Isaiah 51:4-6; Jude 20-25; Mark 13:24-37

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I hate buying new things just to see them wear out quickly. It’s always my biggest regret to buy something and then see it become trash within a week, month, or even year in certain cases. It just seems like wasted money, especially when it’s something you need like a backpack for school, a winter coat, or a computer. 

It feels like a law of nature that nothing lasts forever. We get used to the fact that anything we buy is momentary. It’s just a matter of how momentary it is. And of course, it’s not just things that are temporary. It’s friends, jobs, happiness, sadness, and even life itself. We suffer the reality of decay and deterioration, the ups and downs of watching new things eventually disappear. Nothing ever lasts forever. 

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus continues to tell us about the decay and destruction of the world as we know it. Yes, even our world will come to an end. “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken,” Mark 13:24-25. When Jesus comes, there’s much terror about all that will happen as our world decays to nothing. However, amidst all the decay and destruction, there’s one thing that will stay: God’s word. Every promise, every word our Lord has spoken, every command of God shall hold true.

This is the astonishing thing about what we value. All these things that we know won’t last, that we know will wear out, we protect as our greatest treasure. We place such importance at times on what we wear, what type of phone we have, having the latest gadgets, the nicest house, and so on. We do all this, knowing that these things will fail us and wear out. And yet, God’s word that is eternal, we treat as if it’s worthless. We treat God’s enduring word like another piece of candy on Halloween or an extra present under the Christmas tree.

Seek, then, after that which endures. Seek after God’s word which holds true even when all else fades away. For this is our faith which grants us confidence to face every challenge that awaits us, even the end of the world. Thus, Jesus says, “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come,” Mark 13:33. Jesus calls us to treasure his word above all else because his Word to us is light and life! This is the word of God, that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. From the cross, God has spoken to us forgiveness, life, and salvation. No amount of time, decay, or even the forces of Satan shall empty the cross of its power, nor God’s word of its strength. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away,” Mark 13:31. Jesus Christ stands at the gates of paradise with the same enduring word of the cross, that you are redeemed by His death and granted entrance into eternity! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, so govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your glorious return, we may persevere in both faith and holiness of living; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-13

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“If only God would give me a sign!” I hear this so often whenever it comes to those big decisions in life. We all would like to have a little direction from God every now and then. We just want to know that we’re not messing everything up and also are following God’s path. Of course, we know it’s not that easy. God doesn’t give us a neon sign telling us “This way!”. Hence, we’re left to our own reason and decisions.

No matter how much we wish God would speak from heaven to us, or show us what path we should take, there’s another issue that we must beware of lest we fall away. Just as God seeks to lead us and guide us, so too does Satan use signs and wonders to get us to fall away. We can’t count on any old sign to be God’s guiding hand.

In our Gospel lesson, the disciples are seeking a sign from Jesus as he talks about the end. They want Jesus to give them directions so they know when the end will come. “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” Mark 13:4. A sign would be wonderful, right? Give us a warning or show us what we’re supposed to do. But instead, this is what Jesus answers, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet,” Mark 13:5-7. Don’t be led astray! Thanks, Jesus. That’s so helpful. Not really.

Just consider it for a minute though. Don’t be led astray. As much as we want a sign, maybe a sign isn’t really what we’re looking for. When we beg God for a sign or are so desperate that we’re willing to listen to the first whispers of divine intervention, we’re really asking for trouble. Jesus does give us “signs” to watch out for, but these aren’t as clear as we might wish. That’s the point. We shouldn’t be watching out for signs. We should be watching for Jesus. So, don’t be led astray. We need not beg God for a sign when he already gives us Jesus.

When we consider the signs which Jesus gives us here, we realize that Jesus is describing practically everyday life. Jesus could return at any time because we already have wars and rumors of wars. There are earthquakes and famines. There are many false “Christs”. The “end of days” is here now! So, do not be led astray. Rather, we should look back to Jesus. We should see Jesus crucified for us. We should see the one and only sign that we need from God, the cross of Christ. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, we already know that our end has come. The end of our sins by God’s forgiveness. The end of our suffering through God’s salvation. The end of Satan by Christ’s resurrection. And the end of death by the resurrection of the dead and the promise of life to come! For so Jesus says, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved,” Mark 13:13. Don’t be led astray, but look to Jesus who gives us the strength to endure all things that we may see our eternal salvation!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

O Lord, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

1 Kings 17:8-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

When people ignore warnings, doing the exact opposite of what it says, sometimes we just have to shake our heads in wonder and amazement. A fence that has a “Beware of dog” sign isn’t necessarily a yard you want to walk into. Nor should we ignore signs that say “DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE”. Watching someone do the very thing for which they were warned often leaves us without much sympathy.

Somehow though, we don’t have the same reaction to the widow in our Gospel this week. Yes, it’s the story that is often repeated when we in the church, need more money for projects or salary increases. The widow gives all that she has left, only two small coins, putting it into the treasury of the temple. Jesus praises her for such generous giving. There’s no doubt that she does a good thing in the eyes of our Lord.

If that was all the story was, we could end it there. She does a good thing by giving to the temple even when she doesn’t have the means to do it. But what astonishes me is what comes immediately before it. Jesus was just teaching, saying, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers,” Mark 12:38-40. Notice the end. Jesus was just warning his disciples and any who were listening about the greed and wickedness of the scribes. He even mentions their affinity for “devouring widows’ houses”. So, why does she give? Why does Jesus praise her for such lack of stewardship, wasting it in a needless place?

If this story was all about the money, I doubt Jesus’ teaching would be placed immediately before it. The widow is so often held up as an example for us all. We should be more like the widow who was willing to give all that she had to the care of the Lord. Indeed, there’s a time and place that we should discuss good stewardship, proper handling of the resources God has entrusted to us. But the widow isn’t an example that we’re capable of following. Jesus doesn’t praise her, and then tell his disciples they should be like her. Quite the opposite. Jesus pointed her out because we can’t ever live up to that type of sacrifice.

What’s the point then? It’s not that God requires us to give all that we have for the sake of his Church, especially one that is greedy and ravenous. It’s that Jesus has already done this for us. The widow becomes a type of Christ, an example or foreshadowing of the great sacrifice which our Lord will make on our behalf. Consider these two verses, “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put everything she had, all she had to live on,” Mark 12:44. And, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich,” 2 Corinthians 8:9. Jesus gives himself to these ravenous wolves in his Church, everything that he is, so that he may make us rich in his grace! By the cross, Jesus offers up all that he is and has to us. He gives us his own body and blood that we may no longer be poor in spirit, but rich in the forgiveness and grace of God! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Grant us so firmly to believe in Your Son Jesus that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Does knowing the ending of a book or movie make it more enjoyable? That might seem like a strange question as we often talk about not spoiling the endings of such things. We all want to experience them for the first time ourselves. We like the surprise and amazement we get when we reach the ending, seeing how all the troubles of the characters are worked out. Yet, sometimes, the endings aren’t what we imagined. Endings don’t always tie everything up in a nice neat little bow. Then all that we read (and enjoyed) before is spoiled by a potentially bad ending.

Consider the same question with life. Would knowing how your life plays out make life more enjoyable or would you be afraid to find out? That’s a much different question. If we knew that everything turned out alright, that all of our gigantic troubles now were really just a footnote, then wouldn’t we be able to relax and enjoy things more? 

Now, I’m no psychic, nor can I tell you the future. But I do know how everything will end because God has told us. This is our focus this week as we celebrate All Saints’ Day. As Christians, we know the end of our story. Even as we mourn those who have died, we remember that there is yet more to the story. Just as Revelation says, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” Revelation 7:14. As Christians, we know that death isn’t the end for us. The conclusion of our story is not the grave. Rather, the end of everything, the end of our lives shall be meeting Jesus Christ when he returns in glory. The end of our story is the resurrection of the dead and life in the world to come!

This is why we, as Christians, do not weep at death like the rest of the world. We mourn the loss of loved ones because we know death is evil. But we also rejoice because we know that death has been defeated! All the struggles and suffering we endure here on earth is finite. There will be an end to it all. For this is our hope even in the midst of our present struggles. As Christians who know the end of the story, we are free to enjoy life more as God intended of us. We are free to place our worries and our cares in God’s hands knowing that He will care for us and see us through to the glorious end that awaits us!

On this All Saints’ Day, we remember that those who have died did so in faith. They believed in Jesus Christ as they’re savior. They believed that Jesus’ death on the cross paid for all of their sins. And they believed above all else that though they die, yet shall Jesus return to raise them from the dead because Jesus himself was raised from the dead. Indeed, this is the end of the story for all who believe. Thus, as we live here on earth in this life, we are able to trust in God that even death shall become a footnote for us. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, He has secured for us the best ending of all, the resurrection unto life everlasting! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

Revelation 14:6–7; Ps 46; Romans 3:19–28; John 8:31–36

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I think everyone has an innate desire to consider themselves generally good. We’re not completely delusional in that we know we often mess up and don’t always do the right thing. Yet, we realize that we’re all just trying our best. We work with what we are given and try to make the most of it. Thus, even when we do mess up, it might have been with all the right intentions.

This is how we often justify our actions and decisions even when we know that it wasn’t the best. This is a common human trait as well. Because we like to see ourselves as “good”, we try to justify our actions or claim that we did the right thing. We will start to rationalize actions that even hurt others because they were better for us. Or we compare ourselves to others by saying, “At least I’m not as bad as they are!” Instead of always doing good, we become satisfied by moving the goal of “goodness” just to make us feel “good” about ourselves.

In many ways, this was the reality that Martin Luther dealt with before the Reformation. The Church had been moving the goal posts of what it meant to be justified before God. The sale of indulgences, venerating the saints, pilgrimages to Rome and other such practices were given as easy and simpler ways of making someone feel better about themselves. It gave people the ability to rationalize the evil that they had done by “balancing it out” with something else good. Of course, this troubled Luther. He had been studying this very passage of Romans, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:22–24. 

The Reformation was as much about recovering the Law as it was the Gospel. Later theologians would take a page out of Luther’s book by calling such actions of the church “cheap grace”. Luther showed us that we cannot minimize, lessen, or simplify the demands of the law if we also wish to have the full grace of God. This is why as Lutherans we’re regularly taught to stare at ourselves in the mirror of the Law. We must see just how evil and corrupt our actions are, how sinful our flesh has become. For we all have sinned and fallen short. We cannot measure up with what God requires of us in his Holy Law.

Yet, this is where the Reformation really shined. When we finally understand our place in view of the law, we can fully appreciate the Gospel! Read what else Paul writes in Romans, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it,” Romans 3:21. The righteousness of God is manifest apart from the Law! Indeed, once the Law has come and condemned us, beaten us down, then Jesus shows up and says, “I have forgiven you by fulfilling the law on your behalf!” Jesus fulfilled the law by taking on our own flesh, fulfilling its full demands for us, and even paying the penalty for all of our sins by his own death upon the cross. For now, we are righteous apart from the law, not by our own merit or worthiness, but solely by the grace of God given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord! 

Pastor Sorenson

Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!