Ezekiel 34:11-24; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We all have lost something. Most of the times, it’s something minor like losing a favorite pen, a wallet, or misplacing car keys. We realize that the item missing may not be that significant, however, the thought of losing it looms on our minds. So, we go searching. We look high and low until we find it. We may even obsess over it until it is found. When we do eventually find it, we rejoice!

Such are the parables in our Gospel lesson this week. Things are lost and the one who lost them goes searching. They don’t stop until it is found. And when it is, there is rejoicing! The lost sheep was not one that was misplaced though. It wandered off all on its own. It stopped listening to the voice of its shepherd and found itself in an unfamiliar place. We can debate the wisdom of the shepherd’s search, but he goes nonetheless. He leaves behind the ninety-nine in search of the one. 

This is the reason the Pharisees are so scandalized. Jesus leaves behind the ninety-nine “righteous” in search of the lone sinner. He invites them, these tax collectors and sinners, to his table that they may even eat with him! Of course, we all are those sinners. Not one of us is truly righteous before God. We all have wandered away at some point and needed to be found. For when others are brought in, let us not be scandalized by them.

Our Lord doesn’t give up his search. He seeks out the lost and desires to bring them back to his fold. The sheep of God have been abused long enough by selfish shepherds, that is, those who care little for the sheep and rather grow fat with greed. No, God will tend his sheep now. Just as Ezekiel writes, “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out,” (Ezekiel 34:11). God will restore all who have been driven away by unrighteous shepherds. 

And so, he does. Jesus sought out you. He sought out all who have wandered, desiring them to rejoin the feast. God sends his own Son to shepherd the flock that not even one will be lost. He brings them back to the flock through his forgiveness and mercy. Jesus went to the cross that he may seek and find all those who have strayed from his way. When a lost sheep is found by his shepherd, when a sinner repents and is returned to the fold, there is much rejoicing among the angels in heaven! As Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7. Jesus receives sinners and feeds them his precious body and blood that they may join the feast unending!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, without whom nothing is secure. Rescue and preserve us that we may not be lost forever but follow You, rejoicing in the way that leads to eternal life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-35

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Whenever we look to buy something new, we must first make sure that we have the money to do so. It would be silly to walk into a store, grab an item, and head to the checkout if we didn’t first make sure we had the money to buy it. On a bigger scale, building projects are only undertaken after (sometimes) months of planning and preparation to make sure materials and funds are all in order. When buildings go unfinished, it becomes an embarrassment to those who built it.

Such is the analogy Jesus uses in our Gospel lesson. Faith has a cost. It’s not free. Before taking up the “building” of faith, we must count the cost. Make sure we have the ability to see it through to the end, lest it becomes an embarrassment to us. For faith requires us to give up everything we have. As Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple,” Luke 14:26. Family and friends cannot stand in the way of faith. Nor can our own life.

Simply put, the Christian life is not one of ease. We are blessed to live in a country that it can be counted as such, but that may not always be the case. For already in other countries, Christians are persecuted for their faith. Some are thrown into prisons, others are tortured and killed. In every instance, the cost is high. Persecution will always follow those of faith as to make life unbearable. 

We pray, therefore, that the pressures of life never become too much for us. We pray that we may keep the faith above all else, even in the face of death. After all, when one is confirmed in our Church, this is the exact vow they make. “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?” Our allegiances to Christ should never be put behind any other. As Jesus says, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple,” Luke 14:27.

Take up your cross, knowing Jesus has already taken up his. Realize that Jesus did not prize anything above his faith and devotion to his Father, above your salvation! Jesus despised his own family that he may teach and preach to all the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus despised even his own life so that he may lay it down upon the cross. Jesus gave up everything for you that you may have life! For so we come to realize that when we give up everything, we receive from Christ in greater abundance. For he comes to give you family through his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation! Just as is written in Revelation, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life!” (Rev. 2:10). Take up your cross that in Christ, you may have eternal life!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O merciful Lord, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all. Grant us courage and strength to take up the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Proverbs 25:2-10; Hebrews 13:1-17; Luke 14:1-14

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Everyone wants to be the one in the seat of power. We want to be our own boss. It’s alluring to know that you don’t have to listen to anyone else and also get to tell others what to do. We all know that this is the way the world works. Power is a currency in our world. Whoever holds more power is seen as the more “successful” person. And there’s no shortage of “self-help” books that aim at leading you towards such a life, teaching you the secrets of certain habits or traits to practice to become such a person.

Issues arise though when we try to implement such a system within the church. The church doesn’t work the same way. You don’t get to tell people what to do and have them still listen to you. Rather, the “higher” a position you have, the more you work for others. “Power” in the church is actually service. This is why pastors are called to serve the people, not become their boss.

In our Gospel lesson this week, Jesus argues with some Pharisees who are trying to lay a trap for him. They first place a man who has dropsy before him (on a Sabbath) to see what Jesus does. But Jesus sees right through it, as he says, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?... 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?” Luke 14:3, 5. These Pharisees were so concerned with their laws regarding the Sabbath that they left no room for compassion. Jesus however begins to show them the opposite. 

The Pharisees weren’t the only ones paying close attention. Jesus too observed them and took notice of their habits, “when he noticed how they chose the places of honor” (Luke 14:7). The Pharisees always sought the best seats, the place of the greatest honor and power. Yes, they had completely perverted their office and what God had given them to do. They had let their own pride and arrogance supersede their responsibility to serve the people of God.

But pride always comes before the fall, right? At least, this is the lesson Jesus teaches us. When we seek out the places of honor and power, there’s always the chance that someone else will come who deserves the seat more than we do. “And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’... For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,” Luke 14:9-11. The example Jesus sets for us isn’t one of seeking power to rule over others. Rather, it’s the power to serve one another. For Jesus didn’t exalt himself, but rather came to take the lowest place among us. He became as we are in his humility, even being made in the image of sinners. Thus, Jesus took even the lowest place of the cross, to serve everyone with his atoning death, being exalted by his Father to the throne of grace! Yes, Jesus humbled himself to serve us, though he holds the greatest authority and power. So too, shall we in humble service care for one another just as Jesus has served us! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O Lord of grace and mercy, teach us by Your Holy Spirit to follow the example of Your Son in true humility, that we may withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Isaiah 66:18-23; Hebrews 12:4-24; Luke 13:22-30

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“Lord, will those who are saved be few?” (Luke 13:23). Let’s get right to the point. Skip past all the chitter-chatter, the back-and-forth, the long-winded explanation. It’s one of those questions that we do often ponder. After looking out at our world and seeing the nearly eight billion people, we’re left wondering how and who God will save. I’ve heard some argue that God isn’t truly good if he doesn’t (or can’t) save everyone. 

It's the wrong question though, as Jesus shows us. For you see, we can spend all day (or a lifetime) contemplating such questions and it won’t do us or anyone any good. It won’t get others into heaven. For the reality is that not everyone will be saved. This has always been clear. “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able,” Luke 13:24. Many won’t make it. Many will be shut and locked outside the pearly gates of heaven and “in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…” Luke 13:28. 

That’s not a very comforting thought, is it? It kicks your feet out from under you. Anything that you thought earned you that spot is now under scrutiny, or at least it should be. Have I done enough good things? Have I helped enough people? Have I given enough of my time, talents, and money for the glory of God? “Strive to enter through the narrow door.”  

But here’s the thing. That’s the entire point. This striving to enter isn’t a striving to “do better” or “do enough good works.” This striving is none other than repentance and faith. It’s a striving to strip ourselves of all those things we trust in other than God for salvation. Enter through the narrow door. You can’t walk through the pearly gates of heaven trusting in your own self-righteousness. Nor can you carry in your belief in karma or your own personal spirituality. This narrow door won’t permit you to believe in any other God.

After all, it’s not our own striving that gets us to heaven. It’s the striving of Jesus who has opened wide the gates of heaven! Jesus is the narrow door, the one and only way to salvation. He has striven against sin, against every temptation of the flesh, and against death. This is why we are told that Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, Jesus would finish the fight, complete his work, and end the agony of sin by his death on the cross. On the cross, the striving against sin would be completed. Enter through the narrow door by clinging to Jesus alone. Strive against the sinful flesh in faith that you may be among the many who are welcomed to the table in the kingdom of God. For “people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God,” Luke 13:29. Strive in faith that you may enter eternal life!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O Lord, You have called us to enter Your kingdom through the narrow door. Guide us by Your Word and Spirit, and lead us now and always into the feast of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Jeremiah 23:16-29; Hebrews 11:17-12:3; Luke 12:49-56

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

To have a family worship together is a blessing beyond all others. Father, mother, sons and daughters together in the pew hearing the blessed words of Jesus Christ. If you have been blessed to have such a family, rejoice! When faith permeates all members and all actions of the family, there is nothing greater. However, we know this is rarely the case. Personal experience often shows us the exact opposite. A mother and son arrive to church, yet no father. A father and daughter, but no mother. Parents, but no children. A brother but no sister… and so on. It is a sad but true reality that our own families are rarely united on something as important as faith.

What we would give for just a little peace from the strife and anxiety caused by a divided family! Yet, this is how we come to understand our Gospel reading firsthand. Faith is divisive. It alters even the most fundamental relationships we have, that is, those of family: father, mother, brother and sister, son or daughter. Just as Jesus tells us, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division, For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three,” Luke 12:51-52. For one reason or another, it’s not uncommon for the Word of God to take root in one member and not another. 

So, what are we to do? We certainly don’t wish to have divided families, yet when they occur, we often feel powerless. We don’t want to lose our family members, but we must remain faithful above all else. For that’s the major lesson today. Nothing should drag you away from faith in Jesus, not even a family member. As difficult as it can be, our number one priority as a Christian is faithfulness to God. Should a family member be tempting you to sin or worse, be dragging you away from faith, it is better to be divided from them than to suffer an eternity in hell. Now, that doesn’t mean abandoning them altogether. Rather, our call is to witness to them as to any unbeliever. Pray for them that the Word of God may take root in their life and so find peace and unity again in Christ!

For this purpose, Jesus came. “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!” Luke 12:49. The fire of God’s Word has been cast upon the earth that it may kindle faith in all people! Just as John the Baptist states, Jesus has come to baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire,” Luke 3:16. Jesus casts this fire that it may divide you from your sin! Division is the process of making holy. A holy people are those who have been divided from the stain of sin and chains of this world. We do not want peace with the world, but peace with God! For Jesus came to be baptized with the fire of God’s wrath on the cross. Jesus died for all your sins that the fire of his Word may be kindled in you and purify you. Thus, may God divide us from sin and all that seeks to drag us away from faith, even as we pray for the kindling of faith in our family! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Merciful Lord, cleanse and defend Your Church by the sacrifice of Christ. United with Him in Holy Baptism, give us grace to receive with thanksgiving the fruits of His redeeming work and daily follow in His way; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-16; Luke 12:22-34

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Does God already know? I chose not to expand this sentence because it applies to just about everything. Whether we’re talking about our personal struggles, the state of our world, a recent tragedy, or so on, the answer remains the same. In truth, God does know. He knows what happens in our life as well as throughout the world. God is infinitely aware of all that transpires on a daily basis.

But this is only half the story. For people will often follow up with another question, does God care? As many will posit, that God is indifferent to our world and the happenings within it. Even if God knows, because of all the evil in our world, many believe that God either doesn’t care or is unable to help us.

Yet, Jesus gives us a different answer. One that we really should take to heart if we desire to know God and what he thinks about us. As Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on,” Luke 12:22. Jesus tells us not to worry, which is easier said than done. Worry is such a large part of our life on this earth because we all want to know that everything is cared for, that we won’t fall on hard times. But also consider, as Jesus says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” Luke 12:25-26. Worry, while rational at times, really doesn’t help us at all.

There’s no doubt that we are worrisome creatures. But we must understand what is at the center of our worries. Whether it’s our worry about a job, about school, about friends, money, or so on, it all boils down to our worries of death. Yes, our worries are grounded on the desire to avoid death as long as possible. We know that we’re mortal creatures who have a risk of death at any time. 

But, doesn’t God know? Indeed, he does. And does God care? Well, yes! This is what Jesus shows us. God so cares for the ravens as he feeds them or the lilies of the field as he clothes them (Luke 12:24, 27). And if he cares for these things, how much more does he care for you? God who created the world still cares for all that he created. As Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” Luke 12:32. Worry is something we don’t need as Christians if we truly know God and his care for us. Indeed, God is pleased to give us food and clothes and all that we need for he has also given us Jesus to die for us on the cross that even death may not concern us. Yes, God knows all that we need and he is pleased to give you this and so much more by his grace in Jesus Christ! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty and merciful God, it is by Your grace that we live as Your people who offer acceptable service. Grant that we may walk by faith, and not by sight, in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-26; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Few things will solve a problem faster than a different perspective. We all have had those issues that we bang our heads against for so long and fail to solve them, only to step away and look at in a different light and find the answer immediately. Perspective is an important part of life and navigating life’s challenges. Our perspective on life and work and family and friends will be a large part of who we end up being.

It should be no surprise then that faith demands its own perspective. Faith has a different way of looking at the world, life, job, and all that we say and do. This is because faith is so distinct and different from how our thoughts normally go. There’s this division between the “things of this world” and the “things of faith”. Faith tells us that there is a different way to look at this world because God is present in our life.

Consider our Gospel reading this week as Jesus interacts with a person from the crowd demanding Jesus to judge his dispute. This man seeks Jesus’ intervention in receiving his inheritance from his brother. To this, Jesus tells a parable. A rich man is overly blessed by the growth of his crops. He sees that he has no more room to store his grain and ponders what he shall do at this dilemma. Thus, he decides, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry,” Luke 12:18-19. While this solution sounds well and good, this man has failed to consider a different perspective... his own mortality. As God responds, he tells him that his life will be required of him that very night. So, what shall become of the abundance of his possessions?

This is where Jesus pushes us toward a new perspective on wealth, money, and possessions. Our goal in life isn’t to seek after wealth for its own sake. Money cannot deliver us from death, no matter how much we have. Likewise, we’re to realize one other big perspective shift. Our wealth and even our life are not our own. Everything we have in this life is a gift of God and we are stewards of God’s wealth. 

When we look at life in this different perspective, we’ll come to realize what has value and what does not. Through faith, we come to see this life in light of our mortality, but also through the lens of eternity. As Solomon teaches us, the things of this world are nothing but “vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). But there’s a wealth that far exceeds anything in this world... the treasures of heaven! Instead of being rich in this life, for a time, by faith in Christ, we have the wealth of eternity! For God has given us the abundance of his grace through Jesus and his death on the cross for us. Thus, let us look with renewed perspective and as good stewards of God’s gifts, that we may share this heavenly treasure with all!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures You have stored up for us in heaven, that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful for the riches of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.