Sermon Pentecost 22C November 9, 2025 Exodus 3:13-15

Grace, mercy and peace are yours from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

When we confess the first article of the Nicene Creed, we say I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things, visible and invisible. This was written and agreed upon by the Bishops of the Church in 325 AD or Since Jesus as I call it. Nicaea is in what is now Turkey, southeast of Istanbul/Constantinople. This creed was written primarily against the Arian heresy. Arius was a Bishop from Cyrene in Libya, North Africa. He had begun teaching that Jesus Christ was not co-eternal with the Father but had been created by the Father. The Second article is the article that proclaims that Jesus is indeed One with the Father, begotten before all worlds. Looking at the two creeds in your bulletin, you will see that Nicene expands greatly on the Person of Christ and his work. The theme for today is:

GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY IS THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE

Since today is the day that we hear about the first article, we can also see that it begins like the Apostles does, but adds the confession that God is the maker of all things, visible and invisible. This was a response to the Manichean heresy. This heresy was like Star Wars, with the dark and light sides of The Force being equal but not personal. The Nicene first article confesses that the evil powers are rebellious, created beings. These evil beings, the demons, are under God’s power as demonstrated many times by Jesus when he drove them out of people. Maker of all things, visible and invisible confesses that God is the ultimate source of all things, physical, spiritual, seen and unseen.

The text for today is from Exodus 3, where God called Moses to be the rescuer of his people Israel, in captivity in Egypt. Moses is what we call a type or foreshadowing of Christ. A type is a person or event in the OT that has a direct parallel in the New Testament. Moses is a man whom God picked to do the limited redeeming work of leading his people out of captivity in Egypt. Jesus, the God-Man is the One redeemer who gave his life as the sufficient sacrifice for the sins of all, Moses included.

In the text, there is the scene with the burning bush, God, and Moses. God knew that his people were under oppression. He heard their cries. His plan was to send Moses to lead them out of Egypt into Canaan, the Promised land, the land of milk and honey. Moses at first wondered why God chose him, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (God) said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 

GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY IS THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE

            Moses heard a voice coming from a burning bush and spoke to it. In that strange situation, Moses had presence of mind to ask for a name. Who are Y-O-U, voice from burning bush? Moses knew that he was conversing with a person, who must have a name. Moses was right, God is manifest in three persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And his name is I am who I am. I Am is God’s name. His name is a verb, the verb of being. God is. God exists. God is the living God. God is existence, He has always been. There was never a when, when he was not. I Am, the triune God, is the fountain and source for all that exists. Everything that is, seen and unseen, is because God has willed it into existence. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,  and so on.

            This is a counter-culture proclamation. It goes against the prevailing wisdom of the world, that thi came to be by random chance. True Wisdom is to recognize in faith, the God of Creation. The Psalms speak of it: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Ps 111:10 and Psalm 19:1: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. There is always a mind behind things that are made, like cars, buildings, cell phones, computers, aircraft, and on and on. These are all in the mind of a person or in the minds of many people before they are made. To assert that no mind, no one, nothing created and assembled the universe, the Earth, us, all that is, seen and unseen is unwise, and goes against all logic and wisdom. St. Paul wrote these next words 2,000 years ago to a culture much like ours, that makes a point of denying the God who made them. Ro 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. This is natural knowledge of God. We know these things about God from His Creation. Paul is saying that if you look at the world, you should at the least be confessing that someone exists who has the ability to create this marvelous universe and impart life to His creatures. A designer can be inferred from His Design. The universe bears all the evidence of having been crafted.  

GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY IS THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE

            Hebrews 11:3 states: By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. This is called Creatio ex nihilo, or creation from nothing. It is by faith that we know this. It is by faith that we proclaim that God did indeed create all that is.

            Moses got the name of the One who did all this. I AM. Our names are literally who we are. I’m pretty sure that most of us received our names from our parents. Our names go back in an unbroken line to Noah, then Eve and Adam, the first MAN, then to I AM. I AM is the first name of all names. It proclaims that God exists on His own. He is self-existent. We are not. He is Creator, we are His creatures. Our lives are a gift from Him We have our existence only because it’s the will of I AM.

            There are many deceptive paths that lead us away from our Father, lead us away from our source, our Creator. Ever since the fall into sin, mankind has denied the name of God, and that He is Creator. This remains among us in many different ways. Most notable is atheistic naturalism, evolution and every other false religion that denies the Creator, the True I AM, as well as the Son, his saving work, and the Holy Spirit. The Son of I AM became one of us to provide forgiveness of sins, to restore, to reconcile, to be I AM in human flesh, for you. His name is placed upon you in Holy Baptism, sealing you to an infinite future of joy in His presence. Next week we will hear how the Nicene Bishops defended the Divinity of the Son, much more about the Lord Jesus and His saving work. Amen    

 The peace that surpasses all understanding will keep you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen

Sermon Palm Sunday April 13, 2025 John 12:20-43

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ So, you wish to see Jesus, you Greeks? So, you wish to see Jesus, you stranger, you professor, you university student from far away or nearby, you lifelong, unchurched Stillwater resident, you church member who hasn’t been to church in months or years? We would, we should, welcome this to happen, people of any stripe, any attitude towards Christianity, asking We wish to see Jesus. It would be an opportunity for them to hear of Christ, a new believer, the return of another, a sign of potential growth. It would be exciting. We hear God’s Word today under the theme,

JESUS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO BE                                                                             JESUS IS WHAT YOU, AND ALL PEOPLE NEED THE MOST,                                                THE CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR FROM SIN

The Greeks wanted to see Jesus. But Jesus did not entertain any questions from the Greeks. Instead, He said this, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. I wonder what they thought of those words. Something must die in order for there to be fruit. Eternal life is promised for the one who hates his life and serves Jesus, in faith.  

The Greeks are non-Jews. In this text, they also represent the Gentiles. When Jesus half ignored them and began to talk about the hour of the Son of Man being glorified, it might have caused the Greeks to leave or to at least be put off. But it seems as though they did not leave. It appears they were riveted in place by this very strange, yet compelling sermon/conversation given by Jesus. What were the Greeks expecting when they asked to see Jesus? Because what they would get was an arrest, a sham trial, and jockeying between Herod and Pilate and the Chief Priests over who had jurisdiction. They would see Jesus railroaded to a kangaroo court, convicted of telling the truth and of being the truth, tortured, crucified and dead. They would also hear a voice from heaven, and talk of death and resurrection.

What does the stranger in our day have in mind when he or she asks to see Jesus. It could be anything imaginable under the current unanchored understanding of so many people. There could be cherished, yet wrong behaviors and attitudes the stranger is seeking validation for. The Jesus who judges sin and calls to repentance, may not be the stranger’s idea of Jesus. A professor might be seeking a Jesus who agrees with their political ideas and who also does not judge sin but just loves everybody no matter what they believe about him. The Jesus who claims that He is the way, Truth and life and no one comes to the Father but by Him, might not be the enlightened professor’s idea of Jesus. The “enlightened” professor might want a more “inclusive” Jesus. But Jesus is inclusive in that he died for the sin of all people. The Greeks were going to find out that Jesus death and resurrection was for them.

The unchurched lifelong Stillwater resident probably passes by churches almost every day. They certainly know Christians claim that Jesus rose from the dead. Aren’t they even curious about that? There are excellent records of Jesus' resurrection from the dead in the Bible. Easter is on all the calendars. And still, the Jesus that can be seen through the eyes of faith may not even be a thing to the unchurched. And the church members who are rarely, or never in God’s house receiving his gifts, might be seeing a Jesus who is fading from view. Prayers abound for all these people.

My niece once told me that the OSU campus has many, many Bible studies going on. Some are organized by ministries, such as ours, and others. But there is a substantial number that are hosted by private individuals. This is all good. I pray that these studies are fruitful in leading those students who wish to see Jesus to repentance, Godly sorrow for sin and faith in the Savior. I pray they always remember that,

JESUS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO BE.                                                                  JESUS IS WHAT YOU, AND ALL PEOPLE NEED THE MOST,                                                THE CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR FROM SIN

We’re not told why the Greeks wanted to see Jesus. Maybe they were looking for a Jesus to work a miracle for them. Isn’t that too often what we all do? Look for a Jesus to meet our expectations, our ideas, and our opinions of what He should be, and what He should be doing. But Jesus is not having any of that, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” This shows that Jesus is going to the cross willingly. Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. Jesus doesn’t jump through any of the hoops we set up for Him. He won’t do what anyone but His Father wants him to do. He became flesh and blood to go to the cross. He came so that his blood would be shed and his body would be given into death for the life of the world. Any person who wants to see Jesus must see Him on the cross, tortured and bloody for his or her own sin. No cross; no Savior; no forgiven sins, no reconciliation with the Father.  

The eternally begotten son of God became a servant for us. The name given to him for our benefit is Jesus, the one who saves His people. See Him as a servant. See Him as your Human brother and as your God. If you want to see Jesus, see him on the cross, forsaken. See Him humiliated, tortured, weak, pathetic, condemned like a criminal, a punished and nailed man, who is God. That is to see Jesus for you.

The cross is a stumbling block for Jews and folly to the rest of us. In general people do not want a God in flesh who suffers like Jesus did. Either they abhor the perceived cruelty of it all, or maybe they think that was not necessary because sin isn't that much of a problem. But sin is death, and we have no answer for that.

Any other type of Jesus than the suffering, dying, and rising one, is not sufficient, is not a Jesus we really need to see. This is the profound gift of God to all people. Not what we want, or what we think we need, or what we think the world needs so that it can live in peace, finally. No. We needed a Savior lifted up from the earth on a cross, drawing all people to Himself.

JESUS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO BE.                                                                                   JESUS IS WHAT YOU, AND ALL PEOPLE NEED THE MOST,                                               THE CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR FROM SIN

In the everyday of our lives we see Jesus in good works of faith granted to His believers in their various vocations. We see Jesus in redeemed lives of purpose and meaning. We see and receive Jesus in Baptism, Word and Supper. Jesus is for us in our daily walk as we encounter people for whom Jesus died in everyone we see. He died for them. He died for you. He rose from the dead and you are forgiven, having the promise of life eternal. Amen.

The peace that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen,

Sermon Lent 5C April 6, 2025 Luke 20:9-19

Grace, mercy and peace are yours from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

God asked a question in the OT reading: Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? God must ask that question because He desires that people perceive the salvation that he is preparing before the face of all people. To perceive God’s new thing is to believe and trust in His Son, the Savior Jesus. The parable in Luke 20 is all about God’s new work in Jesus, under this theme,

JESUS IS THE REJECTED, CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR OF ALL PEOPLE

THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES

            The events of the Gospel reading took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus enemies were asking more pointed questions and Jesus was giving more direct answers. Tension between Jesus and his enemies was increasing by the minute. Jesus wasn’t backing down and his enemies weren’t backing down either.

            The incarnation of the Eternal Son is the new thing that God was doing. The idea that God would enter human history in the flesh was a difficult thing for people to perceive. Jesus spoke very directly about God’s plan for Israel and for all people. But the more directly Jesus spoke the more they became hardened in their unbelief and pushed back at Jesus way of speaking. They pushed back to the extent that they plotted to kill him.

The parable of the tenants in the vineyard is a great example of direct speaking. This parable presents a short, concise history of Israel, and its rejection of prophet after prophet right up to the time of our text. Then Jesus takes it a couple days into the future, to his arrest, torture, and crucifixion. The people heard Jesus tell them what they were going to do to Him.  

            The story could hardly be clearer than this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. This was the history of Israel with God’s prophets in a very sad nutshell. Nobody was perceiving, trusting and believing. The new thing was now at hand.

JESUS IS THE REJECTED, CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR OF ALL PEOPLE

THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES

            The tenants in the vineyard were scribes and the chief priests along with their wicked kings. All of them should have known better. The servants of God, the prophets, should have been greeted with joy and expectation. The prophets came to collect the fruits of repentance, but they were greeted by men who did not perceive God as a merciful savior. All the words and ways that God had given them to tell them about the coming of the Savior were twisted and used for personal gain, and to hold power over the people. The vineyard of Israel was created to be the people from whom the Savior would come. The scribes and pharisees were supposed to be caretakers, preparing the people for Gods New Thing, Jesus. By treating the prophets shamefully, they treated God shamefully.

            Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 

JESUS IS THE REJECTED, CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR OF ALL PEOPLE

THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES

            Jesus spoke of God the Father as the vineyard owner. God had been very patient with Israel. We could say that He was long-suffering. Of course, God knew the answer to the question, What shall I do. He asked the question to emphasize the new thing that he was about to do. The time had come to send His only begotten Son, to His vineyard to seek and to save the lost. The Son is the exact imprint of the image of God. The Son is to collect the fruits of repentance and receive all the praise that is due to God.

            But (Jesus) looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

            Jesus spoke to them directly. Then he looked at them directly while quoting from Psalm 118:22, a Messianic Psalm. The love of God in Christ Jesus is directed specifically at his greatest enemies. Jesus really cared for his enemies. He still does. He died for all people including the actual ones who rejected him and crucified him. After he spoke the parable, Jesus made it clear that the new thing God was doing was happening right then. There is no other thing that would happen. Just two days later, God’s love for humanity would be convincingly shown.

The Cross of Jesus is the final, direct way God has spoken. He spoke directly to His people of old by His prophets. Now he speaks to us by His Son, His cross and resurrection. The Word of Christ meets failure to perceive and hardened unbelief in our day and time as well. You see it every day in media, and even in friends and family. Still, the Cross of Christ remains God's direct means of saving everyone.

God has done His new thing His New Israel, the church of Jesus. He desires to be first and foremost in your thoughts. He knows that you sin daily, accidentally and on purpose, and accidentally on purpose. Yet, he continually gives you the gift of repentance, calling you back through His Word. You perceive this through faith, that is, you believe and trust in Jesus always.

            God’s convincing act of love for all of humanity is the cross of Jesus Christ. All people are born enemies of God, lost and dead in sin. All people needed the new thing that Jesus finished by his sacrificial death. Your sins are forgiven. Christ Jesus has risen from the dead and has made you his own. Life and salvation are yours. Because,

JESUS IS THE REJECTED, CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR OF ALL PEOPLE

THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES

Amen.

The peace that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.  

Sermon Advent 1C

December 1, 2024

Luke 19:28-40

John E. Wackler

Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God the Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A while back, I anticipated going to a concert for about two months. I bought tickets as soon as they were available. And then I got busy and it went to the back of my mind until a couple weeks before. And then the anticipation really built. Would they be as good as I though? Yes, they were. They even exceeded expectations. I really didn't want it to end.

WE JOYOUSLY ANTICIPATE THE SAVIOR FROM SIN

WHO ARRIVES AS A HUMBLE SERVANT KING

Right now, we are all anticipating Christmas. Decorations are out. Christmas music is already being played constantly. Shopping and planning for gatherings are underway or complete. Even though we eagerly anticipate Christmas, and enjoy it when it comes, the season is hectic, and often stressful for many people. There is also the possibility that we may become disillusioned with the frantic pace and commercialization of the Christmas Season.

So, in the hustle and bustle, let's not forget about Advent. We'll have Wednesday night sanctuaries from the hubbub. Let's enjoy this first season of the church year for what it really is, the joyful anticipation of the coming of the Savior from sin, Jesus of Nazareth.

God's people of Old had been anticipating the coming of Messiah for several thousand years. There was only a handful of people faithfully waiting. It had been a long time. Would the Savior even come? The prophets foretold, and Israel had not been waiting very patiently. They had been seeking false gods and gave and a babe born in a manger was not even on their radar.

The truth is, the Israelites had the word of God about the Savior to come, even though they were impatient. Listen to God's Word from Jeremiah in our OT reading for today, “I will cause a righteous branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah and Jerusalem will dwell securely.”

Jeremiah is telling us what the Savior would come to do, and what the result of his work would be. The righteous branch is Jesus. Jesus established justice and righteousness by willingly going to the cross to give himself into death for the sins of the world. Justice, punishment for sin, was placed on Jesus instead of on us.

The Gospel for this First Sunday in Advent is the account of an event that happened just one week before Easter. It may seem strange that we're reading about this event during Advent instead of Easter. What is this account saying to us about Advent? How do we seek real sanctuary during the mad rush that has become the world's Christmas season.

WE JOYOUSLY ANTICIPATE THE SAVIOR FROM SIN

WHO ARRIVES AS A HUMBLE SERVANT KING

We have to really concentrate hard to stay focused on Advent, and repentance, when the world around us has already rushed headlong into Christmas. The world will miss most of the preparation that the church tries to provide, as we anticipate the coming of the Christ child, and as we wait for the celebration of the birth of the Savior. We also need to be careful not to allow the crass commercialization of the Christmas season to rob it of it's holiness. Maybe you can identify with that possibility. Is there time to reflect and ponder the true wonder of this Advent season?

Advent takes us back to the Old Testament - the time before our savior was born. God's faithful people yearned for deliverance from the oppressive slavery of sin. They knew spiritual darkness and the shadow of death as they waited for Messiah - the savior. He would carry them out of the valley of the shadow of death and despair. (Our sermon hymn places us in unity with our fellow believers of the OT when we sang with them, "O come, O come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel.")

Advent shines the light of Christ into the darkness of our human sinfulness and despair. It causes the excited anticipation of rescue from sin, death, and Satan. Let it also remind us, like Lent does, that the shedding of blood is necessary for the forgiveness of sins.

Advent points us to the perfect Babe of Bethlehem, Jesus. It reminds us that all the OT sacrifices pointed to the once for all sacrifice of Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, for sin. We reflect on the fact that we desperately need God to come into this world to rescue us. We repent of our sins in anticipation of the deliverance guaranteed to Adam and Eve with the promise of a Savior, continued with the birth of the King of Kings in Bethlehem, finished at Calvary, and the empty tomb in Joseph's garden.

The Son of God became the Son of Man in order to save us from our sin. His love for us sinners placed Jesus in the manger and that same love sent Jesus to the cross. His immaculate conception and miraculous birth in human flesh were the first historic steps on the road to that cross. His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem started his final journey towards the ultimate purpose for his coming.

WE JOYOUSLY ANTICIPATE THE SAVIOR FROM SIN

WHO ARRIVES AS A HUMBLE SERVANT KING

To sinful people, waiting can be a real pain in the neck. If waiting goes on too long, we might lose interest and move on. We want what we want and we want it now! It's hard to patiently wait, even when we know the end result is going to be good, even great. Remember this though, everything happens in God's own timing. We can relax, and wait patiently, trusting that God's promise will be fulfilled. We can receive the holiness and preparation of Advent, while anticipating Christmas with abiding joy.

In the Gospel reading, the Pharisees did not like the people praising Jesus as they were doing. They demanded of Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Nothing will stop Jesus from completing his work. And nothing will stop his believers from praising Him. Life will enter stones and they will cry out. Nothing would stand in the way of Jesus preaching, and teaching and speaking the truth about sinful man, and about himself during the upcoming week.

The timeless historical account of the shepherds in the fields, and the angels singing “Glory to God in the Highest” has endured among us even though many enemies of Christ have declared this truth to be a fable, a myth. There is open hostility towards the magnificent story of redemption, and towards those who believe God's Word and trust in Jesus.

Nothing will stand in the way of the Truth of Jesus. The Word of God will endure against all foes. The Word of God concerning your Savior Jesus, is universal truth. It is something very specific, and it does something very specific. It creates saving faith as it is heard, believed, trusted.

We do anticipate Christmas with great joy. We also anticipate the second time Jesus will come with just the same amount of joy and even greater peace. The “finer day” that we seek after is guaranteed to us through faith in Him who came in the glory of the Lord, was crucified, died, rose from the dead, and lives forever. This is God's certain promise to us. Most of His promise has been fulfilled. The rest will be fulfilled. Anticipate, Rejoice, Your Savior Comes. Amen.

The peace that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sermon Pentecost 3B June 9, 2024 Mark 3:20-35

Grace, mercy and peace are yours from God the Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

During the Civil War of the 1860's, President Lincoln gave a speech that many historians call The House Divided speech. Lincoln’s main idea for that speech came from the Gospel reading for today. The nation he presided over was severely divided. Would it remain divided and fall, or would it stand? Jesus said; If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

When thinking of these types of issues, I am reminded of the hymn, God of Grace and God of Glory, verse 3. Cure your children’s warring madness, bend our wills to your control. Shame our wanton selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss your kingdom’s goal. Sadly, the sinful nature is humanity’s inborn condition. We always fighting against each other. We are always resisting the love of God, and denying the Creator who made us.

In the Gospel reading, we find that there is a sort of civil war going on between Jesus and the pharisees. They resisted his person and rejected his love. Yet he continued to love his enemies.    

In the Genesis reading we see the aftermath of the fall into sin. Eve had believed the lie of the serpent, "Did God really say not to eat the fruit?" Yes, God did, say that, Eve acknowledged. But the serpent told her that God had lied about death and was trying to keep her and Adam from becoming like him. Eve took and she ate, and… Adam failed to protect his wife. He ate too. The Bible reveals many times that Adam gets the credit for the fall into sin and the reign of death. And here we are. And I am glad. God showed mercy to Adam and Eve through the promise of a savior, the son of Eve/Mary, who would lastingly defeat the Serpent by bruising the head of the serpent and his offspring. We live within the consequences of the fall. But as Paul says in the Epistle, it is a light, momentary affliction. Doesn’t seem like it at times, but we must trust the Word of God, because we also live within the promises of God in the Savior of the world, Jesus. 

The Pharisees had everything backwards. The unforgivable sin is to actively reject God's whole plan of salvation, which was announced to the serpent, Eve and Adam just after Adam's rebellion. The plan was that the Christ should suffer, die, and rise from the dead, and that forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name beginning at Jerusalem. In the Garden of Eden, God promised that the Seed of woman would crush the evil serpent's head. Jesus came to do just that. He conquered sin, Satan and death by his cross and resurrection, a thing the world finds to be backwards and offensive.

But it is the worldly who have everything backwards. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld delivered the commencement address at Duke University a couple weeks ago. Many students walked out simply because Seinfeld is Jewish. That was a good illustration of the idea of a house divided. I enjoyed listening to the speech, and I even read the transcript so I could quote from it. One of the wise things he said was; My point is, we’re embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about.

This particular month that is quite the thing to say. And I think it’s right in many ways. In another graduation speech a football kicker had the gall to stand up for true marriage as a good thing, as God's beautiful design for humanity. These thoughts and opinions, and the reactions to them, starkly illustrate the divided house we will inhabit until Jesus returns. Isaiah 5:20 has this little nugget of warning for us; Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! In those two graduation speeches, the true wisdom of the house of God, the house of light, was revealed.

The world insists that Christians be open minded towards all the garbage that our society and the world is spewing. However, the world is not about to be open minded towards the things of God in Christ Jesus. The world in fact is totally close-minded to the Word of Christ. The house is divided.

Jesus proved that he was God’s Sent One by healing people, controlling the weather, feeding people miraculously, by raising some from the dead, and by driving out many demons. This was evidence that he was God, and a preview of what his cross would accomplish for all people, forgiveness and eternal life. That is the one and only plan of salvation that saves mankind. 

Our sinful flesh and every act of disobedience we do declare that we deserve to be in the house of darkness and death. We are all conceived and born as God’s enemies, turned away from him and full of sin. We all need Jesus' Baptism to drive the devil out of us and for Jesus to take up residence. 

God’s whole plan was that we would not remain in the darkness of our sin. He wants us to be with him forever. Jesus Christ came into the world as one of us and has rescued us out of the darkness of the house of Satan. There is no compromise position to take. We cannot compromise with Satan or with the world.

You are in God’s house of light. He is not divided against himself. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in agreement perfectly. The water and the blood agree. Fed by Holy Communion, and Baptized into the Triune name of God, you have been rescued from the house of darkness and have entered His marvelous light. God commands you and enables you to remain in His house forever. In His house, you find forgiveness, life and joy in Jesus. Do not lose heart. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Amen.  

The peace that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.