February 11, 2024 – Transfiguration Text:  2 Corinthians 3:12-13; 4:1-6

Dear Friends in Christ,

Somebody is “in their glory” when they are at their best.  When do you think your mother was/is most in her glory?  When she is all dolled up, looking pretty, ready to go out for a nice dinner?  Or when mom came to you in the middle of the night with hair all mussed to take care of you when you were sick?  On a personal level most of us would say when she gave comfort at 2 a.m.  She showed her love.  She was in her glory. 

When is Jesus in His glory?  Is it today at the Transfiguration?  After all, he is radiant, and His Father says He loves Him.  But the greater glory was the bloodied and beaten body of Jesus on the cross.  That is where He most clearly shows His love.  He comforts us in our sin and forgives us.  Oh, what glory.

This is the Gospel message.  We don’t hide or veil ourselves behind our sin.  Drop the charade.  You and I are sinners, and we know it.  Step out so the glory can shine on you.

“THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY”

The first veil is the veil Moses put over his face.  This is the old covenant.  “Moses…would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.” (v. 13). This is the teaching that the Law cannot save us.  Israel was being taught that without the shedding of blood, there could be no atonement.  On their “Day of Atonement” they would sacrifice a “scapegoat.”  They were learning how God would redeem the world, by transferring our sins to another.  With every Passover, they were to look to “the Lamb of God” who would once and for all take away the sins of the world.  Jesus would be the fulfillment of that covenant, once the veil is taken away.

It is too bad that some do not see beyond the old covenant; the veil essentially remains.  The Scriptures remain a closed book, and we miss seeing the one behind the veil:  Christ . . . on every page!

Our Gospel from Mark is the Transfiguration event.  We see in Mark, the three disciples were “terrified.”  They are afraid even before the clouds and voice appear.

We know about clouds overshadowing us.  How many times have you been driving in fog the last couple of weeks?  Not a comfortable feeling.  The car coming towards you is hidden and then there it is.  It has literally come out of the veil of fog.

What veils do we hide behind?  Do we ever hide behind our glory?  The feel-good moments.  The compliments.  The accomplishments.  “I’m a better driver than that person who  won’t put their lights on in this fog.”  “I would never lie like that guy on television.”  “How can people do that?”  We veil our sinful condition in subtle ways that we hardly notice.  We are in a fog, and we need an escape.  It is this same veil that kept many in Israel from receiving him.  John writes in his Gospel, “he came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13)

When Jesus said from the cross “It is finished,” the veil was being lifted.  The veil was also torn in two from top to bottom in the temple.  The fog has lifted, the veil is taken away, we can see the Lord clearly.  We see Him as He truly is – our Savior from sin, death, and the power of the Law.  In fact, we, by God’s grace, with “unveiled faces,” also begin to reflect the glory of Christ as the Gospel has its way with us.  The Law cannot produce such a change.  The Gospel can, because it’s all about Christ and what He accomplishes for us on the cross.

God continues transforming and transfiguring us as we hear the Word of God and frequently use the Sacraments.  This is a lifetime event, until we make our “exodus” to eternity.

Paul would continue his apostolic ministry.  He didn’t lose heart because it wasn’t about Moses or Elijah.  It is only about Jesus.  Paul is free.  We are free.  Free to confess Christ.

St. Paul doesn’t resort to “disgraceful, underhanded ways.” (4:2)  He doesn’t have to sugarcoat the Word of God to make it more appealing.  Paul had it in his day, we have it in ours.  We simply confess Christ as Lord and Savior when and where God gives the opportunity.  As our text says some are going to be “blinded” but we don’t lose the courage or moxie, because the result isn’t our responsibility.  That always and only rests in the hands of God.

God has shone in our hearts.  He has given us the knowledge.  The veil has been taken away.  Be bold confessors of the new covenant – “Jesus Christ as Lord.” (4:5)

Amen.

January 28, 2024               Text:  1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Dear Friends in Christ,

Let’s start with a little background about the city of Corinth, so we can better understand the subject matter in our text.  Corinth had temples to pagan gods.  Corinth had a temple with 1,000 priestesses who were sacred prostitutes.  To live “like a Corinthian” meant immorality and debauchery.

In these temples the worshippers would offer sacrifices.  You would bring in your animal, the priest would kill and clean it and then it would be burned.  A plume of smoke would ascend to the heavens to influence the gods.  Only a small part of the meat was incinerated, the rest was roasted.  Everyone knew if you wanted a good cheap meal, you could pick one up at your neighborhood temple.  It was the fast food of the day.

Some of the Christians were eating the meat as a matter of Christian freedom.  Since the idols were nothing to them it didn’t bother them that the meat had been offered to idols.  On the other hand, there were Christians in Corinth who had weak consciences because of their former association with idols.  This became a stumbling block and faith was destroyed.

How do we use our Christian freedom?  What are some of the issues of our day that can relate to the text?  Do we lift up or hurt our weak brothers and sisters?  Paul warns,

“DON’T BE A STUMBLING BLOCK”

What is going on in 21^st century where-you-are-ville?  No one these days is writing e-mails to their Pastor or our Synod’s Theology Review Board concerning “food offered to idols.”  But what issues do we face that might cause us to be a stumbling to a weaker brother or sister?

The first one would be alcohol.  Again, this falls under Christian freedom.  Should we have a cocktail in front of someone who is struggling with alcoholism?  Probably not because this might lead them down a path, we don’t want to see them go.

Another one is a more recent phenomenon.  It is the idea that anyone can get a license to marry someone.  Our family attended a wedding like this, and the ceremony was God-awful.  The only way I survived was through prayer and putting my head down for the whole half-hour.  Because marriage was ordained by God and has usually been the duty of the Church and the Pastor it is a bad look.  It cheapens my ordination and the ordination and education of my brother Pastor’s.  It does not build the faith, but it sure does put up a stumbling block to husband and wife under the auspices of their Creator.  Yes, again we have Christian freedom but is it the right way to use it?

For Paul and the Holy Spirit my right to exercise some of these freedoms stops when a brother or sister is tripped up.  We don’t live in a closed system.  We live in a family of brothers and sisters.  These are brothers and sisters for whom Christ died.

We get stuck on ourselves and our rights.  Stop looking at your belly buttons – innies, outies, things get stuck in there.  Nasty.  We need something else to look at.  

Look to the beautiful.  Look to the forgiving.  Look to the forever.  This something is a someone, and his name is Jesus.  From all eternity he has been concerned about you.  Two thousand years ago he was concerned about living and dying for you and rising for you.  

Today he was concerned about making sure you woke up on time to get here.  See, he wants to be sure you know that you are forgiven.  He wants you to know that if you have been a stumbling block, you can repent and start anew with better judgment and an uplifting attitude.  Today he wants to feed you his body and blood as a member of his family.  

The relationship between God and us is always one of grace, pure and undeserved love.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”  In Christ, we have been freed from the Law, “but take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” (v. 9). We are saved by grace alone, for Christ’s sake, through faith, and our love is a love that builds up our Christian brother and sister.  

Let’s use our freedom wisely, for Christ’s sake.

Amen.

January 21, 2024 – Sanctity of Human Life Sunday               Text:  Jonah 3:1-4:3

Dear Friends in Christ,

Is the church today a reluctant messenger when it comes to life issues?  Do we run away from sharing this message?  Don’t we want families dealing with an unplanned pregnancy or those facing end-of-life decisions to know about a God who does not abandon them in their challenges?  Don’t we want men and women to know God’s compassion and forgiveness and direction?  We can’t run away just because it might be uncomfortable.

We have a man in our text who knows about running away from the uncomfortable.  Jonah’s the name.  He is a . . . 

“RELUCTANT MESSENGER”

God has a plan and wants Jonah to carry it out.  Go to Nineveh and tell them to repent.  In his first try, Jonah ran away.  But being swallowed up by a big fish and then vomited up has a way of getting a man’ attention.  He is still reluctant.  So, he pouts.  “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry.” (4:1)  Didn’t he want the people to be saved?  Did he want them to suffer God’s wrath?  OK, OK, the Ninevites were enemies of Israel, but Jonah this is still rather selfish.

Jonah had a message, but it wasn’t his, it was God’s.  God told him, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” (3:2). Reluctantly, he went to Nineveh with God’s message.  This wasn’t easy.  Nineveh had thousands of people.  Jonah was alone and he wasn’t going with a popular message.  “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (3:4)

There was power in that message because it was God’s message.  It wasn’t Jonah they believed, verse 5 says, “the people of Nineveh believed God.”  They understood the truth and power of the message.  They humbled themselves and it brought about godly results.

Look at what happened when they repented.  “God relented of the disaster he said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” (3:10). He did not punish as He had a right to do.  His great love restrained Him from carrying out His judgment.  This frustrated Jonah.  He wanted these people punished.  Then he prayed and he says this, “you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (4:2)  This reluctant messenger had a powerful message because it was God’s message.

When it comes to life issues, we have a powerful message because it is God’s message.  The message is not only a “do this” or “don’t to do that” but it is a message that says, “Look what God has done.”  He created the first humans in his own image.  Even though sin messed it all up, God is still involved, The Psalmist writes, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139:13).  Job reminds us that in God’s hand are “the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:10)

The value of each human being comes through God’s redeeming hands.  The same hands that knit you together stretched out on a cross to pay for your sin.  You were bought with a price, the holy and precious blood of Jesus.  That gives life value.

What a positive message of God-given life we have to share.  The embryo in the petri dish, the baby in the womb, the child on the playground, the child with Down syndrome playing with him, the athlete, the paraplegic in the wheelchair, the energetic businesswoman, the young woman with MS, grandpa on the golf course, grandma in the nursing home – all are people created by God.  All of these are people from whom Jesus died.  Therefore, all have value and dignity and purpose.  Why be reluctant to share such a powerful message?

There are those out there and maybe in here that have made bad decisions about life and death.  But we never take the attitude of Jonah that we hope they get what they deserve.  In my lifetime I have heard so many speakers who have made bad decisions and regretted it.  God changed their lives not through bashing them but through loving people and loving organizations that were there to support them.  They had God’s message of forgiveness.  Remember from our text that God is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  Steadfast means that it is always there.  God promises never to leave or forsake.  There is no situation beyond God’s power to help.  Look at the positives He has brought about with life issues just in the last few years.  He uses us, His reluctant messengers for His purposes.  We counsel, we walk, we attend banquets, we rally.  We are there if it affects our family or our church.  We don’t run away.  That is never the answer.

Jonah, the reluctant messenger finally realized this.  God knew what He was doing.  In this Epiphany season may be reminded of the Church’s responsibility to share the message of what God has done in Jesus.  We apply what God has done in Jesus to the life issues of our time.  It is a message of repentance.  A message of God’s love and compassion.  We don’t have to be reluctant to share such a powerful and positive message of life.

Amen.