Brent Kuhlman

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Sixth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 9                                                                                     

4 July 2010                                   

Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18

Well, there he goes again.  Pastor Paul doing his minister stuff.  Always the consummate pastor.  So practical and useful.  Providing the high pastoral care for the Galatians and for us here at Trinity.

After all, every congregation is full of what kind of people?  Sinners.  Sinners sin.  Sinners make mistakes.  On purpose.  Not so on purpose.  They sin among their families.  At their work.  At school.  And even in the congregation. 

What do you do with sinners?  In your family?  In your country and community?  And especially in your congregation – “the household of faith”?

Paul gives the shocking, counter cultural, and high pastoral answer.  Pastor Paul states:  “You -- you Holy Spirit-filled believers in Christ -- you take the sinner in your midst that has sinned – AND RESTORE HIM!  Gently.  With great care!” 

Did you catch that?  How remarkable!  How Christian!  How Holy Spirit-filled!  “Restore the sinner.  And do it compassionately!”   

The temptation is to do just the opposite, isn’t it?  Ignore.  Hate.  Throw out.  Have nothing to do with.  But never restore! 

So, we are given to die.  To the desires of our sinful nature.  Die to the sin of treating sinners as they deserve!        

Love takes risks.  It is bold.  It is reckless. 

Because of Jesus.  Who died for you – a sinner. 

You see a sinner.  You live with a sinner.  You worship with sinners.  And you’re “tempted” to think you’re better.  You always score yourself higher on the grading scale.  “Oh, I’m not perfect,” you say, “but I’m certainly not as bad as that sinner over there!  Or that one over there!  Or that one over there!”  

Newsflash!  You’re not any better when it comes to sin and sinning.  You, me, and everyone have that market cornered.  “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Be careful what you “sow.”  If you “sow” “I can’t stand you sinner!  Get out of my sight,” you will “harvest” a sinner who remains in his sin.  But if you “sow” the words “I know you’ve sinned but I’m here to forgive you,” you will “reap” a brother or sister.

So Jesus comes to you and me -- sinners.  And His bloody wounds are showing.  His hands.  His feet.  The holes.  His side.  The gash.  His blood that cleanses you from all sin.  Yes, it’s Jesus.  And He says:  “Yes, I know you’re a sinner.  I know your sin.  But I’m here to tell you -- I FORGIVE YOU!  I don’t hold it any of it against you.  Because I’ve answered for all of it.  I love you no matter what.”     

What will you do with the Lord’s forgiveness?  Pastor Paul knows.  “Restore those who sin – gently.”  And that’s done by forgiving the sinner who sins.  Just as you have been gently and recklessly forgiven by the Lord Jesus Himself.

“But Reverend, if we forgive those who sin, they’ll just go right back and do it again.  They’ll take advantage of us.  And we’ll look like fools!”  

Yes, that’s the chance love takes.  Forgiveness suffers itself to be rejected or manipulated.  Or, on the other hand, all heaven may just break loose.  The forgiveness you gently speak may just melt the sinner’s heart and you may just win your brother or sister. 

And that’s why love continues to be just as reckless as before for others.  The text says: “While we have the opportunity, do good to all people, and especially to those with whom you go to church – the household of the faith.”

You no longer live.  Christ lives in you.  You have been crucified with Christ.  Your life is conformed to Him who dwells in you with His Spirit.  The world’s ways are not our ways.  In the church and in our lives we operate differently with sinners.  For “the world has been crucified to you and you to the world.” 

So the shape of your life is faith in Son of God Jesus who loved you and gave Himself into death on the cross for you.  And your life is the life of self-sacrificial love for others.  Forgiving those who sin against you and doing good to anyone you meet, as well as fellow believers in Christ.  What great joy to be the Lord’s instrument of His forgiveness and love for sinners who so desperately need it. 

And with that there’s no “boasting in ourselves” but only in the “cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”    As always.  For Jesus is everything. 

In the Name of Jesus.   

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Fifth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 8                                                                                     

27 June 2010                                   

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

You get hit.  So you hit back.  Harder.  In a fit of rage if you have to!  Until the person that hit you lies in a bloody pulp.  Someone hurts you.  So you retaliate with red-hot vengeance.  Someone betrays you.  So you strike back in spades. Someone tells a lie about you.  Someone misrepresents you.  So you go on the warpath.  You sow the seeds of dissension.  Spread on the hatred like a knife with your tongue.  Create factions in the family, community or congregation.  Tit for tat.  Quid pro quo.  Looking out for number one!  Kick in the teeth of anyone who stands in your way of being number one!  Make sure that you get what you want.  After all, isn’t selfish ambition what life’s all about?  You’ve got to be strong, take care of yourself, and take charge of your life!  Right?     

And since life is all about looking out for number one then anything goes.  Anything!  Especially when it comes to sexuality.  Anything sexual is open season.  From premarital to extramarital. From porno to same sex.  Even in groups.  After all, it’s your body isn’t it?  Don’t you have a constitutional right to do whatever you want with your body with as many people as you like?  And who cares about getting wasted?  If it feels good, do it!  And while we’re at it wouldn’t it be cool to join an on-line coven, dress like a witch, cast a few spells, do a little sorcery, and play around with the occult?  After all, I want to do what I want to do.  Whenever I want.  Now matter who I hurt.  No matter how many I hurt.  Just as long as I feel good!  Just as long as I … I… I …

What’s the problem here?  It’s idolatry.  The worship of the self!  The indulgence of the self.  Self.  Self.  Self.  Me.  Myself. And I.  I’m everything.  I’m the end all.  I’m the center of the universe.  Not Jesus.  I am god.  Not Jesus.  I can take care of myself – all by myself.  Don’t need Jesus.      

That kind of life – the selfish, idolatrous life that gratifies the “desires of the sinful nature” is a prison.  A life in chains.  A life locked up in destruction.  In death.    

Is that you?  Is your life so full of yourself, your needs, your gratification, self-indulgence that you have no room for Jesus?    

Good thing James and John aren’t here.  They’d offer some apostolic advice.  Throw around some apostolic authority.  “Give these people what they deserve Jesus!  They’re like the Samaritans who wouldn’t welcome you.  They don’t want you here.  Fine.  So let’s do an Elijah!  Call down fire from heaven and wipe them out!” 

But that’s not how Jesus works.  He loves.  Not just His friends.  But even His enemies.  Samaritans.  You.  Me.  He loves the loveless.  He forgives the unforgiveable.  He dies for the ungodly.    

The opposite of our idolatrous prison in which we live only to gratify the desires of our sinful nature is freedom.  In Christ.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  He lived His life for you.  He died for you.  He answered for all your sin.  He didn’t leave any sin of yours out of His Good Friday dying.  To save you.  And you have been given the Holy Spirit in your Baptism. 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  What does this Spirit-filled life of freedom look like?  Are you free to do anything you want?  To “indulge the sinful nature?”  No.  Just the opposite. 

Your call to freedom in Christ means two things. 

First, Christ has set you free from the prison house of your sin and the entirety of its dark damnation not to serve yourself BUT to serve your neighbor – friend or foe!  “Serve one another in love.”  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   

All this includes teaching and correcting those who err.  Forgiving those who sin against you.  Not exercising your rights even when you have every right to do so.  Comforting the afflicted.  Encouraging the weak.  Helping your neighbor, both friend and foe, in whatever way you can.  Bearing with those who are rude and impolite.  Putting up with people who just annoy the-you-know-what out of you.  Turning a blind eye to ingratitude and contempt.  Being patient with your spouse, ex-spouse, children, step-children, and fellow church members.  Turning the other cheek when the venom flies. 

Second, freedom in Christ means the daily struggle and fight AGAIST the “desires of the sinful nature.”  “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”  “

And that’s a battle you can’t win on your own.  For that daily and deadly battle Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit.  In the Worded water of your baptism.  In the absolution – Christ’s very own Spirit-filled breath that gives you new life and freedom.  In the Lord’s Supper -- He gives you the elixir of the Spirit’s medicine of immortality.  Your bodies are not your own.  They belong to Jesus who died to redeem them and sanctify them through the Spirit hooked with His Word of forgiveness.  Your bodies are temples of the Spirit.  He dwells in you through faith in Jesus.    

And from that faith in Jesus comes fruit of the Spirit.  Led by the Spirit there is: “Love.  Joy.  Peace.  Patience.  Kindness.  Goodness.  Faithfulness.  Gentleness.  Self-control.” 

A Holy Spirit filled life is the life of dying to sin.  The end of all self-centered pride.  The end to all self-assertion and envy.  The end of idolatry – the demolition of your worship of yourself as god.

The Holy Spirit filled life is the life of faith in Jesus.  You are forgiven.  Free.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  Free then to “love your neighbor as yourself.”    

Learn such love today once again.  Learn such freedom today once again by God’s grace.  Learn to “live by the Spirit.”

After all, everything is forgiven in Jesus.  He loves you.  He lives the very love He teaches.  His Body and His Blood given into death for you at the Cross He gives today in the Sacrament.  And His promise is this:  “I don’t count your sin against you.”  And the fruit of the Spirit follows naturally.  After all, a good tree bears good fruit.

How much?  Well, with leave that up to the Lord and to His Spirit who live in us through His Word of forgiveness.  We won’t keep score.  He’ll see to the fruit.  And we’ll bear it abundantly as He sees fit to use us as His instruments of love for those in our lives who need it.   

In the Name of Jesus.             

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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 7                                                                                     

20 June 2010                                   

Ephesians 6:1-4

Why does the Fourth Commandment begin with the word “honor?” Why honor Mom?  Why honor Dad? 

Because God uses Mom and Dad to give you life.  God created you.  And He used Mom and Dad to bring you into the world. 

In addition, God takes care of you through Mom and Dad.  The cheeseburgers, scrambled eggs, Ipods, cell phones, school cars, Levis, Nikes, and money for camps and college don’t just fall from the sky.  God provides for you through Mom and Dad.  Parents are the Lord’s instruments.  His hands.  His mouth.  For their children.  The Lord hides behind Mom and Dad.  They are His masks.

So children are to ”honor” and “obey” their parents in the Lord.  That is to say “honor” and “obey” them as you would honor and obey the Lord Himself who died for you. 

Died for you are.  All of you.  And Christ’s love and forgiveness EW to reign in your families.  And so kids, “obey” your parents just as you obey the Lord Jesus.  If you don’t, you’re not disobeying just Mom and Dad, you’re disobeying the Lord too who works through them for your benefit.  This is “right.”  I.E. it is God pleasing. 

Disobedience destroys.  Some of you have experienced the disastrous consequences of rebellion in the family by a son or daughter.  Perhaps you were the son or the daughter whose naughtiness harmed the family.  Disobedience to parental authority is selfish.  It is idolatry.  Imagine if Jesus would have disobeyed His Father?  You wouldn’t have a Savior.  And God would be your enemy. 

Instead, Jesus, the Son of God, willingly does the job His Father gave Him.  He offers His perfect life and His holy Body into death – death on the cross – for you and for your salvation.  He trusts His Father.  Even when it doesn’t look good.  When it looks very bad. 

Remember the immense suffering at Gethsemane?  Remember His lament on the cross?  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”  Even then – yes even in the total abandonment of damnation for our sin – for the world’s sin -- that He bears -- His Father is still His God.  “My God, my God,” Jesus prays.  No wonder He even prays for His enemies in this most amazing way:  “Father, forgive them.  They don’t know what they’re doing.”  And then this remarkable prayer of total faith in the midst of horrific death that His Father will raise Him from the grave:  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”    

Now that’s a Savior.  And unlike the Gerasenes we want Jesus to stick around.  To lord His reign of forgiveness over all of us.  Especially over our families.  Especially in our relationship with our fathers.  We are given to “honor” our father. 

As we honor our father as we honor the Lord, generally speaking, things will go well.  That’s the promise attached to the commandment.  “That it may go well with you,” the text says.  When the died for, believing, and baptized children of God “honor” and “obey” their parents according to the Fourth Commandment, the Lord adds a promise.  “You enjoy good days, happiness, and prosperity.”  Enjoying a “long life” means not only to grow old but also to have everything that pertains to long life – health, wife, children, a God pleasing job, peace, good government, etc.  With these gifts the Lord makes life bearable and enjoyable.  What an incentive then to “honor” and “obey” our father.

Then the text goes on to speak to fathers specifically.  Are you listening fathers? St. Paul writes: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children.”  The older translation is:  “do not provoke your children to wrath.” 

Dad, you are to expect honor and obedience.  But you are not to use your position of father to bully or bash your children.  To endlessly punish or berate.

Dad, Jesus who died for you and your family, has good use for you.  You are to live for your children.  For their needs.  Not for yours.  Dad, you are to die to your selfish desires.  Your incessant navel gazing.  You are to look outside yourself.  To your children.  To take care of them.

And part of that care is this:  “Bring your children up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  Spiritual care.  It’s the eternal life or death issue here.  I fear that too many children will come up to their fathers on Judgment Day and say:  “Why didn’t you tell me about Jesus?  Why did you never take me to church?  Why did you insist on everything else in the world, but never Jesus?”    

Dad, bring your children to church.  Not just when it’s convenient or fits into your schedule just a few times a year.  “Bring your children up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”    

After all, we are not Gerasenes who beg Jesus to leave them.  To have nothing to do with them.  We are not Universalists.  Everyone does not automatically go to heaven when they die whether they believe in Jesus or not. 

Jesus, His death, His resurrection, His Name, His Body and Blood with the promise of forgiveness are everything.  For where Jesus is applying His Good Friday forgiveness there is life and salvation for you.  So we beg Him to stay with us.  And we diligently follow Him.  And Him alone.    

Fathers, teach your kids to pray the Lord’s Prayer.  To pray in such a way is the way of faith, dependence, trust.  Teach them to confess the Apostles’ Creed.  Then they will know who the true God is.  That He is Triune:  three persons yet one God.  Who created us to redeem and sanctify us.  Make sure they are baptized and instructed according to the Lord’s mandate in Matthew 28.  Extol the Lord’s Supper and what Jesus gives sinners there by receiving it yourself.  By making every effort to commune and rely on Jesus’ most holy salvific Body and Blood. 

Fathers, spiritual discipline is very important.  You are to discipline your children.  Absolutely.  And that’s the discipline of repentance and faith.  To confess sin daily and to believe or trust in Jesus who alone is the Savior.  That’s a disciple.  A disciple is a beggar.  A disciple relies on Jesus for everything.    

Fathers, let your children see such discipline in your life as well.  And that’s saying and showing that you are nothing.  But Jesus is everything to you.  That you trust in Him.  And that He is your Savior.

Happy Father’s Day.

In the Name of Jesus.              

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Third Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 6                                                                                     

13 June 2010                                   

Luke 7:36-8:3

Do you know what one of the huge complaints about Jesus was and still is to this day?  Well do you?  It’s this:  that Jesus is a friend of sinners.  That’s right:  the friend of sinners!  Always hanging around sinners.  And not just little ones!  But big-time sinners!  Associating with them.  Welcoming them.  And then the biggest scandal of all:  He forgives them!  Freely!  Completely!  No strings attached!    

And that really hacked off many people.  Scandalized them.  Outraged them.  Many people won’t come to church because the church is full of … SINNERS!   Full time, 24-7-365 on purpose sinners!  And if Jesus trucks with folks like that, well . . . many don’t want to have anything to do with that kind of a Jesus.     

Is Jesus the friend of sinners a problem for you?  Are you ashamed of Jesus friend of sinners?  Do you believe that Jesus shouldn’t associate Himself with sinners?

That’s Simon the Pharisee.  He’s Mister Pure.  Mister I’m Not So Bad.  Mister I Do The Best I Can.  Mister I’m Not Perfect But I’m Certainly Not Like That Sinful Woman Who Appears To Be Putting The Moves On Jesus At My Dinner Party!

“Good grief Jesus!  If you’re truly a prophet you would certainly know who is touching you AND then you would shrink from her physical advances!  Do I have to spell it out to you Jesus?  Holy cow Jesus!  The lavish perfume!  The messing around with your feet with her kisses, tears and hair! This woman’s a prostitute Jesus!  Don’t you get it?  Sinners don’t belong here!  If you don’t kick her out I’ll have my bouncers throw her out on the street where she belongs!  And once she’s removed, then we can get on with my party.  And then you can make a toast telling everyone how impressed you are with my purity, my good life, my holiness.  After all, I don’t think I need to remind you who your friends should be!” 

Poor Simon the Pharisee.  Ashamed of Jesus Friend of Sinners.  Mr. I’m Not A Sinner.  So he doesn’t want or need Savior Jesus.  Didn’t want to hear:  “Simon, your sins are forgiven.”  Forgiven little.  Little love for Jesus.  Or none at all.  How sad.  How tragic.     

But not the woman.  Oh yes, she’s a sinner all right.  A gargantuan sinner.  The vial of perfume hanging around her neck gave her “sinner” status away.  The vial scented her breath and her bosom.  So that she could more easily seduce men both young and old into paying her for her services.    

But now her lavish devotion is on Friend of Sinners Jesus.  She’s not putting the moves on Him.  She loves Jesus – but not in that way.  She loves Him because He first loved her as her Savior.  Yes, the Savior – of sinners.  Even a sinner like her.  She is very precious to Him.  He forgives her.  Of everything.  “Your sins are forgiven,” He says.  And His words do and give what they say.

Her past – all her wicked, sinful, naughty past – forgiven.  Every bit of it.  Now she can live in the present.  Start over.  In the freedom of Christ’s promise that she is forgiven.  And her future – well – that’s taken care of too with Christ’s absolution.  Past, present, future – her entire life -- all handled in Jesus’ words:  “Your sins are forgiven.  Your faith in me has saved you.  Go in peace.”      

She loves Jesus so much because she’s been forgiven so much – everything.  The perfume, the kisses, the tears, the hair – all flow from the fact that she believes Jesus is the friend of sinners.  And that He’s the Savior.  The only one.  For her.  And for you.  Are you a sinner?  Well, are you?  Of course you are.  So Jesus is your friend.  He insists on taking your sin into His Body on the cross.  He’s loves to hang around you.  Welcome you.  And absolve you.  He says to you:  “Your sin is mine.  You can’t have it any more.  Your sins – all of them – no matter what you’ve done or not done -- are forgiven.  Your faith in me who died for you has saved you.”    

Any complaints about Friend of Sinners Jesus now?  I didn’t think so.  What a Savior!  Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness. 

In the Name of Jesus.  Amen. 

Saturday of Pentecost 2                                                                                     

12 June 2010                                   

Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5; Matthew 19

Male.  Female.  Husband.  Wife.  Holy Marriage.  Goes all the way back to the beginning.  “Haven’t you read,” Jesus said, “that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh?’  So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 

Yes, marriage is holy because the Lord instituted it.  He gives it to you Allison and Tom as His gift to you.  A gift to care for.  In the one union flesh of your marriage. 

Tom, it’s not good for you to be alone.  God’s good will is to give you Allison -- to be your wife.  “Bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh.”   Husband and wife.  Two.  Yet one flesh.  And it is a closed communion.  Just you and Allison.  For life.  That’s is God pleasing.  It goes all the way back to the beginning. 

Tom, you are given to love Allison as Christ has loved the church.  How did Christ love the church His bride?  He died for her.  Gave His life into death for her.  Total self-sacrifice.  Christ didn’t and doesn’t live for Himself.  He lives for the good of His bride the church.  And so that it the pattern of your life as husband to Allison.  YOU LIVE FOR HER.  For her good.  For her benefit. 

That’s what it means to be the head of the family.  It doesn’t mean being the bully or the boss.  It means being the servant.  Putting her needs above yours.  “Husbands, love your wives as your own body.”  Ironically, Tom, when you love Allison, that’s when you love yourself.  “He who loves his wife loves himself.”  Your attention is to be on her.  Not you.   

Allison, when you gave your “yes” to Tom’s proposal for marriage, you willingly decided to order your life differently, didn’t you?  For better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death parts you.  And how will you now order your life from this day forward?  THAT YOU WILL BE WIFE for Tom.  Yes, that’s right.  To submit to your husband is to be wife for him.  Your life is ordered as wife only to Tom.

All this isn’t easy.  Living in holy marriage is the hardest work in the world.  And many people just call it quits when times get tough.  Al and Tipper Gore.  Dog Whisperer Star Cesar Milan and his wife too.  Sandra Bullock and Jesse James.  John and Kate.  Just call it quits. 

Talk to the old timers who’ve been married for forty plus years or more.  Ask them how they did it.  And they’ll say:  “We just stuck it out.  Even when we didn’t like each other for a time.  Even when we didn’t love each other at various times.” 

They stuck it out.  Because holy marriage didn’t belong to them.  It was a gift from the Lord.  And they were to take care of it. 

And the biggest way to take care of your marriage is to confess your sin to each other when you sin.  And you will sin.  You will hurt each other.  Say and do things you’ll regret.  Don’t throw in the towel.  Confess your sin.  And then forgive each other.  Say it!  Say, “I forgive you.  Jesus died for you.  His Blood covers your sin my beloved!” 

How does it go when there’s no forgiveness going on?  There’s grudge matches.  Sleeping on the couch.  The silent treatment.  Pay backs.  And that kind of life is a prison not a marriage. 

But with the forgiveness of sins spoken to each other there is a house.  A home. 

And then the relationship can go on.  In the freedom of Christ’s forgiveness.  For where there is forgiveness of sin there is life and salvation.  Life -- to live in the joy as husband and wife.  And salvation – won by the Lord Jesus on the Cross for you.      

Tom and Allison, we wish you God’s richest blessings today.  We wish you a long and happy married life. 

In the Name of Jesus.