St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church does not have much to attract the people of this world, but she has never had more than she does right now to give the people of this world.
Let me explain. We do not offer the things that the people of this world are looking for in a church: childcare, school, social activities for people of every age. In fact, what we do offer is offends them. But ironically, our greatest weakness is also our greatest strength. We celebrate the Holy Liturgy every Sunday and by this offer Jesus Christ for forgiveness, salvation, and life to all who enter this holy place. And while that won’t make us the most popular church in this world, it does make us the church that’s most needed by this world.
Who says so? Jesus, in today’s Gospel, listen: “And it happened as he spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you.’ But he said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’”
So how can I say that this world needs our church more than it does those conservative Lutheran churches, which insist they teach God’s Word in its truth and purity?
Here we confront one of Satan’s most deceptive lies, at least in this day and age. As I told you before, so I now say it again- and by the grace of God this will not be the last time I say it to you either: Protestants believe that the word of God is the Bible and so judge a church’s orthodoxy solely by whether it teaches all the Bible as true or not. But St. John gives us a much different definition of the word of God, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The eternal Son of God is the Incarnate Word of God, to which all the holy, inspired words of the Bible testify. Therefore the orthodoxy of a church cannot be judged solely by if it teaches what is true, but must also, and even more importantly be judged by if it preaches him who is the Truth.
The Virgin Mary, whom this woman wanted to praise, did nothing of herself to deserve such praise. Her firstborn Son, who is from all eternity the only begotten Son of God, is theBlessed One. She was merely a chosen instrument of God, even as his the Church, for as God used her to bring Christ into this world, so he now uses his Church to bring Christ to this world.
Thus it is as I said. While our little church little to attract the people of this world, she has never had more than she does right now to offer the people of this world, for to all who come here, she offers Jesus Christ in the holy Liturgy of the Church.
Now you may or may not be fully convinced of this. But as members of this church, you are truly blessed in ways that few other Christians are these days because of this.
And once again, these are not just my words, but also what our dear Lord himself implied when he said, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters,” – indeed, remains a possession of Satan, for Jesus explains, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.”Of course they are, for who would let someone take his possessions? Who would not instead do every thing within his power to hold onto them?
Because you were conceived in sin, you were born as Satan’s possession. I’m not saying that he physically possessed you. Fact is he didn’t have to, for you were his possession. You belonged to him and as such were condemned to hell.
“But,” Jesus continues, “When a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor, in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.” That someone is your Savior Jesus Christ. Only unlike all other robbers, he is not a criminal. Oh, he was treated like a criminal- indeed, executed as the worst of criminals. And his Father allowed this to happen to him too, but only so that he could accomplish what is good for you. For by his death Jesus overcame the strong man. He destroyed his power over you by atoning for your sins.
Then he took you away from Satan, by casting this demon out of you, similar to the way he did a demon from this mute here. “Depart, you unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Spirit,” he cried out, perhaps even audibly to you through the voice of his minister. Then by the hand of the same he poured his shed Blood over you “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” to wash and cleanse you.
But beware! The devil is not one to give up easily. You know that from personal experience, as he tempts you day after day, hour after hour, until your faith caves in, and you sin.
So even though your Baptism united you to Christ, who proved he was stronger than the devil, nevertheless, you would do well not to develop a false sense of security about this. Instead listen to Jesus’ warning: “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man- as Satan did from you at your Baptism, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’- so you see, Satan does not give up easily. And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order- as happened in Baptism. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.’” Simply put, a fallen Christian will suffer worse torment in hell than will a life-long unbeliever. It’s only right that he does, since he rejected the Incarnate Word into which he was once baptized.
Dear Christians, this warning does not apply only to other people. Though baptized into Christ and so redeemed from Satan to be children of God, you give your hearts back to the devil, as instruments of sin every day. You don’t even make it hard for him most of the time, as you succumb to the same temptations and so commit the same sins over and over and over again.
Now I ask you, considering how often and how easily you do this, how can you prevent Satan from- to use the words of Jesus- seeking seven other demons and returning to your hearts, so that your last state- that is, your spiritual condition upon death- is even worse than the sinful state into which you were conceived?
“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it,” Jesus answers. Only the Incarnate Word of God, only Jesus Christ who died for you and washed you in his Blood to bring you to God, can keep you faithful to him, even unto death, so that upon your death you receive the crown of life. And because Jesus is given to you after your Baptism through Holy Preaching, Holy Absolution, and most intimately in the Holy Feast of his true Body and true Blood, what I said earlier is true. You are indeed blessed to be members of a Church, which offers Christ to you
each and every week in the Holy Liturgy.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
