today Jesus says something a bit crazy. He wants us to go beyond the Golden Rule. Jesus says here that we must do good to our enemies, even if they’re ungrateful and selfish. And this is like touching a raw nerve for most people. How did you react when you heard Jesus say, “Love your enemies and pray for them”? I really want you to reflect on your reaction. What do you think of this teaching? What do you think about Jesus because of this teaching?

Being a Christian is not difficult because of what we believe about God. It is not difficult because churches require a high moral standard. Being a Christian is difficult because it requires that we go beyond moral standards; beyond the Golden Rule; beyond being nice to people who are nice to us. Jesus says we are to love our enemies, go good to those who hate us, to pray for those who would like to do us harm. The world says it is good business to be generous in your dealings with other people because someday they will be generous to you. Jesus says, expect nothing in return, at least not on this side of the grave. The Christian Life is not results-

oriented. We do not do this or that because we expect good results. It is not politics. It is not a matter of who you know. What Christians do is not determined by how it benefits us. Jesus says sinners think that way. What we do is a matter of who we have become. We are children of God.

Now we are at the heart of Christ-centered faith. The Son of God became human so that we humans could become sons and daughters of God. Jesus says that when we love our enemies we will be sons of the Most High. Not only are we recognized as God’s children, but people see we are brothers and sisters of Jesus. Children often act like their parents, when you get right down to it. Christians are God’s children and reflect who and what God is. God is not ungrateful or selfish. He does not live for Himself. He lives for you. He gave you the life of his Son. He gave you everything He was—everything he had. God did not do this only for people who beleiveed in Him already, but for the unbeliever and even those who hate Him. While we were still sinners, St. Paul writes, God loved us and gave Himself for us. At one time, we were all His enemies. Jesus did not pray for already holy people, but sinners. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

If you consider yourself a child of God, this is the prayer you must pray. Children act like their parents, so children of God forgive, and forgive, and forgive. And we’re not looking for paybacks for the good we do. God did more than any of us and he was not doing it for his own benefit. He was not waiting for something in return. He did it because he loves, and the love of God is redemptive. It is sacrificial. It gives and keeps no record of wrongs. God’s perfection is that He forgives even before those who are forgiven realize they have done something wrong. This is the hardest commandment for us to keep: love your enemies. But think about it: this is also a description of who God is. It is what God is all about. He loves His enemies. He is not their enemy. He has no enemies. That is what he was saying at the cross of Jesus.

Do you really understand this? Jesus did not suffer and die as He did to make pretty decent folk a little bit better. He suffered and died in agony of body and soul to turn enemies into friends; to change combatants into His children; to transform hate into love. At the cross of Jesus, God says, “See? I have no enemies. You may hate me, you may not care, but I love you, and I would do anything for you.” Nobody does this, except for Jesus. Nobody does this, except for people whose hearts have been melted by the weight of Jesus’ sacrifice. People like Corrie Ten Boom, for example.

Do you know about Corrie? She was a Dutch Christian whose family helped many Jews escape the Holocaust during World War II, and she was imprisoned for it,  finally being sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. She shares her story in the book “The Hiding Place.” Now let me tell you what happened after her release from that concentration camp.

Corrie Ten Boom writes: "It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the Nazi processing centre at Ravensbruck. Suddenly it all came back to me - the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, the pain-blanched face of my sister Betsie.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that he has washed my sins away!" His hand was thrust out to shake mine.

I stood there for what seemed an eternity with the coldness clutching my heart. Forgiveness is not an emotion. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.

I tried to smile. I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so I breathed a silent prayer. ‘Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness’. ‘… I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened - into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that brought tears to my eyes. For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on God’s. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself".

Now you can know a lot of facts and trivia about the Bible; you can remember large portions of the Small Catechism; you can live a very moral, decent life; but if you don’t understand the kind of love that would forgive a concentration camp guard, you don’t understand Jesus, and you don’t understand yourself. It’s only when your heart is meltedby the gospel that you get it. And what is that gospel? It is this: You have gone from being an enemy of God to being His friend and child through the cross of Jesus. And when he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself.

A Matter of the Heart

How was your Valentines’ Day? Do you remember your first valentine? The person, not the card. I know, we’re getting into personal territory here. But we can’t talk about matters of the heart without getting personal.

Regardless of whether your Valentine’s Day was a romantic fantasy come true or a disaster or you are beyond caring, your relationship with God is very much a matter of the heart. It is deeply personal. Your ability to navigate life’s challenges, your ability to give and receive genuine love, your ability to deal with change and even death depends on where your heart rests. Do you know where your heart rests?

In today’s reading from the gospel of Matthew, we find Jesus responding to people who felt a right relationship with God was a matter of etiquette. Their hearts found rest in their performance of the rules. The way Jesus responded to this idea would’ve been shocking, and it still is. He says here that a right relationship with God is a matter of the heart, and that your performance is the wrong thing to rest in. Actually, Jesus says more than that. He is demanding that you have a pure heart.

Here in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is confronting a culture that was built on the idea that you are right with God if you do the right things. And really, our culture is no different. The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day had constructed an elaborate list of do’s and don’ts, and following that list defined life with God for them.  But then Jesus comes along as says, ‘You are wasting your time with these do’s and don’ts if you don’t let God have your heart.’ Hear Him saying that to you today. If your life with God is just a bunch of joyless got to do’s and have to do’s and ought to do’s; if your heart is not overwhelmed by Jesus’ love, then this message today is for you. May the Holy Spirit open your heart to it.

Jesus drives home his point by walking through the commandments, and his point is that the heart is where the commandments are kept or broken. He starts with the 5^th Commandment. The Pharisees went for a strict and literal interpretation of “You shall not murder.” Don’t kill anyone and you’re good. But Jesus wants more than that. He wants to know what’s in your heart. Most of us haven’t picked up a gun or a knife to commit homicide, but how perfectly do you love? Who have you insulted lately, even if it’s just in your thoughts? Who have you actively worked to undermine? Are you carrying a grudge today? Do you hate another person? Jesus says these are just as sinful and rotten as taking a life with your own hands. It’s a matter of the heart.

Or if that doesn’t cut you enough, there’s the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” The society of Jesus’ day was very lax on the sanctity of marriage. Sound familiar? But Jesus says that adultery from God’s perspective is not just a reference to extramarital unfaithfulness; it’s a matter of the heart. It’s not just affairs that happen outside of the bond of marriage, but affairs of the heart that are sin: wandering eyes, overactive imaginations, the use of pornography, an easy divorce mentality, all expressions of selfish sexuality; Jesus says these are just as sinful and rotten as open acts of adultery. Again, it’s a matter of the heart.

Then there’s the Eighth Commandment, the one about not bearing false witness against your neighbor. The Pharisees and rabbis had developed a code of conduct, which enabled them to say that some promises you really had to keep, while others you could let slide. By swearing an oath, you could look really serious, really dedicated, but you could be crossing your fingers while you said it, not meaning a word. But it’s the heart that Jesus cares about, not the code of conduct. The commandment is not about how much you can get away with; it’s about a basic truthfulness that God expects from us. Habitual lying destroys relationships, and it is just as sinful and rotten as slandering someone publicly. An inability to be truthful is definitely a matter of the heart.

Jesus has diagnosed a major human problem in this teaching. We are great at putting on a performance. We excel at creating a godly appearance. We can even believe that because we occasionally do good, then we’re good with God. But inside, in the heart, we’re a mess. We can keep from murdering people. We can keep from having affairs. But the heart always slips. Out pops a selfish thought. Out pops a heated temper and hateful words. Out pops resentment. Without even trying, out pops an image of lust. Out pops a flash of greed. Surely you can’t be responsible for that. But Jesus says you are. Jesus says I am. Even the smallest sin proves our hearts are not pure, and Jesus demands a pure heart. That’s the diagnosis. What’s the remedy?

The remedy is a transfusion. Our hearts need new fuel; they need to pump something that will always be cleansing us. Your heart needs something to flow through it that will make you pure. That something is the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood He shed on His cross. There are many fuels that motivate us to live for a time, but only one fuel is clean and will not lead to weariness and disappointment: the blood of Jesus, the visible proof of God’s love for you. The one thing that Satan does not want is that the sacred blood of Jesus and the knowledge that you are God’s own beloved child power the engine of your life and heart. So you see, the remedy is not to try harder to follow more rules so you look like a better person. The remedy is to drop the act and to receive this blood transfusion by faith. And when you receive that; when you rest your heart in what Jesus has done for you, here is the benefit:

You feel that the great business of life is a settled business, the great debt a paid debt, the great disease a healed disease, the great work a finished work, and all other business, diseases, debts and works are then, by comparison, small. You can be patient in trouble; calm under stress; not destroyed by sorrow; not afraid of bad news; in every condition content; for Jesus gives you a fixedness of heart. You are anchored in him. He sweetens your bitter cup, lessens the burden of your cross, smoothes the rough places you travel, and brightens the valley of the shadow of death. You always have something solid under your feet, a sure friend along the way, and a sure home at the end.

Don’t you want that kind of confidence to flood your life? It’s yours when you rest your heart in the person of Jesus and the actions he took on your behalf.

Wait, See, and Depart Like Simeon

In 2007, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson starred in a movie called “The Bucket List.” That “bucket list,” of course, is a list of things that a person wants to do before they “kick the bucket.” That story tapped into a powerful desire that we have to experience the fullness of life while we can.

One year prior to that film, sportswriter Bill Simmons released a book whose title says it all: “Now I Can Die in Peace.” It was about the Red Sox victory in the 2004 World Series, and how some Red Sox fans had waited so long for a World Series title that they felt they could now go in peace. Their dream had been fulfilled.

In today’s gospel lesson from Luke 2, we meet a man named Simeon. Simeon had a bucket list of his own, but it was very short. There was only one thing on it. And it was kind of a strange list, because Simeon had not written it. In verse 26 you heard that “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” The Holy Spirit of God had communicated to Simeon that he would not kick the bucket until he had seen the Anointed One, the Christ, with his own eyes. In today’s gospel, we get to see that happen, and we get to view Simeon’s reaction, which is along the lines of “now I can die in peace.” But he actually says a lot more than that. So today, with the Holy Spirit’s help, let’s think about how we can wait like Simeon; see like Simeon; and depart like Simeon.

First, waiting like Simeon. Luke introduces us to him like this: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” This is someone who clearly was right with God, but even so, this is someone who is being forced to wait. Luke tells us specifically that Simeon was waiting for was the consolation of Israel, and Israel definitely needed consolation. Their history as God’s people was not good. Their disobedience had meant punishment; it had meant being forcibly removed from their homeland; even now, having returned to Jerusalem, the Romans occupied their land and called the shots. They needed the comfort that prophets like Isaiah had said was coming. That comfort would come when the Messiah came. Simeon was waiting for it. That doesn’t mean it was easy.

Simeon can remind us that sometimes God’s answer to our prayers is: “You’re going to have to wait.” That’s usually not the answer that we want. One thing that technology has done for us is it has decreased the amount of time that we have to wait for anything. That can be awfully convenient, but it can also create expectations that are not very healthy. It’s developing an intolerance for waiting of any kind in us. Just observe what goes on at the grocery store checkout when somebody’s taking too long, or the dreaded “Your order’s not ready, you’ll have to pull forward” at the drive through. Now those are trivial examples, but they illustrate that we do hate to wait. You need to be wary of that, because at some point, you’re going to have to wait for something bigger than a mocha latte. And in faith, what we have to learn to accept is that when God makes us wait, there’s a good reason for it. There are times when waiting is the best thing we could possibly do, even if we’re forced to do it. It can be a time of growth. We may not be ready for what we think we want. There may be details that have to be worked out that are known only to God. Regardless of what it is you’re waiting for, you can wait confidently, because God always keeps His Word.

That’s what Simeon discovered. Remember, the Holy Spirit had let him know that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Christ. So he knew his waiting would have an end point. One day, led by the Spirit, he went to the temple, and just like that, the wait was over. The baby Jesus was there with his parents, and filled with the Spirit, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed God with these words: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

We need to see like Simeon. What did he see? He said, “my eyes have seen your salvation…” In one bright moment of light, he saw what God was up to. Jesus was salvation. Jesus was the consolation he had been waiting for. This type of seeing does not happen just with the eyes, but with the mind and the heart. This type of seeing is caused by the Holy Spirit, and this seeing is focused on Jesus. Simeon holds this baby in his arms and proclaims for all to hear that this child, Jesus, is salvation for all people, Jew and Gentile. To have and to hold this Jesus is to have every promise of God fulfilled. To have Jesus is to have everything.

“Seeing like Simeon” means that you “see” that Jesus is salvation. He doesn’t give you a list of rules to follow to get salvation; he is salvation. He doesn’t give you advice for a better life; Jesus is life; life that never ends. The Bible teaches that you cannot produce salvation by what you do; no matter how nice you are to people; no matter how successful you are or how many people look up to you, you cannot redeem yourself. “Seeing like Simeon” means that you “see” there is only one key that unlocks heaven, and it is Jesus.  It means believing that Jesus paid for your sins at his cross. It means trusting that you will follow Jesus out of the grave, thanks to his Easter victory. It means that knowing, loving, and serving Jesus is the point of your life, and that he is your consolation. He is your reward. And as Simeon reminds us, Jesus is not just your consolation and reward, but the consolation and reward of the whole world. He is light and glory for all.

So we can wait like Simeon, we can see like Simeon, and we can depart like Simeon. Again, having this bucket list, Simeon waited to see the Christ, and when that moment arrived, the first thing he said was: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” Now I can die in peace, Simeon says, because God kept his promise to me. I have seen salvation, and it is Jesus.”

Are you prepared to leave like Simeon? One of the great gifts of the gospel is that you don’t have to be terrified of death, because Jesus has reversed its effects. You don’t have to be afraid of being judged by God, because the judgment has already happened. Jesus was judged, sentenced, executed, and raised to new life. The only part that attaches to you is the new life. Jesus took all the consequences of our law-breaking and paid for our disobedience himself.

One of the most beautiful things you will ever hear a person say is that they are ready to go home into the arms of the Lord. Many people have said that to me, and you can see the peace in their eyes and the relief they feel in their bodies when they say that, because they are completely resting in what Jesus has done for them. Do you have that confidence? Simeon says you can. You can have it in Christ.

What Simeon said and did that day in the temple was so meaningful that is has passed into song. It’s a song that we still sing. We sing it, do you remember when? We sing it after coming into God’s House here; after we have been at His Table; after Jesus has given Himself to us in bread and wine; that’s when we sing: “Lord now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.” We are just like Simeon. That’s why we sing his song. With our hearts we have seen Jesus in this eating and drinking. He has come into us and forgiven us. You can depart this Table in peace and face anything because Jesus is yours. You can depart this life in peace because Jesus has covered you with his perfection. You can wait, see, and depart like Simeon, and you can even sing his song, a song of ultimate love, in Jesus Christ.