Sermon for Pentecost 7: "Lord, Teach Us to Pray"

 + 7^th Sunday after Pentecost – July 24^th, 2022 +

Series C: Genesis 18:17-33; Colossians 2:6-19; Luke 11:1-13

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

 

 

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

 

The child learns to speak because his father and mother speak to him. The student learns to read because she has heard her teacher sound out letters, words, and phrases. 

 

The same pattern is at work in prayer. The disciple, the Christian, you the baptized believer in Jesus – you learn to pray because God himself teaches you how to pray. God even gives you the words to use when you call upon him in prayer: “Our Father.”

 

This is one of the marvelous things Scripture reveals about God again and again and again. God is the giver of all good things. This is who God is and how he makes himself known to us. He gives. He gives life. He gives His word. He gives his promise. He gives His Son, Jesus. 

 

Here in Luke 11, the Son of God in human flesh, Jesus, gives his disciples, past and present, the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. A prayer that is itself full of God’s gifts from the gift-giving God: the gift of being God’s children; the gift of calling upon God as a gracious Father; the gift of God’s holy name; the gift of God’s kingdom; the gifts of daily bread; the gifts of forgiveness; the gift of deliverance from temptation.

 

From Genesis to Revelation, when God reveals himself, he reveals himself as the giver of all good things. This is especially true when we come to Luke’s account of Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray.

 

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 

 

This is one of those rare but beautiful moments of humility. Seeing Jesus pray. Watching and hearing John’s disciples pray. One of the disciples approaches Jesus. Lord, teach us to pray. This disciple recognizes a simple, yet profound truth when it comes to prayer. That on our own we do not know how to pray. Prayer isn’t something that comes to us naturally, at least not the way Jesus gives us the Lord’s Prayer. Prayer – like faith, must be given. We learn to pray by following the words Jesus gives us to use. And apart from Jesus teaching us how to pray, and what to pray for, our prayers – if we think of praying them at all – probably sound more like Janis Joplin than Jesus. “Oh, Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz!” 

 

The Lord’s Prayer is entirely different. It is not self-centered, but Christ-centered. Jesus gives this prayer, not that we would turn to ourselves, but that we would turn to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in prayer because he is the giver of all good things. This is why Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor and theologian, once wrote that, “The richness of the word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.” The gift of prayer begins with God the giver.

 

This is why the Lord’s prayer begins this way. Jesus said to them, When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.

From the very first word of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus reveals God’s gracious, gift-giving ways. God is Father. We are his children. And this is no small thing. As St. Paul writes in Galatians…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!” 

 

We call upon God as Father through Jesus His Son, and only through Jesus. The relationship once broken is restored in Jesus. You are reconciled to God the Father in His Son Jesus. Next time you pray the Lord’s Prayer think about how significant this is. Through his dying and rising, the Eternal Son of God places you in that relationship to God. To call upon him as Father. 

 

This is why the small catechism says that we call upon God as Father with all boldness and confidence. The Yiddish word for this is chutzpah.” Prayer is holy chutzpah – the chutzpah of a woman repeatedly going before a crooked judge demanding justice. The chutzpah of a pesky neighbor who bangs on the door of his friend at midnight to borrow bread for sandwiches because he has an out of town guest and forgot to go to the store. It takes chutzpah to do that. Holy chutzpah. You don’t have a leg to stand on, but you do it anyway. You have nothing with which to bribe the king, and you stand before Him and dare to say “Our Father” as if you were his child, because that is who you are.

 

God himself invites this kind of prayer. Where we would only pray for our own needs by praying for daily bread, Jesus gives us that and more. “I’ll see your daily bread, and I’ll raise it to giving you my kingdom. I know that you need clothing, shoes, house, and so on; I’ll give you that and I’ll give you more besides: I’ll forgive you all your sin. Your late is wiped clean. Your debt is cancelled. All of your sin is nailed to my cross. And all of my righteousness is yours. My life laid down for yours. My baptism to place my holy name placed upon you. My word given to fill your ears, hearts, and minds with my living, life-giving voice. My body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins.” 

 

So keep on asking, seeking, knocking. Why? Because the God who gave you the Lord’s Prayer is also the God who is the gracious giver of all good things. That’s who God is. He is eager to give. What father among you, if his son asks for^[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

 

The same God who graciously gives us the words to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, also gives us his promise. He will hear us. He will answer. He will give. 

 

Lord, teach us to pray. When you pray, say, Father.

 

With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and we are his true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear Father. 

 

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

 

Sermon for Pentecost 6: "First Things First"

 + 6^th Sunday after Pentecost - July 17^th, 2022 +

Series C: Genesis 18:1-14; Colossians 1:21-29; Luke 10:38-42

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

 

 

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

 

First things first. That’s why the flight attendants tell you all about the safety features on the aircraft before you take off. That’s why you assess your needs in a survival situation: water, fire, shelter, food, and so on. That’s why many of us say… “But first, coffee!”

 

There are priorities. What’s most important. First things first.

 

In today’s gospel reading from Luke 10 Jesus is teaching us, along with Mary and Martha, what is most important in the kingdom of God. What takes priority. What’s most important. First things first.

 

It’s a simple, familiar story. Jesus visits the village of Bethany. He’s welcomed into the home of Martha. Martha has a sister, Mary, whom Luke points out also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. Small, but important detail. This is an ongoing action. Both sisters are disciples. Both hear his word. This is the same Martha and Mary we meet in John’s gospel when Jesus raised their brother Lazarus from the dead. 

 

On this particular occasion, Martha is busy serving, showing a holy hospitality, when she discovers her sister Mary has left the kitchen preparations to sit at Jesus’ feet. Martha approaches Jesus, wanting Jesus to send Mary to help her out. The surprise ending is Jesus’ response. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

 

Reading through this familiar story this past week I thought of at least three ways we can go wrong when reading and hearing this story and asking ourselves, “What does this mean?”

 

The first way to misunderstand or misuse this text would be to completely allegorize it. To characterize or separate Christians into different categories or types of people. Martha and Mary are characterized as certain desirable parts of the Christian life. There are the Martha types who enjoy spending time serving. And there are the Mary types who enjoy spending time studying God’s word. In reality, of course, like Solomon says, there is a time for everything, and both are good things.

 

There’s also the unfortunate, yet popular way of moralizing this story, turning Martha and Mary into an object lesson. Maybe you’ve heard that before. It usually goes something like this: “Don’t be a Martha. Do what Mary did. Be a Mary.”

 

The third way we often misunderstand this story is really just a combination of one and two. And it’s the common temptation to make this story all about us. That we focus so much on Martha and Mary that we lose sight of what Jesus is saying and doing in this story, in the lives of these two real women, and in your life as well…all through His word and teaching.

 

It’s a matter of first things first. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

 

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve wrestled with this story, wondering, “Where did Martha go wrong?” It wasn’t the work. It wasn’t her heart of hospitality. It wasn’t her willingness to serve. All those are wonderful things. Important things. Good, God-pleasing things. What Martha missed was that there was something even more important than all that going on right in front of her. The work and hospitality and service of Jesus himself in his word.

 

Notice how Jesus speaks Martha though. It’s not the “you’re in trouble,” first and middle name (Samuel Paul Schuldheisz…come here!”). No. Jesus comes to her in her anxiousness, toil, and worry. He speaks a word of correction, yes, but in compassionate manner. He kindly says her name, twice in fact, revealing a voice of love, of deep concern, and care for Martha.

 

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

Jesus’ point is clear. There are many important things in life. Good things. And yet there is one thing that is more important than all of those good things. What is most important of all: sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing the word of God. Jesus and his word. That’s the good portion. There is nothing more important than Jesus’ word. Jesus’ word, Jesus’ teaching, Jesus’ dying and rising for you is the most important thing. First things first. Receiving Jesus’ word of life. His word of forgiveness. His word that makes us holy. His word that bears fruit in us to love and serve. 

 

I don’t know about you, but this story is always revealing. Not so much in what Martha and Mary were thinking, cause the text is pretty short on details. But in revealing something about you and me. 

 

This story confronts us with the question of our priorities. Have we kept first things first? There are many important things in life, and having taken time for those, have we also taken time for what is most important? If you’re like me, this story reveals a guilt and shame for failing to sit at Jesus’ feet more often, for not keeping the first things of his word and sacraments first. 

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. This is why you are here because you know there’s nothing more important for us than to hear the Word of God and receive his Holy Supper regularly, faithfully, intentionally. It’s more important than sports practice. It’s more precious than those few extra hours of sleep you might get on Sunday. It’s more pressing than any housework or yardwork or home improvement project on your to-do list this weekend. 

 

This is what is of most importance. Right here. Right now. In the Divine Service. Jesus is forgiving you your sin. Jesus is speaking to you in his word. Jesus is feeding you with his body and blood. Here Jesus gives you the good portion of his death and resurrection. That’s why we’re here. Not because we have a perfect devotional life, but because we know we need Jesus. We need his forgiving word. We need his healing body and blood. 

 

In the end, that’s the way of things in the kingdom of God. Not that we have served God perfectly. Not even that we have a pious and faithful devotional life. But that Christ himself who served Martha and Mary in his teaching, also serves you. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus went on from Martha’s home in Bethany and to Jerusalem, to the cross for Martha, Mary, and for you.

 

And there Jesus labored so that all of our worries, anxieties, and fears; all of our failures, shame, and guilt – would be nailed to the cross. To save you. Die and rise for you. Forgive you. To give you his Word of life. That is Jesus’ highest priority. His most important thing of all. That’s good portion he gave to Mary, Martha, and still gives you.

 

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

Sermon for Pentecost 5: "The Good Samaritan"

 + 5^th Sunday after Pentecost – July 10^th, 2022 +

Series C: Leviticus 18:1-5, 19:9-18; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

 

 

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

 

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” 

 

Although Shakespeare’s famous words were written about the parts we play in various stages of human life, his words give us a helpful way to see Jesus’ parables. Jesus’ parables are a stage for God’s unexpected mercy, and Jesus’ shocking, outrageous undeserved, unmerited, and unconditional love for the lost, least, last, losers and outcast. Think of Jesus’ parables as inspired, divine drama, where his compassion, mercy, and love are center stage.

 

In the parables, Jesus teaches and proclaims His divine word along with all the richness and imagination of a storyteller. After all, Jesus is divine playwright himself, the Word of God made flesh. 

 

And when it comes to the Parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke’s gospel reading this morning, it’s easy to read and hear the parable and imagine ourselves in the lead role of the Samaritan.  “The moral of the story is…Don’t be like the priest. Don’t be like the Levite. Be like the Samaritan. Be nice. Do good. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Pay it forward.” And so on.

 

And to be sure, this parable is, in part, Jesus calling us to love our neighbor. Think about it for a moment. If our love is all this parable is about, and we’re in the spotlight, it’s probably not too long before we start to feel the heat and bright lights hitting us like sun glares on the freeway. Revealing, exposing, and shedding the spotlight us.

 

How would Rotten Tomatoes review our performance as Good Samaritans? Have we kept Jesus’ commands? Have you walked in his word and ways? Have you loved the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength, and all your mind? And, have you loved your neighbor as much as you love yourself? Of course you haven’t, and I haven’t either. If it’s the lead role we’re trying out for, we quickly realize we do not make the cut. 

 

 

Remember how this parable started. It began with a question about salvation. A lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

 

The answer to this man’s question is found, not by focusing the spotlight on us and our works of love for the neighbor – as good and necessary as those are – but upon Jesus crucified and his work for us. Not in looking inward for our love of others, but to see Jesus as the Good and Perfect Samaritan who comes and finds us lost, and outcast, and left for dead on the side of the road. And in him, then, we live in response and love for others.

 

If this parable is only about what you do to be a Good Samaritan. Inherit eternal life. Love the Lord your God with everything you are and have and love your neighbor as yourself, then we’re all as good as dead. We’re in the ditch beaten and bloodied and on the road along with that certain man in the story. 

 

And, as odd as it might sound at first, that’s exactly where Jesus wants us. To see in our need for the rescue Jesus brings. And to find in the rescue Jesus our Good Samaritan gives us, a love that is so great it can’t help but love others.

 

After all, if anyone is like the Samaritan, it’s Jesus. Jesus is the Good Samaritan who rescues us, pulls us out of the ditch. Binds our wounds in his. Carries us with him to the cross. Everything we need is charged to his account. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. Jesus loves the Lord his God with all his heart, all his soul, all his strength, all his mind. Jesus loves the neighbor as himself, even those who hated and rejected him. Jesus perfectly walks in the Father’s words and ways and will. Jesus became that Good Samaritan who bent down in compassion to rescue us. Jesus loved His neighbor and He loved God. He fulfilled the Law with His love. And he does this for you. To save you. And to send you out as his good Samaritans in love for others.

 

In His love for us, for all of humanity, for His whole creation, Jesus joined us in the ditch. Jesus became the man who fell among thieves, crucified between two of them, bloodied and beaten by a world who did not want Him or His way of salvation. Left for dead on the cross, crucified and risen for you. What the Law demands – and what we have not done – Jesus does and gives for you. Jesus helps us who can never help ourselves. He washes away our blood with his own healing blood. He strips himself and wraps us in own garments of righteous love. 

 

As St. Paul proclaims: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The story of the Good Samaritan is the story of Jesus’ compassion towards us. It is the story of his self-giving, self-denying love for us. 

 

And, in Christ our Good Samaritan, it’s also the story of our love for others. In this parable, we each have our part to play as well. The role of Christ to our neighbor, friend, family, coworker, the person in line next to you at Safeway. The guy honking his horn behind you at the gas station. The unborn. The defenseless. The poor. The needy. The helpless and vulnerable. 

 

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

 

Someone once said that telling people the Good News of Jesus crucified for them is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. Our life of love, compassion, and good works for our neighbor works the same way. Each one of us are fellow dead-beat sinner-saints rescued from the ditch, called to share Jesus’ mercy and compassion with those who are in the ditch with us. We love because he first loved us. This is what we do – we go to our neighbors in the ditch, because that is what God has done for us in Jesus.

 

Jesus is the Good Samaritan and in him, you are good Samaritans as well.

 

Beloved, let us love one another, as Christ has loved us.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Sermon for Pentecost 4: "The God Who Sends"

 + 4^th Sunday after Pentecost – July 3^rd, 2022 +

Series C: Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:1-18; Luke 10:1-20

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

 

 

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

 

God is the God who sends. He sent Noah to build the ark. He sent Abraham to a new land. He sent Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, the wilderness. He sent Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land. He sent Elijah and the prophets to Israel: to convict them of their sin, and comfort them in YHWH’s promises of rescue and deliverance. As we heard in our Old Testament reading, this is why God sent Isaiah. To warn Israel, and to give hope to His people. 

 

For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

 

When we come to the New Testament, it’s second verse same as the first. God is the God who sends. He sent out His apostles. Like St. Paul, sent to the Galatians in today’s epistle reading. Like Isaiah, Paul is sent to afflict those comfortable in their sin, and comfort those afflicted by their sin. Paul is sent that we too, might boast, not in ourselves, but in Christ crucified.

 

Throughout the Gospels, God reveals himself as the God who sends. So too, in today’s gospel reading from Luke 10; Jesus sends the 72. God is the God who sends. And when God sends, he sends his people – He sends you – his deliverance, grace, and love.

 

the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

 

Two by two the Lord brought the animals into the ark to save creation. Now, two by two, the Lord in the flesh sends out his apostles two by two to declare the new creation has come in Him. Even the word apostle means “sent one.”

 

Notice, too, the verbs Jesus uses surrounding this entire section of Luke’s gospel. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

 

Verbs like “Appointed.” Sending. Prayer. A declaration of peace. Healing of the sick.  In this way, the kingdom, or the reign of God in Jesus, comes. By the sending of His word and restoration through the sending of His apostles. 

 

God’s work of sending is not without its troubles though. Along with His provision and His peace, Jesus gives a rather sober warning. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

 

The apostles didn’t have it easy. They weren’t sent out by Jesus to be social media influencers or join the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. They were sent to follow the way of Jesus. The way of suffering. The way of denial. The way of sacrifice. The way of the cross. 

 

There’s a reminder for us in Jesus’ words. We, his baptized priesthood of beleivers, will not always have it easy either. Perhaps you’ve felt that in recent days, weeks, months, years. Our Lord sends us as his lambs into a world of wolves that slaughter our brothers and sisters in Christ for bearing his name. Wolves that burn, bomb, and belittle Christian churches and organizations for standing up for God’s gift of human life. Wolves that devour us by fixing our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds not upon the things of God, but upon the things of man. And don’t forget the wolf of our sinful flesh that dwells within each of us threatening to devour us. 

 

This is why God is the God who sends. This is why in the midst of this fallen world, Jesus gives his apostles, and gives us a sacred promise, a holy declaration, a gracious greeting: “peace be to this house.” And when the Lord speaks peace, he also gives it to you.

 

 ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him.

 

Our Lord speaks peace because he knows that is what the world needs. What his apostles need. What you and I need. His peace. Peace in Jesus’ word of promises. Peace in the forgiveness of sins. Peace in the healing waters of your baptism. Peace in the body and blood of Jesus that sustains you on the journey. Peace in the cross where Christ died for you. Peace in the wounds He bore for you. Peace in His rising from the dead for you. Peace in his church given freely to you.

 

All of this is sent to you in the word and sacraments that are sent to us today. Here in this house, where Jesus continues to say, “Peace be with you.”

 

This is what God does. God is the God who sends. Before Jesus sent the 72, the Father sent His Only begotten Son. Jesus is the Sent One. Jesus is sent into the dust of our Death. Jesus is sent to the cross to bear the world’s rejection, hatred, and sin on His own shoulders. Jesus is sent to destroy the kingdom of sin and darkness and the devil, that you may be his own and live in his kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. 

 

God sends you as well. Sends you to die and rise in baptism, where Paul says you are a new creation in Christ. The old has gone. The new has come. God has sent His Spirit to live, abide, and dwell with you. To make you holy. And to send you as well. 

 

God sends you into your daily vocations to declare His peace, in your homes, among your family, with your neighbors, at work, to give to anyone a reason for the hope that is within you. You are Christ’s chosen priesthood, holy and precious in His sight. You are sent out in His name. With his peace in your ears, hearts, and minds, and his mercy and praises upon your lips. You are Christ’s man, Christ’s woman, Christ’s servant wherever you go – on the assembly line, in the office, in the classroom, at the gym, at home. 

 

And wherever you go in this life, know that the God who sent you is always the God who promises to be with you. Always.

 

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