Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

John the Baptist, the prophet of... joy! Bet you didn't see that coming. Joy is not what we often associate with John. He is the fiery preacher of repentance. Most pictures of John show him very serious and stern. So what joy, what relief, these words bring! I forgive you. That is why John was baptizing. To give this joy. No, you cannot always rejoice at what is happening in the world and what is happening in your life, but you can always rejoice in who you are: a forgiven child of God. That's why Christmas, after all. Jesus was born into our life here, so that we might be born again into His life there. That was John's joy. That is our joy. And so we rejoice, always.

There are moments that change our lives in an instant, in a heartbeat. That cause our hearts to skip a beat, still, even many years later, just thinking about them. Things that leave a deep impression. That leave us shocked and saddened. That define eras and generations. Where were you? What were you doing? The more important answer to that question, though, isn't where you were, but what you did next. And for us, as Christians, to that question, there should be only one answer: we repented.

Today, we're again starting on a journey. Through a new church year. And the Holy Gospel we always hear on this day tells us where we're going. For if you're going on a journey, you need to know where you're going. So today is our map or GPS. And where we're headed is Jerusalem and the cross of Jesus. That is our destination, for that was Jesus' destination. And as disciples, or followers, of Jesus, we will follow Him there. So this season of Advent isn't really getting ready for Christmas -- that's just our first stop along the way. The birth of Jesus on our way to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Two weeks ago we heard of the wise virgins and the foolish virgins, waiting for the Bridegroom to come. Last week we heard of the joyful servants and the fearful servant, waiting for their master to return. Today it is sheep and goats. The third and final teaching of Jesus about the Last Day. The sheep to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The goats to go into the eternal fire prepared not for them, but for the devil and his angels. All depends on the Son. All depends on being in the Good Shepherd's flock.

Joy and sadness. Joy for some, sadness for others. So it is in the parable we heard today, and so it will be in the parable we will hear next week. Joy for some, sadness for others. And what makes all the difference, what always makes all the difference, is faith. And so the Parable today. The Parable of the Talents, it's often called. But this parable is not about the money. With God, it's never about the money. Money is nothing to God. But for the Lord for whom money matters not, not one little bit, this parable is about the joy of the master -- the joy he wants to give his servants.

Need a little encouragement these days? Who doesn't! With the pandemic dragging on and perhaps spiking again. With an election that has again revealed the polarization in our country that shows no signes of improving. And maybe with the struggles in your life that are dragging on, that can so easily discourage, with no end in sight. Therefore encourage one another with these words, St. Paul said. That's why God put you here. That you would not be alone. That you would have fellow believers to encourage you, and for you to encourage them. For it is not good to be alone.

Don't think of your faith in Christ like the volume control on your TV or smartphone. It is more like an on/off switch. Either you have it or you don't. And if you do, then you are blessed and have all that faith receives -- all the gifts of God. Now, it's true that somedays your faith may be weak. And there are other days when it's turn up to ten. But the gifts of God do not depend on where your faith is on that scale. There is no minimal volume that you must be at. Whether you're having a good day or a bad day, God is giving and blessing. Because of who He is. And He won't stop.

Three years ago, the world celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It was a big deal. As I said, the world celebrated it, not just the church. That was three years ago. This year, not much going on, as far as I've heard. But I would argue that this year, 2020, the 500th anniversary of the year 1520, is far more important than 2017. For while 1517 and the 95 Theses get all the press for getting the Reformation started, they really weren't that theologically important. What came later was. And what came later was 1520, the year Luther wrote his three great treatises.

Saint Luke. We're commemorating him today. Saint Luke the Evangelist. If Luke was one of the 72 sent out by Jesus that we heard about today, then he was an evangelist twice over -- first by mouth and second by pen. Physician of the body who became a physician of the soul. Or, if you like, he became a physician of the body of Christ. Penning not only the Gospel that bears his name, but the continuation of his Gospel, the book of Acts. For Saint Luke, as a physician of the body, knew the human body and cared for it. And it is the bodily that especially comes out in his Gospel.

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son... When you hear words such as that, about the kingdom of heaven, your thoughts perhaps immediately go to the future. To the second coming of Christ. But that would be a mistake. Because what we need to realize and remember is that the kingdom of heaven is not just a future hope or dream -- the kingdom of heaven is already here and now. For wherever the King is, there is His Kingdom; there He is ruling for the good of His people.

The master of the house, the man who planted the vineyard in today's parable is not God. For the man in the parable is the poster child for what a fool looks like, and the very definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. And God is neither insane nor a fool. And yet what the mad did is what God did. For God did sent His servants, the prophets, to His people time and time again. And then God sent His Son. And while the man in the parable thought that perhaps things would be different with his son... here's how God is different than the man in the parable -- God knew the result would be the same.

Angels. Ever since the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, set down his pen, there has been much fascination and speculation about them. We know what we need to know; what our Lord has told us in Holy Scripture. And that is enough. And what the Lord has told us, is that there are two kinds of angels: the good and the evil. All originally created good, but some now fallen. And they fought. There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels cast them out of heaven and threw them down to the earth. So woe to you, O earth and sea, John said. Woe to you, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath.

Many people these days live paycheck to paycheck. That was the situation even more of many folks in biblical times. There was no middle class as we know it today. There were the laves and the have nots. The rich and the poor. And the distance between them was considerable. It is with that in mind that we need to hear the parable that Jesus tells today. Workers are being hired at all hours of the day. So when it comes time to pay these workers, and each receives a full days wage, it means food on the table. It means life. And that, Jesus says, is what the kingdom of heaven is all about. Life. Life for all. Which is, and always is, a gift.

Peter asked a question. So Jesus told a parable. No surprise there. So what is His answer here? Well, Peter had asked Him: Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? But if you think God is into counting sins, you've got God all wrong. Because your King, your God, is not about counting, but about mercy. That's how He is. And that's how He wants His children to be. Not counters, not demanders, not coercers, not punishers, but joyful forgivers. And by our forgiveness bringing joy to both God and those we forgive.

There's a PSA that I've seen running a lot lately. About wearing masks. Please put others first. Wear a mask. Do it for your neighbor. What I think is interesting is this mindset that is being taught -- to put my neighbor first. It's the mindset of the Christian... or, it's supposed to be. Create Christians in name only -- Christians who say they're Christians, but look and live just like the world. Now certainly, the world is different than the church and ought to be. They are different kingdoms with different ways of doing things. There are different levels of power and status. The problem is when this kind of power and status thinking leeches in the Church, into God's kingdom.

Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you. That's what Peter said. It's our natural reaction. To bad news. But our denials don't change anything. These things do happen. Maybe we just don't want to think about it. So Peter's reaction? Yeah, I get it. So today, in the Holy Gospel. we heard an interesting contrast. Jesus sees death as something He MUST do. Peter sees death as something that should NEVER happen. Both are right. Peter's right -- death should not happen. Death has been imposed on us. The result of sin. Which is why Jesus must die. Because we die. If there is going to be any help for us at all, any hope for us at all, Jesus must die.

Who do you say that I am? Jesus asks that question today. And Simon replies on behalf of all: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. So Simon's confession here isn't something he came up with on his own -- it was a miracle; the work of God in him. And everything rests on this confession; on Jesus' name. How surprised Simon must have been at Jesus' next words -- not the ones commending him, but expressing how powerful this name of Jesus is! That on this confession (not on miracles!) will the church be built, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So what's in a name? A lot! When it's Jesus' name!

Lord, save! That was the cry of Peter last week. And that is really the cry of the Canaanite woman we hear about this week as well, though she does not use those exact words. So, I was thinking... what if this woman and her daughter had been in the boat with the disciples last week? Faith doesn't make demands of God. Faith doesn't think it has rights. Faith doesn't get indignant or offended with God. So it takes a Canaanite woman to be our teacher. To teach us of faith and the language of faith. That faith isn't proud, but humble. Faith simply says: yes, Lord.

Lord, save me! That is the cry of faith. In good times, bad times, all times. If your faith isn't crying that out, the Lord will seek to make it so. First, by coming to you. And second, giving you a reason to cry out to Him. That your faith be in the right place. In Him, and no where and no one, else. Is that mean? To afflict you that you will cry out to Him? No. It is saving. And so it is most loving. So all the trials you're going through in your life... all are strengthening you for the biggest trial of all, when you're sinking into death. And if... when!... you begin to fail, you begin to sink, you know what to say. And He knows what to do.

If God is good and all powerful, why is the evil in the world? That is a question asked by many, and asked down through the ages. And for some, the existence of evil is all the proof they need to know that God does not exist. That He is a myth. Wishful thinking. A delusion for weak people. Or if He does exist, that He's not worth the time, for He must be either not good to let evil people go on, or not very powerful if evil remains. Except... Jesus gives another answer today to consider. Jesus is telling us today that there is evil in the world because God is both good and merciful.