General Prayer Proper 28a Pentecost 23

Gracious heavenly Father, hear our prayer and give ear to our pleas for mercy.  For Your name’s sake preserve our lives and in Your righteousness deliver us from every trouble of body or soul. 

Meet the needs of those who lack the necessities of life and lead us to be generous when we see those needs.  Grant healing to those who are ill and deliver those who are addicted.  Watch over expectant mothers and give them safe deliveries and healthy children.  Surround the lonely with friends.

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to live our lives in such a way that we have nothing to fear on the day of judgment.  Rid us of complacency to the evil that surrounds us and make us people who look to You for justice and act justly in our own lives.  Especially do we ask your blessing upon our nation and its leaders and our fellow citizens.  Grant that we would walk in Your ways and acknowledge You as our true King and sovereign Lord.

We give You thanks and praise that You have delivered us from spiritual darkness and made us children of light.  Through Your gifts of Word and Sacrament keep us spiritually awake and clothe us with the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation.

Help us to be faithful stewards of all the gifts that You have placed into our hands.  Make us glad throughout our lives to have a part in the work You are doing here on earth.  Especially do we pray that You would bless the mission of Your church here in this place and throughout the world, adding to our number those who are being saved.

Bless us in all our relationships-in our marriages and families and congregation.  Help us to be people who encourage one another and build one another up.  Deepen our commitment and love for one another.

Gracious heavenly Father, You have promised us that we are not destined for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us.  We give thanks to You for all who died in the faith, especially Caitlyn.  You made her Your child in the waters of Holy Baptism and fed her with the Bread of Life so that now she lives with You forever in peace and joy.  Comfort us with Your promise that whether we are awake or have fallen asleep like Caitlyn, we live with You. 

Whatever else You see that we need, whatever serves our neighbor and brings glory to You and extends Your kingdom, grant to us dear Father in heaven for we ask it in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Are You Prepared For The Lord's Return?

Matthew 25:1-13 Over the course of our lives there are many important days:  the day we graduate--the day that we begin our professional career --the day we get married-- and the day that we retire.

As important as these special days are, all of the days of preparation that lead up to that day are also important.  Did we study enough, make the right career decisions, and invest wisely?  In fact, the way that these important days turn out for us is totally dependent on how well we prepared day by day up to that moment.

Of all the important days in our lives, none is as important as the day of our Lord’s return in glory when we will stand before him and be judged-when heaven or hell are the only two eternal destinations.

As important as that day is, every day that we can prepare for that day, is also vitally important.  The parable of the wise and foolish virgins vividly illustrates how important it is to be prepared—day by day-- for our Lord’s return in glory.

To understand the point of this parable it is enough to recognize that the virgins are the members of the church, their lamps are their individual faith, the oil is the Spirit that enlightens that faith, the bridegroom is the Lord, the wedding banquet is the great eternal feast in heaven that begins on the Last Day for all who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

But all these details exist to make only one vital point—one thing that Jesus wants us to know and believe and put into practice in our lives:  that it is absolutely necessary to be prepared for the Lord’s return—no matter how long it takes.  Jesus says:

"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 

The picture that we have before us is that of the believing church—each of the virgins representative of the child of God who is pure in God’s sight through faith in Jesus—each of them with the light of faith burning brightly through the powerful oil of the Spirit—each of them waiting for the Lord’s return.  But there was a difference.  Jesus said that:  Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 

Bible scholars tell us that the word used for lamp in this passage describes a kind of torch used at night with enough oil to keep it burning for only about 15 minutes.  And the only difference between those virgins who are called “wise” and those who are called “foolish" is that the wise ones were prepared to wait with extra oil to keep their lamps burning bright--and the foolish ones were not.  Jesus said:

For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” 

Not only did the wise virgins have enough oil to keep their lamps burning at that moment-- but they were prepared to keep their lamps lit for a long, long time.  So it must be for us as we await our Lord’s return! 

At various times in the Gospels Jesus reminds us that we are to expect his return at any moment.  But here he reminds us that we also ought to be prepared to wait—that the believer who is truly prepared for his return has a supply of the oil of the Spirit to keep his faith burning bright no matter how long it takes for the Lord to return.

For 2000 years the church has had to wait for that day and the simple fact of the matter is that we don’t know if the Lord will return today or if it will be another two thousand years. 

That’s why Jesus says:  "keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour”.  And so we have to make sure that we keep our faith strong until that day of his return whether it comes tomorrow or in 2000 years. 

Our confidence on the day of judgment depends on the measure of God-given wisdom that we exercise on this day and then tomorrow and the next day and throughout our lives—wisdom that causes us to prepare for his return because not only do we need to have a true and living faith right now--we must persevere in that faith throughout our lives and then die in that faith--if we are to enjoy an eternity with God.  You see…

Our faith in Jesus Christ is not a one-time thing but instead it must be renewed and replenished again and again with the Holy Spirit to keep it burning bright throughout our lives.  So how is faith kept alive in us?   

A big part of that renewal and replenishing of the Holy Spirit is what we are doing right now:  worshiping God—hearing his word—receiving the body and blood of Christ.  These are some of the most important ways that the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts-- and strengthensfaith in our hearts --and sustainsfaith in our hearts.

It is the height of spiritual foolishness to neglect God’s Word and sacraments--the means of grace through which the Spirit works to keep our faith strong-- because we simply do not know how long we will have to wait for Jesus to come again. 

Spiritual sloth is deadly to our life of faith just like the sleepy virgins in the parable. Jesus says that:  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

It is so easy to grow complacent in our spiritual life—so easy to lay our head back down on the pillow on Sunday mornings and tell ourselves it won’t matter that much just this once if we miss church. 

It is so easy to grow complacent because, let’s face it, it has been a long time since our Lord’s promise that he will come again to judge the living and the dead. 

It’s also easy to get caught up in the pressures of the daily grind—of the pressing need around us—of the” right now” of today’s deadlines-- that it’s difficult to keep in mind the big picture and take the long view when it comes to our Lord’s return.

This is especially true in a culture where we are never disciplined to wait for anything—where the idea of saving for a purchase is ludicrous if there’s a credit card in hand.  We’re not used to waiting-- and all of us, like the ten virgins in our text today, fall victim to spiritual drowsiness at times. 

But today is the day to remember that, no matter how long it takes, the Lord will return and then it will be too late to prepare.  Who and what and whose we are in that moment when he returns-- will be true for us forever.  Jesus says that:

"At midnight there was a cry, `Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'  "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil; for our lamps are going out.' 

The sobering reminder from the Lord to us today is the light of faith can go out.  If our faith in Jesus Christ is not regularly replenished by the oil of the Spirit as he works through Word and Sacrament, it will not be there when we need it the most.

The Bible does not teach that, having “once upon a time” been baptized or confirmed or come to faith in Christ that you are spiritually “good to go” throughout your life without a regular spiritual renewal of your faith by hearing God’s word and receiving Christ’s gifts. 

When we die and depart this world—when we face the judgment of God—we must be found steadfast in faith in that moment to be saved. 

The other sobering reminder in these words of our Lord is that we cannot prepare for another Christian.  Jesus said:

The wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'   

My parents’ faith or my spouse’s faith or my friends’ faith will not save me.  Each of us, individually, for ourselves, must believe in Jesus and be prepared and ready to face his judgment when he comes because on that day it will be too late.  Jesus said that:

"While they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 

Make no mistake about it, the Lord will come again—whether we are prepared or not—and we will either be welcomed into the eternal feast prepared for those who trust and love Jesus--or we will be left on the outside. 

The bible knows absolutely nothing of an in-between place between heaven and hell.  You are either part of the wedding feast of the Lamb or you are not. 

The bible knows nothing of a time of preparation or second chances after our Lord’s return.  You are either with the Lord on the day that the door of grace closes—or you are not.  Jesus said that:

Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  But he answered, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

The great tragedy when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead is that some of those who had every chance to be a part of the great feast of the victorious Lamb—some of those who, for a time, had lamps of faith that were burning bright—will hear from Jesus the most terrible words that can ever be spoken:  “I don’t know you.”

And they will be cast into hell for an eternity of torment and suffering.

There will come a day when the door of salvation will be shut forever and then there is no more time for preparation—nothing that you can do-- to change the verdict that is spoken about you.

But dear friends in Christ, we have this God-given moment, this day of salvation, this time of spiritual preparation to re-commit ourselves to Jesus Christ—to thank him for his life, death, and resurrection that provides the way for us into that wedding feast of the Lamb in his kingdom that has no end. 

We have this day to resolve that, by the help of the Holy Spirit, we will stay close to the Lord throughout our lives, that we will gladly hear his Word and receive him as he comes to us in the sacrament and so stay strong in our faith. 

We have this day and every day until the Lord comes to remain steadfast in our faith so that we are prepared to partake of the feast that has no end.  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day not hour.  Amen.      

As Disciples of Jesus, We Are Truly Blessed!

Matthew 5:1-12 All of us want God’s blessing on our lives.  We know and believe that there is a God who is mighty and powerful, wise and good.  We are his children and we want his blessing to rest upon us and those we love.  But what does that mean to us, that we want God’s blessing?  Don’t most of us think about material things first? 

Not that there is anything wrong with desiring God’s material blessings.  Our Lord Jesus Christ directs us to pray for our daily bread—in other words, to ask our heavenly Father to bless us with the gifts necessary to sustain this body and life.

But I think that most of us realize that the blessings we desire from God really go beyond the food and clothing and shelter that the Bible says we ought to be content with. 

In fact, there is a distorted view of Christianity out there right now that says we have every right to expect that God will make us rich and healthy and successful in all we undertake.  These false prophets of health and wealth say that this is what it means to be blessed by God.

But truth be told, the vast majority of Christians on earth right now—to say nothing of our fellow Christians who have come before—were not, and are not, rich and healthy and successful.  They are poor.  They suffer persecution.  They are anything but powerful.

And so then, are they not blessed—these saints who have come before us and our fellow saints who endure hardship and suffering?  Is their faith somehow insufficient or deficient?  Do they just need to pray harder and trust more?  Or is the real problem a mistaken view of what it means to be blessed by God?  And so, where can we learn the truth?  The Bible says that:

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.  And he opened his mouth and taught them... 

            All of us have our own ideas about what it means to be blessed by God.  All of us know the kind of blessings we want.  The question for us today is, are we willing to put all of those presuppositions aside and let ourselves be taught by Jesus?  Are we willing to set aside our preferences and our expectations and let Jesus teach us what a life of God’s blessing is like?

            We should, for Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.  He loves us so much that he has given his life in exchange for ours.  And he knows God and speaks with his Father’s authority and in accordance with his Father’s will.  If there is anybody that we should listen to when it comes to our life here on earth and the blessings we can expect from God it is Jesus.

            So what does Jesus teach about a life that is blessed by God.  What does that kind of life look like?  Jesus says a life of God’s blessing isa life where our spiritual needs for forgiveness and salvation are met; a life of purpose in which we are called to live as God’s children; a life lived in such close fellowship with Jesus that we too will bear a cross.  Jesus said:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.   “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

            Everyone in the world understands the necessity of food and drink and clothing and shelter to support this earthly life.  Everyone wants material blessings. But for so many people that is as far as their understanding of what life is all about goes. 

They are blind to their need for a life with God.  They are deaf to his call to come to him and be saved.  And so they live their life as if this life is all there is, never really understanding that there is a chasm of sin and guilt and shame that separates them from the only One who can give their life meaning and purpose.

That is why it is such a blessing from God to know—as painful as it is—what our real condition is—that far from being God’s children by nature we are instead God’s enemies.  In this knowledge of our own spiritual poverty and grief over our lost condition- there is the beginning of a new life blessed by God.

That is why Jesus teaches us that those who are poor in spirit and those who mourn and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed by God—because it is there in mourning and poverty and hungering that our spiritual needs are abundantly met by Jesus Christ.

He is the One who pours out upon our poverty the riches of his grace; who satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness with his own holy life and reconciling death; who changes our mourning into rejoicing as he forgives our sins and brings us back into God’s family. 

We have nothing to fear by valuing spiritual blessings above material blessings or in putting his kingdom above the kingdom of this world because Jesus promises that those who are meek and humble will not only have their earthly needs met—they will inherit the earth.

It is this promise, that there can be no loss for the child of God—that frees us to live our lives for him, walking in his steps, and making him manifest to others.  Jesus said:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.   “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

            The Bible says that through faith in Jesus Christ we are children and heirs of God—that in Holy Baptism we have been buried and raised with Christ—that we have been transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We have been purified by the cleansing blood of Jesus. 

This is the change that the Holy Spirit has worked in by bringing us to faith in Christ and that is the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us right now by conforming us into his image so that we are salt and light in this dark and decaying world.

Our life as God’s children and disciples of Jesus Christ is not about a list of “do’s and don’ts” –it’s not about fear of punishment if we get something wrong because Jesus has already suffered that for us on the cross.  Instead, we are blessed by God to make Jesus known by how we live our lives.

We are merciful to others because Christ has been merciful to us.  That word mercy has to do with the powerful acting with kindness.  Now you may not think that you are in a position of power—but you are. 

That person who waits on you in a restaurant or bags your groceries—that person who works for you—that student in your class—that person who is much younger than you or much older than you or much poorer than you—that child in your home or your wife--all of them are in some way less powerful than you as a consumer and a boss and a parent and a teacher and a husband. 

In the same way that Jesus used his power to help us—so are we to mercifully serve others.  In these relationships and in all our interactions with others we are to be people of peace.

That we have a life with God—that we stand under his blessing-- is only because Jesus Christ has made peace between us and him by his blood shed on the cross and in the same way we are to be people of peace who extend his peace to others.

In all this we are called by the Spirit to live out Christ’s life in our own life in such a meaningful way that those around us can come to know something of Jesus through us.  That is the high calling and great purpose of our Christian lives but as we endeavor to walk in the steps of Jesus we should also understand the hardships that come with living a life like his.  Jesus says:

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

            Jesus was merciful towards all.  He was holy and righteous.  He came to restore peace between God and man.  You would think that the world would have welcomed him with open arms.  And of course many have.  Today we remember and give thanks for all those saints who have confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior. 

But for every one of those who have loved and served Jesus there have been countless more who have rejected him.  We cannot forget that Jesus’ holy, righteous, merciful life of love and service led to the cross.  That was the direction of his life and it will be the direction of all those who walk in his ways.

That is why Jesus says that those who are persecuted and reviled for his sake are actually blessed because these hardships and sufferings reveal (in a way that nothing else can) the truth of their confession:  that they are actually God’s people and Jesus’ disciples—saints of God.

And so when we go through some hardship because of our faith—when we are rejected by others because we hold fast to the truth—when others speak ill of us on account of our love for Jesus—we can count these troubles as blessings from God—divine testimonies that we are truly his people, destined for heaven. Jesus said:

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

It may seem odd to many people in the world today—and even those in the church who have bought into the false gospel of health and wealth—to hear Jesus teach that mourning and hungering and thirsting and persecution are occasions for rejoicing and gladness but it is only because they do not understand that a life of God’s blessing is (finally and in the end) a life that is connected to Jesus Christ. 

And because the servant is not above his Master, how can our lives as Christian people be any different than his?  Both in the hardships and difficulties-- but also in the joys!

Jesus’ rejection by his own people and the betrayal of fiends and his death on the cross was not the end of his story and hardship and persecution will not be the end of our story.  Yes, Jesus died but he was also raised from the dead and ascended into heaven to take his place with God in glory and beauty and joy that has no end.

So it will be for us!  We can be glad for earthy blessings but our hope for the future ought to be directed to what is still to come when we go to be with God and the saints in heaven—a place where there is no suffering or sorrow or separation—a place where we will dwell in joy and peace and the glory of God forever.

We don’t have to worry that in following Jesus as Lord and Savior we are somehow missing out or that it is not worth it.  We don’t have to worry when we go through hard times that somehow the blessings of God have left us. 

Instead, the hardships of being a disciple of Jesus Christ are a sure sign that we are on the right track—that narrow road that leads to heaven. 

Those false prophets in the church who say that a life blessed by God is nothing but health and wealth and earthly success simply cannot account for the millions and millions of Christians who were martyred for their faith—Christian who had to endure a lifetime of suffering—Christians who were weak and despised by the powers of this dark and dying world.

Instead, Jesus tells us that God’s blessing rests upon his saints even when they suffer because they are forgiven by his blood and walk in his ways.

What a blessing on All Saints Days to be reminded that a life that is truly blessed by God is a life where our spiritual needs are met; a life filled with the holy purpose of making Christ know to others by how we live; a life that is so close to Jesus that we too are called to carry our cross.  Amen.

All Saints General Prayer (adapted from The Lutheran Liturgy)

We thank You, Lord God, heavenly Father, that in Your goodness You have not only preserved our earthly life, but have also called us, through the Gospel of your Son, into life eternal.

On this observance of All Saints Day, when we remember all of those who have departed this life in faith, let us not sorrow as those who have no hope, but trust in the words of Your Son that whoever believes in Him shall never die.

Remind us that here on earth we have no eternal home and so lead us to make the right use of our time and teach us to yearn for our eternal home with You. 

Empower us by Your Spirit to follow in the steps of those men and women, who through patience and faith, have inherited the eternal joys of heaven.  Help us amid the trials and temptations of this world to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 

When the days of our brief journey on earth are done and we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, abide with us, and comfort us with the innocent death and all sufficient merit of our Redeemer so that we may fall asleep in Jesus and awaken in the glory of Your presence.

Keep our graves under the shadow of Your wings that they may be peaceful resting places until You raise up our mortal bodies and clothe them with immortality. 

We give You thanks that your mercy and kindness extends not only to our eternal future but to our earthly lives in this moment.  And so we pray that You would bless our nation and guide our fellow citizens as we choose new leaders—that You would grant healing to those who are ill and face medical procedures this week—and that You would give Bailey every good gift of body and soul as he celebrates a birthday.  Keep him close to You all the days of his life.

May we today, and at all times, take Your Word to heart so that when we join the redeemed who have gone before us, we may begin eternity with joy and add our voice to the whole company of heaven in giving all blessing and honor and glory to You and the Lamb, forever and ever.  Amen