Living in God's two realms and dealing with sin

Good morning!

The events that unfolded last week at Penn State University have shed light on a pattern of behavior and abuse that is heart-wrenching to think about. So many young people abused and harmed - physically, emotionally, and probably spiritually. As Christians who might at any point be placed in the same position as Joe Paterno and others at Penn State, how does God instruct us to respond if we are made aware of such abuse? Dr. Dale Meyer offers this response and gives us a picture of how God's two realms (church and state) relate to each other.

What happened at Penn State is despicable on many counts.  Think about the case in terms of church and state.  Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:35), meaning His church is not so much here-and-now as it is eternal, not so much physical as it is spiritual.  That leaves a need for some kind of government for the here-and-now earthly good of everyone.  That’s why God instituted earthly governments.  “The one in authority is God’s servant for your good,” says Romans 13:1, and we add for the good of children, obviously.   

When Jesus says we should turn the other cheek, when He says we should forgive, He’s talking about how you deal personally with injustice done to you (Matthew 5:39; 6:12). He’s not saying turn the other way when you see sexual abuse or, if you’re in a position of authority, Jesus isn’t saying forgive and let it go.  Remember, God instituted the state for the protection of all.  Rulers “are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The instant you see sexual abuse, the instant you receive a report, you’re in the realm of the state.  “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

Responding to difficulty

Hello again!


I offer you another reflection from Dr. Dale Meyer in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene...


Hurricane Irene has left.  I keep thinking about the old song.  “Irene, goodnight.  Irene, goodnight.  Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.”

Millions are seeing Irene in their dreams, Irene the nightmare.    My extensive scholarly research… not really, I just went to Wikipedia, reveals the song has been recorded about 30 times.  The first was in 1934 by some performer named “Lead Belly;” the last in 2009 by “Deer Tick.”  “Deer Tick?”  What strikes me is that disaster, troubles and suffering come again and again and again, just like all the performances of “Good Night, Irene.”

How we receive suffering reveals much about our faith.  It’s like looking in a mirror.  “This is unfair; this shouldn’t happen to me,” says we have some righteousness, some merit before God.  Taking it, granted no one wants to suffer, but taking it as someone who has no inherent righteousness before God reveals someone totally passive, ready for God’s grace to His fallen, weak creatures.  Does suffering make you assert your righteousness before God…or your dependence?

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”


In the midst of pain or difficulty in our lives which often doesn't have a good explanation, do we come to God asserting our rights ("I don't deserve this!") or asking for His mercy? There are no such things as entitlements with God, only the promise that He will never go back on His Word. Cling to His promises!

Refined

Hello again!

This morning, I found this devotion in my email inbox from Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker and current president of Concordia Seminary. Perhaps it is one that you can relate to on a personal level. The Scriptures give us perspective to understand (at least in part) that God desires to use trials in our lives for our good, to refine us.

My friend Bill shared an e-mail about a woman who visited the shop of a silversmith.  The silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire, explaining that the silver had to be held in the very middle of the fire to burn away any impurities.  The woman, a Bible student, had thought of Malachi 3:3 God "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if he had to be there the whole time and he answered, yes.  He had to hold and keep his eye on the silver.  Otherwise the silver might be in the fire too long and be destroyed.

"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" she asked.  "Oh, that's easy," he answered, "when I see my image in it."

That anonymous e-mail helps us understand tough days.  "The Lord watches over you" (Psalm 121:5).  And the refining of Christians will achieve its goal.  "He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).  On that day, fully refined, you'll see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

How else can we understand this strange statement of James, "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds?" (James 1:2).

God grant us patience and grace to undergo trials with faith and to welcome His refining work in our lives.

Are you really looking forward to heaven?

Romans 8 has come up in the LCMS lectionary recently, a portion of Scripture that I find to be very exciting. This week, as I prepare to preach on Romans 8:18-27, I've been thinking about the promise of resurrection and new creation - the glorious inheritance of the children of God. At the same time, I've been reading the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I haven't gone too far into the book yet, but I can appreciate the argument he makes for why he wrote it in the first place.

Alcorn recounts that many Christians he has encountered simply do not have an accurate understanding of what heaven is like, especially after Christ's return on the Last Day. Many have been influenced by popular portrayals of heaven consisting of clouds and halos and harps and not much else. Others have heard heaven described as an eternal church service (which is hardly attractive to many who have a heard time sitting through 60-65 minutes on any given week). Still others have been told that we can't imagine what is in store, which is a well-meaning statement meant to communicate that heaven will be awesome, but which can often stop people from at least trying to imagine what God has in store. As a result, Alcorn argues that most people don't have a vision of heaven that inspires them to eagerly desire the day of its coming - in fact, for many, the prospect of spending an eternity in any given location (even a really nice one) seems tedious. "Won't we get bored after a while?" some ask.

I have to confess that I personally didn't know what to think about heaven growing up, either. Time spent in God's presence with friends and family sounded great, but I also had the "boredom" question. Of course, thoughts of spending eternity in hell, suffering and separated from God, scared the bejeezers (a technical theological term, of course) out of me, and I much preferred heaven, however it might turn out.

Alcorn sets out in his book to recapture a true biblical understanding of what heaven is. At the heart of his argument is God's affirmation of His creation, both in proclaiming it "good" in Genesis 1 and in declaring it "good" again by sending His Son to become a human being and redeem it. When Jesus comes again, he isn't coming to take us away from the earth. He is coming to finally free the earth from the Curse and restore it to be the ultimate home that He can share with His redeemed and resurrected brothers and sisters. Alcorn argues that the Scriptures give us a picture of heaven that we can legitimately long for and anticipate with great joy and excitement.

Is there a particular aspect of God's promised new creation that you find exciting? Please share in the comments.

A Creation Groaning to Be Made New

Hello everyone!

Forgive my short absence, but a lot has happened since I last posted. On Friday, June 24, my wife and I welcomed our firstborn into the world - a daughter, Eliana Lois. She is a cutey who has stolen her daddy's heart and who has changed her parents' lives forever.

To be in that delivery room as my wife valiantly strained toward the birth of our little one was a humbling experience. Emotions are heightened. In one moment, there is pain, frustration, and exhaustion. I even caught myself thinking at one point, "What if birth doesn't happen? What if we can't make it to the finish?" Blessedly, that fleeting thought was not a premonition of things to come. Hard work, pushing, and pain intensified, and then in a moment it was done and seemingly forgotten as our little girl emerged into the arms of her mother.

Even though we have no evidence that Paul was ever married or a father, it seems that he is intimately knowledgeable about the process of childbirth as he writes Romans 8:22-23: "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." With every tornado, hurricane, wildfire, flood, drought, and earthquake, we experience a creation groaning toward a hoped-for finish. We experience in our own bodies the same phenomenon as we are given a front-row seat to our own frailty and mortality. We might be tempted to ask ourselves the question, "What if new birth never happens? What if we can't make it to the finish?" But just as such a fear didn't translate into reality in the delivery room, so God promises that it won't be reality for us either. Creation, groaning, will at last reach its fulfillment. We, presently falling apart, will reach our fulfillment. And in an instant, pain and frustration will give way to unspeakable joy and new creation. Consider the turn around from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday...

As every mother knows, pregnancy and labor doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it at the time. Thanks be to God!

Therefore

Here at St. Peter this weekend, we had the opportunity to bid farewell and Godspeed to a faithful pastor of this congregation for over 18 years, Pastor Rob Kasper. In his final sermon to us, Pastor Kasper urged us to understand our identity as the people of God and to live in the proper "therefore."

"Therefore" is a significant word in the Scriptures, setting us up to understand a present reality made possible by a truth that is already established and accomplished. Because we are simultaneously saints and sinners, we live in a couple "therefores" at the same time:

We live in the "therefore" of death. That is the message of God's just law. Sinners do not go unpunished. Perhaps in this life there is a measure that people get away with, but that will not be the reality forever. Paul says clearly in Romans 6, "The wages of sin is death." We are sinners - therefore, we have a justly given death sentence for our rebellion against the Creator of all life. But the grave is not the only place where this condition of ours makes itself known. Sin doesn't always kill us all at once - sometimes it takes its time, because in taking its time, it has a better chance to infect and destroy the relationships we have with those around us.

However, we live in a better, more glorious "therefore" because we are God's saints, His chosen holy ones because of Jesus: we live in the "therefore" of life. This was the "therefore" that Pastor Kasper had us dwell in and consider this weekend. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This "therefore" is an admonition to confident trust in the Lord and to diligent service in His name, but it is true for us only because we have a Lord who has proven Himself forever faithful and trustworthy by means of His resurrection from the dead (the context of 1 Corinthians 15).

As you read and consider the "therefores" of Scripture, remember the promises of God for you made sure in Christ - He is the Truth who ushers you into a better "therefore."

What flows forth?

During my recent time in Proverbs 15, I was struck by the language Solomon uses for describing the conversations of the wicked and foolish. "The mouth of the fool gushes folly" (v. 2). "The mouth of the fool feeds on folly" (v. 14)."The mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (v. 28). In contrast, the righteous are described as being measured and temperate in their use of words.

Are you ever tempted to "gush" forth your opinion before thinking through what you are going to say? Do you ever "feed on" the folly of other people's opinions without thinking critically and asking the question, "How does that argument hold up against God's revelation in the Word?"

I am thankful that God has blessed me, generally, with the sense to measure my words before I speak. Frankly, I am convinced that no one would benefit from my "gushing forth" my stream of consciousness. With so many avenues for communication today, many feel they have license to share every inmost thought they have with the world. Some thoughts are worthy - many are not. Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Though God is sanctifying me by His Spirit, the old man still manages to stir up the crud in my rebellious heart. With that stirring comes the temptation to speak unworthy words - hurtful, cynical words. "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers..." (15:28).

Good communication is a gift from God. May He bless us with a godly "filter," so that our communication will be a blessing to our neighbor.

Proverbs and Natural Law

Happy Monday again!

I continue my journey through Proverbs this week. As I have breached into the Proverbs "proper," starting with chapter 10, I have become familiar again with Solomon's pattern, at least a great deal of the time. "The righteous (conduct themselves in this way), but the evil (conduct themselves in a way that leads to their own destruction)." Obviously, I am generalizing. But with this pattern comes a question: Are these divine promises, or are they more like general principles that hold mostly true?

I would tend to lean toward the latter definition rather than the former. We can all likely cite examples where a child of God experiences disaster and an evil person seems to be prospering. In the resurrection, this will no longer be. But even now, even though there are exceptions from time to time, we can see the truthfulness of Solomon's words. I believe this is the case because we live in God's creation, and even though it is broken by the curse of sin, it still testifies to God's natural (built-in) law. Dr. Joel Biermann at Concordia Seminary provides a very helpful discussion of natural law in Session 2 of the Lutheran Hour Ministries video study "Who Am I? What Am I Doing Here?" As Dr. Biermann points out in the video, God doesn't have to cast lightning bolts from the heavens to smite evil-doers - they're often already built into the creation itself. Follow the design of the Creator as He intended, and life tends to work out better. Go against His design, and you will experience the pain that naturally comes with living out of sync with His will for creation. Consider, as an example, human sexuality. Within the marriage relationship, its exercise is a powerful force to draw husband and wife together as each seeks to selflessly love the other. Outside of those boundaries, it produces all kinds of consequences - shallow relationships, loss of personal dignity, stress, broken homes, disease, and even death.

The Proverbs aren't divine mandates in the same way as the 10 Commandments. And they aren't a roadmap to salvation in that they don't explicitly proclaim Christ's work for us. But they are invaluable as they remind the people of God (and all people) that we are God's creatures living in His creation, where His will ought to be done. As recipients of Christ's saving work and His life-giving Spirit, we are empowered to live as the creatures God always intended us to be - fearing, loving, and trusting Him above all things.

Wisdom vs. Folly

Happy return from the long weekend.

As I noted last week, I am beginning a journey through Proverbs. Very prominent to the first part of Proverbs is the wise teacher's instruction to his son about spending time with the right woman. On the surface, the words function as a very straightforward admonition to be faithful to one's spouse and to flee from the temptation of adultery. This advice alone would be incredibly worthwhile, especially for our own day and age. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. The temptation is alluring, but it leads to death, as the picture above has attempted to capture.

The teacher, I believe, is going a step deeper, though. These two women - the faithful wife and the adulterous temptress - become pictures for the greater realities of wisdom and folly. Wisdom (which begins with the fear of the Lord, as we discussed last week) is faithful. The world might paint it as being "boring" or "unadventurous," but it will lead you exactly where God wants you to be. Wisdom remains true, and the one who walks in wisdom doesn't have to worry about when the rug will be pulled out from underneath them. Wisdom actually delivers what it promises, in contrast to folly, which specializes in big promises and little returns.

As a redeemed child of God washed in the waters of baptism, we are called to embrace and hold fast to wisdom. In fact, the Church historically has seen Wisdom personified in Proverbs as a picture of Christ. As a child of God making your next decision today, take some time to ask, "What is the wise thing for me to do in this circumstance?" Don't take a stroll past Dame Folly's house - stick close to Wisdom, and she will be a faithful companion always.

Where do we begin?

Happy Monday to you!

After taking on Ecclesiastes over the last couple weeks, I decided to go backwards in my Bible to consult more wisdom from King Solomon in Proverbs. I am convinced that, of all the gifts I could receive from God at this stage in my life as a husband, son, soon-to-be father, friend, pastor, and child of God, wisdom is one gift of which I could use a whole lot more.

If you, like me, feel like you are a beginner on the journey of growth in godly wisdom, the well-known but seldom-reflected words of Proverbs 1:7 strike you: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Where do wisdom and knowledge begin? With the fear of the Lord. In other words, if I at least fear God, I have a fighting shot at growing in wisdom. If I lack fear of God, no amount of information gathering and observation will ultimately help me.

Sometimes Proverbs is painted as a book of helpful, worldly wisdom that is short on spiritual value. While it does indeed impart wisdom for living in the world, it is a book written by the people of God for the people of God. We can call Proverbs "worldly wisdom" precisely because it is God's world that we are talking about. Those who rightly fear the Lord understand that He is the Creator of all things, and that creation testifies to the justice of His ways. When the Lord's ways are transgressed, consequences follow. One doesn't need to look far to see this reality at work around us.

God's will is that we would be wise. He sent Jesus, wisdom in the flesh, to live the life of obedience that we foolish rebels could not live. He won forgiveness through the "foolishness of the cross" and brings us to faith by "the foolishness of what is preached" (the death of Christ as the power of God). He imparts His Spirit, who works through the Word spoken and delivered in the Sacraments to remind us of God's promises and make us more and more like Jesus. His redeemed people are meant to grow in grace and wisdom.

Want to be wise? Fear (have holy respect for and trust in) the Creator, in whose world you live. It's the best and only place to start.

How do I conduct myself in a life that is "meaningless"?

Hello again!

Last week, I began my journey through the book of Ecclesiastes. This morning, I concluded that journey. If you're looking for an upbeat, positive look at this life, you won't find it from the "Teacher." Solomon has taken a look at life lived under the sun from just about every angle, and his conclusions are anything but triumphalistic.

• Living wisely has value, but even the wise fall victim to unexpected and unexplainable disaster.
• Building a future for our children can be an exercise in futility if our children lack a good head on their shoulders.
• By seemingly dumb luck, foolish people find themselves in positions of power and influence.
• Wise or fool, the same fate - death - overtakes us all.

On more than one occasion, the Teacher answers for himself and us the question that naturally follows: "If everything is meaningless in the end, how do I live my life - how do I keep from despair?"

His answer? "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him - for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart" (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).

In other words, don't worry about the stuff outside of your control. Leave it to God. I've found in this age of increasing and constant news via cable and the internet that we, perhaps now more than ever, have the ability to know about (and as a result, worry about) more of the world's events than previous generations ever could. Will increasing knowledge of the chaotic and broken world around us bring us to despair, or will we respond faithfully by doing what God has given us to do in our vocations and commending the rest to His care, releasing it to Him in prayer?

We might be tempted to become cynical of the Christian life in this world. "I live as a child of God, and it gets me nowhere." But God watches our conduct, and His justice will prevail in the end. "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). If you plan on living carelessly, take heed. But for the child of God, baptized into Christ, given His righteousness, and living as a temple of the Holy Spirit, we have the promise that the good God does in and through us will not be meaningless in the end. The promise of resurrection life - guaranteed by Jesus' death and resurrection - gives the stuff of this life eternal value. You are forgiven and free! Don't despair - be faithful.

Resurrection - An answer to "meaningless"?

Hi friends,

I apologize that it has been so long since I last posted. Life has been busy - but it has been busy for you too, so no excuses. Anyway, back on the horse.

This week, I've decided to take on the book of Ecclesiastes during my devotional time. As you read Ecclesiastes, you are immediately confronted with an exasperated sigh. "Meaningless!" Some translations have "Vanity!" The Hebrew behind this word indicates something that has no substance to it - a vapor, for example. As soon as it comes, it goes. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes laments that everything under the sun is meaningless - it has absolutely no staying power. Creation does what it does, and we have little power over it, as recent natural disasters have shown us. Though wisdom seems a better path than folly, both the wise and the fool end up experiencing the same fate - death. And for the wise person who has saved and stored up good things, there is no guarantee that an heir won't be foolish and squander in months what has been toiled for over the course of a lifetime. The stuff of this life, concludes the Teacher, is like a vapor - and who chases after a vapor?

While many conclude that the Teacher's point in Ecclesiastes is that God gives our life under the sun meaning (a valid point), I believe the Teacher is looking for something even more concrete. I believe that the writer of Ecclesiastes is a God-fearing person, and yet even for the child of God the stuff of this life, the toil we are given to do, can appear to be nothing more than an exercise in chasing after wind. What if God offered us something more substantial - something heavier?

Interestingly, the Hebrew word which we translate as "glory" also means "heavy." It is the opposite of vanity and meaninglessness. It lasts. Jesus has experienced it, and he offers it to us. "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things (His passion) and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26). I believe that Easter and Resurrection provide the answer to meaninglessness. Under the curse of sin, we and the creation are subject to a toilsome and frustrating existence, ending in death. But Jesus' resurrection gives us a picture of something greater, something more substantial. For the child of God, baptized into Christ, death no longer can short-circuit our labor in Him under the sun. We proclaim a creation that will be redeemed and bodies that will be raised to eternal life because our Savior came to die and rise again. His glory will be revealed in us, as Romans 8:18 says.

Does life feel meaningless? Look to the promises of Easter.

The Alien Work of God

Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I were resting and flipping through the channels. We finally decided to stop and catch the tail end of the movie Men in Black which was wrapping up on TBS. If you haven't seen the MIB movies, the premise is that aliens exist, creatures from other planets and galaxies, and that there is a bureau of FBI-like agents (the "men in black") who work to protect earth by cooperating with the friendly aliens and bringing the more malicious ones to justice.

In Isaiah 28, God does some "alien" work as well - however, it has nothing to do with creatures "out there." He performs his "alien work" on His own people. This gets to the nature of who God is. God loves to show mercy and compassion to His people. He loves to save and to set free. But being the loving Father that He is, He also is willing to discipline His children and work to rid their lives of the evil that corrupts from within. In Lutheran circles, we talk about God working through both Gospel and Law. The Lutheran Study Bible quotes the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (Article XII, 52-53) as it describes God's working in the lives of His people:

[Isaiah] calls it the 'strange' work of the Lord when He terrifies, because to make alive and comfort is God's own proper work. But He terrifies, Isaiah says, for this reason - that there may be a place for comfort and making alive. For hearts that are secure and do not feel God's wrath hate consolation. In this manner Scripture is accustomed to join these two, the terrors and the consolation... Into these two works all Scripture has been distributed. The one part is the Law, which shows, reproves, and condemns sins. The other part is the Gospel, that is, the promise of grace bestowed in Christ.

We give thanks to God for His proper work, His gift of the Gospel message in our lives. But we also praise God for growing and refining us through His alien work of the Law, judging and condemning our sin through the cross of Christ so that it cannot live to destroy us. God threshes for a while (Isaiah 28:23-29), but not forever. There is a time to bring together and make whole again.

Is Resurrection found in the Old Testament?

Happy New Year, everyone!

"Is resurrection found in the Old Testament?" This was an insightful question asked by someone in this past week's Wednesday evening Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew. We were in Chapter 22, where Jesus is confronted by the Sadducees with the story problem of the woman who marries seven brothers this side of heaven. We talked about the fact (which Matthew points out in the text) that the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, though the Pharisees did. This got our class to thinking about resurrection as it is taught in the Old Testament. The drafters of the Nicene Creed certainly believed that the Old Testament taught that the Messiah would rise from the dead: "And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures..." Jesus himself revealed to a pair of disciples on the road to Emmaus that the Scriptures had foretold his death and resurrection: "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

This question was fresh in my mind as I was reading through Isaiah 25 and 26 the other day. Isaiah is looking forward to the day of God's salvation. That day is often pictured in the Old Testament as all people streaming to the "mountain of the Lord," the place where God is present. Isaiah 25:7-8 reads, "On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever..."

I found this image to be very vivid - death as a covering or shroud that enfolds all people. We can't get away from it... we can't get out from underneath it. It swallows us all up.

But one has come through death. He has destroyed the shroud of death by leaving his own shroud behind in the grave. The grave which swallows us all has itself been swallowed up in victory; "its sting is lost forever," as Martin Luther says in his Easter hymn. And because this One has already defeated death, we can be confident that the day will come when we too will toss aside the shroud and come forth from the earth, alive forever in Him. Easter transforms everything!

In the comments, let me know what your favorite Old Testament resurrection promise is...