Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: March 2013

Monday, March 25, 2013

Holy Week Schedule 2013

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday Divine Service with the Lord's Supper, 28. March at 7:30 p.m.

Good Friday Service of the Seven Words from the Cross, 29. March at 7:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday Divine Service, 31. March at 11:00 a.m.

Holy Week is the culmination of the ministry to redeem all men and women. The Holy Gospels devote a majority of their pages to this one week-phase of Jesus' ministry. Our church highlights Thursday with the institution of the Lord's Supper and Friday with Jesus' vicarious sacrifice on the cross with special evening services for our worship and meditation.

We offer a hearty welcome to all who would like to celebrate the definitive events in Jesus' life with us. Please join us for our Word and Sacrament Divine Services this Holy Week.

-- Pastor Peter

John 17,1-8. Palmarum

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

John 17,1.[2-5]6-8 1913

Palmarum (6. Sonntag der Passionszeit) 029

Gabriel, Archangel

24. March 2013

1. Almighty and Everlasting God, who, in Your tender love towards mankind, has sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, so that all mankind should hear and believe this gospel unto salvation. Just as You sent the Archangel Gabriel to herald this gospel to Your people of old, so mercifully create faith in those who hear the preaching of the gospel of Christ crucified for their redemption. Amen.

2. When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: „Father, the hour has arrived; glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the Only True God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your Name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You. For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.“

3. On Palm Sunday, we read the historic pericope of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem upon a donkey. Four days later, on Maundy Thursday, Jesus uttered the words from our sermon text: „Father, the hour has arrived; glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You.“ This glorification began at His triumphant entry. The crowds proclaimed: „Hosanna! Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of Yahweh, yes the King of Israel!“ (12,13). Indeed, a large crowd proclaimed Jesus as the Christ and Messiah, yes, Yahweh’s Chosen One. This is the crowd that had witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus, dead already four days, from the grave. This miracle was perhaps the most spectacular and powerful miracle of Jesus, for it proved that He has the power give new life to those who were dead and that He has authority over death and the grave. What greater miracles could Jesus do?

4. The raising of Lazarus was the beginning of greater things yet to come. John notes that this is a reciprocal glorification. God the Father glorifies His Only Son, and God the Son glorifies His Heavenly Father. In the old testament, Yahweh revealed His glory to the people as a pillar of cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night. This glory dwelt in the Holiest Place of first the tabernacle and then the temple. In the new testament, this glory took on human flesh and dwelt among us (John 1,14). In the Church, this Divine presence and glory is represented by an eternal candle; ours hangs on the wall to the right of our altar.

5. God the Father and God the Son are united in will and purpose. The hour of the Triune God’s glory had arrived by Maundy Thursday. In a few hours Jesus would be arrested, condemned and executed. The hour of God’s glory is Jesus’ crucifixion. This hour of glory goes contrary to the world’s thinking. There are many religions and philosophies in the world. They all have values and teachings that aim at making men and women better human beings who are virtuous and moral. In fact, there are many similarities among the world’s religions in terms of charity, alms giving and commandments to govern one’s life. Religions have their schools of renowned teachers. Christianity shares in these religious similarities: we are charitable to our neighbors, liberally give alms and offering and have our commandments for living by God’s will. What makes Christianity unique among the world’s religions is that Jesus claims to be God who subsequently dies and rises up in new life for mankind’s salvation [1].

6. The world does not consider God dying to be an act of glory. In human sinfulness, mankind cannot comprehend why the Immortal and Eternal God would die on behalf of mortal and temporal men and women. The Apostle Paul rightly labels this opinion as foolishness by the world (1. Corinthians 1,23). Jews expected a mighty warrior king to save them from their political overlords. Greeks knew nothing of gods dying to redeem human beings, and a resurrection was contrary to their view that the pure soul is released from its imprisonment in a flawed body at death. Worse yet, a God who is condemned as a criminal, beaten to a pulp and crucified in great suffering is certainly not the worldly standard for saving mankind.

7. And yet, both God the Father and Jesus, His Son, uphold the crucifixion of Jesus as a glorious act on behalf of God. In all His bloody suffering and death on the cross, Jesus is glorifying His Heavenly Father, and in His sending Jesus to die for His fallen creation, God the Father is glorifying Jesus as our Savior. Jesus came from His Heavenly Father and was sent by His Heavenly Father to suffer and die upon the cross. The crucifixion was the end goal of Jesus’ ministry and mission. Palm Sunday heralds in the events of Holy Week that culminate in the death and resurrection of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

8. After Jesus’ triumphant entry, »the Pharisees said to one another: „Behold, the world has gone after him“« (17,19). O that the whole world would go after Jesus! The sad truth, however, is that the world marginalizes and ignores Jesus and His gospel of salvation by His death and resurrection. Many churches and Christians have exchanged the Biblical, historic Jesus with a fabricated Jesus they think the average 21. century person wants. Some churches have thousands packed into their pews each Sunday where they hear about a Jesus who affirms them in their prideful opinion of themselves. Other churches have empty pews because the Christians there have more important things to do on Sunday than hear about a dying and resurrected Jesus who forgives their many sins.

9. You are the faithful remnant who attend each week to hear the precious gospel of Jesus. You are not alone; there are countless churches in our surrounding communities who count a bare few individuals who hunger and thirst for the Jesus who died and rose for them.

10. Let us not, however, remain content to be the faithful few, for the gospel is for all people. Jesus intends for everyone to hear and believe upon Him for everlasting life. »How are they to believe in Jesus of whom they have never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching?« (Romans 10,14). Let me challenge each one of you here this morning to bring at least one person with you on Easter Sunday. Resolve to get at least one other person to hear the wonderful gospel of Jesus who has redeemed us as it is culminated on Easter Sunday as we celebrate His resurrection. Let me challenge you further: resolve to keep seeking, keep asking, keep bringing someone with you each Sunday when you come to worship. If you are persistent, perhaps one Sunday soon we will have our pews full to capacity once again where people can hear and receive Jesus who is their Savior unto everlasting salvation.

11. The crowds who followed Jesus swelled in number after He raised Lazarus from the grave. Let us trust in God the Holy Spirit to swell our numbers as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from death and the grave. Let this be our desire, our prayer and our good work for more and more people to be here to hear of the love and forgiveness in our Lord Jesus. Amen.

18. Let us pray. O Son of Man, who must be lifted up, draw all people under the shadow of Your cross, so that whoever believes in You will have eternal life in heaven. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

✠

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, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

¹ There are myths in some religions where a god dies. Tammuz, Osiris and Adonis are vegetation gods who annually die and resurrect in sync with the agricultural cycle. Baldr dies to begin the events leading to Ragnarök (the destruction of the gods) and is resurrected in the new world. Islam teaches that Judas Iscariot died in Jesus’ place, and since the two looked so alike no one realized the switch.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

John 11,47-53. Judica

✠ In the Name of Jesus ✠

John 11,47-53 1813

Judika (5. Sonntag der Passionszeit) 028 „Vindicate me“

Patrick, Apostle to Ireland, † mid to end 5^th cent.

Gertrude, Virgin, Abbess of Nivelles, Belgium. † 659

17. March 2013

1. We beseech You, Almighty God, govern and preserve us, Your holy people, for the trials and tribulations of this world are numerous and great. Grant us mercy, and protect us from the world and the devil. May we show mercy to our neighbors in their time of need. Make our days good and peaceful. Amen.

2. Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen Jesus raise up Lazarus, believed in Him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said: „What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.“ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them: „You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.“ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put Him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there He stayed with the disciples.

3. The ministry of Jesus, His preaching and His miracles all ruffled the feathers of the chief priests and the Pharisees. The chief priests served the temple and performed all the sacrifices mandated under the Mosaic testament. The Pharisees served the local synagogues and ensured the copying of the Holy Scriptures, other holy texts and the traditions of the elders. The Council was the Sanhedrin, a body of 71 chief priests, scribes, rabbis and elders with the high priest acting as the council’s chairman. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish supreme court and the final arbiter in any decision or lawsuit.

4. The chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin to discuss Jesus. What are they to do with Him? He preaching is forceful; His miracles plentiful and powerful; He has just raised Lazarus, a man dead in the tomb for four days, back to life. Many were now following Jesus. If this continued, the Jewish temple and nation was at stake.

5. The great fear was that Jews en mass would believe upon Jesus as the Christ. They feared such a mass conversion would bring in the Roman military, for they expected the Christ to be a worldly ruler and a Jewish king who would take the throne of his father David. Such an act would be one of sedition against Rome, who was the de facto and de jure ruler of Judea. They knew the emperor

would not tolerate a rival king in Judea. The only kings or rulers tolerated were those the emperor had personally appointed in the territory. The Romans were willing to give Judea a measure of self-rule, such as a king or tetrarch who ruled the region under the emperor authority and by his appointment.

6. The Sanhedrin did not want to lose this limited self-rule. They wanted to ensure that Judea remained partly under the leadership of a man from Jewish stock, and they did not want to have the temple destroyed by the Romans. Their fear was very real as the Romans did eventually destroy the temple and expel the Jews from Judea in 70 after a civil war had erupted to oust the Romans.

7. Caiaphas the high priest presents their course of action: »It is better that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish«. Simple logic, really, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or as Caiaphas says: the needs of the nation outweigh the needs of one man. The Sanhedrin was quite willing to offer up one man as a sacrifice to placate the Romans and save their own Jewish culture and temple, especially a man whom they accused of being a Samaritan, demon-possessed and a blasphemer (John 8,48.58-59).

8. Their cold, hard logic was also in tune with their sacrificial laws: a single goat was sacrificed once a year on the Day of Atonement for the sins of the entire nation. John notes that Caiaphas did not offer this solution from some sacrificial notion regarding sin and forgiveness, but that as the high priest of the temple the Holy Spirit used him to prophesy that Jesus would indeed be the Heavenly Father’s vicarious sacrifice for Judah and the entire world. Jesus would make Himself the world’s vicarious sacrifice in spite of, and on account of, the Sanhedrin’s venomous opposition to Him.

9. The Sanhedrin sacrificed Jesus in order to rid themselves of a gadfly who challenged their interpretation of the Mosaic law and the traditions of the elders. Jesus made Himself the sacrifice in order to redeem you, me and all the world from sin, death and the grave.

10. Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Very Son of God and the Christ, saying: »I tell you the absolute truth: if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death. My Father glorifies Me, and Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad. I tell you the absolute truth: before Abraham was, I am« (John 8,51.54.56.58). The scribes and Pharisees wanted to execute Jesus for these bold statements, but we, His disciples, exonerate Him. Yes, Jesus, You are the Christ and the Son of God; You have the words of eternal life, indeed, You are Life personified, for You can even raise the dead back to life! This true confession is the cornerstone of our faith.

11. Christ crucified is the Cornerstone of our faith: the Prophets of old prophesied it, and the Apostles of new testified to it. True disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ walk with Him to the cross, walk under the shadow of the cross and, if necessary, die along side of Jesus upon our own cross that the world may force upon us. The path of our faith is not easy: it calls for sacrifice, for suffering, yes, even death. Our faith is one of Lent and Passiontide, but it is a faith along side of and, in the arms of, our crucified and risen Savior.

12. Many comforting hymn rings in our ears as we travel with Jesus, and one in particular consoles us with these words:

Our hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

We dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name (LSB 575,1).

The Church is built on the Name of Jesus, on the very cross upon which He died and the empty tomb which He left in victory. The cross is the strong frame of our redemption and the empty grave is the miracle of our salvation. Jesus did this for you. We are built upon Him and derive our providence from Him. Today we receive His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sin. We receive, profess Him to be the Christ, believe in Him unto salvation and leave this church in the peace and comfort that only Jesus, the Great I am, can give. Amen.

14. Let us pray. O Jesus, the Son of Man, You came into this world to serve and to give Your life as a ransom for all people so that we may live in hope and certainty of everlasting life in heavenly communion with You and Your Church. Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

✠

Friday, March 15, 2013

John 6,47-51. Latare

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

John 6,47-51 1713

Lätare (4. Sonntag der Passionszeit) 027 „Rejoice“

Caius and Alexander, Martyrs at Apamea in Phrygia, Turkey 279

10. March 2013

1. Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (The Book of Common Prayer). Amen.

2. Jesus said to the Jews: „I tell you the absolute truth: Whoever believes has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the Living Bread who came down from heaven; if anyone shall eat of this Bread, that person will live forever, and the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.“

3. In His Beatitudes, Jesus taught His disciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer, including this petition: »Give us this day our daily bread« (Matthew 6,11). Food is necessary for physical life. Yahweh gives us food each day. Yahweh provided manna, bread from heaven, to Israel every day of their 40 year wilderness journey. The Jews didn’t know at first what this bread was, so they called it „manna“, which is Hebrew for „what is it?“

4. The old testament bread from heaven was manna, and it gave physical life. The new testament Bread from heaven is Jesus. Just as their ancestors asked in the Sinai: what is it?, so the Jews asked Jesus: who are you? Jesus boldly answered them: »I am the Bread of Life.« The old testament manna was a type of the new testament Bread, which is Jesus in the flesh.

5. This bold answer shocked the Jews. Now when John uses the term „the Jews“ in his Gospel he is referring particularly to the scribes and Pharisees. These stalwart keepers of the law and the traditions of the elders argued amongst themselves: »How can this man give us his flesh to eat?« (6,52) This argument is not like we would perceive it in the 21. century. Rather, their argument was an intense debate on what Jesus had said; they were comparing His words to the law and the traditions.

6. Jesus then took His teaching to the next, higher level, saying: »So Jesus said to them: „I tell you the absolute truth, unless you shall eat the flesh of the Son of Man and shall drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I abide in him. Just as the Living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on Me will also live because of Me. This is the Bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; whoever eats this Bread will live forever.“« (6,53-58).

7. Jesus said these things in the synagogue while teaching in Capernaum (6,59). Now Jesus has included the beloved patriarchs of Israel! Their Jewish ancestors had eaten the manna in the wilderness, but they grew old, sick and eventually died. Whoever eats this new Bread, which is Jesus, will live forever! Jesus has thrown down the gauntlet in the house of worship: I, Jesus, am the Bread of life and I give you eternal life. There is only one way to interpret Jesus’ words here: He is claiming to be Yahweh Himself, yes the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who feed Israel in the wilderness those forty years and who will now give all people eternal life.

8. There are only two ways to respond to this declaration: You either believe Jesus is a blasphemer or that He is the True God. If He is a blasphemer, then He must be shunned and exposed as a deceitful man who dares make Himself equal to God the Father. He would, quite simply, be the devil. If Jesus is the True God, then He must be received and worshipped as Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

9. Most of the scribes and Pharisees in Capernaum, took the first view: Jesus is a blasphemer, and He must be exposed and killed for such blasphemy.

10. Many of Jesus’ disciples found this declaration difficult to digest (6,60). Their understanding of Jesus was tested, and their faith challenged (6,61). As a result, many of His disciples sided with the view of the scribes and Pharisees; they could not accept His words, they could not believe He is God, therefore, they simply walked away. Jesus was not simply a rabbi, He was not simply a prophet and moral teacher, He had delusions of Godhood, and such a claim many of His own disciples could not accept (6,66).

11. At least the Twelve remained, difficult as it must have been (6,67). These apostles had left everything to follow Jesus, be taught by Him and blessed by Him. Even the apostles debated amongst themselves. What shall we do? Jesus is claiming to be our God: do we walk away and pick up our old lives again, or do we go all in, worship Him as Yahweh and follow Him to the very end? Peter, as he is want to do, speaks for all the apostles: »Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.« (6,68-69).

12. What beautiful words! What a bold confession! It brings tears to our eyes and tugs at our hearts. This confession, however, marked the apostles as blasphemers and idolaters in the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees. They were serious about this charge, for after this discussion in Capernaum, the scribes and Pharisees were seeking to kill Jesus (7,1). This is the punishment meted out in the Mosaic law for blasphemy. They would also seek to round up and kill Jesus’ apostles too and rid Judea of this blasphemer and his followers once and for all.

13. Jesus would grant the scribes and Pharisees their desire. Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Apostles, procured a band of solders and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they went with lanterns, torches and weapons to arrest Jesus (18,3). They led Him to Annas and Caiaphas the high priests, and they judged Jesus guilty of blasphemy and sentenced Him to death. They then led Jesus to Pilate the Roman governor, for only he could authorize capital punishment and order a criminal crucified. Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, seeing that it was out of jealousy that the priests and Pharisees had condemned Jesus, but Pilate nevertheless acquiesced and ordered Jesus crucified as a common criminal.

14. In all this Jesus was exercising His Divine authority. The Jews and the Romans did nothing to Jesus that He did not allow by His own will. In being arrested, condemned and crucified Jesus became the True Bread of everlasting life. The crucified Jesus gave to the world His true flesh and blood to eat and drink unto eternal life. Those who receive Jesus through faith believe that He is their savior from sin and death. Those who believe in Jesus as their savior eat and drink His flesh and blood in a spiritual way, and it is a meal that gives eternal salvation.

15. Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in the Lord’s Prayer: »Give us each day our daily bread« (Luke 11,3). In this petition we do not only ask our Heavenly Father to give us food to nourish our bodies, but we also ask Him to give us food to nourish our souls, and this soul-food is Jesus.

16. The Apostle Paul says of this Living Bread from heaven: »Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread« (1. Corinthians 10,17). The holy apostle is speaking about the Holy Communion of the Lord’s Supper. The Church, he says, receives and eats the one bread that is offered to all at the communion table. Jesus’ discourse in John 6, while not specifically saying that it is the Lord’s Supper, certainly causes the Christian hearer to think about the eating and drinking of the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus and His apostles are clear that the bread and wine in the Holy Sacrament are indeed also His true body and blood given to and received by the communicant. The Lord’s Supper gives us Jesus, the Living Bread from heaven, and when we are given Jesus we are given eternal life.

17. Luke the Evangelist describes the worship life of the Christians, writing: »And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.« (Acts 2,42). Luke is describing the worship life of the Church. We gather to hear the words of the apostles in the Epistle and Gospel Readings, we devote ourselves to the Christian fellowship of our brothers and sisters in the faith by worshiping together each Sunday, we break bread together in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and we offer up prayers and petitions to our Heavenly Father. There is a great continuity from the apostolic Church and the 21. century Church. We worship the same Jesus, we receive and partake of the same Bread of life and we are absolved of all our sin in the Name of Jesus. I tell you the absolute truth: Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life, for Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus gives Himself to you this day, receive Him and believe upon Him and you will life forever and ever in His Divine presence. Amen.

18. Let us pray. O Jesus Christ, the Grain of wheat who fell into the earth and died, send us God the Holy Spirit so that we always believe upon You as our Savior and be the fruit born from Your death and resurrection. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

✠

Voelz, James. „The discourse on the Bread of Life in John 6: Is it Eucharistic?“ Concordia Journal 1989, 29-37.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Jeremiah 20,7-11. Oculi

✠ In the Name of Jesus ✠

Jeremiah 20,7-11a[11b-13] 1613

Okuli (3. Sonntag der Passionszeit) 026 („My eyes“)

Kunigunde, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, † 1040

03. March 2013

1. We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (The Book of Common Prayer) Amen.

2. O Yahweh, You have deceived me, and I was deceived; You are stronger than I, and You have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout: „Violence and destruction!“ For the word of Yahweh has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say: „I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His Name,“ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! „Denounce him! Let us denounce him!“ say all my close friends, watching for my fall. „Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.“ But Yahweh is with me as a Dread Warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Yahweh of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You have I committed my cause. Sing to Yahweh; praise Yahweh! For He has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

3. The Prophet Jeremiah sounds like the Psalmist David in today’s sermon text. King David penned a number of psalms

in which he lamented his enemies encircling him and his subsequent trust in Yahweh to deliver him

. His most famous is Psalm 22: »My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?« These were fitting words for Jeremiah, for he was persecuted by his own people.

4. In 627, about a year after King Josiah of Judah had turned the nation toward repentance from the widespread idolatrous practices of his father and grandfather, Jeremiah and the other prophets encouraged Josiah to stand fast to his religious reforms. Once Josiah died, however, the people quickly returned to the comfortable idols Josiah’s ancestors had introduced in the land. Jeremiah then preached a scathing message of the law, telling Judah that unless they repented of their idolatry, the greed of the priests and false comfort of the false prophets, then the Babylonians would conquer Jerusalem and carry the people into exile.

5. This politically incorrect message did not sit well with the king of Judah or the people. They persecuted Jeremiah and imprisoned him. The Church finds herself in the same situation of Jeremiah. We live in a nation and a culture that prides itself with immorality. Our political leaders cozy up to the interest groups that advocate killing the innocent unborn, gay marriage rights and robbing people of their hard-earned profits and possessions. All this is the result of idolatry. O the average American citizen does not see it as idolatry. Our elite educators calls it multiculturalism or pluralism, but it is it is simply idolatry. Any religion that is not centered upon Christ Jesus the Cornerstone is an idolatrous religion. Sadly, much of American religious or spiritual life is idolatrous. This is an unpopular message, but it is the message that the Christ’s Church and pastors proclaim.

6. Idolatrous people reject Christ and His Word. They reject the law, do not see themselves as sinners and refuse to repent; they also reject the gospel and its free gift of grace and forgiveness. We live in this idolatrous culture and are influenced by it. We ourselves are idolatrous, refuse to listen to the God’s law and do not believe His gospel. When we rise above our sinful nature, by the grace of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, we put ourselves in the crosshairs of our idolatrous culture and face their ridicule and wrath. They accuse us of being unloving, disrespectful, bigoted or racist.

7. Jesus faced these same accusations as well, and this from His own religious leaders. He began His preaching ministry in His hometown of Nazareth. When He told his neighbors that the He was the fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah and was inaugurating the year of Yahweh’s grace, His rabbi and the town became angry and drove Him away (Luke 4,28-29). Jesus forgave people of their sins, and He was condemned as a blasphemer (Luke 5,20-21). He healed the sick, and was accused as an idolater (Luke 6,9-1). He did not follow all the traditions of the elders and healed on the Sabbath, and was labeled a law-breaker (Luke 6,1-2).

8. The scribes and the Pharisees, the priests and the Sadducees, whispered to each other behind Jesus’ back. They conspired against Him and denounced Him. By the time Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the chief priests, the scribes and the Sanhedrin were seeking to destroy Him (Luke 19,47). Jesus endured this ridicule, hatred and persecution on account of us and our sins.

9. The Jewish religious leaders found Jesus guilty of blasphemy and handed Him over to Pilate for execution. They overcame Him and took their revenge on Him as He suffered, died and was buried like a common criminal and sinner, but God the Father was with Him as a Dread Warrior. Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and overcame His detractors who sought revenge upon Him.

10. Jesus is present with us as our Dread Warrior. He is our Righteous One who justifies us and make us righteous. The Psalmist assures us today in our Introit: »Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers us out of them all. Yahweh redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.« (34,19.22).

11. Not only is Jesus our Dread Warrior who gives us the victory over all our foes, He is also our Suffering Servant who has endured trials and tribulations for us on our behalf. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus says: »I have no place to lay down My head« (Luke 9,58). Jesus’ public ministry was one of an itinerant preacher: He travelled from town to town in Galilee preaching the gospel of the reign of God. His preaching was so important that Jesus set aside mother, brothers and sisters (Luke 9,60), yes, His own earthly family, so as to devote Himself totally to His public ministry and preaching (Luke 9,62).

12. In the Holy Gospels, Jesus goes to great lengths to show us that not only is He a Mighty Warrior who fights for His people, but He is also one who dwells in their midst as their Humble Servant. It is easy to view God as an Avenging Judge who condemns sin, puts our foes to flight, and does all this with fire in His eyes and stern zeal etched upon His face. We all want evil to be defeated and the wicked to be punished. It is far more difficult for some people to see Jesus as the Son of God who dwells among us. Jesus associated with the average person: fishermen, craftsmen and women. He was also comfortable rubbing elbows with the noble and elite: scribes, Pharisees and priests. He welcomed to His table: sinners and the righteous, including Jews, Samaritans, Romans and Greeks. He spoke to people in their most vulnerable moment: when they were caught in sin, sick or suffering and mourning their dead loved ones. He also talked to people at their most joyous occasions: a wedding feast, proudly exercising their vocation and enjoying a simple meal in someone’s home. Jesus shows us His full Divinity and His full humanity. He is both God and man in one person. He is able to break the power of sin and be among sinners, and He is comfortable in both roles.

13. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be like Christ: »Dear Christians, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God« (Ephesians 5,1-2). Our justified life leads to a sanctified life of holy living in service to the neighbor. Our Lord Jesus Christ died and rose to make us righteous; He has now sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in leading holy lives. Our life in Christ is a life of love, charity and service. He makes us humble as He is humble. He gives us diverse opportunities to practice hospitality and love to others. As the apostle reminds us: there is to be no air of superiority among us, no attitude of worldly princes lording it over others, and no degrading of a fellow brother or sister in the faith for whom Christ is Lord, Savior, Brother and Friend. We are the light of the Lord and children of His holy, purifying light. Therefore, we walk as Christ walks, a light in the darkness, a friend to those in need, a savior to those in distress, a brother or sister to those in need of the love of God and He proclamation of His forgiveness. Amen.

14. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who Your hand to the plow and never looked back thereby making us fit for the reign of God, give us a measure of Your devotion and dedication so that we follow in Your footsteps and trod upon Your holy path for the sake of our neighbor. Amen.