Sinner and Saint

He Dwells with Us

Christmas Day, 2016

John 1:1-14

"He dwells with us"

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            A tourist in New York took the trip to the top of the Empire State Building. As he was looking down from that view to the people on the sidewalks, they looked like ants running around. He said, "I imagine this is the way the people of the earth look to God."

          Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior...Immanuel: God with us! Each and every year we come to this place with joy, sing our favorite Christmas hymns with gusto, listen to children repeat the beautiful story, visit with family and friends and then quickly rush back into normal life. Quickly trees will be thrown out, burned, or thrown into ditches. Presents will be used, forgotten, or returned. The happy greetings of "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," and "Season's Greetings" will fall to the wayside of polite hellos.

          Maybe we are like Lucy, the Peanuts character, who throws up her hands in utter despair and shrieks, "For months we looked forward to Christmas. We couldn't wait till it came, and now it's all over!"

          We live as if Christmas was a fraud. For a few brief moments there is a special glow in the air. Life is softer, peaceful, joyful, more exciting somehow. For a few breathless moments the world is a magic land where everybody loves everybody and problems melt away.

          But then the magic moment is past. The tinsel wasn't silver after all, only aluminum foil. The problems all return, and the joy and laughter turn out to be only whistling in the dark. The warm glow of friendship disappears, and people become strangers again, passing each other by, unknown and unrecognized.

          The celebration shouldn't be over. While people may live like Christmas is over and that Jesus is gone...the day after Christmas Jesus is still here. Our Gospel text puts it this way: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14)

          Immanuel...Jesus...God with us...came to dwell among us. Jesus came to live with and die for his people. Jesus came to be with us...to guard us and keep us. At our Lord's Ascension the Apostles must have felt abandoned...Jesus left them. Maybe they thought that Jesus had ascended to some high place and would periodically look down on them and see them like ants on the sidewalk.

          No. God doesn't look down from a high pinnacle and watch people struggle and suffer. He Himself came down in the person of Christ and went the way of the cross to help them! Not only that but Jesus promises His Disciples "I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

          Jesus is always with us. But many don't see Him. Many question where He is to be found...especially when tragedies strike, when people are hurting and suffering. We ought be reminded by the hymn Built on the Rock the Church doth Stand: "Still we our earthly temples rear That we may herald His praises; They are the homes where He draws near And little children embraces. Beautiful things in them are said; God there with us His covenant made, Making us heirs of His kingdom.

          Here stand the font before our eyes Telling how God did receive us; The altar recalls Christ's sacrifice And what His table doth give us; Here sound the Word that doth proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same, Yea, and for aye our Redeemer."

          Christ is found here in His house. The very Word made flesh is found in the very Word proclaimed at the lectern and pulpit. Christ comes to us every Lord's day in His body and blood and is found in with and under the bread and wine. It is Jesus who forgives your sins. It is Jesus that strengthens you. It is Jesus who is found here. Always here out of love for you. This is why we need remember "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:17)

          Jesus dwells with us. He is with us always. Christmas isn't over. Not by a long shot. The joy of Christmas continues for all eternity because the joy of Easter continues for all eternity. We get to celebrate the love and joy of the Babe of Bethlehem because that Babe was born to save us...and save us He did.

          So go out...continue singing Christmas hymns and carols... celebrate Christmas in July...or any other month...and celebrate Easter every Sunday. For Christ was born to save. And He has risen indeed. Alleluia. Salvation is ours. Christ is with us. And even if people give us dirty looks or snicker...we get to share the great news that Christ is born all the year through! Merry Christmas. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men

Christmas Eve Children's Program, 2016

"Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men"

Luke 2:14

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            Dear friends and family... welcome home. Welcome home to your Father's House where your Savior continues to dwell. What a beautiful, hopeful, loving, and joyous story we have heard proclaimed this evening by our children. We have a hope that stands the test of time. It is hope found in the babe found in the manger. It is hope found in a Savior dying on the cross. It is hope in Jesus and His promises. That hope welcomes the joyous news proclaimed by the angels "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:14)

          Many live in this world without peace or hope. Many families have been torn apart. Problems plague us throughout the year. Times are tough. Mistakes are made. Hope fades. Love turns cold. Misery entraps us.

          It was a long, cold winter of 1863.Two years before Saint Paul's Lutheran Church would be founded. The War between the states raged mercilessly. Antietam. Vicksburg. Gettysburg. Chickamauga. Sons, fathers and brothers from Mississippi to Maine had not come home for Christmas, and many would never return.  

          "As Christmas carols were sung and Christmas bells rung, Henry thought back on two tremendous tragedies. His loving wife, Frances, had been fatally burned in an accident in their own home. His son, Charles, had been severely wounded in the war.

          When Frances was caught up in a fire, Henry attempted to smother the flames by throwing his arms around her. He only succeeded in severely burning himself on his face, arms and hands. He was so ill from his own burns, he could not attend his wife’s funeral. He was obliged to grow a beard because he was unable to shave his burn scarred face.

          Henry’s son, Charles, was the unfortunate victim of a war bullet. Permanently disabled, Henry had to care for Charles’ day-to-day needs. His double dose of death and disability blanketed Henry with despair.

          At Christmas, Henry wrote in his journal, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays. I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.”

          A year later at Christmas, he was still mourning when he wrote, “A merry Christmas say the children, but that is no more for me.”

          Finally, the following year at Christmas, Henry decided to pour out his jumbled emotions on paper. But instead of penning an entry in his journal, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put pen to poetry and wrote the well-recognized Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day.” (Jim Priest )

          "I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

          And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

          Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

          Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

          It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

          And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said: “For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

          Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

          Many in this world live as if peace were dead because we are surrounded by hate and sin. We struggle with hurts and pains and struggles. We seek solace from all of the holidays that remind us of our failures in life...failures with those we love...and mourn the loss of friendships, relationships. marriages, and those lost to death. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow felt that way too. Every year at Christmas the church bells reminded him of "peace on earth, good will towards men." Finally God's peace and good will broke through the tears and sadness and Longfellow realized in the midst of tragedy and despair "God is not dead, nor does he sleep!"

          God is not dead. He does not sleep. He is always watching over you and guarding you. He is always in this place for you. He is here in His Word and His Sacraments. Always. Out of love for you! The prince of peace...placed in the manger...was born to save you. That He has done. No matter what struggles we might face, no matter the wrongs we have done or have been done to us, no matter what evil may surround and attack us...we have peace for all eternity. For we have Christ. He is not dead. He does not sleep. He is with us always. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Steadfast

Advent 4, 2016

"Steadfast"

Matthew 1:18-25

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            She was a young teen engaged to be married. And she was pregnant. The child was not his. Not if...but when her family and friends and neighbors found out that she was having a child out of wedlock...she would be scorned, ostracized, mocked, ridiculed, and abandoned to fend for herself and her child. Her fiancée sought to divorce her quietly to save her from some of those problems...but he would divorce her nonetheless. She might beg and plead...and share the unbelievable story of an angel...and virgin birth. Who would believer her? Nobody had ever seen a virgin give birth! And nobody has seen a virgin give birth since. No. This isn't a strange episode of Dr. Phil or a crude episode of Jerry Springer. This is the true story of our Savior's birth.

          In a story that seems destined for tragedy...God intervenes. First an angel was sent to Mary to explain what was soon to happen. The Angel Gabriel told her "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." (Luke 1:28-31) And after hearing this shocking message what did Mary do?  She says, "let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) In the face of this unbelievable message...not knowing how others would react...she remained steadfast in her trust of God to watch over her.

          God was not done. He sent an angel to Joseph in a dream. "But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21) Despite all of the questions that must have gone through Joseph's head...questions of infidelity...questions of how could this be...questions of what can he or must he do... Joseph trusts God's Word proclaimed through the angel and takes Mary to be his wife. Not only that...but Joseph goes on to name the baby Jesus just as the angel had said.

          Make no mistake that both Joseph and Mary remained steadfast in the faith. It would have been easy for either of them...or both of them...to give up on each other and their faith. Joseph and Mary would have a tough road ahead of them – and I don't just mean the trek to Bethlehem. Joseph would work hard as a carpenter to provide for his family. They would not be wealthy...but they would have enough. Mary would endure the questions to her character, and the inconvenience of raising a child on the run, even to Egypt as they fled the slaughter of innocent baby boys by King Herod. And later, after Joseph has died, she would suffer the horror of watching her own son die, crucified as a criminal. Joseph and Mary, by the grace of God, would remain steadfast in their faith...their faith that Jesus was truly their Savior.

          The story of Mary and Joseph is a story of comfort for us. We too have lives that are often ugly and tainted by sin. We are often ridiculed and mocked, looked down at and ignored. We often feel unloved and alone. We question our own worth. Maybe it would be easier to give up or give in.

          Dear brothers and sisters. No matter what might be going on in your life. No matter how hard things might seem to be. God intervenes. He intervenes in your very life, just as he intervened in the lives of Mary and Joseph, with wonderful news. That wonderful news was heard from the angels and it is wonderful news for you! "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

          Jesus was born into a broken world. His mother would be scoffed at. His father thought of as a gullible fool. They might ridicule the boy as being a bastard. They would have to flee from Herod who was hell bent on killing him. Jesus, the King of Kings, was born in a palace; he wasn't even born to wealthy parents. Yet He was born to save. Immanuel. God with us.

          Jesus did save his people from their sins through his own death. That's not pretty. It's not soft and warm and fuzzy. Salvation comes in the blood and sweat and anguish of God's Son and Mary's Son. It's all the ugliness of sin wrapped up into one body – and that body bearing the wrath of God.

          There is no Christmas without Christ. And there is no Christ without the cross. There's no manger scene apart from a crucifix. No Bethlehem without Jerusalem. No savior born unless he is born to die. And there is no salvation for sinners like you and me, without Christ crucified for sinners like you and me.

          But that is Good News. That is Wondrous News. God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place and win for us salvation. So here is our true Christmas joy. Here is Joseph's Savior, Mary's Savior, everyone's Savior – here is Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. With us always in this place. With us always in His Word. With us Always in His body and blood. With us now and for all eternity. God's love for us remains steadfast in His Son. His love does not waver. His love does not end. For the Babe born in Bethlehem is risen indeed. And that is the most wonderful news there will ever be.

          Advent now closes. Christmas is almost here. And we are prepared to celebrate his birth because we know who he is. He is Jesus. He's our Savior. And He was born, killed, and risen for you! Believe in him always! Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

What does a believer look like?

Advent 3, 2016

Matthew 11:2-15

“What does a believer look like?”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            Advent and Christmas are a wonderful time of the year to use your senses. How wonderful it is to hear the beautiful Christmas songs, to taste cookies and Christmas dinners, to see the beauty of snow covered trees, or loved ones you haven’t seen in a year, to smell gingerbread and sugar cookies, to embrace those you love with a welcoming hug or to feel snow for the first time. Yes, this time of the year is a wonderful time to use your senses and enjoy the wonders that come with them.

          John the Baptist was using his senses as well. John had proclaimed to the people that the Messiah was at hand…and pointed the way for Christ. “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, [John is] “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (Luke 3:4-6)

          John prepared the way by calling sinners to repentance and baptizing them in the Jordan for the forgiveness of sin. John called the Pharisees and Sadducees, the unrepentant religious leaders, a brood of vipers. He called King Herod to repentance for marrying his brother’s wife and doing other wicked things. He also proclaimed that the Christ would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17) John would baptize Jesus and see the heavens rent asunder as God the Father spoke as the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.

          John indeed used his senses. He was arrested for proclaiming the truth about Jesus…and for calling wickedness sin…and calling sinners to repentance. Those wonderful senses we have…must have been torture on John in prison. I would not want to imagine the conditions John was thrown into. But John was a prophet…he fulfilled his calling…he prepared the way for the Lord. John knew that Jesus was the Christ…even while suffering in imprisonment…and for the sake of his own followers faith…sent them to question Jesus. John’s disciples needed to hear for themselves…who Jesus was. John certainly told them…but they questioned. If Jesus is the Messiah…why is John in prison? Why isn’t Jesus doing something about this? Why isn’t Jesus “taking names and kicking butt?”

          Isn’t that how we feel at times? Why doesn’t Jesus come back now? Why does God allow good people to suffer? Where is Jesus as my mom…or grandma…or my brother or father…son or daughter…battles cancer, or sickness, or disease? Where is God when we need Him? Is Jesus really God? Are we really saved? If Jesus is truly the Messiah…why do we still live as prisoners in this sinful world?

          “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Matthew 11:2-6)

          Jesus pointed to His mighty works of healing and His proclamation of the Good News to the poor as proof of being the Christ. But it wasn’t the deeds themselves that strengthened their faith…it was Scripture that did that. Jesus pointed to these mighty works because the Scriptures themselves, the prophecy of Isaiah, proclaimed these things would be done by the Christ.

          “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” (Isaiah 26:19) “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.” (Isaiah 29:18) “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”  (Isaiah 35:5-6) “Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!” (Isaiah 42:18) “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

          All of these prophecies, and many others, were fulfilled by Christ Jesus in John’s day. But John would not live to see the greatest of Jesus miracles and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. John would die before Jesus was crucified and rise from the dead. Nevertheless, John and his disciples were comforted by what they heard and saw in the miracles of Christ.

          What about you? Do the sight and sounds of Christmas strengthen your faith? As you or a loved one suffers…does Christmas give you hope and strength? As you struggle to pay bills and scrape by day by day without being able to give your children the best Christmas presents…does Christmas give you joy? As the Holiday season takes its toll as you recall your loved ones who have passed away…does Christmas comfort you? Maybe we should just say “bah humbug” and forget about Christmas altogether…and ditch the commercialism and stress.

          But then we might be like those that went out to see John the Baptist…and see him just for amusement…not out of faith in the message he proclaimed. Maybe we just do Christmas because it’s a fun thing…not because it gives us comfort or joy, strength or hope.

          “As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:7-11)

          Jesus proclaims to the crowds…the same crowds that saw John as just an amusement…that John was a prophet…and more than a prophet. John would both proclaim the coming of Jesus and see the prophecy fulfilled. He was, as Jesus proclaimed, the greatest of those born of women! John wasn’t an amusement…John was God’s chosen prophet! He might be imprisoned…he might have died for proclaiming the truth…but John would be saved.

          Advent. Christmas. We celebrate these holidays not for amusement and fun, although they certainly are. We celebrate them for what they mean. Advent is our time of solemn preparation for the birth of our Savior. Christmas is the joyous celebration of our Savior’s birth. But these things, these wonderful holidays would be meaningless if Jesus wasn’t the Messiah who was born to die for our sins. The enjoyment our senses bring us during Christmas would come to not without the gloom and sadness of the cross on Good Friday. What did you come to see and hear? The joy of a baby being born? The sound of carols? The sight of a lit Christmas tree? Yes! These are wonderful and joyful things! Because that baby who was born, of whom we sing carols, and celebrate with trees…died on the cross for you and me.

          As you enjoy the sound of carols, the smell and taste of cookies, the sight of snow and Christmas trees, the embrace of loved ones; may this Christmastide be one of comfort and joy, hope and peace…because our Savior has been born, has died, and has risen for you. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Prepare for the King

Advent 2, 2016

“Prepare for the King”

Matthew 3:1-12

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            What season are we in? (Winter?) (Christmas?) (Advent?) The world gets ready for Christmas in a way that is very much different than Christians. The world gets ready for just one great big blockbuster of a day on Christmas, kind of an annual consumer feeding frenzy, indulging itself in stuff and more stuff. Then when it’s over, it’s over. And all that’s left of Christmas on December 26 is a big pile of wrapping paper, Christmas trees on the side of the road, and trips to the store for after-Christmas sales and the return of unwanted, broken, or miss-sized gifts.

          Not so in the Church. For us, when Christmas comes, it stays. It lingers on through Epiphany all the way through till Lent. We continue to ponder the great glad news that God has become man to redeem all humankind out from under the iron grip of death and hell. And we will sing our Christmas praises well into January and beyond. We make Christmas last.

         But Christmas hasn’t yet begun; we’re still in Advent. We’re still preparing. Yet our preparations are much more than just sending cards and decorating our homes and going to parties. It is a preparation of the heart that God desires at his coming. That’s why John proclaimed: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) That’s also why in our Collect this day we pray: “Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son.”

          In our text, God gives us exactly that: a ready heart, through the prophet of Advent, John. He is the very prophet whom the Lord appointed to clear the way for his coming. And believe me, he cleared the way. John the Baptist didn’t mince words…he told it as it was. He marched right in where angels feared to tread and laid it on the line to all who heard him: He called the Pharisees a brood of vipers! He tells us, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.”  All the dead wood was to be cut out of the Lord’s forest. “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

          Now that’s a little unsettling, and it should be. The sad truth is that more often than not, you and I don’t produce good fruit. We simply don’t love God with all our heart and soul and strength, much less love our neighbor as ourselves. Despite our best efforts, there are those we have hurt and those we have failed to help. Our thoughts and desires are soiled with sin. There is nothing good within us.

          That’s how preparing the way for the Lord’s coming begins, when you and I are laid low by the hammer blows of God’s Law, so that we might be lifted up and comforted by the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus, his Son. We cannot taste how sweet the Gospel is until we have tasted the bitterness of God’s Law. The way of the Lord is the way of repentance. That is, it calls for change; a change of mind and heart, which only God can work within us.

          That’s what we need this Advent season: a change so that we can straighten up—straighten up our hearts and lives, clean out our messed-up hearts so cluttered with sin, and clear out our lives, littered with shame and death, so that they might be filled with the life of Jesus Christ instead. Then we will be prepared for the coming of our King.

          The change of a sinful heart does not come easy. It means the death of bad habits. And such habits always die hard. It’s always easier to love and serve ourselves than it is to love and serve God and our neighbor. It always comes naturally to the sinful heart to lash out with anger when we’re hurt, to return evil for evil, to repay injury with injury. It is much easier to cut down other people than to love them and build them up. It’s easier for the sinful heart to curse and swear, to lie and deceive by God’s name, than to pray, praise, and give thanks. That’s why the way of the Lord leads first to the cross before it leads to joy. That’s why the Christian life is a life of constant repentance. First we confess our sins, then God “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). First the cross and then the crown. Such is the way, the road, we walk.

          And that road often takes some unexpected twists and turns. It might take us through some rocky terrain and rugged territory, places we would rather not go. The road of faith may lead us out even into desert lands, where it seems we walk alone.

          But we are not alone even there. The very God who washed away our sins and gave us life will not abandon us in those desert times. He who gave up his life for us on his cross and shed his blood to wash our robes will never let us go. “My sheep know me,” says Jesus, “and I know them. And they follow me. And I will give them eternal life. And no man will ever snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:14, 27-28).

          The path you walk might seem rugged at times and very steep, the pathway long and hard, but it is the path of the Lord’s own coming. The voice of John cries out to one and all: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3)

          So let’s stir up our hearts this Advent season. It’s time for a change. Let’s lift up the valleys of our deep despair, bring down the mountain peaks of our lofty pride, and straighten out our crooked ways. How is this done? What does this mean?

          What this means for you I cannot tell. It means different things for each of us depending on where we are in life. You can tell that from John’s instructions to those who heard his preaching. For tax collectors, the way of the Lord meant to be honest; for soldiers, it meant to be content and not steal. For everyone, it meant generosity and mercy, giving food and clothing to those who had none, for Jesus’ sake. But how is this done? That I can certainly tell you: It's done by the grace of God.

          The Son of God, who came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, will change your hearts and make them new. The Lord Jesus will sweep the cobwebs out of your hearts and make them fit for his coming. He will straighten up the crooked paths by which we have wandered far away from our Father’s house and bring us home again. He will tear down our stubborn pride and melt our hardened hearts to enfold us in his love. He will lift us up out of the pits of our despair and grief to comfort us with the presence of his Holy Spirit and restore to us the joy of his salvation.

          So get ready. Get ready for Christmas, but above all else prepare your hearts for the coming of Christ. Let this holy Advent season be your comfort and your joy as deep within takes root the reality that Christ has actually come in the flesh and will come again at the end of time. He comes this very day in his Word and comes to make you new and whole and free in His very body and blood. He comes for you. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.