Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Palm Sunday (March 28, 2010)

TITLE: “Hosanna!”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is the Gospel lesson for Palm Sunday from St. Matthew chapter twenty one as follows: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Years before our Lord entered into Jerusalem, another unrecognized King came into the Holy City. A young man, David by name, had been anointed king by the prophet Samuel. He had defeated the giant Philistine, Goliath. Although he was little more than a boy, God had made him a king and a mighty warrior. How is it that this boy defeated his enemies? He defeated them by trusting in the Word of God. He defeated them not because he was strong or sneaky or fierce. He defeated them because David knew that it was the Lord that fights for us, and not we ourselves. So it was that when he entered into Jerusalem with King Saul, the women of the city sang to one another:

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7)

You can imagine that King Saul was not happy with this turn of events. David had done nothing wrong. He had done everything right, in fact. He had defeated Goliath. He had become King Saul’s right-hand man. King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had befriended him. All he did was serve the King. The people recognized this, and cried out to him in love and support.
Let’s come back to Jesus now. It is Palm Sunday as we know it, a week before the Passover. Jesus came into His city, Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover with his friends and disciples. Jesus, the Son of David of Bethlehem, had come to His city. Jesus, the Son of God, had come to redeem His people from their sins. He entered into the city on a donkey, an animal of peace. He came because He loved them. He came to die.

The people on that day spread their coats on the road, and they cut down palm branches from the trees and spread them along the road so that the dust would not be stirred up. As they did this they cried out and sang to Jesus,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna is an Aramaic word which means “save, I pray” or “help us now, I pray”. It’s the cry of a people who knew what Jesus could do. He had healed the sick and diseased. He had forgiven sins and walked on water. He had preached in their synagogues and on the steps of the Temple. He had raised the dead, even Lazarus, who had been dead four days. It was right they call out to Jesus to save them. That’s what Jesus does. He is the Savior, after all.

So what does this mean for you, dearly baptized? What does this mean for you, who languish in your sins, who suffer under the weight of sickness and death, and who long for the peace that passes all understanding? What it means is this. Christ our Lord entered into Jerusalem much like his forefather, David, did. Jesus was anointed to be your Messiah, your savior from sin, death and hell. When He entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, He did so for you. He did this so that you would not be afraid of Him, so that you would know that He has entered into our domain humble and lowly, and so that you would be at peace.

He did this by defeating the devil at his own game. David defeated Goliath by trusting in the Word of God and not in His own strength and might. Our Lord in the same way defeated the devil by humbly trusting in God’s Word. He knew that the Devil could never understand the depth of God’s love for sinners like you and I. One early Christian pastor put it this way:

So that He might deliver man from the bonds of the death-bringing transgression, Our Lord Jesus concealed the power of His majesty from the fury of the devil. Instead, He offered him the weakness of our inferiority. For had this proud and cruel enemy known the plan of God’s mercy, he would have tried not inflame the Jews with evil hate, so that he might not lose the slavery of all his captives. And so the devil was tricked by his own wickedness. He inflicted a torment on the Son of God which was changed into a medicine for all the sons of men. He shed innocent Blood, which then became both the price and the drink which restored the world. (St. Leo the Great)

He gives that drink today in His Holy Sacrament. This week we journey with our Lord to His cross and death, and He gives us holy food and drink to sustain us on the journey. You king has come to you now, humble and lowly. He comes to lift you up from the depths. He comes to raise you up to the right hand of God Himself. Come now. All things are ready. Come now and meet Him where He is. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Lent 2 – Reminiscere (February 28, 2010)

Matthew 15:21-28

TITLE: “Prayer Answered”

This year is a year of prayer for Messiah. We have a lot of things to pray about here. We pray for the needs of our congregation members, health, jobs, families, money, and even more. Prayer is a good and wonderful thing. It gives focus to our needs. It makes it so that we are never truly helpless, because God promises to hear our prayers, always.

The problem with prayer from our perspective is that it seems so wispy, so intangible and difficult to really nail down. If we are honest with ourselves, we treat prayer like a cop-out, a “Hail Mary” pass of desperation when things get really bad. Oh no! Things are so bad that we have to resort to prayer? That is serious.

The other alternative is that prayer becomes rote, like Come Lord Jesus or even the Our Father. Prayer becomes a habit that has no meaning, like brushing your teeth or making sure you put your socks on before you walk out the door. You may even be unconscious that you are doing it!

So why do we have such a hard time praying? Let’s take a look at our Gospel for today to learn why.

In our story for this morning we have a woman with everything against her in first century Palestine. First of all she’s a woman. We don’t see in our story where her husband is, but one thing is for sure is that women did not simply go up to men at that time and beg for anything. It was simply not done. Second, she’s a Canaanite. You know, the people that God told the Israelites to kill when they took over the land of Canaan? Then third, her daughter is possessed by a demon. This does not bode well for her in terms of getting help. At this point she was probably thinking in terms of that prayer-as-hail-mary-pass.

So she goes to Jesus and begs, have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon! If ever there was a request that seems reasonable to grant, this seems like a pretty good one. After all, we sorta believe we can take care of the normal earthly problems, but demons? That’s out of our pay grade.

Jesus, however, is silent as a tomb. Have you ever felt that way about God and how He answers prayer? I think every week about the things we pray for here at Messiah. We pray for our shut-ins, expectant mothers, confirmation students, the Academy, Racine Lutheran High School. We pray for people who are sick or in prison. We pray for good stewardship and that God would bless our efforts here at Messiah. This doesn’t even include the fears that we have lurking in our hearts at night, the things we are too afraid to pray for out loud because we don’t want to be disappointed.

So for all of the things we pray for, do you believe that God will answer them? Are you afraid that God doesn’t even care? That certainly seems to be the first answer this woman got to our prayer. Silence. Sometimes God is silent when we think He should be talking, and talks when we wish He would be quiet. Sometimes prayer feels more like we are wrestling with God than it is that we are praying to Him. Prayer has an amazing way of exposing our own fears when it comes to God.

You and I may well have given up, but not this woman. She keeps asking, even to the point where the disciples beg Jesus to give her what she wants and send her away. You can certainly imagine the scene. She is crying and begging and asking and making this scene, much like blind Bartemaeus from a couple weeks ago. The disciples don’t want a lesson in persistent prayer. They want a little dignity!

Jesus then goes on and says He is only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Certainly this seems like a put-off on Jesus’ part. This woman, though, doesn’t want to get into a theological debate with God. She just keeps on asking, Lord, Help me!

Then the ultimate insult, at least it looks that way. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs (v. 26). In any culture, calling someone a dog is a bad thing, and this is no exception. The Jews in Jesus’ day would call the Gentiles “dogs” as a way of emphasizing that they aren’t God’s chosen people. So Jesus here is really highlighting the fact that she isn’t a Jew.

But this woman catches Jesus in His words. Of course, Jesus wanted to be caught. She replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” In other words, she confesses that while she’s a dog, she is His dog. She is a part of the family. The important thing is not where you sit. The important part is that you are at or at least under the table.

So what do we learn about prayer from this woman? This is what I want you to take home from this text:

1. God doesn’t answer prayer when or even how we want or expect. Sometimes God uses silence to great effect, because it may help us focus on what we truly need. He may also use silence to draw attention to the grace that He will give in His own time and way.

2. God does answer prayer. It is really that simple. Prayer is not a last-ditch effort of a desperate person. It is the cry of faith to the one and only person who can actually help in your time of need. Even in your darkest night and most painful moments, God will answer.

3. God answers with His Word. I don’t have to speculate or wonder about God’s will for me. I know His will for me, that is, I know that He wants me to live and to be with Him forever. That is His good and gracious will. What I don’t know is all of the details on how He will get me there and keep me there.

4. Finally, Prayer is all about trust. We pray to God trusting that He will answer us. That is God’s promise to you. He will answer your prayers. Don’t give up on God. He certainly has not given up on you.

So be at peace, dearly baptized. God is with you. He hears your prayers and answers them with your greatest need. He gives you Jesus. The rest of it will come in His time and way, and frankly, that is really far better than anything you or I could ever want or imagine. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Sexagesima Sunday (February 7, 2010)

Luke 8: 4-15

[podcast]http://public.me.com/toddpeperkorn/sermons/Sexagesima2010.mp3[/podcast]

TITLE: “The Seed”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is the parable of the Sower from Luke chapter 8.

The seed is the Word. That is the point of this parable. The Word goes where it wills. The Sower, God, is reckless in His casting out of the seed. You never know where this seed will end up, where the ground will be rocky, thorny, bare or rich. All we know is that the seed is the Word, and that God is the one who calls the seed to grow and blossom forth.

The seed is the Word. If we were in charge, things would be different. If we were in charge, there would be demographic studies, soil samples, seed advertising, and an incredible amount of work done to insure that the seed isn’t wasted, and that every single seed goes on the best ground. We by nature are seed controllers and managers, not planters. We don’t like to water the seed. We want to eat it, to consume, to take and to get. That’s how the kingdom of this world works. But that is not how the kingdom of God works.

The seed is the Word. The Word of God goes forth. It is His Word, not mine or yours. Sometimes this Word of God crushes us, mats us us flat. Sometimes it feels like we are the seed, being ground into flour. God’s Word of Law shows you who you are in His sight. His Word of Law shows you that you are a sinner, that you need help, that you are beyond reform. In order for God’s Word of promise to take root and grow, you first must be turned over, spaded, and ground up. This process is not pleasant, but the result is marvelous.

Even St. Paul needed some turning over at times. Remember again his words from our Epistle:

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV)

As long as you think that you are the one in control, you are living a delusion. In our pride and folly so often we become conceited like St. Paul, boastful of our own works, as if they are so wonderful and worthy of attention. But God, who is rich in mercy, sends things in your life to keep you from being overcome by your own pride and self-absorption. These thorns, these messengers of Satan, are there so that you do not think that this is all your work. They show you your weakness. They show you how much out of control you really are. They are a gift from God.

I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of these thorns in the flesh that God sends. They are hard to bear, painful and unruly. The thorns show me things about myself that I don’t want to see. They show me how selfish I am, how prideful and self-centered I have become. Yuk. But the amazing thing about God’s thorns is that they are just for you. God sends these things not so that you will suffer. God isn’t vindictive or cruel or mean. God does not work that way.

God is rich in mercy. God sends these things so that something even more beautiful and powerful can shine forth. God’s grace is made perfect in weakness. God does His best work when you are exhausted, at your wits end, and ready to give up on it all. God’s seed is planted in you as you are crushed. And from that seed will grow forth a great and mighty harvest.

The seed is the Word. God’s plants His seed in you in the holy waters of Baptism, given to our dear brother Mitch today. We don’t know how the seed planted in Mitch today will grow, anymore than we know what you will become. But what we do know is that God’s Word, God’s Seed, God’s Food, always does what He sends it today. You may not understand it, You may not be able to put together all of the pieces of how these things work. You don’t know how God will work, only that He will work.

How do you know this? You know this because God planted His Son into the ground. Remember the words of our Lord:

“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” (John 12:23–25 ESV)

God planted His Son into the ground in His death on the cross. The Seed is the Word made flesh. That Seed, dead and raised again, now lives in you by water and Spirit. That Seed comes to you even now in His Body and Blood on the Altar. Come, eat of His Body and Drink of His blood. Don’t true to figure it out. Don’t try to control or manipulate. Receive what God has come to give you. He will water you, He will take care of you. You are in His Garden. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

And now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep you hearts and minds in true faith to live ever lasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Transfiguration (January 24, 2010)

Matthew 17:1-9

[podcast]http://public.me.com/toddpeperkorn/sermons/Transfiguration2010.mp3[/podcast]

TITLE: “The Mountain and the Valley”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning is from the Gospel just read, the Transfiguration of Our Lord.

There is a great temptation when you are at one of those moments of your life that are so wonderful, so beautiful and perfect, that you never want to leave. It is very easy to want to go from mountaintop to mountaintop, and not to peer into the valleys. The valleys are dark. The valleys are dangerous. The valleys are where all the action is, and that action is not always a good thing for sinners like you and I.

If you have ever wanted to go back in time to that perfect point in your life, you can understand Peter in our text. Here you have Jesus going up on a mountain to pray, along with His closest disciples, Peter, James and John. They have gone off by themselves to regroup, and to prepare for the coming road to Jerusalem and the cross. It has been six short days since Peter’s great confession, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.” God had revealed this great confession to Peter, but apparently it didn’t stick yet. Right afterwards, Jesus tells them that he is going to Jerusalem and death. Peter wanted to stop Jesus from going on that hard road, but Jesus rebuked him.

So here they are, up on the mountain, and they get this incredible vision. Jesus changes before their very eyes. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Like Moses so many years before, Jesus seemed to be the glory of God in the flesh. And then, wonder of wonders! Moses and Elijah appear! These two great men, prophets and deliverers of God’s people, are right in front of them, talking with Jesus. This wasn’t a dream! It was real, and the three disciples are there to witness the whole thing.

We can understand Simon Peter here. Great, Lord! Let’s set up shop right here, you, Moses and Elijah. We’ll make a tabernacle for you just like the good olé days. Then right in the middle of Peter’s proposal, they are enveloped in a bright cloud and a voice comes from out of the cloud and says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Now to you and I, those words should sound at least a little familiar. They are identical to the words that our Heavenly Father said over Jesus at His Baptism in the Jordan River. But here, some words are added. Here we get that final statement, “listen to Him.” That may sound like something obvious, but it isn’t. Peter in his excitement and brashness caught himself telling Jesus what to do. He wanted to be with God-in-the-flesh, but he wanted it on his terms, not God’s terms.

And that is where we come in. So often we want God with us, but we want Him with us on our terms, not His terms. I want God when He is up on the mountain, looking down, filled with the glory of God, and when things are right and perfect and beautiful. It is a glorious site, that’s for sure. Who wouldn’t want a God like that? Who wouldn’t want a life like that?

There is a problem, though. While that may be a dream, it is a selfish dream. It is a dream that has no place for anyone else, even God. You see, to be in the image of God means to get outside of yourself and to get into the shoes of your neighbor. It means to live with them, to suffer with them, and yes, even to die with them and for them. It means to rejoice when they rejoice, and to weep when they weep. That’s what God is really like. The light of God does not just come down upon us in the sunshine. God’s light is clearer in the darkness. Listen to how our hymn confesses it:

Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine,

And deep within our hearts now shine;

There light a flame undying!

In Your one body let us be

As living branches of a tree,

Your life our lives supplying.

Now, though daily

Earth’s deep sadness

May perplex us

And distress us,

Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us. (LSB 395:2)

The sad reality is earth’s deep sadness does perplex and distress us. While the view from the mountain may be great, for most of us, we actually live in the valley of the shadow of death. The mountains are a part of the journey, but have you ever noticed when climbing a mountain that it takes a lot longer to climb up than it does to go down?

Today we rejoice with Peter, James and John that God’s glory is in our midst. You and I experience that glory even more directly than those disciples did, here in His body and blood. That gracious presence of Jesus that ties us to Him as living branches of a tree, ties us to Him so that we may go out into the world. Christ goes with us all the way, and we are going, even into that valley.

Enjoy the view from this great mountain! From this mountain we can see the valley of Lent, where we will go down and then up again to another mountain, Mount Calvary, where our Lord will be lifted up, and where He will draw us to Himself (John 12:32). From this same mountain we can see the heavenly city, Jerusalem, the city of peace where we will dwell with Him forever.

Now that’s a picture to consider, isn’t it? Hear again how our hymn confesses that great reality:

What joy to know, when life is past,

The Lord we love is first and last,

The end and the beginning!

He will one day, oh, glorious grace,

Transport us to that happy place

Beyond all tears and sinning!

Amen! Amen!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Crown of gladness!

We are yearning

For the day of Your returning!

Even so, come Lord Jesus. Change us into your holy image, that we may bear it to the end of days and your great returning. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Higher Things SOLA conference
Ephesians 2:1-10

[Reader’s note: this is a sermon I preached at the 2009 SOLA Higher Things conference. It’s not really about zombies, but I did mention them. It apparently generated a fair amount of conversation after I left. -LL]

For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “The Work of Art”

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Zombies. We haven’t had a zombie sermon yet this conference, so it’s about time. Paul really lays this out for us nicely in Ephesians 2. You are a dead one walking, following the prince of the air into the darkest holes of hell. You are by nature zombies, the walking dead, mindlessly following the spirit of disobedience, doing what comes naturally, and let me tell you, what comes naturally ain’t good, people. Anger and hatred are probably some of the nicer things that come naturally to us children of men. You are dead, at enmity with God, following the passions of your body, like dogs that cannot help themselves but do what comes naturally. Ugh. Blech. Not good, people. Not good at all.

So why? If you are all these things, and do all these things, why would God raise you up to the heavenly places in Christ Jesus? Why would the Father send His Son to death so that you may live together in Him alone? We don’t deserve it, that’s for sure. We talk a lot about what God does, but that question of why is one that every child of man must struggle with at some point. Why does God care about me at all? If I am so bad, if I screw up so often, if I am, as Luther would put it, a maggot sack, the walking dead, with the stench of the grave wafting out of my pores, why does God do all of this wonderful and great stuff for me?

The word, dearly baptized, is Grace. Breathe that word it. We can even use Luther’s language and say grace alone. Say it with me. GRACE ALONE. It is perhaps the most Lutheran of words. If it isn’t THE Lutheran word, it is certainly in the running. Grace. What does it mean? Originally the word meant something like beauty. You might say in greek that a beautiful woman had ca¿riß, had grace. Grace was a character or a quality in the person. So we might say that God is full of grace. It is who He is.

But grace also means favor or attitude or disposition, like a rich landlord would show grace to his tenants or servants. One of the wonderful things about this word grace is that it’s hard to distinguish between the gracer, the one giving or showing grace, what his attitude is toward you, and what he actually does or gives to you. The nature of God and the actions of God go hand in hand. One flows from the other. And God, who is rich in mercy and full of grace, shows you who He really is in sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that you might live.

Since you all are mostly Lutheran geeks, that probably means that a good portion of you are also Lord of the Rings geeks. One of the many great scenes in the book is when Samwise slips up and gives away that Frodo carries the One Ring. But Faramir is given a chance to “show his quality.” His quality, his essential character, was that he would let them go and continue their journey to their doom and the salvation of all.

So this is who God is, that he is rich in mercy, full of grace, that God is love, always giving, always moving outside Himself and to His creation that He loves. You, dearly baptized, are His doing, his workmanship, His work of art if you want. God could no more abandon you than He could deny his own nature. His nature of love, of mercy, of grace, of favor, is to give you all things in His Son Jesus Christ. He has raised us up in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, why? “…so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7).

In other words, He shows you His grace, gives you His divine favor, sets you up in the heavenly place in Him, so that in the coming ages he might show the world the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Higher Things in higher places for higher people. This happens not by your doing or mine, but solely by grace, by His work. He has revealed His saving love. And He will use you, dearly baptized, He will use you for His good purposes in Christ Jesus. You are His living work of art, His beloved, His chosen. You aren’t zombies, the walking dead. You are alive in Christ Jesus, washing in Him, holy, lifted up, and favored by Him.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Trinity 4 (July 5, 2009)
Luke 6:36-42

For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “The God of mercy”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning is from the Gospel lesson just read.

What does it mean to be merciful? We talk about mercy a lot in the church. But usually when we talk about mercy, we’re talking about an attribute of God. God is merciful. Or maybe we’re talking about the school playground. MERCY! Stop hurting my hands! I give up! You win! You know the game.

Jesus, however, is not really interested in a word like mercy simply being something you hear on Sunday morning. He calls you to live a life of mercy. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. When we talk about mercy as this attribute or perhaps picture of God, it has to be concrete. It has to have flesh and blood. So let’s look at mercy and think through what it might mean in our common life together here at Messiah. Here are a few examples of mercy:

Mercy means helping those who can’t help themselves. It means looking around you, every day, all the time, and asking how you can serve the people God puts into your life every day.
Mercy means not assuming the worst about your neighbor. Jesus also puts it another way and says don’t judge. Don’t assume that you know all the trials and difficulties that those around you are facing. You don’t. Only God does. Don’t judge doesn’t mean that the Law doesn’t matter. Some people and circumstances demand judgment. But what it does mean is that we don’t ever pretend to be greater than those around us.

This has real live, concrete conclusions. Let me give you a few examples from our context here at Messiah:

What this means is that when the child in the pew behind you is being too loud, don’t assume it’s because the child has terrible parents. Don’t judge and be merciful means offering to help instead of fuming on the inside.

Now of course, that goes both ways doesn’t it? Just as the folks in front or behind the noisy kid judge and assume the worst, in the same way the parents can easily become callous and crass toward the people around them. It’s hard to hear with a child hollering in the row behind you, and the point of church is to hear what God has to say. Sometimes being merciful means taking your child out and disciplining them, rather than keeping them in church to teach them a lesson.
Be merciful means showing actual, real kindness toward those around you. If one of our elderly couples needs help in the parking lot, offer to move your car so they can get closer. If you have offended someone, even if it isn’t your fault, apologize and make things right. If your neighbor needs help with their yard because they’re running behind, help them. Can you help with the We C.A.R.E. Program here at church? Do it.

Be merciful also means never assume that you are more pious, a better Christian, or a better person than someone else. Maybe you don’t have any of your family in jail. So what. Maybe your job is more secure than your neighbor’s. So what. Maybe you do help those in need around you, so that in your mind you give more than anyone else. It doesn’t matter. You can never be merciful enough. You can never get everything right, always show kindness to those around you, and be there when the chips are down.

This, of course, is what Jesus is talking about when he speaks of hypocrites, specks and planks. The more time we dwell on the problems, sins, and faults of others around us, the less time we spend in repentance, prayer, and in receiving the gift of forgiveness that only God can give. Repent. You are a hypocrite. So am I. You do judge those around you. So do I. You are unmerciful, self-righteous and full of your own holiness. So am I. Repent.

God, however, is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Jesus points these things out to you so that you will despair of your own works and rely solely on Him. And what a beautiful One that is to rely upon! He is always merciful. He always listens to your trials. He understands them because He has taken them into Himself. Where others migh tsk tsk and secretly judge your failings, Jesus went to the cross to die so that you might live and have hope. The judgment that Jesus puts upon you is not guilty, because he has paid the price for all your sins and shortcomings.

That’s the Gospel, friends. It is for you mean spirited and hard hearted. It is for you self-righteous and judgmental. It is for the weak in faith and for those who think they are strong. The Gospel is for everyone. Jesus is for you.
So this day, as we feast again on our Lord’s precious Body and Blood, repent and believe that Jesus died for you and rose again so that you might have new life. Put off that old self, and wear your baptismal robes that cover all your sins. Come and feast and receive the Life that only He can give, the life of service, the life of mercy, the life that is yours in Christ Jesus. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.