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Luke 19:41-42
08/27/2025

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41. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
42. saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (ESV)

Saint Luke wrote:

And when [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

All Scripture is written for our learning, both about our sin and about God’s grace, love, and mercy. According to Saint Paul, the punishment for sin is to be allowed to do exactly that which the heart desires. Because the desires of our heart, the desires of our selfish, sinful nature are not for the good of others, our selfishness brings our own destruction.

We are shown God’s desire that all people come to Him, to acknowledge the truth that Jesus Christ is our only hope for redemption for sin, death, and the power of the devil. Throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God’s will is clearly shown. ‘‘Return to the LORD, your God, for He is gracious and merciful,’’[1] the prophet Joel implored the children of Israel.

Jesus died and rose again to pay the price of the sins of all people. The reason people are condemned is not God’s will, but their refusal to hear of His love and grace. There is a point when we will no longer be able to hear the good news of salvation by grace through faith for the sake of Christ. Reject God, and He will give you even His absence, if that is what your heart truly desires.

May our Lord grant that we hear the things that make for peace, the good news of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and God’s grace and mercy. Amen.

Luke 19:41-42
08/26/2025

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42. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
43. saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (ESV)

Our preschool open house is this week at Trinity. Once again we will have the pleasure of having the three and four year old students in the building. Although they will learn the alphabet and numbers, one of the biggest lessons they will learn is how to get along with each other. Parents learn quickly that they do not need to teach their children how to be selfish and demanding. Rather, the parents, and those who act in place of the parents, labor long and hard to instill politeness and manners in their offspring.

We believe, teach, and confess that everyone is born with a sinful nature, that we have the imprint of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God as part of our inheritance. Because of this inherent sin, we also daily commit sins against both God and neighbor.

Saint Luke wrote:

And when [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

God’s offer of peace is extended to all people. Most people reject that offer, believing that they, by their own abilities and talents, can please both God and man. But everything we try to do to reconcile ourselves to others, to reconcile ourselves to God, come from our selfish nature. Therefore, we fail.

God offered forgiveness and redemption to the children of Israel, and they rejected Him. God offers each of us the same forgiveness.

May our Lord grant that we truly know the things that make for peace, and trust in Him alone for our redemption from sin and death. Amen.

Luke 19:41-44
08/25/2025

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41. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
42. saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
44. and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’’ (ESV)<\li>

Saint Paul wrote to the congregation in Rome: ‘‘For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.’’[1] This week’s Gospel lesson, which comes from Saint Luke’s account of Palm Sunday, truly gives us both a warning and hope. The warning, if God would punish His chosen people for rejecting Him, will He not do the same to all who reject His love? The hope, our Savior weeps over those who turn from the truth, for they are the cause of their own destruction.

And when [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’’

In these few verses is enough to study about our salvation from sin and death to last for a long time. Here we see the punishment of sin and God’s rich grace, love, and mercy. Here we see our sin and God’s response to redeem us from the guilt of our transgressions. This week we will ponder these words of Jesus, spoken the Sunday before He was crucified for our salvation.

May our Lord grant that we recognize the day of our visitation. Amen.

August 22, 2025

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Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much – Part 5
Luke 16:13
08/22/2025

13
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (ESV)

This week we have been discussing stewardship as evidence of our faith. Either we trust in God to provide our daily bread, or we trust in the temporal and changing things of this world. Jesus warned His disciples:

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The way we use the gifts of God entrusted to us in this life clearly reflects our faith in Him. All that we have and do is given to us by God as a trust, as something for which we will give an account when we depart this life. On the day of judgment, the good stewards will be commended by God for using their time, talents, and treasure to reflect His love to their neighbors.

We are not redeemed from sin, death, and the power of the devil, by our good stewardship. Rather, good stewardship of those things entrusted to us is a response to God’s grace, love, and mercy. You and I have the assurance of eternal life because of the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, not our works.

Being a good steward of God’s blessings includes accepting His invitation to gather together with others to receive His love. Please join us each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church as we hear of His grace and mercy.

May our Lord grant you the peace of knowing His blessings are both temporal and eternal, given for the sake of Christ Jesus. Amen.

August 21, 2025

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Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much – Part 4
Luke 16:12
08/21/2025

12
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? (ESV)

How a person uses temporal things is a clear indication of their view of spiritual things. God appoints us as managers of His creation. In the end, we own nothing, we are only care-takers and stewards of the goodness of God’s blessings. If we are selfish, we misuse and destroy the property of others. If we truly care about out neighbor, we treat their property with respect. Jesus told His disciples: ‘‘And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?’’

Our true and permanent riches come only when we have eternal life. That life is assured as we have faith in Christ Jesus, in His death and resurrection as sufficient for our redemption from sin and eternal death. Although we do not earn eternal life by our good works, by our stewardship of those things entrusted to us, our management of the blessings of time, talent, and treasure give evidence of our faith.

We see the evidence of a lack of faith, as people deface the property of others. Vandalism, carelessness, littering, and hoarding are all evidence of our selfish nature.

Proper stewardship is a response to God’s rich grace, love, and mercy. We seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, by beginning and ending each day with prayer. We frequently accept His invitation to be in His presence to receive the forgiveness of our sins. Being blessed by God, we share our time, talent, and treasures with our neighbors, using those things entrusted to us for their benefit.

May our Lord grant that we reflect His love and mercy as we are stewards of His grace. Amen.

August 19, 2025

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Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much – Part 2
Luke 16:10
08/19/2025

10
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (ESV)

Jesus told His disciples, ‘‘One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.’’ How does this apply to each Christian? We remember the words of Job as he first lost all of his children and his wealth. Rather than cursing God, as encouraged by his wife, Job exclaimed: ‘‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’’[1]

All that we have, including our life, is a gift from God loaned to us for our stay on earth. We bring nothing into this world, we take nothing from this world. That which we claim to own will pass to another.

God will call us to account for that which He has entrusted to our care. Have we been selfish, or have we be generous? How we use the gifts of time, talent, and treasure reflects our understanding of Jesus’ words: ‘‘But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.’’[2]

Adam’s defiant act of eating the forbidden fruit was not the sin which condemned all people, but was the outward act which betrayed the sin of desiring to be like God, to replace God, to be in control. Selfish use of our time, talents, and treasure reflect that same sin. There is a direct correlation of the decline of religion in the United States with the decline of volunteering in the community.

May our Lord grant that we be faithful in our use of His gracious gifts. Amen.

August 18, 2025

Broadcast

Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much – Part 1
Luke 16:10
08/18/2025

10
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (ESV)

During this portion of the Church Year, the congregations which still use the historic Gospel readings are studying the righteousness of faith. We are asking the question, ‘‘How does being saved by grace through faith for the sake of Jesus Christ affect our lives?’’ As we ponder this question, we must remember that we are redeemed from sin, death, and the power of the devil by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Good works certainly follow our salvation, but are absolutely not the cause of our salvation.

Our good works are the way that we show the faith in our hearts. Because none of us can actually see what is hidden inside another, the only way we can come to the conclusion that a person is a Christian is if they act like a Christian. As we heard Jesus say last week, ‘‘By their fruits you shall know them.’’[1]

This week our Gospel lesson speaks of stewardship, our care for the things God entrusts to each person. The way we use temporal things is a clear indication of our view of spiritual things. Jesus told His disciples, ‘‘One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.’’

Let us be very clear on this one point. Many times the word ‘‘stewardship’’ is used by a congregation to talk of raising funds to meet the budget. We will not be using the term in that way, but in our approach to everything God has entrusted to us.

May our Lord grant us wisdom to recognize Him as the source of all things, that we are caretakers of His creation. Amen.

August 15, 2025

Broadcast

                        False Prophets- Part 5
                            Matthew 7:22-23
                              08/15/2025


        22   On that day many will say to me, ``Lord, Lord, did
             we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons
             in your name, and do many mighty works in your
             name?''
        23   And then will I declare to them, ``I never knew
             you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.''
             (ESV)

        Jesus taught His disciples: ``Beware of false prophets, who
   come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous
   wolves.''  This week we have been looking at some of the
   teachings of the false prophets.

        Either we receive the forgiveness of our sins and life
   everlasting from God by our own works and efforts, or God
   forgives us because of His grace, love, and mercy as found in
   Jesus Christ.  If we rely on our own efforts, we are doomed to
   failure.  Yet the false prophets focus on works and not on Christ
   Jesus.

        Our Lord and Savior said:
        On that day many will say to me, ``Lord, Lord, did we
        not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
        name, and do many mighty works in your name?''  And
        then will I declare to them, ``I never knew you; depart
        from me, you workers of lawlessness.''


        Even while standing before the judgment seat of God, the
   false prophets look to their own actions, their own good works.
   Even if their works were done in the name of Jesus, they did not
   know Jesus nor did they understand the Gospel.

        What will you hear each Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at
   Trinity Lutheran Church?  Our salvation from sin and death is
   because of God's rich grace and love alone.  We are saved, not by
   our works, but through the gift of faith which trusts that His
   death and resurrection paid the price for our sin.

        May our Lord grant that you accept the invitation to join us
   to receive the good news of salvation by grace through faith for
   the sake of Christ.  Amen.

August 14, 2025

Broadcast

                        False Prophets- Part 4
                             Matthew 7:21
                              08/14/2025


        21   Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will
             enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does
             the will of my Father who is in heaven.  (ESV)

        Jesus warned His disciples: ``Not everyone who says to me,
   `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who
   does the will of my Father who is in heaven.''

        One of the sad facts about American Christianity is the
   average parishioner does not know what his or her church actually
   teaches.  To begin, only about thirty percent of Christians
   regularly attend a service and fewer than that attend a Bible
   study.  If we expect a piano student to practice thirty minutes a
   day, or the high school football team to practice during the
   week, shouldn't we expect Christians to learn more about their
   faith at least once a week?

        Feel free to ask your pastor about the creation account, is
   it history or myth?  Ask what Jesus means by the word ``is'' as
   He instituted the Lord's Supper, or about original sin, the
   effect of baptism, and the purpose of the Ten Commandments in the
   life of a Christian.  Ask if the source of doctrine in your
   church is more than the Word of God, and if the Bible is inerrant
   and true.

        I am happy to answer these questions for you, to explain the
   doctrine and practice of the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod,
   and the teaching of this congregation.  Please contact me at
   Trinity Lutheran Church.

        Know this about the Christian Church.  The true message can
   be stated in the words of Saint Paul as he taught of the will of
   the Father in heaven.  ``Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you
   will be saved, you and your household.''[1]

        May our Lord grant us wisdom to know the truth of His Word.
   Amen.

   ____________________

   1. Acts 16:31