Who Will Help Me Eat This Bread: A Homily on John 6:1-15

John6:1-15 

Laetare: The 4th Sunday in Lent

10 March 2013

St. John's, Chicago, IL

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Bread?  Really, Jesus?  That's not very 21st century.  You're disrespecting the disciples of Dr. Atkins.  The serious South Beach Dieters will be looking at Your fiber content, to see if Your bread is acceptable.  And the Paleo Diet folks are right out.

From the very beginning, at the Fall of man, the Lord God tells Adam that he will be eating bread.  It is a very basic element to the human diet, and a tool for the Lord to give you nourishment and sustenance. 

Of course, there it is part of the punishment.  "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."   You are mortal, and you will die.  In the mean time, you will have to work for what you eat, and it will be difficult. 

I'm sure many of the little ones here could tell you the story of the Little Red Hen.  Every step of the way, while growing wheat, harvesting, milling, and baking, she asks around the barnyard, "Who will help me?" and no one lifts a finger.  So in the end, she keeps the warm, fresh-baked bread all for herself and her chicks.  It is all Law.  "Whoever will not work, will not eat."

Today, Jesus turns that all around.  Today, you can rejoice, for He is the One who has worked to bring you the Bread of heaven, while you simply receive.  Rejoice, because having the Bread of Life placed in your mouth does not come only if you are worthy enough or sincere enough, or have worked hard, like the Little Red Hen.  The blessing of the Bread of heaven is that it is purely a gift, from Jesus Christ to you! 

You will never be able to work hard enough or perfectly enough to earn this Bread, and so you can rejoice that when Jesus asks the Little Red Hen's question, "Who will help me eat this bread?" He gifts you to answer, "I will!"  Jesus gives His very Body to be the bread that keeps you steadfast in the true faith, to life everlasting.

And yet, how often do you stand there and think of yourself as more of an Atkins' Diet kind of Christian?  "I think I'll pass on this bread, Lord. I'm kind of watching what I eat, and I just think I'd better hold off on this."  "I don't need to come to services that often.  And hearing the sermon is just fine; I just communed last week.  I'm not that bad; I don't need it yet, right?" 

Wrong.  Dr. Luther would remind you to look at yourself and touch your body, to make sure that you are still on this earth, with flesh and bone.  If so, you are a sinner, and need God's mercy and grace that come through His Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

In today's Gospel lesson, the Passover was at hand.  The rescuing of Israel some 1,400 years earlier, delivering them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm was in the forefront of everyone's mind.  That was the amazing night when all the people heard the promise of the Lord and ate His meal, feasting on the Passover Lamb, and eating unleavened bread.  And then, as the people of God wandered in the wilderness, He nourished them with Manna--bread from heaven.  He kept them alive with this gracious gift.

So when Jesus suddenly and miraculously provides bread from heaven, in the wilderness, at Passover time, it is most definitely a sign that He is the Christ!  He is the same Lord who brought Israel up out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Of course, even many who experienced this had their own thoughts.  They set aside their spiritual needs, and thought with the gods of their bellies.  "If Jesus were King, we wouldn't have to work anymore!  He could always make us bread!  We'd be set!"

Don't look at today's Gospel, and see only a bunch of people being fed.  Do not focus on the Lord keeping that multitude from starving.  Yes, He did that, but that is not the main point.  If you gloss over Jesus as Christ and Savior, the Lord of the Eucharist, giving Himself as the Bread of Life, then you are overlooking the heart of His message for today.  You are treating Jesus like some Protestant church's symbol or image, rather than the real deal.

Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and distributed the loaves.  He did this, foreshadowing His own Last Supper at a Passover in the not-so-distant future.  And pointing ahead to our own liturgy, rejoicing at His altar, where week after week you hear: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the same night I which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take, eat, this is My Body.'"

Then He gathered up the fragments so nothing would be lost.  Why?  First, this was a miracle!  A gift from God, and none of it should be wasted. 

And then, He is teaching His Church about the future.  When He regularly provides His own Flesh and Blood week after week, He is showing that none of it should be wasted.  It is holy, and precious, even if some remains after the celebration. 

This is why Lutherans keep consecrated elements separate from unblessed bread and wine.  We do not mix the Body and Blood of Jesus with common things.  We either eat and drink it all, or keep it saved and separate, to use for another celebration of the Lord's Supper.  All will be consumed.  None of it lost.  And we rejoice.

Rejoice, dear friends in Christ, Jesus IS the Bread of Life, feeding you Himself to keep you steadfast in the true faith, to life everlasting.  Rejoice!  The Lord who provided for Israel in the wilderness, provides you with the Body of Christ Jesus, feeding you forgiveness, life, and salvation as you wander in the wilderness of this earth, until you cross the Jordan of death and the grave into His Promised Land.  Rejoice, your Jesus is not some "Bread King," but the real, true, and everlasting King who provides for you and protects you, body and soul.  Yes.  Rejoice!

Now.  In addition to the Body of Christ, who will help me eat this bread?  Amen.

Fever! : A Homily on Mark 1:29-39

Mark 1:29-39

5th Sunday after Epiphany

5 February 2012

St. John's, Chicago, IL

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It is somewhere beyond Eden, several thousand years ago. Eve and Adam are frantic, nearly beside themselves, as one of them or one of their children are the first person to even come down with a fever. Touching the burning forehead, seeing how weak their loved one is. It is unpleasant for a family to begin with, and then, if hey had never experienced it before!

Then, ponder that first generation horror, knowing that your own sin had led to this. Your rebellion had brought the very existence of sickness into this world. That you, your spouse, and your children would not be suffering if you had not rejected God and His Word.

Now, you cannot point to a specific sin, and say that God is using a certain illness to punish you for it. He does not keep a chart at the end of your bed, noting your spiritual health and the rewards and punishments you deserve. Sickness is a result of sin, but not as a vindictive tit for tat. It is just a part of this fallen existence.

It seems so simple now. Such a little thing. It is just a fever. In today's Gospel reading, we'd say to give Peter's mother-in-law some tylenol, or even aspirin, and let her sleep it off. But it is not that simple. Those medicines are not yet discovered in the first century. No one really knows the cause of fevers; just that they can be deadly.

In the greater scheme of things, such medical conditions have been difficult until the modern era, with its major advances in the health sciences. Less than a hundred years ago, many thousands died in the influenza epidemic.

And do you remember Beth in the novel, Little Women? The book is set in the time of the Civil war -- just 150 years ago. Beth was deathly ill with scarlet fever. The fever finally broke, but she was never the same. Weakened, perhaps with a resulting heart condition, Beth March spent a mere six years more on this earth.

Granted, this was more than just a fever from an everyday infection, but without modern antibiotics and fever-reducing medicines, any fever was quite scary. Simon Peter isn't thinking, "If Mom doesn't take care of herself and get some rest, she'll stay sick longer." No. The reality in his mind is that she may very well die if Jesus cannot do anything.

They have just witnessed the Lord cast out demons. They have heard Him speak the Word of God with authority. Can He do this too? Immediately they tell Jesus about her. This is urgent, Jesus. She could die!

And what does the Lord do? He takes her by the hand, and what? NIV misses the mark here and simply says, "He helped her up." Yes, He did. ESV says, He "lifted her up." That is better. But the word that Mark uses to record this event is that Jesus "raised her up!" No she had not yet died, but it would have been possible. The Great Physician is the Lord of Life who Himself would rise from the dead. He is foreshadowing the amazing, miraculous rising that He would do later on.

This baptized Jesus is walking around, absorbing all the sicknesses and frailties of others, taking them on Himself. When He goes to the cross, He pays for it all, and defeats death, so that it cannot hold Him, and He victoriously rises! That is the beauty of this image of Christ our King: it reminds and shows us at the same time, the cross, on which Jesus took these illnesses and sins and paid for them, and our risen Lord, victorious champion over sin, death and the devil!

But you can be just like a person suffering from a fever. Sometimes when you have a fever, you don't realize you are burning up. Sometimes, while your body is hot with fever, you are feeling fine, or even chilled. "I'm fine," you say. I'm not that sick. Yet even a little sick, is still sick. And the next thing you know, you are so sick that you can't get up and function. You cannot do anything right.

Sin is indeed a sickness. It makes you ill to the point you cannot see your ailment. But Jesus has come, and brings healing. He renews and restores you through His holy gifts.

The physicians of this world realize that washing and cleanliness make a great and favorable impact on health and healing. In Holy Baptism, you were give the perfect, holy washing that cleansed you and rid you of impurities.

The doctors give you verbal instructions on what to do to care for the body and get better. Jesus speaks His Holy Word, which does what it says and bestows forgiveness and life to you.

Your physicians will prescribe medicine for you to fight the infections and hasten your recovery. Jesus is the Great Physician, who gives you the Medicine of Immortality -- the Sacrament of the Altar. Through His Holy Body and Blood, Jesus enters you, becoming that medicine, preparing you for perfect health and wholeness of a holy, resurrected life with Him, body and soul.

Jesus uses His gifts all the time, raising you up in body and soul. He is raising you as He gives forgiveness, life, and salvation. And He is preparing you for the day when He will raise you up from your grave, to live with Him and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

Dear friends in Christ, what a joyful gift! You are healed! You are raised in Christ! He has restored you to heavenly health, and joyfully anticipates your perfect body's existence with Him in eternity. Amen.

Hovering Over the Waters: A Homily on Mark 1:4-11

Mark 1:4-11

1st Sunday after the Epiphany

Baptism of Our Lord

8 January 2012

St. John's, Chicago

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There he was, the LORD God Himself, speaking, doing great things for you, with the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters and directing attention to Christ. But wait, are we talking about Creation, or the Baptism of Our Lord? In a word, "yes."

The Apostle John declares in his opening chapter that Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the Word that proceeds from the Father. And so when the Father speaks, "Let there be..." Jesus is that very Word coming from the Father, and causing things to be created. And the Spirit is there, attending it all, comforting and helping creation in receiving the Father's Word.

As the Lord God creates, watch what He does. And hear it too! Out of nothing, He makes the waters of the deep. And together, His Word and those waters are used by the Lord to create the world -- indeed, the universe. How about that?! God acts in water and Word to bring forth life.

Right there, in the very first words of Sacred Scripture, you hear of the Holy Trinity. And then again, at the Baptism of Christ Jesus, you see and hear the Holy Trinity plainly revealed, as Jesus takes on your sin.

There at the Jordan, the Holy Spirit was leading people to confess their sin, and through John the Baptizer, He was washing it away. But then, here comes Jesus. He had no sin. And that is what confuses people. Baptism is to "give forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and give eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare."

Yet Jesus needs no forgiveness. He rescues, not needing to be rescued. And Jesus saves, He does not need to be saved. That is the typical thought here. The doubting of God's Word. Jesus doesn't need this! You think you know better than Christ, or His heavenly Father, and are ready to dictate to God what He should be doing. Really?! Do you know better than the Lord? Repent of such arrogance!

What's more, you have times when you think that you yourself need no forgiveness. It is always the other person's fault. "How dare he!" "Can you believe what she did!?" and if you take any time at all to hear the Word of the Lord, you know that isn't true. You have the problem of sin, just as every other man, woman, and child does.

So what is going on? The pure and holy Christ came to John, and was washed into your sin to absorb it all. He confessed to crimes He did not commit. But He is not telling lies. He is taking legal responsibility for all your sin. He is becoming the responsible party, who ends up paying the price for your guilt and shame and corruption.

In Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, you may recall her talking about bath time. The Ingalls, like many 19th century families, would heat bath water, and then the father of the house would take his bath. Without emptying the tub, the mother would simply take the next turn. Then, each of the children would follow with a turn, the water becoming filthier with each person.

With our improved knowledge of health and germs and so on, it is rather unthinkable for an entire family to share bath water in our time. You end up sharing dirt, not being cleansed at all. It would seem ridiculous for the later people to even enter the water, much less wash in it.

Jesus, however, in His baptism, is like that last person. He steps into the water of the Jordan and all the filth and stain of every single person clings to Him. He is like a divine sponge, soaking up your sin, and the sin of the world. But this is not because He is some child who doesn't know any better. Jesus Christ knows full well what He is doing as He enters the baptismal waters to absorb your sin, and then go to the cross to pay for it.

And when Jesus enters that baptismal flood of the Jordan, what happens? The Spirit of God hovers over the face of the waters, and then lands on Jesus, as the Father declares, "You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased."

Now, the Lord has worked a miracle in your life too. When you were baptized, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters, and entered the water, with the Word of God. And at the speaking of His Divine Name, the Lord cleansed you and made you His child. There, at His font, on account of Christ, the Father said of you: "You are My beloved son, with you I am well pleased."

Dear baptized children of God, the Lord has claimed you as His own. He used that hovering Spirit to call you by the Gospel and bring you to this saving, lavish washing away of sin. Whether He prompted you as an adult, of had your parents bring you to His font as a child, He draws you to the water He has drawn for your holy bath.

And when you enter this bathing water, it is not the filth and muck of billions of people that you enter, it is the pure and crystal clear water of cleansing salvation. Jesus has absorbed all of the wretched filthy features in that water. So when you come in, you cannot help, but be purged and cleansed by Him and His water with His Word!

Living in the 21st century, you have a clear understanding of water filters. Filtration systems in the home, whether in a pitcher, or attached to the faucet, serve you to remove impurities and harmful things that do not belong in your water.

In Jesus' Baptism, He acts as the ultimate water filter. As He is baptized, He pulls all those impurities to Himself, which would later be removed from you at your Baptism! Thanks be to God, for filtering, purifying, and cleansing through the sacred washing of Holy Baptism!

Rejoice, dear friends in Christ! Jesus has revealed Himself, indeed, the Holy Trinity showed Himself clearly, at the Baptism of Our Lord! The Epiphany Lord has come for you, and made you His own through this Sacred Washing. Amen.

Hier steh' ich

Someone DID Rise from the Dead: A Homily on Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It seems a little early to start talking about “A Christmas Carol” and Ebenezer Scrooge. In some ways, it seems that Scrooge is patterned off of the Rich Man in today’s Gospel text. And yet, there is a big difference.

Ebenezer Scrooge worships his money. He adores the wealth and serves it, with every thought,

word, and deed done to protect and save the money, for fear of losing it. On the other hand, the Rich Man in today’s text worships himself. He uses his wealth in every thought, word, and deed, to make his life comfortable and excessive. Money is his tool in adoring himself and giving in to his every whim.

This is a recurring theme in fictional works in print and film, sometimes even with humor, which lightens our mood and can get us to forget about the idolatry here. Think of London Tipton on Disney Channel’s Suite Life. Or the Cullen family in the Twilight series, Richie Rich from the old comic books, or Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island. We have an obsession with wealth, even when we try not to. These characters are fiction, and none of them are really mean, but think about their life of faith, or rather, the absence of it. Now the financial success is not the sin. But adoring it is. Worshiping oneself with it is. Crowding

Christ out of your life for however much or little wealth you have is.

Then there is Tiny Tim, the adorable little boy with the weakness and illness, hobbling on his crutch, and on the verge of death unless Scrooge changes his ways. In the Scriptures it is poor Lazarus. But Lazarus is neither adorable nor little. He is a grown man, exceedingly poor, starving, his stomach rumbling and desiring the garbage that falls from the rich man’s table, and covered with sores.

In the book and films of “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge ends up repenting and changing his ways. He begins to share his wealth rather than be a hoarding miser. So how dare this Rich Man deny mercy to Lazarus! He refuses to show mercy to the beggar, and ends up in hell. But is that why?

Why does he go to hell? Not because of his sin in hoarding and coveting. Not in the sin of denying mercy. These are wicked, yes, but they are merely the symptoms of his problem – his damning problem. Jesus is NOT at the center. The Rich Man himself is! He fears, loves, and trusts in himself above all things. He gives himself offerings of the finest clothes and most sumptuous feasts every day. No room for the Lord God in his life, only for self!

And as he rots in hell, you see another difference between the Rich Man and Scrooge. Scrooge, according to the story, had a true change of heart. He repented and even became known as a man of peace and generosity. This Rich Man never repented, and now in hell, does not even want his brothers to repent in faith. No. He just wants them to escape punishment. That’s it.

Beware, my friends. Do not let this be your habit. Do not go through the motions of repentance, but do it only out of fear of punishment. True repentance is a gift from the Holy Spirit. He will recall you to your baptismal waters where He refreshes and renews you in Christ’s forgiveness. Forgiveness that comes to you through His Holy Gospel!

Jesus, the loving Shepherd sought out this man, but was rejected. Christ knew his needs and well-provided him, but still he wandered and refused to return to be folded to the Shepherd’s breast. How sad!

Beware of wandering as the Rich Man did. It doesn’t even take skipping the Divine Service to wander. You might be enjoying a few sips of your Starbucks or sneaking in a text or two on your cell phone while in the pew. You might be looking at your watch, or not, but still thinking, “When is he ever going to stop!?” Yes, these are offensive to God, and begin refusing to listen to Him.

And that is what the remarks about the Rich Man’s brothers are all about. They had Moses and the Prophets. In other words, they had the Scriptures! They knew God’s Word. If they did not listen to God’s Word, they would not believe even if someone rose from the dead! And rose from the dead they DID! The daughter of Jairus, the son of the Widow from Nain, and…huh…LAZARUS. These resurrections did not cause any great numbers to repent. No massive group of followers for Jesus as a result of these miracles – even the miracle of rising from the dead. But even more importantly, not long after this, Jesus Christ Himself suffered, died, and rose from the dead! Those who refused to listen to God’s Word, refused to believe, even when Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

Not so with you. You are Jesus’ little lambs. You have been gathered by the Great Shepherd of the Sheep who is risen from the dead. He has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His Gifts, sanctified, and kept you in the true faith.

You have a new life, forgiven in Christ. The Great Shepherd has risen from the dead, and speaks to you now in His Holy Word. He proclaims His comfort to you week after week in the preaching of His Gospel. He releases you from the guilt of your idolatry through Baptism and Holy Absolution. And He gives you far more than scraps from His Table – He gives you His very Body and Blood, given and shed for you, that you may not end up in the place of torment, but have life with Father Abraham, Lazarus, and all the saints, together with our loving Savior.

Jesus has gifted you with life and salvation, and has given you all that you need in this life, as well. He provided even for poor Lazarus. He has given you far more. As you continue to hear about “Build St. John’s” you are given Christ’s mercy. God has shown great mercy in building this congregation. He gives you His mercy even now. He IS mercy. And He bestows mercy through you.

The Rich Man placed his faith in himself and in the wrong wealth. He trusted in what moth and rust can destroy and thieves steal. But God the Holy Spirit has placed your faith in true wealth – the wealth of Christ! Jesus IS the absolutely highest in value. Jesus IS the priceless treasure.

Rejoice, dear redeemed and baptized little lambs! Jesus has given you Himself, which surpasses any wealth imaginable. He has shown His ultimate mercy and keeps you forever! Amen.

Wise Unto Salvation: A Homily for Epiphany

Matthew 2:1-12

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Made wise unto salvation.” That’s what you are: made wise unto salvation.

These Magi – these “Wise Men” as we call them, here learn that they cannot rely only on their own wisdom. Charts of the stars, notes on astrology, and great books would not be able to clarify what this amazingly important event was, and who it was about. Sure, they may have had copies of Hebrew Scriptures in Babylon, since the time of Daniel and his generation in exile. That could give a starting place, but look where they end up: in Jerusalem, at the palace of Herod the Great.

Could the royal advisors of a corrupt and wicked king assist them? Could superstitions, military might, or simple historians provide the guidance and wisdom they needed in finding He who has been born King of the Jews? No. Not at all.

So if they could not rely on their own wisdom, how were they to find the Lord? The answer is simple: He gave them an epiphany! Epiphany? “Epiphany” comes from Greek, and means “to manifest,” “to reveal.” God revealed to them the Savior of the nations.

We try to be wise on our own. We hate relying on others. But man’s wisdom is nothing. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25.) It is a quality of sinful humans to take pride in our supposed wisdom, yet here we are, dumbfounded and clueless about how God would save us – if it were not for the Wisdom of Christ Himself, revealing Himself as God-in-the-flesh.

Sherlock Holmes is a classic case of a human relying on his own wisdom. He takes great pride in his powers of deduction, using everything he has ever learned and observed, to solve the most complex and evil designs. No credit for God here. The great detective, in his understanding, does not get sidetracked by things spiritual. While the stories are quite entertaining, and make for great fictional adventure, Holmes pushes God-given wisdom out of the picture. “Elementary!” he exclaims, as he believes human reasoning and wisdom have saved the day.

These Magi from the east had something far greater than human wisdom to guide them. The Lord placed a star and led them to follow it, and He used His Word to provide godly wisdom. He gifted them with the wisdom of Christ, that they might find God become Man, in the flesh of the holy Baby resting on His Mother’s lap, for them – even as He gifts you now, that you might find God become Man, in the flesh of His Word and Holy Supper, given for you!

There is the beauty of it all! The scene: these great, powerful men, on their knees, worshiping a Baby. Before the Child are laid treasures: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Like the MasterCard commercial, one could say: Chests of gold coins: $500,000. Jars of frankincense: well over $500,000. Containers of myrrh: well over $500,000. God in His infinite wisdom becoming man to rescue you from sin, death, and hell: priceless!

Now there are many who would make the biggest deal about how these men come and give gifts to the Christ Child, but they have it all backwards. The amazing thing is that this Christ Child is giving them gifts! By coming in the flesh, He is opening the treasures of God’s grace and mercy, and ultimately eternal life, to these foreigners.

These Wise Men were Gentiles, like you and me. That meant that they could only come so close to the Temple. They were not allowed to be included in the liturgies of receiving God’s gifts of forgiveness and mercy. They could only be taught about it in the Gentile courts of the Temple, if they ever were to go there. You would have been in the same predicament if you lived in the first century. You could hear God’s Word taught, but not receive His other means of grace.

Christ reveals Himself as God, and changes it all. As He keeps God’s Law, suffers, dies, and rises again, He is the Light to lighten the Gentiles. He opens the kingdom of heaven to all believers. He fulfills His Word, so that now, both Jew and Gentile can receive Him in all of His means of grace, in Word and Sacrament! Now you can rejoice exceedingly that the Lord does not keep you at arm’s length, but welcomes you to receive His gifts, and thus receive Him!

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Today you go into [His] house and [see] the Child – our Savior – the King of kings with His Church, and you fall down and worship Him. This is an example of why Lutherans usually kneel at the communion rail. This is a picture of why many of our parishes over the years have had kneelers in the pews, that we may fall down on our knees and worship Him. As you sit in the pew and hear His Gospel, and again as you kneel at His rail, opening [His] treasures, [He offers you] gifts – Baptism, Absolution, Gospel and Supper!

Many people in our world still think they can rely on their own wisdom. You follow their lead and slip into the same mindset. But our Lord Jesus is Wisdom in the flesh. His Holy Spirit brings you to the realization that your own wisdom is completely worthless before God. He brings you to repentance and then lifts you up with the wisdom of God. He gives you His gifts to make you wise unto salvation!

Thanks be to God, who has called you out of the foolishness of this world, and revealed Himself to you in the person of His Son. Rejoice with exceedingly great joy, over the good news of great joy which shall be for all people! For our King of kings gives you His gifts, making you wise unto salvation! Amen!