The Merciful Steward: A Homily on Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1-13

9^th Sunday after Trinity                                                                      

17 August 2014

St. John’s, Chicago, IL

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

Ponder for a moment the passages from Scripture that you hear about rich men, as Saint Luke records:  The prodigal son wastes his wealth immorally, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Zacchaeus—a rich tax collector, even in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we hear the Blessed Virgin Mary praising God that “the rich He has sent empty away.”  There are many other examples, most of which do not paint a pretty picture for the wealthy.  Attempting to get great riches would not, then, appear to be the virtuous lesson.

And yet, that is the goal of our world.  In this era, students are often selecting careers, not on the basis that they have talents and abilities for them, or that these careers are fulfilling vocations, but on the basis of what makes the most money.

  

Guidance counselors, friends, and teachers will promote this attitude, often telling those who choose vocations of service that they are “wasting” their intelligence and abilities.  Students are making huge mistakes according to some professors and leaders if they choose to be counselors or therapists, work in the field of child care, or choose to work in a vocation of serving that will never produce much of a salary.

Riches also make the divorces of the wealthy and famous far more nasty than others.  Even our entertainment encourages a pursuit of wealth, both for the actor or athlete, as well as the message they send to their spectators.  And yet, we see the tragedy of comedian Robin Williams this week, and are mindful that for all the wealth he had received, it could not relieve depression and free him from despair.  A sad reminder to pray for those who seem to “have it all,” that they may receive God’ peace and mercy. 

So how is it that this rich man commends the unjust steward—the dishonest manager?  And who are these men?  Too often we read ourselves into parables, and try to twist them into lessons on “how to behave.”  In reality, this story is one of Jesus describing the saving Gospel coming to us, His lowly debtors.

Yes, you and I are the poor people with gigantic bills.  We owe the Lord more than we can ever pay Him.  We are the ones who have their bills slashed. And in spite of the unfavorable image that our Lord paints of the often unbelieving rich, the rich man here represents our Heavenly Father.  Those who are indebted to Him are all people.  And, believe it or not, JESUS is the Unjust Steward—the Dishonest Manager. 

  

What?  Jesus – dishonest?  Jesus – unjust?  But wait.  Don’t get hung up on that.  He is called unjust.  Accused of being wasteful. However the better title would be “the Merciful Steward.”  Note also that the Rich Man (God the Father) is not the one bringing charges – He simply has heard the charges.

 
Think about it.  The scribes and Pharisees, religious leaders of the Jews, were accusing Jesus of wastefulness.  He wasted His time and energy, and even Table Fellowship (!) with public sinners.  Jesus would teach and eat with tax collectors, adulterers, and others who had bad reputations.  He welcomed them, in order to preach and teach God’s Law and Gospel.  He was (and is) the Steward tearing up their bills and freeing them of their eternal indebtedness.

Yes, Our Lord Jesus is the unjust steward, who has been accused of wasting his time, energy, talents, on those "sinners."  [The Jewish leaders] want to take away from him his authority to teach, since they believe that He is not tending to those who deserve His time and teaching.  They consider Jesus to be contaminating Himself by associating with lowlifes who are so indebted to God that they can never earn His favor.  However, Jesus has a rather unique solution: “You think I wasted before, just wait!  I'll show you some genuine waste!  I'm going to waste everything I've been given on these sinners.” 

Of course, knowing the generosity of our Great Merciful Steward, we still cannot plan to take advantage of Him.  “Oh, I know that Jesus makes up for my faults and failures.  He pays my true debts.   Besides, we have how many other members here – let them take some responsibility!  So I can just keep on racking up earthly debt, and give a little less to God—He’ll understand.” Thinking and saying such thoughts is a shameful sin in itself.

Vacationing, and then conveniently “forgetting” to present our scheduled tithe or offering to the Lord is poor stewardship on our part.  Or thinking that we are punishing only certain individuals, pastors, or church bureaucrats by withholding gifts from God, simply because we disagree with His servants, or dare to push our own earthly standards of success on the Lord, is also poor stewardship on our part.  And the selfishness that often accompanies such supposed lapses of memory or expectations of the Holy Spirit regarding His work, is harmful to our souls.

Another shameful sin is refusing to admit that we are hopelessly indebted to God, and deserve nothing but the debtors prison of hell.  In our society we are used to the idea of large debts. We don’t see the downfall of such bondage.  And when it carries over to matters spiritual, we don’t see the comparison.

You and I are poor, miserable sinners.  We have racked up astronomical debt of sin and rebellion against our rich master, our Heavenly Father.  But thanks be to God!  He does not want us rotting in prison.  He praises His Steward who has taken our bill and actually paid it in full.

When He bore the scourge of the whip and the piercing of the nails, when He quietly suffered the punctures of the crown of thorns, when He endured the hanging and slow, cruel death on the cross, He was taking your bill, and marking it – not simply a reduction in what you owe, but signing it as paid in full! 

 
Jesus, our Great Steward, has indeed been faithful in delivering to you “unrighteous wealth.”  That is to say, you have received wealth that does not belong to you through your own work and investing.   Dr. Luther had it “Right on the money,” so to speak, when he teaches us to confess, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him…”

Without the burden of the work and the time and wisdom needed for investing, you have received wealth from the Lord that belongs to Him, and is given to you on account of the work of this Great Steward Jesus Christ!

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.  This unrighteous wealth – wealth that does not belong to you, but is freely given to you by the Great Merciful Steward Jesus – is a joyous gift.  It’s a tremendous gift that urges us to share.  We mimic our Lord Steward, making friends by means of this Gospel, that we may see them in the Lord’s eternal dwellings of heaven! 

Take opportunities to let your friends of this world hear the Message of heavenly wealth.  Speak the encouragement of Christ, who has paid your eternal debts, to your family and loved ones.  Call those who are not with you this morning, and let them know that you missed them, and that the Great Steward wants to cancel their debts, and desires their presence around His pulpit and altar. 

Will you be a good steward of such responsibilities?  Perhaps you will try, as each one of us should, but not one of us will do it perfectly.  And that will go onto our bills of debt before the Lord.

But thanks and praise be to our Loving Lord Jesus, the Great Merciful Steward who tears up those bills, and frees us from indebtedness, praising us for the righteousness that He Himself has placed upon us!

My dear friends in Christ, rejoice!  Your debt is paid!  Now come and receive the pledge of that forgiveness, tasting the body broken and blood shed to make that payment, all out of His immeasurable love for you!  Amen.

Reference

Just, Arthur A. (1997). Luke 9:51--24:53 (pp. 612-621). Saint Louis: Concordia Publ. House.

Father, Forgive THEM: A Homily for Good Friday

Luke 23:34

Good Friday

6 April 2012

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

There was quite a stir several years back, when Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ first hit theaters. Some tried trumping up allegations that anti-Semitic remarks that he had allegedly made were proof that he treated the Jewish leaders unfairly in this portrayal. They maintained that the film was laying blame at the feet of the Jews.

Upon hearing this, I wanted to respond: "I'm sorry. Did we see the same film? Because The Passion of the Christ that I saw clearly did not assign blame to one group. There is lots of blame to go around. It is more complicated than that."

The Sanhedrin was guilty, do not get me wrong. The high priest, who should have been the spiritual leader for the entire nation, this last generation of the Old Testament Church, led the people in rejecting and despising the very God he thought he served. The scribes and Pharisees who had been viewed as righteous, upright men, were proving to be the unwitting agents of the devil.

But the Jewish leadership was not the only group to blame. Governor Pilate was proving he had a lack of a spine. He kept returning to his instinct that Jesus was indeed innocent -- perhaps a little touch of mental illness and delusion, but pretty harmless. Yet the crowds looked ready to riot. They would interfere with imperial politics, and create problems for Pilate in Caesar's court. Pilate was realizing he could end up dying over this ridiculous little religious squabble. Better to give the mob what it wants.

And so, Pilate joins the ranks of the guilty. He too is sinning against God by ordering the crucifixion of Christ. The enlisted men who served the governor are in his mix, too. Being the very men who shoved the thorns, who cracked the whips, who hammered the nails, these soldiers have the guilt of Christ's blood on them too.

But wait, the night before, Peter denied even knowing Jesus, the other apostles simply ran away into the darkness, trying to save their own lives as they abandoned Jesus. They are guilty of forsaking their Savior and leaving Him to be arrested and killed.

Crowds of the curious and passers-by gathered on Golgotha. While a few were there weeping, most were there to mock and decry Jesus. They jeered and gloated over the Man that they felt was becoming too popular and engaging in false teaching. In their condescension and cruel words, they too were guilty of this terrible miscarriage of justice.

And then there is you. You are not free from guilt. You see, Jesus had no sin whatsoever. He was undeserving of death. Yet there He was, submitting to the death deserved by every other human being ever -- including the sin of those in the Old Testament Church and the New.

The oldest paintings of the crucifixion have an actual skull underground at the "Place of the Skull," and traditionally this is supposed to be the skull of Adam, the first man. The blood from Jesus' precious wounds then falls onto the skull of Adam, reminding all that Jesus' sacrifice is for every person in every age, all the way back to Adam.

So there He is, Jesus, lifted up on the cross to bear your sin and be your Savior. He speaks from the cross this glorious word of absolution: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Who is the "they?" Not simply the Jewish Temple leadership. Not merely the Romans. Not just the people gathered on Golgotha.

Saint Luke carefully chooses the words of this Gospel, and when Jesus said "forgive them," He was referring to everyone. Everyone else in the entire world who ever was, is, or will be born is guilty and deserving of the death sentence of the cross and the pain of hell endured there. But Jesus declares this blessed absolution to all, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

In fact, His absolution is not just for all at that moment. Another clue that everyone is included here is that Jesus uses a verb form that is not in most English translations; He actually says, "Father, KEEP FORGIVING them, for they know not what they do." Not just the sin at that moment of mocking and crucifying Him, but all sin, through which you transgress against Him.

Jesus prays for you! He absolves you. He removes all guilt you have in this torture and death, rescuing you as He declares a lasting absolution. Dear friends in Christ, you are lovingly saved by the Savior, rescued by your Redeemer, and loosed by your Lord.

Do not despair when you behold or ponder your dear Lord on His cross. The image is not one of deep despair; but an image of loving victory on His part. A victory with lasting, absolving results! "Behold, the life-giving cross, on which was hung the salvation of the world!"

Yes, every last person is guilty of the Lord's death. However, every last one has had his sin atoned, paid for by the Savior. You are absolved. And Jesus KEEPS on absolving you, as He prays to the Father on your behalf.

Christ Jesus has absolved you, and He keeps on delivering that forgiveness to you through His precious gifts of Baptism, Absolution, the preaching of His Gospel, and in His Holy Supper. Each and every time you receive these great blessings, the Lord Jesus continues to speak those sweet, loving words: "Father, KEEP FORGIVING them, for they know not what they do." Amen.

I AM the Door: A Homily on Easter 4

John 10:1-10

4th Sunday of Easter

15 May 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

I AM the Bread of Life. I AM the resurrection and the life. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I AM the Good Shepherd. But how often do you really stop and think of Jesus as our Door? A gate. And entrance.

The motion picture industry tends to have some recurring themes, no matter what the subject or genre of a particular film. One such theme is called: "the load-bearing hero."

In the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, a large, strong Minotaur becomes a "load-bearing hero." He braces himself under the descending iron gate, bearing the enormous weight, so that many of his fellow soldiers may pass through the gate to fight evil and protect the innocent. Eventually, the weight is too much, and he is crushed, which leaves many others to perish. Still, he died so that others might live. The fallen hero sacrificed himself for the lives of the faithful.

The Minotaur worked to keep the gate open, but it was only partially successful. On the other hand, Jesus does all things perfectly. "I AM the Door of the sheep." Jesus not only keeps the door open, He IS the door. And He is not merely partially successful. He has purchased and won salvation for all. He died so that all might live.

At the end of this service, you will go out these doors. You will mingle a bit, and then go about your business for the week. But then what? Our loving and merciful Lord is desiring that you come back through these doors, regularly and often, being fed and nurtured by Him, as you are His little lamb.

Dear Confirmands, and friends in Christ, do not treat these doors as if they are locked, and you can't get back in. When you walk away and are frequently absent from the Lord's Table and His teaching, it is as if the doors are locked and you can't get to Jesus. It is not His fault. He is the Door! He has opened the Kingdom of heaven to you. He has borne the load of sin, death, and hell to rescue you, and He keeps Himself as that open Door as He gives His Baptism, Absolution, Gospel, and His Supper.

Too many youth around the world fool themselves into thinking that this is a sort of graduation. The devil wants you to think that you have worked and completed something -- that you have somehow earned this and are now done. Satan wants nothing more than for you to think that none of this is necessary or important. He wants you to believe that your faith will be just fine and heaven is easily attained, even if you do not come to church and receive Christ's gifts often. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you fail to keep coming through these doors week after week, your faith is in danger of shriveling up and dying. Even if you memorized the Catechism perfectly, and completed every religion assignment without flaw for all your years, if you do not come often to be nourished by the Gospel and Christ's Holy Supper, you can spiritually starve to death.

Even if you would end up serving on boards and committees, or teaching the faith to others, or joining all the congregational social groups, if you are not coming week after week to hear the Lord's Word and receive His Sacrament, you endanger your spiritual well-being. It is that plain and simple.

And for these twelve young people who confess their faith this morning, and receive Jesus' Body and Blood for the first time, what a tremendously joyful day this is. And sobering. They are vowing to God that they believe the faith as it has been taught them, drawn from the Scriptures and explained in the Catechism, and that they would rather die than fall away from it! They make a promise to the Lord today that they will be faithful in receiving Christ's preaching and Sacrament.

But they will fail. And so will you. No one here perfectly comes at every opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord and receive His Holy Supper. Even when in this building, hearts can be far from it.

But Jesus is the open Door, drawing you to the very gifts that deliver His forgiveness for these sins of neglect. He renews you in that baptismal faith, and restores you. He opens the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

So while some get caught up in all the vows of confirmation, and the work and words of these youths, that is not our focus at all! Jesus comes in His Word and Work. As Lutherans, THAT is what we celebrate today. Jesus is the Door through which you enter communion with the Lord God. He is the entrance into forgiveness, life, and salvation. In fact, He is forgiveness, life, and salvation!

It's not about us at all. Today, as always, it is all about Jesus. Today we celebrate that our Risen Good Shepherd is our Door to salvation, and that He is passing gifts through that door until the day when we walk through that door a final time on this earth, joining Him in His never-ending paradise. Amen.

I Don't Believe It: A Homily for Quasimodo Geniti

John 20:19-31

2^nd Sunday of Easter

1 May 2011

St. John’s, Chicago, IL

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

It was a thrilling moment! Even after all the amazing pomp and ceremony of the wedding, with the million-or-so well-wishers all over London, there was something incredible about the royal family appearing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with Prince William and his new bride.

If you looked carefully, you could read her lips as they stepped out onto the balcony. “Oh, WOW!” Amazed at the estimated 100,000 people approaching and cheering for her and her Bridegroom, Catherine had a moment of unbelief. She and William were both there, in the flesh, but it was almost too good to be true.

Catherine had a moment like Thomas, who found Jesus’ resurrection too good to be true. Although Thomas would have felt this out of despair, as He saw His Lord wounded and killed.

Jesus still bears permanent wounds in His Body. But again, they do not admit defeat; they bear witness to His victory. The Lord reaches out to St. Thomas, and shows him His amazing triumph over sin and death.

For the first eighteen years of my life, every Sunday I would be reminded of this moment. On the altar of Christ Lutheran in Peoria, above the crucifix, is a statue of the Risen Christ, showing His sacred wounds to Thomas. What a blessing and joy!

This image is one of extreme comfort. It is Jesus—“Divine Mercy” in the flesh—showing His ultimate glory and mercy as He reveals His precious wounds that poured out His Blood. Christ, in His compassion, does not let Thomas remain condemned in His unbelief. He has mercy on Thomas and forgives Him, giving Him the very reassurance that he needs. “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Jesus shows you His wounds! His Body is risen and glorified, yet the spear gash and nail prints are still there! Why? Because they show His glory! That IS God’s glory – that He in His flesh was wounded and died for you! Our Resurrected Lord shows His love, His mercy, His glory, His victory in these wondrous wounds.

Jesus does the same with you! He provides the reassurance that you need. He sends His pastors to forgive your sins and He covers you in His mercy. No matter how much doubt or unbelief you have, our Risen Savior does not leave you to remain in judgment; He forgives and gives. He forgives your sins, and gives you His pastors and His forgiveness.

The Victorious Christ stands before you today. At this moment, through these words, He is showing you His wounds, and giving you comfort. He is showing His wounds and speaking forgiveness into your ears. In a matter of moments, He will show His wounds as He places His Risen and glorified Body and Blood in your mouths.

But then there is another gift in which He displays His wounds and pours forth forgiveness and life – a gift that we often overlook. You see, this very passage records the moment when Jesus instituted Holy Absolution—the means of grace where you individually can confess to your pastor and receive absolution directly from him.

What is Confession? Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess? Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

There is a modern myth that private confession is only a Roman Catholic thing. This is an attitude from which our Lord Jesus calls us to repent! You may not even realize that when the Catechism speaks of confession, it is really speaking of private confession, not the preface of the Divine Service that we all speak together.

Along with fellow Lutherans and various Protestants, it is easy for you to gain a certain arrogance and say, “I can confess straight to God, why would I have to confess to a pastor or priest?” Well, you don’t “have to,” but the Lord gives the joy and comfort of this gift to you! When you receive individual absolution, you have the treasure of forgiveness, and know from the touch of the pastor’s hands on your head, and the assurance of his voice, when you are the only one there, and know that the Lord is using the pastor to free you from your sin.

Repent of your arrogance. Shed your smugness. Christ calls you to confess your sin.

Yet our Lord Christ does not leave you stuck in your sin. He does not abandon you for your unbelief.

Our blessed Savior sends you His pastor who stands ready to hear your confession. And he then speaks Christ’s powerful Word that releases you from your sin, freeing you from your debt to God and forgiving your unbelief. As you admit your guilt and speak your sins into the pastor’s ear, those words go into a tomb, never to go out. And from his mouth comes resurrection! Yes, as you hear those blessed words: “I forgive you all your sin, in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit,” that new creature that was given birth at Baptism is raised again! And that is a true gift of His peace.

And who died and left him to forgive you? Jesus! Today’s Gospel reading is the very passage that records Jesus instituting this precious and holy gift! The Catechism reminds us:

What is the Office of the Keys?
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.

Where is this written?
This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Praise God! Our Risen Savior comes to you today, and always, giving you exactly what you need: He shows you His wounds, from which His forgiveness and love and mercy have poured forth. And He gathers His people around His pastors, that this precious gift of Absolution may continue until He returns in glory.

Dear friends in Christ, see His wounds! Your sins are forgiven! Peace be with you! Amen.

Ashy-Clean: An Ash Wednesday Homily

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday

9 March 2011

St. John's, Chicago, IL

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

"When you give to the needy..." Jesus fully expects that as His disciple, you will do this. It is not a question of "if," but "when." You shall give to the needy. No, it is not an 11th commandment; but it is already covered. "You shall not murder," means that you will help and support your neighbor in every bodily need.

You will give food and clothing to the one who has need. You will do whatever is in your power and ability to aid someone who is having a challenge. And when you do not, you defy the commandments of God.

"When you pray..." Jesus fully expects that you will be men, women, and children of prayer. Perhaps not spoken out loud or in public, as He warns you to avoid trying to get attention in that

manner. Nevertheless, the Lord tenderly invites you to call on Him. And He commands you to remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.

You are to be in the Lord's house, gathered with His people on every Lord's Day -- every Sunday. And that is just for starters. You should come at other opportunities, as well. You should spend more time in the Word of the Lord, and receiving His holy gifts, and responding in prayer and praise. And when you do not, you defy the commandments of God.

"When you fast..." Jesus fully expects that you will fast at one time or another. He does not command exactly when, or where, or for how long, but He assumes you will fast. "You shall have no other gods," includes the god of your own stomach. You are not to fear, love, or trust yourself above all things. Your body can participate in the life of prayer and discipline. And when you allow your own body to become your god, you defy the commandments of God.

So he we are, a bunch of defiant rebels. Here we are, people who like our stuff, and would rather not give too much away. Here we are, people who are happy to spend hours each night in front of a TV or on the Internet, but are simply too busy for prayer. Here we are, ready to gorge ourselves on Fat Tuesday, to make up for anything we might resentfully "give up" for the next 40 days.

How do you think you stand before God, with all of this baggage? You were right; each one of you is a "poor, miserable sinner." The value of your wretched, rebellious, commandment-breaking, human self is less than that smudge of ash on your forehead.

But our dear Lord does not want you to be "ashes to ashes and dust to dust." He is heartbroken that He ever had to tell our Father Adam, "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return." He knows it is a dreadful reminder of mortality for anyone to see the 90-year-old grandma, the 40-something cancer survivor, or even the toddler with ashes on their foreheads, reminding them all of their mortality. His heart goes out to you, as the Law crushes you into realizing you damning sin, and the death you face.

But our sweet Savior also gives forgiveness. He climbed the hill of Calvary and laid down His life for you. He gave to you in your need as He allowed His body to be broken and His blood shed to remove your sin. Jesus prayed for His persecutors, executioners, indeed for you and me as He hung there, dying. And He fasted from the wealth and splendor of His heavenly, divine power, permitting Himself to be sacrificed for you.

And now, He gives cleansing. He did it at the font. And He renews that cleansing with Holy Absolution. Ashes are a common ingredient in simple and ancient soap recipes. The charred cross on your forehead is a reminder not only of your mortality, deserved at that, but also a reminder that our Lord Jesus cleanses you! He washes away the guilt of breaking His Ten Commandments. He purifies you from all unrighteousness.

After you have fallen down in the ashes, Jesus Christ lifts you up, cleanses you, and makes you His holy and righteous disciple. And He bids you to come and feast on the Body broken and Blood shed, which are the very gifts that cleanse you from within. Amen.