​1st Sunday in Advent – A                                                         LSB #’s 515, 663:1-2, 5; 644:1, 3-5
Text – Matthew 24:42
 
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
 
HOW AWAKE ARE YOU?
 
 
Flying in a plane on a clear night, when low enough to see the ground, there’ll be lights scattered across the landscape.   It can be a fascinating,   beautiful   & peaceful scene.   If you’re on a red eye flight, in the homes down below, many of the residents are sound asleep.  After a long day’s work, in the stress of a broken world,   rest is an absolute necessity. 
Our heavenly Father even set the pattern for His children by making one day just for rest: “And on the 7th day God finished His work that He had done, & He rested on the 7th day from all His work that He had done.  So God blessed the 7th day & made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.”  (Genesis 2:2-3 ESV) 
Due to our need for rest, it may sound troubling when we hear these words of Jesus, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”  (Matthew 24:42 ESV)    Clearly, Jesus can’t expect us to be awake at all times.   Staying up for Santa Claus is one thing.  He comes every year, & we know on what evening he will arrive. 
Isn’t the season of Advent supposed to be about preparing for our celebration of Christmas?   Isn’t the Gospel reading jumping the gun with its focus on the end of time?  The answer is yes & no.  Advent is a creation of the Christian Church, & has been used to point us to Christ in at least three different ways.  Jesus came to Bethlehem & He is coming on the Last Day. 
However, Jesus also comes into our hearts repeatedly as long as any of God’s children are alive.  Those advents are key to our recognition of the other two.   Jesus Himself stated, “I am the vine;   you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me & I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me   you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 ESV)    In other words, apart from Christ abiding in us, you & I cannot recognize His first coming at Christmas, nor His final coming on Judgment Day.   How are God’s children supposed to stay awake, as Jesus commands?   You know the answer, even if you do not realize it.   Let me help you connect the dots.   How do God’s children, who’ve sinned all of their lives, survive Judgment Day? 
We survive because the Holy Spirit has placed Christ’s robe of righteousness on us.  Christ’s holiness covers all of our sin, the original sin we inherit from our parents & all of our own actual sins.  When our time comes to be judged, God will not see our sins because they’re covered by the robe of righteousness given to us when God’s Spirit brought us to faith. 
How then are God’s children supposed to constantly stay awake, as Jesus commands?  We do so by wearing the robe of righteousness the Holy Spirit has given us to wear.  Constantly staying awake is that simple, & because of our sin it is that complicated.  Sin makes everything in this life complicated.   Satan constantly urges us to take off that robe of righteousness. 
In the Epistle reading from Romans, St. Paul calls that robe the armor of light: “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.   For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.  The night is far gone; the day is at hand.  So then let us cast off the works of darkness & put on the armor of light.”  (13:11-12 ESV) 
The repeated commands of Jesus to stay awake, to keep watching & to be ready, assume this truth.  It is spiritually healthy & beneficial for those who follow Jesus to be actively looking for His return.   His commands also assume that it is spiritually dangerous to neglect such attentive expectation. 
Stay awake, keep watching, be ready – those are a dramatic way of speaking about abiding in Christ.  They are about developing an awareness of what Yahweh is saying & doing in our present time.  They are to take a God perspective on the struggles & the challenges of our day.  Each of us is here on earth for a God-given purpose.  There are many things in this life that discourage us.  Behind the beautiful & peaceful scene of lights scattered across a landscape, our world is dark & evil in so many ways.   Yet, being a follower of Jesus is not about just surviving or toughing it out until you die.  Jesus tells us:
“You are the light of the world.”  (Matthew 5:14a ESV)   As St. Paul wrote: “So then let us cast off the works of darkness & put on the armor of light.”  (Romans 13:12b ESV)   Being in God’s house,  & studying God’s Word,  are two ways of abiding in Christ  that result in our bearing much fruit.  Is that fruit always visible to us?   No, but Jesus says it is there. 
Do we often fall asleep?  Yes.  That’s why Jesus calls us to stay awake.    Are we often afraid of following the promptings of the Holy Spirit?   Yes.   That’s why Jesus tells us, “Do not fear!”  How do we stay awake?  How do we not cower in fear?  We do so by remembering how the Holy Spirit covers us with Christ’s robe of righteousness. 
We do that by remembering our baptism.  We do that by hearing & studying the Word of God.  We do that by receiving the Body & Blood of Christ at communion.   Yet, even as we are “doing” these things, they are all means by which Christ Jesus comes to us.  The means of grace are actually Advents of Christ, & through them we actively look for His return. 
As Jesus comes to us through those Gospel means, we begin to learn & appreciate the tremendous significance of His birth in Bethlehem.  We begin to learn & appreciate the fearsome divide that will occur on Judgment Day.  Though Jesus tells us that we cannot know when He will return, at the same time He encourages us to always be ready. 
When Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, He became part of His own creation.  The end times of this world began as the reign of God broke into time & space.  As we move into the beginning of a new church year, we are experiencing three different advents of Jesus.   We experience them differently, but in God’s realm, all of them are occurring at once.  Faith is born or renewed as Christ comes to any one of His human creatures.  His creation is being renewed as God’s Son takes on human flesh, along with the dust from which Adam was made.  A separation of souls occurs, to heaven or to hell, whenever one of God’s human creatures departs this life. 
As Holy Scripture tells us, “…at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…”  (Philippians 2:10 NASB)   In this life, one believer is healed yet another dies too young, & we get used to being hardened against hope.  We suffer all manner of disappointments & evil, such that cynicism poisons our heart, mind & soul. 
Still, the promises of God urge Christians to lean forward toward the future   in its entirety – here on earth & there in heaven.  Jesus warns us to stay awake, to stay connected to the Vine, because Satan wants to break into our house.  If we don’t stay alert, the Devil will cause all kinds of destruction in our lives & in the lives of our family members. 
Jesus certainly is able to overcome that, but not without our suffering the consequences of our indifference.  It really is spiritually dangerous to neglect the attentive expectation of Christ’s return.  Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion.  As we continue to abide in Christ, He will help us to stay awake, & in so doing we’ll better understand His other two advents. 
I hope these song lyrics will help you to consider Christ’s first & last advents, as you struggle with staying awake in the brokenness of this world.  I heard this last night for the first time while working on this sermon.  I think it does well in highlighting the tremendous significance of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.  
When A Child Is Born
 
A ray of hope flickers in the sky
A tiny star lights up way up high
All across the land dawns a brand-new morn
This comes to pass when a child is born. 
A silent wish sails the seven seas
The winds of change whisper in the trees
And the walls of doubt crumble tossed and torn
This comes to pass, when a child is born. 
 
A rosy hue settles all around
You got the feel, you’re on solid ground
For a spell or two no one seems forlorn
This comes to pass, when a child is born. 
 
And all of this happens, because the world is waiting
Waiting for one child; Black-white-yellow, no one knows...
But children that will grow up and turn tears to laughter
Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbor
And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten forever.[1]
 
Amen. 
 
 
Rise, my soul, to watch & pray; from your sleep awaken!  Be not by the evil day unawares o’ertaken; for the foe, well we know, is a harvest reaping while the saints are sleeping.             But while watching, also pray to the Lord unceasing.  God protects you day by day, strength & faith increasing, so that still mind & will shall unite to serve Him & forever love Him.  Amen.  LSB 663:1, 5.


[1] The English lyrics were written by Austrian composer Fred Jay.  

​23rd Sunday after Pentecost – C (Proper 28)                                         LSB #’s 348, 411, LW # 18
Text – Malachi 4:2a
 
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.
 
HEALING IN ITS WINGS
 
 
A sudden Arizona monsoon surrounded the house, blowing dust into the air until the visibility outside was completely gone.  Thunder, lightning & pelting rain followed.  Then the power went off & visibility inside was completely gone.   When the lights flickered on 15 minutes later, a startled child asked, “Who turned on the lights?” 
The Creator of the universe sees our world in similar stormy darkness.  Engaged in a romance with sin, more & more Americans are becoming lost in the mind-numbing darkness.   Millions of people are finding it impossible to recognize truth or reality.   Satan has deceived people into thinking they have the power to create reality. 
In the OT reading three weeks ago, we heard God giving counsel to Cain  who was also lost in darkness: “Why are you angry,  & why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.    Its desire is for you, but you should control it.”  (Genesis 4:6-7) 
How do you control the darkness?  None of us are capable of creating light as did God: “In the beginning, God created the heavens & the earth.  The earth was without form & void, & darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.   And God said, ‘Let there be light,’   & there was light.”  (Genesis 1:1-3 ESV) 
No human being can replicate that astonishing feat.   If we as a nation, if we as individuals, are lost in mind-numbing darkness, if our lives are without form & void, what hope is there?  We personally know people who are suffocating in that kind of darkness, & we can feel our powerlessness to help.    Such were the circumstances in the days of the prophet Malachi.   It was with great fanfare, that God’s people, who’d been exiled to Babylon, were released by king Darius & allowed to return to Jerusalem.  The temple was rebuilt & then dedicated in 515 B.C.  It was about 80 years later when Malachi wrote while serving God’s remnant in the province of Judah.   Things had not gone well since the fanfare died. 
The prophet Ezra initially led the people of God back to Jerusalem, but the Persian king Darius who sent them, ended up at war with the Egyptians.  That was one cause of the failure of Ezra’s reforms.  When Nehemiah appeared some years later, the colony was in steep decline.  After 12 years of vigorous work to improve conditions, Nehemiah went back to Persia. 
After a period of time, Nehemiah returned to find that many of the abuses he’d abolished in his first visit were again being practiced by the people of Judah.  The Sabbath was desecrated; pagans were accommodated into the Jewish community life & married into Jewish families without accepting faith in Yahweh as their Lord & Creator. 
It is into that unfaithful context that Malachi was called to be God’s prophet.     Into what kind of context   has God called you?     We see much confusion & darkness in our nation, but there’s darkness in our personal lives as well.   All of us struggle with Satan’s temptations to sin.   Health concerns are a constant issue bringing with them fear & anxiety that darken our mood.  
Our relationships with family, neighbors & co-workers can bring darkness into our lives as they give us reason to be concerned about their eternal future.   Financial pressures weigh on us while working & when retired.  If you’re the type of person to worry, you will never run out of things to be stressed about.  All of that can pile up on us & drag us down. 
When we allow the darkness to drag us down we are not reflecting the light of Christ as the Holy Spirit calls us to.  When we allow the darkness to drag us down we try to take control of aspects of our lives that belong to our Lord.  The good works that God’s Spirit prepares in advance for us to walk in  tend to get left high & dry,  as do the people who would benefit from them.  One of the worst aspects of the darkness in our day is how so few people see it for what it is.  Gaslighting has become rampant among public figures, & they practically dare anyone to call them out on it.  As the father of lies, Satan loves the lack of shame being displayed. 
What is evil is called good, & what is good is called evil.  If you dare to call out the gaslighting, in the best circumstances it will be suggested you are too naïve to understand truth.   Worst case – people have no qualms about destroying your reputation & life. 
Now, gaslighting is typically effective only when there’s an unequal power dynamic.  Our nation’s media & politicians are in positions of power.  Feeling powerless, we get frustrated with the volume of gas lighting.  It seems that no one is truly held accountable for all the blatant attempts at deception.  Psalm 13 expresses some of the frustration we feel:
“How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?”  (13:1 ESV)   In the 3rd chapter of Malachi, the prophet wrote of the remnant in Judah:
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another.  The Lord paid attention & heard them…  ‘They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts… & I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.  Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous & the wicked, between one who serves God & one who does not serve Him.’”  (3:16-18 ESV) 
 
Through the prophet Malachi, God promised His people that they would once more see the distinction between the righteous & the wicked.  That same promise holds true for you.  That promise also leads into the OT lesson for today:
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant & all evildoers will be stubble.  The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”  (Malachi 4:1 ESV)   Those strong words are not gaslighting, but words of judgment.  They will become truth & reality on the Last Day. 
For those who persevered & trusted in the Lord, that will be a great day of joy & of
healing.  In this life, in this age, what goes around comes around.  There is nothing new under the sun as Solomon wrote.  Persevering in the brokenness of this sinful world is a challenge beyond our own resources.  Those who try will fail. 
While the sun appears to shine & grind on forever, the believer, seeing that history is linear & not circular, knows that the sun will run its course, complete its mission & pass away.  The time will come when the services of the sun are needed no longer.  Into the darkness of this broken world, will come the sun of righteousness with healing in its wings. 
The Hebrew word can be translated as abundant peace, or as healing.   It is not only the opposite of disease, but also of disaster & trouble.   A Hebrew synonym refers to the new flesh growing on a wound.  This healing can also be related to repentance as in Hosea 6:1, “Come let us return to the Lord for He has torn that He may heal…” 
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “…by His wounds we are healed.”  (53:5)     Is there a burden you are carrying this morning?   Are you aware of how that burden weighs upon you?   Have you been trying to run from it?  Have you confronted that burden using the promises of God?   Our burdens & struggles are at least some of the context into which our Lord has called us. 
Like the prophet Malachi, you & I have been called to shine the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness that we see, & into the darkness that we feel.  Jesus felt the darkness & twice in Scripture He’s recorded as weeping as He confronted the darkness of this world.  Malachi wrote to encourage the people of Judah as they were feeling the darkness of sin in their lives:
“But for you who fear [the Lord’s] name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”  (4:2a ESV)   The unique character of righteousness in this text is that it will bring about “healing” for all the wounds inflicted by the unrighteous & the world.  But when?  That is often our question.  If we as a nation, if we as individuals, are lost in mind-numbing darkness, if our lives are without form & void, what hope is there?  God’s answer – those who have faith in Jesus already have received this healing.  The promise of healing was true in Malachi’s day.  It was true in the days of Jesus as He miraculously healed many people.  It is true in our day as well, yet, there is a greater & final fulfillment to come at the resurrection to eternal life. 
Even here on earth there are too many fulfillments of God’s promises to list.  Each of them gives us at least a glimpse of the final glorious fulfillment of our resurrection from the dead – the ultimate in our healing.  Until then we need the fruits of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”  (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV) 
 When health concerns tempt us to fear & anxiety, persevering in the brokenness of this sinful world is beyond our own resources.  In response, if healing is not the immediate plan, the Holy Spirit offers peace, patience & self-control, to counter Satan’s temptations. 
When family, neighbors & co-workers give us cause for doubt regarding their eternal future, we confront that darkness, not with our own resources.  We are too weak to control the darkness.  Rather, the Holy Spirit offers us love, faithfulness & gentleness that our lives may help them to see a joy that they do not have. 
Yahweh created all of the universe.  He’s intelligent beyond anything we can imagine, & He uses even the darkness of this world to bring about good.   Look at Judas, the betrayal & the cross, Satan meant all of it for harm, but Yahweh used it to bring you forgiveness & eternal life.  Will He not also use the brokenness of your life here to bring you repentance & healing? 
It is Yahweh alone who turns on the light of salvation in the darkness of our hearts & minds.  “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”  (Malachi 4:2a ESV)   Malachi is bringing to us a picture of the sun rising on a new day.  It is a picture of peace & light after storms of fear & darkness.  There is much darkness in our world, in our nation & in our own personal lives.  Our culture is increasingly calling evil good, & calling good evil.  None of that erases what Jesus Christ has done, & will continue to do, until the end of this age.  Jesus has forgiven all our sins, & He continues to do that each day of our lives.  The salvation found in Him is sure & certain, but it is also found only in Jesus. 
His healing creates a community on earth that will last into eternity.  We often call that the kingdom of God.  The Holy Spirit calls the marginalized of this life & brings them back into the heart of their Creator.  When we feel powerless to help, God’s Spirit wants us to remember these words of St. Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV) 
When we feel weak, that’s when we are most likely to lean upon Jesus, the Son of Righteousness who bring healing in His wings.  And with God, nothing is impossible.  He has come to control the darkness for us, & one day to deliver us from that darkness forever.  Amen.
 
 
I want to walk as a child of the light.  I want to follow Jesus.  God set the stars to give light to the world.  The star of my life is Jesus.        I want to see the brightness of God.  I want to look at Jesus.  Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path, & show me the way to the Father.  I’m looking for the coming of Christ.  I want to be with Jesus.  When we have run with patience the race, we shall know the joy of Jesus.          In Him there is no darkness at all.  The night & the day are both alike.  The Lamb is the light of the city of God.  Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.  Amen.  LSB 411.  

​Reformation – 2025                                                 LSB #’s 947, 513 + TLH 605:5 tune Ewing, 656
Text – Revelation 14:6
 
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation & tribe & language & people.
 
AN ETERNAL GOSPEL
 
 
Picture an artist who’s found a convenient spot on top of an ocean rock from which to paint.   The artist is looking toward the shore, painting the beauty of a village & its surroundings.   This artist is so absorbed in the process of painting that the returning tide is not being noticed as the waves lash around the base of the rock. 
Neither are the warning voices from the shore being heeded.   Eventually, the waves would bury the artist & the painting. 
In the same way, just before Judgment Day, many people will be fascinated with earthly charms.  This will be to such an extent that they will not realize the judgment that is creeping up on them.  Closer & closer the time draws near, yet the masses are unaware of the danger.  To these indifferent people an angel appears, flying in mid-heaven, that all might hear:
“…Fear God   & give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come…”  (Revelation 14:7 ESV)   No one who continues in unbelief will escape.  Revelation is a powerful book, written in a style that grabs your heart & shocks it.   In the midst of a world filled with natural & human caused trauma, Revelation calls us to hold on to Jesus. 
What afflictions, troubles, traumas, or difficulties are you facing this morning?  Are there challenges or struggles that seem overwhelming in this time of your life?  As parents get older, it can be a real challenge to know how best to care for them.  As children grow to independence, learning how & when to let go is a fearful trial for many parents. 
Chronic illnesses like arthritis or back pain cause us to move slower & to wonder if we’re
going to get run over as the rest of the world races on by.  And all that can pale in comparison to struggling with loved ones who are addicted to any of the various compulsions with which the brokenness of this world entraps them.  Across the entire planet, real human lives are being tempted, broken & ruined, by the millions, every single day. 
Prior to the Reformation, the church had become an unwitting partner of that destruction.  Instead of lifting people up, through the power of forgiveness, the church withheld forgiveness until sufficient sums of money were given.  The church was basically running a religious extortion scheme to fund the lavish lifestyles of the Vatican. 
The end result – the people of the Middle Ages were in constant fear of damnation from an angry God.  They knew nothing of the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding.  Their conscience could find no rest in the kingdom of their demanding lord.  You might recognize that as quite the opposite of today’s attitudes about God. 
The people of the Middle Ages needed someone like Martin Luther to rescue them from despair with good news of great joy for all the people.   In our culture, almost no one seems to be afraid of God.  The majority of our nation no longer attends church.  The good news about Jesus as Savior from sin does not appear to be much in demand. 
Jesus will just have to live with our sin is closer to the attitude.  Gratefulness for His death on the cross is fleeting & shallow.  Even among faithful Christians, rejoicing in suffering is mostly unheard of.   Endurance as a character trait has been replaced by the microwave. 
Lennart Kaiser was pastor in a small town in Bavaria during the Reformation.  As he began to preach the Gospel, he was accused of being a heretic.  Brought before the court in the year 1524, he gave in & renounced his Lutheran convictions.   Finding no peace, he resigned his position.  In 1525, he went to Wittenberg to study.  After 18 months, news came that his father was dying.  He went back to Bavaria, even though he knew this might be dangerous.  He saw his father but shortly thereafter was apprehended again & accused once more of being a heretic.  This time he was more firmly grounded in the Word of God & defended the pure teaching of the Gospel while being interrogated.  He was defrocked & handed over to the secular authorities. 
On August 16, 1527, He was burned at the stake.  He asked those attending his execution to sing the hymn “Come, Holy Spirit.”  His last words – “Jesus, I am yours; take me to heaven.”  Such faith is the power of God’s Word if we believe it.  Mr. Kaiser was willing to die for His faith in Jesus.  He was certain that, upon death, he would be welcomed into the arms of God. 
Where will you be once you have taken your last breath on earth?   Both the Old & New Testaments offer many variations of the phrase, “Do not be afraid.”  Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”  Luke 2:10, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” 
 Often, when we’re told not to be afraid, there is no basis for it – other than wishful thinking, or a ‘stick your head in the sand’ sort of philosophy.  The Word of God tells us not to be afraid because the Creator of the entire universe knows that this life is only temporary.  Even the best of things here are but a fleeting reflection of the amazing & perfect creation to come. 
We gather in God’s house on Sundays to receive the peace & rest that our Lord offers us.  However, that peace & rest is often obliterated as soon as we make our way home.  The people to whom John wrote Revelation were enduring persecution & suffering beyond our imagination. 
Yet, John was encouraging them to grasp the hope they had which was built upon the death & the resurrection of the Son of God.  Since Jesus was able to overcome death, any of us who die in Christ will certainly also overcome death through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And since our eternal life is certain, there’s no need to be afraid of anything here on earth.  Nothing can take our eternal future away from us.  And this life will end one day no matter what we do or how we live.  Thus, the angels in the text from Revelation warn us not to become too attached to this world: “Fear God & give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, & worship Him who made heaven & earth, the sea & the springs of water.” 
We worship Yahweh, not out of compulsion, but out of joy & thankfulness for all He has done.  Yes, our sinful nature fights that, so it’s important to have the encouragement of our brothers & sisters in Christ.  As they live in Christ, they help us to resist the sinful tendencies of our heart.  Likewise, we can help them as we approach them in gentleness & with respect. 
One of the greatest blessings I received while at seminary, was my brothers in Christ who were going through the same trials & challenges with me.  We supported & encouraged each other to resist our sinful tendencies & to lean upon the Holy Spirit to get us through. 
In this text from Revelation, we have both warning & encouragement, both law & Gospel.  Verse 13 brings us the good news in a rather blunt form: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’  ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors…’” 
Though we rarely look at death as a good thing, it is truly a blessing to die in the Lord.  Death apart from Jesus is more horrific than any of us can imagine, & hopefully none of us will experience that.  Whatever earthly things have claimed our attention, hopefully someone loves us enough to challenge us so they don’t overwhelm our attention on Christ. 
The angel with the eternal gospel is calling here today.  He’s calling for you that your sins might be erased & that you may dwell in peace & rest for eternity.  Amen. 
 
The clouds of judgment gather, the time is growing late; be sober & be watchful, our judge is at the gate: the judge who comes in mercy, the judge who comes in might to put an end to evil & diadem the right.  O sweet & blessed country, the home of God’s elect!  O sweet & blessed country that eager hearts expect!  Jesus, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest, who art, with God the Father & Spirit, ever blest.  Amen.  LSB 513:1 & TLH 605:5.