Christmas Eve Sermon St. Luke 2:1-14

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Chicago 

Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols

St. Luke 2:1-14

24 December 2011

In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Exactly nine day ago, December 15, the combat operations in Iraq officially ended. In almost nine years, Operation Iraqi Freedom cost 4,486 U.S. troops killed, 32,226 U.S. troops wounded, perhaps more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians killed, and 1 trillion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money spent. And, whatever one might personally think of the conflict and of its cost, one thing we can be certain of: it did not bring peace.

It is possible that the conflict has brought some measure of democracy to that country - that has yet to be seen. It is possible that it has brought some measure of stability to the region - that has yet to be demonstrated. It is possible that it has freed people from a repressive totalitarian ruler, although what the future government will be like is still largely unknown. But it did not bring peace. Bombs are still being set off in marketplaces - civilians are still being murdered - horrific violence is still an almost daily occurrence. Whatever good or evil it might might have wrought - it did not bring peace.

There was peace in “those days” of Caesar Augustus when he ordered a census of his Empire. It was the Roman Peace - the Pax Romana. It was a peace that came through conflict, war and conquest. Rome had conquered much of the known world, and so there was peace. It was an uneasy peace, to be sure - but it was peace. And the Caesars - the Emperors - like Augustus - were the peace makers - through conquest; and they were the peace keepers - through force. But it was peace nonetheless.

War and conquest do sometimes bring a kind of peace for a little while - but never more than a fleeting peace - a temporary peace. But the Almighty God used this fleeting, temporary peace to do something new - something that would bring true Peace. To a little nondescript, backwater town called Bethlehem in an unimportant region of the Roman Empire called Judea to an insignificant Hebrew girl named Mary the LORD God sent the true Gift of Peace to mankind. The angels sang it to the shepherds, “Glory in the highest places be to God, and PEACE among me with whom He is pleased!”

Mankind does not know true peace apart from this Gift of God. We are, by nature, at war with God, in conflict with Him and under the conquest of sin. Sin is our emperor and our captor. We have belonged to sin, death and the devil from the time of the disobedience of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. And so we rage and war against our Creator with our false belief, our idolatry, our lust, our rebellion and our hatred. And that warring against God has eternal consequences. Because when you put yourself in opposition to God, you will always lose. And the only end is then to be our under the eternal conquest of the devil.

But, thanks be to God, that, “in those days,” the LORD God did send the true Gift of Peace. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.” These words are so familiar to us that they can pass right over us without our even giving them much thought. But these words speak peace to our war - an end to our conflict. 

  That Baby is the long awaited Christ of God - the Savior of the world - the bringing of true Peace - Peace between God and man - Peace between your Creator and you. That Peace is not of your making - it is only of His. 

Later in this very chapter Simeon said to Mary in the Temple, “a sword will pierce through your own soul too,” the sword of grief as her son, her baby hung upon the cross making the Peace you could never accomplish, however hard you might try.

“It is accomplished!” He cried from the Cross. That was His cry of “Mission Accomplished!” But it wasn’t just bravado. He accomplished True Peace for you and all God’s righteous anger was stilled because it was poured out on Him. 

That is Christmas - although is sounds a lot like Good Friday. The two can never be separated. Christmas is God’s declaration of Peace in Jesus Christ alone for you through His miraculous conception and birth, sinless life, holy death and glorious resurrection. 

Christmas, contrary to some sentimental opinions is not found in your hearts: it comes from outside of you and is found at the manger, at the cross, and at the empty tomb. 

His declaration of Peace for you is found again tonight in His Holy Word of Holy Absolution, in Holy Baptism, in the Holy Supper. That is Peace - true Peace.

The world will always have its conflicts and wars, and sinful man will ever find new ways of hating and killing his neighbor. But in Jesus - the Babe of Bethlehem - you have Peace - true Peace.

And now may the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting and may the Peace of Christ prevail on earth.

In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Sermon for Rite of Christian Burial of Mrs. Mary Schuh Fox

The following is the sermon I preached at the funeral of my Great-Aunt, Mrs. Mary Schuh Fox on September 13:

Adolph Berwyn Funeral Home, Berwyn, Illinois

Christian Burial for Mary Schuh Fox

The 15th Week after Trinity

13 September 2010 

1 John 2:28

In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

“And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

On Wednesday, September 8th, at approximately 2:00 pm, our Lord called to Himself the soul of our sister in Christ, Mary Schuh Fox. The verse for the homily this morning is her Confirmation verse given to her by Pastor William Mueller at Golgotha Lutheran Church on April 5, 1925. 

St. John wrote these words in the first of his three epistles or letters to various churches to encourage them. He wanted them to be in this world, but not of this world. That is, he didn’t want them to get too attached to the things of this world, because they are transitory. As Jesus had once 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.” St. John was also very insistent that they continue to confess Jesus was God Incarnate - that is, in the flesh, against those who would deny that God truly became man in Jesus Christ. Indeed, if God did not become man in Jesus Christ to bear our sin upon Himself, in His flesh, then we are without hope.

And so Pastor Mueller chose to give this verse of encouragement from St. John to young Mary Schuh when she was confirmed and began to receive her Lord’s Body and Blood for the forgiveness of her sin. It is a verse to encourage followers of Jesus (who John refers to as little children) to abide in Jesus so that they might have confidence and a good conscience before Him when He returns.

First of all, it must be said, that Mary was, even at 98 years, 8 months and 8 days, a little child of God. She was born on December 31, 1911 and was baptized into God’s Holy Triune Name on February 17, 1912. There God did exactly what St. John says, He made her His “little child,” in that washing of water with Word, giving to her life, forgiveness and salvation. She was crucified with Christ and brought forth as a new person. What made Mary and all Christians, “little children” is that little children are only “giveable to,” they by their very nature, aren’t really able to give, they are only able to receive. That is the beauty of the Baptism of infants - it so clearly shows that we are helpless - nothing but giveable to - we are those who are on the receiving end of all of God’s gifts.

So is was with Mary. Her childhood was not an easy one, having lost her mother at an early age, but those who took the responsibility for raising her and and her siblings (their father and aunt and uncle), saw to it that she received God’s gifts - that she be fed with His Word like a little child. 

And so it was she was instructed and brought to Confirmation and the Supper of her Lord’s Body and Blood for her forgiveness, “and now, little children, abide in him.”

Now she remained in Him through her Baptism, through the life-giving Word, through Jesus’ Body and Blood.  On June 7, 1937 she was blessed with a loving husband in Arthur Fox, in a union that lasted until his death in 1992. And though they were not given the gift of children, they were blessed with nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews, whom they loved and served.

Finally, on September 8th, her Lord called home to Himself in heaven to await the Resurrection of all flesh at the end of all things. St. John also writes about that, “so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

Those who are in Christ, who have received Him and the gifts of life and forgiveness that he brings to them from His Cross, through Word and Water - through Body and Blood - can and do have confidence - that unassailable confidence that comes through Jesus Christ alone. Mary had such confidence. She was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Apart from that confidence we have no hope. Apart from that confidence, we are nothing more than a bunch of random molecules bouncing around a cold, indifferent universe. Mary was not random molecules bouncing around a cold, indifferent universe. She was baptized in Christ. She knew Him and she was known by Him Who gave Himself for her.  

As Mary lost her hearing, her mobility, and her sight, she became again, like a little child, only able to receive. She became helpless once again. And while it is hard to see someone become helpless, it is also a blessing. It forces us to remember that that all we have - all we are is from God, not from us. At the end we are powerless. Our only confidence in is God alone. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” She was helpless - that is true - but she was helped, and now she has been healed - arrayed in the glorious robe of Christ’s Righteousness. We do not know what the future will bring, but only Christians can have the faith that it will be good - because it will all be a gift from our gracious Lord.

She, even then, still received her Lord in His Body and Blood, in His Holy Word. He who became man for her, bore all of her weakness, her sickness, in His own flesh upon the cross, suffering all that had gone with her and all that has gone wrong with all of mankind because of our sin. The Father cares for the birds of the air and for the lilies of the field. So also He cared even more for Mary and so in His love finally brought her soul to Himself, to be with Art, to await the Resurrection of the dead, where her body will be raised, incorruptible, confident and unashamed, because she has been born above by her Lord.

Yes, Mary desired to be reunited with Art and Elsie and John a long time ago and now she is - and more - she is united with her Lord in the unending worship of heaven, confident and unashamed.

In his poem about the brothers and disciples James and John, John Henry Newman penned these words, but I will apply them to Mary and Art, “Now they join hands once more above, before the Conquerors throne. Thus God grants prayer, but in His love, makes times and ways His own.”

In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

  

Sermon for Trinity 14

The 14th Sunday after Trinity

5 September 2010 

St. Luke 17:11-19

In the Holy Name of Jesus. 

“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.”

So how do you stand up against that list? If you say that none of them apply to you - you are a liar - plain and simple - and then you can add lying to the list as well. 

Sexual immorality - does God’s Holy Law condemn you for your sexual sins of the present or the past? How about enmity and strife with others - does God’s Holy Law condemn you for your sinful fits of anger and your hatred of others? What about rivalries, dissension and division - does God’s Holy Law convict you of your pettiness - your divisiveness in the Body of Christ? And then there is jealousy, envy and being drunk - does God’s Holy Law condemn you in your jealous envy and your Godless drunken partying? God’s Law certainly should condemn you on all counts - it certainly does to me. That is what God’s Law is there to do - to show you your sin.

Those, St. Paul say, are the works of the flesh - that part of us which wars against God’s Holy Spirit - our sinful, fallen nature that is opposed to God and the things of God. But there is even more, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” 

And there you have it - plains and simple. Your sin puts you in Hell. That is what you are good for - that is what you are fit for - the rubbish heap - the fire. That is where your sin rightfully puts you. And for that sin you need to repent.

But it is not just your sin that hurts you and separates you from God - it is also most certainly the sins of others against you that hurt you and threaten to separate you from God. 

Listen again to what is written in Proverbs, “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.”

Not only must you contend with your sin in this fallen world - but also the pain of those who have sinned against you - abused you. Those who have done wrong to you - those who have made you stumble. Have you been abused - physically, sexually or emotionally? Does the guilt and shame of that still haunt you? Have you been slandered, lied about or cheated? Have you been humiliated and hurt? The sins of others against you can also separate you from God - for your guilt and shame over what others have done can drive you from Him, and the devil uses the opportunity to try and convince you that you are worthless, damaged, unloved. For this you do not need to repent - indeed you cannot very well repent of someone else’s sin - but you do need to be blessed - to be healed - to be restored.

And what is the answer to all of this? The answer to these problems is not moralism - indeed the answer to sin - our own and that of others against is - is never and can never be mere moralism - despite what popular, feel-good Christianity might say. We are told by many that we must, ‘do better, try harder, be a better Christian, be a true disciple, have more faith and so on.’ They might even use the very words of Scripture from our text about the Fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” And they will say, ‘Get busy doing those things and you’ll get in good with God.’ But as hard as we try, as much as we might want to, we just keep right on sinning - hurting ourselves and abusing each other. 

No the answer is not moralism. Hear again what is written in Proverbs, “My son, be attentive to my words, incline your ears to my sayings... for they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” And hear again St. Paul’s words to the legalistic Galatian Christians, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” 

The answer to the guilt of our sin and the shame of our abuse is Christ-crucified and the life-giving and healing Word that He speaks and gives, which we receive by faith in Him alone.

In the well known Holy Gospel for today we see what true faith is in the Samaritan: nothing more and nothing less than coming empty handed to Jesus and receiving His gifts, and recognizing and thanking Jesus and Him alone for them. And when we receive Jesus’ gifts in trust and with gratitude, then we can’t help but be joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled - because we are in Christ. That is what it means when it says that those are the Fruits of the Spirit. Before you can bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, you first have to have the Spirit through the gift of Holy Baptism.   

So do St. Paul’s words about immorality, idolatry, anger, drunkenness apply to you? Yes they do. And the answer to that is to receive the good gifts of Jesus - repent and receive Him in His Word, in His Body and Blood, in the forgiveness and life that He offers you in these gifts and let Him take your sin and guilt away. Have you been abused, wronged, made to stumble by others? Yes you have. Then be blessed in the certainty that Christ has borne all those things with and for you. Receive Him in His Word, in His Body and Blood, in the blessings and life that He offers you in these gifts and let Him take your hurt and your shame away. 

“Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well,” is just another way of saying, “Jesus has made you well.” There is no healing or saving faith apart from Him. So on this day receive His gifts of healing and forgiveness again. And if you do not come and receive them regularly, recommit yourself to doing so again here today. Do not be like the nine who receive the gifts and then go away thankless - never to return. Receive them as those who know you need to receive them more and more - more Jesus - more healing - more life - more forgiveness. 

That is what God wants to give you in Jesus Christ, whose words are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 

In the Holy Name of Jesus.