- Jul 2, 2024
- 6 min read
[Read Mark 5:21-43]
Endurance Under Trials
A man and woman inherited a vacation home in a desirable location, in a place they had never been, but a place they trusted to be very beautiful – and it truly was beautiful.
The drive there, however, was treacherous. A long drive with dangers along the way: Washed out roads, highway robbers, expensive gasoline, bad coffee, boredom – and breakdowns and accidents, mistreatment from other travelers – even illness and death.
This man and woman endured for several long hours but eventually got so discouraged that they turned off and got a hotel room in a small roadside town.
The stay there was not very good either, but they couldn’t bring themselves to get back on the road. There they stayed, and there they eventually died years later.
Little did they know, all those years, their vacation home was just over the next hill. They quit too early. Giving in to discouragement caused their temporary trial to become a permanent loss.
This is called despair – a person leaves the road of faith in Christ – or puts life in Christ on pause, for longer and longer and eventually forever — because of discouraging trials. What would have been a temporary trial becomes an eternal loss.
But that’s not what happens with the suffering woman and the distressed father in our Gospel reading today! One endures a very long trial. The other a very severe trial. They turn to Christ and do not give up.
The woman in our Gospel had been suffering from a discharge of blood for twelve years. Twelve years of bodily distress. Twelve years of social disruption because of the nature of her condition.
And twelve years of being financially broke – she “suffered much under many doctors, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.”
All that time, she didn’t know it would be done in twelve years. Maybe the next doctor visit would fix it; or maybe it would never end. Every year, she didn’t know if there was an end in sight.
We don’t know how well this woman endured under trial throughout those twelve years. We don’t know if she always remained steadfast or if she despaired and gave up at times.
But in today’s Gospel, she sees Jesus. And she knows in herself that, somehow, this Jesus is her answer, saying in herself, “If I touch even His garments, I will be made well.”
While she’s dealing with this, Jesus is traveling along with that man in distress – a ruler of the town synagogue – whose daughter is at the point of death. The ultimate blow, death, and not in himself, but in his child. The worst nightmare.
In the face of death, the man flees to Jesus. “Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing Jesus, he fell at Jesus’ feet and implored Him earnestly – he prayed – saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.’ And Jesus went with him.”
As the man is approaching home, with Jesus at his side, he is told to give up – “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
But Jesus hears and says, “Do not fear, only believe” – “believe” – “have faith, have trust in Me.” “Continue to trust in Me for this”, Jesus is saying.
Death in the family is not too great a trial for Jesus to be your Savior in. “Taking her by the hand Jesus said to her, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’ And immediately the girl got up…”
The girl’s death was not greater than Jesus’ ability to be her Savior and Savior to her grieving parents. In such a trial, “Do not fear; only believe.”
And the length of twelve years did not mean that there was no end in sight for the woman suffering from the discharge of blood – “Immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease” – “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
The woman could have given up hope after eleven years to never see that twelfth, like the couple in my made-up story who quit the road too early. With Jesus, temporary trials need never become permanent loss.
The man could have given up at those words, “Why trouble the Teacher any further?”, and never seen what Jesus was about to do for him so soon. With Jesus, death ends with the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, which is soon to come.
Your Savior Jesus has not set you on the road alone but wants you to continue troubling Him – calling upon Him in prayer – until He fulfills His purpose in each trial. We don’t know the reason, but there was a reason for the length of that woman’s trial and the severity of that man’s trial.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” [Romans 8:28]
You are His beloved children, called by name in Baptism according to His purpose. In trials, “we walk by faith, not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7], believing God’s goodness without demanding sight to first see the result, but trusting Him to be Lord.
There are trials of bodily illness. Trials of the death of loved ones or of facing our own death. Trials of doubt or of difficulty accepting aspects of our Christian beliefs. There is the trial of a guilty conscience about the past. And trials of temptations to sin in the present.
We should not give up hope at the eleventh hour but instead trust that Christ’s answer and aid is coming at the twelfth. His help is always in front of us. He does not fail to keep His promises.
Jesus, in fact, has never abandoned you in any trial. Instead, He is the One who has already made all your trials His own on the cross.
On the cross Jesus fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” [Matthew 8:17] – “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” And, “He was pierced for our transgressions” – “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:4-6]
All suffering of the body and all anguish of the soul – and all that comes with our sin-fallen condition – all earthly trials and all eternal hell – was taken up into His flesh and soul on the cross for you.
He absorbed it all. He is your Savior in all your trials, having made them all His own.
Jesus, who suffered all trials, is now living and risen from the dead. Now, in trials and temptations He is carrying you through all that He has conquered. Any trial. Any temptation.
The answers may not come as soon as we would like in this life. And the answers might not always be what we would like in this life. But, every time, His purpose as your loving Savior is fulfilled.
His purpose in this life is our sanctification, to make us a holy people [1 Thessalonians 4:3]. Like gold and steel, He is purifying and strengthening us by fire – by trials, endured in faith – to make us more and more the men and women we ought to be.
Our final inheritance is that we will, finally, be the men and women we ought to be. Holy, without spot or blemish. No longer sinners. This inheritance is finally ours at the end of the road – in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
“And I am sure of this”, Scripture says, “that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” [Philippians 1:6]
So, let’s trust that our Savior will succeed at bringing us to our final inheritance, and let’s not become discouraged by trials along the way. Amen.
- Jun 27, 2024
- 5 min read
[Mark 4:35-41] On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
Jesus Calms the Storm
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?!”
The disciples got into the boat with Jesus. They set out on the water. And a great windstorm arose, so that the waves were crashing over the boat and filling it.
The disciples are about to sink into the abyss. Jesus is asleep on a cushion. They wake Him and cry out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus rose. Rebuked the wind. And spoke to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” (“Be quiet”) He quieted the sea. Hushed the threatening waves. “The wind stopped, and there was a great calm.”
“Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?”, Jesus said. But He didn’t wait for that stronger faith before He saved them. He cared that they were perishing.
The disciples were filled with a great and wondrous fear, “Who then is this that even wind and sea obey Him?”
Who is He? Amazingly, the One who calms wind and wave is also the very One who sends wind and wave. He is the Lord:
“For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away… they were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” [Psalm 107:25-29]
The Lord of wind and wave can calm wind and wave – just as He can also calm the greater storm against us.
The greater storm that threatens you and me is God’s anger against our sins. We don’t believe God is angry with our sins because we “think of sin but lightly” [LSB 451].
But, in truth, our sins stir up a right and just storm against us, by which we would perish eternally. “On account of these – our many sins – the wrath of God is coming” [Colossians 3:6].
The Lord is Judge. Nevertheless, as with the storm, the same Lord who rightly lifts His wrath against us is also the One who has quieted it forever – “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” [1 Thessalonians 1:10].
Jesus, the Lord, has already suffered that storm-of-God’s-wrath to fall upon Himself. Jesus, who alone is righteous and holy, willingly let Himself be counted the Sinner – counted guilty of all man’s sin, in man’s place, and nailed to a cross.
This is what we read in today’s Epistle reading: “For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to be sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” [2 Corinthians 5:21].
Also, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” [Galatians 3:13].
Jesus took your place so that your sin is His and His righteousness is yours. He, though righteous, is counted the sinner. You, though a sinner, are counted righteous.
In Jesus, therefore, there is now, for you, a great calm – peace. Forgiveness. The storm is quieted. You no longer live under God’s wrath. The wind and waves are done.
So, now what? How is this a sermon for a tenth anniversary of a pastor’s ordination? Do today’s appointed readings have any connection?
It was a word spoken that calmed the wind and sea in our Gospel. And it is a Word spoken that calms the storm for you.
Our flesh still sees wind and waves against us. But through the ministry of the Word, the Gospel ministry, a spoken Word from God – “Your sins are forgiven” – delivers the calm quiet of redemption to a troubled conscience.
Our reading today says that those in the preaching ministry are God’s ambassadors for your sake – that, week after week, God is making His appeal through your pastor, urging you: “Be reconciled to God”, because He has reconciled you to Himself in Jesus.
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” [2 Corinthians 5:18-20]
This is the pastoral ministry. (And pastors have had and have pastors for themselves too.) The pastoral ministry is worth giving thanks for, for all of us.
And this ambassadorship of the pastor, speaking the Gospel on behalf of Christ, does not make your pastor special or higher or greater than any of you. There is no throne on earth for pastors.
Why? Because this is your calling as well. In a different capacity; in different ways. But speaking and spreading the message that God has reconciled sinners unto Himself – that sins are forgiven in Jesus – that there is new life in Jesus --
-- you also, because you are disciples of Jesus by your baptism, have this ambassadorship-calling of the Gospel.
Through word and example — Individually, to those in your arm’s reach — And as a whole, as His church in this world — God is making His appeal through you to your neighbor: “Now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation” [2 Corinthians 6:2] – “be reconciled to God.”
This message is the only thing that matters forever, and, therefore, is the thing that matters most. It’s worth everything; and it’s worth everything we give up.
For ten years, for forty – for all the years of your life – remember your calling, that you are ambassadors in this world for the Gospel of Christ who has calmed the storm for sinners tossed by the waves. Amen.
- Jun 20, 2024
- 6 min read
[Read Mark 4:26-29]
“…he knows not how”
Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.”
The farmer doesn’t know how it happens. He plants, and he waits in faith, trusting that those seeds, so small and buried out of sight, will do what seeds do and become a harvest.
“The earth produces by itself first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”
The farmer can only plant the seed. He can’t build the stalk or assemble the grains. He plants and then must trust in those internal processes God Himself has created within the seed.
This is how the kingdom of God grows. “The kingdom of God is as if…”, Jesus said. In God’s kingdom, the seed is God’s Word [Luke 8:11]. God’s Word is planted, then it grows itself into a harvest.
The Word of God’s Law is planted like a seed. At first, that Word might frustrate the individual. But then it begins to grow roots and take hold inwardly, and it brings about, in that person, regret over sin and a new, true way of seeing things.
The Word of God’s Gospel is planted like a seed in that same person. The Gospel shows them God as their Savior who forgives their sin, receives them, and begins a new creation in them. By God’s Word, a new man, a believer in Christ, is planted and sprouts in that person and begins to grow to maturity.
As the believer in Christ grows toward maturity, the fruit, the good grain growing in them, is obedience to God’s moral commandments – willingly, out of love for God, because He has first loved us — and good works for your neighbor in need, because Christ has helped us in our needs — and the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” [Galatians 5:22-23].
This is the “harvest of righteousness” [2 Corinthians 9:10; James 3:18] – the “full head of grain” – which results from God’s implanted Word.
Of course, that farmer, after the seed is planted, after a while of waiting to see some growth, might start to get nervous. And the bad-news weather reports might make him worry. Is there really a harvest for me?
And, in regard to God’s kingdom in this world, the church – and in regard to our families or children, and, especially, in regard to ourselves – we may have cause for concern at times that the implanted Word of God is not producing His harvest in us. We may really have cause for concern, but not for despair.
This is because God has called us to “walk by faith, not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7]. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” [Hebrews 11:1].
Faith is confident in results not yet seen because faith is confident in what God has promised. God’s Word will accomplish what God has promised, where and in whom it is planted.
Therefore, the kingdom’s future is never dim or in question. A week after planting, the farmer doesn’t despair over the lack of a harvest. He understands it takes a whole season – “First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” Then, “When the grain is ripe, at once He puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The harvest of God’s Word also has its seasons. When the world looks barren, there is the empty field for planting. Jesus only ever complained that His workers were few, never that His harvest was lacking – “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” [Matthew 9:37]
Jesus told another parable in today’s Gospel with a great promise about His kingdom: “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Others, who do not yet believe, will believe – many will – and they will find rest in the branches of Christ’s church in this world. And there is an abundant harvest finally seen on the Last Day – “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” [Revelation 7:9]
Parents also must labor by faith in the effectiveness of God’s Word. The hope for your children is not determined by the state of the world. “For He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” [1 John 4:4]. The seed of God’s Word, planted in their hearts, is stronger than sin, death, and the devil.
God’s Word is a light that shines in a dark place: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” [John 1:5]. God’s Word has this power in the lives of your children, but only if you are planting that Word in them.
Make sure that the Word of God’s Law, His moral commandments, is in their ear and applied in their life at home. Teach them the Bible in family devotion time. Teach them the basics of Biblical doctrine. Use the Small Catechism or other resources made for families.
And make sure, above all, that the saving and forgiving Gospel of Jesus – the knowledge of what He has done for them on the cross – is in their ears all the time, and that Christ’s forgiveness is applied to them at home. They learn life in Christ by their life with dad and mom.
No matter what is happening in the world, God’s Word has more power – so be giving them God’s Word.
And God’s Word will be effective within you. There are still a lot of weeds and a lot of stones in the soil – the more you dig, the more sin and shame you find within you, along with doubts.
By what you see in yourself, there is no hope. But your hope and trust is not in yourself but in God’s saving Word. God’s Word is doing and will do, within you, what Jesus has promised. His Word will not fail – “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” [Romans 1:16].
The work of God’s Word takes a whole season within us – a lifetime – “First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain.” “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” [Philippians 1:6]. Keep receiving God’s Word.
God’s Word has such sure and certain power – to forgive sins, to save, and to produce His fruits of righteousness within you – because the Word of God is Jesus Himself and contains within it all the saving benefits of Jesus’ death on the cross and glorious resurrection from the dead.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” [John 1:1,14].
Jesus said of Himself that He is like a seed, a grain of wheat, planted in the ground by His death to rise and produce an abundance of fruit by His resurrection: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” [John 12:24]
You are the fruit He has produced by His death and resurrection – by His completed work of redemption for you. You are His fruit, His grain of wheat, and He produces fruit within you and through you.
Within every seed and grain of God’s Word, there is, working within it, the death and resurrection of Jesus for you.
God’s Word, therefore, no matter what, has the power to save and to sanctify – to make holy – all those who receive it, and to produce in you a harvest of righteousness. A
