In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Isaiah chapter 2, the first reading for tonight, tells us this: “and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” This glimpse of a vision of peace so captivated the minds of a generation that in 1959 the USSR presented a big bronze sculpture [by one Evgeniy Vuchetich1] to the United Nations of a man hammering a weapon into a farming implement. The hope it expressed was an end to war... a resolution to mankind’s conflicts and problems… a situation in life where no one would need weapons of any sort. Caught up in the optimistic spirit of the age, I suspect they thought the diplomatic discussions of United Nations would accomplish all this, by sheer force of good intentions from those who took counsel together. Somehow through collaboration and discussion and brainstorming together they thought we’d figure out a way to meet everyone’s needs, to calm everyone down, to solve the unsolvable problems like ongoing grudges and turf wars and injustice. The problems were only partly one of technical work... a good deal of our problems require someone with the wisdom to get humanity ordered, straightened out. And yet what became of this high hope…? What became of the spirit of that age? After the statue was installed we had another three decades of Cold War. Tensions. A great deal of ‘babel’ about peace… with lot more progress in making weapons deadlier, drugs more addictive, progress in extending the influence of corrupt and evil tyrants. Look at the world today… Humankind’s moral capacity has hardly kept up with our ability to do harm. The visionary ideal of a world at peace is certainly a worthy one, yet perhaps we ought to consider: whose counsel and whose deliberations will bring it about? Well, that same passage from Isaiah chapter 2 gives some important context. Verse 3 “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and [He] shall decide disputes for many peoples….” The great [naive] optimistic idealism of our age is that we will figure it all out, that our counsel and consideration and invention is what will solve all of our problems. Yes, mankind would be a lot better off if we were wiser in our deliberations... but the vision of peace from Isaiah the prophet makes it clear: This Law, the Word, the judgment, the decisions that ultimately make for peace come not from us, but from the Lord. Literally translated, Isaiah 2 verse 3 says here: “For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah,” (תוֹרָ֔ה) that is, the Instruction, the teaching, the Word of the Lord. Not simply the right opinion in abstract, but the best advice on how to carry it out.2 It’s one thing to philosophize about the right answer, another to do it yourself, and still another yet to bring that truth as a blessing into the lives of others. The name “Zion” is another name for the city of Jerusalem, or even more clearly: Zion is the name of the mountain on which the temple in Jerusalem is built. So for the Teaching, Torah, instruction to come from Zion means that it comes out from the Lord God Himself. It makes sense that He, the ruler and king of all creation... that He, the all-wise and all-holy One, that He would have the best counsel, the best judgment, the best practical recommendations to unite and bring peace to all the fractured and dis-united nations of the world.3 Such is the promise prophesied to Ahaz, that king of Israel who was worried and beset-by-war4: Trust the counsel of the Lord, and look for salvation in the Advent of His King. Such is the promise to our entire fallen race: Look to the Lord’s Messiah, Son of God born of the house and lineage of King David as the savior of all the nations. Such also is the promise to you, that we need not hold up human self-advancement as an idol from which we expect salvation, but rather the promise that we too will have peace in the Advent of the Word from that goes forth from Zion. Such also is the promise given to Mary, in today’s gospel reading. Although humble and of little account compared to the kings and high persons of her day, it was to her that the angel Gabriel announced the incarnation. By God’s grace, she was given to be the mother of our Lord, an instrument for the advent of the promised Messiah, at the same time true God and true man.5 The Word of the Lord went forth, the Torah was made flesh in the person of Christ Jesus. The angel says: “31c ...and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”” He is the king, the prince of peace, the wonderful counselor. It is in and through the work of this Word of God that peace can be restored to our scattered and disunited nations. He took on human nature to redeem our fallen nature. He suffers and dies, taking into Himself the vengeant punishment due to our fallen race. Your sins are forgiven. He rose again and in rising opened the way for resurrection to life everlasting for all who believe. The angels will sing “peace on earth” (Lk 2:14) only because of what this promised – and present – Messiah does. Our King Jesus, Who descended … has also ascended, sitting on the Throne of God, ruling over all things, and reconciles you6 to the Father for a life of blessedness in the resurrection. So just as Mary received the Word faithfully, saying “38c let it be to me according to your word,” so also we. You who want peace in the world, you who want peace at home, a respite from the war of nations or the drama and turf wars of your own communities... Turn to the Lord, and let it be to you according to His Word. Turn away from the prideful thinking about the capacity of our cleverness or cooperation. Let His instruction guide your thinking and your doing. Read the proverbs. Read the moral instruction in the epistles. Read the gospels, receiving there the truth of God’s incarnate mercy as that which keeps and restores your life. Hear the things that make for peace (Zechariah 8:15-17? Lk 19:2?): the teaching, the Torah, ...the instruction of our Lord was made flesh for us men and for our salvation. Let your soul magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in the Lord God, our savior. In the name of + Jesus. Amen. 1 https://www.un.org/ungifts/let-us-beat-swords-ploughshares 2 I cannot remember the full quote, but it was once said (by Plutarch?) in praise of the ‘law-giver’ Lycurgus (founder of Sparta), that “the philosophers gave us a way of thinking, but Lycurgus gave us a city.” The idea is that abstract conceptualizing is one thing, but eminently better is that true law which translates into just action. How much greater then is the Torah/Word/εντολη spoken by the Father, made flesh in His Son Jesus Christ, to Whom is given all authority in heaven and on earth, Whose Christendom has been of no small import even here in time? 3 So great will this wisdom be that people from all the scattered nations of the world will come to hear and learn. Verse 3 “3 ...many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”” 4 See Isaiah 7:1-2: “1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” 5 The feast of Christmas celebrates the first revealing of the Messiah to human eyes, though in truth – He was incarnate well before. 6 All mankind is reconciled to the Father through the blood of Christ Jesus. Those who receive this gracious promise through faith are the ones who receive the forgiveness of sins, and therefore also the resurrection to blessed life everlasting. In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Malachi 3:1-5, 4:1-6; Matthew 11:11-15;) For a time, it seemed that the prophets had ceased to speak. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets….” (Heb 1:1). Back then we had the temple in Jerusalem, and we had the voice of the prophets on and off... for hundreds of years. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Elijah, Zepheniah, Micah, and Nahum, to name a few. The last of the books of the Old Testament though… is the Prophet Malachi. Malachi spoke as the Spirit carried him along (2 Pet 1:21), some time after the people were released from captivity in Babylon. God had worked things out in the rise and fall of nations so that they would be returned, safely to live in the land of Israel. They had been able to rebuild the temple and rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. Things seemed like they might get back to normal… they had entered into yet another cycle of repentance, restoration, sin, wrath, and perhaps repentance again. Yet after the prophet Malachi, the prophets had ceased to speak. The people were back home, but… the last few words from the Lord had been cryptic. What did it portend? It is written: “3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” There are two bold statements here. Two advents. A messenger from the Lord will come, and further: the Lord Himself is coming. The advent of a messenger is normal… kings and all people of high position often sent heralds ahead of them. The word for messenger (מֲלְאָךְ) can often mean ‘angel,’ since God often used angels to send messages to His people. Yet this messenger Malachi foretold is also called “Elijah” later on (Mal 4:5)... not a reincarnation or resurrection of the original Elijah, but a prophet who speaks by the same Spirit, power, and office as Elijah of old (Lk 1:16-17). Jesus tells us plainly in the gospel reading that John the Baptist is this “Elijah”, the messenger prophet who was promised to come and prepare the way (Matt 11:14). The messenger prepares the way for the One who is to come. That’s the Advent of Jesus. The month of December is often a-jinglin’ with inflatable Santa Clauses and secular stories aplenty. That cheerfulness is fine, yet you know that the real reason for the Christmas season is the incarnation and birth of the Son of God. We remember how once He came in blessing, and watch for the present and future Advent of the Lord Jesus to judge the living and the dead. Christmas doesn’t start until sundown on December 24th though… so perhaps the best mascot for the church during this Advent season is... John the Baptist. A hairy weirdo on the fringes of secular society, yet one close to the Lord, speaking with the prophetic spirit, calling sinners to repent and believe in the Lord Who comes to us. Malachi might be the last book of the Old Testament, but John was the last of the Prophets who had to wait for the Incarnation. Historically, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by his ministry… just like Elijah… with a fiery preaching of repentance and faith [in the coming Lord]. So also today, the same prophetic message prepares the way for the Lord Who is to come. The voice of the prophets has not ceased. God has raised up messengers, preachers of repentance and faith, to echo forth their same message. Malachi 3 verse 2 continues: “2 But who can endure the day of [the Lord’s] coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.” Therefore do not rest in complacency with respect to the coming of the Lord Jesus among us. Do not think that you are done being refined. Fuller’s soap is caustic, like bleach. A refiner’s fire repeatedly melts the precious metal along with the dross, that they can be further separated. It is written: “5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” Do not be among them, enchanted by the many “sorceries” Modern mankind has come up with. Keep adultery far away from your heart or your eyes or your hands. Put your name only onto what is true, and do not consent to live by words or ideas that you know are false. Let your conscience be captive only to the Lord God in His Word. Do justly and love mercy for all, even your enemies and those who hate you. This we have not done. Not perfectly. So even we who believe and are baptized abide in the Word, abiding in the prophetic message which prepares us for the Advent of our Lord. Your sins are forgiven. Christ is come to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, and withhold forgiveness from those who do not repent. God still works through those He has put in the prophetic office, to convict the unrepentant and declare Absolution upon the repentant faithful. Even as we Christians are already fully justified by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, we look forward to how God the Holy Spirit is renewing us, sanctifying us, refining us in the image of Christ. We want to be prepared for the coming of our Lord. We long to be sanctified, purified of those besetting sins and cleansed of our shame. To that end, we return again to where the prophetic office speaks purely, and the sacraments are rightly administered, even if that puts us at the fringes of the rest of society. Through these means that Holy Spirit works to sanctify and refine you. Your sins are forgiven. On the last day when all our dross is finally purified, we who believe and are baptized will be fully renewed, refreshed, and rejoicing. We will leap like calves and rejoice at the Sun of righteousness. For Where Jesus is, there is His kingdom. You have His kingdom now, and it is yours by faith. That kingdom cannot be taken away from you by violence, it remains yours by God’s grace through faith in the coming Messiah, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. In + His name. Amen For the most part, the calendar month of December coincides with the Church’s season of Advent. For the church, this is a season of penitence and hope: we prepare for the Lord’s Advent (His “coming” to us) by abiding faithfully in His promises. We celebrate how He came to us at Christmas, how He comes to us now in His Word and sacraments, and look forward to His return on the Last Day. For the world, however, the blaring of commercials and commercialism gets cranked “up to 11” (on a scale of 10). The advertisements for store-bought happiness are almost as ubiquitous as the political ads a couple months ago. While one part of us is ready to blast the shallow commercialism for the idolatry-of-stuff that it is, it may be helpful to imagine a positive vision of how Christians can participate in the gift-giving of the season.
After all, it is entirely possible that the tradition of giving gifts at the end of December came from Christianity. Consider the example of the Magi who visited Christ Jesus. The Epiphany of our Lord celebrates their visit, and their kingly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:1-12). Or consider that St. Nicholas was a real person… a bishop of the town called Myra on the coast of Asia Minor. Over the years, legends about him grew, primarily for his works of charity: giving gifts to the poor, to help keep them free from slavery and poverty. For a long time, the tradition was for children to put out their boots on St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th), and the good and bad children received sweets and coal, respectively (though we have to wonder… would a cold child without firewood appreciate the house-warming coal more?). Best of all is the gift God the Father gave to us: His Son Christ Jesus took on human flesh and was born among us: to suffer, die, and rise, to forgive our sins and raise us to life everlasting. This self-giving gift proceeds from God’s perfect and overflowing love, and surpasses every earth-bound blessing we could possibly think of. While an overload of sweets or an armful of the latest gadgets from the store might satisfy us for the time being, the peace and joy of being set to stand rightly before God almighty… that’s something money cannot buy. Luther’s Small Catechism describes this when explaining the Second Article of the Creed: “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.” Now, all this suggests that our gift-giving impulse at this time of the year is not wrong, it is good. We want to give good things to our beloved ones, because that is how love acts. God is sanctifying us, by His Word working in us to want to do good works. This includes good works of love and self-giving. “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). So when we think about giving gifts to others, consider what makes for a lasting gift: not to help them indulge in worldly, here-today-gone-tomorrow pleasures. The technology section is full of all sorts of new toys, but I have yet to hear of a parent who thought the newest and latest gadgets made their kids more faithful Christians. Give gifts to help build one another up in Christian virtues, the tools and wisdom to love one another as Christ first loved us. To that end, I have two specific suggestions. First… I don’t know your family or what might best make them smile and have joy in their vocations. But I do always see books and Christian “swag” available at a variety of places nearby (We live in an area that is still “culturally” Christian). Suggestion #1: if you’re going to buy books or Christian-themed “swag” (which is a great way to teach and celebrate our faith), buy it from one of our in-house stores. Concordia Publishing House belongs to our own church body, and they have a variety of books and gifts available. Each of their books is written by a Lutheran pastor, and vetted to be doctrinally solid. I cannot say the same for everything you’ll see on sale in the “Spirituality” the local dollar store. Good doctrine matters, and builds for a lastingly good gift for anyone you love. I’m not in the business of doing commercials, but for the sake of the flock here in this place, when you go to purchase Christian books, go over to https://www.cph.org to see what’s there. Suggestion #2: Give to the poor. We are supposed to give to take care of our own households. God provides you with good things so that you can take care of your own. (1 Tim 5:8 says: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”) Yet Christian charity is not limited to that… there is good we can do to help others also. Even amid inflated prices and poor consumer sentiment across the entire country, we are still better off than many others. It’s possible that recently, on the day of Thanksgiving, you yourself were thanking God for what you did have. There are many ways to give to those who are in need. This isn’t about enabling anyone’s vices… don’t go give someone money to enable an addictive vice. But if a gift of food, or helping with Christmas presents can assist a neighbor in need to take care of their own, that is a good thing. Galatians 6:10 says: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” This might mean helping out with the food bank at Zion, supporting the Christmas Family, the students at the Seminary, or best yet – personal, local acts of service to support people you know here and now. In my short time here, I’ve been most proud of our congregation at two points: 1) when a member confesses the Christian faith purely, according to the scriptures and Lutheran confessions, and 2) seeing people (men, women, or youth) acting in unfeigned, unforced service for the good of those in need. I don’t often publicize these events, because I don’t want to put people into the center of attention unwanted. We do these things because of Jesus, and want to give Him the glory for it. But you have to know this: self giving love (sometimes called “charity”) is an amazing Christian virtue, and can transform the world around us for the better. When you love one another, give one another the benefit of the doubt, and work towards their good according to God’s Word… your work is not in vain. During Advent and looking forward to Christmas, we are blessed to be able to love one another with that kind of charity, because God first loved us, and gave His Son for us as the best gift of all time. The basis for today’s sermon is the Gospel reading, from Matthew chapter 21[:25-36], where Jesus says: “28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”” In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The days were drawing near for Jesus to do His saving work, and the disciples asked Him how it would all end. A sense of anticipation was in the air, but for what, they did not yet know. Things could go great, or very terribly. The mood and their fears are not unique to those disciples on holy week, but are often common to us disciples even today. So along with the continued predictions of His death and resurrection, Jesus teaches us His disciples about the end of all things, and how faithfully to forebode the things that are to come. He says: “25 And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.” This saying from Jesus holds some fascination for a deep part of our psyche. We don’t know the future, so the future often causes us to fear. The fear of missing out, or the fear of the unknown, can hold us captive. The hints of what might happen fascinate us even as they might terrify. [Maybe because it sounds violent?] Think about how both the fortune tellers and the doom-and-gloom-news alike have devoted followings, making quite a bit by selling us their vision of how things might play out. And at times it does seem like the world is falling apart. Society is actively crashing under the weight of our human sin. We tend to put an oversized amount of trust in created things: either what humankind has made for ourselves, or on God’s creation itself. Depending on who you listen to, it all comes crashing down because of something to do with the economy, the environment, or the results of the next election. Everyone’s got something to dread. Who knows what will happen next? What shall we eat, or drink, or wear? What lengths do people go to when driven by anxious fear of the unknown? To that, it might be worth hearing a passage from Isaiah 8[:11-18], one we didn’t hear read aloud earlier. It was written for the people of Israel when their nation was in dread of an immanent Assyrian invasion. The passage helps set the priorities of Christian people as we fear possibilities for “what might happen.” Isaiah 8 says: “11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.” When things seem like they’re coming unraveled, when your world or the world seems like it’s falling apart, maybe it is a sign, but a sign of what? That the world won’t last forever. The same Lord Who created all of this will bring it to an end for a good purpose. Revelation 21:5[a] says : “...He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”” The creation itself recognizes the gravity of the Advent of Jesus, of His wrath against sin, and His redemption. Fear and hope in Him. When creation cracks and society struggles, it’s a sign that we cannot put our lasting hope in the created orders. So for the wicked, that’s a cause of distress. If the atheists were right and we’re all just an accidental collection of atoms [and void],1 then our short-lived existence should be nothing but fearful. But they are wrong. You know – you are beloved by the creator Himself, because Christ gave Himself up for you. You have God’s promise on it. The Lord God has created us, body and soul, and sent His only-begotten Son to redeem you. He is risen and He is our hope. We need not fear what those people fear. Over against all the dread of the unknown future, Jesus tells us that we can lift up our heads and smile in the face of it all. Christ is near. He is coming. He is Lord. He will not long let all the nonsense prevail. So what if the idols that tempt us burn away? The Lord’s Advent only brings dread for the wicked, but for the righteous, joy. The signs by themselves might terrify us, but when we recognize what it means for We Who are the redeemed, the ransomed of the lord, then we’ll be able to leap with joy. God’s people thought the same thing when the disastrous plagues of Egypt approached: they were signs that they were being delivered.2 What did it all mean for God’s people? Redemption. Re-creation. The promise of freedom to live under Him in His kingdom. He tells us through the prophet Malachi in the Old Testament reading today: “ 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.” That’s it. When God decides to end the world... it will be obvious, there will be no question or wonder about it. It’ll be as obvious and happy as the approach of summer. notice that Jesus uses the illustration of a good thing. And even before the stars fall and creation bends a knee before it’s maker, what should all these disasters and hysterics-inducing indicators of doom and gloom signify for us Christians on a day to day basis? Remember what He said: “28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”” That phrase “straighten up and raise your head conveys a lot. When we are fearful, our body language shows it – curving in on ourselves, hunching down to brace ourselves. When we have hope, we stand up straighter, confidently. Likewise also to “straighten up” is a phrase for renewed vigor in righteous living. Jesus says: “34 “...watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” Rather than drowning our foreboding fears in drunkenness or dissipation into a life of consumption… lift up your head to coming redemption, and be encouraged. That’s the purpose Jesus taught His disciples all this. Encouragement. It’s not just an escape from doom and gloom, but the answer. God’s answer. In Romans 15 it is written: “4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Your redemption draws near. “5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” To + Him be the glory, now and forever. Amen. 1The Roman philosopher Lucretius wrote about this in his book “On the Nature of Things.” He was convinced that the universe was nothing more than “atoms and void,” a position held by many materialistic atheists even today. 2I owe this insight & connection to Rev. Johann Gerhard, in a sermon he preached in Advent of 1612AD. |
Pulpit & PenRev. Christiansen serves as pastor at Zion Lutheran. Here are selected writings, sermons or newsletter articles. Archives
February 2023
Categories
All
|