TITLE: “Knowing the Mind of God”

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for today is the Gospel lesson from St. John chapter one, particularly verse fourteen: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NKJV) This morning we will reflect in wonder upon the mystery that in Jesus Christ, God bares His soul to us and gives of Himself in a way that none of us can ever truly comprehend.

Every one of us has a sort of running conversation that goes on within us. You know what I mean. You talk to yourself. You talk to yourself about whether to get out of bed, what clothes to wear, how you feel, what you want to do, how much coffee to drink. You can have pretty extended conversations with yourself. Luther talks about this as follows:

Furthermore, we must realize that this Word in God is entirely different from my word or yours. For we, too, have a word, especially a “word of the heart,” as the holy fathers call it.4[1] When, for example, we think about something and diligently investigate it, we have words; we carry on a conversation with ourselves. Its content is unknown to all but ourselves until such Words of the heart are translated into oral words and speech, which we now utter after we have revolved them in our heart and have reflected on them for a long time. Not until then is our word heard and understood by others. St. Paul touches on this in First Corinthians (2:11): “No person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him.”

Can you imagine what it would be like to know another person like that, to peek in to their interior monologue? None of us ever knows another person that way. First of all, we would all be too afraid. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we would run and hide at the thought of another person truly knowing our thoughts. They are too close, too private, too personal. They are too full of sin and selfishness and heartache and sorrow and want and need and pain. None of us could bear that level of self-disclosure. None of us could handle being that exposed. Not to our children. Not even to our spouse. It would be the ultimate in too much information.

Yet that is exactly what God does in sending His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, into our flesh. The divine life of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have existed in all eternity with that holy conversation going on. The Father showing His will to the Son. The Son receiving that will of the Father and returning it to Him, all happening in the Spirit.

But God, who is rich in mercy, did not wish to exist simply in Himself. He spoke the Word, and it went forth in creation, making a world out of nothing. God bared His soul to the world. But sin entered in, and the voice of God was not heard. We stopped up our ears to His voice. We refused to listen to all of the great and mighty things that He wanted to tell us. So He sent His prophets. Time and time again God sent them, so that His mind would be made known to us. But what did we do? We killed them. We threw them out of our cities. We were too busy, too bored, too uninterested in the things of God to care about such trifles.

God bared His soul to the world in a way that none of us could ever truly comprehend. He sent His Son, His Word made flesh. The author to the book of Hebrews put it this way:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Hebrews 1:1-2 NKJV)

God has bared His soul to you. He has opened His mind to you by sending His Word, His Son, His voice into your flesh and blood. It is unfathomable. It is mysterious and wonderful. It is the greatest gift that anyone has ever given, anywhere. And it is all for you. That river of God’s mercy which flows from Jesus’ birth now flows to you. For after all, remember the words from Isaiah:

Unto us a Child is born.
Unto us a Son is given.
His name shall be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God,
The everlasting Father, the | Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Our heavenly Father, you see, has no secrets from you, none that matter to us anyway. His bares His very soul to you in sending His Word into your flesh and blood. Trust Him now. Believe in Him, and live. Know that the God who would do such a great and mighty deed would never seek to hurt or harm you. He loves you, with every fiber of His being. Could there be any greater gift? No. That is the gift of Christmas. God becomes man so that we might become like unto God. He comes down, here and now, so that you might ascend to him. Another early pastor (St. Cyril of Alexandria) put it like this:

He found humanity reduced to the level of the beasts. Therefore he is placed like feed in a manger, that we, having left behind our carnal desires, might rise up to that degree of intelligence which befits human nature. Whereas we were brutish in soul, by now approaching the manger, yes, his table, we find no longer feed, but the bread from heaven, which is the body of life.[1][2]

So come, feast upon the Word made Flesh for you. Feast and rejoice, for God has drawn you up into Him! Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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


[1] 4Here Luther seems to be referring to a distinction which originated in Stoic thought and which appeared in Philo between the λόγος ἐδιάθετος (the Logos as He was in God) and the λόγος προφορικός (the Logos as He emanated from God). The first church father to employ the distinction appears to have been Theophilus, To Autolycus, II, ch. 10; II, ch. 22.
Martin Luther, vol. 22, Luther’s Works, Vol. 22 : Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald and Helmut T. Lehmann, Luther’s Works (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999, c1957), 22:8.
[2] [1] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 1. Just, A. A. (2005). Vol. 3: Luke. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 3. (39). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Today we are going to talk about a great word that you don’t hear very much. The word is vindication. Vindication means that you have been publicly cleared of the charges brought against you in a court of law. It means that you have been declared innocent by the judge, and that the whole world now knows this to be true.

We are talking about vindication today because the Last Day is your vindication. That’s what our Gospel is about for today. The Last Day is your day of vindication. When we talk about the end times and the Last Days, there is a lot of confusion, and even a lot of fear on the parts of Christians. Parables like the story of the sheep and the goats don’t help matters. It is very easy as a Christian to look at the Last Day as one final opportunity to screw up. There can be that nagging fear: what if I forgot something? What if God finds out about that one sin? Does this mean I won’t get in? Images of St. Peter at the pearly gates sadly shaking his head may come to mind.

If we are honest with ourselves, we all view the Day or the Last Day with that trepidation and fear. When you hear the term “judgment day” or something like it, the image pops in your head of the “justice is blind” lady holding the old fashioned scales in her hand. Will my good works outweigh my sins? That is what we want to know. And you know the answer.

If we leave it there, Satan wins. Remember first of all that one of the oldest words or terms to describe Satan is that he is the accuser. What he does, and he’s really good at it, is to pull all of your attention away from Christ and His mercy, and onto yourself. There is nothing that Satan loves more than a good unhealthy dose of naval gazing. That’s why he works so hard to dredge up these past sins and failures. That’s why things you did days, weeks, months or even years ago keep coming back. They keep coming back because Satan never wants you to forget that you are a sinner and deserve hell. Or rather, if you know you are a sinner, he wants to make sure that you know you are the worst sinner ever, and that there is no way God could possibly forgive that. So he blinds you to your own sin and weaknesses, until he is ready to pull them up at just the wrong time, at just the worst possible moment. This is how Satan works to drive you from the Gospel. Satan’s tool is the Law, to beat you down, to point the finger at you, and to drive you to despair.

And it is right here that you stand. You stand condemned. You are not worthy to stand before God on the Last Day. In that regard, Satan is absolutely right. Your righteousness is as filthy rags. There is no good thing that dwells within you. No, not even one. You are all together corrupt. You are a sinner, through and through. And so am I. If you are left watching the scales tip between your so-called good works and your sinful works, you are doomed.

Now do you remember what our word for the day is again? Vindication. The Last Day is the day of vindication for you. What this means is this. You are a poor, miserable sinner. We got that. Satan is right. You are nothing more than a beggar before God, with nothing to offer him save your sins.

But what God does is miraculous. God looks at you, standing there in your goat-clothes, scratchy and ugly, and says to you, “Well, done, Good and faithful servant. Come, receive the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.”

Huh? I’m not a good-works-working sheep! I’m a goat! I don’t deserve this! I should be cast away like the filthy rags that I really am.

But here is the key to your vindication: When God looks at you, He sees Jesus. It’s that simple. God looks at Jesus, the very Son of God made flesh, and sees perfect obedience. He sees the merciful one, the suffering servant of all, the righteous one. He sees every Law fulfilled, every command kept, every work done to its fullest perfection.

Yes, when God looks at you, He sees Jesus. He sees that the Garden of Eden has been remade, that God and man are now reconciled, and that you are perfect and holy, righteous in every way. The scale of justice we talked about before? It isn’t your good works versus your evil works. It’s your sin against Christ’s righteousness. And Christ’s righteousness outweighs your sins, every time. There is no sin too great that you can commit that Jesus didn’t die for on the cross. None. Not one. They are all paid for, every one. As we sing in one of our communion hymns, “blood that but one drop of has the power to win, forgiveness for the world and all its sin.”

So that final Day is the day of vindication. This is the day God takes his revenge out on Satan. “Vengence is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” On that Day, Satan and all his evil works shall be cast away forever. But not you.

For you see, there is one more thing that we must keep ever before us as we look to the Last Day. It is another Day. It is the Day of sorrows. It is the day when our Lord took all of your sins to the grave. On that Good Friday so many years ago God’s wrath over sin was poured out. God’s wrath over your sin was poured out upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And because of that Day, the Day of Atonement, your Day of Vindication is secure.

Lift up your hearts to the Lord, fellow redeemed! Every time you eat His body and drink His blood, you show forth His death until He comes again on the Last Day. God’s Word of forgiveness, of absolution, is spoken over you again and again and again. Don’t be afraid. Be comforted and at peace, for your salvation is secure. It is secure in the blood of Christ, shed for you.

On that Day the last enemy, death, will be destroyed. On that Day you will be reunited with the saints in heaven and with all of God’s elect. On that Day everything that is broken will be fixed, every tear wiped clean with joy, and every wound of sin and sorrow will be healed.

It’s kinda crazy, isn’t it? To think that all that will come to pass according to our Lord’s Word and promise. But it is true. You need not fear this day. Rather, long for it. Look to this day. It is the day of vindication for you. It is the Day when everything is settled according to Jesus’ promise: “I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost…” (John 17:12).

You are in the Father’s hands. The Lord knows them that are His, and you are one of them. Come, blessed by the Father. Inherit the kingdom. Come, eat of the banquet of salvation. Come, have a fortaste of the feast to come in the Supper of His Son’s body and blood. Come. Come, for the Day of your vindication as at hand.

Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

And now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Rocklin, California

Pentecost 19, October 23, 2011 (revised)

Matthew 22:34-46

TITLE: “The Law and the Prophets in Me”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is from the Gospel lesson, particularly these words, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Questions, questions, questions. The world is full of questions about what is important. How do you prioritize your life? What matters the most to you? Is it how much money you have? Your family? The future? What is it that makes you tick when you get up in the morning. For every day of every life is spent on questions or prioritizing and planning, ordering and organizing.

For the Jews in Jesus’ day, they thought of these questions as well , only they were a little more spiritual about it than you and I often are. They wanted to know what is the “great commandment in the law?” They had laws for everything. What to eat. What to wear. How many steps to take on the Sabbath. How to treat strangers from other lands and strangers from your own town. 613 laws, to be exact. 248 laws for each part of the body, and 365 laws for each day of the year.

Now obviously God is interested in the Law. It is, after all, His Law which He gave to His people on Mount Sinai so many thousands of years ago. They are really quite simple and straight forward:

• You shall have no other gods.
• You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
• Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.
• Honor your father and your mother.
• You shall not murder.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

That’s it. That’s God’s Law and the full extent of His will for you here on earth, as far as the Law goes. 10 commandments. 82 words in English. But if that isn’t simple and clear enough for you, we can even simplify it further:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

What could be simpler than this? Jesus even goes so far as to say that on these two commandments, or two tables of the Law, hang all the Law and the Prophets. Everything, everything comes down to them. Love God with everything you have and everything you are and love everyone else just as much as you love yourself.

Now we are all legalists by nature, we want to narrow things down to nice and simple rules that will get us into heaven and will make everything clear and perfect and simple. The commandments, of course, are clear and perfect and simple. The problem, though, is that they are impossible. The harder you try, the more you fail. You will find many churches today that are obsessed with the Law and the myth of keeping them just as much as the Jews were in our text. There are churches that make things like smoking or alcohol into the sin against the Holy Ghost. Obesity can be a spiritual catastrophe and the television can become the very tool of the devil Himself.

Now I suppose in one way that this may be true. After all, just about anything that we have or do can be turned on its ear into sin. An innocent brownie can turn into gluttony. Spending time with your family can actually keep you away from church and hearing the Gospel. The more you try the harder you fail.

But Jesus will not be satisfied with this kind of constant running after nothing, as if we are defined by our sins. He says to you this day and every day, You are baptized! Notice what He does with the Pharisees and their endless Law questions. They want Law questions which He answers, but He then gives them a Gospel question: What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? Jesus doesn’t want them to spend their every waking moment in fear over their failures and sins, true though they may be. So instead He gives them Himself.

This question about whose Son is He really brings us to how these two commands are what the Law and the Prophets hang upon. For you see, Jesus is the Son of God AND the Son of David. He is the only begotten Son of God, without sin and keeping the Law perfectly in every way. But He is also the Son of David, born of the Virgin Mary, your brother, who knows your every weakness, your every fear, your every failure. He knows that the harder you try the harder you fail. He knows. He’s been there. He’s taken the suffering and the pain for it. He knows.

Jesus comes to you today with a message of freedom and hope. Do not let the sins which so shape and define you bind you up and hold you to the grave! Jesus has come into your flesh to bear your sin and be your Savior. He has freed you from the shackles of fear and death. He has come to say to you, don’t be afraid. I’ve kept the Law for you. God looks at you today in perfect righteousness. He looks at you and says well done, good and faithful servant. It doesn’t have to make sense, and yet in mercy it does. It makes sense because Christ is the giver and the gift.

Don’t believe the lie of Satan, who wants to chain you to your sins. Christ has taken them into His own flesh and blood and paid the price. They are now His sins, not yours. You can’t have them anymore. And in their place He gives you the peace which is beyond all understanding, the peace of knowing that in Christ, all things are now ready, the Law is kept, the promise is yours, and everlasting life is your reward. 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.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Rocklin, California

Pentecost 18, Proper 23A (October 16, 2011)

Matthew 22:15–21

TITLE: “Heavenly Citizenship”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is the Gospel lesson just read from Matthew 22, with focus on the words, Render to Caesar that which is Caesars, and to God that which is Gods. We also will examine the important phrase from the Epistle: Our citizenship is in heaven.

Now before we begin the sermon proper, I have to explain something. We are starting sermon studies in confirmation class, and I promised the kids that I would make it really really obvious where the Law and Gospel were in the Sacrament. So if I have an aside to them every so often, that’s why. But on to our text.

Heavenly citizenship. That’s how Paul describes the Christian. “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil. 3:20–21).

But what does this heavenly citizenship entail? What does it really mean for us sons and daughters of Adam, as we live and work and struggle here, now, in the midst of a very earthly life? What does this heavenly citizenship mean to you? Does it change who you are? Does it change your relationship to your neighbor, to those in need around you?

There really are two ways that Christian’s have traditionally looked at this question. One way is to think of it like this: “‘I’m but a stranger here’ means that I am not a part of the world. It means that I can blissfully ignore my neighbor in need, and anyone and anything around me. I am a Christian. I am above such things.”

The problem with this view, of course, is that it is simply not true. Heavenly citizenship doesn’t mean that we write off the earthly as irrelevant or beneath us. If this were true, why did Jesus come to earth at all? Why did God become man if w are really supposed to ignore or belittle the world and everything that is in it? Remember the words of our Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” If we take heavenly citizenship to mean that I don’t have to serve my neighbor, then we are breaking the Ten Commandments. That’s the Law for you students.

A part of what this means is that the Christian Church must have her feet firmly planted here, on earth, in the midst of all of the trials and troubles and difficulties that this life beings about. If we don’t do this, and it is oh so tempting, if we don’t do this, then we risk becoming so heaven oriented that we actually forget we’re on earth! We forget that we are also here to serve our neighbor.

Now the other view of heavenly citizenship is that I can only think of things below, because heaven is just too hard to understand and really get a grip on as a Christian. I know heaven is coming, and I don’t really understand it, so I’m just going to worry about the here and now and not be overly concerned with what’s coming.

In this view, the things of this life actually take on too much importance. We can start to get the idea that we’re God, and that we are the ones who are at work here below ordering everything according to His holy plan. There are many churches the world over that have become so here and now focused, that they lose the connection between taking care of and serving the needs of today and taking care of and serving the needs of the whole person, body, soul and spirit together. Churches that forget about heaven and eternal life in Christ has forgotten the Gospel.

Remember again the words of St. Paul in Colossians chapter three:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1–4).

So then if we aren’t to be so heavenly focused that we forget we live on earth, and we aren’t to be so earthly focused that we forget our hope is in heaven, how then are we to live as children of God?

We live and serve our neighbor not because we are trying to create heaven on earth. We live and serve our neighbor in love because heaven is our home. Think of it this way. God has given you all things. You are set to inherit eternal life, where you will be changed from this sinful sack of flesh to a new, glorious body, perfect in every way. But even more than that, you will be at peace. You will be at peace with God through the forgiveness of sins. You are at peace with everyone because of what God has won for you. That’s the Gospel.

All of this begins now. We have hints of this all around us, pointers and signs that lead the way to this great mystery. Baptism, preaching, the Lord’s Supper, absolution, all of these and more point to this great and beautiful reality that because God has done all these things for you, you are free to live here, now. You are free to enjoy the gifts that God gives you. Gifts of family and life and the things of this world. But even more than that, you are free to share those gifts with everyone around you.

The Pharisees in our text want to trip Jesus up with this distinction, but our Lord does not stumble or falter. He knows full well that we live in the world but that we are not of the world. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. Give the world its due. If taxes, then taxes. If tribute, then tribute. If that means taking care of your neighbor more than seems reasonable to you, then do it anyway. Why? Because you also render to God what is His. And you, dearly baptized, are His. You are His body and soul.

So come, feast on our Lord’s body and blood. Live as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Give freely because Christ has so freely given to you. Come, eat, live, and give everything of yourself, because God Himself will fill you up more than you can possibly imagine. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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

Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Rocklin, California
Proper 17A
Matthew 16:21-28
August 28, 2011

For an audio of this sermon, LS110047a

Title: “Saving and Losing”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning is taken from St. Matthew, chapter sixteen. We focus on the words of our Lord, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

What a great text for a first Sunday as a new pastor! Last Sunday we had Peter’s great confession of faith, and we were blessed with not one, but two sermons on it. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter’s great confession was a gift from God, as faith always flows from God.

But it didn’t last, did it? It is literally right after Peter’s great confession that Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem. We move from who He is, Christ, to what He has come to do. He has come to be betrayed, to suffer, and to die in the hands of sinful men. He began to show them what was what. He began to give them the picture of what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. It meant betrayal and suffering. It meant loss and yes, it even meant death.

This is the part of the Christian life that is hard for us. It’s easy at big services like last Sunday, with the excitement of new beginnings, to see the joy of the Christian life. Like the disciples at the Transfiguration, we can look up at the vision and say in effect, “Ok, just like that. That’s what I want. That is the Christianity for me. Happiness and glory. All the time.” Click. That’s the picture I want. Right there.

Here at Holy Cross, it is easy to fall into delusions of grandeur. Now that the new pastor is here, we will have 300 people on a Sunday! All of our problems will be solved. Money worries will fade away. There will be no more conflicts, ever. Strong personalities will suddenly be imbued with peace and joy. Everyone will love every hymn, the committees will be full with a waiting list. Even the elevator will pay for itself! Whew! That’s a relief.

What’s more, that is the life we want for ourselves. Nobody wants suffering in their lives. Nobody wants to think about serving our neighbor in mercy, especially if no one is going to give you credit for it. We all want things to be our way. We want there to be money, friends, the perfect house, the well behaved family. Everything in just the right place and at just the right time. That’s the life for me. Click. The perfect image for the victorious life.

So you can picture Peter at this point, can’t you? Jesus began to tell them what was coming, and so Peter begins to rebuke or correct our Lord. Can’t you see it in your mind’s eye? “Uh, Jesus, come over here. You know, you’re God, right? Well, we don’t have to do all of this suffering and dying stuff. That is so Old Testament. So can we just skip to the good parts, please? Thanks very much.”

In Lutheran terms, we would call that a theology of glory. I want the glory and not the cross. I want the empty tomb but not the blood drenched Jesus. We may very well say with Jeremiah, Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? (Jeremiah 15:18)

What’s more, this theology of glory makes it so that suffering and hardship makes no sense. Think of all of the people suffering under hurricane Irene. Do you think they feel God’s love right now, or are they hurt and confused? Or next weekend will be the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacked on our country. There are ten years of loss and pain. But we could go on and on at this. Our first, natural reaction to suffering of any kind is to either blame God or deny God.

So repent. Repent of believing that anything we say or do or think or feel are going to make everything right with God. Repent of the false belief that you’ve got it all figured out. Repent of the notion that we can grow the church by our own plans or actions. We cannot. We cannot grow the church. We cannot make things right. Not in our own lives, not in our nation, and not here at Holy Cross.

Our Lord’s response to Peter is rather startling, though, isn’t it? “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23). The suffering and the death of our Lord on the cross is not an option. It isn’t one path among many. It is the only way. This is why St. Paul would write, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). This is what it means to be a Christian, just as the only God there is is the one who gave Himself on the cross for you.

The things of God, dear baptized, are the things which God uses to bring about your salvation and mine. When we suffer and hurt, when we are in need and face trials we do not understand, it is precisely at those moments when the things of God become clear. Holy Baptism and His Supper. Preaching and the Word. Absolution, that is, the forgiveness of sins. When there is nothing else, when you are stripped bare of every pretext or false belief that you can do it alone without the cross, then these gifts, the things of God, become the very lifeblood coursing through your veins as a Christian.

A new pastor means a time of new beginnings for any congregation. That enthusiasm we all very is wonderful and very real. But what makes us tick as the people of God, what shapes us as His people, well, that never changes. It is Christ and Him crucified for your sins and mine.

So come. Come, you who are weary and heavy laden, for Christ will give you rest. Come, for your death and suffering are not the end of the story. Your story is Christ’s story. He gives Himself for you and for your sins in His very Body and Blood this day. Come, and be refreshed. Come, and live in Him. Come, for all things are now ready for you. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

And now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith to life everlasting. Amen.

Meat pots. I’ve always liked that term from our Old Testament reading this morning. It’s even better in the King James: Fleshpots. The children of Israel longed for the fleshpots of Egypt. You get this picture that in Egypt, the children of Israel sort of lounged around, had food and drink served to them, and that they had everything they wanted. You almost believe in this text that they thought they were doing Moses a favor by coming with him out into the wilderness. “Well, Moses, we have it pretty good here,” they might say, “but since you asked so nicely, we’ll go into the wilderness with you, away from Pharaoh and all of his yummy goodness for us.”

But they didn’t remember. They didn’t remember that what they longed for was terrible and wicked. In the span of days and weeks, they forgot the slavery, they forgot the whips and the pains. They forgot Pharaoh murdering their children, taking what he wanted, and leaving the rest of them to rot in the mud and straw. They forgot it all. All they remembered was the dream of the good times they had, the fantasy that lingered.

The parallel today is striking. When it comes to sin, we are unbelievably forgetful. We simply do not want to believe the promise. We do not want to believe that our sin is that bad. We do not want to believe that we are by nature enslaved to sin and death and the power of the devil.

So we dream. We hope, we wonder, and we dream about what it would be like, to live as we really wanted. How great would it be to act completely selfishly? How great would it be to take what you wanted, to take whomever you wanted, and to pay no attention to the consequences? You have to admit. It sounds pretty good. When it is presented like that, it’s pretty tempting. What would you do if you could do anything you wanted, have absolutely anything, and you never had to worry about how your behavior affects others?

But that is a fantasy. That is not reality. Reality is that sin is heartless and cruel. Reality is that sin always, always hurts you as well as others. The reality is that sin leads to death. Every single time. No good can come from sin. Ever.

But like those children of Israel, we dream, and our twisted memories lie to us about the effects of sin. Just do what you want. Just this once. One more time won’t matter. You know your own sin. Against your spouse. Against your children or your parents. You know your sin against your neighbor. You know your own desires, for they seek to rule you every day of your life.

Sin can’t be reformed. Sin can’t be managed or manipulated. Sin can’t be tolerated in yourself. Once you give sin a foothold, and allow it to go unchecked, it will seek to take over everything. Ask anyone who suffers from an addiction what it’s like. An addiction consumes you. You get to the point where it is all you can think about, the next drink, the next peek, the next pill. That is sin, always. We are addicted to sin. The only thing you can do with sin is kill it. Drown it, to be specific.

So to bring us up to the text for this morning from the Gospel, this is why the disciples are so perplexed by Jesus asking them to feed the five thousand men, plus women and children. Enough. They didn’t have enough. They wanted to have enough bread to feed them. What is the least we can get away with and still get by? That is how we by nature approach faith, if we approach it at all. What is the least that I can do in order to get into heaven? When we look at a problem, be it big or little, serious or not so serious, our solution, if you can call it that, is to assume that it is too great of a problem for God or for us. The sin is too great to be forgiven. The problems are too big. The disease is too bad. There just isn’t enough good to make it work.

But Jesus does not think in terms of enough. He’s not trying to get away with something. He does not sneak things by. He is recreating something. And what He is recreating is nothing less than a new heaven and a new earth. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden, God gave it to them to work it. He didn’t give it to them because it was work or die. He gave it to them so that they might share in His creative work of building and sustaining the world.

So here, in the feeding of the 5000, Jesus sets out to show His disciples, the world, and us that He is the one who feeds us. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word which comes forth from the mouth of God. Every time you eat and are satisfied, that is a sign of Jesus’ continued presence and work in the world.

What’s more, every time you sit down and eat and rejoice at the table, your own table at home, it points you to the One Table. It points you to this table, here, where Christ feeds you with HIs own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Here, at this table, God’s mercy shines forth for you every day. The sins which cling to you fall away. Eternal life is your inheritance.

This day God holds a great gift up before you. It is the gift of faith. It is the gift of believing that God is God and you are not. It is the gift of learning how to trust in Him all the days of your life. Whether you live or die, you are the Lord’s. He opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every creature.

Come to the Table and set your unbelief and doubt aside. Come to the Table and believe that God will care for you and your family, body and soul. What’s more, God will carry you to His Home in heaven, where every tear will be wiped clean, every wrong will be set right, and where sin and death have no more dominion over you anymore. Come. It is more than enough. It is Jesus.

Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

John 6:1-15; Exodus 16

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Funeral Service for Hilma I. Maddern

Psalm 121:8

March 21, 2011

HilmaMaddernSermon_01

TITLE: “Kept in Christ”

Family and friends of Hilma, both those who are here and those who are unable to be here, grace to you and peace form God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Our text for today is from the Gospel Lesson just read from Psalm 121 verse 8, The Lord will keep, your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Hilma Irene Maddern nee Waldros was born on October 7, 1922 and was baptized on November 7 of that same year. She was married at the tender age of sixteen on November 24, 1938 to her dear husband, Clayton. They are blessed with four children. Hilma was confirmed in the at Zion Lutheran church in what is now Ironwood, Wisconsin on March 28, 1937. She died in Christ on March 17 in the year of our Lord 2011, where she awaits the resurrection of all flesh. Blessed are the dead who die in this Lord from this time forth and even forevermore.

It is nearly impossible to evaluate the life of someone eighty eight years old, who was married at sixteen, and lived to see sixty eight years of married life. They raised four children, one of whom, Marlayne, was her special child who suffered from Down’s Syndrome until her untimely death in 2006, just a few short weeks after her husband, Clayton, died in Christ as well.

How would one describe Hilma? I suppose there are lots of words we could use. Words like charismatic or dedicated. Cheerful or faithful. I think I would use the word motherly. I’m sure each of you have your own descriptions.

It is also important to recognize that her life was not all roses and knitting. Taking care of her family was work, as any family knows. She could get discouraged and frustrated, even angry sometimes. Hilma was certainly a sinner, as are we all.

So what made things make sense for her? How did she survive the good times and bad, the lifetime of experiences that make up her story? The answer lies in her Baptism. Eighty Eight years ago she was baptized into Christ. When that happened, everything changed for Hilma. She was adopted into another family, a family far more wondrous than anything here on earth.

We prayed in Psalm 121 about a journey. Originally the Psalm was a traveling song. It was a song that the children of Israel would sing when they were to begin a journey. The song tells the story of how the first thing the Israelites would do is lift up their eyes and see that the beginning and end of the journey was in God.

God is the one who would not leave her alone on these many travels. He does not sleep. He is her keeper. He is the one who kept her safe in so many trials and tribulations. Every step of her life, God was there. Beginning, middle and end.

I was blessed to speak communicate with Pastor LaPlant, who has served Hilma since she moved up to Minnesota several years ago. So I know that God was still with her, blessing her, giving Hilma His own Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Pastor LaPlant told me, “Every time she heard the Gospel lesson she would respond, ‘Oh – that is beautiful.’” I can hear her saying it even now. The Gospel is beautiful.

And dear friends, Hilma is now reunited with our Lord, and with Clayton, with Marlayne, with her parents and brothers and sisters and everyone who has gone before us and died in the faith. And there will come a time when she will hear the voice of Her Savior again. He will say to her, “Come, dear sister and daughter, come and rise up.” And all of the dead in Christ will rise again. Perhaps Job put it best so long ago when he wrote,

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! Job 19:25–27

The day is coming, beloved, when Christ will come again. Until that time, we weep at losing Hilma. She has been our companion and friend and mother and grandmother for many years. But we weep with hope. Because Christ is risen from the dead, Hilma will rise as well. It is okay. Jesus Himself wept at the death of His friend, Lazarus. But weep with hope. Your weeping will come to an end. This world will be left behind. There will be joy and rest that only He can give us.

So rest well, Hilma. Rest until we are reunited again with Him in heaven. Rest well, until we rise again with you.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

October 13, 2010

Funeral Homily for Sandra Russo

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Funeral sermon for Sandra Russo

TITLE: “A time for Life”

Family and friends of Sandra, especially, Caroline and Cara, Carolyn, Bette, friends and other family: grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our text for today is from Ecclesiastes chapter 3, and was chosen by Sandra for this sermon.  I would direct your attention to the front cover of our bulletin.  We focus especially on the phrases a time to be born and a time to die, as well as a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Sandra Jeanne Russo nee Delcorps was both on March 2, 1941 in Racine to William and Amanda Delcorps.  She was baptized on April 20, 1941, and was confirmed in the Lutheran faith on May 29, 1955, at which time she received Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar for the first time.  She married her dear husband, Gary, on September 25, 1964.  St. John writes: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”” (Rev. 14:13 ESV)

It should come as no surprise to any of us that God’s sense of timing is not ours.  Sixty nine years is not that old.  Sandy had so much to look forward to, by the mercy of God.  Add to that is the sad reality that her husband, Gary, died already eight years ago.  In every way that we can see and feel and understand, it makes no sense, and it certainly does not seem fair.  Not as we think of it, at least.

Solomon in Ecclesiastes teaches us a little bit about God’s timing, though.  There are times set aside for all things.  Birth and death, mourning and rejoicing, seeking and losing, the list goes on.  One thing is for sure, though, is that Sandy was not stingy about her time.  She was always giving to others, be they friends who were sick or in need, family members, her daughters, and especially her grandchildren.  That was what made her tick through thick and thin.

Then she got sick. Her body, once full of life in service to others, could no longer even care for itself. This was a source of great frustration for Sandy, as I’m sure many of you know. She wanted to care for her family, not be cared for. Sandy always seemed to have a quiet stubbornness about her that wouldn’t give up. I’m sure her daughters could tell us more about that.  On at least one occasion if not more, it seemed as though through God’s grace she had licked this disease.

But that dreadful thief of time, cancer, would not be denied. It seemed to chip away at her, letting up and them coming back with a vengeance.  And of course, as any of you who have suffered through cancer well know, sometimes it seems like the so called cure is worse than the disease!  Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, pills to counteract other pills, none of us will ever truly understand how hard she fought to remain with us now. It is a testament to her love for all of you all that she fought as long and as hard as she did.

Her time, though, had come. A time to live, and a time to die, as Solomon reminds us.  The circle of life is complete.  Or so it may seem.

But that, dearly beloved, is not the end of this time worn story. For God, who is rich in mercy and whose timing is always just right, was thinking about Sandy long before she was born. He knew her struggles, her battle with sin and death. St. Paul wrote,

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4–7 ESV)

So what does this mean doe us sons and daughters of Adam and Eve gathered here his day?  It means that Sandy’s death, as sad and tragic as it is, also will last for but a time. Sandy was not a slave to cancer.  It has not defeated her, or you.  Jesus Christ died at just the right time, and rose again from the dead, so that Sandy’s time would not end at her death here today.  Job, in the face of death, reminds us of this as well:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25–27 ESV)

The time will come when the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible.  That means Sandy, and that means you.  God’s timing may not be our timing, but it is good.  We weep for a time now.  We will miss Sandy, her love and care and devotion and so many other things we cannot even name them all.  God has called her to Himself, and she is safe in His arms even now.  And the time will come when God will call you to Himself, and me, and that the dead in Christ will arise again.  Her body will be whole, free of the ravages of time and cancer and death.  Christ has triumphed!  He is living!  And because He lives, Sandy will live again.  Comfort one another with these words.

Believe it for the sake of Him who died and rose again, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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.