Bloghardt's Reflector

From the ice on Mars, to yesterday's election, to illnesses, to your families, to the problems you have at work, to the people who insult and look down on us because of the faith that you have in Christ Jesus, to the number of hairs on the top of your head, or lack of them too, all of it, every day, every hour, every minute, every second, every instant of your life, and the moment of your death, all of it is gift from Him because of Christ's death for you.

How do you know? Well, says Jesus, it's really simple. Don't two sparrows sell for a penny? Yet, not a single sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. So, don't fear, you are worth lots of sparrows.

Now that's faith. It's may sound funny – you are worth many sparrows, but it's undeniably faith. It's Jesus' faith – His this-is-the-way-the-Father-truly-is proclamation to you. This is how Dad is for you – He loves you because of me. Loves you even more than He loves the birds.

What Faith in the world dare say that the God in Heaven thinks that “You are worth more to him than some dead birds.”

Yours does. And Jesus says this for your comfort. The gentle reminder that your life and death are in His hands.

Each moment, gift from Him. Each second, especially your last one, is all given to you from a Father who has the birds and you in His mind at all time.

That's a full time job – that's why He never sleeps. He's always working, always tweaking the universe, so that when the rubber hits the road, you'll be His.

Consider that. For this world is pretty dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest place. Take, before you get taken. Our world is disposable and ever changing. Most things last about as long as they are on your computer or tv screen.

And it's cold... so cold in the world. The accidents that happen without explanation. The evil that just befalls us. Families torn apart. Our loved ones getting sick. It's so random and chaotic, and heartless, there just seems to be no rhyme or reason to thing.

And our plans? They are like kid's dreams. My son George wants to be a pastor who plays major league baseball. Thomas wants to be a pastor for a year and then a teacher. Only a year... that's Thomas. George wants to do both all the time.

But, we don't really know anything about our life, about our children, about our spouses, how their life will go, how it will not go, what turns will they make, what mistakes, and when that they will breathe their last. Or we ours...

And it makes you just want to give up.. throw your hands up. Either submit to the God whom you can't get to do what you want or not believe in Him at all. Either way, it seems we are done in. For neither of those two options are faith at all...

Which leave us wondering, “Does God really care? Does He really fix it all?”

But into such a world, where there is such uncertainty and death, comes God Himself. Jesus takes on your flesh, takes on your suffering, takes on your unbelief, takes on your death.

Does God care? Yes, look at Jesus crucified for you. His death is your death – to sin, to unbelief, to fear.

His death is delivered to you in Baptism. His life, risen from the dead on the third day, is our life, our faith, our hope, that perfect love which casts out all our fear.

So... how do we live in this world? Where there is all this chaos and fear.

My daughter Sophia has taught me this. If she has taught me anything, it is that each moment is gift from God. Each second with our family, is a gift. Don't know how long you will have it. So, enjoy it.

Live in the faith. Live with the confidence that two sparrows sell for a penny, but not one of them falls to the earth apart from the father.

Not a bird drops. Not a sparrow dies. He sees. He does. He gifts. Each one, this gift, that gift.

When they soar in the sky. When they fall in the ground. Nothing happens apart from Him. That goes for you too!

Which means that we aren't just here. This isn't a chaotic world. There is a God in Heaven, one who loves for us so much that he would give up His Son.

So, in your living, you'll find some funny things. You'll have things work out and things not. Sometimes, you'll fail. Sometimes you won't. God's behind them all. Gifting you. Working it all out for your good.

And in that moment, when things are starting to fade, when you have finally run out of beats in your ticker, and you are about to fall to the earth like a sparrow.

This will be most true: You are worth more to the Father than many sparrows, many dead birds. Because of the Cross, delivered to you in the water of your Baptism.

That's Jesus' faith! That's Jesus' Gospel! You are worth many dead birds. In the name of Jesus. Amen.