April 30, 2023         Text:  Psalm 23

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the most famous one-hit wonder songs of the 1970’s was “Seasons In The Sun.”  Sung by Terry Jacks its words were about a man who was dying.  Here is one verse, “Goodbye, papa, please pray for me, I was the black sheep of the family, You tried to teach me right from wrong, Too much wine and too much song, Wonder how I got along.”

The black sheep of the family?  What does that mean?  We define it as someone different from the rest, a family member who doesn’t fit in.  In the song the young man has some “prodigal son” in him and that makes him the “black sheep of the family.”

A black sheep has a recessive gene that makes their wool black.  Their wool is less valuable because the wool cannot be dyed.  Many languages of our world have some form of “black sheep” in their vernacular.

Do we have any amongst us today who were the “black sheep of the family?”  Or were all of you the nice, white sheep that always followed the voice of your dad and mom?  I am going this way in the sermon today – we are all black sheep.  Before throwing your hymnal my way, listen up and let’s see if this is not true.  We are going to find out together why . . .

 “BLACK SHEEP NEED A GOOD SHEPHERD”

Let’s start with a series of questions to get to the answer.  Do you ever wander from the flock?  Do you ever listen to voices that are not the best for you?  Ever push your way past someone else to get to the front of the pen or the buffet line?  Are you ever told what to do in God’s Word and you do the opposite?  If you still consider yourself a white sheep, one more question?  Does your pristine exterior ever get dirty because your interior is so rotten – in thoughts, in actions, in gestures?  Hello, black sheep!

OK, now that we are all in the pen together this morning, we are going to need an intervention.  We need a helper, a leader . . . a Good Shepherd.  King David has just what we need in the beginning of Psalm 23.  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (v. 1-3). 

Notice in this psalm that all the important actions happen by the Shepherd’s work, not yours.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads; He restores; He leads.  

As we heard in our Gospel for today, He leads us by His voice.  The Good Shepherd rose from the dead to lead you.  One positive of sheep is they have impeccable hearing.  You can merge them together quite easily.  We are to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.  

He first taught you to recognize His voice at your Baptism; through the Word and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, He continues to teach you and lead you through this sinful world with His voice.  We are sent the Holy Spirit to help distinguish His voice and the black sheep voices we sometimes follow in this world.  He calls you and I – the black sheep of His family to repentance, to the anointing of your head with the oil of Holy Baptism, to feed on the lush pastures of His Word and at the Table of His life-giving flesh and blood spread before you.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (v. 4-6)

There are times you might feel abandoned.  Why would a caring shepherd lead me through the valley of the shadow of death?  Why does the death of loved ones cast a shadow over us?  Does your own death loom like a dark cloud?  Has the Good Shepherd left us black sheep because of our sin and failure?  No, He is not punishing us.  No, He has not failed to care for you.  He comforts us.  Jesus is with us in death.  He went through it first for you to open the way to life.  He is with you when you mourn.  He wept at Lazarus’ tomb.  Jesus is your Good Shepherd who gives you goodness and mercy.  He leads you to His house today and He will keep you in that house until you make the crossover to eternal dwellings.

As the Good Shepherd does His work in our lives, a transformation takes place.  That black wool gets whiter and whiter.  Washed in the blood of our Savior we enter His eternal House as white and as bright as we can be.  Feeling good, shining.  What a glorious day that will be to stand before the Good Shepherd.  

Can you see now why the black sheep need the Good Shepherd?

Amen.      

April 23, 2023             Text:  Luke 24:13-35

Dear Friends in Christ,

In 1799 the armies of Napoleon appeared on the heights above the town of Feldkirch, Austria.  It was Easter, and the rays of the rising sun glittered on the weapons of the French, as they appeared drawn up on the hills to the west of the town.  The Town Council was hastily called together to consult what was to be done.

After much discussion, the dean of the Church rose and said, “My brothers it is Easter Day!  We have been reckoning our own strength, and that fails.  Let us turn to God.  Ring the bells and have service as usual, and leave the matter in God’s hands.”

They agreed to do as he said.  Then from the church towers in Feldkirch there rang out joyous peals in honor of the Resurrection and the streets filled with worshippers hastening to worship.  The French heard the sudden ringing of the joy bells with surprise and alarm.  They concluded that the Austrian army had arrived to relieve the place.  So they hastily fled, and before the bells had ceased ringing not a Frenchman was to be seen.

Today the bells of Easter still ring with joy.  They rang for the two men on the way to Emmaus.  The living Lord rekindled their faith so that their hearts burned within them.  Do you still have the ringing of the Easter joy in your soul?  Let’s take a walk and find out . . .

“ARE YOUR HEARTS STILL BURNING?”

We join the two men on the road.  They are experiencing life without Christ and wondering what has happened.  There is no burning fire of faith or hope left in their hearts.

Without the living Christ the heart is cold.  We see this every day in our world.  The cold heart expresses itself in the coarsest language, the crudest behavior, the cruelest actions.  The cold heart seeks a warmth by embracing more and more things that are contrary to God’s Word.

We can have a cold heart as well.  If we don’t suffer that way, then we may experience a sad heart – a heart weighed down with sorrow or suffering or sin.  Do you have a troubled heart?  You are perplexed by the problems of this life and let it affect your mind and attitude.  How about a weak heart?  Struggling with the trials and temptations thrown your way.  Is your heart doubting?  Wondering if God is really walking with you and working for your good.  Or maybe you suffer a lukewarm heart.  You question the Bible.  Societal change creeps into your brain.  You need a good fire of faith to lift you up.

The living Christ comes to open our minds, warm our hearts, and give us a living hope.  Jesus joins the walkers and explains the Scriptures.  He meets these sad, troubled, weak, doubting and lukewarm hearts with hope.  “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (v. 27)

The words of Jesus rekindle faith.  The hearts of these men are set of fire, they are burning with joy.  Is the same joy you have?  As Christ walks with you do you feel His presence?  He is the promised Messiah and the Risen Savior.  Faith, and hope and joy abound for these men and for us.  “Please stay Lord, we want to hear more.”  They run to tell the disciples.  There in Jerusalem Jesus appears again to the believers.  Their hearts are warming up.

We have that same warmth for our hearts.  Life can no longer bog us down with guilt or the fear of death.  Life is not hopeless.  We have been born anew “into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet. 1:3). We do not walk alone in this life.  We do not walk alone to the grave.  The risen Christ promises, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19)

There is a little more giddy up in our steps.  These two disciples were just shuffling along but now they have good news to share which means they hurry to tell it.  The living Lord changes everything.  We have a living Savior in the midst of sorrows and joy, in the midst of life and death.  We live by faith in him and the power of the resurrection.

Easter Island is one of the remote islands of the world.  Found 2,000 miles west of Chile, it is so named because the Dutch discovered it on Easter 1722.  Fewer than 8,000 people live here, but many tourists visit occasionally.  For us, Easter is no island.  This Sunday is no holiday excursion.  We don’t celebrate Easter and then forget it.  It is an ongoing reality because Jesus lives!

When life is grinding you down, remember “Christ is risen!”  When facing a seemingly insurmountable problem we have hope because “Christ is risen!”  When standing at the grave of a loved one, all is not sad because “Christ is risen!”  

When your steps are heavy and spirits sagging, Christ walks with you.  He speaks to us in His Word.  He opens our eyes to His grace and love.  Hearts are warmed.  They burn with joy and peace.  Weak hearts are filled with strength.  Doubtful hearts are given confidence.  Lukewarm hearts have conviction.  Cold hearts are given heat from the “lifeblood poured from his sacred veins.”  

Wasn’t that a great walk?  Doesn’t your heart feel better?

Amen.