Scraps Of Grace

Text:  Matthew 15:21-28 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Would you like to supersize your meal? Absolutely!

Would you like more chocolate sauce on your ice cream? Most definitely!

Are you going to apply for that new job? Why wouldn’t I apply!

Are you working on that new promotion? Without a doubt!

We human beings seem never to be content with just a little but are always wanting more. Yes, we never seem to be comfortable but are always striving to get higher. The reason why? We assume that bigger is better and that to be better we need to be bigger.

In fact, I think it is safe to say that marketers prey on our covetous desires, making us feel inferior if we do not own the next best thing. And employers hope that we will scramble for the top position because it will help increase a business’ productivity.

And so, we typically are never content with a little and do not want to be on the bottom. Indeed, the more that we can have and the higher that we can be, the more we are supposedly satisfied.

So, why on earth was the Canaanite woman from our Gospel reading so content with crumbs and morsels? Why on earth was she happy with being like a scraggly dog, sitting under the table eating crumbs and morsels that fell to the floor?

Who likes crumbs; who is happy being a dog?

The Canaanite woman in our Gospel reading had a daughter who was demonically possessed. The evil one had seized her precious girl, and nothing that the mom could do was able to remove the claws of the demon from her daughter’s soul. All she could do was stand and watch her daughter squirm and wail in agony from the hellish clutches of that demonic being. She was helpless to cure her child. She was out of control as the demon tormented her daughter.

So, in her helplessness, she goes to the only one that she thinks that can help her. She goes to Jesus.  She goes to Jesus and cries out.

I get the impression that she had a lot of tears, that her speech was muffled, and that she was somewhat out of control in her plea for mercy. It seems that she dumped all of her emotions, struggles, and groans upon Jesus.

To our surprise, she was met with an icy rejection of our Lord. It was almost as if Jesus was treating the mother as if she had a demon herself. But this does not matter. The mother continues to cry out; however, Jesus does not grant the mother’s request.

But again, this does not matter. The mother continues to cry out, for that is what faith does. She becomes like a yippy little dog, begging and barking for the smallest of crumbs from the master even when told to go.

Long story short, the mother ends up on her knees in the dust, begging, “Lord help me!” And Jesus ends up calling her a dog, unworthy of the bread that He came to bring to His people, the Jews. To this the mother replied, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Dear friends, this mother was content with crumbs. She was happy being considered a dog. And the reason why? She knew that even dogs belonged in the house and are fed and cared for. She knew that if she was a mere dog in the eyes of the Lord that at least she was saved. She did not expect to be a child and sit at the table to eat meat and drink wine, for she was content with just being in the house. She was content with a little from Jesus because she had nothing.

You see, the mother had great faith. She not only understood the predicament of sin, death, and the devil upon her life and her daughter’s life, but her faith would not let Jesus be anything other than the gracious, kind, and loving Savior that she had heard about.

This is how faith operates. Faith which is created by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel not only acknowledges the predicament of sin, death, and the devil, but clings to the only solution – Jesus Christ, and is content with Jesus in spite of the difficult circumstances abounding in its midst.

And so, the mother would gladly cry and crawl around under the tables and benches, gathering up food from the scraps and be satisfied with little, because she knew that crumbs from the Lord were enough to sustain her and her daughter. She would rather have the mere crumbs of Jesus than no Jesus at all.

Psalm 84, verse 10 talks about this too. It says,

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

In other words, a lowly place in salvation is much better than a lavish life ending in condemnation. Eating from the crumbs of the Lord’s Table is better than eating the prime rib of the world’s banquet halls. Being a dog of the Lord is better than being the king of a country. Besides, as poor miserable sinners, we do not have the right to expect much, for we do not even deserve scraps under the table, but a place in the dog house outside.

Dear friends, it is like this: left to ourselves we are completely and totally unable to produce true fear and trust in God. Our problem of sin is not just some mere mistakes here and there. For if sin was just mistakes, we would only need a 5-10 minute savior. However, if sin is a condition that we cannot remove; if sin has sunk its claws into us and all we can do is stand and watch the destruction that it has on our lives and others; if sin is truly that bad leading us to death, then we are truly helpless, just like the Canaanite woman and desperately need to cry out. 

And when our cries for mercy come before Jesus, even if He rebukes us as sinners and calls us a dog, we must not go away but must confess all the more that we would gladly be a mangy mutt licking up the scraps of grace by His feet, for we do not even deserve this. Indeed, we must confess by faith that we are poor sinners, yet at the same time say with brave confidence,

“You Lord Jesus did not come for the righteous but for sinners – sinners like me. Indeed, Jesus, you told me to come to you and that you would give me rest. Therefore, Jesus, I will gladly rest at your feet in safety and security; I will gladly feast upon the crumbs of your mighty grace, for you know that I do not even deserve this mighty place at your feet under the table.”

Dear Baptized Saints, as we saw with the Canaanite woman, it was impossible for Jesus to turn away from her. And so it is the same for you; it is impossible for the fount of divine mercy to remain shut to poor miserable sinners clinging – by faith – to Jesus.

And so, when we acknowledge ourselves as sinners and cry out for grace, we do not merely have a share in the crumbs and morsels of the Lord under the table, but we are given a seat with Christ at His table where we receive His true body and blood. And furthermore, we are given a seat with Christ at His Father’s table, where we will rejoice with Jesus in eternal life, forever and ever.[1]

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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[1] Johann Spangenberg, The Christian Year of Grace: The Chief Parts of Scripture Explained in Questions and Answers, tr. Matthew Carver (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2014), 114.

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Equal Pay For All?

Text: Matthew 20:1-16

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

I am pretty sure that you all have experienced what is known as the high school mentality of popularity. You know what I am talking about. In most high schools there is a hierarchy – a scale of popularity. It typically starts in grade school and is most clearly seen high school.

Permit me the opportunity to explain a bit more.

I am not talking about being well-liked and admired due to a person being caring and nice in school, but I am referring to that embedded system of ranking and categorizing people. That is to say; I am referring to a popularity scale where those who use their charming personality or their success in academics and sports, actually place themselves above everyone else. Whereas, on the bottom, you have those who… well, can be classified as losers and nobodies.

There are also other names for this system of scales and ranking as well. Sociologists see this in all aspects of life and call this phenomenon the ‘dominance hierarchy.’ The colloquial term used for this system of scales and ranking is ‘the social totem pole.’ Regardless of its name, though, the rules are pretty much the same. The more work you put in and the more power that you exert, the higher you get, along with more popularity, honor, and reverence.

But there is a catch to this high school popularity scale. And that catch is this, those at the top typically try to defend their positions, while those at the bottom may spend a lifetime trying to advance up the scale. And if those who are advancing up the scale get too high, those on the top will either rise higher still or attempt to kick the so-called losers down to the bottom of the scale where they belong.

And there is another catch to this if someone on the bottom manages to get to the top – or let us say it this way: if the whole scale and system are removed, and everyone is made equal, well… those previously on the top will become furious, envious, discontent, and full of hatred. Everything that they have worked for – all that they have done to get to the top and stay at the top will be undone, if the scale and system are removed. Removing the system and hierarchy scale would be one massive slap in the face.

But what does all of this have to do with our church service today?

Dear friends, this is precisely what is going on in our parable from the Gospel reading of Matthew.

In the twentieth chapter of Matthew, we read about a master of the house who goes out and hires a bunch of laborers. Some work long hours and other work shorter hours. Therefore, what we would expect is that at the end of the day, those who worked more should get paid first and should get paid more.  However, the order of payment is switched. Those who barely worked got paid first, and those who worked more got paid last. And to make it, even more, stranger, everyone got paid the same regardless of the amount and time of work they did.

Now, this makes no sense to us at all. The reason why?  Those who work more should get paid more and should be paid first! Right? Those who are on the top of the popularity scale should have more attention and more awe, not less! Right? The more we do should result in us moving upward! Right?

Dear friends, this would be the case if we were operating according to the world, but in verse 1 of Matthew chapter twenty, we read, “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” That is to say; we are not dealing with a kingdom of power, but with a kingdom that is based on grace. And grace does not operate according to our ways of thinking. Yes, Jesus is teaching us in this parable what the kingdom of grace looks like and how it functions.

What does this specifically mean, though?

It means that with the kingdom of grace there are no such things as a high school popularity scales. There is no such thing as a dominance hierarchy with the kingdom of grace. There is no social totem pole in the church. These kinds of systems and this kind of thinking do not exist with the kingdom of heaven.     

Dear friends, when it comes to the kingdom of grace, you and I cannot and do not contribute anything. The kingdom of grace does not operate on a scale. The kingdom of grace does not look to your accomplishments, your spiritual resumes, your popularity, your status in society, the number of degrees that you have earned, or the amount of money you get in your paychecks. God does not repay us according to the size and number of works that we have done but pays us according to His goodness, grace, and mercy in Christ.

Because of this, what we typically see throughout the ages is that poor sinners are always quicker to enter the kingdom of heaven than works-righteous-scale-climbing-people. You see, those who are higher up on the scale, wrongly believe that they have many good accomplishments stored up, so that they become cocky and proud, which results in them looking down on others who have not reached the same level as them. As a result, they do not depend on grace but rely on themselves and are condemned.

On the other hand, when poor sinners on the bottom hear God’s Word, and their sins are laid bare before them, they become terrified in their conscience. And because they find no comfort in themselves and no assurance in the heights that they have climbed, they instead seek help and forgiveness from Christ Jesus and are justified.[1]

Typically, though, what ends up happening when sinners are justified freely by grace through faith is that people begin to mumble.  Yes, those at the top of the high school popularity scale and those at the top of the hierarchy dominance structure begin to grumble.  Those at the top of the social totem pole - essentially anyone who trusts in their works - begins to complain when lowlife sinners are freely justified by grace. You see, the kingdom of grace levels everyone and places all of humanity into one category. And that category is – sinner. Yes, sinners who need grace.

Indeed, the gospel is for sinners only, which is a huge amount of generosity given to us in Christ. And yet, this generosity will cause some to become envious, hateful, and embittered because God’s grace does not allow any human accomplishments to contribute to the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is all about God’s grace and mercy for us. Therefore, when sinners at the bottom are freely justified for Christ sake without merit and human accomplishments, those at the top are undercut, which results in them despising God’s grace.  Because grace is free and unearned, their thinking becomes perverted they see grace as if it were evil.

This despising of God’s grace is exactly why Cain killed Abel.[2] It is the reasons why the Pharisees judged Zacchaeus as a sinner. It is the reason why the elder brother was angry at the prodigal son.[3] It was the reason why the religious leaders were angry with Jesus. Grace is perverted and seen as evil in the minds of those who trust in themselves – grace becomes a foul odor to those seeking to prop themselves up by their own doings.[4]

Dear friends, when we think of ourselves as better than other people before God and begin grumbling and complaining about those who we believe are lesser than us – as if they have not done enough to be worthy of God’s favor – we have become hypocrites. Therefore, repent! Yes, one and all, repent of the scales, repent of the popularity mentality, repent of the social totem poles, and repent of the grumbling. This is not the way of the kingdom of heaven; this is not the way of the kingdom of grace.

Dear Baptized Saints, the truth of the matter is this, after we have done everything that we have been called to do for the Lord and His Church, we must always beat our breast and say, “I am a worthless slave; I have done only what I ought to have done.” [5] You see, these words clearly declare to us that God saves by mercy and grace in Christ alone and not by the value of our works, deeds, and accomplishments.[6]

Baptized Saints, we walk in the fear of God, knowing that if there is any good in us, it is by the gift and work of God the Holy Spirit through the Word and Sacraments. And when we walk and serve, we shall never despair of God’s grace and mercy. You see, no matter how rejected you may find yourself in the eyes of the world’s popularity schemes and no matter how low you may find yourself on the social totem pole of the world, take comfort. Yes, take comfort, for the Lord chooses to bypass these systems and comes directly to you in His Word and Sacraments, to give you His undeserved and unmerited grace.

Therefore, dear Baptized Saints, let the world grumble. Let the old Adam murmur. Let the devil hate, for all of this is passing away and you have been given God’s grace and forgiveness on account of Jesus Christ and Him alone!

No matter if you have been in the church your whole life or if you have just begun, God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and life is yours because of Jesus. Jesus is your Christ – your Savior. No scales, no popularity needed.  No hierarchy and no huffing and puffing with your works.  Just Christ Jesus and His work for you.  Yes, only His suffering, dying, and rising – for you.

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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[1] Paraphrase of: Johann Spangenberg, The Christian Year of Grace: The Chief Parts of Scripture Explained in Questions and Answers tr. and ed. Matthew Carver (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2014), 92.

[2] See Genesis 4.

[3] See Luke 15:11-32.

[4] Ibid.

[5] See Luke 17:7-10.

[6] See Apology V:213.

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A Fool's Baptism?

Text: Matthew 3:13-17

In the name of Jesus: Amen. 

We Lutherans are often times considered foolish.  We splash water on the head of a child or adult and believe that this washing makes the difference between life and death, heaven and hell. 

More specifically, we believe that infants and adults are helpless and that they cannot do much of anything. They cannot take care of their sin or defend themselves from death and the devil.  And they cannot even make a choice for eternal life.  All they can do is receive gifts – gifts like baptism. 

And so, in baptism, we believe, teach, and confess that God chooses to perform His salvific work of forgiving sin and making sinners into citizens of His kingdom… yes, by simple splashes of water and Words.    

Indeed, God has a way of choosing the foolish things of the world to do His work.  He has a way of doing foolish things to shame the so-called wise people of the world. 

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, we see even more foolishness.  Jesus came to the waters of the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. 

You see, out in the wilderness next to the Jordan River, John the Baptist was blasting away at sinners. Confessions of sin, acknowledgments of failure, and concessions of corruption abounded. Baptismal water dripped from the heads of adulterers, thieves, liars, prostitutes, swindlers, blasphemers, murderers, legalists, rebels, and ragamuffins.  Indeed, the stench of sin filled the air and the waters of the Jordan River were polluted by sinners… and this is exactly what Jesus asked to be baptized into. 

Foolish, right?  

 

That is how John the Baptist saw it too. 

John the Baptist, protested the foolish request of Jesus saying something to the effect,

Jesus, you don’t belong here.  You are the only one who doesn’t belong here.  Everybody, including me, needs this baptism for the remission of sins, but you… you don’t need this Jesus.  What sins do you have to turn from?  What mess have you made of your life?  It is foolish to baptize you because you do not need to be baptized! 

 

Foolish! That is how Jesus’ request seemed to John.  However, as we have already stated, what seems foolish according to mankind is often precisely how the Lord works. 

And so, we hear that Jesus sets John in his place, basically saying,

Don’t argue with me, John.  Just do it.  Baptize me!  It is the way it should be.  I don’t care if you think it looks foolish, for it is the way that righteousness will be fulfilled.

As a result, Jesus was baptized in that dirty sinful Jordan River that day.  The clean and sinless Son of God was baptized into a sinner’s baptism. 

What does this mean, though?  How does Jesus’ baptism with sinners fulfill righteousness?  

It is actually quite simple.  To fulfill the Law perfectly one must love perfectly.  And with Jesus being baptized in that river with sinners, we see perfect love.  Yes, we see perfect love in action as Jesus stepped into the water with sinful humanity.  He stepped into the mess we’ve made of our lives.  Jesus stepped into that dirty sinful water, to be with mankind – you and me. 

Because Jesus loved perfectly, there was nothing that could have held Him back from that baptism.  It did not matter to Jesus if it appeared to be foolish or not, it just needed to be done.   

Stop and think about this a moment.

 

During our Christmas Services we heard that Jesus became one of us when He put on flesh and was born into a stinky cave.  Yes, we heard that Jesus descended into the sin-filled world by His birth into a manger.  And today we hear that He plunged further still by going to the Jordan River and being baptized with a bunch of sinners.  And all of this is consistent with how our Lord acts.  The baptism in the Jordan River is much like what happened at the cross of Mt. Calvary.  At the cross, Jesus takes our sins upon Himself, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21).

Dear friends, foolish or not, this is the way that it had to be.  Like a cleanly bathed child going to roll around in the mud with pigs, Jesus descended into the Jordan and was baptized in the midst of sinners.  The water of filthy sinners was applied upon Jesus, showing that He was the one who would bear the sins of the world – that the mud of sinners was to be splashed upon Him at the cross where the payment of His blood was made. 

This is the kind of Savior that we have.  There is no distance or separation between us sinners and Him.  This is God showing you and me that we are in this together; not alone and not abandoned.   

Is this foolish?  From a human perspective, yes, it is.  Humanly speaking, it’s crazy!  It is wild that Jesus, for the sake of sinners, not only was baptized with sinners and later ate with sinners but also died on the cross for sinners.  Who on earth would do such a thing, except the Lord!  It is foolish, it is crazy, it is wild, but it is good!  It is perfect love for you and me. 

Dear friends, this is how it works with the Lord. The Lord does foolish things like seeking after sinners.  He does foolish things like dying for sinners.  He does foolish things like taking sin upon Himself, so that we might become children of God. 

So, today we hear our Gospel lesson and ponder it so that we might understand that everything that Jesus did from the Jordan River to the Cross is for the purpose of forgiving you and me of our sins.  We hear our Gospel lesson and know that in the Jordan River, Jesus made holy and instituted the water of our baptisms to be a blessed flood and a washing away of all our sins. 

Blessed Baptized Saints, hear this today because Jesus placed Himself in the Jordan River to be baptized with sinners, your baptisms at the church’s baptismal font place you with Jesus.  Yes, in your baptism, the Spirit of God was poured out on your life.  The Lord’s Word and promise were placed upon your life – marking you as one of the redeemed.  The Apostle Paul says it best, “You who were baptized into Jesus were baptized into His death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4)

And there is more.  It just keeps getting better.  In Jesus’ baptism we hear that the Father looks down from heaven with love and pride, and says, “I am well pleased!”  So too, in your baptism, you are washed resulting in all of heaven opening to you so that God the Father with love and pride can say, “I am well pleased with you, my child.” 

Making you God’s own child through baptism is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He stepped into the dirty water of the Jordan sanctifying and instituting your baptisms, as blessed floods that wash away sin. 

And so in your baptism, you can have assurance this day that a handful of water splashed on your head in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit works forgiveness of sins, rescues you from the devil, and gives you eternal life.  Even though the world looks at such water as being plain and ordinary and foolish, you know that the Lord has chosen to go the way of foolishness.  You know that you are a fool for Jesus, for you know the One who went to Calvary with your sin.  You know the One who defeated your death and left it trampled in an empty tomb.  You know the One whom you have been joined to in the waters of Holy Baptism.  You know that the waters of baptism are mighty – violently attacking your sin and rescuing you from darkness to light.   

God has indeed chosen the foolish and the weak things of the world to put to shame the world.  He has chosen to save not with just plain water, but water combined with His promises. He has chosen to save and redeem you.  

So dear Christians, firmly hold this gift of baptism that works forgiveness of sin, rescues you from death and the devil and gives eternal life.  Know that God has chosen the foolish and the weak things of the world to put to shame the ways of the world.  Know that the splash of water upon your head with the promise of God, makes all the difference in the world. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen

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Doubt?

Text: Matthew 11:2-11

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

There are many different times and scenarios in life when we have doubt.  Regardless of those different situations, though, doubt seems to work and act the same.  The reason why doubt typically comes about is because we get suspended between two or more opposing things and are unable to know which one is right. Indeed, when we are confronted with two or more opposing ideas or choices or claims, and we are unable to discern which one is correct… well, doubt comes into our minds and bodies, often causing significant discomfort.  In other words, doubt looks like a person who finds himself between two doors but is paralyzed by uncertainty, not knowing which door to go through.  Indeed, doubt has a way of suspending us and making us feel vulnerable.  It can cause us to feel agitated and even lead to conflict. 

That is why we try to avoid doubt at all costs.  We try to avoid those opposing ideas, choices, and claims that would dangle us in doubt and discomfort.  In fact, more often than not, we can become downright mean in how we fight off these contrary ideas, choices, and claims, to eliminate doubt. 

Jesus pointed out this kind of doubt when He said that His generation was like a bunch of grumpy children sitting in the marketplaces dissatisfied with everything that was put before them.  This same kind of doubt occurred with John the Baptist too.  Instead of listening to John the Baptist, which would’ve placed the people between their sin and John’s message of repentance, they instead wrote Him off as crazy.

You see, behind this kind of doubt is the desire to avoid the issue.  Behind this kind of doubt is the desire to eliminate the uncomfortable feeling of being hanging between two different teachings and realities of life. Yes, behind this type of doubt is the reality that mankind loves the darkness rather than the light.

And so, to avoid that uncomfortable feeling of doubt and to prevent the even more painful reality of being wrong, people will do everything possible to dodge opposing ideas and opposing facts.  We see this especially in the case of pagans avoiding the church at all costs.    

Now, there is second way that this doubt works itself out.  You see, there is another kind of doubt that sets in when you know that you have the truth, but you then begin to wonder if you are correct.  Take, for example, our Gospel reading from Matthew chapter 11.  In Matthew chapter 11, we hear doubt.  There were doubt and concern about whether or not Jesus was really Messiah that was promised from the Old Testament.  That is to say; what John the Baptist and especially his followers believed about the Messiah from the Old Testament did not seem to line up with what they saw with Jesus, which resulted in doubt.  They were suspended in between what they expected of the Messiah and what they saw in Jesus.    

Dear friends, keep in mind that this second kind of doubt just described is not where a person loves the darkness and is troubled by the light, but a doubt that comes about when darkness attacks the light.  This kind of doubt is what Christians experience when contrary things challenge what we believe, teach, and confess. 

We have seen this doubt before, too.  When the disciples first heard that Jesus had risen from the tomb, they thought that the news of Jesus’ resurrection was only chatter and nonsense.[1]  And who can forget Thomas!  Thomas would not believe in Jesus’ resurrection, even though all the other disciples tried to convince him.  And from our Gospel reading today, there was much confusion about whether or not Jesus was the Messiah or if they should expect another Messiah. 

Dear friends, what is going on here is that doubt arises in us because Jesus is so entirely different from what we expect.  And Jesus’ message of the Gospel is frankly 180 degrees opposite of how we think.[2]  So, because Jesus’ ways are not our ways and our ways are not Jesus’ ways, we are often suspended between two different ways of thinking, thus creating that uncomfortable place of doubt. 

And as you know, experiencing doubt is an awful place to be.  This doubt can not only bring about anxiety and a sense of vulnerability, but this doubt can lead to unbelief.  And unbelief gives birth to a hardened rejection of the Lord. 

So what must be done about this doubt? 

Dear friends, we do not conquer doubt or try to alleviate doubt by trying to rationalize the doubt away.  Doubt is not overcome by us trying to have less doubt.  Our willpower is not able to fight off doubt, just like faith is not increased by us trying to have more faith.  And we do not eliminate doubt by eliminating the message of Jesus that causes us discomfort. Plugging our ears or putting our head in the sand like a hard-hearted pagan does nothing, except give birth to damning unbelief.  No, you need not do this! 

Thankfully, when doubt arises, there is another way. Yes, we can follow in the footsteps of John the Baptist, as we heard in our Gospel reading from today. 

In our Gospel reading, John the Baptist went directly to Jesus with the doubting questions of His followers.  The doubt was not hushed or hidden, but brought before Jesus, just like Thomas’ doubt, and unbelief met the wound on Jesus’ side.    

What this means is this: if doubt plagues you, if you are suspended or paralyzed in doubt, learn to know that this doubt does not belong to you, but needs to be laid bare before the Lord. 

This may seem odd, but this is what the scriptures call for us to do as Christians.  The Psalms teach us not to hide our doubt or to rationalize it away or to stick our head in the sands of unbelief, but we are to pour out our complaints before the Lord and to tell the Lord of our troubles.[3] 

This means that we should not always speak as if we have everything figured out in pious-sounding language before the Lord, but instead, our doubts and struggles can be poured out before the Lord when our spirit faints within us, for the Lord knows our way.

And like John the Baptist and his followers, and even Thomas, the Lord answers our doubt.  The Lord answers our doubt the same way that He answered the doubt of John the Baptist’s followers, and that is the announcement of what has been done. 

Yes, it is that simple, the doubt went from John the Baptist and his followers to Jesus, and Jesus responded by saying,

“Go back and announce what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor!” 

Dear Baptized Saints, our doubt must be met by the proclamation of the Gospel – the Word.  And when we hear the Word of Christ, doubt gives way to faith.  Yes, doubt turns to faith, not when we try to decrease doubt and increase faith by our willpower, but when we hear the Word of Christ, when we remember the reality of our baptisms and receive the true body and blood of Jesus.   

Therefore, the Gospel reading from today is really about comfort, for it shows you how John the Baptist took doubt and brought it to Jesus.  Yes, it is comforting that you do not need to keep doubt to yourself, but can boldly confess your doubt.  Yes, the Lord has called you to His Word, and to His Supper, and into the Christian faith through baptism, where He meets your doubt with the forgiveness of all of sins for Jesus’ sake, and transforms your mind from doubt to faith.  This transformation is a constant renewal of the mind that no longer hangs in the suspension of doubt, but clings ever more to the Word of God. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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[1] See Luke 24:11.

[2] It has been said before that to understand the message of Jesus all you have to do is take what is common sense, reverse it entirely, and then you will most likely arrive at the teachings of Jesus.

[3] See Psalm 142:2-3.  

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