Sermon for December 25th (Christmas Day)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word as with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” A big part of Christmas is seeing. Seeing promises fulfilled. God promised his people a Messiah, a king above all other kings and he even told them where to look: in Bethelehem. And, in Jesus Christ, he made good on all his promises. And, most amazingly, his people could SEE these promises fulfilled. The baby Jesus was in plain sight for all to see, whether they be shepherds, wise men or anyone else. And he wasn’t simply an idea, he was a living, breathing person. The book of Hebrews says that he was, “the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.” The Jews didn’t just have to just believe God’s promises anymore, now they could see their salvation for themselves.

But Christmas, for us, is different now, isn’t it. We want to see Jesus too. Don’t you? My little girl often asks me, when will I get to see Jesus? And I have to tell her, “Not yet.” We celebrate Christmas, the fulfillment of God’s promises, but we don’t get to experience a very important part of that fulfillment. John says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.” But WE, you and I gathered here this Christmas day, have not seen aything. True? It’s Christmas Day and we here still have not seen Jesus, in the flesh, in all his glory.

In seminary, there is a little line that is often used, ad naseum I think, to express a lot about what we go through in life as Christians. Professors often talk about God’s promises being fulfilled now/but not yet. Now, but not yet. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ thousands of years ago in Bethlehem now, today. Merry Christmas! As John explains in his first letter, “We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.” Jesus’ followers believed in Jesus because they saw him, touched him, smelled him, heard him and knew him as a person, but we are left to trust them as witnesses to their and our salvation.

Seeing is believing, as the old saying goes, but the apostle Paul also explains in Romans that “faith comes through hearing”. One day we will not be saved by faith alone, but we will celebrate Christmas in a whole new way by seeing Jesus Christ in the flesh, face to face, with our very own eyes. We celebrate Christmas NOW in hope, but we have NOT YET seen our salvation face to face. Christmas has been fulfilled now, but not yet for us.

It’s frustrating, I know, to wait through the four weeks of Advent only to hear, on Christmas Day, that the waiting is not yet over, but this is the story of our lives as Christians. Jesus commanded that everyone who has two cloaks should share one with someone who has none and that everyone who has more bread than they need should share some with someone who has none; however, Jesus also said that the poor would always be with us. These past few weeks, everyone around the world does their best to serve the needs of the poor, the hurting and the needy and we all do make a difference, but when Christmas is over, the poor are still there, people still hurt and the needy are as prevalent as ever. God promises that one day, there will be an end to suffering completely and we will see it with our own eyes but we experience the fulfillment of God’s work now, but not yet.

Jesus was born, in the flesh, because God wanted his people to SEE their salvation, but Jesus also says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” There is a special blessing at Christmas for those of us who have not yet seen Jesus in the flesh and still believe in his promises. Sometimes, seeing makes believing harder, especially when you see your Messiah crucified, dead and buried. Even after you’ve stuck your finger in his side, could you really believe in the way you did before? We are blessed to have not seen and yet, believe.

The first Christmas Day was about seeing salvation in the flesh for those who were living at Jesus’ time, but for us today, it is about more than seeing. Christmas Day is a celebration of a God who loved the world so much that he wasn’t just born to show them salvation, but it is a celebration of a God who died and was resurrected to actually give them faith. Seeing your salvation, doesn’t actually mean you have faith in it, does it? As John put it, “Jesus was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” Seeing DOESN’T always mean believing, does it. Christmas Day for us means to believe that, yes, God was born, he was seen, but, more importantly, God was born for you. To save you. To rescue you from sin. To give you faith. To make sure that NOW wouldn’t be the only time for you, but that you would live with God in heaven forever. So Merry Christmas Now! But, also, Merry Christmas not yet. Amen.

Sermon for December 24th (Christmas Eve)

“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.’”

Sometimes the most glorious events of our lives are quite scary at first. Birth, engagements, marriage. Starting a new job, going to college, retiring. Glorious and scary at the same time. The best books and movies love to set us up for these types of events, by preparing us for the big finale, the big event, heightening our expectation with every passing moment, only to throw in a curveball at the very last minute and delay our happiness until the very end. And that curveball often happens because of fear.

Over Christmas vacation, you may have a chance to watch a few extra movies like this in your free time. One of my favorites is the movie, “Runaway Bride”. In the movie, Julia Roberts plays a woman who has been engaged three times and has bolted from each of her husbands-to-be at the very last moment calling off each wedding. She wants to be married, she sees the joy and glory that are supposed to be hers, but when it comes right down to it, she is just too scared. Marriage freaks her out and so she runs. Not be outdone, in the movie, “Bed of Roses”, Lewis and Lisa fall in love and, on Christmas Day, in front of his family, Lewis asks Lisa to marry him. But, suddenly, she gets very upset and runs out the door. What happened? We had been expecting a romantic ending! What went wrong? Well, nothing, except that sometimes when things seem so perfect, so wonderful, so glorious, we can’t imagine being worthy or being ready for any of it, and our fear destroys our hopes for happiness

That’s what happened to these poor shepherds at first, who after a lifetime full of ordinariness, and a lifetime full of expectations of a coming Messiah, they find their lives transformed into something miraculous. The glory of the Lord shone around them, but instead of staring in amazement and awe, instead of praising God or smiling, they were terrified. The Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, “The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” But, at least for these shepherds, walking in deep darkness was a way of life and bringing light and hope into the equation didn’t necessarily mean that they were going to start jumping for joy. The darkness can be comforting and the light can be terrifying.

For Christians, Christmas is a time of great joy, remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a time to remember all that he has done for us and thank him for all that he is for us. But recognizing the terror that the shepherds felt is important too, so that we realize that Jesus doesn’t always create feelings of joy for people. Some of you may have family members who were baptized, taught in Sunday School, confirmed, married and then never stepped foot back inside a church again. Some of you may know a friend who either rolls their eyes or scowls whenever you mention your faith. Some of you may know someone who isn’t simply bored with the idea of Christianity, but downright hostile to Christians. Perhaps it is difficult for you to reconcile you faith with the unfaith of so many others especially at Christmastime.

When I used to work in customer service at the University of Nebraska, I spoke to people on the phone about their Financial Aid packages. Some would be kind, some would be really mad, but most were just confused and frustrated. My supervisor once told me to “Speak to their fear”. Most people are loving and kind, but when they don’t have enough money for college, or think they don’t, and they feel that their child’s education is at stake, they’ll get quite upset and who better to get angry with than the Customer Service guy. Even if a student knows that THEY did something wrong, they might get angry just because they are upset with themselves and are trying to do whatever they can to make sure they don’t get in even more trouble. The promise of financial aid is a promise that should fill parents and their children with hope, right? But, instead, it seems quite scary to a lot of people.

Jesus’ birth is an event full of hope. Why doesn’t everyone want to be a part of it? A pastor told me once about talking with a man who said he believed in God and Jesus Christ, but that he didn’t want to become a Christian because then he would have to change his life. The glory of the Lord isn’t so glorious when you see God’s judgment even when you know God’s love. The shepherds were not the first people to tremble at the sight of God’s glory and they certainly have not been the last.

But the angels have given us the text to use to speak to the fears people carry in their hearts, the sadness and even the hostility they carry with them day after day toward Jesus Christ. “Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news—GOOD news—of great joy for all people.” There is more to being a Christian than judgment, there is forgiveness. There is more to being a Christian than a changed life, there is a new community. There is more to being a Christian death, there is the hope of resurrection. The shepherds stop their trembling and begin rejoicing! It’s good news they will hear today!

Faith can seem to be a very terrifying thing. It can seem like you must believe in all kinds of philosophical impossiblities. It can feel threatening to hear that you are a sinner in relation to God. There is so much history and so many traditions to understand that it’s easy to see why many people just choose to ignore it all. But at Christmas, there is an opportunity. At Christmas, you can point to how God started it all. He’s doesn’t start at the top, somewhere up in heaven, but starts the story of your salvation with a child sleeping peacefully in a lowly manger.

Christmas is a perfect time to hear God’s promises of love and peace for all people. At Christmas, you can see that God is full of glory, but also full of humility and tenderness. Tonight, you can point those you love to the baby Jesus—there is no need to be afraid of this God who has come down to share humanity, with all its fears and frailties. Tonight, you may cast your fears upon God who cares for you. So that you might hear the good news: tonight a child was born for you, your Savior, the Messiah, the Lord of heaven and earth. This child is Jesus Christ and in him is your salvation. It’s good news—do not be afraid. Amen.

Sermon for December 20th

At this time of the year, at this time in my life, with the baby Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist still in their mothers’ wombs in our Sunday texts, and a baby on the way for me and my family, I find my mind wandering at times to consider what it means to have a Savior who once drank amniotic fluid and had the hiccups. What does that mean? Throughout most of the year, Jesus Christ is portrayed as a religious stud, the most magnificently mature of all, who calls people to repentance, forgives their sins and heals their diseases with a Word. He is the only one who has the wherewithal to speak out against people’s personal sins as well as against injustice and oppression whenever he comes in contact with it. But in our text today from the first chapter of Luke, Jesus just recently grew a backbone, literally. The lung that will speak God’s good news to the poor are still forming. Jesus was once an embryo. I find that difficult to imagine, but it’s a fact. If he wasn’t really an embryo he couldn’t really be human.

I spend a couple of days a week with my son, Malachi, at home. We play games, put puzzles together, read books, go grocery shopping and watch Batman movies when we think we can get away with it. I usually have a pretty good grasp of his moods and I know what he likes. But a few days ago, I was thinking about what he looked like when he took his first steps and I couldn’t remember. Our video camera has been broken a little over three years now and we’ve never bought another one, so I can’t really look to double check what happened. I’ve been thinking about his first words too and, honestly, I can’t really remember them either. I guess I am a really horrible father. But, for the most part, I don’t really think about the times when he wasn’t able to do much, I just focus on what he does now: sword fighting, running and dancing around the house, talking to me or playing ball. I know the other things happened, it’s just hard to remember them. I don’t think about it too much.

You see, there was a time when my son also didn’t have a backbone and mostly floated around aimlessly in the darkness of his mother’s womb. We all start out that way. Very humble beginnings. But today’s text reminds us about something very important: Jesus started out that way too. The Lord of all, our Savior, the kings of kings, was once an embryo. He would grow up to defeat all sin, death and the devil, to create saints out of sinners, but there was a time when, perhaps, he simply created nauteous feelings in his mother, Mary. It’s interesting to think about, perhaps even funny to imagine what may have happened to this baby who would grow up to be a Savior, but it’s even more than interesting: it’s important.

Martin Luther once pointed out that if you want to see the Lord of the Universe in all his glory, you need not look any further than the baby Jesus, nursing at this mother’s breast. It’s important that we understand that God’s glory is made perfect in weakness. We read Bible verses about this topic a lot and I preach about this topic a good deal, but it is something else to look down at a baby, or your child, or your niece, or your grandson, or your pregnant belly and realize that Jesus was once just like that: small, weak, and humble. I can talk about this all I want and try to get you to understand and believe in Jesus’ humanity, but the next time your child burps loudly in polite company, you’ll get the point much better, I think. Jesus was just like that.

God’s glory is shown most spectacularly when he is just as simply human as the rest of us. In today’s text, John the Baptist jumps in his mother’s womb; I wonder what Jesus was doing to his poor mother’s insides? Jesus could have begun his ministry as a 30 year old man, just appearing in all his humanity out of the sky one day. But God chose instead to have the Lord of the Universe be found in a manger, nursing at his mother’s breast.

Once Christmas is over, it will be a fast downhill ride into Lent and then Easter. Often, when we talk about Jesus’ humanity, people refer to the cross, showing that God suffers just like we suffer, he felt pain just like we do, he experienced temptation and weakness in the garden of Gesthemene, he felt abandonment and despair screaming out for help to his Father in heaven. Knowing that your God knows you and knows what it is like to be you is more than interesting, isn’t it, it’s important. But you don’t need to only look to the cross, you can look to the cradle or even before that. God experienced death through Jesus, but he also experienced birth through Jesus.

Do you know how offensive Jesus’ humanity is to many people? It really bothers them just as it may bother you. How can God, the Master of the Universe, the one who is All in All, fit himself within the skin of a man, let alone in the few cells of a zygote? About the only thing people dislike more than having to hear that Jesus died on a cross is to realize that Jesus had bowel movements. But do you see that if he did not, he couldn’t have been truly human! Like it or not, none of us can escape either going to the grave or going to the bathroom. No human being can.

A Catholic bishop in the early 5th century named Nestorious is probably the most notorious theologian for his frustration with this topic. He argued that we could talk about Mary being the mother of Jesus, or even the mother of Christ, but that we could NOT say that Mary was the mother of God. It wasn’t fitting to have God come out the birth canal! Nestorious argued that God was too holy and righteous for that! God couldn’t get THAT close to humanity. But, once again, if Mary is not truly the mother of God, and yet Jesus Christ is still her son, then Jesus could not be God. The miracle of Advent is that before God is truly born on Christmas day, he was truly carried by a human mother and that this very human being learning to live and breathe and eat and hear and see is also truly God in the flesh.

When I visit nursing homes or assisted living residences, it is a common occurrence to see women and men lifted to and from their beds into wheelchairs to take a bath or maybe to attend some recreational event. It must be a very humbling experience to be carried, as a grown adult, in order to get to where you want to go. The Lutheran reformers maintained that being a Christian is not best described as standing before God in righteousness, in a state of grace, but that it is to be carried, by one who is righteous, that is, to be carried by Jesus Christ through life.

It makes a difference to know that Jesus was carried once as well, for ten months, forty weeks, in his mother’s womb, and then for who knows how long swaddled in her arms from that point forward. Only a God who knows the tenderness of a mother’s love is the kind of God you can trust to suffer with you through the years of being carried from your bed to your wheelchair and back again day after day with no end in sight. Only a God who knows the strength of a mother’s love is the kind of God you can trust to carry you through life knowing that nothing, not even God’s judgment against you, could possibly snatch you out of his hands.

It’s not Christmas yet, we’ve still got a few days of waiting, but Jesus Christ is already here, in the story, waiting along with us. Just like his cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus, who will be born the Savior of the world, is bladder jumping, kicking against his mother’s ribs and sleeping upside down on his head. We all started out this way and so did he. Why? So that you might know that even the beautiful baby Jesus is truly the kind of God who knows what it is like to be just like you. He knows you. He loves you. And he will come again soon to carry you before his Father, through the gates of death and into eternal life. Amen.

Sermon for December 13th

“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” This is Paul’s command to the Philipians. And, yes, I do mean it is a command, though we tend not to think about joy in this way. We normally think of joy or happiness as a feeling that just washes over us, something that just happens to us because of our circumstances. That kind of joy, the spontaneous kind, is certainly a gift. But that’s not the kind of joy Paul is talking about.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” My grandma used to tell me to “bloom where you’re planted.” People who have been told, “bloom where you’re planted” usually understand that “joy” isn’t always as spontaneous as people might have you believe. There are times when you have a new job, or are living in a new place, or are dealing with a difficult situation when, rather than bloom and find joy in the difficulty, you’d rather wilt and die or, at least go dormant for awhile until the bad weather blows over. There is no better antidote to joy than worry. Worry about the problems in your life or the stress you are under. So how can we still rejoice? When the world seems to be falling apart around us?

Paul writes in Philipians, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” When rejoicing isn’t the first thing on your mind, something else, like worry or stress, usually is. And it’s tough, if not impossible, to find joy in your life when all you can see makes you anxious. Now Paul isn’t asking you to pretend that the bad things aren’t there through the power of positive thinking. Stress can be ignored for awhile, I guess, but positive thinking only lasts as long as the biggest problems stay away. But when the waves of life keep battering you against the shore, thinking positively about them becomes almost masochistic.

The apostle Paul isn’t asking us to “think” positively about our worries, but encourages us to give them away to someone who can actually do something about them, God himself. Handing over your worries not only acknowledges the utter hopelessness of the situation you are in, but it also acknowledges the utmost power God has to make lemonade out of lemons, or life out of death, as the case may be.

Only God can give you peace, the peace that casts out all fear, worry and stress. And it is only in that state of mind that you can follow God’s command and truly “Rejoice”. This isn’t about “faking it until you make it” as a pastor friend once encouraged a group to do. The law, the commandments of God aren’t about “pretending” to love your neighbor as yourself. God doesn’t find happiness in your “faking” love with all your heart, soul and mind. He wants true love, true faith and complete joy. That’s why he has promised that, even in the worst of circumstances, he will step in and create the peace in your heart so that you might find yourself able to rejoice even when you are suffering.

The apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” That doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen or that you should pretend they are not so bad. It means that, as a believer in Christ, you know that there is still something to rejoice in even when the worst comes you way. Life isn’t perfect, this is true, but a Christian also knows that even during the greatest despair, even in death, there is hope for resurrection. To rejoice in suffering does not mean that we pretend that pain does not exist, or that death shouldn’t be feared, but we are called to believe even more boldly that God’s last word will be one of joy and not sadness.

Paul is not advocating a shallow faith. I was told a story once about a couple whose newborn baby died. In the hospital, their youth pastor came into their room all smiles and said, “Praise the Lord! Your baby is dancing with his Savior now!” This kind of joy is a false joy trying to somehow prove that death cannot touch us when it so obviously does over and over again in our lives. Acting in this way when life is full of despair can only cause others to feel guilty when their hearts are weighed down by the troubles of the world just as this youth pastor made this couple feel guilty for the pain of loss they were feeling.

But even in this situation, you can be sure that the apostle Paul would still hold fast to his words, Yes, he might say, even in this tragedy there is still reason to rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say Rejoice. The Lord is near. Even at the death of a baby, the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, even at this time of sadness, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Shout your anger and heartache in God’s ears. Ask that he might comfort your bleeding heart. Thank God for the life that you held in your hands and in your hearts. Ask for peace from the only one who can give it. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, yes even the peace of God which can comfort a grieving family at the death of so precious a loved one, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This is NOT the power of positive thinking. This is the power of God to bring joy into broken hearts.

The apostle Paul is a great example of exactly what we are talking about. Despite being in prison, he writes this letter to the Phillipians about rejoicing. Is Paul just pretending to be happy even when he is doing badly? No. He explains in other places throughout the letter about all the difficult stuff he is going through. But he knows that God’s commands don’t just apply to us in good circumstances, but also in bad.

Paul isn’t the only one who commands us to rejoice even when we’d rather not. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people 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 in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Why does Jesus command us to rejoice even in the midst of persecutions, when we would have the best reason to complain? Listen to a brief story about one of the earliest Christian martyrs, named Romanus, written by a man named Eusebius.

“When the judge had informed [Romanus] that he was to die by flames, with a cheerful countenance and a most ardent mind he received the sentence and was led away. He was then tied to the stake, and when the wood was heaped up about him, and they were kindling the pile, only waiting the word from the expected emperor, he exclaimed, ‘where then is the fire?’ Saying this he was summoned again before the emperor, to be subjected to new tortures and therefore had his tongue cut out, which he bore with the greatest of fortitude, as he proved his actions to all, showing also that the power of God is always present to the aid of those who are obliged to bear any hardship for the sake of religion, to lighten their labours, and to strengthen their ardor.” According to the sociologist Rodney Stark, “To Eusebius, the writer of this account, the bravery and steadfastness of the martyrs was proof of Christian virtue. Indeed, many pagans were deeply impressed.” God commands us to rejoice, even in difficulty because, when we face suffering in our lives with hope, bringing to God our fears and rejoicing in the joy to come afterwards, our actions do not go unnoticed not only by God but, most importantly, they are a witness to the people around us.

A professor of mine once said that there is nothing quite as depressing as a sermon on joy. Why is that? Because God commands us to rejoice, but it’s not that easy, as I’ve already pointed out. God says “Do this!” “Rejoice!” “Be happy!” but there are times when it IS just too much. When we cannot trust in our own power to find joy or trust in our ability to rejoice. We will not find salvation according to the law of joy. However, we can find joy in the saving power of Jesus Christ who promises us rescue from our misery and brings with him the peace that passes all understanding. Rejoicing may be a command from God, but the best kind of joy is a gift from God that requires no action on our part at all. The joy of salvation which he has promised to all of you. The joy of knowing that God is near and will not forsake you—no matter what.

Yes, we are called to rejoice in the Lord always, but we must remember that true joy doesn’t come from our emotional manipulations. True joy only comes from Jesus, who has promised to be near us throughout all the troubles of the world, bringing us strength in persecutions, comfort in distress, joy in sorrow, life in death. As you continue to prepare for Christmas during this season of Advent rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! It’s a command even when you are standing in line for half an hour in a pushy crowd. But remember that joy can also be a gift, and it comes only from heaven above by a God who has placed himself in human form to be born for you to give joy not only to us, but to the whole world. Amen.

Sermon for December 6th

The psalm we sung today is actually part of the gospel of Luke, it’s a prophecy spoken by the old man Zechariah after the birth of his son, who was later to be known as John the Baptist. Zechariah, who had not spoken a word throughout his wife’s entire pregnancy was suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit and said this about his newborn son, “And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way, to give God’s people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.”

How do you know that you are saved? What should you look for? Should you look for little signs? Like whether you are a forgiving person or whether you read your Bible every so often or whether you come to church a lot? All those signs will fail you one day. There is only one place that you can look and see, and hear and know that your salvation is in the hands of God: The forgiveness of your sins. John the Baptizer went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins was John’s goal. The forgiveness of sins is God’s goal for you. The forgiveness of sins is Jesus’ goal for the world. The forgiveness of sins is the goal of every single worship service at Saint Peters because, without your hearing of that forgiveness, you cannot truly believe that you have been saved by God. Trusting in anything else is simply not enough.

There are a lot of different ways to go about “doing” church. A lot of different services you could go to, types of music to listen to, places to worship, theological arguments to dissect. But without hearing God’s forgiveness, it doesn’t matter how traditional, liberal, conservative or popular any church service is . . . it’s simply missing the point. As your pastor, my goal is simple at each service and during each sermon: Dinstinguish between God’s laws which point out the sins in our lives and the Gospel of Jesus Christ where we can believe in the forgiveness of those sins. Only when the Law is given full rein can we see that our salvation lies only in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness is a gift from God. But it doesn’t always seem like a gift. That became very clear to me as I began working on this sermon. In fact, when I think about forgiveness in my own life, it can seem like a very heavy burden to bear. Forgiveness is not only a gospel issue, but it also finds its way into our lives as a terrifying law. I know that forgiveness is also a heavy burden for many of you. And the more wonderful we make it sound, the more guilt we bear when we cannot or will not do it ourselves.

Forgiveness seems pretty easy at first. It sounds nice. But, before you are in the mood to start forgiving anyone they need to, you know, say they are sorry, that type of thing. They need to repent! They need to ASK for forgiveness. Because if there is no repentance or no acknowledgement of a mistake, something just doesn’t seem right about forgiving.

But what happens when repentance just isn’t there? What if no one says they are sorry? What if they say they’re sorry, but you still can’t forgive? What then? Jesus said, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Ouch! What if you just CAN’T forgive someone? What if you’ve tried and they won’t admit that they are wrong? That they have hurt you? What then? And what does that mean for your salvation? “if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” What if your bitterness is just too strong? What if you know in your head that it’s the right thing to do, but just can’t make your heart truly believe in it? Would YOU still be forgiven? Would you still be saved?

To forgive someone involves sacrifice. Someone needs to die. I know that that probably sounds a little hyperbolic, but have you ever done something really awful to someone you love? And then had to say you were sorry? I understand that forgiveness, in itself, doesn’t involve blood or anything like that, but, in the moment, when you ask for it, you just cannot continue to exist the way you were before. It is impossible. The old you, the one who hurts people and feels no shame, has come to an end and the new you is left to watch and wait and see what the future holds. Will you be forgiven? Asking forgiveness is not an easy thing to do. It opens up new possibilities only through the death of the old.

What happens when you are the one waiting to forgive and repentance never comes? What do you do when you have been hurt and no one knows? What if the person who hurt you has died? Or was a stranger? Or is someone you want to protect from the knowledge of your pain? What then? What if the pain is old? What if the hurt seems too silly to say anything? What if you are waiting to forgive but no one ever says they are sorry? God’s goal is your forgiveness, but what if you just can’t follow in His footsteps?

Forgiveness always involves a sacrifice. Who has hurt you? Maybe someone at work, or in your family, or at church? What feelings are you carrying? Bitterness? Anger? Resentment? All of the above? If you forgive, without ever being asked to do so, that means you will lose something. The anger, the resentment and the bitterness must be sacrificed. And by now they have become close friends. Are you willing to just let them die? When you forgive someone who never asked for that forgiveness, you are the one who has to die. And while your heart keeps beating, a part of you comes to an end.

When you begin to understand what it means to forgive you’ll understand why Jesus had to be born. When you realize that with forgiveness comes sacrifice, you’ll understand why he had to die. Each one of us sins day in and day out. We hurt people. We often either don’t realize or don’t want to admit what we have done. We inflict pain daily on the ones we love and those we work with, we forget the needs of the destitute and become lax in our prayers for the sick and dying. We intentionally defy God and worship our own unholy Trinity: our needs, our wants and our feelings. And we are called to repent of the things we do, Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” But we don’t. We choose not to.

So, God had to make a decision. If he relied on us to say, “We’re sorry”, to repent or to ask forgiveness, the sacrifice would never have been made. We would have all died without hope. So God became the necessary sacrifice. God forgave you. The forgiveness of sins became His goal. Not because you deserved it. Not even because you asked for it. But because you didn’t and he loves you. He gave you the knowledge of your salvation by forgiving your sins.

Jesus said, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Jesus gave us an example to follow, by sacrificing himself in order to forgive our sins. However, Jesus was more than an example. Do not for one moment believe that Jesus was simply an example for you to imitate. God knows that we do not want to forgive. God knows that we do not know how to forgive. God knows that we cannot truly forgive so he BECAME the sacrifice, not just for our sins, but for the sins of the world.

If you cannot forgive those who have hurt you, trust in God’s forgiveness. Trust that He has covered their sins just as He has covered yours. If you cannot bear to sacrifice your bitterness, trust in Jesus’ sacrifice. “I believe, help my unbelief!” “I forgive, help my unforgiveness!” Because, in the death of Jesus Christ, all of us have died along with our resentment, our hate, and our anger. For this is why Jesus was born, to give God’s people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. That goes for you, for me, all those we have hurt and all those who have hurt us. Forgiveness always involves a sacrifice and Jesus is the lamb who was slain who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus has died for you and your sins are forgiven. Amen.

Sermon for November 29th

Now that Thanksgiving is over, everyone will turn their focus to Christmas. Of course, many people, especially those in charge of retail stores, have already been focusing on Christmas. A few weeks ago, my children were referring to all the wrapped presents and holiday lights hanging around particular stores saying, “Is it Christmas already?” No, it wasn’t even Thanksgiving. Some seminary friends of mine on Facebook have said that they get very annoyed that they are already hearing Christmas music when they go to the local coffee shop. By the time Christmas Day actually comes around, will anybody care anymore?

Today’s gospel text encourages us to be on guard so that our hearts are not weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the worries of this life, so that the day does not catch us unexpectedly, like a trap. It must not be talking about Christmas. With all the holiday festivities, Christmas parties, shopping trips, and Christmas concerts, most of us can’t imagine how we could possibly be caught unexpectedly by Christmas. And yet, you may have noticed in Christmases past, that it is easy to be caught by surprise at the Christmas Eve service, barely aware of what you were celebrating all those weeks before in the first place.

By the time Christmas Day has arrived, there is very little to look forward to. I mean the parties are over and you are already sick and tired of hearing Jingle bell rock for the umpteenth time. Even coming to Christmas worship services seems like an annoyance, or a chore, because you are so busy preparing for meals, hosting family members coming from out of town and buying or wrapping last minute gifts. It is just too easy to go through the entire holiday season and forget about Christ. Will you miss the point this year? Be alert, because there are many traps before December 25th.

I have never been drunk in my life, I really don’t drink anything but communion wine to be quite honest, so do people like me just get a free ride when reading these last verses in Luke that talk about not being a partier and getting drunk? Well, to be honest, alcohol is not my drug of choice. I’m addicted to other things. Mostly, I am addicted to me. I want my free time. I want my work time. I want to eat what I want. I want to watch the movies I want. I want to read when I want to read. I want to sleep when I want to sleep. I am addicted to me. These things are legal, even seen as positives for many people who like to focus on “self-care” and “boundaries”, and yet they take my focus off of God. What is your drug of choice?

For many people, in Jesus’ time as well as in ours, it is alcohol. However, there is nothing sinful about alcohol (I mean, we DO use wine for communion after all). But when you go to a Christmas party, what do you use it for? To celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? Is that what’s on your mind? Or are you a social drinker, since everyone else is doing it? Or do you just want to get a nice buzz going? To drink away the worries? The memories? Most everyone would say that a party isn’t a party without some alcoholic beverages. What might Jesus say? Perhaps, that a Christmas party isn’t really a Christmas party without Jesus Christ at its center? What is going to be the focus of your holiday season? Jesus Christ or something else? Just to be very clear, this text isn’t about misusing alcohol, even though for some it might be about that as well. This text asks: Are you ready for Jesus to come again? Would you even notice if He did? Even at a wild and crazy Christmas party with some of your best friends?

The text today, from the gospel of Luke, is also not about Christmas. It is about the second coming of Christ, not his birth. But it certainly applies to this time of the year. Are you aware that the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas might be the most difficult time to be alert, aware and on your guard for the coming of Christ? That seems wrong somehow, doesn’t it? But, sometimes, it is our most pious feelings, our greatest virtues, and our most religious holidays that pull us away from God the most. Not just because there are so many traps to fall into, but because we are lulled into complacency.

You all remember the disciple Peter when he very thoughtfully took Jesus aside one day and explained that Jesus really shouldn’t be talking about dying on a cross in front of all his followers? He rebuked Jesus, the text says. And I’m sure that Peter felt very righteous in doing so. He was one of the twelve, after all, and Jesus was on a roll, ministry wise. It couldn’t have been very uplifting to hear Jesus talk about suffering and dying. But Jesus rebuked Peter right back and said, “Get behind me Satan, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” It is easy to confuse our desires and God’s desires, our righteousness for God’s righteousness.

How many times do you think parents repeat this mantra to their children before Christmas: “Christmas is about giving, NOT receiving.” Or “Tis better to give than to receive.” How many times? It’s like the motto of Christmas to make it seem like a nice holiday, a nice religious holiday, just without any mention of God or Jesus. So Santa becomes God who packs his bag full of goodies to give to the “nice” boys and girls. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas brings out the best in everyone, right? We all feel very righteous at Christmastime when we give to the Salvation Army bell ringer outside of the grocery store and then show up at the Christmas Eve service. We’ll all feel very splendid when we see the pews full, hopefully, and breathe a sigh of relief that all is right in the world again. Ahhh.

But Christmas isn’t about what we are giving to others; it is about what God has given to us. Not because we are nice, but because we are naughty. Santa Claus got it all wrong! If the long lines of shoppers and gigantic credit card bills are any indication, even during the most wonderful time of the year, most of us have our minds, not on divine things, but on human things. And the scary thing is that we all feel very self-righteous about that, don’t we? Some of you might even be thinking, how dare I talk about Christmas in such a mean way? You don’t want to come to church to hear the Grinch give a sermon!

But maybe we’ve just learned to be inspired by the wrong things. Like a drug user who can’t find happiness apart from a high even with a beautiful family at home, a great job and all the blessings of the world at his or her feet. Maybe we’ve become confused about what makes a great holiday party and now we are just going along with traditions? Perhaps we’ve become confused about what makes Christmas great, that it’s NOT the giving at all, but, in fact, it is the receiving, the receiving of a Lord and Savior who didn’t come just for the nice, but came especially for the naughty like you and me.

Today begins the season of Advent. Or, perhaps I should say, “Only four worshipping Sundays left before Christmas Day!” Jesus Christ is coming soon. He will come like a thief in the night. What better time than Christmas. No one would expect him then. Would you?

So if the time before Christmas is not about human things, buying gifts and partying, what is left? It is the same time as always: It is time to be alert. To be aware of how has Christ works in your life. How will He find you when He comes again? Now is the time to pray, that you may have the strength to escape all the traps of this season that might pull you away from Christ. Be on guard so that, four weeks from now, Christmas does not catch you by surprise. So that, come Christmas Day, you might have actually prepared more than the Ham, the gifts and the house for company, but you will have prepared yourself to hear the good news: Christmas is about giving, it’s just that YOU are the one who always receives the gift: Jesus Christ was born for you. Be alert: He will come again. Amen.