Get Behind Me: A Homily on Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Proper 17

28 August 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

Oh, Peter! How ridiculous you are! Do you really think that you know better than Jesus?! What a shame you don't know the Lord as well as we do. You and your crazy ideas about Jesus the Warrior-King! All you ever think about is glory and His popularity and power. You sure need Jesus to set you straight.

Hmm...have you stopped and thought about how ridiculous you are? Do you really think that you know better than Jesus? What a shame that you don't know the Lord as well as you think you do. You may not think of glory, popularity and power in terms of an earthly kingdom of Israel, but you have the same sentiments.

Oh! That congregation has five times as many people every Sunday, they must be doing something right! Why do we have all this death and resurrection talk? Why can't we just hear about improving our attitudes or daily life? Maybe we should find something exciting to visitors, and not talk so much about this suffering and sin business. That's kind of a "downer."

Sadly, many churches have done this over the years. Change the message so they don't offend. But that is falling into the same trap as Peter. And when you start feeling the same, and how we might be more popular if we laid off the suffering, dying, and rising of Jesus, and instead focused on living your life right, Jesus tells you: "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Yet not only is Jesus' response a rebuke of what Peter said, it is also an urging to "fall in line." "Get behind Me." "Get on board. Take up your cross and follow Me." And with that, He is talking to you, too.

And you are thinking, "Umm. Yeah. Jesus, about that..." it scares you. It disturbs you. You don't want to give any consideration that your life as a Christian is not happy and easy in this world; it can be challenging, difficult, and even painful. "And ya know, while we are at it, we really don't like following. You see, we are born leaders. Don't need anyone else's directions or orders, we've got it under control.

"It's nothing personal, Jesus. We just don't want to think about suffering or dying, or being harassed or humiliated, or having to answer to anyone for anything."

And Jesus says, "Neither did Peter. But I forgive you both." Christ our Lord does not give Peter the pink slip and hire another disciple. He doesn't get mad at him and cut him off from His kingdom. He gives Peter the Law, but then assures repentant Peter with Gospel.

You too. For all the moments that you don't even want to look at the crucifixion, much less dwell on it and ponder it, our loving and forgiving Jesus releases you from the guilt of your sin and "set[s] your mind on the things of God." He restores and renews you, just like He did Peter, and you are His baptized, forgiven child, following Jesus who is carrying your cross too!

Dear friends in Christ, there is your sweet comfort. Your dear Jesus who has borne His own cross to take away your sin and give you life and salvation, now carries your cross too. You are not enduring anything in this life, alone. He endures it all, on your behalf.

The Son of Man endured it all as He came into His kingdom. There on His cross, He was crowned and enthroned, truly gaining the world as He lost His life for it. Having gone up to Jerusalem for you, He repays you according to what He has done, suffering, dying, and rising for you!

So even when life is overwhelming, and you get harassed or suffer for the Gospel, He is there, enduring it for you. Christ is your Mighty Fortress, protecting you so that not even the gates of hell can prevail against His Church.

You are forgiven. You are following Him. And for every failure, He is constantly restoring and renewing you in His one, true faith! "Get behind Me?" Yeah. Fall in line. "Take up your cross and follow Me." Jesus invites you to come after Him today, and with His grace and mercy, thanks be to God, He fulfills our following. Amen.

The Christ, the Son of the Living God: A Homily on Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20

Proper 16

21 August 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" lots of confusion surrounded this point in the New Testament era. When Jesus asked this, He knew He was the Son of Man, but not most people. Misunderstandings abounded, as to whether it would be Elijah, confusing what the Prophet Malachi had said, or Jeremiah, or another prophet, or even St. John the Baptizer. Even most of the disciples might not have understood what Jesus was getting at here. So He goes on.

"Who do you say that I am?" There is the heart of it all. Who do you say Jesus is? Is He a prophet? A kind Man? A good Teacher? The perfect example of love? Yes...He is. But if that is all that He is, then you are still going to hell. If Jesus is just a prophet, you are still stuck in your sin. If Jesus is merely kind or good, He would not be giving you life everlasting. If He is simply an example and teacher of love, you would still be in the devil's loveless clutches.

And sure, you say, "Oh! I know better than that! I know Jesus is the Son of God." But do your words and actions follow suit? Or do you speak one thing in church and act another way outside these doors?

Yes, when Simon Peter boldly proclaims, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" you are ready to chime right in, "Me too! That's what I say!" but where is your focus?

If you keep turning back on yourself, and dwell on how you feel, you are off track. If you spend your time thinking about how you reacted to worship, or how you felt or what you thought during hymns or readings or prayers, Satan has been successful! It is NOT about you. The Lord Jesus is God coming to you. And He does this no matter what you are thinking or saying or feeling about it. Remember, it is not by your reason or strength; He sends His Spirit through His Gifts of Word and Sacraments to forgive you and bring you life. And He does this when and where and in whom He chooses.

So would you agree that He is the Christ, just because you thought so, or felt it? Is He the Son of God simply because of your instinct? Absolutely not! The Lord God promises to work through His proclaimed Word, and in His proclamation, He clearly and definitively reveals that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

That is great news! God Himself has come to bear your sin and be your Savior. He is your Redeemer and Rescuer. And He has given His Spirit to reveal that to you in faith. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit." And so He has. The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and gifted Simon Peter to confess that Jesus is the Lord, and He gifts you to confess it too!

In the 1950's, a show called, "21" was enjoying popularity. Twenty-one was a game show in which contestants answered questions, like "Jeopardy" or "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." But "21" suffered a scandal. They had kept a close watch on ratings, and when they found a contestant that people really liked, they fed him answers so he would keep winning.

You have been given the answers, as well. Only with the Lord and in this situation, it is not cheating. He provides the answers for who Jesus is, and gives you faith in Christ!

This morning we rejoice as once again the Lord has gathered an amazing faculty and staff here at St. John's. He places them here to support and encourage everyone during their earthly journey, as they receive Jesus' Gifts and are then given to confess that He is indeed "the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Our dear Savior has gathered a faculty and staff that is confesses Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," our only Lord and Savior from sin. He blesses them with faith, and in His love, He uses them to instill this in everyone He gathers here. They believe and confess with you, their fellow baptized faithful, that Jesus is our Risen Lord, who fulfilled that sign of Jonah, of which Jesus spoke soon before this event.

Jonah, seemingly dead in the belly of a fish for three days, then given a "life after death." Jesus, truly dead in the belly of the earth for three days when buried, then rises and gives life after death.

Dear friends in Christ, because the Father has revealed this to you, too, you believe and confess that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." and through that gift of faith, you too receive the fruits of this sign of Jonah -- that is, you too join the Lord Jesus in His marvelous resurrection! Amen.

Amen: A Homily on Matthew 15:21-28

St. Matthew 15:21-28

Proper 15

14 August 2011

Saint John’s, Chicago, IL

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

So this woman has a demon-possessed daughter. She's in a bad situation. But Jesus is in the area so she tracks Him down. "Lord, Son of David! Have mercy on me! My daughter is demon possessed." Here's a Gentile woman of all things to whom the Lord owes nothing, begging Him for help. He ignores her. Or so it seems. Then the disciples get all upset. "Lord, send her away! She's stalking you! She won't go away! Make her be quiet!"

Jesus says He hasn't come except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. That means the Jews. She's not a Jew. So He ignored her. Or so it seemed. Then when she wouldn't go away He says He's not here to help her. But she still hangs on Him. "Lord, help me!" Finally, He tells her straight: "You can't take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs!" Whoa! Did you hear that? Jesus just called her a dog!

And what does she say? "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Lord's table." What does she mean, "Yes, Lord?" She should be offended! She should tell it to the news media. She should go on the Today show, and start trashing Jesus on her blog and take Him off her Facebook “Friends List.” She should quit His church and go find one where the pastor is nice and the people are friendly. She should take out her keys and scratch up the disciples cars! She ought to kick sand on Jesus and slap Him and turn around and walk away!

Queen Jezebel was offended by God and waged war on Him in a similar way. She too was from Sidon, the same region that this woman in the Gospel reading called home.

Jezebel killed off just about all of His prophets except Elijah. She engaged in the lust-filled and perverted worship of Baal. She hated the Word that Elijah preached and the God who sent him. No “Yes, Lord,” coming from her lips. No. She cursed God and fought and opposed His saving message. Had Jezebel spoken with Jesus face to face, there would have been no “Yes, Lord.” Instead, she would have uttered to Jesus a blood-curdling, “Go to hell!”

But none of that is what faith does. Faith's word is "Amen." "Yes, yes, it shall be so." Jesus speaks and whatever He says, to that faith says, "Amen. That's for me."

Faith says, "Yes, Jesus, I'm a dog. But even dogs get crumbs. And your crumbs will save my daughter." Faith doesn't listen to the world or to rude disciples who are mad that you're sitting in their pew. Faith clings to Jesus. Listens to Jesus. Learns from Jesus. Confesses what Jesus says. Speaks back the promises of God. Faith says that no matter what is true about me, even if I'm a dog, Jesus is still Jesus, the one who has power over the devil and can save my daughter.

Dear baptized children of God: To what do you look to see how it's going with the Lord? To your life? To your success? To your world records and gold medals, or perhaps more on your level, your accomplishments and awards? To your wisdom? To whatever bad things happen to you?

Three years ago Michael Phelps beat Mark Spitz’s records. More total gold medals than any other Olympian. More gold medals than any one in an individual Olympic year. Or consider the Blackhawks’ championship a year ago, or the 2005 World Series. And yet, if all they had to cling to was a wall full of trophies and awards, how empty life would be!

What do you trust in when it seems that even God Himself is paying no attention to you, or worse, flat out tells you He's not there for you? To what do you cling when things are going well? What do you hang on to when everything turns sour and is a mess and the devil, the world and your sinful nature and even the Lord, it seems, are against you?

For this Gentile woman, there was nothing but Jesus. She could not be sure of herself. She could only be sure of Jesus. With Jesus, there would be a way out, salvation. Without Him, she was doomed and her daughter with her. It was Jesus or nothing.

That's for you to believe, too, dear friends in Christ, as this woman did. To know and believe that it's all Jesus or nothing at all. When the devil and the world and your sinful nature are tormenting you with no end in sight, and even God Himself seems to want nothing to do with you, then you cling to Jesus like this woman did. When you hit rock bottom, and realize that you, a poor, miserable sinner, really are nothing but a dog before the Lord, then cling to the Master, begging for His merciful crumbs.

Cling to Jesus who doesn't come to condemn you but to save you. Cling to the Jesus who carries your sins to the cross and suffers for them, and dies for them. Cling to the Jesus who regardless of Jezebel DID go to hell, being forsaken on the cross for you, and then descending from His tomb, proclaiming victory over the devil and his minions.

Cling to the holy washing given to you in the baptismal waters of Christ's font, in which God makes you His child. Cling to the words of absolution which declare that you are no orphan but forgiven and that you stand "not guilty" before God. Cling to the body and blood of Jesus which is way more than crumbs falling from the table, but the rich feast that means you ARE a child of Israel, a child of God, one of Jesus' own dear ones. Cling to Jesus and His gifts and there will be no doubt that your faith is a great faith, because your Jesus is a great Jesus.

The word that faith says is "Amen." Pastor Mark Buetow once preached on this text, telling nearly 2,000 youth: “Sometimes it might sound like a ‘bow wow’ or a ‘woof!’ But no matter what, that ‘Amen’ means ‘Yes, Lord.’” And that's a "Yes, Lord" spoken to Jesus who casts our demons, takes away sins, and turns even sinful dogs into God's own dear children. "Amen!"

Fear Not; I AM: A Homily on Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-33

Proper 14

7 August 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

The sea. It is not always the image of peace and tranquility. It can be dark, and deep, and deadly. Perhaps that is why the ancient world had many cultures that recognized this, and even had witnessed demonic activity, and merged it all into a false god of the sea.

The wind. Not the Hebrew "ruach" or Greek "pneuma" -- words that are associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. This is a different word for wind. One that can be associated with the prince of this world and the so-called "kingdom of the air" -- Satan and all his demonic forces. "The wind was against them." Indeed, the devil and all his evil minions could not stand that these men had just witnessed and received from the Lord in this amazing miracle. All hell was breaking loose to terrify these disciples, so they might consider abandoning Jesus, or maybe, if the demons were lucky, the men would drown and that would harm Jesus' mission.

The wind works against you here and now. It blows against you as a broken elevator. It hurls it's forces against you in budget shortfalls. It lashes out against you in discouragement that you perceive we are unknown in the neighborhood.

And all too often you let it win. You get discouraged from hardships and throw your hands in the air, saying, "Why is life so unfair?!" You feel beaten down. You accept the deceit as truth and let the devil make you feel defeated.

When you submit to being overwhelmed by these frustrations, you dive into the depths of unbelief. "O you of little faith!" Jesus isn't being cute here. He is serious. He is full of gut-wrenching compassion as He rebukes the unbelief. He knows that it can be deadly to your faith and condemns the short-sightedness that fears He is not able to overcome the devil and the world.

The disciples are in this boat, while Jesus goes upon the mountain to pray, just like He was planning before He fed the thousands. They are out there, and the sea gets rougher, the wind gets stronger, and they are full of fear. They are giving in to the thoughts of the evil overcoming them. Scared to death, they are fearing all kinds of evil when they see the form walking toward them.

It looks like a man walking upon the water. "It is a ghost!" they cry. And not some cute, harmless ghost like a cartoon. They fear it is a phantasm, an evil, demonic spirit who would harm them.

You are full of fear too. You fear crime. You fear financial troubles or job loss. You fear trouble in your family or having no friends. You fear for your health. Whatever it is that you fear, it comes from a lack of trust that the Lord will provide and protect you. It becomes a lack of faith.

But then they see Him. The disciples in the boat, with the wind driving against them, see a figure coming toward them on the sea. It is Jesus! Jesus, walking upon the sea!

Doing this, Jesus is clearly demonstrating that He is far more powerful than any so-called "god" of the sea. He was crushing that idol underfoot as He tread the waves.

Our Lord treads the waves of the devil's discouragements, distractions, and deceit. He is triumphant, and when He speaks "Fear not!" it is not a wish or prayer, it makes it happen! As Jesus says these words, He speaks courage into the disciples. He causes the devil to tremble.

"Fear not. It is I." Only He doesn't say, "It is I." He actually says, "I AM!" there it is again. The holy and personal name of the Lord God. I AM. There He is, I AM, stomping down the false god of the sea and treading through the devilish wind. The Lord Himself is defeating these enemies.

Peter says, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." Not simply, "If it really is you, Jesus," but "if it really is You, the Lord God, I AM, Creator and God of Israel." Jesus is not simply showing He has power and can do great miracles; this event gives witness that He is indeed God!

The Lord God tramples upon Satan for you, too. He has trampled upon him with absolute completion at the cross. There on that cross, Christ walked straight into hell and accomplished your salvation. He marched in, rescued you, who were rightfully His, and delivered you from those enemies of sin, death, and hell.

As He burst from His now-empty tomb, Christ crushed the head of the serpent He was stepping on, and kicked death out of your lives. As He leads you through the valley of the shadow of death, He keeps walking, with the sea of death underfoot, and He pulls you out to life everlasting.

Thanks be to God, our dear Lord Jesus is the Lord "I AM" in the flesh. He has rescued you as He walked upon this earth to His cross and tomb. And now He delivers that rescue to you, as He walks upon the waters of baptism, the words of His preaching, and the bread and wine that feed His Body and Blood to you. Amen.

[Thanks to Rev. Jonathan Fisk for stirring memories of great points from this text!]

Chosen: A Homily for Higher Things on 1 Peter 2:1-12

1 Peter 2:1-12

Friday Matins

Higher Things

Coram Deo -- Atlanta

22 July 2011

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

So how do you feel this morning, as you stand before God? Feeling pretty good about yourself? Or not so much? Are you down on yourself and say that even as His baptized child, you are alone, afraid, and a failure? Or are you feeling overly confident?

All of these sorts of feelings went through Hal Jordan's mind. Deep down he was scared and didn't have great trust in himself. Yet he covered it with a bold, in-your-face confidence and wild playfulness that tried to charm everyone.

So when the ring chose who would be the next Green Lantern, whom should it pick? It chose Hal. A very unlikely choice -- a loser! Nothing in him that seemed worthy of being chosen.

Israel wasn't worthy, either. God's chosen people were small in numbers, not a major military power, not wealthy among the nations -- nothing to make them an obvious selection as a "chosen nation."

The same goes for you. Nothing in your natural self makes you chosen, royal, or holy. "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

In a sense, Hal Jordan was chosen by grace, not deserving the gift. Some would argue that he had qualities deep down that the needed. But a biblical understanding of our lives reminds us that anything good and worthy of being chosen is entirely gift!

The Lord has reached out and gifted you. He transforms you from your former "loser" self, and gives you life as His new, baptized child; chosen, royal, and holy in Him. You stand before God as His redeemed, forgiven, and saintly child.

At one point in the film, Green Lantern, the entire earth is in danger from impending doom, as an evil force heads it's way. "The Guardians" decide to cut their losses and give up on earth. But Hal stands before the Guardians, defending himself and the reasons for saving earth. He then proves himself and does it.

The Lord God has not given up on you. You do not have to stand before God defending yourself. Your dear Lord Jesus has already done that! He stood before God in your place, being your Mediator and Defender. He bore the burden of your sin, to be your Savior, and now the Father in His mercy calls and chooses you.

Yes, Jesus stood before the Father, as your substitute, purchasing and transforming you from unworthy losers into God's chosen people. Yes, He placed His Name upon you and chose you; not by sending some dying purple alien with a ring, but in the far more miraculous moment of Baptism! Now yes, you stand before God -- not defending yourselves or justifying your heroic actions. You stand before Him as He rejoices over the saving work of His Son, giving you good deeds that His Son works through you.

As fun as the story is, the film Green Lantern gets things a little backwards. The hero, Hal, is a man who is given god-like powers, and becomes the mediator and savior of the world. The reality is that Jesus Christ is true God, and has become man for you, and is your Mediator and Savior!

And now that He has saved you, purchased and won you, you are indeed "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Amen.

Rev. Rich Heinz

Pastor,

St. John's Lutheran Church, Chicago, IL

Christ Buys the Treasure: A Homily on Matthew 13:44-52

Matthew 13:44-52

Proper 12

24 July 2011

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

So how much are you willing to give up? Have you gone and sold everything and purchased that field for the treasure? That pearl of great price? No? Then how worthy do you think you are?

That's the point of this parable, isn't it? That you need to be ready to get rid of everything and follow Jesus, right? You need to be so dedicated that, like some medieval monk, you give up all your earthly wealth and influence to make peace with God and seek His kingdom, that you may have eternal life.

But wait! Does that sound right? Does this sound like what Jesus would really say? No! Not at all! How on earth could you do anything to purchase the kingdom of God? Think about it! That is all wrong. We are brought back to the question you must ask: in our Lord's parables, who is doing the verbs?

Did you actually think --even for a moment -- that it is you? Did you really think that it is up to you to give things up and purchase anything? How can you? "All your righteous deeds are filthy rags!" Even your best is wretched before our holy God. There is not even a remote possibility of paying for anything He does, much less your salvation and entrance into His kingdom!

So no, you cannot be the doer of the verbs here. And the is some sinful arrogance that needs to be put in check, if you have ever thought you can "do your part" in obtaining the kingdom. The thought that Jesus has saved us from sin, and life is yours "if you only...(insert your work here)," is actually false teaching.

"Jesus died for you, now you decide to follow Him." "Jesus saved you, now you just gotta do this, or pray that to invite Him into your heart." And so on. These are heresies, that say somehow you contribute to your salvation. Mark and avoid those thoughts and the preachers who teach them! Such teaching can endanger you!

When you give credence to such teaching, you defy God. You reject His full and free forgiveness and life, given through Jesus Christ.

Repent! Repent of thinking that you can somehow cooperate with Christ and make a difference in your own salvation. When you actually think that somehow you are the one giving up and purchasing the field or pearl of great price, you put yourself in Christ's place, and make yourself God--repent!

So who does the verbs? It is Jesus! Jesus alone! He is the one who acts and speaks. He is the one who has found the treasure of His Church, covered her up in Holy Baptism, and purchased her with His holy and innocent suffering and death.

In the 1930's, the British Empire was stirred up. King Edward VIII had fallen in love with an American divorcee named Wallis Simpson. Edward had been raised his entire life to be king, yet found he felt it impossible to carry out his duties "without the woman [he] love[d]." He abdicated the throne--gave up everything--to be with her.

Our Lord Jesus gave up everything too. Mrs. Simpson may have been a divorcee, but we in the Church are guilty of being chronic adulterers. We go chasing after other gods, and are often unfaithful to the true Lord.

Yet Christ, the perfect bridegroom, and King of Kings and Lord of lords laid aside everything to be with His Bride. By taking on the lowliness of human flesh for you, He bought His holy Bride, and cleansed her from all sin -- even the sin of straying from the holy Bridegroom and chasing after other people and situations that you find attractive.

Edward VIII did this out of a little selfishness and chose to escape His duties as King. He chose his bride and turned from his kingdom. Jesus, on the other hand, has done this out of self-less love, which serves His Bride in His kingdom. Through all of this, Jesus has rescued you and serves you, giving gifts to you and making you His holy Bride.

Rejoice, dear friends in Christ. Your dear Savior is the King who has found you, and paid the great price to keep you. He gave everything up, suffering and dying to gather you into His kingdom. He counts you as far more valuable than pearls or great treasure. He covers you in Baptism, and places you safely in His kingdom, where you will remain as He nourishes, forgives, and sustains you with His Word and Holy Sacraments. Amen.

Weeds and Wheat: A Homily on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Proper 11

17 July 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

When you spend much time at the Art Institute, you see a vast array of works of art. You also see some ridiculous, if not ugly items that make you question both the artist and the donor that placed it there. Magnificent culture and works of great beauty are there before your eyes, yet they can be just steps away from something that begs you to ask: "Art? Really?!"

And there would be many art teachers, professors, and artists themselves who would plead with you to leave both the great art, and the seemingly unworthy art side by side. Let time pass and see if it has lasting beauty to be admired. The avant garde architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright looks like it fits perfectly with the designs of subdivisions fifty or even a hundred years later. Generations later, his work is seen as art.

Jesus speaks of grain and wheat sprouting up side by side. Others notice weeds among the wheat, and ask the land owner, "Really?" They want to pull up the weeds. But the land owner has extreme and perfect patience.

No, unlike the work that might be considered "art" years later, the weeds will not become wheat! And yet, the landowner isn't duped into thinking they will change. But he does have extreme and perfect patience.

You and I would fall among those who are eager to root up the weeds. "Lord, here. Let me help You! You don't want all those nasty weeds among the seedlings You just planted! I'll pull them out for You."

Do you know how well that works out? I'll tell you. The five-year-old listened to his cousin. "You should help your grandma and grandpa. The are a lot of weeds here. Pull them up!" And so he did. And in about ten minutes all of the small plants were uprooted. Then came the terrible news. His parents, visibly upset, explained their anger. Those were not weeds; he had just uprooted his grandparents' freshly planted tomato garden!

This is precisely what our Lord is preventing. Yes, the Church on earth has both true believers and hypocrites. We live side by side in this life, unable to see into the hearts of others. Jesus is telling you, "Don't you dare think you can tell the difference and kick out unbelievers who appear to be Christians. If you do, it's likely you'll remove true believers too!"

When you think you know people who don't really belong in church, or you think they may be here only for the tuition discount, and you'd like to see them leave, the Lord says to get off your high horse and stop thinking you know better than God. Don't be like your five-year-old pastor -- I mean, that five-year-old boy pulling up tomato plants. You cannot tell if someone truly believes. You are not qualified to be judge. You are not the Lord God. And it is quite possible you could damage and uproot others in the faith, if you try to purge the garden of unwanted weeds.

Dear friends in Christ, the Lord has Good News for you. You do not have to be the judge. You do not have to bear the burden of uprooting anyone. And you have the sweet assurance that He who has baptized you and nourishes you in His Word, keeps you in the one true faith as lovely, healthy grain.

Nine of our youth just got back from an awesome week with 1200 kids and chaperones from 25 states and four Canadian provinces. They worshiped, they learned, and they had fun. During those four long days, our dear Lord was giving them the tremendous Gospel that they are His precious plantings. They are not weeds. Our Savior will not hold their sin against them, and throw them into the fire with the weeds. They Wayne before God justified by grace, through faith, on account of Christ.

You too! It's not just them. Jesus isn't just for kids. You have been baptized into Christ and clothed with Christ. The Father in heaven no longer sees the worthless weed-like behavior you often have; He looks at you and beholds His dearly beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. He sees you stand before Him in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness!

The ultimate and perfect patience of God is clearly displayed for all people in all time, as we see Jesus on His cross. There He hung for you and me, pouring forth His life-giving blood, covering us with His righteousness. There He delivered you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, hanging from that amazing cross! But that ultimate and perfect patience is not just some example for you, or a requirement to follow. It is a joy to experience, as He gives His gifts!

Rejoice, dear friends in Christ! He has taken your weed-like self and made you precious grain. Jesus covers you with Himself, and makes you pleasing to His supremely patient Father. You are a beautiful plant, given growth by your loving, heavenly Father, who rejoices as He makes you His own! Amen.

The Rev. Richard A. Heinz