Sermons

Theme: Trust in Christ, our Suffering Savior

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."  16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:3, 14-17

*** ”Red sky in the morning, sailor, take warning, Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.” We may have heard this saying before. People may wonder what the weather will be like, so they could dress appropriately. “Two wrongs don’t make a right”; “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”  There are many other “wise” sayings. It is good to know them and call them to mind when we need a “snippet” of wisdom to guide our behavior. It is, however, very important for us as human beings to be grounded in a faith that is far deeper, and more profound than any philosophy of man or any school of human wisdom.

***We find this in our Gospel reading as Jesus encounters an important Pharisee,  a ruler of the Jews, named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus at night. This is not surprising! If a Pharisee wanted to talk to Jesus, they may want to do so at night. Pharisees were teachers and keepers of the Law, but Nicodemus, who knew the scriptures well, was attracted to Jesus because he saw “signs” that God was with Jesus. Jesus’ miracles were often spoken of as signs, that He was the Messiah. The first of Jesus’ miracles was the turning of water, into wine at the wedding in Cana. It is called the first of Jesus’ signs showing who He was. People were attracted to Jesus as he did miracles of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, raising the dead. These signs were done by Jesus out of God’s love for people. And many, like Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for we know that no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

*** Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus is looking for a deeper understanding, and not only an attraction or admiration for Jesus, by Nicodemus or anybody else, including you and me!” Jesus desires that all men are saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That saving quality in the heart of Nicodemus, and the saving quality in the heart all people is “FAITH”. God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.   

***What did Jesus find when he did many signs and miracles like feeding the 5000, raising the dead, or healing the sick? He found, as we see from Scripture, the people wanted more signs and miracles. People brought their children to Jesus that they could touch Him. They laid the sick along the roads, so they might touch Jesus’ robe and be healed. Jesus did not scorn the gathering of many people who came to see Him, or to hear Him teach the Word of God, and reveal to them the blessings of the Kingdom of God. As Jesus did all these things of love for the people, He desired that all men would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. And that also included Nicodemus.

***What is necessary for salvation? The Bible says, “It is by Grace that we are saved, through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works of the law, lest anyone can boast”. Eph. 2. –Jesus, worked with the power of the Holy Spirit to bring Nicodemus to faith in Him. There are three words closely associated with saving faith. That is knowledge, assent and trust. We are to know who Jesus is as true man and true God. We are to know that Jesus was sent by the Heavenly Father, as the sinless Lamb of God Who came to sacrifice Himself on the cross and pay for the sins of the entire world. That is, all of the people, who ever lived and whoever would live. Each individual person who hears of this Grace of God, which is given for all people and has this knowledge, is motivated by the Holy Spirit to give assent    to this as true for the whole world including you and me. And the last word to remember is trust. The definition of trust is: to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

***God promises eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is true God and became true man as He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was made man. He was born and grew up in a sinful world, yet He Himself did not ever sin. He was born to save His people from their sins. Our knowledge of this saving work of God is necessary for our salvation. But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? ---“How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Romans 10---We pray that God will send missionaries, teachers, caring Christians, parents and people of all kinds to witness the truth of salvation in Christ Jesus. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring this knowledge to all those who need to hear it. The Holy Spirit, who is the one that “Convinces” and changes the unbeliever into a believer. “No one can say that Jesus Christ is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit!” This is the assent, “Yes”! I believe that Jesus is my Savior. There is salvation found in none other than Jesus Christ, my Lord!

***Trust is the third word defining the faith that saves all believers from eternal death in hell, to receiving the gift of eternal life in heaven. An illustration for trust comes from a circus styled act. People came to see and possibly experience a dangerous act of skill and daring. It took place at Niagara Falls. A rope was stretched across the Falls and a tight rope walker was going to walk the rope across the Falls, about 1000 feet between the American and Canadian side. The performer made the offer to carry anyone who would volunteer would be carried by across from one side to the other. Anyone volunteering must be thinking, “Is the tightrope walker big enough, strong enough, skilled enough, is the rope strong enough, the questions go on. Bottom line, the one who would volunteer must trust the one who would carry him across.

***Surely trust was an issue for any volunteer in this circus stunt. Trust, is also an issue as it applies to faith in Jesus, that God, our merciful Father, would do all that is necessary for our eternal salvation through the work, sacrifice, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and Christ’s final return as the Judge of all people. To His faithful people he will say, “Come you blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”. We Christians look forward to our final salvation.

***While we journey through our lives and struggle with sin, each day we look to the saving Gospel of Jesus. Recorded in Numbers 21, Moses was told by God to save the repentant children of Israel, who were being punished and dying from the bites of fiery serpents, because of their sinful complaints against God. Moses was told to construct a fiery serpent, put it high on a pole, and everyone who was bit was to look at that serpent and be saved. – In today’s Gospel Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up”. ---- The focus of our knowledge, assent, and trust for our salvation, all on Christ Jesus. -- God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Amen.

Theme: Jesus, our Savior, the Faithful One

Rev. Robert Mikkelson 

Text: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "' You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Matt. 4

***I’m tempted! When I was out shopping for shoes, I saw a really nice belt. And although I have a dozen belts, I was tempted to buy one I saw that was imported leather beautifully etched. Maybe, next time! …Although the food was delicious, and I am stuffed, I am tempted to have one more piece of the chocolate cake. These are the kind of temptations that we all have at one time or another. Whether we buy the belt or have the extra piece of cake, may not make a great difference in our lives. After all, why not, “Live a little!”

***We can get carried away with these things. Giving into temptations to shop and buy to excess may put our family in the “poor house”. Eating too much “good food” may well give us serious health problems. Too much of anything can get ahold of us and our own fixations. Shopping that stems from materialism, which stems from covetous behavior, which schemes to desire our neighbors property, or best him by selfishly accumulating more material goods. Unhealthy overeating is gluttony that can ruin health and result in early death. The saying, “We are killing ourselves”, does come true. This is sin.

***However, the Bible paints for us a much larger picture of the origins of sin and its devastating effects. Our Genesis reading recounts for us Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of Garden. This fruit was forbidden. To eat of it, was to fall into sin, which they did.—and their eyes then were opened to their own nakedness. They were as they felt--- guilty! The serpent had done this. Adam and Eve sinned and were accused. They knew it and so did God. HIs punishment followed. Satan, the serpent, was to crawl on its belly all of his days. And “enmity” would go between the serpent and the woman. “Enmity is hostility, a hostile force between humanity and its enemy.  This “enmity” is a good thing. It is the world’s promised Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ, intervening between us, as God’s people, and Satan who would desire our demise and damnation. By Jesus we are saved from the evil of Satan, and granted instead, the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven.

*** Living as sinful people, is to live under the curse of sin. For Eve, who was honored to bear children, God would multiply her pain in doing so. Adam then listened to his wife and took some of the forbidden fruit and ate it. Because he did, Adam suffered painfully, as he toiled to grow crops. Even the ground was cursed. Thorns and thistles grew up and plagued Adam, because he listened to Eve and took some of the forbidden fruit and ate of it. This would go on for Adam until he died. God said, “By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”   

***This, the story of the fall into sin also is imbedded in the lives of all humanity including our lives today. Paul sums it up saying, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death is spread to all men, because all have sinned.”

***This is the first Sunday in Lent. It is a good message from our readings today. We are given a message of blessing which comes from Matthew recording Jesus, our Savior, being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. It must happen. The devil is always mentioned first on our list of enemies. The devil must be defeated. We, sinful human beings cannot defeat him. We are too frail and flawed.  He is too strong, to smart, to evil and crafty for any normal sinful human being to do battle with him on any terms. Therefore Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness for that purpose, to be tempted by the devil and to defeat him. The children of Israel failed when tempted by the devil. Jesus, God’s only Son is the One chosen by the Heavenly Father to face the devil and to defeat him.

***In doing so, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, so He was hungry. The fast, however, did not take Jesus’ mind off from His goal, that is, to defeat Satan by withstanding all temptations that submit to Satan’s will to relieve any physical discomfort by giving in Satan’s will. Satan told Jesus to command the stones to become loaves of bread. ---Jesus answer, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”---The devil took Jesus and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said, “If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will bear you up on their hands and your will not even strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”---Then the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world. A glorious sight, He said, “These I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. Jesus answered, “Be gone, Satan! It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. “—At this, the devil left Jesus and angels came and ministered to Him. Jesus did withstand all temptations to take relief from this suffering, and give in to the will of Satan. Jesus was the victor over Satan.

***God did not accomplish this saving act so we could have a model, or publish a “How to Defeat Satan” manual so that we could defeat Satan. We could never do this. All humans are too weak and sinful. Man cannot save himself. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus won the battle with Satan, our Accuser. Jesus did all that is necessary for our salvation.

*** God said, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son. In one sense God was talking about the children of Israel. However, we find many, many times when the children of Israel sinned against God. They did not fight and win their own battles against sin and the devil. They so often followed their own sinful desires. God’s own Son, Jesus was standing in the place of sinful Israel to fulfill the salvation God demands. Jesus is the True Son that accomplishes the righteous good on our behalf that God demands for our salvation. He did it for us.

*** It is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith, we believe this, and this not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works so that no person can boast. Eph. 2

***And Lead us not into temptation--- What does this mean? God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory. Amen.

Theme: This is My Beloved Son, Listen to Him

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."

 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."

Matt: 17:5-9

***There are some very special days in our lives that most of us look forward to celebrate when they come. One family story my mother told was when my little brother was about five years old and was looking out of the kitchen window one snowy winter day in early January. He said, “Mom, when will it be my birthday?” To which mom replied, “It will be your birthday when the grass gets green.” What made my little brother ask this? I am three years older than my brother and my birthday was on Christmas. Birthdays for small children are really special days to celebrate. The celebrant receives presents, a party with friends, food, games with all who come to have a grand time with the birthday child. He is the center of attention. Especially children, enjoy “their day”. My poor little brother looked out of the window for a long time, but even though he was quite young, he soon realized that the grass would not become green anytime soon. It would be a long time for him to wait until his birthday would come.

*** As adults, also, many of our personal concerns are very shallow when we think of issues of sin and grace in our hearts and minds. We pray that God would guide us to His Word of Law which, by the Holy Spirit, would show us our sins and our burden of guilt. And then by His grace also show us the righteousness of obedience to God’s Law and lead us to faith  that we repent and ask that we receive forgiveness for our sins, and by faith receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.    

***Our God, however, is an eternal God and originally created the world we live in to be a place to live in to love our neighbors and serve our Lord in righteousness and purity. This all changed with the fall into sin. Satan disobeyed God and was cast from heaven. Adam and Eve were tempted to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. They did and were punished by being sent from the Garden of Eden with punishments that included death. They were made from dust and to dust they shall return. Mankind would have to die, and after that, there would be the judgement. Humanity could not be saved if left to its own capabilities. Adam, Eve and all humanity needed what God could and did provide. God provided a Champion, the Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. God’s motivation, He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved. –So therefore, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

***As we look closely at our text. It is the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This was a special time of revelation by God to three of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, James and John. Jesus took only those three men with Him. He took them up on a high mountain by themselves. And there, Jesus was transfigured before them. What does this mean? Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He did not have a human father. His Father was God, His Heavenly Father. Jesus was “Born of the Virgin Mary. He  was in His true being, that is, “True God and True Man”.—At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, and the Heavenly Father’s voice proclaimed, “This is My beloved Son, in him I am well pleased” Although Jesus did many miracles and often spoke personally of His true Heavenly Father. Jesus also appeared to be a true human man, which He was. But this time, on this mountain, “He was transfigured, His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light.”  He there revealed Himself to be also true God.

***Jesus, our Savior, was born. And when He was born, He was heralded by a multitude of angels who sang His praises, singing, “Gloria!”—And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom His favor rests!" God has had mercy. His favor rests on us and all who believe in Him! We as God’s people give Him all the credit for what He has done for us children of men. No one in heaven or on earth deserves this praise of the highest order, except the Glory, that has been sung by the angels in the realms of Heaven, for the Savior of all the world, Jesus Christ the righteous, the Sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus came and He willingly did what the Heavenly Father required of Him.

***The True God in the nature of Who Jesus was and is became apparent. He is the Son of the Heavenly Father and also true man, He is our Lord. All that Jesus is in His body, His words, and His deeds were done at the will and the plan of the  Heavenly Father since the ancient of days, even before the days of Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Jesus on the mountain and were talking with Him.

***Peter said to Jesus, “Lord’, it is good that we are here. Peter then offered to make three tents, one for Jesus, one each for Moses and Elijah. Why Peter thought this was a good idea is not said. Some speculate that Peter was simply being hospitable and wanted to extend the visit. Some speculate that Peter’s bold nature came out with him trying making himself more important to this revelation than he was. God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father, Who was and is the Creator and Preserver of all things,  was in charge of this revelation and all that would be accomplished would be at the will of the Heavenly Father. And so it was and forever it will be!

***While Peter was still speaking a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Hearing this, the disciples fell and  their faces were on the ground, they were terrified. –Jesus comforted them with a touch and said, “Rise, and have no fear!”---When the disciples lifted their eyes off from the ground, they saw no one but only Jesus.

***As Jesus and the disciples were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one this vision—of Himself being transfigured with His face aglow, the appearance of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus, the bright cloud and the voice which said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus said, “Tell no one of this vision until the Son of Man, is raised from the dead.”

***Why? The mission of Jesus was not yet finished. He still had work to accomplish. The hardest work to be completed was the work of the cross. That is, Christ’s extreme suffering and death as His sacrifice for sins, gaining salvation for all who would believe. Should these visions be made public before completed, this news may well have fueled the fire for many other wrong expectations. The disciples themselves had many wrong expectations of Jesus’ mission to pay with His life for the sins of the world. However, all would be accomplished for the world’s salvation as God Himself directed the events of Christ’s death. And then all salvation would be completed with His resurrection on the third day to the glory of God. Then the evangelists, apostles and all the saints are free to say: Christ is Risen indeed. All is accomplished for the world’s salvation.

***This is Transfiguration Sunday. Some call this worship day, the day we say goodbye to the “Alleluia”. Like the disciples were to remain silent about seeing Jesus in a glorious glowing appearance, in concurrence with the heavenly Father, Moses and Elijah until the work of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection, were completed, we also refrain in this season of  Lent, from using the word “Alleluia” in praising Jesus until Lent is completed. The debt for our salvation is accomplished and we bring the word “Alleluia”---“Praise be to Jesus”, back into our worship again on Easter Sunday. ***Dear Lord, Strengthen our Faith, Increase our Love and Hope. Amen  

Theme: See what God has Made of His People

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matt. 5:13-16

***Quite a number of years ago, I remember attending a teacher’s conference where the keynote speaker related her experience of attending an orientation meeting with her son at the University of Nebraska. The Dean of Students gave a thorough description of the academic and social programs which could serve the students. The Dean’s description was motivational for many parents and likely all of the students. The Dean’s concluding remark was, “I can promise all of you that I and the staff of this University will do all we can to make your children happy. --- To which Mom replied, “Happy! If I wanted to keep my son happy, I would keep him home and feed him pizza!”

***Just being happy from social relationships, comfortable surroundings, and entertaining activities do not make students capable, mature and confident to assume the demanding challenges in an adult society. Responsible parents want their children to be ready to take the step into adulthood seriously, with a positive mindset and skills to perform the work ahead. Students in a formal school setting and those that don’t go on to further higher education still need to learn. They may need to learn from parents, friends, or even workmates. But all need to learn and practice skills and adapt positive and appropriate attitudes which add to and compliment their life skills in order to succeed in the ways of society and the world at large. They are important because they are a blessing to other people. We may have heard this quote from our parents. “Remember, no one has promised you a rose garden.” Life may be difficult, but never-the-less you are important in your work and in your being.

***Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He opens up to all people, the Kingdom of God. His blessings are for: The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. Consequently, they are those who are persecuted for the sake of their righteousness; They will be called the sons of God, have the kingdom of heaven, be comforted, inherit the earth, be satisfied, and receive mercy, they shall see God and be called the sons of God.---  They are those who, while they lived on earth are reviled, persecuted and have all kinds of evil said against them falsely on account of their faith in Jesus—Yet, they can rejoice and be glad for their reward is great in heaven, for their persecutors are the same kind of people who persecuted the prophets, who lived before they lived. Often it was a sad hard life.

***Jesus opens the kingdom of heaven to those who acutely and even chronically feel sad and are in mourning over their many tragic conditions. We, see tragic conditions of our nation and the world in anguish over crime in the streets, murders and shootings even in schools. We see the looting of stores, and vandalism of property, by the Godless who readily persecute Christians and those of other religions and vandalize their places of worship. In our nation there are fewer and fewer Christian day schools and less attendance in Christian worship. We need more faithful Christian workers and witnesses in our churches and our world today. May the Holy Spirit move the hearts of many to say, “Here am I, send me.”

***Jesus, saw the same difficulties with His society and those who had faith in Him.  Jesus, the Son of God, was humbly born, raised in a small town, grew up in the house of a carpenter, and began His ministry where many people worshipped other gods. Jesus did His work among the sick and needy. He did not make a name for Himself in the high places of society that He should be popular and have a life of ease. In fact, Jesus lived and died in difficult situations.

Isaiah prophesied: “Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Is. 53- Jesus had a hard life.

***For we who believe in Jesus, He is not only our Savior, He is our Judge. He is true God, and as such, He could and can still today, read the hearts of people. He judges and compliments His people who trust in Him and serve Him. He knows their hearts and their lives of love, in witness and humble service to others. Jesus knows them and their serious demeanor. He compliments them and the importance of their work and presence in the kingdom of God. He calls His people the salt of the earth.  He also says, “Salt that loses its saltiness is good for nothing, but to let people walk on it”. ----Jesus says that we Christians are the light of the world, a city set high on a hill, and cannot be hidden. Don’t put that light under a bushel, but let it shine all the time before others. Then others will see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.

***Jesus also tells them that not one dot, or iota of the Ten Commandments are going away until heaven and earth will pass away and all is accomplished. Whoever relaxes one of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, Will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Obedience to the Moral Law of God is very important. God must be obeyed.  We remember that there is also a “Law of Faith”. The Law of faith says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith also claims the promises of God, because Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. He obeyed all of the Law of God on our behalf. He is the perfect sinless Lamb of God. He then, also died on the cross, the only   sacrifice acceptable by the Heavenly Father to pay for the sins of the world.

 ***Jesus went to the cross because God’s Son was the only sacrifice perfect and acceptable for the sins of the world. In order to receive the benefits of the forgiveness of sins, one must believe in Jesus as their Savior from sin. This is the Law of faith.  “Faith without works is dead”. God takes the law seriously. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Jesus said, “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was naked you clothed me. The righteous will then say, “When did I see you hungry, thirsty, or naked? Jesus then will respond, “Whatsoever you did for the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto me.” Love is the fruit of faith.

***The final judgement on the last day is done before the whole universe of men and of angels. The evidence of faith producing obedience will be used. All shams and deceptions fall away. All the works of love bring us back to their ultimate source which is faith. –Dear Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit, Strengthen my faith, Increase my love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Theme: The Ministry of Jesus

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them   25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matt. 4:23-25

***This is the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus. Epiphany to the Christian Church means to reveal Jesus as the Gospel Light who has come into the world. Jesus is the one who is to reveal Himself as the one promised and sent from God as the fulfillment of the Old Covenant made with God’s people, Israel through Moses, “I will be your God, and you will be My people.” God would bless His people and take them to a land He had promised them, a land flowing with “milk and honey”. God gave them His law which would show them how to live as His people. He gave them civic laws telling them how they must behave in order to live together, ceremonial laws showing them how to worship and honor their Lord, and He gave them the Ten Commandments, God’s moral Law, which was written, but was also to be obeyed by loving God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and also to love their neighbor as themselves. To break any of these Laws would be to sin, and sin, always brings punishment.

***Isaiah spoke of the land given to the children of Israel, the northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. These people had strayed from worshipping the Lord, God to worshipping the gods and goddesses of the Assyrians. Therefore, God allowed the Assyrians to rule them because of their sins of faithlessness to Him. Judah and Jerusalem, in the south, also fell to the sin of worshipping the Assyrian gods. Because of their faithlessness, God eventually let them fall into submission to the Babylonians. This foreign rule in the south also was also punishment for the sins of apostasy, that is, the worship of false gods. This is the breaking of the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me”!

***What about us today? Martin Luther says about the breaking of the commandments, “God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them.”

***The Ten Commandments are summed up as having two tables of the Law. The first three commandments are concerned with our obedience to God regarding who He is and what He does and will continue to do for us. Summed up, they say, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” God is three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are to have no other gods. We are not to misuse His name, and we are to remember the day set aside to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

***The second part of the commandments is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. That is: Honor and obey your parents and other authorities.* –Don’t do any physical harm to your neighbor but help him in any physical need. *–Lead a sexually pure and decent life in all we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.*—Don’t steal, trick, or be dishonest to get any of your neighbor’s property. But help him to improve and protect his property and income.*--Don’t tell lies, betray, or slander, or hurt your neighbor’s reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. *-- Don’t scheme to get any of your neighbor’s belongings or physical property, but help him and be of service to him in keeping it.*- Don’t covet your neighbor’s spouse, employees,  animals or anything else that belongs to him, but help and encourage everyone to be loyal and of good service to your neighbor.

***Why should we even try to keep God’s commandments? It seems so impossible! The truth of the matter is, we cannot do so perfectly. We are sinful humans by nature. The Bible says, “We were born in sin and in sin our mother conceived us.” We are by nature sinful and unclean. We cannot save ourselves from sin by perfect, sinless self-sacrifice or obedience, that is, acceptable to God. We cannot “atone” for our own sins, by our own goodness or perfect behavior. Trying to do this, so that, we may obtain a saving credit is selfish, and not even possible for sinful humans to do such a thing, and it is wrong to even try. Why? Because God is the “All knowing Judge.”

***How then are we saved? The Bible tells us, we are saved by the grace of God. “It is by grace that we have been saved, it is a gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast.(GRACE—Often has been explained as an ACROSTIC—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.-- Eph. 2  

 ***Man is a sinner and cannot save himself. Yet God has done everything necessary to save human beings from eternal death. By everything necessary, we mean that God provided the perfect sacrifice that would pay for all of the sins of all of the people in all of the world, and that perfect sacrifice is God’s own sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

***Who, though Jesus was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, and made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, He became obedient to death, even death on a cross.—God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

***How then do we receive this free gift of eternal life? We believe and confess that we are a sinner and are not deserving of receiving the free gift of eternal life. However, we do receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We receive the gift of the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life by FAITH in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

***The Christian FAITH has been explained using three words: Knowledge: I know that I cannot save myself because I am a sinner. I know that I am sorry for my sins, and I know and believe that, although I am not worthy to receive forgiveness for my sins. God in Christ Jesus, has done all things necessary for my salvation and the gift of eternal life in heaven where I and all other believers in Christ will live eternally with the risen and living Lord, serving and praising our God with love, gratitude and joy. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I and all Christians give Ascent to these truths of the salvation granted to all believers in Christ.

***Trust is the third word used to define faith. It means to have confidence. This is not a mild confidence. It often is used to describe a confidence given to a person or an object in a dire circumstance, which if the person or an object shall fail a life or wellbeing will be lost. Pilots trust their airplane. Soldiers trust their comrades. Patients trust their doctors. Christians trust Jesus, their Lord and Savior for having done and will complete what is necessary for their eternal salvation. The words of the hymn describe it well, “On Christ, the Solid Rock I stand, and all other ground is sinking sand!”

*** The last thing said after saying childhood night time prayers with our son was, “I will trust in the Lord, and not be afraid.”---These words are not just for babes, but to be believed by all children of God, who grants them eternal salvation in heaven. Amen.

Theme: Less of Me, and much more of Jesus

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 29The next day he, that is John the Baptist, saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'

 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

 32 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

John 1:29-37

***There is an account in the book of Genesis of Abraham journeying in land ruled by the Philistine King Abimelech. Abraham dug a well in that land and the Philistines did not believe that it was Abraham who dug the well. Abraham swore an oath to Abimelech that he did. A bloody feud could have started, but instead The King and Abraham made a covenant with one another swearing that they would both always deal honestly with one another. Abraham sealed his oath with a gift to Abimelech of seven young female lambs. Consequently, Abraham traveled safely in the land of the Philistines. Following the success of Abraham’s good graces from the Philistines, God came to Abraham directing him to take a journey with Isaac, his son, to the region of Mt. Moriah. And there Abraham was to go to a place the Lord would show him, and at that place Abraham was told by God to kill and offer his only son as a sacrifice to the Lord. Abraham was very sad. Isaac asked his father, “Where was the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham’s answer, “The Lord will provide”. They went to the place of sacrifice with fire, wood and a knife. Abraham bound his son, and as Abraham was ready to slaughter him, the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."  He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son”.

***So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." There on Mount Moriah, Abraham could have lost Isaac, his son, his only son. Occasionally, in our worship service we sing a song as an offertory that begins, “What can I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?” This offertory asks this question, as we pause to think, when we place our offering in the plate, we consider our worldly blessings such as, our house, home, family, personal safety, clothing, shoes, food and all the things we need to support our bodies and life. There is more to the blessings of the Lord than those physical blessings. We need to consider Jesus, the Son of God, who has come into the world to be the sinless Lamb of God, who is the sacrifice, the payment, for the sins of the entire world. He is the Lamb that God the Father provided for the sacrifice. No plain sinful human being would or could make a payment adequate for his own sins, much less, for the sins of others, surely not a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, in all the world for all time.

*** There was a man sent from God, whose name was John, who came to bear witness about Jesus, the light, that all might believe through him. John was not the light, but the one who came to bear witness about the light. This is Jesus, the Christ, the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. All who would receive him, who would believe in him, God gave the right to become His children, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. This is through Jesus, the Christ, only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John the Baptist bore witness about Jesus, and cried out, "This was He of whom I said, 'He is the one, the Christ, the Messiah, He came after me, but He ranks before me and higher than me. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus, not John, is the greater one.

***John Baptized Jesus. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. Jesus did not need to be repentant. He had no sin of His own. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit pointed out Jesus by hovering over Him in the form of a dove. This was not just a one-time appearance of the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ Baptism. The Holy Spirit abides with Jesus. In Jesus’ baptism, as now in all Christian baptisms, are done in “the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As John Baptized Jesus, the Greater One, which is Jesus, was revealed to all of Israel, all of God’s people. This is Jesus who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—Is heard over, and over, and over throughout the world again and again and again.

***John the Baptist’s ministry was for him to be the fore runner of Jesus. As his ministry progressed, John pointed Andrew, a brother of Simon Peter, to Jesus. Andrew then went to find his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Christ. He brought him also to Christ. They both became disciples of Jesus. As John and Jesus interacted with others- Phillip, and Nathaniel also came to be disciples of Jesus. These are just five of the final twelve disciples of Jesus. They became disciples by other believers in Jesus who saw the blessings God gives through faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. 

***A benchmark Bible verse of our Christian faith is John 3:16. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” – John the Baptist certainly believed that “God so loved the world”. John the Baptist also loved the world. He did not love the world’s wealth, power, or attention that he might have pride. John was a humble, motivated and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a servant of God the Father and the Lord Jesus, who came to save the world through preaching, service to others, and sacrificing His life in payment for sin and rising from the dead to earn eternal life for all believers. Jesus was also John’s Savior and Lord.

***John was unwavering in His mission for Christ and preaching to all who would hear. He was a voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. He ate a wilderness diet of locusts and wild honey, even his dress of camel hair coat and leather belt was that of a wilderness man. He was beheaded by Herod for preaching zealously against Herod’s adulterous marriage to Herodias.

***Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matt. 11:11. John: Faithful, Zealous, Selfless

*** And Jesus opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5—The Beatitudes

Theme: To Fulfill all Righteousness

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Matt. 3:13-17

***War and peace, night and day, cold and hot, love and hate, black and white: In our language classes in school we would call these sets of words “antonyms”, this means they are opposites of one another. When we read the entire chapter of Matthew chapter 3, and ask, can we find any differences between verses 1 through 12 as a whole, and then read 13 through 17. We then ask, “What is the difference between the two sections of the text?” Well, they are both about Baptism. In both sections, John the Baptist is baptizing. Yes, we can say, in that way, they are alike. But, what is the difference?

***If we read Matthew 3:1-12, we find John the Baptist dressed like a wilderness man. He wore a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt and his wilderness food was locusts and wild honey. John was preaching in a wilderness. The wilderness of John was not a place of beauty and tranquility. It was a spiritual wilderness of evil, cruel and sinful people. As he was Baptizing people, he was doing so with the purpose of first graphically, showing them their sins. Then they were to believe they were sinful and they needed to repent of their sins. Then, with John’s baptism, their lives were to change as they turned their lives around. They would be sorrowful as they realized their sins and become motivated to repent, to believe and “turn” their sinful lives to lives of obedience to God and His commandments. John spoke the truth about sinful humanity in rough and plain language so no person would be unclear about sin or God’s grace in Christ. He baptized people in the Jordan River. Many people came out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and were baptized by him confessing their sins.

***But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to Him for Baptism, he refused them because they did not bear the fruits of repentance. They were not sincere. Others came to John confessing their sins. The Sadducees and Pharisees did not do this and did not bear fruits in keeping with repentance. Their pride was that they called Abraham their father. They believed they had no need for repentance of their sins. John warned them of the coming judgement. “Bear fruit in keeping of repentance!” John continued, “Even now the axe (of judgement) is laid at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. John left no doubt about the future of unrepentant sinners before the holy and righteous Judge of all.

***John then points to Jesus, who is coming after John, and who is mightier than John. John said of Jesus, “I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (on judgement day). The wheat, those bearing fruits of faith, will be put into barns, that is, heaven. And the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire. That is, those who do not believe in Jesus and bear the good fruits of faith will be destroyed eternally in the fire of hell.

***The stakes of the circumstances for all of humanity are high. John knew that Jesus was the Lamb of God, Who would take away the sin of the world. John was, however, surprised at Jesus’ request, that John would baptize Him. Jesus wanted John, as He also wants us, to put the points of our religious knowledge into clear focus in the light of Jesus’ mission to save the world from sin and death. In order to do this, that is, to fulfill all righteousness, they went to the waters of the Jordan River for Jesus to be baptized by John. This then marked the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. This was not just for the people living in Jesus’s time, but for the people who lived in the past, and others who would live in future years. We today, need to know God’s judgement over sin-we must know that, “the wages of sin is death”, we need know that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil”, we need to know, that if “You, oh Lord, would judge iniquity, no one could stand.”

***Jesus didn’t need repentance for sins, because Jesus doesn’t have any sins of His own. However, He does have sins; He came to carry your sins, my sins and the sins of the entire world to the cross. He would suffer and die, and thereby pay the price that would satisfy the justice of the Heavenly Father. As Jesus began His public ministry, He stepped into our unrighteousness to bring us His, that is, God’s righteousness. In doing so, He carried our sins and the sins of the whole world all the way to the cross. This, His work of forgiveness, is shown to be true and just in the resurrection of His body and His life everlasting for Him and all believers in Christ. This was His righteous and good work on behalf of the entire world, and thereby, those who would believe in Him, would become the “righteousness of God”.

***Jesus was baptized and thereby, He fulfilled of all righteousness. When He was baptized, He immediately went up from the water, and behold the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

***On our behalf, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. He has done all things necessary for our salvation.  This is not all there is for us. Jesus said, “Lo I am with you always even till the end of the world.” Thereby, God wants us to be assured that He loves us and will attend to our fears and needs. Paul writes to God’s people, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 38, 39

***So therefore, “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thes, 5:17

 ***And now: May the eternal blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be and abide with you always and give unto you and all believers in Christ, eternal life. Amen.

Theme: The Light of Christ Overcomes the Darkness of the Devil, the World and our own Sinful nature

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.

 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."

 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Matthew 2:7-12

***I do like lights! We all have them in our houses. It is a gloomy place without them. It is true, that any place can be a dangerous place without lights. It is true that being outside at night without lights is by far more dangerous than being in a neighborhood that is well lit. As Christians, we also have another way of thinking about light and darkness. We have dark areas that cover our lives today, what are they? They are places and conditions of the world where sin, death, and the devil work hard all around us to encourage sin and darken our hearts. These places and conditions inhibit us from seeing the saving light of the Lord upon us. What darkness does the Lord’s “Gospel light” need to shine on, so that, we will see our sins, and with God’s forgiveness and help, eliminate the darkness and evil from our lives. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. Matt. 5

***Today we celebrate Epiphany Sunday. It is a day that the Magi who were, wealthy, royal and wise men from the East came to worship Jesus, the Newborn King and bring Him gifts. They were guided by a “star” to the place where they found Jesus and His family. We celebrate Epiphany,  as a day of light, because of the star the wise men used to guide them, and because of the Bible verse saying, “He, Jesus the Savior, will give the Light of salvation to the Gentiles”. Because these visitors were foreigners, this day is also called the Gentile’s Christmas. It is, therefore, a witness to the Gospel’s universal truth, that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.”

***The Wise men came closer to the place where the child was, but they needed help. The distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem is around six miles. Since the wise men were looking for a king, they went first to the place where a king would likely be born, that was Jerusalem. The wise men went to the Palace of King Herod and inquired of him, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” Herod assembled the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them. They told him, quoting the prophet, Micah 5:2, “In Bethlehem of Judea”. Herod then called the Wise men to him asking when the star first appeared and then sent them on their way with the instructions that they should search diligently for the Child, and when they found Him, they should come back and tell Herod where He was, so that Herod also could come and “worship” Him.

***The Wise Men didn’t realize it at the time, but when they walked into Herod’s palace, they also walked into a “den of evil”. Herod was a very jealous and hateful man. So much so, that he murdered his own wife and two of his sons, not to forget the thousands of babies killed in search of the One born who was the promised King of Israel.  Herod had a horrible reputation for vengeful acts. So much so, that it was said, “You are safer to be Herod’s dog than Herod’s son!”

*** The writings of Isaiah are often called the Gospel of the Old Testament because of the many prophesies of the coming Savior, who would save His people from their sins. The prophet Isaiah often spoke of the blessings for God’s people as they would come soon, or even as if, they already had come. He writes, Isaiah 60, “Your light has come, the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.—Nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. You shall see and be radiant—your heart shall thrill and exult, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. Camels of Midian, Ephah and Sheba shall come to you. They shall bring gold, frankincense, good news and praises of the Lord.” Isaiah wrote this “Good News” to God’s people who needed to know it 700 years before Jesus was born. His prophesy is as valuable to us today as it was to the people then. We can read, believe and see that God keeps His word. “His Word is truth!”

***The Word of God in His Law is timeless. His moral Law in the Ten Commandments are not now, or in the future, out of date. They are summed up in the words of Jesus, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. God also gave the ceremonial Law to Moses, and Jews in Jesus day still practiced it. It states how God’s people were to worship Him. Much of these Laws regarded sacrifices to the Lord. In our days we live in the New Testament times. Jesus lived, died and rose again. Jesus was the one sacrifice who truly paid with His life, the price that Justice demanded for the forgiveness of sins of all people of the world. Yes, including your sins and my sins.

According to the Third commandment, we are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

***The other Old Testament Laws, were civic Laws. God gave them these laws because Israel was a theocracy, that is, God gave his people all of their laws on how they were to live together according to God pleasing ways of peace and justice. Now we live under many different civic governments and we are to obey those civic laws. God expects us to obey these laws as we are told in the fourth commandment, “Honor your parents and other authorities.” It is a sin to disobey civic laws of country, state, city, home and family.

***As we live, before God, in our modern world, as Christians did in the first century after Christ. We live the same way regarding the civic laws of the land, as they did. According to the salvation granted us in the Gospel of Jesus, we realize that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses of all of our sins. We receive this forgiveness by repenting of our sins, asking for forgiveness and then sincerely and earnestly, with the help of God, to change our sinful lives and try to do better. We want to live our lives in righteousness and purity with God and men.

***Familiar verses that with the Holy Spirit’s guide us in lives of faith, witness and service before God and man.

 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph. 2:8,9

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matt. 5:13,14

***A now, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life eternal. Amen

Theme: By Grace we are saved, through Faith

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:21

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Galatians 3:23-26

***What an interesting Sunday. It is a civic holiday. We celebrate as we begin a New Year. In keeping that this is the first day of 2023 we have symbols, caricatures of the old man, “Father Time”, humped over and bedraggled, not marching along, he has a gray beard and is tired and worn. 2022 is gone not to return. We are all older now. Many of feel like “Father Time” looks. Ah, but now we have the New Year. We also see the caricature, the symbol, a bouncing baby, still in diapers, full of energy. It makes us smile and have some hope for what lies ahead in the New Year. So what lies ahead? Better yet, will we be able to handle what’s ahead?

***So why do we also celebrate the Circumcision of Jesus on January 1st? Jewish males are to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. Reasons why it must be the eighth day? Jewish people say, “The Bible says on the eighth day! so therefore we circumcise on the eighth day”. Some also say, the eighth day gives the family time to ensure the baby is healthy enough to tolerate the procedure. It was a rite ordained by God for the Children of Israel to be identified as one of God’s chosen people. At eight days old, God had given them His favor of blessing them and belonging to Him.

***It was also at that time the baby was given his official name. Both John the Baptist and Jesus were given their names by angels who spoke to Zechariah and Joseph before the children were born, and on the eighth day they were circumcised and their names were officially and publically announced. All things were then completed according to the law of the Lord.

***Accordingly, circumcision identified Jesus as a member of the God’s covenant people, and it thereby placed Him under the God’s divine law. For Jesus, His circumcision also made Him obligated to fulfill God’s divine law. No ordinary Jew could fulfill this obligation. Ordinary Jews sinned and needed sacrifices to remove their own sins. Obedience to God’s Law would keep ordinary Jewish men in the covenant relationship with their fellow Israelites. Jesus was true God and true man. Jesus had a high calling with His circumcision. He was holy and fulfilled all the requirements of the law perfectly because He was sinless. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”. Gal.4. This was a gift to all mankind from God, a gift given through the perfect obedience of Jesus to the Law of God. He did so, and thereby fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. Because, in and of ourselves, we could not be saved. Jesus is our Savior.

***God gave His chosen people the ceremonial law. The sincere Jewish people still practice the ceremonial law. The ceremonial law told them how to celebrate the Sabbath. What and when you can eat and drink and how and when the foods must be prepared. Even today going places outside the home is permitted, but there are many prohibitions against carrying anything outside in the street on the Sabbath. One cannot carry anything in the pockets like keys or handkerchiefs. No carrying prayer books, brief cases or food. Only things that are actually worn, like clothes, are permissible, even when going to the place of worship. What if there are no books are available? Well, we can memorize our prayers and one can still worship God. But what difficult burdens it must be to be under the Law. Who can ever accomplish it? 

***Only Christ Jesus our Lord has accomplished it. He has obeyed all of God’s laws perfectly. He is the only one who did it and the only one who ever could accomplish this perfect obedience to the will of God. How then can we explain this and how then can we be saved. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We are imperfect, sinful human beings and do not have perfect capabilities to obey the law of God. In fact, our Galatians reading gives us insight into God’s grace and wisdom. Paul writes, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed”. Faith here means not just believing, but defined as knowledge, ascent and trust. Mankind had the law of God, but was sinful and could not obey its demands perfectly, so that obedience would save people.

***But the Law of God acted like a guardian for a child. The guardian gave the child rules and helped him mature and stay close to what God, who gave the law, expected of him. God was working out His plan of salvation for all mankind. But until it was accomplished the Law of God kept people close to His rule and desire. The Law was like a baby sitter. The time was coming that God’s plan of salvation was getting closer. We know the words, “Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. They named Him Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins”! Jesus was the name given Him as told to Joseph from the angel. Jesus means Savior from sins.

***Jesus grew in stature with both God and man. He lived, taught, suffered, and died. He paid the price with His innocent suffering and death. This price was a just demand for the  sins of all the world. Then He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God and from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. He will then take me and all believers in Christ to serve Him forever in heaven.

***God’s Law shows us our sins, the Gospel shows us our Savior. The Gospel in a nutshell says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, has faith in Him, will not perish but have eternal life.—This is God’s law of Faith. 

***We still need the Law. The law functions as a curb-it helps us stay on the narrow road. It also functions as rules, we need to know the rules (God’s Ten Commandments). The Law also functions as a mirror. We look into it and it shows us our sins. When we see our sins, we love to receive and believe the law of faith which ties us to Jesus, Who grants us peace and salvation.

The LORD bless you and keep you;

 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Theme: We look forward to another Year of God’s Mercy and Grace-Help us Lord!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 6And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Luke 13:6-9

***This is the last evening of 2022. At one second past 12 midnight officially begins the New Year of 2023. This is an evening many celebrate. Many people go to parties. Some go to dinner with friends and family. It is a night to celebrate another year of our lives with food, laughter, and stories. The stories maybe those of humor and successes, or they may stories of disappointments, failures, illnesses, or tragedies and toasts to “Auld Lang Syne”, That is all the “Times Gone By”. Reminiscing can be filled with stories of personal struggles, joys, successes, or failures. However, 2022 is just about over! Gone! It is time to evaluate what has passed. Has it been successes or failures, joys or sorrows? Was it worth it all, or was it just a big bust? What about our own part in it all? How did we contribute? Be specific!  

***Yes, it is a time many people evaluate the aspects of their lives. A common example relates to young people and their school efforts and their achievements. This is about the time that semester grades come out in the form of report cards. Some students will be thrilled by their grades, others will be disappointed, parents will see the reports and surely have an opinion of their child’s achievement and if improvement is needed, parents will most often give advice. For failure in classes some parents may put sanctions on their child saying, “This is to make you remember that, studies and your efforts and study habits have a correlation to how you will do in other areas of your life. Parents resolve to pay more attention to their children’s school life and do all they can to discourage negative behavior and encourage habits that lead to success in school.

***Some people pay special attention in evaluating their life in terms of their occupations. Did the efforts put into their work, pay dividends in terms of a better position of responsibility and higher salary? Others may evaluate their family life. Is there too much tension in the household? Are there too many arguments? What can we do to improve the ways we treat each other? Do we really love each other? Can we resolve to spend more time with each other? And while we spend more time together, can we also resolve to show more love and concern for one another? Yes this is a worthy resolution, and we may resolve to do this!

                                                                                                                ***We may evaluate our job. Are the wages fair? Is the work pleasant and not too hard. Are my work mates generally caring of others and aren’t too hard to get along with? One thing might be improved in my attitude about work: Is the job, just a job? I work for wonder bread and all I do is watch the machines. In case they break down. I shut down the line and call for the people who have to fix it. Once the line is running again, I watch it for a malfunction. The job I have doesn’t seem important in the long run. Almost anyone can do it. Maybe I need a new job, something that I do each day that can make someone’s life a bit better. I resolve to look for work that will make more of a difference in the lives of others.

***The parable in our text puts to rest the whole idea of manmade resolutions, and places it into the realm of the judgement of Almighty God. The man who had planted the fig tree is God the Father, who is also the owner of the vineyard and therefore is the owner of the fig tree He had planted. He therefore has the say-so over the entire garden, including the say-so over the fig tree. The owner, Almighty God, came to the garden, looked at the fig tree and found again, that it bore no fruit. He said to the vinedresser, who would be Jesus, who takes care of the garden, “It has been three years, I have come seeking fruit from this tree and have found none. Cut it down! Why should it use up the ground?”---This would make sense to many. Maybe there is a fatal flaw in this tree. It has been three years and no fruit comes, why not try another tree or some other plant? Can there be anything to more lose? Patience has worn very thin at this point—To most people this would make the most sense. However, the vinedresser, Jesus said, “'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

***What can we learn from this parable? --We can learn that Jesus came as sent by the Heavenly Father, out of the Father’s loving heart for the world. Yes, Jesus did suffer, die and rise again that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. John 3:16. We can learn that Jesus’ love was not only shown in His sacrifice on the cross, although, this was the most far reaching saving act of God in Christ Jesus.---Jesus also loved sinners and was patient with them. We see that in our parable, Jesus the vinedresser loved the plant enough that the Heavenly Father gave into Jesus, the vinedresser’s request to spare the destruction of the tree for another year of Jesus the Vinedresser’s tender, loving and nurturing care. This tender care would be a saving act for the plant. It is also God’s patient loving care for us.

*** Jesus is the One Who could and would make the appropriate sacrifice to save the fig tree and all trees and also nurture them. The fig tree needed help to bear fruit. We too, are a part of God’s garden of His people. We also need help and nurture in our lives, that we may bear fruit. We need to be nurtured by the word of God. We need to know that sin harms our faith. We need to know the Ten Commandments, the Christian Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. We need to confess what we have done wrong and have not done the good that God commands. We have not loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We have neglected worship and prayer, and not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have held grudges and had spiteful thoughts. These are sins of omission and commission in the lives of all people. And each of us must examine ourselves accordingly. We need to confess our sins and receive forgiveness for them. We need to have a consistent spiritual diet of the Word of God that we will be strong in faith and lead decent and holy lives in our words and deeds. This is as if the “Vinedresser” dug around the tree and nourished it with fertilizer that it would be a healthy plant bearing fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We ask God to help us see these things in other Christians and we can pray that, Jesus, the nurturing Vinedresser, will send His Spirit to bring forth these qualities as fruits of our faith that we too will work to serve and help others in His name.

*** In our prayers tonight, thank God that He is our Savior and we, by the faith engendered in our heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, may become ones who truly love God with all our heart and soul, mind and strength. We ask forgiveness for all that we have done wrong and left undone.--Dear Lord, We confess that we have not loved You with our whole heart and have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Lead us, O Lord, to evermore-so become what you want us to be, that is, Your children and your nurtured and nurturing servants. In Jesus name Amen.

Theme: The Cross of Jesus’ Changed our Destiny

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

 23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife…

Matt. 1:19-24

***St. Paul uses a term as he writes to the church in Corinth, He says, “Let all things be done decently and in order”. He says this because people in the congregation would witness or discuss a revelation from the Lord and as they each may have had another thought or revelation, individuals would jump into the conversations and interrupt the others so that sessions of sharing and learning would become a confusing melee. No one could express their own experiences and thoughts to the group and be understood. Paul was trying to establish rules and order for witness and sharing so that truth and clarity of words, thoughts regarding God and His word would be understood and honored by all.

***This is the same concern that “all things are to be done “decently and orderly” that God and His people would also have regarding the birth of “Jesus, the Son of God”. Jesus was to be born to save His people from their sins. Here, in our text the angel spoke to Joseph. Recorded in Matthew chapter 2, the angel spoke to the Magi telling them to return to their home by another route, and in Luke 2 the angel spoke to Mary and in our text and also spoke to Joseph. All of the events surrounding and including the birth of Jesus were special, miraculous and ordained by God.

***Joseph was betrothed to Mary. A betrothal is a legal and binding intent to marry. It can only be dissolved by death or divorce. The couple does not live together during the betrothal period. Living together is defined as the couple having intimate relations. This “living together” as married husband and wife is against the Word of God” still, today. The intent of the betrothal is fulfilled when the marriage is performed according to an accepted legal contract. Then the couple may live together. This is accepted Jewish practice yet today.

***What about Mary and Joseph? They were betrothed to be married. They did not live together. That is, they did not have intimate relations. But during the time of the betrothal, Mary was found to be with child. Joseph understood the situation and could understand the embarrassment and the shame that would come upon Mary when this would become public. So Joseph decided to divorce her “quietly”. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him that the child Mary will have is conceived by the Holy Spirit. Neither Mary nor Joseph had broken their betrothal. Neither Mary nor Joseph had sinned in the eyes of God, or in the eyes of other people. The angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him God’s truth, “That which is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Joseph believed the angel.

***We don’t know altogether the details of what happened to Joseph on account of his dream. Did he, as a faithful Jewish man, remember the quote from Isaiah’s sign from the Lord that said, “A virgin will conceive and bear a son”? Did he make any explanations to others of his experience with the angel who appeared to Him in a dream? We are not told. We are told that Joseph took Mary as his wife as the angel commanded. We are told that “he knew her not until Mary gave birth to a son and called His name Jesus”.

***We don’t know if Joseph tried to explain the miracle of Jesus’ birth to relatives and friends, but we do know that troubles would begin when Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt in order to save the baby Jesus from being killed by Herod. When Martin Luther describes this text, he calls it the “turbulent side” of the Christmas story. Luther describes the confusion of Joseph as Jesus, yet unborn, entered into the sinful world beginning with the Angel who said, “Conceived by the Holy Spirit”. From heaven above, to earth Christ comes, and then close at hand is the cross of Christ. The cross is suffering. The cross is confusing. How can there be redemption in suffering or salvation in death?

***The cross is at hand in our lives too. We often think of the difficulty and suffering we have in our lives as our cross to bear. What are our crosses? Do we count our many unpleasant and trying experiences, as our crosses? Joseph struggled with the arduous journey with Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It must have been tiring and dangerous. Was this a cross? Was the confusion of Mary’s seemingly untimely pregnancy and the unusual, yet truthful explanation, a cross he bore? Even after that, Joseph and Mary took the long trip to Egypt to save the life of the baby Jesus, was that a cross of suffering to bear? Do we see the personal suffering that we experience as a cross to bear. Is this redemptive? If we bear with it can we count the suffering as righteousness? If we do good in hard situations, are we making up for the sins we have committed? We find virtue in selfless difficult tasks, but what comparison do these seemingly, even worthy acts have to the actual cross and suffering of Jesus Christ who cleanses the whole world from all sins through His innocent suffering and death.

*** He, Jesus, was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:

***Jesus, the holy and innocent Son of God paid the redeeming price with His innocent suffering and death. He bore the cross not to save Himself. He had no sin. He paid the price of sin for others,  that is, Jesus suffered, He died, He rose again that all the world, would believe in Him, and that by believing, we receive eternal life in His name.

***Next Sunday is Christmas! Why do we have so much talk about sin? Didn’t Jesus come to suffer and die on the cross to cleanse us from our sin? After all, isn’t this the season to be jolly? We have wonderful decorations in the house, in the stores, and along many streets, great food, family gatherings, we give and receive gifts. Let’s get into a great mood as we celebrate. Isn’t this a great idea?   

***A great idea? A great mood? With caution! We can mask or even forget the reason we celebrate Christmas’ meaning focusing only on the things that make us feel good temporarily. Jesus came that He could bring the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. And these things come through the serious nature of the Cross of Christ. These things are the reason Jesus was born, lived, served, suffered, died, rose again, and will come again to take all who believe in Him to heaven. How does make us feel? These thoughts may in a very good way, to be an antidote to an overly sentimental Christmas.

May our Christmas be joyful, loving and righteous in Jesus name. Amen

Theme: Jesus is “the One”

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples

 3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

 4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:

 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

Matt. 11:2-6

***There are some really stressful and even downright, fearful times in people’s lives. Many of us, for example, have watched documentaries of film footage taken during times of war. Some of these that may come to mind are films from WWII. The soldiers are already in the landing craft, heading to the beach where it is sure that the enemy is waiting there to kill them. Although the soldiers are well trained and equipped, they were sure that they, or many of their friends, would die in battle. How did they, or how will we, even if we don’t face our death in a military battle, how do we prepare for our own death? We may even ask ourselves, “What is the meaning of my life?” Was I a good enough person that God will take me to heaven? Is there something I should have done for God or others that I did not yet do? In my life as a Christian, is there something I yet need to know and understand? Can I be sure that I will go to heaven to be with my Lord?

***Our Gospel reading today centers on John the Baptist. John was a relative, a second cousin of Jesus. His birth was prophesied and his life reflected this prophesy, he would prepare the way of the Lord Jesus. He would be the “Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the Way of the Lord!” John the Baptist, prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus by baptizing many, many people with a baptism of repentance. This baptism and the message of John, pointed to Jesus, who would be the one to actually pay the price for the salvation of all with His own precious blood that would save His people from their sins. John also baptized Jesus into God’s loving and all-encompassing work of salvation, for all people of all times in the entire world. John the Baptist was a well-known prophet amongst people of his day and a bold and zealous witness to us of, the unrelenting truth of the salvation that is only found in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

*** However, today’s Gospel reading finds John the Baptist as a victim of persecution, a captive in Herod’s prison. He, himself, is in need of strong encouragement from others who believe in Jesus. Herod was a powerful, but horribly cruel and brutal king. However, he found some fascination in visiting with John, who is in a position that John will surely be put to death for the least provocation. Under this pressure, John wanted to know if Jesus was truly the Messiah, or should there be another. So John sent word to Jesus, by way of His disciples, who said to Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we wait for another?” –And Jesus answered John by reminding him of the signs, that, John himself witnessed. “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

***Jesus convinced and comforted John by giving true evidence of who Jesus is by those who attest to Him as the “Way, the Truth, and the Life”. They believe that Jesus is truly the Messiah who was promised and is amongst them. John the Baptist could and would be sure of the testimony Jesus gave to him. John knew those people and the circumstances to which Jesus alluded. These people were not a few! They were many!

***Jesus praises John by giving us, a description of John the Baptist. He is a model of faith for us to follow in our walk of faith in Jesus during our “modern times”. We find so many people who doubt the truth of the word of God, which proclaims Jesus Christ as our Savior and the Savior of all people everywhere. In Jesus alone we find salvation through the forgiveness of sins. We believe that “Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. It is by His Cross and resurrection that we are saved. For it by grace that we have been saved, through faith it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone can boast in himself”. Eph. 2:8,9.

***We have the “Kingdom of heaven”. It is in our hearts and minds where Christ is present and rules by His grace through our faith in Him. It is the Good News, it is all about Jesus. He has come and done all necessary to save us from our sins. He provides our salvation by His perfect obedience to God the Heavenly Father. Jesus, obeyed His Heavenly Father by His holy suffering and death, His resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven. And this will become complete when Jesus returns to take all who believe in Him to heaven to live eternally with Him and all believers forever!

***John the Baptist was a “wilderness man”. The wilderness is a rough and dangerous place. John was never more in the wilderness then when he was taken into Herod’s prison. John was not in danger because of wild and ravenous beasts, wind, thunder, or lightning. John was in the wilderness because Jesus was not near to him. John needed Jesus to assure him, “Again John”, remember the signs you were given, ““The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

*** John, like all people need to know and believe that Jesus is our personal Savior, who will save His people from their sins. We have spiritual enemies in our wilderness. We have the devil, the world and our own sinful nature. This is the wilderness and it is a hard dangerous place. We must be firm and steadfast in our faith in Christ, not like a reed shaken in the wind. We cannot be as one who is comfortable, resting in soft clothes. We remember the scriptures:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:8-10

***It is most important that all person’s be pointed to Jesus as the one who suffered and died on the cross to pay the price for the forgiveness of sins for all the people who ever lived and all people who ever will live before the world is called to its end by God. This will be the time that God will judge the world. All People who died will rise from the dead. This is the time that all those who believe that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, will be divided from those who do not believe in Him.—It is important to remember that God knows all the people who have “saving faith” in their heart. Saving faith never forgets that Jesus came to earth to save people from their sins. This was His love given to us as He shed His blood for us on the cross. This is His saving work. Jesus also showed love to all people by healing the agonies of sickness, pain and the death caused by sin. We see Him do this by the miracles He does for others who suffer. He did it out of love for them.

We pray: Lord, give us a faith that will not shrink, even when pressed by many foes. That will not tremble on the brink of poverty or woe.

Lord give us a faith that will not murmur or complain beneath a chastening rod, That, when in danger knows no fear, in darkness feels no doubt.

A faith that keeps the narrow way till life’s last spark is fled and with a pure and heavenly ray lights up our dying bed.

Lord, Give us such a faith as this; and then whatever comes, we’ll taste even, now the holy bliss of an eternal home. Amen.

Theme: Baptizing in the Wilderness

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'" 4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,

 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:1-6

***Since I was a child, I had a great love for the out of doors. Just the thought of nature and wilderness fascinated me. It was not the kind of love that led to scientific studies, but to me, the lure was its mystery and sense of adventure.  As a young teacher, I also worked with youth doing things “outside of normal classroom activities. We went on many different kinds of retreats, but the most unique and challenging were wilderness canoe camping trips in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Canada. They were fun and adventurous, but along with Bible study and daily devotions, campers also made meaningful Christ centered relationships.

***In experiencing the wilderness, one thing became obvious, It is important that the participants become able to handle the outdoor experiences. That being said, skill levels vary. All leaders and campers were to be aware that those who struggle may be in danger and need help from others. These trips were an adventure, but it became clearer with each trip, especially to the experienced counselors—If you think you have become so knowledgeable and skilled that you can handle the wilderness, think again, and you will see that there are circumstances that the wilderness will handle you.

***On one windy trip we arrived back at out outfitter and were informed that four people drowned on Sea Gull Lake, and they all were wearing life jackets. On another trip, one girl was walking bare foot about ten feet away from the campfire, and she jumped because the ground was hot. The roots of a large tree were burning underground. Many in camp dug to the roots and others brought buckets of water from the lake to extinguish the fire. Another time we actually had to paddle back through a still smoldering forest fire. Most of the trees still standing, were smoking and occasionally one burst into flame. It was an eerie and sobering experience. To me, the wilderness is still intriguing, but those adventures in my mind are now regarded as dangerous and fearful. People can die.

*** In his Gospel, Matthew, quotes the prophet Isaiah, as he points ahead in time to John the Baptist. John is God’s messenger in the wilderness. He proclaims the coming of Jesus, the Son of God and Savior. John is a “wilderness man” wearing clothes made of camel’s hair and a leather belt. He ate a diet of locusts and wild honey. He was rough and blunt. The wilderness might hold its intrigue and beauty, but danger also stalks its travelers and often brings demise to those who travel there. Another kind of the world’s danger is sin. Sin is the breaking of God’s Law. Sin is in each person and sin’s nature is shown in pride and arrogance. John the Baptist points fingers at the Pharisees and Sadducees, whose personal pride and their downfall was obvious by their proclamations of Abraham as their father and their own “good works of obedience to the law”. This, they believed, would save them, and they were not about to repent of their sins. Jesus called them a brood of snakes. They still held themselves proudly as solely qualified, in and of themselves, to belong to the kingdom of God and not needing to repent of their sins. Believing that one does not sin, is sin, in and of itself.

***John was baptizing those who came to him with a baptism of repentance. John was pointing to the dangers of sin which brings forth death, physically and spiritually. John preached a baptism of repentance and the forgiveness of sins, in order to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus and the salvation He brings. By this, John would “make the paths straight” for Jesus, the sinless Son of God and Savior of the world. Jesus, our Lord and Savior is the One on whom the atonement, the payment for all sins, would depend.  He alone could accomplish salvation for all people of all times. This Savior, Jesus, is also our Savior. He is the one who made perfect John’s baptism and the repentance which leans wholly on Jesus’ cross and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and our eternal salvation. John prepared the way for Jesus. Thereby, the works of John, his relation to Christ, his preaching and baptism of repentance, his life in the wilderness, his witness to the greatness of Jesus, and the cruel death of martyrdom suffered by John, all led to preparing the path for the saving works of Jesus. The works of John made it obvious for all of us to see and believe that Jesus came to save us from our sins and grant us eternal salvation.

 ***Yet we, who celebrate Advent, often have our minds on other things. We are sending Christmas cards, putting up Christmas lights, buying gifts, decorating the house, and celebrating Christmas dinners with our families. Well, Christ is coming! He came the first time as a baby. His name was given as “Jesus”-Savior, because He shall save His people from their sins. How should we celebrate this season? Jesus, the Living Word of God through the prophet Isaiah said, “I send my messenger, that being, John the Baptist, before your face, who will prepare your way.” John the Baptist prepared the way of Jesus our Savior to save God’s people from their sins. Jesus truly and humbly accomplished this by His suffering and dying on the cross. Jesus did this all out of love for the world. He also did it humbly, out of love for you and me.

***An “in kind” response to our loving and humble suffering Savior is to believe in Him as our Lord and Savior. Admitting that we have done wrong in the eyes of God as shown to us by the Ten Commandments, and then to sincerely confess our sins before God. This is humbling, but this is good and right that we do so! 

***But is this complicated? How do we confess our sins? Our catechism says, “Consider your place in life according to the Ten Commandments.” The first commandment, and this is God speaking, “You shall have no other gods.”—God, our God, the God of the Scriptures. God, the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—Three distinct Persons yet one God, this is our Relationship, primary, above all other relationships. – Complicated? It may sound like it, but remember, God is love! God loves you! And all people! –God wants you to believe that, He is our true Father and we are His true children. We are  forgiven and redeemed by Jesus’ precious blood to obey his words, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Do we really love God withal our heart soul, mind and strength, and so we really love our neighbor as ourselves? –Does this sound hard? In and of ourselves, it is hard. But there is more “Good News”, we have help! ----The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. “We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning’s too deep for words. Romans 8—The Bible also says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. 1 John 1. -- God also speaks through Isaiah and says, ---“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem that her warfare is over and her iniquity is pardoned. Isaiah 40. – Especially in hard times, God’s people can hear the words of His mercy and comfort. This is the Gospel, that is, God at work for good, even when all things seem bad.

***What does God want of us? We, meaning the whole world, which is a desert, we are in a place of “want”, and are in a bad condition. We have too much sin, depravity, sickness, fear and death. There is too much strife in our nation and communities. Political parties are divided, so much, that the nation itself is changing for the worse. Some say, “It will never be the same again!” –What does God want of us in our “wilderness” that is changing? Should we change too?

***Yes! We should change! How? Repent of our sins! We might say, “I am a Christian and I ask God to forgive my sins every day.” This is a good thing Christians do.  There is more, We are to be the bearers of the Good News, “God did so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3

***We also remember that as God and sinners are reconciled in Christ, that we also are called to be reconcilers and do our part as peacemakers. In our world and country where there is so much sin and discord, God says, “"Blessed are the peacemakers”, for they shall be called sons of God.”—The fruits of the Spirit swelling in us are love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self- control. Against these things there is no law. May God by His grace and Spirit, make his people, truly the salt of the earth, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Amen.

Theme: Jesus Needs the Donkeys for His Work

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth-phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

 2 saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

 5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"

Matthew 21:1-5

***This Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. Why then do we have a Gospel reading that is also used for Palm Sunday? We’re getting ready for Christmas. We are beginning to put up our Christmas decorations, go Christmas shopping, and perhaps already wrapping some presents. All these things are part of the busyness of Christmas preparations which intensify as December 25th approaches. What stimulates us to think of the true meaning of Christmas, that is, the birth of Jesus, our Savior? We can picture the shepherds and the angels saying, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth and goodwill to men!” We picture Joseph bringing Mary to Bethlehem from Nazareth, likely riding on a donkey, and then resting with them in the stable. After the baby was born, Joseph took Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt. She must have been riding on a donkey. It was a long way to Egypt. Donkeys were the poor man’s beast of burden and a present help in work and travel for many. This surely was the case with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus

***In our celebration of Advent we are getting ready for Christmas. For us it is the anticipation of the birth of Christ. We hear the words of carols and hymns. Their words and melodies calm the heart, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!” Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, and all is bright.” Away in a Manger, No crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus Lay down His sweet head! We hear the words, we feel the melody. We are comforted and at peace. We feel warm, relaxed and of good cheer. All is well with the world. Jesus is born! What could be wrong with feeling good about that?---On the surface, we love to see a decorated Christmas tree, hear carolers in the background, and see presents under the tree. It just makes us feel good, but do we meditate on the true meaning of Christmas.

***On a little deeper level, is it true that Jesus came to bring peace on earth and good will to men? Yes, that is true, and if so, then we should also bring peace on earth and show good will to all people. Yes, it begins with Jesus birth, His life and salvation He brings to me and the entire world. Maybe I can do something to help somebody that I might really get the Christmas feeling. I would like to feel all warm, comfortable and good inside. I think I will try to show my Christmas spirit by donating four hours per week of my time working in a downtown soup kitchen serving meals to the homeless and poor people. Everyone knows that they need help and I will feel good about the season and good about me too, if I do something for someone on Christmas. After all, Jesus said, “When I was hungry you gave me something to eat. When I was thirsty you gave me something to drink. Whatever you do for the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.” After all, Jesus came for the lost sheep of Israel. It makes me feel good if I do something for the “lost sheep” of our city.” I will feel like I am in the real spirit of Christmas!

***There are about as many ways as there are people to conjure up a Christmas “feeling”

into a Christmas theme, such as “Peace on earth and good will to men.” But is this something God really wants us to do, or can we learn something from the liturgist giving us a Palm Sunday reading for this, the first Sunday of Advent? First of all, on the Palm Sunday when Jesus was to make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He made much over the donkey He chose to carry Him to Jerusalem. Jesus was acquainted with the donkey and its colt. They were together. He told the disciples to untie them and bring them to him and if anyone says anything to you about this, tell them, “The Lord needs them. And he will send them at once.” –This was prophesied by Zechariah, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”

***The prophet writes this to show that, although, Jesus of Nazareth is their king, He is a humble king riding on a donkey, a work animal, a beast of burden. This fit Jesus goal, because He also had work to accomplish. And the work Jesus had to accomplish was expressed by the crowd who followed Jesus shouting, “Hosanna”—Son of David! “Hosanna” means, “Save us, we pray!” We also need to be saved from sin, death and the devil.--Jesus is the Savior. Jesus is true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary. He came to give His life as a sacrifice for sin, to pay the penalty for all of the sins of all people for all time. He knew that when He rode that donkey to Jerusalem, He was going to die there, by crucifixion.  Truly this is love-- “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

***Jesus was a king, not in the way think of a King. He was, is and ever shall be, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. But He was never an aloof King. As Jesus ministered on earth, He was with the people. He preached, taught, healed, and raised the dead. People were always touching Him and He touched them. The sick and lame would lay along the roadside just to touch the hem of His garment, that they would be healed. Jesus loves people still today. Jesus said, “Low I am with you always, even till the end of the world.” He said, “Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, I will give it to you.” Jesus is just a prayer away.

***So, Why did the chief liturgist put a Palm Sunday reading in the first Sunday in Advent? The great saving work of Christ was to suffer, die, rise from the dead, ascend into heaven and then return in judgement and take all of His faithful believers to Himself in heaven. This we must never forget and always believe that Jesus did this for us. It is the reason He came into the world for us. We want to remember this each day of our lives. Without Christ’s “work” of salvation for us on the cross, no one would be saved. It is His great work of love. No one would be in heaven with Jesus.

***It has been said, “If we are Christians, we never get away from the manger and never get away from the cross.” We never get away from the manger, because it is a vivid reminder that Jesus came to earth like us, a baby, a vulnerable baby. And Jesus that vulnerable baby was also God, who is with us. He was like us in every way, only without sin.----Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and had favor with God and men. He knew as we know that as the people cried “Hosanna, Save us we pray! ” Jesus did! He was crucified on the cross.  He suffered, He died for your sins and for mine. --- He then rose from the dead that we would be justified. Our debt of sin was paid by Jesus.

***Oh, Dear Jesus, Let my sins be all forgiven. Bless the friends we love so well. Take us all at last to heaven. Happy there with Thee to dwell. I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid. Amen.

Theme: Not a Usual King, Not a Usual Kingdom

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."

 37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."

John 18:36,37

***We Americans don’t consider kingly leaders as important to us. Since the revolutionary war when the armies of King George III of England were defeated and the new American government issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when we declared America a new independent nation. Great Britain still has a monarchy which is not elected, but like all real monarchies, kings and queens come from royal families and serve in turn from generation to generation. After queen Elizabeth died this past summer, her son, Prince Charles succeeded her, and Charle’s son, Prince Harry, is next in line, to be followed by his children. In this day, Great Britain elects its civic leaders, but the reigning monarchs hold much moral authority and represent the country reaching out to others within and outside the nation with influence and good will. There is a political doctrine called the “divine right of kings”. That is, through birth, God chooses the next king or queen for the nation who rules as long as God gives them life and health.

***Upon conquering and settling the land of Canaan, God’s people Israel cried to have a king so they could be “like the nations”. Saul, David, and Solomon were the first three kings of the people of Israel. Jerusalem was its capital. From the rule of King David to the birth of Jesus 28 generations had passed. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Caesar Augustus commanded all the people of Israel to go to the hometown of their family line, and Mary and Joseph were of “the house and line of David” so Mary, who was pregnant, and Joseph went to Bethlehem. This was done so that a census could be taken and taxes could be assessed on the families. We remember that, at this time, the Wise men were following the star that came to rest over the place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. To be sure, the Wise Men, looking for a King to be born inquired of King Herod the Great in Jerusalem, only five miles away from Bethlehem, where the “King of the Jews” was to be born. Of course, Herod didn’t know, but told the Wise Men to return and tell him when they found Him. After the Wise Men worshipped the child Jesus, an angel warned them not to return to Herod, but to go to their own country by another way. Joseph also was warned by the angel to flee to Egypt, because Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him. Historians tell us Herod then, succeeded in killing tens of thousands of baby boys out of jealousy and fear, thinking and fearing that there could be a special King born to rival his authority.

***As we know, Jesus was this special king, but he was not bashful to say before Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were my disciples would be fighting that I might not be turned over to the Jews.” Jesus knew that He came to seek and save the lost, and by it, He would suffer, die and rise again for them. When it came time for Jesus to go to the cross and complete His work of salvation by sacrificing His own life, He did so willingly. However, others around Him showed their sinful nature. Judas betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Him. Others fled for fear. One man took a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. Those that came to arrest Him treated Him with force like He was a thief and a robber. They were gross sinners, every one of them except for Jesus. We too, live in a world of sin and sinners; to which each of us make many ignorant, cruel and selfish contributions.

***Jesus came into the world as the Savior King. He said, “I have been born, I have come into the world.” He didn’t come waiting to be crowned King. He was born as a legitimate King. He was already a heavenly king. He came to earth to assume His rightful role of the Savior/King. Earthly kings inherit their kingship in an earthly way by means of succession. Jesus already was King in heaven as the Son of the heavenly Father. Jesus said that He had come by His own will and acts with His own motivation as a supreme king, who is the very Son of God. He is true God, true man and King for us. It is a rightful office for Him.

*** Jesus came to us in our world with a goal, that is, the goal of a Savior. Before Jesus was born, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and said, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” This is the kind of King Jesus is. His and the Father’s love is so grand that the King would sacrifice own life as the Savior of His people. He would pay for our sins with His holy, innocent, suffering and death. Jesus did not come to make known to us any and every truth or reality; He has not come only in a general way to declare to us, true things. His work is to bring to us that specific truth which He heard from the Heavenly Father, the truth we need for our salvation.” – Because, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16,17.   

***Who then can be saved? Believing in Jesus is receiving His gifts and benefits of salvation. Who then is most likely to believe having heard the word of salvation that comes to people? There are some who put a label on people who they say are likely to hear what is true and are most likely to discern and then personally believe the truth of salvation through Jesus. Some call them “truth-seekers”. Those who are labeled such are, supposedly, especially gifted and put above others as having an innate sense for judging what is the truth. This thinking suggests that some people are “better” than others. How? They are perhaps more sensitive, more insightful, more intelligent, or more discerning at becoming believers in Christ than others. The Bible doesn’t ever distinguish amongst people in such a way. Jesus, in speaking to Pilate, levels all humanity to an equal level before God. When He says, “Everyone who is ‘of the truth’ listens to my voice.”—Our own experience and the records of Scripture contradicts the truth-seeker scenario: Remember the thief on the cross, tax collectors, prostitutes, Pharisees, etc. ---Paul writes, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God so no one can boast” Eph. 2:3,4

***It is important for all of us to remember that we, with the entire world, of everyone who ever lived, or will yet live, one day will stand before Jesus as the righteous judge of you and me and all mankind. The faithful believers divided from the unbelievers. All will be transparent and the hearts and lives of all will be revealed and judged. It is not only good, but of most importance, that we look inward at our own hearts and lives and evaluate them according to the Ten Commandments. Then as we are aware of our sins, and honestly with sorrow, confess our sins before God, ask him for forgiveness through Jesus, who died and rose again, that we can be eternally saved. Then we pray, with the help of God, we will earnestly try to do better, as we love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.  

Theme: Our Final Redemption Draws Near!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it,

 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.

 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.

 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  

28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Luke 21:20-24,28

***Putin has invaded the Ukraine and as today there are 6490 civilian deaths. China is getting to be a stronger world power all the time and is threatening to invade Taiwan. North Korea is wants to be a nuclear power and is firing missiles into the sea. The Middle East is a powder keg and is not responding to diplomatic efforts by the US. On the domestic front the threats are closer to home. 2.76 million Illegal aliens have so far crossed the southern border into the United States. We can add local concerns of crime and murder rates, school shootings, robberies, drugs and the rising death tolls from them, even among children. We are personally cautious. But we are fearful.

***St. Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica

Asking them to pray that Paul and his companions would be delivered from wicked and evil men. And also pray that the Apostles, themselves, would not grow weary of doing good. This is the case in all our readings chosen for this Sunday, because this is almost the end of our liturgical church year.  Starting in Advent, we proclaim the coming of Jesus into the world to save all people from their sins. The end of each liturgical year we celebrate Jesus’ return in Judgement. He will separate the sheep from the goats. Meaning He will take all believers to heaven to live in holiness and harmony with all the saints forever in heaven. And all those who do not believe in Him will be sent to hell where “the sun never sets, and the worm never dies.” We hear of these conditions experienced during the “Last Times”, and are concerned. But often we act like we are safe in our homes. Yet we are unavoidably and personally facing Godless enemies each moment of each day. We cannot avoid the terrors of God’s judgement. Instead, we find our own “happy place” of everyday thoughts and activities and not consider the inevitability of horrors and suffering the end times will bring. As God’s people, we really are alerted to God’s judgement and reward and want to focus on repentance of sins and holy living, and do what we can to warn and prepare others to take seriously sinful lives and God’s grace in Christ Jesus that they may repent of their sins and be saved at the final judgement.

***There are times in our lives that the fabricated “happy places” in our own minds do not make sense according to God’s reality of His grace to all people who believe in Jesus. We find the cruelties of Satan and the world just cannot be ignored or compared with the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The following true story comes from Rev. Dale Meyer as told to seminary students at Concordia Seminary St. Louis, when he was president there. He related an interview he had with a Rev. Holmer, who was a pastor of a Lutheran church in communist East Germany. (East and West Germany were united into one republic in 1990). In this process of unification, the powers that “be” did not know what to do with Eric Honaker, who was just released as the president of communist East Germany. They petitioned Rev. Holmer to allow Honeckner to stay with him and his family in his home, which he did for a matter of a few months. The Rev. Holmer family consented, as they considered that they themselves were Christian people and this was the will of God for them. Even though, during the rule of the communist regime, President Honaker persecuted and treated horribly Rev. Holmer, his church as well as the other Christian churches in East Germany.

***Pastor Meyer asked Pastor Holmer, how he found the strength of faith and wisdom to tolerate and be sociable to this man who had been a leader, holding beliefs contrary to the church, but espoused the beliefs of communism and atheism. Holding these philosophies and beliefs, President Honaker postured himself as the church’s enemy for years. Pastor Holmer then gave this explanation of what helped him be a host to Honaker. Pastor awoke each morning well before the rest of the house and found his place in the house which was quiet and he would not be disturbed. There with the help of Scripture, he had his “quiet time with God.” During his quiet time with God, Pastor Holmer could realize His own sins and repent of them. He also revisited and remembered his own sins that had plagued for many years, he repented often and assuredly believed that God in Christ had forgiven him. This gave Pastor Holmer a different attitude, that is, one of two sinners speaking with each other. One who knew he was forgiven eternally in Christ, and the other who needed yet to know that he was a sinner and must know Christ Jesus as his Savior.

***Pastor Meyer asked Rev. Holmer, “What would happen if you didn’t spend this time in the morning with Scripture and Jesus looking at your own sins, bringing them before the Lord again for forgiveness and realizing once again that by the blood of Jesus, those sins are eternally paid for and by the blood of Jesus you are cleansed from all sins. Pastor Holmer said, “It would be, as if it were, a poison would take over me, and I would never be able to act as host to Erik Honaker.”  We cannot go on ignoring evil, or especially, the evil that lies within each of us. That is, our own personal sin and evil that often we don’t realize we have. Sin is not simply making a mistake. Mistakes can be corrected. Sin is our rebellion against God Himself. These sins have been paid for by the cleansing blood of Jesus and new life is received by sinners by repentance and faith in Christ for salvation.

***Do we then knowledgably rebel against God. We hope not, but often, out of sinful ignorance, we do. Pastor Meyer said that each person must recognize that we are the “most hell deserving sinner of all sinners”. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” St. Paul believes this and is frustrated and writes, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Yet thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24, 25.-He writes as well,

For it is by grace we have been saved. This is not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone can boast.” Eph. 2:8,9

***Our prayer:  Watch against thyself, my soul,

Lest with grace you trifle;

Let not yourself, your own thoughts control

Nor God's mercy be stifle.

Because pride and sin lurk within you

All your hopes to scatter;

Do not heed them when they flatter you.

 But while watching, also pray

To the Lord unceasing.

He will free you and be your stay,

Your strength and faith increasing.

O Lord, bless us, in distress

And let nothing swerve me

From the will to serve Thee. Amen.               *Edited from the hymn, Watch and Pray (TLH)*

Theme: Rejoice and be Glad!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Matthew 5:3-12

***This is the most read part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  It takes place after Jesus’ chose all His disciples and was already active in His public ministry. We hear the words, “Blessed are!” over and over, “intoned like the bells of heaven ringing down over and over again in this unblessed world inviting all to enter into the kingdom of God,” and receive the spiritual blessings that come through Christ from heaven itself.

*** ”Blessed are the poor in Spirit. It is important for us to remember that the attitudes Christians have as they live in the world are the attitudes that are mirrored from Jesus, our Lord, who sees a world engulfed and trapped in sin and evil. We see a sinful world destroying itself with crime, danger and selfishness. We are afraid and appalled. As we watch the news graphically showing crimes of rape, hate, assault and murder, we are appalled. We have a steady diet of these worldly travesties reported on a daily basis. We are sickened by these things, but seemingly helpless to change them. So therefore, our spirit submits to the tragedies with deep sadness. And yet we remember that Jesus also was saddened when He experienced sorrow. His good friend Lazarus died, and Jesus saw the tears of Mary. The Bible records that “Jesus wept”. And others who witnessed this said, “See how He loved Him”.

*** “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” All of us have had occasion to mourn, at the death of a loved one. Or perhaps, the sad conditions of our own inner need make us long for good news that will cheer us. Jesus also went through times of deep sorrow. Isaiah writes of Him, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not”. Yet this was all for the purpose of our salvation.

*** Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. The meek have the quality, stemming from faith, that rather than putting themselves selfishly first in their own lives, they submit to the will of God. The meek look heaven ward and trust in God above all things. And trust that, “what God ordains is always good”. Jesus was meek, submitting to the will of His heavenly Father as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane saying, “Father, if it is your will let this cup of suffering pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt”.

***Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They shall be satisfied. Christians are very sensitive over their sins. Defining sin, literally means, to “miss the mark”. Sinners are those who disobey God’s commandments. They fail to love God with all their heart soul mind and strength and fail to love their neighbor as themselves. Christians hate sin and are sorry for their sins.  Like normal people are hungry for their favorite food, Christians are sorry for their sins and they hunger and yearn to do better. And they love to see and experience righteousness of other Christians. And they especially yearn for the forgiveness that our pure righteous Savior Jesus accomplished for the world by His righteous obedience to all the commands of God, and for paying for all of the sins of the world. Even though he was hated and scorned by Satan and sinful wicked humanity, He suffered and died at their hands. He rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of His Father, and will come again to judge the living and dead. And as well, He will take you, me and all believers in Him to live in heaven altogether without sin. This will last forever. And we will see Jesus as He is. It is this act of love and mercy that we long for, and will finally satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness.

***Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. Martin Luther said that in the beatitudes, faith is understood to be “the tree on which the fruit of all blessedness grows”. This mercy that we speak of is then, is not a mercy that we find in people who had a kindness done to them which saved them much pain, so then, they were grateful and now repay kindness to another because they feel good in doing good deeds. This is a mercy that comes out of faith. And faith in Jesus is always a result of a personal experience with the mercy of God through Christ Jesus. In other words, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith comes through baptism, by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. We receive the mercy of God when we are sorry for our sins, confess them before God and receive the forgiveness of our sins through the words which are validated by the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all sins. This is by the mercy and grace of God. It is not an ordinary kindness, or an ordinary mercy. But by our faith which receives this tender mercy and therefore we receive the forgiveness of sins with joy and relief motivating us to be merciful to others, even those who have sinned against us.

***Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. How can this be that we shall see God? It is not a common experience that we see God. If it is the pure in heart that will see God, how pure must the heart be? We remember “it is by grace that we have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works”. Faith in God is surely necessary. Yet the Bible says that Faith without works is dead. So faith that trusts only in Jesus for salvation is motivated to love God with the heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. So then, this is saving faith lived out in the purity of heart to love others as Christ has loved the church and given Himself for her. Works do not earn salvation, but good works are a response to salvation granted by the cross of Christ. So will we see God?

 “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

***Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God. God himself is a peacemaker. Jesus Himself was called a Prince of Peace. Jesus made peace between God and man by taking on human flesh and therefore becoming a mediator between God and man. That is Jesus Christ, the Righteous, became the sacrificial offering for the sin of all people. He is the Savior, the reconciler of all mankind to God. All Christians believing in Jesus as their Savior, are then at peace with God. We then strive to carry the “Good News” of Jesus to all people. Those who then believe in Jesus as their Savior, share that Good News with others, so they too may believe in Him as their Savior and Lord. Peace then is possible with God through Jesus Christ. All believers in Christ then become members together in the communion of saints, the Holy Christian Church. This is all the saints, living and departed. Today THE CHURCH celebrates ALL SAINTS SUNDAY.

***We give God all praise and glory. May the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus serve to further the cause of peace throughout the world through Christians everywhere. Amen.

Theme: Jesus sets us Free

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

John 8: 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

 33 They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"

 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

***A pastor of a Lutheran church related this true story in a chapel message at the seminary where he taught. Prior to his seminary experience he was the pastor of a congregation. Amongst the members in attendance, there was a very frequent visitor who was not a member. This man was well known in the broader church community because he also attended many other churches of various denominations. In conversation with this man, the man related to this pastor that of all the churches he attended, this particular Lutheran church was one of his favorites of all the churches he attended. He then went on to say, that the only thing he did not like about this church was that they talked far too much about Jesus. “Why so?” the pastor asked. The man went on to say, “Years ago, I had come to the conclusion that I needed baptism. I was baptized and I gave my life to Christ. I was given assurance by the pastor that now I was saved.”

*** ”Now that I know that I am saved, I would like to explore the many other ways that God will bless me if I only would properly take advantage of the opportunities”. The man went on to relate how messages from pastors showed how good works of charity didn’t just bless the receiver, but also opened doors to other positions of responsibilities. He could meet people of influence who could open doors that could show him investment opportunities and career positions of higher income for him. These are encouragements for this church to gain followers by giving help and encouragements in worldly pursuits. There are religious organizations that promise, “If you so your seed of $1000 you may reap back even more”. These are motivations to sin. Sin is greed and selfishness. It is the opposite of love. Love looks out for the good of the neighbor. Jesus condemns such things. The holy writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke all quote Jesus as saying to those changing money or selling animals for sacrifice in the temple, “My house is a house of prayer; you have made it a den of robbers”. This is sin and sin thinks first and often at times only of self. Sin is our common human trait. Paul writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

***Today our church celebrates the “Reformation” of the church. Historically it took place in the years around the 1500’s. We celebrate this anniversary still today, because in our church’s namesake is the most well-known Reformer. We now believe and say clearly, that salvation is by through Christ alone, and received by faith alone. Martin Luther was born in 1483. On October 31, 1517, He nailed 95 theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These were discussion points of disagreement, which Luther wanted, brought before the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. These protestant/Lutheran reformation teachings, still today, have significant effects of guarding our church’s teachings as Biblical. Teaching and learning what the Bible says about salvation in Christ, is our highest priority. All worship, personal and public life of the church are a reflection of the grace of God to all believers.  

***Luther was a prolific Biblical scholar and writer. Many of his books and writings are still in use today. Most common as a standard in our church is Luther’s Small Catechism. It is used as basic instruction in our church for younger people and adults alike. We study what we call the six chief parts: 1,) The Ten Commandments, 2) The Apostles Creed, 3) The Lord’s Prayer, 4) Baptism 5) The Sacrament of the Altar and 6) Confession of sins. All explanations and teachings are done with proof texts from the Word of God.

***In our Gospel reading, we find Jesus teaching Jews who believed in Him. If they believed in Him, they were also His disciples, His followers. They truly believed the words of Jesus. They had become fixed on His words. They had a genuine beginning as followers of Jesus. But this genuine beginning must continue. Their love and dedication to Jesus’ must last. They would, as Jesus said of them, truly be His disciples. They also would become better, and more mature disciples of Jesus. They would become fixed in and on the words of Jesus, Who is the “Living Word of God.”  

***Does this mean that the longer we are Christians; we must learn more and more of the words of Jesus? No, it may happen! But maybe not! Does that mean we may fall from favor with the Lord Jesus? The issue is not always how much we learn, or how much we remember, but the issue in discipleship is faithfulness to the words of Jesus that we have been blessed to receive and believe. As we witness to Christ and serve others, the Lord may bless them with saving faith in Christ as well.  

***Remembering the man who did a lot of “church visiting” and picked and chose what he thought was important. It was important to him that he did something which made him believe that he was “saved”. He said that he gave himself to Christ and likely felt he did other good things. But then he felt, that being accomplished, he expected something more from the church than “talking about Jesus”. He wanted things that served his own purposes. “Something more worldly which benefitted him and made him feel better about himself, something other than Jesus.”

***Martin Luther coined the term “Theology of the Cross”. He said that this “study of God” puts in place that the cross of Christ is the only source of knowledge concerning who God is and how God saves. Christ on the Cross suffering, dying out of love for the world is a gift that is neither earned of deserved by sinful humanity, it is a gift of God with no works by man that makes him deserving. It is purely motivated by the love of God. We believe this and by believing, we receive the gift of salvation by faith in Christ Alone. Rev. 2:10 says, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” Amen.

Theme: Who is Included in the Family of God?

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas

56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."

58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

***Today we, along with many other Christian churches, celebrate with our worship the festival day of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr. The accounts of St. James life and work help us in the strengthening of our faith by telling us of the actions and heroic faith of the Christians in the past and similarly, throughout the world today. Consequently, we have a model of faithful service and sacrifice which we, as well, can emulate in our service to the glory of God and for the works of love for people everywhere.

***Who is this “James”? James is mentioned in our Gospel reading as one of Jesus’ brothers. How many brothers did Jesus have? We don’t know. Many people speculate that James may have been a half-brother, perhaps a son of Joseph, perhaps from a first marriage. We don’t know how many other children were in the family. James is also the author of the Epistle, the letter in the Bible with his name. He is mentioned in our Acts reading as one who spoke out, giving advice as how the church should respond to trials and persecutions. All Christians must realize their faith will be tested in some way. These tests are to result in the strengthening of their faith. James, himself was persecuted and ordered beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in 44AD.

***Jesus, Himself, was faithful to His great works as Messiah and Savior. He truly was the One who was sent to suffer, die and give His life as a ransom for the sins of the world. Jesus accomplished other roles of ministry as well. Jesus taught and preached the words of God’s law and Gospel. He did so in ways not like other men, but with the authority that only God in Christ can have. People were drawn to Him. He looked into the hearts of people and knowing ways that could touch their lives and motivate their hearts to believe and repent of their sins. As an example, when Jesus met a Samaritan woman drawing water from at a well. Jesus told her things about herself that only she could attest to. Jesus told her that the water He would give her would spring up and give her eternal life. Jesus revealed to her that He was the Christ. And it was through Him that eternal life would come. Jesus said, “All who worship the Father must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. She went and witnessed too many that she found the man who could tell her all that she ever did.

***This was one woman. Jesus spoke to many people and to crowds. He healed crowds of people. At times the crippled, sick and diseased would lie along the roads so that when Jesus came by they could touch the hem of His garment and be healed. Often when Jesus spoke to crowds, he would not leave them until He could touch and heal each one that was there. The leaders of the Jews became concerned that Jesus, who overshadowed Jewish leaders, would lessen their authority amongst the people. At the Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. He was cheered by the crowds shouting, “Hosanna, to the Son of David!” Hosanna means “Save us we pray!” Jesus was looked at by many others as their Savior. This is what God wanted of them and this is what He wants of us, that is, to trust in Jesus as our Savior. 

*** We remember, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but has eternal life.” This is what God wants for all people, that they come to know through the word of God and the witness of others, that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of all people. God wants all people to believe in Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Personal faith in the heart trusts in Jesus only as ones Lord and Savior. It makes the benefits of salvation, the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, part of you. These benefits are received by faith, by believing in Jesus alone for salvation. Those who believe in Jesus are called Christians, who have the gift of eternal life.

***That sounds easy. To believe, and have faith in Jesus opens the doors of heaven to all who have this faith in Jesus. Jesus, our Savior also had troubles and temptations, so much so, that He prayed as He faced the cross, “Father, if it is your will let this cup (of suffering) pass from me, never-the-less not as I will but as you will.” The Bible tells us that it is through many trials and troubles that we enter the kingdom of God.” The Bible tells us that we have enemies because of our faith. Those enemies are the devil, the world, and our own sinful selfish nature. The devil is a liar and the father of lies. He is against all truth and Jesus is the way the truth and the life. The devil will lie and try to deceive the world of people with promises of any gratification and other so called, salvation that encourages us to deny and fall away from Christ Jesus and follow the sinful world to our demise and damnation.

***Our Gospel reading shows us there were these temptations even in the Jesus’ own hometown and family. When Jesus came home to Nazareth from His mission trips, he also taught His family and neighbors the Gospel of salvation. The people were astonished wondering, “Where did He get all this wisdom and ability teach and do His mighty works?” All this wisdom cannot come from working in his Father’s carpenter shop. “We know His mother, his brothers and sisters. Where did Jesus get all this wisdom and His teachings?”

***In response, Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” Faced with this offense from His own people, the Gospel reading ends saying, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” It is important to realize that miracles done to and in front of all people do not always produce faith. Sometimes faith in the heart  is a result of witnessing miracles, but not always. The hardness of unbelief in the human heart resists the grace of God. The miracles of Jesus are works of love showing God’s power and grace to people in suffering. Because of the unbelief of the people of Nazareth, Jesus did some miracles there but not many.

***What does God want His people to always do? Does God want us to be workers of miracles? Miracles have their place at time and place suiting to the Lord. Paul, however, says to Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching”.  2 Timothy 4:1, 2.---What if we have trouble speaking to others? How then can we preach sermons? Maybe that is not what God wants? A children’s song that many of us may remember tells us, “If you cannot speak like angels, if you cannot preach like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus you can say, “He died for all!”

***May God give all His faith filled people love, peace, fellowship and joy in believing the words of salvation in Jesus’ name. May this love and joy in Christ Jesus also motivate us to serve and love our neighbors in Jesus name. Amen.

Theme: Always Pray and do not Lose Heart

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: For a while he (the worldly unrighteous judge) refused to help a persisting needy woman in need of justice, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"

 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?, Will he delay long over them?

 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Luke 18:4-8

***More than twenty-five years ago, as a Lutheran School teacher, I attended the South Wisconsin District, Teachers Conference. Our keynote speaker was the education director of a prestigious university. In her opening remarks she relived another keynote speaker’s comment of the university in which her oldest son was about to enroll. He nicely summarized the program and the amenities the university would give to students. In conclusion he remarked, “I promise to you, all parents and students, that I and this university will do all in our power to make your children happy. This mother, an educator herself said, “Happy! I am not sending my child to this or any university to be made happy! I could keep him home and feed him pizza. I am sending my child to this university so he will be “educated!”

***To be fair, universities or any other educational institutions do not intend to make students miserable, but educational progress comes from capable teaching and hard work by the students. Students who apply themselves to the work and its challenges, more often than not, find some pleasure in their personal, although be it, temporal and worldly successes. If they responded to good teaching and have done the work, they are educated and find some gratification succeeding in the avenues of their education.

***What about success on a much larger scale. What about success in the kingdom of God. Rather than being a success by hard work in order to do the job properly and thereby receiving just payment for work received. God does not invite someone to work for him, give a description of good works and then rewards the worker with earthly prestige and blessings accordingly. And then at the final Judgement, if the kingdom work is adequate, life eternal in heaven is given as wages earned. Not so!

***In our Epistle reading the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, a young pastor, telling him that as he goes forward in his ministry, he must not forget his “roots”, his childhood. He should remember what he learned and who taught him. He must not forget the Scriptures which pointed Timothy to Jesus as his Savior.  Through Jesus, all who believe have the promise and the gift of salvation and eternal life through faith in Christ. Remembering these teachings will make Timothy and other pastors competent to teach, admonish sinners and equip Christians for good works. Paul charges all pastors to preach the word and always be ready to correct error in doctrine. All Christians must be encouraged to do good works done in patience with people in the kingdom of God, even those who are slow in responding to the Gospel and the work of the church. The church must always remember the sick, the poor, and those who are absent or fallen away from amongst the congregation. Faithful attention must be also given to them. They too, must be told and the congregation must hear the message that heaven is a free gift, it is not earned or deserved. It is received as a gift of grace. It is God who initiated the work of salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. It is God, who so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

***God did all the work of salvation for all people out of love for the world of people. The world of people who hear, believe have received the salvation and love of God in Christ Jesus pass it on to others. This love of God received and believed is then lived in service to God and others out of love for God and the world that is in need of the message of love and salvation given in preaching, teaching and helping others out of love them and love for God who has given every good an perfect gift in Christ Jesus.

***We are warned that the times of Paul are coming to us in our days when people will not endure sound teaching, but having “itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions”.  For us, sound teaching is what we have been taught by faithful parents and in Sunday school, Bible Classes, and Catechism instruction. Faithful and competent teaching, by the power of the Holy Spirit leads to a faithful congregation who believes in Christ Jesus by the power of that same Spirit. The question has been asked, how do we know if we are teaching and believing properly? A discerning question would be, how many religions in the world are there? The simplest and most inclusive answer is that there are two religions. How can this be? 1.) God does everything necessary to save man. That is, “For it is by grace it is that we are saved through faith in Christ. This salvation is a gift of God not of works lest anyone can boast”. Eph. 2:8,9--- this is the Christian faith. -- Or, 2.) Man does things to save himself.---What things? It can be anything added to or changed from people personally believing in Christ alone for the salvation of the world. It is the Holy Spirit, Who gives confidence that all believing in Jesus Christ receives the blessings that all has been done that is necessary for the salvation of all people. It is accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection. He will come again to take all believers to heaven to live with Him in the fellowship of all Christians forever. This is the faith of the one Holy Christian Church.

*** We are confident: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

 ***As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:36-39. Amen.

Theme: Faith and Faithfulness

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text:  When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;

 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

 17 Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?

 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

 19 And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

Luke 17:14-19

***Leprosy in Jesus day was a horrible scourge almost always ending in a miserable death. It was a very painful, contagious skin disease without a treatment. Those who were stricken with it were shunned and forced to live apart from healthy people. In our Gospel reading we find Jesus entering a village and met by ten lepers, presumably nine of them were Jews and one was a Samaritan. Leprosy was the common bond amongst them. They saw Jesus and knew who He was and cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests, who could verify that they were clean and no longer stricken with this terrible disease.

***As they were on their way, they realized they were healed. One of them, a Samaritan, turned back to Jesus, praising God with a loud voice. He fell at Jesus feet, giving Him thanks. Jesus said, “Where are the other nine? No one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner.” To this thankful Samaritan, Jesus said, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “All the promises of God find their yes in Him, (Jesus).”  Was this Samaritan the only one who was thankful for his healing? No, surely the other nine were also thankful that they were healed. However, they didn’t return the personal attention that Jesus gave them and personally thank Him. This was Jesus, the Son of God, who personally healed them. Jesus had sympathy on them in their suffering; He reached out to them in love, and by His power, Jesus’ healed all ten of them. The nine Jewish lepers were thankful, they were healed, but none of them returned to thank Jesus. They felt no personal gratitude to Jesus for healing them. Why didn’t they want to have any other personal contact with Jesus? Were they not curious about Jesus? Who is this great healer? Didn’t they want to know? Evidently, they were focused only on themselves and were just happy to be rid of the scourge of leprosy. Soon this would be just another interesting event in their lives. Nothing more!

***We may ask a personal parallel question about ourselves and others who are our present day church members. Why didn’t the nine lepers come back to give thanks to Jesus? Well, we should say, “Their trouble was now over! The problem is solved! We are cured of leprosy!” ---So then, modern day church member, why don’t you come to church more often? Many of you are missing regularly. What would you say? I am comfortable just the way I am. I don’t feel that I need to go to church to be a Christian. I can pray at home. Questions, we might probe and ask them….Who are you as a moral person? Do you think of your own sins, spiteful acts done to others? What about your neglect for service in God’s house? Do you think of your need for forgiveness for your sins? Do you think of Jesus who died on the cross for your sins? Do you remember the Ten Commandments? Have you obeyed them perfectly? Remember, if we break one of the commandments, it is like you broke them all. It is like poking a balloon with a pin, one hole pops the balloon. Looking individually at our sins and frailties, ask yourself this question, “If you were to die tonight can you say for certain that you would be with your Lord in heaven?”

***The Samaritan was the most unlikely to return to see Jesus. This thankful Samaritan leper saw more in Jesus than the healer of his leprosy. The Samaritan brought himself to Jesus because he could lay his unworthy, broken, contrite, and sinful heart before Jesus from whom he could find forgiveness, love and healing. He could find the compassion of Jesus that reached farther than his physical health. The Samaritan also found the love of Jesus for the broken soul of any human being. -The Psalmist writes, “The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living”. Psalm 116:6-9

***It is true that, “God so loved us, the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes (has faith) in Him, will not perish but, have eternal life.” The nine saw faith in Jesus as a means to getting a better place in our earthly life. We too often say, “Jesus is the one who can give us good things that make our earthly lives so much better. Things like health, money, land, family, popularity with the world.” We like many may seek these things and even expect them from the Master. We too are people that seeks a betterment of our own temporal situation, but do not bring our own broken lives and empty thankless hearts before Jesus in repentance and personal gratitude for the love and mercy we find beneath the cross of our suffering Lord Jesus.

***Who did that in our Gospel but the Samaritan, a foreigner? He was one who we would not expect. He would be the one who would likely in our eyes be boorish and crass before all things tender and holy. God’s ways are better than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.--- For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

*** Our lessons today show God working through and blessing His humble faithful people. Ruth being a foreign Moabite woman was faithful to the Lord and Naomi all through all their travels which find them linked to Bethlehem. As generations pass an ancestor of Ruth is King David.---Paul writes to Timothy encouraging him to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. And in our Gospel a humble Samaritan responds with holy gratitude, praise, thanksgiving and faith to Jesus for blessings of healing from leprosy. Not to forget Christ our Lord humbled Himself and was obedient in death, even death on the cross. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. To God in Christ be all praise and glory. Amen.

Theme: Jesus makes Beggars Rich

Text: And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him (Lazarus) to my father's house-

 28 for I have five brothers- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'

 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

 31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"

Luke 16:27-31

***In reading the first few verses of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the question comes to mind, “Would I rather be the Rich Man or Lazarus?” Likely, no one would honestly choose to be Lazarus. Not only was he very poor, he was also sick and plagued with sores. These sores may even have been a reason that he could not work, and was sitting near the rich man’s house in a place that he could beg for food which was bits of leftovers that fell or dropped from the rich man’s table. When Lazarus was given these scraps they would not look appetizing and only his depleted and malnourished condition forced him to eat whatever he was offered or he could find. At any rate, Lazarus lived his earthly life in want and misery.

***By what we are told of the rich man living in time, by all appearances he had his worldly life together. He could, by all appearances, live his life without worry. As it seemed, “the rich man had it all!”---Then in eternity, Jesus said to the rich man, “Child, remember, that you in your lifetime, you received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner received bad things. But now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.” Are we to take from these words that anyone who has found wealth in the world will not be able to go to heaven?

***No, worldly wealth in and of itself is not a criteria that disqualifies a person from going to heaven. The Bible, however, warns us that the “love of money is the root of all kinds evil”.  Jesus often warned the wealthy of the spiritual risk taken by loving money. The wealthy would often ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The bottom line from Jesus was, “Sell all you have, give it to the poor and come and follow me!” The overwhelming result was the rich man went away very sad, because he was very rich. Jesus also said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

***Now what about Lazarus? Luke writes and says, “Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Abrahams side”. That’s all? No! The Rich Man gets all the attention. Why so? We need a warning illustrated by God’s judgement on this rich man. The Bible tells us many stories depicting the struggles between sin and righteousness God requires of His people. We are to trust in Him through all our trials and suffering. Where we have illness, poverty, persecution or suffering of all kinds, we are to rely on Jesus to have mercy on us and to help us not to be overcome by them and lose faith in Him. But we are to rely on the help of God to deliver us from all troubles in this world and keep us faithful to Him in prayer and service. And we also pray that we remain faithful and dedicated to loving and serving our neighbors.

***This is a story about the troubles or blessings caused by poverty and wealth. To one, poverty is an influence bringing the consequence of eternal life. To the other the influence of wealth brings eternal death. The rich man had all the worldly wealth he could use and more. He came from a rich family and had no concerns except himself and his pleasure. He lived a life of luxury and ease. He was so into himself and his wealth that he did not notice Lazarus in the vicinity of his house. Lazarus was so poor and sick that he ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. The only care he received for his sores was from the dogs that licked them.

***The parable goes fast forward to the death of both men who awakened with Lazarus, no longer poor, in the bliss of heaven with Father Abraham at his side, and the rich man being tormented in hell who could see them in heaven. The now “no longer rich man asked Father Abraham to send Lazarus to him in hell and cool his tongue with one drop of water to sooth his torment. This is not possible because there is a great chasm fixed between them that no one can pass over from one to the other. What is decided in the final judgement is decided for eternity. If that is not possible, Father Abraham, could you send Lazarus to my father’s house to warn my five brothers to repent so they don’t come to this place of torment. Father Abraham refuses saying, “They have Moses and the Prophets. If your brothers do not believe them, they will not believe someone sent back from the dead.”

***Some lessons we are not to learn from the parable. One is that every rich person will go to hell because his days were good on earth.  Or all poor people will go to heaven because they did their suffering on earth.—

***Some lessons to learn are: ++“For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and that it is not of yourselves it is a gift of God through Christ, lest anyone can boast. Eph.2—++another is: Beware of the temptation to love money and wealth, and adopt this love as a higher good. It is a temptation to be avoided. It can be a consuming passion and a threat to faith and love for God and neighbors. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” Matt.19:24- ++Christ Jesus became poor and suffered died and rose again that we might be saved.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9

***If we remember the lessons Jesus taught in the “Rich Man and Lazarus”, we will pray. Prayer is an act of faith. It is an act of dependence. The Rich Man forgot, or felt that he didn’t need to pray. He was comfortable just the way he was. He could have been thankful to God for all the benefits God gave him. Instead He forgot God. We can’t believe in a God we forget. The rich man had no physical needs himself.  He didn’t think of the poor and sick man right outside his door, who desperately needed help in many ways. Someone going without could have been helped by someone who had the means to do so. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

***Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus warns us against greed and life without love for others and calls us to trust in God in the midst of all troubles, to listen and remember the Scriptures and to set our hearts on the coming of His heavenly kingdom. The parable surly calls us to love and help our neighbors especially when he is in pain and poverty. It calls us to love and trust in our God and in His love and promises and surly warns us to beware of the love of money which may turn us away from our neighbor and from our God.

***What is most important and ultimately matters are not the things of this age which will pass away. As we go through life to remember the contrast of the blessed comfort or the agonizing torment of the age to come. A blessed inheritance for those who trust in Christ is final and permanent. Lazarus suffered greatly during his earthly life. But all of that passes away. In Christ, we can have comfort in what is to come. Jesus gives this to us by faith.  The Bible tells us to “fix our eyes of faith on Jesus. He is the author and perfector of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, and scorned its shame and is seated at the right hand of God”. Hebrews 12:2

***God’s work in Christ is a work of love for us. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”.---May God bless us as we look forward in faith and love. Amen  

Learn To Value What God Values! 

Luke 16:1-15
May the grace, love, and mercy of God our Heavenly Father rest upon each of us. Amen. Luke 16:8-9 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.  I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your heart. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.. 

Let us pray! Gracious and most merciful Heavenly Father, allow your Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and quicken our spirits so we may establish a right relationship with you and others. Help us to meditate upon all of scripture so we may be prudent in handling your affairs to the glory of You and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen 

As we begin to meditate upon our scripture readings, what catches your attention? I was shock when reading that the rich man (landlord) commended the unjust manager. I literally had to S.T.O.P. I had to review the Situation because it was murky and ambiguous - no specific details; Think about what Jesus was attempting to address; Observe the scriptural context, and Pray for a divine revelation. How about you? 

We often miss the warnings and teachings in our readings because of the difference in the Old Testament, New Testament and modern day cultures. I would even go so far as to say that the self-correcting mechanism of God’s word has been eroded, if not dismantled, in our society because we are more concern about fame and fortune rather than our relationship with God and others. However, the word of God cannot be mocked… He warns each generation that a day will come in which we all will be held accountable, as managers, for how we have use what has been entrusted to us as well as our behaviors. In God’s instructions, relationships and a genuine concern for another person’s welfare are more important than money. Take a moment to recall our readings: 

Amos fiercely and severely reprimanded the corruption and social injustice among Israel itself and Israel's pagan neighbors. Through Amos, God condemned the practices of the wealthy in Israel who built up and hoarded wealth at the expense of the poor and oppressed the needy. All of scripture warns against such practices, we often forget God’s instructions found in Leviticus 19:36 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16. “You shall have honest balances (scales), honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” When we profess to follow the LORD, the God of Israel, we are to reflect God’s character, which is one of justice and of mercy for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. This is the connection between our reading in Amos 8 and Luke 16. 

Jesus tells the parable about the dishonest manager/unjust steward so we may understand how dangerous money and material things can be for you soul. Jesus is confronting the corruption and social injustice exhibited by the Pharisees, who profess to be following God. Because we are not familiar or reminiscent of God’s instruction, we often experience confusion and fail to see how we may have fallen into similar forms of corruption and social injustice within our dealings with each other, our workplaces, our communities or in our churches. 

We may not recall how Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, impacted Israel. When Eli's sons took what did not belong to them and took it before they should have, they were robbing God of His offering and cheating the people. Notice that because of Eli's sons' actions, the people disliked offering sacrifices (see 1 Samuel 2:17). They were only stewards of God’s possessions. Similar happened in the temple, Jesus chased out the merchants because the converted the house of prayer into a market place. No organization — including a church — is automatically exempt from this fraudulent behavior. 

Many of us may not remember that Luther (l. 1483-1546) claimed the sale of indulgences was unbiblical, challenging the authority of the Church and its claim as God's earthly representative. Church used indulgences to raise money for their budgets and pass the wealth on to family members. Church leadership claimed that indulgence were "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one had to undergo for sins.” Today, we have television evangelist and mega church leaders selling prayers, handkerchief-blessings and proclaiming God’s word for a donation. 

Within the last 20 years, we have repealed Blue Laws -which generally limited commerce on Sunday. For example, a Michigan law specifically prohibited grocery stores, pawnshops, movie theaters, and car dealerships from operating on Sundays. The exception was the pharmacy - in the event someone needed to fill an emergency prescription or was in need of baby formula. Blue laws frequently were challenged as unconstitutional establishments of religion in violation of the First Amendment. We have dismantled the practice of God’s instruction (worship, rest and fellowship) for the purpose of making a profit. 

We face the same challenges found in Old and New Testaments. The problem is that we who live in a twenty-first century western culture don’t really understand the community dynamics in first century Israel. The key to the difference is the difference in cultures. First century Israel was an honor / shame culture. Honor was more valuable than wealth. A person would rather suffer bankruptcy than endure any shame. The community even viewed the shame of dying on a cross as worse than the suffering and death of the cross. Death before dishonor was a literal way of life. So how does this apply to the parable that Jesus told?

The rich man knew that the community had accurately reported the mismanagement of this manager. The nature of the mismanagement is not important. We simply need to know that it was serious enough to have the manager fired. The rich man fired the manager and told him to bring in his accounts so that he could assign them to a manager who would be honest with them. There were no unemployment agency to assist the manager. He was thinking about his immediate future. If your employer was going to discharge you and ask for the books what would you do? 

Jesus is informing his disciple that there is life after death and we must prepare for it. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Who is your friend? The world or Jesus Christ? Jesus is attempting to teach his disciple to be faithful to God, the Rich Man. Are we learning to be faithful to God? 

Learning to be faithful… to God - Are you the Rich Young Ruler. If God asked you to sell all you possession and give to the poor, would you have a down casted face? Do you find your self in the position of the Rich man and Lazarus, that while he lived he had no pity on the poor. Or do we find ourselves in the position of the Pharisees who like the story of the vineyard, when God asks for what is his and they kill the son.. 

Be incredible faithful to God and honest with your money (financial ) don’t lie on IRS form, don’t steal from boss, don’t have creative taxes, don’t spend more than you have, pay your debts, This is both a First commandment and the 7th commandment issue. You have to know who you serve…
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God, so that we do not take our neighbor's money or goods, nor get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his goods and means of making a living. 

“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” (Luke 16:8) In the end, this manager was still a crook, but he was a smart crook. The landowner did not praise him for his integrity. The landowner still knew that he was a crook. Instead, the landowner acknowledged his skill as a con artist. He had no choice but to admit that the dishonest manager knew him well. He knew that that landowner valued his reputation as a generous and merciful lord above all his wealth. 

The point that Jesus made is not about the criminal scheme of the manager. Instead, it is about the character of the landowner. The landowner is very honorable, generous, and merciful. So much so that the manager could stake his life on it. 

Now, if this unrighteous manager can rely on the generosity and mercy of the wealthy landowner, how much more can we rely on the generosity and mercy of God? The unrighteous manager knew that he did not have the ability to save himself. Instead, he had to rely on the character of the wealthy landowner. The unrighteous manager gambled his entire future well-being on the character of the landowner. So, we can also rely on the honor, generosity, and mercy of God. 

We can readily see the mercy and generosity of God in that the Son of God came to this world to take our place under the law. Jesus lived a perfect life of utmost honor. He did absolutely nothing to bring shame on himself or on His Father in heaven. Nevertheless, He surrendered His honor for the shame of death on a cross. In the most unfair transaction of all time, the Son of God took all our shame to Himself and gave His honor to us.  

But He did not remain in the shame of death by crucifixion, but He was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11) Jesus Christ has risen from the shame of His death and ascended into heaven where He now rules all things in infinite honor. He has promised all those who believe in Him that they shall be where He is. 

In the parable that Jesus told, the crooked manager said, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty,” and “Take your bill, and write eighty.” (Luke 16:6–7) Jesus Christ does not look at our debt of sin and say, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ He does not even say, ‘Take your bill, and write fifty.’ The moment before He died on the cross, He said, “It is finished!” In the original Greek the phrase, “It is finished!” is just one word, τετέλεσται. This word also has another meaning. When a merchant wrote τετέλεσται on a bill, it meant “paid in full.” When we sit down with our merciful Lord and He looks at our debt of sin, and, He says, “I have died for that. Take your bill, and write paid in full!” Amen 

Theme: What does it take to be a Christian? It takes Jesus Christ!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

 34 "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 14:33-35

***There are somethings in our lives that, if we participate in them, we must take seriously, we must be committed to the “cause”, no matter what. Some things like joining the armed forces where members may be put in harm’s way and even be killed; -Others are parents who raise children, doing so with love that shows them generosity, but also exercises and teaches discipline. In our Lutheran school, parents were required to sign a pledge that stressed the cooperation necessary between the school and home. Of course, in all such endeavors, there must be more than rules that are set in place, there must also be positive internal motivation by those involved to bring success, so that goals are met, participants benefit and even those who witness noble and good works may be desirous to join the cause.

***God, our Heavenly Father, takes His work among and with His people very seriously. Our reading in Deuteronomy, finds God’s people having been freed from bondage in Egypt. They traveled forty years in the wilderness and were ready to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. This was a very important event for the Children of Israel. In keeping with its importance, the Children of Israel renewed the Covenant God made with them as His people. This Covenant, simply stated by God, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Along with this covenant came blessings from God for the Israelites obedience, and curses when they disobeyed. Most importantly, the people were to have “no other gods”. Even so, when Moses came down from Sinai with the commandments of the Law, Israel had made for themselves a Golden Calf. Worshipping foreign idols had sadly always been a lure for them.

Worshipping idols would surly bring curses, whereas, faithful worship would bring blessings.

***Yet it doesn’t take worshipping foreign gods in the form of idols to distract us from the blessings of our God who offers us His salvation in Christ, and yet earthly minded human beings easily succumb to their own earthly choices. In Jesus parable of an invitation to the Great Banquet, those invited made excuses like, “I just bought a field and have to go see it, or I just bought five yolk of oxen and I must try them out, or I just got married and cannot come.” We are familiar with these kinds of excuses for just about anything, but isn’t it true that those same kinds of excuses are often used to distract us from worship on Sunday morning? Other excuses are even more trivial like, “I’ve already had such a busy week, and I need the rest! –The lawn needs cutting.- The children are tired and are too hard to handle.-Or, I just don’t feel like going.” Most of us, have had similar thoughts.  

***In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus uses some very strong language when He talks about those who have an opportunity to be his followers. He said this to the great crowds that accompanied them, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sister, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”---Hate one’s own family and his own life? How can this be? Hate here is not a call to simply “not love our family”. That cannot be true. If Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, how then can we righteously “not love” our family?—Jesus is telling us that we are to take seriously the call of Jesus to follow Him. This takes on a “radical” nature. A good example of this radical change is the conversion and ministry of Saul, who was also called Paul. He was a zealous pharisaical man who was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He asked for and received letters from the high priest to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any people who were believers in Jesus, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." This was a radical call and conversion to the Christian faith and his ministry given by Christ Himself.

*** Our Epistle reading, finds Paul in prison in Rome. Why in prison? Paul was “radical”. He preached the Gospel to whoever would listen, where ever they could be found. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus was not sanctioned by the Romans and whatever work Paul did with Onesimus, who was a runaway slave who stole property from Philemon, was the purpose of his radical letter was written to Timothy and Philemon. They belonged to the house church which met in the home of Timothy. The letter was written on behalf of Onesimus. Through Paul’s counsel and teaching, Onesimus became a Christian. Paul describes Onesimus in dear and affectionate terms. He calls Onesimus his child and useful to Paul in prison. Paul paid all the restitution owed by Onesimus. Paul then would send Onesimus back to Philemon, describing him, as his (Paul’s) very heart. This is a radical Christian Gospel-Church story and a wonderful radical witness to Christians and their churches everywhere.

***Let’s think of Philemon, Timothy, Paul and even the administration of the Roman prison. Jesus used the radical word “hate”. Did Paul just act on behalf of making better his own life? Nothing in this story says so. Paul gave his own money for the sake of Onesimus being freed from prison. His restitution paid and Philemon and Onesimus reunited as brothers in Christ. As Paul did this, did he count the cost, so that he could finish what he began? Yes surely! Did this take any agreement with Roman officials to satisfy Roman law? We are not told of any particular negotiations and agreements, but the Roman officials would not let just anything go on that was not according to Roman Law. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, did Paul renounce all he personally possessed in order to be a true servant and disciple of Jesus Christ? Yes! He didn’t do this good work in order for himself to profit at all.

***Did anyone else benefit from these efforts of Paul on behalf of Philemon and his runaway slave now turned into a dear brother in Christ? Yes, but whom? We are not told, but can you imagine the lessons from the loving service of Paul, the cooperation of Onesimus and even Roman officials. Imagine the absolute joy in this extra ordinary success. A sinner repented and gained his freedom and was reconciled back the body of Christ, the church. May we take a lesson of holy and “radical” that is selfless work from our Savior, who selflessly paid the ultimate price for the salvation of all people. We think of Paul, Timothy and Philemon who selflessly worked together to benefit Onesimus and the church. The Holy Spirit inspires us that we will follow Jesus and serve our neighbors for the Glory of God.

 ***Jesus’ sacrifice for us gave us eternal life. We have been redeemed by Him and given new life in His name. Our lives need no longer be selfish, but selfless as the “salt of the earth” which infuses the hearts of people that many will be motivated to do good and holy works in the name of Jesus, to the end that many would be saved and come to the knowledge and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. ---May the love of God the Father, the power of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus our selfless Savior assure us:--- He said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Amen.

*** You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matt. 5:13-15

Theme: Humility vs. Pride

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.

 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.

 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

Luke 14:10-13

***In our Gospel reading, we find Jesus being invited to come and dine at a Pharisee’s house. It was the Sabbath Day and the meal was surely prepared and readied before the Sabbath, that it may be eaten on the Sabbath. It was not proper, according to Jewish Law, to work on the Sabbath which was set aside as a day of rest. The Pharisees surely knew Jewish Law, and as they soon would see that Jesus also knew the Law which said, “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself”. So what was also a controversy in the Jewish community, “What would be considered work on the Sabbath?” Or would there ever be cause to put forth a necessary effort out of love and mercy, which some would  consider ”work”, but would acts of love and mercy be understood as necessary in the case of doing a merciful act? The Pharisees would try to catch Jesus breaking the Sabbath law in order to discredit Him. The Pharisees prided themselves in their “self-righteousness”. They would try to get the ”better” of Jesus.

***Jesus came in to dine and saw that there was a man who had dropsy sitting before Him. Dropsy is a disease that causes fluid to collect first around the heart and then collect in the rest of the body. Today we have treatment for such a case, but in Jesus time there was not a cure. As this man had dropsy, his body would have swollen up even into the arms and legs to the point that just any movement would have been horribly painful. Seeing him would have been a very repulsive sight. In Jesus case, the sight of this man suffering produced a merciful act, yes, even on the Sabbath. Jesus, knowing their hearts posed this question directly to the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”—They remained silent. Jesus healed the man and sent him away. Then Jesus made this healing out of love and mercy personal lesson to the Pharisees by saying, “Which of you, having a son, or an ox, that fell into a well on the Sabbath, will not immediately pull him out?” They could not answer Jesus about these things, because they know He was right as he healed the man. Jesus was right also about the trap in which the Pharisees tried to catch Jesus in giving a wrong answer in Sabbath law. Each Pharisee also knew they would pull an ox, or certainly their son, out of a well on the Sabbath. They could not win this argument with Jesus.  

*** It is true, that in Jesus, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life”. John 3:16.  Jesus was known for His great works of love and mercy. Matthew tells us that Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the “Good News” of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News spread about Him even all over Syria. So much so, that the sick and the lame, would line the roads where Jesus walked and were healed, if even they just touched the hem of His garments.

***Jesus proved Himself the selfless Son and servant of the Heavenly Father. He was sent from heaven to earth in human flesh to humbly serve and save humanity from sin, death and the devil. Paul tells us in his writing to the Philippian church, “.Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Jesus didn’t just give of Himself; He truly gave Himself for us and all mankind. We owe Him, not just our lives, but also our eternal life.

***We need to hear and believe those words about Jesus. He didn’t just teach us about being a humble servant. He lived died and rose again as a victorious yet humble servant who gave His life for the world and rose from the dead that all who would believe in Him will have eternal life.  We also need to live in confidence that this is true and in true faith and humility trust in Jesus for our salvation. Jesus did all that is necessary for our salvation. We need, however, to be shown our sins of pride and selfishness. And with the help of the Holy Spirit we need to repent of our sinful pride, that we might live a life of humility and service to God and our neighbors. To our neighbors we say, “Yes, God takes our lives and that of our neighbors seriously and personally.”

***Jesus uses a lesson of a wedding feast to teach us a lesson in humility. Humility is not a word that is used often in our daily lives, and so the lesson about those invited to a wedding feast in the first century is still appropriate for us. It is a picture of the character of one who loves God and neighbors, and thereby, gives that love in service to others according to their needs.

***It is important to remember that the “someone” who invited “you” to a wedding feast is the host and has the “say so” as to who has what seat. He is capable and has reasons to judge who is distinguished enough to take the higher seat at the banquet. He also knows who else is invited and honored to attend this festive occasion will have another place at the banquet. It is not proper to seat oneself. Should one assume to take a higher seat, he may well be shamed to be reseated in the lowest place. If, however, one who seats himself in the lowest place, but belongs in a higher seat, he will be honored to be reseated in front of all the people who will be sitting at the table with him.

***People who would give such a banquet also are generous as well as humble. “Humility” also recognizes “humility”. The haughty host may invite those he knows because they will invite him back to a similar occasion and thereby pay him back. Selfish motives are not acceptable to the Lord. Selfless motives are giving to those who cannot afford to pay back in kind. Think of those who are in need, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Jesus said, “You will be blessed because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just”. The justice of God is always true and fair.

***Think of Jesus. He has done all things necessary to save us from our sins. He came to us in our sinful condition, in our sinful world to suffer and die as a sacrifice for sin. He is the sinless Son of God, Who took on human flesh to make this possible. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, that we and all who believe in Him have the forgiveness of sins and the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of our body and life eternal in heaven with Jesus and all the saints forever. He is the humble and now victorious Christ. He will return as the righteous Judge of all mankind. All those who believe in Jesus will receive their proper place in the kingdom of God that will have no end.

***In the Book of Revelation 19:7-9, John writes that there will be a “Wedding of the Lamb of God, the victorious Jesus Christ, joined finally together with His Church of all believers in Him.”  We will rejoice and serve Him without end. We receive this not with pride but with faith, humility and great joy. This is the eternal salvation won by Christ and received by His Church. Amen

Theme: “Jesus, Am I one of those who is saved and going to heaven?”

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'

 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'

 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'

Luke 13:23-27

*** Jesus and His disciples were on a mission trip. Jesus sent before Him seventy two disciples and now he followed going from the north to Jerusalem teaching and preaching the Gospel of salvation as He went. A man amongst those listening asked Jesus, “Will those being saved be few?” He, in all likelihood, really wondered, “Am I one of those who is saved?” Like you and me, we would like to stand before Jesus and ask this question in a way that we would not put ourselves on “the spot” in front of others, but personally we would like an idea of where we stand before the Lord, our Savior and also, our Judge. Personal thoughts that come to mind, “Am I among those that are saved? Am I good enough? Do I take salvation seriously enough? Am I in danger of losing salvation?” These are serious and personal questions.

***Along with this man, Jesus gives us a picture of a door that is open through which salvation is given. This open door is a narrow door. He tells us, “Strive (struggle) to enter through the narrow door.” Does this sound right? Isn’t it true that salvation is a free gift, it is unearned and undeserved? Isn’t it true that Jesus has done all things necessary for our salvation? Isn’t it true that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him? Yes, Jesus even says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”. John 10 --Yes, this is most certainly true. This is the Gospel, it is all about Jesus. There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Jesus saves.

*** We remember how Jesus won salvation for us and all people. The prophet spoke in Isaiah 53, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all”. Christ Jesus is the one sacrifice that could, would and did pay for all of the sins of all people for all time. He is the one atoning sacrifice. Jesus is the Savior of all mankind. We believe that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16. It is by grace that we have been saved through faith; it is a gift of God not of works lest anyone can boast. Eph. 2:8-9. The Bible also says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Acts16:31.

*** All those who have faith in Christ Jesus receive the gift of God’s salvation. We also remember that we have help, “No one can say that Jesus Christ is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”. 1Cor.12. What come\s from faith? The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Gal.5.

***Why then does Jesus speak of struggling to enter the kingdom of God by the “Narrow Door”? Many times Mark quotes Jesus as saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Entering the kingdom of God by the “Narrow Door” is not just to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is not just to receive the gift of eternal life. The “Narrow Door” is not just repenting of sin one time or on certain occasions like in church on Sunday. Christ describes entering the “Narrow Door” in terms of repentance. Repentance is more than being forgiven of sins. Repentance is a turning from sin and living a God pleasing life according to the words of Jesus, “If you love Me, keep My commandments!” There are 20 verses in the New Testament where God’s word speaks of repentance. 

***Many will seek to enter the kingdom of God, but the Master may have shut the door. They may knock and the Master will say, “I do not know where you come from.”— “Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. 'But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'—Here we are!  Many  who seek the kingdom of God, speak words of shallow familiarity. They say to Jesus, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'—Jesus said, “I don’t know where you come from. Depart from Me you workers of evil”. Workers of evil!- Surly they are not striving to enter by the ‘Narrow Door’, the Door of shunning evil and following Christ throughout their lives. This is difficult!

***However, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.—we work out our salvation with fear and trembling because God is at work within us.-- So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. Eph. 2

***Here is a worldly example of tough work. I am less than halfway done with a project on the deck of our house. We put up a pergola. It is about 16 feet long and 7 feet wide and held upright by eight posts sitting on the deck. It was decided that we bolt the posts to the deck. Each post has four holes which are fastened through the flange with four holes, through the deck surface and though a reinforcing 2” x4” piece so that the posts should be mounted solid to the deck. Once I finish, the pergola ought to be fastened securely. An ongoing difficulty is there is only about two feet of clearance from the gravel covered ground to the workspace where the bolts must go over my head. With other obstructions, I have only about 2 &1/2 feet of ground to lie on as I face up to my workspace. I cannot crawl in and out on my belly, but must scoot on my back. Needless to say there are many scratches, sore muscles, dirt, dust and grit in the face and eyes. I will be so thankful when those 32 nuts and bolts finally fasten the pergola securely to the deck. What a struggle! Truly this is a job to be done in a “Narrow Way”.

***Securing the pergola is not a spiritual job, although it is frustrating and difficult. We also have difficulties as we strive to enter the Kingdom of God by the Narrow Door in living a life of repentance. Jesus has provided for us our salvation by His grace alone, received by us through faith alone. We enter God’s kingdom with difficulties of sin temptations and trials. As God’s children purchased with the blood of Christ we receive our salvation by faith. Yet we still need discipline that the Lord provides.

 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:6,7

***As sinners we need to repent daily and receive God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness of fellow Christians. God’s word tells us as we enter the kingdom of God by the “Narrow Door”----

 Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5

*** Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12: 28-----May the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life eternal. Amen.

“Beware the false prophet!”

Rev. Oliver Washington

The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day as we continue to learn the word of God and discern his will. Amen.

Before I begin our sermon, I would like you to know it is a compilation of reading scripture, commentaries and other sermons. I say this because I have really been struggling with testing the words of man against His Word. I bemoan the fact that we both false teacher and false prophets in the church: the heretic, (a person who teaches what blatantly contradicts an essential teaching of the Christian faith, 2 Peter 2:1); the charlatan (a person who uses Christianity as a means of financial gain or personal enrichment, 1 Timothy 6:3-5); the prophet (a person, who claims to be gifted by God to speak fresh revelation outside of Scripture—new, authoritative words of prediction, teaching, rebuke, or encouragement, 1 John 4:1), the abuser (a person, who uses their position of leadership to take advantage of other people, 2 Peter 2:2); the divider (a person, who uses false doctrine to disrupt or destroy a church - Jude 18:21) the tickler (a person, who cares nothing for what God wants and everything for what men want. He is the man-pleaser rather than the God-pleaser. 2 Timothy 4:3-4); and the speculator (a person, who is obsessed with novelty, originality, or speculation (Hebrews 13:9, and 1 Timothy 1:3) Teachings focused on speculations which displace the sure and steady doctrine of Scripture. Individuals falling into these categories are false teachers and false prophets.

So what are your thoughts when Jesus says to us “Beware the false teachers and prophet!” I hope you would want to know what is a false prophet. Next, I hope you would want to know what are the traits or characteristics of a false prophet and how to identify a false prophet so that I may avoid them. Much like learning how to identify, liars, cheaters and thieves - one must learn how to identify and avoided false teachers and false prophets. Jesus warns his disciples, his apostles and us multiple times of false teachers, false prophets and false messiahs. In fact, believers are frequently and solemnly urged to beware false teachers and false prophet and stay vigilant.

Are you being vigilant, can you spot a false teacher or false prophet? Do you believe there are false prophets in the world? Are you like some people - who are inclined to avoid this subject all together? Often we avoid the subject, because it is difficult to know when a person is telling the truth or falsifying information, let alone if God has spoken to them. That is the rub how do we determine, if a person is telling the truth or not? How do we know whether God has given a person divine revelation or not? Many simply follow the crowd, rather than follow the Bible. We are unwilling and unequipped to challenge or test a person’s word against the scripture we were raised in. Christians must, therefore, arm themselves against false prophets. The ability to recognize a false teacher or false prophet requires scriptural knowledge. And scriptural knowledge requires us to study God's word. So where do we begin.

First we must understand that this issue is as relevant today as it was during Biblical times. A false prophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy, divine inspiration or speaks for God. Often these persons makes such claims for personal gain or evil ends. Consider Satan, he is the first false teacher in the garden of Eden. His desire is to disrupt the relationship between God and his creation. He leads Adam and Eve to believe that there were no consequences for disobeying the word of God; that they could be like God (they were already like God - ‘created in his image’). In a broader sense, it can be individuals speaking on the behalf of a false god (Baal) as well as being any person who claims to have a special connection to God and sets themselves up as a source of spiritual authority such as a preacher or teacher, and fails to teach sound biblical doctrine. Can you think of a false biblical teachers? There was Azur (Jeremiah 28:1); Ahab (Jeremiah 29:21); and Simon (Maus?, Acts 8:9-24) - Scripture even mentions the future coming of an antichrist. (1 John 2:18-19). What about today?

There are many false teachers and false prophets - today. Many of us may not remember Joseph Smith (1805-1844) claimed to receive The Book of Mormon from the angel Moroni. Jim (James) Warren Jones (1931 – 1978) was an American cult leader and preacher of Peoples Temple, a religious movement; David Koresh (Vernon Wayne Howell) (1959–1993), leader of the Branch Davidians; Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012), founder and leader of the Unification Church (Moonies) established in Seoul, South Korea, who considered himself the Second Coming of Christ, but not Jesus himself. This is naming only a few false teachers and false prophets that led people astray. How was it that people did not see these false prophets? Like many, we often grow complacent in studying the word of God, so we cannot recall scripture to test their words and the fruits of their behavior.

Jeremiah bemoans the existence of false prophets who prophesy lies in the Name of the Lord.  These prophets run quickly as if they have an important message, and the words on their lips are full of urgency.  Yet the Lord has not spoken to them.

Here the Second Commandment is broken in the most heinous way possible.  To say, “Thus says the Lord . . .” when He has not spoken is to use His holy Name as a cloak for wickedness.

But ministers today so easily say, “I have had a dream!” Yet how do we know that the man really had a dream?  Or if he did, and it really is what he describes, how can we know it is from God?

Yet these men speak with boldness and confidence, as if the genuineness of their words is beyond doubting.  Indeed, they seem to gather many followers, and so many swallow their dreams down hungrily.  People cannot seem to get enough of their prophetic spouting, even when their prophesies are proven wrong.

What do we follow?  As christians we should adhere to the principle of Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone.  Yet many people sneak off to get a little fix of their favorite television evangelists.  We privately read a book by some man who seems best to us now, or who has a sense of purpose that we admire, yet he denies or refuses to teach basic doctrines of the Christian faith.  Perhaps we have even gone to rallies of famous men who seem very Gospel-centered to us, yet they go against the revelations of scripture.  Or perhaps we like a charismatic preacher down the street.  We are as prone as others to fall for the charismatic utterances of men who repeat, “Thus says the Lord ... Thus says the Lord ...”

This is not limited to people in the pews.  Many men in pulpits are being taught to lead their people with their visions.  They may not claim that these are miraculous, prophetic visions such as Jeremiah received.  Yet these men claim the same importance for their visions, as if they came notarized by the Holy Spirit.  Get behind the vision, or get out of the way!

The Lord says, “I am against the prophets who utters, ‘He says.’” This is a most serious warning.  Preachers must be certain that what they preach is from God, not their own imaginations.  This sounds easy to discern, but is very difficult, especially in our modern age where we have difficulty rigorously proving things.  Emotional arguments, false arguments, or simply believing a source because he is a nice guy – there are so many ways that we have shown indifference or a lack of concern for the truth. Lay people as well as preachers must be warned.  Be ready to test things, and make sure that you are testing them with the true source of all sources – the Word of God. In 1 John 4 we are admonished to test all spirits. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Yet many false prophets today pound their Bibles and quote them in such a way that it seems that their message is truly from the Scriptures.  Only careful discernment and testing can prove whether something is true or not.

“But that sounds like hard work, Pastor.” Yes, it does.  It also requires discipline and willingness to learn.

We have largely grown soft and lazy in America when it comes to testing and proving things by the Word of God.  We have grown lackadaisical in our dedication to learning the doctrines of Scripture.  Even the efforts of the best of us are put to shame by the dedication and discipline of our forefathers in the faith.

In America, “doctrine” has become a negative word.  Some say, “Deeds not creeds!” or “I am spiritual, not religious!” Doctrine is seen as a man-made thing, but spirituality is from the Spirit.  Of course, the Spirit wrote all doctrine when He inspired the holy writers of Scripture.  Besides, when people say the word “spirituality” these days, they seem to mean either the emotions we feel or a dedication to rejecting traditional religion.  Neither is a good place to start. Many christians can fall for this too, if not in our outright thoughts, then in the subtle ways our culture has influenced us.

May the Spirit renew our zeal to do the hard work necessary to be discerning and wise students of the Word.  May He teach us to reject the words of false prophets, even when they seem at first glance to be genuine.

In the Word we find the true Prophet of all prophets, the One who never spoke a false word in the Name of God.  Our lips may slip into error by accident, or by misunderstanding, or even, God forbid, by false doctrine that has crept into us.  But Christ the pure One never slipped up or erred or fell into sinful teaching.

This Man showed us true dedication to the Word.  He studied and asked questions, even though He as God needed neither study nor questions.  How much more should we put our whole mind and soul into receiving the instruction of the Word.

When others taught falsely, Christ would not put up with it.  He was most dedicated to upholding the integrity of the Word, and warned His disciples against the false teachers who dress in sheep’s clothing. He even warns us to day that his word would cause division (Luke 12:49-56), “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” 

We are often afraid of offending anyone by calling them a false teacher.  We are afraid of being rejected by friends or of being seen as legalistic.  But Christ our Lord was not afraid of the consequences.  His zeal for the truth eventually led to His crucifixion.  He could have avoided that fate if He had simply softened His words against the Jewish leaders and got along with them better.  But He did not, because He was faithful to the Word. May we be found so faithful, even to death. In the end, He did not avoid His fate on Golgotha because He had a prophecy from His Father.  The prophecy was this: I will be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.

This was no made-up teaching from His imagination.  Who would make that up?  No, Christ only taught what His Father gave Him to teach, and then lived out the path that was laid before Him to walk.  For as was so often true, a prophet of God would be killed for his message.  This is no less true for Christ.  He upheld the truth, and died for it.

But He also upheld the other part of the prophecy.  He rose again the third day.  By this we know that He is a true prophet, the one greatest Prophet of all, the very Son of God.  His Word is truth. Therefore, we do not go running after this vision or that dream.  We need none of that.  Instead we come for the revelation of Jesus Christ to sinners, which is life, and salvation, and forgiveness.

In His Name alone and to His glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.  Amen.

Theme: Be Mindful Always of the Lord’s Return

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.

 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Luke 12:22-25

***Our Gospel reading today is a continuation of last week’s Gospel lesson where Jesus tells His disciples the parable of a rich man who was a successful farmer and business man who was getting older and perceived that he had grown  enough grain. He felt could tear down his old barns, build larger ones and store the grain and sell off all what he needed to live well for the rest of his life. The toil of a working farmer and businessman was no longer what he wanted. So  he said to himself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to the rich man, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'—“And so shall it be for anyone who is not rich toward God.”

***Let’s think about this again as it relates to us, in our society. From the time we are young, are we encouraged to work around our own home and in our community, even on a volunteer basis. Working isn’t always done to make money and become wealthy. After all, the Bible says, “He that does not work, neither shall he eat”. Even when children live at home, they are taught to work by cleaning their room, doing the dishes, and other household chores. They are taught these things so they can contribute to the “common good”. That blossoms into learning a trade, getting a job for wages or even a career. Young people are taught to handle money wisely and save for the future. One day they would have a family and their own home. And one day they would retire. In retirement, income is also needed. Social Security and/or a pension is almost always a necessity. Then there is healthcare to consider and where do old people live who become too feeble to live in their own home? These are questions that are necessary to consider and even to wisely include into a person’s plans, even when they are young, and are choosing a career path.

***Are these the things that Jesus spoke against when he said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.”  This is a way of saying don’t “worry” don’t be “distracted” over your life. Jesus goes on to explain, “What you will eat, drink for your body, or what will you wear.”—For life is more than food, or the body is worth more than clothing. We pray for the needs of our body.  Jesus taught us to do so in the Lord’s Prayer as we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God promises that He will grant these things to us by His grace as we need them to provide for our body and life. Jesus also tells us to consider the lilies having more beauty than even Solomon’s clothes, and look at the grasses of the field in all of their beauty. Won’t God also take care of us? Oh, we of little faith!

***What then does our Lord want us to desire if it is not our physical needs? He wants us to desire and to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the other things we need for our body and life will be ours as well. Our Heavenly Father knows that we need them and He will grant them all to us by His grace. All believers in Christ Jesus are also need care concerning their bodily needs as they continue to  work in the kingdom of God and seek its righteousness. The kingdom of God is not the same as worldly kingdoms that promise earthly power, prestige and wealth. Jesus said to Pilate, as He says to us, “My kingdom is not of this world!” Jesus was not in competition with Pilate or Herod or with the any governmental powers of this world today.

***Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd when He tells all Christians to “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who lays down His life for the sheep. He has come to save His people from their sins. This “Good Shepherd” has come to bring eternal salvation to all who would believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus defeated the enemies that no man in himself could ever conquer. Jesus made the final sacrifice in payment for the sins of all mankind. He is the sinless Son of God, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. His suffering and death meant the end of all other sacrifices for sin. Jesus won the victory over sin and the devil. Satan does not have power over those who believe in Christ Jesus. Jesus was buried and rose again from the dead. He defeated death and, because He rose from the dead, so will we rise from the dead. And as Jesus ascended into heaven, so we too, will ascend into heaven, and after the judgement we will hear Him say, “Come thou good and faithful servant, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Heaven is our home.

***God our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus has given us all good, lasting and eternal blessings. He has given us the gifts of the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in heaven with Jesus is where all blessings abound. that are so wonderful that we cannot hardly imagine them. God has given us new hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We believe His promises which we receive by faith. We believe He has given us the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Because He has given us these gifts, and He has given us all good things, Christ now wants us to be a giving people.

***Jesus says, “Fear not, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. In the Good Shepherd’s kingdom there is no want. The emphasis is not on earthly wealth received but on earthly wealth given for God’s heavenly purposes. Jesus said to the disciples, “Sell your possessions and give to the needy”. He tells them that not so they would be poor, but when they were spreading the kingdom of God in doing mission work, as in many missionaries do around the world today, there is often great poverty. Missionaries are often called upon, by their own volition, to use their personal savings or whatever their personal property is worth to help those in dire need as they, the missionaries, preach and spread the kingdom of God. They bring the Good News, of the Gospel. It is the money bag that does not grow old. It holds a treasure in the heavens that does not does not fail and thieves and moths will not destroy it. God’s promise is, “His word will not return to Him empty”.

*** We who are God’s people and workers in His kingdom are to always be alert to serving the Lord and alert to His return. We, who believe are His servants. Blessed by the Master, are the servants the Master finds awake being vigilant and working in the kingdom, expecting the Lord’s return. The vigilant and expectant worker also watches for the enemies of the kingdom of God who seek to destroy its work and those believers who are vulnerable. To all of us who believe, unlike the rich man who said, “I will put all my grain in my barns and say, “Soul, take your leave. Eat! Drink! Be merry!”---Jesus says to all of us, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”---To all of us He says, “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”  Revelation 2:10

Theme: Be Careful of What You Live For

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Luke 12:18-21

***A few weeks ago our Gospel reading considered Jesus as He was welcomed into the house of Mary and Martha. Martha the busy hostess found the work she did was stressful and told Jesus to tell her sister to come and help her. Here Jesus directed Martha’s attention to His role as teacher of the Word of God, being “the one thing needful”. In our Gospel reading today, we find a man in the crowd saying to Jesus, “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus rebuked him by saying, “Man, who made me a judge and arbitrator over you?” Jesus was born into a world of worldly people who had worldly concerns. They often missed the reason that Jesus came into the world. He was the Savior who would save His people from their sins. Peter said it well, “You Lord have the words of eternal life.”

*** The Greek word for sin is “hamartia”. It literally means to “miss the target”. Jesus was enlisted to be an arbitrator between two brothers over an inheritance; he could have given His own holy, just and righteous decision to this very worldly request. However, it is more than likely that one of the brothers would not agree with even Jesus’ decision. We who are worldly people realize that questions of inheritance most often result in civic courts involving other friends and relatives who may give testimonies in favor toward one brother or the other. Others also may lay their claim to all or part of the inheritance. Similarly, in our times, these kinds of things draw much public interest. We even have televised court shows that are very popular because people love arguments; they love drama and love to pick their favorite to be winner or loser. Many of these arguments and the resulting decisions are made with emotional involvement and not simply according to law or what is really right. People are sinners and the human mind and heart is very fickle. How can we get to what is really righteous and just among people and who deserves a proper reward for his labor? Does it always have to be a monetary reward in the end?

***King Solomon is credited as having written Ecclesiastes, a book of wisdom. In looking at the world and the labors of mankind throughout his life, he says to enjoy the work, make a living and the toil itself is a gift from God. Solomon concludes that all else, including wealth, is vanity. It comes to nothing because people can’t keep the money, the status, or the goods past the point of death. “You can’t take it with you!” Whatever man earns builds or owns, at the time he dies, it all belongs to someone else who has not worked for it. It is all vanity. The one who has done the “toil”, experienced the hurt, the exhaustion, the pains of disappointment will not be able to take the fruits of his labor with him. He may feel good about it while he lives, but whatever he has accumulated by his labor, no matter how great or small, will go to another when he dies. Personally realized lasting or eternal benefits from the work accomplished, while living in the world is like “chasing after the wind”. No one will ever have satisfaction, worth or pride in earthly accomplishments after death.

*** Jesus gives a real caution against the desire to accumulate worldly wealth. He uses the words “take care, and be on your guard” against all covetousness. To covet is different than wanting a better car because the one I have is old and breaks down too often. I need a car, but this one is getting too expensive to drive. Or, we lived in this small house far too long and we would like a larger one perhaps in a better neighborhood. The Ninth and Tenth Commandments both tell us “not to covet”. Coveting is a strong worldly desire to get our neighbors worldly property. It begins by a prideful desire to outdo our neighbor out of jealousy or our own pride. “He has something and I want it, or I want something better.” Coveting is a sin of the heart but produces action. Coveting turns into scheming to get what our neighbor has or something better. Why? Just to feel that you are better than your neighbor. It is a prideful bitterness turning easily into sinful actions such as trickery or stealing. This, the Ninth Commandment does not apply only to the neighbor’s house but also all the physical property our neighbors own. This sin is common also in children who covet their neighbor’s toys. It is not uncommon to hear small children, who are just learning to talk, point a finger at another’s toy and say, “I want that”. Truly, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

***The Tenth Commandment forbids coveting all living beings belonging to our neighbors. Our neighbor’s spouse, workers, or animals, and all living beings that belong to them are also familiar to us. We are easily tempted and think, “The man’s wife is attractive. She is also friendly. He also has a good young man cutting his lawn. If he doesn’t have time to cut mine, maybe I can offer him more money”. The desires to make their people our people are common. Planning how to do so is the next step, and efforts to lure them away easily follow.   

***Jesus warns, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Then Jesus tells the parable of a rich man. His land produced plentifully. His barns were full and he had nowhere to store his crops. So he decided to tear down the old barns and build new and larger barns to store all his grain and goods. And then he said to his soul, “You my soul, have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat drink, be merry”.

----But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

***This old and wealthy farmer. He had a knack for farming and a good sense for business. So what could be so wrong to retire and live off the fat of his land? So what if all he wants to do is eat drink and be merry. Party times are any time for him. However, this man is not dead yet. Is there nothing left for him to do? Should the retired one cease to serve God and cease to love his fellowman? Does he cease to worship in the temple? Can he pray thankful prayers for all his blessings and with his blessings, help the poor? He was surely not left without examples like faithful Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until the promised Christ child would be brought to the temple, and then Simeon would see Jesus. Or did he have an example like the old prophetess, Anna, who never left the temple but talked to all who came to the temple about the child who would be the redemption of Israel. Simeon and Anna are surely fine examples of dedicated, faithful people. Surely there were more. 

***What about us? Paul writes to the Colossians, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Realize each day that you are a baptized, saved and redeemed child of God.

You have been saved and redeemed by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. We are not our own. We were bought with a price, the holy precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then think of these words, pray, worship, love and serve God and your neighbor. Rejoice in the Lord always. Amen.

Theme: Our Father…Teach us to Pray

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: I tell you, though, he (a man being bothered by a friend in need) will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;

 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 11:8-13

***As we begin to read the Gospel lesson for the day, we may tend to relax because of the familiarity of what Jesus is teaching the disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray. When we read the words, “Father, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come…” We may well tune out the rest of what Jesus had to teach because we know this is the Lord’s Prayer. Likely everyone who hears this message has it memorized, and may as well, pray it every day or even more often than that. We have learned it by memorizing it. Others may say we know it by “rote”. 

***Many children have memorized the alphabet before they begin to go to school, but they soon begin to use this alphabet to read and write. A rote memorizing of the alphabet is only the beginning step toward much greater goals in learning and further accomplishment. What often happens when we, who have learned the Lord’s Prayer by “rote”, is we may say it by simple recitation. We must be cautioned that we not become shallow in our thinking and pray only by saying words learned by “rote”. God does not want us to pray passively, like the things for which we ask are not so important, and we really don’t know if we want to bother God with our troubles or the troubles of others. Jesus wants us to involve ourselves in the importance of our requests to the Father with all boldness and confidence as God’s dear children are to ask their Dear Father.

*** In the prayer Jesus taught, He directed us to His Heavenly Father who is also our Heavenly Father, whose name is “hallowed”, that is sacred and set apart from all vulgar use, but only for His high Godly purposes as “Our Heavenly Father” has for us, who were made to be His children through the innocent suffering and death of His Son Jesus Christ. He paid for our sins and the sins of the whole world. He established with us a holy relationship through baptism and faith. When we pray, we pray, believing that He is our true Father and we are His true children. God our Heavenly Father, wants us to pray with our “deep down” beliefs of who He is. And we then can ask Him “with all boldness and confidence, we ask as dear children ask their dear father”.

***In the Lord’s Prayer and in our prayers prayed with our own words, we ask Him for all things we need for our bodies and life, we ask for the forgiveness of sins, ask Him to lead us away from situations that would tempt us to sin, we ask Him to help us forgive those who sin against us as the Father Himself forgives our sins. Jesus makes it clear, that forgiveness given by God also must be passed on by us to others. “If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. Matt. 6:15.

***The words of the Lord’s Prayer are beautifully given to be sincerely prayed as dear children now ask their Heavenly Father. Jesus adds words spoken to His disciples about prayer and the desire of the one who prays for answers to their prayer. He uses the example of one who has a friend who has arrived at his house at midnight traveling a long distance and the man has no food in his house to feed the tired traveler. So the surprised host goes to a local friend at this inconvenient hour and arouses him, asking for three loaves of bread. The man is in bed and so are his children with him who will also be disturbed from sleep. As Jesus said, the man would not get up to give him food because of his friendship, but he would get up to give him bread because of the man’s “impudence”, that is his rudeness. He was persistent. The man would not go away without something to satisfy his guest, no matter how troublesome for the man and his children.

***So often we tend to be fearful or timid and don’t involve ourselves actively and boldly in going to Jesus for help. Often our needs are not met because we are too passive about praying and asking the Lord to help and to heal, to relieve suffering, to answer the need for a job, for relief from neighbors that plague us with cruelty,  perhaps there are even criminals in our neighborhood that threaten us. Perhaps we have neighbors who are ill, or many need prayer because they do not know Jesus as their Savior. We can pray for good government and good weather. We can pray for love and wisdom. Then we can pray for courage to go tell them of the love and salvation found in Jesus, who is our Savior.

*** Jesus said, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened,” those who ask, seek, and knock are those who realize great need and involve themselves and Jesus in their needs and the needs of others. They ask that He receive them and that their prayer for help, health and healing are answered.

***Now, a big, “what if”, I pray for something that is obviously vain and selfish. What if all I want is popularity, so I can be popular among the so many popular of those celebrities that are good looking have nice clothes. Everyone seems to look at them and fawn all over them. They are prideful, and have little love or respect for God or their fellowman. Their lives are empty. I prayed for it and now have it. What does Jesus say to that? Would the heavenly Father give such a gift to one of His children who prayed for it? ---Jesus answers the question by using an example of an earthly father who is a sinful man and still wants to be a good father. Jesus says to the disciples “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish will instead give him a serpent; or if he asks for and egg will give him a scorpion?”---Would any  earthly father give a gift to his child that was actually evil, a mockery? No father would give  such a gift to his child. If evil fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” –The gift of the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift of all, because He is the source all other spiritual gifts. –“No one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”

*** The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25—Amen.

Theme: One Thing is Necessary

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.

 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.

40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."

 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

***When I was child and lived with my parents, and we heard that visitors were coming to our house for a visit, we knew that everyone had work to do. Some had more to do than others. Mom would assign jobs, including make the beds, do the dishes, vacuum or sweep the floors, top dust or dust (top dust meant that you need not pick up the doilies under the vases). Wipe up or scrub the floors, wipe up meant go over the floors once with a damp rag, scrub the floors meant to get down on your hands and knees with a bucket with the right amount of soap and with a wet rag, wash a square of floor the size you could reach and then rinse the rag, wring it out well and complete cleaning the square making sure that every spot of dirt comes up. Do this on the whole floor. Food preparation was also important. Surprise company didn’t expect a full meal, but offering something was good manners and often required that someone made a quick trip to the store. Time was always a concern. Preparations needed to be finished by the time visitors arrived.

***Luke chapter 10 records the ministry of Jesus as He makes His final journey with His disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem where His earthly ministry will culminate in His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. This major part of Luke, focuses on Jesus’ teaching. He records 5 miracles and 16 parables, as he focus is on the Kingdom of God. Jesus has already sent out 72 teachers and proclaimers who  taught people and stayed at homes that welcomed them. Whatever courtesies they were given were to be considered as wages. The teachings of the kingdom of heaven were to prepare the way for Jesus. The teachings of all the disciples and especially the teachings of Jesus as Savior are most important to extend the kingdom of God. Ignorance is not okay. We remember a word of Jesus from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

***As Jesus was proceeding to Jerusalem, a woman named Martha invited Jesus into her home. We are not told anything about the home of Mary and Martha, but we are told enough to learn valuable lessons from this short encounter about ourselves and Jesus. Martha surly was a bold and also a generous person. She was bold enough and knew enough about Jesus to invite Him into her home. How many others came with Jesus, we don’t know. She was hard working, but had sense enough to know when there was too much for her to do alone in the time she had. Martha was angry that her sister, Mary, was sitting and listening to Jesus’ teaching. Martha responded to her own frustration and embarrassment with an attempt to make her sister into help her by interrupting Jesus’ teaching saying, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." If we were Martha would we feel much the same way as she did? Would we have been so insensitive to the teaching time Jesus had with the people or even, if it was only Mary at Jesus’ feet? After all this was Jesus, the Great Teacher!!!!

***Let us think for a minute about putting ourselves in the place of some people in the Bible. If you were to envy the life of any character in the Bible, who would that be for you? Would it be Moses? Abraham perhaps? Mary, the Mother of our Lord? Noah or one of the disciples? There are so many choices? Quoting a pastor in one of my studies, who proposed this exercise said, for him it is “Mary”, the sister of Martha, who was pressured to leave Jesus and tend to the urgent duties of hospitality, but stayed at the feet of Jesus to hear His words.

***This pastor’s reason is that Mary, even in her “limited understanding” of Jesus and who He is, and what He would say, took her place at His feet, the place of a listener and humble learner. His teaching was the “good portion” that could not be taken away from her. We are not told what Jesus actually said, but we can rest assured that they were meaningful saving words. They were words that left those who heard them wanting to hear more.

*** What this pastor meant by “limited understanding” was not mental impairment, or woefully uneducated. He was comparing her to seminarians and pastors who often get lost in technical studies of scriptures that pull it apart by translating the Hebrew and Greek and then critiquing in various ways and deciding then what it really means according to who says what about it. Through it all many lose the love of just hearing or reading the words of Jesus from the Bible. There are many scriptures that carry with them the words of salvation from the mouth of Jesus. An excellent example is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5-7. Part of this sermon is the Beatitudes. They read, Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven….Matt. 5:3-12 Mary heard Jesus words as He spoke. She was mesmerized. She couldn’t hear enough of Him.

***The Bible has many of Jesus words just as He spoke and taught them to the people of His day. These words of Jesus still speak to us today. These words still have the credibility of God Himself. Why Jesus lives. He is still the Living Word of God. I heard a missionary say that he reads aloud all the recorded words of Jesus. They are highlighted in the red letter version of the Bible.

***There are many other fine ways to devotionally be in the word of God.  Psalms are also wonderful for devotional readings. Psalms are actually prayers and hymns from Old Testament times. These are also the Words of God. Many people keep Bible tapes or CD’s in their car to listen to while on trips or their way to work.

***Jesus said that Mary has chosen the “Good Portion”, which shall not be taken away from her. Mary’s “Good Portion” that she had chosen are the words of Jesus. Nothing else can be relied on to teach us and assure of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life like the words of Jesus Himself.  Perhaps the most famous and common quote of Jesus, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have the gift of eternal life. John 3:16.

***Jesus had many other disciples who were not always with His twelve called apostles. Many in a larger group were with Jesus. And at one time, when it became hard while they were traveling through the desert all but the twelve deserted Him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “You do not want to leave too, do you? Peter answered for the twelve saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6: 68,69.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Keep us ever faithful in the devotional study of Your holy word. Assure us always of Your presence, Your guidance, the forgiveness of sins and Your gift of life eternal. By Your Spirit, strengthen our faith and increase our love and hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Are We Good Samaritans?

Rev. Oliver Washington

Luke 10:25-37

Our words for meditation come from Leviticus 19 and Luke 10. Upon hearing our title of our message, we may be tempted to skip to the Gospel reading without much pause. What busy person has time to deal with the details of God’s commandments about personal conduct, ceremonial cleanliness or the treatment of others? However, Jesus encourages us to evaluate our understanding of these “restrictions,” and rules which continues to speak to our complex lives.

So, what is the important connection between an often-ignored book of the Old Testament and the lawyer’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The reason is simple: Jesus, in the Gospel Lesson (Luke 10:25-37) has a busy Jewish teacher and expert of the law, turn his attention to his rigid explication of the law. This is not the only account of Jesus redirecting our attention of a text to help us evaluate our narrow understanding of scripture. Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that is was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Jesus is attempting to transform our understanding of compassion, love and his concern for others.

Just as Jesus asks the lawyer for his interpretation of the law he also asks his listeners. The command to love your neighbor is indeed found in Leviticus 19. Jesus is clearly drawing this portion of the saying from the Jewish Torah. Scripture have much to say about the treatment of our neighbor. We turn in fact to this very topic of neighborly love as Jesus provides an allegorical story to broaden the lawyer’s and our interpretation of scripture.

First, let us take a moment to contextualize the narrative. Then let us identity the actors in the parable. In the story, a Jew was robbed and left to die by his assailants. Like then, we live in a hostile world. Most recently, I wanted to assist two women asking for help. The first, regularly states she is homeless and any assistance would be appreciated. However, one day I followed her to only discover donations contributed to paying for her drug habit. The second situation, involved a pregnant woman who claimed to be homeless. In her case, a man concealing himself and only approached her when she received money from concerned patrons. Our sympathies are preyed upon by scam artists, pan-handlers and potential drug addicts. Situations like this cause us to be cautious.

I recall a situation when a woman an man pretend to be stranded car-operators. As good samaritan attempted to assist, the man assaulted and robbed the do-gooder.

Today, people report being car-jacked at playgrounds or while filling their gas tanks. As a result, people are hesitant to assist those in need for these and other reasons. In other situations, we have grown tired of being mistreated, refusing to get involved. Being honest, it is emotionally draining to determine who might need assistance without being taken advantage of. In extreme situations, “good samaritans” worry about being liable. The Good Samaritan law was designed to protect both medical and non-medical personnel trying to help others in times of crisis. In fact, Good Samaritan laws are written to encourage bystanders to get involved in emergency situations without fear being sued if their actions inadvertently contribute to a person's injury or death. As one thinks about it, and experiences life, we become aware that we live in a emotionally, physically, politically, and spiritually (religiously) hostile world. In spite of these situations, Jesus encourages us to help those in need of assistances. Are you a good samaritan?

The back story of this parable is the long standing animosity and low esteem which contributed to the conflict between Jews and Samaritans. (722 BCE, Assyria; 587 BCE Babylonian Captivity, 2 Kings 17:29-41, Ezra 9;1-10:44 Nehemiah 13:23-28 ) As a result, Jews and Samaritans despised each other. Many Jews had spent centuries walling Samaritans out of their society with laws (i.e. Deuteronomy prohibition of intermarriage) and mistreatment. Most Jews would not travel through Samaria. They went by a longer route to avoid Samaria and any contact with Samaritans. In fact, the lawyer did not even use the word - Samaritan. He replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Such was the Jewish attitude it was belief that even if the shadow of a Samaritan touched a Jew they were ceremonial unclean. (Hold on to this thought.)

This popular belief sheds a little light on two of the parables actors - the Priest and the Levite. Priests and Levites were particularly instructed to avoid uncleanness or defiling themselves as a result from coming into contact with a dead body. (Leviticus 21:11 and Numbers 6:6). Therefore, The priest and Levite may have assumed that the fallen traveler was dead and avoided him to keep themselves ritually clean. However, one needs to observe an often obscured point, the Priest and Levite were traveling downhill from Jerusalem towards Jericho. This would indicate that they had already fulfilled their religious obligation or duties, and as a result were only using the law to justify avoiding to check and see whether the man was alive or dead. Are there reasons which prevent us from getting involved when we see someone in need of help: How often have we used our fears or hurts to avoid showing an act of kindness or compassion to another person? We allow busyness to become our justification. “I’m busy, I don’t have time to stop.” Are we “passible” - capable of feeling another person’s suffering, In spite of or differences or personal experiences?

Like the Lawyer, We get it, right?  We know the story.  This is VBS-level stuff.  The meaning is clear.  Samaritans and Jews hated each other, and yet the Samaritan showed merciful love to the man dying in the ditch, despite the fact the two men were bitter enemies by nature.  The man’s own fellow Jews didn’t even show one of their own mercy at the lowest, most basic level when he needed it most.  Injured animals on the side of the road are treated better than these guys treated one of their own!  They ignored him.  They crossed to the other side of the road.  Not the Samaritan though.  He showed merciful love to the very man who called him and most assuredly treated him as a vile enemy.  Now you go and do likewise. 

But such compassionate and merciful behavior doesn’t come naturally to us children of Adam, does it?  We may, by nature, have compassion for some people, especially for those whom we care for and share common interests with (although this parable clearly shows otherwise; the priest and Levite crossed to the other side of the road), but the same can’t be said for those whom we deem “enemy,” those whom we don’t like.  Instead, what comes so naturally in the case of an enemy who is suffering or in a bad way is the old “pound of flesh/karma” mentality.  We find out that our enemy is suffering, and our natural inner-response is to think, “Good!  They’re getting what they deserve!” We may say, “Bless his heart.” We may even shed a tear or two, but deep down there is a sinful schadenfreude at play in all of us.  [A German word defined as “feeling joy/pleasure over someone else’s misfortune/pain.”] A good example: You know that feeling you get when some idiot blows your doors off on the highway, and then two miles down the road you see the cops have them pulled over?  That’s schadenfreude, and we’re all guilty of it, not just with anonymous speeding idiots, but in pretty much all matters pertaining to those whom we don’t like; those whom we consider to be our enemies.  “Good!  They’re getting what they deserve!” Very few will have the courage to admit this ugly truth, even though everyone is guilty of it.

Jesus teaches otherwise.  Jesus teaches quite the opposite of what our heart, our culture, and the devil himself teach us.  The Good Samaritan showed compassion to his enemy.  He didn’t rejoice.  He didn’t gloat.  He didn’t use the bad situation as an opportunity to rub salt in the wounds.  Rather, he abandoned all his own pride, and in all humility and love, he knelt down and showed mercy to the very one who hated him and who most assuredly didn’t deserve it.  Now you go and do likewise.

Okay… so how do we do this?  It’s so easy in theory, but every single person here knows how difficult, if not impossible, it is to actually show mercy to someone who despises you; someone who would love to see you suffer.  Nobody wants to find themselves in such a situation.  We do our best to avoid such situations.  We know we would fail the test.  How do you show mercy to someone you know wouldn’t show you mercy and would probably even rejoice and dump on you more if the tables were turned?  And yet… this is exactly what our Lord commands us to do—no caveats or special terms and conditions.  “Go and do likewise…”

So again I ask: How do we do this?  Maybe we’re struggling with the question, because it’s the wrong question.  Why did the Samaritan stop and show such love?  Why was he such a loving neighbor?  It certainly wasn’t because the guy in the ditch deserved it.  He didn’t.  No one would’ve faulted the Samaritan for walking on by…or even kicking him or going through his pockets as he passed by.  No one would have faulted him.  But…that’s not who the Samaritan was.  It had nothing to do with the guy in the ditch and whether or not he was worthy.  The Samaritan showed love because that’s just who the Samaritan was. 

You’re the guy in the ditch! (We are all the man in the ditch: See Matthew 25) Jesus, the truly Good Samaritan, came down from heaven…for you.  As children of Adam, we are by nature, at enmity with God.  We are by nature, sinful and unclean enemies of God.  But Jesus gave up all of heaven’s majesty and glory to make Himself utterly hated and humiliated and despised by the children of Adam…for you.  That’s just who He is.  Jesus came to freely and fully pour out His gifts of sacrifice and life on you; on the corpse that is your sin, all out of an incomprehensible and unconditional love for you; all so that you could have life, and have it abundantly in Him.  “Charge all their sin, all their death, all their wages to Me.  I will pay it all, in full.” And He did.  It is finished, once and for all!  What have you done to deserve this [the crucifix; Holy Communion]?  What have you done to deserve or earn forgiveness for even one single sin, let alone an eternity’s worth of them?  What have you done to inherit eternal life?  Recognized within the context of Christ’s all-redeeming sacrifice, that young lawyer’s question seems downright stupid, doesn’t it?  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Answer: Be born!  “Inheritance” is the language of heir and family.  Properly understood, you don’t merit or earn inheritance.  You inherit something simply because you are the heir.  You are family.  How many people here can take credit for their conception and birth?  You had NOTHING to do with that!  I don’t care how important you think you are.  You didn’t choose your parents.  You didn’t choose the time and place you were born.  You didn’t choose any of the circumstances.  You contributed NOTHING.  You are simply the blessed result.

And so it is with eternal life.  What have you ever done to inherit eternal life?  NOTHING!  Jesus did it all!  By virtue of God’s grace; by virtue of the working of God’s Holy Spirit in His means of grace—His Word and His sacrament of Holy Baptism—you were called and chosen, adopted and “re-born” as a child of God; an heir of the heavenly King and His kingdom.  As Jesus words it in John 3 (in the Greek), you were born, not “again,” but “from above.” God gave birth to you, through water and the Word.  It is by Him and through Him that you are an heir of salvation.

Now, this free and unmerited gift salvation reality should mean something to you.  This is where the whole “you go and do likewise” rightly enters into the conversation, although, as I’ve already said, it will only be properly understood when it’s understood within the context of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Are there people who are difficult to love?  Are there people who deserve to suffer?  Absolutely!  There’s a lot of wickedness in our world right now, and I confess that it would be nice to see the wicked get a taste of their own medicine.  But then I remember (and confess): I deserve the same present and eternal punishment that all those folks do.  Jesus Christ died and rose for them…no different than He did for me.  This is what John gets at in his first epistle.  “We love because He first loved us.” This [the crucifix] is WHY we love!  This is HOW we love.  In fact, we’re only able to show Christ-like love and selfless mercy to others because Christ showed it all to us first…in spite of us.  This [the cross] is why Christians show compassion and forgiveness and mercy to each and every person.  They’re ALL our neighbors… even the ones we can’t stand.  They’re ALL people God the Father sent His only-begotten Son to die for.  They’re ALL people that Christ died and rose again for.  They’re ALL just like you, in need of the grace, compassion, mercy, love, forgiveness, and peace that can come ONLY from and through Christ Jesus.

This is why I’m going to end, not by commanding what you now need to do, but by reminding you of who you are and whose you are: You are a baptized and redeemed heir of everlasting salvation.  This is present-tense truth.  This is eternal truth.  It’s true all because of your truly Good Samaritan; all because of Jesus Christ and who He is and what He has done for you and for all people; all your neighbors… even the ones you don’t care for.  “God so loved the world….” Raised from death to life by Christ and in Christ, the redeemed heir of Christ can’t help but respond to such undeserved mercy and grace in like manner.  To show mercy and grace to others isn’t a prescription for the Christian.  Rather, it’s a description of the Christian who truly understands and is thankful for the mercy and grace so freely and unconditionally shown to him/her by Christ Himself, the truly Good Samaritan.  Compassion, mercy, grace: These are the good and God-pleasing fruits of repentance, borne not out of a desire to be saved, but out of the joy that they are saved.  This was the Good Samaritan’s reality.  Now, you go and do likewise.

In the name of Jesus… AMEN.

Theme: The Real Cause for Rejoicing

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!"

 18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

***There was much work to do in order for Jesus to spread the news of His presence among the people of Palestine. He also declared and demonstrated His power and authority as Messiah and Savior. Jesus Himself traveled through the land, but He also chose disciples in addition to His original twelve to go throughout Judea and proclaim that the kingdom of God in Christ was at hand. Jesus chose seventy two additional disciples who He sent ahead of Him into the same places that He would go to minister, serve, preach and teach. They prepared His way among the people.

***Upon the return of the seventy-two, they reported, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” “Demons”! For these men it must have been quite a mission trip.  They encountered difficult situations even to the point of engaging those who were demon possessed. They were told that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth. They spoke and ministered in the name of Jesus. They didn’t go out in the large group of seventy-two together, but two by two. They took no food, money or sandals. Those to whom they spoke were those they served. And those they served were to feed and lodge them because the disciples rendered to them the Good News of Jesus the Christ, drove demons from them, and granted the people Peace with God. The people benefitted from this important service to them with good things which God granted to the people, through these “laborers” in the Lord, the seventy two deserved and received wages from the people in return.

***It is not easy work to be sent into the mission fields to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. What would it be like for us if we were chosen as missionaries sent to go forward onto our streets and in our neighborhoods? Would we be welcomed? Would we face the demons possessing the people we were to serve? Is our 20th century America a gentler more civil society? Likely not!

***Surely the societal dangers in 2022, especially in urban areas are ominous and to be avoided, if possible. It is only wise to be cautious. Yet as on a mission to bring Peace, we would not be able to avoid the discord of unbelief and cruelty. We who watch the news see the crimes committed the robberies, murders, mass shootings, sexual sins and drug related deaths happening by the thousands. Much of society seems to have lost a moral compass. What can be done? First we must ask, “What is the problem?”

***It depends on who we ask this question. The writer of Proverbs says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.” If we ask people randomly we will just find out what they think. Each person who answers, no matter what he says, will think he is right. Our Proverb’s verse adds wisdom, when it says, “But the Lord weighs the heart.” The Lord is truly the judge of all things and rightly qualified to judge each person’s heart. He knows each person, and can rightly and personally say, “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” It is true, and it is also true that each person is to humbly believe that about themselves. God also does judge faults, virtues and the faith of each person’s heart.

***Sin is the breaking of the law. The law can be said succinctly to all people and then applied by each person in their own heart, as they meditate on the Law of God. The law says, “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, your soul, your mind and strength. And the second is like unto the first, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. 

This is God’s Law that shows us our sins and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are led to admit and confess where we have done wrong to God our Heavenly Father.

*** 1 John 1 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” Repentance for one who is troubled by sin, and is in need of relief, means a having sorrow over sin, turning from it, and by the power of the Holy Spirit turning to Jesus Christ in faith, receiving forgiveness of sins and therefore Peace with God! This Peace comes from God because of Jesus’ suffering and death the sinner’s debt has been paid by Jesus. And by His resurrection, life everlasting is granted to all those who believe in Him. This became true for all who believed the Peace as told to the people by the seventy two whom Jesus sent ahead of Him.  

***It is very humbling to know that it is by the grace of God in Christ alone, that we can be saved. Jesus accomplished all that was necessary to make us His own. And that is what we are, the children of the Heavenly Father. The same was true of the seventy two that were sent first to the towns that Jesus was to go. They were to prepare the way for Jesus to visit. They were to bring peace to the people, yet some would not receive them. Then judgement was pronounced by their visitors who wiped the dust of the town off from their feet saying, “Nevertheless, know this that the kingdom of God has come near. It will be more bearable on that day for Sodom, than for that town. This was harsh judgement to announce to those who refused to believe the Gospel of Jesus when Jesus sent them to preach it. Jesus regards their rejection as He, Himself being rejected and this rejection brings judgement upon them.

***The same thing holds true today. God has established His churches, His fellowship of believers, His missionaries who have heeded His call to go into the world to preach the Gospel. That world is anyplace that a believer in Christ gives works and witness in Jesus name. Those who hear them would believe their witness, their preaching, their service, and their works on behalf of the Lord. All of this is done so that someone may hear, see and believe on Jesus’ name and be saved. This is salvation by faith in the heart of one who is told the good news. It is our Lord’s true desire. You who are listening can have a part in the telling.

***For example: The seventy two returned all impressed with themselves that even the demons were subject to them in Jesus name. Jesus put this selfish thrill down by saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven”. We are not to rejoice over the spirits are subject to us or anything that can make us pride filled. But we can rejoice that our names are written in heaven. It is by grace that we have been saved, it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone can boast. All God’s children, this is the will of God, that we might be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness innocence and blessedness. Rejoice and be glad, your names have been written in heaven. Amen.

Theme: “Follow Jesus”-What Does This Mean?

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."

 60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 61 Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home."

 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

***When younger people are getting to the age of independence from their family and are looking for employment or perhaps a vocation that may turn into their life’s work, they may be interviewed by someone who would try to attract them to a company by telling them about the good working conditions, opportunities for advancement, salary scale with increases, vacations, or in short, they paint an attractive picture of the career that could lie ahead for them. They may leave out the long hours, the stringent training, the tyrannical department heads, or the employee turnover rate.

***Jesus did not have employees, but He did have disciples and they were organized. Jesus was always the leader and they had goals for the Kingdom of God. Jesus, Himself, was and is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and also the sinless Son of God in human flesh, and His goal was to do what no one else could do. He was sent by His Heavenly Father to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He would defeat death and rise from the dead, ascend into heaven and come again as judge and to grant eternal life to all believers in Christ. Jesus called His disciples who became the apostles who were to be sent into the world to preach the Gospel, baptize all nations, and make disciples of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This was the Gospel goal. It was holy yet dangerous work, so dangerous that only one of the twelve disciples would not die a martyr’s death. This was John. The Jews, the scribes, and the Pharisees, along with many other pagan religions were against Jesus, the disciples and those who were converted to the Christian faith.

***As Jesus and the disciples were about doing their mission work, they were not mere wanderers or paupers. They had goals and places where Jesus directed them to go. They had disciples who were to go on ahead of Jesus and the rest to make arrangements for them to have housing and meals upon arrival. They had a treasury enough to cover expenses. Part of their preparations was to find out where safe places would be for them to stay. Jesus was getting to be well known throughout Palestine through His ministry of preaching and miracles of healing. As He became more “famous”, He also gained more enemies from especially the Jews as they traveled closer to Jerusalem.  Our Gospel says that the days were coming that Jesus would be “taken up”, meaning that, His passion and death and ascension were drawing near. Jesus knew this and as the days came closer, “He set His face to go to Jerusalem” where His mission would culminate with His death, resurrection and ascension.

***As they were traveling to Jerusalem, someone came up to Jesus to volunteer assistance and companionship. He said, “I will follow you wherever “You go.”  Jesus dissuaded this man by saying to him, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” There were others that Jesus invited to follow. To one whom He invited to follow the man responded, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said, “Leave the dead bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another volunteered to follow Jesus and said, “But let me first say farewell to those at my home.” To whom Jesus responded, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” These were reasonable requests by these men. But Jesus was keeping it real according to the depth of commitment, Jesus had, to His work of salvation for the entire world and the priority often given to the work expected of the workers for Christ Jesus.

***As we speak of a life of service in the Kingdom of God, we must remember the commitment Jesus had and still has to us and all humanity today. In the earthly life and times of our Lord Jesus, He was all in. He held nothing back in fulfilling His heavenly Father’s command. The Gospel goal was and is salvation earned by Christ Jesus and preached to the entire world. Jesus did come to seek and to save the lost, and Jesus was “all in.” Jesus held nothing back in His ministry and in His sacrifice of suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus obeyed willingly. He was not a reluctant servant/Savior of the world. He emptied Himself. Although He never sinned, He paid for the sin of the entire world.

***As we read our Gospel reading for today, we know that Jesus is on His way to the cross. We need the cross of Jesus as the core of our salvation. It is Christ’s commitment to our salvation. It is the Church’s commitment and desire to follow Jesus. This includes preaching and spreading the Word of God to the entire world with the message that Jesus died for our sins. This service is rendered, it holds nothing back. In parts of the world, Pastors and church workers lives are often in danger as they serve in the Gospel ministry. In Jesus’ times as well as today, preaching, teaching and witnessing the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus in many places is a very “holy” yet very dangerous work. Yet, a mission pastor, deaconess or worker must be willing to be “all in”. 

***The accounts of Old Testament prophets to the New Testament missionaries never found them looking for a life of ease, because they never expected a life of ease. They were sent by God to preach to all people including and sometimes, especially, evil people who made themselves enemies of God’s people. These missionaries went “all in” to do their work, because Jesus gave Himself to death, even death on the cross that the world would be saved through Him.

*** We all have a mission opportunity today. Church attendance is very much down. Why could this be? Many blame COVID. Churches were closed to corporate worship for a while until government restrictions were lifted and people were allowed to come to public meetings once again. However, many people became comfortable staying at home. This kind of comfortable is not part of our Christian faith or heritage. Our Jesus was “all in”, with His sacrifice for our salvation. Can we encourage one another to come to in person worship for those who are healthy enough to make the effort? If not healthy enough to come, the pastor can make home communion calls for them. Our Christian conscience can be helped by the Bible where the writer to the Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”. Heb. 10: 24, 25---All of us can be active in mission work. It is part of being “all in”. May God bless you! Amen.         

Theme: The Power of Jesus’ Word

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.

 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:35-39

***”In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God-- and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us filled with grace and truth. John 1:1,14. In scriptures, we find many references to the Word of God. In fact the entire Bible has been called the Word of God. In our short quote. John says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore, Jesus is also called the “Living Word” of God. Jesus was there at creation and without Him nothing was made. When Jesus spoke, His words have authority because Jesus Himself has authority, the authority of God as Jesus is God Himself, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

***In today’s Gospel lesson we find Jesus and His disciples having sailed on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calmed a fierce storm that nearly swamped their boat. He spoke and rebuked the wind and the waves and the lake was still. Then He rebuked the disciples by saying to them, “Where is your faith?”—Seeing this, the disciples were not only amazed, they also were in fear of Jesus, by saying, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Jesus was the one speaking to the winds and the water. Jesus is also the one who spoke, “Let there be light, water, creatures of the sea, land, animals…” Jesus spoke and it came to be. It was the same with His many miracles, what Jesus willed and commanded came to be.

***Jesus’ authority is broader than that of a Creator. Jesus authority is also over evil, that is, over demons. The situation Jesus confronted when He stepped off from the boat was He met a man who as possessed by demons. This man did not wear clothes, nor did he live in a house. He lived among tombs. When the demons cruelty became fiercest, the man had to be put in shackles and chains and kept under guard. Yet he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. When this man saw Jesus, the many demons, called Legion, acted out through the man, who fell down and cried out, “Jesus Son of the Most High God” I beg you, do not torment me!” They begged Jesus not to send them to the abyss, which is a dark, deep, most miserable place even demons did not want to reside. The demons begged Jesus to send them into a nearby herd of pigs, which is what Jesus did. And the herd went down the bank into the lake and drowned.

***The herdsmen, the ones who lost their pigs, hurried into the country and city and told what happened. The people who came out to see what happened came to Jesus and saw the man, now healed, sitting at Jesus feet. He was wearing clothes and in his right mind. And upon seeing this man healed seated at Jesus’ feet, the people from the city were now afraid. Why would these people be afraid? Jesus had great power, look what He could do just with His words. The people asked Jesus to go away from them because they were very afraid of Him. Jesus was a compassionate lover of people. Healed and fed countless numbers of people in His three year ministry. He was known as one who always paid heed to everyone with whom He came in contact. Why the fear? Jesus had power. When people saw it, they also could see that, because of His power, Jesus was not someone to provoke or get on His “wrong side”. Jesus was sent by His Heavenly Father to seek and save the lost.

***The man who was possessed by demons received great relief. He was liberated from being possessed by demons. By the power and compassion of Jesus this pathetic, demon possessed man was given a normal well-adjusted self. However, none of us ever experienced the contrast of being possessed by demons, then by Jesus’ command, the demons were gone, the horror was over, normality was given and the man received the bliss of actually sitting at the feet of Jesus the Savior. He wanted never to be physically be apart from Jesus. What a feeling, of comfort, safety and bliss. Could it last forever? Jesus, however, sent the man back to His own home to declare how much God had done for Him. And this “new man” in Christ, went away proclaiming throughout the whole city what Jesus had done for him. As he shared his joy, he also spread the faith He had in Jesus.

***Let us consider our own lives in the context of what we have seen in this man’s former life and then his salvation. Could we be vulnerable to Satan’s wiles and temptations? We are not told how this torment began. Surely, we also, have temptations, personal moral and spiritual weaknesses that we individually and personally need to be aware. It is good that we examine our heart and life according to the Ten Commandments. Do we fear, love and trust in God above all things? Do we curse, swear, use satanic arts, or deceive by God’s name? Do we call upon Him in every trouble? Do we pray, praise and give thanks to Him? Do we neglect the preaching of God’s word. Do we hold God’s word sacred and gladly hear and learn it? Other sensitive areas of the Ten Commandments: Do we honor authority? Do we help our neighbors in bodily needs? Do we lead sexually pure and decent lives in word and deed? Do we help our neighbor to improve and protect his property and income? Do we guard our neighbor’s reputation, as we defend and speak well of him? Do we help our neighbor keep and improve his property? Do encourage all those people involved with our neighbor’s household to stay and be faithful to his well-being?  

*** Are there any spiritual or moral weaknesses that we think about, or perhaps even are involved in which give Satan the opportunity to lead us to sinfully involve ourselves?  Remember, without Jesus there is a void for Satan to exploit. ---Sometime when we have quiet time, evaluate also your life of mission, who do you know that you can witness to of the great saving works God has done in your life? –Remember, when Jesus is voided in a life, according to our Gospel lesson, there is a deep bottomless pit filled with demons that desire to take over our lives.— Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith. 1 Peter 5.

***We do have help! God in His grace, also gave us Baptism with water applied with the words in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, grants us new birth in the Holy Spirit. Satan no longer is in control. Saving faith in Christ may abound. In Holy Communion we receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in with and under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. We believe and give God thanks and praise. Amen.

Theme:  "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

 49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

John 8:48-51

***How do problems get solved? Someone must see that there is a problem. They must study the problem. They might observe methods of behaving so that they might make a task easier, or perhaps get a better result. Such a process of gaining a solution is to gain wisdom. An example:  Wisdom, in a practical sense is often what comes to us when we need an easier or more efficient way to accomplish something. A man was going to take a thirty mile bike ride. The wind was blowing about 25 miles per hour. He put the wind at his back and traveled fifteen miles. Then he turned around to go home and immediately noticed that the wind was still blowing at 25 miles an hour. He got on the bike and was very tired by the time he got home. He learned a lesson. It is wise to ride the last leg of a bike journey with the wind at your back. Much wisdom is gained by experience, and much wisdom is gained also from the experiences of others. It is wise in and of itself to learn fitting lessons that improve life and increase grace and appreciation among people whom you may be able to help by being wise.

***What happened to all the great people of history? Many have left their mark on countries and some even on the world itself. If we look at the United States, we remember some of the great people and their achievements like George Washington, many called the “Father of the nation”, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. If we look abroad we recently see celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s seventy year reign as England’s Queen. Certainly, by their lives they were and still are exemplary in their conduct and leadership. There are many notable people of the world, whose views and teachings are still influential today. Plato the philosopher is one and there are many others like him. His teachings still have an influence on some today. However, in their time on the earth, people like him, made it known that they themselves need not be remembered, but they really hoped that their teachings would be remembered and followed. However, philosophers, politicians, leaders, or world religious figures cannot be put into the same consideration of importance as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has been called the “Wisdom of the Ages”. He was and is God’s Son taken on human flesh to take away the sins of the world. We cannot separate His identity from the work Jesus accomplished. His work: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

***The religion of the Jews, especially the Pharisees, consisted largely of the obedience to Jewish Worship laws which came to them from the Old Testament. In addition, they had dietary laws, worship laws of sacrifice, prayers, giving of tithes and more. They had their own civic laws and even laws of who they could or could not associate with. They were very organized. Their rules were rigidly enforced and obeyed by the zealous. To them it was a blessing to be wealthy. Wealth usually meant that God had blessed you because you were obedient and good. Often, those who were sick, poor or not consistent in obedience to the law were looked down upon or scorned. Love toward God and neighbors suffered in lieu of pious or showy religious practices. It is said in the Scriptures about them, “You put burdens upon men’s shoulders, but don’t move them with even your finger. Their religious  practices were to earn salvation by obedience. This was the religious world into which Christ Jesus came.

***In our Gospel reading, we find Christ Jesus, grown, baptized by John and in his ministry He is seeking the lost in order to help them and save them. He is arguing with Pharisees who accused Jesus of being a Samaritan (a foreigner) who is possessed by a demon. Jesus said that He honors His heavenly Father, and yet the Jews, who believed in the heavenly Father, dishonored Christ. They rejected Jesus. They commented to Jesus that Abraham is their Father. Jesus answered them, “Before Abraham was, I AM”. Jesus indicated that He is the eternal Son of His Heavenly Father. In their anger the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

***Jesus did not stop in His goal, that is, to earn salvation for the whole world. This includes you and me. As the Heavenly Father created the heavens and earth, Wisdom was there with the Creator. Wisdom personified is Christ. He has been described as the Wisdom of the ages. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills came to be, I, that is, Christ, was brought forth. I was like a master workman, and I was His daily delight….Rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the children of man”. This is the Christ that took on flesh and dwelt among us, filled with grace and truth. Christ Jesus had a role in creation, and now as sent by the Father, He became THE Savior of the entire world and our Savior. Jesus persevered. The time came for Him to face the cross. It was time to suffer, die, rise from the dead and now we wait as He prepares a place for all believers in Christ. We await His return.

***In the meantime the preaching, and teaching the message of salvation in Christ goes on.—WE RELY ON JESUS, THE WISDOM OF THE AGES: We remember that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.----Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Then we can say, as St. Paul writes,” I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7.

Grace, Mercy and Peace in the name of Jesus: Amen!

Theme: The Holy Spirit is our Helper

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

John 14: 26-31

***Our readings begin with the Old Testament reading from Genesis 11. This is Bible History during the time after God caused the Great Flood to punish and purge the world of the great masses of sinful people. Only the righteous, that is, those people faithful to the Lord, being Noah and his family. After the flood waters subsided, God told the remaining remnant, to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth, which they did. The people became a great many, but only had one language. They built a high tower called Babel so they could “make a name for themselves,” and would not be dispersed. This was a problem as God saw it: Only one language, one selfish, sinful, prideful way of thinking, this is big trouble.” “This is only the beginning of what they will do!” So God dispersed them over the face of all the earth.      

***Most of us, as small children, were fortunate to have parental figures in our lives that took care and guided us, so that we would grow up safely and be able to make safe, productive and right choices. The younger we were, the more decisions our parents would make for us. Then as children grow, many go through a stage, that some call, the “why” stage. For example: “Johnny find your shoes and put them on so we can go to grandmas”.—Johnny answers, “Why?”—Parents say, “Because Grandma asked us to come to her house for dinner at six o’clock, so we have to go in a few minutes”. Johnny answers, “Why?”—The exchange with Johnny usually ends with the parent saying, “Because, I said so!” As children mature they usually become better at anticipating what they must do to make fitting life choices so they grow out of the “Why” stage.—When young people mature and move out of their parents’ home, they have to make their own decisions. Now what? They learn, but still may periodically seek advice from the older and wiser.

***The disciples were in the company of Jesus for the three years of His earthly ministry. They observed His power, and learned from His knowledge as Jesus walked the earth doing His ministry among the people. He contended with the chief priests, Pharisees, the poor, sick, and very wealthy. There were Jews and Gentiles. Those that hated Jesus, those that loved him and those who were just curious. Jesus ministered to all of them in love and fairness. He well knew the disciples. Jesus knew that Judas loved money which compromised his loyalty. Peter could be rash and unpredictable, Thomas had trouble with doubt and John was a dreamer. He could see that the disciples were competitive with one another. Jesus could handle it and He was always there for them. The disciples witnessed firsthand the countless miracles of Jesus. They heard him preach to crowds and give Godly lessons to one or a few.  He could teach and, guide them, and He was always there to answer questions. “Jesus is bigger and better at all He did than anyone can imagine.”

*** The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us and through Jesus the Holy Spirit draws us to the Heavenly Father. By the power of the Holy Spirit we have a permanent companionship with also the Father and the Son, who lives with us forever and creates within us the Spirit of God’s ministry.  This means a curiosity, an interest, some would say, a holy appetite, for the ministry, the work of spreading the “Good News” of salvation in the everlasting kingdom of God. This curiosity is one that is and internal curiosity, as that of a child. Children pick up toys and objects that have color, shape or possibly a feel. They only may be intrigued, fascinated or comforted by holding it, putting it in their mouth or throwing it. With God’s word and its revelations the Holy Spirit encourages questions that lead to God’s word for the answers. Then the Holy Spirit encourages and enables sharing the knowledge and experience with others.

***The day of the first Pentecost was an obvious out pouring of the Holy Spirit. There was the sound of a rushing wind from Heaven, tongues as of fire appeared on the heads of people. Filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak in other tongues. In Jerusalem there were Jews, devout men from every nation. As the multitude came together, each one heard the Apostles speak in his own language. Seventeen different locations and backgrounds of people heard the Apostles speak the Gospel in their own language. All were amazed and perplexed, saying, “What does this mean?” Peter spoke up for the Apostles, and said, “These men are not drunk”. He quoted the Prophet Joel saying, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, your sons and daughters shall see visions, and you old men shall dream dreams……And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

***At Pentecost, God gave a great gift to the entire world that strikes through time. The Holy Spirit through this Pentecost gave us the language of faith to all people. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  These simple words are at the heart of the Gospel and convey the soul saving message that affects the eternal wellbeing of believers across the world. The message is easily translated and understood into the native language of people across the world. And by the Holy Spirit’s power grants salvation of souls. On this Pentecost worship celebration it is fitting for us to confess together ----The meaning of the Third Article of the Apostles Creed:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ and the one true faith.

In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.

On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

This is most certainly true.

Theme: We are in unity with Christ and the Heavenly Father

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: "For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I do not ask for these (that is the 12 disciples) only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

  Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

John 17:19-26

***John 17:1-26 is the longest prayer that Jesus prayed that is recorded in the Bible. A good definition of prayer is “talking to God in words and thoughts”. Jesus commanded us to pray and has promised to hear us. In our Gospel reading, we see and understand that Jesus, himself, prayed to his heavenly Father. And all Christians can be assured that the heavenly Father did hear Jesus’ prayer and will answer it. A prayer prayed on behalf of other people is called an intercessory prayer. The one who prays is the intercessor. In the case of Christ’s prayer in John 17, Jesus is the intercessor praying to His heavenly Father. His prayer is also called Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. The priest in the temple performed sacrifices in the temple to God on behalf of the people. God accepted those sacrifices and granted forgiveness. When Jesus prayed this high priestly prayer, he did so to the Father on behalf of the people. God accepts and answers this prayer. Jesus is called our “Great High Priest” not because He made sacrifices for God’s people in the temple, but Jesus actually was the sacrifice for all people on the cross. By his own bitter suffering and death he paid the price of redemption for all sins of all people, for all times. He truly is our Great High Priest. When Jesus prayed, the Father heard, and the Father answered the prayers of his only begotten Son prayed on behalf of the people. Today, we read, in part, Jesus High Priestly Prayer.

***Jesus prays recognizing the difference between the holiness of God, which is all truth, and the world which has its own sinful self-centered selfish ways. The world lures to entrap people in its ways which are of the devil and are evil. God’s word is truth, which means that by God’s word the Holy Spirit produces faith and sanctification, which is, holy living in God’s service. The disciples and all Christians are to dedicate themselves to spreading God’s word, that by the Holy Spirit’s blessing many more people would believe and the kingdom of God would grow. Jesus prays to His Heavenly Father, not to take the disciples out of the world, because there is so much mission work to be done, but that the heavenly Father would protect them. Without God’s protection the workers and the work in God’s kingdom would be lost.

***God’s work of spreading the Gospel would bear fruit, not only for the disciples, but also for the believers whom the disciples taught to believe the Gospel and preach it to others. The others, then who believed, would preach to others and then they believed, and preached to others, and so on. Jesus’ prayer didn’t just anticipate the future, but his prayer was answered and generation after generation produced by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, Christian believers. This goes on even in these days. The truth of God’s salvation and life in Christ has been preached and taught for over 2000 years. Has the teaching and preaching empowered by the Holy Spirit born fruit? Well yes, it has borne fruit! Can Christ now stop His prayers? Are we now on cruise control? It sounds silly even to suggest such a thing.

***God has blessed the church with a growing number of believers in Christ. The church is surely much larger in numbers today than in the time of Christ. This is a blessing. However, Jesus prays, “May they all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me”. Jesus prays for unity of faith in the church in which there can be many distractions from the true focus of the people’s faith in Christ.

***What might be some of the distractions? At times there may be problems of church finances where people complain about what they feel is too much spending in one area or another. There may be a disagreement in church music, hymns or style of songs. Or there may be a disagreement in doctrine and teaching of the faith. An example from the church of South Africa in 1866 there was a bishop who announced to the church that most of the Bible was untrue. This caused a horrible stir. What were the people to believe and think? The people took sides. The church, the gathering of believers, was shaken in what the Word of God truly said and what the confessional church was called to believe.  What helped? Church leaders of the church at large defrocked the bishop and over time, peace and sound doctrine was relatively restored. One response that helped bring peace was when a hymn writer, Samuel Stone, wrote the hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation”. Verse 4 expresses the problem and prayer for the sound and pleasant solution.

Tho’ with a scornful wonder, the world sees her (the church) oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, yet saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up, “How long?” and soon the night  of weeping shall be the morn of song.

***What is most important to church unity according to the prayer of Jesus? Is that the people of the church believe and understand who God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are, what they do and how they relate to one another in the works of Creation and Salvation. These works are personally done and given from God and by the power of the Holy Spirit; they are personally received and believed by the persons of the church, who rejoice in their salvation and do works of loving God with all their hearts, soul, mind and strength, and loving their neighbors as themselves.

*** Paul writes to Timothy, a young pastor.” If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing”. I Timothy 6:3—What helps with putting sound doctrine into the hands of the laity in church? Surely it is Bible Study. It is good to attend one if you have the chance. Or if you have a Luther’s Small Catechism, it is not hard to understand it by reading it, because it is structured nicely in the form of questions and answers which quote Bible verses. Our Psalm for today encourages us to desire and seek truth and unity of faith among the believers

Psalm 133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!  It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Amen.

Theme: Ascension Day and Our Life in Christ

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

  You are witnesses of these things.--- Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke: 24:45-48, 50-53

***On May 26th, 40 days after Easter, Christians celebrate Christ’s ascension into heaven. For Christians, this is a victorious day. The days prior to Easter were the days of Lent. This is the season Christians focus on the need all people have for the Savior. These are the days we look at our sinful nature and see that no person can stand before God and plead his own self-righteous case before Him and be saved. Surely we must confess that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”! During Lent, we were on a spiritual journey with Christ and His followers as Jesus was betrayed into the hands of the Jews, whose desire was to kill Him. Jesus was betrayed, tried by Pilate, convicted by the Jewish court and sentenced to death by Pilate, who showed that he acquiesced to the Jews when he said, “I wash my hands of the blood of this just man”. Jesus was crucified between two criminals, and as He died, Jesus made the final payment for all sins of all people. Jesus words, “It is finished” (the debt is paid”!)

***Though Jesus died, that was not the end of Him. He was buried, and after three days in the tomb, Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to the disciples. St. Paul writes,” For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”                                                                         

                                                   1 Cor. 15:3-8

***Now the time came that Jesus was to ascend into heaven. Everything about Jesus that was written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must be and were fulfilled. Jesus opened the minds of the disciples to understand the Scriptures. Now Jesus was to return to the Father. He has all times and seasons fixed by His own authority. The time will come for the disciples, when they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Then they will be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

*** When Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were assured that they would see Him again. Two men in white robes told them that, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” Now, the disciples were told,  “Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” The disciples were to wait in the city until they would be clothed with power (of the Holy Spirit) from on high. Jesus then blessed the disciples and He was carried up into heaven—the disciples then worshiped Jesus and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God.

***By Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the promise of the Holy Spirit to come upon them, the disciples were filled with joy in the great things God has done through Jesus. Now they waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They, however, did not wait in hiding for fear of what might happen to them. They went to the temple and were continually blessing God. They were no longer hiding in a room for fear of the Jews. They went to the temple. The Jews in the temple has plotted to kill Jesus and here were the disciples worshipping, and they were not afraid. They had a sense of what God wanted them to do and were bold as they waited for their time to begin. They blessed God continually as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

***Today also, we Christians have challenges in our mission for Christ in the world to which God wants us to be faithful. One thing is God has even commanded for us to do. In His third commandment He says: Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy.—What does this mean? We should fear and love God, so that we do not despise preaching and His word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it. –We face these challenges today. Over the past few years there have been many obstacles in coming and gathering in church to publically worship the Lord  together with our fellow Christian family and friends. One of those obstacles has been the danger of the COVID virus. Peace has been very diligent in providing health screenings and social distancing that we reduce risks to health.

***Another concern has been evident for quite some time has been the public safety factor. Peace has addressed this concern with keeping a security presence outside the church. Our security man watches the cars as well as the coming and going of people. And of course, those in the worshipping congregation watch out for each other. These are things that God wants His people to do as we love our neighbors as ourselves.

***In church worship, we sing together hymns of prayer, praise and thanksgiving. We confess our sins and our faith, and then hear the word of God read and explained in terms of God’s Law and the Gospel of salvation. We pray the prayer of the church as we come to the Lord on behalf of friends and family, mentioning many who request prayer, by name. We then celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Especially, we see and greet each other in the context of love, worship and praise. We are involved with one another in the name of the Lord. This is very important. It has been said that the word of God is not only taught but it is also caught. We encourage each other in the faith as we worship together. We together, have a fellowship in Christ. We help and take care of each other. We are friends in Christ.

***The Lord encourages us and promises to bless the faithful---- Psalm 37: 3-6

 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Amen

Theme: Who? Me too!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: (By the Pool of Bethesda) lay a multitude of invalids- blind, lame, and paralyzed.--

 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"

 7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me."

 8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

John 5:5-9

***The incidence of our text takes place in the Temple of Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate where there was a pool where a great number of disabled people used to lie. Their reason being, that upon occasion an angel stirred the waters of the pool and anyone who got into the pool at that time would be cured. The pool was called “Bethesda” which comes from the Hebrew for “house of grace”. Here, by the pool, we find a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. We don’t know how many of those thirty-eight years he spent waiting by the pool. The man was also a beggar, which likely caused Jesus to ask, “Don’t you want to be healed?” An invalid beggar in the temple, likely had an income from those who were sympathetic to a man in his condition. But being healed would give this man health, but he also would likely have a drastic change of new responsibilities after thirty-eight years of “getting by” on whatever sympathetic people may give him in relief. Therefore, Jesus asked him, “Don’t you want to get well?”—Answer, “I don’t have anyone to help me get into the pool, and when I try myself to do it, always someone else goes down before me.”—Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your bed and walk!”  The man was cured at once.

***Life now became more complicated for this, now physically healthy man. It was the Sabbath and the temple Jews saw this man carrying his mat. They said to the man, “The law forbids you to carry your mat on the Sabbath”. To which the man said to them, the man who healed me said, “Pick up your mat and walk.” –They asked him, “Who was this?” But the healed man did not know, because Jesus had slipped away in the crowd that was there. ---Later, Jesus found the healed man once again in the temple and said to the man, “See. You are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man then went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who made him well.

***All sin has consequences. When I, in general, feel physically fit and healthy and can do my work fairly efficiently and the efforts seem to be productive, I have a general feeling of well-being and tend to let it go at that. Then my tendency is not to think of my life and relationships with others, or with the Lord, as seriously right or wrong, good or bad, but I am satisfied. How are we doing? Life is good for me! Do I sin? Well, I must be doing something right! Jesus points this out to the newly healed invalid. Jesus healed this man and did not disappear from his life. Jesus warned him about his sin. The effect of sin is more than a danger to physical health. In fact, the Word of God tells us that, “The wages of sin is death.” Death is more than, simply physical death. There is temporal death. However, the word of God also says, “It is given and man once to die, then after that is the Judgement.” There is heaven and there is hell.

***Jesus tells a parable of a rich man and a very poor man called Lazarus. The rich man had a life of ease and was in want for nothing. Lazarus was very poor and in poor health, so much so that his body was covered with sores so bad that the dogs came and licked the sores. Lazarus died and was carried off to Abraham’s bosom (heaven). And the rich man also died and was buried and from Hades he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

***There is sin and sin is breaking God’s Law. Is there any way that we, who are sinners, can stop sinning as Jesus told the man, whom He healed, that he should do? We, in truth, cannot handle sin by ourselves. We are sinners and have enemies that are against us that tempt us always to sin. Our enemies are the Devil, the world and our sinful nature. The Devil is the one who tempted Eve and Adam to sin. He is not only our enemy but is also God’s enemy. He, however, cannot defeat God, but in his delusion always works to do so. Satan   tempts us as well. The world itself is evil and filled with temptations and encouragements to become a victim of Satan’s deceptions. Satan tempts us with the worldly immoral culture which appeals to our vanity thinking we can wisely decide for ourselves what is “good for or bad” for us. We need no help. Our own sinful nature has an “appetite” for sin and sinful ways. There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death. The man who was healed did not know at first, who it was who healed him, however, when Jesus found him a second time, the healed man was able to go back to the Jews and tell them that is was Jesus who made him well.

***It is a good thing that Jesus went back to the temple to encourage the man whom He healed by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus warned him about the dangers of sinning. Jesus also confronted the Jews about their errors regarding their views of working on the Sabbath. Jesus told the Jews that the Heavenly Father is always at His work, and Jesus, the Son of the Father, also is working. This made the Jews work even harder to kill Jesus.  Jesus revealed to the Jews that He and the Father are God and thereby are equal with one another. The Jews did not believe Him. Neither does our sinful world today believe in Jesus. We believe that there are two main teachings in the Bible: One is God’s Law that shows us our sins as it tells us to love God with all our heart, soul mind and strength and that we also love our neighbor as ourselves. The Gospel shows us our Savior. That God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is our Lord and our Savior. It is by God’s Grace we are saved. It is not our own doing. It is a gift of God that no one can boast, only believe.

*** Let us confess together the meaning of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed.--------------- --        I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. –In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ and the one true faith.—In this Christian church, He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.—On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.—This is most certainly true. Amen

Theme: Easter Turns Sorrow into Joy

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about."

 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'?

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

John 16:18-22

***Well? What did Jesus mean when He said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? There are possibilities: Some say Jesus referred to His death and resurrection; His ascension and return on Judgement Day; some say, that when the Holy Spirit manifested himself on Pentecost, the conquering risen Lord was manifested in the preaching of the apostles. Perhaps, the anecdote that Jesus told in verse #21 would make sense. As a woman suffering during the birth of her child would rejoice after the child was born. Her pains of childbirth are lost in the joy of the new life of the child. Generally speaking, there is real sorrow and real tears when death strikes close to home. In reality, the death of Christ caused real sorrow and tears for the disciples and when He really rose from the dead, a “little while later”, there was great joy!

***Jesus told the disciples that they would weep and lament when he died, but the world will rejoice. When Jesus died, the sinful world, who was an enemy of Jesus, did rejoice. Pilate was pleased that Jesus died because the Jews wanted Him dead and there would be no riots in Jerusalem now that He was dead. Herod was relieved because He could keep peace among the Jews. Herod and Pilate could be happy together because they became friends. The Jewish elite were happy now that they had no religious competition from Christ and His followers. They all were glad that Jesus was dead. But Christ’s followers and disciples were very sad and shed many tears.

***Christ Jesus suffered, died and rose again to pay for the sins of all. By it He destroyed death and defeated Satan. Through faith in Jesus Satan would have no power over God’s people. By rising from the dead, Jesus destroyed death that all who believe in Him would have the gift of eternal life with Jesus in heaven. He did all this out of His selfless love for all people. We, who then believe in Him also, love Him with all our heart, soul and strength. In keeping, we also love our neighbors as ourselves. Our love for Christ compels our consciences that guide us as we obey His commandments.

***We are warned by Jesus that when He dies, His followers will lament, but the sinful world will rejoice. Even today, Christians find themselves at odds with many in society over the issue of protecting the unborn from abortion. There are many that will single out churches and organizations for the persecution of those that strive to protect the lives of the unborn. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” “We concur that we must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:27

***Something for all of us to remember is that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons, yet One God. They are together, in agreement in all things. They are a “Trinity in Unity”. The Spirit of Truth- will not speak on His own authority-whatever He hears He will speak.—Jesus said, “The Father is mine---He will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16: 13,15. We cannot say that I will listen to one and not another. We cannot say that, “I am in the Spirit” and do not need the Father or the Son. Often the Godhead is described as the Father being the Creator, the Son being the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier, aiding the believer in holy living. They are the only God, of the same substance of “Godness”. They are all uncreated and eternal, all-knowing and all-powerful, they hear our prayers. We begin and end our days, as we worship and pray in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”.  We love, honor, trust and obey our God.

***As Jesus speaks to His disciples about “the little while they will not see Him, and again in a little while they will see Him”, He tells them they, “not the world”, will weep and lament. ”You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” Is this true? Is it always true? Is it true sometimes? It depends on? Joy, how much joy?

***Each Easter church service after a long, repentant Lenten season, we open our worship  singing “I Know that My Redeemer Lives”, “Up from the Grave He Arose!”, “Welcome Happy Morning”, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Alleluia!” The congregation has greeted each other with words of encouragement in the Lord and a heartfelt handshake, then the pastor with his loudest and most joyful tone shouts, “Christ is Risen!” And the people respond loudly and joyfully, “He is Risen Indeed!”---This response comes quite naturally under the circumstances, as well it should.

***However, what if this tradition is carried on through the whole season of Easter? Maybe the joyful edge is worn off a bit. There aren’t as many in church as on Easter. People are more into the normal, “unholiday” activities. People are more tired from the work week. The response of “He is Risen Indeed!” is not as spirited as it was on Easter. Does this mean that “Easter no longer turns your sorrow into joy?” Is there something wrong with Easter? Is there something wrong with people? Well, yes, there is something wrong with people? Yes, we are individuals who are sinful. But is each response to be evaluated according an emotional or non-emotional special scale. Can we judge the faith of another accordingly? Of course not!    

***There is nothing wrong with Easter, nor is there anything wrong with one who mourns over a loved one who died, or a person who is suffering in any way, or perhaps is just very tired and cannot muster enthusiasm. Easter is still Easter and turns sorrow into joy. Jesus said, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” An encouragement often said at the gravesite of a loved one, “In the midst of things we cannot understand, let us believe in and find comfort in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. In the midst of all sorrow filled events and experiences, “Easter turns sorrow into Joy”. Christ is risen and so will we! Amen.

Our Lord’s Guidance … Comfort and Assurance
Rev. Oliver Washington 

Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17

[The multitude] cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” [Those] surrounding the Lamb of God responded, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.

As we read our text, did you find yourself speculating about what challenges lay ahead for us as believers? As I read the readings, I gravitated towards the difficulty and hardships of David and Paul’s lives. David wrote Psalm 23 having a good understanding of the life of a shepherd. However, he wrote the psalm from a perspective of a sheep, “even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (v. 4) Saul reminds us of his struggles, “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” Finally, in Revelations one of the elders speaks of those who have experience suffering and hardships, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;”. Unfortunately, we often dwell on our trials, adversities, hardships as opposed to holding on to the word of God, discovering the little gospel nuggets which strengthen our faith, or learning to discern the Shepherd’s guiding voice amidst the chaos.

When we reflect on our readings, were there other images or words which allow us to discover comfort, assurance or confidence? In Revelations, “The Lamb, holding palm branches, their shepherd.” in Psalms 23 “Good Shepherd”, and in John, 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. This is one time I do not mind saying, I hear a voice. Jesus’ words can bring comfort amidst chaos, trials and tribulations.

Very few of us can identify with the “great tribulation” or persecution which will preface our Lord’s Second Coming. But tribulations for Believers and Christians has occurred throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament as well as our present church age, The historical context of believers can be characterized as a time of tribulation (2 Thess. 1:5, 6; 2 Tim. 3:1, 12). However, these days, the  word tribulation is commonly paired with trials, and relates less to oppression and more to any kind of uphill struggle.

• For parents, a son or daughter's illness can a source of great tribulation.

• Some families are made stronger —through trials, tribulation, recognizing human frailty, and – when tested — choosing love and loyalty. 

• Sometimes the beginnings of our lives can be marked by tribulation, poverty, incarceration, drug addiction, physical or emotional abuse …

• In a broader context, there are trials and tribulations of starting a new job, a business or changing ones career. 

These are all trying experiences. But do not loose hope. The passages we read are intended to comfort first-century Christians, US, as well as those in the final crisis. When you are going through a particularly difficult time, take a moment to draw upon the words of scripture - find a way to discern His voice from the other competing voices. Now this takes practice. I recall as a child, If I were going astray - I could hear my mother’s voice “Oliver George Washington, Jr.” It was a gentle way of getting me back on track. On another occasion, I could discern my grandmother, mother and father’s voice in the middle of a crowd. Oliver Jr. I am certain that each of us - Josh, Melinda, John, Cheryl, all of us have had similar experiences. Jesus attempts to establish such a relationship with each of us as we read and meditate upon scripture. 

We all hear the same words. But the message is different for some of us. It is different, first of all, because your name was called. When you hear your name, you listen more carefully. Many people have the same name. So how do know the message is for us - for you. We learn to discern Jesus’ voice amidst our circumstances.

Just consider all that has happened over year. All the darkness. All the uncertainty. All the fear. And yet through it all, the voice of our Good Shepherd never wavered or faltered. The Good Shepherd’s voice continued to cry out to us, not from some far-off heavenly quarantine, but from our very midst. Our Lord—our Immanuel—was right here with us! Even as we made our way through the shadowy valley of death and fear and despair, our Shepherd was right here, leading - guiding us to the green pastures and cool waters of His lifegiving Word and Sacrament. Even in the midst of lockdowns and quarantines and empty store shelves and pantries, our cups overflowed… and they continue to overflow. Talk about words of comfort and a peace that truly surpasses all understanding! 

Look to this altar. Look to this baptismal font. Look to the pulpit and the lectern. Look… and listen. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away all the sin of the world. Behold, the Lamb of God, who laid down His life as an all-redeeming sacrifice for the sins of the entire world—your sin, my sin, and even the sin of the person you don’t like. Listen to the Good Shepherd as He speaks tenderly to you, “Take and eat. Take and drink. This is My body and My blood for the forgiveness of all your sin.” Folks: As members of God’s holy flock, even in the midst of this shadowy valley of death, this is our joy. This means that Christ is the Word and Sacrament, that ties and unites faithful Christians of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, and times together as one holy Christian Church; one flock under one Good Shepherd. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. 

You know what we’ve come through this past year. Your Good Shepherd has been here for you all along. Who knows what’s still in store for us? Maybe things will get better. Maybe they won’t. Maybe this is as good as its ever gonna get. Come what may—richer, poorer, sickness, health, war, peace… and everything in between—your Good Shepherd does not change. His love for you does not and will not change. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Don’t ever forget that! Regardless of what’s going on in this fallen and sinful world; no matter how dark and scary things may seem in your life, your Good Shepherd loves you and He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you so much that He willingly laid down His life for you. Do not take this lightly!

The wage for your sin is death. The penalty for your sin required death, and the Good Shepherd died that death for you. He sacrificed Himself in your place so that you may have life and have it in over-flowing abundance. That’s how much He loves you. This is how I know He will guide you during difficult times. If you still have you palm branches, hold on to them knowing in Christ you will be victorious. That you will see the Good Shepherd. You will see our triumphant Lord, Savior and King.

Jesus calls you by name and tells you that He loves you. His voice will guide us through the most difficult of times and provide us with comfort, assurance and confidence that God is working out our situation for our ultimate good.

God will grant you the wisdom and humility of saving, repentant faith all your remaining days so that you may be able to recognize and understand and appreciate just how much your Good Shepherd does love you and actively cares for you. May your ears of faith be opened to always hear and listen to and hold fast to the voice of your Good Shepherd. May your eyes of faith, opened through the hearing of the Word, be always opened to recognize your Good Shepherd and His very present love for you, even in the midst of your trials and tribulations. Repent and rest and enjoy the comfort, the assurance, the peace, and healing that is found only in the green pastures, cool waters, and open arms of your truly Good Shepherd.

In His most holy and precious name; the very name you bear by virtue of your  baptism into Him… AMEN.

Theme: A New Normal-Now Fishers of Men

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.--Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No. "He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

John 21:3-7

***Young children are often asked by their parents and teachers, “What do you want to be when you grow up? Children may want to grow up to do what they see their parents doing and may follow suit. Once they reach a certain age, education becomes an important criterion in helping them decide of how they can live productive lives. There are many ways to “make a living”, factory work, trades, offices, teachers and on and on. What about their adult family life? Marriage, children and a home are important considerations. As we consider these things, do we also consider our lives as God’s children? Do we consider what Jesus has done for us in our baptism and how He promises to be with us always? Along with so many other concerns, do we also consider how our life will also be a life of love and service to Jesus and His people?   

***Our Gospel reading records the third time the Risen Lord appears to His disciples. What does Jesus find them doing? They were no longer in hiding, but they were doing what felt normal for them. They were fishermen by trade, so they went fishing. They fished all night and caught nothing and in the morning, a surprise, Jesus appeared and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. So they did, and surprise, they caught so many fish they could not haul them into the boat. John recognized the Lord Jesus, and so also Peter, who threw himself into the sea and swam for land. The other disciples brought in the net full of 153 fish. There was a charcoal fire on shore with some bread and fish. Courtesy of Jesus, who said, “Have some breakfast.” They knew it was the Lord.

***After breakfast, Jesus made some remarkable changes in their hearts and lives. He called on Peter, the one who had previously denied Christ three times. This time Jesus asked Peter three times, “Simon, Son of John, do you love me?” Peter said emphatically each time, “Yes Lord; You know that I love you.”—Jesus responded, “Feed My lambs, Tend my sheep, Feed My sheep!”---Peter’s honest pledge, “Lord, You know everything, You know I love you!”

***Both Matthew and Mark record Jesus’ earlier calling of the twelve disciples. It was at the time when Jesus was baptized in the wilderness by John the Baptist and then tempted by Satan. Jesus was beginning His public ministry and called His disciples, many of whom were fishermen. He said, “Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This calling was true for all twelve of the disciples who were followers of Jesus. The name “disciples” carries with it the position of one who learns from Jesus. When Jesus called His twelve disciples, as well as, when He preached to crowds of people in the wilderness, He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

***This is the invitation, a call to faith, to follow and to learn from Jesus. Here Jesus calls it a “yoke”, a sign of a servant’s burden. The yoke itself is not so heavy but must be sturdy and strong enough to bear much weight. A yoke must be well designed and carved to be comfortable on the shoulders and neck, but strong enough to bear the strain of a heavy burden and well balanced across the back and shoulders.

***This yoke and the burden the disciples are to bear is easy and light? How can this be? We don’t think of burdens as easy and light. I remember moving a household of furniture from one house to another. Family and helpers could handle almost everything that could be taken apart or moved on a dolly. But they could not handle the baby grand piano straight up a flight of stairs onto the second floor. Professionals were brought in. These guys looked almost too skinny for the task. But when their muscles were engaged, the pro’s showed themselves to be very capable. It was hard and rather scary to watch. There were grunts, groans and red faces. But they did it. It was a challenge, but still the burden certainly didn’t seem “light and easy.”

***The disciples witnessed Jesus die, paying the price of sin with His own life and death. They saw the sinless Son of God, suffer and die for the sins of the world. They heard Him express His greatest agony with the words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.” The greatest judgement of God on sin and the greatest price Jesus paid for the sins of the world was, to be forsaken by the Heavenly Father. Jesus then could say, the debt is paid, “It Is Finished”! –“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” That burden for our salvation was not easy and light. Jesus accomplished it. He saved us! To believe in Him is to make Jesus and salvation that He won for us, our own, because by His death and resurrection, He has made us His own.

***What then is our work as one who is a “Fisher of Men”? What is the burden that is light and pleasant? When the disciples were having breakfast with the Risen Lord and were eating fish after hauling in a net of 153 large fish. That was a tough duty for them? Were all those fish considered a burden? We would call a catch of fish like that a joy. Now when the disciples would go forth to “feed” the lambs and “feed” the sheep, they would not be feeding them fish. They would be bringing to others the GOOD NEWS of the death and resurrection of Jesus their Savior from the dead. This GOOD NEWS is of great joy for all who hear and believe. It is the GOOD NEWS that death has lost its sting. The law that demands satisfaction is now satisfied. —Now we have the forgiveness of all of our sins. The Heavenly Father is well-pleased with the work of His Son.

***Now, we fishers of men are to tell The “Good News” that is Jesus has Risen from the Dead. Death has been defeated. Now the gift of God to all believers in Christ is that we, as well, will rise from the dead to live eternally in heaven with Jesus and all other believers who have gone before us and live and die after we do, these together, are the communion of saints awaiting the of resurrection of the body and life everlasting with Jesus in heaven. This is our easy and light burden. Yes, it is the best news we can give to anyone. It is pure joy. To tell someone their sins are forgiven, that God so loved the world that you, or whoever believe in Him have eternal life. If this is to be considered a burden, it is surely light and pleasant.—It is presenting to a person or many people the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. What a joy and blessing to share such a message from God.

***How else might we encourage others to believe and be strengthened in our faith in Jesus? The pandemic is winding down. Restrictions of gatherings are loosening up. Other churches, as we at Peace, are becoming more open. We hope more people come to church that we may mutually encourage one another in our faith in Jesus in person. We together, in person, confess our sins and receive forgiveness for them. We together, confess our faith in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and thereby renew the blessings that we have in our Baptism. We can visit together, pray together, share our joys and sorrows, and receive the blessings of the Lord’s Supper. God’s word tells us--“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10.

***If you feel that you cannot yet be together in person, here are a few suggestions: How about, make a phone call to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while? Ask how they are doing, say a prayer with them.—Write someone a note, send a card, share a favorite Bible verse or reading,---perhaps meet someone for lunch—Perhaps come to a Tuesday/Thursday Bible Class in the church annex at 12 noon. 

 ***As long as we are here on earth, we have work to do. Jesus said, “Feed My Lambs”! “Feed My Sheep”!---We can mutually do this with and for each other, as we share our mutual affections in Christ—

May the Peace of God in Christ be with you always.

Theme: How Much Proof do You Need?

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."

 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

John 20:24-29

***If we build anything that must stand, it must have a firm foundation. If we build a skyscraper or a house of cards and we want it to stand, the first layer must be able to support the rest. Out of curiosity, I wondered about skyscrapers and how they were built, so I looked up the Empire state building, it is 102 stories and 365,000 tons. What about the foundation? It is 55 feet thick. Huh? After a little more reading, the 55 feet of foundation sits on bedrock. That’s a different story. It is a very sound structure.

***It’s not a big deal if the house of cards collapses, because it’s only cards. But if a very large building that you work in collapses, it is quite a different story. Many people daily trust their very life to buildings, such as the empire state building every day. Life goals, dreams and values are often the things people hold at a very high importance, so important that if their life is so invested in them, that if something goes wrong, their life just falls apart. These things too must be attached to a firm and lasting foundation of the life, The Good News of Jesus and His Life given for us.

***We remember the story of Job and how the Lord blessed him with health, wealth and his family. Job became very self- righteous. His pride fully catered to his children with feasts and sacrifices to God on behalf of them. Job invested his life with pride for his children. When called to account, Job arrogantly held to his own self-righteous pride rather than humbly placing all his trust in the wisdom and power of God. God, however, showed Job his sin and Job repented, saying. “My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”-- "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

***Jesus did many signs and miracles which showed His almighty power and also His love for people as He came to seek and save the lost. By His power, the deaf could hear, the dumb could speak, the blind would see, he fed the hungry, quieted storms, made the lame walk, the sick were made well, and the disciples were witnesses of these and many other miracles. Also the disciples could surely remember, Jesus raising the daughter of Jairus, raising the young man in Nain, and for sure they would remember Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was dead for four days in the tomb and already smelled horribly. Jesus prayed to the heavenly Father, then said, “Lazarus, come out.” He did come out. The disciples were witnesses of resurrections from the dead. Jesus was true God and true man. He did have power over death and life.

***Jesus also taught people what would happen to Him as He accomplished salvation for all people. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day, be raised." This is how it continues. On the third day after Jesus was put into the tomb, some women came with spices to anoint His body. The stone was rolled away, the grave linens were folded neatly, and Jesus was not there. The disciples dismissed the news as “idle talk” by the women, except for Peter. He returned to the tomb and found it Just as the women said. And now as our Gospel reading says, The disciples were behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. “And Jesus came and stood before the disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you.’”

***At this appearance to the disciples, Jesus added, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”—“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if withhold forgiveness from anyone it is withheld.” This is the risen Lord, Who gives His command and by the power of the Holy Spirit they are to pass on the benefits of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection to a world desperately in need of the forgiveness accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is to be the work of the Apostles, missionaries, pastors and the church at large.

***Now Thomas arrives and the disciples tell him, “We have seen the Lord.”—Thomas responds, “Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.” These words were spoken after the women’s visit, Peter’s visit, and then the appearance to the rest of disciples, Then “Doubting Thomas” had a special personal visit from the Risen Lord. This was a repeat in front of the other ten, disciples to which Thomas responds to Jesus in faith, “My Lord and my God.”

***The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the sound foundation of the Christian faith. Before the disciples were shown and realized that Jesus had indeed risen form the dead, they were all like “Doubting Thomas” hiding in the upper room. They were fear struck. They were afraid of the Jews. Acts 5 records for us their difference after the resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost. We find the disciples boldly in the temple doing many miracles of healing. They were boldly preaching. The Sadducees arrested them and put them in prison. An angel released them and the disciples went back to the temple to further speak to the people the “Words of Life”.

***The high priest had the captain summon the disciples. He did so, but not with force, because they, the Jews, were afraid of being stoned by the people. What a change! In the upper room, the disciples were afraid of the Jews. Now the Jews were afraid of the people.—The disciples were ordered not to teach in Jesus’ name. But Peter responded. “We must obey God rather than men!”   

***There were many other signs Jesus did in the presence of the disciples that were not written in this book. But these are written that so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.  Words on church signs at Easter often say: “TO KNOW JESUS IS TO KNOW LIFE! NO JESUS, NO LIFE.”—No Jesus in our lives are the doubting moments of Thomas. It is part of the story of all Christians. That is why we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Who shows us our sins and helps us repent, so that we can say to Jesus as the father who pleaded for the healing of his convulsing child, Lord “I believe, help my unbelief!”

***We began our message today by talking about foundations and their importance to a strong building that supports the lives and purpose of all who work or dwell in them. The firm foundation of our faith, life and ministry is a personal faith that Jesus lived, ministered, suffered, died, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will return on the last day, when we and all believers will also rise from the dead and live eternally in heaven with our Lord and all believers in Christ. This is our creed and our firm foundation, here in life and there in eternity. We are the blessed ones, who have not seen and yet believed. May we see Christ in all things we say and do, because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  This is most certainly true. Amen

Theme: The Best is Yet to Come

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Cor. 15:19-26

***This is Easter. It is refreshing after a long Lenten season when we especially focus on our sins and our need for Jesus, our Savior. In our lessons we saw the cruelty of Herod, the scorn of the Pharisees, the jealousy of the disciples, the murder of John the Baptist and through it all we realize we have our own spiritual enemies and our own doubts and fears. As the Holy Spirit worked through God’s Word, we realized that as we pointed a finger at other sinners in the Bible and other examples of sin in our world, hopefully, a childhood lesson came back to mind, “If you point an accusing finger at another, there are three accusing fingers pointing back at yourself.” Truly, the Godly outcome of Lent is that through our lessons and devotions, we daily confess our sins, and sincerely try to do better with the help of God, and also with the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

***Our church year begins as we celebrate the coming of Christ into the world; we study and worship His life, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and finally Jesus coming again to take His people home to heaven. Through it all, the Law of God is preached and taught. The Law shows mankind their sins. And the Gospel, which is all about the good news of Jesus, tells us that all who believe in Jesus are saved from sin, eternal death and our great enemy, the devil. Christ has now risen from the dead. Jesus is the first fruits of all who will have “fallen asleep”. He will return, and then all those who believe in Christ, belong to Him, will rise from the dead first. Then the end will come when Christ “delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies and ours, under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” It has been given a man once to die, then after that, the judgement.

***In order to think of these things more clearly as we aught, let us get a picture in our mind of a large famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. It is a painting that many of us have seen in displays in various places. It is a famous painting by Michelangelo. It pictures God, as a very old bearded man in the heavens supported by angels. He extends His right arm with the forefinger on His hand, reaching downward to a large muscular young man lounging on his back and limply extending his left arm and forefinger to God. This is to be a picture of creation. The young man is Adam representing all people whom God created. Time is represented by the small space between the finger of man and God. The history of this age ends when God will touch Adam. It is the time when all flesh will see God on Judgement day.

***Paul in his writings to church in Corinth addressed a great problem in the faith of the people, a heresy. They didn’t really believe that they needed a Savior from their sin. They believed that Jesus could make them better. They believed that they could live better through Jesus, but they didn’t believe there would be a judgement. Paul tells them, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Why am I in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."

***Christ truly has suffered horribly, died in agony paying for the sins of the world. He was buried and three days later, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. And as promised, he will return in glory as Judge of the living and those who died. Now, what do the few inches between the fore fingers of man and God in the painting represent? It represents time. In the size and scope of everything in the painting there is seemingly very little time left before Christ comes again as judge. And this is the time Jesus will put all things under His feet. The amount of time before Christ comes again is not so much an issue. But let us ask ourselves, how does the Lord want us to use our time before Christ comes again? Remember that we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. We are in His tender care. We also must consider, how much time do we have before our death? That is our timeline.  Remember, “It is given man once to die, then after that, the judgement. “ The word judgement causes us to fear God. Fear does not always mean that it should bring terror into our hearts and lives. We rely and trust in Jesus as our Savior; But He is raised up as our Redeemer, but also as our Judge. This is a serious matter. Jesus is our Redeemer and also our Lord. He is the ruler of heaven and earth and out of His love; He has given us commandments which we must obey. “We are to love God, but also love our neighbor as ourselves. Each one of us has our own station in life. Whether we are young or old, are we a worker, father or mother. What is our vocation? With God’s help we strive to obey His commands in every walk of life. We know that our risen, living all-knowing Lord, Savior and Judge knows us and sees all we do and think. When we fail, we are sorrowful and ask for and receive His forgiveness because he paid for all sins on the cross, and by His innocent, suffering and death. By His resurrection from the dead, He has destroyed both temporal and eternal death and earned for us eternal life.—Truly, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” 

***Easter is the day Christians focus especially on our Lord Jesus who rose from the dead. He destroyed death forever. He rose from the dead to give eternal life to you and me and all believers in Christ. ---We pray an Easter prayer.

***Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He’s risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us. Jesus, you are now our head. We are truly your own members, where you live, there live we; take and own us constantly, faithful Friend, as your dear brethren. Jesus, here I live to thee, also there, in heaven, eternally. Amen.

Theme: Sin Hurts, Christ’s love heals.

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.--O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger nor discipline me in your wrath.

 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. I confess my iniquity, I am sorry for my sin, Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Isaiah 53, Psalms 70 as worded in the Introit of this day.

***Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Who are the lost? God is truly the best judge of that. He alone can read the hearts and minds of people. Yet as we get to know people and see how they think and act, to us, it may become obvious. If we know someone who is obviously selfish and could care less about other people, we may say that they are obviously sinners and don’t seem to be sorry at all for their actions. We may judge them as lost because they are unrepentant sinners and surely don’t appear to love God or people at all. They blatantly disobey Jesus when He says, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. That sure doesn’t look like him. He must be one of the unbelieving lost ones. We could go on and study all the moral ills that are obvious in America and then shake our head and say, “This whole country is brimming with moral rot and it needs a great revival. People must see their sins and the suffering they bring. They need to repent, and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of their sins. If so, may Christians all over welcome them into their fellowship and may the Kingdom of God grow by leaps and bounds because of it. That’s a great story. But there is even a greater story. What about you and me, Christian? Who are we as we live in this world of sin, but also the grace of God?

***Let’s think of our sins. A simple definition of sin is missing the mark. Not sinning is hitting the bull’s eye straight in the center every time. If you are a marksman and you shoot at the target and put the first shot right in the middle, it is a perfect bull’s eye. Well now put the next one, and the next one, and the next in the same spot. No, not even a one inch group will suffice. Face it, you missed the mark. According to God’s standards, that is, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Come on!! Don’t be ridiculous. Who can do that without error? No matter how hard we try we will miss the mark. God does want us to be conscious of our sins and to evaluate ourselves according to the Ten Commandments. In the first commandment, God tells us to have no other gods. We all have activities; friends and desires of the heart that often take the place of our worship of the Lord, the study of His word and prayer. Loving the neighbor as yourself? That is surely a quest that would bring an imperfect result. After all, we have many neighbors. Let’s ask ourselves, how selfless are we really? There are those who have given their life’s energy to serving others; doctors, teachers, policemen, soldiers. We try, we try, we fail, and we are not good enough is our sorrowful cry. We admit it. Our sinful selfish nature is to blame.    

*** Face it we think more about our own desires than we think about God or our neighbor. I admit it, Lord, I confess that I have not loved you with all my heart, nor have I loved my neighbor as myself. I have sinned dear Lord Jesus. My laziness, selfishness and my neglect have been an offense to you dear Lord, and my neighbor has suffered for the lack of my love, help and friendship. I am truly sorry. My sins are as a heavy burden on my heart, they are too heavy for me to bear them. “I confess my iniquity, I am sorry for my sins. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation! I ask you for the sake of Jesus our Savior, He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.

***We are thankful, Dear Jesus, and rejoice in your forgiveness. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us along your way of love and service to others. We pray that with your blessings many will know you dear Jesus and trust you as their Lord and Savior. To you be all honor and praise. Amen.  

Theme: This is Christ’s Body and Blood for you.-- Let us examine ourselves

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.

 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

n: 23-29

***Our Monolog focused on Simon Peter, a notable disciple of Jesus. Not to say, that the other eleven were not notable, in their own right, but Peter was mentioned with James and John as spending much time with Jesus. Why? We are not told, but from the Scriptures, as pointed out in our Monolog, he was very verbal and impulsive as well. The impression is that those around him didn’t have to wonder what he thought, because he didn’t hesitate to say. Jesus told the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be killed and on the third day, He would rise. Peter said, “No Lord this will never happen to you!”  Peter’s response drew this reply from Jesus, “Get behind me Satan. You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” What are the things of God? What did Peter not understand? He saw Jesus miracles, the healings of the lame, the lepers, the blind, deaf, the raising of the dead. Why did Peter balk at Jesus prophesy of His death and resurrection?

*** Peter heard Jesus preach. Preaching is teaching. Jesus preached and taught in His sermon on the Mount, He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account, Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”---Who does Jesus in these teachings elevate? Do you notice? Answer, the ones who hurt the most and the humble servants who help them! Who is the humblest servant of all?  Jesus came from the realms of Glory in heaven. He in obedience to the Father came to humbly serve, suffer, and die that all who humbly believe in Him as their Savior, may rejoice and be glad for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Who did Jesus elevate in His teaching lesson about the Kingdom of God?—He elevates those who are hurting in body and heart, and he elevates those who humbly help and serve them in Jesus name that they may all “rejoice and be glad.”

*** At the Passover meal was Jesus, the Son of God, and the Lord and King over all. Jesus, however, is also the humble servant of all, Who was washing the feet of the disciples. Peter, initially, refused this humble and loving service from Jesus. After all, Jesus, the Son of God was not to do the work of slaves and servants. Peter had it wrong and needed to be shown his misperceptions. He needed to be further taught the ways of God. He needed to be shown that Jesus, the Son of God, did not come into the world to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Do we need to learn this? Peter likely could see the dire need of the thousands that came to Jesus for mercy which Jesus could and did provide. Peter, however, did not understand that the great leveling factor of need that all people throughout the world have with one another. That is “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All are in that one great realm of need and hurt. And only God, in Christ, can save them. Do we need help with this?

*** Well yes, we do! How do we see ourselves? Most people like to come to a place in their life when they are comfortable, whatever that may be to them. Perhaps, it is a nice home, a good job, friendly relationships with others. We would like to look forward to a vacation. Enjoy our family and generally the respect of others. Is there anything wrong with that? At first glance it seems okay. Especially if it seems like those shallow criteria are being met. We need help, even to see our sins and ourselves as sinners. Peter received that help from the humble service of Jesus when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. He came to Peter who said, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. "Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"

***At this Passover, Jesus also gave to the world of believers a meal containing His own sacrificial body and blood which was given and shed to pay the price of forgiveness of sins for the whole world. He instituted the “Lord’s Supper”. During the Passover Meal, Jesus completed God’s salvation for all people in the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This was God’s saving grace now made complete in the New Testament saving meal of Jesus own body and blood shed for the forgiveness of sins for all people. As the faithful Israelites gathered around the Passover Table, Christians gather around the celebratory table of the consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is to be celebrated in a fellowship of believers who repent of their sins and believe that Jesus words are true, that His body and blood are there for them and thereby they receive the forgiveness of their sins.  

***So then, we are to remember and believe that, as Jesus said, “This is My body and My blood given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.” To receive the body and blood of Christ without believing that in reality Jesus words are true and His sacrificial body and blood are there for us and that by His grace we receive the forgiveness of sins. We are not to take the Supper frivolously or lightly.

***St. Paul says that Christians are to examine themselves before the Lord’s Supper. That is, we look inward, and introspectively ask ourselves questions of our own faith, our own sins, and our own sincerity and repentance, that is, do we desire to turn from sin and earnestly try to better with the help of God. Here are some questions for self- examination we can ask before we receive Holy Communion.

1.) Do I believe that I am a sinner and repent and want to live as God’s child?

2.) Do I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins?

3.) Do I believe that Jesus’ words are true, that His sacrificial body and blood are present for me with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of all of my sin?

4.) Do I furthermore believe that my sins are forgiven and I can rejoice and serve God and love others as the child of God that I am?

May God continue to bless and keep us growing in faith as we also grow in service and love for our neighbors.  Amen

Coming of our Savior and King

Rev. Oliver Washington

Luke 19:41-42: As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41-42

During Palm Sunday, we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. We do so in a reflective manner consider the events of the day.

Traveling from Bethage and Bethany, Jesus sends two disciples to fetch a colt for him.

Passing from Bethage and Bethany, along the Mount of Olives, we see the reaction of those pilgrims and disciples following Jesus Christ - spreading their cloaks on the road, waving palm branches and praising God.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

         Quite a bit is happening in this passage, and unfortunately we are missing some of the cues and clues that would help us digest the importance of the event. First, Jesus and the disciples celebrated holidays described in the Old Testament. As we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus celebrated Passover already as a child, since His earthly parents were observant Jews (Luke 2:40-43). As an adult, not only did He observe the holiday. He took it very seriously and looked forward to celebrating it with His disciples.

         Second. It was normal during the passover, to observe such a large number of people moving towards Jerusalem. Scripture mandated that believers would annually prepare for and celebrate the passover. The pilgrimage would require families to bring with them their offerings or sacrifices. Many would stop in Bethage and Bethany to purchase their sacrifice on their way to Jerusalem and the temple.

I       Third, try to remember this is the town in which Jesus performed an important miracle before Mary, Martha and His Disciples. He called Lazarus out from the grave. Jesus’ presence would have drawn a crowd as he journeyed to Jerusalem. Imagine the conversations transpiring between different families, visitors and believers. People within the caravan would have been exchanging conversations and hopes about deliverance from oppression and persecution as they recounted how God had used the 10 plagues or miracles to free Israel from Pharaoh’s grasp. Then overlay this with the feelings and sentiments surrounding the Roman occupation. Believers were reflecting upon God’s pass promises of a coming savior, messiah and king.  Then add a little more information given from the text: (v. 37) - the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.  As we meditate upon God’s words, and promises what reactions. Does it evoke an emotional response within you? Even today, there are a variety of reactions among different people much like we read of in this text. Some praised God and Jesus while others rejected and complained about the praise directed towards the coming savior, messiah and king. What is your reaction? “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Or do you sit or walk in the presence of others, nudging them to be quite.

         I remember one husband and wife’s response. The husband always wanted to say Amen, Alleluia or Praise the Lord at the end of a sermon. At one time during the benediction, He raised his hands to recieve the Aaronic Blessing (Nm 6:23-27) only to have his wive’s elbow his in the ribs. Hey stop doing that, It makes me feel uncomfortable.

         Give him the glory, Give him the praise, he woke me up this morning and sent me on my way. Give him the glory, Give him the praise. This person could say this because they had  been freed from a life of addition and family violence. They embraced Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives.

         When Jews and believers reflect on the seder meal, the imagery may often evokes intense feelings the sacrificial lamb, spreading blood on the door post which commemorated liberation from Egyptian exploitation, persecution, and enslavement. However, there is so much more to it, for Jesus is attempting to help them and us to understand how our Heavenly Father desires to free them and us from a life of sin, death and the devil. Like the Israelites, we sometime get caught up in our doctrines and traditions and miss out on the fullness of what Jesus’ is attempting to reveal to us. That we can have a relationship with our heavenly Father. That Jesus came as an atonement for our sins, that the Holy Spirit has come to teach and guide us in God’s Word

         Like some Jews, some people have denied that God has sent his Son to reveal his presence. In fact, many of us can personally and corporately recount the narrative of the Jewish people: we were once slaves in Egypt, but now we are free. That our sin ensnared us. For this reason, God sent Jesus to set us free. This story still resonates today with our struggles and journeys to freedom as we come to know Jesus Christ.

         Palm Sunday is much like Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons, when we have an opportunity of come out of our darkness, the doom and gloom, to discover that Jesus walks and humble rides before us announcing that salvation and the Kingdom of God is at hand. As we meditate upon God’s words, and promises what is your reaction? Does it evoke an emotional response within you? Do you want to shout Hosanna?  Here’s our chance to get away from the somber overcast, pall of Lent and start getting amped up and excited about what Jesus is doing in our lives, not just Easter.  “Hosanna to the King!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna!”

         We celebrate the day that Christ processed into Jerusalem for the sole purpose of bringing His Father’s plan of salvation into completion by laying down His life six days later as the all-redeeming sacrifice for all sinful people borne of Adam.  This is reason to celebrate!  God has physically done something about our sin and our salvation!

         This Palm Sunday group of disciples tends to get a bad rap because of the very reason they were singing those loud hosannas.  St. Luke tells us very plainly that this mob of disciples were singing such loud hosannas (which means “save us now”) because “of all the mighty works they had seen.” That definitely puts a stain on all of this, doesn’t it?  Suddenly the disciples don’t seem so faithful and pure in their intentions, do they?  That’s not faith!  They’re singing their loud hosannas only because of the mighty miracles they’ve already witnessed, and they think there’s more in store.  “Hosanna!  Here comes our great miracle worker!  Just think about all He’s done in the past!  That’s nothing compared to the showdown that’s about to take place.  Hosanna!”

         But this is where it does get very interesting, and the people do deserve a little credit.  These people knew their Scriptures.  They knew what God’s Word said about the promised Messiah, and they were eagerly watching and waiting.  They firmly believed that Jesus was the Messiah!  They believed God’s Word, and they firmly believed that this same Word found fulfillment in the works, words, and person of Jesus of Nazareth; Jesus the Christ.  They did recognize Jesus as the Christ; the Messiah; the promised One. 

         These people knew their Scriptures.  They believed the Word of God…they just didn’t get it.  They didn’t understand “what does this mean.” They were so caught up looking for their version of the savior, messiah and king; who would overthrow the earthly government and make things good and prosperous in the here-and-now that they didn’t recognize the truth of Christ.  So often we attempt to fit Jesus and Scripture into our box, rather than letting God’s Word fit and conform them to the Truth of Jesus Christ.  As we continue our Lenten journey, embrace the one who comes as our savior, messiah and king - the one who comes to renew our souls in the baptismal waters of forgiveness. Embrace the one who comes in the Word and Sacrament of our Lord’s Supper so that it may strengthen and preserve you until our Lord Jesus Christ comes in the fullness of his glory and righteousness. So that you may confess that He is your Savior, Messiah and King.

         Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  Folks: You have absolutely every reason in heaven and earth to rejoice today, just as our Palm Sunday forefathers did so many centuries ago.  In fact, you have more reason to celebrate than they did.  As 21st century disciples, we have an advantage over our Palm Sunday forefathers.  We know the whole redemption story.  We know the reason why Christ is processing into town on that donkey.  We know that Jesus is specifically processing to Calvary—to His cross—amidst all the palms, cloaks, and hosannas in our Gospel lesson today.  Our Lord processed into Jerusalem for a reason—to ransom His life for ours; to completely pay for all our sins.  Those first disciples didn’t understand that.  They didn’t look to that cross and see a truly mighty and powerful work being performed; so mighty and powerful that all of mankind was completely redeemed and reconciled to our heavenly Father through the crucifixion of one man—our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Something great and powerful is taking place before our very eyes and in our very hearing this very day.  The results are here for all to behold!  Scripture is fulfilled.  Our heavenly Father has kept His messianic promise to crush the head of the deadly serpent and deliver His people unto eternal life and salvation; that promise being perfectly fulfilled in the work and person of Jesus Christ.  This is the true reason for Palm Sunday joy. 

         May this blessed joy be your blessed joy.  May our Lord keep your faith ever-grounded in the rock-solid reality of the future coming of our Savior and King. May He keep you ever-grounded and founded upon the solid rock of our salvation—Christ Jesus. Amen.

Theme: “This is My beloved Son, Listen to Him”

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "' The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

 19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

Luke 20:17-20

***Jesus often told parables. What’s a parable? Teachers of the young would often say, “A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”. Many stories teach a lesson, but the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is told by Jesus, Who was sent to the world by the Heavenly Father who spoke from the Mount of Transfiguration, as the most of all credible source, saying, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” We listen to Jesus because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Jesus. He is the Fount of all wisdom, knowledge for the strengthening of our faith. His goal is that the Church, that is all God’s people, would serve Him and work selflessly to build up His kingdom upon the Cornerstone, that is, Christ Jesus the only begotten Son of the Heavenly Father.

***Who was Jesus talking to when He personally told this parable of the vineyard? He was teaching in the courts of the temple in Jerusalem.  In these Temple courts people gathered for prayers, and to give offerings and sacrifices to God. This also was where Jesus often would teach the Gospel of the kingdom of God to whoever came. Luke writes, “And the people hung on every word”. Also of course, the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes, were also present to hear what Jesus had to say and scrutinize His every word. The Parable that Jesus told is to teach us, still today, that His church is established by God and God is still the Head of the Church today. Their scrutiny turned to jealousy as more and more people heard of Jesus and more heard Him preach “Good News” to the poor. The hearts of the broken hearted were soothed, sins were forgiven. Jesus truly was the Truth, the Way and the Life. Many, many believed in Him.

***The “Church” in this parable is divided into three groups: The Owner and Planter of the vineyard is the Heavenly Father. The vineyard is the people in the Church. The tenants were those put in charge to conscientiously care for the vineyard, so that the vineyard would bear the good fruit of preaching the Gospel of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. The tenants were the Chief Priests, Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. The plants, vines, and trees in the vineyard are the people of the church. They, the plants in the vineyard, were then, and are today expected to bear the fruit of faith and good works. St. Paul lists fruits that the Holy Spirit produces, such as, “faith in God, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. These are personal qualities produced in people by the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the Law that guides hearts and minds in Christ, and also, acts as a mirror reflecting to us our sins. Guilt and sorrow over personal sin, moves God’s people to repent of their sins and seek comfort and peace in the Gospel of Jesus, Who paid the price for all sins. Forgiveness gives us joy in our salvation. God’s people through God’s word and sacraments are to be rightly taught and practiced in the church, and then by the Holy Spirit, faith in the Gospel comes forth with joy in the heart and doing good works toward the fellowman.  

*** In Jesus time, as today, God, through faithful leaders, who themselves are faithful to the Lord in a heart that produces works of love in Christ, they are blessings to others who see the word of God bearing fruits of faith in the leaders’ lives. In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus teaches that the leaders like the Scribes and Pharisees were not concerned with the word of God as much as they were concerned with their own power and wealth. These are the tenants in the parable. They saw Jesus, not as the Messiah who would save His people from their sins, but as their enemy. Jesus by His works of love, his attention to sinners, and to the sick and distressed in heart, He obeyed the Law of the God, and gathered the world unto Himself. People began, more and more to believe in Him as Lord and love Him. This made the Jewish leaders jealous and afraid they would lose their influence among the people as the people became followers of Jesus.

*** Consequently, what rose up among the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders was jealousy and scorn. Jesus became well known, well sought after and loved. He tirelessly preached, taught and did mighty acts of love and healing and even raised the dead. His ministry was to thousands of people at once, or to only one person. One person was never too insignificant or undeserving of Jesus’ help. He often took time to physically touch each of many who came to Him. As the Pharisees became jealous of the attention Jesus received, they watched Him closely to find ways to discredit Him. They accused Him of sinning, by breaking the Law by healing a man on the Sabbath. Although healing on the Sabbath was not a sin if it could save a life or stop a living being from suffering. Jesus healed a young man’s blindness on the Sabbath. The Jews, henceforth, called Jesus a sinner. The Jews confronted this young man and asked, “Is this man who healed you a sinner?” The young man answered, “I don’t know if He is a sinner, all I know is that I was blind and now I see.”

*** These tenants in the parable were the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. As leaders, they were to be the ones to look for the one Who would come to seek and save the lost. They were the ones who were to be the lovers of the souls of men. They were to look for the one who Isaiah prophecies about--- “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.---Instead they were jealous of Jesus. They wanted to lay hands on Him but did not because they were afraid of the people. They sent spies to scrutinize Jesus. Catch Him in something that He might appear guilty and turn Him over to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. Jesus knew what was coming.

***God the Father tries to help these tenants. The parable says, “He sent a servant to these tenants, so they would give Him some fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty handed.—He sent another servant, but they also treated him shamefully and sent him away empty handed.-- And He sent yet a third servant, who they wounded and cast out.---The owner tried one last time, He then sent His own beloved son; perhaps they will respect Him. The tenants said, “This is the heir, let us kill Him and the inheritance will be ours. They did kill “His own beloved Son”.—.

***God the Father is patient. He tried four times to reach the hearts of the lazy greedy tenants. They would not repent and give what is due to the Heavenly Father. Their disrespect turned to murder in killing the very one Who would and could save them.--- What did the Father do? (Justice) He said, “Destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others”.---Then His words, “The stone the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone, Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

***Good News! The evil tenants in killing “the only Beloved Son of the Father” gave to the world a Savior. Jesus died for the sins of the tenants, but also for the sins of the whole world. The evil tenants meant the death of the Son for evil, but the Heavenly Father meant it for good. Through Jesus’ death we receive the forgiveness of all sin. Through His resurrection we receive eternal life in heaven. We have have been reconciled to God through the innocent suffering and death of Christ Jesus. We now have been given the ministry of reconciling others to Jesus. We all have our role as witnesses to the salvation we received by faith in Christ Jesus.

Let us patiently and faithfully go about our role as the fruit in the vineyard of the Lord. Amen.

Theme: The Forgiving Heart of God our Father

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: For this, my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. ---- But he (the eldest son) was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes; you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

Luke 15: 27-32

***Life on the farm was surely not all that bad. My last congregation was in the country near Hubbard Lake, Michigan. Likely there were probably about one half of the members of our congregation who lived on their family farm for some time in their growing up years. In order to make any farm profitable everything must work out to the best. All factors must work together so that the farm will be profitable. Of course, good and faithful workers with strong backs, who will not quit during the heat of the day, are necessary. The owner’s family, normally the sons, who love the work, will have more incentive than some who only work for wages; Family may be given a share of profits or could look towards inheriting the farm one day. There are even deeper lessons to be learned.

***Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy farm family that teaches a deeper spiritual life lesson when applied to the kingdom of God. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus overheard the scribes and Pharisees, who came close to Jesus, so close that He could hear them grumble about him saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Jesus didn’t ignore this grumbling comment but used it to point out scorn for sinners, rather than a loving desire to save them. This also was Jesus tending to His Heavenly Father’s business when He told the parable of the Prodigal Son. A Father, who had two sons owned a family farm, had two sons and He loved them both the same. Both sons were privileged to say that all the father had was also theirs.  

***The younger son was not satisfied living on the family farm or in his father’s house. So he asked for his share of the property and his Father consented and he headed off to live as he pleased in a far off country. The word “prodigal” means wasteful and he was very wasteful. His father tended to the farm meticulously. He was dedicated to the work he loved, so that, the people he loved could benefit. Father was a generous man who included his sons in the work that helped grow the crops so that many people could be fed and a goodly profit could be made. It was wholesome, honest work that all the family could join in together to fill their needs and the basic needs of others. Father did this out of love for the work and love for his sons. The Father’s goal was that all he had would also belong to his sons. The father’s heart was in all he did on behalf of his sons.

***How do we think father felt when the youngest son asked for his share of the inheritance now before the father died? The father was loving and fair, so he gave both sons their share of the inheritance. How disappointing this must have been. Not only was this about money, it showed disdain for the fathers “kingdom”. It was an insult to father, him. What father created for the benefit of family was now being used for totally selfish purposes. To add further insult, the younger son took the money and left the father and the farm. Just what the younger son wanted, a trip, no work, and to live the good life. He went to a far country and squandered all his inheritance in reckless living. To make matters worse, lean times came with a severe famine. No one had sympathy for him. He was broke and needed a job. He found one feeding pigs. How degrading! He became so hungry, he ate the tough vegetable pods he fed to the pigs. In his misery, he thought of his father’s house where there was always plenty to eat. Even the servants never went hungry. He decided to return home to his Father.

***In his mind, he knew what he would say, the truth! “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” The prodigal was sincere. In deep sorrow and humility he repented of his sin and was more than willing even to relinquish his status as a son and become a servant in the Father’s house. In his heart of sorrow and regret, he made a life changing “turn around.” He came home!

***The Father saw him from a long way off and felt compassion, sympathy, pity and concern for the suffering of his wayward son. His Father ran to him and embraced him and kissed him. –His son said then to his Father, “I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” –The gracious loving father heard his sorrow over his sins of greed, and then wasting his father’s wealth. The son had scorned the father’s love and by his sin, he died to his Father and all the love the Father had for his son. It was a sin against heaven and the prodigal was not worthy of the Father’s love. However, true repentance shows life. The Father said, “My son who was dead is alive again. He was lost and now is found.” He came home and the Father forgave him. -----Now, the joyful celebration begins. Servants, bring the best robe, put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Kill the fattened calf, let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. Rejoice!!  What love! What a reunion! What a celebration!

***This is a good end to the story. There is more. There is another son, the older one. The “Good One”! Or was he really the good one? His younger brother, the “prodigal” had come home. He truly repented. He was lost and dead in sin. And now he came alive. He was reconciled with his Father and could once again be called his Father’s son.

***The oldest son scorned his younger brother for what he had done. When in sorrow and repentance over his wrongs, he came home and was forgiven and received by the Father, the older brother was jealous of the celebration. He could only scorn the younger brother and complain he did not receive more gifts from his Father so he could celebrate with his friends. He who was always with his Father, felt cheated for being the good son. He wanted more.

***Jesus, Who told this parable, is like the Heavenly Father. Jesus was given a mission. We know it. “The heavenly Father loved the world so much, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.” The Heavenly Father and Jesus were and are of one mind and heart. That we, by faith, may be in His forever family.  

***Which person in the parable does each of us identify with most? Is it the youngest brother? Are we easily attracted to the wealth and thrills of the world that we forget about what is sinful and do what gives us fun? Do we choose sin and forget about Jesus our Savior, who says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

***Are we like the oldest brother, involved in our own world. Do we think that we deserve more than we have been given by God’s grace in Christ? Do we scorn others, because we are jealous of them? Are we comfortable with our sins and believe God is comfortable with us as well. What do we think about others? Do we care about the eternal well-being of others, or do we simply criticize them for the way they live. Do we love the lost? Do we pray for them?—God does not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their evil ways and live. Forgive us and by your grace, help us to do this dear Heavenly Father. Amen.

Theme: God desires all to repent and come to the knowledge of the truth

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?'

And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.

Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Luke 13:6-9

***My Uncle Paul’s family has a history of sorrowful and tragic incidents. His oldest daughter, Phyllis was married and three days later her sister who had leukemia died. Not many years later, her brother who had a young family died of a heart attack. Phyllis’ youngest daughter at age five was hit by a car and dragged for almost a block. The girl had injuries that affected her over the rest of her life. Phyllis’ second oldest son was driving home from work and came upon a car wreck, only to find that his brother was killed in that car wreck. My Aunt Norma was heard to comment, “God surely must love that family!” Uncle Paul, who was a Lutheran pastor, also died of a heart attack. Uncle Paul’s family does believe that God surely loves them.

***The Jews in Jesus’ day believed that if great tragedies happened to people, the cause must have been that there was some great wickedness in their or their family’s lives. In our Gospel reading, Jesus refuted this belief by reminding them of two other tragic events, one at Pilate’s hands. He slaughtered Jews who made sacrifices in the temple and mixed their blood with the animals’ blood the Jews just sacrificed. Another tragic event, a tower in Jerusalem collapsed and killed many other Jews. Jesus’ question for them, “Were they worse offenders, worse sinners, than all others who lived in Jerusalem?”  No!

***In verse three and five of our Gospel reading, Jesus turns the judgmental attitudes of the Jews into the need for each person to take inventory of one’s own heart. The Bible tells us, “The soul that sins, it must die”. In dying temporally and perishing eternally, Jesus wants us to know, this is a result of sin. And all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, every horrible calamity causing the death of many, even thousands and thousands of deaths, are to be regarded as God’s warning to escape perishing forever by repenting in time.

***Is this the time for us, I mean all of us, a collective all of us, a worldwide all of us, young, old, rich or poor. Yes, let all of us consider the cataclysmic situation of the world. Russia has invaded Ukraine. Now every day, all day there are newscasts live from Ukraine, showing explosions, people on stretchers, mass graves, evacuees in long lines traveling to the borders carrying whatever worldly belongings they can manage on their backs. When will it stop? Can’t the rest of the world make it stop? Warning, Vladimir Putin put his nuclear options on alert. What could happen next? The world is very evil and is a very dangerous place. The world needs to call on the name of the Lord for help. Is this to be our call to see God’s warning to escape perishing forever by repenting in time?

***The parable of the fig tree that will not bear fruit for three years is a story of repentance. The picture of the story is that the man who had a fig tree planted in His vineyard is the Heavenly Father and the vinedresser, the one caring for the trees is Jesus. The problem is that the tree is not bearing fruit, the fruit is man’s (our) repentance. We are the tree that needs help and nurturing that we might turn from fruitlessness of sin to the blessings of salvation as God’s children. God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it. Jesus patiently works to that end.

***What is repenting? Repenting is turning around from a life in sin to loving, living, serving and believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have sorrow over the wrongs we do and have done to God and to our neighbors. When we repent we confess to God all our sins that we know and also all the sins we don’t know. Then we ask God to forgive our sins for Jesus’ sake, because He suffered, and died in our place for our punishment that our debt of sin and the sins of the whole world for all time has been paid by Jesus’ death on the cross. We remember that Jesus suffered, died, was buried and the third day He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Heavenly Father and will one day come again to judge all of the living and the dead, and give to us and all believers in Christ, ETERNAL LIFE. We receive this gift by firmly believing this, because this is most certainly true. By grace we are saved through faith.

***My friends in Christ, we need help and support in fighting the good fight of faith. We have the Holy Spirit, the one who convinces us that Jesus is Lord. He also shows us our sins and helps us when we are tempted.--- St. Paul writes to warn us: The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh desire no good thing.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, Paul says, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If then, we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

***We who believe in Jesus belong to Jesus and in our vicious and evil age, we are fighting the good fight of faith. In addition, we have other helpers. On the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit blessed Peter’s preaching that 3000 people were baptized. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. What can we learn from this? We are stronger as we encourage each other in the Lord Jesus as He had worked to make good soil to produce the fruit of repentance. May part of the fruit of our repentance be for us to be faithful in gathering together with other Christians to worship and fellowship in God’s word and sacraments.

May God bless you and keep you always in His Grace and Peace. Amen.

A Divinely Appointed Time…

Rev. Oliver Washington

Luke 13:35b I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’

The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.

Pay careful attention to the dialogue between the Pharisees and Jesus. “At that time…”  The Pharisees has been making plans to maintain their influence and position within their community. It was dependent upon maintaining the appearance of order and satisfying Roman authorities. Unfortunately, it had not taken into consideration the will of God. Today, reading reminds me of a quote, “If you want God to laugh, make a plan (in the flesh…) Sometimes God’s appointed time leads to our momentary disappointment, but it is always with the intentions of revealing his presence, purpose and will.”

How often have we made plans only to be influenced by someone changing their mind or a crisis causing us to change our plans? I have to admit that I am terrible and often apprehensive about making plans, because I want to leave my schedule open for God and the Holy Spirit to direct my daily activities. This can lead to a little consternation. I experience feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically resulting from something unexpected. I am not certain what God desires me to do in this chaotic world, amidst natural disasters, a pandemic, a volatile economy, the rumors of wars and funerals.  I still need to work to meet the needs of my family, I feel the need to be productive, and sense an obligation to others. Today, I find encouragement and joy as we reflect upon todays reading, because Luke portrays a journey of destiny in which Jesus must meet his fate (Lk 13:31-35) in spite of the daily demands of life and political maneuvering of the Pharisees. How do you manage your daily affairs?

This is my appointment book. In our household, we also have a calendar on the refrigerator. This requires me to reconcile my appointment book with our family calendar.  I block out times for work and school. I also plan for shut-in visitation and congregation meetings. Usually, at the end of our meeting or visit, I will ask, “When will we see each other again?” We briefly check our memories, appointment books, or smart phones searching for a block of time, then we make an appointment to visit again.

We all make appointments. When we go to a doctor’s office, at the end of the visit the receptionist will ask, “When will we see you again?” The receptionist will either check their appointment book and in an attempt to select a future date to come back. Have you ever experienced the occasion when both parties’ calendars are so full, where you have to make arrangements to call back or reschedule an appointment? I believe we all have had similar experiences. An appointment is nothing more than us arranging to meet someone at a particular time and place. In this case, God is making the divine appointment to meet with us and others.

As we look at our text, we observe how the narrative unfolds: (1) the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” (2) Jesus’ reply, He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ And finally, Jesus’ departing words, (3) “I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Today, whether consciously or unconsciously, many of us made an appointment to be with Jesus. You came here to hear Jesus’ word and to worship Him. For some people, they heeded an ever present voice which whispered to them, “Will you come and spend time with me today?” For many others, you received his invitation last week, when you heard him say, “When will I see you again?” This week you might say, “ Next Sunday.” Then we would mentally mark it in our appointment book, on our calendars or  possibly note it in our smart phones.

In our reading Jesus was talking with some people who told Him to get out of town because King Herod wanted to kill Him, Jesus said He couldn’t leave right away because he had appointments to help people. We know this, because Jesus replied, “I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” What he was telling them was, “After I have cured some people and accomplished my purpose, only then will I leave.” Then He added, “I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus made an appointment to see the people again. When He came back to Jerusalem the next time, the people greeted Him in the streets by saying, “God Bless Him who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:26) Let’s broaden our view of the text.

Near the end of chapter nine of the Gospel according to Luke, we hear these words: [Luke 9:51] When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.  This is a beautiful way of telling us that once the time for Jesus’ crucifixion drew near, there was nothing that could stop Him from going to Jerusalem in order to die on the cross.  Everything in the Gospel according to Luke between these words and the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday happens as Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem.

This last journey before the cross was sort of a farewell tour.  Jesus stopped in various towns and villages so that He could teach, heal, and so forth.  Never-the-less, at the end of each day, Jesus was a little closer to Jerusalem and the cross.

Today’s Gospel informs us that a delegation of scribes interrupted Jesus’ journey.  Strangely, they seem to be concerned about Jesus’ safety.  They tell Jesus that Herod is out to kill Him. This is an unusual way of engaging Jesus. It was as if they were attempting to pick a fight with Jesus. They said, ‘Get away from here.’ Jesus may have been in Perea where Herod ruled. The Pharisees preferred to see Him in Judea where they believed they had more influence. How do we make sense of this. Luke reveal the deepening rift between Jesus and the Jewish leadership. Jesus helps us to put his engagement into context. Like the prophets from the time of Moses on, Jesus notes the ways in which the nation has been repeatedly unfaithful to God. It is impossible for us to be in the presence of God, his messengers, let alone understand God in our fallen state. This must be revealed to us.

The only thing is that Herod was not out to kill Jesus.  In fact, later on, Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to Herod and [Luke 23:8] when Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.  So Herod was looking for Jesus, not to kill Him, but to see Jesus perform a miracle.  He wanted Jesus to perform a magic act.

So, the Pharisees lied about Herod and it is almost as if Jesus called the Pharisees’ bluff.  He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.  Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’”  It is almost as if Jesus was saying, “You knows where to find me.  Bring it on.”  It also shows that Jesus understood the true nature of His death.

The Bible teaches that Jesus perfectly fulfilled the offices of prophet, priest, and king.  Today’s Gospel especially focuses on the office of prophet. The office of prophet has two parts: 1). Teaching and healing; and 2). Rejection.  Jesus spoke of both.  He spoke of casting out demons and curing.  Then He spoke of His death in Jerusalem.

The mention of Jerusalem brought on a profound lament.  Jesus continued to say, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!  Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” 

Jerusalem was the religious center of the world.  It was the place where the one and only true God had placed His name.  It was the place where God chose to dwell with man.  The altar and temple were there.  It should have been the safest place for prophets on the entire planet.  Never the less, the sin of its inhabitants was such that it was the place that killed the prophets.  It was the one place on this planet where no true prophet was safe.

Today’s Old Testament reading gives a primary example of this violence to the prophets in the ministry of Jeremiah.  Notice that the people were not interested in the truth of Jeremiah’s words.  They condemned Jeremiah because they didn’t like the message he brought from God.  The people refused to believe that Jeremiah’s message was from God, not because it wasn’t true, but because it was something that they did not want to hear.

God still sends His servants today.  He trains them in His Word and then He sends them out just as Jesus said in the last chapter of Luke: [Luke 24:45–47] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”  These are the instructions Jesus gives to His servants: “Proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ.”

You would think that those who claim to be Christians would hear Christ’s instructions and say, “Well. That’s what Jesus says, so that’s what we should do.”  So, when a pastor says, “I need to follow Jesus’ instructions and make sure that every one of my sermons tells people they need to repent and receive forgiveness,” you would expect his congregation to say, “Preach it, brother!”  When a pastor says, “Our hymns should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins just as Jesus said,” the congregation should respond with, “Amen!” 

Why is it, then, that angry members come to pastors and say, “We don’t care that Jesus said proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  You need to move on to another topic.”  “We don’t care that this song doesn’t talk about repentance or forgiveness or Jesus or any other Biblical topic, I like it!”  In effect, they are saying, “Just because you are a called and ordained servant of Jesus Christ, that doesn’t mean that you always have to do what Jesus said!”  Nothing has changed.  The people who claim to belong to God still hate it when God’s messengers give God’s message to them.

I know that I don’t like it when the Bible tells me that I sin all the time … that I deserve a miserable life followed by eternity in hell.  I don’t like it when the Bible tells me that I am doomed forever.  No, I don’t like it one little bit, but that is what the Bible says … and the Bible is God’s Word and so it is the truth.  I suspect that you don’t like it either.  Never the less, that is what the Bible says about us … and understanding that is the first step to our salvation.

You see, God has a very peculiar talent.  He is able to take the worst that we can do and convert it into something wonderful.  The people of Jerusalem had an absolutely horrible habit of killing prophets, but God used that horrible habit to work something wonderful.  The people of Jerusalem followed the horrible habit of prophet killing and arranged to nail Jesus to a cross.  Jesus died on that cross, but God did something wonderful with that horrible death.  By means of that death, He satisfied His just wrath against our sin.  God transformed that murderous act of hatred into an act of love.  God transformed that horrible act into an act that earned salvation for the entire world.

Jesus still wants to gather you into His embrace just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.  He offers the ultimate gift of love that He earned for you on the cross.  He offers adoption into His family as His brother or sister.  He offers salvation from the horrible punishment that you have earned with your sins.  He offers eternal life in His presence.

Prophets die in Jerusalem, Jesus was no exception.  He died in Jerusalem.  He died for you.  But Jesus did something that no prophet before Him had done.  He not only died, but He also rose.  He showed Himself alive to hundreds of witnesses.  He showed Himself alive as the sure proof that we can trust His promises.  We can trust His promise that even though we sin daily, He is there with His forgiveness.  He is there to assure us that the day will come when He will raise us as well and take us to live in eternal bliss.

There will always be times when we want to join Jesus in His lament.  It is easy to be discouraged with the low attendance at Divine Service, the lack of interest in Bible Class, the lack of respect for the Sacraments, and a general apathy toward God’s Word.  There are times we want to scream out, “Don’t you people understand the priceless nature of God’s gifts?  Don’t you understand that God wants to gather us together under His protection?”

When we have these feelings, God reminds us that no one can make a Christian.  The Holy Spirit does that.  Instead, God asks His church to remain faithful to His Word, proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins, administer the sacraments according to Christ’s command, and teach all the things that Jesus has taught us.  Jesus has warned us that the world will hate us for this, but He has promised that He will sustain His Holy Christian Church in this world and the next.  As Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, [Matthew 5:11–12] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Amen

Theme: Yes, I Believe

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:8-13

***If there ever is a time for this generation to realize the difference between friend and foe is now, when there is so much to lose on the world stage. Vladimir Putin, bent on world domination, has even called into play the fear of weaponizing nuclear weapons. The stakes are high. Can we coexist with such a threat? If we resist those who threaten us will the consequences be all the worse? Should we fight the evil of heartless cruelty and deadly consequences with even greater cruelty and deadlier consequences? Or is there a kinder and better way to conquer evil in the world? We wonder, will there ever be peaceful solutions? Will there ever be an end to war? Will there ever be a lasting peace in this world?

***I think, and likely most of the world thinks, that living in peace is far more desirable than living in a state of war. Constantly coping with death and the threat of death is surely not desirable. Just watching the news of the war in Ukraine conjures emotions of grief, fear, anger, guilt, confusion, pity, even love for those who are the “righteous” and brave. As Christians, we also think of what causes wars. In our world, the history of war begins because of the evil, sinful selfish human nature which brings deadly conflicts with others and untold suffering.

*** The war in Ukraine is sad, destructive and revolting. However, since mankind’s fall into sin, the condition of the world has always been sad, destructive and revolting. For all have sinned and fall short of God’s standards. Suffering is a result of sin. God’s standards are perfection in the way we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and that we then love our neighbor as ourselves. If this sounds simple, it is not. Our first parents, Adam and Eve fell into sin. Their firstborn son, Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy. That is horrific! Sinful human nature is devastating. We cannot save ourselves. We are sinners in need of a Savior.

***Our Gospel reading tells us of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness. This was not simply an idle activity, but a profound action by our God, Who sent His Son to be our Savior. He was like us in every way, only without sin. He was baptized by John and as He went forth from the waters of the Jordan, He fasted. He had nothing to eat for forty days. He was physically very weak. Satan came to Him, tempting Him to turn a stone into bread. Jesus rebuked Satan saying, “Man cannot live by bread alone.”—Showing Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world, Satan said, “Worship me and they will all be yours.” Jesus quoted God’s word, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only!”—He then took Jesus to the tip top of the temple in Jerusalem, and said, “If you are the Son of God throw yourself down from here.” …The angels will catch you.” Jesus replied, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

***Jesus is without sin, and He resisted all temptation to sin. He fulfilled all righteousness by obeying all the Laws of God. He further fulfilled all righteousness by His suffering and death on the cross. This was the only sacrifice that God the Father would accept for the sins of all people.Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. No person can pay for their own sins. No person can make up for past wrongs by becoming righteous. People cannot save themselves. We need Jesus as our Savior. We know what Jesus did in His life, His death and His resurrection to save us. Paul writes that the words of faith need to be in our mouth and heart. The heart of a person is not merely the seat of emotions and affections, but the heart also includes the will and intellect. Paul is speaking about faith as He says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Saying aloud the saving faith that JESUS IS LORD AND GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, also means that Jesus is still alive today. He will come again. These words give life and hope to the world. Everyone who believes in Jesus will not be put to shame.

***Paul goes on to say, ”For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved.” Everyone! That includes Ukrainians, Russians, Americans, Africans, the Germans, the French, the Chinese and we could go on. There are so many ways that people have tried to help those in conflict in Ukraine. One way scarcely mentioned on the news, is to pray and send devotional materials so that in the midst of fighting, killing and fear, the people can know that others on distant shores are praying for them. They need to know even the simple words that “Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead.”  

*** Almighty God, You understand suffering and dying because Jesus, your Son died to pay the price justice demands for the sins of all. Jesus also rose from the dead that death is not the final event in life, but eternal life is the gift You grant to all who believe in you. Send your witnesses and the Holy Spirit to the war ravished nation of Ukraine and all nations where the Good News of Christ Jesus as Savior from death and sin is needed for salvation and comfort of the hearts of those in fear and anguish. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who suffered died and rose again that all who believe will have eternal life. Amen.   

Theme: The Father Speaks, Listen to Him

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now about eight days after these sayings, He took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,

who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"- not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!"  And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. 

Luke 9:28-35

***The Super Bowl has been played. The season is over and now there is much speculation over what will the next season be like. All teams want to better themselves. The Buccaneers and Packers wonder, who will replace Tom Brady and/or Aaron Rogers if they don’t return. They are sure to become legends of the game. If they retire or play for another team, who can possibly fill their shoes? Many of us, perhaps on a much smaller scale, have faced such a challenge when we find a new job. Can we do it as well as the person we replaced? What will the supervisor say? Will my new coworkers accept me? Will I fail or will I measure up to the task? Will those around me benefit in good ways that are expected to come from my work? Whether we begin our life’s work as a baby sitter, cutting the neighbor’s lawn or graduate to great responsibilities in a high position, success often depends on the one at the top who delegates the work and enables the worker to succeed that others benefit. 

*** God our Heavenly Father, who provides for us, who are sinful, will find human ways to learn, and cope as we daily serve those in our world and find ways of serving others. So as God blesses our efforts, He will also provide daily bread and earthly wellbeing to all people. God does much more to, initiate, reveal, provide and direct His saving work for all people for all times, so that all people, who believe in Him, will have eternal life. This is God’s special work. He ordains His works of salvation and does so personally, as God appeared and spoke so often in unusual ways that cannot be ignored.

*** In the Old Testament God saved His people from slavery in Egypt. He did so by raising up the prophet Moses. God called Moses to be a prophet and leader of God’s people, who did many mighty works. Moses received God’s call to lead His people through the desert for 40 years. When God revealed Himself to Moses, God spoke to Him directly from a burning bush. The Lord said, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. God gave Moses mighty powers to show people that God worked through him to deliver them to their promised land. When it came time for Moses to die, Joshua was appointed to take the place of Moses. The people were to now listen to Joshua. “Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on Him”. God’s works for His people were carried on by Joshua. God worked in many ways to show His will and commands to His people, so that they believed with surety that His promises were for them.

 ***God made sure that His people understood that His saving work and will were clear to them. God revealed His will to His prophets, the prophets then spoke with authority from God as they told others God’s will. Elijah was one of the God’s greatest prophets. Old Testament Elijah did not see death and when God took him into heaven, He did so in a fiery chariot. God then gave Elijah’s successor, Elisha, a double portion of Elijah’s own spirit. God’s messages regarding His saving works were always truly spoken and properly carried out.  God often gave His people special signs that the words they heard were actually From God Himself.

***For our lessons today, we have two examples. One is called a theophany. This is a special vision or sign given by God to verify to God’s people that God’s words were really God’s words. Exodus 39 records that when Moses received the Law of God, He would go up Mt. Sinai to speak with God and when Moses came down the mountain to speak with the people, the skin on his face glowed brightly, so much so, that Moses put a veil over his own face. He made more ascents up the mountain to speak with the Lord and the same glow was the result each time. At times the mountain itself would tremble. Special signs and visions of God’s presence were evident each time.

***When Jesus was being baptized by John, as Jesus was praying, the Spirit descended like a dove and a voice came from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son; in Him I am well pleased.” This is a special assurance that something special from God was beginning to take place in God’s saving work for all. Jesus wasn’t being baptized to gain salvation for Himself. But that all that is needed for salvation would be fulfilled. God in Christ was putting power to save all nations in baptism. God’s saving work in Christ for the salvation for all was beginning.

***This, our text takes place as the mission of Jesus is coming near to its fulfillment. His saving mission for all would be complete. Jesus, Peter, James and John went up on a mountain to pray. The disciples had fallen asleep. Awaking, they saw Jesus, Moses and Elijah talking about Jesus’ mission being accomplished. The disciples woke up and saw Christ’s glory in His appearance, His face changed, His clothes dazzling white. He was transfigured into His glorious eternal self as true God and true man who came to suffer, die and rise again. Peter wanted this moment to last although it could not. A cloud came and overshadowed them. And a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to Him”.  –This time the voice from the cloud was not speaking to Jesus, this voice of the Heavenly Father was speaking to the disciples. God the Father is also speaking to you, me and all who will hear His voice. God the Heavenly Father wants all to know that, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”---True God, true man, revealed, shown in His essence-- this is our Savior. Listen to Him. Believe in Him. Share this “Good News”.  Amen.

Jesus Expects Exceptional Love

Rev. Oliver Washington

Genesis 45:3-15, Luke 6:27-28

Luke 6:27-28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

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

As you listened to our readings from Genesis 45 and Luke 6, were you able to identify the enemy which were to be loved? In Luke 6, one may easily surmise that Israel’s enemy were Roman authorities. The Jews despised the Romans because they oppressed God’s people. In Genesis 45, Joseph’s enemies were his own family members. Out of jealousy and envy they sold him into a life of slavery or indentured servitude. It is not uncommon for us to experience a conflict between coworkers, friends, neighbors, foreigners and family members. It is natural for us to have some dislike, disdain or contempt for someone whom has injured us. In fact, we may harbor silent thoughts of ill will or even under our breath spout a curse against a mortal antagonist. Whenever we live according to the flesh, we will always find it difficult to live peaceably with others.

Jesus’ words helps us to address situations of conflict and reconcile us with our enemies. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you" (Luke 6:27-28). Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Such words turned many away from Jesus Christ. And even today, people continue to wrestle with Jesus’ teachings, what do you mean, “Do good to those who hate, curse, or hurt you?” How we interpret Jesus’ teachings provides us a framework not only for our personal behavior, our spiritual growth but also ministry.

Let’s delve into and meditate upon our reading. First, let us pay close attention to v. 27. “But to you who are listening I say,” Jesus is not speaking to just his disciples because  his teachings have spiritual implications and universal applications. When we diligently listen to Christ, we discover that he is driving home the point that love is the fundamental and essential mark of his ministry and the character of his disciples. What is our first reaction to someone mistreating (disrespecting) us, assaulting us, or stealing from to us (v. 29-30)? Our knee jerk reaction is to retaliate in someway. You hurt me, I will hurt you back or worst. But Jesus is asking us to live by the principles of God’s kingdom and not the principles of this world. (vs. 32-34). Jesus desires us to live a life which demonstrates, LOVE, GOODNESS, GENEROSITY and a genuine concern for the welfare of all people. Why? It reflects the divine character of God and his emissary - Jesus Christ. As a result, Jesus is asking us to leave our worldly principles behind with the hope that we will transcend and embrace the rule of God’s kingdom. This is not easy for us: Do we Love and Pray for your enemies? Usually not! Do we intentionally show acts of kindness to those who mistreat us? Usually not! Do we give generously without expecting repayment? I know, ‘who does this?’ This is exactly what Jesus is stressing and nurturing their understanding of how exceptional God’s love is.

Jesus wasn’t just talking about having affection for enemies, he was talking about demonstrating an intentional act of will. This is not like a romantic relationship, in which one happens to “fall into,” or establishing relationships with mutually beneficial outcomes. Jesus is stressing the point that doing so takes conscious effort. Loving our enemies means acting in their best interests. Just as Jesus has done for us. We can pray for them, and we can think of ways to help them. Jesus loved the whole world, even though the world was in rebellion against God. He ask us to follow his example by loving our enemies, because people will get to know God, hear his word or see his Word in action through us. Remember the question which Jesus asked, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” This was the attitude of the Pharisees and Sadducees, to care and show deference for those of a similar persuasion or lifestyle.

Love requires action. As Jesus’ disciples, he was planting seeds in them and us to understand that each of them possess the means of proclaiming the gospel message - that God Loves Them/you! One way to put love to work is to take the initiative in meeting specific needs. This is easy to do with people who love us, people whom we trust; but love means doing this even to those who dislikes us, who mistreats us, assaults us, steals from to us or have plans to hurt us.

The fact is, God often calls us in life to the impossible. Even faith itself, trust in God, the call to love Him with our whole heart, mind, body and soul, is impossible for us. Over and over again, the Scriptures tell us that the things of God are spiritually discerned, and therefore, it is the Holy Spirit who must change our hearts from unwilling to willing. As St. Paul said, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” Since the things of God are folly to us and since they are spiritually discerned, it is, “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

God often calls us in life to the impossible. To trust in Christ is impossible for us, but with God, “all things are possible.” The call to love your enemies as yourself is a part of that call too. The impossibility of it is all too clear to us. Our hearts are so often fractured and broken, they’re damaged from years of abuse and hurt. Even more, they’re scarred by sin and evil. So, how are we to begin to love our enemies and to bless those who have cursed us and to pray for those who have abused us?

Well, the last verse reveals this to us, Jesus directed His disciples, and us, to the power that enables us to do those things that are impossible for us, including loving our enemies. He says, “(God) is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Elsewhere in the Bible, we’re told that “we love because He first loved us.” As it is with love, so it is with mercy. “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

When we view our sin and our sinfulness as relatively insignificant, we also tend to think of the Gospel in a similar way. In other words, people who see themselves as only slightly sinful, also see themselves as only needing a small measure of God’s grace and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Conversely, as we come to realize and confess our utter lostness apart from Christ, we see just how amazing God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness in Christ are toward us.

In Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection he demonstrated his tears of tenderness and strong affection for all sinners. Jesus has left us with token of his love and our reconciliation in His Body and Blood. In his divine act of exceptional love Jesus demonstrated his love for us. His love for us was so immense, Jesus prayed to his Heavenly Father, saying - “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory… John 17:24 NIV

It isn’t really odd or unusual to hear Jesus calling us to love one another. After all, He said elsewhere that love is the fulfillment of the Law. It’s the fulfillment of God’s Commandments. “Love the Lord, your God (He said), with all of your heart, mind, body and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself.” Which is to say, keeping God’s commandments isn’t simply about your actions, what you do or what you don’t do. Rather, it’s about your heart, whether or not you do what you do out of love for God and love for your neighbor. Jesus wants others to see just how exceptional God’s love is for them through you. Jesus closes with these words, “ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Theme: Desperation: A Motive for Missions

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

  "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.          

Luke 6:20-26

 ***Today’s Gospel reading contains a segment of one of Jesus’ sermons. He preached many, many sermons. Jesus in His own words said, “I have come for this purpose, to preach the kingdom of God.” This sermon has come to be called, “The Sermon on the Plain”, just because Jesus found a level place from which to preach to the people. In these opportunities, when many people gathered, He cast out demons and healed diseases often by allowing crowds to touch Him, by this, the people could be healed by the power that came out of Him.

***Jesus miraculously healed “all of the people because he loved them and also he demonstrated God’s power over the devil, disease and death itself. But Jesus also explained to them the suffering caused by sin, poverty, the scorn of others, as well as the suffering and death that comes to all people. Mankind has been living in this sorrow-filled world of trouble since the fall of Adam and Eve. The question is, “Can it ever get better? Can we rid of ourselves from suffering, poverty and ridicule from the sinful world?” Can we find happiness in this world? Jesus, in His sermon, as preached in that day and to us now,   by the Holy Spirit’s power gives us salvation and help by strengthening our faith that we may resist the temptation to sin.

***Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor—but poor in spirit.” Blessed means that those who are called the Lord’s “Blessed” receive a new status from God. The new status is a favored status before God. By grace, you are members of the kingdom of God. Jesus, our Savior and the King, of heaven and earth, has pronounced and granted this status of the “Blessed” to all who would believe in Him, trusting that Jesus is our Savior. He has made us His own people. This is our blessed status as believers, and we live this out in our lives, not by wearing new and fancy clothes, or living the high life, but in remembering that this new “blessed” status is granted out of God’s saving grace and we then, live in love toward God and love toward neighbors. This is believers, living out their salvation with a Christ-like loving character as members of God’s kingdom in the world. It is a life lived to the glory of God and love towards others. We are blessed.

***This “blessed and loving character doesn’t show itself in our lives simply by obeying the Ten Commandments. It comes to us by the salvation that Jesus won for us on His cross and suffering for us. He paid for all of our sins. He is the perfect sinless Lamb of God. He is perfect, because He is without sin. He is true God and true man; He could and did pay for our sins and for the sins of all people of all time. If He is not perfect, without sin, He would have been dying for His own sins. Instead, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” His suffering and death was fueled by the sins of all mankind of all the ages, including our sins today and all sins till the end of time. The rich, the religious and the powerful conspired against Jesus. He was scorned and scourged and crucified between two criminals. One of those criminals repented to Jesus, and in faith requested of the Lord, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom”.---To which Jesus responded, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” It is by grace all are saved, who would be saved, by faith and the gift of God’s grace in Christ.

***Jesus’ saved us as He died and rose again on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures and appeared to the disciples and even to 500 of the brothers in the faith at one time. Christ has been raised. This is Christ completing the defeat of sin, death, and the devil. If Christ were not raised, we then, would still be in our sins.—We, then as now, have the sure, and certain hope of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting with Jesus and all believers in Christ.—Paul calls Jesus, “The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Just as Jesus has risen from the dead, so shall we.

***As we live as the blessed people in the kingdom of God, we don’t live in desperation for food, drink or clothes, but we are always hungry and thirsting for the righteousness of God in our lives. We depend on God to give us all these things. Jesus tells us, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat? or 'What shall we drink?’ or 'What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt.6

***However, when temptation comes our way, Let us be faithful as we trust in the Lord and as we live chaste and decent lives in our words and deeds. Beware; temptations do come from Satan, who uses the sins of the world to tempt us and our own sinful, fleshly, vulnerable appetites to tempt to follow the world rather than being the faithful ones who have been blessed by our Lord that we may live under Him in His kingdom. We are tempted to follow the sinful world. Sadly, temptation can easily come to us, simply by turning on the television set. The World is Very Evil, is the name of an old hymn. In today’s world, even the news of the day brings the descriptions and often pictures of crimes and debauchery of all sorts. We also see the controversy over what is legally allowed and what should be prosecuted. This is always before us and far too often before the eyes of our children. We see international discord, and discord in our own society, our schools, our families, government, and communities. Even the commercials are promoting sinful lifestyles and activities. All is graphically displayed. Oh Lord, “lead me that I not fall into temptation”. These are desperate times.

***How should we, the church, be “desperate”? We are desperate for Jesus. The world desperately  needs God’s Law and Gospel. It needs teachers, pastors and missionaries. The world needs witnessing Christians, who by their words and deeds would be bright lights for Jesus in this sinful world. The world needs prayer that God will act through ways that He knows are best to work His salvation in the world, that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of God’s truth in Christ.

Our prayer: By Your word and Spirit, Oh Lord, make my heart and mind desperate for your grace and mercy in Christ Jesus and comfort me with your promises of the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Make me, Oh Lord, an Ambassador of Your Grace in Christ Jesus, to those who desperately need Him. Amen.

Respond to God’s Word: Listen and Obey

Rev. Oliver Washington

Is 6:1-13; Lk 5:5-6, 8 - Responses to the word of God “Woe to me!”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 8. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Dear Holy Spirit, help us to meditate upon the Jesus’ instruction, so we may know how to respond to God’s Word. Amen

May the grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus which surpasses all reasoning and understanding rest upon each and every one of us this day. Amen!

Luke introduces the actual activity of Jesus’ ministry (Mt 4:18-22 and Mk 1:16-20). Today we might call this preaching, evangelism or sharing the message of God’s love and willingness to forgive us. This account follows the events found in John: John the Baptist Denied Being the Messiah (19-28); John Testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God (29-34); and Andrew shared the good news with Simon (40-42). What might have been your response to “We have found the Messiah,” The Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world”? Is your response one of denial (rejection), skepticism or acceptance. Our response depends upon what we are searching for.  Do we seek a teacher, ruler, or reconciler? In following Christ, do we seek the grace and mercy of God and eternal life? If so, this good news embodies the need to repent. Jesus call on his hearers to repent. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

When we repent, we encounter the certain knowledge that we are sinners and surely deserve nothing but punishment.  With unrepentant sin, we deserve punishment here in the present time as well as in eternity. This is a terrifying reality. Nevertheless, Jesus calls on us to do this.

Why?  Why would Jesus call on us to confront the terror of sin and its punishment?  He does so because there is more to repentance than acknowledging the truth of sin.  Acknowledging sin is only the first step of repentance. It is the first step in accepting God’s authority, spiritual growth as well as taking ownership for what we have done or failed to do.

When we repent, we acknowledge our sin and the terror of its punishment before God.  Then, we beg for His mercy to save us from sin and its punishment.  It is impossible for us to cope with our sin.  That is the reason why we must bring it before God and ask Him to deal with it. We do this in the faith that He will not deal with our sin as we deserve, but according to His mercy.  This is the reason Jesus calls on us to repent … that we may present your sins to our Heavenly Father in faith that He will forgive your sin, comfort our consciences, and deliver us from an eternal punishment. Has Jesus called out to you - to Listen to His Word? What is your response?

As we listen to this account of Jesus calling his first disciples, do you find yourself relating to any of the characters. Maybe you see yourself as one of those crowding around the Lord, searching, attempting to listen to the word of God. Maybe you see yourself as one of those preoccupied with another task, “busy washing your nets’. May be you see yourself like Simon, believing in God but exhausted from a long night of work and possibly skeptical. Sometimes we are so distracted with our state of affairs, that it is difficult to listen to members of our family, friends or neighbors telling us about God’s love and willingness to forgive. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are trying to determine the importance, relevance or value of worldly and divine messages surrounding us. As we listen to various messages in our day, we meet it with a little skepticism. Are [we] you able to discern what is true?

Although our times and technology have changed; how we process daily events and information has not changed. We wonder if a message is significant, relevant or valuable. However, when we hear the Word of God, what is our response? Often receipt of good news is hard to believe.

Amazingly enough, Jesus does something more profound in Simon’s life and our lives. Jesus initiates the discourse. Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put out a little from shore. Jesus comes alongside of us in our daily walks. It allows us to become more intimate with his message that God loves us. Jesus abides with him in a familiar task to help build his confidence before asking him to trust his instructions, “Set out into deep waters and cast your net for a catch.” Are you ready to trust in his authority.

How often has God asked us to do something simple… Unless we give up ourselves to accept and to be taught by him, we are unable to discover the power and authority of God’s word in our lives. I wrestle with this on a daily basis. Do you? Consider that Jesus was telling professional fishermen to do things that seemed absolutely foolish by all worldly standards. 

Put out into deep water in the middle of the day and let down your nets? Hey guys and gals: How often has God asks us to do something that is foolish by worldly standards; and we respond, “That’s not how you do it!”  These fishermen were accustomed to catching fish in relatively shallow water.   Their tackle and their equipment were made for close-to-shore fishing.  If you wanted to catch fish, you tried to cast your nets where the most fish would be, which is typically in shallower, warmer water at night, when the fish are most active.  Think about that for a moment.  Jesus (a land-loving son of a carpenter) was telling these professional fishermen A) how to do their job, and B) to do something completely outside the norm; something that they believed was guaranteed to fail! “Put out into the deep water in the middle of the day and cast your shallow-fishing nets out for a catch.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Let’s try our hand at some fishing.” He tells them to let down their nets for a catch.  And here’s the thing: They did it.  “Because you say so, Lord.” I think we often miss the profoundness of this response. It is statement of faith. Like Simon, we wrestle with listening to God’s word verses abandoning our personal experiences. As a result, we often fail to act in faith on His word. We sometime, reluctantly, do what is asked of us. However, we need to step out in faith. Isn’t this the life of Simon. Feeding 5K with 5 loaves, Walking on Water, you name it. All too often we miss the overarching simplicity of all this because we are focused on the miracle of the large catch. But recount what we have read up to the point “When Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Similar to Isaiah’s words, “Woe to me!” As well as the apostle Paul, “I am the Chief of sinners!” They discovered God’s power and authority in Jesus Christ.

I would like to share with you a little secret which prevents many of us from embracing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The problem for many of us is we are looking for signs and evidence to support the truth. The problem with the assumption that signs, evidence and reason are sufficient to arrive at the truth is that it ignores the need for God’s revelation to inform human reason; and it ignores the inability of fallen human reason to grasp divine revelation. Because of sin, the human intellect is blinded to the light of God’s revelation in Christ and the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). Just as a blind man can look at the sun and not see a thing, so fallen people lack the capacity of understanding and apprehending spiritual truth in and of themselves (1 Cor. 2:14). Thus a fallen sinner can look at all the evidence and logic in the world and yet not grasp the truth of the gospel unless God opens his eyes and grants him repentance and faith to turn from his sin and believe in Christ. As a result of Simon’s experience, he become aware of who is standing in his boat and responds, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Consider all that our Lord reveals to us in this text regarding listening to the word of God. Many people fail to experience or grasp the divine revelation of Jesus being their Lord and Savior for two reasons. (1) We spend most of our lives comparing themselves to others as opposed to focusing on the Character of God. As a result, we often do not see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior. (2) We spend a large amount of time focusing on what the world’s solutions are to the spiritual problem of sin. We believe we need a great catch of fish (cash fall) to be successful or get us out of our predicament.

As stated a few moments ago, the simplicity of Jesus’ ministry begins with hise message. “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” In the presence of Jesus Christ we can see the simplicity of God’s means of grace. Jesus accepts us even when we confess our sins. Because we accept his word, we need not be afraid. Jesus promises, “I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Knowing, His Word never returns to Him void or empty. Now we can receive and share his Word and Sacraments with those among our family, friends, neighbors and let Him provided.   His Word always accomplishes exactly what He purposes, each and every time. 

Today, Jesus asks us to believe and obey the word of God. Let us continue accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. Let us place our faith in Jesus Christ, so we can continue to experience a peace which surpasses all understanding. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, as the author and perfecter of our faith. Jesus knew what was coming even in our day and age.

The simple message of the Gospel is our assurance—that God uses Jesus Christ to bring us into a life of faith. It’s the same Gospel that He continues to use to strengthen us and preserve us to eternal life. And it is the Gospel that He arms and equips us with in your daily lives as baptized children of God to endure the trials of life.  “In our coming and going, let us make disciples of all nations.” In our going, let us cast the nets of our Lord’s grace and mercy so they may have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 

Let us do this, because the Lord says so. Amen 

Theme: Preach the Good News

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,

 43 but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose."

 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Luke 4: 40-44

***Christian elementary school teachers, Sunday school teachers, vacation Bible school teachers, or parents, commonly end their lessons by reminding the children of what God wants them to do, now that they learned the word of God, “We tell others!” the children respond. Is this easier said than done? Most would say, “Yes”. Why would telling others about Jesus be difficult? Our reading from Jerimiah can give us some insight.—As a youth, Jerimiah was called by God to be a prophet. Jerimiah knew that prophets spoke the word of God to others. Jerimiah responded to God, “I do not know how to speak, as I am only a youth”.—God told Jerimiah that He, God Himself, would tell Jerimiah what to say.  God said, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be dismayed, that is, don’t you be upset, or I will dismay you before them.—God said, “I put you over them. I make you a fortified city against them. They will fight against you, but they will not win. I am with you and will deliver you”, declares the Lord!” God gives us the assurance that He is with us also, when we speak on His behalf.

***The promise of deliverance by the Lord’s hand gives Jerimiah confidence to continue the warnings and prophesies that God commanded him to say to Israel.  However, confidence, in and of itself, does not make Jerimiah’s work easy. God said, because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, the kingdom along with Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. As Jerimiah witnessed the destruction of Israel, he was so emotionally affected, that he has been called the “weeping prophet”.

***However, God’s wrath did not last, and 70 years later there was a cleansing and God’s forgiveness came to Israel. All the covenants and promises of God would yet be fulfilled in a way that would go beyond all God’s mercies of old. As Jerimiah writes, he speaks of Jesus, the Savior to come:

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' Jer. 23:5,6.

***The Lord, our righteousness, from the writings of the prophet Jerimiah, is Jesus, Who not only preaches the word of God, as revealed by John’s Gospel, He is also the Living Word of God, who has become flesh and dwelt among us filled with grace and truth. As in our Gospel reading today, when Jesus spoke, His words had authority. A demon, possessing a man, recognized Jesus and the demon cried out, “Jesus of Nazareth, have you come to torment us before our time?”—Jesus rebuked the demon to be silent and come out of the man. The demon came out and the people were amazed. From here Jesus went to Peter’s house in Capernaum. Finding Peter’s mother sick with fever, Jesus rebuked the fever, and being healed; she immediately rose and began to serve them.

***When the sun was setting and the Sabbath nearing the end, more people brought many more sick to Jesus, and He laid hands on each of them, and healed them and He cast out demons of many others, as well. This went on through the night. As daylight came, Jesus went to a desolate place, and people still sought Him and came to Him. But Jesus did not allow them to hold Him there saying, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well; “for I was sent for this purpose.”

***In our message this day we spoke of telling others about Jesus and indicated that this and many other works of love on behalf of others are hard. Why hard? In the previous paragraph, we summed up what surely was a long hard day and night for Jesus. “He laid hands on each of them, all of them. He healed them, all of them, and cast out demons of many others, as well”. Not easy! We might say, “Well, that’s’ Jesus. He was supposed to do those things. After all, the Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” He was given to do these things. We surely couldn’t do what Jesus, our Savior did. No, Jesus was without sin and by His sacrificial death for the world, He paid the price for sin and rose from the dead to give us and all who believe in Him eternal life. No other man could do this. We are not the sinless, Son of God.

***Jesus told Nicodemus, “If you love me, keep my commandments, which say, “Love God with all your heart soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” So then, what is love? Our reading from 1 Corinthians 13, has been called the love chapter. Although Paul gives a wonderful description of love a wonderful summation in verse five that says, “Love does not insist on its own way”, another translation says, “Love is not self-seeking.” Love indicates conduct that thinks only of the neighbors good and if necessary, it is the denial of one’s self for the sake of others. What do others need that I may provide? Or if they already have what they need; we keep our hands off and let the neighbor keep what belongs to him. In other words, love does not enrich one’s self at the neighbor’s expense.

***We began our sermon by reminding ourselves, as Christians, that it is important to tell others about Jesus. For the “someone” who needs to hear about Jesus. It is important because they need encouragement from a loving Christian who cares enough about them to say something, even simple, like, “Jesus loves you, trust in Him”. Sadly, we often are “self-seeking” when it comes to our own comfort level, when even saying, “Remember Jesus loves you.” Or could we even lead in a simple prayer and pray with them? There are many ways to bring the comfort of the Gospel to others as we seek their welfare not our own. Jesus sought our welfare, not His own. Paul says, “Faith, hope and love abide, the greatest of these is love.”  Amen.

Theme: The Prophet has a Hometown

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

 21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

 23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well."

 24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

Luke 4: 20-24

*** Jesus had a hometown. Well, doesn’t everyone? Well, yes and no? Where do we identify as our home? Some will say that I am from New York, is New York a town as in “hometown”? New York is a city of millions of people. The same can be said of many other places, like Detroit is a city. Some would say a town is a place, like a sitcom theme song says; “Everybody knows your Name!” Jesus was born in Bethlehem, because Mary and Joseph had to go there to be registered as their ancestors came from Bethlehem. They were to go where their ancestral, family, home was for the purpose of the census. Practically speaking, your hometown is where you live. You, your family and neighbors can say, “We know them, they live here, we can tell you almost anything you want to know about them.” Mary, Joseph and Jesus and the people who lived in Nazareth could say, “We know them and they know us, this is our hometown”

***At the time Jesus lived in Nazareth it had a population of about 400 people. Archeologists tell us that the houses were spaced with room enough so families could have some animals and livestock to raise for food. Now, the only thing left standing that could be dated from the time of Christ is the city well. Nazareth is in the hills off the main road, about sixteen miles west of the Sea of Galilee and about eighty miles from Jerusalem, quite a walk. Nazareth was of small account to the rest of world. As Jesus was choosing His disciples, Phillip said to his brother Nathanael, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, "Come and see." However, this was Jesus’ hometown.  

***Our text begins with Jesus, on the Sabbath, going to the synagogue, as was customary. As normal, a learned man was appointed to read a section of scripture fitting for the day. Jesus stood up to read a part of Isaiah which says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has  sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus had just told His hometown people that He was the Savior promised from of old. He would be the One who would change the fortunes of God’s people. He would be the one to save His people from their sins.

***Although the people marveled at Jesus’ gracious words, but then said, “Is this not Joseph’s son, Jesus? He knows the hearts and minds of all?” They snapped back at Him and said, “Physician, heal yourself!” –Jesus spent much time in Capernaum rather than in Nazareth. “What you did in Capernaum, do here in your own hometown.” – A saying we use as an explanation for the hometown’s treatment of Jesus is, “Familiarity, brings contempt.” Remembering another instance, Jesus was in a house, in Capernaum preaching, and His mother and brothers were at the door. They wanted to see Him right away. Jesus told the one who answered the door, “Tell them that these, in the house, are my mother, sisters and brothers.” Jesus had His work of teaching and preaching to do. This is the work of a prophet. Jesus rightly showed His hometown people that they sinned against God’s prophet, when He told them God’s judgement on Old Testament Israel. He related that there were many widows in Israel who could have used help, when God, rather sent Elijah to Zarephath where he raised a widow’s son, and Elisha He sent to Naaman the Syrian, healing him from leprosy. This caused such wrath from the hometown people against Jesus that they were going to throw their Lord off a cliff. Yet, Jesus passed through their midst and went away. That was their miracle in Nazareth.  

***The might of God as demonstrated in miracles, has its place. These were holy and mighty signs. These signs have their place in the saving work of God. They demonstrate His power and show His love for the oppressed and suffering. There is yet another role that only the Son of God in the flesh can adequately fulfill, that is the role of Prophet. Jesus, as Prophet, was to proclaim and teach the word of God. He was the one who fulfilled the Old Testament promises and covenants. Jesus explained the Word of God. Who could do it better? Christ Jesus is the one that John the Gospel writer described as the “Living Word” in the flesh filled with grace and truth. Jesus is the one who can explain and teach the word of God and to tell it forth truthfully and clearly. He is also the eternal, all-knowing One who can rightly foretell what is to come. The Scriptures teach us many things that Christ teaches us by His birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection and His glorious return on the last day.

***It is all important to personally believe that Jesus died to pay the price of salvation for you and all people. Each sin has a consequence. It does harm to the one who is sinned against, and does harm to all who commit sins. Sins are the breaking of the law. In our civil society, we have laws, and if one or more of those laws are broken, there is a judgement, and if there is a conviction, then there is a punishment, which fits the crime. The one who is guilty is to pay the price: a fine, public service, jail term, or in some places in some cases like murder, the price may be death.

*** In God’s law, there is also a punishment that fits the crime. Sin, is the breaking of the Law. God’s Law is all inclusive in our lives. Summed up, it says, “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And the second is like unto it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We say, “How can anyone obey this all-encompassing Law?” Surely, no sinful human can obey it perfectly. Adam and Eve sinned and the nature of humanity changed. Now the Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Furthermore, “The wages of sin is death”- even eternal death.  

***However, we have hope in Christ Jesus. He said, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” This is Good News for “Whoever believes!”

***In order to strengthen faith, you should know that Jesus, the Prophet wanted to preach and teach the Word of God to all. In our times God still provides prophets in the offices of pastors and teachers. The Holy Spirit works through God’s word as it is rightly taught and explained. God wants us all to be reminded that in our churches, God has given us Pastors and Teachers who teach and explain the Scriptures, the Law and the Gospel in Bible classes. I would urge you to seek out a good Bible class with a good teacher. In the name of Jesus, I also urge you to be faithful in worship, personal devotions and prayer. Jesus’ promise, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life eternal.  Amen.

Theme: What’s really happing? Watch for the signs.

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.           

John 2:9-11

*** When I was a child, I remember my elders, especially those who spent a lot of time out of doors, wondered what the weather would be the next day, so they would look at the signs. They had a saying, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning sailor takes warning.” Of course, this was not always 100% correct in outcome, but weathermen, even today, can explain how these weather signs have credibility.----Signs are pointers for weather, but also finding all kinds of places and things. When driving, even if we have a GPS, we need signs to verify that we are in the proper traffic lane or that we are really looking at our destination when we find it verified by a sign. When looking for something in the drug store or the super market, if we look at the signs at the end of the isles, we find what we are looking for much easier. Signs are important.

***After Adam and Eve sinned, God began to reveal a plan of salvation for all mankind. They succumbed to the temptation of Satan’s lies and ate the forbidden fruit, which Satan promised would make them like God. They would be able to decide for themselves what would be either “Good” or “Evil” for them, rather than trusting in God alone, to guide them as they lived in perfect harmony with Him and one another.  They sinned! The punishment for sin, was and is now, death.

***God did not forsake sinful man, but limited Satan’s power and put enmity between Satan and mankind. This enmity would limit Satan’s power, and by His Spirit would promise and give life and salvation to all who would believe on His name. This enmity is Jesus. He, would defeat Satan. Jesus would act on behalf of all mankind to be the Savior. Jesus said, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him, would not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.” Jesus is to be the “Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel”.

***In our text we find Jesus at the wedding in Cana. He is beginning His ministry, and something very special is to be revealed. A promise that was given to God’s people through the ages, Jesus would redeem them from sin. How would they know this redemption is near? How would they know this Messiah, this Savior, has come? Isaiah speaks to God’s people of old and at the same time to all time to all His people. He used special words and pictures that His people may take to heart. He describes the effect the Messiah and His salvation will have on them. Isaiah describes a beautiful picture. God’s people Israel will be like a crown of beauty, a jeweled ornament showing royalty, no longer forsaken and desolate, God’s Delight is in Her, and their land would be Married, for the LORD delights in you. “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you”. Jesus, will become the bridegroom of His people, the church of all believers in Christ.

***Here, in our text, Jesus attends with His newly appointed disciples, a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Now we, as God’s people, see the signs which glow brightly on Jesus. The “signs” that the people of Jesus times looked for were foretold by the prophet Amos who wrote, “Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when-- the mountains shall drip sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it”.

***Jesus, with His mother Mary and His disciples were at this wedding. And as was customary, there was a feast. At the feast, there was always wine. And to the chagrin of all, especially the master of the feast and the bridegroom, they ran out of wine. Mary brought this to Jesus’ attention, to which He responded, “My hour has not yet come.” Jesus instructed the servants to fill six large stone jars with water and then take some to the master of the feast. The master of the feast tasted the water, now turned to be wine, a very good wine. He asked the bridegroom why the best wine was not served first, as was custom, but was left to last. He asked where did the best wine come from? The bridegroom did not know, but the servants knew. We know too, it was a miracle, a sign. It came from Jesus who turned water into the finest wine. It was the first of His miracles, His signs.

***Jesus gave many signs, many miracles that would show who He is. Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior who came into the world. Why did Jesus do these signs? He did them to show who He was and is. He wanted to also teach lessons about Himself, as all of His signs revealed something of His glory. Some of the signs were explained, such as, when Jesus fed 5000 men with only five loaves of bread and two fish, He said, “I am the bread of life.”—When He healed a man born blind, He said, “I am the light of the world.”--- When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” All of the signs, the miracles, Jesus did, showed His glory. He was sent by the Heavenly Father to seek and to save the lost. He showed His glory, that the entire world would believe in Him and believe that the Heavenly Father sent Him to pay for the price for the sins of the world, that all who would believe in Him would receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

** Is there anything left for us to do? There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. There is no work or service that we can render to add to what Jesus has done in His fulfillment of all signs, prophecies and by His suffering and death, He suffered, died and rose again for our salvation. Ours to do by the power of the Holy Spirit, is to believe and receive the gift salvation He won for us. We learn from the signs of His miracles that we can trust in the love of Jesus by His miracles which are His works of love for people in great distress. The people that are hungry, needy, sick, dying, or even died were cured, fed, healed or even raised from the dead. Our God in Christ is all loving and all-powerful to save. We believe in Jesus and are God’s people by faith.---- We are now also to be those who witness and proclaim the Good News of salvation won for all people. We are not to hide this Good News, but let our light shine before men. Jesus described us as “the salt of the earth, the city set high on a hill that cannot be hid. We have been given works to do that others will see them and give glory to the Father who is in heaven”. Lord, help us to be bold and faithful witnesses pointing to the saving love of God in Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Theme: Who is really the Messiah and what has He come to do?

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."… Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Luke 3:16-17, 21-22

***In the text for today we find John the Baptist baptizing people by the Jordan River. It is a baptism of repentance. The people coming to hear John preach heard a message of repentance. John preached and did not spare harsh rhetoric. He preached to show the people their sins. He also preached to tell them what it meant for them to turn around from their sinning and how they are to obey God’s Law and live a righteous life by loving God and their fellowman. He described sinful people as a “brood of snakes”, who are not even thinking of the wrath of God that is coming. God’s axe of judgement is at already laid at the root of the tree. Sinners were the trees. As John preached, they were convicted of their sins of greed and extortion. They wanted to and did repent. Then John baptized them with water for forgiveness of their sins. This forgiveness looked forward to the Savior’s work, His cross, death and resurrection that saved people from their sins.

***There were many questions by the people of who would be the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Many Jews thought that when the Messiah came, He would save God’s people, the Jews, from all the tyrants that ruled Israel. In that current case, it was the Romans. Before that there were many other evil tyrants and nations that conquered and ruled the Jewish people. The Jews tended to forget that God allowed many foreign powers to rule them because they themselves led sinful lives and worshipped other gods. God sent these cruel, foreign conquerors so that the people would realize their sins. And in sorrow, repent of them and lead Godly lives. God wants all people to live in faithful obedience to the Lord. God wants His people to be an example to all of their love and faithfulness and to reflect the love and faithfulness that God has towards His people. Unrepentant sin separates people from one another, and also separates people from God. God sent the Messiah, the Savior. Jesus was born to save God’s people from their sins.

 ***Many people asked John if he was the Messiah or should they look for another. John, as it appeared would fit the part of a messiah, a savior. According to the thinking of people, John had courage, he had grit. He knew what sin was and called “it’ like it was. After all, John even singled out King Herod for the adulterous marriage to Herodias, the former wife of his brother. After-all, if John had that kind of moral sense and fortitude to confront sinful kings, he may well be the Messiah. John said, “No! The one coming after me is the one. I am not even worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. John was speaking of Jesus, the true Messiah, Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

***How did this happen? Jesus would first be baptized. We are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus, being without sin, was baptized to put the power of forgiveness into baptism. He has fulfilled all righteousness. Our text tells us, that after all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As He was being baptized, He was praying and the heavens were opened –the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” All three persons of the Trinity are present at the baptism of Jesus: the Heavenly Father, who is the Creator of all things and the architect of our salvation in Christ Jesus. The Father sent the Son to come to suffer and die and pay the price of sacrifice for all sin and the redemption of sinners. Not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood; with His innocent suffering and death. In Jesus’ baptism, He took all the anger and judgement of God over sin to the cross. Through Jesus suffering and death, He paid the price for sin and satisfied the wrath of God. That is what He would and did accomplish for all people on the cross. This was pleasing to the Heavenly Father. In baptism there is the saving power of God in Christ Jesus for all who believe and are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

*** What motivates and guides the faith and life of all Christians? What has God given us that will enable us to do these things? He has given us the approval of God the Father, the saving accomplishments of His Son Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace for us, that is, the Word of God, the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. God hates sin, He is angry over sin. Like the people John preached to, we also don’t want to think of our wrong doings as making God the Father angry. However, our God is a personal God. He knows what we say, do, and think. When He commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, He really wants us to do that. Yet, He loves us and is also merciful and has pity on us. He has given us mercy through His Son Jesus. We remember the Gospel, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

***In Christ, God has given us salvation by His grace. It is a gift from God through Christ Jesus, our Lord that we receive through faith which comes to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He shows us our sins and also shows us our Savior, Jesus, by whose blood we are cleansed from all sins. We, therefore, with the power of the Holy Spirit repent of our sins, and strive to do better. We believe and thereby receive forgiveness and a new life in Christ. – “He saved us through, baptism, the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we become heirs of the sure and certain hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. “- Titus 3:5-8. Amen  

Theme: Arise, and Shine, your Light has Come!

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 2:1-3

***These wise men from the east knew the heavens and were familiar with stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. However, this one heavenly body was an unusual “star”. It was not one seen in the normal configuration of the heavens, it was a special star. They were looking for the one who would be born, the king of the Jews. The wise men followed this special star. They found exactly where it led, directly to the baby Jesus.

***These wise men were Gentiles, likely from Babylon. They were not born with the advantages of being raised in a faithful Jewish family. If they were born into a Jewish family, they would have been circumcised and taught prayers, and the scriptures as would all small Jewish children. However, as Gentiles and wise men, they learned and remembered much of the faith of the Israelite captives. So much as, they could see the contrast between the faithful captives and the pagan beliefs and cruelty of Babylon.  

***There is a stark difference between the pagan gods of the nations and the True God of Israel. The gods of the nations were images that were carved or cast out of wood, metal or stone. As people worshipped these “gods”, they danced, shouted, prayed, and sacrificed, even hurt themselves, hoping that kings and people would get what they wanted. However, the Jews knew God’s commandments, and the first commandment of the true God of Israel is “You shall have no other God’s”. These wise men from the east learned the faith of Israel so as they quoted the Prophet Micah, who cited the birth place where the “ruler”, the king would be born who would shepherd the people of Israel.

***Leaders and Kings in the Bible, as in the world today, are not, and were not always loved and revered by their people. These pagan kings were to be honored by the people as gods and obedience to kings and their gods was demanded without question. As in the land of Babylon where Israel was held captive for many years, King Nebuchadnezzar built a ninety foot tall golden statue in the likeness of himself. He then commanded that all his subjects would bow down and worship this likeness. Disobedience to the king’s demands meant death. We are reminded of our God’s faithful men who did not follow the king’s command and were punished. Daniel was thrown into the den of lions and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace. As we remember, their righteous and merciful God saved them. This may well have been one of the testimonies of faith learned by the wise men.

***God had given these Gentile wise men a new hope, that is, all kings are not worshippers of pagan gods. All kings do not rule with tyranny and cruelty. What was revealed to them? There was going to be a king born to the Jews who would shepherd His people Israel. These wise men wanted to find this newborn King and worship Him. He was to be born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. But they naturally, searching for a king, came first to the capital city of Jerusalem. They described their search to King Herod in hopes that he might help them find this newborn king of the Jews. Little did the wise men know how jealous Herod was? He had already killed his wife, three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and many others, not counting the baby boys in Bethlehem. Herod was a very ruthless man.  

***The wise men went on their way, with the request from Herod, that when they found Him, they were to come back and tell Herod where the child was, that Herod also could come and worship Him. The wise men rejoiced greatly that the star reappeared and came to rest over the place where the child was. They worshipped Him and gave Him their treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another way.

***Jesus truly is a king, but not just a king like any other king. As Jesus was ascending into heaven,  He said, “All authority is given me in heaven and on earth.-He truly is king with all authority.—Therefore, He then said to the disciples and as well, to us, the church,---- “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the end of the age.”

***The Shepherd King would not be anything like the earthly kings of any nation. Surely not like the kings of Babylon, Assyria, or absolutely not at all like King Herod. These kings were despots who ruled by fear and manipulation. Jesus would be our Shepherd King.” As Shepherd He said, “I am the Good Shepherd, I lay down my life for the sheep.” The Good shepherd deeply loves, us, His sheep. So much so, that He obeyed the will of the Father, and that He became obedient to death, even death on the cross. He earned for us the forgiveness of all our sins. He then rose from the dead that we would have eternal life with Him in heaven. He is our king like no other.

***For us? What do we do? We can respond and say as we realize that God has given us all good things,---- “For all it is my duty, to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. Amen.

Theme: The Lord is with You Fear Not, Be Faithful

Rev. Robert Mikkelson  

Text: For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39

***Another year of…what is coming?  According to today’s news, what do we hear and see every day? Crime is up. Gun violence and homicides are at an all-time high in major cities. Dozens of masked criminals all at once storm into stores in the middle of the day. They smash into display cases, steal jewelry, empty the store of the most valuable items and runaway with tens of thousands dollars’ worth of merchandise. If per chance, they are arrested, they are released with little or no bail and are back again on the streets to do it all over again. School children are subjected to virtual learning. If in school, they are mandated to social distance and wear masks. It is not natural for them compared to other years. Consequently achievement scores plummet and mental illness amongst the young is on the rise. What else is worrisome? The USA has inflation, mask mandates as a condition for employment, the border crisis is unsettling, Russia is threatening Ukraine with invasion, China is insidiously influencing American ideology, and the list goes on….. Are we in peril? Will things ever get better? Where is God in all this? Can any good come as a result of all this?

***We look to God’s word for understanding and take a lesson from the unfaithful Israelites. The prophet Isaiah addresses the Israelites, who were being threatened by foreign powers, Assyria and Babylon to name two of them. As you can guess, the Israelites were afraid of being swallowed up. Jerusalem would be devastated. The people themselves would be ravished, killed, taken into captivity. What could they do? Many suggested that they turn to Egypt for help. Can or would Egypt help?! Egypt! Who held Israel captive as slaves for many years? No! Isaiah calls Egypt, the “do nothing Egypt”!  Who will help them? How will the help come? First, what is the root cause of Israel’s problems? Isaiah writes that they are a rebellious lying people, unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord. –The Holy One of Israel says, “Return to the Lord, in repentance-quietness and trust—this will be your strength and you will find your salvation.” –The problem was that Israel was stubborn and unwilling to turn to the Lord and trust in Him.

***This is New Year’s Eve. It is not part of our official Church liturgical calendar, but it is a part of the world’s calendar. On this day everyone ends 2021 and the next day begins 2022. We picture 2021 as an old man marching along getting older and more tired and bent all the time. Finally the clock strikes 12 midnight and the calendar changes to begin the New Year coming in like a baby who will live life of new experiences and challenges. So therefore, we fittingly,  learn from the mistakes of the past and resolve to do things differently and better in the future. Ah! New Year’s resolutions, some are trite like, I want to lose ten pounds over the year.

***Other resolutions are motivated by a deep seated sorrow over sin. One may see that they were living a very selfish life, not caring about God or their fellowman. They may feel isolated from family and friends and come to the conclusion that they are leading a lonely and vulgar life. They are motivated by Christian friends to repent of their selfish behavior, asking forgiveness which is received through faith in the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Then by the power of the Holy Spirit, they promise to earnestly strive to do better. In order to receive regular help in this repentance, they are drawn to regular attendance in Sunday worship and find Christian friends who help and encourage each other in a Christ led life of love and service to others. Personal prayer and Bible study puts us in close touch with Jesus. As we study the word of God we say, “Jesus, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Jesus Himself invites us to come to Him. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Learn from me, I am gentle and lowly of heart. You will find rest for your souls”.

***In Christ Jesus, we can truly find rest for our souls. However, the vicious, corrupt and dangerous world that we live in is contrary to the Christian’s rest and confidence. We find that we are as strangers in a foreign land. The Bible is right as it calls out our enemies as the Devil, the world and our own sinful nature. Jesus entered such a world. After He was baptized by John, the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. By Jesus’ righteous power, He refuted all the Devil’s efforts. We do not have this righteous power. In and of ourselves, we possess a sinful nature. In our weakness we cannot stand against Satan’s might and cunning. The Scripture tells us that if anyone sins, Jesus, the righteous, is our advocate with the Father. He is also our Savior, and by His blood we are cleansed from all sins. Christ is the propitiation for our sins. This means, the benefits of His sacrifice, received by faith, has won favor for us with the heavenly Father.

***As God’s redeemed children we can go into the world of 2022 as one who is God’s child. We can, with the help of God, do His will. By the Holy Spirit’s power, we can stand firm as we walk as children of the light trying to discern what is good and right and true and pleasing to the Lord. We can have courage. Paul writes, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also, with Him, graciously give us all things?”

***As time passes into 2022, we as born again children of the Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus our Savior, remember His blessing and command,   “You are the salt of the earth, a city standing high on a hill. You have been given works to do so that those who see them will give glory to the Father in heaven”. Be with us as we go forward, Dear Lord Jesus. Amen.

Theme: Jesus, the Savior is Here

Rev. Robert Mikkelson

Text: 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.

 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,

 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

 29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

Luke 2:25-33

***Sylva and her husband had a busy life. Sylva was a mom, a school teacher and helped her husband on their farm in Wisconsin. It was a busy life and by many standards, it was productive. Sylva’s husband loved the farm. He worked it his whole adult life and it was paying off well. He was perfectly satisfied on the farm and to keep doing what he was doing until he couldn’t any more. As Sylva got older, she became dissatisfied with the confines of her life and wanted to at least see something else or go someplace else. She often complained to her husband that they didn’t go anywhere. She wanted to see and do something else before they got too old doing the same old things. He finally said, “What do you want to do?” Sylva said, “I would love to see the Atlantic Ocean!” Her husband relented, “Pack your bags; we will leave as soon as you are ready.” They drove almost three days straight and arrived on the Atlantic coast. They walked around, smelled the sea breezes and looked at the sights. It wasn’t long till her husband said, “Well you have seen the Atlantic Ocean, now let’s go home!” So they did. Sylva was not satisfied. She adamantly believed that life had more to offer her. Sylva’s husband preceded her in death, and then Sylva took many trips with good friends. They took with them a retirees slogan which read, “Health, Wealth, Love and Time to Enjoy them!” Is that what life is all about? Do we have a bucket list of things we want to do before we die? Many of us do. Is there anything wrong with the desire to take trips and even see the world? No, but as Christians we have concerns and a mission that God lays on our hearts. We have been saved from sin and given the gift the gift of eternal life in heaven. 

***Some would say that Simeon and Anna, serving in the temple, had a bucket list, that is, to see the promised Savior before they died. However, they could do nothing to make this happen. This must happen by the will and grace of God. Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He was waiting for the comfort promised to the people of  Israel and consequently to all God’s people. This was the promised work of God that would come to pass. It did come to pass by the work of the Holy Spirit, who revealed to Simeon, that he would be blessed to see the promised Savior.

***Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple to present Jesus before the Lord and to pay a sacrifice, like a fee, of an animal or a bird according to what they could afford, as was commanded for all Jewish parents to do. Psalm 116 says, “What can I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.” Mary and Joseph did with Jesus what all other Jewish parents were to do. Simeon responded with the baby Jesus in his arms, recognizing the baby was the promised Savior, He blessed God saying, “Lord, let your servant depart in peace according to your word. My eyes have seen the salvation that you have prepared for all people a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.” Anna, a prophetess in the temple began to give thanks to God also and speak of him to all she saw who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

***This seemingly small ceremony in the temple is huge in showing what will happen in God’s work of salvation today and on into the world’s future. It is a good and opportune time for us who are in need of the Savior to examine ourselves and repent of our sins.  Although Jesus came to and through the Jewish people, God’s arm of salvation reaches to all people, including to the Gentiles. We realize that we also are Gentiles who live in the world today. If we think about it, we seldom view the world of people in general, as one big happy race of people. We are not. If we break down the world into groups of people that we care about and desire to serve, we may find that our world becomes much smaller. As part of the world’s people, we are very divided by race, political agendas, poverty and wealth, gender, religion education, the list can go on. Can anyone of us say, “I truly love my neighbors as myself”? We cannot, we are flawed and have sinned.

*** “Good News”! Jesus has come into the world to save sinners. In fact His name means, He shall save His people from their sins. In our readings we see this little baby Jesus, who is being held in the joyful and devout arms of Simeon, who says that this little child will become the rising and falling of many in Israel. That is, those that believe in Him will be raised up, but those who do not believe will stumble and be opposed also by the Father in heaven.--  So then,  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. However, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

***Paul writes to His church in Rome, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned”, God has given each believer the power of faith enough to fulfill the tasks and ministry that he has been given us to do in the world. We pray that we hear Him say, “Take gladly the task I give you, ‘Go teach all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’” We pray for the faith and will to be part of that great task. We are reminded of who we are and no matter where we live or travel,----That this blessing holds true for all believers who are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” For this we are truly grateful as long as we live. This promise holds true eternally.

***My friends, we do live in a difficult world, and all the people we see each day, live in the same world. We see so many people who don’t believe in Jesus and are walking in darkness. The Lord Jesus tells us, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.—and those in the region of the shadow of death; on them the light has dawned. Jesus said to those who believe in Him, “You are the light of the world, the city set high on a hill that cannot be hidden!” –Then Jesus began to preach, “Repent” the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Forgive each other as God in Christ forgave you. Put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Love the Lord God, with all your heart soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts. These are words we can take with us where ever we go.  Amen.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.

 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

 20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."

 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Colossians 3: 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Tonight!

Rev. Oliver Washington

May Grace, mercy, love and peace from God our Father…be with each of us. Amen!