Introducing Ruth Marie Rogness
***I sent the following newsletter out to my congregation to introduce them to Ruth Marie***
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
Greetings from La Crosse, where I sit with Becky at the hospital. Our newest gift from God is Ruth Marie. We want to express our appreciation to all of you at Good Shepherd for your prayers and support as we welcome Ruth into the world and our family.
Be assured that Ruth’s siblings love her and cannot wait to have her home, and we are excited to be home soon.
As you’ve undoubtedly heard me discuss, names are important, and naturally, there is great meaning behind the name Ruth Marie.
For starters, the name Ruth derives from the Old Testament book of Ruth. It’s a story of redemption and love for one’s neighbor.
Ruth’s mother, aunt, cousin, and grandmothers share the middle name Marie. So, this is a deeply held family name. But we never knew it was once my mother’s middle name until her death earlier this year. You see, we always knew her middle name was Louise, bestowed in honor of an aunt. But as we went through paperwork after her death, we discovered that from birth until her adoption, her middle name was Marie.
After we learned this information, it became more evident how my sister received the name and how the history and story of our mother’s life continue to be told through her future generations today.
How cool is it that Ruth Marie now tells the story of two families united in marriage? But as the days draw near, she will be baptized on October 13, 2024, and receive the name of Christ Jesus, too.
Like you, her life will be united with the life of Jesus. His story will now become hers, and it’s a story of redemption and love for one’s neighbor.
For this, we give prayer and praise to God!
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Rogness
Ruth Marie Rogness
September 24, 2024
7 lbs 10 ounces
Trinity 17
St. Luke 14:1-11
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is an invited dinner guest. Yet the Pharisees watch Jesus closely. They seek ways to find guilt in Jesus. And as they are watching intently, a sick man enters the room. Knowing the desire of the Pharisees, Jesus puts the question to them, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees are experts in the Law and the Old Testament Scriptures; they know the answer to Jesus's question, yet they remain quiet, motionless, with eyes fixed on Jesus. Guests attending the meal look on and wonder what will happen; if Jesus heals the man, does He violate and break the Sabbath law?
If Jesus healed the man, the Pharisees would clamor that Jesus does not observe, He does not keep, or He does not honor the Sabbath day. If Jesus sends the man with dropsy on his way without healing him, then Jesus is unmerciful. So, which is it? In the deafening silence of the Pharisees, Jesus heals the man and lets him go his way.
So again, a second time, Jesus asks a question of the Pharisees: “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
And again, there was no answer.
But, this time, they do not answer because Jesus is following their own rabbinic reasoning that the needs of man exceed the demands of the Sabbath law. Of course, they would save the donkey or an ox that falls into the pit. They would gather family, neighbors, and other animals to assist in digging and towing these animals from their fate of death. The life of these animals would have an impact on their livelihood, their wellbeing, and their lives.
However, the pit is a place of death, not just for the animal but also for man in both a literal and spiritual sense. Throughout Scripture, the pit embraces the image of evil, of Sheol, and mortality. To understand the pit rightly is to know where man is located apart from God.
Hear Jesus’ question to the Pharisees again, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” Reflect on this: which of you, having flesh of your flesh fall, would not do all you can to rescue them?
Luther writes, “Love should be the interpretation of all laws.” (AE 79, p. 155)
This doesn’t sound like the stoic nature of a good German, does it? But Luther is correct when he directs us to the summary of the commandments: to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. It is because we fail to love that we need rescuing from the pit that we find ourselves in.
If you have been following along the past few weeks, there is a progression in the Gospel readings, beginning with the Good Samaritan who comes to the man's aid beaten and left for dead in the ditch. Have you been beaten? Do you possess not only visible scars but scars of the heart? Then you are in this pit. Have you been ravaged by a disease like that of the lepers - a contagion of both body and soul? Then you are in this pit. Do you spend countless nights anxiously toiling over the needs of tomorrow - what you will put on and what you will eat? Then you are in this pit. Have you, like the widow of Nain last week, lost your only hope in this life? Then you are in this pit.
Pride says, “But I can climb out of this pit, I can get myself up the side of this cliff and out of this crater just as easily as I fell into it.” Pride blinds the heart, and where the heart leads, the body follows. The Pharisees were led to seek glory in earthly honor to place their needs before their neighbor, and for this, Jesus says, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Are you humble? Do you walk as the Epistle says, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love?” Or are you more of a run to the front of the room, seek the best seat, avoid the needs of your neighbor, defend your position no-matter-the-cost kind of person?
Jesus doesn't need to stretch far for the illustration of the parable He provides today; it was a narration in real-time of what the Pharisees were doing among one another at the meal they were having. It was also a summary and declaration for the purpose Jesus was sent from the Father in heaven to us on earth.
Humbling Himself, Jesus descends from the right hand of the Father, being made man. He took your frail and failing flesh into His birth and in His death, high and lifted up on the cross, Jesus lowers Himself into the pit of Sheol, the grave of humanity - so that through the waters of Holy Baptism you also would arise to new life in His resurrection.
Holy Baptism is Christian humility - the recognition that one does not possess the power to rescue oneself from the troubles and calamities of life. Our Baptismal life provides a pattern of confessing one's sin, drowning the old Adam and Christ Jesus raising you, and restoring you to forgiveness and new life in Him.
This life leads you to join your fellow Christians, crying out with the Psalmist as we chanted before the Gospel, “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.” (Psalm 116:1) The Lord has heard your voice and now gives you His mercy, His forgiveness, and life eternal. Jesus invites you to Himself, out of His great love, He invites you to the Wedding Feast that has no end by saying, “Friend, go up higher.”
It is for the depths of life, this Sabbath was made, it was made for man, it was made for you. Rejoice with me today, because even in these latter days, Jesus hears your pleas for help, He attends to your needs of body and soul, and rescues you from your pits of despair. +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
Trinity 16
Text: Luke 7:11-17
+INJ+
The hymn we just sang, “O Christ, who Shared Our Mortal Life,” gave us an image of the funeral procession in today’s Gospel as the hymn read, “The ranks of death with trophy grim.”
What a line, “The ranks of death with trophy grim.”
The ranks of death are seen as the processions we have all made to the grave to place our loved ones into the pit of the earth.
The trophy grim is nothing other than the body itself as it lay in the coffin.
We feel no joy in this dirge. Instead, it is often a paralyzing experience of both the body and soul. Who will remove this pain and sting of death? Who will raise our hearts out of the dust and ashes?
Not you - no, you cannot do this. You cannot raise yourself above the grief and sadness.
Hear our Gospel today and see the mother as she cries. Learn her story.
Is she you?
She is a widow, too.
Her son wasn’t just her everything; he was her only-begotten; he was her very life.
Now, with no son, no husband, no family, there was no one to provide her with earthly security. There was no one to care for her needs of life as she, too, approached the day when her body would follow this same path to be brought to the grave.
All this widow can do now is to cry and lament.
How could this happen to her? How could this be her lot in life?
Martin Luther gives us an answer, but it does not satisfy the heart. He wrote, “This mother could certainly lament her own guilt since she lost her son who had inherited sin and death from her.”
These are hard words to hear from Luther, but they remind us of the sin and death inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Since their fall in the Garden of Eden, all life joins this widow’s procession in moving toward the grave. And yet, this funeral dirge is not the end of her life’s journey, nor is the grave the end for you.
In a somewhat unusual chain of events and without provoking or calling out, Jesus approached the woman, had compassion, and ordered her, “Do not weep.” But then He touched the open coffin of the boy as He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
Now, a lot is going on here, but I want to take a moment and pause. Who of you would touch this corpse? Who of you would even approach the body of the deceased and encounter it? Who of you would join this train of grief and mourning as this boy’s body is being taken to the grave?
I raise these questions because we live in a time when death is seen as an event to be avoided.
So, what do we do? We have the funeral home come and whisk the body off of our loved one to be prepared. We use makeup to cover the consequences of sin’s mortal sting.
Surely, we won’t take the children, it would be too much for them.
But then we wonder and become perplexed: why do our children not possess the ability to grieve and process sadness? Why do they not know how to mourn as they age?
Because we have not taught them how to grieve.
And we do this by teaching them the story of Jesus.
Hear these words of the Apostle Paul,
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Don’t think of the word “hope” as a wish either; rather, in the original Greek, it is meant as an expectation. We do not grieve as others do because we have the hope, expectation, and confidence of the resurrection to come in Jesus Christ.
We call this faith.
Now, notice, I didn’t say there would be no sadness; I did not say there would be no grief nor tears. There will be. In fact, Jesus teaches us to cry as He stood at the grave of His dear friend Lazarus, and He wept. (John 11:35)
But to know the story of Jesus is to know the story of life and death.
As we sang the Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands,” at the beginning of the Divine Service today, reflect on these words, “It was a strange and dreadful strife, When life and death contended. The victory remained with life, The reign of death was ended.”
Can you imagine how this strange and dreadful strife of life and death met and contended in the middle of the road, just outside the small village of Nain?
Coming out of the city, the grim trophy and corpse lay in the open casket, yet, drawing near, is the only begotten Son of God – the Lord of life.
And what happens in this struggle?
Jesus touched the open coffin of the boy as He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And in doing so, He takes into Himself this boy's sin and death.
The young man arose and began to speak, and it says, “Jesus gave him to his mother.”
How beautiful is that? He gave the boy back to his mother while demonstrating that in the great battle of life and death, the victory remained with life; it remains with God’s Son.
It remains with Jesus, and it’s for you.
And there are those great words of comfort, “For you.”
For you, He had compassion; for you, He went to the cross and died; for you, He rose again.
Revealing that in the old-aged strife, “The victory remained with life, The reign of death was ended.”
Yet, this clash of life and death continues in each of us, does it not?
Grief manifests itself in ways that cannot be explained. Whether it be a memory, a photo, or a smell, we quickly find ourselves back on the dirge and path to the grave’s pit.
So, how will you ever find peace?
Hear the words of the crowd that fateful day outside the village of Nain; hear how they proclaimed, “God has visited his people.”
And He visits you today.
His Word is for your ears to hear, His food is for you to eat, His font is for you to remember.
That in Him you have life even in the midst of death.
So as you struggle through the throes of death yourself, as you journey to the grave, as you strive to teach your children to grieve, lead them down the path where death and life contend, bring them to the font where Christ Jesus Himself takes your sin and sorrow into His death and grave, but then listen to His Word as He calls you to join the young man today, to arise with Him to new life.
Because the victory remained with life – it remains with Jesus.
Remember this comfort and joy, even in these gray and latter days. Jesus lives, and so do you. +INJ+
Trinity 15
Text: Matthew 6:24-34
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
What is it you do when you first wake up in the morning? Do you roll out of bed? Do you contemplate the day? Do you say a little prayer?
As I reflected on my upbringing, my grandparents normally awoke and shuffled their way to the kitchen to turn on WCCO News Talk Radio; they wanted to get caught up on the world. My parents always had the newspaper delivered, so they went to the front door, secured the paper, and went to their respective chairs to read.
But my guess is that a good chunk of us reach for our phone first thing as we awake, as it sits within arm’s reach on a nightstand. It’s obviously been there for the past six to eight hours; now there are many notifications, texts, and emails needing your attention.
This digital exercise has become the morning routine for many.
What does this reveal about man?
We are abundantly dependent upon our phones; they have become and are addictions for us. They are there as we go to sleep, and they remain as we arise.
Recently, my wife and I began a book entitled The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. The book presents a scary reality for us today and how technology is affecting the health of many, in particular Gen Z-ers, those who were born between 1997 and 2012. They are the first generation being completely raised in the smartphone era.
Haidt says in his book, “Gen Z became the first generation in history to go through puberty with a portal in their pockets that called them away from the people nearby and into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, [and] unstable.”
Reflect on that, the first generation to be pulled “into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, [and] unstable.”
The research reveals that young men who have access to smartphones and the video games they possess have become increasingly aggressive. Young women have become increasingly depressed as they sit on social media, comparing themselves to the likes of their friends and influencers one selfie at a time.
The results have been the more one immerses oneself in social media, the lonelier, more agitated, and depressed they become.
And the statistics don’t lie.
Nearly thirty percent of young girls aged 12-17 have experienced bouts of major depression, while the boys range between ten and fifteen percent.
This has all led to another sad truth, which is that suicide and self-harm among children have likewise risen to frightening levels, especially among boys.
All while the time youth spend with friends and other children outside of school has torpedoed to record lows.
Children do not have interactive play and community with one another.
Why has this all happened?
Because our youth (and many adults) have been called into an alternative and addictive reality that leads them away from the very people God has placed into your lives, and it sits right there in your pockets.
Think about it: how many of you can avoid pulling out your phone if it vibrates right now? How many of you would glance at your smartwatch if you were wearing one to see an alert?
What this reveals is not only that we are addicted people, but worse, if our technological addiction is not satisfied, it is met with anxiety – an anxiety that has begun to ravage not only the younger generations but all generations.
So, what is anxiety?
It’s a feeling of worry, dread, and fear that overcomes a person.
And in line with the Gospel reading this morning, this anxiety comes when we do not trust God our Father to care for us and our needs in this life.
Jesus said,
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Money would be more appropriately translated here as mammon, and mammon is not only a person’s wealth but their property as well.
Jesus draws a line today by saying the true and faithful Christian either trusts in His heavenly Father or in the things and needs of this world.
In the end, this Gospel reading is about the First Commandment, “You shall have no other Gods.”
What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
So, this all gets down to a simple yet profound question: where is your trust and faith?
Is it in God, the Father and Creator of all?
Or is it in you, yourself, and His creation?
Look how Jesus uses creation to teach us to trust in His Father as He writes,
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Martin Luther drives home the point by adding,
“[Jesus] is making the birds our schoolmasters and teachers. It is a great and abiding disgrace to us that in the Gospel a helpless sparrow should become a theologian and a preacher” (AE 21:197).
But that is precisely what the birds of the air, the flowers of the earth, or the falling leaves of a tree teach us: God continues to care for them throughout all the seasons of their lives.
And He cares and provides for you, too.
Remember how we learned from the meaning of the First Article of the Creed,
“He will richly and daily provide you with all you need to support this body and life…He will defend you against all danger and will guard and protect you from all evil…He does this out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy.”
This is pretty comforting, isn’t it? You have a God who cares for you, loves you, and desires to grant you His mercy and forgiveness.
But it’s easy to forget this if we are not consistently connected to His Word of peace.
It’s for this reason we are all in need of a rewiring of the heart and mind.
We need to disconnect not only from the devices but from the things of this world that drive us to anxiety and isolation.
What keeps you in a feeling of worry, dread, and fear?
Is it that your guys are playing Fortnite without you? Or did your friend’s selfie receive more likes than yours?
Or is it the notifications of emails, texts, and alerts you can’t respond to at this very minute?
Maybe you are sitting here and thinking to yourself, I have no idea what pastor is speaking about, but I do find myself anxious and fearful. Then what is it that causes you to feel this way? Is it a doctor’s visit? The presidential election? The loneliness of an empty house?
If this is you, then hear these words from St. Paul writes, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NKJV)
We need to rewire our brains and hearts to depend first and foremost in our Creator – our heavenly Father.
We need to pray to Him for the peace that calms the needs of this life. Because by prayer, we exercise our faith in God, thus keeping the First Commandment.
Even more, look how He cares for your needs today, not just of the body but, most importantly, your soul. He sent His only Son to take your place upon the cross; He died that you might receive His mercy, that is, His forgiveness and life.
A life now given to guard your heart and mind in your Savior, Christ Jesus.
This is an overwhelming joy no phone, radio, or newspaper can deliver to you.
My friends, are you worried or depressed? Come and to this altar be united as one family in the life of Christ as He feeds you with the food of everlasting life.
Do you ever experience sleeplessness? Does your mind race in the wee hours of the night? Clothe yourself with the sign of the holy cross and remember your Baptism.
Because none of you have been called to be children of this world or any other alternative universes, no, you are more valuable than that, so have faith in Jesus and know you are children of paradise. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
***The book highlighted in this sermon is The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. You can find it by clicking here.
Trinity 14
Text: Proverbs 4:10-23
+INJ+
The popular song “Life is a Highway” was first published in 1991 (at least it was popular in the house I grew up in). The songwriter was not Rascal Flatts, who made a cover of the song for the popular kids’ movie Cars, but the Canadian Tom Cochrane.
When reflecting on the song's meaning, Cochrane reminisced that he had just returned from a famine relief trip to Africa. He was trying to make sense of the turmoil and poverty he encountered but also giving himself a “pep talk…saying you can’t really control all of this stuff; you just do the best you can.”
Certainly, one can relate to Cochrane's words. But what happens when your best isn’t good enough? What happens when the road and highway of life lead you down a path of sin, or when illness strikes and leaves you on the side of the road as the Lepers in today’s Gospel, forcing you to wait to get back on the free-flowing path of life?
These are tough questions for man. But there is also cause for us to reflect on the path of life, what it is truly, and how we ensure we don’t simply throw caution into the wind and hope for the best.
For this reason, we will mainly focus on the Old Testament reading from the book of Proverbs this morning.
The words of Solomon reintroduce a metaphor for life as a path or, as the song I first mentioned, a highway. It’s in the construct of a father leading his son down the path of wisdom. (Concordia Commentary, 141) Solomon writes,
Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Alright, so what is the wisdom being taught and given to the son?
Well, Proverbs chapter 2 can help us with this as Solomon wrote,
“For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
The world we live and breathe equates wisdom with human knowledge meant to be gained and mastered through the art of education, much like the knowledge one gains from reading a history book or learning fractions.
However, the wisdom that will lead Solomon’s son and you down the path of life without being hampered is the wisdom that comes from God’s mouth – it’s His Word.
This Word of God, in turn, creates faith within you, entrusting you with His very life, so you will never let go of it.
To phrase this differently, reflect on the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
In light of this, Jesus is the path you are to follow – so do not let go of Him, do not lose sight of Him, because He will continually call you to Himself.
But this is where the challenge begins, doesn’t it, especially when we naturally spend more days at work or school than here surrounded by other Christians, praying, singing, and hearing God’s Word of wisdom and life?
For this reason, Solomon cautions His son by saying,
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
The Epistle reading is helpful as we discern what riddles this path of the wicked. Paul wrote,
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5: 19-21)
This is quite the list of evil and perverse sins. Notice how the Apostle Paul ends the list with “and things like these.” The list was not meant to be exhaustive. Instead, it is intended to reveal that those who have wandered down the path of the wicked, who find themselves in sinful patterns, will not receive eternal life.
But I want to pause here and first remind you that the works or sins of the flesh are those of the body or human nature that are opposed to God’s will. These are the works and evil desires inherited from your first parents, Adam and Eve – we call this original sin.
And one of the things this corrupt nature does is that it works to conceal the works of the flesh from man and God alike. Yet, the simple search history of a person’s phone will still reveal the heart of man and the works of flesh that continue in you.
But like Paul, Solomon sets up a dichotomy, two opposing and contrasting roads, as he says to his son,
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
Here, the path is either one of light or darkness.
Jesus said in the Gospel of John,
“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
The challenge for one walking in the darkness is that they cannot even see what is causing them to stumble; they have become blind and cannot see their way. It’s as if you awake in the middle of the night to help a crying child, and the way has been littered with toys that hamper you in getting to where you want to go.
But again, there are two contrasting paths, and the other is that of a dawning light. Just as Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life,” (John 14:6), He is the one that continues to illuminate your way, as we sing in Evening Prayer, “Jesus Christ is the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
It’s His Word and voice that illuminate your way and impart heavenly wisdom. In fact, as you return to God’s Word, the road you travel becomes brighter and brighter, like the dawn of day, finding its fulfillment on the last day when all darkness is banished forever, and all we can do is bask in His everlasting light.
Alright, Solomon writes these concluding words to his son in the Old Testament reading today,
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
Keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
We have a reminder here that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
The child of God who receives this precious Word of faith is to guard and keep it at all costs. This means not simply going with the flow of life and throwing caution to the wind. It means being disciplined in the way of the Lord and remaining focused on His cross, no matter the earthly costs, because the heavenly reward is greater.
In many ways, I love the ending verse from Proverbs today as it reads,
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
From the home of the heart, our faith springs forth as the Holy Spirit works within us. And to understand this spring of life is to know how a natural spring continues to bubble from below the surface – to flow out of the heart.
Likewise, the font of Holy Baptism continues to bubble as a spring of heavenly life. As you enter the sanctuary, you are reminded of the words the Apostle Paul wrote, “[That you] who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” He has taken your wickedness into the darkness of the font’s grave, yet now you are raised with Him to the light of His new life.
The font then sets you on the path of true Wisdom from above, leading you to hear His Word with all eagerness and diligence, to gather around this altar with the angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven as Jesus comes to feed you the heavenly medicine of forgiveness and immortality.
And then, as you depart this morning, be reminded once more as you pass by the font of the path of life you have been called to in your Baptism, the path that now guides you in what Paul wrote as the “Fruit of the Spirit.” He says, “The fruit of the Spirit is [first] love,” but it may be best to understand that out of this love comes “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.”
This is the life you have been and are called to live. It’s anchored in your baptism and the very Words and life of your Savior, Jesus Christ.
As you depart today, walk by the font, be reminded of your Savior’s love for you, take your children (and grandchildren) to it, and teach them the path you have been taught to walk, show them the way to their Savior, Jesus Christ. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 13
Text: Luke 10:23-37
+INJ+
Recently, my family was watching a religious show on the television, and one of my children noticed how the Jewish people were intently touching an item affixed to the doorposts of a home or building.
This prompted one of my children to ask, “What are they touching, Dad?”
“Well, it’s a mezuzah.”
They replied with, “What’s that?”
You might also have this question, “what’s a mezuzah?”
A mezuzah is a small box the Jewish people have affixed to the doorposts of their homes and synagogues. Inside the mezuzah is a small handwritten scroll with these words from Deuteronomy:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
In a very literal way, the people of Israel place these words of God upon their doorposts. They are ensuring this Word and covenant of God is always before them as they enter their homes. Still, the touching of the mezuzah also serves as a constant reminder of God’s command as they depart their homes and venture into their day-to-day tasks, a reminder to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
In one instance, what a wonderful way to be reminded of God’s love and command for your life as you venture both in and out of your homes.
However, as we know, the Jewish people also saw the Commandments, the Torah, or the Law as something they could do to earn God’s favor, mercy, and eternal life.
In light of this understanding, the lawyer in today’s Gospel wishes to test Jesus.
So the lawyer asks Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
In a somewhat typical fashion, Jesus throws the question back to the one asking by saying, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
And [the lawyer] answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
And [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
Yet, did you notice in the lawyer’s response he not only spoke of love toward God, but he summarized both tables of the law by saying,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
There’s an emphasis on loving one’s neighbor, too.
However, in the lawyer's eyes, this is where the difficulties arise: loving his neighbor as himself.
And like the lawyer, you too have difficulty with this command to love your neighbor as yourself.
You want to know the answer to the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”
Why?
Because you desire to justify your actions, you want to know who you do and, most importantly, don’t have to love.
So, let’s begin here by defining who your neighbor is, shall we?
To define a neighbor narrowly, it is someone nearby or close to you. This should begin to cause you to think differently than the idea that a neighbor is a person in the home next door, willing to give you a cup of sugar when you run out or ask you to come and let their dog out when they are not home.
Instead, a neighbor is anyone close to or near you at any given time; someone you have the potential to care for or serve. This can also imply that your neighbor may change from day to day and from moment to moment, depending on who you come in contact with at work, the store, or as you travel through life. Your neighbor is even those you can serve through your vote this fall, considering the vulnerable, the unborn and the elderly.
And this is what the parable of the Good Samaritan goes on to teach this morning.
Your neighbor is the one before you now, the person in need of God’s love and mercy.
The priest who walked past the man of his own faith wouldn’t help; instead, he did what we do when we see someone in need: turn away, avoid eye contact, and walk as fast as you can.
The priest desired to avoid an obligation to help and show compassion.
Likewise, a Levite followed the priest down the same path. Like us, he followed the leader; he saw the priest walk down the opposite side of the road to avoid the man in distress, and he did likewise.
In all ways, these two men placed their own needs before a neighbor in need – a neighbor in dire straits and needing their mercy and love.
However, lastly, Jesus tells how a Samaritan comes to the aid of the man, beaten, stripped, and lying alongside the road half-dead.
Why is it important that a Samaritan came to aid the man? Because the Samaritans and Jews did not get along, there was deep-seated hostility between these people.
And yet, it is the Samaritan who risks everything—finances, reputation, and life—to care for his new neighbor, the man he never knew he’d meet that day as he journeyed through life, the one in need of his love and mercy so that he might have and receive life.
The Samaritan in this parable is, of course, Jesus.
And interestingly, you are both the one in the ditch, but also the robbers, the priest, the Levite, and the lawyer.
Isn’t that something?
You are the robbers because of the harm you have committed against your neighbors. You are also the priest and Levite because of the ways you have failed to aid your neighbors, explain things in the kindest ways, and help them physically and spiritually. And in a way, this has led you into the ditch.
Collectively, we must all lean not on our own understandings or abilities but on the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus.
We must look to our Good Samaritan, who permitted Himself to be beaten, stripped, and deserted by those closest to him, His Disciples, and His neighbors.
He experiences this cross for you.
So, how do you remember this good news and carry it with you throughout your days of life?
How do you learn to Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you? (Luke 6:27)
How do you learn and remember to be “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
You look to the cross.
While we’re not likely to place a mezuzah on our doorposts, we ought to have a cross or crucifix near our doors to see it as we depart each day into the world. Remembering the mercy God has shown to us and extending it to the neighbors, we will encounter throughout life’s journey.
But our eyes should also see the cross as we enter our homes again at night—to remember the love and mercy we are called to extend to those we deem closest to us—our family.
In these ways, we demonstrate not only love for our neighbor but love for God.
And in Him, you have eternal life. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 12
Text: Mark 7:31-37
+INJ+
In today’s Gospel, there is a word that is uncommon to us, “Ephphatha.”
In fact, this is the only time you will find this word in the New Testament.
But notice how Jesus defines Ephphatha immediately after speaking the word. He says, “Be opened.”
This is an interesting thing to say, is it not?
For instance, what caused the man’s ears to be deaf? Was it a birth defect? Was it something he did?
No, the source of the deaf man’s ailments is actually deeper than this; they are the result of sin. The source of this sin is revealed in the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve did not listen to the Word of God and took of the forbidden tree – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
It’s for this reason some of our bodies are born with ailments that will affect us throughout our earthly lives, while others of us will develop the need for hearing aids, eyeglasses, or prosthetics to restore joints that never seem to move without pain.
But let’s come back to this word, “Ephphatha.”
It’s different, and when you hear it spoken, it calls your attention, right?
In one of the versions of Martin Luther’s Baptismal rites, the use of “Ephphatha” was retained, and we now use this language here at Good Shepherd.
Again, it’s different and should strike you when you hear it in the Baptismal rite. What is it that the child of God is to be opened to?
His Word.
Why? Because the Christians’ only comfort – not to mention weapon-for the battle of life is the Word of God and earnest prayer.
So, who is it that you need defending from?
Well, again, let’s look at the Baptismal rite. The use of “Ephphatha” comes immediately before the reprimands or renunciations of the devil.
So it’s at this moment the child (or adult) is being called to hear God’s Word, to take it to heart, and use it in their daily lives – that they might be kept safe from the harm and danger of the devil, the world, and sinful flesh that clings to you.
This is striking, really; what is it that assaults your faith the most?
When you determine this, you will learn what you are genuinely consuming, what is pumping into your ears and through your veins, and what is causing your ears to close and block the Word of God from penetrating your heart with life-giving faith.
This might be compared to someone watching the news; you keep calling them from another room to come and help you, but they don’t even acknowledge you because they have become deaf to your voice as the news encapsulates them.
Or take a child playing a video game, and you try to petition them to help with the groceries falling out of your hands, but the screen has hypnotized them – literally leading them into another world entirely.
In one way or another, these people must be snapped back to reality.
You must be brought back to reality.
So, let’s examine the Gospel today and compare how this occurs in light of Holy Baptism.
The Gospel says the deaf and mute man was taken aside.
Likewise, the one being baptized is being separated and set apart from the world.
While we would not spit and place our fingers into the ears of a child as Jesus did, we should be reminded that baptism takes on a physical character. The pastor often lays hands upon the child to give intentionality to the blessing God is placing upon them.
Then Jesus looks up to heaven before sighing and saying that word again, “Ephphatha, that is, ‘Be opened.’”
There are a couple of things occurring here. First, in His looking up to heaven, Jesus reflects how He is calling upon His Father at this moment to aid and care for the man before Him.
But also, notice along with the physical touching and placing of the hands into the ears of the man, Jesus speaks a Word – a word in the imperative, a command and order for the ears to open.
Likewise, in Holy Baptism, it’s not just the physical touch of the water rushing over the child’s head; it’s also, as the Small Catechism teaches, the Word of God that is active in Baptism, creating faith and opening the ears of all believers.
This is a great comfort for us because it reveals how God is the one active in creating faith within us.
Still, the reason we have to renounce the devil is that he still actively tempts us.
So, how do we keep from falling into temptation and finding our ears becoming hardened and closed to the Word of God?
The Church Father, Ambrose of Milan, wrote:
Every sabbath, we witness the “opening up” of a mystery. It is in outline form, the type of that liturgical opening when the minister once touched your ears and nostrils.
What does this mean? Remember in the Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ, when the deaf and dumb man was presented to him, touched his ears and his mouth: the ears, because he was deaf; the mouth, because he was dumb. And he said: “Ephphatha,” a Hebrew word, which means [be opened]. In this way the minister is now touching your ears, that your ears may be opened to this sermon and exhortation.
The whole liturgy of the Divine Service is a calling for your ears to be opened and your lips to be loosened in Christ.
As the pastor speaks the invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we are now calling upon God to open our ears and loosen our tongues again.
The invocation calls us back to our Baptisms, thus calling us back to confess our sin so that forgiveness and faith may reside.
All this begins with your ears.
As the Apostle Paul wrote,
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
In this way, the ears become the portal to faith – a faith that is to be nourished within your hearts as you gather to receive God’s Word in the reading of Holy Scripture, sing the hymns, and receive the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar.
Still, the world lies in wait for you to return. It’s patient and not in a hurry. As you arrive home and your Sunday returns to normal, your ears are likewise tempted to once again find themselves closing and becoming deaf to God and His Word.
This is a challenge of living in a fallen world; it never sleeps, and it always has something to offer you.
But what the world offers only lasts for this life.
Yet the gift granted in today’s Gospel to the deaf and mute man was not only for this life but also looked toward the life to come, life eternal with Jesus, a life where he would hear and proclaim the eternal song of heaven.
If you feel yourself drifting in faith and confidence, remember and return to your Baptism, where Christ Jesus continues to speak into your ears the Word of His Death and Resurrection.
Come and gather around this rail, open your mouths that the precious gift of forgiveness won for you upon the cross, in both the flesh and blood of Jesus, and enliven your tongues to sing with Simeon the eternal song of peace.
What a wonderful gift for us poor, miserable sinners.
That Jesus would continue to come to us and say, “Ephphatha.”
That He would continue to open our ears and hearts to His Word and faith and redeem us. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 11
Text: Luke 18:9-14
+INJ+
You’ve all probably experienced an individual that if you wanted to get them to do something, you needed to lead them into believing what you wanted done was actually their idea.
This is a familiar method leaders often use to get their way, and it can be pretty successful.
But I honestly don’t like this. I was encouraged to use this style of leadership with a person. But this particular person fed off this type of leadership; they wanted to be the most intelligent person in the room, they wanted to receive the accolades, they wanted to be at the center of attention, they wanted to say, I’m not like the other people here, just ask me.
So, what did all these desires lead them to? Pride.
No, I’m not speaking of the good kind of pride, the pride you have in your hometown or your military service; I’m speaking of the type that elevates oneself above others, the type that leads to sin.
The book of Proverbs touches on this as it is written,
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)
In some ways, this verse encapsulates the parable Jesus tells in our Gospel this morning.
There are two men who “went up into the Temple in order to pray.” They each desired to approach God. The first man Jesus says was a Pharisee. Pharisees were eager to keep God’s law and were often seen disputing with Jesus. Eventually, they joined in the plot to have Jesus crucified. But the Pharisees at the time were generally viewed as good, faithful, pious Jews.
However, they had a problem in their heart, which is what Jesus identifies today: The Pharisees thought of themselves as superior to others. They believed they could approach God and enter His favor through their works, accomplishments, and merit.
Five times, the Pharisee uses the first person in his prayer, “O God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”
Desiring to distinguish between his life and those around him, he prays privately but within earshot of others so they may hear his prayers. He wants others to hear of his devotion, piety, and righteous life.
One thing to understand here is that Jewish prayers were traditionally done aloud. Now, what was the Pharisee trying to do with his prayer? He was giving a prayer of thanksgiving. But do you notice what he’s thanking God for? He’s thanking God for how good he was.
The “Pharisee is giving thanks for himself and not the gifts God has given him.” (Just, 682)
This man doesn’t see himself in need of forgiveness because he doesn’t see himself to be a sinner. In fact, he boasted that he was not from the same line as those sinners, those extortioners, adulterers, that is, people of this world, or, in the context of Jesus’ day, the dreaded Tax Collectors. No, he was different; he was on a different level from the rest of society. And if he fails at keeping the Law, well then, maybe he wasn’t doing enough.
It’s the deeds of the Pharisee that define and justify him, that make him holy.
As you hear this parable, you might be quick to separate yourself from the Pharisee. You’re probably doing it right now. You are thanking God that you are not like him.
And how could you be so self-righteous?
Are you that different?
How often have you said, “I’m glad I’m not that person,” or hung around individuals and flatly said, “I’m not like them?”
But we are, aren’t we? Misery loves company.
We, too, want our deeds to justify us, our church attendance, our giving, and our desire to simply be good human beings to be our justification throughout life.
But it cannot be our desire for our deeds to justify who we are before our heavenly Father. The commandments of our Lord cannot serve as a measuring stick for success while failing to recognize the sin that has corrupted each of us in our hearts. Instead, we must enter God’s presence by saying the words of the tax collector, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
These are the words of the dreaded tax collector.
It’s the tax collector that society saw as dishonest and self-serving, a true sinner.
But the fascinating thing that happens is that’s exactly what he admits to being as he said, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
His prayer before God is petitionary; he didn’t give thanks; instead, he petitioned God for the mercy he needed because of who he was: a transgressor.
Look at how the man approached God; his eyes were down in shame, much like a child who appears before their father seeking forgiveness after the window was broken, hurting a sibling, or having violated the rules of the house.
The Tax Collector was guilty of sin, guilty of breaking God’s command to love Him with his whole heart and to love neighbor as self.
Refraining from lifting his hands in prayer as was tradition, the tax collector beats his chest, committing his whole body and posture to the mourning of his sin, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
These are to be our words as well—our confession.
In a way, this is precisely what we said at the beginning of the Divine Service as we confessed our sins before God. However, we beat our chest by making the sign of the cross, touching our forehead, chest, and shoulders to remember the source of God’s mercy and forgiveness – the cross of Jesus.
Remember the Proverb,
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)
It’s on the cross where the true wisdom of the world is revealed in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ for you.
So, look here to the tree of Calvary and see your Savior.
He did not die for himself; He died for you.
Then He rose again that you might have this great news of His victory within you, that by His Word, you would have life and salvation.
And this Word is amazing because it leads you away from your own selfish desires and the ways you want to look at others with disdain; it humbles you and brings you to the cross of Jesus to join the ranks of extortioners, adulterers, and Tax Collectors, confessing your sin with untied voice.
My friends, none of us are really that different when you get down to it. We’ve all been given different talents and abilities to help and support one another. And this is a gift, because no one has to be the smartest person in the room and no one has to do it all. Instead, we examine our hearts we learn how we are a united people in need of God’s mercy.
So do not lose hope as you journey through this life, nor your faith, for when you enter this sanctuary and find yourself looking to the ground in humility as you beat your chest in confession, it’s the cross of Jesus and His forgiveness that raises you not only you but everyone around you and it’s this life that will raise you on the last day too! +INJ+
The Wedding of Spencer and Meaghan Breen
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 & 1 John 4:7-12
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What is love?
Is it a feeling? Or the butterflies in your stomach?
Is it doing the laundry? Paying the bills? Changing diapers, or even taking out the trash?
We might make arguments that love could be any of these, but that last action has stayed with me for the past couple of months.
Taking out the trash.
When I asked Meaghan and Spencer to perform an exercise to determine who would have particular responsibilities in their new home, Spencer was listed as the “Trash Panda.”
At first, I had no idea what a trash panda was. But after asking the question with a bit of trepidation, I learned from these two that it was slang for the one who would take out the trash.
But a trash panda is also another way of saying raccoon.
But here’s the thing about these creatures: they don’t actually take out the trash; they go through it. These beasts are scavengers and what does a scavenger do? They feast on scraps that are rotting, dead, and without life.
In a way, I believe this can define all of us, don’t you?
We heard in the first reading to the Corinthians,
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.
But humans are not patient. They are envious and arrogant, insisting on their own way and becoming irritable and resentful at the first sign of a disagreement. They keep a record of wrongs and are not interested in the truth but rather their truth.
This is a summary of your first argument, isn’t it? It’s those moments when everything seems to have been tossed into the trash, where true love and life no longer exist.
And this is the story of humankind.
Look back to the Garden of Eden. God created man in His image. He provided the man, Adam, a wife and helpmate named Eve. Having sinned by disobeying God’s command by taking of the forbidden tree, God confronts the two love birds and what happens,
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13)
In a way, these two, Adam and Eve, look and sound like children, don’t they? They lack maturity.
Yet, marriage requires maturity. It calls you to know and understand love.
So, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Is this you? Are you capable of this? I mean, I feel like everyone here has had an argument or disagreement with someone in their lifetime, and when this happens, I have to believe the inner trash panda came out in all of you. You began digging into the trash can of despair and recalling all the times the toilet seat was left up or the number of times Amazon dropped off another package on the front step.
I’m not sure these are the times when “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
No, rather, this Scripture verse is a definition of Jesus.
It’s for this reason He was sent by His Father to take upon Himself your flesh, the flesh of Adam and Eve, the dying and rotting flesh of man.
In fact, St. John wrote in the second reading this evening, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
To understand love is to realize that love does not begin with one man or one woman; it does not start with you; if it did, we’d be in trouble. It begins with God.
This is most clearly seen in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ upon the cross. In this way, He became the propitiation for your sins, meaning He was truly faithful to His Father, even to death upon a cross, where He did not count the cost but sacrificed Himself for you to forgive you.
This is how you are to understand love, to look to the cross of Jesus and see your Savior.
In fact, when there is trash in your lives that needs to be removed, the moments of envy, irritability, or resentfulness toward one another, return to this cross of Jesus, Spencer, and Meaghan, confess your sins, and then forgive one another as Christ forgives you.
Because forgiveness is the foundation of your marriage, it will permit you to begin learning to sacrifice yourselves for one another.
So as you strive to love one another in this beautiful gift of marriage, go to church, have babies, baptize them, raise them in the Christian faith, teaching them how to look to Jesus, confess their sins, and forgive those who sin against them.
Because this is how one takes out the trash of life, this is how “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, [and] endures all things.”
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Trinity 10
Text: Luke 19:41-48
Where is the peace?
As the armies surround the city on each side, the walls are torn down; no stone is left unturned. The inhabitants are slaughtered, crucified, and dismembered as blood fills the streets and the utter destruction of a civilization is at hand.
As food and water become scarce, daughters turn against their mothers and fathers against their sons. It’s every man, woman, and child for themselves.
So again, where is the peace?
No, this is not an image or illusion of the conflicts continuing to rage on in Israel and Ukraine; instead, it is the destruction of Jerusalem foretold by Jesus in today’s Gospel – a destruction carried out in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus.
Peace was not found in the city of Jerusalem, a city whose very name contains the word peace, “Salem.” Despite the name, Jesus sees a city in the Gospel that will not know or receive Him but will reject Him.
Thus, Jesus weeps for Jerusalem upon entering the great city on that joyful Palm Sunday.
He weeps for their unrepentant way of life and blindness.
He weeps for their failure to understand the things that make for peace, namely His death and resurrection.
He weeps that the armies of Titus will eventually lay siege on the city, destroying everything within its walls down to its very foundation.
Similarly, in wars past and in wars today, we should see them as a call to repentance as they are the consequence of sin in the world; true war is the armed conflict fought to destroy one’s enemies, to destroy any safe haven the enemy or sin may have by ripping down their foundations.
In WWII, in an effort to destroy the power of Hitler, cities were leveled, churches destroyed, and church bells fell silent.
As you fast forward to the twenty-first century and the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, the very mountains in which the enemies hid were shaken and brought to rubble, or cities were surrounded as the military might suffocate an enemy that remained within the gates.
Titus and his armies did all this as they, too, conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D., just as Jesus lamented.
Our world constantly reminds us of our sins and our need for God’s forgiveness. Look around you. We are called to repent not just today but every day, for repentance is faith, and where there is faith, there are the fruits of faith—such as prayer.
We ask for deliverance from evil; we ask for it in the Lord’s prayer. Jesus asks for deliverance even as He prays to the Father on the Mount of Olives on the night of His betrayal, saying,
“Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me.”
For just as Jesus sees and knows what this city will do to Him in the coming days, He sees the great war that will be inflicted upon His flesh to destroy sin’s effect upon mankind as they will crucify and kill Him.
So Jesus laments over the sin of the city inhabitants, their “stealing, murdering, adultery, swearing falsely, and offerings to other gods.” (Jeremiah 7:9)
You see, in today’s Old Testament reading, we hear these words from the prophet Jeremiah, a warning delivered at the entrance of the first Jerusalem temple to those dwelling inside, that is, those within the Church. Jeremiah calls the children of Israel to repentance before the temple’s first destruction.
Likewise, we live in a world where we are just as comfortable in these sins as the inhabitants of Jerusalem; as long as we do not bother our neighbors or intrude on their lives, what business do we have with them?
In fact, we have begun to define sin so narrowly that it includes only those things that are known to directly and negatively harm others. We also prefer to see sin as something done to us rather than what we have or have not done to or for our neighbor and God.
In many ways, we are the same people of old.
Like the people of Jerusalem, we have become hardened, not always recognizing our need for repentance. As I once heard, we have become a world that has forgotten how to blush and be ashamed.
And for all of this, Jesus weeps.
He weeps in compassion.
Jesus weeps for the hardness and unbelief of man.
The visible consequences of sin remain even today after the cross.
We see these consequences of sin in the persecution of Christians around the world, in the deaths of our friends and family, in marriages that fall apart, the words that do more than hurt feelings and in the consequences of our decisions, which lead to emotional and spiritual anguish that troubles us in sleepless nights.
The consequences are still very real, but they often go unnoticed because we are unable to blush and feel shame.
However, death by crucifixion was one of the most shameful manners of death, yet God used it as a means of peace. For it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that the world will know who He is and receive the peace that only comes in Him.
No matter the war that rages within your heart, the destruction you have caused to another with your words and actions, hear the call to blush and feel shame, repent of your sin, and then fix your eyes on the cross, the cross that now reveals the price of heavenly combat to you, paid in full.
Yes, this is not the Gospel reading you’d imagine hearing today, but it is the Word of God appointed for today, the Word you must hear.
But take heart, Christ has won, and as the conqueror over sin, death, and the devil, He now gives you His peace; He gives you of Himself in this heavenly supper. So come, gather as God’s holy people, people of His Holy Jerusalem, people of peace and forgiveness awaiting the day when weeping shall cease, and eternal joy will be your everlasting song. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 8
Text: Matthew 7:15-23
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
One reason for the spread of the Reformation was a little-known invention at the time: the printing press. Unknown to Martin Luther, some of his writings were taken, copies made, and then spread throughout the neighboring areas.
After seeing how easily his writings could be disseminated, Luther went on to employ the printing press in many ways and methods to combat the false doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church and ensure the Word of God was available to more and more people throughout the towns and villages of Germany and eventually Europe.
Like Luther, others who disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church seized the moment and followed Luther’s lead. They also used the newfound ease of printing books and papers to spread their heretical writings, leading many of God’s sheep astray.
Fast-forward to the twentieth century and the Lutheran Church again found a new way to communicate the message of the Gospel to the masses. This time, it came in the form of the radio, as the Lutheran Hour aired for the first time on October 2, 1930. It became one of the first radio programs to broadcast a weekly message throughout an entire country and the world, proclaiming the love of Christ to parts unknown, eventually even taking to television. This year is its 94th anniversary, which is pretty impressive.
As many historians have remarked, the invention of the printing press in the sixteenth century was revolutionary, as was the use of the radio in the twentieth century.
These advances and uses of technologies are correctly seen as gifts from God.
Like the Lutheran Hour, Martin Luther was on the front line of using innovative technology to advance the Gospel like never before. However, as in instances of history, others have also naturally employed these modes of communication since their inception to spread a misleading and false confession of God’s Word.
Yet today, technological advances have grown beyond print or radio. The television evangelists of the 1980s and 1990s are almost all but forgotten; some are still out there, but their presence has significantly diminished. Instead, today’s most pressing means of communication and technology are in a computer and the hands of anyone with a cell phone.
Every preacher who wants to be heard has a podcast, a live stream, or a blog (guilty). Theological memes abound with heresy. However, what’s even scarier than all this is how AI (Artificial Intelligence) has risen and begun to take over what we read, consume and influence how we think and believe.
You are living in the future today, where computers gather information about you to help an organization or person tell you how to think, what to think, and when to believe it.
Now, I know not all of you are online or have social media, but with these technological advances, the internet proves fertile ground for the false prophets of our day. With every new technology platform or artificial intelligence’s arrival, new opportunities for little devils also arise to fill your eyes and ears with a word that does not ascend from the Scriptures.
These little devils are the false prophets of our day. People who stand and say they are from God without being first Called and then sent to preach His Word.
For clarity, a prophet or pastor is Called (by a Church) and then sent by God to proclaim His Word or expound upon it. The Divine Call and sending is outside the man; he cannot appoint himself as prophet and pastor.
A false prophet prophesizes falsely—they speak untrue words or bend the Word of God to suit their need, cause, or personal belief. As one theological dictionary puts it, they are a “bogus prophet.”
So why does this all matter? Because when the Word of God is not proclaimed in its truth and purity, or even by a human nonetheless, you are in grave danger of being led astray and into unbelief.
Unbelief will lead you away from Jesus and, in the end, to not being with Jesus in His heavenly kingdom.
This is why you must be on guard for the wolves in sheep’s clothing, coming to proclaim false words to you.
Saint John Chrysostom wrote,
The movements of wolves are hidden in shadows. Hence, [Jesus] commanded that one should… continuously and carefully look out for wolves because one cannot see them the moment they attack. For this reason, he says, “Watch out!” to make his hearers more careful in distinguishing deception from truth.10
So, can you discern and decipher the words of a wolf from the true Word of God?
It’s challenging, isn’t it? Especially when you cannot see into the shadows of the dark web where so many things are being written and spoken that are meant to tell you how to think.
So, what are we to do in this new world?
The same thing Luther did as he pointed the church and world back to God’s faithful and unadulterated Word.
That’s what I have been called to do, to point you back to God’s Word.
The Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy helps us to know how to distinguish between deception from truth as he wrote,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
So, how do we know what is true?
We return to God’s Word, reading, studying, and learning. The only way is to go to the source, open your Bible, and return to your heavenly Father.
Now, this is hard work. It means setting aside time each day to read God’s Word, meditate, and grow in the fertile soil it presents because the soil of your heart requires this Word to grow in the faith.
It means coming to Bible class or taking advantage of opportunities within the church to grow in your faith and be armed with God’s Word.
Come, read your Bible, ask me questions, and ensure that I, too, do not fall into the shadows and that I am not enticed by the wolves that wish to attack us and our faith.
My friends, we are truly living in the future. We can look back and see all the gifts God has given not only to us but also to our world, especially when it comes to technology. But as He created us, we must remember how He gave us reason and intellect to discern the information we receive, the good from the bad and evil, the diseased fruit from the ripe and good-for-eating fruit. The kind that feeds our faith.
All of this takes work, daily reading of God's Word, and a life of prayer. But through this pattern of faith, you will grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and see how His death upon the cross took the disease of your sin into Himself so that you might receive His forgiveness and life.
So, let us always be like the Apostle Paul and Martin Luther, returning to God's Word, even in this quickly changing world. A Word that we judge everything we consume against because it is the Word that will never mislead you but guide you into eternal life with Jesus. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 7
Text: Mark 8:1-9
+INJ+
Leading up to today's Gospel, Jesus teaches and performs miracles. These extraordinary acts of compassion and love lead people to follow Jesus without any sense of time or place. In fact, they are so caught up in Jesus’s teaching that they have followed Him for three days into a desolate, remote wilderness of the countryside.
But now it was time to eat, and again, there was no food, not enough to feed this small gathering of four thousand men plus women and children.
Jesus recognizes that if they were sent home, they would be famished and faint and not reach their destination.
So, what does Jesus do? He has compassion for those who have gathered and followed Him.
The Greek word for compassion is σπλαγχνίζομαι, and it is a yearning for sympathy that literally has its source in Christ's stomach (the bowels). In this instance, Jesus is deeply moved to help and care for these dear people who have followed Him and clung to His every Word, even into this wilderness of life.
Here is an image of true faith: these followers of Jesus are not concerned where their food and drink will come from; they’re simply consuming every word Jesus speaks.
The disciples, however, are the ones struggling. They have traveled with Jesus and seen Him heal the lame, care for the diseased, and feed the hungry. Still, their words do not reflect a faith that sees the kingdom of God in their presence. Their faith was wavering as they were consumed with earthly things rather than the heavenly.
This wavering can be seen as they spoke to Jesus, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”
At the core, they were doubting the words of Jesus. They were breaking the First Commandment.
Now is a good time for review, what is the First Commandment?
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The moments and times we exercise our faith most earnestly are when we have found ourselves in a wilderness of life when we have nothing more than to rely on Jesus, our Savior.
It’s when we experience a loss. The death of a loved one, a pending medical procedure, the loss of employment, an erring child.
These are the wildernesses we might most often relate to, the times we turn our hearts and use our lips to confess faith in Jesus to provide for us. Why? Because as we sit in these wildernesses, we are reminded there’s no one else to trust and help us out of this desolation outside of God.
But, my friends, there are still darker and more desolate places for you.
The disciples saw an earthly wasteland all around them, but Jesus had compassion upon them and the crowd that followed, feeding them until they were satisfied. As it turns out, this land was not as barren as they had first imagined.
But another truth arises: the wastelands of life are where Jesus is not present.
Let’s face it: When there is a need, we turn to God, but when life is going swimmingly well, our hearts are turned more inward as we desire to trust in ourselves.
The result of this attitude is a desolation of faith.
In the Collect of the day, we prayed, “We humbly implore You to put away from us all hurtful things and to give us those things that are profitable for us.”
Often, there is confusion over what is hurtful and what is profitable.
Is money hurtful or profitable?
Money is a profitable gift from God, which can be used to pay bills, purchase clothing, and buy a home. But too much of it can also lead one into greed and a place where it is hurtful.
Is a cell phone hurtful or profitable?
It’s profitable when you are stuck on the side of the road or need to stay in touch with friends and family a world away. Yet, it can be hurtful and lead you into a wilderness of loneliness if you stare into its blue lights of death while the world around you goes unnoticed.
Is food and drink hurtful or profitable?
Again, food is profitable and necessary for life—to have energy, to work, and to exercise. But it can be harmful in excess, too, or if we’re not eating and consuming the right things.
Likewise, our bodies and minds, as well as our faith, must consume the things profitable for this life and the next.
So, where do we look for this profitable food?
We look to Jesus. He will give us what we need for this life and what is profitable.
As the disciples struggled with their faith and where the food would come from, Jesus directed the crowds to sit, and they did it; they listened to His Word and did it. Then, what He did next was a miracle; He fed the four thousand with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.
As the Gospel recorded, “And [Jesus] took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people.”
Do you notice the language here, “and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples.”
The Greek word for “Given thanks” is εὐχαριστέω, which many of you might know better as Eucharist. In some churches, this word is often used to mean the Lord’s Supper. It is also the word used in the Institution of the Lord’s Supper, the Words you will soon hear as Christ comes to you again in the most miraculous ways, as His flesh and blood are joined to the bread and wine.
And here is why this is important: while the world around you is often leading you into self-imposed wildernesses, Jesus is calling you to Himself. He is calling you to come to an oasis of His love here at the Lord’s Supper, where He now grants you everything profitable and needful for this life—His life, His forgiveness, and His salvation.
For this reason, the Lord’s Supper is not only heavenly food but, as the Church Fathers have called it, the medicine of immortality. And it’s for you, dear Christian.
So, if your heart is weighed down with worry, come to this supper.
Are the things of this world occupying your mind in a way that you feel burdened? Come to this supper.
And yet, do you not feel the hunger and thirst for the Sacrament, then listen to these words of Luther,
“For those who are of such a mind that they do not realize their condition I know no better counsel than that they put their hand into their shirt to check whether they have flesh and blood. And if you find that you do, then go [to the Supper], for your good.”
Luther goes on to say, “Those who are true Christians and value the Sacrament precious and holy will drive and move themselves to go to it.”[1]
These words of Luther reflect true and unwavering faith in your God and Savior.
No matter the lonely, uninhabited wildernesses of your life, it’s my prayer the Word of Jesus will lead you to this altar.
Because when you depart, there should be no concern for fainting or being famished. Instead, you will have received the heavenly food that nourishes and sustains you as you journey to your heavenly home with Christ forever. +INJ
[1] Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 436.
Trinity 6
Romans 6:1-11
+INJ+
Over the past week, we celebrated the 4th of July, the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since this date, millions of people have immigrated to this country, and many, if not all, of us are descendants of these brave individuals.
But why did our ancestors make the long and challenging journey through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to come to the United States?
The reasons probably vary, but just as the founders wrote, adopted, and signed the Declaration of Independence, I’m sure many of our ancestors were also seeking some form of independence and liberty.
They wanted to escape their past, seek religious and political freedom, and obtain land, jobs, and financial stability. Our ancestors wanted an inheritance of milk and honey, not just for themselves but also for the generations that would follow them.
So they left everything they knew and set sail across the ocean to come to the United States of America.
But first, before making landfall and pursuing the freedoms they so dearly desired, many of our ancestors went through a port of entry; they had to pass through an immigration station, much like Ellis Island in the harbor of New York City.
This small island became the main port of entry to the United States of America for some sixty years, bringing millions of individuals and families into this country in pursuit of liberty and freedom.
In a similar way, the Church on earth also has a small port of entry, a means by which the saints of God, His dear children, are brought into His Church, a heavenly land of milk and honey, and that is through the font of Holy Baptism.
In fact, this morning's Epistle speaks of Baptism’s changing effect on you, the newness of life you receive in its waters, and the freedom from sin you receive.
However, one of the challenges is that we do not think of our baptism as often as we ought, nor do we live in it as we ought.
Part of this is that the font is not a constant fixture of our daily lives as Martin Luther instructs in the Small Catechism, let alone each time we come to this sanctuary.
Reflect on the immigrants entering the port of New York City at Ellis Island; once they traveled and settled in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, or wherever they were going to begin farming, did the joy and image of Ellis Island remain with them forever?
Maybe, but for many, the tasks of the day, the needs of the family, and the hard labor of working the soil filled their minds. In the process, Ellis Island became a fading and distant memory.
Do the tasks of your daily life fill your mind in a way that you forget the freedom and new life you not only received but continue to receive in the waters of Holy Baptism?
The threat remains that if Baptism is not an ongoing part of your life, you will forget the joys of redemption and forgiveness present for you in the font.
But what is the font anyway?
The font is the port of entry into the Church, and for this reason, not only historic churches but many still today have their baptismal fonts at the sanctuary’s entrance.
The font is where the Apostle Paul says we go to die with Christ and be raised to new life. Paul wrote,
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.
In other words, when we approach the font and are baptized with water and the Word of God, we are joined to the cross and grave of Jesus Christ. Yet, just as He arose from the dead, so are we raised with Him to new life.
This new life occurs each time we gather to confess our sins. In this way, we once again die with Jesus and enter His grave only to be raised by the absolution, the forgiveness of sin.
This is what Martin Luther means as he wrote in the Small Catechism,
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
So we come to the font to drown the Old Adam within us, the sin we have inherited and have committed since, to put to death the evil desires of the heart that lead us to break the Commandments. The ways we do not fear, love, and trust in God above all things, but instead put our trust in princes and presidents. How we fail to honor mothers and fathers, no matter how eccentric they may be. Or the anger that burns within our hearts, leading us to murder our neighbors in thought, word, and deed.
Baptism drowns these sins and buries them with Christ forever so that a new man may arise within you, producing and extending love and charity to your neighbor.
In fact, the new man that should arise within you is none other than Jesus Himself.
Yet, part of your challenge is that you often forget and leave your Baptism behind as soon as you depart the doors of this sanctuary. The image of the font fades from your memory as the toil and daily needs of the world press upon you.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, this occurs for several reasons.
First, because we do not see the font as the port of entry that it is. However, when a church has the font at the sanctuary's entrance, it forces Christians to see it not only as they enter but also when they depart. In this way, the font would be the last thing a Christian sees and encounters as they leave the church and enter the world of daily life.
Secondly, in this way, the font also serves as a reminder of the new life you have received in Jesus Christ – the redemption and forgiveness won for you on the cross.
This is the true liberty and new life that should drive all of us to leave our old lives behind, to travel over land and sea to receive - the gift of being made free from sin, death, and the devil.
And yet, if you should find yourselves like so many, out in the midst of daily life, being oppressed by sin and your conscience, then I give you these words of Luther as he wrote,
So when our sins and conscience oppress us, we strengthen ourselves and take comfort and say, “Nevertheless, I am baptized. And if I am baptized, it is promised to me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body.”
What a wonderful gift you have in Holy Baptism—a gift that has been granted to you and your children and remains for future generations.
The gift of forgiveness and everlasting life.
The gift of entering the sanctuary, seeing the font, and saying with Luther, “I am baptized.”
Let these words be your comfort and assurance no matter what life throws at you in the days that are to come.
Are you lonely or depressed? Does grief and sadness fill your heart? Then, speak into this present darkness, “I am baptized.”
Have you become ill? Is life full of uncertainty? Then confess at this time of anxiety and despair, “I am baptized.”
Is death drawing near and the grave’s pit approaching? Then, approach it confidently, confessing the resurrected life you already have by saying, “I am baptized.”
What sweet and comforting words! Say them as you awake and as you lie down to sleep. Write them on your doorposts and always remember them. Because with them and the gift of God’s Word and Baptismal waters, you have already died to sin and have been raised to new life; you are already a child and citizen of paradise. +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
Trinity 5
Text: Luke 5:1-11
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Why do you work? Or, for some of you, why did you work so many days of your life?
As we examine the grind of daily work, we see and feel its effects physically, mentally, and even spiritually. Our vocations throughout life are as God said to Adam as he was excommunicated from the Garden of Eden.
God said,
Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:17-20)
With these words, God reveals our whole lives to be full of enduring labor and toil.
This is what Peter, James, and John were experiencing in the Gospel. They had been out fishing all night, pulling the third shift with no success. What was worse, they still had to tend their equipment and clean their nets.
In some ways, this seems unfair. But this was part of their vocation as fishermen, and they were doing this as Jesus approached.
Now, in the verses leading up to today's text, Jesus had been preaching in the synagogues. His Word was creating faith in those listening and hearing Him preach, so much so that they continued to follow Him all the way to the water, where Peter, James, and John were sitting exhausted from the night before.
In many ways, these three men were just bystanders to the crowds pressing in upon Jesus.
But what does Jesus do when He arrives? He gets into one of their boats. The Gospel doesn’t say He asked for permission, either. He just came and sat among them, asking Simon to push out a little to continue teaching the people.
After Jesus finished teaching, it was now time for Simon Peter, James, and John to be taught, too.
So, how does this go?
Jesus told Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon responds, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”
At first, it seems like Simon Peter is arguing or rebuffing Jesus, but then he says, “But at your word, I will let down the nets.”
This is a critical part of the passage: “But at your word, I will let down the nets.”
How beautiful!
Simon Peter listens to Jesus's words and does as He instructs. He doesn’t argue or try to reason with Jesus; he just says, “But at your word I will let down the nets.”
And where is he letting down the nets?
Into the deep depths of the sea.
Not only is this not necessarily the best place for fish, but throughout the Old Testament, the depths of the sea were known as places of chaos, evil, and death.
This is revealed in how Pharoah and his army were drowned in the sea; the sea is where the great serpent Leviathan lived, causing chaos and destruction, and the sea is where Jonah found himself within the belly of the fish – in mental and spiritual anguish because he would not listen and submit to God’s Word and instruction.
But Simon Peter does listen to Jesus’ Word, and it changes everything for Him.
He drops the nets and brings in the motherload of fish, requiring the assistance and need of a second boat to come and help.
Simon Peter knew this wasn’t normal and now understood that the Man he had just heard preaching about the Kingdom of God, the Man who had just said to “Let down your nets for a catch,” was none other than God Himself.
And so, Peter does the only thing He can think of: he says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
These words of Peter form a confession, not only of newfound faith but also of his sin. A sin that we often experience in our vocations.
Are you a mother or father, son or daughter caught up in the chaos of life? Are there Leviathans wreaking havoc in your relationships with one another and within your home? Causing the sea waters to batter and beat down your family’s faith?
Or do you lack faith and clarity in your callings? Is your heart and mind in mental anguish with Jonah as you sit in the belly of the great fish? Have you permitted God to lead you into the unknown callings of life? Or do you sit there begrudgingly in the darkness?
Here’s the thing: Like Peter, James, and John, we are subject to the sin of this world—the sin we inherit from Adam and Eve in the Garden. A deep, chaotic darkness surrounds us; our toil and work will always be arduous, but Jesus is with us like these three.
You see, the boat in today’s Gospel often depicts the Church. In fact, the sanctuary is known as the Nave, which means “Ship” or “Boat.” So, to be in this ship or church is to be in the presence of Jesus – to have Him with you.
Yet, when you sin, lack faith, or find yourself confused, Jesus uses His pastors to toss the net of His Word into the waters surrounding you to bring you back over the railings of the ship and into His safe care again.
For this reason, pastors are sent to hear you confess with Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
But then Jesus speaks to Peter, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
An interesting variance in the Greek here is that the literal translation is “From now on, you will be catching men alive.”
This is the pastor's vocation: to toss and lower the nets of God’s word into the dark world surrounding the church—you.
To hear your confession of sin, and then to announce the words of Jesus to you in the absolution.
The absolution is when you hear the pastor say, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
In this way, Jesus also tells you, “Do not be afraid.”
In fact, He’s giving you life – His life at the font and in the deep, dark waters of Holy Baptism or here at this altar in His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin.
He gives you of Himself so that as you toil throughout the days of this life, you might do so with His peace. So that your homes may become like the Church, a safe harbor of His presence for young and old alike.
In fact, the Psalmist writes,
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:1-2)
While it is difficult and challenging, remember these words as you depart today: Jesus is with you.
He is there building your home, as the need for changing diapers never seems to end. He is there watching over your home, keeping you safe from the threatening perils of evil. And He is there when the anxieties of anxious toil persist – giving you rest and sleep in His unending peace.
So depart today unafraid and forgiven, approaching the toils of this life by following Jesus.
Hear His Word, listen and obey it, and be led into His eternal presence. +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
Trinity 4
Text: Luke 6:36-42
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)
These words sound like a motto for a coffee mug or a sign to be placed on a shelf in your home. But they are, in fact, imperatives for life, meaning they are orders being given by Jesus.
But it’s hard to keep these words of Jesus, isn’t it?
Consider how you interact with your neighbors or families: Do you hear a child’s dreams and ideas and immediately think they’re ridiculous and nonsensical?
When someone takes over leading an event and prepares to do it differently, do you give them “advice” and then condemn them when they don’t follow it, and things don’t turn out as they had planned?
Do you say, “I told you this wouldn’t work?”
Then what’s most likely to follow? We go and tell itching ears that are ready and willing to hear our laments and condemnation of our neighbors – we find people who will share in our views and critique.
To put it bluntly, we break the Eighth Commandment, and we gossip, slander, and hurt reputations.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
In these ways, we are also attempting to make ourselves superior to our neighbors, and in the process, we’re sinning against them and God.
So, what is it that the Christian is genuinely called to?
Jesus says, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) Jesus is instructing the disciples and you to be images of His heavenly Father, your Heavenly Father. You see, “God the Father has had mercy on you that His Son, Jesus Christ, died for you while you were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)
A significant challenge with our lack of mercy and forgiveness is that we don't actually trust God. We don't believe the First Commandment with all our hearts. And when one does not “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” then you are not able to love “your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
And when we judge others, we are not showing the same love we wish and sometimes demand to receive.
Justin Martyr, a Church Father, wrote, "We pray for you that you might experience the mercy of Christ. He instructed us to pray for our enemies when he said, "Be kind and merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful." We can observe that Almighty God is kind and merciful, causing His sun to shine on the ungrateful and on the just and sending rain to both the holy and the evil. All of them, he has told us, he will judge.”
The quote by Justin Martyr reminds us that we can see God's kindness even in a world that continues to groan from the bondage of sin in how the sun continues to rise, and the rain continues to fall upon the just and the unjust equally.
Ultimately, God will judge man - as we confess in the Creed - “And He will come again, to judge the living and the dead.”
When we attempt to render judgment upon neighbors, when we withhold forgiveness or fail to see the plank within our own eyes – we believe we have outgrown our teacher. Yet, Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)
There is a catechetical aspect to our text today; to learn the way of the Christian life is to know the will of God expressed and given through the commandments. While the commandments render judgment upon us and reveal our sin when we do not honor God, our parents, or our neighbors, the commandments also show and guide us into the way of life and how we are to love and trust in God above all things, how we are to speak well of neighbors and assist them in keeping their lives, their families, and possessions. In these ways, we are guided into the likeness of our teacher, Jesus Christ.
When you were baptized, it was in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this way, you were given the likeness, image and name of God that gives life and salvation to you.
And yet, throughout this life, you still face the temptation to quarrel first with not only one another but, truthfully, the entire world that surrounds you and anything that is not as you would see it.
But we should remember these words Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
In other words, our Heavenly Father has mercy on you, sending His Son to receive the judgment for your sin upon the cross.
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant it. He completed the greatest work, securing your life and salvation in His death and resurrection on the third day.
For this reason, every time we gather here, we continue to receive a foretaste of the mercy won for us upon the cross in His very flesh and blood at this altar.
As Jesus now comes to you and lives within you, these words of His ring even louder, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
My friends in Christ, the time is now for us to learn again how to speak and support our neighbors and how to be loving, kind, and merciful—explaining everything in the kindest way.
The time is now for us to confess the logs of our sins so that they might be removed by the blood of the cross.
And if this isn’t motivation enough, the Apostle Paul wrote:
“Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And as servants of our Lord, do not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those in opposition according to God's will. If God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, God be praised!” (Paraphrase of 2 Tim 2:23-26)
What a joy and relief it is when things don’t go as we would have them; we are not burdened with rendering judgment or condemnation upon our neighbors.
Rather, in times such as these, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to work within us, leading us to confess the grace and charity of Jesus Christ.
So, turn to the Word of Jesus, have it fill your lips with His mercy and forgiveness. Permit His Word to dwell in your heart richly, guiding you both now and eternally into the way of peace. +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
Trinity 3
Text: Luke 15:1-10
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
My dear friends in Christ Jesus, we heard of the Great Banquet prepared for the people of God last week. The invitations had gone out, the feast was ready, but so were the excuses of those on the invite list. So, the master of the feast sent His servant to the highways and byways, to the poor, crippled, and lame – that the lost might be sought and saved.
But a key here is that these are the lost ones, which implies that they were once in the presence of the great banquet; they were once in God’s presence.
Some 30 years ago, President Wille, Good Shepherd’s first pastor, was sent to Tomah to call God’s sheep into His presence once again, bringing God’s Word unto the highways and byways, to the poor, crippled and lame – that you might be sought and given the saving Gospel, meaning the Good News of Jesus Christ.
For many of you who have been at Good Shepherd since its beginning, this week has been challenging and undoubtedly full of emotions as you mourn Pastor Wille’s death. Not just because he was the first servant God sent to Tomah but because he was the first undershepherd of Christ sent to be with you during the times and moments you felt poor, crippled, and lame. The times of life you experienced tribulation and hardships, the times you wandered from God’s flock.
For this, we thank God for sending faithful undershepherds to care for God’s little lambs and sheep—you.
But what is an undershepherd?
First, two words are working together here – “under” and “Shepherd.”
Let’s begin with the word “Shepherd.”
Shepherd is the Latin meaning of the word “pastor.” So, to be a shepherd is to be a pastor and vice versa.
A shepherd defends his flock and is also charged to lead the sheep to pasture where they may graze, eat, and live.
Now, the word “under” is used in the context of authority. So, to be an undershepherd is a shepherd of lower ranking who serves under a greater or chief shepherd.
The Chief Shepherd is none other than Jesus Christ, who said in the Gospel of John, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” (John 10:14)
For Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to be known by His sheep, the undershepherds who have been sent must now speak the Words of Jesus into their ears.
Because the undershepherd serves the Good Shepherd.
As John the Baptist said, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This is also because it’s the voice and words of Jesus that reveal who He is, your Savior.
In fact, it’s in His Word you receive life and salvation.
This is why pastors and undershepherds are sent to you – to proclaim the Words of Jesus Christ to you, to feed you with His flesh and blood at this altar.
Reflecting on the last time I heard Pastor Wille preach, I was at the South Wisconsin Pastors Conference a few months ago. Interestingly, the sermon text was that of the Good Shepherd and the need for undershepherds (pastors) to go out and be among their flocks, no matter how dirty and stinky of a calling it may be.
But in light of today’s Gospel, what does this look like?
Hearing these words from Luke, it's easy to get caught up in the joyous image of Jesus carrying a sheep upon His shoulders that often enters our minds, and that’s beautiful.
But there’s more to the story, isn’t there?
Like what caused the sheep to be lost in the first place.
The answer to this question is at the beginning of Luke 15 as it read, “the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”
The cause of lost sheep is sin, and the challenge for the Pharisees and scribes is that Jesus receives and eats with sinners.
He receives you.
How great is this?
But Jesus doesn’t just receive you; He seeks you. This is why He sends out His undershepherds to care for you, His flock.
This is revealed in the parable Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes.
The sheep were all together—a flock and church—but one was lost, meaning the sheep was originally part of the flock. The undershepherd now had to go and search for the sheep.
But the shepherd who must search and find the lost sheep has a challenging endeavor before them. Often, when a sheep strays from the flock, they lie helplessly down and huddle into a ball. In doing so, they become immovable, refusing to budge.
This is why the shepherd has no other choice. When they locate the sheep, they must pick them up, lay them on their shoulders, and bring them back into the community and fellowship of the flock.
What Jesus describes here is an image of mankind, of you, those who have not only inherited Adam’s sin but continue in it, wandering and straying from Jesus’ Word and voice.
And what do you do when you become lost in your sin? You eventually lay down, becoming immovable, refusing to budge from your position.
Reflecting on today’s Gospel, I found the words of one writer beneficial here as he wrote,
In this parable, Jesus defends his welcome of sinners. This welcome involves restoration to a community. The wandering sheep must be brought back to the fold now gathered in the village. This, for any shepherd, has a price…In this theme of the burden of restoration there are [also] clear Christological implications which point in the direction of the passion. The shepherd must carry on his shoulders the burden of the lost sheep... Without the shouldering of this burden there is no restoration. [It’s] this task the shepherd accepts with joy.[1]
The concept of restoration mentioned here comes from Jesus’s words in the Gospel: “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Here is one of the laborious duties of an undershepherd: they must go out, sometimes calling sheep to repentance, the confession of sin, so that they might hear the sweet words of forgiveness and restoration.
We call this Law and Gospel.
So, what things continually cause you to wander from the flock?
What has your brothers and sisters wandering from God’s Word and bodily presence at the altar?
What has you or them lying down, huddled into a ball, and refusing to budge?
Is it unresolved conflict with one another? Sheep that do not get along, the ramming of heads.
Or have you become more like the scribes and Pharisees, not seeing or understanding the need to humble yourselves? To be the first to say, “I’m sorry,” and reconcile with your neighbor.
If this is you, look again to the cross. Ponder it.
Because your heavenly Father sent His Son to be your Shepherd, to seek and rescue you from the wilderness of life. As you ponder the cross, you should see the shoulders that bore the burden of your sin, the ramming of heads, and your immovable stubbornness of life.
It’s through this lens you can also hear Jesus saying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
And the Good Shepherd who has given His life for you continues to care for you through His undershepherds who serve His Church on earth.
For this reason, Pastor Wille was sent to you and Tomah so many years ago so that you might hear and know the voice of the Chief Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
And it’s for this reason undershepherds continue to be sent among you still today. That by the voice of Jesus, you would learn again to confess the sin of wandering and be like sheep, being led to the green and everlasting pasture of eternal life.
In the end, this is the true calling of an undershepherd, to lead the sheep of the fold to where all the saints receive rest from their labors with their Savior both now and always.
May this be the peace that abides and surpasses all understanding, keeping your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
[1] Arthur A. Just Jr., Luke 9:51–24:53, Concordia Commentary (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1997), 589.
Trinity 2
Text: Proverbs 9:1-10 & Luke 14:15-24
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The last verse of the Old Testament reading says,
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Proverbs 9:10)
But how do fear and wisdom relate to one another?
Well, let’s go back to the beginning of Proverbs chapter 1, where it is written,
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
The use of “Fear of the Lord” should bring your mind back to the First Commandment,
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
In the First Commandment and the Book of Proverbs, “fear” reflects a filial relationship—a relationship of a son or daughter built upon absolute love and trust in God the Father. Only with absolute fear, love, and trust is one able to begin receiving wisdom for this life and the wisdom of life.
So, who or what is the key to understanding and receiving this wisdom of life?
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” ( 1 Corinthians 1:24)
The Apostle Paul highlights that Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God. He is the key to knowing your heavenly Father, the Wisdom needed for this life.
But again, hear that verse from Proverbs chapter 1 a second time,
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
“Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
So now, who are the fools who despise wisdom and instruction?
Well, let’s look at the Gospel today.
Jesus was invited to the home of a ruling Pharisee for a meal. While He was there, He began to teach, using the analogy of a great banquet. But before Jesus opened His lips, a man reclining with Him at dinner said, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
And this is true: Everyone who comes and eats the bread of heaven at this altar will be blessed; they will receive the food and medicine of immortality.
But Jesus's parable presents the story of life, in which the invitations for a grand banquet have gone out, but no one can find time to come.
An important point needs to be made here: the invitations had gone out, so those who were invited were not surprised; they knew when the banquet would happen.
Still, it didn’t keep the first person from responding to the servant, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.”
Or the second guest who said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.”
Or even the third who responded, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
What are these things that can be seen as keeping people from coming to the banquet?
They are the gifts God gives to man.
The field was a gift for the man to work and tend.
The oxen were a gift for a man to work the land or transport goods.
The wife is a gift to love and cherish just as Christ loves and cherishes the Church.
Think about this: the gifts God gave to these men have now become obstacles to entering His presence.
The Lutheran Study Bible has this note regarding today’s Gospel, “Too often God’s gifts are more important to us than He, the giver, is.” (Lutheran Study Bible)
Is this true of you?
Do you allow the gifts God gives you in ordinary and daily life to become more important than He, the giver?
Sure, maybe you haven’t bought a field or oxen, but the Gospel this morning should bring you pause to ask, what keeps you from gathering weekly with the saints on earth for the banquet prepared at this altar today?
What keeps your neighbors from the vacant seats to your left and right from being with us?
Here is an important reason for us to hear again the Third Commandment,
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
The word “Sabbath” means rest, and the way we receive rest is to sit at Christ’s feet, to receive His sacred Word, His Wisdom.
This, in turn, makes us His holy people.
But we aren’t called to do this alone either; rather, hear these words from the letter to the Hebrews,
[Do not neglect] to meet together, as is the habit of some, but [encourage] one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25)
This day is drawing near, the last day, the great day of God’s judgment. The day those who neglected Jesus’ invitation should tremble as Jesus says at the end of the Gospel, “For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”
As this day approaches, we should have a holy fear of our Heavenly Father, one that not only dreads being with the rich man of last week’s Gospel in Hades but also sees God as our Father who wishes nothing more than to give to us His Wisdom, His Son Jesus Christ.
And that’s precisely what He did; He sent His Son Jesus into this world as the very Word made flesh to dwell and live among you, to go to the cross and die for you, and now to feed you at this altar with a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that awaits us all.
This is what your Father in heaven wants for you.
So enjoy the gifts your Father in heaven entrusts to you, but remember to return to Him and give thanks.
Be careful, my friends, not to disregard the invitation you’ve received to the great and mighty banquet of heaven. Instead, continue coming as often as possible to receive strength for all the days of this life—the days of joy and the days of sadness.
In this way, your heavenly Father gathers all of you who are poor, crippled, blind, and lame – He calls and gathers those who find themselves outside the Church today, and He gives to them and you the wisdom of life. His Son, Jesus Christ. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Trinity 1
Text: Luke 16:19-31
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today, we begin the season of Trinity in earnest.
For children, this might be seen as the long season because of the seemingly never changing or ending of the green paraments, or maybe that’s how you view it, too. But like every season of the Church Year, there is a purpose.
As we heard in Bible Study a while back,
Maria Augusta von Trapp describes the second half of the Church Year, following Pentecost and Holy Trinity, as “the Green Meadow” because of the green paraments and vestments that are used for the Sundays throughout the Time of the Church. The image of a green meadow is especially appropriate to the character of this time, which is tranquil, peaceful, and gentle, yet living and life-giving. Here, the nations find a home in the lush green pastures of the Word of Christ and in the outstretched branches of His tree of life. (In Around the Year with the Trapp Family (1955))
This season of enduring green paraments encourages growth and produces life-giving faith. However, I do not believe it to be as “tranquil, peaceful, and gentle,” as Maria von Trapp implies. Instead, today's account of the Rich Man and Lazarus is really jolting and sets a foundation for the remainder of the Trinity season.
Here’s what I mean by this: it draws a line in the sand and reveals a competing faith that trusts in this world with the Rich Man and then a faith that trusts in God with Lazarus.
So, who are these men?
The rich man is who we often want to be or who children aspire to be. Not only does he wear the best clothing, but he also eats well; he’s everyone’s honored guest – sitting with the cool kids and enjoying the luxuries of life without a thought to how they even come to him. There’s no checkbook to be balanced, no financial planners to meet with, and no limit on the credit card. No, the “good life” is simply all he knows, and for this reason, there is little need to think of eternal life or those beggars like Lazarus whose voices and presence simply became part of the rich man’s daily life.
In fact, the rich man is as attentive to Lazarus as maybe we are to the floor mats in the entryway as we enter this building – they’ve become part of our path in and out of Good Shepherd.
Honestly, if you are like me, you just don’t want to look at them or deal with them, so you don’t.
Lazarus is to the rich man what a beggar at a street corner is to us today: an inconvenience. So, we do our best to avoid making eye contact. Much like we treat a coworker who traps us in a verbal hostage situation or a neighbor, you avoid as you prepare to turn into your driveway and get out of your vehicle. They’re always there; you’ve just decided not to acknowledge them.
But Lazarus. Why is he treated in such a way? What makes him different?
One might say it’s his appearance. The lack of beautiful clothing. Or maybe the sores that covered his body. Perhaps it’s the dogs that can be seen licking and soothing the pain of the sores.
In reality, what makes Lazarus different is his heart.
What defines Lazarus is his faith in God, even as he sits and lies in the dust of the earth.
This is what makes today’s Gospel so jolting and foundational; it’s really about two religions, two faiths.
A faith that puts its trust in this world or in oneself and the faith that trusts in Christ Jesus as its Savior.
Now, none of us will escape an earthly death, but only one faith leads to eternal life, and that is a trust placed in Jesus.
What faith possesses and leads you and your family?
Where do you spend all your time? What do you obsess over? What keeps you consistently on the go?
Like the rich man and Lazarus, judgment will come at the end of this life, and there will be no second chances.
You see this as the rich man finds himself in the torments of Hades after he dies. One fascinating thing is that, through his words, the rich man reveals he actually did see and know Lazarus; he just didn’t do anything to help him. We learn this as he says, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
The request to "send Lazarus" is imperative; it's a command. But again, what the rich man misses is that in death, the power, prestige, and riches once possessed in this life are no longer for man.
What is given as confessed in the creed will be eternal damnation or eternal life.
This is the foundational understanding we must have as we enter this green meadow of Trinity – a season meant to encourage spiritual growth and produce life-giving faith in each of us.
There is an end to this life, and only faith in Jesus, the “one who has risen from the dead,” will save you.
Here is one of the reasons we present Bibles to the congregation's children today: we want them to have the faith, to know God’s Word, and to be with Jesus today and eternally.
Now we know they, like us, will face the temptations and allures of this world. A world that leads you to believe the rich man’s life is the life of a “rich man.”
However, one who truly receives the greatest reward not only looks but, most importantly, has the faith of Lazarus.
This isn’t a pretty or easy life; instead, it’s a faith that looks up from the dust, opens sores of life, and trusts in your heavenly Father to care for you.
So, we teach best by being countercultural and little Lazarus’ ourselves, learning to sit and lie in the dust and ashes of life at the gate of our master, begging for His mercy.
When you feel alone and abandoned in life, come and be in the midst of His church, amid fellow beggars.
When ailments of the body consume you and death draws near, hear the comfort of God’s Word – learn from Lazarus how the torments of this life are but a season; God will grant you eternal mercy.
When the open sores of sin consume your heart, like that of a rebellious child, confess your sin to Jesus. Take the form of a beggar and speak aloud the ailments of your heart (your sins), come on bended knee to this rail and gate, and with your lips be fed with the flesh and blood of your Savior – a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for you, your children, and your children’s children.
Too often, we are led to believe this world offers us a life equal to or of greater value than the life granted in the waters of Holy Baptism. Our words and actions reveal this to be true as we pit the actions of daily life against the Church.
Yet, the power, prestige, and riches of this world fade away and cease in death.
But the gift of your baptism, the gift of eternal life with Jesus, remains for all who seek God’s Word while they still have life and breath.
So do not delay; live the life you were called to in the waters of Holy Baptism. Repent of your sin, and return to the meadow of God’s Word where He wishes to gather you along with all the poor Lazarus’ of this life into His eternal kingdom. A kingdom where all the children of God dwell forever – both young and old. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Pentecost
Text: John 14:23-31
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today, we continue the tradition and rite of Confirmation at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Confirmation has long had a unique place in the Lutheran Church. We seldom see one congregation’s traditions align with another's practices. Nor do we see the traditions of one period of time continue into another.
Here is what I mean by this.
As we went through my wife’s grandmother’s old papers, we discovered that part of her Confirmation memorization was to commit to memory every district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. She had to be able to verbally list each district’s name to her pastor.
As I grew up, my Confirmation process was three years. We received First Communion in year two on Maundy Thursday. Before being Confirmed in year three, I had to write a paper articulating a portion of the Small Catechism.
During my time at seminary, my fieldwork church lined up the confirmands in front of the sanctuary the week before Confirmation and publicly examined them. In other words, the students were asked questions from the Small Catechism, and they had to answer them with everyone’s eyes locked on them.
While on vicarage, the pastor would visit the home of every Confirmation student and examine them in front of their parents. This wasn’t a walk in the park either.
Every method of Confirmation had a reason and purpose. They were just all different, and that’s okay. Different eras and locations often require different approaches.
But what remains at the heart of Confirmation is confession.
Now, I don’t mean confession like we did at the beginning of the Divine Service, where we confessed our sins. I mean our confession before God and man, the world – what you believe to be true.
Soon, Brianna will stand up and be asked a series of questions. Her responses to these questions will form her confession.
Like, “Do you renounce the devil?”
Or, “Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?”
“Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, [your] Lord?”
“Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?”
Or, “Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully?
“Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?”
Your answer to these questions is, “I do, by the grace of God.”
No matter when you were Confirmed, it was “by the grace of God.”
This means that your faith and your ability to make a good confession all depend upon God, the Holy Spirit.
It’s the Holy Spirit who, through the Word and the Sacraments, creates, sustains, and nurtures the faith within you and points you to Jesus Christ.
Reflect on the Collect of the Day as we prayed,
Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation.
This prayer is almost a paraphrase of Jesus’ words in the Gospel today as He said,
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Here this again,
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Because the Holy Spirit is with you and, through the Word of God, brings you understanding and consolation.
Consolation, of course, means comfort.
Or, in this instance, peace.
But not just any peace, but rather, heavenly peace.
The peace of God’s forgiveness and eternal life.
The peace that will withstand the assaults of the devil.
The peace to confess before the world and remain steadfast in the faith, even suffering death rather than falling away from it.
And should the day come for any of you, when your life lacks any form of peace, then pray with the Psalmist,
God is [my] refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
He is your refuge, strength, and help in times of trouble. Because the Holy Spirit abides with you. To point you to your Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for you.
This is what is at the heart of Confirmation. Knowing who Jesus is, that He did for you, and being able to confess this truth with your lips, even unto death.
And this only happens when we continually and regularly return to hear God’s Word and receive the foretaste of the heavenly feast in the Lord’s Supper.
So do not neglect the Holy Spirit, but pray for His guidance, for He comes to grant you understanding and heavenly peace, even amid life’s troubles.
May He, the Holy Spirit, by grace, grant you this faith, even until life everlasting. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Easter 7 + Exaudi
Text: John 15:26-16:4
Today's Gospel began with Jesus saying, “But when the Helper comes…."
What do you imagine when you hear the word “helper?”
An extra pair of hands around the yard? The way the children assist in picking up around the house. Maybe someone who can tutor you on homework.
Here is one of those situations where something is lost in translation from Greek to English.
Another translation Luther liked was “When the Comforter comes.”
I like this translation a lot, but it still misses the Greek.
Defining the word “Comfort” today is pretty subjective.
A more literal and fitting translation would be “when the Paraclete comes…."
Yet, none of you speak this way, do you?
I’m sure some of you are wondering just what a Paraclete is in the first place!
A Paraclete means that Jesus sends you an advocate to defend and protect you. He is to be “the legal advisor of the accused or defendant, who takes on, to defend the accused, [or] get things in order.” (Martin Luther)
So why would you or any other Christian require a Paraclete? Why do you need someone to defend you and get things in order?
Because Jesus says a little later in the Gospel today,
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
You require the Paraclete, an advocate, and helper because the hour of persecution is at hand.
When you look at things like this, the coming of the Holy Spirit is really good for you and the Church on earth.
Why?
Because it is your faith in Jesus that will lead the world around you to hate and scorn you.
But Jesus wants you to be defended from the world and He wants to keep you from falling away from the faith in Him as so many do.
Interestingly, here, the word in Greek for “falling away” is σκανδαλίζω, or in English, scandalize.
So, how does this world scandalize you and cause you to fall away from faith?
Well, in today’s Gospel, Jesus first says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
Jesus is going to send His disciples the “Helper” or “Paraclete” so they can continue to know Jesus, persevere in the faith, and keep things in order.
What is that order?
Hear the Word of God regularly, confess your sin, receive the Lord’s Supper, and be strengthened in the faith.
This order is also where the Holy Spirit comes to you and bears witness to Christ Jesus and your heavenly Father.
But you do not face the same persecution of the disciples who would be martyred for Christ, do you?
However, in what ways does this world and the people around you, the people you see day in and day out, scandalize or lead you to fall away from faith in Christ?
What about your family? Are you seen as a traditionalist who is out of touch with the world? Are family visits hard as your church attendance is pitted against their lack of it? Is it easier to stay home and away from God’s Word out of fear of making them uncomfortable?
Or your friends? Has your faith become the butt of their jokes? Creating an uneasy feeling that silences your faith not only in front of them but also as you depart the doors of this church.
Or what about your heritage, your children, and your grandchildren? Has the world of school and sports encroached on your family's attendance at Church and the Divine Service? Has faith in Christ been demoted?
What actually kills any of you is not death itself because you who have been baptized into Christ have already died and been raised to new life. No, what actually kills you is a lack of faith in Jesus Christ.
For this reason, the devil and the world around you are too eager to lead you away from Jesus Christ. To turn your ears and silence the voice of the Holy Spirit.
But why does the world do this?
Jesus says, “Because they have not known the Father, nor me.”
But again, Jesus and His Father do not leave you or forsake you; instead, Jesus says,
“When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
The Holy Spirit comes to do one thing: to make you holy as He points and brings you to Jesus and Jesus to you.
“But how does [the Holy Spirit] accomplish this?” (Large Catechism)
Luther wrote in the Large Catechism,
The Holy Spirit accomplishes this By the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
But then Luther goes on with this wonderfully fitting answer and image on this Mother’s Day as he said,
For in the first place, the Spirit has His own congregation in the world, which is the mother that conceives and bears every Christian through God’s Word [Galatians 4:26]. Through the Word He reveals and preaches, He illumines and enkindles hearts, so that they understand, accept, cling to, and persevere in the Word. [1 Corinthians 2:12][1]
Isn’t this great?
Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Church on earth is the mother that conceives and brings you to new life through God’s Word.
And who is this Word?
It’s Jesus!
Who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
And no one knows the Father or the Son, nor receives the faith needed, unless the Holy Spirit abides with them, pointing them to their Savior.
This is why we all need the Paraclete, the Helper, the Holy Spirit—to have an advocate, one who puts our lives in order.
Among the many distractions and people who threaten to cause us to stumble, we need to be continually pointed to Jesus, who is not only the world’s redeemer but also our redeemer.
But a point needs to be made here: we also need to pray for those who have caused us to stumble in faith. We need to pray for those who once were with us but have now fallen away from the Christian faith.
And it’s a prayer that neither those who were once in our presence nor us would put off the Holy Spirit eternally but return and be connected to our Mother. In this church, the Holy Spirit continues to grant all of us God’s Word to forgive, illuminate, and enkindle faith within our hearts so that we and all the faithful in Christ never fall away or become scandalized by the world of daily life eternally, but rather, receive the eternal peace and comfort the Holy Spirit wishes to give because He abides with you. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
[1] McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (pp. 403–404). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.