In the Name of Jesus
Luke 15,1-10
3. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 048
The Seven Sons of St. Felicitas, Martyrs at Rome 150
10. Juli 2011
1. O Lord Jesus Christ, it is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that You came into the world to save sinners. You desire that no one, yes, no one, be lost. There is not a single soul in the whole wide world whom You did not love and carry upon Your heart. From all eternity You had thoughts of grace toward every human being. By Your life and suffering, by Your bleeding and dying on the cross You reconciled every person to Your Father, redeemed them from all sins and won for them grace, righteousness, life, and salvation. Therefore You have also given the command to go out into all the world and preach the gospel, the glad tidings of Your grace and reconciliation, to every creature. O, how You looked forward with joy to the time when You would behold great multitudes of sinners coming unto You from the east and from the west. Alas, Your Church has sunk into the sleep of security and carelessness. All too soon has she forgotten her high calling to be a light to them who sit in darkness. O Lord, awaken Your sleeping Church! Fill her again with ardent love for those who are still without God and without hope in this world. Grant unto Your Church that through her the Word may be brought into all foreign lands by great multitudes of evangelists. Yes, arise, O Lord, even in this last hour of the world to rescue those who still may be rescued, and count also us worthy of taking part in this most blessed work. And when the number of Your elect is finally full, then arrive quickly, Lord Jesus. Break down the perishable scaffold of this world. Make an end of all misery of this earth and bring us home to Your eternal mansions. Amen.
2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to Luke where the holy evangelist writes: Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were approaching Jesus to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying: „This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.“ So He told them this parable, saying: „What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And having found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing and when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Therefore I tell you that in the same way, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search thoroughly until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.“ This is our text.
3. „From last Sunday’s Gospel, we know that the Merciful God induces and compels Gentiles, as well as Jews, to His reign. Today’s Gospel shows us the Son of God Himself in the midst of publicans and sinners as He accomplishes the saving work of the invitation. From this, we recognize the great seriousness of the Divine invitation. For if the Lord was not satisfied to send His servants to the lost and to say to them: “Come, everything is ready!” if He walks among the lost and with friendly earnestness of it but aspires His flock to be accompanied by the world and sinners, then there is no doubt as to what His gracious will is, for His actions speak clearly to the fact that He allows no one to be lost, but brings everyone to know the truth and wants to save them“[1] (Löhe 370 § 1).
4. While Adam is credited with the original sinfulness that he has passed on to all human beings, each and every human being, you, me, and the entire world, are judged guilty before Yahweh who is a Holy and Righteous God, when you sin, you are responsible for your sinning. You cannot blame others, no matter how much they provoke you, for the sins you commit. God’s law points the finger at you, and accuses you of wandering away from God, falling into sin, and finding yourself in the lost condition of your sinful human nature.
5. You were once lost. God’s Word and law reveals this sobering truth. Like sheep, sinful humans can do nothing to extradite themselves from their lost condition. The only thing you can do is cry out, hoping someone, preferably the Lord Jesus rather than some devil or wicked person, will hear your cry and come to your assistance. Lost sheep who are not found and rescued will eventually weaken and die. Likewise sinful human beings. Those who are spiritually weak will eventually weaken physically and die eternally separated from God.
6. „The shepherd is specifically held responsible for the lost sheep. After all, he is the shepherd and he has lost the sheep. The implication is should not he go after it?“ (Bailey 1241). God, therefore, acts as our shepherd. He diligently searches daily for those many sheep who wander away and find themselves lost and separated from His churchly flock.
7. „It is the nature of sheep to wander off and/or lag behind“ (Bailey 1077). „A lost sheep is terrified. It sits down, usually in as sheltered a place as is immediately available and starts shaking and bleating. When found it is in such a state of nervous collapse that it cannot stand or be made to stand. It cannot walk or be led, nor will it respond to the shepherd’s well-known call. If it is to be restored to the fold the shepherd must carry it on his two shoulders. The animal can weigh up to 70 pounds. As noted, the [Palestinian] country is rugged. It is a mark of the strength, courage, and character of the shepherd that he rejoices when he finds it“ (Bailey 1184-92).
8. Here we see the two reasons Jesus our Good Shepherd looks for His lost sinners. First, He does so out of great love for His fallen creation and you the pinnacle of His creation. Jesus created mankind to be in perpetual fellowship with Him, and He lovingly finds those who have separated themselves from that Divine fellowship. Second, He does so out of serious responsibility for His creation. Although it is the fault of sinners that they have wandered off, it is Jesus’ responsibility as our Shepherd and God to make sure you do not wander off, and when you do, to seek you out, find you, and bring you back into His glorious presence.
9. This seeking and rescuing is no small feat. Palestinian shepherds often face hardships and obstacles in finding their sheep. The rugged terrain, the weather, cliffs and pitfalls, and even predators like wolves or wild dogs all pose a threat and a deterrent to the intrepid shepherd. It was no different for Jesus our Good Shepherd. Jesus was incarnated by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary and was made man. His Divine nature took upon Himself the human nature, complete with our frailties, such as aches, pains, tiredness, hunger, and grief. If you kick Jesus in the shin, He will bruise; if you cut Him, He will bleed; and if you crucify Him, He will die.
10. For three years Jesus traveled north and south, east and west, in the land of Judea searching for His lost. He was beset upon by many adversaries that meant to prevent Him: sicknesses and infirmities which He healed; His own religious authorities whom He silenced; demons whom He cast out; the dead flesh which He resurrected. Jesus tirelessly searched for His lost; how many a sleepless night or an exhausting day did our Lord experience while He was about His ministry. He went first to the lost in Israel, but He also sought out other sheep not of His fold, the Gentiles, and made them part of His flock.
11. In Gethsemane, Jesus was burdened with heavy grief. He sweated drops of blood. He stood before Pilate as His own people and religious leaders rejected Him and called for His death. He felt the scourge of the whip on His back and chest, the crown of thorns roughly pressed into His scalp, and the sharp nails in His hands and feet. With His crucifixion, Jesus suffered the agony of the cross because that was the means necessary to bring you safely home. You were His responsibility, and Jesus lovingly paid the price to redeem you back. Jesus bore the cross on His shoulders and carried you home to safety and salvation.
12. Today, you walked into this church a lost sinner, but straightaway you confessed your lost-ness and repented of your sins. Jesus teaches us in today’s parables that »there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents«. Today the holy angels rejoice, for you, if you’ve been sincere in your hearts, have repented. Let us all rejoice together as sinners who have been found by Jesus and trust in Him for our absolution. Amen.
13. Let us pray. O Merciful, Gracious Lord, You are slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness, instill in us the great joy of our salvation so that we do not dwell on all the times we have become lost, but rather rejoice in all the times You have sought us out, found us, and returned us unto Your holy Church. Amen.
One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!
All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Luke © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson.
Bailey, Kenneth E. Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15, Kindle edition. Copyright © 1992 by Concordia Publishing House. Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on Luke 15,1-10 for The 3. Sunday after Trinity. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.
[1] Aus dem Evangelium des leßtvergangenen Sonntags wißen wir, daß der gnadenreich Gott so Heiden, wie Juden zu Seinem Reiche hier, zu Seinem Reiche dort beruft, herbeiführt, nötigt. Das heutige Evangelium zeigt uns den Sohn Gottes selbst mitten unter Zöllnern und Sündern, wie er das seligmachende Werk der Berufung vollbringt. Daraus erkennen wir den großen Ernst der göttlichen Berufung. Denn wenn der Herr Sich nicht begnügt, Seine Knechte auszusenden und durch sie den Verlorenen sagen zu laßen: „Kommet, es ist alles bereit!“, wenn Er Selbst unter den Verlorenen wandelt und mit freundlichem Ernste sie von der Welt und Sünde zu sondern und Seiner Heerde beizufügen trachtet; so kann kein Zweifel an Seinem gnädigen Willen sein, zu deutlich spricht Sein Tun dafür, daß Er niemand verloren gehen laßen, sondern einen jeden zur Erkenntnis der Wahrheit bringen und selig machen will.
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