I am sure that at some point you have heard the Popular Christmas song called “Mary did you know”. If you haven’t heard of it, the singer asks the Virgin mother if she knew that her baby boy was going to do many of the various things that Jesus ended up doing His earthly Ministry including walking on water and so on. Eventually the singer asks: “Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?” The song of the Virgin Mary which we heard today answers that question. She may not have known all the specifics of what all He was going to do during His earthly ministry, because she could not fully know the future, but she knew that the boy growing inside her was her Savior and the Savior of the world. The message that the angel had given, along with her knowledge of Holy Scripture, and now spurred further by the greeting of Elizabeth, tells us that she knew. She sang the song which we heard read today. That song is called the “Magnificat” because of the first word in its Latin translation of her first words referring to her soul magnifying the Lord. Mary’s song is the first song recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke, and its placement is like an aria in an opera or a musical number within a musical or movie. The action stops and the song is sung so that the hearers and readers may stop and reflect and meditate on the situation; so that they too may better savor the moment and message that is taking place.

Surely this is the work of the Holy Spirit, not only in moving Mary to sing, but in moving Luke to include this song right where it is so that we today and believers of every generation may savor the message of God’s grace.

The Magnificat is sung after the two mothers of promise are brought together; Elizabeth who was pregnant despite her old age and previous barrenness, and Mary pregnant by the power of the Spirit of the Lord even as she remained a virgin. Elizabeth would bear the great prophet who ushered in the age of salvation, John the Baptizer, the one who prepared the Way of the Lord. John was already filled with the Holy Spirit enough to leap at the sound of Mary’s voice. She who bore in her womb the Good News carrying the Word of God made flesh, God Himself, the very Son of God as the Angel Gabriel had just announced to her. In response to the Angel’s announcement and the greeting of her cousin Elizabeth, Mary was moved by faith to sing this song which has been and still is sung by believers ever since.

As I said, part of Mary’s inspiration for her song came from her knowledge of Scripture. So, she carries within her song many of the same themes and messages from not only the Psalms and the poetry of the prophets, but also the song of Hannah from the 1st book of Samuel. Mary, by the Holy Spirit, was realizing her role within salvation history. She was overcome with joy in what God had accomplished in the past, and what He was establishing now in her womb, and the fact that God was and is ever faithful. He remembers His promises and He remembers those who suffer and cry out to Him. To them He shows mercy, both now physically and spiritually now and hereafter in eternity.

This is very much the theme of the Nativity songs of Christmas, but it is also the theme of the Beatitudes, within all the miracles of the Gospels, the very theme of the earthly Ministry of Jesus Christ. Which theme? The theme of remembrance and mercy, the theme of lifting up the humble and broken hearted, even as God also brings down the proud and arrogant, the rich and mighty of earthly power. This theme is often called “the great reversal”. The Great Reversal describes how God works within His Fallen creation. It is the paradox that God in His mighty power might reveal Himself in weakness. That He who is master of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and thunder bursts would reveal Himself in a still small voice. The Great reversal echoes the paradox that the Son of God, the King of Kings would come as a suffering servant to sacrifice and be sacrificed for those who don’t deserve salvation. The Great reversal explains the power of God’s Word working through His Law and Gospel. Through the Law He tears down the arrogance and hypocrisy of self-righteousness, He tears down those who have placed themselves above Scripture as though they ruled over God’s Word, those who have been filled with the junk food of this world’s treasures and priorities. They are truly empty and are revealed to be empty by God’s Word. If this reversal in the spiritual realm is not clear to earthly eyes now, I assure you it will be fully revealed when Jesus Christ does come again in judgment and those who remained arrogant in the thoughts of their heart will be scattered to Sheol, that is Hell, and those who thought they were mighty will be cast down into Hell, and those who filled their bellies and lives with the priorities of this life will be turned away empty into the eternal abyss.

The purpose of the preaching of the Law here in time is to prevent the final condemnation for people. So that the arrogant might become as the humble, that the proud and self-righteous might realize they have no righteousness within themselves, so that those who were filled with the evil of this world might become empty of it, to become filled again with that which is good: God’s righteousness and forgiveness. This is what Martin Luther meant when he said “God breaks what is whole, and makes whole that which was broken. It is God’s purpose to break so that He might make whole again.” This wholeness is what Mary is singing about.

Mary knew that she was a sinner, she knew that she needed a Savior. Now the announcement that her Savior was near, that she was going to be the vessel to bear her own Savior amazed her, even as the miracle of the incarnation, God made flesh continues to amaze us. Therefore, she praises the Lord for her salvation, that the Mighty One, Yahweh, has descended upon her, and upon humanity in the flesh that was growing within her. He has done great things for her, but then she, in her song, quickly turns to listing all the things that God does and has done for others and us. His name she declares to be Holy even as the angel told her that her child would be holy, the Son of God, whose name “Jesus” bespeaks the task of salvation which He would accomplish. Mary speaks of God helping His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and His offspring forever. Jesus was sent to bring God’s mercy to earth, to be the offspring of Abraham through which the world would be blessed, to be the Israel that Israel could not be in His perfect life of obedience to God’s covenant and laws.

Because of Jesus Christ’s incarnation and His crucified death, God and man may be reconciled, and through the righteousness of this true servant Israel, all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, can be accounted as God’s people of promise by repentance and faith in Him.

God has lifted us up from our sin, He has washed us in Baptism and feeds us His Word and Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Now we may also rejoice and praise Him as we await His final return. This is the joyous message of Christmas, that God has come to those of low estate to those entrapped in the slavery and imprisonment of sin and rescued them by His Word in Jesus Christ. So today, this last Sunday of Advent, we can be excited and joyful. Joyful as we are amazed looking at our place in salvation history: that God would come and save us. That the baby boy come from Mary is indeed the Son of God and Lord of all creation. That God would come and suffer all, even death, for you and me, in order to rescue us and forgive us our sins by His own death on the cross. The same one born in Bethlehem comes to us at His Christmas each and every time that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Now we have the privilege to receive Him again on Christmas morning to witness His presence in His Divine Service, but think of it. We have the privilege to know even more than Mary did as to the specifics of our salvation through Jesus Christ. What a blessing. Mary’s song of wonderment and joy is now our song. Christ has come to serve and to save. And He continues to serve and to save. Our Emmanuel, God with us, does come to us in our weakness, to exchange our weakness for His strength, to take our sins away and forgive us. He continues to send forth His Holy Spirit by His Word and sacrament, calling you, me, and all people to believe His promises, to confess His name, and to wonder at the marvelous things that God has done for us, and continues to do for us, even our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

It is entirely possible that John the Baptizer, locked up in Herod’s prison, was struggling in doubt when he sent his disciples to observe Jesus and ask if He was the Christ. It’s very easy for us to understand why John the Baptist may have struggled with his doubt. When things were good, at the height of his ministry, people were coming from all over to be baptized by John. It seemed like he was making a difference. And John was a very faithful man. He knew (and he had faithfully proclaimed) that Jesus—the Messiah—was coming to put evil to death, and bring life and salvation to all who believe. He cried out: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He knew (and faithfully proclaimed) that Jesus the Messiah was sent to rescue and bring people from death to life, from sin to salvation. He knew (and faithfully proclaimed) that Jesus the Messiah was coming to “set the captives free.” And yet one year later John finds himself sitting on death row for proclaiming the Truth of God’s Word regarding Herod and his sexual infidelities. One year later and John was himself very much a captive, and things weren’t looking good for the immediate future. 

This is when the devil does some of his best work for you and me, when you’re down and out and feeling the crushing weight of the cross you’ve been given to bear. That is when the devil goes to work exploiting the fear and weakness and the doubt. He tempts us to ask Jesus, “if you really are the Messiah, how’s about setting the captives free! Or…have I made a mistake? Are you not ‘the guy’?” When things in life are difficult, we understand this kind of doubt.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about expectations. I could, at this point, again, go into the many and various ways we doubt and despair when God doesn’t meet our expectations. We’re all guilty of it. I’m not going to get into all of it though. I don’t need to. You all know how and when you have doubted God, when you have let the devil and the world get the better of your flesh. So, repent of it, and take heart. Rejoice, in fact. No longer be down cast. Looking to your own sinful doubts and despairs will never give you the comfort and peace that your Lord desires for you.

Even though John may have been tempted to despair that Jesus had not met his own expectations, Jesus said to see John’s disciples, to tell John, and now to tell you and me, when we may feel overwhelmed by life, disappointments or frustration. “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 

That is why you are here today, to observe and see the proof that Jesus is the Christ for you. Look here. Look to this crucifix. Here is where almighty God Himself brought His plan of redemption to completion. “It is finished!” I don’t care who you are: No human would ever draw up the plan for victory over sin, death, and the devil with this as the centerpiece; the goal. This looks like the devil won! And yet…here is where God won the victory. Here is how God won the victory. 

Look to this baptismal font. Here is where this same God and Lord brought Christ’s victories over sin, death, and the grave to you. Here is where the bonds and prison of sin and death, which held you captive, were rent asunder and unlocked. Here is where God set you free from your sinful captivity and adopted you into His royal household. Ordinary water with His mighty name and Word. It doesn’t seem miraculous. It doesn’t meet expectations for appearing powerful, does it? The devil whispers in our ear: “There has to be more to it than this!” And we say, “I’m baptized, and yet bad things still happen to me.” The problem isn’t with the baptism, but rather with the flesh that needs daily drowning. We still live in a sin sick world with a fallen flesh that clings to us. But it is in this simple Word and God’s name with water, where spiritually blind are made “to see” by faith, the truth of Jesus Christ, where spiritually dead are raised to newness of life by the forgiveness of sin.

Look to the lectern, pulpit, and Bible. Look and listen. What do you hear? What do you not hear? You don’t hear the mere opinions of men. You don’t hear what you need to do. You don’t hear how your salvation is only potential, provided you meet all the goals to meriting such a gift. “‘It is finished…’ but now here’s what you still need to do.” That is not how God works His grace. Unfortunately, though, this is what so many people expect. After all, this is what Old Adam wants to hear. Sadly, there’s always someone there to scratch that itch and tell you what you want to hear. Test the spirits! Discern. LISTEN. What should you hear? Christ speaking. You hear His Law, regardless of who you are, who you’re related to, or what you put in the plate. You hear His Gospel, regardless of who you are or what you’ve done or not done. You hear Christ crucified for your sins and for the sins of all the world. Here is the Good News! Do you hear? Be encouraged. If all is well, rejoice and give thanks, but all of us in one way or another should recognize the lame Christian walk that we walk as we have fallen into sin. So, we hobble here to the cross, maybe we are carried by our brothers and sisters. Here to learn to walk again. How? By faith in Jesus Christ. To walk in Him and His Word. Not by following a 5-step plan of self-improvement, meditation, and navel gazing. No, by looking to the cross. Hearing the voice of Jesus, and receiving the riches of His grace and wisdom, we who were poor in spirit become rich by His Spirit and are led by Him through faith.

Begone all the worries and doubts and fears of this life and world. So many ‘good Christians’ aren’t worried about receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. My fellow redeemed: Look to this altar. Look to the rail. Here is Christ, kneeling down from heaven to nourish you with His own body and blood; giving to you His peace that surpasses all understanding. Here is where heaven is intersecting with earth. Here is where angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven join with us in communion with our God and Lord rejoicing in His victory.

Worry, fear, and frustration are the very things that the devil uses to separate us from Christ. And here where Christ speaks and He is proclaimed, heard, and received under the bread and wine is the answer to that fear, to our trouble, to our doubt, our grief, and disappointment. It is the victory call, the joyous sound and taste of triumph and hope in the name of Jesus crucified and raised triumphing over our flesh, the world, the devil, any given situation, and the threat of death.

Dear friends, here is something to think about. It is possible that John was doubtful as to Jesus, but it is also possible that he desired to see the Christ and He desired his disciples to see Jesus and point them to this promised Messiah. No doubt He rejoiced and found comfort in their report. He probably said to himself and his disciples. “Yes, He is the one. Rejoice, give thanks, now you go and follow Him.”

Therefore, let us also rejoice and point people to Christ and where He is for them. Do not let fear, doubt, discouragement, or pride overtake you and or them. This life is not the end. This is not the only life we are given. We are given and promised a life beyond this one. A life guaranteed to be perfect and eternally joyous and free. An eternal life purchased and won by Jesus Christ. Therefore, the sufferings of this life are able to be endured by His strength, and the joys of this life are only a foretaste of the life to come; to nourish us, encourage, and strengthen us on the way. Christ continues to come to us. To hear the message of the Gospel, the message that our passage from Isaiah declared.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
        and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
        that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
        double for all her sins.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
        he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
        and gently lead those that are with young.

And so, God continues to do for you and me through Jesus Christ. Through the One who has conquered, who has brought our ultimate warfare to its end at His cross and given that victory to us in baptism, and by faith leads, guides, and carries us through any difficulties even to eternal life with Him in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

It’s getting to be that time of the season when schedules are getting tight, people’s energy is getting squeezed. So much to do before Christmas and the end of the calendar year. Shopping, working, deadlines, sales, deliveries, finals and tests at school or at work, concerts and program rehearsals, basketball and other sporting games, the actual concert or program performance. Food preparation, getting ready to visit; getting ready for visitors. And so much more, I am sure. So, I ask you: How is your endurance holding up?

Sometimes it does seem like life is a race; even as Scripture has said in various places. But life is not a sprint, nor a marathon, but in fact, it seems more often than not like a long-distance obstacle course. But like in any kind of race, any kind of stress and strain on our bodies or our minds, the end result often depends on endurance. How much can you handle? How much can you be pushed before it is too much, before all stamina runs out and you collapse?

The devil, the world, and the flesh are always trying to push us, and try us, and prey upon our weaknesses. In addition to the elements of time and responsibility that are often pushing us, these spiritual enemies are constantly trying to wear us out and wear down our stamina, whispering or yelling in our ears: “you can’t do this! You will fail. Just give up on doing what is right, but do what feels good. Serve yourself. You have worked hard all week, so stay home from church, sleep in: go shopping instead. Go out with the boys or girls all the time, forget about your family and what is right or wrong. Abuse alcohol, get high! Whatever!” Give in to these impulses and yes you will fail: in life, in love, and in faith.

When a person is exercising and training; it is much harder to do it alone. Left by yourself, you might find it easier to focus on the pain, to focus on how easy it would be to quit, to turn around and go back to bed and skip it. If you do this, you and your body will only get weaker, your stamina shortened, and mentally you will feel more a failure than had you gone even for a while. But if you have a training partner or a trainer with mutual goals, you are more likely to go, and go further, to go faster, and push each other while encouraging one another and keeping each other accountable. That is why even in long distance races athletes often travel in packs for various stretches of the race to help pace each other, perhaps in competition, but quite often in mutual aid as they exchange words here and there to help distract themselves and each other from the strain and approaching weariness.

Don’t go it alone. Don’t find enablers who enable bad habits, bad thoughts, and temptations that draw us away from all that is good and honorable in this life to pursue pleasures and goals that are fast fleeting and will not last. Most especially, do not listen to the voices of our culture and our flesh which would tell you to take faith and church attendance for granted; that in comparison to all your other responsibilities or commitments, attendance to God’s Word and receiving His gifts are low on the list of priorities. The devil will use your flesh, maybe other family members or friends, or television or internet shows and blogs or whatever to discourage you and other Christians from being where you need to be. He will plant excuses in your mind or as you get ready in the morning or even on your way here to say, “Why not go home? or go back to bed? you can go back next week or next month or whenever. I didn’t like that pastor or those people anyway.” But this is what has happened to many and their hearts have grown cold and their faith unhealthy or dead. This is the devil’s ploy to ensure discouragement, spiritual injury, loss of hope, harmony, joy, and eternal life. The end result of loss of faith is all too permanent: eternal fire and death. Yes, what is given here is far more important than the exercising or strengthening of the body alone.

And that is why we are here together. Because as we repent of our failures, admitting together our weakness, our sin, our spiritual laziness and lack of stamina, we know the end goal and who gives us the hope and strength to make it.

As St. Paul said in today’s Epistle: this is why God sent Jesus, the root of Jesse, the Son of God and promised Savior. Jesus served to show God’s truthfulness and confirm His promises to the Old testament patriarchs and believers, but also, that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. God knew that you, me, and everyone else who has ever lived could not finish this life reaching the goal of keeping the Law and living a perfect life. Nobody had the ability, the stamina, or endurance. But Jesus, God’s own son, did. He came so that humanity might have hope: hope in Him: hope in God; and finally understand that God is and has always been serious about loving and redeeming His creation. That is the message of Christmas. This Savior being born, to share our flesh, to go though the human life cycle in perfection and purity, to endure every temptation known to mankind, to take every assault of the devil and resist him, to be persecuted and rejected to show in Christ’s flesh, the sadness of man’s rejection of God and the blame they so often unfairly put upon Him. Jesus took upon Himself your sin, and the sins of the world, so that at the cross, Jesus endured the suffering of God’s wrath in His own flesh alone and forsaken until His blood being spent, He breathed His last, His goal of sacrifice accomplished, and died. Then in 3 days, He was raised to show that Jesus did not endure the cross in vain, but that He had crushed death beneath His feet, and in His death, the Devil would not see all condemned like himself. Jesus is victorious.

Jesus said in the Gospel lesson today, there will come a time when He shall return and we who believe are to be ready. There will be times of difficulty in this life and before His final return, obstacles before us, which would try to destroy, dishearten, and shake us from the faith. But do not fear. “When you see these things begin to take place straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus said referring to our final redemption at the end of time.

But even now you are redeemed. As Jesus also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away”. You have been baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus. You have been given His Word and His name as a sign and seal that He has claimed you and will strengthen you and keep you by His Word in that faith in Jesus Christ unto life everlasting. You were baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but hear what other names and titles He reveals that He is for you. St. Paul said them in Romans 15. He is the God of endurance and encouragement. He is the God of hope.

He encourages you here. His Word has been written for your instruction, and with the Sacraments you are given endurance and hope. Here we can take all that is distressing and troubling us and lay it upon the Lord. This is where you can rest upon the Lord and remember that Jesus Christ died for you, that God does still love you and has redeemed you from all your sins.

Advent is a season to forsake bad habits and begin anew. In order to do that, here is where He gives you living water and the bread of life from God Himself. So, drink up through your ears the Good News of Christ’s victory which is now yours. Drink His blood outpoured and eat His body given for you in with and under the bread and wine, and your stamina will be increased. Your body, spirit, and mind refreshed by His Holy Spirit, you are able to stand and endure the obstacles and challenges of this life, not by your strength, but by God’s strength. You are not alone, but together you are united to God and to your Brothers and Sisters in Christ to live in harmony by His Word.

So, let us encourage one another here with God’s Word. And let us encourage those who are willfully absent from attendance today to return, that together, by faith we can continue onward by the cross of Jesus Christ to our mutual goal: to be with our Lord and Savior in His eternity prepared for us.

Continue to hope in Christ. During this hectic season or whatever season, put all things into this perspective. Be encouraged in your vocations, to be faithful as the Lord has been and is faithful to you. You can do this, because Christ has already done it all for your salvation. Praise and sing to God’s name. Rejoice Gentiles with his people

May the God of endurance and encouragement; the God of Hope grant you to live in such harmony with one another and fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope unto life everlasting, in Jesus Christ Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

Expectations. We all have them. We have them for the people around us. And others have them for us. Have you ever heard “You didn’t live up to my expectations!” Have you ever said it or thought it? Parents and children have expectations for each other. We have expectations for the government. They may not be great expectations, but we do have them, otherwise we wouldn’t be disappointed. You can’t be disappointed if you don’t have expectations.

And then there’s expectations we lay on God. We expect Him to be there for us when we need Him. To alleviate all suffering, no matter what the cost. To right all wrongs, avenge all injustices, reward every good for us, punish every evil of our enemies, redirect all destructive storms way from our area. Bring rain when convenient and sunshine on demand. We do have expectations of God whether or not they are right.

The Israelites also had expectations. They were God’s “chosen people”, His “holy nation” after all. They had been selected, protected, and set apart from all the other nations. A people given a land, a covenant, a Law, a Promise. No other nation in the history of nations was quite like Israel of the Old Testament. Let’s be clear, no other nation will ever be like it again in this world and this life. God is finished with nation building. Now it’s all about His kingdom of Word and Sacrament.

When Israel grew faithless and idolatrous and adulterous, God punished His nation, His people. He sent the Assyrians to ransack the northern kingdom. He raised up the Babylonians to capture the southern kingdom, to depose the earthly Judean king from his throne, that “son of David” to cast him into chains and captivity, to destroy the temple, God’s house, and to cart the people off into exile.

Jeremiah the writer of our OT lesson prophesied during those latter days of the south. He looked ahead to their coming destruction and exile. He warned the people of what was coming. But they ignored him. In fact, they actively tried to silence him. They said “He was depressing. Unpatriotic. God would never let such a thing happen.”

He spoke of desolations. Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah utterly laid waste. But he also spoke of restoration and healing and resurrection. Exile and return. Destruction and construction. Death and life. Where the streets were deserted, they would again be filled. Where there was silence, there would be music and joy and laughter. Where the pastures were empty there would be flocks and herds. In the place of death there would be life.

That’s the background for today’s reading from Jeremiah.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” God keeps His promises. Even as He permits destruction and desolation and death, He keeps His promises. A righteous Branch. A sprout from King David’s family tree. A Son of David will return to the throne forever. He will do justice and righteousness in the land. “In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely.”

The Israelites clung to that promise. When they lived in exile during the time of Daniel, they clung to those promises of God that a Son of David, a righteous Branch would sprout from David’s line and deliver His people. They believed that there was a coming day when Judah would be delivered and Jerusalem would live in peace and safety. They longed for it, they hoped for it, they lived in expectation of it.

Then came the decree of Cyrus and the return to Judah, the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah, the temple rebuilt. Not as good as before, but still…. They were back. Yet they found it wasn’t the same. It was kind of a cheap copy of the glory days. When the old timers looked at the rebuilt temple they wept and said, “It isn’t as good as the old one.” And it wasn’t. There was no longer an ark of the covenant. No glorious presence of the Lord. And no freedom, really. They lived on borrowed land under the grace of Persia, then Greece, then Rome. But the faithful Israelite never forgot the words of Jeremiah the prophet, the promise of a righteous Branch from David’s line. One who would do justice and righteousness and bring salvation. They remembered and looked forward in hope even in the darkest of their days. There were great messiah type figures who came along: Judas Maccabeus, who rescued the temple from the hands of the Greeks. There were others who gathered their armies of well-intentioned holy warriors bent on liberating Israel from her captors and bringing in the kingdom of God. The royal robes were always at the ready, kept in the temple. Every Israelite was watching expectantly for the coming One, the son of David, the messiah, the righteous Branch who would do justice and righteousness in the land, but what kind of justice, righteousness, and salvation? Their expectation was an earthly reign and rule.

Then comes Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on top of a borrowed donkey. His disciples formed a welcoming party, as though a victory parade was passing from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. They hailed him as a king. “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” It was true. Everything they said was true. This was the One, the righteous Branch of David’s line.

What were the expectations of Jesus’ disciples that day? Most likely it was a holy war, the coming of the kingdom of God and the eternal establishment of the throne of David. That’s precisely what happened. But not in the way they expected. Jesus rode into the city to suffer and die. He came to make a sacrifice to satisfy justice to sin for you and all people, He came with steadfast love and faithfulness for a people who did not love God nor their neighbor faithfully. For all people who did not live up to the righteous expectations of the Law, Jesus came as to do righteousness, to fulfill the Law. He came to fulfill what you and I would not and could not. Jesus, the king, came to execute an exchange – your sin for His righteousness. He came to be the true faithful Israel reduced to One, the true righteous Branch of David’s line. Called and chosen to be the tree chopped down and burned in the fire of God’s wrath against our sin upon the cross. He came to do holy war all right, but not against nations or people but against Sin, Death, and the devil along with all the powers of darkness that threaten to consume us. He came to die so that we might have life and salvation in His victorious death and resurrection to bring people from the captivity of sin and exile from God in their unbelief and sufferings into an eternal kingdom with God in belief and joy.

We have expectations of our leaders, projections of what a proper and respectable leader should look and act like. We might be surprised at how short the founding fathers of our country were. Or how the great figures in history actually looked in real life. Or the great figures of the Bible – Moses, David, Paul, yes even Jesus looked and were perceived. I think we’d really be surprised and our expectations would be turned upside down.

It is curious that nowhere in the Gospels or the epistles do we get a description of Jesus. We don’t know how tall he was, whether his hair was long or short. Forget all the images of religious art, bulletin covers, and movies portrayal of how Jesus looked. We just don’t know. We do know that the prophet Isaiah said that men would hide their faces from the suffering servant, though that was probably more of a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion.

The only description we get of Jesus is in the Revelation, and then it is a terrifying, unearthly picture. Perhaps it is better for us that we don’t know exactly, that we don’t see Him as He was in the flesh nor as He is in the resurrection. Faith is about hearing, not seeing. This righteous Branch who does justice and righteousness is not for us to see, at least not yet in full, but for us to hear and to trust that He is mighty to save and to expect that we shall see Him at the last day when He rides triumphantly in power from the sky to assemble His saints: soul and body and judge the living and the dead.

That is the theme for Advent, it is the looking forward to and the preparation for His final return, knowing that He promised to come once and for all, and that we are called to be prepared, to work, to study, to be faithful until His final reappearing. This is what we are called to do not just during Advent but throughout our lives. For in Jesus and in Baptism, we who were scattered by sin, darkness, and unbelief have become a new nation, a new people. Your sins have been covered in Christ your righteousness. His Spirit has given you faith to see His workings in this His kingdom which has no end.

But you know what? We do see Him, we do hear the voice of the King. It is just not where and how we might expect. Your king still comes to you with righteousness and salvation. He comes and speaks to you in His Word, through the called and ordained office of the pastor to give absolution for your sins, in that physical presence of a man who may also not meet your expectations. You also get to see your crucified and raised king coming to you not on a donkey, nor in great power, might, and fanfare, but in the simple means of bread and wine where He delivers His body and blood crucified and resurrected for your sin to strengthen and keep you forgiven, faithful, and bearing witness to His truth until He does come again in His full glory.

Soon He will come in power and glory at the end of the days to raise you in Righteousness. Your King will come at the dawn of the new creation. Expect Him. Wait for Him. Hope in Him. “Behold Your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

A very blessed national day of Thanksgiving to you and yours!

In many ways the celebration of National Thanksgiving is kind of like New Year’s Eve. It is true that quite often people spend both days getting food and drink prepared, socialize, maybe watch football, and don’t really think about these days with any significance. However, for those who actually talk about it or think about it, on both days people can look back on the previous year, even as they look forward to the new. For Thanksgiving people generally try to look at the good that has happened to them or that they have accomplished and they take a moment to be “thankful” or “grateful”… to whom or what really depends on their confession of faith. For New Years, people may look at what has happened and worked in the previous year and what has not and proceed to make resolutions and goals going forward.

For us in the church, this year as in many years, we actually have both dates in one. How so? Because last Sunday was the last Sunday of the Church Year. This Sunday begins a new year in the life of the church. So for a church that celebrates the national day of Thanksgiving, it’s kind of like a New Year’s Eve reflection.

St. Paul said in today’s epistle: “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

That last line has become popular over the years among athletes and others who see this as an inspirational text for being able to set goals and achieve those goals, perhaps by God’s grace, but quite often they see it as mostly their own grit and determination that brings these things to pass. But does this text really mean that? Does it even say how it is often translated: “13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” What if you did not meet your goals? What if you failed? What if bad things came upon you? Can you still be grateful and thankful to God?…then again if you are relying upon yourself and setting your own earth bound goals, can God be held responsible for your failures or the failure to attain them? Had He agreed to support them? Perhaps there was and is a better way and better goals that we should focus upon.

St. Paul in Philippians is writing from jail in Rome. He knows that more likely than not, he will soon be executed for the confession of Jesus Christ. When people quote Phil. 4:13, they often ignore this context. He speaks of the hardships that He has endured. He says: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” He has grown. He has learned. He is grateful. He has learned to be content, to survive, and overcome all adversity by God’s strength. In fact, the Greek verbs in verse 13, should not be translated as they so often are. It could and probably should be translated as: “For all things, I have strength, in the One who is empowering me.” Let me repeat that: “For all things, I have strength, in the One who is empowering me.”

How and why is that important for Thanksgiving Day or any other day? It means that God is the one who empowers you, who blesses you, who brings you into contentment, freed from anxiety regardless of your past, current, or future earthly circumstances. Whether you have had a year of disappointments and failures, or bountiful blessings and rousing successes according to worldly reckonings. Whether are able to gather with our loved ones tomorrow around a grand feast, with good health, and money in the bank or we are separated from loved ones, have very little food, and no money in the bank. Let us remember what God has done for us. Let us remember with what He empowers us and repent of those times when we have not appreciated His gifts, but taken credit for them and blamed Him for our disappointments.

Dear friends, God has brought you through this year redeemed from your sin. He has kept you by His empowering grace by the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus Christ crucified and raised. He has called you into saving faith and He continues to provide for the strengthening of that faith as you hear His Word, as you remember your Heavenly Father’s promise to you in your baptism. You belong to Him. He has eternity and a perfect life prepared for you with Him forever. He provides for you a feast of fine wine and meat spread before you in the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: the true eternal and international Thanksgiving feast. We celebrate it now and today in the physical presence of only some of our family and loved ones, looking forward to and hastening on the day when we can celebrate this feast with all the heavenly hosts and all the faithful family of God from all time in paradise in God’s perfect glory. Then we shall no longer have to face hunger or want, physical or emotional pain and disappointments. So looking to the future, be comforted for the present. Know in all stations and all conditions, God gives you and I more than we deserve. Rejoice in all the bountiful gifts that God has given you that you need for salvation here, but then think upon and rejoice in all the earthly blessings that He grants you for your current life. God loves you immensely. Try to count them all and you will lose count. Neither you nor I can remember nor account for or are aware of all the good that God has worked for us, nor all the evils that He has prevented from befalling us. As St. Paul said: “God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Indeed. In Jesus Christ we are all rich. We are all able to be satisfied and contented in Him. And when you do feel need. When you are weakened and tempted to despair, remember: “For all things, I have strength, in the One who is empowering me.” And “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen. Now let us stand and sing the offertory.

Pastor Aaron Kangas

Today we celebrate a great and ancient celebration which the Church has observed for well over a thousand years. All Saints Day. We should celebrate and remember the lives of the great confessors and martyrs who were killed for the sake of their confession of Jesus Christ as well as all those believers in Christ who are now at rest from their labors. This year we remember those most recently transferred from her as members of the church militant to the church triumphant. Here in this congregation, we remember, Tom Evens, Lucille Blomquist, Sadie Zeitz. But we even as we do, we must be careful; there has always been a temptation to exaggerate the good attributes of the heroes and heroines of the faith as though they were great and wonderful on their own merits or person. It is good to remember them, but what good is it to remember them without remembering the object of their faith, that which gave them that which was good in their lives and kept them faithful in their earthly life and sustained them in their godly death?

As we look at Matthew 5 and the Beatitudes it is tempting to try to apply these qualities to the blessed memory of loved ones or of other saints who have gone before. To think of these sayings as a recipe for earning or becoming worthy to receive the gifts here promised. But if we think that somehow, we can earn salvation by our attempts at following the Law: we are to be pitied. To try to earn salvation by way of acting the part of holiness is the height of hypocrisy. As you may recall that is the literal translation of hypocrite, it is an actor or actress: one who is but acting as a character, but on the inside is someone or something altogether different. Therefore to act pious, to act poor in spirit, to act mournful, meek, merciful, etc. is really a lie, if you are merely trying to remember your lines or your character that you are playing.

How can one be saved then? How can one ever be considered “makarioi” blessed or truly happy? This, my friends is what All Saints day, and joy of life is all about. It is not about what you can do for God, it is not about how you can attain an audience with the most high, by making yourself higher or more worthy. The message of hope is first in despairing of all hope within your own worthiness, your own self-delusions of merit, by repenting and acknowledging that we have sinned and deserve nothing but wrath and punishment. This is the work of the Holy Spirit working through the Law of God to make us see that we cannot act the part, we cannot fill the role that the Law demands. We definitely and without question need a savior.

But God in His mercy and love anticipated our need and so He had already set aside His only begotten Son to come down to earth not to act a part, but to be in the flesh, our savior, Jesus the Christ. To do and be what we could not. This Divine savior is our hero who came and united Himself to human flesh so that our flesh would be redeemed in Him. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary putting Himself under the Law that He Himself made into flesh which He Himself had created. He then in His life was the true fulfillment of the beatitudes, the fulfillment of the Law for as we know from Scripture: Love is the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Spirit truly loved and love the world enough to mourn over it, enough to show so much meekness, mercy, and purity of heart, as to receive persecution, hunger, emptying of Jesus of life so that He gave up His spirit at the cross as a payment for sins, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, so that Peace could be made and with that peace, Sons and daughters of God could be begotten and born from above.

How? How were they begotten from above? By water and the Spirit, by the blood of the Lamb. By the Word of God changing hearts and minds from the outside in and the inside out. Through the hearing of the Word of God from outside, by the washing of the water and the blood of the Word made flesh which is the Lamb of God it covers over the sins of that person and by the power of the Holy Spirit working through that Holy baptism, He goes inside and makes the spiritually dead alive, He makes the blind see, and the deaf hear. He makes those who were enemies and persecutors of the body of Christ into confessors and martyrs. He makes sinners into saints. A Saint means that they are Holy Ones, made holy by God in Jesus Christ by faith in Him. This sainthood, is not only for those who are dead but for those who have died to self and have been made alive by faith in Jesus Christ and declared justified through Him in His merits.

Dear Friends, this All Saints Day is a celebration of a present reality. You have been baptized into Jesus Christ, you have been given the Word of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. You also have been given the white robes of righteousness in Jesus Christ. Your sins have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. We who realized our poorness of spirit by the Law are able to be blessed because in Jesus Christ we have been redeemed, and rescued from the punishments that we deserved. Because Jesus died for our sins, our sins can be forgiven. Because He has shown His faithfulness to His Father’s Will our unfaithfulness no longer need be charged to our account. But look now, the generations of those who have gone before us who have been redeemed continue to show us the faithfulness of God. The beatitudes show us His ongoing promises for us here on earth.

What do I mean? Many may talk about a coming time of tribulation. But we are already in it. The time of great tribulation has come upon us since the cross of Christ. A servant is not greater than His master, For what has been done to the master, will be done to the slave, as Jesus said, if they meaning the world persecuted me, they will also persecute you. The devil sees that his reign is undone in Jesus Christ, therefore those who belong to Christ by faith, the devil will try to attack and destroy if possible through the world, the flesh, twisting God’s Word, using false prophets, false practices, unionism, rationalism, emotionalism, anything he can think of to try to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. He will use the troubles and trials of this sin sick world to weary Christians to despair.

But have courage, look to all the Saints who now are in the presence of Jesus Christ in glorious triumphant rest. All those believers who have gone before us had been sustained by God in Jesus Christ to survive the great tribulation of their earthly lives by the faith He gave them. He sustained them by His spirit working through the Word as they heard it preached, proclaimed and applied in Baptism, in the liturgy, confession and absolution, and in the building up of one another as fellow members of the body of Christ in prayer and love. He encouraged them as you can be encouraged now. If you are suffering now in any way, look to Christ, He will bear and ease your suffering. Take heart, because of Christ, there is an end to mourning, hunger, war, and so on. Already now, we and those resting from their labors are gathered around the throne of God and the Lamb here in the His Divine Service of blood and wine and body and bread, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. By His strength and faithfulness you are sustained in the true confession of Jesus Christ to remain faithful unto the end of this life to the life that is to come. All the true believers past, present and future in Jesus Christ join us in this sacramental and mysterious union. They are cheering us on as they sing praise to the Lord. Those who have died, are not truly dead, for our God is the God not of the dead but of the living. The power of death is also defeated to be overcome fully at the last when Christ shall come again with trumpet blast to raise the bodies of the dead and bring to completion all that which is promised in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We celebrate this day, the profound gift and hope that we have and share with those who were preserved and now rest from their labors in Jesus Christ. We too even now have the Lamb in our midst, guided to the springs of living water, where the tears of this life meet their end. The joy that we have already now is summarized in the heavenly song “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the Throne and the Lamb!” May God keep us in this joyful hope in Jesus Christ until we are transferred from this church militant to join those members of Christ’s church triumphant to live forevermore in His perfect joy. “Amen Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen”

Pr. Aaron Kangas

A blessed Reformation Day to you all! Oct. 31st is the commemoration of the beginning of what we call “the reformation of the Church”. It started as Martin Luther first questioned raising of funds through the buying and selling of forgiveness of sin by the church of his day.

But the Reformation is more than the proper way to raise money for the church, it has to do with our status before God. How is a person saved? Our answer: by grace, through faith, apart from works, based solely on Christ crucified and raised in payment for sin and the judgement that they deserve. Jesus Christ overcame the temptations of the devil, the world, and human flesh. He lived the perfect life of obedience. For us our Lord the Passover Lamb died, offering Himself up as a sacrifice for sin, satisfying the wrath of God over sin, even our sin. There can be no talk about the merits of the saints or of Mary, or our own as aiding in salvation. There can be no other way to pay for our sins as in selling “an indulgence”. Christ’s life and death alone paid the price of our salvation, and His resurrection is the seal of our victory.

The Devil, the world, and the flesh do not accept this defeat. They despise the message of God’s Word. They always have and always will until Christ returns. The doctrine of forgiveness of sins because of the blood of Christ is so precious and comforting that Christians were willing to lose their lives for it throughout history. At the time of the Reformation many men and women were put to death by the forces of the Roman Pope and the emperor, all for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet in order to preach and teach and receive God’s Word and sacraments in all their grace and purity, they continued to risk their lives. They were convinced that “it is better to die with and for the Gospel of Christ’s victory in eternity than to live here on earth without that Word of God.” They confessed that no other message, no other truth can give peace here on earth.

This willingness to suffer for the truth of Jesus Christ to preserve the truth for the future enrages the devil, the world and the flesh… That is why there is an ongoing and never-ending spiritual battle even in our own lives. The devil wants to destroy that boldness.

Ultimately this is a battle for the entire truth of God in Jesus Christ crucified. The world will ridicule the truth. The flesh desires to reject God’s wisdom and grace. Look at our Gospel lesson for today. Jesus talked who had once believed in Him. He talked about the freedom that comes from the Truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ, but they rejected it and misunderstood it. The people ridiculed and found fault in Jesus because they rejected the Truth. It didn’t matter that He was the Christ who preached repentance and forgiveness and the fulfillment of Scripture with His miraculous signs. They rejected Him.

This is how Satan tries to attack believers in order to make them weak. He turns people from Christ and His Word to self. By justifying and emphasizing “the self”, he can weaken, expose, and destroy otherwise good well-meaning Christians and even cause them to do all sorts of evil. In the day of Luther it was emphasizing the meriting God’s grace by works of the Law or appealing to an authority which had added to God’s Word. Now the devil uses the spirit of emphasizing making people feel good about their own opinions and emotions while watering down the teachings of God in Jesus Christ. Or he convinces people that if God is loving then they can sin all they want and there so many other temptations…Any way he can do it: using the flesh or the world to remove people from Christ, the devil will try. As soon as any person turns to self as an authority, or uses something other than God’s Word to arm and protect themselves, they become weak and vulnerable.

The way to boldness and strength and peace is not in ourselves but by resting in Jesus Christ crucified and raised. By letting our faith be subject to, and encouraged and strengthened by His Holy Spirit working where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and the sacraments are administered in the promises and as God has commanded, that is where strength and boldness is possible.

When we say such things we must separate ourselves from other so-called protestants. Christians who may mean well but disparage, that is, put down Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Christians who turn God’s gracious gifts into mere regulations and symbols which we do. They are what God does in grace: the Great Physician’s gift of medicine for the soul: the very real world application of all that He accomplished for us upon the cross: A gift for His soldiers to give them the foretaste of the victory which is His.

So, this Reformation Day, we must say such things again. With boldness, let us defy the devil, the world, the flesh, even death itself. This defiance includes false prophets, popes, pastors, laypersons… denying our own selves. Let us in all ways not seek friendship with the world.

The Secular Religion of self seeks to devour all who seek to be faithful to the Lord Jesus, God’s eternally begotten Son, who came to save us. All the more reason to celebrate the Reformation, and to draw from its lessons of truth and courage. The Bible is still the sole source of doctrine against the lies of the world. Our courage is born of the fact that Christ remains with us, though our boat may seem small, rocked by the waves. Our courage is born of the fact that the Bible is true, and that he who endures to the end will be saved. So, today let us say what Luther said about grace and faith. “We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Let us dwell in the mighty fortress which is our God. Let us flee to Him in times of pride, to repent of our error. Let us hide in Him at the time of our fear. Let us open our catechisms and our Bibles to study His wisdom. Let us hearken to the call of God’s voice in His liturgy and hymns based on His word to sing and make melody in His truth. Let us not cry at the songs and dirges of the world, nor dance at their songs of mockery of Christ when they taunt us. Let us be unmovable to their push, but movable in our following the banner of Christ’s cross. Then surrounded by the wall, the fortress, and shield of Jesus Christ, we shall live in peace, even now.

True peace on earth is lived out in His Church in its confession and witness. There is peace even in the midst of spiritual war and battle. Peace can come to our hearts and minds because our faith is not in our worthiness, it is not in how much we can fit in with the world, or in getting whatever desires fulfilled we can. We are freed from such things in Jesus Christ. We are redeemed to focus on His gifts eternal.

Be of good courage. God is here in the midst of us. He has physically come to us in Jesus Christ not only in His earthly ministry of paying for our sin, but He is here as He applies His salvation to us again and again. Hemming us and hedging us in from every side against the devil, by His sacrifice. Holy Baptism is God’s gracious act of coming to us, washing us in the blood of Jesus, calling us by name. Here we are in the mighty fortress, brought into God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess our sins and are forgiven by grace in God’s name for Christ’s sake. Cleaned up, washed and given His righteousness, we live by faith.

He is in the very midst of us in His Word as it is preached, and as it is sung. He is talking to you. Jesus comes to us and serves us His body and blood as we celebrate His victory.

Remember Jesus is the word which causes Satan to fall even if it looks like the devil is beating us. Jesus is strong to save. He is sabbaoth Lord as we sing in “A mighty Fortress”. That means He is the Lord of hosts. Pray and Jesus will come with all His angelic hosts to you in the midst of temptation so that you may resist the devil.

You can confess and hold steadfast in God’s Word, because He will hold you… if you don’t reject Him. Difficulties and trials and hardships which the devil could use to overthrow you? Hide behind Jesus. Be bold. Satan, the world, they may hate you, but they can harm you none. They are judged, the deed is done. Even if you were to lose your mortal life for the sake of this truth, remember the hope that sustained the reformers and so many faithful before us:
“The Word they still shall let remain, nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain, with His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life, Good, fame, child and wife, Let these all be gone,
They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth.”

Together we stand with God among us. He continues to speak and encourage in His Word. May God make us able to confess “it is better to die with and for the Gospel of Christ’s victory in eternity than to live here on earth without that Word of God.” “Through life it guides our way, In death it is our stay.” We pray: “Lord, grant that while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure throughout all generations.” By His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, it will. God grant it for Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

How often should I forgive? How often should I forgive my spouse and children – my fellow church members and pastor – my classmates and coworkers – my friends and my enemies if I feel that they have sinned against me? How often should I forgive them and not hold their sins against them? Is there a limit to this forgiveness?

This is an important question to have an answer to because you’re surrounded by sinners. No one around you is perfect. It is important because, believe it or not, you and I also sin against others by words and deeds, intentionally or not, whether we are aware of it or not. How do we respond to those who sin against us and how do we expect others to treat us, if we have sinned against them? Or don’t you care? You should as our sin and our forgiveness have a deep relation to God’s forgiveness. If we are not able to forgive others their sins against us. If we do not care when we have sinned against others. Why shouldn’t God hold our sins against us? That brings us to the Gospel text for today.

During the time of Jesus, Jewish tradition taught that one could forgive up to three times for the same sin. However, Peter, in our Gospel for this day, more than doubles this, no doubt believing that he was being very generous. “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Peter knew Jesus valued mercy highly, and so he more than doubles the legal requirement. Yet, as generous as Peter thinks he’s being with forgiveness, he’s still placing a limit on it.

To Peter, Jesus responds, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times'” Jesus isn’t teaching Peter higher math, or that there is literally a limit of 77 or 490 times of forgiving. No! Jesus is teaching His church to forgive without counting – without limit. Jesus proceeded to tell a parable to His disciples, and also to us, in order that we may understand the importance of forgiving.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants” (Matt. 18:23). Settling accounts means calling in debtors and demanding repayment. It was a time of judgment.

“When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents”. As a single talent was worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer, ten thousand talents means this man owed roughly 200,000 years worth of debt to the king. It couldn’t be paid off in one’s lifetime. What did he deserve? “since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made”

The heavily indebted servant begged for mercy, for the king’s patience hoping to pay the king back which with his great debt he never would be able.

“And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt” The king forgives the debt. Yet, debts don’t just disappear do they? Someone has to pay the debt. In this parable, the king transferred responsibility for making up the loss from the man to himself. The servant, however, doesn’t have to worry about it. He, along with his wife and children, have been set free from the extraordinary debt that was owed. And having been set free, you would think that he would be so overjoyed by the king’s generosity that he would go and show the same mercy to others.

“But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.'” A single talent was about twenty years’ worth of wages for a laborer, but a denarius was a single day’s wage. A hundred denarii would equate to a hundred days worth of work, roughly a third of a year. While a significant debt, it’s nothing compared to what the first servant owed.

“So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you'”. Notice, this servant speaks the exact same words that the first servant said to the king. At this point the first should think, “What am I doing? Why am I holding this measly amount against my brother when the king canceled so much more for me? Dear brother, I will cancel the debt with the same mercy that the king showed me.”

But he didn’t. “He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt”. The punishment the first servant rightly deserved but avoided, he now brings upon another. This reveals he didn’t fear the king’s judgment after the king’s extravagant forgiveness for his life. He was unchanged in his heart, but ungrateful and unmerciful.

“This got reported to the king. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt”.

Jesus teaches us in this parable the defining gift of the church: “the forgiveness of sins” from God and from each other. Your sin, your debt to God which includes your sin against your neighbor, is entered on the ledger the moment you’re conceived in your mother’s womb. Your sin, your debt to God is so great that it’s impossible to ever repay.

At the judgement God will settle accounts.

You must pay what you owe to him… but you can’t. You can’t pay for your sin. Unable to pay off this debt, the tortuous imprisonment in this parable which you deserve is the eternal punishment of hell. It is the just punishment for your sin against God.

The temptation for us is to believe our sin isn’t that bad, that we can pay it off by trying harder or that our debt doesn’t matter at all. Instead our cry should be the words from our introit, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!”

Over and against the massive debt that you owe to God, God offers to forgive you all of your sins. This isn’t on account of how sorry you are or on account of some payment plan for you to repay the debt over a long period of time. God forgives your massive sinful debt freely without requiring of you any payment for all your sins. This isn’t because no payment must be made. It’s because He has already paid the debt you owe. The price is the holy precious blood and the innocent suffering and death of His Son on the cross. Jesus bought your forgiveness with His own perfect obedience and suffering. God freely gives forgiveness for the sake of Christ and you receive it by faith.

Having been forgiven of the massive debt and the eternal punishment it brings, you’re set free to forgive your neighbor. We forgive because we’ve been forgiven.

But do you? Our sinful flesh objects to this and comes up with a number of arguments against our Lord’s clear teaching. “But, he doesn’t deserve forgiveness.” “But, what she did is too sinful to be forgiven.” “But, they aren’t really sorry.”

Refusing to forgive others is one of the clearest pieces of evidence of an imaginary faith. Such a vengeful heart is not receiving in faith God’s forgiving love. The damning results of that unforgiving last forever. “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart”.

Jesus calls you to forgive the repentant sinner without hesitation and without condition – real people who really offend you. It’s people in your family circle. It’s people in this church. It’s wherever. How can you forgive, but what source or power? It’s the power of the Lord’s forgiveness that flows out of you toward your erring brother and sister. It’s why Jesus teaches you to pray every day, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Jesus teaches us to forgive those who do us wrong, not once or twice, but as often as they need our forgiveness. He doesn’t teach us to approve of the wrong they do. To forgive someone is not to approve of his sin. Forgiveness isn’t approval. Forgiveness means to send away. All sins are forgiven on Calvary where Jesus died for the sin of the world. Jesus died for all sinners. He didn’t die just for you or only for those who believe in Him. He died for all.  When we forgive those who sin against us, we’re confessing this truth in Christ.

  While we don’t have the power to change the hearts of those who have done us wrong, we have the power to forgive and let go. While we can’t work repentance in our neighbor’s heart, we have the power to forgive by God’s strength so that those sins against us do not make us bitter and then we are tempted to sin ourselves. Jesus taught His church to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

Fellow redeemed, you have the power to forgive, and forgiveness is freedom. With a refusal to forgive and without God’s forgiveness you’re in spiritual slavery. You may think you’re free, but you’re bound by your sin. Death looms as divine judgment against you. But with God’s forgiveness you’re free. You have no debt to pay.  You have no fear of death. You feel no need to vindicate yourself, defend yourself, or make the guy who hurt you suffer. You’re free from all that in Christ Jesus. You have repented, you have been forgiven, and You can forgive, and as a result, you can set others free for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

“Are you going out wearing that?” You know the picture: a little kid who wants to go outside wearing shorts and a tee shirt while it is near or below freezing outside. What’s the problem with that? Shouldn’t people be able to wear whatever they want? Well…there are outfits that are appropriate for some occasions but not others and things that function for specific situations and things that do not. The situation of the child in the cold seems obvious. The child could get a chill and get sick or worse. In the same way that a tee shirt and shorts are not appropriate for cold weather: a heavy overcoat, a scarf, snow gloves, and heavy boots are not appropriate for hot summer weather at the beach. There are other kinds of appropriate kinds of clothing for other times as well.

The Gospel text for last week spoke of the appropriate wedding garment that the king had given for all the guests of the wedding feast of His son, but there was a man who refused to wear the appropriate garment that was given. He wanted to wear whatever he wanted in rebellion of the king. As a result of his rebellion he was bound hand and foot and thrown outside into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth…that meant Hell. That garment was indicative of people who would rather dressed by their faith in the rags of their own works and pride rather than trusting in the glorious dress of Christ’s righteousness by grace alone.

This morning, St. Paul in our epistle lesson tells us about another kind of spiritual covering that the king gifts unto us. It is the outfit that Christians are supposed to wear as they travel life outside the halls of the king’s palace, during our earthly life. An “outfitting” which we are to be covered with when we are not wearing the wedding garments of celebration. It is the whole armor of God! Armor: a covering appropriate for war; for battle, for labor on this side of heaven.

The hymns that we sang today: like for our opening, “Rise to Arms! With Prayer Employ You” and “Fight the Good Fight” speak of a true and present reality that most of us don’t usually and don’t really want to think about. A reality that far too many “Christians” ignore. The reality of spiritual battle, spiritual war.

What’s the problem? Who is our enemy? Let’s go out and attack!! Yay! No?… So where is our enthusiasm for the fight? The problem is that just like in earthly war, it seems only the young and naïve are excited to get out there and fight, because they haven’t thought about how terrible war is, the pain they could suffer, and what they personally could lose: emotional, physical health, even their very mortal life. Middle aged and old men and women, people with families, would rather stay put, keep their sons at home and not go off to battle because they know what they could lose. They have grown to “like life”. They would rather not fight unless the battle comes very near and they are forced to fight.

But what could be lost in spiritual battles and this spiritual war is far more important than just our bodily health or even our mortal life: what is at stake is our eternal future and the eternal future of our loved ones and all our brothers and sisters in the household of faith!

The reality, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is that, if we have been baptized into Jesus Christ, if we care about what it means to be Christian, the warfare is already upon us. The battles are daily, the battles are sometimes obvious, and sometimes hidden. Sometimes the battle take place only in our hearts and minds, sometimes they play out between family members, coworkers, in the political realm, but what the devil really wants is for the battle to take place right here in the Church between members. Right here in the home base and earthly headquarters of Jesus Christ. Divide and conquer; playing one side against another over things non-theological: in an effort to grieve the Lord.

The devil is only one of the enemies of the Church and Jesus Christ. Our enemies are strong and our enemies are relentless. They do not care if you are young or old, male or female. Our enemies work together: the Devil and his demons, the world, and us. Yes, our sinful flesh. Our flesh which refuses to die to its selfish desires and live for Jesus and others. It is this enemy that wants to rebel against its commander Redeemer and make us treasonous to God and to our brothers and sisters in Christ, to war against them rather than the real enemies of the Devil’s lies. What are the wounds that we receive in these battles? Sin and its bitterness. Sin which drains and tears away faith. It destroys the bonds of Truth which God had re-established for believers through the blood of Jesus Christ, and it can lead to complete spiritual death which is unbelief.

Therefore, like the man refusing to wear God’s banquet garment, it is to the enemy’s advantage if he can convince you and me to discard our God given armor now and go into battle: lazy and unprepared, with broken and ill fitted equipment. Equipment of our own choosing and making of pride and bitterness. What is Satan’s main method to fool us? How does he speak? How did he cause Adam and Eve to fall and ruin all that was good as God originally created it? Satan used lies! He has a particular and effective clothing for those lies. He clothes his lies with words which sound like truth.

He says things like: “hey, Christian, if you go to church, be distracted or pick and choose what you hear and receive from God. You can clothe yourself however you want and call it Christian. Clothe yourself with a mix of your opinions, the wisdom of this world, a little satanic lie here or there and you’ll be fine.” We like to hear that. We like to think that we are in charge and that we can take God’s Word when and how we want it. But that is our flesh wanting to be godlike and rebellious. “St. Paul says the whole armor, nah, that’s overkill. Gird your loins with truth? What is truth? I personally will define it apart from God’s Word.”

So, are you going to go out to battle dressed like that?

If you or I go out into the battle field with such selfish and sloppy rags, and the battle begins to rage, we will not stand firm in the Faith, because we were not standing in the Faith. We will fall because our faith in our truth, our choices will fail. In fact, we were destined to lose as soon as we discarded the whole armor of God.

What about those who say that they are Christian but are not here or another churchly armory where Christ promises to be in His Word and Sacrament? This is so serious, we should try to be here as often as possible and leave from here and continue to study God’s Word, the catechism, liturgy and hymns on our own. But this is home base. This is where our commander comes to us and speaks to us together. This is the only place to get to know what truth is. This is where God wraps us in His truth: the basis for the rest of His armor of protection. If we are not engaged in receiving from God’s hand by our ears and mouths the powerful truth which destroys the lies of Satan, what are we filling our hearts and minds with? What are we using our time here on earth for? As St. Paul said, “make good use of the time for the days are evil.” If we are not here. If we are not concerned with and for those who are absent, if we do not think that it is important for our children to be at church or confirmation class to be wrapped in the pure Truth of God’s Word, we are giving up the field to the Devil. We are as good as conceding eternal defeat. We would rather ourselves and our children go to hell than suffer temporary pain and exert the energy to fight the good fight of faith, prevail, and receive eternal life. It certainly seems easier.

But here we are today. And that’s good. We of ourselves are weak and lousy soldiers. The devil, and world have grown more bold, and our flesh is all the more vulnerable as our society no longer has the social pressure to conform and do the right thing that it once did. It seems many are convinced by the lies of Satan that they can be friends with the world and still claim to Christian. We are tempted by our own laziness and fear to not be willing to stand for the truth. There are so many voices chattering in our ears and hearts, how can we know what is the truth and what armor to wear?

What shall we do? Shall we give up? Shall we go with the world and try to please those who have already mixed truth and error? Should we pretend that there is no war and fall into Satan’s trap? NO!

Don’t give up! Turn to your Lord, Christian Soldier! Follow Jesus Christ and His Words. His battle plan is fool proof. He has already won the war. Stand fast and hold the ground, trust His equipment and let Him battle through you, with you, and around you. It was to give you victory that Jesus came to earth to suffer in your place to do battle in His perfect flesh and show the devil, the world, and the temptations of the flesh how serious was God’s resolve to win…you for Himself! This cross shows how serious God is about your salvation. Here is your victory in Jesus Christ conquering your sins. Here He comes to you healing and restoring you by the Truth of His Love and wisdom to give you forgiveness and hope.

St. Paul said: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

So, get ready. Get serious. Wear His whole armor! Don’t omit one thing. Use all the instruments, tools, and armor that God gives to us here in His Word and Sacraments. Do not take them for granted! Do not become lazy!

This hour, repent of your sin and rest and be restored from the week’s battles as the Holy Spirit gives you forgiveness by the body and blood of our victorious redeemer. Be made ready to go out to battle, here. Daily, remember your baptism: that you are clothed with Christ’s righteousness to whom you belong by grace! By increasing Biblical knowledge, He outfits you to learn the truth and be girded by it. Learn the tricks and half-truths of your real enemies, and attack them. Use the Word of God, rebuking sin, and comforting by the Gospel to rescue and return those falling into the traps of the Satanic liar.

By studying the confession and lives of those faithful soldiers who have gone on before us in the coming weeks with Reformation Day and All Saints Day observed, we are encouraged to know that the Truth is worth fighting and standing fast for. As we near the end of the Church year, the readings remind us the value of time and that we are ever drawing nearer to the end of our time here. But remember, in the spiritual battles we fight, as we fight by faith in Christ we shall succeed and we and future generations can be blessed by God’s truth in Jesus Christ for eternity.

Pray for one another, be united in the one truth revealed in Jesus Christ. Rely on God’s strength, daily! Rise! To Arms! With Prayer employ you! Fear not the hordes of Hell. Here is Emmanuel! Hail the Savior! The strong fores yield to Christ our shield, and we, the victors hold the field, In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas

Fellow redeemed, I think it’s safe to say that most of us have been to a wedding reception. Whether it was your own, a family member’s, or a friend’s. Wedding receptions are wonderful, joyful times and worthy of celebrating. The union of a man and a woman is certainly a reason to celebrate! So, we do. Most receptions have plenty of food and drinks. There’s laughter and singing. And in the midst of all of this, memories are shared and made. Though some may go overboard in their celebrations, nevertheless, the reason for celebrating a marriage along with its reception and banquet are enjoyable and worthy things.

In the Gospel this morning we hear of a king who gave a wedding feast for his son (Matt. 22:2). In great joy he pulls out all the stops. He slaughters oxen and calves fattened for this very event to be served at this wedding feast. When everything was ready, the King sends His servants to call those who were invited.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking, “This text sounds familiar”, you would be right. Back on the Second Sunday after Trinity we heard the Parable of the Great Banquet from Luke 14. That text and today’s text are similar in many ways. Yet, there are some differences.
First, today’s text is a little darker, more violent than the Luke account. Some people who had been invited when told that it was time for the banquet reacted violently by beating and killing the king’s servants, and they in turn were destroyed and their cities burned by the king. That is not in the Luke account.

Second, today’s text eventually places us inside the wedding hall itself with its food and guests as the king is milling about the festivities.

And so, with these differences, it’s good for us consider this text from the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Jesus told this parable most likely on the Monday or Tuesday of Holy Week.
This parable is describing the wedding feast celebrating the marriage of the Bridegroom Christ to His beloved bride the Church. The son of the king, was about to redeem His beloved bride, through His sacrificial death on the cross, and by doing so, He washed her clean of all her sins. And was to clothe her in the glorious dress of His own righteousness in preparation for the eternal wedding banquet. This redemptive marriage had been promised long before throughout the Old Testament, and the people should have been aware that this day of celebration was on the horizon.

And now with everything ready as Jesus is crucified and raised, God the Father sends His servants: the apostles, preachers, and teachers out to proclaim to all people, “Everything is ready” (Matt. 22:4). Nothing is left undone. Jesus kept the Law perfectly without sin, yet He bore in his very flesh the sin of the world to redeem it. This was the task of the bridegroom: He drank the cup of the Father’s wrath. He died the death mankind deserves. And then on the third day He rose from dead. The empty tomb declares that sin is forgiven. Death is undone, the rescue of men and women achieved, because Satan has been defeated!

So, the invitation goes out, “Everything is ready” (Matt. 22:4). It’s as if they were saying, “you who hunger and thirst for righteousness that only Christ can give, come to the wedding feast.” Feed your soul on the delicious and wholesome food and drink of the Gospel that gives the forgiveness of sins and eternal life and salvation. Come to the wedding feast of the Son of God for everything is ready!

While this gracious invitation goes out, we see that there’s a wide range of responses from those first invited. The first group paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business…” (Matt. 22:5). These individuals feel no particular anger toward Jesus and His Gospel and His Church. They simply don’t care. They are too busy or distracted by the cares of this world to be bothered by a redemption they feel that they do not need. And while we’re sadden by this rejection of the Gospel. It isn’t a new thing. It’s happened since man’s fall into sin. And so, seeing neither the depth of their sin and their need for the forgiveness that Jesus has won for them they reject the King’s invitation.

The second group that’s invited to the wedding feast isn’t as polite in their rejection as the first group. We see that they”…seized [the king’s] servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them” (Matt. 22:6). Ultimately these individuals are more aggressive in their rejection of Christ and His bride the church. This was the reaction of those Jewish leaders and authorities who actively persecuted the early church proclaiming Christ, the Bridegroom as Lord and Savior.

But this also is the reaction of the world to this Christ as we’ve seen this down through the centuries. Consider St. Paul who we heard from in the Epistle for this day. He was most likely beheaded in Rome. Throughout the centuries prophets and apostles and also other men and women were persecuted and martyred for their confession of Christ crucified and risen for sinners.

And we see this today. In fact you yourself should expect persecution and the possibility of martyrdom as well!

Martin Luther supposedly once said “The martyr is the typical Christian life.” This is to say the normal Christian life is one of martyrdom. If we don’t come to that end and God preserves us to die of natural causes then that is the abnormal Christian life. And so, as Christians following in the footsteps of Christ we shouldn’t expect an easy and comfortable life. We should expect persecution. We should expect martyrdom and the hatred of the world.
What we believe, teach, and confess is folly to the world around us. People often become enraged when they’re confronted with the truth of God’s Law that their behavior is sinful and that it merits eternal death.

But they also become enraged when they’re confronted with the truth of God’s Gospel that those who participate in the wedding feast of the King’s Son can enjoy forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God.

And so, they persecute Christ and His church because like the previous group they see neither the depth of their sin nor the forgiveness that Christ won for them.
Those who reject the Word of God and persecute those who faithfully proclaim it will not get away with it. While God doesn’t desire the death of the sinner He does declare “Vengeance is mine, I will repay…” (Rom. 12:19). If God didn’t withhold punishing His chosen people Israel which He did time and time again throughout the Old Testament and finally by allowing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, neither will He withhold punishing those individuals, those countries that reject His gracious invitation and persecute His servants.

And yet, despite this rejection the King will have a wedding feast for His Son. The wedding hall will be filled. The food and drinks will be consumed. There is still reason to rejoice! “The king said to his servants, ‘…Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. Then the wedding hall was filled with guests” (Matt. 22:9-10). The fact the servants gathered everyone they found and made no distinction is wonderful news for us, and it’s the reason for us to rejoice!

On account of sin, we deserve no good thing in this life and in the life to come. It’s as we confess, we’re deserving of both temporal and eternal punishment in hell. And yet, God doesn’t desire the death of the sinner. He desires that we would be gathered into the wedding feast of His Son to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ and to eat and to drink of His forgiveness and life in faith.

Yet, here in the parable we get a glance inside the wedding hall. It’s here where Jesus makes a distinction between guests. He says, “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment” (Matt. 22:9-11). The man without the wedding garment isn’t like the other two groups before him. Those without the proper wedding garment are the false sons within the so-called visible church on earth. They attend the Divine Service, outwardly partaking of the King’s feast in receiving baptism confessing their sin seating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood. However, they don’t really believe in the promises given there. They hear the Word of God and yet, don’t take it to heart and they refuse to live by its truths. While they may claim to be Christian they don’t really trust God’s Word that reveals sins but also reveals there’s forgiveness of those sins through Jesus’ obedience, suffering and death, and glorious resurrection. Ultimately, they trust in themselves. They don’t hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Jesus and neither do they desire to be clothed with it. Instead, they insist on the filthy garments of their own ways. They refuse to repent of their sins trust in the Gospel and to go forth walking in the ways of the Lord.

Fellow redeemed, contrary to what some people may believe there is a hell. There is a place outside of the eternal lifegiving wedding feast where God pours out His wrath on unbelief. Jesus clearly speaks of it in our text. Those who insist on their own garments, that is, their own works; they are setting themselves up to be bound hand and foot and tossed into the outer darkness. And there where the fire never dies there is the weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 22:13). May God keep us from unbelief, and the rejection of His grace, lest we get what our sins deserve. You can fool the world and even fool yourself, but you can’t fool God. The only way to come into the King’s wedding feast is to repent of your sin to shed your self-righteous garments for they are like filthy rags before the Lord.

While these may be harsh words, they’re necessary words. Because as you are repentant, you don’t find a harsh ruler in God the Father. You find a loving King who bids you to come the wedding feast of His Son. “Everything is ready,” (Matt. 22:4) for you! God doesn’t invite those who have it all together. He invites spiritually poor sinners who can’t get rid of their sins and are in desperate need of the forgiveness that He alone gives in this feast for you.

The Triune God would have you rejoice and be glad in the certainty of His invitation and your place at His table. It was in the waters of Holy Baptism where He clothed you in the proper garment the robe of Christ’s righteousness. It’s in the Lord’s Supper where you receive the life-giving meal of Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins: a foretaste of and participation in that eternal banquet. You don’t have to wait until heaven. Through the blood of Christ everything is finished for you! All your debts are paid. All your sins are removed through the death of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead. And having opened the kingdom of heaven to you there’s nothing left to do but to receive.

Come and receive. Be satisfied. Rejoice. Give Thanks. Come to the wedding feast of the King’s son, for “Everything is ready” for Jesus Christ’s sake for your salvation. Amen.

Pr. Aaron Kangas