MONEY SHOWS NO LOVE

 

Do you ever hear people talk about money? They may use sayings when they speak about money. A penny saved is a penny earned. All that glitters is not gold. As poor as a church mouse. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth and so on. There are hundreds of sayings about money, which teach us money’s value and how we can use it to better people’s lives.

Most of the time people talk about how little or much money they have; how someone cheated them out of money or how they got a deal; how expensive something is; how the government wastes money; or how well their money is doing or not doing. My favorite is when an athlete is offered more money than he has ever made, and he says that he prayed about it, and God helped him make his decision to take the money.

We all need money to live, but some people live for money. That is the case in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-15). The Pharisees loved money, and they made fun of Jesus when he said that you cannot serve God and money. He pointed out that the things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

When I hear people talk about money, I think of the The First Commandment: I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods before me. I think of that because to me it sounds like some people love money more than they love God. Now, I want you to remember something. You can love money, but money will never love you. God loves you, and you should always love God more than anything or anyone.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Pray for Everyone

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Timothy: Person, Purpose and Practical Application, and my focus is our Epistle (1 Timothy 2:1-15). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Wikipedia has a page for everything. There is an entry for Timothy as a given name. It tells us that Timothy is a masculine Greek name meaning “one who honors God.” In the United States, the name was most popular in the 1960s, ranking 13^th among boy names. Now, it doesn’t even make the top one hundred. Surprisingly, it is also a name for girls.

The known actors named Timothy include Busfield, Dalton, Hutton and Olyphant. Among athletes and singers are Tebow and McGraw, but “Tiny Tim” was really Herbert Buckingham Khaury. Then there is Leary, the psychiatrist who advocated drugs, and the infamous mass murderer McVeigh. Fictional characters appear as McGee in NCIS and Cratchit from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

There are many people in the Bible and early Church that we scarcely know, among them is Timothy, often mentioned in the same sentence with Titus. He came from Lystra in what is now Turkey. His father was a Greek pagan, and his mother, Eunice, was a Jewish-Christian. Acts introduces him in chapter 16, when Paul made his first missionary journey to Lystra. Timothy is mentioned frequently in Acts and many of the epistles.

Timothy was Paul’s companion on several missionary journeys. He was sent by Paul to Thessalonica to strengthen the Christians. Paul referred to him as a brother and God’s co-worker or servant. When Timothy returned from that journey, he reported the good news of the Thessalonians’ faith and love. 

Paul then sent him from Ephesus to Corinth to remind the Christians of how to live as followers of Jesus because some had become arrogant, bold, pretentious and/or proud. He also sent him to Philippi to teach them to humble themselves like Christ did.

In addition to his missionary journeys, Timothy is prominently mentioned in the opening greetings of several of Paul’s letters – 1^st Thessalonians, Philippians and 2^nd Corinthians. These are three of the churches he helped Paul start. He was also associated with Paul in his imprisonment in Ephesus, where he became their first bishop. Ephesus was an idolatrous city. It is there that Timothy was supposedly martyred.

Timothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing, and several references indicate that he was affectionate, tender and timid. Yet, even as a young man, he was an example for other Christians as he learned this from Paul. As Lutherans, we observe his feast on January 24^th. He is known by Catholics as the patron saint of those with stomach ailments because of one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).

I am sure there is more to know about Timothy, but we move on to my second point, Purpose. What is the purpose of Paul’s Letter to Timothy? There are several themes running throughout this Letter: Church order or structure, true and false teaching, and community relations and belief. Today’s passage deals with the third purpose, and I will get to that shortly, but first will touch upon the first two themes.

Church order here is about the role of bishops or teachers. 5:17 tells us that only certain presbyters were involved in preaching and teaching, but not all were bishops. 3:1 shows that the position was esteemed, and Paul warned that bishops were not to become conceited (3:6).

The qualifications for deacons are also outlined in chapter three: respectable, not given to too much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, married once and good managers of their children and households. They were tested before being admitted to this service. Likewise, women are mentioned for service. Although some translations, such as ours, use the word wives, some claim that there is a compelling case that the Greek grammar indicates that “women” refers to deacons and not women who are wives of deacons. The last group Paul writes of is the widow.

Teaching is described in chapter one, the latter half of chapter three and into four, and chapter six. Sound doctrine is always a critical issue in the early Church, just as it is today. We see that Paul struggles against arrogant individualism and that his prime target was Cynic philosophy whose philosophers spoke with sarcasm or skepticism about God and traditional religious beliefs and praised those who did not marry and raise a family.

Now, let’s turn to the theme of community relations. What we have in chapter two is akin to what we have in in Paul’s Letters to Colossians (3:18-4:1), Ephesians (5:21-6:9) and Titus (2:1-10): household codes. To understand household codes, I suggest that you turn to Section Three in Luther’s Small Catechism and read the Table of Duties. We credit The Good Doctor, Martin Luther, who coined the term Haustafeln, which refers to a summary table of specific actions members of each family are expected to perform.

In this list, virtues and vices are similar to what Paul wrote elsewhere (see above), and the stress here is on God’s desire to save every human being. Christians are to pray for all people, as we read in verse one. The reason Paul strongly encourages prayers for the kings and rulers is because Christians did not participate in the civic worship of the gods and were suspect because of that. It is not that Paul was encouraging patriotism, but that civic authorities allow Christians to live in peace, and so that these authorities come to a clear knowledge of the truth.

If God is one, he must be concerned with all peoples, and Paul links this truth to Christ, the one mediator between God and men. Here, Paul emphasizes Christ’s humanity. Why? Docetism. The Docetists who came later were those who focused on the divinity of Christ and denied that Jesus came in the flesh. They believed that he only seemed to have flesh. This false teaching destroys the entire concept of the Trinity. As one early Church Father put it, “This refers to the perfect humanity by which salvation is [formed]. The fact that Jesus shares a common humanity with us is the whole key to salvation.”[1] Docetism is a heresy attacked by John in his Letters as well, and Paul mentions it here as a reminder to Timothy to be aware of false teachings. It’s a good reminder for us too. Through Jesus Christ – true God and true man – you have been saved, as Paul testifies in the next verse.

The next section deals with how people should act, but the first verse (8) reminds us to lift holy hands without anger or quarreling, which reminds me of what I do when I pray before you. When I bless you, I lift my hands over you. When I pray at the altar, I lift my hands and direct you to lift up your hearts. And when I speak the Lord’s Prayer, I hold my hands as if I am surrendering. Standing with hands outstretched and palms turned upwards to the heavens indicated that one was open to receiving God’s grace. This goes back to how God commanded the priests to pray when offering sacrifice and bestowing His blessing (see Leviticus). If you are uncomfortable praying with hands elevated in public, try it when you are praying alone.

The household codes regarding how women should act is much longer here. If you were to ask me why, I would have to tell you, “I don’t know.” As I have aged, I have noticed that I rely upon that phrase more often. What Scripture does reveal is that women assumed the right to pray aloud at Christian worship. They also held responsible positions. Phoebe, Prisca and Junia are depicted as preaching and teaching.[2]

Although mention is made of gold, pearls and costly attire, most Christian women did not have the means to adorn themselves like this, however, Paul does address behavior here and in other passages of the Letter. John Chrysostom makes an interesting observation about the last verses (11-15). He wrote, “Eve was not subjected in her original condition as she was made. Nor was she called to submission when God first brought her to the man. She did not hear anything from God then about submissiveness. Nor did Adam originally say any such word to her.”[3] Chrysostom goes on to say that subjection came after the fall.

So, what practical application does 1^st Timothy have on our lives today as individuals and as Church? In a word, prayer. I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I start each day in prayer by reading Psalms, a Scripture passage and a meditation by one of the Church Fathers. I often follow this by reading a Scripture suggested for daily worship. After I have finished that I usually turn to the news, and that’s when my disposition also turns sour.

So much in our world – or what’s reported by storytellers – turns our stomachs. One of the most sickening stories was the murder of Charlie Kirk, and how mainstream media spun this. And no matter who is President, half the nation and maybe even the world is upset about some new policy or program. People mock leaders in high positions on every level from the world and nation to local towns and townships, from universities to school districts, from professional coaches to youth coaches. For me, the practical application of today’s passage is to pray for all these people either by name or position so that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives and that they come to the knowledge of the truth.

As a congregation, we do that through the Prayer of the Church. As individuals, we can do that through our own intercessory prayers. Cindy and I include family members, friends, neighbors and church members in our prayers each morning and before supper. On our 21-acre home, we live such relatively peaceful and quiet lives that on some days, we have no or little personal contact with anyone. The challenge for me is to pray for people like St. Monica did for her pagan son, Augustine, who eventually did come to the knowledge of the truth, and then taught it. So, let’s not discount the power of praying for someone’s heart and mind to turn to Christ.

The other application that comes to mind is good example. Every Christian can lead others to Christ through prayer and good example. Paul’s desire is that anger, rage, wrath, and being quarrelsome, argumentative, or scheming has no part in the life of a believer. If you demonstrate these vices in your lives, how are you drawing others closer to Christ? How do such vices make me more like Christ? On the other hand, the good example I provide to my spouse, children, parents or in-laws will eventually lead them closer to Christ. You may not realize it, but friends, neighbors and coworkers sense whether that you pray – and pray for them.

As we close, I encourage you to re-read Luther’s Table of Duties. Notice how Luther intentionally listed them from congregation to society to household. In our congregation we remember our identity in Christ as individual members of His Body. We then move into the world and our daily work before returning home where we gather with family in mutual service, for meals, in prayer and rest.

Luther’s Table teaches that all of us are called to live within our particular stations – church, society and home. In these ordinary places we serve and obey God by living His commandments not solely for ourselves but more importantly for the well-being of the people God has placed in our lives. God uses us in the world for the good and blessing of our neighbors. As God uses you each day, I pray that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.

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[1] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on 1 Timothy, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament IX, edited by Peter Gorday. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (2000), p. 158.

[2] See Romans 16:1-3, 7; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 16:7, 19.

[3] John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1^st Corinthians. Commentary on 1 Timothy, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament IX, edited by Peter Gorday. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (2000), p. 165.

 

GOOD SALT

 

Do you like to put salt on your food? A lot of people do. That’s why in homes and restaurants you find salt and pepper shakers on the table. In fact, when you go to the store to find this product, you look for Table Salt.

Did you know that salt made a lot of people rich? When we were in Germany for vacation, our guide told us that salt was known as white gold because it was once more valuable than real gold. Because people did not have refrigerators, they used salt to preserve food. There’s even a city named after salt – Salzburg.

I mention salt today because at the end of our Gospel (Luke 14:34-45), Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away.” What does Jesus mean by that?

Jesus was telling his followers that just as salt adds flavor to food, their faith adds something to the world. As Christians, we add a lot to the world. We remind people how God wants us to live by keeping His commandments. We show people how to pray by teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. We bring people to meet other followers of Jesus by bringing them to church. We love people by imitating Jesus’ love.

If we are not in the world living God’s commandments, praying as Jesus taught us, gathering with other believers at church, or loving as Jesus did, then we have lost our taste. And if we lose our taste, well, what good are we?

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Sermon on Philemon and Modern Day Slavery

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Useful Christians, and my focus is the Letter to Philemon. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Philemon is Paul’s shortest epistle and the only one written to a non-clergy individual. Yet, it possesses the characteristics of the longer church epistles: an opening greeting, thanksgiving, body, closing and farewell. Philemon is also a masterpiece of subtle suggestion for it reveals an aged, imprisoned Paul as unexpectedly diplomatic, urbane and witty.

A carefully crafted letter written to transform attitudes about social norms, Paul teased meaning out of words, particularly, the words useless and useful. However, if I focused only on that, I’d be finished in 5 minutes, and you’d be first in line at Eat ‘n Park. So, to quote the late Billy Mays, “Wait! There’s more!” …

Paul wrote 5 letters from captivity: Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, 2^nd Timothy and Philemon. While incarcerated with other Christians, Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus, visited the imprisoned Paul. Philemon was a wealthy host of a house church in Colossae. When Onesimus delivered news about a crisis of the faith in Colossae, Paul penned 3 epistles: Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon.

Paul found Onesimus quite useful to the Christian mission but also faced a dilemma. As the slave owner, Philemon had the law on his side. Paul must return him. Paul admitted to and accepted blame for Onesimus’s defection. Paul owes Philemon, but Philemon owes Paul more. How?

Paul brought the Gospel to Philemon’s household. By doing so, Paul assumed authority as head of his household. The Gospel brings the forgiveness of sins and new life to all who receive it. It also creates new relationships. Philemon’s acceptance of the Gospel created a relationship not only with the Lord, but also with Paul and the members of his own household, including his slave, Onesimus. Paul chose to return to Philemon his slave, Onesimus, not as property but as a Christian equal with Philemon before the Lord.

Although Philemon owed Paul, the Apostle wanted him to read between the lines of his letter and follow his wishes. Paul saw that in the presence of Christ, slave and master are equal. Read Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”[1] Paul provided a solution to Philemon’s complicated situation that brought freedom to the slave and honor to the owner. … That, my friends, is the gist of Paul’s Letter to Philemon.

Now, if you like Paul’s wisdom, you’ll love his wit. The letter contains a number of elegant puns. For example, in Greek, Onesimus means useful. Paul wrote that before his conversion, Onesimus was without Christ (a-Chrestos) and was useless (achrestos). Since Paul introduced the Gospel to him, he became useful (euchrestos) because he became a “good Christian” (eu-Chrestos). In other words, Onesimus, like Philemon, found his identity in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A second pun revolves around the heart. Paul remembered how Philemon “refreshed the hearts of the saints” by offering hospitality and financial support to fellow Christians. When he wrote of returning Onesimus, Paul used the same phrase sighing, “I am sending my very heart.” Paul’s request to “refresh my heart” meant that he wanted Philemon to honor him by freeing Onesimus for missionary work.

Most people never consider Paul a clever linguist wise about the standards and practices of his Greek culture; or how he presented the Gospel to that culture. I am certain he prayerfully struggled when he wrote – “There is neither slave nor free” and “Slaves be submissive” – with tact and diplomacy to create new relationships among Christians. The paradox is that while in chains, Paul gave freedom by proclaiming the Gospel to both slaves and masters.

One must marvel at Paul as he offered an honorable solution to a Christian leader. Paul offered a comfortable solution to an uncomfortable situation. With Philemon, he built rapport, persuaded his mind and moved his heart. His message to Philemon is a message to all of us. We are useful servants with a heart for Christ’s mission.

We are useful servants with a heart for Christ’s mission. … What is that mission? Simply, the salvation of souls. Paul brought the Gospel to Philemon, and Christ – through His suffering, death and resurrection – saved him and his household from eternal punishment and offered him eternal life.

Paul personally knew that salvation came through faith, an encounter with the Risen Christ, a death and resurrection moment that changed everything. Accepting Christ and the Gospel meant Philemon and Onesimus were equal before their Savior. Despite cultural norms, Paul advocated that the master free his slave and make him a true equal. That, my friends, is radical.

When we accept Christ’s mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 – to make disciples by baptizing and teaching – we love and live radically. Living and loving radically means Christ is the root of our lives.

Unbelievably, there are Christians who do not live and love radically. Their acceptance of Christ changed nothing. They separate soul from body, eternal life from earthly life, worship from work, and Sunday morning liturgy from Friday night lights. Radical Christians and useful servants know that God gave us soul and body, and commanded us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”[2] That is radical.

Now, just as Paul confronted the injustice of his time with Gospel courage, we too are called to confront the injustices of ours. Are we not the Lord’s useful servants? Am I passionate about how I announce the Gospel to someone today? Do I prayerfully prepare myself to struggle and challenge a Philemon the way Paul did? To help answer those questions, let me close with an inspiring story of my friend, Minh Dang, and her struggle and challenge, and then pose one more question to ponder.

Minh founded an organization to end human trafficking and slavery. Although slavery is illegal in every country, 167 countries still have some form of modern slavery, which affects an estimated 46 million people worldwide.[3]

The U.S. Department of State defines modern slavery as “the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion.”[4] There are hundreds of thousands of slaves in Afghanistan, Russia and Iran. The top countries with millions of slaves are India, China and North Korea.

Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865 with the passing of the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Yet, that has not stopped human traffickers. In 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 10,360 suspected human trafficking cases.[5]

In the United States, both U.S. residents and foreign nationals are being bought and sold like modern-day slaves. Traffickers use violence, manipulation or false promises of well-paying jobs or romantic relationships to exploit victims. Victims are forced to work as prostitutes or to take jobs as migrant, domestic, restaurant or factory workers with little or no pay. Human trafficking is a heinous crime that exploits the most vulnerable in society.[6]

In the first half of August, the FBI’s Operation Cross Country located more than 200 victims of human trafficking, The FBI and its partners located 141 adult victims of human trafficking. The Bureau identified and located 84 minor victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation offenses and located 37 actively missing children. Agents and investigators also identified or arrested 85 suspects with child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses. The average age of victims located during this year’s Operation Cross Country was 15.5, while the youngest victim discovered was 11 years old.[7]

Now, let me get back to Mihn. In 2013, after President Obama recognized Minh as a Champion of Change, she said, “It’s really bitter. I’d really love to get an award for having invented the iPad. I’m getting an award for telling my horrendous story. … I’m really glad to be recognized, but that recognition doesn’t fill the hole where my mommy doesn’t love me or the hole of my wounds.”[8] … Minh was her Los Altos High School teachers’ delight and her coach’s dream – an overachieving academic athlete. In college, she shocked everyone when she revealed that since the age of 10, her parents enslaved her for more than a decade for financial gain. Minh’s mother stopped loving her at age 10. Her mother and father forced her into slavery for 12 long years. In short, they were criminals.

After she broke free from her parents, Minh became an undergraduate and then a graduate student at the University of California. I met her while working in Berkeley. She has since completed her PhD and now serves as the Executive Director of Survivor Alliance; an international non-governmental organization focused on building communities for survivors of slavery and human trafficking.

I mention Minh because human trafficking and slavery are very much alive and well in America today. Victims are beaten, starved and forced into dehumanizing situations, working grueling jobs in restaurants, factories or as domestic servants for little or no pay. Think about that the next time you are in a restaurant, nail salon, classroom, factory or order lawn care or a new roof. Are these people trafficked? When they outlive their usefulness, they are dumped or murdered – even by their own parents.

You know, sometimes Scripture makes us feel uneasy. We struggle with some of Scripture’s teachings because it makes us feel uncomfortable. Telling Minh’s story and the plight of millions of people today is not uplifting. Few will ever experience freedom. None will turn out to be doctoral students or be awarded by the White House, but they are all God’s children, and we have a mission to them and their captors – to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls and for the freedom to live with dignity. As useful servants, that is our radical mission.

Minh said, “If everyone KNEW about human trafficking but didn’t DO anything to put an end to it, then awareness would be useless. What is one thing you can commit to doing?” This week, I invite you to pray about one concrete action you can take—whether it’s supporting a ministry, educating yourself, or advocating for justice. Let your faith be useful.

What is one thing you can commit to doing? The Lutheran Church is committed to Christ Cares for Children.[9] It provides boarding facilities so vulnerable children in Kenya have the opportunity to successfully complete primary or secondary school. In addition to living at the school for 24 months, the children learn to plant, harvest, cook, tend to livestock, clean the compound and care for their personal space. These children begin and end each day with devotions. Choir practice, Bible study and catechesis occur throughout the week. The children are full, contributing members of the Lutheran Church, and some teach Sunday school classes for the younger students. By being involved in a ministry that is engaged in ending a practice that takes the most vulnerable and sells them as a commodity for unholy purposes, we choose and protect life.

Our greatest lawgiver, Jesus, asks us to choose. Sometimes choosing to live a radical Gospel life is a struggle, but our presence here implies that we desire to live the Gospel as Christ lived it. As His useful servants, we pray for the wisdom and courage to choose wisely in every situation, especially difficult ones. And when we pray, may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.

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[1] Galatians 3:28.

[2] Luke 10:27.

[3] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-still-have-slavery

[4] Ibid.

[5] https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/findings/country-studies/united-states/#footnote:marker:2

[6] https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/human-trafficking

[7] https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/press-releases/fbi-announces-results-of-nationwide-sex-trafficking-operation

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minh_Dang

[9] https://files.lcms.org/file/preview/x9OJO7sZjxReaNPgOfmNXOFYyf4jSKma?

Distress, Division, Discipleship (Luke 12:49-53)

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Distress, Division, Discipleship, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 12:49-53). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

If pain or suffering affects my body or mind, I am distressed. If I am in a state of danger or desperate need, I am distressed. If I am a ship without power or taking on water, I am distressed. It’s sad news if my business or administration is distressed, but good news if my furniture or jeans are distressed.

The word distress means a circumstance that causes anxiety or hardship. It comes to us from the Latin word distringere meaning to draw apart, compel or coerce. Dis means lack of, opposite of or apart, and stringere means to draw tight or press together.

In our Gospel today, Jesus is greatly distressed. Other translations state that Jesus was afflicted, burdened, constrained, consumed, pressed and pent up. Why? Jesus opens his message by telling his disciples that he came to cast fire upon the earth. In itself, this is not unusual. Fire is mentioned over 600 times in the Old Testament. We all know the danger and destruction fire brings, but I never associated fire with distress, as Jesus does in our Gospel. Fire destroys and purifies, and the fire of God’s wrath laid on Jesus led to his death and destroyed the power of sin and hell. Jesus first received this wrath when he entered the water of baptism by John in the Jordan River. He continued to stand under that wrath until it was satisfied in his crucifixion. So, Jesus knew that he was to bear this fiery wrath and end-time judgment, and his distress expressed his desire for it to be accomplished.

In my study of the Prophet Isaiah (chapter 49), he wrote about the Servant being distressed and seeing nothing coming out of his own effort, and so he turned from his own wisdom and rested in the God who called and appointed him. The Servant was faithful, but distressed, and Isaiah reminds us that resting faith is the answer to despondency. The antidote to distress is to rest in God’s promise, and to allow the Father’s work to be done. The Father’s work, as well as that of the Son, was completed when Jesus was upon the Cross. Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem (see 9:51), knew the outcome of his journey’s end and the horror that awaited him in Jerusalem. He was to be the holocaust or the whole burnt offering – offered up for the sin of the world. So, until that moment arrived, Jesus would be distressed.

Next, division. Most of us learned division in third grade. We memorized flash cards and completed homework assignments. We know that division is the act of separating into parts, portions or shares. Military branches and multinational corporations have separate divisions. Communities have subdivisions, and our homes are divided into rooms. When we divide, we force apart or separate. We sever the union or connection. Our nation was once officially divided (Civil War) and remained unofficially divided over numerous issues.

Was Jesus’ intention to force apart families? Was he trying to get people to choose sides? Was he attempting to segregate believers from unbelievers? In this passage, Jesus moved from distress to speaking about the divisive effect of his suffering and death, which would be the kindling of the end-time fire and baptism that lead to his coming in judgment. Furthermore, the divisive impact of his presence in the world would continue through the ministry of his apostles after his death, resurrection and ascension.

In speaking about the fire Jesus came to cast and the baptism with which he had to be baptized is about his destiny in Jerusalem. This baptism brings division, and it seems ironic because he was supposed to bring peace. That is what Zechariah prophesied in chapter one. “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Throughout his ministry Jesus did bring peace to sinners and sick people. He commanded the disciples to announce peace as they went off in pairs. When he entered Jerusalem, the crowds sang his blessings and of peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Even his first words after he rose from the dead offered peace to his disciples. So, how do we reconcile all these passages of peace with the division his baptism would bring?

Peace between God and man is made possible because of the fiery wrath placed on Jesus crucified. And yet, his baptism into death would cause division and conflict among people. The theology of the cross brings peace with God and absolves those marked with the cross in Baptism, but that mark also brings antagonism and animosity from the world.

We read of this division clearly in Micah (7:6). Jesus repeated this division in chapter 14, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”[1] Later, he spoke these words, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”[2]

The division between the disciples of Jesus and those who do not accept his baptism occurs immediately after his ascension and continues today. Yet, we do not stand alone. We do not walk alone. We are in this together because of Christ crucified, because of Christ’s baptism into death and everlasting life. And that brings me to my third point, discipleship.

I have examined this word in previous sermons, and if you are listening to (or reading) this sermon, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. You became a disciple of Christ, a Christian, when you were baptized, for that was the moment when you received God the Father’s Word for you spoken through Jesus and His Church by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ’s Paschal Mystery – His suffering, dying, death, descent into hell, and resurrection – 2000 years ago, you were saved. At whatever moment in your life that you were baptized, you received God’s Word – his promise of salvation – which is your participation in that same Paschal Mystery. So, while you have faith in Christ, which saves, your baptism is your formal declaration to accept that promise.

Citing Christ’s commands about baptism in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16, in which He instructs the Eleven Apostles to baptize and teaches that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, Luther’s Small Catechism states that Baptism effects forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

The Catechism goes on to teach that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new person should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. For Christians of the first five centuries, this would have been most important. They needed to guard themselves against falling into the worship of Satan, which included all kinds of idolatrous and superstitious practices. The worship of the devil was found everywhere. People were deceived by dreams of demons. They plunged themselves into pools thinking the water would bring healing from their diseases. They believed in signs, astrology and predictions, wore amulets and practiced magic.

People of the first centuries desiring baptism went through rigorous training. They prepared for it by attending daily teaching from the bishop. They were assigned a personal sponsor who showed them how to live in the world as a Christian. They publicly denounced Satan and all practices related to him and professed the Creed until they memorized it. They stripped off the “old man” like a soiled garment robe and put on the new tunic Christ offered them. Only then were they ready for baptism itself. Only then were they ready to call themselves Christian.

We find in the earliest teaching of Christian baptism the destruction of the old and the creation of the new person which was achieved by Christ’s death and resurrection. So, one who was baptized was not only purified from sins and received the grace of adoption but also became an antitype of the Passion of Christ. Symbolically, the baptized person was no longer the old Adam, but his counterpart – Christ. In short, to be a Christian in the ancient Church, you had to go through hell symbolically as Christ did. You had to die with Christ to live with Him.

I mention all of this because to be a disciple during the time of the Apostles and the early Church, you not only separated yourself from Satan, sin and the ways of the world, but your own family. Embracing Christ through baptism meant rejecting the ways of the world and your own identity. Remember that only recently have people in this culture been able to identify themselves. Traditionally, your family was your identity. Your native ethnicity was your identity. Society identified most people, but Christians broke free of that and identified themselves as Christ in the world realizing full well that identification with Christ could result in the same death, but also the same Life He lives.

So, what does all this talk about how disciples experienced baptism in the early Church have to do with you and me? I was musing recently that becoming a Christian should not be as easy as attending a meeting or getting a membership card to Costco, Sam’s Club or any other preferred shopping outlet. So, what does it mean to belong to Christ and not just a club?

Being a disciple of Christ today should be no less challenging than it was for people during the Church’s first centuries. Those Christians went through hell. Christ went through hell. We should be willing to do the same.

We don’t have to go to work in the Church in Ukraine or any other war-torn country. We have enough strife here. We don’t need to separate ourselves from family but question and choose practices and values that better resemble Christ in the world. Think of St. Monica’s influence on her son, Augustine. Not all of us are called to sell everything, give to the poor and follow Jesus in poverty, but as Christians we may want to re-evaluate how we spend our money and time. We may want to begin by following Martin Luther’s practice of remembering our own baptism daily so that the Old Adam die with all sins and evil desires, and the new you emerge and live before God in righteousness and purity.

With that, I close with a prayer that is printed in the bulletin and projected on our screen. I am asking you to recite with me Martin Luther’s Remembrance of Baptism.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the wonderful gift of baptism and the many gifts that come with it: forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life through your Son Jesus Christ. In your grace and mercy, preserve us in faith that we may never doubt your promise, but find our comfort in you in all temptations. Send us your Holy Spirit that we may renounce sin and always continue in the righteousness given us in baptism, until we receive eternal salvation by your grace.

My friends, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Luke 14:26.

[2] Luke 21:16-17.

Grandchildren Week

 

The past week was filled with joyful family activities as our four grandchildren gathered at our home. We enjoyed baseball games, picnics, worship, outdoor games, gardening, cooking, and local attractions. Memorable moments included playful sibling rivalries, horseback riding, first-time mowing and tractor driving, swimming, and minor league baseball. The visit was a heartwarming blend of tradition, learning, and fun, creating lasting memories for all.

(L-R: Levi, Emma, Henry, Kinley)

Hosting

Every summer since 2020, our home in Pennsylvania becomes a sanctuary of laughter, learning, and legacy. During the first two years, all four of our grandchildren lived in Indiana or Illinois. Currently, two of them live nearby and two in Wisconsin.

Our grandchildren from Wisconsin – Levi and Kinley – stayed with us this past week. It was a wonderful experience for us. We planned fun learning activities and family time with Cindy and me, as well as their cousins – Emma and Henry.

Arrival

Their visit started off with a delayed flight on Friday evening, and with Cindy, they finally hit the sack at 2:00 AM last Saturday. Other than that, the week was marvelous. Their first day started watching Henry play a baseball game, followed by the Annual Potter Township Picnic complete with free sandwiches, fries, ice cream and fireworks that rival the display in the City of Pittsburgh.

 

Worship and Games

Sunday included worship and then playtime with cousins at our home. This brought back memories of my brothers and me playing outdoors with cousins, aunts and uncles. Back then, we played softball, tag, hide ‘n seek, and wiffle ball. Our grandchildren played all those games and argued about who makes the rules for each. It reminded me that children have not changed much in sixty years.

Gardening Lessons

In between the games and before dinner, we got them to pick beans, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. They set an informal contest of who could pick the largest green bean. Yet, an intervention of adult guidance was needed to offset their enthusiasm when digging potatoes and carrots. They got so excited when they saw and pulled on the stem of the carrot, they kept breaking the crown from the taproot. I needed to loosen the soil with a spade before giving them permission to harvest. The harvested root vegetables are in storage, and on Monday, my grandson and I made salsa and pickles.

Fort Steuben and Family Memories

Fort Steuben is a local attraction we frequent when we host visitors. It’s a pleasant forty-minute drive from our home to Dean Martin’s hometown of Steubenville, Ohio. Transporting Levi, Kinley and Henry made me think of how my parents separated us in our 1955 Chevy Belair. My older brother, John, and I sat in the back seat, and my younger brother, Ed, sat between my parents in the front seat.

(My parents owned a 1955 Chevrolet Belair.)

Because sibling children do not always conduct themselves perfectly while riding in the back seat of a car no matter how long or short the trip is, we encouraged them to bring their iPads. Take my advice, do this. You’ll maintain your sanity and you will prevent someone from getting poked in the eye.

I thought Fort Steuben would be a wonderful educational experience for these three, but the two eight-year-olds overcame their boredom by zipping in and out of each exhibit as quickly as possible, whereas Levi loved examining the tools, weapons and pelts displayed in each building. The highlight for each was serving a short sentence in the stockade. Upon returning home, the three of them took time to help pick more vegetables, collect eggs and play with the chickens.

 

 

 

Riding Lessons and Mowing

Our friends, Beverly and David Patrick, live nearby on a horse farm. Beverly grew up around horses, and still competitively drives a team of Fell ponies. We got to know them through our community college classes on wine tasting. Bev enjoys teaching people how to ride a horse or a pony, and on Wednesday, she offered a refresher class to Levi and Kinley, and this year added a surprise – a trip on her carriage.

 

(Beverly teaches Levi how to ride.)

When we returned home, I got Levi to mow our back field on our John Deere riding lawn mower. It was his first time mowing, and not only did he do a respectable job, but he also enjoyed mowing, except for the bumps. Both Levi and Kinley got a chance to drive my Kubota tractor, but because she is so light, Kinley needed me and then her mom to sit on the tractor with her while she drove like a crazy lady.

Baseball, Bracelets and a Bonfire

On Thursday, everyone went swimming at a local pool. and then Levi and Kinley went to the airport with Grammy to pick up their mom. On Friday, we all attended a Washington Wild Things baseball game. Minor league baseball games are child-friendly and family affordable. In between these activities, Levi assisted me in cutting, splitting and stacking firewood, and picking more vegetables.

(Wild Things!)

Saturday was the last day. Our oldest grandchild, Emma, organized a business venture with her brother and cousins – selling lemonade and her homemade bracelets at the front of our property. Friends, neighbors and others stopped and supported them. One guy even bought half of Emma’s bracelets. After two hours, they made a profit and divided their shares. We then enjoyed a wonderful roast beef dinner with sides of home-grown potatoes, carrots, turnips and green beans before completing the evening outside where everyone enjoyed the bonfire, smores and watching the boys exhaust our Golden Retriever, Maggie, as she chased a ball Levi and Henry hit across the backyard. This morning, Cindy took them to the airport, and they were home before lunch.

(Levi and Kinley share a last moment with an exhausted Maggie.)

In the moments between bean-picking contests and bonfire smores, I’m reminded of Psalm 127:3: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” We thoroughly enjoyed hosting our grandchildren this week and getting all of them to spend time together. It is one of the joys of being grandparents.