It’s Not About Them, It’s About You - Sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 24^th, A+D 2025
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, South Dakota    
It’s Not About Them, It’s About You 
Luke 13:22-30
 

Sermon Audio available HERE.  

It’s not about them, it’s about you. 

     The followers of Jesus, both ancient and modern, enjoy talking about the Church, in general terms that is, about how things are going in the big picture.  We like to discuss whether the Church has a future in our nation, or how the worldwide missionary struggle between Islam and Christianity will play out.  Or, as in the case of our Gospel reading this morning, we may enjoy speculating about just how many people, how many of “them” will be saved, how many of all the people out there will actually make it into heaven.   

     But, it’s not about them, it’s about you.  Asking broad general questions about the state of the Church may give us the feeling we are being religious.  Such an interest is hard to knock; after all, these are important questions, right?  We really are concerned, aren’t we?  We would never ask vague general questions to distract the teacher and prevent him from asking us more difficult, pointed, personal questions, would we?  We wouldn’t try to get the conversation off track, down some rabbit trail, to avoid having to answer questions about ourselves, would we?

     Jesus seems to think some people might do so, because He doesn’t even begin to answer the unnamed villager who asks,  “Lord, will those being saved be few?”  Jesus ignores the question and instead responds by addressing the crowd:  “You, all of you, strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

     Ah, c’mon Jesus, don’t get so personal.  I don’t want to talk about my salvation status, that’s no fun.  We’re more comfortable with broad questions, like “What’s the final number?  Are they going to get in?  What about them?  What about the Roman Catholic Church, will their scandals finally bring them down, or will the new Chicago Pope lead them to resurgence?  What’s going to be the fate of the Episcopalians, or the ELCA?  Who’s going to make the cut?” 

     It’s not about “them,” it’s about you.  Jesus says to the crowd, and to you and me:  “Before you worry about the whole world, about those nameless people out there, you should rather be concerned for yourself, and seek to enter through the narrow door.”  Christians rightly have a concern for the salvation of souls, of this person or that individual.  But, how many or who out of people in general are going to be saved shouldn’t be your first concern.  No, first you strive to enter the narrow door.  Because, as Jesus warns, “once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, if at that time you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.”  

   With this closed door warning, Jesus is referring to the Last Day, when He will return, visibly, one last time, to judge the living and the dead, and usher His faithful ones through the narrow door into eternal joy, eternal glory, forever and ever life, with God, in paradise.  Being shut out happens to those who are not ready on the Last Day, and we don’t want to be in that group.  Because all who are not ready will be shut out, banished to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

     Followers of Jesus like to talk about the state and future of the Church, in general, especially if this also gives us the chance to engage in some hand wringing and tisk-tisking over the sad state of affairs today: how nobody’s faithful, and parents aren’t doing their job, and our nation is going to hell in a hand basket.  We do a fair bit of this at the ORLC Manly Men’s Breakfast, and chatting after service on Sundays, and wherever else Christians talk to each other.  To such thinking, 2,000 years ago, and today, Jesus says:  “Don’t spend your time speculating about the final number of Christians in heaven; rather, you strive to enter the narrow door.” 

     Jesus raises some questions we should wrestle with this morning: Why does Jesus ignore the “final tally of heaven” question of our unknown villager, insisting instead on making this a personal conversation about your salvation, and mine?  And what does He mean, strive to enter the narrow door?  Do we need to get skinnier, and if so, in what way?  What does this mean for the end of my life, the end of the world?  What does this mean for my today, and my tomorrow?    

     First off, Jesus is dispelling any Entitlement Myths that might be lingering in the hearts and minds of His hearers.  The Jews were famous for thinking that just because they were members of the tribe of Judah, they would be saved.  They had it all wrong.  Being a Jew, an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, was a blessing, a good start toward reconciliation with God.  But merely being an Israelite, outwardly, by virtue of race, does not mean one is going to be saved.  The Lord did and does desire to save all the biological descendants of Abraham, as He desires to save all people, all the descendants of Adam and Eve.  But, a true Israelite was and is anyone who shares the faith of Abraham, not his bloodline. 

   The biological descendants of Abraham had the opportunity to hear the same Word of Promise that Abraham heard and spoke, the Word of Promise by which God creates faith in the coming Savior.  Sharing the faith of Abraham in the promised Messiah is what makes one a true Jew or true Israelite.  The Bible is clear: descent from good Jewish stock without faith in the promised Messiah has never done and never will do anything for anyone’s salvation.  No one is entitled to be saved, no one gets saved by who their parents are, or by association.  Salvation is always personal, always individual, always by the Word of Christ creating faith in the individual sinner.  It is faith in Christ, and faith alone, which makes one a member of the Church, part of God’s family.  Christ is the glue that binds His people together.  Without true repentant faith in Him, we are lost.  Merely appearing outwardly to be part of the Church does no good. 

     Thankfully, no one thinks like those first century Jews anymore.  Do they?  None of us thinks that merely by our outward association with the Church we are guaranteed to be saved, do we?   None of you think your name, or the name of your loved one being written in the parish record book in the Church office is what saves, do you?  If you think this way, repent of your foolishness, or you will end up knocking at the closed and locked door, wondering why you can’t get in. 

   Jesus is clear: the door is narrow.  So you need to be skinny, spiritually speaking, to make it through.  And our Lord isn’t talking about “Body Mass Index.”  He is saying that sin is a burden, a weight that hangs on you, and makes you too wide to pass through the narrow door.  Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect, that’s the standard, that’s the spiritual skinniness that entering through the narrow door requires.    

   And it’s not just about the Last Day, either.  Sin does terrible damage, right now, and God hates that.  Shedding the pounds of sin that cling to you is good for your life.  Being a better person is good for you, and your family, good for your friends and neighbors.  Doing or avoiding the things God commands and forbids in the 10 Commandments, like maintaining an active and faithful relationship with God, honoring your parents, not murdering, not sleeping around or consuming pornography, not stealing, not gossiping, all these things make for a better life.  Pursuing the priorities that the Lord has given humanity will produce benefits in your life.  We are to have God’s priorities, like putting your relationship with Him first, and so setting aside significant time for worship, on Sunday and during the week.  Or like focusing on loving your family, believing that children are a blessing, more important than career and wealth.  Seeking the good of your neighbor instead of only looking out for yourself, instead of only serving your own appetites.  All of these Godly habits will bring blessing, to you, and to others.  

    Getting spiritually skinny by fleeing from and resisting temptations to sin is also good for our witness as Church.  The world is very skeptical of the Christian message, and all the more so when they see a Christian who calls for living a moral life, but then lives just like everybody else, or worse.  The Church’s witness is terribly damaged when Christians are revealed to be secretly pursuing sin, carnal, hurtful sins, sins clearly against the Word of Christ. 

     But, when Christians can embrace the family and the creation in the way God designed them, when we build our weekly life from and around God’s Word and Supper, when our efforts to be spiritually skinny make us actually different, we will be blessed.  And, some souls around us in the world will notice.  Some people burned out by the gods of consumption, sexual madness, and hyper-individuality will notice when Christians live differently, and seem to have a peace that they lack.  They will want to know what’s going on.  Plain old Christian piety is strange to many, sadly including to some inside the visible Church.  But such strange souls know where true riches are found, and others will want to learn. 

    Of course, getting skinny to sin is also important, because living as though my sins don’t matter is dangerous.  Sin that is ignored is corrosive to faith.  As Jesus teaches in the parable of the seed sown in rocky ground or amongst the thorns, we all know people who came to confess the faith, who were part of our congregation, but the cares, pleasures, sins and distractions of life in this world led them to drift away.  Perhaps slowly at first, but eventually the priorities of the world took first place, and the priorities of God were forgotten. 

    If you ask them, such folks might still say they are a Christian.  Politeness and our desire not to deal with tough subjects might lead us to nod and smile and accept their claim.  But, despite what they claim, their absence from the gathering where Jesus distributes His gifts tells a different story.  When we believe Christ’s Word, that He comes to us to deliver His gifts of forgiveness and new life, here, then our faith will lead us to come here. 

    God help us to truly love our drifting brothers and sisters, by gently reminding them that the Lord has called them into His Church, which is not a membership card to be carried in a wallet, pulled out when needed to prove one’s status.  Rather, Church means an assembly, a gathering, the Assembly of the firstborn, who gather around Jesus to be showered with His sprinkled blood, because that’s where we access His new life.  

    The priority and necessity of individual faith makes growing the Church a strange endeavor.  God’s goal is to bring souls into His family, into a community knitted together by the forgiving blood of Jesus.  But, since every descendant of Adam is a sinner on their own, naturally opposed to God and estranged from His Church, each one must be brought in, individually. 

    We pray for big conversion events, a new Pentecost with thousands being added at once.  But usually, the mission is a series of very small doings, a soul here, a family there.  And that’s o.k.  Consider for a moment that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the Creator and Savior of the world, nonetheless often ministered and preached to individuals: Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the Canaanite mother, Blind Bartimaeus.  Church building God’s way is so often one person at a time.  In this we see Jesus not worrying about how big the final number will be, but rather worrying about and serving the individual soul that is right in front of Him.  God grant us eyes and hearts to do the same.    

      The final purpose of Jesus calling on us to get skinny, spiritually, to strive to enter the narrow door, is to make it clear to us, again, that salvation is God’s work.  Which we know, right?  We aren’t going to forget that we are saved by God’s grace, working through His Word to create faith in His forgiving love, faith that makes us His children.  We couldn’t forget that, could we? 

    Of course we can.  Satan and the world whisper, or shout in our ears every day that you get what you pay for, that nothing is free, that a holy God couldn’t possibly just forgive, and welcome sinners into His family.  You have to earn everything, that’s the message that we hear all around us every day, and it makes sense to our natural way of thinking.   

    So, Jesus says, strive to enter the narrow door.  Get skinny, live rightly.  Because, along with all the very real benefits for daily life and for the mission of the Church that Christians behaving like Christians produces, it also brings us to repentance.  Please, do resolve to live the rest of this day without sin.  Replace the noise and distraction and sinful pleasures of this world with more of Christ’s Word, and more time and effort spent serving others.  Honestly pursue godliness, for blessing today, and to be reminded, again, that you need Jesus to get you through the door.  Nothing opens our eyes to our need for Christ’s forgiving love more than honestly trying to follow Him.  Because we soon realize that we cannot by our own reason and strength get skinny enough to fit through the narrow door. 

    And that’s when Christ reminds you that He is the door.  Your passage into heaven is Christ himself.  God’s requirement that you bring no sin into heaven is met when you trust in Christ and His forgiveness, and so receive His righteousness, His perfect goodness.  In the Father’s eyes the perfection you need is yours, in Jesus, your personal door into heaven. 

      Jesus built your door into heaven with a cross design in the middle.  He poured Himself into the making of it, body and soul, flesh and blood.  The locks came off the doorway to heaven forever when Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of all your sins.  You have not yet gotten rid of all your sin, but through your door that is Jesus, your sins are removed, forgiven, you pass through the gate with ease, guided and carried by the Spirit of Christ, welcomed at the door by your heavenly Father, who loves you and invites you to the feast, because you come to Him through His Son. 

      Jesus comes to you as your open door, taking your death, giving you His new life.  Focus on this Good News, first and always, and then your questions about the Church in general take on a new angle.  We still don’t know how many will be saved, but we do know that the blood of Jesus covers all sin.  And we do know that as we proclaim this Good News to each other, and to all people, the Spirit is at work.  Even through our words, God is working to enliven and strengthen our faith, and also to bring even more people through the door that is Jesus, crucified and resurrected.  He is the Door, the Way into heaven, for all who believe.  Amen. 

 

Baptism by Fire - Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 17^th, A+D 2025
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Hill City and Custer, SD
Baptism by Fire – Luke 12:49-50

Sermon Audio Available HERE 

   Our Lord declares: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! ^[50] I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!”  What does this mean?

    Both our Epistle and our Gospel readings today are quite long.  Our Hebrews chapter 11 reading is long, and full of good works, a Hebrew Hall of Heroes, a list of faithful Israelites, whose trust in the promises of the LORD led them to do great things in salvation history… by faith Abraham, by faith Moses, by faith Rahab, and on and on.  

    Our Luke reading is also long, and stressful to hear.  Why does our loving Savior have to say such unsettling things?  Jesus gives instruction and warnings for His servants, for the way the Apostles and the pastors and teachers who would follow them, were to fulfill their calling.  They were to serve God’s people, and be ever watchful for the return of their Lord, the Son of Man, who will come at an hour that no one expects.  Setting standards and expectations, especially for those called into leadership, is good and right.  Definitely good news for God’s people, as Christ expects the servants of His Church to care well for the household of faith.  Perhaps a bit stressful for the men called into the office of public ministry, but oh well.     

   Then it gets worse.  Casting fire on the earth?  A Baptism able to create anguish in the heart of the Son of God?  How bad must that Baptism be to make the eternal Son be distressed?  Finally, Jesus goes on to say that His completion of His course would bring division, not unity, pitting family members against each other.  A “Baptism by Fire” which causes family division:  This is the Gospel of the Lord?!?

   Baptism by Fire.  Did you know that this expression came from the mouth of Jesus?  Today, as it has in our common English usage for a long time, a Baptism by Fire means an intense, highly difficult testing or exposure to danger, especially early on in someone’s service in some position of responsibility.  We most often use it with dangerous professions, in military or law enforcement contexts, as the newly minted Marine or the rookie cop is thrust into battle, and the quality of his training, and most especially of his character, is revealed in a brief moment.  Baptism by Fire.  Not a very “churchy” saying, I think most would say. 

   But Jesus says it, right there in Luke 12: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! ^[50] I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!”  This is the Gospel of the Lord?!?  Yes, it is.

   As I studied today’s texts, I knew I would be focusing on this passage.  So I went looking on the interwebs for a “baptism by fire” picture that we could use on the bulletin.  And I discovered something odd.  When I searched on “Jesus’ Baptism by Fire,” none of the top results made any connection to the Cross of Jesus.  Instead, the Christian commentators focused on John the Baptist’s words about Jesus, just before baptizing Him:  “One comes after me whose sandal I am not worthy to stoop down and tie.  I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.”  Now, there is certainly a connection between

A: John the Baptist’s words,

B: Jesus casting fire on the earth and being baptized with a baptism that gave Him distress, and

C: Christian Baptism, which is a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. 

     But Jesus in our Gospel reading is not talking about the Baptism He would instruct His Apostles to administer to all nations.  Jesus baptism by fire is His looming Cross. 

   Sadly, virtually all of the web pages and images I saw when I searched on “Jesus’ Baptism by Fire” skipped right over the Cross, trying in various ways to explain Jesus’ promised “baptism with fire and the Holy Spirit”.  But they try to explain it without connection to Jesus’ word about “casting fire on the earth” and a “baptism to be baptized with,” so they can’t get it right.   

   The Cross of Jesus and His Resurrection on the third day is the pivotal event of the entire Scripture; it is the most important thing that has happened in all of history.  Certainly we want to know the meaning and significance of John the Baptist’s promise that Jesus’ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  But nowhere does the Bible describe the Baptism that Jesus gives the Apostles to do to all nations as a fiery trial, a frightening experience.  From Pentecost to the Ethiopian eunuch to the Philippian jailer’s house, to the letters to Ephesus, Colossae, Galatia and Rome, Christian Baptism is described as an entry rite, a joyous incorporation into the family of God, a union with Christ and the Holy Spirit, an adoption of a forgiven sinner by God the Father. 

   Fiery trials certainly come to Baptized Believers.  Much like our list of Hebrew Heroes in our Epistle, Christians are frequently called to endure severe testing as they walk in the way of Jesus.  And it is precisely Jesus’ Baptism by fire on the Cross that empowers and makes possible all that the good the Christian does in his or her life.  So we should not skip over the Cross.    

   When folks try to understand “Baptism by Fire” without factoring in the true source of the phrase, we shouldn’t be surprised that the interpretations go off the rails.  Since they skipped over the most important event between John the Baptist’s preaching and the launching of the Christian Church on Pentecost, the explanations I saw on the Internet went all over the place.  Mostly they focused on a baptism by fire as some kind of testing of the Christian, an opportunity for the Christian to shine, to prove their mettle under duress, much like the military uses the phrase today.  And yes, of course, the baptized people of God do go through great trials and testing, and by faith in Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can do great things.  But again, not to beat a dead horse, this focus skips over the most important part. 

   Satan loves when we do this.  He tried to dissuade Jesus of Nazareth from finishing His course and submitting to the Cross.  Failing in this effort, the evil one now spends most of his energy trying to keep Christians from focusing on the death of Jesus.  He has to, because on the Cross, Christ took away all his ammunition to accuse, frighten and enslave sinners.  Satan’s power lies in the fact that we are sinners, and so he can accuse us and make us believe that God must reject us.  Jesus reversed this reality, on Calvary, receiving the full punishment deserved by our sin, and the sin of the whole world.  The Devil doesn’t want anyone to know that his accusations are empty, because Jesus has paid the debt of human sin, 100%.  He doesn’t want anyone to believe this Good News, because this Gospel sets sinners free, in Christ Jesus. 

   So, every time a trendy church planter decides that the new church building shouldn’t display a Cross, because that might be off-putting to some people, the demons cheer.  Even more, when teachers and preachers decide to avoid talking about the stain of sin and the shed blood of Jesus, which alone can wash that stain away, then God’s people are deprived of what they truly need.  When the Church’s message becomes one of self-improvement and our best life now, or even love for the neighbor without mention of the Son of God who loved us best, by dying for us, then saving faith is threatened.  Whenever churches make something other than Cross of Christ the center of their message, Satan will then do all he can to help that ministry grow. 

   Satan will encourage Cross-less Christianity, because, despite claiming the name Christian and putting on some of the trappings that society associates with the Church, any preacher or congregation that fails to keep Jesus’ Baptism by Fire front and center is leading people away from salvation. 

   Which is just the opposite of what the New Testament writers do.  Like the writer of the letter to the Hebrews.  He spends forty verses extolling the faith and works of the saints of ancient Israel, but to what purpose?  To send off his hearers to focus on seeking out their own spiritual challenges to conquer?  No, not at all, just the opposite.  After finishing his litany of Israelite faithful doers of great deeds, he says this: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ^[2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  ^[3] Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 

   To say it another way, take a look, every day, at the Baptism by Fire that Jesus endured, for us and for our salvation.  For the wonderful news hidden under the horror of Good Friday is the power of God unto salvation, for all who believe.  Indeed, it is the great work that Jesus completed on the Cross that empowers and makes Christian Baptism joyful, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, where we get credit for the fire that Jesus passed through.  It is also the source and power of Christian good works, but let’s keep first things first.  Fix your eyes on the crucified Jesus, for salvation, which will renew your heart.  And then yes, you will also find good works of faith prepared for you to walk in.  But always walk with your eyes fixed on Christ Crucified, for He is the only source of life and love that endures.   

    Christian Baptism flows from the Cross and joins sinners to the Crucified One.  “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life, (Romans 6)   For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise, (Galatians 3). 

   Paul in Colossians 2 exhorts us not to be fooled by earthly philosophy, “for in [Christ Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  ¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised [Jesus] from the dead.

   ¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with [Christ], having forgiven you all your sins, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Jesus].                      

Satan definitely does not want you hearing and believing that. 

   As St. Peter said at Pentecost, and in his first letter, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2), and, more simply, “Baptism now saves you,” (1 Peter 3). 

   I could go on, and on.  For the Holy Spirit has inspired many, many good words about Baptism.  God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who created the universe through His powerful Word, has ordained that the victory won by Jesus through His death on the Cross be delivered to sinners through the washing of water with the Word.  And what Word is that?  The Word of grace, mercy and hidden power that Jesus declared at the end of Matthew:  “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  The power of Baptism is the most precious and holy Word that there is, the Holy Name of God, revealed through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  He is God in human flesh, who was baptized for us, first in the Jordan River, where He identified with and stepped into the role of the sinner.  And Jesus was finally and eternally baptized by fire, for us, receiving the fire of the God’s wrath against human sin, our sin.  Jesus hung under that unimaginable fire, the very fire of Hell, to extinguish that fire in His own Body.  Now, by our union with Him, sinners like you and me can be safe in God’s loving family, both today, and forever and ever. 

   This is the wonderful surprise that Satan most wants you to miss.  A fiery trial was required to reconcile us sinners to God, but none of us could have withstood it.  We have no strength to endure the punishment we deserve, no hope of paying the full price and coming out on the other side, right with God.  This had to be done, but was impossible for us.  So, in love, Jesus stepped into that fire, for us.  Jesus was baptized with the wrath of God’s just anger against human sin, so that we don’t have to be.  Now, risen from the dead and vindicated by the Father as the Beloved Son who has done all things well, Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, authority which He instills in Holy Baptism.  By Baptism His victory becomes our victory, His life is our new life, His Father is Our Father. 

   Why then, do Christians so often struggle to receive the Cross and Holy Baptism for what God says they are?  Why instead do we argue and divide ourselves based on our various understandings?  Well, part of it is our tendency to think too highly of our reason, to even come close to worshiping our ability to make sense of everything, including God’s ways.  The Bible from start to finish proclaims a God who is infinitely greater and wiser and stronger than we can understand.  His ways and thoughts are not like our ways and thoughts.  And yet too often Christians demand that God’s ways conform to our logic.  Baptism doesn’t seem like much.  Whether we sprinkle just a little water or dunk you in the ocean, all we are really doing is saying a few words while applying one of the most common elements on earth.  How can that forgive sins?  How can water do such great things?  How can Baptism save, or be the rebirth from on high of a sinner?  It doesn’t seem logical to us.  But this is what God says, what God promises, in His mighty Word. 

   Baptism sometimes seems unreasonable to us, and so we are prone to re-interpreting it.  The Cross is not just unreasonable, it is also terribly uncomfortable, and frightening.  What the Cross says about us, about the seriousness of sin, does not always make for a comfortable and pleasant Sunday morning gathering.  And so we, preachers and hearers alike, are prone to look away.  The sinner who remains in each of us hates hearing how Jesus suffered, because of me, because of you.  We are tempted to look away, to fix our eyes on anything else.  And when we do, Satan smiles. 

   But the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.  The Lord God, by grace, through the Word of Christ, once again fixes our eyes on Jesus, hanging on the Cross, suffering there, in love, for us.  The risen and ascended Christ says fear not, I have been baptized by fire, for you, and it is my great joy to present you to my Father, as His forgiven and beloved child.  Stay close to me, and I will bring you through every fiery trial.  You are safe in my nail-scarred hands, today, and forever and ever, Amen.     

Fearless Faith that Attracts - Sermon for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost

Fearless Faith that Attracts 
Luke 12:22-34, Hebrews 11:1-16, Genesis 15:1-6
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
August 10^th, Year of Our + Lord 2025
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches 
Custer and Hill City, South Dakota

 Audio of Sermon available HERE.

In the Name of our Fearless and Faithful Savior,

   We have had a bunch of kids in our neighborhood this summer.  Two or three new families have moved in, adding to the group, and creating a critical mass of 5 to 12 year olds.  They roam up and down the hill, skipping and running, riding scooters and bikes, pursuing the American kid’s dream of long summer days, with no worries, filled with whatever comes to mind.  It’s great fun to sit out on the front patio and watch them play.   

   Two boys stand out in the mob; we’ll call them Tommy and Billy.  (I’d give you their real names, which they told me, but… I can’t remember them.  I don’t really want to be a kid again, but it would be nice to have a young brain with a working short-term memory.)  Tommy and Billy are on the younger side, maybe 8 years old, and small.  But they are fearless, and often end up leading the gang of kids, sheerly by force of personality.  I had said ‘Hi’ to them a few times, but my first direct interaction came when they rang our door bell.  “Mister, do you have any jobs you’d like to hire us to do?  We’ll do anything, sweep, pick up garbage, clean up after your dogs, whatever you want.  We’ve started a business, and we want to work.”  I was blown away by their entrepreneurship, but really couldn’t think of anything for them to do.  “That’s o.k.” they smiled, and headed off to the next door. 

   They were fearless, not worried about rejection, because they were full of faith that their scheme was going to earn them lots of dollars.  And, because boldness is attractive, pretty soon their enterprise had expanded to include most of the neighborhood, including many older kids, roving up and down the street, looking for chores and odd jobs to do.  Watching Tommy and Billy inspire the other kids, older and younger, leading them into adventures through optimism and fearlessness, it almost makes one hopeful for the future.     

   Last week we talked about the sin of covetousness, of lusting after worldly goods, instead of treasuring God’s priceless Gift of His Son.  We saw how God’s Law and His Gospel are not symmetrical.  We naturally expect the shape of the Good News of salvation to match, in reverse, the shape of God’s rules and threats.  But that’s not right. 

   For example, the sin of murder is terrible, and people should stop murdering and hurting each other.  But the solution to murder and violence, the solution between us and God, is not us refraining from murder, even though we should.  The solution is not even us taking good care of each other, although that’s a wonderful thing.  Rather, the thing that reconciles violent, murderous humanity to God is the murder of God’s Son, Jesus.  The Holy One was unjustly crucified, and He suffered our just punishment from God, including the punishment deserved by murder, in order to forgive us.  And that’s the only way for us to get right with God. 

   Likewise, Jesus in His parable against covetousness last Sunday said that to avoid ending up like the foolish rich man, who worshiped his wealth, we must be “rich toward God.” If my problem, my particularly troubling sin, is coveting, the solution would seem to be for me to use my earthly goods properly, to be generous and giving, not miserly and hoarding. That must be what Jesus means by being “rich toward God,” right?  But no, that is not what Jesus meant. 

   Our generosity, our giving, while salutary, could never suffice to earn us God’s favor.  To be truly rich toward God, we must possess His greatest Treasure, which the Father gave, for the salvation of the world.  To be rich toward God means we must have Jesus, whom we do have.  We hear His voice in the Word, we were covered by Him in our Baptism, and He gives us Himself in the Gospel that we eat and drink, the Lord’s Supper.  It is good to be generous and giving, to use well and share the material blessings God has given you. But this is not the basis of your salvation: only Jesus saves.  

   This week’s Gospel reading is the immediate continuation of last week’s reading from Luke 12.  And we heard about treasure, again.  Good News: Jesus is still our treasure.  That’s what He means when He says, “Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ^[34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Jesus, crucified, resurrected and ascended on high, for you: He is your greatest Treasure.  Believe this Good News, and live! 

   Jesus is still the Treasure.  But, this week our Lord pushes us to consider Christian living, our walk in the faith, this journey we all share from the day of our Baptism to the day of our physical death, or the Final Return of Christ, whichever comes first. 

   It is meet, right and salutary, (good, right and spiritually healthy), for us to consider the Christian life today, because our good works are important to God.  He desires them from us, they are important for our life together, and they are an important feature in God’s ongoing salvation mission. 

   We always need to guard against the idea that our works cause or even contribute to our salvation, because this false idea remains in the wiring of our sinful nature.  At the same time, we dare not ignore walking the Christian walk, of living the faith.  To ignore the Christian life would leave us with a deformed understanding of Christianity, as if once we are forgiven, there is nothing for the Christian to do but sit around, waiting for God to take us home.  God created us, and has re-created us, to do things, to work, to live and love in families, and to enjoy the blessing of His company.  To ignore the daily Christian life is to deny the way God has made us to be.  If we forget our identity in God, if we forget who we are in Christ, life will be out of joint, beset with trouble, and we will be vulnerable to temptation by the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh.  Considering how to pursue a life of fearless faith is both good, and necessary.  So let’s talk about fearless faith, about living without anxiety and worry.   

   God greeted Abram with “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."  Jesus regularly called out “fear not” to His own disciples.  Chapter 11 of Hebrews applauds the fearless faith of many ancient saints, who faced great dangers, because they believed and looked forward to the Lord’s promises.  Jesus continues this theme with His “do not be anxious,” teaching this morning. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  “I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ^[23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” God’s clear desire is to have faithful and fearless followers, who walk without worry.  But why?  If Christ alone is our salvation, and He is, then we know that avoiding worry or showing bravery do not earn us salvation.  Of course not.  But then, why does the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture spend so much time encouraging God’s people to be brave, to fear not, to not worry? 

   Well, first of all, fear and worry are not fitting for God’s children.  Like good parents who raise their kids to behave a certain way, God wants your life to reflect your place in His family, your trust in His promises.  The Almighty, the Lord of heaven and earth, has your back.  You are going to be o.k., He’s got this, whatever “this” might be. 

   The Lord is my rock and my salvation, proclaims the Psalmist, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?  Like the toddler on the side of the pool who trusts completely that Dad will catch her when she leaps into the water, we have the Creator and Sustainer of all things encouraging us to pursue good things, and trust that He will take care of us.   

   Second, God is truly concerned for your happiness.  Why should we, who are heirs of eternal glory, be miserable?  God doesn’t want that.  Now, I am not saying Christians never suffer.  I am not suggesting Christians never lack for food or clothes or have serious financial or health problems.  We do face trouble, often precisely because we are connected to Christ, the Suffering Servant.  But suffering as a Christian, for and with Christ, suffering because we are clinging to the Truth of His Word, this is a source of joy for the Christian, joy even in the midst of struggle and tears, because we know Jesus is with us, especially in our troubles. 

   And when we are not suffering?  When God blesses our days with peace and prosperity, why should we not be smiling?  This is not to suggest there is not a serious side to Christian life.  We do live in a fallen world, and sin is always crouching nearby.  But we also have the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the fellowship of all believers.  If we fall into the habit out of always being dour and somber, if, perhaps, we even brag about being miserable, we are denying ourselves the joy of Christ, which is new every morning.  This is not how God wants you to live.   

   Third, like Tommy and Billy, happy, confident, fearless people are attractive.  God in His infinite wisdom is working out His Mission through His people. God could do all outreach directly, I suppose.  Jesus certainly is the evangelist par excellence: God in human flesh, who nonetheless took time to speak and explain the Good News, often to just one sinner at a time.  But in His wisdom, God has done the vast majority of His mission work through His people, through the preaching of His pastors, and the proclamation of His people, and through their acts of love and service.  God works through individual believers, giving the reason for the hope they have, to those who ask them. 

   And, as with Tommy and Billy in our neighborhood with kid-stuff, so also in all of life with eternal things. Those outside the Body of Christ will be much more likely to see you as someone worth imitating, much more likely ask you questions about your faith, if you are confident, unworried, perhaps even fearless about your salvation.  And you should be, because Jesus has accomplished salvation for you, and for all people, 100%.    

   Now, I don’t mean to make missions, outreach and being a witness seem simple or easy.  The devil does not give up slaves without a fight; spiritual warfare is certainly part of evangelistic outreach.  Everyone who dares to tell others about Jesus will face rejection.  But what of it?  What does a man’s rejection mean to us, who have been accepted by God?   

   Each one of us will struggle to be a witness, because we are all sinner/saints.  By our baptismal faith in Jesus, God declares us and sees us as holy, righteous, beloved children.  But sin is not yet entirely expunged from our beings, and we know it.  We have eyes to see, ourselves, and the brokenness of the world, of our communities.  We want the world and we want ourselves to be different, but progress is painfully slow.  Perhaps it seems things are going backward.  Most efforts to speak of Christ to others do not engender enthusiastic replies, especially not right away.  We may know in our minds that planting seeds is vital work, and the fruit may not come for years.  But it is still easy to be disappointed and pessimistic. 

   Also, the visible prestige of the Church goes up and down through history.  In 1950s America, the Christian Church was dominant.  These days, we certainly seem to be in a downturn.  Exuding Christian confidence today is challenging.  It’s much easier for Christians to be dour, down in the mouth, almost hopeless. 

   But your Jesus says “No!  Jesus says no, do not be anxious, do not let your hearts be sad.  Trust in God, trust also in Me.  I have come that you may have joy, joy to the full.  Jesus says ‘no’ to Christian pessimism because joy is the Truth, even though it may be hidden from our eyes.  Joy is the Truth, joy is the future, because Jesus is reigning over all things, for His Church, for you.

   Being a fearless and faithful follower of Christ is a struggle, and it always has been.  Consider Abram.  He was doubting God’s promise, and so God doubled down.  Not only would all families of the earth be blessed through the One particular Seed of Abram, (see Genesis chapter 12), but Abram would also be the father of many, many people, as many as the stars of heaven.    

   God repeated His Word of Promise, and by that Word, Abram believed God.  For this faith, God credited Abram as righteous.  He’s in!  Abram is officially declared a “saved by faith” heir of heaven.  Abram has God on His side, and he believes it. 

   Still, after this blessed moment, and after a special covenant ceremony with God, and after repeated visits and messages, Abram still struggled to live out his faith.  He doubted the promise that he and Sarah would have a biological child, and went along with Sarah’s suggestion that they get their child through Hagar, her maid.  That didn’t work out well.  Even more, when they journeyed into the land of King Abimelech, Abram feared that the king would kill him in order to take his wife Sarah.  So, he told Sarah to lie and say she was just his sister.  He doubted God’s protection and gave up Sarah to Abimelech’s harem, in order to save his own skin.  

   Despite all this, God did not abandon Abram, or Sarah.  God protected Sarah from Abimelech, he never touched her, and God rescued Abram and Sarah from their predicament, even though they did it to themselves.  Why?  Why did God do this? 

   Because God had given them His Word.  God had made a Promise, to Abram and Sarah, that through their own biological son, God would fulfill all His promises.  Despite their foolish sins, for the sake of His Word of Promise, God overcame Abram and Sarah’s doubts, fears, sins and failures. 

   God has also given His Word of Promise to you.  His promises to you were fulfilled in in the Cross of Christ, and delivered to you through the cleansing of water with the Word.  God’s promises in Christ have been proclaimed over you, again and again.  God’s Word of promise to you is joined with bread and wine in a mysterious meal that renews your union with God, through the body and blood of Jesus.  God’s promises to you are irrevocable.  They don’t depend on your fearlessness or faithfulness, rather they are based in the fearless faithfulness of Jesus, and they are given to you, and me, as free gift.  God delivers His promises to us, again and again, to renew our faith, and to help us be a bit less anxious, less fearful, more confident tomorrow than we were yesterday.  

   These are God’s promises to you.  Believe them, and rejoice.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you always interpret and understand life through these promises, through this Truth.  With the Spirit’s help, you can live without fear, without worry, because Jesus, your true treasure, is in heaven, ruling the universe, and holding a place for you, in His glory, forever and ever, Amen.   

Rich Toward God - Sermon for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost

Rich toward God - Luke 12:21
8^th Sunday after Pentecost
August 3^rd, Year of Our + Lord 2025
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Hill City and Custer, South Dakota

Sermon Audio available HERE. 

  You already know today’s sermon, don’t you?  The texts seem to preach themselves; they’re very straightforward, don’t you think?  King Solomon’s lament from Ecclesiastes goes well with Jesus’ simple parable, about a foolish rich man, who reasoned to himself how to make the most out of the bountiful harvest he took in from his land.  Solomon and Jesus both warn that you can’t take it with you, that building bigger barns in order to store up your riches is nothing but vanity, a pointless effort, that will lead you to bitter disappointment.  Because you never know when your time will come, your life will end, and your earthly riches will then pass to someone else.  Jesus takes the point farther, explicitly warning against covetousness, that is, against letting our natural pleasure in nice things turn into an ugly, soul-consuming lust to acquire, to turn the pursuit of things into the highest goal of our life.  Guard against this, says Jesus, “for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

    Covetousness, greed, an excessive focus on acquiring stuff, this is the problem.  So, what’s the solution?  The problem, the law that Jesus preaches, is all about the misuse of material blessings.  How do we overcome this sin? 

   It’s quite natural to assume that the answer to the problem of misusing wealth is to use your wealth well.  Remind yourself that you can’t take it with you.  Instead, you should use your wealth in Godly ways, in true Godly wisdom.  The rich fool thought to himself , reasoned in his own mind, about what he should do with his great bounty.  He of course should have consulted with God.  You should pray to God and ask for His Spirit to guide you to the proper use of your possessions.  Certainly, you should think to share some of your wealth with the less fortunate, instead of storing it all up for yourself.  Jesus, after all, talks a lot about caring for the needy. 

   And of course, you should be rich toward God.  That means, I suppose, that we should give more of our bounty to support God’s mission, to support His Church.  Yes, that must be the solution, right?  We can solve the problem of worshiping our material riches by giving more of them to Christ, by giving more to His Church.  (Stop me if you’ve heard this stewardship sermon before.)  To put a bow on that, I could list out some particular needs and causes you might consider, a project we might undertake, a mission we might support.  And, to not let a good stewardship text go to waste, I could mention that we are a little behind on our giving, after all.  You can’t take it with you, so be rich toward God.  That’s the sermon, right?   

   There’s just one problem with this sermon: this is not what Jesus means.  Using your earthly wealth better, sharing more with others and giving more to support the work of Christ’s Church, these are not being “rich toward God.” 

   Now, please don’t misunderstand.  It is good to share your blessings with the less fortunate.  God does want you to use your material blessings well, which does include supporting the Mission of His Church with your time, your talents, and your treasure.  But none of this makes you “rich toward God.”  The rest of Scripture screams against this interpretation.  Thinking we can buy God’s favor with things is the crassest form of self-righteousness, and the Lord is not impressed with the self-righteous.  So we should take a closer look at what it means to be “rich toward God.” 

   Jesus’ parable warning about misusing wealth is also a parable about being prepared for the judgment.  The rich man dies, and God calls him a fool.  God will not exclaim “you fool” to a beloved child He is about to welcome into paradise.  Jesus is concerned that we not be covetous, that we don’t let our earthly riches mislead us into a false security, a false faith.  But being “rich toward God” cannot mean being generous and giving lots of money to the poor or to the Church, because throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit declares that nothing we do can make us ready to face our judgment.  On that night when our souls are demanded from us, and we face the final reckoning, we dare not point to our works as the argument for our acceptance by God, because our works always fall short.

   Using your wealth, your stuff, in a Godly way cannot be what reconciles you to God.  First of all, God doesn’t need your stuff.  What does the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the Universe need with our wealth?  Does the LORD need a share of your crop, so He can make it through the coming winter?  Does He desire a percentage of your take home pay?  To do what with, buy stuff on Amazon?  God doesn’t need your material goods; He is the One who gives it all to you in the first place.  God doesn’t need and He doesn’t want your stuff.  No, He wants you. 

   Now, I know, that is hard to believe, that God wants you and me.  After all we’ve done?  Knowing how easily and often we fall back into greed, covetousness, and many other shameful sins?  How can it be that God wants sinners like us?  It is hard to believe, but God does want you, and me, and everyone else.  The story of the Bible from Genesis chapter 1 to Revelation chapter 22 is the story of God pursuing His goal of having you, and many, many other people, living with Him, forever.  He wants to have a people with Himself so much that God the Father gave His most precious treasure, His beloved Son, in order that He can have you and me as His beloved children, forever.  You know the verse: For God so loved the world… God loved the world this much, and in this way:  He gave Jesus, into the Cross, for you.

    Being rich toward God, rich enough to merit salvation, means only one thing: that you have God’s most precious treasure: Jesus Christ. That He is yours and you are His, so that together with and for the sake of Christ Jesus, the Father rejoices over you.  That God’s Son, through His suffering, death, and victorious resurrection, has prepared a place for you to live in His Father’s glory and bounty and beauty, forever and ever.  God gives you the gift of His Son and His righteousness and holiness freely, through faith, which the Holy Spirit creates in you, through the very telling of this story, through the proclamation of the Good News, the Gospel.    

    But, you might ask, why does Jesus warn against covetousness, if it is not to motivate us to generosity?  Well, you can’t save yourself by being generous.  But falling into covetousness, which is idolatry, false faith, the worship of earthly things, this does threaten to separate you from God.  To set your heart on worldly goods is to sell yourself back into slavery to Satan.  Jesus doesn’t want us to do that, so He gives us this parable.   

    Now, God is not opposed to the just distribution of earthly blessings.  In fact, He commands this, and loves it when His people use their earthly riches to bless one another, and strangers, and even enemies.  Likewise, God is pleased when His people pool their resources to support the ongoing proclamation of Christ, in our town, our area, and around the world.  And, when you have an unexpected profit, when your blessings abound, it is wise to seek God’s guidance, as opposed to just reasoning with yourself about how to use it.  All of the things the rich fool could have and should have done are worthy things for us to pursue. 

    But, as Jesus makes plain to the man from the crowd who demanded Jesus adjudicate his inheritance fight with his brother, achieving financial justice and peace on earth is not why Jesus came.  Jesus is very direct and harsh with this man’s request: “Who made me judge or arbitrator over you?”  Jesus did not come to bring equity and peace between brothers, or neighbors, or nations.  Those are all good, worthy goals, but they are not Jesus’ purpose for being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 

     Jesus came, not to arbitrate between us sinners over earthly inheritance, but rather to be the Arbitrator between mankind and God, to secure for us an eternal inheritance in glory.  Christ is the One Mediator who has made peace between the Almighty and His rebellious creatures.  So it’s no surprise that Jesus bluntly refuses to be an inheritance attorney to sort out a petty squabble between two brothers. 

    Surely injustices ran throughout both the Roman tax system and the Jewish Temple tax system, because every institution run by sinners will always be unjust, to one degree or another.  But Jesus simply paid His taxes, calling us all to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to render unto God that which is God’s.  And God wants no money, only human souls. 

    Jesus blessed the poor and welcomed them, sometimes performing miracles in order to feed the hungry.  But when Mary anointed Him with expensive perfume just days before Good Friday, and some of His disciples complained that she had wasted the perfume, which could have been sold and the money given to the poor, Jesus would have none of it.  He declared: “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” (John 12:7-8)  Preparing Jesus’ body to be a fragrant offering to the Father, for the sins of the whole world, was far more important than all the wonderful earthly charity that has ever been done.  Because giving a bit of money or a loaf of bread to a poor person fills their stomach for a day, which is good.  But Jesus’ giving Himself for our forgiveness brings sinners like you and me into God’s heavenly banquet, forever and ever, Alleluia, Amen. 

    Jesus showed great concern and did much on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the ostracized.  Still, achieving earthly justice and providing earthly food was never Jesus’ focus.  Likewise, these ought never be the primary purpose of His Church.  Showing mercy, caring for human beings in their bodily needs, is part of our calling.  But, whenever a Christian Church begins to make earthly justice or alleviating poverty its primary goal, watch out.  Even better, if it is your church, speak up.  And, if they won’t listen, leave.  For when a church, whether a local congregation or a national denomination, prioritizes anything else higher than the death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of the Jesus Christ, they are on the way towards not truly being a Christian Church. 

    There is a great paradox here:  I am not saying human care and mercy, helping people with their daily lives, promoting justice and working to better our society are not concerns for the Church.  They just can’t be the main thing.  We dare not make them our true treasure.  Because we have one Treasure, the Man-God who reconciles us with His Father, and also gives us new hearts that want to share and care and speak the Good News to others.  Our richness toward God is nothing more nor less than Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Savior. 

   Without Him, nothing has any lasting value, nothing can give true joy.  With Him, everything, including serving the needy and even suffering for the faith, is richer.  And we are indescribably rich, whatever our bank account says, because in Christ we have everything.  And so our making merry, our joy, is great, even when it sometimes comes amidst tears.  Because we know that one day soon, we will receive pure and untainted joy, which goes on forever and ever.

   Loving and seeking too much earthly wealth is covetousness, a threat to salvation.  But we cannot seek too much of our Savior, Christ Jesus, for He our true wealth, the most valuable treasure we could possibly have.  So be wise, hear His voice.  Rejoice in your Baptism into Him.  Feast on Him in the mystery of His Supper, the Gospel that we eat and drink, His true body and blood, given and shed for you, and for the life of the world.  Marvel at God’s generosity.  Be merry in the infinite riches of God, which are yours, in Jesus, Amen.