Malawati

Who could forget the great tsunami of 2004?  It happened the day after Christmas and took innumerable lives.  But it also gave us something: a perfect illustration of the Christian faith.  It is the story of Malawati.

Malawati was a young Indonesian woman, in her early 20s, who miraculously survived five long days adrift on the Indian Ocean before being rescued.  She did so by clinging to a tree - a sago palm - and eating its fruit.  Think about where you were and what you were doing five days ago.  That's how long she was out there, day and night, clinging to that tree.

The parallels are obvious - and remarkable!  It is certain that we Christians would drown in this world, in its many doubts and confusion, were it not for a tree - a tree that will not sink, a tree we have to cling to.  That tree is the cross.

In addition, we eat the tree's fruit: the true body and blood of Christ.  Sweet, nourishing fruit!  By it we are strengthened to cling to the tree all the more firmly.  Even the word "cling" is a perfect definition of faith (Deut. 10:20).

After the flood, God gave Noah the sign of the rainbow.  After the tsunami, God gave the story of Malawati.

In a word, cling to the Tree and eat of its Fruit.

The Author of Our Faith

"...Jesus, the Author and Completer of our faith" (Heb. 12:2).

The Letter to the Hebrews is the only New Testament book to assign no author.  We don't know who wrote it.  Guesses include Barnabas, Luke, Clement of Rome, and Aquila and Priscilla.  Luther suggested Apollos, mentioned for the first time in Acts 18:24.  "But who wrote the epistle," said Origen of Alexandria, "God only knows certainly."  But from this, two things may be said.

One is, isn't it something that the only book not to say who its author is, is the one book to say who the Author of our faith is?  That's the authorship that matters.  "Let us, through endurance, go on running the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the Author and Completer of our faith."  And for the perfect commentary on "Author and Completer," use Philippians 1:6: "He who began (authored) a good work in you will bring it to completion."

Two is, humility.  Whoever wrote Hebrews had a lot to be proud of: understanding, eloquence, heart.  It is said that the letter displays the finest Greek in the New Testament.  And yet they wanted to remain anonymous.  T.S. Eliot wrote: "Many are engaged in writing books and printing them.  Many desire to see their names in print."  When was the last time you saw the most beautiful book but without the author's name?  Answer: The Letter to the Hebrews.

Seek to do beautiful and blessed things, but to receive no earthly credit.

Encouraging Jesus

"He looked up..." (Luke 21:1).

In addition to the words of Jesus, we should listen to His body language.  In recording the story of the widow's offering, Luke writes that Jesus "looked up," and that's when He saw the poor widow putting in her two mites.  But it begs the question: Why was He looking down in the first place?

My guess (because we are not told) is that He was sad and wondering whether God's love was making a difference in anyone's heart!  Consider the events that surround the story of the widow: He could only weep over Jerusalem (19:41-44); the temple was being misused (19:45-46); priests and scribes questioned His authority (20:1-8); they tried to "catch Him in something He said" (20:19-26); Sadducees denied the resurrection (20:27-40); He condemned the scribes (20:45-47); He foretold the destruction of the temple (21:5-9) and city (21:20-24); He foretold wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and persecution (21:10-19); they "were seeking how to put Him to death" (22:1-2); and "Satan entered into Judas" to betray Him (22:3-6).

(And I talk about having a rough week!)

The lone bright spot: this widow and her offering.  It wasn't much but it was everything.  And it was all our Lord needed to see.  I sense that it picked Him up - this humble, true faith and love of one person.

It happened on Tuesday of Holy Week.  That's when Jesus looked up and saw her.  What I like to believe is that three days later she looked up and saw Him giving His offering.

But the lesson here would be that we have the ability to encourage Jesus.  He must be in need of it.  He has had to witness the sin, unbelief, and deep sorrows of many centuries.  You can do something about it.

When you give from your heart out of love for the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, you, small though you are, strengthen the heart of the living Lord!  Just like the widow.

Miraculously

"...He came to them, walking on the sea" (Mark 6:48).

I'm all excited!  I think I know why Jesus walked on the water.  It's a new thought for me, and I'll share it with you.

The thought is that when Jesus comes, He does so miraculously.  He came to His disciples, walking on the water.  A miracle.  He came to the world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  A miracle.  And He comes to us, the church, in the Word and the Sacrament.  A miracle!  Because when He comes, He comes miraculously.

But there's more.  When we go to God, we go miraculously: prayer.  For when we pray in Jesus' name, we touch the heart of God!

God comes to us, and we go to Him, miraculously.  And that's a pretty good combination!

God bless you, dear Christians!

Pastor Matt

The Introduction

"Our Father who art in heaven."

The Lord's Prayer is the third chief part of the Catechism.  It follows the Ten Commandments and the Creed.  This progression is logical, or theological.  The Second Commandment instructs us to pray ("pray, praise, and give thanks"), and now we are given the prayer.  And the Creed (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) helps us to understand the Lord's Prayer, a prayer that is addressed to the Father, taught to us by the Son, and prayed with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord's Prayer is not the most words, just the right ones - and the ones that are just right.  In English the Lord's Prayer has a perfect seventy words.  It's made up of seven parts called petitions (seven is the perfect number), together with an introduction and a conclusion.

The Introduction is "Our Father who art in heaven."

"What does this mean?  With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father."

So reads the Small Catechism.  What a wonderful, warm explanation!

But, if I may, what else does this mean?

Answer: With these words God also invites us to believe that, since He is our true Father, we are true brothers and sisters, so that with all humility and joy we may love one another as He has loved us.

And if you put it all together, you can see the shape of the cross.  Luther's "What does this mean?" expresses the vertical part of the cross, and my "What else does this mean?" expresses the horizontal.

And all of this is contained in the words "Our Father who art in heaven."

Pray them, and the whole prayer, slowly and from your heart!

All the Days

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).

The Gospel of Matthew concludes with the great promise of Jesus, "I am with you always."  But a literal translation would read, "I am with you all the days."

Remember that the crucified-risen Christ is with you on all the days through which you pass: Father's Day, graduation day, summer days, wedding day, happy days, sad days, typical day, hard day, hospital days, moving day, seven days, 365 days, last days (2 Tim. 3:1).  And the most important one to remember: today.

Know that He will be with you on the day of your death.  Psalm 23:4.

"I am with you all the days."  To this He adds "to the end of the age."  It almost sounds like then He will no longer be with us.  And that, I say, would be true.  For it is then that we will be with Him - forever - after He has safely brought us through all the days.

To Sail Across the Sea

In the words of Father John,* a Russian monk now in Heaven:

"This earthly life of ours is truly a sea of ups and downs, and our little boat has to go through various misfortunes, with danger of shipwreck.  Nevertheless, we must not be depressed.  With God's help let us try to sail across this sea and reach the quiet shelter of the Kingdom of Heaven."

*Born in 1873 and died in 1958.

Should Lutherans Consider Themselves "Born Again"?

Fun Fact: Many of the key New Testament passages about Baptism are found in a chapter three: Matthew 3:13-17, Galatians 3:27, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21, and John 3:3-5.

Recently one of our young people, a confirmed Lutheran, was asked by a well-meaning Christian to share when and how she had been born again.  Through no fault of her own, she wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Lutherans hear the term "born again," but it's not used very much in our tradition.  What does it mean - "born again"?  Many fine Christians use the expression to describe the experience and even the moment they found salvation in Christ and made a decision to believe and trust in Him.  I myself have heard many beautiful accounts of people becoming Christians.

The idea of being born again comes from the Bible and is found most famously in John 3.  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

So should Lutherans consider themselves "born again"?  The answer, you might be surprised, is yes.  But more needs to be said.

Based on John 3:5 (note the mention of water) as well as other passages such as Titus 3:5 ("the washing of rebirth"), Lutherans believe that Baptism is when, where, and how they are born again.  Another word for "born again" is "rebirth" or "new birth."  That's why immediately after baptizing a person the pastor says, "The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life everlasting."

One of our hymns, sometimes sung at an infant Baptism, rightly uses the term "born again":

Here we bring a child of nature;
Home we take a new-born creature,
Now God's precious son or daughter,
Born again by Word and water.

When I'm asked, I try to share in a gentle, humble way that I was born again on April 13, 1969 - the day of my Baptism.  I know that it's not always the answer other Christians are looking for, but that's okay.  I can love, encourage, and be encouraged by them just the same.

The First Trimester

"Mary remained with her about three months" (Luke 1:56).

It's called the Visitation: when Mary, pregnant with our Lord, visited the much older Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist (about six months older than Christ).  And it looks like Mary spent roughly the first trimester of her pregnancy visiting Elizabeth: helping her, serving her, preparing for the birth of John.

If that is correct, then it was during the Visitation that the heart of our Lord took shape and began to beat.  The same heart that would stop beating on the cross.  During the Visitation that His face got its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.  The same mouth that would say, "Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven" (Matt. 9:2).

We think much about the birth of our dear Lord.  And well we should!  But let us think some more about His nine months in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary.

Mary visited Elizabeth with Christ inside of her.  Holy Communion means that Christ is inside of you and that you may go and serve your spouse, children, neighbor, and especially the one in need.

Holy Baptism puts us inside of Christ.  Holy Communion puts Christ inside of us.  And all that is left is to love.

In Christ We Cannot Lose

Acts 1:15-26

When, in Acts 1, Matthias is chosen to take the place of Judas, it meant that another man was not chosen.  His name?  Joseph Barsabbas Justus.  The man no one remembers.

That's mainly because he wasn't chosen.  But it's partly because three names is a lot to remember.  The last of his names, Justus, was likely a nickname.  It means "just, upright, impartial."  He was an especially godly, pious man.  A man who sought God's will and glory, not his own.  A man who led me to write these words:

We praise You, Lord, for Joseph,

The one You did not choose.

A man who surely loved You,

A man You surely used.

May we, like him, desire

Whatever You may choose,

And learn, with him, the lesson:

In Christ we cannot lose!

These words are a prayer to be sung (to the tune of Lutheran Service Book 517) or simply spoken.

We lose in life if we say, "My will be done."  We win when we pray, "Thy will be done."

In Christ, who is risen, ascended, and praying for us, we cannot lose!

Finding the Risen Christ

"Seek, and you will find" (Matt. 7:7).

As I write these words, it is the 25th day of Easter.  We are just halfway through the Easter Season.  The season's greeting continues to be, "Christ is risen!"  This is the happiest time of the year.

We still hear the words of the angel: "You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has risen" (Mark 16:6).  This is the heart of the very first Easter sermon.  (For the first Christmas sermon, see Luke 2:10-12.)  Sermons have gotten longer, but not better.

In just a few words, the angel preaches the suffering-death of Jesus, His most certain resurrection, and even reminds us of His conception by the Holy Spirit, since that took place in Nazareth.

But I want to draw attention to the word "seek."  It reminds me of that promise in Matthew 7:7: "Seek, and you will find."  What do I want to say?  Christians are people who continually seek Jesus.

And Christians are people who continually find Him in the Holy Gospel.  In Holy Communion.  In helping and serving each other.  And in the great Easter greeting, "Christ is risen!"

"He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!"

Falling and Rising

"A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again" (Prov. 24:16).

A tradition holds that the Savior fell seven times on the way to Calvary.  For those familiar with the fourteen Stations of the Cross, seven of them, it can be noted, are falls.  (Stations III, VII, and IX are called "falls," while IV, V, VI, and VIII are described by events thought to have happened in connection with falls.)  Jesus is the righteous man who falls seven times.

Now ask, "How many times have I fallen into temptation and sin?"  Isn't it tragic that you are not even able to number them?

Confess your sins to the best of your memory.  Then remember the righteous man who fell underneath the weight of every last one of them, getting up again and carrying them up Calvary, and there dying for them.  "The righteous man for the unrighteous" (1 Pet. 3:18).

But the proverb is completely fulfilled when the righteous man who falls seven times on Good Friday rises again on Easter morning.  And He lives to defend you against every temptation.

Veronica

According to legend, when Jesus was on the way out to be crucified, He was met by a woman named Veronica.  Doing what she could for Him, she wiped His face with a cloth.  It was an act of love.  The legend states that something miraculous then happened: the cloth was left with an image of His face.

We are quick to point out that this story is not recorded in the Bible.  And it has the sound to our ears of something not true.  But could this man-made story still have something to teach us that is in perfect harmony with the Bible's message?

The answer lies in understanding Veronica as a kind of parable.  Her cloth is the human heart.  Christ wants nothing more than to impress on our hearts the image of His suffering self.  For then we will know and believe that He suffered for us.  And we can also learn from Veronica how to love all those who are suffering.

Lutherans may not talk much about Veronica, but it almost seems like one of our hymns was written in her memory:

On my heart imprint Your image, Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures Never may Your work erase;
Let the clear inscription be: Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope's foundation, And my glory and salvation!

The One Prayer God Always Answers No

There is a prayer found in the Bible, and you can pray it, but the answer will always be No.  The Lord's Prayer ends with "Amen," meaning, "Yes, it shall be so."  But for this prayer you'll need to find a different word, because, "No, it shan't be so."  Jesus says about the Father, "Whatever you ask in My name, He will give it to you" (John 16:23) - with one major exception: the one prayer God always answers No, as in, No way, absolutely not, not in a million years!

Here is the prayer: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).

The dear Lord Jesus Christ says No to this prayer.  A gentle, but firm, loving No.

Peter was one part right and one part wrong.  He was right to confess himself a sinful man.  That was true.  No argument there.  But how was he wrong?  Very!  He was wrong about Jesus who came for the very purpose of getting close to sinful people.

How does this apply?  You're a Christian, baptized, righteous in the eyes of God because of Christ.  But what about in your eyes?  You remember sins, you still see sins in your life, you still sin.  And you will think like Peter and try to send God away.  This often shows up in thinking, "I can't go to church.  I shouldn't go to Communion!"

But do you know what that's like?  It's like saying to the doctor, "I shouldn't come see you right now, because I'm sick.  And that medicine you want to give me, let's wait on that till I'm better."

Listen.  You go to God in the very moment you think you should go away.  Go to His Word, Sacraments, Church, and Cross.  Because the very reason you think God should go away from you is the very reason He doesn't and won't.  "I made you, I redeemed you, I make you holy.  I love you.  And so the answer is No, I will not depart."

No has never sounded so good, so completely the Gospel!

And it may be that this one No is like all the other Yeses put together.

Thanks Be to the Lord Above

I wrote this little hymn for Thanksgiving this year.  But its real purpose is to serve as a prayer at the end of a meal.  It is based on Psalm 136:1 and is sung to the tune of LSB 687.

Thanks be to the Lord above

For His never-ending love.

Thanks be to the Father, Son,

Holy Spirit, Three in One.

One Little Word

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" has been called the "Battle Hymn of the Reformation."  The text and tune are both by Martin Luther.  I wrote this devotion years ago and believe it bears repeating annually.  Someone else said that it bears repeating daily.

Luther's great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress," contains the line at the end of the third verse: "One little word can fell him."  Many know this line, but few may know the one little word Luther had in mind.  What would you say it is?

In a writing called "Against Hanswurst," Luther explained that the one little word is, "You lie."  Luther writes:

"For all such books written against me, even if there were as many as thousands of them written every day and every hour, are very easily refuted with the single word, 'Devil, you lie,' just as that haughty beggar Dr. Luther sings so proudly and boldly in those words of his hymn, 'One little word shall fell him.'"

Now to simplify and make it just one word, we could say, "Liar!"  In John 8:44, Jesus says about the devil, "When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."  Luther believed that deeply.

We know that Psalm 46 formed the basis for "A Mighty Fortress."  But Luther must also have had in mind the story of David and Goliath.  In the first place, the devil is our Goliath.  In the second place, the one little word (Liar!) is just like the one little stone David used.  And in the third place, that one little word "fells" the giant.  "One little word can fell him."

Now try it, and use it often.  This one really works!  Next time that temptation comes, that discouragement, that fear, reach into your bag for one little word.

Liar!

And spread the word!

FAQs

"Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.'  And Nathan said to David, 'The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die'" (2 Sam. 12:13).

Frequently Asked Questions about Individual Confession:

1. You mean, Confession is part of the Lutheran Church?  I thought that was Roman Catholic.  It is part of the Lutheran Church.  It is the fifth chief part of the Small Catechism.  But the reality is that most Lutherans do not take advantage of it.  Let us pray for that to change.

2. Must I go to Confession?  No.  Let's be clear about that.  But a better question is, May I go to Confession?  Yes.  But the best question is, Am I invited to Confession?  Very much so!  It is here for you!

3. Where does it take place?  Although it may take place anywhere, and even over the phone, usually it takes place in the privacy of the pastor's study (sitting, not kneeling).

4. When does it take place?  Anytime by appointment.  Or the pastor will announce times for Confession, such as the Wednesdays during Lent.

5. How long does it take?  Typically no more than five minutes, or even less.  A very good confession can be done in two minutes.

6. How will I know what to say?  That's easy.  A simple, beautiful order is provided in Lutheran Service Book, page 292.  The pastor will have it ready for you to use.

7. Would the pastor ever share my sins with others?  Absolutely not.  Under no circumstances.  There is no exception to this rule.

8. How often should I go?  Start with once.  After that, plan to go once a year or maybe twice.

9. Does my pastor go to Confession too?  Believe it or not, your pastor is the congregation's first sinner.  He will drive to see another pastor for Confession.  This is one reason he wants to offer Individual Confession and Absolution to the members of his congregation: he knows firsthand the spiritual benefits (peace, joy, and a renewed love).

10. But won't he look at me differently after hearing my confession?  Far from it.  The pastor loves you unconditionally, and compassionately - he feels what you are carrying.  He is sent by God to shepherd and to help you.  One of the main ways he helps is by hearing your confession and pronouncing forgiveness.

The words which absolution give

Are His who died that we might live;

The minister whom Christ has sent

Is but His humble instrument.

(LSB 614:5)

Holy Cross Days

The Ground Zero Cross must be remembered.  It tells of a God who suffered for us, and who suffers with us.

"...the cross of Jesus" (John 19:25).

September 13 and 14 should share the name Holy Cross.

To begin with, September 14 has long been called Holy Cross Day.  On that day in the year 320 Helena, the mother of Constantine, is believed to have discovered the cross of our Lord on which He died.  It is one of the earliest Christian feast days, and points to the centrality of the death of Jesus in the Christian faith.

Enter September 13, one day before.  On this day in 2001 an excavator named Frank Silecchia discovered, amid the rubble of the World Trade Center, a cross.  A T-beam weighing thousands of pounds had the unmistakable shape of a cross, and had fallen into a perfect upright position.  It was carefully removed, blessed, and stands today.

I confess, I don't know for a fact whether Helena found the actual cross of Christ.  What I do know is that Frank Silecchia did.  And he found it where the true cross will be found: right smack in the middle of human tragedy, suffering, and death.

To bring us through.

Lord, to You We Lift Our Eyes

The Small Catechism includes a table prayer called "Asking a Blessing."  It uses Psalm 145:15-16.  I wrote a little hymn as a way of singing the prayer.  To the tune of LSB 687.

Lord, to You we lift our eyes,

And in love You satisfy

All our needs from day to day.

Bless this food and us, we pray.

Amen.

Margaret

"...one pearl of great value" (Matt. 13:46).

Years ago I did the funeral for a woman named Margaret.  I used the Parable of the Pearl for the reason that the Greek word for "pearl" is "margaret."

You too are Margaret, the pearl of great value.

A beautiful explanation of this parable says that the merchant is Christ, and you are the very precious pearl.  Consider two parts of the parable:

Of great value.  (The only other time this adjective is used in the New Testament is in John 12:3 to describe the ointment applied by Mary to the feet of Jesus.)  Good, true self-esteem or worth begins by knowing that you are of great value to God.  He made you uniquely.  He loves you as though the only one.  You are as a very precious pearl to Him!

Bought.  This is the Christ word.  Paul, in two places, says, "You were bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23), as though commenting on this parable.  The price was the life and blood of Christ!  How marvelous the words in the Small Catechism: "[Christ] has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own."  His own very precious pearl.

The only thing as precious as you is the blood of Christ.  He was able to use it therefore to redeem you!