Advent 4 +Rorate Coeli

A recent article in the Minnesota Star Tribune was headlined, “Study claims that ‘Frosty the Snowman’ is the riskiest Christmas song of all for drivers.”

Naturally, I had to read it.

Why is “Frosty the Snowman” so dangerous?

The tempo of the music has a profound impact on an individual’s behavior. As the beats per minute of a song increase, there is a corresponding effect on a person’s cardiovascular and psychological response. Consequently, this escalation can lead to more aggressive and reckless driving habits, which in turn can result in accidents.

Under this study, the same principle applies when listening to heavy metal music or any music with a tempo exceeding 120 beats per minute.

The higher the beats per minute in a song, the more one becomes stirred up and likely to have an accident.

Throughout the Advent season, have you observed that the Collects of the Day frequently begin, albeit differently, with the phrase, “Stir up Your power, O Lord.”

These opening words derive from Psalm 80, where the people of Israel are petitioning God to awaken and restore them.  You see, they had been overtaken; they had come to the belief that God was no longer with them or acting on their behalf, so they called out for Him to stir Himself up, awaken, and come to aid them.

Is this how you feel while the hustle and bustle lead you barreling towards Christmas Day? Have you concluded that God has left you?

There’s no love in your homes as children bicker and fight. Gift-giving has become more of a chore than an act of joy and love. The family Christmas traditions of old have become a checklist to be managed among the other things to do and places to be.

Might this all be due to the pace at which you approach Christmas? The increased strain on your schedules and the numerous events and festivities you attempt to attend.

The beat of this life is more than one can handle. The psychological stress is wearing down your heart, your cardiovascular health, but, more importantly, your faith.

It has you wondering, is this what Christmas is all about?

If you are experiencing such feelings, revisiting today’s collect and reflecting on how God remains present with you may be helpful.

Begin by saying, “Stir up Your power, O Lord and come and help [me] by Your might, that the sins which weigh [me and my family] down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy.”

Why do we ask God to come?

To forgive us, remove the weight of this world, and grant us His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Because we are not the Christ, and we cannot be trusted to save ourselves, let alone others, from the weight of this life or the wilderness of this world.

Instead, the words of John the Baptist are for us as well today as he says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”

The opposite of straight is crooked; if the path is crooked, it can be hazardous for you to traverse, especially at such a high pace of life.

The only thing that will help you at this moment in time is to slow down, examine your life, do what no one wants to do at this time of year, examine the sins that have made your life so crooked, or in other words, what’s been leading you away from your Savior, Jesus Christ, this Christmas? 

If you depart from Him, then the beat of this world will lead you; it’s a fast beat, a beat that causes greed, anxiety, and depression, among other symptoms.

The rhythm and beat of this world will only leave you with a deep sense of longing, never fulfilling your desires or bringing the tranquility that your heart so desperately craves.

No, the peace you need only comes from “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Your sin.

So, learn again to call out to God in these waning days of Advent. Permit the season its place in your lives. Permit God’s word to slow you down, to quiet your hearts, and to guide you as you examine yourself and learn again to confess your sin.

That the way of this life might be made straight again through the forgiveness the Christ child won for you upon the cross.

This is why Jesus comes.

He comes to be led down the path to Calvary, to end the war between siblings, to grant you the greatest love, His grace, and mercy, and to be the focus and center of every family.

For this reason, as the world and your life appear to be ramping up in these final days before Christmas, the time has arrived for you to slow down, examine your hearts, and pray for the coming of your Savior.

And if you are unsure about how to proceed, please take your bulletin home today and use the Great “O” Antiphons, printed at the back, as a guide. Pray them every day, pray them multiple times, grow in them.

These wonderful prayers can accompany the singing of the hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

A hymn that quiets the world around you, it slows the heart, gives your mind peace, and prepares you to welcome the newborn King.

So in these final days of Advent, let us pray, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

That is, “Come, Lord Jesus,” come quickly, be with us, quiet us, and redeem us. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent 3 + Gaudete

Matthew 11:2-11

The children are eager to answer the question, “What do you want for Christmas?”

It permits them to express their heart’s desire; it allows them to dream big.

Oh, what could be…

But have you ever noticed how these wishes and desires can also imprison a child’s mind and heart?

Reflect on your younger years. Did you ever get caught up wanting a Red Ryder BB gun, the newest Barbie doll, the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, or maybe an Easy Bake Oven?

What did it feel like if the gift your heart was set on never arrived under the tree or in a stocking?

If you are like me, your mind couldn’t stop thinking about it. It occupied your every waking minute and filled your dreams with dread.

It imprisoned you.

Why?

Because you couldn’t have it.

What do you want the most this Christmas? Think deeply about this. Or what is it you can no longer have?

For some, the eyes have grown dimmer, haven’t they? The Christmas lights no longer beam as brightly. For others whose mobility has decreased, the winter winds now mean a seasonal time of isolation has dawned as they hunker down at home to avoid further harm to their bodies. Still, others who grew up singing the carols of Christmas would wish upon a star to hear them with their ears once more as they grow deaf. Yet, for others, the ornaments upon the Christmas tree serve as a reminder of a loved one with whom they’ll no longer exchange gifts, one who resides with Jesus.

You might as well pull up Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas and put it on repeat because when we put things like this, it seems like no one is doing anything or going anywhere this Christmas.

We’re just all so imprisoned within our hearts and minds.

When we are led into dark places in life, we often forget where to turn for help, comfort, and healing.

In the Gospel today it said,

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

For starters, John the Baptist was imprisoned; he knew his death was imminent. It makes one wonder what could have been going through his mind as he sent his disciples, his students, to Jesus.

Was he wavering in his faith?

St. Jerome, an early 4th-century priest who was the first to translate the bible into Latin, remarked, “John asks [his question] not because he is ignorant but to guide others who are [themselves unknowing] and to say to them, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John didn’t waver in his faith. Instead, he used his situation—being locked up—to lead his disciples out of the imprisonment of their hearts and minds.

Where were they to go?

John points them to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, these words of John the Baptist continue to point you to your Savior as well, to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. ( John 1:29)

So, what does Jesus tell these disciples of John the Baptist as they approach?

 “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

Like the disciples of John, these words of Jesus are also about you and for you.

They go below the surface of the physical aspects of your body and life. They speak to what imprisons your heart and your faith.

Do you see Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world? Has your faith become crippled this Advent season? Do you have ears that hear His Word of grace?

Because your Savior wants nothing more than to raise you from the prison cell of death to grant you, His life.

This is what Christmas is about: His incarnation, His coming into your flesh so that you might hear, see, and be raised from the death of sin through His very word.

Yet, it remains difficult to comprehend this faith from the bars of fear we find ourselves behind all too often.

For this reason, we have a Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday that means “Rejoice.”

When we observe Advent properly, the deeper we get into the season, the closer we get to Christmas. The more imprisoned we can become by not only the season's expectations but, quite simply, the changing seasons of this life, which reveals the more we need to be reminded why Jesus was born…

The question then becomes: Do you look to Jesus in these seasons or do you look for another?

As Jesus concludes His Words to the disciples of John, He says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Or, more accurately translated, “Blessed is the one who is not scandalized by me.”

One who is not led into the sin of unbelief.

Do not be misled this Advent season by unfilled expectations, a deteriorating body, or a broken heart.

Gaudete Sunday reminds you in these darkened days that even while you suffer, Jesus is near to you, the brokenhearted, in His Word and in His flesh and blood.

For this reason, John points His disciples and you from the prison cell of death to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

And what does this forgiveness look like?

“The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

These words should cause you to want to say Gaudete, or in English, rejoice.

So look to your Savior and tell Him the needs of your life, trusting that He hears you and cares for you.

And then rejoice because your salvation is in Christ alone.

Rejoice because He knows your wants and needs.

Rejoice because your Savior comes. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Repost - Requiescat in Pace +++ Faith Zion Rogness

***The below blog post is from a few years ago. I was recently notified that it hadn’t transferred over to here when I established this new blog. My hope of reposting this blog is that it can be of help to anyone else who suffers from miscarriage.***

The text came from my wife at 9:35 a.m. on October 1, 2021, who was at her second checkup appointment, “They’re struggling to find the heartbeat.” I asked her, “Do you need me to come?” She said no, not yet.

The next thirty minutes seemed like an eternity. I kept looking at my watch, pulling my phone out of my pocket, waiting for the message – “They found the heartbeat and everything looks great!”

The text never came.

My phone rang, and as I picked up, the tears of my wife could already be heard, “There’s no heartbeat and the baby is only measuring nine weeks.” The baby should have been measuring eleven weeks.

I wanted to break down and cry, but my two oldest children were preparing to announce to their classes their mother was having a baby. So after hanging up the phone, I raced down to our church's school to grab our children out of class before they could make their joyous announcements of a new Rogness baby – I made it, but barely.

One of the saddest things I could think of doing, telling my children they would never meet their little brother or sister in this world.

As the day progressed, the children had many questions. Unfortunately, my wife and I had few answers.

Our third child, who is three, struggled to comprehend that the baby had died. He asked if funeral homes have cribs for the babies that die. It broke our hearts to hear his questions; he was struggling with death (as any three-year-old does) and searching for answers.

Our three-year-old, however, did recognize something the world has not always seen – our child within the womb was just as human and alive as the rest of us. As the Psalmist wrote, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

Our earthly answers to this present darkness and tribulation are shallow. Our tears and hurt are deep.

What we know is that our child was alive in the womb of my wife. The child's name is Faith Zion Rogness. And we have placed the body of Faith into the earth just as the Church has done for every other Christian that dies in Christ Jesus. We do this because we believe our Lord is merciful, and on the last day, He will return to gather His children to Himself. (John 14:3)

Note: In naming our baby, our children selected the first and middle names.

Advent 2

Text: Luke 21: 25-36

Surely you’ve all heard the tune “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” written by Meredith Wilson in 1951; okay, maybe you didn’t know Meredith Wilson wrote it. It was actually made popular when the legendary singer Bing Crosby recorded a version of the song in the same year. Since then, it’s filled the radio airwaves, department stores, elevator speakers, and streaming services worldwide every December. 

It’s a catchy song.

The plot isn’t thick; it’s about two young kids who have fallen for one another, and the decorations they see all around now mean that Christmas is soon coming. 

It’s a Christmas love story.

For children of all ages, Christmas songs and songs about decorations such as this tell us that Christmas is near.

And this is why it’s so hard to reconcile the songs of the radio with the Gospel reading this morning. They are incompatible. They are at odds with one another.

But remember, just as the song alludes to, it’s not Christmas yet.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

But it’s Advent, meaning it’s time for us to prepare for Christmas.

That’s why we have a Gospel reading like this today; it is meant to prepare us for the coming of Christmas.

So then, what is Christmas?

Well, to define this more narrowly, Christmas is a compound word; it’s a combination of Christ and Mass – Christmas.

Now, while the Roman use of the word Mass played a role here, think of Christmas as the Divine Service in honor of Christ or to celebrate the birth of Christ.

So, Christmas is the day we gather here in the Divine Service to sing the wonderful hymns that celebrate the birth and coming of Jesus Christ.

And this is what the Gospel reading is all about today.

Not only the coming of Jesus but also the preparation for His arrival.

So, how do we prepare for His arrival?

Well, in the Gospel reading, there are four admonitions to the hearer. An admonition could be seen as a warning or gentle reproof and encouragement to change your behavior.

The first admonition says, “Straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.”

Here, Jesus had just finished describing cosmic and earthly events, such as storms and enormous catastrophes, similar to those depicted in the Book of Revelation.

We discussed this briefly last Sunday in Bible Class: what do we usually do when a natural disaster or unexplained event occurs?

We call FEMA, we call the government and demand that they help us.

But when the world crumbles around us, it should invite us to rise from the ashes of life, fix our hearts on Jesus, and call out to Him for help.

Now, the second admonition comes as Jesus says,

“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Yes, the Christmas music and the decorations remind us that the seasons are changing, much like the leaves falling to the ground each fall remind us that a cold winter chill will soon blow in.

The fig tree, in particular, was one of the only trees, from my understanding, in Israel where its leaves would drop each fall, providing a clear signal to a world without weathermen that winter was imminent.

So far, Jesus has instructed on events in the cosmos and told His disciples to prepare for what was to come.

It’s a theme of the now and not yet.

But did you notice what happens when the kingdom of God arrives?

Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

These are good words for us to remember as we travel through Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus and Christmas.

Especially as our world finds itself engulfed in consumerism.

At the coming of the Son of Man, the material aspects of this life will be no more. The presents under the tree wrapped with love, tablets, video games, cookware, and yes, even your squishamellows will pass away.

Meaning ceases to exist.

There will be no more “candy canes and silver lanes that glow” as the stories and songs of Christmas go.

But Jesus doesn’t leave you or His disciples without hope. He says, “My words will not pass away.”

Meaning there is more to this life than tinsel and lights, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

This Word is none other than Jesus Christ, the babe born in the manger. Through His death and resurrection, you have everlasting and eternal life.

And you are going to need this Word of God because the following admonition comes and says,

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

This is the only place in all Scripture we hear the word “dissipation.”

It means unbridled indulgence or drinking without regard. The challenge is that when one overconsumes, they lose the ability to control themselves.

In a sad and very real way, these words define our world and our lives.

Don’t fool yourself here either; there are addictions that weigh all of us down. So, use caution when pointing at others. Some struggle with alcohol, while others struggle with technology, and yet others cannot say “no” to a sale.

Our hearts and flesh are weak, and the Christmas this world knows provides cover for our weaknesses. It may be why this time of the year requires us to watch ourselves more than others.    

But then there is this final admonition, and it’s essential.

Jesus says, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

This world’s Christmas is nothing more than window dressing upon your heart. It presents a fictional Christmas that will not aid your broken heart, pay off your debts, or give you sobriety from your addictions.

No, the Christmas you must know is the one that welcomes the Christ Child in the manger and prepares you for His coming on the final day.

For this reason, you are called today to stay awake and be alert.

So, how do you stay awake and alert? By exercising your faith, by using this time of year to give careful attention to a life of prayer and grow in God’s Word.

After all, Jesus says, “But my words will not pass away.”

It’s His Word that provides you with an escape from the calamities of this life and world. It’s His Word that leads your voice in prayer and grants you His eternal life.

My friends, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, just not the Christmas you might expect.

Look at the world around you, examine your heart, and see the brokenness.

So prepare for the coming of Christ and set aside time to seriously pray. Turn off the radio or the music momentarily, open your Bible, and read the Gospel of Luke. Begin at Chapter 1 to learn the true story of Christmas and the great love of your heavenly Father, who sent His only begotten Son into your flesh to be born for you, to die for you upon the cursed tree, and then to rise again for you.

This is what Christmas looks like. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Advent 1

Matthew: 21:1-9

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we finish the remaining Thanksgiving leftovers of stuffing and turkey, we are reminded that the world has no sense of time as it plunges into the Christmas season.

From the parades to the music on the radio, the lights to the trees, and everything underneath.

However, this morning's blessing and dedication of the Advent Wreath remind us that it’s not Christmas yet. Advent is a season all its own, a season of preparation and expectant waiting, a period when time should slow and force us into spiritual contemplation.

The Advent wreath can help us with just this: slowing down and contemplating the spiritual darknesses of life.

In fact, the original Advent wreath is a German invention. In 1839, a pastor named Johann Wichern created it. It was meant to help children slow down, mark time, and keep the season of Advent.

What prompted all of this was that the children were too eager and kept asking, “Is it Christmas yet?”

Nothing changes, does it?

But as each candle was lit upon the wreath, the children grew more mesmerized and wide-eyed by its glow and how it began to illuminate their school room among the short, darkened days of winter. But more, it taught them to wait patiently for the arrival of Christmas, the arrival of Jesus.

If you pause now for a second, I want you to hear a passage from the Gospel reading for Christmas Day, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Christmas occurs at the deepest, darkest time of the year.

Yet, the Gospel of John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

For this reason, the season of Advent begins to bring illumination to your lives, too, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

It reveals not only why Jesus comes but why we need Him.

So why do we need Him?

Because we struggle in this life.

We permit feuds to fill our homes and among one another; we are rich with greed and want, and we’ve fallen for the idea that the darkness of life can be our friend, that it will hide our internal struggles, challenges, and sins.

And this is why we need the Light of Christ to shine in our darkness, to reveal our heart condition, and to lead us to confession.

This is, after all, what Advent is truly about preparing our hearts for the arrival and coming of Jesus through the confession of our sins. 

And this is precisely why we do not appreciate or want the Advent season.

It just isn’t that fun.

However, Advent has long been a penitential season. This means a season of repentance, a season of contemplation upon the child born of Mary.

Why would He take upon Himself our sinful, human flesh?

The answer to this question resides in the Gospel reading today.

It all seems so out of place, the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. But where is Jesus going? He is going to the cross.

He is going to the cross to bring to fulfillment the words of the angel Gabriel spoken to Joseph regarding the child born of Mary as he said, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

He goes to the cross to die for your sins, redeem you, and give you peace.

In a wonderful, mysterious way, think of how the world grew dark as Jesus hung upon the cursed tree that first Good Friday. But in this darkness, the light of His love for you is shown brightest in His death.

And this hasn’t changed.

When life's dark days and crosses engulf you, His word calls you unto Himself, that He might be your comfort, refuge, and redeemer.

None of this is what the world sees or wants in December. It wants to party, live it up, and be merry, which can be okay in moderation.

But before celebrating comes preparation, and this is why we have the season of Advent: to prepare for Jesus’ birth, to prepare to confess our sins, and to receive His forgiveness.

As we enter this season of Advent, we need to slow down and examine our lives. We need to use it as a season of reconciliation and forgiveness. We need to see the darkness around us so we will learn to permit the light of Christ to lead us and comfort us amid feuds, greed, sin, and, yes, even grief.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.”

We need to take these words to heart. The lights on this Advent wreath will naturally grow brighter as we near Christmas Eve when we will gather by candlelight to await the birth of the Savior.

The greater the light, the more our need for redemption will be revealed.

And just as the meaning of Advent is to come, we are given the words and prayer of those lining the streets of Jerusalem today.

            “Hosanna to the Son of David!

            ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’

            Hosanna in the highest!”

(Matthew 21:9b)

Hosanna means, “Save us now.”

And that’s what Jesus does: He comes in the manger to save you, both today and in eternity.

Soon, we will sing the word "hosanna" in the Sanctus, which will lead us to receive Jesus with our lips and mouths in the holy supper at this altar.

And this is a great comfort for you, dear Christian; your Savior continues to come to you, even today.

In fact, He is the very light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome. (John 8:12, 1:5)

Let this be your hope, refuge, and peace as you travel the dark road of Advent.

Whether you are struggling with your family, have befriended a particular darkness of life, or feel as if you’re walking through a valley of sorrow this Advent, cling to Jesus and pray, “Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.”

Save me, Jesus. Save me now. +INJ+

The Last Sunday of the Church Year

Text: Matthew 25:1-13

+INJ+

Since the first production of the opera “Lohengrin,” a popular choice of music for brides to come down the aisle has been the well-known bridal chorus of “Here Comes the Bride.”

While this chorus is less popular today, Lutheran churches have typically avoided using it due to the pagan themes throughout the opera.

But more, the tune isn’t that happy.

It became famous due to its use by the British Queen Victoria in 1858 when her daughter proceeded down the aisle to marry the future German Emperor Frederick III.

But a strong reason not to use this tune also resides in the fact that the bride and groom in the opera die rather quickly after their nuptials as they go to the bridal chambers, the groom due to a sword fight with a rival and the bride due to grief.

The opera ends in tragedy.

Today, the Gospel also uses the image of a wedding. A wedding that is both joyful for some and ends in tragedy for others.

Today, we hear the parable of the Ten Virgins.

This alone is different from the weddings we experience today, where the bridegroom stands at the steps of the altar and awaits the bride’s arrival as the music plays. This practice originated from arranged marriages and the need for the father to give away his daughter into marriage.

No, in today’s Gospel, it’s the virgins waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive and bring these ladies into the marriage feast.

In contrast to today's weddings, the focus is not on the bride's arrival but on the bridegroom's arrival.

The question then for the bride or virgin maidens is, how are they or how will they be prepared for his arrival?

If you’ve been around a wedding, you know nothing ever goes exactly as planned. The music isn’t just right, someone doesn’t show, or another person is delayed.

That happens in the parable; the bridegroom is delayed. To make matters worse, there is also no communication as to when he will arrive.

The only thing to do is wait patiently for him.

And this is where the five wise and the five foolish virgins come into play today.

The reason for the five foolish virgins is that they did not possess the oil needed for the bridegroom’s delayed arrival. As the hours went on, the evening became darker, and they became sleepier.

However, the virgins deemed wise had the oil to burn their lamps when their bridegroom arrived.

So, let’s ask two questions now: what does the oil symbolize, and who is the Bridegroom?

The oil can be seen as man’s faith.

The foolish did not have faith for when the Bridegroom arrived, while the wise virgins did possess faith and readiness for the Bridegroom’s arrival, even in the dead of night.

But also, who is the Bridegroom?

It’s Jesus.

The question today then revolves around these words of the Creed, “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”

Are you prepared for this return of your judge on the last day?

This is challenging because we are not given a time for His arrival.

Rather, the Gospel said,

But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

The cry at midnight reflects how Jesus’ return will not only be delayed, that is, not according to our time, but also without notice and warning. So, you must stay alert and prepared, not grow weary as the days go on, and the endurance of your faith will be tested.

The twentieth-century German theologian Hermann Sasse wrote, "Is the foolishness of the virgins not also our foolishness? Have we not become tired and sleepy in the light of the Christian faith? Have we not let the lamps of hope, with which we would escort the coming of Christ, go out?"

Hear these words of Sasse again, “Have we not become tired and sleepy in the light of the Christian faith?”

Do we take this faith seriously?

Sasse’s words imply that both the wise and foolish virgins are in the Church, but they are not equally prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom.

Likewise, as “the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out,” those Christians who have prepared for the coming of Christ rightly cannot share the oil of their faith with you.

This grieves us because we see how a husband’s faith cannot save a wife, nor can a mother’s faith save a child, or a child’s faith save a parent.

You must take this faith to heart and prepare for yourselves.

Otherwise, you’ll be as the foolish who have not enough oil, who come to the doors of the wedding feast desperate for acceptance, only to be told, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  

There is no greater tragedy than to hear these words from your Savior, words of an eternal death.

So, how do you ensure you have the oil of faith needed to greet the Savior as shadows of this life lengthen? Or how can you support those closest to you in receiving this faith when it seems the Savior is never coming?

Come to where the Bridegroom meets you and where He has said He would be for you…

If you take a step back, the whole liturgy is an eternal bridal chorus preparing you to travel with lighted lamps and meet your Savior.

The song began as the angels rejoiced over you at your Baptism.

There, the pastor lit and hands you a candle, saying,

Receive this burning torch and keep your Baptism blameless, so that when the Lord comes to the wedding you may go forth to meet Him and enter with the saints into the heavenly mansion and receive eternal life.

The light of this burning torch (or candle) now means your entire life is one of preparation and waiting.

Each week, this liturgy leads and prepares you for the coming of Christ.

Think about this: You enter and walk past the font, remembering the day the precious name of Jesus was placed upon you. In doing so, you remember how you received the light of Christ, which now abides and leads you to Him.

That Light abides with you as you hear His Word today, sing with the angels and archangels, and faithfully approach this altar to receive a blessed foretaste of the wedding feast to come.

For this reason, every Divine Service is an exercise of keeping watch for Jesus, participating in the eternal wedding to come, and ensuring you have received the oil of faith needed for that faithful day.

But until then, come, keep watch, and sing the bridal song of heaven with the saints. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Trinity 25

Text: Matthew 24:15-28

As we approach the Last Sunday of the Church Year next week, the Gospel readings begin to focus on the end times. For this reason, they can be uncomfortable to hear and even more challenging to process and make sense of; it’s as if Jesus is sometimes speaking in riddles or parables.

I found the following words from C.F. W. Walther, the first president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, helpful regarding one aspect of our text today. He wrote,

There once was a time when Christ was almost completely silenced in Christendom. This was the time before the Reformation. Mary and the so-called saints had almost entirely displaced Christ from Christianity and occupied His place. There is no longer such a silence about Christ. Indeed, He preached everywhere. “Here is Christ! There is Christ!” many thousands of preachers exclaim.

There’s a lot to unpack here.

In the first place, Walther says that praying to Mary and the saints had become so ravaging that Christ was minimized, dethroned, and nonexistent in the Church before the Reformation.

And He was.

The elaborate system of praying to Mary and the saints, buying indulgences, and so on removed Jesus from the cross and the Church.

Think of it this way: the object of man’s prayers and faith was now being directed to faithful children of God whose bodies lay in the pits of the earth. Or in a forgiveness, they were led to believe could be earned and purchased with earthly wealth.

But then the Reformation occurred, and through God’s use of Martin Luther, we hear again these words written to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The Church can breathe again, right? God has used His faithful servants to steer it aright.

However, as a product of the Reformation, splinter churches rose and sprouted in every nook and cranny of the world. Like a tree, the teachings of the Church also branched off, some staying close to the base and trunk while other limbs spread far and wide.

As a bystander, you might ask, “How is this a bad thing?” More Jesus everywhere, right?

Well, the churches that stayed close to the trunk and base remained with the source of our faith: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. However, those branches of the church that spread far and wide from its source became easily swayed by the winds of this world and life.  

This is what happened to the Church after the Reformation.

The Church grew and splintered and then splintered some more.

But as each branch of the tree grew further from the trunk, its teachings also grew further away from their source and strength: Jesus Christ.

This remains the story of the Church today.

Many denominations possess many and various beliefs. They all cry out from their pulpits, “Here is the Christ! Or There is Christ!”

But Dr. Walther would say, “This is what makes our age so dangerous and abominable, and demonstrates that the final, evil days of this world are approaching.”

His words of caution and warning are because the Christ being preached from so many pulpits today is fictitious and false.

Even in the mid-nineteenth century, Walther cautioned his flock against falling for the false teachings that led the Church to see Jesus as simply a teacher above all teachers, a model citizen, and an example of virtuous and moral living we should strive to merely imitate and follow.

Now, imitating the virtuous and sacrificial love of Jesus is a good thing we should strive to do in our lives.

But this is precisely what isn’t being preached from the many pulpits that fill the limbs and branches of Christ’s Church even today.

The sacrificial love of Jesus - the cross.

And if the cross is not present, neither is a recognition of man’s sin.

Think about this: how many churches have you gone to where the readings, sermons, and hymns point you to the cross of Jesus?

If you listen carefully, probably only a few, if any.

A significant reason for this is that man does not want to consider himself a sinner in need of a Savior.

This was true for the Pharisees and religious leaders of Israel, the Roman Catholic Church before the Reformation, and the many churches sadly swaying with the winds of this world today.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23)

Isn’t this something?

Whenever the Church on earth has been led astray, it is because the cross of Jesus is absent.

So, I ask you, in these gray and latter days of life, is the cross present in your life?

Or, to say this differently, do you see your need to confess the sins of life before Jesus, trusting Him to be “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?” (John 1:29)

You see, the trunk and base of the true Church of Jesus Christ is the tree of His cross.

And by clinging to it, you have forgiveness and salvation; you have the true Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.

As we approach these last Sundays of the Church, do not lose sight of this simple truth. Because where the cross is, Jesus will be present, too.

With His Word, His flesh and blood, and with His life for you.

So, look here (point to the cross next to the pulpit) and see your Savior. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

The Marriage of Brian Klinge and Rebecca Moseley

Dear Brian, Rebecca, George, Elizabeth, Marjorie, Andrew, Douglas, Christopher, Theodore, family and friends.

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There’s a saying, “Life comes at you fast.”

Meaning you have to be prepared for the twists and turns of life when they arrive.

Still, sometimes, you cannot be ready for what lies ahead. Can you Brian and Rebecca?

Undoubtedly, the joys of the past few months have appeared to move at lightning speed as preparations for today’s wedding took place.

Yet, this life also possesses darker days, when grief and mourning follow in the shadows of death and the grave, causing everything to come to a standstill.

Why?

Because “Life comes at you fast.”

The pace of life is often the genesis for your unexpected sadness, but also the joy that might follow in the days yet to come.

For instance, what do you think was going through (the Biblical) Rebekah’s mind during the first reading this morning?

I mean, there she was, completing her daily tasks and chores, much like the two of you working on farms, when her whole life changed at the well.

She approached as a virgin maiden, only to depart with a “ring” and a plan for marriage. (but please ensure your ring goes on your finger, Rebecca).

If this was you, you might say, “Life comes at you fast.”

However, notice how Rebekah and her family respond to this abrupt change in life.

Isaac’s servant asks Rebekah if she will be steadfast in love and faithfulness to his master Isaac, while her father and brother respond by saying to the servant’s request of Rebekah,

“[This] thing has come from the LORD... Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Life is full of instances, reasons, and timing we cannot explain. These matters are simply in the hands of God. And when we entrust all our sadness and joys of this life to God, the result will be faith in Him.

In a way, a beautiful aspect of Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage is that courtship was not afforded to them at that time.

This is countercultural for us today.

We live in a time when most couples date for two to five years before getting married. They need time to figure things out, see if they are compatible, if their families mesh, or whether they can love this man or woman for the rest of their earthly lives, kind of like a trial run.

The thing with love for another man or woman is that it takes constant work.

I love this about Isaac and Rebekah in our reading: they would have to learn to love each other, but only after they became husband and wife.

Brian and Rebecca, in a moment, you won’t say, “I do.” Instead, you’ll echo the actions and words of Isaac and Rebekah by saying, “I will…”

This is an important nuance in the English language. The words “I do” reflect the present state of your emotions and feelings.

While the words “I will” look to the future. 

These words look to tomorrow as you awake to a full house and the children’s excitement overflowing. 

These words look to the days when the butterflies of love ebb and flow with life.

These words look to the instances when life moves too fast or as it slows, and the crosses of sadness and grief permeate.

It’s at this moment that the words “I will” are tested.

It’s at this time when the words from First John must ring in your ears,
By this we know love, that [Christ Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers…let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16,18b)

This is the true challenge of marriage: sacrificial love.

Sacrificial love is found in the words of Jesus as He tells His Mother in today’s Gospel, “My hour has not yet come.”

What is the meaning of this hour?

It’s the hour when the laying down of Jesus’ life would be necessary.

The hour of His crucifixion and death.

The hour of His mercy and love for you, His bride, the Church.

For this reason, the cross is now the image of marriage – your marriage.

I’m sure this isn’t the love story the world prefers to imagine on a day like today, but it’s the story you have already known and will know in the days, weeks, and years to come.

It is a story of sacrifice, confession, and forgiveness. You’ll depart the familiarity of home, Rebecca, and head for uncharted territory just a little north of here. You’ll bear one another’s grief and sadness. You’ll experience milestones of joy together, and eventually, you’ll reach your own life’s end as you’re brought into the nearer presence of your Savior. 

This is love.

And it’s the love you must now learn to have for one another in this marriage.

In this way, your marriage becomes an icon and image of Christ and His cross to George, Elizabeth, Marjorie, Andrew, Douglas, Christopher, and Theodore.

As you depart today and enter this new life together as husband and wife, go with faith and be led by the love and the cross of Jesus Christ. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Trinity 24

Matthew 9:18-26

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As a child, the prayer I was taught to pray before bed went like this,

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my Soul to keep[;]
But if I die before I 'wake,
I pray the Lord my Soul to take.

This prayer was created by the English theologian George Wheeler in the seventeenth century. It’s simple, short, and sweet, making it easy for a child to learn and take to heart.

But what does it mean to lie down to sleep?

This is a question we will wrestle with this morning.

In the Gospel today, it said,

While [Jesus] was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

But notice how Jesus responds to the ruler,

And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

As an aside, it was tradition to hire musicians and wailing women to be present in the home of a mourning family after a death. For one, the music and loud weeping made a family’s grief known to the community around. 

But here, Jesus says, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”

Not only is He instructing the professional mourners to hit the road, but His words raise the question, was the girl dead? Had she ceased to exist? Had the blood in her veins stopped pumping? Or was she simply sleeping?

The answer to these questions is yes.

Numerous times throughout Scripture, death is called a sleep.

In Deuteronomy it says,

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. (Deuteronomy 31:16)

It’s recorded in First Kings, “Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.” (1 Kings 2:10)

In St. John, it’s written, “After saying these things, [Jesus] said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

And again, as we heard today, “for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”

So, what does it mean for death to be a manner of sleeping?

Well, the Church Fathers wrote numerous things regarding this matter.

St. Hillary wrote, “For the death of God’s saints, death is but a sleep, and sleep is a picture of death, the bed an image of the tomb and grave.” (St. Hillary)

The Church Father, the Venerable Bede wrote, “It is common Christian custom to call the dead sleeping, for they will undoubtedly rise again.”

And this is the great evangelical news of the Church: those who die and sleep in Christian hope and faith will hear the voice of their Savior, be awakened from their deathly slumber, and rise again.

And this should bring comfort to your troubled hearts.

For this reason, every night you lay down for bed, you rehearse and prepare for the day that is to come, when each of you will, as the headstone used to read, “Requiescat in pace,” or as we translate it, “Rest in Peace.”

And what allows you to rest in peace?

The Psalmist wrote,

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;

                        for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8 )

What a comforting Psalm to hear,

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;

                        for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8 )

This is an important Psalm for anyone who has thought about the action of sleeping.

For one, when you sleep, you are as vulnerable as you could be.

There is nothing you can do to defend yourself, all tucked into your blankets while you snuggle up with your teddy bear or squishamellow. This is why soldiers take turns sleeping, so someone is always awake and on guard for the enemy.

However, this is not how you operate in your homes, is it?

No, the act of sleeping is the Christian exercise of complete dependence and faith in God to care for you, body and soul.

Reflect on this bedtime prayer from Martin Luther; he pinned,

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

This prayer is a petition for forgiveness and a right mind as you enter your beds. It commits body and soul to the Lord’s care and requests that the heavenly soldiers guard and protect you through the darkness of night.

Why?

Because as the sun rises, the body is aroused from its sleep and given life again.

Just as sleep is “The refresher of bodies, the restorer of powers, the improver of sickness, the soother of works, the healer of hardships.” (Tertullian)

The sleep of death now prepares the Christian for the joys of resurrection and new life in the world to come.

No more is the brokenness of the body; no more are the ailments of this life, and no more does sadness and grief cause your hearts to fear.

Why?

Because just as the crucified body of your Savior was laid in the tomb for you, He hallowed the graves of all who believe in Him to be a place of holy sleep so that just as He was raised from the dead, so you will also be raised to new life.

Take comfort in these words from the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the Thessalonians,

But 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)   

Today, Jesus does this for the ruler’s daughter: He sends away the mourners, teaches us not to grieve as others do, raises the sleeping girl, and then brings her to new life.

My friends, approach your life and death in like manner.

Do not embrace or run towards death, but also, do not grieve this life as others do; you have a Savior who is Christ the Lord, and He brings with Him all who have fallen asleep in Him.

For this reason, do not approach your beds each night carelessly.

But like the ruler who prays for his daughter's life, learn to pray again for your eternal life.

Whether you use the simple prayer I was taught as a child or commit yourself to learning Luther’s bedtime prayer, ask God to forgive you your sin, send His holy angels to watch over you, and ultimately care for you throughout the hours and darkness of this life.

Then go confidently to bed, knowing that just as the sun will rise again in the morning, the Son of Man will come again, and He will raise you, body and soul, to new life. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

All Saints Day

November 3, 2024

Text: Revelation 7:9-17

+INJ+

What’s the story of your life?

Is it a happy story? Is it complicated? Is it sad? Has it been fought with trial and tribulation?

Is it a bit of all of this?

Or what if how you remember the story isn’t accurate? What if you’ve forgotten important details…

After all, you’re human.

I recently relived the story of my life as my family cleaned out my parent’s home: the stories, the memories, the photographic evidence.

You can’t outrun it!

The photos, though, tell a story, don’t they? It’s a sometimes happy, complicated, sad story fought with trial and tribulation.

But it’s a story.

It's a story about a first birthday cake with frosting smeared all over, the proud day of graduation, young love at a prom or wedding, the awkward family photo in front of the Christmas tree, or some silly moment captured in time.

However, in his book A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis notes that “A really good photograph might become in the end a snare, a horror, and an obstacle.”

Because when you look back on photographs, you see images of friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives who no longer walk, speak, laugh, cry, or share the trials and tribulations of this life with you.

And this causes sadness, grief, and mourning.

The question arises: is this the end of the story?

Is the image of the grave your lasting memory of the dead?

On All Saint’s Day, the Church remembers the faithful children of God who now rest from their labors and reside in His eternal presence.  For us, the living, it’s also a time for us to wrestle not only with the image of death but also the image of life eternal.

To do this, we must also wrestle with the story of life.

So, look at our reading from the Book of Revelation this morning.

When the words were read, what image formed within your mind?

What did you see as we heard the words of St. John?

He wrote,

After this, I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Here is an image of the heavenly throne room, the Lamb upon His throne.

It’s the image of what transcends the grave.

But how have your friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives been brought into this eternal presence of the Lamb?

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

Those who stand before the throne of God entered His presence through the great tribulation.

So what is this “tribulation” that John records?

There are numerous instances throughout Scripture that depict this as the moment in which Jesus returns on the last day, just as we confessed in the Creed,

And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

However, the words of the Elder from the reading, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” - Demonstrate a condition and ongoing reality.

This means that the saints who fill the heavenly throne room are those who have met trial and tribulation, those who experienced distress and oppression, and those of you who even remain troubled by grief and sadness still today.

And these are not only images of the cross but also the true crosses of life – your life.

So, where do you take these crosses of life? Where do you take what distresses and troubles you?

To the font.

In a way, I cannot think of a more traumatic and glorious experience of the Christian life than the font.

It’s there you die to this life and are raised again. (Romans 6:1-6)

And if you are to examine Scripture, water always has a purifying and traumatic effect.

Reflect on Noah and the flood and how God purified the world of sin.

Or as Pharoah and his army were drowned in the Red Sea.

Or even as the disciples were caught in a storm, fearful for their lives.

This water is not child’s play.

It’s where one takes the great tribulations to “have the robes of life washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.”

And this washing is not your own doing but a result of the Lamb’s blood. It’s Christ’s death and resurrection that cleanses and washes away the sins of this world.

As the Psalmist writes,

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:2)

For this reason, the key to understanding our reading from Revelation is the Lamb of God, your Good Shepherd.

So look at the last verse from Revelation,

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

                        and he will guide them to springs of living water,

             and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

The Lamb and Shepherd are one; they are Jesus. And as the text says, He will guide you and all the faithful to “Springs of living water.”

I can’t help but to think of Psalm 23 here,

The Lord is my shepherd;
            I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
            He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
            He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
            your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
            you anoint my head with oil;
            my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
            and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 is the story of your life, but it’s also the image of Revelation that comforts your conscience and brings peace to your heart.

All Saints Day observes and gives thanks for the many faithful Christians who have led and are now gathered around the throne of Christ. It’s also for us to follow their patterns of faith, follow and walk after them, and be led with them by the Good Shepherd until eternal life.

For this reason, we remember that this life's journey began in the waters of Holy Baptism. It’s there you were clothed with the multitudes of faithful saints in the blood of the Lamb, redeemed and forgiven.

But those purifying waters then flow and actively lead you to walk in the footsteps of the saints to this altar, and in this space and time, heaven now comes to earth.

Something that is often lost in the Church today is that historically, it was common for churches to have cemeteries, and these gardens of the dead in Christ would be placed right behind the wall of the altar. In this way, heaven and earth were united—that’s why the communion rail was often in the half-circle; it was only part of the story.

And here’s the thing: after we bury our loved ones, when we depart the grave, it’s only part of the story.

As we approach this altar with angels and archangels, we also join the whole company of heaven, those who rest from their labors.

Your mother or father, husband or wife, brother or sister, son or daughter.

Heaven and earth are united again.

How wonderful is this?

How comforting?

My friends, your journey to the grave is not over. Surely, you’ll make many more pilgrimages to bury your loved ones in the soil of this earth. But as you depart, through tears of sadness and grief, remember the picture and image St. John gives us today of all God’s saints gathered around His throne because that includes you.

+INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

Trinity 21

Text: John 4:46-54

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The year was 2008; the motto was Hope and Change.

Politicians and political campaigns have long used mottos and slogans to stir up the hearts of voters to believe in them, to believe that if elected, they can make your life better.

In many ways, political mottos and slogans lead people to believe in something they cannot see.

It’s for this reason the American election process takes a degree of faith, doesn’t it?

Or, as some might say, the American election process can be an exercise of blind faith.

Hope and change enlivened a movement of people to flock for rallies. By all accounts, it gave those attending and casting their votes a newfound hope for a better tomorrow.

While you may have some idea of what a candidate can do, especially as both the national candidates this year have either served as president or vice president – they have records – but there is no way to tell what catastrophes may lay ahead in the world; there is no way to know how the balance of Congress will shake out; there is no way to tell if their mottos will become a reality.

Yet, on November 5th, Americans will cast their votes and express their faith in voting for one candidate, or they will express their lack of faith by voting against a candidate.

The Gospel today is also about faith.

However, in the region of Galilee, words did not matter; for this reason, Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

The “You” here was plural as Jesus spoke to the crowds gathering around. His words were in response to the fact that the Galileans were only following Him because of the signs and miracles He performed and not the genuine faith that trusted in the Word He preached, the Word that gave this faith.

So when Jesus says to the Galileans, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” He knew their hearts and was saying, you won’t believe in me unless I do some sign for you first.

Don’t we all have a little bit of this mentality in us, too?

Jesus, we believe in you, but we’d believe more if you showed us a sign. I mean, answer our prayers in real-time. When I pray for my son to be healed, grant it. When I petition for my brother to be free of addiction, unchain him. If I ask you to heal my mother, just do it.

Give me a sign.

But this isn’t how signs actually work in Holy Scripture.

In the context of Scripture, Jesus’ signs articulate and reveal the Gospel to the hearer. Signs confront man with God’s visible presence in a way that demands faith.

Again, the signs of Jesus demand a response of faith.

Yet, the Gospel does not say the Roman Official had seen signs and wonders. It said, “When [the Official] heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.”

The beginning of faith in the Roman official’s heart was in the hearing of the reports of Jesus’ signs and wonders; it was the Word of God.

This leads us to a proper understanding of how the signs and wonders of Jesus are to aid us today; as St. John writes near the end of his Gospel,

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

The signs and wonders of Jesus were written in Holy Scripture so that by hearing, you would believe – that you would have faith in Jesus and His Word.

Yet, when it comes to our faith in God, we are more like the Galileans. Show us a sign. Prove yourself to us, God.

Instead, we should be more like the Roman Official, having faith and believing in the Word of Jesus that He can heal his son.

If only we approached the Word of God with such vigor and trust, especially in the times we have grown fearful, angry, or uncertain ourselves.

You could probably relate these emotions and feelings to the current state of our political environment as much as you can when a child has fallen deathly ill, a spouse is suffering, or a parent lies on their deathbed.

In these instances, if you feel powerless, like the Roman Official, join him in approaching Jesus, petitioning and praying for His aid and help for your faith and the faith of one another.

Sure, you want signs and wonders to accompany your faith because our times are no different from those in the Gospel today.

We want to be there when Jesus speaks the word of healing to the Roman Official; we desire to walk home with him as his servants greet him to tell him the good news of his son’s healing, and we want to witness his son’s embrace.  

We desire signs and wonders.

But we have something more extraordinary: we have the Word of Jesus.

A word that implants the seed of faith into your hearts as we hear it and leads you to the greatest sign of Christ’s love for you, the cross, where He died for you.

Just as the Official’s son’s ailment had him at the door of death, Jesus went through death so that you would receive the redeeming and saving Word of His life. 

A word that creates and sustains faith within you.

We must remember today that even as we have citizenship here on earth, we also have greater citizenship in heaven with Christ our Lord.

Election cycles will come and go, and we will continue to exercise our faith in one candidate or another by casting our votes.

But do not neglect the hope and confidence you have in your Savior, Jesus Christ. For His death has changed everything, and you already have eternal life in Him today.

So pray to Him for all the needs of this life, for the needs of this country, for the needs of the body, but most importantly, for the needs and care of your soul. Trust in Him above all; He will grant you the true faith needed for this day and all the days of this life. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Trinity 20

October 13, 2024

Text: Matthew 22:1-14

If you take a step back and look at the totality of Holy Scripture, it’s the story of a marriage and the wedding feast to follow.

First, go to the beginning, go to the Garden of Eden. God creates Adam from the dust of the earth and entrusts him with the care and stewardship of His garden. But it’s recorded in Genesis, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” (Genesis 2:18)

What follows is the establishment of the first marriage, the first wedding, as we then read;

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

             “This at last is bone of my bones

                        and flesh of my flesh;

             she shall be called Woman,

                        because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:21-23)

The intimacy of their creation made them one flesh, united and cared for by their Creator.

In this marriage, they received everything needful for this life; they had the Garden’s food and one another’s companionship. They toiled together happily as they carried out the tasks God entrusted to them.

Until they didn’t.

You know what happened next, how Satan tempts Eve to take from the forbidden tree, how she eats, then gives to Adam to eat. Together, they turn away from God’s Word, fall into sin, and discover they are naked, all while bringing humanity into lives of disobedience and ongoing divorce.

The etymology or origins of the word “divorce” comes from the Latin word divortium, which means “separation.” And this is what man does in the Garden; he separates himself from God, His will, and His Word.

Yet, the first Gospel message that follows in Genesis reveals that the Father and Creator of the World would not leave His fallen creation but send a Bridegroom to rescue and redeem her as God spoke to Satan,

            I will put enmity between you and the woman,

                        and between your offspring and her offspring;

             he shall bruise your head,

                        and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

This, of course, leads your eyes to the cross where Jesus, the Bridegroom, fulfills His Father’s vow and the purpose He was sent, to sacrifice Himself and redeem His bride, the Church, to redeem and purchase back you who have turned away like Adam and Eve, divorcing yourself from His Word.

It’s for this reason we hear today’s Gospel. To jolt us to repentance, to return and be clothed again in our baptismal identities, and to lead us to the foretaste of the wedding feast now prepared for us by Christ Jesus at this altar.  

However, who will listen to the call of Bridegroom and come to this wedding feast prepared by Jesus?

This question is at the core of the parable in today’s Gospel reading.

The kingdom of heaven is compared to a wedding feast, and as the Gospel ends, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Here is how the parable unfolds.

The King, your heavenly father, prepared a feast in honor of His Son, Jesus.

Those invited were the people of Israel. But throughout time, they not only rejected God and His Word, but they also rejected His only Son, the Bridegroom.

In fact, not only did they pay no attention to the prophets and messengers God sent to call them to the feast, but they killed them. Think of John the Baptist and how he was beheaded, for instance.

But this doesn’t end things; instead, the King now sends His servants with His word of invitation to gather anyone they could find, both good and bad, so that the wedding hall might be filled to the brim with guests.

This is interesting, too, as there are no restrictions on the invitation to the feast except what you wear, and this might strike you at first glance: What does God care about what you wear to church?

You must have a wedding garment.

Now, wedding garments were something provided to guests by the host as they entered the banquet. Not having a wedding garment was offensive and disrespectful.

Reflect back to when Adam and Eve fell into sin. As they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they became aware that they were naked, and they felt shame. While they attempted to clothe themselves, and they did, the true clothing they needed came from God—it was Him who would clothe them.

Likewise, everyone who enters the wedding feast must first be clothed with a wedding garment by the host, by God. 

This is the challenge for the one found in the wedding hall without the proper wedding garment. He thought he could enter this great banquet on his own accord and, according to his own good works and deeds.

However, the only way into this feast is to be clothed by Christ and His sacrificial death upon the cross.

So, how are you clothed by Christ?

Look to Ruth Marie this morning. As she was baptized, the Old Adam that already clings to her heart and flesh was drowned in the death of Christ Jesus, and then, by His Word, she was raised to new life.

In fact, near the end of the rite, you heard these words, “Receive the white, holy, and spotless robe which you shall bring before the judgment seat of Christ so as to receive eternal life.”

To enter the wedding feast is to live and be clothed by Christ Jesus in your Baptism.

You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven on your own, but only through the cross and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Again, we heard at the end of the Gospel, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Many hear the Gospel of Christ, but few take it to heart, abide in it, and are led by it.

We, too, are tempted like those [in the Gospel] to be occupied by earthly matters. Our schedules are so full of school activities, the fear of missing out on family engagements, or even for some of you who have retired – you say your schedule is fuller now than it was when you worked.

Yet, I implore you not to put off gathering with the saints of God and be clothed by Him and His righteousness.

Hear these words from the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament reading,

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;

                        call upon him while he is near;

            let the wicked forsake his way,

                        and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

             let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,

            and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

God wants to pardon your sins, clothe you in His forgiveness, and unite you with Him both now and in eternity.

So, seek Him where He is to be found.

Continue to enter His presence with Ruth through the waters of Holy Baptism, confessing your sin and being clothed in His forgiveness. Then be led to this altar where you will receive a foretaste of the wedding feast already prepared for you in the flesh and blood of your Savior Jesus Christ.

This is where the whole Christian life is leading you to the ongoing wedding feast of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world and redeems His bride, the Church.

This is the story of Holy Scripture; it’s how things begin and how they end, as we read in the book of Revelation:

            Let us rejoice and exult

                        and give him the glory,

             for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

                        and his Bride has made herself ready;

            it was granted her to clothe herself

                        with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:7-8)

Friends, the marriage of the Lamb has come; receive it now and be adorned in the garment of salvation today and always.  +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

Trinity 19

Text: Matthew 9:1-8

The most important thing every person needs is forgiveness of their sins. For this reason, the most important thing a person needs to hear is the absolution, the pronouncement of forgiveness.

No matter your place in life, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are healthy or wrestling with ailments, whether you have many possessions or very few, you need to hear the forgiveness of sins.

Life without this precious gift leads one down a treacherous path, one where there is no crown of life or entrance into Paradise. Yet, many in this world turn away as the thief on the cross who mocked Jesus. They do not hear the absolution; they do not hear the words, “You are forgiven.”

The Great Lutheran theologian C.F.W. Walther wrote about a person who lives without forgiveness, “You are like a person who sits at a well-set table while a deadly sword hangs by a hair above your head. You may have everything you desire, but without the forgiveness of sins, you are like a criminal on the way to the gallows. Without forgiveness, you cannot be a friend of Christ. Without hearing the words, you are forgiven, you cannot have a certain and joyful conscience.”

In today’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus heals a paralytic; we also hear how he forgives the sins of the paralytic. In fact, the first thing Jesus says to the paralytic is, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” This might seem insensitive to some, but the paralytic's friends brought the man to Jesus to be healed, and here He says, “Your sins are forgiven?”

But it’s this statement that drives the scribes who were present to charge Jesus with blasphemy. Who is Jesus, this man, to forgive sins?

The Scribes are often associated with the Pharisees. For them, forgiveness comes from God in heaven, not from this man upon earth. They believed forgiveness is not given but earned through merits and works, such as fasting, praying, and ceremonies.

We often sympathize with the Scribes’ view. Wouldn’t it be easier if showing up to church each week simply earned forgiveness, helping a friend in need during harvest season, or aiding those who cannot help themselves? We want forgiveness to take on a certain visible quality that rests upon us, our actions, and our works.

The scribes looked to their works to garner forgiveness; they doubted the forgiveness Jesus gave. In doing so, they stole God's honor and placed themselves in the Father’s seat. We do the same thing by making merit and works the sole focus of forgiveness, and by doing this, we allow doubt to blossom in our hearts.

The devil enjoys our doubt.

The fog created by doubt can prevent us from seeing Jesus for who He truly is.

The men who carry their friend, the paralytic, to Jesus see not only the man but also the Christ. They see Jesus as both God and man. Their faith is so great that they believe Jesus can and will heal their friend. The Gospel of Mark reveals how these friends go so far as to lower the man through an opening in the roof for Jesus to heal him.

Yet, Jesus first tells the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” The man wants healing, and these are Jesus's words.

We want healing, too. We experience disease and ailments in our lives, periods of uncertainty that sometimes last the entirety of life. We want healing in our relationships, marriages, and families so our loved ones do not meet untimely death. And to you, Jesus also says, “Take heart, my child; your sins are forgiven.”

Sin is the ultimate root of all human suffering and need. Sin and sickness are inseparably related. “The sin of Adam and Eve brought the curse of death, sickness, and every malady upon the human race.” (Gibbs, 459) Today’s text is one of the most evident testimonies of how sin and sickness are connected. However, this passage does not indicate that the paralysis suffered by the man in today’s Gospel or by any of us today is caused by any particular sin. Instead, in the fall, in the Garden of Eden, sin enters our world, along with disease, death, and the grave.

And this is precisely what Jesus intends to heal. Jesus wants to heal and restore the whole person. He goes below the surface of human reason and tells the man brought to him on a bed, “Your sins are forgiven.” This is why He entered our world: to address the root of all your problems in this life: the problem of sin.

This is what makes the angel’s announcement to Joseph in the first chapter of Matthew so wonderful, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin.” (Matthew 1:21)

Notice, however, that when Jesus responds to the scribes who accuse him of blasphemy, he does not ask, “Which is easier to do, to forgive or to heal a paralytic?

Rather, he asks, which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven?’

Or to say, ‘Rise and walk!’?”

This is the conundrum.

In one instance, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ can come pretty easy because one cannot see the heart of man. Forgiveness requires and can only be received through faith.

Yet for Jesus, is it hard to say, ‘Rise and walk!’?” He’s been healing people throughout His ministry on earth.

Because of the often hidden nature of forgiveness, the easier thing to say here is, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’

It’s harder to say, “Rise and walk.” Partly because it’s visual and verifiable.

But there’s also a progression here: first, the forgiveness of sin, and then, the restoration of the body.

Look to the cross and you’ll see this same progression. The cost of your forgiveness is paid with the blood of Christ. Through beatings, mocking, and nails, Jesus suffered of the body between two criminals for the sin of the world. And when that first Good Friday came to an end, His lifeless body lay within the narrow chamber of the tomb, paralyzed by death. But on the third day, He arose and walked out of the tomb so you may both see and believe, that you would have faith in His forgiveness.

This forgiveness continues to flow from Christ’s body to you today. In the stead and command of Christ, pastors are sent to declare the good news of forgiveness to you at the beginning of every Lord’s Day through Confession and Absolution, freeing you from the gallows of this life. Along with bread and wine, the flesh and blood of Christ manifests the forgiveness of sins in a very tangible way, that you may not doubt, but come to the best-set table, believing and living confidently in the forgiveness of Christ, forgiveness that is placed upon your lips. Forgiveness that nourishes, restores, and grants healing for this day and for every day you are given in this life.    

In the collect for today, we prayed that we would be ready in both body and soul, to cheerfully accomplish whatever our Father in heaven would have us do. The greatest thing we can now do for our neighbor is to be ready to forgive as we have been forgiven. To forgive those who have done wrong to us, those who have hurt or harmed us. May our lives and words reflect the love and trust of the paralytic’s friends in today’s Gospel. With great hope and faith, they brought their friend to Jesus, entrusting their friend to the care of the Son of Man.

And we also entrust our cares, burdens, and eternity to Jesus. In Him, we see the power to forgive sins. He makes us new and washes us clean through His work on the cross. Let us praise and glorify God as the crowds who witnessed this miracle, and let us know that His words to the paralytic are for us, too, no matter the ailment of body or soul: “Take heart, child; your sins are forgiven.”

Your sins are forgiven, indeed. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI

St. Michael and All Angels

September 29, 2024

Text: Matthew 18:1-11

Throughout history, angels have been depicted in many forms and ways. A familiar and favorite image for an angel takes on a child's likeness, typically called a cherub.

In 1995, the United States Postal Service used two child angels from Raphael’s masterpiece, the Sistine Madonna, to celebrate Valentine's Day for its “Love” stamp series.

However, the postal service was warned that this particular depiction of child angels was known as putti. While to the naked eye, a putti appears lovely and gentle; these particular child angels were actually associated not with love but with death.

It’s for this reason these “Love” stamps also stirred controversy at the time, even causing a mother who used them on her daughter’s wedding invitations to complain to the postal service that these “death stamps” jinxed the wedding.

I can’t blame the mother for her confusion. In fact, throughout history, angels—who angels are, what they look like, and what they do—have consistently been misunderstood.

So today, we are going to examine the angels of God and begin learning who they are and what they do.

We begin with the question, what is an angel?

To begin with, angels are not humans who have died and now rest with Christ Jesus. No one gets their wings like Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Nor do angels resemble little children with wings and harps like the stamps I mentioned earlier. Honestly, this familiar image might be a little traumatic if you think about the battles angels are involved in throughout the Scriptures, baby angel warriors with harps. God has a sense of humor but also knows how spiritual wars are won.

But let’s get to the basics.

The word for angel comes from the Greek αγγελος, meaning messenger.

Martin Luther remarks regarding the definition of angels, “Thus this name is commonly applied in Scripture to all messengers of God in heaven and on earth, whether they are the holy angels in heaven or prophets and apostles on earth. . . But the heavenly spirits in particular are called angels because they are the highest and noblest messengers of God” (What Luther Says, p. 23).

Now, what does a messenger do other than serve as a means to transport and proclaim the words of the one who sends them?

You see this throughout the Scriptures. In the book of Genesis, it’s the angel of the Lord who comes to Abraham as he is about to sacrifice Isaac; we read,

The angel of the LORD called to [Abraham] from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  [The angel] said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:11-12)

This is a redeeming message from the angel, sent by God, but hidden in the message is a foreshadowing that God Himself would send His only begotten Son to be sacrificed upon the cross for the sin of the world.

We hear this great news as God sends His angel to Joseph and Mary separately.

The Gospel of Matthew records,

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

What a beautiful message from the Lord.

Then again, in the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary as we read,

And [Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. (Luke 1:28-31)

Likewise, as the women go to the tomb of Jesus, angels are present with the great message of Christ’s resurrection as they say,

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen!” (Matthew 28:5-6)

The angels of the Lord are always announcing the good news of Jesus.

But did you also catch in nearly every human encounter the angel says, “Do not be afraid…?” This is because angels are not childlike nor have friendly appearances; they are warriors, and as God’s messengers, they not only bring His word to you but also serve to guard and protect you.

Think on Psalm 91 as the Psalmist writes,

 “For [God] will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11).

Remember these words of the Apostle Paul.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

There is a deep, unseen darkness throughout this world, a spiritual element, where the angels that fell with Satan seek to disorder earthly life and cause you, God’s children, to fall out of faith.

St. Peter wrote, “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Yet, you say, “I don’t see any lions. What’s the big concern?”

Luther warned, “A Christian should know that he is sitting among devils and that the devil is closer to him than his coat or shirt, nay, closer than his own skin” (What Luther Says, p. 399). 

Remember, the devil and his minions disguise themselves as angels of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) They are always near, and the object of their attacks is your heart. They wish to lead you away from faith in Christ Jesus.

So ask yourself, where is your faith weakest? I don’t suspect the answer to this question remains the same from day to day.

But are there Sundays you are at your weakest when the alarm goes off in the morning? You don’t want to roll out of bed; it’s warm and comfortable. The devil is close at hand.

Are there days when you skip prayers because the tasks of this world are staring at you and appear insurmountable? If so, your heart grows colder when you fail to exercise your faith daily. The devil is close at hand.

Have these habits been the cause of God’s “little ones” or His dear children to fall from faith? In other words, have our actions or inactions been the cause for others or even yourself to fall from faith? If so, the devil is close at hand.

And Jesus first says, today,

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

This should cause us to possess a godly fear.

But also, did you pick up these words of Jesus near the end of the Gospel?

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

The angels of God always see His face; they are always doing His will and guarding His children.

The Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz wrote regarding angels; “With one hand, angels, protect believers and with the other they pursue and attack Satan and godless men. As you go about your daily work, the angels carry you in their hands.” (Loci 1:178)

Isn’t this comforting?

God’s angels, His warriors, carry you, His child, in their hands. Where are they carrying you or leading you?

His eternal presence.

In the end, all of God’s messengers are helping to protect you in this life so that when you die, you might be led to eternity with Jesus.

For this reason, His angels are just as concerned with your life as they are with your death.

As you look to the cross and see Jesus, know that His angels see Him too, that He has commanded them to watch over you, to protect you, and to lead you unto Himself.

So prepare your voice to sing with this angelic choir in the Sanctus – to sing with the angels, the archangels, and the whole company of heaven, as this not only joins our voice with the heavenly today but truly prepares us to sing with them eternally. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI

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