Have mercy on me, OLord, for I am in trouble; deliver me from the hand of my enemies. (Psalm 31:9a; 15b)
Here we go again! What’s going on here? More trouble for God’s beloved? How can this be?
Anyone who thinks that faith in Christ and membership in His church means a lack of trouble and enemies has another thing coming. Certainly not because God wants it that way for us, but because the devil, the world, and even our own sinful flesh want us back again. Or at least they want to keep us from spreading the good news of salvation to others.
The very fact that you have trouble, that you have enemies, tells you something very important. It tells you that what you see and experience in this world of sin is nothing to hang onto, nothing worthy of your loyalty, nothing that will last.
You are not alone. Even David, that man the Lord sought to be king of His people as a man after His own heart—especially David—has more than his share of troubles and enemies as we read in this Psalm. Among other things, David is hunted and tormented by his predecessor, King Saul. He is betrayed and hunted by his own son. He even sees a son die because of his own sin and treachery. Yet, from this David, this forgiven sinner and troubled saint of God, from his lineage the Savior is born.
No, you are not alone. You have trouble and enemies because Christ had trouble, and still has enemies. Thanks be to God, your trouble and enemies are Christ’s trouble and enemies. Christ’s trouble and enemies wounded His heel on the cursed cross of Calvary. But through His most dire trouble, Christ defeated His gravest enemies, and yours—sin, death, and the devil.
Lord grant that your every trouble and encounter with enemies in this world remind you of your life forever in the world to come—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
See round Your ark the hungry billows curling; See how Your foes their banners are unfurling And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling, O Lord, preserve us. (LSB 659: 2)
Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; (Jeremiah 9:6a)
Dear children of God, never is this more true than in your high school and college years.
While you can and should honor and obey your teachers and professors, and look at them as gifts of God to do you good, still you must be on your guard when it comes to what they are teaching you. Is it in harmony with what you have learned from God’s holy Word? Does it proceed from and point to God as, at least, the Maker of all things and the One who establishes all truth?
As you continue to discover and prepare for your God-given, yet earthly vocations, remember that the vast majority of higher education is based upon the rejection of all things supernatural. That is, unless something can be seen, tested, and measured it does not and cannot exist. Of course that would include the God who made all that they see, test and measure. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man...” (Romans 1:22-23)
Don’t be deceived. Though you dwell amongst lies and liars, and even fools, they are still there to do you good. God uses even such as these to prepare you for your life’s vocation so that you, as His baptized and forgiven child, may serve your neighbor with all worldly knowledge and skill.
And above all, continue to hear the Word and receive the Sacrament so that you will be armed with the wisdom and strength of God with which the Holy Spirit prepares you to sort out the truth from the deceit. So equipped and fortified, you can be certain God will work good through all these things and through you, who are called according to His purpose—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
In the very midst of life Snares of death surround us; Who shall help us in the strife Lest the foe confound us? Thou only, Lord, Thou only! We mourn that we have greatly erred, That our sins Thy wrath have stirred. Holy and righteous God! Holy and mighty God! Holy and all merciful Savior! Eternal God! Save us lest we perish In the bitter pangs of death. Have mercy, O Lord! (LSB 755: 1)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
So, you think you have enemies? You’re right. But they’re not who you think they are. As a saint, marked as one redeemed by Christ in Holy Baptism, you also have a target on your back. From the time you are baptized and brought to faith in Christ, the devil is prowling after you like a roaring lion seeking to devour that which has been taken from his ravenous jaws. You have been baptized into Christ’s death, and thus you have been joined to Him in the heavenly battle against the principalities and powers of darkness that won’t give you up without a hellish fight.
You think that former best friend who stole your boyfriend or girlfriend is your enemy? You think that teacher who always finds some reason to dock 10% off of your grade is out to get you? You think that cop who hangs out with his radar gun a block away from school every morning has it in for you? You think your parents make your life miserable?
Think again.
Sure it’s pretty low to betray a friend. And teachers, cops, yes even parents are sinners, too. At times they may abuse their power. But, they are still gifts of God to be honored and obeyed as authorities to do you good. And even that former friend who betrayed you needs forgiveness—just like you.
No, none of these is your real enemy despite how you may feel about how they treat you. Your real enemy is that wicked one who would use these daily trials and your feelings of anger toward the people in your life to tear you away from God and forget His forgiveness and your Baptism.
But remember, the very thing that makes you a special target to the evil one—Holy Baptism—is also the gift and seal of God that saves you—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us. This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged the deed is done; One little word can fell him. (LSB 656: 3)
. . . treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, . . . (1 Peter 3:7b)
Remember all that “let there be” stuff from yesterday—from the Word of God on Creation? Well part of all that was God’s “let there be” command that created a partner and helper for man.
But that partner and helper was not to be another beast of burden created to be subdued and dominated. No, the partner and helper called woman was, and is flesh of man’s flesh and bone of his bone. “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife.”
More than just the duty of a man to his wife, which is a duty of love and sacrifice for her sake and the sake of his children, this cleaving to his wife is the relationship of Christ to His church—to you and all believers in Him.
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, left His Father’s side in order to cleave to His dearly beloved bride, the Church, which was taken and formed from the water and blood that flowed from His side. Now risen and ascended back to the right hand of the Father, this Christ of God continues to cleave to His holy bride in the water of Holy Baptism and the blood of His new testament in the cup of Holy Communion. In these things he gives her strength in her own weakness and bestows upon all of her members the inheritance of eternal life.
Now remember Little T, that little one baptized into the kingdom of God on All Saints Day 2008 even as he was in the hospital on life support? Was there ever a weaker partner than this one—not even able to breath on his own? Little T never saw his first birthday. He died one year ago today. Yet, through the waters of Baptism our dear Lord made him an heir with you of the gracious gift of life—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. (LSB 588: 1)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. . . . God said, “Let there be . . .” (Genesis 1:1, 3a)
. . . And there was. Whatever God commanded, it was so. From heaven and earth, to day and night, to sun and moon, to grass and trees, to fish and fowl, to reptile and mammal, to man and woman—God spoke things into existence.
Where once there was nothing, now there is everything. And because God is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” that which was true in the beginning is now and ever shall be.
When God speaks, what He speaks is so. What He calls sin in the Ten Commandments is just as much sin today as it was in the day of Moses. And the forgiveness He proclaims through His church and pastors today is just as certain as the forgiveness spoken by Christ and His apostles 2,000 years ago. In this Christian Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters, where once there was nothing but a sinner empty of anything good and void of anything worthy, now there is a beloved child of God.
So it is with you. In Holy Baptism God said, “Let there be a saint,” and there was a saint. In Holy Absolution God says, “Let there be forgiveness of sins unto eternal life,” and it is so. In Holy Communion God says, “Let there be the body and blood of Christ given for you, “ and it is so.
God speaks, and you become a new creation and the kingdom of heaven is open to you—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness; At Thy speaking it was done…. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end! (LSB 578:1)
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” (John 4:48)
Fast-forward a couple of weeks. You sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve been smelling the turkey roasting since you got up. The table is full—stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie loaded with ice cream or whipped cream. Even that traditional family vegetable casserole thingie looks, smells, and tastes good on Thanksgiving Day.
Dad asks God’s blessings and gives thanks for the gifts of the past year and the wonderful food set before you. He begins carving that magnificent, golden bird. Mom stands at his side. After slaving since yesterday to put together this feast, she just loves serving the resplendent meal to her loved ones.
Your mouth is watering, your tummy growling, and finally it’s time to eat! And just as you begin to hold out your plate, she pulls out her Betty Crocker cookbook and starts showing everybody pictures of the food she has prepared and set before you.
Bizarre? Well, that’s pretty much Jesus’ point. Here He is, the very Son of God dwelling amongst the people—preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins to open the kingdom of heaven to them right now—and they keep asking for more, for different signs than the ones he gives them.
Dear children of God, you have signs and wonders set before you at the Thanksgiving table our Lord sets before you in His Church every Sunday and on other special days during the church in remembrance of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. You have the sign and seal of Holy Baptism marking you as one of His redeemed. You have Christ’s Holy Church and ministers through whom the Holy Spirit continually bestows upon you the forgiveness of sins to keep you with Christ Jesus in the kingdom of heaven.
You see these signs and wonders, and in faith you believe that you belong to God and reside with Him forever—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Water, blood, and Spirit crying, By their witness testifying To the One whose death defying Life has come, with life for all. (LSB 597:1)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
Who is a saint? You are, dear Baptized! In Baptism, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost takes you, the repentant sinner—poor in spirit as you are—and blesses you with the forgiveness of sins that rescues you from death and the devil and gives you eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
Last All Saints’ Day I was called out by the local police department, for which I am a volunteer chaplain. A 4-month-old boy was found lying on the floor blue, not breathing. The EMTs whisked to the scene to perform CPR and and life-flighted him to the hospital. Meanwhile I was speaking to the frightened and troubled mother and father. The first thing I asked is if they would like for me to get that baby whom they called “Little T” baptized.
In the past this young mother had heard the Word of God and had been baptized. Her parents, the grandparents of the baby, were practicing Catholics and so the question grabbed this mother’s heart. I said, “You know, this is the way of Christ instilling faith and rescuing even this little baby who can’t respond. This is God’s way of pouring His love upon Him, forgiving his sins, and bringing him into the kingdom of heaven. Would you like for me to baptize “Little T?”
Never a church-goer, Dad said, “Yeah. Can you do that?!” “You betcha!” I exclaimed as I ran out the door to race to the hospital.
In ICU, on All Saints’ Day 2008, God worked to save the life of one very poor in spirit. Through Baptism, He made “Little T” a saint--born again into the kingdom of heaven just like you—in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, we implore You to keep Your household the Church in continual godliness, that through Your protection she may be free from all adversities and devoutly given to serve You in good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for ALL SAINTS’ DAY)
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Often, people will say, “How can any church know the truth? We might all know SOME of the truth, but no one can know ALL of the truth. In fact, to say you know the whole truth is pretty arrogant.” As Lutherans, we confess that what we believe and teach IS the whole truth of Christ. How can we dare say that? Because of the words above. Jesus doesn't say, “You'll know SOME truth” but “THE Truth” and it will set us free.
What is the truth? It is Jesus. Jesus, who is true God and true man. Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus, who was baptized for sinners. Jesus, who preached and taught that salvation is in Him. Jesus, who healed the sick so that they would recognize Him as the Savior. Jesus, who was arrested, beaten, tried, flogged and nailed to the cross for the sins of the whole world. Jesus, who rose from the dead. Jesus, who ascended and will come again. This Jesus is THE truth.
But, He does not give us that truth just out of nowhere. It comes to us through the faithful preaching of Jesus and the giving of the gifts which He Himself commanded. Truth comes to us in Holy Baptism by water and the word, in Absolution, and in the Supper. There Christ comes to us, delivering His truth, the forgiveness of sins and setting us free.
Those who say that you can't know all the truth, deny Jesus' words. To say that we can't know all the truth or be truly certain about God or what He's done for us is calling God Himself a liar. Jesus came to save us. He didn't come to hide it or give it out a bit at a time, but to accomplish all of our salvation totally and completely and to give us that salvation with nothing else needed. In Christ, we have all that we need for this life and the life to come. In Christ, we have the Truth for all the world to see, the saving truth which rescues us from darkness and gives us freedom from sin and true and eternal life. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word, Curb those who by deceit or sword, Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son And bring to naught all He has done. (LSB 655:1)
"And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'
"They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' (Matthew 20:6-7)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The man hired people all throughout the day, but then when it came time to pay them, he paid them all the same. Imagine if the kid, who never shows up on time and always takes off from work, got a paycheck that was the same as you, who worked so hard and was always responsible and on time? You wouldn't like that would you? Notice that the man in the story that Jesus tells never says he will pay the men what is fair. He says he will pay them what is “right” or literally, what is “just.”
What if the Lord gave you what you deserve? What if He dished out to you what you have coming for not loving Him, not keeping His name holy and for despising His Word? What if the Lord punished you based on how you treat your parents or what lust is in your heart and how you’ve hurt others with your actions? What then? If God sent you to hell for such sins, that would be fair. It would be what you deserve.
But, the Lord doesn't give what is fair. He gives what is just. And His justice is to give you what is Jesus'. His just-ness is to send Jesus to take away your sins—to give you life, instead of death; forgiveness, instead of punishment; salvation, instead of condemnation. Not because you deserve it, but because that is what Jesus has worked to accomplish for you.
Instead of fire, the Lord gives you the water of Baptism. Instead of a guilty verdict, He gives you the pardon of absolution. Instead of the dust of the earth for the curse of sin, He gives you the body and blood of His Son. This is not what you deserve, but what is just—what Christ deserves and has won for you. It's all yours. No matter whether you've had it your whole life or have only recently been made a Christian by the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God He doesn't give out what's fair, but rather what is just and righteous and saving in Jesus Christ. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
By grace God's Son, our only Savior, Came down to earth to bear our sin. Was it because of your own merit That Jesus died your soul to win? No, it was grace, and grace alone, That brought Him from His heav'nly throne. (LSB 566:3)
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What are you afraid of? The dark? Hearing “no” from the person you ask out? Your parents getting divorced? Your boyfriend or girlfriend breaking up with you? That you failed a class? That someone you love will die? There are lots of things we fear. The Israelites feared lots of things, too: the enemies who hated them lived in the land, the departure of Moses who had led them for so many years, the uncertainty of settling in a new land. But the Lord tells them not to be afraid, because He will not leave nor forsake them.
When Jesus was on the cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me? Why have you left me? Why have you abandoned me?” The Father turned His back on the Son so that the Son could suffer the horror of the judgment of God against our sins. Why? So that His words to you will always be true. He forsakes Jesus so that you will never be forsaken.
It sure feels like God has left the building some days, doesn't it? When it's all falling apart and going to pieces and everything's going wrong, it feels like God has up and left.
But your Baptism says He hasn't. Your Baptism says He's marked you as His own child and will never leave you. Absolution says that there is no sin you have that will cause God to abandon you because they’ve all been laid on Jesus and are forgiven. The preaching of Jesus on the cross is His promise that He won't leave you because He Himself came into this world to die for you. Jesus' own body and blood in you are the certain promise that He can't leave you because He lives in you and you in Him.
When everything around you makes you afraid and worse—makes you think God has gone away—then look to the water, to the word and to Christ's body and blood. They stand as Christ's own unbreakable promises and certain guarantee that He will never leave you nor forsake you.. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
I walk with Jesus all the way, His guidance never fails me; Within His wounds I find a stay When Satan's pow'r assails me; And by His footsteps led, My path I safely tread. No evil leas my soul astray; I walk with Jesus all the way. (LSB 716:5)
