The Epiphany of Our Lord

Text: Matthew 2:2-12

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The faith of children is a precious gift. Their faith often stays pure and untouched by the ways of the world. They do not seek truth but instead believe simply in what Jesus has done for them.

And for me as a child, I remember the story of Jesus being taught to me both in church and at home, often through reading Arch Books, those well-known, simple children’s books from CPH (Concordia Publishing House). Whether it was the stories of “Lydia Believes,” “Samson Strong and Faithful,” “Jonah and the Very Big Fish,” the “Christmas Angels,” or simply the birth of Jesus, His miracles, His teaching, His crucifixion, and His resurrection - I believed these stories with great faith; I marveled at the work of God through His only begotten Son and the lives of His people. 

Likewise, the Gospel for Epiphany is one of those Scriptural stories told to children that causes them and us to marvel and look on with amazement—the story of the Wise Men, also known as the Magi.

Now the Magi were Gentiles, nonbelievers, outsiders to Israel. They were called Magi because they were scientists, seers, and undoubtedly learned men and scholars in the natural sciences, such as the movement of stars and planets. They were also seekers; they searched for knowledge and answers in the world, trying to understand its workings through witchcraft and the occult.

In many ways, as we grow into adulthood, we become similar to the Magi, seeking answers in the events of this world. Our inherent sin, the sin of Adam, causes us to fear the unknown. We become like Herod, afraid of losing our positions of power in the world – positions within our careers, our jobs, our homes, and our church. 

We find ourselves drifting away from God’s Word, and our once childlike faith grows dim and cold. Forgetting the stories of old, the stories handed down through apostles, prophets, and history, we neglect the tales taught to us as children. As we mature and grow older, we become skeptics and focus more on our own truths rather than the truth outside ourselves— the truth found and revealed in Jesus, the child in the manger.

Now, you see, children often need guidance as they discover and learn; they need to be taught how to read. They need someone to read to them to begin forming knowledge and understanding. They also need parents, grandparents, godparents, and families to point them toward where truth is located for them, directing them to God’s Word. 

Today, the focus is often on the Magi, who followed a star high in the sky. But the star alone was not enough to lead these men to their final destination. Instead, the star guided them to the Word. It brought them to Jerusalem, but from there, the priests reading the Word of God told the Magi where they needed to go: Bethlehem. 

According to the prophet Micah, the birthplace of the new child King would be Bethlehem. So the star in the sky led these Magi to seek, but it was the Word that ultimately directed them to where Christ could be found.

The Word guided them to the Word - the Word of God led them to the Word made flesh.

Like the Magi, you also desire truth. Your presence here this evening shows your wish to know God and be known by Him. You will find God, understand Him, and learn about Him in the same way as the Magi—by listening, following, and submitting to His Word. 

The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” As God’s child, regularly engage with the Scriptures; read, mark, and inwardly digest. Know that when “the Word of Christ dwells in you”—God is present in you, strengthening you for all the days of this life and, most importantly, keeping you in the one true faith through the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth. (Apostles' Creed, Meaning of the Third Article)

On this Epiphany, we rejoice because God’s Word continues to come to us, just as it entered a world darkened by sin and disbelief—salvation is revealed to all through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Magi searched for a king in Bethlehem, but what they discovered was God.

This is also the story of every catechumen and every baptized child of God.

Historically, on the festival of Epiphany, it was the church’s tradition to bring catechumens (both young and old) into the church through the waters of Holy Baptism. The catechumens, who were students, would be led to the font. Unlike us (although it is entirely acceptable to have the water poured or sprinkled on the head of the person being baptized), they might have entered the font as if walking into the darkness of the grave, while the baptismal waters submerged them and symbolically drowned the Old Adam and all sin. God’s Word was then spoken into their ears, and the name of Jesus, whom even the magi sought, was given to them. 

In this way, the Gospel was revealed to these young Christians—the same Gospel and the name of the child King who went to the cross and died for your sins—so that you may receive the Holy Spirit and remain in faith until the day their Lord returns.

This is what an epiphany is: to be made known or to manifest. Jesus—His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His promise to come again—being revealed, made known to those who have ears and rejoice in hearing this good news. 

This evening, this truth is once again made known to you as you make the sign of the cross or perhaps as you help the child next to you do the same to remember your Baptisms. Then, through the singing of hymns and the liturgy, in the reading of God’s Word, and in the breaking of bread—the Holy Spirit again guides and reveals to you your Savior. 

However, if given to the world, your minds and hearts, like mine, will be polluted and corrupted, and you will be led away from the truth found in Christ Jesus. But the miracle of faith given in your Baptism calls you back to Him.

You see, the Magi were men—men who searched the stars and planets for truth. But on that first Epiphany, the truth was unveiled to them through the Word made flesh. Their response after worshipping Jesus was not to question but simply to believe and return home transformed. 

You, too, are called to depart and return to your homes in a new way. Having received the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus, heard the Gospel, and been granted forgiveness, do not go back to your old ways of sin and disbelief. Instead, seek truth in the Holy Scripture and in Jesus. 

My friends, let this news, first revealed to the Magi, dwell within you, His faithful children. The news that Christ, your Lord, has come—that He comes to save you and all who believe this certain and unquestionable truth. So, let us rejoice, let us rejoice and believe as children; let us rejoice as the Magi, for today your Savior reveals Himself to you and the world in His Word. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Funeral of Douglas (Doug) D. Murray

Funeral of Douglas (Doug) D. Murray

January 5, 2026

Dear Ruth, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, grace, mercy, and peace be unto you this day.

Shortly after arriving here at Good Shepherd, Doug and Ruth called up the church one day to see if I would be interested in a children’s table and chairs for my kids to use. Having a need, I said, “Sure!”

So, the two of them loaded up the table and chairs, got in the car, and made their way through Tomah to the church. Once they arrived, Ruth came in and made small talk with Deb, the secretary, while Doug and I went out to move the table and chairs from their vehicle to the back of my own.

As I closed the back end of my vehicle, I had naively thought that was it, and the two of us would head back into the church so he could fetch Ruth.

I was wrong.

What followed was Doug holding court and sharing his life story with me. How he grew up around Kendall, married Yvonne, and how the two of them lived on the farm in Kendall before moving to Tomah. Oh, how he loved that farm.

He also talked about his wife, Yvonne, dying after 51 years of marriage and the heartbreak that followed.

Then Doug reconnected with Ruth from his younger years and recounted how she had been a Godsend to him. One thing I remember Doug saying is that when he married Ruth, they were attending different churches, but as he said, “A husband and wife should be in church together.” So, they were—each Sunday, sitting side by side, worshiping, praying, and learning the story of Jesus.

But more on this last part in a bit…

You see, what I learned that day in the parking lot was that Doug was a storyteller.

When Doug was going to tell you something, it was going to be done in the context of a story.

There was a story about which restaurants in town you should go to, why John Deere tractors were the best, and why the Packers would beat my Vikings.

There was even a story in these latter months as he lay in a hospital bed about how one of his doctors was eyeballing his cowboy boots.

Doug loved to tell stories.

But if you listened closely to his words, his stories weren’t always filled with joy or a joke. There was the heartbreak of Yvonne’s death. Not having children of his own, he relied greatly on his nephews. Being diagnosed with cancer, he experienced times of grief and frustration, too. 

In a way, Doug’s story is our story, your story, too.

It’s a story of love, heartache, and unavoidable changes in life.

But Doug’s life, you see, was really a small story in the telling of a greater, grander story.

Take a moment to step back and reflect on today’s readings from Holy Scripture.

In the first reading you have Job saying,

            Oh that my words were written!

                        Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

            Oh that with an iron pen and lead

                        they were engraved in the rock forever!

            For I know that my Redeemer lives,

                        and at the last he will stand upon the earth. (Job 19:23-25)

Well, what is the purpose of writing and inscribing words within a book?

To recount something that happened, to tell a story, and what is the story Job confesses and wants known?

That his redeemer lives and on the last day, He will raise Job from the dead, that He might stand with Jesus forever.

In the second reading, St. Paul says that he doesn’t want the brothers to be misinformed, so he writes,

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

St. Paul doesn’t want the brothers to be uninformed, so he gave them a “Word,” which, as some translations might render it, is a teaching and continuation of the story of Christ.

And finally, in the third and final reading, Jesus said,

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… and they will listen to my voice. (John 10:14, 16)

Here, Jesus says, the sheep will recognize His voice, or in other words, they will know My Word, and within this Word, the story of My life is contained, because in Me, My life is the life of My sheep. 

Ponder this, if the sheep hear the voice of Jesus, they hear His Word and receive His life.

In fact, all of Scripture is a retelling of God’s Word and the most incredible story ever told…

From the beginning of Genesis and the fall into sin, all the way to the final Amen of the book of Revelation, the words within tell how Jesus will come as a babe in Bethlehem, die on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world, rise from the dead on that first Easter morning, ascend in triumph at His Ascension to the right hand of His Father, and return again to gather His faithful children into His eternal presence. 

And this was the story Doug was brought into, not only on the day of his baptism as a baby many years ago, but every time he walked past the font at the entrance of the sanctuary.  

It’s truly remarkable that each week, as Doug gathered here in this sanctuary with Ruth and all his brothers and sisters in Christ, he took part in the story of Christ. He walked past the font, confessed his sins, and asked God for forgiveness. In fact, Doug joined the angels in singing the Gloria in Excelsis at Christmas, and he traveled through Holy Week by singing the Sanctus before hearing the Words of Institution from the night of Jesus’ betrayal, just before approaching this altar to receive the blessings of Christ’s cross in the Lord’s Supper. 

Being a Lutheran is pretty cool, I’m not going to lie, because every week we, like Doug, don’t only hear the story of Jesus, but become real-life participants as the Good Shepherd speaks to us through His Word and leads us to His nearer presence.

In fact, this is the whole purpose of gathering in the house of the Lord: to be prepared, as Doug, to be brought into the eternal presence of God.

As we depart today and journey to the grave, don’t leave the story of Doug’s life here, but take it with you, because it’s the story of Jesus Christ, who claimed Doug in the font of Holy Baptism and redeemed him through His death and resurrection.

Keep this story close to your heart and go in confidence because, like Doug, you have heard the Word of the Good Shepherd and you know without a doubt, “your Redeemer lives!” +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

The Second Sunday after Christmas

Matthew 2:13-23

The Gospel reading this morning feels like an action-packed story: a quick escape to Egypt to protect the Child who would be the Savior of the world, a tyrannical king who kills all male children under two out of fear that one of them might dethrone him, and a safe return home after the evil king dies. 

The story is gripping and suspenseful.

However, one of this morning’s main characters is someone we don’t often talk about; we know little about him. After this morning’s Gospel reading, the only other time we’ll hear of him is when he and his wife Mary are searching for their son as they leave Jerusalem, only to find the boy in the temple, discussing, as the boy will say, the teachings of His heavenly Father. 

The man’s name is Joseph, of course, the earthly father of the Christ Child.

In this morning’s Gospel, Joseph provides a template and icon for all fathers to imitate, and his example really began before Jesus was even born, as the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and said,

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20b-21)

The story goes on that when Joseph awoke from that sleep,

He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)

Yes, I know you know this part of the story, so why is it so important for today? Because Joseph always listened to the Word of the Lord and obeyed it. This is the foundation of all fatherhood: to listen, hear, and obey the Word of the Lord.

Regrettably, too many fathers neglect to regularly read, listen to, and learn God’s Word outside of the Divine Service each Sunday. Then they wonder,

“Where are my children?”

“Why aren’t they still in church?”

You see, if a man is not exercising his faith regularly, how can they expect their household to do the same?

More than ever, the Church needs to regain masculinity, godly masculinity; we need men who walk in the image of the prophets, those godly men who heard the voice of their God throughout the Old Testament and prepared the way for the Christ Child’s birth.

In a series of sermons on marriage and the family, the Church Father St. John Chrysostom highlights the faith of fathers throughout the Old Testament, such as Noah, who receives the Word of the Lord and builds an ark to save his family. Or there’s Abraham, who, despite being wealthy, did not seek fame and riches but sought the Lord’s wisdom, listening to and obeying the Word of the Lord as the greatest treasure of all. 

As Chrysostom would write regarding the men of the Old Testament, he says,

All these great men looked at this present life as nothing; They did not thirst for riches or other earthly attachments.

Tell me, which trees are best? Do we not prefer those that are inwardly strong and are not injured by rain storms, or hail, or gusts of wind, or by any sort of harsh weather, but stand exposed to them all without fences or garden to protect them?

He who truly loves wisdom is like this and his riches we have already described. He has nothing, yet has everything; He has everything, yet nothing. A fence does not provide internal strength, nor is a wall a natural support; They provide only artificial protection. What is a strong body? Is it not one that is healthy, whether hungry or [filled], cold or warm? Or is it something that is dependent on restaurants, tailors, merchants, and physicians for health?

The truly rich man, the true lover of wisdom, needs none of these things, and that is why the [Scriptures] admonish us to bring our children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Don't surround them with external safeguards of wealth and fame, for when these fail - and they will fail - our children will stand naked and defenseless, having gained no profit from their former prosperity, but only injury, since when those artificial protections that shielded them from the winds are removed, they will be blown to the ground in a moment.

Therefore, wealth is a hindrance because it leaves us unprepared for the hardships of life. (64)

How remarkable are these words written by St. John Chrysostom in the 4th century? It’s as if he’s living yet today.

What has weakened your family’s faith in the past? How is your faith and the faith of those around you, including your children, being battered by the winds and storms of this life, leaving you and them exposed to the elements of this world?

We live in sad times when the home is more concerned with the adornments of life, whether it be, as Chrysostom said, dependence on restaurants, tailors, merchants, and physicians for health. Or in our time, sports, choirs, and social media status.

It’s time for the men of the Church to rise and follow in the steps of Joseph, the prophets, and patriarchs.  

It’s time for us to arise and prepare the coming generations so they might withstand the hardships of this life with the help of the Lord.

And look, this is why Joseph is the perfect icon and image for us to follow, as he received the Word of the Lord, and in a very awesome way, he became the guardian and protector of this, the Word made flesh.

Meditate upon this…

Fathers who follow in the footsteps of Joseph do so by hearing the Word of the Lord themselves—receiving it, trusting in it, and confessing it to their children and families. Then they guard and protect this deposit in their children’s hearts so the Word can take root, strengthening their dear little ones’ faith to be stronger than all the trees. 

In fact, we want the children of the Church to grow up under the tree of the cross, always looking and clinging to it, because it’s there that Joseph’s Son would die for them, for you, ensuring forgiveness and life eternal for all who possess faith in Him who was born of Mary.

Still, you say, “Pastor, but I don’t know how to be a Joseph, I don’t know how to lead my children in the faith…”

Thankfully, the father of Lutheranism, Martin Luther, wrote before every chief part of the Small Catechism, “As the head of the family should teach in a simple way to his household.”

Teach the Catechism. Reclaim Lutheranism. Exercise the Christian faith.

As Martin Luther once remarked, “There’s enough in the Catechism to occupy the greatest theologian for a lifetime.”

You possess the tools; they just need to be used. 

Now, I understand, some have not been given the gift of children, and you might be thinking, “What can I do?”

There’s plenty; you can always pray for the families, and specifically for the fathers of the church. In fact, everyone should be doing this each and every day. For those children who are fatherless or whose fathers are absent, how can you confess and impart the Word of the Lord to them, and then protect it? 

There are no rules against encouraging one another in the faith; in fact, St. Paul wrote,

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

You are to do this because you are a family gathered and united as the holy family was in Bethlehem by the Word made flesh.

Again, how cool is this?

Now, circling back to the beginning today, the truth is, this morning’s Gospel is in fact the start of an action-packed, gripping, and suspenseful story. It’s the story of a father protecting a child who would grow into a man—a Man who would heal the lame, walk on water, and raise the dead.

A Man whose faithfulness to His heavenly Father was so strong that He fulfilled His Father’s will, even dying upon the tree of the cross - for you.

And this man’s name is Jesus, because He was sent to save His people from their sins.

My friends, you have received the most incredible story ever told, so go ahead and tell it to all who have ears, because it’s this Word that permits all of God’s children to withstand the storms and trials of this fleeting life and be led in Holy wisdom to eternal life. +INJ+

 Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Christmas 1

Luke 2:22-40

***Today, we had a baptism at the beginning of the Divine Service***

Have you noticed how everyone rightly focuses on the birth of Jesus at Christmas, but then forgets how the days that follow His birth are also important and continue to tell the story and purpose of the Christ Child’s arrival into the world?

To start with, we hear about Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness to God’s word as they brought the baby Jesus to the temple this morning. The Gospel says they took Jesus to the temple according to the Law of Moses, and it wasn’t until the law was fulfilled that they would depart and return to Galilee. 

This image of Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness should motivate all parents to be just as faithful in hearing and listening to God’s Word and bringing their little ones to His temple and sanctuary, just as Gabe and Leah have, bringing Ellowyn to where God is present for her today. 

Now, when Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple, they were greeted by Simeon, a devout and righteous man who had been in the temple specifically to wait for and receive the Lord’s consolation, to see the Christ.

But let’s take a moment to consider what it truly means to receive the Lord’s consolation. Yet, it might be helpful to start by thinking about what the opposite of consolation is. 

It’s a harsh world of desolation, of indifference, ruthless disdain, and complete mercilessness, a lack of compassion and forgiveness.

Not a world one would typically desire to bring a child into.

But this is the world that Simeon knew and was waiting for consolation from. 

As you look around, is the world you live in much different from the world of Simeon that first Christmas?

To ask the question differently, has the devil ceased to attack the faith of God’s children?

The answer is no, of course.

You still live in a world of desolation; indifference has become the Devil’s playground. The talking heads on television and social media often teach you to have ruthless disdain for the neighbor you disagree with, and forgiveness is seen as a weakness. 

Maybe this is a world you witnessed this Christmas as you gathered with family? A reminder of how near the wildernesses of this world are. 

But Simeon, a member of God’s faithful remnant of Israel, is waiting in the temple for the consolation of Israel to come, and he sees the Christ child as Mary and Joseph enter the temple, takes Him into his arms, and speaks the most comforting words anyone can say. 

            Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

                        according to your word;

            for my eyes have seen your salvation

            that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

            a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

                        and for glory to your people Israel.

These are the words of Simeon’s consolation, God’s comfort and peace, His forgiveness. These are the words of fulfillment as the prophet Isaiah had written,

It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

                        This is the LORD; we have waited for him;

                        let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

And this confesses why Jesus was born into this world, to save us, to save you.

This is also what Anna the Prophetess confesses in the verses that follow Simeon. You see, just a few days ago, the Shepherds announced the birth of Jesus, but the words that Prophetess Anna now speaks are about His death, as St. Luke records,

And coming up at that very hour [Anna] began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

This redemption would occur through the means of the cross.

Now, while the Bible doesn’t specify the type of wood used for the cross, there might be a little sermon for young Ellowyn here (and the rest of you).

The name Ellowyn is of English origin. It carries several wonderful meanings, such as purity, joy, or, in some cases, it refers to the Elm Tree. When associated with an Elm Tree, the name symbolizes resilience and beauty. An Elm tree is known for its large canopy, which offers shade to those seeking shelter beneath it. It’s also a hardwood, signifying strength beneath its bark.  

Of course, Ellowyn’s last name is Oakes, which is an even sturdier tree and name.

Yet, there is a tree stronger than both, and this is the tree that Leah and Gabe must point their little Ellowyn to every day: the tree of the cross. Because this is what faithful parents do—they humbly bring their children into the courts of the Lord and guide them to look beyond this world, beyond themselves, and to their Savior.

Why does this matter?

Because little Ellowyn has been born into a harsh world of desolation, of ruthless disdain for one another, complete mercilessness – a world lacking compassion and forgiveness.

Merry Christmas, huh?

But look, as she was baptized today, like the rest of you, she became a member of God’s faithful remnant on earth.

A remnant that’s always walking and approaching the tree of Jesus’ cross, because that is how and where He won eternal consolation for Ellowyn and for all of you.

Here’s the thing: just as Jesus’ journey to the cross began at His birth, so the Christians’ journey to eternal life begins at the font, where you are joined to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

From this day forward, every journey from the font to this altar follows the way of the cross; it’s a rehearsal for singing with Simeon and praising God with Anna in paradise.

Think about that when you sing Nunc Dimittis in a few minutes…

Having come or been brought into this sanctuary, you approach, take, and receive the flesh and blood of Jesus into your hands and upon your lips, and then you sing again with Simeon,

Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

                        according to your word...

How cool is that?

Here you are given the Lord’s consolation, His peace. And how would a child ever know this if their parents did not faithfully carry out their responsibilities, to walk in the shadows of Mary and Joseph, and to bring their little ones into the presence of God as He has instructed.

Mothers and fathers, fathers and mothers, have an enormous responsibility in raising their child in the faith, and the greatest joy they will receive is by presenting them to the Lord, where He shall place His name, granting them not only consolation now, but eternal peace when they leave this world and enter the heavenly courts.

Remember this, because there’s no greater joy than receiving the peace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and being made ready by Him to live with Him forever. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Christmas Day

John 1:1-14

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In 1968, the space shuttle Apollo 8 was orbiting the Moon. But on that Christmas, the astronauts onboard this space shuttle broadcasted a short, brief greeting from high above down to Earth below in one of the most watched television broadcasts at that time. Some of you may remember huddling around a TV or radio for this mesmerizing event. As the astronauts orbited, and the lunar sunrise approached, they spoke the words “In the Beginning…” The three astronauts read the first ten verses of the book of Genesis, the beginning of creation. 

Imagine what those three astronauts experienced. What a sight to see the Earth below as the sun rises and they read these Words of God, these Words of creation. What awe and wonder to witness the beauty of Earth and God’s creation as they begin their new day with, “In the beginning….” How small the world must have seemed, with its problems and challenges, to these astronauts at that moment as they orbited in space. 

Today’s Gospel, John 1, in many ways paints a cosmic picture for us. The tone and makeup of the Christmas readings have shifted. No longer are you hearing about cattle lowing, angels from on high, mangers, or room at the inn. Today’s Gospel points you to creation.

How often do you reflect on the words of creation, “In the beginning?”

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The truth is, most days you forget how awe-inspiring the world God created is. Instead, you focus on the world often shaped by you. Why is this the case?

You are a fallen creation; a child separated from their Father. In Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, you fell too. Just as your first parents became concerned and even consumed with their needs in this life, so have you.

It must have been a fleeting moment in time when those astronauts read the words of Genesis during Christmas in 1968. We might like to think the sense of awe and wonder lasted, but surely children soon after this event longed for Red Ryder Range Model 1938 BB guns to shoot and baby dolls to dress. Before long, this moment in history became just the past, and man and woman on earth were once again consumed by their own wants, needs, and desires. They were preoccupied with their own world.

Things haven’t changed much since 1968. 

Our lives continue to be filled with daily events. When a man and a woman become engaged, their days and world are shaped by wedding plans. As couples welcome children into the world, new parents feverishly prepare to care for this gift, this child of God entrusted to them. In the face of job loss, one is overwhelmed with concerns about how to provide for and care for their family. Likewise, when death occurs, you must bear the burden of planning a funeral and returning your loved one’s body to the earth. These are the joys, the challenges, and the sorrows of life; they have not changed over time but remain constants. 

Yet, in the joy and sadness that so often shape your lives and the world you live in, you have a promise that remains with you. A promise first made to Adam and Eve in Genesis, where God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Amidst the crumbling world around Adam and Eve, God came to them, spoke to them, and offered hope through a promise, through His Word. 

If the world around you feels like it’s crumbling, or God seems distant and uninterested in you, don’t listen to the flesh or the lies of the serpent. Instead, listen to this Word of God. Hear the promise made to send a Seed, an offspring to conquer sin in this world, to defeat and destroy the devil, and to undo death with life. This child does not abandon you in your struggles or leave you in loneliness. Rather, this promise has been fulfilled in the Word that became flesh, the Word incarnate that was nailed to a tree and became a curse for you and every child. 

Your joy today is these words, “In the beginning…”

Because as we hear “In the beginning” from the Gospel of St. John, we hear the beginning of God’s promise to man being fulfilled through the redemptive and regenerative work of the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ.

For every child born of God, this promise is given. In baptism, Jesus penetrates your world as a child, uniting Himself with you. Our text says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (NKJV) Blood and flesh are the ways of earthly birth and earthly death, but the birth given in Holy Baptism is a heavenly birth, a birth that leads to eternal life in Jesus.

In the midst of this world, Jesus comes to you. He becomes man and takes on your flesh, joining Himself to you. He does not sit high above the heavens as a God who does not love His creation or is indifferent to your prayers and petitions. Instead, He humbles Himself, enters into this world, and bears the crosses of your life in His flesh, taking them upon the cross He bore for you, dear child of God. And He continues to bring renewal and His forgiveness to you. How wonderful this is—soon, we will gather not around a television but here around this altar, Saint Augustine writes. 

What you can see here, dearly beloved, on the table of the Lord, is bread and wine; but this bread and wine, when the word is applied to it, becomes the body and blood of the Word. That Lord, you see, who “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” was so compassionate that he did not despise what he had created in his own image; and therefore “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Because, yes, the very Word took to himself a man, that is, the soul and flesh of a man, and became man while remaining God. For that reason, because he also suffered for us, he also presented us in this sacrament with his body and blood.

This very flesh and blood are for the comfort, encouragement, and forgiveness you are so desperately in need of. At this rail, something truly amazing happens: heaven fills this earth. You are joined with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as our voices unite in praise with the angels, archangels, the saints who now rest from their labors. We rejoice and praise the one who comes and enters our world.

The miraculous aspect of Christmas is that your Savior comes to you. In Him, you receive forgiveness and salvation. He is your hope in this life, a light that shines in your darkness, and your joy during times of sadness. Through Him, you were created, and in Him, all things are fulfilled, giving you eternal peace. 

As you journey through life until your final day on earth, let your days be shaped by the Word that was made flesh and now dwells among us. When you pass by the font, remember the new creation you are through holy baptism. As you approach this rail, rejoice that your Savior lives within you as you live in Him. Rejoice, for this is not just a fleeting moment, but the joy of eternity extended to you. God bless you and keep you this Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

“The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols

+INJ+

It’s clear that the Christmas season began nearly two months ago, as stores began displaying their holiday decorations in the days leading up to All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, as some call it. 

It was slightly after the beginning of November that Starbucks began selling its holiday coffees.

But don’t get me started on the Hallmark channel, which began its 24/7 programming of Christmas movies on October 17th that make you wonder every two to three hours if the down-on-her-luck girl will find Mr. Christmas in a small town or if the big city accountant who runs away from life will ever find the true meaning of Christmas.

Now, I love a good Christmas movie, a Frosty the Snowman or a little Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but have you noticed how the whole Christmas season, as the world sees it, conditions you for nearly two months?

And it’s about how Christmas begins with you—what you do, how you find and create purpose and love.

This idea really stood out to me in the movie, The Polar Express. It features a boy who has lost his belief in the Christmas stories of the world, so he boards a train on Christmas Eve in the middle of the night to go to the North Pole with other children for a magical experience. 

The climax of the movie revolves around the train arriving at the North Pole just in time to see Father Christmas off, allowing one of the children to receive the first Christmas gift of the night. The challenge for the young man who plays a central role in the movie is that he cannot hear the sleighbells ring when Father Christmas appears because of his lack of faith in Father Christmas. You see, the boy no longer believes in him.

Only when the young man finds it in himself to believe in Father Christmas again does he hear the joyful ringing of the sleigh bells.

In a way, this is how you’ve been conditioned over the past two months: that the “spirit” of Christmas begins with you, that it depends on you.  

That’s a heavy weight for anyone to carry, let alone a child.

But it also misses how Christmas comes to each of you…

So, what did we hear in the lessons we just read tonight?

The Angel Gabriel told Mary when she questioned the miraculous birth of the Savior,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

Mary didn’t do anything here; she simply received the Word of God, and the Christ Child was conceived in her womb through the work of the Holy Spirit who came upon her.

If you fast forward, the Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the field, who seem to have been just doing what shepherds do, and announced to them,

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

There’s nothing the shepherds did to solicit this great news and the joy that overwhelmed them; it came to them through the words of the heavenly angels.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote,

            For to us a child is born,

                        to us a son is given… (Isaiah 9:6)

Ponder these words…

The good news of Christmas doesn’t start with you; it’s not a feeling or emotion to be recreated from childhood. It’s given and announced to you through the words of God’s messengers. 

To say all of this differently, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.

Again, Christmas is not dependent upon you, but it is because of you.

The truth is, if a successful Christmas depends on the number of gifts given or received, falling in love under the mistletoe like in the movies, or digging deep into oneself to find or create a feeling of “Christmas Spirit” so you can hear the ringing of magical bells, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. 

No, the joy of Christmas comes to you; it comes because of your heavenly Father’s heart and great love for you that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of the Virgin Mary—to redeem and rescue you.

This is why Martin Luther is correct when he said, “The manger and the cross are never far apart.”

In other words, when you approach the manger, you are already starting your journey to the cross of Good Friday, where the Christ Child dies for you.

How wonderful is this?

You have a Savior who came from heaven above to this earth below. He came for you, to save you, to forgive you, and to give you eternal life – His life.

For this reason, the Church remains His manger, where He comes to you through His Word.

The Church is His manger as He comes and is present to feed you at this altar with His flesh and blood, the food of pardon and peace.  

The Church is His manger, because it’s here the true Spirit, the Holy Spirit, gathers, creates, and sustains faith in the hearts of all God’s children.

How great this is that Christmas and the Church do not depend on you, but they are for you.

Remember this….

Christmas and the Church do not depend on you, but they are for you.

+INJ+

Merry Christmas!

Advent 4 – Rorate Coeli

Philippians 4:4-7

Bah! Humbug!

It’s believed this saying first appeared around the 1750s, about 100 years before it was made famous by that cold, miserly, selfish, and cynical old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, in Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.”

Bah! Humbug!

To define the well-known saying from the classic, let’s start with the Humbug, which is meant to say something is not genuine, that it’s a deception, a con, a fraud, a hoax, it’s fake.

The Bah! in Bah! Humbug! acts as an annoyed interjection to emphasize the contempt behind ‘Humbug.’ Because of this, the Bah! is meant to be the finishing touch on the Humbug, the exclamation point!

For these reasons, when Scrooge says, Bah! Humbug! - he is genuinely and emphatically dismissing Christmas joy, equating it with foolishness and hypocrisy. He’s calling Christmas a hoax, nonsense, or a scam.

Old Scrooge saw Christmas as a waste of time and his money; he lacked sympathy towards others, and his lack of cheerfulness isolated him from both his acquaintances and family.

In many ways, I’m sure Charles Dickens wants the reader to see themselves in Scrooge.

Can you? Can you see yourself in him?

As the season of Advent approaches its end, people's prayers must grow more intense, asking God for a change of heart—one that admits how they, you, have imitated Scrooge in both what you say and what you fail to do for others.

Now, there is another man in Scripture, a truly zealous, well-educated, get-things-done type, whom some might have seen as similar to Scrooge, except this one was serious about it in a very different way and took it to another level. He persecuted Christians, arrested them, and even participated in stoning them for their faith in Christ Jesus. 

His name was Saul of Tarsus.

You know him as the Apostle Paul. Yes, it was he who persecuted Christians, sought to arrest them, and was there when St. Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death for confessing his faith in Jesus.

But then something miraculous occurred: Jesus came to Saul, not through ghosts or spirits in the night, but He called him to faith through His Word and gave Saul new life in the waters of Holy Baptism. 

In this way, Saul was no longer the same, as his heart of stone was transformed into a heart of flesh. Later, he would be known as St. Paul, and he would become someone who suffered for Jesus, proclaiming the gospel everywhere he traveled. He would encourage other apostles in their faith. He would be shipwrecked, beaten, and left for dead. In fact, the epistle this morning was written while he was imprisoned. 

And what did he say?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

No one writes these words from prison, no less, unless they truly believe them and have faith in their Savior, Jesus Christ. No one writes these words unless their heart has been miraculously transformed.

Throughout this season of Advent, have you permitted your heart to be transformed? Have you cast aside the Bah! Humbugs! of your life for joy in Christ? Have you learned to pray regularly and faithfully, so that the anxiety of your heart might receive the peace of God that surpasses your understanding of this mortal life on earth, the peace that guards your hearts and minds from the cold, miserable, selfish, and cynical ways of old Scrooge? 

If not, the time is now; hear the words of John the Baptist from today’s Gospel,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”

These words are a call to repent of the sin that has led you away from Christ this Advent season. The ways your path has become crooked—the road where joy is not found.

Today is a call for the heart of mankind to be reconciled in the cross of Jesus – His death and resurrection.

In a way, Advent is meant to be a battleground for the heart and mind of every Christian. But the peace you desire will thankfully not be revealed to you by spirits throughout the night, but through the same transformational Word and Gospel spoken to St. Paul on the road to Damascus. 

It’s this word of Christ that removed Paul from the crooked path and set him to walk in the way of Jesus, and this was his cause for joy – faith and trust in Jesus.

Old Scrooge saw Christmas as a waste of time and his money; he lacked sympathy towards others, and his lack of cheerfulness isolated him from both his acquaintances and family.

Is this you?

Are there sorrows that continue to fill your heart as we approach this Christmas? Are there broken relationships that you have not reconciled? Do you grieve your lack of charity in word and deed? Have you failed in keeping your prayers this Advent season?

If so, the time is at hand; put away your anxious heart and go to the Lord in prayer.

Pray for a generous heart.

Pray for peace in your life.

Pray for reconciliation with one another.

Pray for the Lord to remove the cold, miserly, selfish, and cynical old man within you.

Because when you entrust the needs of this life to God in prayer, there you exercise your faith, and where there is faith, there is peace, and there is joy in your heart.

So let us gather now in these waning hours of night and pray, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Come and be with us, O Emmanuel, transform us into your likeness, so that we might rejoice in your presence forever. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

The Funeral of David Daniel Coman

The Funeral of David Daniel Coman

December 20, 2025

Dear family and friends of David, grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God the Father almighty.

Our first reading today was from Psalm 91. Throughout history, the Church has frequently started funerals by praying this Psalm to express trust that a loved one is saved from this world of tears and welcomed into the Lord’s heavenly courts.

Psalm 91 was so revered that many believed it should be prayed daily as one walks through the trials, tribulations, and darkness of this life.

Just listen again to these words of the Psalm,

            For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

                        and from the deadly pestilence.

            He will cover you with his pinions,

                        and under his wings you will find refuge;

                        his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

            You will not fear the terror of the night,

                        nor the arrow that flies by day,

            nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

                        nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  (Psalm 91:3-6)

What comfort this Psalm provides: God will be one’s refuge, even at night, so there will be no fear.

The darkness of night has long been associated not just with physical evil, but also with spiritual evil, trials and tribulations, loneliness, sadness, broken relationships, grief, and sorrow.

In a way, death reveals these various types of darkness to us, doesn’t it?

In later years, around the time of WWI, Psalm 91 became known as the Soldiers’ Psalm. A commander of the U.S. Army’s 91st Infantry Division gave each of his soldiers a card with Psalm 91 printed on it, and they would pray this Psalm for safety before going into battle. This tradition continues among military members to this day. 

David was a soldier and helicopter mechanic who served during the often-dangerous Vietnam War. Undoubtedly, he probably prayed Psalm 91, the Soldier’s Psalm, as the darkness of war loomed over him and others in harm’s way.

Yet, the battle of this life for David begins just as it does for every Christian, at the font of Holy Baptism. There, he received the name of Christ and was made an enemy combatant of the devil, who long wished to tempt David away from his Savior. But the journey that began at the font initiates one long battle between the darkness of evil and the light of David’s Savior, Jesus Christ. 

A challenge in this battle is that man cannot win it alone; it is only won through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s only won when man has faith in Jesus.

For this reason, the prayer of the baptized must always be the hymn we just sang, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

As you heard in the reading from St. Matthew, Immanuel means, “God with us.” For this reason, as we sang this hymn, we prayed as David did so many times—asking for God to be with us so the darkness of this life might not overcome us.

Taking a step back, the entire purpose of Jesus being born in the manger that first Christmas was to enter the darkness David experienced as a soldier, husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother—to enter his times of loneliness, days of sadness, broken relationships throughout his life, as well as his trials, grief, and sorrow.

Throughout these instances, Jesus was and is His Immanuel; He was with him. He is the  Savior, who entered the great darkness of the cross that first Good Friday, taking David’s place in order to grant him the forgiveness of his sin so he might receive eternal life.

In a beautiful way, we confessed the eternal life David received and how Jesus has abided with him through all his days, as the funeral pall was placed over David’s casket at the beginning of the service today, to acknowledge the Baptismal life he received in Christ. We said,

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

How cool is it that in Baptism, God unites with man and becomes God with us, in life and in death? Baptism joins you, who come and gather around His word, in His death and resurrection.

There’s no greater news than this…

Let this be your comfort today: no matter the loneliness you might feel, or the sadness, grief, and sorrow that might accompany you even as David’s body is placed into the earth, God is with you. 

Remember this little sermon as you now go to the grave, and as you gather again in God’s Church in the days ahead and sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” because in your grief, God is with you. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent 3 + Midweek (The Angels and the Shepherds)

Luke 2:8-20

Tonight, we conclude our meditations on the Angels of Advent as we reflect on the Angels who appear to the Shepherds. 

It’s interesting that shepherds are among the first to learn about Jesus’ birth since He will be the great Shepherd. In a way, the angels are not only announcing the birth of the Savior but also revealing the work He will perform to protect, keep, and lead you, His lambs, to springs of living water.

But one of the things that prevent you from being led to the springs of living water, eternal life, is your rejection of His Word—lips that do not confess His name both here and in your daily life, whether you’re going to work or school, taking children to practice or rehearsals, encountering neighbors at the store or out to eat, or gathering around the table at home. 

But right from the beginning, as soon as Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds to do what we find difficult: to announce the good news, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 

However, this angelic announcement is met with the same fear as each of the previous two announcements to Mary and Joseph. In each case, fear appears in the person receiving the good news, but it quickly vanishes with the angel’s words. 

In a way, I wonder if the shepherd’s fear diminishes partly because of the words of the angel as he said to them, 

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This news is for all people…

Have you ever noticed that you’re usually less afraid in life when you’re with others? When you’re part of a group? When you’re in a crowd? 

Some people call this strength in numbers, right?

Speaking of numbers, joining the angel of the Lord is a multitude of heavenly hosts in saying,

            “Glory to God in the highest,

                        and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

How wonderful it is to witness heaven and earth united in celebration. 

The joy comes from the peace of heaven that has descended upon earth in the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. It is this child who will take away all fear from man’s heart. 

But let’s return to the idea of fear again. Throughout our readings this Advent, fear is always present in the hearts of the receivers, whether it’s Mary, Joseph, or the shepherds. But when someone hears the Gospel for the first time today, do they experience fear? 

Maybe…

Honestly, though, for all the wrong reasons, fear usually rests in the one who has the chance to confess not only the birth of Jesus but also the purpose for which He was sent: to take your sins to the cross, to die for you, and to rise again so you could receive eternal life. 

Consider this: it’s your fear that stops you from sharing Jesus with everyone you meet — at the bus stop, school, work, or even around your dinner table. 

However, reflect on what the shepherds did after receiving the good news—the gospel of Jesus from the angels. They went to Bethlehem to see this Babe in the manger, and the text says, 

And when they saw [Jesus], they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Having seen Jesus, these shepherds could not keep from confessing the good news of His birth; they told everyone, praising their Lord for revealing Himself to them. 

Now think about this: Have you seen Jesus? Have you heard His voice? Has He revealed Himself to you?

Absolutely!

He does this every time we gather here in this sanctuary. As you walk past the font, you remember where He claimed you as His own. As you sit in the pew, you hear His voice, the good news of forgiveness, and at this rail, you join the angelic choir of heaven in receiving a foretaste of what’s to come.

How could you not want to confess this great news to everyone you come in contact with in how you speak and what you do?

Think about this: if you read a book and found the story to be delightful, would you not tell others?

Or if you went to a restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal, would you not tell others?

I mean, these days, if the Chick-fil-A trailer shows up in Tomah, Facebook is all a clatter with people saying the best chicken sandwiches are in town!

So why wouldn’t you be moved to confess the good news of the angels more boldly with those you encounter? 

Because you live in fear.

You worry about what others think. You’ve fallen for the lies of the devil, believing it’s inappropriate to speak of faith in Christ Jesus. You’ve closed your heart to His Word. 

But listen to these words from St. John,

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

In other words, set aside the fears of this world, such as the fear of rejection. Fear God and the eternal punishment He can bring. Allow Jesus to dwell in you, because with Him, love overflows, dispels earthly fears, and works within you. In return, you receive the greatest gift of heavenly peace – His forgiveness. 

As we conclude our meditations on the Angels of Advent, remember that the definition of an angel is to be a messenger of God. While you are not angels, nor will you ever be, you are called to be messengers of God—to take the great news the shepherds heard and make it known to all who will hear. 

In the end, you cannot separate your confession of Jesus from faith, as St. Paul wrote,

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

In the days ahead, cast aside your fears, and do not keep the good news of your Savior’s birth to yourself. Learn from the shepherds to confess His birth, remembering that this news is for all people. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent 3 + Gaudete

Matthew 11:2-11

In the latest issue of the Lutheran Witness, the magazine of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the topic of “Traditions” is discussed, which is fitting as we go through the season of Advent and approach Christmas. Every family has its own traditions. Every congregation has its traditions. In the end, every tradition we observe and uphold should help us confess the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

In the opening article of the Lutheran Witness, our synod president, Matthew Harrison, reminded readers that tradition is a Scriptural idea, taught in both the Gospels and the Epistles.

St. Luke wrote,

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

The idea here is that Luke would “Deliver” or pass down what he received to others.

Or as the St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

The use of the word “delivered” here is rooted in the Greek word for tradition, so St. Paul is truly saying, “For I gave to you, the tradition of what I received.”

And this is none other than the tradition of passing down and sharing the story and good news of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. 

But we don’t think of words being passed down from one generation to another in the same way we think of Grandma’s sugar cookies at Christmas, the trimming of the Christmas tree, or the family games played around the table on Christmas Day.

We tend to see tradition as things we do.

The Lutheran Confessions address the idea of traditions, the things we do, too, by saying,

Our churches teach that ceremonies ought to be observed that may be observed without sin. Also, ceremonies and other practices that are profitable for tranquility and good order in the Church (in particular, holy days, festivals, and the like) ought to be observed.[1]

From this, the traditions and ceremonies of the Church, such as the pastor wearing robes, lighting candles, making the sign of the cross, Gospel processions, and celebrating the festival of Christmas, are all for the good of the Church. There’s nothing wrong with them.

So, what does any of this have to do with today?

Well, there’s a tradition during the season of Advent that we’ve usually just accepted without knowing the story behind it, and that is the rose-colored candle in the Advent wreath. The rose-colored candle represents the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday.

Gaudete comes from the Latin word for “Rejoice!”

Soon, the Sunday School choir will sing the musical piece Gaudete. While it’s a sacred Christmas carol written in Latin, it is believed to have actually been composed around the 16th century as part of a Finnish or Swedish collection of songs. It’s not as old as one might have believed.

But getting back to that rose-colored candle and the history of Gaudete Sunday. The season of Advent originally began around the 5th century as early as November 11th, when it was known as St. Martin’s Lent. No, this was not for Martin Luther; it was for St. Martin of Tours, a Soldier turned pastor, known for his generous heart and love of Christ.

It was around the ninth century when the season of Advent was shortened to the current four weeks, and with this shorter season, Gaudete Sunday occurs in the third week to reflect that we are now more than halfway through the penitential season, it provided a brief reprieve from the traditions and discipline of increased fasting, prayer, and alms giving. 

You see, Advent didn’t used to be as commercialized as it is today; it has long been a penitential season, much like Lent. But over time, the world has snuffed out the penitential aspect of Advent to get a jump-start on the Christmas festivities. In light of this, Gaudete Sunday has lost some of its importance. There’s no need to have a respite from the toils of a penitential season if all you are doing is partying and rejoicing already.

In a fascinating way, while the church is adorned with the tradition of an Advent wreath to help us mark time and properly prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior, do we keep this tradition correctly so that we might stay focused and receive Christ’s coming properly? 

Or do we permit the more recent traditions of the world to imprison us with “parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling in the snow?”

You see, the season of Advent, like Lent, is a time set aside for Christians to examine what sins and tribulations of life have imprisoned them (You).

What’s interesting about the Gospel reading today is that while John the Baptist is in a physical prison, his disciples might find themselves in a mental and spiritual prison of sorts. They have followed John the Baptist and heard his teaching about the coming of the Messiah, but now their excitement likely turned to disappointment because John the Baptist, their leader, is in captivity and will die soon.

So, from his prison cell, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus. Some believe this is because John’s faith had weakened or that doubts began to arise in his mind about Jesus. Still, I’ve joined those theologians who see this event as John the Baptist, not seeking his own confirmation of who Jesus is; he knows who He is but continues to point his disciples, who are in a weakened state, to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who will go to the cross to take away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

And I believe John the Baptist knew his disciples would need this lesson, so they might seek the comfort of Jesus as they approach their time of mourning and sadness, the day when John the Baptist would be beheaded.

So, what has imprisoned you this year?

Has the tinsel of the season blinded you and caused you to lose sight of your Savior? Has an illness hindered your ability to walk and serve your neighbors? Has cancer made you feel like a leper, cut off emotionally and physically from friends and family? Have you noticed yourself drifting away and ignoring Jesus’ voice and words? Has depression and anxiety made you feel poor and dead inside? 

If so, the words Jesus spoke to the disciples of John the Baptist are for you, too.

Jesus said to them,

Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. (Matthew 11:4-5)

This is what the traditions of Holy Scripture do when they are handed down correctly: they deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ to those imprisoned, whether by ailment or sin. The Good News of Jesus grants you forgiveness of sin and raises you to new life, eternal life. 

This is why the traditions of the Church, such as those observed during Advent, include acts like penitential self-examination and confession, as well as the simple details of the Advent wreath that mark the passage of time, preparing you for the coming of your Savior on the last day. The day when you are not only raised out of sin but also out of the grave, the day when you shall join the heavenly choir, rejoicing eternally. 

For this reason, the lessons of John the Baptist, like the traditions of the Church today, must always point you to your Savior, Jesus Christ. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

www.goodsheptomah.org

[1] Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 39.

Advent 2 – Midweek

Matthew 1:18-25

When you were born, God gave you the ability to understand life’s matters. When you were young, you didn't use this ability well; it needed to be developed. Therefore, God placed adults in your life to help you learn how to think clearly in your daily life.

Reason is the ability or capacity to use logical thinking and draw conclusions from existing information.

In our second reading this evening, Joseph used his reason to conclude that the woman he was betrothed to, Mary, was pregnant through sin and a relationship with another man.  

It’s not hard to see how he would arrive at this conclusion if he had not yet slept with Mary.

But here God intercedes for the sake of salvation. He sends His angel to Joseph in a dream, and like when the angel Gabriel visited Mary, the angel says, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear.”

If you think about it, even before the angel appeared, Joseph was probably full of fear. What was his family and friends going to think of him now that Mary was pregnant and not by him? Would he be shunned? Would he be an outcast? Would he be looked down upon?

Could he not lead a household?

But at the core of the angel’s message is the reality that man cannot understand the ways of God apart from Him and His Word.

Now, just as the experience Mary had with the angel is beyond human understanding, God uses His messengers to begin revealing the meaning behind these events that first Advent, as he says, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

The first part of the angel’s greeting connects Joseph, the baby in Mary’s womb, and his lineage with the line of David. This is important because it fulfills the prophecy spoken to David in our first reading this evening, as we heard, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.” (2 Samuel 7:12) 

This prophecy will take time to be fulfilled, but it begins to find fulfillment in the womb of Mary, where the offspring, Jesus, now resides.

But the second part of the angel’s message conveys the origin of the Christ child, that He has no human father. That through the work of the Holy Spirit, sent by the heavenly Father, the child was conceived.               

Again, this was difficult for Joseph to reason and rationalize.

However, the way to understanding the birth of Jesus begins with the source of the child’s conception, the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, you received a new birth from above when the Holy Spirit came upon you in the font of Holy Baptism and ignited faith within your heart. This faith continues to be revealed through God’s Word, and in this Word, human reason is brought into submission because God’s ways are not the ways of man.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote,

            For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

                        neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

            For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

                        so are my ways higher than your ways

                        and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

In a glorious and comforting way, you are not tasked with reasoning or rationalizing the will of God. Instead, you are to be as Joseph and receive the messenger and Word of God as it is spoken to you. Through this word, permit the Holy Spirit to create faith within you and lead you through the trials and unknowns of life, faithfully trusting Jesus, who came in the womb of the Virgin Mary to redeem you upon the cross.

And look, faith can be difficult at different times in life, but as we read in the book of Hebrews, remember, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

But as Martin Luther wrote,

One of the noblest and most precious virtues of faith is to close one’s eyes to this, ingenuously to desist from exploring the why and the wherefore, and cheerfully to leave everything to God. Faith does not insist on knowing the reason for God’s actions, but it still regards God as the greatest goodness and mercy. Faith holds to that against and beyond all reason, sense, and experience, when everything appears to be wrath and injustice (AE 43:52).

What a marvelous gift!

If you are going through a difficult or uncertain time in life, resist the urge to weigh your heart down with trying to reason and rationalize this period. Instead, learn from Joseph to rise and put your faith and trust in God’s words, entrusting Him to care for you today and always. 

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent 2

Luke 21:25-36

In preparation for this Sunday, I revisited and reread Martin Luther’s sermon for the second Sunday in Advent, and in it, you hear a message about how God uses nature to tell the story of the end times— the end of days, the end of this life, and the end of this earth.

This story of the end days is described in the Gospel as Jesus said,

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.

And then a few verses later, Jesus says,

Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

In a beautiful way, God’s creation is always the teacher, whether through disaster or new life, guiding you to prepare for the arrival of His kingdom. 

But how often do you observe its lessons?

How often do you see eclipses of the moon or shooting stars and think, “God is coming?”

How often do you hear of hurricanes tossing waves to and fro, destroying anything in their path, and think, “God is coming?”

How often do snowstorms trap you in your homes and think, “God is coming?”

How often does a budding leaf in the warmth of spring stop you to ponder and think, “God is coming?”

God’s creation is always telling and preparing you for His return.

And in this way, it’s the darknesses that descend upon your life, the tossing waves of trials and tribulations, the coldness of your hearts that often keep you bent over and looking down, so you cannot see the budding fig leaf of spring, telling you summer is near. 

New life is near.

Christ is near.

Every Advent, I like to reread the book, God is in the Manger, which includes excerpts from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In one of his devotions from this past week, he wrote, 

Let’s not deceive ourselves, ‘Your redemption is drawing near’ (Luke 21:28), whether we know it or not, and the only question is: Are we going to let it come to us too, or are we going to resist it? Are we going to join in this movement that comes down from heaven to earth, or are we going to close ourselves off? Christmas is coming – whether it is with us or without us depends on each and every one of us.

The question Bonhoeffer poses is, are you going to permit Christ to come to you, or are you going to ignore the signs that you need a Savior and close your heart to Him?

Jesus says, “Your redemption is drawing near.”

And this is what the Advent season prepares you for: like the changing seasons of this world, Advent prepares you not only for Jesus’ birth but also for His coming again on the last day, the day when He will gather you into His eternal presence. 

So, how do you prepare for the coming of Jesus? You do as Jesus instructs, “Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.”

These words should be understood in the context of the fig tree sprouting leaves and summer approaching. It signifies that the old, dying life is cast aside so the new man can emerge.

Or through the lens of Holy Baptism, the Old Adam is drowned along with all his sins so that a new man might arise, and this occurs through Confession and Absolution.

This can also be seen in a Christian’s posture. In some traditions, a Christian continues to kneel for Confession and Absolution. They kneel to confess their sins in humility, which demonstrates how sin burdens the heart of man. But after receiving the absolution, the forgiveness of sins, they rise to new life because they see the nearness of their Savior as they hear His voice in His Word or approach this rail to receive His flesh and blood.

Reflect on how Martin Luther also teaches this truth in the Small Catechism and how the Christian should arise each morning; he says you should make the sign of the cross to remember your Baptism, that drowning of the Old Adam and the raising of the new man, then pray the Morning Prayer like we do at the beginning of Sunday School and then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer before going about your tasks.

Remember, in the Lord’s Prayer, you pray, “Thy kingdom come.” With these words, you are always asking for Jesus to come with His grace and mercy.

But how often do you give attention to what you are asking for when you speak these prayers?

When you follow this Lutheran practice of prayer in the morning, you not only use your words but also your entire body, which was burdened by sin and needed sleep, to rise from bed to embrace the new life of the new day. 

But of course, you must also pay attention and be aware of how the darkness of each night yields to the rising sun of each new day, how the slumber from the past night’s sleep gives way to the sounds of the new morning. And how your first words of each new day either confess the life of a curmudgeon or the joy of one who looks to the coming Savior who has protected you through the most dangerous part of your life, the time of night, the time while you sleep unaware.

In a marvelous way, every aspect of God’s creation and this life is a reminder of the coming of Jesus.

Look, the Gospel readings for Advent can be startling to many because the world has convinced you that it’s already Christmas, but it’s not. Christmas lasts twelve days, starting December 25th. It’s not time yet.

It’s Advent now, a season of longing and preparation. The readings remind you to look around, observe the fallen world, and see how creation is telling you that God is coming, see the signs of cosmic events and the storms in your own life. Learn again to confess your sins, because only then will you be ready for the coming of Christ.  

As we come to a close today, I want to share the final part of Bonhoeffer’s meditation. He wrote,  

Such a true Advent happening now creates something different from the anxious, petty, depressed, feeble Christian spirit that we see again and again, and that again and again wants to make Christianity contemptible. This becomes clear from the two powerful commands that introduce our text: “Look up and raise your heads’’ (Luke 21:28). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears and who are heavy and who are crying over the fact that the earth has gracelessly torn us away. Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near. Something different from what you see daily will happen. Just be aware, be watchful, wait just another short moment. Wait and something quite new will break over you: God will come.”

And He does come; He comes to you here, around this altar.

So come on bended knee and then arise to new life, to the redemption found in Jesus Christ.

My friends, as you look forward to the coming of the Christ child in the manger this Advent, see Him also on the cross, and then see how the happenings of daily life and the world are reminders for you to “Straighten up and raise your heads, because your Savior [is near].” +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent Midweek 1 – The Angel Gabriel

Luke 1:26-38

As we begin our Wednesday evening services this year, the theme will be the Angels of Advent.

Now, to begin, we need to remember who angels are. Throughout the Scriptures, angels are spiritual beings; they are warriors, and they often pray for man. As Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, they see His Father’s face and do His will. 

Angels are not to be trifled with.

But the most basic definition of the word “angel” is “messenger.” Angels are messengers of God who bring His news to mankind.

While we meditate on the Angels of Advent over the next three weeks, only one of these angels will have a name, and that is tonight – Gabriel the archangel. 

It’s also interesting that, while Michael, the other known archangel, is mentioned throughout the Scriptures, Gabriel is the one sent to announce both the conception of John the Baptist and Jesus.

Now, meditating on Gabriel’s message tonight, let’s begin with how he was received by Mary. As Gabriel arrived, the text said she was troubled by him and his words. After all, in our hymn we sang, “The angel Gabriel from heaven came, with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame.”

There’s an image for you, and not one easily discerned.

But the angel Gabriel perceives Mary’s fears, which is why he tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary.”

The word “afraid” here originates from the Greek φοβος; you might hear in the background the word “phobia,” which means fear or terror.

What has your heart filled with fear and terror this Advent?

What kind of news or messages have sunk your heart in depression, filled you with dread and anxiety, and caused you terrors throughout the night?

Do you worry about your children and their faith? Have you been laid off? Did a doctor deliver the news, the news you feared, that you have cancer or another life-altering diagnosis?

This, of course, leads to the questions of a racing mind.

Will my children receive eternal life? How will I pay the bills or buy Christmas presents? Will the cancer or ailment consuming my flesh take my life?

Mary was told by the angel Gabriel as she was filled with fear, “Do not be afraid.”

This is the angel’s message for you, no matter your fears: “Do not be afraid.”

Why? Because God is with you, Christ is with you.

You see, the angel Gabriel’s entire message fulfills Old Testament prophecy, beginning with Genesis 3, as God the Father promises Eve an offspring who will come to defeat the Devil and the sin they brought into this world.

But this prophecy is also mentioned in our first reading tonight from Isaiah, as he wrote,

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

And this text from Isaiah really gets to the heart of Gabriel’s message to Mary, she is going to bear a Son, Jesus, the One whose name will be Immanuel, which means God with us.

In a very physical way, Immanuel takes His place within the womb of Mary. He is God with her, and one of the messages of the Advent season is that Immanuel is God with you in the midst of the darkness of your fears.

And this should be your prayer throughout the troubles of life, for the only Son of God to abide with you.

In fact, as we began the service tonight, our words and actions remind us of this truth as the candle entered this darkened sanctuary, and we sang…

“Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the light no darkness can overcome.”

“Stay with us, [abide with us] Lord, for it is evening, and the day is almost over.”

“Let your light scatter the darkness and illumine Your Church.”

Remember these words and pray them when darkness in life surrounds you, when fear and terror grip your heart. Then recall how your Savior came to you through the waters of Holy Baptism. Remember how the light of His Word enters your ears just as it was brought into this sanctuary tonight and dwells in your heart. Remember how His flesh and blood have been placed upon your lips and how your Savior remains with you, even now. 

Remember this... because when darkness falls upon you, Jesus is your light. He is your Immanuel; He is God with you.

This is the angel Gabriel’s message for Mary, and it is His word for you. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

First Sunday in Advent

Jeremiah 23:5-8 & Matthew 21:1-9

The lights sparkling on the homes around Tomah signal that Christmas is coming. 

The number of emails you’re getting is warning you that Christmas is coming.

The change in music on the radio alerts you that Christmas is coming.

The colors adorning the altar, the candles in the wreath, all announce, Christmas is coming.

But it’s not here yet.

It's hard for us to understand because we live in a world that rushes everything. We’re in a rush to grow up, to get to the store, and to jump into relationships and the gifts that come with marriage before the vows have been said…

However, today we begin the season of Advent, a time for slowing down, prayer, and meditation. To review, the word Advent means “to come.”

The Old Testament reading from Jeremiah provides the well-known prophecy of God the Father raising a righteous branch, Jeremiah wrote,

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

 (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

Then two verses later, Jeremiah says again,

Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

The thing about prophecies is that they are always looking forward; they focus on what is to come. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)

The words of Jeremiah are a shadow of what will come, namely, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary in the little town of Bethlehem. He is the righteous branch, who will take the curse of sin and death, your sin and death, to the tree of the cross, so from it, His righteousness, His forgiveness might be extended and declared upon you.

In a way, the Christian is always hesitantly and slowly walking in the shadows of the cross; the cross guides you through this life, including the sadness you feel, the grief you experience, the anger filling your heart, the disappointment with family and friends, and the sense of abandonment.

While these instances are all emotions you feel, they are also the shadows surrounding you; they are the crosses you bear.

However, like the people of Israel, you lack patience as these crosses weigh on you. Israel was never patient. They wanted to save themselves. So you try to save yourself by taking the burdens of life into your own hands. 

But if you reflect on the Old Testament readings today, the cross of Jesus is ultimately what leads the offspring of Israel to dwell in their own land, the land of milk and honey, the new heaven and the new earth, paradise.

Yet, those who lined the streets that first Palm Sunday did not truly understand the prophecies of God; instead, they sought an earthly king, an earthly kingdom. This Jesus, the Messiah, was to come and fulfill their prayers and petitions of Hosanna, now, to save them from their earthly oppressors in a rather immediate manner.

Like you, they wanted to see instant gratification. They wanted instant relief. But can you rush God? Can you make Him work on your timeframe?

Looking back at Scriptures, the fulfillment of prophecies rarely happened instantly. This serves as a good reminder and lesson today, as the world rushes into Christmas without taking time to prepare for Christ's coming and its true meaning. Christians learn and relearn the discipline of patience, and how prayer strengthens your faith to wait on the coming of Jesus Christ. 

This is why we started the Divine Service today by prayerfully reciting the Litany. This historic prayer, which often replaces the Prayer of the Church because of its length, dates back to the fifth century. Martin Luther appreciated it so much that he created two different versions. Recently, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has highlighted the importance of praying the Litany not only during the Divine Service but also at home.

Why?

Because this lengthy prayer helps us learn to pray and petition God to have mercy on us, it teaches us patience, which is invaluable during a season of the year when patience is seldom found.

It also teaches dependence.

For this reason, just as the true exercise of the Advent season is countercultural, the slowness to decorate, the wait to set up a tree, or fill its trunk with presents, also makes a life of prayer countercultural. 

But your prayers are the expression of a faith placed in Jesus Christ, who comes to redeem the world from sin and death. Which if you take a step back and listen to the words of the liturgy and the Divine Service, it’s one long exercise of prayer petitioning God to come to us, to lead us, and bring us into His eternal presence.

Just listen to the words we will pray as we prepare to receive the flesh and blood of Jesus in a few minutes, and I will speak the words, “As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” And you respond, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

And He is coming, but not in the way the world expects Christmas to approach. Instead, He’s coming through His Word, at this rail in the Sacrament of the Altar, where He gathers you with the whole company of heaven, and on the last day, to gather you, His Israel, His Church, to dwell with Him in the land He has prepared for you, forever. 

What a glorious celebration this shall be.

Isn’t this something? The whole exercise of the Christian life is looking forward to the end, to the coming of Christ.

Yes, Christmas is coming, but it’s not here yet. Instead, this is the time to learn the discipline of faithful patience, to pray for Christ’s coming to His people. Let us remain focused on this Advent season so we might rightly take to heart how the liturgy of prayer prepares you for your Savior’s arrival. +INJ+

Thanksgiving (Observed)

Luke 17:11-19

In preparation for this week, we recently watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in our house. It’s a classic, isn’t it?

You got Peppermint Patty inviting herself and others over to Charlie Brown’s for dinner.

Charlie Brown goes with the flow, being a good friend, and even though he has family plans to visit Grandma, he still tries to host his friends.

Who does that?

Amid everything, Charlie Brown enlists Snoopy’s help in preparing the meal. 

Then, of course, there’s the scene where they all sit down around the Ping-Pong table to unknowingly enjoy a feast of popcorn, candy, and buttered toast prepared by Snoopy and Woodstock, the little yellow bird. (This is the part that gets the children laughing hysterically. What child wouldn’t want candy and popcorn for dinner?)

But this is also when Peppermint Patty’s expectations for a perfect Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing weren’t fulfilled. Peppermint Patty boils over, and her anger rises to the surface.

But look, she invited herself over, invited others without asking, set her own expectations for Thanksgiving, and then threw a temper tantrum when things didn’t go as she had thought they would. 

In a way, there are parts of this story that you can all relate to at Thanksgiving, aren’t there?

The uninvited guests, the failure to achieve the perfect holiday, opinions on what food should or should not be served, the minefield, and arguments between family and friends. 

Honesty, when Thanksgiving is presented like this, who wants it?

But isn’t this an image of your lives?

A challenge is how you handle unfulfilled expectations, not only today, but throughout life: do you lash out, yell, and scream, or do you learn to call out to God for His mercy, for His peace and forgiveness, His patience?

Look at the Ten Lepers in the Gospel this evening. The disease that covers their skin has not only rendered them unclean, but it’s also forced them to live apart from their family; there’s no holiday or feasting for them, just a realization they cannot help, nor heal themselves, as they dwell in isolation.

The only thing these lepers can do is cry out for mercy, and that is exactly what they do when they see Jesus; they cry out with every ounce of their hoarse voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

Interestingly, here, all ten lepers call out together, “Have mercy on us.” They see themselves as a collective community in their misery.

This is interesting because of the widespread American belief that the family’s togetherness is the main focus of Thanksgiving, even though we live as individuals the rest of the year. 

Peppermint Patty confesses this idea after recovering from her meltdown, that what’s most important is spending time with friends and family.

Spending time with family and friends is good; it’s actually a gift from your Father in heaven.

But as you look at these Lepers, only one of them now returned to thank Jesus for the gift of being cleansed, forgiven, and returned to his family.

A Samaritan.

Someone who wasn’t even seen as a friend, much less a member of the family of Israel. Yet, he gets it and returns to Jesus to give Him thanks for the mercy, forgiveness, and new life he received in the Words of Jesus.

This is important because the Leper can now reunite with his family, eat and break bread with them, drink from the same cup, and be part of fellowship and community. 

This is pretty cool.

Many of us have separated ourselves not only from our families but also from each other due to the leprosy of sin that goes well below the skin and penetrates the heart. We boil over when family and friends invite themselves over, we get upset when the menu for the big dinner isn’t just right, and we struggle to navigate the emotional landmines planted between us and by us during these days of family gatherings.  

In light of this, we must once again learn to confess the leprosy of sin and to stop being individuals; instead, we must call out to God for mercy, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

In a way, this reflects what we do as we will soon sing the words of the Sanctus. We sing as a family, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the Son of David,” and in this way, we pray to be saved, we ask for God’s mercy, to be cleansed, and forgiven of all our sins.

And then approach this rail on bended knee to receive the greatest meal of Thanksgiving in the flesh and blood of your Savior Jesus Christ.

In fact, throughout many parts of the Scriptures and the history of the Church, this meal, the Lord’s Supper, is called the Eucharist or εὐχαριστέω, which means “to give thanks.” Because of this, it’s the greatest Thanksgiving meal you could receive, as through it, you share in the meal of God’s eternal family, where you receive the bread of Christ’s body and drink from the one cup of His blood for the forgiveness of sin. 

What a gift it is to be members of this eternal family of God.

Remember this if things do not go as planned over the next couple of days, if your Thanksgiving does not live up to expectations, the meal just isn’t right, or you’re overwhelmed by the conflict and strife that has existed between you and others.

Don’t be overwhelmed, but call out to Jesus when things begin to spiral and say with your fellow Lepers, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me.”

And then return to Him and thank Him for dying on the cross to cleanse you of your sin, to grant you His mercy, and to make you members of His eternal family. +INJ+

Pastor Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Trinity 26

Matthew 25:31-46

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

We have firmly entered the final Sundays of the Church year. Just like last week, this week, and next, stay focused on the end times, the day of Christ’s second Advent, His return. 

Our Gospel today began with these words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”

Luther remarked regarding the second coming this way: “He will then not be bedded in the manger, nor ride on an ass, as He did in His first advent, but burst forth from the clouds in great power and glory.”[1]

This is a transcending image.

But it also raises the question: Do we regularly reflect and ponder these words of Jesus from the Gospel?

Honestly, if you are like me, you probably find it hard to stay focused on anything these days, especially the words we recite week after week, for many reasons. One reason is that our attention span keeps getting shorter every day. While technology can be helpful, it can also hinder our ability to concentrate on a single task. That’s why many now think public speakers should limit their talks to 18-20 minutes, so their message is fully understood. Some online platforms that share thought-provoking content, like TED Talks, try to keep their presentations within these time limits. I’ve had a cartoon on my office door in the past showing a congregation half asleep. The caption says, “There is a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation.” 

Whether it’s true that goldfish now have a longer attention span than humans, the truth is that we are easily distracted and lack the patience needed to wait for the Lord's coming. 

Except that’s precisely what the confession of the Creed invites and calls us to do daily as we will soon recite the words of the Nicene Creed, “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”[2]

But why is it so crucial for us to remain watchful for the second coming of Christ?

Because if you do not patiently stay watchful, you risk falling away from the Christian faith. In this context, staying alert means exercising your faith, confessing it with your words, and making sure you remain within the sheepfold. For those who do not practice this faith, their awareness of Christ’s return fades, they become less vigilant, and they are as cold as a log separated from the burning fire. As a result, they are now at great risk of falling away, like the goats in today’s Gospel. 

Another reason we’re called to be watchful about preventing our faith from drifting comes from our Epistle today, as Peter wrote, 

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Did you catch these words, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

This leads us to the sheep and the goats…

We often find ourselves acting like goats—independent and stubborn people who may attend church, even appearing similar to sheep, but lack patience for the Gospel. Unfortunately, the goats do not understand or appreciate God’s patience and the ways He is giving you time to turn to repentance.

But the sheep are those who flock together. They know their Shepherd’s voice, they follow Him, and have taken the Psalmists’ words to heart,

            I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

                        and in his word I hope;

            my soul waits for the Lord

                        more than watchmen for the morning,

                        more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

To be watchmen implies one is vigilant and prepared. They have not fallen asleep but continue to watch over the city, even in the waning hours of the night.

And that is what the pastoral office is called to do: keep watch over you. To speak to you the words of the law, but also the words of the Gospel. Here, however, one must ask oneself, are you humble enough to see yourself as a goat, so that you might confess your sins and be received as a sheep?

The pastoral office is established by Christ Jesus Himself to care for His sheep. And Jesus emphasizes that how you receive those whom He has sent and the words they speak to you are important. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Yes, you probably haven’t seen me, your pastor, needing a drink of water, nor have you needed to clothe me or visit me in prison. But where was Jesus hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, and weak?

On the cross.

And ultimately, this is where your life leads you: to where Jesus bore the judgment of sin for you. As He called out, “It is finished,” He declared His victory over sin, death, and the Evil One.

Yet, as you live in this world, this unholy trinity of sin, death, and the Devil continues to distract your thoughts and words. They strive to silence your confession and vigilance, so you won't be ready for the day of the Lord. This is why you must exercise your faith that through the work of the Holy Spirit, you will be made ready and kept faithful in thought, word, and deed.

It all begins with confession and absolution. Every time you gather and confess your sins, you exercise your trust and faith in Christ Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You approach the judgment seat of God and stand before your heavenly Father and admit that you have not kept His law. You have acted like stubborn and rambunctious goats toward the gifts you freely receive. And you know what? As the Father looks upon you, He sees His Son’s death on the cross for you and renders His judgment: not guilty (Forgiven).

This is the pattern of faith you must continue to exercise throughout your lives as you strive to remain vigilant for the day of Christ Jesus’ second coming. It’s a pattern of calling upon Jesus for forgiveness, a way of waiting and watching, and a life that has hope in His Word.

The Lutheran Theologian Albrecht Peters wrote regarding the second coming of Christ,

For this reason, true Christians must tirelessly beseech their Lord to return, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; with heads held high, they are to run as fast as possible toward that day of judgment (Luke 21:28), which even Christ Himself describes as our redemption, “that is, not death, but eternal life, no wrath, but pure grace, no hell, but the kingdom of heaven, neither terror nor danger, but pure comfort and joy.” (Creed, pg. 202)

Aren’t these words wonderful? While the word judgment often causes us discomfort, here, Albrecht Peter encourages Christians to look forward to the day of judgment because you are God’s saints. You are His children. And He provides you all with the words to beseech Him, to exercise your faith daily, and to wait patiently as you pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” 

So, how do you exercise your faith and remain vigilant for the Lord's return? By praying, by speaking the words Jesus has given to you in the Lord's Prayer. These words are your petitions for all that is needed within this life: for your Lord’s kingdom to come, for His will to be done here within your lives today, for you to receive your daily bread with thanksgiving, for your sins to be forgiven as you forgive those who sin against you, for you to be kept from temptation and at last, delivered from the evil one. 

Through these words like those of the Creed and of Confession and Absolution, you are given the faith needed to keep watch throughout the days of life, your hearts are turned to Christ’s second coming, and with eagerness, you await the day, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, [the day when] He will sit on the throne of His glory.”

And to you, He will say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

[1] Pieper, F. (1953). Christian Dogmatics (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 516). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

[2] McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (p. 16). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

All Saints Day (Observed)

Text: Revelation 7:9-17

If you visit my mother-in-law’s house, you'll be greeted by a family tree that dates back over a hundred years. On one wall of the home, the names and dates of each person are carefully and meticulously written beside their photograph. The dates of birth and death are inscribed. The children from each marriage naturally branch out, along with all the vital information about their lives, captured and documented in the family history.

This journey into ancestry is not only a testament of love for family, but it also narrates the family story. It ensures no one in this long Lutheran heritage is forgotten. In a way, this family tree serves as a reminder of God’s faithful saints who now rest from the toils and labors of this earthly life. 

I’m unsure how many of us try to remember, or even know, the story of our family’s long history: where they came from, where they lived, what they did for a living, what they believed, and how the Christian faith passed down to them the story of Jesus and provided the assurance of eternal life. 

Despite all the technological advances in genealogy, it really seems that the learning of family heritage is fading with each passing generation. 

While on vicarage in Palo Alto, CA, I was told one of the saddest quotes I had ever heard. The psychiatrist Irvin Yalon wrote,

Some day soon, perhaps in forty years, there will be no one alive who has ever known me. That’s when I will be truly dead - when I exist in no one’s memory. I thought a lot about how someone very old is the last living individual to have known some person or cluster of people. When that person dies, the whole cluster dies, too, vanishes from the living memory. I wonder who that person will be for me. Whose death will make me truly dead?” (Irvin D. Yalom, Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy)

No doubt, we ordinary people might never become famous; our names may never be recorded in a history book or included in college course lectures. Our likeness will never be carved into marble, granite, bronze, or steel. But does this mean the memory of your life will vanish with future generations? Will their deaths truly wipe away the memory of your life? 

To be sure, this is an incredibly heavy thought to ponder. Will someone else’s death make you truly dead?

While much of the world may sympathize with this idea or even embrace it in the culture of death we live in, where assisted suicide has become legal in many places around the globe, the Christian must stand on God’s Word and respond with an emphatic “No.” 

No, I will not die. But I will live in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And we should join Job as he faithfully wrote,

            Oh that my words were written!

                        Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

            Oh that with an iron pen and lead

                        they were engraved in the rock forever!

            For I know that my Redeemer lives,

                        and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

            And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

                        yet in my flesh I shall see God,

            whom I shall see for myself,

                        and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:23-27a)

Jesus’ death did not end your existence; it did not erase your life or the memory of it. Instead, the new life given to you through Holy Baptism guarantees you will never be forgotten, but that your name would be inscribed with an iron pen into the book of life. 

You have been made members of the choir immortal, washing your robes in the blood of the Lamb as you enter this sanctuary, confessing your sins and receiving your Father’s forgiveness. In this way, you are being delivered from the trials and tribulations of this present life and prepared to be released from the great tribulation of this earthly life on the last day.

This is the image John speaks of in our first reading from Revelation this morning, as he wrote.

These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The blood of the Lamb, Jesus’ sacrificial death, ensures that you will never pass away, you will never cease to exist, and never become just a memory because you already live in and with your Savior. 

Like the multitudes, those faithful Christians from your family tree who make up your heritage also live and now dwell before God’s throne. They find shelter in His presence. They no longer hunger or thirst. Nor do they experience hardship or pain. No, their Shepherd, your Shepherd, has led them to springs of living water. 

The water of Holy Baptism has led them to eternity.

Similarly, the water of the font continues to lead you to follow the example of the saints who have gone before you, to give thanks for their lives and how God used them in His Church. As we remember those who rest with Jesus, we allow our faith to be strengthened as we reflect on the ways God was merciful and faithful to them. And finally, we strive to imitate their love for God and love for neighbor in and throughout our daily vocations.

Reflect on this and consider how the memory of God’s saints endures. It lives, and every time we gather here, the proper preface leads us to remember how God’s saints live with Him as the pastor sings, “Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify the Lord, evermore praising you and saying…”

Think about that, in this instance, heaven comes to earth and the voices of the church militant, those still living on this side of heaven, and the church triumphant, those already in the eternal presence of Jesus, are joined in one gloriously spectacular choir, singing to Jesus, the Lamb who sits upon His throne. The Lamb who dwells in our midst. The Lamb who wipes away your tears and brings an end to all sadness.

This is a heritage worth following, worth living, because it ensures, by the grace of God, that you are more than a memory, you are an everlasting saint, a child of God who shall never die, but live with Him forever. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Reformation (Observed)

John 8:31-36

What is truth?

Truth is understood as the opposite of what is false. However, in today's world, it is common for people to develop their own ideas of what is true and what is false. 

We refer to this perspective as subjective truth because the individual acts as the judge of what is right and wrong.

The concept of subjective truth becomes clear when a child is confused about their sexuality, questioning whether they are a boy or a girl. 

This discussion is settled not only by science, which has determined that there are only two sexes — male and female — but also by the Word of God, as we learn how our heavenly Father created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

When considering the conception of life, is it simply a clump of cells or a human being growing and developing in the mother’s womb?

While science declares that there is truly human life from the moment of conception, scripture also affirms this truth: God creates life through the union of a man and a woman.

Interestingly, when we hear the word science, we think of chemistry sets and microscopes, but the origin of the word “science” comes from the Latin word “Scientia,” meaning knowledge or to know.

To know or to learn what?

What is to be true.

The great endeavor for truth can be heard in the words of Pontius Pilate as Jesus stood before him that first Good Friday.

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

There’s a lot packed into these verses.

First, Jesus says that the purpose He came into this world and took on human flesh — your flesh — was to bear witness to the truth. In other words, to confirm what is true. And for this reason, Jesus says that everyone who is in the truth listens to His voice. 

You should hear in the back of your mind these words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus is the truth, and He reveals through His voice the knowledge and wisdom that now leads you to eternal life.

So, for this reason, to be a disciple, a student of Jesus, begins with hearing His Word. 

And we call this objective truth, because His Word does not change. Jesus does not change, as we learn from the book of Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Now, as it’s Reformation Day, when you really think about it, on the surface, the Reformation started because the Roman Catholic Church took a subjective approach to interpreting Jesus’ words to serve its needs. The Pope became the only interpreter of Holy Scripture, thus undermining how Scripture interprets Scripture, how Scripture interprets itself, and not only establishes divine truth but also reveals it to you. 

This was the reason Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Luther didn’t do this to create a new church; he did it because he wanted the church to return to the objective and unchanging divine truth of Jesus Christ, the One who went to the cross and died to set you free from sin, death, and the pesky devil.

Now, take a moment to reflect with me on the word “Reformation.”

At the heart of “Reformation” is the word “Form” or “Formation.”

But, to reform is not to look forward in this instance, but to look back. The “re” in reformation means to return to the original form or substance. One word that comes to mind in the Church is “redeem,” which means to buy back.

The use of “form” for reform should indicate a past similarity or state once experienced. Therefore, the goal of the Reformation is to return or restore the Church to its original resemblance or condition. 

The point of the Reformation is to point and lead the Church —and you —back to Christ.

His Word is the only truth that will create faith, redeem you, and free you from the bondage and confusion of this earthly life.

This is the difference between true and false disciples of Jesus. False disciples hear His word, but Luther notes that they become like parrots, repeating the words of others; their hearts are not changed, and there is no faith in them.

In contrast, a true disciple listens to the Word of Christ, takes it to heart, allows it to transform who they are, and confesses it throughout their life. 

This is what McKinsey will do today: she will confess the faith she knows to be true, the faith she has learned and received through the Word of God. She will confess that she won’t stop coming to church but will return as often as possible so that the Holy Spirit might continue to change and reform her heart into the likeness of Christ Jesus. She will confess the redeeming truth that Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary to redeem her, a sinner.

In other words, she’s going to confess that she’s a Christian. Confessing her sins and her need for her Savior’s forgiveness.

Every time we gather in this sanctuary, we join her in confessing our sins and our need for redemption. In doing so, we confess our need for a Reformation of our hearts—that Christ would come, forgive us, and return us to the Baptismal identity we received at the font, becoming children of God. 

Because this is how true freedom is received, through faith in Christ Jesus, who is the “Truth” that frees your restless hearts.

My friends, there are many Pontus Pilates in your lives, asking, “What is truth?” even encouraging you to become the judge and creator of your own truths. This is one of the great challenges of the culture that children like McKinsey are growing up in.

But if we understand that Confirmation is more than just a step on the journey of life, but part of ongoing maturity in the Christian faith, a time to learn more deeply how to confess the faith received at one’s Baptism, then we begin to see that Confirmation is really about a reformation of the human heart. It’s a time to return to the cross and confess your sins, so that you might come to know and confess the divine love of Jesus Christ.  

A love that does not depend on you, but comes to you through the Word of Christ Jesus and in His flesh and blood, present for you here at this altar.

If spiritual doubts ever arise in your mind, or if the world feels overwhelming, return here — to where Christ Jesus has promised to be present for you. Hold fast to Him and never be ashamed of His Gospel, for it is the power and divine truth for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)

So, listen to His voice, hold on to it, and believe. +INJ+

The Funeral of Allen Richard Gutknecht

October 18, 2025

John 10:27-28

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The text just read from John 10 comes from the well-known Good Shepherd passage. Here, Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd and shows the intimate relationship between Him and His people, His flock.

This is a special relationship, too. A shepherd would live with the sheep, travel with them, guard and protect them, and safely lead them to good pasture.

And this is why the relationship between Jesus and His sheep is most clearly demonstrated by these words, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life” (Jn 10:27-28).

He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them…”

Isn’t this something? Just as a child learns the sound of a parent’s voice, the sheep would recognize all the subtle nuances of their shepherd’s voice. 

And it’s not just that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd, but that the shepherd also knows the sheep. In this way, the relationship between the shepherd and sheep is present; the two are connected, and the sheep is loved and cared for by the shepherd.

Allen, a lamb and a sheep, was known by his Shepherd, and he was known by name; because in Holy Baptism, Allen became God’s child.

And every time Allen returned to this church in his youth, he was led to live out the baptismal life he was given. He was encouraged to confess his sins so he could hear and receive forgiveness—the Shepherd’s absolution. When he came to this church, he learned and heard God’s Word; the Shepherd spoke to Him. When Allen sang the hymns, he repeated God’s Word back to His Savior, and in a miraculous way, he would hear the voice of His Shepherd again as he sang aloud, so he might learn His voice more clearly, take it to heart, and be led by it and be known by Him.  

This foundation Allen received in his youth would prove to be incredibly important as he aged, as he lost his freedoms, and his difficulties with dementia increased.

In these waning years, Allen no longer recognized his friends and family like he used to. He could no longer remember specific times, places, or events from his life. He struggled to have conversations with the people he once knew; it’s as if the relationships had been severed by the dementia, a burden he had to bear as a child who inherited the sin of his first parents, Adam and Eve.

However, as Allen’s time on earth was drawing to a close, it became clearer to me that it was we who did not truly know him. At least among those of us in and around Tomah who often saw him walking down Superior Street most days. 

Even before his memory declined, Allen did not talk about his Navy service, his ongoing work for our country in his younger years at NASA, or his employment with the Army or Navy, living in Arizona, California, Michigan, Wisconsin, Spain, or even Bermuda. 

In a way, when you look at these places, Allen’s life reads more like the records of the world’s “Most interesting man.”

But I believe that’s because he was countercultural in the sense that he didn’t want to talk about himself. Instead, his life and speech were meant to be occupied with the words and voice of his Savior and being known by Him.

This shows in how he would visit shut-ins, go to nursing homes, and sing to them.

What a wonderful thing we should all strive for and pray for in this life, especially now. To be known by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to hear and be occupied by his voice.

But again, it all started with how God’s Word was spoken into Allen’s ears and planted in his heart as a child, enabling him to recognize His Savior’s voice even in his last days, as his mind faded. 

While Allen was not able to recall the history of his life these final months, he remembered the story of Jesus, who took on his sin and yours to the cross and died in your place, and how He became the lamb that silently went to the cross to die your death so you could live.

This death of Jesus is, by the way, what makes Jesus Good, that He would lay down His life for you, for Allen, His sheep.

Allen continued to confess this truth, even as I’d sit with him these past few months, and we would pray the Lord’s Prayer and recite the Apostles’ Creed.

Allen could still confess this faith because it was entrusted to him as a child, exercised throughout all the days and years of his life. It’s a faith that united him to Jesus’ death and also granted him new, eternal life in the resurrection of Jesus. 

And if we revisit the text for this sermon, this is what being a sheep of the Good Shepherd leads to, remember, Jesus said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life” (Jn 10:27-28).

Allen received eternal life not through his deeds, the people he visited, the places he traveled, or the work he performed. He received it because he listened to his Shepherd's voice, confessed it, followed it, and was made a lamb, a sheep of Christ’s fold by it. 

Do you confess such faith?

I remember the last hymn I sang to Allen was “I am Jesus’ little Lamb.” The hymn is often seen as a children’s hymn, and sometimes only the first stanza is ever taught. But the third stanza goes as such, 

Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.

What a beautiful image of eternal life with one’s Savior. The Good Shepherd, who refuses to let even death separate Him from His lambs and His sheep, but gathers them unto Himself.

This is true not only for Allen but for all the faithful: on the last day, death will not separate you from the love and mercy of Christ Jesus. It won’t.

Do not delay, my friends; hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, your Shepherd. Believe in Him and receive the eternal life that Allen now shares with His Savior. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 22:34-46

Questions have been part of humanity since the beginning of time. The world’s chief doubter, Satan, asked the first question. The serpent said to the woman, Eve, “Did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Here, the trickery, deception, and leading away from the will of God by the serpent began.

It started with a question.

The result of Adam and Eve’s actions brought mankind into sin by disobeying the command of God not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The question by Satan ultimately was a test of Adam and Eve’s faithfulness and obedience to God’s command, a test they failed.

Now, it is not wrong to ask questions. Quite the contrary, it is good to ask questions. Hang out with a child for more than a few minutes, and you'll get more than a few questions.

"What does that word mean?”

“When’s lunch?”

“Are we there yet?”

Questions, of course, come in many forms; most often, they seek to gather information and knowledge, but they are also used to test the respondent. The question posed by the Pharisees in today’s Gospel was meant to trap Jesus, and not in a good way. They weren’t genuinely interested in learning about the commandments, God’s will, or the kingdom of God. The Pharisees were insincere in asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” They hoped to catch Jesus off guard. 

Yet, Jesus answers their question by quoting the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This means they are to love God in a way that reaches the core of who they are. This love encompasses every part of their being—heart, soul, and mind. To expand on that, their heart should always be turned toward God and His Word; the soul represents the life of a person, which should be focused on God and His will every year, day, hour, and minute. The mind is the seat of intellect and reason, along with all of a person's senses. Together, the whole person should always depend on and be focused on God. 

However, the Pharisees were not interested in learning what the great commandment was, any more than being dependent upon God or loving God.

Just as Satan tested and tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, so these Pharisees set out to test and tempt Jesus. As in the world today, these Pharisees were not interested in the will of God; they were more interested in how to wash their hands, what they were to wear, and how their own works would achieve righteousness or good in their lives. In this way, they would never truly love God with all their heart, soul, or mind. In turn, they would never truly be able to “love their neighbor as themselves.” All because their life was focused on their works and their own wills.

How do you ask questions of God? Do you ask to test God? Or do you ask to learn the will of God?

Martin Luther, in his wisdom, laid out the Small Catechism in a question-and-answer format. He keeps things simple, so the head of a household may teach the children and family the will of God plainly. In the Ten Commandments, you are taught that there are two tables of the Law. Jesus summarizes the two tables in today’s Gospel, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

This is God's will for you.

However, the sinful nature you inherited from your first parents prevents you from doing good apart from Christ. You are unable to love God as you should, but instead create your own gods of this world. You become frustrated with your children, your spouse lets you down, and your neighbors abandon you. Moreover, you find yourself asking God, what is the love you command me to give? Why have you placed these people in my life? 

God’s response to you, love your neighbor.

Paul writes in First Corinthians regarding the kind of love we are to have, saying,

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

However, we have not lived our lives in this manner for our neighbors no more than we have for God. Here we have sinned, and our recognition of our sin is a call to repentance. It is a call to look to Jesus with contrite hearts and faith that He will forgive you, as He is the seed promised to Eve in the Garden, the promised Son of David whom David will call Lord.

In the final question of today’s Gospel, Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees. He asks, “If David calls the Christ Lord, how is He his son?” The Pharisees were unable to respond, leaving the conversation in silence. 

Dear friends, do not grow silent in your faith. When you are asked the question, “Who is the Christ?” what will you say? Especially when your closest neighbors ask you this? Your father or mother, your husband or wife, your child, or those who bring the most considerable harm against you?

Do not be silent, but confess and give answer for the faith you’ve learned from the simple questions laid out in the Small Catechism. Confess the faith anchored in the love of Jesus Christ, that He would die for you and your neighbors, in order that together you may receive forgiveness and the certainty of eternal life. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI