Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. And with these words, Jesus shows us that the most miraculous catch that day wasn't the fish! And what started off as just another day, with the same old routine, and the same old work, turned out quite differently. How do we make sense of all this? We do so by remembering who is responsible for the catch of fish. For on the one hand, Christ commands us to work, but on the other hand He shows us that our work -- on our own -- accomplishes nothing.

Nothing is greater than Jesus. Not demon, not illness, not physical ailment or disease. Nothing. Jesus overcomes them all. In Capernaum that day, He is the rescuer of the captive, the healer of the sick, the fixer of the broken. Whoever, wherever, whenever. Where Jesus is, things happen. Good things. Great things. But what about today? When we see so much evil in our world. In the midst of a pandemic. With so much sickness and desease... and death. Where Jesus is for US. To help us. Is that asking too much? Or... is it quite the opposite -- that asking too little?

The first thing to say on a Sanctity of Life Sunday is this: God loves you. Those the world thinks are worth something, and those the world thinks we'd be better off without. Those WE think are worth something, and those WE think we'd be better off without. God loves them all. And you. God loves you. Even when you don't love Him back. Because Sanctity of Life Sunday isn't about us better than them, because we're Christians and they're not. So this day is a day for us to do what the people of Nazareth that day did not -- repent. And receive the Jesus of mercy and grace that came for us. And the forgiveness He has for us. And the life He has for us.

The people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ... No, I'm not the Christ, John says. But the one you want, the one mightier than I, is coming. Someone so much greater than me that I am not even worthy to crawl to Him on my hands and knees and untie the strap of His sandal. So the Christ, Jesus, approaches him. Comes to him -- to baptize Him. The God who doesn't demand we come to Him but who comes to us. He is the God who is baptized! And stepping into the Jordan, it's as if He says: I'll be the sinner, and you be the son.

Follow the science! How often have you heard that little phrase or seen signs promoting that these past two years? But science isn't enough. There must be more than science. And sometimes the science is wrong. Now how it will turn out with this pandemic, I don't know. Was the science right? Did the science get it wrong? Was there some of both? We shall see. Science is a good gift from God. But science cannot BE God. The Wise Men needed more. They followed the science, but the science wasn't enough. So after they got to Jerusalem and to King Herod, it was the Word of God that guided them to Jesus.

We don't know a lot about Jesus' childhood. From Scripture, all we have is the story we heard today -- of twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple. Our curiosity would like to know more, what the child Jesus was like, what it was like in Joseph and Mary's household, what it's like raising a perfect child -- but more we are not told. But what we have here, what we heard today, does tell us something of Jesus. He is eager to learn. We need to think a little deeper. For there's one more thing we heard today -- that last line, which should not be overlooked. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

What do you want for Christmas? How many times did that question get asked this past month? But today I want to think about this: not how you answered that question, but how would Simeon have answered that question? What did He want for Christmas? Well, he wanted to die. For, you see, he had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So while this day is called The Presentation of Our Lord, maybe we should say that a little differently today, and call it the Present-tation -- the day Simeon's present was given to him.

Christmas is a time when people try to set aside and forget about the problems of life. At least for a day or few. Be merry, not grumpy. Generous, not stingy. It is a time to transcend the ordinary, the everyday, and fly above it all... for as long as you can, anyway. But Christmas for God, is exactly the opposite. For God it is not a day to try to forget about the problems of this world and life and fly above it all. Christmas is the day when God came down into the midst of it all. Into our trials and troubles, struggles and sins, grumpiness and guilt, doubt and death. Because today the Word became flesh.

Tonight, we heard again how much God loves you and was willing to give, or pay, for you. And it is no disappointment, no little price. As creator of not only the world, but the universe and all there is, all that exists, He could have given any or all of that for you. But that was not enough. But what is there that is greater than all that? Than all that exists? Well, there is only one thing: God Himself. So God went into His innermost being, into what He is as God, and took what is dearest to Him -- His Son, and gave Him as the price for you and me. To redeem us from our bondage to sin and death, so that we could have peace.

The music, that is, that we just sang. It was rather haunting and stirring, not at all like the Christmas melodies we all love and know so well. But the words... the words are priceless. The words are exactly what Advent and Christmas are all about. Words of hope. Words of promise. Words of comfort. Words about real life and real salvation. And where that all lies for us. In Mary's infant Son, as the last three words of the hymn said. Here is the pure Gospel: the almighty God comes as a child. Just as the sun rises on us each morning, so the Son -- of God! -- has risen and comes for us. For The Night Will Soon Be Ending. The Son has risen and is coming soon. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

The time of Christmas really is "A Great and Mighty Wonder". It is a great and mighty wonder that God would love sinners and rebels like us. Who sin not just a little, but a lot! And it is a great and mighty wonder that God comes to us today with His gifts and gives us His life. Our God is truly a wonder-ful God. And I think that wonder is what Joseph must have felt. But in his wondering, the God of wonder sends his angel to him with wonder-ful news. So I think Joseph can teach us a bit as we wait for our Lord to come to this advent season, and beyond. Even as Zechariah taught us about waiting in silence, and Mary and Elizabeth taught us about waiting together, so with Joseph we wait in wonder.

Do not be anxious about anything. That's what the apostle Paul said today. I don't know, I'm not sure, all that the Philippian Christians had to be anxious about, but it was likely many of the same things you and I get anxious about. Our world today is far different, yet at the same time not much has changed. So I rather see John like a wise, old teacher, advising his students. They come to him anxious, breathless, questioning. And John, calmly, like one who has been through this before, points them to the answer. Go ask Him, Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? That is, are you the promised Messiah or not?

It is not good that the man should be alone. A woman either. What was true at creation for Adam has been true ever since. We were made to live in community. Together. So in the fullness of time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And it was when He was not much bigger than a one-celled child in the womb, that Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to await this birth, along with the birth of the baby of her relative Elizabeth. To wait with Elizabeth, to wait together for God to fulfill His Word.

Well, the doctor is in the house today. Dr. John the Baptist. To point out to us the threatening perils of our sins. We may not see the sin in us, and how badly we are broken. That's why we need Dr. John today. To show us our spiritual x-ray and say: See? This is not good. So God sent Dr. John to warn us and to call us to repentance. To stir up our hearts, as we prayed today, that we might see our sin, and that it is not nothing; that it is not just something wrong in us like a broken bone, not just a little problem in us -- but a big one. So while we may not like going to the doctor and hearing there's something wrong with us, we need the doctor. It is good for us.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. I don't think Zechariah thought it was good! His silence was not something he wanted. It was thrust upon him for his unbelief. But he would not sit in silence, actually. He would not be able to speak for nine months, that is true. But the loudest voices for old Zechariah would come from his own heart and mind shouting at him from within him. Why did he doubt? Why did he disbelieve? So how does one wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord? Well it is. Because of the one the son of Zechariah would proclaim. Because of Jesus.

Imagine going to a National Park -- like Arches or Yellowstone -- but not going in to see the arch formations or Old Faithful. Imagine receiving a gift of delicious food, but not opening it, not eating it. Letting it go to waste. Why would you do any of those things, right? But that's what happens at Christmas for many people. The story of Advent and Christmas is the entrance, the door, into the story of Jesus. It is not the end, the destination, but the beginning, the entrance. But it's when you go in -- there is the reward. Then you see the wonders. So we start each church year on this First Sunday of Advent by going in.

Things just happen. The universe, the world, and what happens in it. It's all by natural causes. But the Scriptures don't have that point of view. In the Scriptures, nature is never on its own. Instead of natural causes, the Scriptures know of "acts of God." Things don't just happen or happen by chance when there is a God in heaven. So Thanksgiving calls us back. To see and consider once again the hand of God at work in our lives, and therefore to give Him thanks for what He has done. Thanksgiving calls us back and to give thanks to such a God.

The spectre of a Judgment Day is a frightening one for most people. Having to stand before the Almighty and give an account. Having to answer for all that you did. When I was young, if you did something wrong, we used to say "that was going in your permanent record." Today though, it's worse than that. Today, it's the internet and social media and archives of things from the past. So the thought of a Judgment Day when everything is out there. Yeah, that's frightening. But these verses from Daniel we heard today weren't meant to frighten us, but to comfort us!

I suppose it's like this in other neighborhoods as well, but when you're driving to church or driving through Vienna, it is hard to miss all the large and beautiful houses that are going up everywhere. Now, this isn't necessarily bad. It's not wrong to have a nice big home, nor is it better to have a small, modest home. But I do think it says something about our society today, where we're at, and what is valued. Do we find our value as people no longer in who we are and what we believe, but rather what we have? Not in the content of our character or our faith, but in the size of our homes and cars and bank accounts?

It once was said that saintly children are "seen and not heard." You can agree with that or not. But today, as we commemorate All Saints Day, know that in the church the reality is exactly the opposite. In the church, saintly children of God are "heard and not seen." For what does a saint look like? In heaven, we know what they look like. They are clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. But on earth, they are hidden. The truth is, saints suffer. They are persecuted. They endure tribulation. They weep. They struggle. They are poor in spirit. They mourn. They hunger and thirst for righteousness -- because they aren't, righteous.